Chapter 20

Kirk was nursing the lump on the back of his head that that damn FBI agent had given him, sitting on the sofa in his mother’s office, while watching his brother leaf through some notebook. “Snaf, what exactly are you looking for in there?”

“Something that will give us a clue where they’ve taken Tre and Chloe,” he answered without looking up.

“How is a notebook going to tell us where they’ve taken them? I can try and track them, but I doubt it will get us very far. They’ll hit pavement as soon as they can.” Kirk closed his eyes because his head hurt like hell.

“Tre was writing down every little thing he remembered from when those FBI creeps had him. No matter how little the detail, he wrote it down. He was trying to piece everything together.” Snaf held up the notebook. “He put it all in here and told me if he was ever taken again, to look at it and maybe I could figure out where he’d been.”

Kirk held his hand out for the book and took it when Snaf held it out to him. He began leafing through the book. Most of it was disjointed memories that Tre had written down. Room descriptions. A few crude drawings of a sprawling facility. It appeared military in fashion. Kirk became still when he saw Trevor’s drawing of General Maitland. He read the name Trevor had written beneath the drawing to be certain he hadn’t made a mistake. Nope. It was the same man he remembered.

“I think I know where they are and exactly how to get to them, but no one is going to like it. Least of all me,” he told his brother grimly.

Snaf scooted off the edge of his mother’s desk where’d he’d been sitting and joined his brother on the couch, listening as Kirk outlined his plan for getting close to where Tre and Chloe were.

When Kirk finished, Snaf stared at his feet beneath his clasped hands for several minutes before looking up at his older brother. “You’re right, I don’t like it. It’s the crappiest plan in the history of plans. To tell the truth, we don’t have a better one so we’re stuck with it.”

Kirk wished they had anything else, God he would kill for anything else to pop into his head, but this was all he had. “Trust me little brother, any other plan would make me happier than a mosquito at a nudist colony. But, you’re right, we ain’t got s**t.”

Snaf rolled his eyes. Trust Kirk to come up with a crappy comparison followed by improper English. “Right let’s go tell the parents before Mom runs out and buys more shotgun shells. She’s in momma bear protecting the cubs mode at the moment.”

Krik nodded and followed his brother out the door. Once they filled in their parents, he had phone calls to make, and none was going to cheer his current mood, they would only make his recently crappy moods, well, crappier. Yay him.

***

Hours, it had taken frickin’ hours to put everything together. Kirk ran a hand over his face. It was done though. His heart felt heavy. Funny he didn’t think he’d had one left to feel a goddamned thing. This was for Tre and Chloe, he reminded himself for the millionth time. It didn’t matter what he had to do, they were family, and he would do whatever it took to get them back.

Even if it destroyed what little heart and soul he had left. When this was done, he’d take another tour. Get as far away from here as he could before he self-destructed and someone got hurt. “Or dead,” he muttered to himself.

“What’s that big brother?”

Kirk turned to his brother. “Nothing just muttering to myself. Everything is set. We need to leave as soon as possible.”

“All ready to go as soon as you are. Got a couple buddies of mine on standby at the airport, one owns a charter business and he’s agreed to fly us out to D.C. for free. He owes me a couple of favors. Saved his butt a few times when we were in the service.”

“Right, what are we waiting for then, let’s move.” Kirk slipped his rifle across his back and lifted his bag onto his shoulder.

Snaf followed him out the door. “I’m waiting for you big brother.”

Kirk didn’t laugh at his brother’s little joke. He trudged down through the forest to the parking lot where their parents waited by his beat-up old Dodge pickup. Ava stepped up and hugged him tightly before place a kiss on his cheek. “You be careful now. Bring them home safely. All of you need to come home safely.”

He knew what she meant by that last bit. She knew what this mission was doing to him inside, how it was tearing away the last remnants of his soul. Hell, he wasn’t even there yet and he was dying inside. Prayed silently that things would go easily. He knew that wouldn’t happen though, it was only wishful thinking on his part.

She moved away and did the same with Sanf, a hug, a kiss, and a few brief words, before she stepped back and allowed their dad to put a protective arm around her shoulders. Their dad merely sent them both a nod. He didn’t need words or hugs and kisses, they both knew their dad loved them and was behind them one hundred percent. If he could, he’d grab a gun and be right by their sides. He needed to be with their mom though; she needed him right now more than they did.

The drive took roughly forty-five minutes, all of which Snaf told amusing stories about his buddies. Stories Kirk would have normally enjoyed if his mind weren’t clouded over with what was waiting for him in Washington.

He slept fitfully on the flight out, trying to ignore the laughter and loud voices coming from the front of the plane as his brother and his friend got caught up. If this had been another time and place he knew there would have been beer and poker involved in Snaf’s little reunion. Maybe strippers too. Tonight, it was laughter and old war stories.

And a flight into Kirk’s own personal kind of hell. He tried not to think about it, but it was hard to avoid. Seeing Maitland was something he had tried to avoid. He’d switched units to avoid the b*****d. Gone halfway around the world for god’s sake!

He closed his eyes and tried once again to ignore his brother and his friend.

