Freedom Does Matter (Mercenaries Book 2) (28 page)

“None. We just run, and today, worked on some background for her assignment.”

Beckie gave her another look. “Can you say that again, looking at me and with a straight face this time?” Even in the dim light from the pole at the end of the pier, Beckie could see Amy’s blush. “Okay. If you want my help, you’d better be straight, ‘cause if I’m talking and someone says, ‘that’s bullshit!’ I want to… I
need
to know what I’ve said is right.” She rubbed her hands on her shorts and started to stand. “Or if I decide the truth needs some… embellishment, I want to know the boundaries. Get it?”

Amy took Beckie’s hand and pulled her down. “Okay. Just… This isn’t so easy, you know.” She rubbed her eyes. “I was soaked from the rain when I got there this morning. While I changed, we… we made out… a little.” She was staring into the water under the pier now. “I was…” She looked up sharply. “Dammit, I was the one pushing it! I was the—”

“Keep your voice down or we won’t have to tell anyone anything. Shen will have it all over the security network.”

“Can he do that?” Her shock was real, Beckie decided.

“I’m sure he can, but I doubt he would. At least, not to everyone. But a select audience? If he thought for a second you’d be better off, absolutely he would.”

“Yeah, I knew that. It was just a surprise, hearing you say it. Abby and I talked about it.” She rubbed at her eyes again. “So we were… having some fun, me pushing Abby and… And that’s all, really.” She looked up; the hope in her eyes brought a catch to Beckie’s breath. “We did work the rest of the day on the data she needed to take to… to wherever Rich is. She didn’t say, exactly.”

Beckie thought for a second. “Okay. Please do what I ask, and maybe we can all get out of this in one piece. But be certain, in the best case, Abby will leave. In the worst case, she won’t be coming back. You understand?”

Amy started to shake her head, then stopped. She sniffled and wiped her nose. “Yes and no. I still want to… I don’t want all this, ‘protection,’ I guess you think it is. I know, I know. I don’t want to end up like Noorah, but really, that doesn’t seem… Well, that’s not gonna happen, realistically, is it?” She didn’t wait for Beckie to respond. “So it seems like I’m being forced to live someone else’s idea of right and wrong.”

“Well, you are, till you’re eighteen, anyway. Some people will want to control you after that, too, but that’s not the issue now. You already know about the law. Everybody gets treated the same, no exceptions. And your mom and Ian, well, no matter what you think, they’re after the same thing, to protect you, to enable you to get to eighteen without damage and with enough experience that you can strike out on your own.”

“Not you?”

“No.” Beckie laughed and stood to step to the pier. “I was lucky. Ian waited till I was eighteen before he figured out… Well, he figured it out. I was waiting for him from about the time I was fifteen, so I had different problems. Not better or worse, just different.” She reached a hand to Amy. “Com’on. It’s late. Let’s get this done.”

In the hospital, they found Ian relaxing in one of the chairs in his room. Beckie looked around before she walked over and gave him a kiss, then said, “Do you think you can make it to the house? I want to talk and I don’t want… I don’t want to bother anyone here.”

Ian smiled. “Indeed. And the fewer people to hear…”

“Yeah, the fewer the better. Can you?”

“I can, no matter that Millie would have me in a wheelchair for trips farther than the bathroom.” He waved at Amy. “I would say we will not mention it, but it appears she will find out for herself in due course.”

“Yeah. Assuming she’s rational enough to notice.”

Small talk carried the three back across the channel to surprise Boynton. He recovered quickly and they were soon settled on the lanai.

“Okay, Amy Rose. Here’s where you tell Ian your story of woe and sadness.”

Boynton gave Amy another few seconds respite by serving iced tea and cookies. Where does he get these things? And with no notice!

Finally, Beckie nodded to Amy.

The girl made it as far as, “Mr. Jamse, I’ve…” before her tears started again.

Beckie held Ian off. “She’s gotta get through this herself.”

