Page 67 of Ruby

“No, not unless you can teleport us to New York,” Deadeye replies. “Our priority is getting to Ruby and bringing her home to Tank.” The SEALs express their concerns for Ruby and give Tank advice on keeping his cool. Wolf pulls out his phone, checking in with his team’s C.O.

Before long, they are back in the air. The trip back to North Carolina is taking too damn long. Every member of the team has been working every angle possible to find out where Ruby’s been taken. All of them calling in favors from contacts outside their normal circle. Tank doesn’t want to admit it, but he’s a complete wreck. Just thinking of what could be happening to her, thinking he might never see her again. No! He can’t go there. He won’t let that happen…if it hasn’t already. He blows out a breath. He’s finding it difficult to sit still. Straw is next to him.

“Tex is on the case,” Straw says turning toward him. “And Daisy’s brothers are headed to New York as we speak. They’ll have her location by the time we are back on the ground. I’m sure of it.” Tank nods. He knows Straw is trying to keep him calm, and he appreciates the effort. He’s trying to hold onto hope, but he can’t keep his mind from going to the worst-case scenario. He lowers his head into his hands, closing his eyes. He can see her smiling face, her laid out on his bed, eyes full of love and desire for him. He needs her like he needs his next breath. If she’s gone, he won’t survive it. They’ll have to bury him alongside her because life will be meaningless without her.

As soon as the plane hits the tarmac in North Carolina, everyone begins to gather their belongings. They are lined up at the door as soon as it’s opened. Tank, Straw, Hawk, and Deadeye are the first to disembark the plane. They stride toward the hanger where they’ll stow their gear and debrief. Hawk already has his phone to his ear making arrangements for their transportation to New York.

A group of reporters are gathered near the hanger door. As they approach, a man in a business suit steps forward to greet Hawk and Wolf.

“Thank you, gentlemen, for bringing my niece home safely,” the senator says loudly, turning toward the bay of cameras and reporters, making sure they get his good side. “You don’t know how much my family and I appreciate what you’ve done.” Another couple is standing behind him. Tank notices they are going up on their tiptoes trying to get a glimpse of their daughter. The senator hasn’t even attempted to see what she looks like or anything. Tank grits his teeth to keep from growling at the grandstanding asshole. They’re wasting precious time he could be using to find Ruby.

Dude and Cookie bring the girl forward. Flashes from cameras flicker causing a blinding strobe-like effect. The girl cowers, ducking her head. Tank is pissed this senator is more concerned about making a good impression on the news than how all this media attention is going to affect his niece, who’s been through a traumatic experience. The team moves to surround the girl and keep the media off her. They allow her parents into the ring but tactfully keep the senator out of the loop. The family reunion is touching. Both parents and child are sobbing, holding onto one another. The team herds them into the waiting hanger and out of the prying eyes of the media.

“Who’s fucking idea was it for the media to be here?” Straw murmurs to Tank once they’re inside the hanger. The girl’s father apparently overhears and turns to them.

“My brother-in-law’s. The senator” He hitches his thumb over his shoulder. “He’s more worried about his appearance to his constituents than he is about our daughter and her welfare.” The man’s voice holds a bitter tone. His wife turns and gives them a sad, tight smile.

“I’m sorry about my brother,” the woman says. “I asked him not to have a circus. That’s his version of a small media presence.” She shakes her head and tightens the arm she has around her daughter’s shoulders. “We just wanted our daughter home and safe. Thank you, all of you for bringing her home.”

“Let’s head to a conference room. It’ll be more secure,” Hawk suggests and begins leading the group to the other side of the hanger. Several large Humvees are waiting to take the teams over to the meeting rooms. An SUV is waiting to take the rescued girl and her parents over. A limousine is waiting for the Senator, who is apparently still speaking with the media.

An hour later, Tank knows if someone takes his blood pressure at this moment, they’d declare him a stroke risk. They’ve been in this debriefing entirely too long. It’s killing him to sit through the meeting. He can’t focus on what’s being said as his mind is on Ruby. He needs to find her sooner not later.

“General?” Hawk injects during a pause in the meeting. “I’d like to dismiss my team if that’s all right with you.” Hawk doesn’t bother to elaborate as to the reason for letting them go early. The general and admiral who are sitting in on the meeting both give him a long, hard look. Admiral Jenkins leans over to speak privately with the general for a moment. The man nods and then addresses the room at large.

