Authors: D. Anne Paris
Keith’s white knuckles held onto the door handle as Dean swerved around another car. The storm that started turned into a near hurricane as the wind and the rain kicked up. Yet somehow they were making record time, breaking every single speed limit and miraculously not getting pulled over or even swerving off the road. The car hugged the corners and jumped past every slow car on the highway almost as if it knew that its owner was in trouble and wanted to get to her. Darkness started to fall on the road, and Keith wondered how much longer Dean would be able to swerve and miss the other cars on the road. The rain continued pounding down relentlessly. Whoever took Anne planned this out well and knew exactly when to hit to make sure help couldn’t get to her easily.
Keith saw his friend in many combat situations but never in such an emotional turmoil like this one, not since Alexandra. Keith still wished he could slap that bitch for screwing Dean over. A text came through and he picked up his phone to view the message.
Jeri wrote:
Kenneth sent a message to the police on the Island.
He knows the chief there.
They can’t get to the house because there's a big storm.
How long until you get there?
He smiled as he typed back.
Should be there in an hour.
She responded instantly.
An hour? How fast are you going?
Keith typed back.
Dean’s driving and he’s pissed.
Jeri’s reply came up almost instantly.
That explains it. Just don’t get hurt.
We won’t. Dean’s too stubborn and I…
He stopped before he could write the words that he truly felt. He should be saying things like that to Jen, and yet when he did, she never responded or didn’t seem to care.
We won’t. We were trained for this.
He retyped and sent to her.
Good. I’ll be waiting here.
As he put the phone down, he turned towards the road ahead of them. He didn’t want to think of Jeri in any romantic way since he was with Jen, but it seemed like the more and more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to be with her.
“Was that Jeri?”
Keith stared out into the darkness he could see the reflection of the headlights hitting nothing but the rain. “Yeah, Kenneth gave the Island PD a heads up, but with this storm they can’t get to the house. She’s hoping we get there soon.”
“We are. None of the cops here were trained to do what we did back in the Middle East.” He passed a minivan with a family full of rambunctious kids who made faces at them as they passed by.
Keith was in no mood to be some amusement for these kids. He flipped them off as they cut in front of them and sped away.
“Did you just flip off those kids?” Dean shook his head.
“Yeah, so?”
“They’re kids.”
“No, they’re brats that need to be taught a lesson.”
“I feel bad for your kids.”
Hawk swerved around another car and jumped again across the clear stretch of road before them.
“You don’t need to worry because Jen doesn’t want kids.”
Dean looked over at him. “What about you? What do you want?”
Jeri
, his mind screamed as he turned his gaze towards the drenched road ahead of them. “Doesn’t matter.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“No, but you’re going to ask me anyway.”
“Damn straight. Why the hell are you with Jen? You’ve changed since you’ve been with her. The longer you are with her, the more miserable you are.” The road turned slightly and a few more houses started to pop up.
“How would you know, Miller? You haven’t been around that long.” Irritation laced his voice as his words hit a raw nerve.
“You’re right, I haven’t, but Jeri has. She’s worried about you, Keith.”
“Jeri deserves a man better than me.”
“Better then you?” Dean slowed down as a set of stoplights ahead turned red. “Keith, there is no man better for her than you.”
“I am not the man she needs, Dean. She needs someone who isn’t still fucked up mentally and physically.”
Hawk stopped at the stoplight. “Give her some credit, Keith. How long have you known her? Don’t you think she knows what your demons are? And if you’re worried about your missing foot, well, guess what? She knows about that, too. You have to look ahead instead of focusing on the past and what happened.”
As if on cue, the light turned green and Dean drove down and turned the corner. Keith thought about what Dean said and wondered if Jeri really could handle him and his demons.
A view of a lit-up bridge appeared in front of them through the curtain of water. Dean inhaled. “Anne’s there. I can still feel her.”
“Then let’s get over there and get her the hell out of that bastard’s hands,” Keith told him as Dean punched the gas and sped towards the bridge.
Anne’s shaking had become uncontrollable. She bit down on her finger so she could concentrate on the pain instead of the constant nausea that gnawed at her.