Amy nodded to Beckie and gave Ian a half-hearted smile. “Yeah, I guess I do. What you need to know, if you can’t guess, is that being fifteen and a half doesn’t bring as much intelligence as it does… desire. Desire to know things, desire to do things, desire to… have the ability to do things.

“I’ve fallen for Abby Rochambeau. She has been very careful not to reciprocate—something about one of us being too young, she said.” She gave him a half-smile; Beckie thought, This might work. “I’m old enough to recognize that I’m young enough that this might just be a crush, but I hate to think that. Anyway, Beckie told me if you knew Abby and I… Well, you might get rid of Abby, and I can’t let that happen. It’s all me. Not that we did anything…”

Ian leaned forward to pour himself a new glass of tea. Amy trembled, though she had her hands pressed to the table top. Okay, Ian, let her off the hook, no matter—

He set the glass down. “Thank you for a… very difficult disclosure.” He gave her a long look. “As long as you affirm Ms Rochambeau did not… did nothing against your will…”

He had to stop; Amy was bouncing on her chair. “No, Mr. Jamse! Like I said, I was the one. Not Abby!” She settled herself. “Made me a little… angry, almost, that she kept pulling away.”

“Then nothing will befall her on your account. That is not to say you should feel free to continue—”

“Can we still run? Nothing else, I promise!”

“We will hold that question in abeyance until Ms Rochambeau completes her mission in South America.” He smiled and turned to Beckie. “Is that all you had on your mind, Rebecca?”

“No, not at all. But, do we need to get Abby over here so she—”

“That is not called for. Indeed, if Ms Ardan is capable and willing to return to her home… No. With everything else Go Shen has on his plate, I do not wish her to be running about after dark. We will return her when we are done. I am confident Boynton will be willing to attend us as we make our way.” He nodded behind Beckie; when she turned, Boynton was standing there, nodding in full agreement.

“Is Tahirah settled in?”

“She is still at the deVeel’s,” Boynton said. “They’ll call if she becomes a bother.”

“She… and Haleef…” Beckie muttered.

“No unpleasantness was mentioned.”

“Hmm. Okay, then.” She turned to Amy. “You’ve heard this before. Tell me if I leave something out, okay?”

Beckie told Ian what she had learned from Nasir through Tahirah and then from Haleef and her supposition that both of them were discussing the same event.

“I’m planning to take Kevin and Millie and meet Derek in London. Haleef asked to join us as long as it’s after he meets Noorah. Since that’s going to be at breakfast, I’ve got plenty of time.”

“Why have you chosen Doctor Ardan? Not to keep her and Ms Ardan separate?”

“No. I think they need to spend more time together, not less…” Dismay was written on Amy’s face, clear as if she’d used a marker. “… though Amy may not see the benefits.” She smiled. “Millie might not either, yet.” As she refilled her glass, she continued, “The people we’re talking about have already raped and maimed Noorah—knowing the rape is worse for her than the loss of her hand—and ordered two or more deaths. Add to that, Haleef being told about striking a blow for Allah.” She sipped. “Somehow, I don’t think it’s a peaceful blow they’re planning. That’s why Millie.”

“Hmm. And your plan?”

“Subject to change when I get Kevin, Haleef and Derek together, send Haleef to find Sedki and see if he will tell him more about their plans, or put him to work. I brought back a robe and a niqab, so I can stay with him.”

“I dislike this.”

“That’s not a surprise, Ian. I’d a lot rather be here with you, but…”

“Yes. Allow me to think on it overnight, and speak with Millie in the morning.”

“You can sure think about it, and I’ll be happy for any suggestions you have, as long as you don’t try to wrangle a get out of bed free card from Millie—”

A brief explosion of merriment took Beckie’s attention. “Sorry,” Amy said, still giggling.

Beckie was glad to see Ian smiling, too, and waved off the girl’s apology.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Day Twenty-nine - The Nest

THE MORNING ARRIVED WITHOUT FANFARE, which Beckie thought boded well. She walked beside a silent Noorah from the hospital to the deVeel’s home.

