Page 21 of Lethal Pursuit

Goddammit, he didn’t want her to be one of the prisoners.

Whether it was Maya or not, throwing a female into the mix made a bad situation that much worse. Back in SERE school when the “captors” had roughed up a female airman during an interrogation had been bad enough. He and the other male “captives” had gone crazy trying to take the “captors’” attention off the female, bargaining to take her place. They’d been ignored, of course.

Watching them hurt that woman and not being able to stop them was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to endure. Even though they’d all known on an intellectual level that the interrogators wouldn’t do any worse than rough her up, the male captives had reacted on a primal level. The lesson had stuck with him ever since, all the more horrifying since he came from a home with a single mom and three sisters.

Jackson wasn’t sure what he’d do if something like that happened here. And if it was Maya?Christ.

Because this time, there was no guarantee they’d stop at kick and punches. The thought made him feel sick. Where he came from, real men didn’t beat on women. And these fuckers sure as hell wouldn’t abide by the Geneva Convention.

A thousand thoughts whirled through his mind as he struggled to come to terms with this new reality. Waiting in the dark, anticipating the unknown, was almost worse than having the shit kicked out of him.

The Sec Def was silent beside him. Jackson knew he’d served in the Marine Corps back in the day, but that had been a hell of a long time ago. How the hell had they managed to take him with all his security detail there? He wanted to ask more questions, but each time either one of them spoke it increased the risk of attracting their captors’ attention. And right now they had to preserve whatever hope and morale they could. It was critical for their survival.

A flicker of light came from the far end of the corridor. Jackson’s heart began to thud as it came nearer, bringing the sounds of measured footsteps with it. His palms turned clammy.Stay focused. Remember your training.

But no amount of training ever prepared a man enough to facethis for real.

The beam of light intensified, and low male voices drifted toward them. He heard Doug shift against the back wall of his cell, trying to make himself as still and small as possible. They both had to be the “gray man” here, the guy who blended into the background so well that he all but disappeared. The best-case scenario for a prisoner of war, second to escape.

A silhouette appeared, outlined against the light. Then two more. The men’s strides were purposeful, drawing nearer with every heartbeat. Jackson stayed frozen in position against the damp, rough wall.

The man carrying the flashlight stopped in front of his cell and said something to the others. He sounded surprisingly young, but Jackson refused to look up lest he draw attention to himself. A second man halted beside him, wearing the typical baggy pants and sandals common to men in the region. The third man hung back, as if he wanted to watch what happened next. Jackson’s muscles tensed when the first man squatted down but he managed to keep his gaze on the dirt floor just inside the metal bars rather than look up.

The bright beam of the flashlight hit him in the face, blinding him. He squinted and turned his head, gritting his teeth in annoyance that he’d reacted at all. The beam traveled down his body, and the second man grunted something to the one standing in the shadows. A few seconds later, they moved on to the Sec Def and did the same. Checking for life-threatening injuries maybe, since a dead hostage was no good to them.

Two of the men moved on to a cell farther down and started talking among themselves. The squeak of metal hinges reached him, and then came the sound of something heavy dragging across the floor. The younger one called out to the first man standing near Jackson’s cell and he walked toward them. Jackson had only a quick impression of someone tall and lean as he passed by. More low words, then a grunt followed by the groan of the iron door closing once more.

The latch clanged into place and the men came back. This time they stopped directly in front of the Sec Def’s cell. Out of the corner of his eye, Jackson watched as the flashlight illuminated the bodydraped over the second man’s shoulders. Whoever he was, he was already dead. Blood covered his face, head and the light blue oxford shirt he wore. One of the Sec Def’s personal security detail.

The tall man whispered something, and the one carrying the dead man shuffled off down the corridor. Then the tall one, who had to be the leader, hunkered down so that his face was lit by the flashlight beam. Unable to stop himself, Jackson risked a glance at him. He had a full dark beard and a light complexion. His eyes were a strange yellow-hazel. Jackson forced his gaze back to the floor as the leader spoke, in English.

“Hello, Mr. Secretary. I am honored to have you as our guest.” His heavily accented voice was pitched low, but what really upped the creep-out factor was the maniacal gleam Jackson had seen in those hellish eyes.

When Doug didn’t answer, the leader let out a low chuckle, as though his prisoners’ silence delighted him. “We have important plans for you while you stay with us.”

White noise. It was all just white noise, Jackson reminded himself. He had to tune it out and focus on reinforcing his will to survive.

“Eventually we will expect you to tell us about coalition operations in the area and make a recorded statement denouncing the war for the world to see, but you would obviously be unwilling to do so at this point. Unless I am wrong?” Silence was his only answer, and Jackson swore he could hear the smile in the bastard’s voice when he continued.

“Then instead I believe I’ll start with a less worthy opponent. Mohammed,” he commanded and rose to his feet as the young one hurried down the row of cells into the darkness. Another screech of mental hinges, then the sounds of a scuffle, quickly ended. The metal latch clanged into place, and Mohammed returned with another prisoner draped over his shoulders. Jackson could hear the prisoner’s harsh breathing, a stifled, painful moan.

The leader said something, and Mohammed lowered the prisoner to the floor. A sense of foreboding swept through him. Despite himself, Jackson had to look. The man grabbed a handful of the prisoner’s hair and yanked, forcing the person’s head up. The beam of light illuminated a pair of frightened blue-green eyes before theysqueezed shut against the sudden glare.

Jackson’s heart stopped beating.

Maya.

He jerked like he’d been electrocuted, barely managing to swallow back the cry of denial lodged in his throat. Staring into her pinched face, he felt like someone had stabbed him in the gut.

“Do you recognize your fellow guests?” the leader purred, swinging the beam of light at Doug, then at Jackson. He squinted but couldn’t make himself look away and when the light shone on her once again, she was staring right at him, her expression utterly haunted. Jackson squeezed his numb hands into fists of helpless rage.

Maya didn’t answer but her devastated expression said it all. She’d seen and recognized him. From the look in her eyes it was clear she understood that whatever hell they put her through now, she’d have to withstand it alone. And somehow he’d have to endure that knowledge while battling the crushing agony that there was nothing he could do to protect her from any of it.

Jackson held her gaze, trying to give her strength.Sweetheart,please hang on. Whatever they do to you,just hold on.Fuck, he wanted to throw up.

“No? Ah, well.” The leader sounded almost disappointed in her lack of reaction. “Now that you have seen your fellow guests, I think you and I should become better acquainted.” He jerked Maya’s hair, forcing her to her feet, which were still bound.

She shot a look of terror in Jackson’s direction that made his guts churn and it took everything he had not to call out in protest as they dragged her away. He thought he’d understood what fear felt like before? Not even close. But he did now.

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