Chapter 11
Natalie did her best to keep her eyes open, but the lack of sleep was making it difficult. While the boys and Callie discussed the pilot, Natalie found a chair and sat.
“I’ve already spoken to Carter,” Callie said.
Wyatt raised a dark brow. “Now we want to talk to him.”
“Carter saw Orrin and the men walk from the plane to the hangar after they returned to Delaware. That’s it,” Callie argued.
Cullen’s gaze narrowed slightly. “Why don’t you want us talking to him?”
“There isn’t a need. I’ve already done it,” she insisted.
Owen shifted his feet as he widened his stance. “That’s true, but we might hear something different. Or ask another question you haven’t.”
“Are you saying I can’t do my job?” Callie demanded as she got to her feet. “Orrin had no problem taking me at my word.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Wyatt said as he turned around.
Even to Natalie it seemed as if Callie was going to great lengths so the brothers wouldn’t talk to the pilot. Why?
Orrin was like a father to her. No way was Callie involved in the deaths of the team or Orrin’s kidnapping. Though when it came to any of the Loughman boys questioning her judgment or her abilities, Callie tended to get defensive.
Not that Natalie blamed her.
These were Texas boys who were raised to treat women with the utmost respect, to honor and cherish them always. Overprotectiveness most times went hand-in-hand with such an upbringing.
It wasn’t that the Loughmans didn’t think Callie or Natalie were capable. They just felt it was their job to do, well . . . everything.
The Loughmans were the type of men who would stand by their women, supporting them in everything. They weren’t the type who felt their manhood was threatened if their women made more money or had a better job, because the marriage was a partnership in all things.
Natalie blinked her scratchy eyes as she stared at Owen. He would never have held her back in anything she wanted. He would’ve encouraged her to take the job in St. Petersburg, and then he’d have found a way to be with her.
Just as she would’ve supported him in his need to serve his country. No matter the hardship, no matter the struggle, she knew to the depths of her soul that he would’ve urged her to go after whatever she wanted.
And he would’ve been there to root her on.
“Easy, Callie,” Owen hastily said. “No one is saying we don’t believe you. It’s called double-checking. That’s all we’re doing.”
There was a long silence where she saw that even Wyatt was watching Callie. Wyatt’s gaze was intense, as if he were holding his breath to see if Callie would cave.
“Sorry,” Callie said and plopped back on the stool.
Natalie rubbed the back of her neck and stretched it. Then she quickly hid her yawn in her arm as she brought her legs up to her chest.
With every blink of her eyes, it became more and more difficult to lift her lids. She allowed her eyes to remain closed, and within seconds, she was asleep. Then she jerked as her head fell back.
She glanced at the group to see if anyone noticed. Fortunately, they were too intent on watching Callie dial the phone.
“Speaker,” Wyatt ordered.
Callie sighed dramatically and hit the button to put the call on speaker. In two rings, the call was answered. Callie asked to speak to Carter. After she had been put on hold, Wyatt took the cell phone from her hand.
“What the hell?” Callie muttered in disbelief.
Cullen moved in front of her. “We want to talk to Carter. Fact checking, remember?”
Callie rolled her eyes. Natalie felt for her. A girl had no chance with three men like the Loughmans. They communicated without speaking aloud, so a girl had to stay on her toes to remain ahead of them.
Though that wasn’t really possible.
The Loughman men were a brand all their own. They were as rugged as the Texas countryside, as fierce as the Texas weather, and as constant as the sun rising in the east. They were also as stubborn as mules.
“Carter,” came a very feminine voice over the phone.
Natalie covered her mouth as she chuckled at the looks of shock on all three men’s faces. Callie turned to Natalie, a wide smile on her face.
Owen was the first to speak, “My name is Owen Loughman,” he began.
But Carter quickly talked over him. “Orrin’s son. Have you found out anything more?”
“Not really,” Cullen said.
There was a slight pause. “I’m guessing you’re another of the sons?”
“Cullen.”
“Right,” Carter said. “Let me make this easy. As I’m sure Callie has already told you, I saw nothing. The trip to and from Moscow went off without a hitch. Almost too easily, actually.”
“Did Orrin comment on that?” Wyatt asked.
Carter said, “You must be Wyatt. In fact, Orrin did. He mentioned it after we left Dublin on our way back to the States. I asked what he meant, but he only shook his head. There was something troubling him, though.”
Natalie saw all three of the boys exchange a silent look at Carter’s statement.
