Circle of Danger (16 page)

The bastard had made sure Marie walked in on them. Later, he'd sent her to his room to tend his wounds. She'd been twelve at the time, though the sick pervert had thought she was nine. Twelve, nine—it didn't matter. She was too young and good and sweet. The games and stunts Theo had pulled on the two of them had at one time pushed Ryker to act too quickly. He'd planned to kill the old psycho. Before he could put the plans in motion, he'd found himself stuck in a cell at Northern Sector once again.

Afterward, over the years, Theo used Marie as a bribe for good behavior. But each time, another depraved act was added to his nightmares.

And now he was no better than the man who manipulated Marie. He used her for his own satisfaction. That was part of the reason he'd never let go, never allowed himself to climax. But when she lost her temper and dug her nails and heels into him, the pain released his control. Pain was the secret he kept hidden from everyone. He couldn't hide from himself that he was a monster.

He squeezed his eye shut. His breath hitched as he inhaled deeply. Fuck. He'd lost control with Marie.

“Ryker, it's okay. Are you okay?”

That was a switch. Her asking him the question he'd asked her over and over again. “Yeah. Go to sleep and we'll talk in the morning.”

She snuggled into his side. Her breath caressed his skin and then she pressed a light kiss on his ribcage.

“Yeah. Everything will be all right,” he whispered. He threw an arm over his face. Even if it killed him.

M
arie stretched and reached out for Ryker as she opened her eyes. He was gone but his warmth lingered on the sheet where her palm slid, seeking the hardness of his body. She sat up and looked around. She remembered little of the room from that day he'd saved her. The bedroom was the polar opposite of hers. No tasteful landscapes on the wall. Monotone-colored sheets and spread. Blackout blinds without curtains on the large windows. A sleek oak dresser without a mirror faced the foot of the bed. The bareness broke her heart. How could Ryker rest in such coldness?

She heard a flush and water running. When the door opened, she expected to see a naked Ryker. Instead, he wore a dark T-shirt, combat pants, and laced-up boots. He looked tired; creases fanned from his eye and bracketed his mouth. She had a feeling he hadn't slept last night.

“Give me a little while and I'll be ready too.” She scooted to the edge of the bed, looking over the side for her clothes.

“No. You stay here.” He opened a drawer and pulled out a gun, and stuck it in a holster at the small of his back. After slipping some leather straps over his shoulders, he slipped another gun into its holster. He looked over at her when he picked up a black windbreaker hanging on the closet doorknob.

“I thought you wanted to talk this morning.”

“Yeah. It'll take me a few weeks to find the Wizard. We've got some good info that should help.” He shrugged into the jacket and then he became still. “Marie, it's not going to happen again.”

“What's so different between us being in my bed versus yours?”

“You know that's not what I mean. I'll help you if you need it with the flashbacks, but I can't . . . I won't . . .” He jabbed his hands into the jacket pockets. “Shit.”

“I get it.” She stood up, taking the sheet with her. “Don't worry. I won't call. Last night was an idiosyncrasy and won't happen again. That's really why I came here.”

The smirk on his face infuriated her.

“If you say so.”

No softness in his look. She didn't like it one bit. Before she could argue, he cut her off with a slice of his hand.

“It doesn't matter. We agree that this won't happen unless you need a fix and nothing more,” he said.

“Agreed.” She wanted to bash his head in. Stubborn, arrogant knothead. He acted so cold while she hurt inside. Being mad at him prevented her from feeling sorry for herself. She had to remind herself once again this was for his safety. Bad enough he was going in search for the freak who'd caused this; no need to make it worse for them both.

He stared at her for a second longer as she remained standing with her chin up. Then he walked away, closing the door behind him.

She dropped to the floor, buried her face into the sheet, and cried.

 

C
HAPTER
E
IGHTEEN

M
arie aimed the Berretta M9 at the target and fired the final three shots dead-on into the target. Yeah, her shots hit the bull's eye when she imagined Ryker's face on the target.

“Good job.”

She laid the empty gun on the counter in front of her. After pulling off the safety glasses and ear muffs, she faced Jack.

“I've been practicing with it and a few others for the last several weeks,” she said.

“I've noticed you've been keeping to yourself.”

Jack held her satchel as she stored the weapon and accessories. No need for her to clean the gun here. Later, when she was alone in her room, she would drag out her kit and take care of it.

“Ryker's right. I need to learn several different ways to protect myself. I never want to be helpless again.”

He nodded, his gaze following her hands as she placed the ammo into the zippered pockets. She refused to let his undivided attention bother her.

So she reached for the other gun she'd practiced with earlier. It was her favorite. A .38 S&W Special. There was something timeless about a revolver. She slipped it into a separate case and handed it to Jack to tuck inside the bag.

“What's bothering you?” she asked. Jack usually teased or fussed when he was around. The only time he stayed this quiet was when he had a problem and didn't know how to verbalize it.

“They found another girl's body.”

“Oh, no.” She shook her head. “I'd hoped that nut had decided to leave town for good.” Every time she thought of how close she'd come to giving in to Mulcahy, her skin crawled. “Doc had thought they changed the drug formula enough to prevent that from happening again.”

