Chapter 22
Lead Us Out Of The Night
Mara didn’t know whether to freeze or try to fight. Her hands and feet were almost useless. Between the tight bonds and the efforts she’d put into standing, she could barely breathe slowly enough to keep herself from vomiting.
Would he help her if she did? Or would he enjoy watching her suffocate and die?
It sounded like he wanted Seth to watch. Wanted him to suffer while Mara died.
She couldn’t let that happen. Seth already carried guilt that wasn’t his; she couldn’t be part of adding more to his conscience.
Mara twisted and tried to strike out at the man with her feet. Even if she couldn’t get away, maybe she could hurt him. Make him scream and give away their location.
Where were they?
The man laughed at her kick. “Not even close, bitch. Now hold still, or I’ll knock you out again.”
Knock her out. How had he done it?
She didn’t feel the symptoms she should have with a concussion. Had he injected her with something? She couldn’t feel the injection site, but that could easily be the panic racing through her brain.
The light in her face clicked off, leaving her blinking rapidly to see beyond the flashes of afterimages.
Hands lifted her and hoisted her in the air. The gag stifled her yelp, and she landed with a thump. The man had tossed her over his shoulder.
She tried to kick, to fight out of his hold, but he controlled her easily with one arm banded around her legs.
She tried to lift her upper torso to throw herself off him, but he ignored her attempts.
Whoever he was, he was strong and smart. The way he had her bound rendered her useless to help herself.
Her eyes were adjusting to the dark, and she could make out vague shadows of objects. They were outside. The storage room had been an outdoor shed.
At a shed on the property? Chick Inn Time?
Her brain flooded with memories and images.
She’d decided to put up the sheet showcasing the names of the other six chickens. She hadn’t wanted them to feel bad about not having their names on display.
Silly, but she wanted them all to be treated equally except Maki. Maki would always be special.
She’d posted the sheet beside the original, talking to the chickens the whole time.
Next, she headed to the storage shed to grab their feed, figuring she’d do it early so Seth could focus on his carnivores. Then she’d help him set up.
She’d smelled something funny as something had moved into her vision from behind.
And that was it. Her next memory was waking up in the feed shed.
Chloroform? She’d read about it in books, but she had no idea how it worked in real life.
Now, she probably did.
The world rotated again as the man tossed her to the ground. Air whooshed out of her nose, leaving her dizzy, and she tried desperately to breathe.
Was he leaving her in the woods surrounding the farm? She hadn’t brushed against any trees or shrubs. Didn’t feel anything but the earth beneath her.
She heard the rip of duct tape, and then he yanked her to a sitting position. He shoved something against her belly, then wrapped duct tape around her, strapping it to her body.
Fear had her shaking and trying to squirm away, but he easily controlled her. Another rip of the tape, and then he shoved her back to the ground.
“All set now. Let him come.”
What did that mean? Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good.
She felt him move away, and then the closing of a door.
A door? She was outside. Had he gone into the shed? Would that give her time to concoct a plan?
Where was she? The scents around her finally registered. Chickens. Her chickens. Had he hurt their hens, or were they simply quiet because they’d put themselves to bed in the coop?
Mara wasn’t sure if she was in the Chick Inn Time enclosure or if he had gone inside. Was he planning to hurt the hens? Why? That wouldn’t accomplish anything.
As she struggled to steady her breathing, her eyes kept adjusting to the dim light. Heavy cloud cover didn’t help. If she were in or near the enclosure, the motion sensors should have kicked in unless he’d broken or disabled them.
What was strapped to her chest?
Panic zipped through her as her brain tossed out possibilities. None of them good.
Was it a bomb? That’s what happened in the movies.
Would he wait for Seth to arrive and then blow her up in front of him? He might want Seth to suffer through that hell all over again, but this time while watching her die.
That had her squirming, trying to get free and trying to do something to help herself, to help Seth.
How would he live with another death he couldn’t prevent? She couldn’t let it happen.
The door opened again, and the man touched her face, holding her head down on the ground, no matter how hard she tried to move away from his touch.
He ripped the gag from her mouth, causing her to cry out.
