I was terrified.
I was having trouble remembering a time in my life that I’d ever been this terrified of anything. Acid churned in my belly and bile crept up my throat. It burned a scorching trail as I swallowed it back and struggled not to choke.
I got four steps—maybe five—before his hand closed around my arm. The air caught in my throat.
What would a soldier do? What would Dad do?
In that moment, I felt every beat of my heart as if it were a heavy metal drum solo going to town against my ribs. Panic, raw and unfiltered, washed through me. I’d been taught to defend myself. As the daughter of a U.S. general, you didn’t attend the ballet or weekly tea parties in Mom’s makeup with stuffed animals and oversized high heeled shoes. And up until that very moment, if you’d asked me if I was confident I could hold my own with an attacker, I would have answered a resounding hell, yes. But that was mainly because I’d never been tested. Now that reality was staring down my nose, heralded by broad shoulders and an angry twitch, I wasn’t so confident.
He pulled back, and I went with him.
Fight. Use what you have.
I followed through and jerked my elbow upward with all my strength. It connected with him—I had no clue where, and didn’t much care. As long as I’d made contact. He cursed and stumbled away, letting go of my arm. That was my window. I ran like hell.
Behind me, his laughter echoed through the empty street. An eerie battle cry tinged with excitement. “Well, this is new,” he called. A second later, his footsteps clapped against the ground and he let out an enthusiastic hoot. “I like it!”
I ran, tipping over whatever I could get my hands on. Garbage cans, sidewalk signs, traffic cones. Anything that might be a hindrance. Might slow him down. I also pounded my fists against every surface that might make noise. The blows echoed off glass storefronts and doors, a nightmarish thunder against the night’s silence. There was a slim chance someone else could be lurking around, and I knew a few of the old-timers had apartment spaces above their shops. All I needed was to piss someone off enough to call the cops.
But no one surfaced. I was alone. A quick check of my cell told me outside help wasn’t an option, either. No service. I veered to the left at the end of the block, ducking around the side of Jarvis’s Deli. This guy was probably stronger, but I was faster. I’d gained some ground, and if I was lucky, I could lose him in the courtyard maze.
It was what people called restaurant alley. A web of eateries, most with backyard tables and gardens. They were all connected by a series of small rock walls that made the whole thing resemble a maze. It was pretty; they kept it strung year-round with thousands of white Christmas lights—which under normal circumstances I loved. Unfortunately, now the tiny bulbs illuminated my every move, creating a telltale shadow that made it impossible to hide.
I raced through the maze, looking over my shoulder just once. I had no idea who this guy was, or what he wanted, but I had no intention of finding out.
“I just wanna talk to you, Kori,” he yelled, followed by a knowing snicker. “But, if you don’t wanna talk to me… Well, we can go another route.”
Talk my ass. You didn’t chase down a girl to chat her up. You approached her in the daytime. Asked her name. Tossed a few compliments. Got her digits… Excessive force and stalking? Grabby hands and thinly veiled threats? Not the way to go.
I ducked down and scrunched myself under a cluster of thick bushes. Just in time, too. The guy entered the courtyard and slowly made his way toward me. I thought about pulling out my cell again. It could have picked up a signal. But he was too close. He’d hear me just as soon as I opened my mouth, and help would never get here in time.
Despite a heavy military presence, Wells was just like any other town. Hell, I’d heard stories about violence on the base. No place on Earth was truly safe. This guy could just be some wack job looking to stash me away in his windowless basement for the next fifty or so years. Except that he’d mentioned the base. This was the second time tonight I’d seen him, and he knew me by name. There was nothing random about this.
I was targeted…
“Come on,” he said in a singsong voice. “I just need to ask you a few questions. I promise I won’t hurt you.” A soft snicker. “Much…”
He’d almost passed and it looked like I was in the clear. I said a silent prayer of thanks and leaned forward on my heels, ready to dash off the second I was sure he was gone. Of course, that’s the moment one of the game apps on my phone started going off…
Chapter Four
“Shit!” I fumbled with the cell, trying to silence the thing, but it was too late. He turned and was already on his way. I rocked back on my heels, ready to bolt, but he was on me in a flash.