Jack closed up the bag and walked with her into the hallway, heading to the elevator. She still lived in the same wing as Ryker. About every other week, a flare-up would become uncontrollable without help, and she refused to go to anyone else. Like it was a business proposition, she left him a voicemail, and he'd show up between thirty minutes and two hours later. He'd take care of her need without shedding his clothes or reaching a climax, just like all the other times before that one night. She'd restrained herself from the temptation of biting him again. Afterward, he would leave and she'd cry, swearing next time she'd hold out longer. Yet as soon as the flashback engulfed her body, she'd punch in his number, hating every beep as if the tones mocked her.

Though she had a regular sex life with Ryker—no way could she call it making love—little had changed in her life. She still worked at improving her self-defense skills, and in the evening, she practiced with different weapons. Jack had given her the initial lessons but she'd improved at such a fast rate, she only needed the occasional pointer from the operative on duty at the firing range. She'd found she had a knack with handguns—her aim true and her eye sharp, hitting the target more often than not.

While Charlie continued to work with her on her patterns in taekwondo, they decided to branch out a little. So she taught Marie how to handle a knife, pick locks, and make homemade bombs—a little side hobby of the mechanic's. If Ryker ever found out about the bomb lessons, he would kill her friend.

She glanced at Jack after pressing the Up button. “There's more?”

“Ryker and his team were investigating a lead on an island in the Florida Keys. The info they received led them to where they believe Mulcahy was hiding. They're certain Mulcahy stashed the Wizard there. Gunfire was exchanged with some of his goons.”

Jack stepped into the elevator with her. She held her hand out for her bag. He reluctantly released the straps. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, the short sleeves showing off his tattoo.

Marie had always admired the Celtic art on his arm, though she could never imagine having someone use a needle on her—beautiful or not—no less, pierce parts of her body besides her ears. She returned her attention to his face as she clutched the bag to her chest.

He looked at her as if he was judging her mood before telling her bad news. The loop on his brow glinted beneath the light, giving him a sinister cast, and the one centered on his bottom lip made promises of a different kind that would never have anything to do with her.

His gaze fastened on hers. Every nerve in her body tightened until she was certain her head would explode if Jack didn't hurry and spit it out. Something had happened to Ryker.

They stepped out of the elevator.

In a blur, she dropped the bag and pressed a knife against Jack's throat. “Asshole! Is he alive or dead?”

She had to get on her tiptoes and press her body to his, but she wanted to make a point that he needed to quit torturing her. He knew how much she loved Ryker despite their strained relationship.

“You know, you've been hanging out with Ryker too much,” he said between gritted teeth. He held his hands out to the sides.

“Quit being a smartass. You're making me understand why he wants you dead so bad. I'm not playing around.” Oh, God, if Ryker was dead—

She inhaled. She didn't want to finish that thought.

“He's alive. For now.” Jack pressed a finger against her wrist, moving the knife away.

Relieved but still angry with how Jack handled the news, she stepped back and breathed deeply a couple times, trying to calm herself. Her hand trembled as she slipped the knife back into her sleeve. She snatched up the bag and strode into her bedroom suite, tossing it on a chair. “Where is he? In medical?”

“No.”

Marie stopped in her path to the closet for a change of clothes and faced him.

“What do you mean, no?” she asked.

“Mulcahy has him.”

She screamed. Fists at her sides, she barely, just barely, held back from stomping her feet. Any other time, the look on Jack's face would've had her rolling on the floor laughing. Between frustration with handling her flashbacks for weeks, dealing with Ryker's stubbornness, and now with Jack's unwillingness to tell her all the facts, it was scream or kill someone. Jack looked better and better as the candidate for the latter.

After taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes for a few seconds. “Jack, if you don't spit out the details and quick, I'll make sure Ryker won't ever have to deal with your sorry ass again.”

When she opened her eyes, he smiled.

“What?” she asked. What was wrong with the man? Didn't he realize how close he came to dying? She'd become quite efficient at knife-throwing.

“Only a few months ago, you'd have never said anything like that. I like seeing the self-confident Marie. Watching you throw a temper tantrum is so much better than when we pulled you out of Main Sector. You were scared of your own shadow.” Jack's smile changed to a wary grin. “Okay. Quit looking at me like you want to slice me up and feed me to the hogs.”

She opened her mouth and raised her fists, ready to scream again.

“Wait! Please. Or my ears will start to bleed. Mulcahy said he would release Ryker in exchange for you.”

“Are you sure he's still alive?” No hesitation in her decision. And no way would she ever trust that deviant. Any man who distributed a drug that enslaved women to their baser desires and sold them to scumbags needed to be shot. In the groin.

“We intercepted a picture he sent to Liam's cell phone. He has apparently learned Liam betrayed him. In the picture, Ryker's tied to a chair and Mulcahy is holding yesterday's Atlanta paper.”

“Yesterday's and you're just now telling me about it.” Every terrorist in the world knew to use the most current paper to show a hostage was alive. Of course, there were ways to fake that too.

“You can get as mad as you want. We had to check several things out. His location was hard to find. We both know Ryker doesn't want you involved in another operation. So far, the two you were in went belly-up.”