Dean? Dean, where are you?
she called out in her mind. Did she need to do something else to help him find her? Was she just too weak? Marshall’s maid left her a platter of food on the dresser, but the very thought of anything to eat just made her want to vomit. Her whole body ached and she had jelly for legs. How long would she stay conscious before her whole body fell apart on her?
The obnoxious creak of the door announced his presence again and anger filled her lungs.
“What do you want?” her strained voice echoed the room.
The edge of the bed sank and a hand touched her shoulder. “You still are not feeling well, dear?” his soft, sinister voice asked. “They must not have given you enough of the antidote. I’ll have Will give you another dose to help you feel better.”
The little bit of strength she had helped her pull her shoulder away from him. “I don’t want anything from you. I’d rather die!”
“Oh, darling, it pains me to hear you say that. I need you to be healthy so that you can give me such wonderfully-
gifted
children.”
Her heart stopped for a moment after he uttered those words. What the hell did he mean by that? “I’m not giving you anything.”
“You say that now, but you’ll change your mind.” The slow caress of his hand across her cheek just made her want to retch. “You see, Anne, I can make your life as well as the lives of those closest to you very, very miserable.”
Understanding dawned on her, making her feel suddenly very cold. “Did you hurt Missy?”
“Ah, your darling younger sister.” He stood up, walked around the bed and stood in front of her, asserting a sense of dominance over her. “The beauty that graces the covers of the most elite fashion magazines.” He waved his hands as he emphasized her grandiose life. “With the snap of a lens, her image coerces millions of people to open their wallets and buy whatever trinket or trash she was paid to sell.” He leaned over her trembling body and whispered, “Such a tragic thing that happened to her. I was very surprised that she didn’t have any gifts to help avoid that accident.”
The sight of his ice cold eyes made her clench her teeth. “You’re a monster.”
He laughed at her comment. “Me? What about you, my darling? What would the public say if they knew what you could do with cars?”
He knew! How did he know? Anne never told him.
“Yes, my dear. I know about your little gift. I noticed how your car starts up but you don’t have a remote starter and the way that it’s so pristine and perfect— not a scratch, dent or rust anywhere. And those stunt cars you race…” He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “The way you made them move so flawlessly, perfectly, like they were part of your body… you could not do that unless you have a special gift.”
“You’re crazy. You’ve been in Hollywood too long! I only play gifted characters in films. There are no real people with powers.”
That sinister grin never left his lips as he laid down behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her body closer to his. “Oh, you are so wrong, my dear. You see, there was an elite group of soldiers back during the war who volunteered to be part of an experiment to enhance them.”
Anne strained to laugh as she tried not to think about his erection against her lower back. “Didn’t that movie come out last year?”
“You can laugh my dear, but when I met you and began to watch you, I noticed that you were special. When I started doing some research, I found out about the top secret Orion project the government performed during World War II which gave enhanced abilities to the test subjects. Those seven test subjects disappeared, but I am convinced you are one of their descendants.”
Anne’s heart began to race. Orion project? Was he making this up just to get her to admit she had gifts? If this project really existed, then that would mean the Tensels and Dean and Jeri were also descendants. Anne wondered about this as Marshall kept up his monologue.
“That is why, my dear, you are going to give me children. Many, many children and they will all be as gifted as you.” he emphasized his point by pressing his erection against her lower back.
Anne didn't move. “And what good would that do?”
“Oh, my dear, you truly do not see? We would have power. No one would ever try to cross us.”
“Are you serious? There is no guarantee that your children will listen to you and follow your lead.”
Marshall moved a strand of hair away from her face and gently caressed her cheek. “They will listen. They will be trained to be obedient from birth just like you will be trained to obey me.”
A shiver went down her spine at those words. “I never will obey you, Marshall.”
His hand gently rubbed her cheek and then chin. “Oh, my dear, you will learn.”
The roar of thunder startled her and she tried to calm her startled heart. There had to be a way out, but how? In her current condition, she could barely stand let alone try to defend herself against him. Mentally, she reached out again for Hawk and found cold emptiness. Where did Marshall take her? Did he fly her out of the States? Where was she that there were no cars around? With the storm outside, she couldn’t even see outside of the window.