Unyielding fingers wrapping around a large chunk of my long hair, he dragged me out from the brush and growled, “You’re a lot more trouble than the others.”
“The others, who?” I struggled against his grasp. Did he make a habit of this? Attacking girls on the street? Not that I cared. Right now the only thing I wanted was for him to let go. But his grip was like iron, unforgiving and unrelenting. No amount of squirming gave me leeway.
Without answering, he made his way across the courtyard, dragging me behind him like a child’s toy. My eyes watered and my nose itched. That tickle that comes right before you sneeze. I wasn’t a crier, good soldiers sucked it up and pushed onward through the worst of times, even though this situation certainly would have warranted a breakdown.
We headed for the darkness of the alley. Four feet. Three feet.
No.
I sucked in as much air as I could and screamed. The sound tore from my throat, ripping free like ten thousand tiny shards of glass.
With a curse, he jerked me backward and slapped his hand down across my mouth.
Or at least, that’s what he tried to do. I threw myself sideways to send him off-balance. Whatever it was he wanted, I wasn’t about to give in without one hell of a fight. “Someone,” I bellowed as he made another swipe. His hand caught the corner of my face, jarring my head sideways with a violent jerk. “Help me! Please, I’m—”
He was successful on the third try. His meaty hand covered my mouth. The pressure of his fingers digging craters into the sides of my face brought involuntary tears to my eyes as my heart hammered out an uneven, erratic beat. “Do it again and I promise that you’ll live just long enough to regret it.”
He removed his hand and spun my body around, pitching me backward into the building. I tried to scream again—his threats were nothing compared to the colorful imagery my imagination cooked up—but my forehead smashed against the brick and everything swam out of focus. When it cleared, he had his left hand around my neck and the right braced against the wall beside my head. He leaned close and the scent of cigarettes filled the air around me. I almost gagged. “Make a sound and I’ll break your neck.”
Fight or flight kicked in. Hard. Technically, they were one and the same at that moment. If I wanted flight, then I had to fight. Adrenaline surged through my system like rocket fuel, and I brought my right knee up, as hard as I could, but he was smart. He blocked the blow and shimmied sideways, free and clear of my assault.
Shaking his head, he clucked his tongue. “Bad idea, Kori. Behave. Please. This will go much faster if you simply tell me what I want to know,” he whispered against my ear.
His breath, fetid and hot, induced a violent wave of nausea, and for an ill-timed and insane minute, I was worried I might vomit on him. That would probably do less to endear him to me than the screaming. Nobody liked puke. “If this is about my dad, you’re out of luck.” I turned my face away and swallowed back the bile creeping up my throat. “I’m not involved with anything. I don’t know anything.”
He growled, a dark, dangerous sound that made the acid churn in my belly. “We’ll see about that.” His fingers tightened around my neck, and with a smile that could only be described as joyous, he began to squeeze.
No. T
his is not happening…
I clawed at his hand, desperate for air. My nails dug deep, drawing blood—I felt it, warm and slick—but it didn’t make him loosen his hold.
He grinned, as if pleased I was fighting back and, as I kicked out blindly with both legs, he laughed out loud. “Where is Ava?”
I tried to tell him that I had no idea who the hell he was talking about, but the lack of oxygen was becoming an issue. Surely if he wanted an answer—not that I had one—he’d have to let me breathe.
“Ava Harris,” he barked. “She’s not in Wells. I can’t find her. Tell me where she is!”
He pushed me around to face him and shoved something under my nose. A picture. In it was a petite, raven-haired girl with a heart-shaped face and mischievous grin. The photograph had seen better days. It was creased down the middle with frayed edges and faded colors. Whoever she was, I’d never seen her before.