He laughed. “That’s it. Scream for help. Call for the asshole. The scene is set, and it’s time for him to pay.”
Mara sucked in deep breaths, but tried to stay quiet. She didn’t want Seth to watch her die. Well, she didn’t want to die at all, but she wasn’t calling Seth and getting him to watch for this asshole’s entertainment.
The clouds thinned enough to see the man’s outline above her. Big, strong. Somehow, that was worse than wondering. It was real. This was no dream or aftereffect of being drugged with chloroform.
She forced her gaze away from him and to her surroundings, while the clouds weren’t blocking everything out. She was definitely inside Chick Inn Time. Could she use something in here to help her?
They’d made it safe for the birds, so there wouldn’t be any helpful knives or sharp edges to help her escape.
With a horrid laugh, the man kicked her in the knee. She saw it coming, but wasn’t able to evade it.
She whimpered at the pain, but tried to keep the noise to herself.
“Trying to be brave for the asshole? Won’t matter. He’s going to come, and he’s going to watch you die. Then it’ll be his turn.”
With another kick, he walked out of the enclosure and out of her sight.
Which should have made her feel better, but it didn’t. She had a bomb strapped to her. This man wanted Seth to suffer, and she was the bait.
Her only weapon was her voice, but other than calling out a warning, that was useless, too.
She knew Seth would ignore her warning to stay away and approach, anyway. He was an incredible man, and he wouldn’t leave her to suffer.
Maybe she could tell him she loved him before the bomb went off. Would that make it worse if she died?
No. Love made everything better. Just like in her favorite musicals, she was holding onto hope. She wanted her happy ending.
Seth kept his senses wide open. He’d silenced his phone when he’d been studying the photos earlier. He could feel it vibrating in his pocket, but he didn’t bother checking it.
His friends would want him to wait for them. He couldn’t.
Not with Mara suffering. Suffering because of him.
He slowed as he approached Chick Inn Time. Thanks to his training, his breathing remained in control, and his senses automatically took in his surroundings.
The moon was playing peekaboo behind the heavy cloud cover, and he wished for some night-vision goggles.
Still, he moved off the path and into the trees and bushes near the chicken enclosure. The birds were quiet, roosting in their coop most likely. Hopefully, the asshole hadn’t hurt them.
He imagined Blake had chosen this area for a few reasons. It was away from the crowds, but close enough for him to carry an unconscious woman. Or had he followed her here? Maybe he’d tracked her whenever she was alone, waiting for an opportunity.
As Seth eased through the trees, he avoided the areas lit by the motion-sensor lights.
They were there to deter predators, but they hadn’t deterred Blake.
He might have broken the bulbs, but Seth wouldn’t take the chance of alerting the man to his presence or lighting himself up as a target unless it would save Mara.
When he had a clear view, Seth took in the scene. The enclosure would have appeared empty if he weren’t searching for her.
But she was there, a dark shadow lying on the ground beside the monkey bars she’d built.
Anger and fear tried to take over, but his training shut them down. She couldn’t afford for him to lose control.
He searched the area until he spotted a shadow where one shouldn’t be. Off to his left. Next to a large maple tree.
He wondered if Blake had a gun trained on Mara or if he’d set up something more elaborate, something that would mimic Maki’s death.
Fear shuddered through him. He acknowledged it, then shoved it away, thankful for his training.
Seth stepped forward, just to the edge of the trees. He faced the shadow and moved his hands up and wide, showing he wasn’t armed. “I’m here, Blake. Do you want to talk about Caden? He was a great kid.”
Blake’s primal scream of anger and triumph would alert the others to their location and to approach with caution. No one consumed with that much rage was easy to predict.
Seth kept his senses trained on the shadow. Blake was searching for him, waiting for him to jump out. Not until he had a better handle on the situation. Not until he knew what he needed to do to keep Mara safe.
“It’s your fault Caden died.”
That hit Seth in the gut because his guilt told him the same thing.
“I wish I could have made a different call, but Caden would have kicked my ass if I had. Your brother was determined to carry out our orders at all costs. Those insurgents were killing women and kids. Forcing villagers to leave their families behind to work in their drug factories. Wiping out crops to ensure they had no choice.”