As they left the dock, Beckie caught the girl’s hand. “I was thinking back, Noorah. I’m afraid I did tell Haleef about the… about the rape. I’m sorry. If you want to call this off…”

The girl’s voice was just audible over the waves lapping the beach. “It doesn’t matter… except… he didn’t leave.” Just before they reached the door, she stopped and turned to Beckie. “What am I to do?” Her voice was almost plaintive, but Beckie dismissed it as nerves.

“Do what you think is right. Like I said to Amy Rose, some of your actions are bounded by your age, but I don’t think that’ll be a problem. You determine your path forward. It doesn’t matter what I think is right, or your sheikh, or your mom. What
you
think is right. For sure, don’t worry at all about what Haleef thinks, okay?”

The girl nodded with a deliberate motion and they continued to the door.

Inside, Shalin had spread the table with another of her amazing breakfasts: fresh fish; croissants and fruit, both whole and juiced, along with eggs. Haleef had taken his seat against the wall, closest to where Shalin was working; she said he’d been assisting with fetch and carry all morning. Beckie glanced at her phone and smiled; it was not quite nine.

Beckie pushed Noorah into a seat diametrically across from Haleef; as she took the seat to Noorah’s left, Kevin eased into the one to the girl’s right. She made introductions then sat back. Beyond noticing that the food was excellent, Beckie paid it no attention as Haleef and finally Noorah began to make the smallest of small talk. They began with the weather, which carried them a lot longer than Beckie thought possible, given the experience of the trip from the hospital: nothing but a few fluffy white clouds in the azure dome. The couple had moved on to discuss the beach and being confused about where they actually were when they heard a rap on the door.

Shalin went to the security monitor. “It’s Dan.”

“I’ll get it,” Beckie said before anyone else reacted. “He can take my place while I go see Ian.” When she came back with the Asian featured gentleman following, she leaned over Noorah’s shoulder and whispered, “Dan’s all right. You can trust him like you do me or Kevin.” If you do trust me and Kevin… “Can you do that?”

Noorah’s look of surprise startled Beckie until she thought about the girl’s standing in her own society. I guess being deferred to is so not routine. But quickly, Noorah nodded. “I will be fine.” She smiled. “Already, I feel great comfort here.”

Beckie decided not to investigate whether Haleef was responsible for the girl’s feeling, or it was because Kevin was hulking beside her, providing as much protection as she could want. “All right,” she said. “It’ll be noon in a little bit, Haleef, for your prayers.” As he nodded, she waved goodbye and headed toward the door.

“I recall meeting a determined young woman,” Ian said softly, “in a run-down strip club in London.” Beckie smiled. My blush must be visible from space! “Your determination was even more evident than your considerable sexuality.”

“Took you long enough to realize it,” Beckie mumbled. She heard Sue choke off her laugh.

“Indeed,” Ian said with a chuckle of his own. “But—”

“Why’d you make Dad sit through that?”

“To have him understand your… determination, your demand that you be allowed to do what you thought correct. That we could only sway you by letting you have more information, not less. By allowing you more freedom, not less, even if we thought it might carry an increased risk of failure.” He smiled again, then Beckie realized he hadn’t stopped smiling since she’d walked in. She looked her question to him. “Yes. I am opposed to your being part of this… action,” he breathed, so quiet she had to lean toward him to hear.

“Ian, if you insist…”

“I cannot. For the same reason I could not in London. It is a part of you, part of the you I love.”

She dropped into his lap, not giving a damn who might be watching. She kissed him as hard as she dared.

An hour later, or a day, or a few moments later, a touch on her shoulder was accompanied by a feminine clearing of throat. She stopped the kiss and instead, buried her face in Ian’s neck.

“Okay, Millie. I’ll be good…”

She heard a giggle. “And you expect me to leave Abby…”

Beckie almost jumped except that Ian felt so nice, but she raised her head to see Amy Rose laughing at her.

“I’ll deal with you later, girl. I see your Mom’s in the doorway… and amused, so that’s okay.” She directed her words to the doctor. “I assume that Ian pled his case, and you refused for good and honest medical reasons?”