“Go to hell, Marshall!” she spat as she tried to roll out from his skin crawling embrace.
His fingers bit into her skin and she tried to stop herself from crying out. “The sooner you accept your new life, the easier it will be for you and your family.” His kiss on her cheek made her cringe away from him. “I’ll be back later so we can get re-acquainted.” His arms released their hold on her as the bed sprung up from the release of his weight on it.
The squeak of the door let her finally release the breath she held. There had to be a way out of here or at least a way to get a message out to Dean. Her bruised body screamed as she rolled out of the bed. The breathing technique she learned in meditation class eased her nausea. As she sat on the floor rug, she leaned against the bed and looked around the room again. As weak as she was she was determined not to go down without a fight.
The question was how long would her body fight until she blacked out?
Dean? Hawk? Why can't I feel any machines?
A pit formed in her stomach as she laid down on the floor.
Dean pulled up into a marina on the other side of the island. They both grabbed their bags from Hawk and ran through the downpour of rain to enter the marina.
“Keith! Dean! How are you?” a voice rang out from the back the moment they walked in. A young man in his 20s smiled and ran up to both of them.
“Tiny!” they both yelled at him as they gave each other bear hugs and slaps on the back. At 5’8”, Jason “Tiny” Tucker was the shortest member of their team but had the strength of the whole team combined. He was always the one who carried the biggest guns, crawled into the tightest spaces, and fired the largest rounds without getting caught or noticed. Despite his nickname ladies lined up outside his door to get a chance to view those hazel eyes and caress that well-built body.
“How’s civilian life?” Keith asked when he released him.
“It takes getting used to, but I sure enjoy my mom’s apple crumble,” he said as he smacked his lips.
“Well, don’t eat too much of it, otherwise the ladies will stop calling,” Dean said with a smile.
“Speaking of ladies, Keith says that yours is in trouble on the island.”
Solemnly, Dean nodded. “Some bastard abducted her and we need to help her.”
“We hope that you can help us,” Keith chimed in.
“Anything for you guys.” With that, he motioned to the back room. “We need some scuba gear to get to the Island which I got right here.” He slapped a contraption that looked like a monstrous yellow egg with a huge fan on the end. “I have three undersea scooters. They’re not what we are used to but they’ll get us to the island. They won’t have enough charge to get us back. The rest of the gear is good. I have the guns and ammo sealed up already.”
“Thanks for helping us, Tiny,” Dean told him as he surveyed the gear.
Tiny smiled. “Don’t mention it. When one of us needs help, the others help out, am I right?”
The scuba gear was hung up on hooks and stored on some shelves on the wall. Dean walked over to the first tank and examined it.
“Tiny, what about this tank? The gauge isn’t full. It’s not leaking, is it?” Dean asked as his hands instinctively ran over the tanks searching for damage.
“No, it’s good. I just didn’t plan on renting to anyone during one of the worst storms of the season. I only had time to fill it to 2000 psi instead of the full 3000 psi,” Tiny explained. “I checked the weather report and they said there should be a break in this storm soon. If we want to get on the beach without being seen we’ll need to get there before the storm slows down.”
Keith knew the clock was running out and they needed a plan fast. His inner sergeant leapt out without conscious thought as he assumed command. “All right, listen up--this isn’t the Marines anymore. We don’t have our full team, we don’t have backup of any kind, we have virtually no intel on what kind of resistance we can expect, and our equipment is shit--no offense, Tiny.”
“None taken.”
“With just the three of us, we don’t even have a complete fire team. We have the element of surprise and our experience as a team. We have to make that work for us,” Keith continued.
“Do we have any kind of exit strategy? I mean, how to we get her out of there, assuming we find her?” Tiny asked, directing his question to Keith.
“We don’t need one. We get her out of wherever they are holding her and kill anyone that’s laid a finger on her. If we have to, we’ll hide on the island for a few days until the Feds show up,” Dean responded, cutting off Keith. Tiny moved his head back and his eyes widened with surprise. Keith glared at him momentarily but quickly softened his expression.
“Dean, I get how much this means to you, which is precisely why you need to let me make the calls. Emotions can get you killed. You need to stow yours for the mission,” Keith said, hoping to calm Dean’s nerves.