“Gentleman, thank you for your input and doing your jobs well,” the general begins. “It’s been brought to my attention you have a personal issue, which needs attending to immediately. Hawk.” the general turns to face Hawk. “Your men are dismissed. However, I’d like to have a follow up meeting in say a week?” Hawk nods his agreement. “We’ll take a brief recess while your men clear out.”

They all get up and head out the door. The rescued girl comes over to them. Tank is impatient, but he can’t be rude to her. She’s already suffered so much. Her parents join her as they are hovering around her.

“Thank you for rescuing me,” the young woman begins. “I hope you can find the woman you’re looking for and that she’s unharmed.” She reaches out to hug Tank, and he allows her, wishing Ruby was the one in his arms instead.

“No need to thank us, ma’am,” Tank tells her. “We’re just glad you’re home safe.” The woman gives him a grateful smile before turning to express her gratitude to the other members of the team. Tank is thankful this woman is home safe, but he needs to bring his woman home safe, too.

54

RUBY

Awareness comes to Ruby slowly. Her head is pounding and the vibrations under her head aren’t helping. There’s a rocking motion and hum in her ears. As she becomes more aware of her surroundings, she realizes she’s in a moving vehicle. She tries to lift her head, but nausea hits her hard. She must have moaned, because a man’s voice startles her.

“No need to think you’re getting away, Mary Catherine,” Russo, Jr. tells her from just in front of and above her. Her vision is clearing. She’s lying in the back of the SUV. She lifts her eyes to look at him. He has a sinister smile on his face as he glares down at her from the back seat. “Not this time. You and your family have caused me enough trouble.”

Ruby can feel his hatred radiating off him. She tries to sit up, but her hands and feet are bound. She has a gag in her mouth, which is very dry. She wonders just how long she’s been unconscious. She can tell night has fallen. Lights from passing cars flash in the windows as they travel. Where is he taking her?

“Wh-where are you t-taking me?” she asks around the gag, but she isn’t sure he can understand her. He turns to glare at her once more.

“It doesn’t matter where we are going,” he growls. “You can’t do anything about it anyway. You’ve been a thorn in my side from the day father demanded I marry you. When he got word you were sharing information with the police, I thought sure he’d call the wedding off, but no! He still wanted the wedding to proceed. He was convinced we could control you better if you were living in my home and sleeping in my bed.” Ruby shivers just thinking about the fate she’d narrowly escaped.

“Which reminds me.” Russo turns his body toward her as if he’s making himself comfortable to carry on an extended conversation. “I don’t suppose you’re still a virgin, are you?” Ruby isn’t going to give him the satisfaction of acknowledging his question. “You know that was the only perk I could see to our union…taking your virginity, but you ran and managed to hide from me for six fucking years!” He turns back to face the front, leaving her to her own thoughts for a long while. He has a few conversations on his phone, but she can only hear his side of them. Nothing he says means much to her in the first couple of calls. He seems to be conducting business over the phone, discussing shipments of produce to the restaurant his family owns on the first call, and he’s placing a liquor order on the second call. However, the next call gets her attention.

“Russo,” he answers his ringing phone. He listens for a moment before responding, “Yes, I’ve got her. No, no one saw me take her. Honestly, do you take me for a fool? This isn’t my first time out of the gate. I have everything under control.” Another pause as he’s listening to the other caller. “No, I haven’t told father I’ve found her.” More silence. “You need to calm down, Julianna. Father has no idea about us. I have this well in hand. Once we get back to New York, I’ll let him know I’ve found her. I’m taking her to the hunting cabin. I’ll ask father to come up to the cabin. We will find out what Mary Catherine’s brother has told the authorities, and then I’ll dispose of them.”

Ruby’s mind is racing. Who is he planning to eliminate beside her? Has he found Tony? Or is he talking about disposing of his own father? She doesn’t have long to wonder as he continues his conversation with his stepmother.

“You made this mess we’re in, Julianna, but I’m going to fix it,” Russo says. He must be getting sick of holding his phone, because Ruby sees him lower it, pressing a button on the screen, as he continues to speak.

“I made this mess!” a female voice screeches from the speaker, the sound causing Ruby to wince. “Typical man. You were there, too, as I recall, in full participation. It’s not my fault the condom broke.”

“I know,” Jr. sighs. “I didn’t mean to blame you; it’s just I panicked a little when you told me. It’s past time for father to step down and let me take the reins, but you and I both know he’s never going to let that happen until he’s partying with the devil. I’d planned to wait another couple of years, until I had more of the men on my side in case some of his faithful try to stop me, but your pregnancy has caused me to have to speed things up.”

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