Chapter 20
MAEVE
Maeve clenched her eyes shut as they rolled over what she originally thought was going to be a ditch, but was much steeper. They flipped, becoming ragdolls inside the vehicle. She clung to the arm Wolf held across her chest as her side window smashed out with a loud shattering sound.
She’d never forget the sound crushing metal made as they continued to roll before finally coming to a halt with a sudden jerk.
They were upside down. She was disoriented and most likely had a concussion, but by some miracle nothing seemed to be broken.
She tested her arms and legs, and they moved freely in the dimly lit truck.
She pushed on the button to release her buckle but couldn’t get it to unlock.
“Fuck, Waya.” She jabbed her thumb at the button and had to calm herself from having a full meltdown. “Please wake up,” she cried, looking over at Wolf, who hadn’t moved.
A flash caught her attention, and she looked out her broken window to see lights headed her way. The sound of someone yelling out orders pierced through the ringing in her ears.
“Waya,” she yelled and pushed on his arm. “Please wake up. I need you.”
Only a little moan escaped his lips and nothing more. At least he was alive.
“His knife, grab his knife,” she ordered herself. The sound of her own voice was comforting, and it helped her focus.
In the darkness, she fumbled trying to find the knife Wolf always wore at his waist and almost cheered as her fingers slipped around the handle. Pulling the blade free, she braced one hand on the roof and began to cut the straps holding her in place.
As the voices outside became louder, her hand worked furiously to saw through the seatbelt. A soft thudding noise echoed as she landed and quickly righted herself. It was a strange sensation to be inside a vehicle that was upside down.
Duke was laying not far from her, and in the last few minutes of chaos, she’d forgotten about him.
“Oh no, Duke, no, please.” She reached out and touched his side but couldn’t tell if he was injured. His chest was rising and falling, so she took that as a good sign.
Male voices were getting closer, and she was unsure how to release Wolf without hurting him further.
She crawled under his hanging body and pushed her back up into his chest before feeling for the two straps holding him to the seat.
She sliced through the first one, and he moaned as his chest pressed harder into her back.
Bright flashlights were almost on top of them, so she quickly finished cutting the remaining strap holding Wolf.
She almost collapsed with the heaviness of his weight pushing her down, but with sheer willpower and her spiking adrenaline, she managed to lower him to the floor and slip out from under his body.
He was lying awkwardly. Maeve moved his head slightly so she could check for a pulse.
Her hands were shaking too much to tell, but she was pretty sure that she felt his breath on her hand.
Taking a few extra seconds, she ripped the bloodied shirt sleeve off and quickly tied it tight around the bleeding bullet hole wound.
“I love you, Waya,” she said softly and laid a kiss on his forehead. “You better fucking live, do you hear me? Live for me, live for us. Live for your family. I will hold onto every second we spent together until we see one another again, and we will see each other again. Just live.”
She knew what she had to do. It was the only thing she could do to save them both.
Pulling on the glove compartment, she yanked it open, and the gun fell out.
Grabbing the weapon, she checked to see if it was loaded then crawled out the vehicle’s window as the men reached the bottom of the steep slope.
Five men stood around her, helmets with bright lights casting harsh beams, while more stood atop the bank.
“So, is this where you kill me?” she asked, playing stupid.
The man in the front of the group snorted. “Orders have changed. We’re to bring you to our boss.”
“And who exactly is that?” she questioned, even though she was pretty sure she knew the answer.
“That information is on a need-to-know basis, but I must say you’ve proven to be a real pain in my ass,” one guy said, stepping forward from the line.
He wasn’t overly tall but had a wide build with a square jaw that reminded her of a bulldog.
“Oh really? And here I was thinking the same fucking thing about all of you,” she shot back. “What the fuck do you want anyway? Is your boss so bored that he needs to send highly trained soldiers to chase down one lowly girl?”
There was no way in hell Maeve was going to tell anyone she had her memories back or let them think she knew why they might want her.
“Nice try. All you need to know is that I follow orders and the orders were to kill you, but now they’re to capture you.” He turned to one of the other men and nodded his head toward the Hummer. “Kill him, and we’ll take her.”
She whipped out the gun that she’d been hiding behind her back. All the men froze as she put it to her own temple. “One more step, and I pull the trigger.”
“You won’t kill yourself. Keep going,” the leader ordered. Maeve cocked the hammer and once more, they all froze in position.
“You think so? Fucking try me. You kill him, and I have nothing to live for. I’m one of those crazy fucks and will do what I say I will.
But by all means, go ahead, kill him and find out what happens.
I’m sure whoever you’re working for would be thrilled after all the time, money, and effort you’ve put into capturing me. ”
No one moved. In fact, it was so quiet she wasn’t even sure if they were breathing.
“What do you want?”
“I’m going to make you a deal. I’ll come with you willingly, without any more bloodshed or wild car chases, but you leave him and my dog alone.”
“I can’t do that. The order was to kill the bodyguard and bring you in,” he stated, but his posture was more relaxed.