He placed a hand on his shoulder to reassure him. “Don’t worry. We’ll get her back, even if it costs me my other foot,” Keith joked to lighten the mood.
The joke backfired. Dean suddenly felt a pang of guilt, recalling how Keith had lost his foot protecting him. He had been so concerned about Anne that he didn’t consider one of his friends might get hurt. When they fought alongside each other in the past, they had been soldiers. They were on a mission and each was performing their duty. Now, it was different. They were there as his friends, his brothers. If they got hurt, he wasn’t sure it was a debt he could repay.
“Dean, does your girl know how to shoot? I know it’s not ideal, but if we can get her a gun when we find her, would it do us any good?” Keith asked as he continued to draft out the plan.
“I honestly don’t know. I think her dad took her hunting growing up. I am pretty sure she’s handled a rifle once or twice, but that doesn’t mean she can run and gun,” Dean said as he tried to make an educated guess.
“All right then, Dean, your job will be to find Anne and spring her loose. Tiny, you need to get to a high point and cover the field. You will be our eyes and our only cover. We’ll use Dean’s idea for evac as Plan A. Tiny, you and I will draw fire while Anne and Dean head into the woods. Once they lose sight of her, their defense should start falling apart. They’ll have the authorities to worry about long before they can catch up to Dean.”
“What about casualties?” Dean asked.
“If Anne isn’t mobile or one of us gets hurt, then we steal the nearest civilian boat and evac to the main land. We can’t let any of us end up in their hands, so if we go the boat route, we need to stick together. Hopefully, it won’t go that way. It’s a big enough island where we can all disappear pretty quick as long as we’re all mobile. The biggest risk will be civilians getting in the way. We have to be extra careful where our rounds go. I don’t want to read about some kid getting wasted on the news tomorrow,” Keith cautioned.
“It’s too bad Anthony wasn’t here. There is a small airport on the island. I don’t suppose either of you have taken up flying?” Tiny offered.
“Anne might be able to fly one but I’m not sure.” Dean responded.
“They don’t know we don’t have a pilot. You and Tiny can head there and make it look like that’s our plan. If you can keep them pinned down, maybe we can get the police in by plane,” Dean suggested.
“We’ll keep that in our bag of tricks. It just depends where they have her and how fucked this all gets. Tiny, what do we have for weapons anyway? All I have on me is my .45.” Keith glanced at Tiny.
“I have an AR-15 for you. It’s 5.56, just like Dean’s. We only got 300 rounds for them total though. I have some 9mm and a Glock 19 if either of you need it.” Keith and Dean nodded and looked at the bags at Tiny’s feet.
“What about you?” Keith asked.
“Me? Well, I got a tiny little rifle as usual.” Tiny beamed with pride as he pulled the cover off of a monstrous .50 caliber Barrett M82A1 rifle.
Both Keith and Dean dropped their jaws in disbelief. “How the hell did you get that?” Keith asked, unable to hide his surprise.
“I won it in a bet. I don’t like to use my powers like that, but when someone is willing to bet a $12,000 rifle that you can’t lift a car an inch, it’s kind of hard to say no. It’s semi-auto, so it’s actually fully legal to own one if you can afford it,” Tiny said with a big smile.
“Okay, enough show and tell. We need to hit the water and get there now. Tiny, stow your baby and gear and let’s go,” Keith barked.
*
Opening the door to the bedroom, Marshall Foss saw Anne still lying on the bed, eyes closed, her whole body shaking.
He couldn’t understand it. Will gave her another dose of the antidote and yet she seemed to be getting worse. He wouldn’t lose her, not after everything he done to take her. There was no other way--he had to take her off the island for proper medical attention. The problem was she could retaliate if there were any cars anywhere. He would have to sedate her, as it was the only way he could assure his safety. Still, would it harm her even more?
Just then his radio chirped. “Go ahead,” he responded.
“Sir, we have a car matching the description you gave us. It just pulled into the parking lot. Two men got out and headed to the scuba shop. They had some bags and equipment.”
“Damn. How the hell did they know?” Foss yelled aloud. “Take care of the car. Get rid of it by any means necessary!” he commanded.