When I didn’t answer, he squeezed my neck. The edges of my vision clouded, becoming watery and vague. Another scream built in my throat, but died without the oxygen needed to release it into the world. My mind was jumbled. Panic and regret and sadness over all the things I’d never get to do. Dad knew I loved him, right? We were like oil and vinegar most times, but he knew… If I’d only listened. Stayed home and done what I was supposed to…
I was seconds from blacking out when a blurry shape rocketed into the alley from the right. Whatever it was hit us with horrible force and sent both me and my attacker to the ground. I stumbled away, determined to use this new turn of events to my advantage, and put distance between us while choking on the fresh rush of glorious air.
A series of muted blows and grunts filled the alley. I used the wall as a crutch, trying to get to my feet so I could see what was going on, but it was no use. I made it only halfway before the ground dipped and swayed and gravity made me its bitch.
This time I stayed down. I might not be able to get up and run, but I could sure as hell try crawling. You worked with what you had. Adapted and made due. I could see now that the blur was actually another guy—two of them. Cade and Noah. They must have followed me and been lagging behind, or they would have intervened sooner. Either way, I’d never been so happy about being tailed.
They stood with their backs to me, a welcome barrier between me and my new not-so-friend. I wasn’t the kind of girl who normally needed saving, but even I could admit when I was in over my head. Granted I’d put myself there, but, hey…semantics.
“We all know how this goes,” the guy said. His gaze found mine and he winked. “What makes you think this time will be any different?”
“We found you, didn’t we?” Noah quipped.
“Come on now, Noah.” My attacker’s grin widened. “We’ve been here before. How many times now—ten? Eleven? You always say the same thing.”
“This time is different, Dylan,” Cade interjected. He stood stiff, arms ridged at his sides with both fists clenched tight.
I managed to climb to my feet. This time? So it had happened before. I wasn’t the first. Was it a military thing? I’d heard stories of soldiers getting reprimanded for bad behavior, but this took it to an entirely new level.
Dylan snorted. “I can honestly say that this time I’ll actually regret it. She’s nothing like the others.” He leveled his gaze at Cade, then winked. “I’m doing you a solid, bro. Usually they’re so docile. Boring and sweet—just your speed. But she’s a new breed. Way too much fire for you to handle.”
Noah lunged forward. Dylan, almost like he’d anticipated the move, danced to the right. “Be seeing you again soon, princess,” he called as he took off for the maze. Noah followed without hesitating.
When they were out of sight, Cade turned to me. I expected to see concern in his eyes, maybe distress in his expression. Possibly even fear. You misplace your superior’s daughter and it’s kind of a thing. What I didn’t anticipate was fury.
“How could you be so damn stupid?” He stalked toward me and stopped a few feet away. “Coming out here? Alone?”
“I—”
“You didn’t think anything would happen, right?”
I’d just been attacked, questioned, then nearly choked to death. I wanted to do nothing more than run back home and hide under the covers until tonight was nothing but a bad, distant memory.
Keep it together, Anderson.
I’d been wrong. Had made a mistake by sneaking out. But berating me for it? At least let the shaking stop first. Let me catch my breath and calm down.
“That’s the problem though, isn’t it?” he continued, oblivious to the fact that I was on the verge of an epic breakdown. “As far as you’re concerned, everything is sunshine and roses, right?”
Okay. Whoa. “What are you talking about? Sunshine and roses?” I managed once I found my voice. “You don’t know anything about me. And for your information, I’m well aware of the ass ratchets that inhabit this city. This world! There’s no such thing as sunshine and roses, so spare me the lecture, asshole.”
His eyes went wide, and for a moment, I thought he might actually pass out. Maybe he wasn’t used to people talking back to him like that? I found a lot of these army guys had something of a God complex. “You—” He took a deep breath, and his expression softened. The tension faded from his body like someone had popped a pinhole in an overinflated balloon. He took a step away. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Are you all right?”
All right? No. I was the farthest possible thing from all right. But I wasn’t about to let him in on the secret. Especially not after he spazzed like that. “That guy asked about someone.” Ask, being an extremely polite way of putting it. “Ava Harris?”
Cade kept his expression neutral. “What did you tell him?”
“Everything.” I folded my arms and flashed him a severe frown. “I spilled just as soon as he said pretty, pretty please.”