“Like I care what he thinks. It's not like The Circle didn't have its share of failed missions before I decided to get involved.” She refrained from the temptation of screaming
and
kicking him in the groin. “Tell me your plans to save him and keep me out of that bastard's hands. Then let's go. Time's a-wasting.”

B
y the time The Circle's large helicopter started for Florida, Marie wanted to choke Jack. She struggled to keep her temper in check when he slumped in the seat across from her and acted so calmly. Sprinklings of white fur covered his black combat pants and jacket. When he noticed where she was staring, he brushed at his clothes.

“Kinky knew I was leaving and went crazy. I would shave her if it wouldn't get her sick.” He shrugged and picked a few more off to have them float back onto his clothes.

Marie leaned over to a built-in shelf and unhooked a roll of duct tape from inside. Holding one end of the tape, she pulled it out and wrapped it around her fingers with the stickiness facing out. Using her pocket knife, she cut it from the roll and slipped the tape from her hand, handing it over to him.

“Use this to pick up the fur or it'll drive you and me crazy.”

He stuck three fingers into the donut-shaped tape and patted his palm across his thighs and chest. The fur stuck to the tape and he made pretty good leeway in seconds.

The moment was so surreal. Here they were on the way to save the leader of a multi-billion-dollar organization and the second-in-command was worried about cat fur on his clothes.

Jack continued to pat at his clothes as he said, “The Orlando Sector's commander will meet us on a private landing strip and then in about four hours we'll meet a boat near Miami. The Circle's island is about forty-five minutes from that point. We'll stay there and prepare for taking over the island where they have Ryker. I've been told it's about two hours from there.”

“Boat? Island? Islands are surrounded by water.” Her face washed cold.

“Right. That's why they're called islands. You knew Ryker had received a lead about the Wizard being on an island.” He squinted at her. “You don't know how to swim, do you?”

“No.” Sector had a pool that off-duty operatives used, but she never thought she would need to know how to swim. Goodness, they lived in the mountains, and she couldn't see herself diving into a cold lake with fish and other slimy creatures. The fear of drowning terrified her.

“I thought we'd take the helicopter all the way to the island.”

He remained quiet.

She sighed. “It's too noisy to land without drawing attention, and they could blast us out of the air.”

“Bingo.”

She closed her eyes, leaning her head back. Well, she had several hours to come to terms with what she was willing to do for Ryker.

They landed in Macon to refuel, and in no time, they arrived near the Orlando Sector at The Circle's private airfield. Three large black Hummers with engines running waited with several operatives standing around them. Two wore drop rigs, wicked-looking guns on their thighs, and two others held M27s across their torsos as they eyed the surrounding area for intruders.

The lead operative for the local Sector stepped forward and greeted Jack.

“Everyone's in place and ready for your orders.” Dark sunglasses glanced her way and returned to Jack.

Marie had a feeling the man didn't miss much. With his high and tight haircut and held-back shoulders, he oozed military training.

Jack pulled out his sunglasses from a shirt pocket, slipped them on, and nodded at the vehicles. “Which one?”

“The second one.”

Marie followed him to the largest of the three. All black? Could they be any more obvious? But what did she know? She climbed into the back while Jack slipped into the front passenger seat.

“It's about time you two showed up.” Charlie sat behind the driver. A door opened and Tom slipped in. He'd flown them in. She flashed a grin at the man. “I thought I'd fry out in this heat waiting on you guys. The sooner we're done, the faster we can return to the coolness of the mountains.” She winked at Marie.

During the last several weeks, she'd avoided talking to Charlie about Liam. Since he was one of the lead operatives in The Circle, it was not unusual for him to leave on assignments for months at a time.

Had Charlie heard about Liam's betrayal and his possible elimination? No. Charlie wasn't coldhearted. Though her smile was a little stiff, the wink said she was her usual impudent self. News of Liam's upcoming death would break her.

Truth be told, Ryker had hoped no one had found out about Liam's betrayal in the hope of ambushing Mulcahy and the Wizard. Maybe when they saved Ryker, Marie could talk him into reconsidering. Everyone deserved a second chance.

At the same time, she wanted to warn her friend. But what good would it do at this point? They needed to concentrate on getting through the next few days alive. Mulcahy had crossed over the line of reason when he took Ryker hostage. Too many of the operatives owed him their lives. If Master had still been in control, half of them would be dead by now. Between the rougher-than-usual flight and expected boat ride in the Gulf Coast, her stomach roiled each time she thought about it.

“We should arrive at The Circle's island by ten tonight.” Jack talked over his shoulder as he sat in the front near the driver. Before she could open her mouth to ask, he added, “All day tomorrow, you'll take scuba diving lessons. Then we'll leave a couple hours before sunrise the next day.”

“Scuba diving lessons? Have you already forgotten I don't know how to swim?”

“Don't worry. I have a solution. For now, you'll learn the basics.”

He'd lost his mind. Learn how to swim
and
scuba dive?

“Don't you think we need to hurry? At this rate, when we get to him, he'll have been there for seventy-two hours.”