“Caden died.”
“I know. I wish it hadn’t happened that way.”
“It should have been you.”
Deep breath. “Maybe. Caden was a hell of a man and an excellent soldier. Best scout I’ve ever worked with.”
“He shouldn’t have died.”
“You’re right. He was too young, too good. He shouldn’t have died.”
“Now it’s your turn.”
Seth took a few slow steps, easing out from the shadows, hoping to keep Blake’s attention on him instead of whatever he planned for Mara.
He eased a few feet closer. “Caden talked about you a lot. He was so proud of his big brother. Proud of how you handled a difficult medical diagnosis, and found a new dream to follow.”
“You don’t get to talk about him. It’s your fault.”
Maybe, but Seth kept talking. “He told us about your mechanic shop, and how good you are at fixing things.”
“Stop it.”
Not a chance in hell. Every second gave his team a chance to get in place. To help save Mara.
“Caden’s call sign was Maki. He liked it because he figured you might have had the same one. He liked anything that connected to you.”
“You don’t know shit.”
“Caden must have been a fun kid growing up. He was quick-witted and always able to keep the mood light when we weren’t out on missions.
During those missions, Maki was focused and capable.
He was our scout, I’m betting he told you that.
He was so damn proud of his skills, skills you helped teach him. ”
“You shouldn’t have let him die. It should have been you.”
Maybe. Damn it, maybe. “Maki had a huge impact on our team. The other guys wear a patch with his name on it. Well, his call sign. Maki. I know he’d like that.”
Silence greeted his comment. Good, maybe he was reaching Blake.
He was about to speak again when Mara’s voice broke the night. Seth’s knees actually wobbled. She was alive.
“I’m glad to meet you, Blake. I’ve heard a lot about your brother. Did you know he called the other guys on the team Gramps? He liked to bug them about being older than he was. He must have been special to have been recruited to one of the elite teams.”
“You don’t know shit. You didn’t know him. He’s dead.”
Mara’s voice trembled when she spoke again.
“It’s awful, and I’m sorry for your loss.
My brother was in the military for a few tours, and I know what it’s like to wait at home.
To be afraid for them, to wish them all the best. Waiting for the next phone call or email telling you everything is okay. ”
“He shouldn’t have died.”
Seth didn’t speak again, hoping Mara’s soft voice was helping bring Blake’s temperature down. Instead of rage in his tone, now there was sorrow. So much damn sorrow.
“No. He shouldn’t have, but his team is helping his memory stay alive. So are you. So is Seth. Did you know he named the hens here after your brother and the rest of his team? He wanted to honor Caden.”
“By naming a goddamn chicken after him?”
Seth kept easing toward Blake. He was in the open, an easy target, but it appeared Blake was focused on Mara.
Her voice smiled. “We talked about that. I’m betting that from what I know about Caden, he would think it was hilarious. When we got the hens, we agreed that the bravest one, the first one to lead the way for the others, would be named Maki.”
“Bullshit. You’re making that up.”
“I’m not. You can see it’s true. We put up papers to let everyone know their names. To let everyone learn a bit about your honorable brother. You can see for yourself. The papers are right beside the door.”
Seth froze where he was. She was luring Blake right into the open. Right where he’d be an easy target. Seth knew that wasn’t what she was thinking. She was trying to prove to Blake that his brother was remembered, was honored in that memory.
Seth’s heart ached for her. For Caden. For Blake.
When Blake didn’t move or respond, Mara continued. “The top of the paper reads, Chickens of Chick Inn Time. These six hens are named to honor a group of incredible military men, one of whom was taken far too soon. Thank you for your service.”
“The first hen is Maki, followed by the rest of the team: Brain, Johnny, Clay, and Squid. The other six hens have silly Star Wars names, like Princess Lay-a-lot and Hen Solo. I’m betting Caden would have approved of those names as well. Something tells me he was probably a Star Wars fan.”
A sound between a sob and a word from Blake’s direction told Seth Mara was reaching him. The man was listening.
Seth eased closer again, but he was still five yards away if things went south. Unwilling to alert Blake to his approach, he hoped like hell Mara could keep weaving her magic.