He paled.
Jeez. You’d think I just confessed to national defense secrets…
I sighed. “Kidding, relax. I have no idea who Ava Harris is, so, no. I didn’t tell him anything.”
“Did he say anything else? Ask anything else?”
Before I could respond, Noah trotted back into the alley looking like someone had peed in his Cheerios. “He got away.” He stopped a few feet from us and kicked at the wall. After a moment, he did it again, harder. The guy definitely had some anger issues. “I fucking lost him.”
“We’ll get him,” Cade said.
“Damn right we will.” Jabbing a finger in my direction, he added, “And she’s the ticket.”
Noah’s eyes met mine, and I fought a shiver. Where Cade’s gaze made me feel like I was some kind of one in a million gemstone, rare and unfathomable, Noah’s made me feel like, well…steak. It was like he was seeing an opportunity to use me to feed the entire world.
Cade’s eyes rounded like baseballs. He cast a nervous glance my way, then turned on Noah, furious. “Are you insane?”
Noah shrugged, stuffing both hands into his pockets. There was challenge in his eyes. “If it gets the job done, why not?”
Cade’s face bloomed scarlet. He positioned himself in front of me. It was all very caveman, and maybe under different circumstances, I might have found it charming in some weird way. At the moment, though, my patience level was absolute zero, and it was daunting. “How can you—”
I whistled. The sound of it echoed in the alley and stopped both boys dead in their tracks. Like bobble dolls, their heads swiveled in my direction. Good. Now I had their attention. These were two of the strangest soldiers I’d ever come across. Nothing about them was the norm, from their clothing and cursing, right down to general attitude. Normally I would have been relieved. In my opinion, America’s finest needed to yank the stick from their asses. But this had gone too far, and really, I had no idea if I was any safer with them than I was with that Dylan guy.
Dylan.
Holy crap! That’s the name I’d overheard Cade say back at the house. Whe
n they were talking about missing people. Dylan’s already started. That’s what he’d said. Then there was all that talk about plans… Something was going on. “How about you two tell me the truth.”
Noah folded his arms and pinned me with an uninterested glare. “Truth?”
“What was up with that guy who attacked me—Dylan, was it? And who the hell is Ava Harris? I heard what you guys were saying at the house about people having gone missing. A plan? If this has something to do with my dad, then I deserve to know.”
Cade’s expression, from the slight tilt of his head to the confused twist of his lips, screamed perplexed. “Three people—”
“It’s all classified,” Noah responded coolly. “And not your concern.”
I bit my tongue. I could see if I’d done something to the guy—insulted his granny or accidentally stepped on his junk—but we’d just met. He had no reason to dislike me so much. Recruit or not, you knew the score when you enlisted. What was expected of you. A soldier was a walking, talking representation of the United States. Respectful and polite. Brave and strong. Nowhere did it say you should act like a dick under any circumstance.
“Begging to differ, pal. That asshole just dragged me into the dark and assaulted me. That makes it my concern. If you don’t start talking, I might consider stuffing a paintbrush up your ass sideways to help loosen things up.”
They both stared at me. Noah’s jaw fell open, but Cade just sort of smiled. He reached for my arm, and I didn’t think. I balled my fist and struck. In part, it was leftover adrenalin from the chaos of the night, but also reflex. Mom always joked I had my Dad’s soldierness—his determination and drive, as well as his take no crap attitude. Act first, think later. That’s why from the time I could walk, she’d tried—in vain—to interest me in anything and everything that didn’t revolve around the military.
Glitter and ponies. Dollhouses and tea parties. All things sweet little girls traditionally loved. Dad never approved. He felt like that was too close to babying. To making me soft and weak. But Mom was determined. She didn’t want me following in his footsteps. She shouldn’t have worried, though. The military held as much appeal to me as slug tartar. I hadn’t had the heart to tell her I felt the same way about all the lace and pink frills. From as far back as I could remember, it was always art. First, crayons. Then, as I got older, watercolor and oil paints. Then, my ultimate love, pencils.