Chapter 31
31
J ordan kept her head bent and focused on the conversation that was being held near her. She bit back a grimace from the pain pulsating in her head. Whoever had knocked her out was going to regret laying a hand on her.
She tried to get a sense of their surroundings. Her hands were tied in front of her. That was a mistake on their part that someone was going to pay dearly for. She moved her toes that were still encased in her boots. Everything seemed to be in working order.
She focused on where they had her. The scent of earth of was strong. It reminded her of the time she was a kid digging in the dirt in her mother’s garden. Moisture hung in the air. It was so pungent she could almost taste it. They had placed her on the ground. She cracked open her eyes slightly and took in what looked to be a small cave. She didn’t know how far they had traveled from where they had taken her and Mac.
Mac.
She bit back the urge to lift her head. She scanned the ground next to her and took in a pair of legs resting beside her. The leg nearest her was caked in blood. It was him.
But was he alive?
She gnawed her lip to keep those damn tears away. She didn’t want to think that Mac hadn’t survived. He was the strongest man she knew, and he made her and the guys on the team much better officers, hell, much better humans.
“The bosses will be here any minute,” Sergio said.
Jordan stiffened at the announcement. She hoped the slight move didn’t bring any attention to her. Who the hell were the bosses? Was he speaking of Viktor and Bravon? Her heart pounded. She hoped Bravon would show his face. She was not going to cower from him. She wanted to look him in the eye as she made him pay for all the shit he’d put her through.
“Are they going to have issues landing the helicopter?” someone asked.
“No, they will have enough room. The police have barricaded every road away from here. This is the meeting point. They will arrive here, and then we will all fly out of this godforsaken place.”
Sergio and whoever he was speaking with walked away. Jordan waited until she could no longer hear them. She lifted her head and confirmed that they were tucked away in a small cave. The mouth of it faced a thicket of trees. She glanced around and took in Mac slumped next to her.
“It’s about time you woke up,” he grunted. His gray eyes opened and focused on her.
There was something different in his gaze that sent a chill down Jordan’s spine. His usual intensity didn’t burn as bright, and that had her worried.
“Are you good?” she whispered. Jordan tugged and pulled at the rope around her wrists. She needed to break free so she could get her and Mac out of here. She would have her day with Bravon, but for now she needed to get Mac away. It was apparent he needed medical attention—bad.
“The fuckers didn’t do a proper search of me. There’s a knife on my ankle. Get it.” Mac jerked his chin toward his leg. His dark hair was plastered to his pale forehead.
Jordan didn’t waste any time. She leaned forward and moved his pant leg up. A small knife was safely secured in a sheath around his ankle where he’d said it would be.
“I’m going to get us out of here,” Jordan murmured. She took the knife out and flipped it around. The blade sliced through the first rope with ease.
“I want you to run,” Mac breathed.
Jordan froze and flicked her gaze over to the sergeant. Her head immediately shook side to side.
“Fuck no, Mac.” She continued cutting through the rope until finally her hands fell free. She gripped the knife and went over to Mac to free his hands.
“There’s no way in hell you are going to be able to move me,” he said. His eyes fluttered closed for a moment before they opened again. This time, a little of that Mac intensity revealed itself. “Now on your feet and get the hell out of here. That’s an order, Knight.”
“Mac, you should know me better than that. I have a little problem with authority and following orders.” She grinned. She leaned over and cut the ropes that had bound his hands together.
He narrowed his eyes on her, but she didn’t miss the smirk that appeared.
“Believe me. I know,” he replied.
Her gaze fell on the wound on his leg, and her smile disappeared.
“We are going to get you home, Mac. I’m sure Sarena will have both our hides when she sees the state of your leg.”
His wife was an emergency room nurse and would be the perfect caregiver for him. Jordan just had to get him home so that his wife would be able to nurse him back to health.
“That daughter of yours will need her dad around.”
Mac grunted and leaned his head back against the dirt wall. Jordan bit back her panic and turned around to face the mouth of the cave. Voices sounded off in the distance. Her hand tightened on the small knife. It was a perfect weapon for hand-to-hand combat which she was well prepared for. Whoever came into this cave would not walk away unscathed.
