Chapter 3 #2
“That’s it?” Chase said, incredulously. “You could’ve snuck out of there while they were arguing.
But you didn’t. You stayed. And you obviously antagonized Jonathan until he decided, instead of disappearing with you immediately, he’d take the time to try to rape you right then and there!
You shouldn’t have antagonized him, Sparky. That wasn’t smart.”
“I know, I know. He got sick of me struggling and mouthing off and tied me up again. I guess he was waiting for his dad to finish doing whatever he was doing with Milena. He…he knocked me out and…when I woke up, he had fun trying to scare me by telling me what my future was going to be like. Then he dragged me into a room, where his father had Milena and JT. They said goodbye to one another, and…Jonathan took me into that room, the one you found me running out of. If you think you’re an expert, what should I have done differently, Chase? ”
Chase eyed her for a long moment. She tried not to feel guilty about the stuff she’d left out of her narrative, but she didn’t want to think about what she’d done.
She certainly didn’t want to tell Chase.
She kept her gaze on him, letting him see she really did want to know what he thought she should’ve done.
When he didn’t answer immediately, she asked, “Chase?”
His lips were pressed together in a grim line, and he finally shook his head. “I don’t know.”
His answer shocked Sadie. She thought for sure he was going to tell her she should’ve run, or tried to hide, or tried to find a weapon…something.
He continued. “If I had been in your situation, I probably would’ve done the same thing. Especially when it came to keeping JT safe. I don’t like that you had to put yourself in danger though. And I hope to Christ you aren’t ever in that kind of situation again.”
“Because I’m a woman?” Sadie knew what Chase’s thoughts were on women in combat situations. He was opposed. They’d had this conversation before; it had irritated her then and it irritated her now.
“I know you don’t understand or approve of my stance on this, Sparky,” he began. “But will you let me tell you why I feel the way I do? And not interrupt me and try to change my mind this time?”
Sadie blushed. She had done that last time. Every time he’d begun to explain his thought process, she’d cut him off. It was juvenile of her and she regretted it. She wanted to know more about who he was as a person, including his principles. “Yeah.”
“You know I’m in counterterrorism.”
She nodded.
“And you know my sister was caught in that coup over in Egypt a while ago, right?”
Sadie nodded again.
“Right. I was deployed overseas not long after that. I had asked to be attached to a Special Forces unit, a team of Delta Force men. I wanted to understand Ghost a little better since it’s obvious we’re eventually going to be related to each other.
The team I was imbedded with was given intel on the whereabouts of a kidnapped soldier.
She was a truck driver. Had been minding her own business.
Not in a combat position at all. But because she was a woman, the convoy was singled out.
They killed the men with her and kidnapped her.
The Delta Force team got intel on where she was being held and off we went. ”
Sadie got a sick feeling in her chest about where the story was headed. She put her hand on Chase’s thigh in support. He covered it with his own and kept talking as if he didn’t realize what he’d done.
“Everyone knows that America doesn’t rest until they do all they can to get their MIA soldiers back.
The enemy was counting on that. They purposely allowed the leak about the woman’s location, then they laid in wait.
We headed out, and before we could get anywhere close to the coordinates, the Humvees we were in were blown to pieces.
The terrorists didn’t even wait around to make sure we were dead.
There were body parts and blood everywhere.
Men I’d gotten to know and respect, gone, just like that. ”
He snapped his fingers, making Sadie jump in her seat at the sound.
“As far as I could see, there was only one man left alive besides me. But I didn’t think there was any way he could survive.
He was trapped under one of the vehicles and bleeding badly.
I certainly wasn’t in any shape to help him.
I passed out, and when I came to, the man was gone.
I guess the terrorists came back and found him and took him captive.
I have no idea what happened to him because, since I wasn’t officially in the unit, I didn’t have the clearance to be informed.
I tried to look him up in the Army system when I got back, but I don’t have the clearance. ”
“But you’re an officer, right?” Sadie protested, her heart breaking.
“Yeah, but that doesn’t automatically mean I’d get information, even if I was working with the team, especially since he was Delta Force.”
“How’d you get out of there?” Sadie asked, tightening her hand on his leg.
“Eventually another Army unit passed by, saw the carnage and found me.”
“Does your sister know?”
“No one does. I haven’t told anyone about it.
Just you. Rayne knows I was injured, but I didn’t let her know how close I’d come to being dead.
Anyway, my point is that I have no problem with women being in the military.
In a lot of ways, I think they make better soldiers than men.
They’re more level headed and cautious, which can be a good thing when you’re dealing with volatile situations. ”
“But?” Sadie asked.
“These are my thoughts,” Chase said. “Not the official Army stance. First, there’s a matter of physical ability.
There are some jobs, combat positions included, that just aren’t physically suited to women.