“Yes, sir. We'll get on it right away.”
With Anne's health failing and the enemy closing in, he'd have to move quickly. He had planned on flying out, but the storm made air travel too dangerous. His stomach became nauseated at the thought of going back on the boat. Drowning was the one thing he feared above all else.
He could hear the rapid beating of his heart, and he quickly dug his hand in his coat pocket and pulled out the bottle of pills. He pulled out two pills and grabbed the untouched glass of water on the dresser to chase the pills down. He was happy to be leaving this island and the anxiety that gnawed at him every single minute knowing that he was surrounded by water.
He spun around and glanced at Anne again. Even with the shaking and her pale face, she looked like an angel to him with her halo of dark silky hair. Oh, how he wanted her to look at him with those warm eyes fierce with passion. Why didn’t she see that he could give her the world? She may have money and fame, but he had even more money and connections and relationships that could bring them the world.
He knew there were others with powers like her, but none so beautiful, none so close, and few with a power quite as useful as hers. She was the first of her kind he had come face-to-face with. He wanted her more than any other. Only her own sister would have rivaled her power, but hers was far too dangerous to control.
Everything he dreamed of was so close to fulfillment. He knew he needed to leave now or everything might fall apart. He grabbed his radio, “David, get the boat ready. We need to leave right away!”
*
As the rescue team dragged themselves onto the shore, the rain tapered off, but the waves continued to pound the rocks. The dive took them a bit longer than they expected because of the rough current, but they managed to get ashore unnoticed. They found a spot near the water to hide the scooters and ready their weapons and gear. They left the extra Glock 19 and a box of ammo with the sea scooters. It would be a last fall back if they needed it.
The smell of rain normally calmed Dean, but today it made him feel tense. He should have watched Anne more closely and now she was in Marshall’s hands. He felt her presence, but it was weaker than it should have been at this distance. He tried to force out his doubts and focus on the mission at hand. Anne was counting on him, and so were his brothers in arms
,
who were risking everything to help him without an ounce of hesitation.
Already the sun was slowly dipping towards the horizon, darkening the cloudy sky further. They had to get there before the shore was cloaked in darkness.
Keith strapped in a knife to his boot. "Can you tell where she is?"
"Yeah, but I don't know if she's okay with that lunatic." He pushed away the fear that clawed at his throat. “She’s south of here. Do you see those rows of house just up on the hill? It is the one on the end that's surrounded by trees.” Dean replied.
“Dean and I will head out first. I’ll radio back with any intel I get. Once Dean spots Anne, he’ll engage and try to thin down any guards near her. Then I’ll lay down cover fire. That’s when I need to you to get to the top of one of those houses and cover us,” Keith said, motioning for Tiny to wait behind cover.
“Just draw fire for a little while. I’ll get her out quick. Those bastards won’t know what hit them,” Dean swore.
He was going to get her out safe. No matter what.
*
Anne tried to suppress the nausea that kept creeping up. Her blurred vision showed Marshall pacing around her bed.
She tried to sit up, but the nausea punched her in the stomach. "What do you want?" she moaned.
“Your undying love for me.” The assertive tone in his voice made her shiver. He sat on the edge of the bed as his cold hand brushed away a strand of her hair.
She jerked her face away from him. "Never."
“That will change, my dear.”
“We’re ready, Mr. Foss.” a deep voice called from the doorway.
“Excellent. Take Miss Stevens.”
The man walked over, leaned down, and scooped her up from the bed like she weighed nothing.
Anne mustered all her strength and tried to claw at his face but was tossed over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
As they shuffled down the stairs, Anne tried to grab a hold of anything she could use as a weapon. They zoomed so fast, through the house that she had no time to grasp anything.
The biting wind hit her when they stepped outside, and she knew there wasn’t much time left to escape. Waves…she heard waves in the background. She inhaled the cold air and started to reach out again for any kind of engine close by.
There--she felt a small tingle, then it started to get stronger as they walked. A boat! Anne reached out and grabbed the energy that emitted from it and started to absorb it. It filled every pore of her body and began to energize her and subdue her shaking. With the renewed energy, she had a chance to escape. Now
,
she just needed the element of surprise.