“Nia is going to be a handful for her mother,” Mac said softly.
Jordan froze again and glanced back over at him. She did not like this version of Mac. She went over to him and snatched him up by the front of his vest.
“Don’t talk no crazy shit, Mac. So help me God, if you die on me, I will follow you to Hell and bring you back here just so I can kick your ass.” Her heart slammed. She had to drag air into her lungs in order to breathe.
“You are so certain I’m going to Hell, huh?” He arched an eyebrow at her.
“With those workouts you put us through, there is no other place fitting for you,” she muttered. She released him at the sound of footsteps approaching. Jordan stood and glanced around. There was no place for her to hide. The cave was large enough for a few adults and that was it. It looked as if she’d be making a stand when the person arrived.
Jordan gripped Mac’s knife tight and kept her body loose. She bent down in a defensive stance and waited.
“I don’t know where the hell they found a boat, but apparently they stole one, drifted down the river until they were able to make their way here,” a deep voice said.
“That’s crazy. Let’s get the prisoners. Bravon wants them brought to him before the helicopter arrives,” a second voice said.
Jordan bit back a snarl. So Bravon was there. Good. It was time she and he had a little chat. The two men walked bent down and entered the small cave.
“What the hell?—”
Jordan didn’t give them a chance to attack. She kicked out and landed a boot in the first one’s stomach. He doubled over, the air escaping him.
“Bitch,” the other one hollered.
He swung on Jordan, but she was faster than him. She ducked his fist and landed one of her own in his side, then sent the knife deep into his shoulder. His legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees. She snatched the knife back just in time—his partner came up behind her.
Jordan’s training kicked in. The men were without formal training and assumed they could use their size to defeat her. That was their mistake. Jordan’s adrenaline raced through her as she fought them. It didn’t take long before both of the men were laid out on the ground, dazed, injured and bleeding. Jordan panted, gazing down at them. She stood to her full height and glanced over at Mac.
He was slowly fading.
“Mac, we’ve got to go,” she barked. Who would have thought that it would be her issuing orders to her sergeant. “Now get on your feet.”
They would have to hurry. The men had gone down, but they weren’t quiet in doing so. She was sure someone had heard them and would be coming to check out what the commotion was.
“When did you become so damn bossy?”
“Someone I know must be brushing off on me,” she replied.
Mac pushed off the ground and lost more coloring. She bit her lip at the sound of his grunt and groan. Jordan rushed to help him to stand. They paused for a moment. Sweat beaded on his temples. He gave a nod, and they slowly made their way to the opening of the cave. She wrapped an arm around his waist and held on tight. His arm came to rest on her shoulders.
They exited, and it was then she took notice of their surroundings with the assistance of the soft hues of the morning sun. There was nothing but rolling hills, land, and trees. The prison was nowhere in sight. Through the trees she saw a wide river and a dock with a boat tied to it. What concerned her the most was the clearing where she assumed the helicopter would land.
“This way.” Mac pointed in the opposite direction the men had come from.
They slowly began walking away. Jordan just prayed they would be able to put enough distance between them and this cave so she could find a safe place to stash Mac. It would be faster for her to go on without him to find help, but she refused to do that when he was in danger.
“And just where in the hell do you think you two are going?” a voice said behind them.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Jordan’s eyes fluttered closed for a brief moment. Why couldn’t they just catch a break? She glanced over her shoulder and took in Sergio standing behind them with a gun pointed at them. If she wasn’t mistaken, it was her fucking gun.
Mac swayed beside her. The big man was sweating bullets.
“Get them. It’s time to take them to the bosses,” Sergio said.
Jordan stiffened when three men sidled up beside them. Two of them grabbed Mac while the other one took her by the arm and forced her to face Sergio.
“Don’t you hate having to answer to other men,” Jordan said.
The guy guided her toward Sergio.
“You can talk all you want. We’ll see what you are saying when you face Bravon.” Sergio chuckled.
“Oh, I can’t wait to see him again,” she said.
The thug walking alongside her didn’t say a word. His grip was tight on her arm. He carried a gun in a holster on his hip. She made a note of that for later. If Bravon thought she was going to go down without a fight, he had another think coming. Jordan grew concerned; she watched the men drag Mac along. He was no longer able to walk on his own. They struggled to hold him, but they managed.
