Page 3 of Protected By the SEAL

“The transaction will happen, you don’t need to worry about that. Then you can sort out your ransom. That’s on you.”

There’s a moment when the talking becomes too muffled for me to hear anything, which only makes my blood run colder. This is definitely a kidnapping thing, the sort of shit that only happens in movies, not real life. But even in the movies, no one pays the ransom. People don’t negotiate with criminals. What if my father does the same? What if he refuses to pay up even if my life is on the line and there’s a gun to my head? What if he turns it into some sort of moment for television? It might be against my wishes, but if I’m about to die, then what the fuck does it matter what I want?

No. I can’t think like that. I have to stop myself. This isn’t a movie. Of course, my father will save me because I’m his child. It doesn’t even matter if I’m not the favorite because I went my own way in life. He still loves me. He has to. Oh, God, he willknowthis is because I wanted to do something for myself and it’ll be an ‘I told you so’ moment. I don’t have the same security as everyone else because I don’t want it, because I want to be free, but that’s what led me to this. If I'd just followed my father’s footsteps, if I'd continued on with the show, then maybe I wouldn’t have been targeted like this.

And the worst part is I don’t even have the freedom that I really want. I’m still kinda trapped in a bubble because of my name. I don’t get to wander the streets freely because my dad doesn’t like me to, so I certainly can’t travel the world. There’s so much that I want to see, that I want to do, so many cultures and places I want to explore, and I can’t. Now I probably never will.

“I won’t let her die before you get your hands on her,” the voice growls once more, almost as a reminder that he’s still got me. Not that I’m in any way able to forget. “You can do whatever the fuck you want then. You know my deal.”

Who am I being handed to? Or traded to? I don’t suppose there’s any way of knowing because the whole world could want what my father has. The big fucking house, the pool, the cash… I can see how it all looks from an insider perspective, but it isn’t all roses when you really have it. Personally, I would much rather have nothing but my freedom to just exist. I would happily not have the mansion and the clothing, the stuff everywhere which is all worth everything but doesn’t mean anything…

“I know the time, I know the place. You can trust me. You don’t need to keep asking me these questions…”

He sounds angry. The man who’s in control of me is pissed off. I can’t be the one who’s upset him, but I may well be the one who gets the bad receiving end of it. I try to curl around myself to protect my body as much as I can, but I can’t even do that.

Keep breathing.I didn’t even realize that I was holding my breath until this moment.Don’t kill yourself for him.

I think of my dad, who even if we aren’t the closest, isn’t a bad person, and my mom as well. She might be cold and a little standoffish, focused more on money than her kids, even if she seems to spend the majority of her life being pregnant, including right now, but again, she’s lovely. This will really upset her a lot. But my siblings, my younger brothers and sisters, they will be the ones who miss me the most. As soon as the cameras aren’t around anymore, they are always with me, enjoying my company, depending on me. They will suffer most when I’m gone. They are going to be the ones who mourn me the most. It will be their tears which wet their pillows at night, which sucks. I never want to make my siblings cry.

Sixteen-year-old Nick, who my father tries to keep away from me so I don’t influence him to leave as well, will miss our late-night chats about anything and everything. Alena, who’s twelve, bordering on a struggling thirteen-year-old, will find it hard because I’m the one she goes to advice about anything and everything. I do my best to help her, but I think life comes a little easier to her than it does me anyway, especially when I was that young. But without me, who will she turn to? Then there’s Kevin, the sulky ten-year-old who only smiles at anyone when he’s about to play video games… we have a bond as well. The twins might only be four years of age, but I play with them a lot and I think they will notice my absence.

I cry some more, even harder this time around, but I’m crying for them. If I die, then they are the ones who need to work out life without me, and it won’t be a lot of fun for any of them. I don’t know how they will go on.

3

BENJI

Whoa, this situation is fucked up. Seriously, what a mess. I’m reading the notes again. Again and again. I think it’s going to take me a fair few times to drink it all in and accept that this is real. I’m honestly struggling because this is so far away from any life that I’ve ever lived, so I can’t process any of it. I keep forgetting that this is all reality, someone’s life.

I don’t watch a lot of TV, nor do I have time for movies, but even I don’t always think of them as real people with lives behind the cameras. Seeing the strangeness of their lives behind the cameras, at least the Jones family, it’s odd. I don’t know how anyone can do it. Obviously, William is a mastermind with this sort of thing, which is why he’s so successful, but I don’t get it.