Not because of something they’ve done or not done, but because of body makeup.
Some women could come to harm simply because of the physical requirements.
But it’s more than that. The threat of being abused by the enemy is always an issue.
” He held up a hand to forestall the argument he knew was coming.
“I realize that both male and female soldiers are at risk of torture and rape, but the fact is, misogynistic terrorists may be more willing to abuse female prisoners. It’s not the woman’s fault, I’m not saying that at all, but the possibility is very real.
It happened to my own sister when she was taken captive in Egypt.
And it happened with that truck driver the Delta unit was trying to rescue. ”
Sadie didn’t know how to respond. She was honestly floored.
She’d met some amazing warriors when she was working at McKay-Taggart.
And she knew they’d argue until their dying days for their right to defend their country in the same way men did.
She understood that for someone like Chase, the thought of a woman being abused, his sister or otherwise, had to be a form of torture itself, but she was still struggling with his views.
But she could admit that the more honorable the man, the more abhorrent the kind of situation he described would seem.
As if he could read her mind, Chase said, “I’m a traditional kind of man.
I can’t help it. I’ve had women superior officers and I respected the hell out of them.
But if I went into combat with one of them…
I know myself. I’d constantly be checking to ensure she wasn’t in the line of fire and I’d do whatever was necessary to make sure she didn’t fall into the hands of the enemy. ”
“But don’t you think she’d do the same for you?” Sadie asked. “I know I’d do anything I could to help any one of my uncles, or the men and women who work at McKay-Taggart, if we were in a volatile situation.”
“I know you would. But how effective do you think your uncle would be if he was constantly worried about you getting hurt?
“But what about me?” she asked again, trying to turn the argument around.
“If I was in a situation where Sean, or Ian, or anyone from McKay-Taggart, was in danger, don’t you think I’d be worried about them getting hurt too?
You’re looking at this the wrong way, Chase.
I know you’re protective, and I actually like that about you, but if the only thing between you and certain death was a woman, wouldn’t you want her there to help you?
To allow you to get home to your sister and those you loved?
And you know what? Men can be raped if they were taken captive too.
It would be just as horrifying for them as it would be for a woman.
Maybe even more so because men don’t normally worry about that sort of thing in their everyday life. ”
Sadie knew Chase’s beliefs came from a position of concern for the opposite sex, not because he felt superior or wanted power and control over women.
He hadn’t complained about her little pink pistol in her purse that she carried everywhere.
Hadn’t bitched that she wanted to be kept up to date with information about Jonathan and his whereabouts. But she still thought he was wrong.
“Jonathan could’ve done that with you,” Chase said, not addressing what she’d said.
“If things turned out differently, he could’ve used you as a bargaining chip because he knew without a doubt that we wouldn’t do anything that would potentially get you hurt.
So, if you had to do that day you were kidnapped all over again?
I have absolutely no idea what you could’ve done differently.
I hate that you were in danger, and it makes me insane to think of you strapped to that bed, at his mercy.
The outcome of that day could’ve been different if you hadn’t done what you did.
If you hadn’t been there to distract Jonathan while Jeremiah was dealing with Milena and JT.
But fuck if I ever want you to have to do something like that again. ”
“I don’t want to be in that kind of situation again, either, Chase, but again, if Jonathan took you hostage, I wouldn’t have done anything that would get you hurt either. It’s not a matter of gender. It’s a matter of being smart and using learned skills to get out of the situation.”
Chase didn’t agree, but he didn’t disagree either. “At least think about it,” she said.
“You’re pretty good at this debate thing,” Chase said with a smile.
“Did a semester on the debate team in college,” she told him.
Deciding to call a truce of sorts, Sadie didn’t push the issue.
She wasn’t going to drop it, but she’d give him some time to think about what she’d said.
She didn’t like when they disagreed. As much as she had no problem sticking up for her beliefs, she preferred when she and Chase got along.
He was funny, smart, and when he turned on the charm, she could forget she was basically living with him because she was in danger.
She liked Chase Jackson. He was honorable and he reminded her a lot of her uncles…but not in the familial sense. Chase could cook, he wasn’t a slob, had a great work ethic, and was close to his sister. All good things in her book.
The bottom line was that if she wasn’t hiding from Jonathan and whatever crazy thing he wanted to do to her, she’d be thrilled to be spending time with Chase and his friends.
Maybe she would even try to find a way to act on her crazy attraction to the Army captain.
He obviously felt the same. It wasn’t exactly the time or the place, but if nothing else, her family had taught her to go for what she wanted.
And what she wanted was to see if the sexual attraction between her and Chase was as explosive as it seemed.
She opened her mouth to change the subject to something less tense, and more flirtatious, when there was a knock at the door.