“Hey, come on Kirk, wakey-wakey!”

Kirk reached out blindly and slapped his brother. His shot wasn’t at all lucky; he wasn’t one of the best snipers for nothing. He smacked his brother in the chest. Hard. “Leave me alone small fry.”

“Small fry? Dude you are only an inch taller than I am!”

“Which makes you smaller than me,” Kirk replied as he shoved his brother out of the way, stood, and stretched, before lifting his rifle to place it across his back.

“You are a real dick sometimes, you know that big brother?” Snaf griped.

“I excel at it and don’t you forget it little brother.” Kirk managed to keep the grin off his face when he said those words. It felt good to want to smile. The feeling faded as he exited the plane and he remembered where they were headed and what it was he had to do.

Snaf shoved at his back. “Move it you great big oaf, you’re blocking the door.”

He ignored his brother’s little joke and jogged down the steps of the plane, across the tarmac to the waiting SUV. Time to go. They had work to do. He climbed into the driver’s seat, waited while his brother climbed in beside him.

“You ready for this big brother?”

“No. Not by a long shot, but we’ve got no choice. Let’s do this before I change my mind.” He started the SUV and pulled away from the airport.

“You sure she’ll get you in?”

Kirk snorted. “No. She said she would, but God knows she could be lying. We know she’s damn good at lying.”

Snaf made no reply. They drove on in silence. Snaf didn’t know what kind of comment he could make. There was no commentary for this kind of situation. Seriously, what did you say to your brother when he had to call his ex-girlfriend to ask her for a favor like this? The ex who had destroyed his world.

Nothing he could think of that would lighten this kind of crappy a*s mood. So he kept quiet.

They pulled up several miles from the facility where General Maitland worked. Kirk parked the big SUV on the side of the road directly behind the little sports car that was already there. He looked at his brother. “Stay here.”

Snaf snorted. “Right, so she can tear you up some more. Not happening.” He flicked his seat belt off and got out of the car.

Kirk didn’t want his brother to see him act the fool for the only women he could possibly ever act like a slobbering dog over. With a resigned sigh, he got out of the truck and move over to the woman who was leaning back against the trunk of the car.

She was tall, with the body of a runway model. Slim and sleek, just like her fancy sports car. Her blond hair was pulled up into a tight, elegant bun atop her head. Not a single piece of hair was out of place. Her makeup was perfection. Kirk had never understood what she had seen in a rough and tumble soldier like him. It had become clear the day he’d found her in bed with some preppy shithead. He was just some guy she enjoyed screwing around with. He was her dirty little secret she had enjoyed hiding from her daddy.

“Hello Blair.”

Her perfectly painted lips lifted into a smile. “Hello Kirkland. Still carrying the rifle I see.”

“Always. Never know when there’s a viper around that needs shooting.”

Her laughter ran over him like silken sheets. “And still cracking those sarcastic little jokes too.” Her gaze shifted over to Snaf. “Oooh and who is this?”

The rifle shift in an instant. “Don’t.”

Blair relaxed back against the trunk. “Just making conversation. Relax soldier.”

“I’ll relax when I’m inside that complex with this rifle aimed at the general’s head.”

Blair huffed. “Really Kirkland, is that necessary?”

“He has my cousin and his wife. Yes, it’s necessary. Now, are you going to get us in or not?”

She produced a keycard and held it out to him. “Here, it’s mine. Daddy had it made for me so I could visit him at the facility. You’re not going to hurt him, are you?”

“As long as Tre and his wife are all right he’ll be fine.” Kirk took the keycard from her and turned back toward the truck. He stopped and looked back at her.

She hadn’t moved from her position leaning against the trunk.

“One more thing Blair. If you call and warn him, if he’s ready and waiting for us, I’ll shoot him on sight. Think about that will you. Now run on back home before you’re nice safe little accountant misses you.” He started back toward the SUV again.

“I’d rather have married you, Kirkland. You know that, right? It was always you. Lance was Daddy’s choice, not mine. I didn’t want safe.”

He ignored the tightening in his chest. Ignored her words and kept right on walking.

The engine started when he turned the key and still he refused to look at her standing by her stupid little car. Refused to acknowledge that she could be telling the truth. Refused to do it, because then he might be able to forgive her for what she’d done to him.

He couldn’t do that. She’d made a choice d****t! It didn’t matter if that straight-laced schmuck had been the general’s choice for her; she didn’t have to screw him behind Kirk’s back. She could have … done something. Anything but that. Told Kirk what her father wanted, they could have figured something out together. Made some sort of plan. Instead, she’d torn his heart out and stomped on it.

He’d gone to her house with a ring. Had planned to ask her to marry him before he was shipped out. Only to find her in bed with that dumbass accountant. It had torn him to shreds. He’d forgotten about love and happily ever after, once he’d left Blair behind. The only that mattered was his job, the Marines. He’d concentrated on becoming the best-damned sniper they’d ever seen.

And he’d succeeded. Now there was only one thing he had left to accomplish.

 Bring Tre and Chloe home. After that, nothing else mattered.