There was a loud sigh over the phone from Carter. “I owe Orrin a debt that can never be repaid. He is one of the best men I know, and I want to help.”
“You could’ve been in on it,” Owen said.
Natalie could almost hear Carter roll her eyes with the snort that followed.
“If I wanted to kill the team, I could’ve done it in Russia or even Dublin. Why would I wait to return to Dover?”
“She’s got a point,” Cullen admitted.
“Damn straight. I normally get off with the team, but there was an issue with one of the engines getting enough fuel. I had another flight in a few hours, so I took the plane to the mechanics’ hangar to have another pair of hands help me get it ready in time.
It was the only reason I wasn’t with Orrin. ”
Callie’s gaze was on the floor as she fiddled with a pen. “It’s the reason she’s alive.”
“Most likely,” Wyatt admitted.
Carter went on, “This wasn’t my first time working with Orrin, and we looked at every possible scenario where things could go wrong to prepare.”
“Sounds like Dad,” Cullen whispered to his brothers.
“We kept away from military zones and made sure to have all the documentation needed. The Russian government thought we were a news crew coming to do a story on the Kremlin. I never left the plane. It took six hours for the team to return from their mission. We took off thirty minutes later, and returned to Dover AFB.”
“Walk us through what happened next,” Owen urged.
“Orrin was in a hurry to get back to Texas. I let them off and took the plane to the hangar as I mentioned before. I spotted the readied plane that was supposed to take them back to Texas, so I assumed they were on it. That’s the last I saw or heard from Orrin.”
“And the rest of the team?” Cullen asked.
There was a long stretch of silence before Carter continued. “It was close to an hour later when I returned to my hangar and discovered the bodies. There was no doubt they’d been executed.”
“On a military base.” Wyatt shook his head, a small frown in place.
“The base went on lockdown as soon as I notified them, but the culprits were already gone,” Carter said.
Owen ran a hand over his jaw as he rocked back on his heels. “Has the base found anything?”
“Not a damn thing,” Carter stated angrily. “They’re keeping me out of it since I’m no longer military.”
Callie jerked her phone from Wyatt’s grip. “Thanks, Mia.”
“Are you coming?” she asked.
Callie blew out a breath as all three Loughmans nodded. “Yeah.”
“Let me know when. I want to be there when the assholes who did this are taken down.”
Wyatt then spoke up and said, “The Russians might very well find you. Stay alert.”
“Always,” Mia replied. Her voice got soft as she said, “I owe him, Callie.”
“We both do,” Callie said in the same muted tone.
Mia cleared her throat. “Keep me posted.”
Then the line went dead.
Natalie couldn’t imagine being a pilot. She didn’t especially like to fly, but Mia sounded like she fit right in with Callie and the men.
“If we believe Mia, she escaped certain death,” Cullen said.
Callie gawked at him. “If? If? Of course, I believe her. You have no idea how close she and Orrin are.”
Wyatt’s gold eyes narrowed slightly. “Tell us.”
“Not my story to tell,” Callie replied with a dark look directed at Wyatt. “Suffice it to say that Mia would take a bullet for Orrin. She’s an asset we’re going to need.”
Owen nodded slowly, his face lined with thought. “I agree with Callie about Mia Carter being an asset. I’ve a feeling we’re going to need her. She was the last one who saw Dad.”
“And she was there in Russia,” Callie pointed out.
Wyatt didn’t seem totally convinced, but Natalie couldn’t decide if it was just because it was a habit to take the opposite path of Callie or not.
“I’ll head to Dallas and catch a flight to Delaware to pay Mia a visit,” Cullen said.
“I can call in a chopper,” Callie said.
Cullen shook his head. “It’s better to keep visits here to a minimum.”
“Agreed,” Owen said.
“Fine. What will I be doing?” Callie asked.
Natalie closed her eyes, wanting to rest them as she listened to different ideas being batted around. She could stay awake. It was just that her eyes hurt so badly.
“We need to know where the Russians are,” Owen said.
The next thing she knew, she was floating. The fingers of sleep pulled her deeper, even as she knew she should wake. Somehow, she managed to crack open her eyes and she saw a firm jaw and a shadow of a beard.
Her head rested comfortably against a thick shoulder while strong arms held her. She knew without having to look that Owen carried her.
The room he walked into was dark, as light from the other quarters barely filtered in. He sat, keeping his hold on her. And she was in no hurry to get away.
How she’d missed his warmth, his strength. He was silent. Natalie could hear the others talking, so she knew she was still in the base.