The small group marched through the woods and down the hill toward the riverbed. Jordan couldn’t tell how long she and Mac had been away from the others. She was confident the guys would have made it out of the train shaft by now. They broke from the tree line, and Jordan’s gaze landed on two men standing amongst a group near the river.
Bravon and his uncle, Viktor.
She scowled. They drew closer to them. Bravon turned from his uncle, his gaze landing on her. A sick grin spread across his face. One that Jordan would only be too happy to wipe off.
She broke their stare and took in their surroundings. She had to admit it was a good spot to make a run for it. There was access to a river, but looking at the boat they had traveled in, they wouldn’t have made it far, but the area was secluded, and there was a perfect spot for a helicopter to land.
Only Jordan had a funny feeling that she and Mac would not be joining the crew once they left. Her stomach did a little flip at the thought.
Was last night the last time she would ever see Rhys?
She loved that man and she just hoped he knew how much she did. She would do anything to get to see him one last time. Hold him. Touch him. Breathe in his scent. Had she told him she loved him before she’d left?
“Look what the cat dragged in,” Bravon said. He was dressed casually in jeans and a long-sleeved dark t-shirt.
The men surrounding him were outfitted with enough weapons to start a small civil war.
“This is the girl?” An older version of Bravon stood next to him. He was dressed in a dirt-stained white t-shirt and the khaki pants issued to prisoners. His dark-brown eyes narrowed on Jordan as she approached.
The thug handling her brought her within a few feet of Bravon.
“Yeah.” Bravon closed the gap between them. The smile disappeared.
Jordan didn’t have time to brace for the backhand that came in contact with her face. Her body jerked back, sending her to the ground. Snickers and chuckles filled the air. Jordan pushed up to a kneeling position. Her cheek and lips stung from the blow.
Anger mounted in her.
“Don’t do that again,” Jordan warned. She spat out the copper-tasting spittle that filled her mouth.
“Or what?” Bravon grabbed her by the back of her shirt and lifted her. He gripped her to him and manhandled her to get her to look up at him. His hand on her face squeezed her chin while his gaze bored into hers.
She had never hated someone as much as she did him.
“You made me look like a fool. We could have been something.”
“There is no us,” Jordan hissed. Why couldn’t he get it through his thick head? Was he that delusional?
She tried to push him away, but he held on to her harder.
“You’re wasting our time, Nephew,” Viktor snarled from behind Bravon. His gaze landed on Mac who was dropped down on the ground.
The two men who had dragged him, sat him up in a sitting position. At some point they had stripped Mac of his vest. Mac’s eyes fluttered open, and his gaze landed on Viktor.
“Well, well, well. Look who we have here. I had said I wanted the entire SWAT team brought to me, but this one will definitely do.”
“It’s nice to know I’ve been in your thoughts,” Mac growled. His infamous scowl appeared.
Bravon whipped Jordan around until her back was to his front. His strong arm came across her chest, holding her to him.
“You need to watch this.” Bravon chuckled.
“No.”
Jordan struggled to break free, but he wrapped his other arm around her in bear hug form. She tried to jerk her head back to land a blow to his face, but he dodged her attempt. His chuckle fed fire to the flames of her hatred toward him.
“Sergeant MacArthur, you have been a thorn in my side for years. Cost me millions of dollars and products,” Viktor sneered.
Sergio stood behind Viktor with a crowd of men. There were more men here than Jordan realized. They encircled Viktor, Mac, Jordan, and Bravon.
Jordan’s heart pounded. There was no way she and Mac were leaving here alive. She felt in her bones that the end was near. Her vision blurred with tears. She blinked them back angrily. Bravon was right. She needed to see this. She needed to stand tall and be brave for Mac.
“Only millions? I’ll have to do better next time.” Mac smirked.
An angry storm rolled in on Viktor’s face. The gangster held out his hand without taking his eyes off Mac. Sergio strode forward and placed a semiautomatic rifle in Viktor’s hand. The gang leader grinned at the sight of the gun.
