Page 22 of Wired Courage

Sophie shut her eyes, and willed herself to sleep as she’d learned to do under Assan Ang’s cruel hand.

Chapter Seventeen

Day Twenty-Five

Jake began breathing slow, deep breaths as Igor and Pim Wat’s minions fetched the water vessel. He filled his lungs to capacity, oxygenating his blood, keeping his eyes closed and body consciously relaxed.

Pim Wat wouldn’t know that he’d almost been a SEAL, but had gone with the Green Berets instead; she wouldn’t know that he loved free diving and could hold his breath for close to five minutes, up to seven in a pinch.

Not that any of that mattered. Igor would keep going until Jake sucked water and thought he would die.

But the sensation of drowning was familiar, and the truth was, he wasn’t afraid of dying. He was only afraid that he’d never see the woman he loved or his child again; that harm could still come to them.

He had to keep that from happening.

The men set the water vessel down, a big metal tub that likely had some other, mundane purpose, like doing laundry.Maybe washing babies.

Jake pushed fear away with powerful memories: Momi’s newborn, vulnerable little form, the baby’s kitten-like cries melting his heart, as she first entered the world. He and Alika had helped under the midwife’s direction: cleaning up and cutting the cord, wrapping Momi up tight, and watching as Sophie put her baby to the breast for the first time.

He’d been there for Momi’s first minutes of life. Reveled in the whole intense experience of her birth. Nothing could take that from him.

Dirty water, greenish and filled with sticks and leaves, splashed into the tub from buckets the ninjas dumped into it.

Jake couldn’t hold onto the memory as the tub filled.

“How can I get a message to Sophie?” Pim Wat lifted Jake’s chin, forcing his eyes up to meet large brown ones that were eerily like Sophie’s. “I need to speak to my daughter.”

This was a new question. Until now, she’d just repeatedly asked where Sophie was.

“Sophie was not involved with this mission. We came to get the baby back.” Jake’s heart beat with slow, heavy thumps as he continued to breathe deeply. Pim Wat could not reach Sophie with the news that they were captive. Sophie might give in to her mother’s demands and trade herself for them. He and Connor still didn’t know what Pim Wat really wanted with Sophie and Momi, but it couldn’t just be simple family fealty. “We left her in Hawaii, recovering from the birth.”

Pim Wat’s eyes narrowed. A smile ticked up the corners of her full mouth. “The first information you actually give up, Jake, and it’s a lie. Why am I not surprised?” She gave Igor a head nod.

Jake sucked a final breath as ninjas, positioned at each of his shoulders, shoved him forward and down. His face splashed into the dirty water. Igor’s hand on the back of his head held him under.

Jake began a count. Leisurely, slowly. He would go to a hundred. After he got there, he’d go to another hundred. The process of counting kept him calm and distracted; he would not waste effort and oxygen struggling.

One alligator, two alligator, three alligator. . .

He got to three hundred. Igor pulled him up when he began to struggle.

Pim Wat’s brows were scrunched with annoyance—clearly, she’d had to wait longer than she’d wanted to. “How do I reach Sophie? I just want to get her a message. No harm will come to her, I promise. She is my daughter, and you are her lover. Do you think I want her angry with me for killing her boyfriend? Please. Just give me a way to contact her.” Those familiar brown eyes shone with sincerity.

Tempting.Oh, it was so tempting. Just give Sophie’s phone number to end the suffering? He could buy time, give a fake one . . . Pim Wat was Sophie’s mother. Surely, she wouldn’t harm Sophie?

No. He could not give in. This woman was evil. She’d stolen Sophie’s child. She had no good in mind for either of them.

Shivers passed over Jake. His bowels felt suspiciously loose. He had fought hard for that count to three hundred. He wasn’t sure he had it in him for more. Somehow, he’d have to find that strength.

A movement drew Jake’s gaze toward his companion.

Connor had rolled over to face them and got himself up onto his knees, though his feet were bound and wrists shackled behind his back. The man’s glasses had been knocked off in the capture. Oddly, one of Connor’s eyes was blue, and the other one brown.

What the hell?Why did the guy wear brown contacts? And why did he look so familiar, all of a sudden? He reminded Jake of someone . . .

“Stop. Please.” Connor’s jaw was tight; his mouth pinched.Yeah, it was no fun watching a buddy get tortured—but he couldn’t let Connor crack. Jake gave his friend a slow wink as he sucked deep breaths, re-oxygenating.

“Do you care to intervene, Mr. Hamilton?” Pim Wat addressed Connor. “Want to answer my question and end your friend’s difficulties?”

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