“Oh, Cassie,” I murmur to myself as I see her photo once more. “What sort of life have you been living, even before this?”

Her parents seem really distant. I’m picking that up through these vague notes. They seem to care more about the business than the kids. I suppose I might be wrong about that. Perhapsthis is just how rich people deal with one another. Just because I came from a warm and loving household, it doesn’t mean that everyone else is the same. But still… I get a weird feeling. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is, but it doesn’t feel right. I can’t imagine anyone happy coming from it.

“Not that I’m here to save Cassie from her parents,” I remind myself as I attempt to put the notes down. “Don’t forget that. This is just about some kidnapping, asshole criminals I need to take down, get them arrested and locked away.”

William Jones might not be on board with getting the Puerto Rican cops involved, but I will if I need to. If the time is right. I’ll make sure that I don’t get killed as well, leaving the both of us fucked. Doing things alone isn’t always necessary. I’m not going to let my pride get in the way and make me idiotic. We all learn that in the Navy. It’s such an important lesson. I get why Max sent me alone on this mission, and of course, I trust his point of view, but I won’t let that hold me back. He’s got me on this mission for a reason—because I’m the one he thinks can lead it, so I’ll do exactly what I know is right.

Max is pleased with my determination to save Cassie, so I won’t let him down. I won’t let anyone down. I’m going to find that girl wherever she’s and make sure that she’s safe. Hopefully, before any of the Mexican Cartel get their hands on her. Those guys, from what I’ve heard, are terrible. They can be freaking animals, and no one deserves to be subjected to that. Even this time on the plane is stressful because it’s all wasted time. Every moment I’m sitting on this ride, things could be happening to her. The protectiveness within me, the need to get to her alive, is damn near overwhelming, more so than anything that has ever grippedme before. I like making the world a better and safer place, but this is on another level.

The plane begins to descend, and I peek out of the window so I can get a glimpse of what I’m heading into. The island below me is sunny and glamorous. I can see beaches stretch out for miles. But I can’t focus on any of that. Instead, I need to look at the jungle area because this isn’t a vacation. This is a rescue mission, and I need to give it my all. The beauty of the island is fabulous, but there’s a dangerous undertone which is what I’m here to deal with. It’s scary. I mean, there’s a danger everywhere. Every place in the world has a criminal underbelly, even the smallest, safest-seeming American town—around the world, to be honest—but I can reallyfeelit here. Probably because I have to tackle it, and right now, I’m all by myself.

“This is what you’re here for,” I whisper, reminding myself. “This is what you’re doing. It’s going to be fine.”

Self-doubt is coming through me, but I force myself to remember Max’s words. He has flooded me with the knowledge that I can do anything. I don’t have any freaking choice, anyway. I’m here and ready to take on the Cartel…the fucking Cartel. Shit, seriously, every time I think about taking on the Cartel, it makes my head spin. But I’ll figure it out somehow…

The plane lands, and I shove the nerves away and thank the pilot for flying me to my destination. She isn’t sticking around. Max may well have her on another mission. I know that everyone is pretty busy at the moment on jobs, so the plane could be needed anywhere. As it rises back into the skies and vanishes into nothingness, it strikes me that it’s time to begin. There’s no more wasted time because I’m in the area. Before the meeting, as well, which is all really great news. So far, this is going to plan.

“Right.” I dig my hand into my bag to find the paperwork of everything booked for me by Max. Since he knows the area a lot better than me, he got me a room near the jungle meeting place, and I just need to find it. “Ah, here we are. A motel, fine.”

I can do a motel. Fucking hell, I’ve slept in war zones, so even the dingiest motel is fine. I’m not exactly in the line of work where I can be fussy about that sort of shit. Once I’m in a motel, I can get myself organized, anyway. I can go through the paperwork as well, yet another time even though I probably know it all from scratch, and make myself a plan that will work.

“Benji?” Someone is yelling at me, screaming my name, and there’s a whole lot of panic in the yelling as well. This isn’t just someone who’s calling after me. It’s someone who needs my help. I just need to find out who it is… “Benji! Benji?”

Bombs explode all around me, so I can’t see. My heart pumps burning hot blood all the way through my body, my ears pound with a serious aching, and I can’t catch my breath however hard I try. This is a nightmare. One that doesn’t seem to end.

“Who is it?” I scream back. “What’s happening? What can I do?” I cough hard. The dust is consuming me. Or is that water flooding my lungs? I can’t tell anymore. “Who is it? Who needs me? Is something?—”

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