We were fucked if we did and fucked if we didn’t. But one thing I could never be accused of was being a traitor to my country. This mission, after all was said and done, was an important one for the protection of my fellow countrymen, and the rest of the peace-loving world. They could sleep in relative safety in their warm cozy beds at night because of people like us risking our lives to make the world better.
In the big scheme of things I could care less how the job was executed—as long as the outcome was what we desired and we still breathed, it was a success.
“You look like shit, man,” Savage said, rolling a cigar between his fingers. He didn’t smoke, but he always had two cigars in his pocket, and it was our tradition to blow circles of smoke into the air to congratulate ourselves on another mission well executed.
I looked down to where dried blood on my pants reminded me of the lives I’d ended a few hours earlier. If there was one thing that freaked me the fuck out, it was the sight of blood, yet it was part of my fucking job to face my fear head on time and time again. It never got easier.
The airplane taking us home was only an hour away, across the border in Pakistan. After they fixed the technical problem, they’d messaged us. The aircraft had landed a short while ago and they were preparing to make the return trip back to the USA.
I rolled the cigar between my fingers without lighting it. I was far from celebrating. There were still thousands of miles between me and Eva, and countless hours of travel across the ocean before I was even in the same country as what she was.
“We’ve got to get back to the plane. If we don’t, our next chance to get out of this hellhole is in five days. I can’t wait that long to get back. Every day that I’m not there finding Eva is another day it gets more difficult to save her.”
I grimaced as the truck drove over a rocky road and we got thrashed about in the back. It smelled of urine and straw and an ungodly stench from our fellow passengers. I’d seen this in movies and always laughed at how cliché it was, never thinking it could actually happen to me—that I’d be stuck on the back of a truck with a handful of stinking scraggly sheep and two cocky roosters tied together by their claws.
For the price I’d paid the driver to take us across the border, I would have wanted a lot more comfort. But since we had no alternatives, this was the best it was going to get for the next hour until we got to Pakistan and the airstrip. That detour had cost me extra, and I hoped I wasn’t going to have to pull a fucking gun to get the man to stick to our agreement.
“You know those fuckers aren’t going to wait for us, don’t you? As soon as they reload and collect their cargo, they’re flying back home without us. We weren’t scheduled to fly back with them, so they don’t have to take us back.”
I let out a long sigh.
“Don’t remind me. I’m not even sure we’ll be able to convince them to take us. This is so fucked up. We’ve done what we were sent to do; I don’t have time for all the fucking red tape involved. It’s doing my fucking head in just thinking about it.”
Savage chuckled out loud. I didn’t have a clue what he had to feel chirpy about. Raising an eyebrow, I gave him an inquiring look. “I’m not crazy, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m just happy to be fucking alive. A few times during the skirmish today I thought it was the end of us. How the hell you managed to actually pull it off, I’m not sure, but I’m never taking anything for granted again.”
It was my turn to laugh. “You’re so right it’s scary.” I put my hand on his shoulder and stared him down for a few moments. “Savage, you’re the best friend a man can have. I’m proud of what we did today. It wasn’t easy, but by sticking together and to the plan, we survived. If we could do this, we can do anything.”
Savage wiped the sweat trickling down his face from his brow. Dirt stuck between his frown lines and suddenly he looked so much older and worn down than I’d ever seen him. “There’s no better partner than you. Granted, you’re a crazy motherfucker, but I wouldn’t trust my life to anyone else like I do you.”
I swallowed hard. “Hey, I’m going to put this sappy talk down to a sleepless night and all the shit that went down today. We’re not okay yet, so let’s not get carried away. It’s a far way home and until we touch down in LA, I’m going to be holding my fucking breath.”
We traveled in relative silence for the rest of the way. I watched as Savage’s eyelids grew heavier and how he fell asleep in spite of the bumpy ride. I stared up at the cloudless sky for the longest time, trying to imagine what Eva was doing at that moment, worried about whether she was okay.
Finally I gave in and closed my eyes too, falling into a restless kind of sleep, that strange space between consciousness and deep satisfying slumber. My entire body ached, yet I was too afraid to give myself over to the unconsciousness it yearned for.
Chapter 35 — Eva
All too soon, tomorrow had arrived. A shaft of bright light crept through a crack in the drawn curtains and threw a thin sharp line on the opposite wall. A new day was dawning. A fateful day. I shuddered and screwed my eyes closed, pretending it wasn’t happening.
I thought back to when I was a child and how tomorrow had seemed so far away, especially if it was the day before my birthday or Christmas.
It had been the longest night of my life. Sleep had evaded me as images of my future flashed through my mind. Tears had rolled down my cheeks into the pillow, but I was careful to not make a sound as I cried for every dream that would never see the light of day.
I’d begged him, and finally Nolan had given in and untied my wrists before he’d rolled over and fallen asleep. They still hurt from when I’d struggled to free myself, and I rubbed over the tender reddened skin.
When Harrison tied me up—with his handcuffs or whatever way he chose—it was sexy as sin. It didn’t leave me feeling powerless and lost; instead, I gave my submission willingly because I truly wanted to.
Holding my breath when I heard Nolan stir, I lay still and pretended to sleep. The mattress dipped as Nolan moved and got off the bed and went to take a pee. He hummed an upbeat tune while he had a shower and brushed his teeth. It took forever before he finally left the room.
With a heavy sigh, I rolled over and stared blankly at the wall. Tiny dust particles floated unhurried on the single beam of light from the window that had grown in intensity. Even though I was free to move around the room, I couldn’t make myself get out of the bed. I wanted to roll into a little ball, pull the covers over my head and fall asleep to never wake up.
Gravel crunched nearby, becoming louder and louder until it changed to quick heavy footsteps falling on concrete. I hugged my knees to my chest just like I had when I was a little girl and afraid of the dark.
A rapid, hard knock was followed by the door opening on squeaky hinges. I blinked as harsh sunlight streamed into the room. I’d been in darkness with the curtains drawn for so long that I had no real concept of what time it was. Not that I really cared anyway.
Jones’s large frame filled the doorway, blocking out the sunshine. He stepped inside with a young woman on his heels.
“It’s time to get ready. Senator Parker is expecting you in just over an hour. He’s arranging for a small ceremony. I brought Sofia to help you. Your dress will be delivered as soon as it arrives. Take a bath while you wait.”
My gaze fell on the pretty girl behind Jones. She was a lot younger than I was, with a dark olive complexion and a shy smile. She held a basket of toiletries in her arms, and clean towels.
“Hello Sofia,” I said, smiling for the first time in days.
“She doesn’t speak English. She’s here to help you, not be your new best friend.”
Asshole.
I shrugged. “Okay.”
“There will be a photographer. Senator Parker will release the photos to the press. Do your best to look good.”