“Proud, are we?” Viktor murmured. He raised the weapon and aimed it at Mac.
Jordan’s heart jumped into her throat. It was a struggle to get breaths in. How could this be happening? This wasn’t supposed to happen. They were the good guys. They lived and breathed blue in order to serve and protect their community.
“Well, that all ends today.”
“If you are going to kill me, then at least have the decency to have your fucking men help me up. I’d rather die standing,” Mac said.
There was no way he could stand on his own. Jordan bit her lip to hold back a cry of anger.
“A man of honor. I like that.” Viktor jerked his head to the men who stood behind Mac.
She watched, helpless, as the men forced Mac to his feet. They released him, and he wavered for a moment before righting himself. Mac glared at Viktor, meeting his gaze. Even in the face of death, the man held his head high.
Jordan tore her eyes from the scene and took in the face of every man who stood around. They were the enemies. She would see that they all paid for what was done today. Bravon’s hand snuck up to her face and forced it back around to watch Mac.
“Now don’t go turning your head away, baby,” Bravon breathed in her ear.
She struggled to get him off her, but he held firm on his hold of her. Jordan used everything she had to fight Bravon, but it wasn’t enough.
“You want to join him? I’m your only ticket out of here alive.”
Rhys’s image came to mind, and her heart broke. She’d never get to feel him hold her again. Never get to kiss him or tell him she loved him.
“I’d rather die than have you touch me again,” she said. Those tears that teetered on her eyelids fell. She wasn’t embarrassed by them running down her face as she stared at Mac. She had failed on the promise she had made to make sure this man returned to his wife and child. She didn’t want to think of the heartache Sarena would face or the simple fact that Nia would grow up without her father.
Jordan hoped Rhys would find someone else after she was gone. That man deserved a woman who would love him. She just wished that woman would have been her. A pain like nothing she had ever experienced spread across her chest. It made it hard for her to breathe.
“Is that so?” Bravon pushed her away with a force that sent her tumbling down onto the ground.
Her hands took the brunt of her fall, keeping her head from connecting with the hard, rocky ground. She ignored the stinging pain and pushed up on her elbows. With a cry, she army crawled toward Mac. Snickers and chuckles went around. She didn’t care at all what she looked like. If this was how they went out, then she’d stand by her sergeant who had been like an older brother to her.
It would be an honor to die with her brother in blue.
A large boot landed on the middle of her back.
“Oh, no. You get to watch first,” Bravon sneered.
Jordan screamed and tried to buck his damn foot off her back, but he leaned his full weight on her.
“What a day. It’s like Christmas. To put an end to the Sergeant MacArthur,” Viktor hollered.
The men around them cheered. Jordan lifted her head and took in Mac. He was swaying on his feet. He wasn’t going to last long. She couldn’t tear her eyes away.
Viktor raised the rifle and aimed at Mac. “Goodbye, Sergeant MacArthur.”
A single shot rang out.
Jordan’s heart leaped into her throat. Mac stumbled back before collapsing to the ground.
“Mac!” Jordan screamed.
Bravon’s curse went ignored. His foot disappeared from her back. She rose and swiftly made her way to Mac. She slid on her knees, landing next to him. She cradled his head while she rested two fingers on his neck. His pulse was weak and thready. She didn’t see any bullet entry sight on him.
“What the hell?”
The silence in the air was defeating. She glanced up at the quietness to see Viktor stagger forward and drop the gun on the ground. A red coloring appeared on the center of his chest. The deep shade of scarlet spread along his shirt. His eyes were wide and his mouth slightly open as he fell to his knees.
“Viktor!” Bravon hollered. He ran over to his uncle and caught him before he hit the ground.
The men surrounding them brandished their weapons and were frantically looking around. Bravon lowered Viktor to the ground. He released a yell of pure anguish and pain. He reached up and gently closed his uncle’s lifeless eyes. He scanned the area before his gaze landed on her. A deep scowl appeared.
“You bitch!”
He pushed himself upright and stalked toward her. Jordan tensed and gently lowered Mac’s head to the ground.
“I’ll be right back, Mac. Please don’t die,” she whispered.
Jordan stood. It was time to face the man she hated more than anything in the world.