“First, he’s not a bodyguard, he’s a member of The Righteous like you are, and his orders from your boss were to keep me safe. So maybe your boss is a little fucked in the head, or simply likes pitting you all against one another.”
Maeve was really hoping that this man didn’t know all the ins and outs of what everyone was told to do. She needed her best poker face.
The other men shifted, seeming unsettled. At least they were unsure, that was a good sign. The leader’s eyes narrowed as his lips pressed together in a flat line.
“You can’t tell me you didn’t know who he was. I mean, the Hummer is pretty standard issue, and you tried to hack the computer, so don’t play dumb.” She waved off the ignorance. “Second, he’s already shot and not a threat. Lastly, you’re no longer making the choice. I am.”
He smiled then laughed, but she held a firm stance, her eyes flicking between all the men to make sure that none of them snuck off into the darkness.
“Really, and what makes you so sure about that?”
“Because I have six bullets but only one head, I won’t hesitate to kill myself.
If you’ve read my file, you know I’m a suicide threat.
I’m sure it was splashed around in all your paperwork on me with bright red exclamation points.
So, believe me when I tell you that your only option is to take me in as your prize and leave your fellow veteran alone. ”
She made sure to say the word, veteran, loud enough for all to hear. Here was hoping they still held some respect for their fellow soldiers. “He won’t know where we’re going, and his Hummer is destroyed. Even if he lives, he’ll have no way to find you or me,” she added.
Maeve hoped that the last part was a lie. She not only wanted him to live, but she wanted him to find her.
“Besides, a distress call was already made, and those that don’t know what your team and boss are up to will be here shortly. So, the longer you argue, the more likely more Righteous members are going to be breathing down your neck, and I’m sure you’d all hate to have that happen.
Someone must have spoken into the man’s headset because he touched his ear and relayed a few short words before fixing her with his hard stare.
“Alright, we’ll take your deal. Let’s get going.” He pointed up the hill, and this time she laughed.
“Not fucking likely. I want all your men, other than you, to back the fuck up all the way to the top.” She pointed with her good arm. “Once they’re up there, and I’m certain you’re not going to go back on your word, then we will head up together.”
They held each other’s gaze for what felt like forever, until one of the other men broke the silence.
“The chopper confirms that a distress call was sent out. Not sure to who or how far out, but there were multiple signals.”
“Son of a bitch. Well, I guess you weren’t lying,” the leader said.
“I wouldn’t lie about this. I’m also certain that I’m not going to like wherever you’re taking me.
I think I’m being pretty fucking generous here.
So, pull your fucking ego out of your ass and back your men up now, or you go home empty-handed, and you can explain to your boss how I ended up with a bullet in my head. ”
She could hear him grinding his jaw together.
“You heard her. Get back up the hill,” he barked out and not a moment too soon.
Maeve’s arm was shaking so violently she didn’t think she could hold it in position another second. She lowered her arm but kept her finger on the trigger, ready to fire if this guy went back on his word. Even if she died, she was taking this man out with her.
As soon as the rest of the men reached the top, the leader of the group held out his hand for the gun, but she shook her head no.
“I’ll give it to you when we reach the top,” she informed him, marching past to begin the steep climb.
Maeve checked over her shoulder to ensure he followed.
By the time they reached the top, she was breathing hard and her heart was pounding in her chest. She looked back down the slope and could barely see the wreck.
Her heart constricted in her chest, but she bit her lip and held back the tears that wanted to spill free.
She wouldn’t give these men the satisfaction of seeing her cry.
“Gun.” The leader held out his hand.
Maeve looked around, and the other men were already in the cars, so with a sigh of defeat, she held out the gun and put it in his open palm.
“Get in,” he grumbled as he yanked open the door.
She paused as she went to step into the back of the Hummer. “What’s your name?”
“Why?”
“Because I’d like to know the name of the man I intend to kill.”
His eyes narrowed, and he gave her a shove. “Get in the fucking Hummer.”
She smirked as she hopped in the back, and the leader followed to sit beside her. The five vehicles pulled away from the shoulder in a procession that looked like a parade of death. Grabbing her aching head, Maeve stared out the window, not seeing much in the darkness.
Maeve pulled out the feather necklace Wolf had made for her from beneath her shirt and held it tight. He’d given her strength back. Reached out a hand and helped her in ways she could never repay. She wasn’t going to let him, or herself, down. She was Walela, a warrior, not a scared child.
She wasn’t sure if it was Ramírez or someone else that wanted her, but the who or the why didn’t matter. At the end of the day, she would continue to fight, like she always had, and one day she’d see Wolf again. She felt it in her soul.
Maeve had to leave her heart back in that vehicle, and she wouldn’t be whole again until they reunited.
While she waited for that moment, she would kill who she could, learn what she could, and fight every second until she took her last breath.
She clenched her hands into fists and closed her eyes as the world swam. No matter what.
Maeve laid a hand protectively over her stomach.
They. Wouldn’t. Break. Her.