Trouble With Their Pixie Read online

  “Well, looks like we’ll be getting an assignment in the next few days.”

  “Yep, if Ian is correct, and he’s always correct, we shouldn’t have to wait too long.”

  Heath’s gaze drifted over to the window.

  “You still thinkin’ about the other night?” Malcolm asked.

  Heath had told his brother about the lightning and the scream he had heard.

  “I know it sounds crazy, but I can’t shake the feeling that there is a woman out there somewhere and that she’s in trouble. It’s driving me fuckin’ crazy.” He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ease his tense muscles.

  “You think she’s the one.” Malcolm made it a statement rather than a question.

  Heath was quiet before he spoke. “Yeah. I do. I can’t explain how or why I feel this way, but I do think that she’s the one meant for us and the feeling is only growing stronger.”

  “Well, maybe we’ll find her on this next mission.” Malcolm stood and walked to the office door.

  “I hope so, Mal. I really hope so.”

  Heath continued to stare out the window. If they didn’t get a new mission soon, he was going to go nuts obsessing over someone he hadn’t even met yet!

  Chapter Three

  Kiera slowly became aware of her surroundings. She had no idea where she was or why she was here. The men who abducted her had kept her drugged while they traveled and it wasn’t until now that she was starting to get her senses back. The first thing that she noticed was that she was in some kind of hut with a grass roof and a dirt floor. Her body felt like it had been run over by a truck, more than once, and her mouth was so dry that she felt like she had cotton stuffed down her throat.

  After lying there for a while she started to notice other things about her prison. First of all, it was hot and very humid. That told her that she was definitely not in Colorado anymore. Second, she could hear what sounded like birds chirping. So for sure she wasn’t in a city. Sitting up, Kiera’s head swam and it took everything she had not to fall over and throw up. “Slow, deep breaths, Kiera. Slow, deep breaths,” she spoke quietly to herself as she tried to keep from passing out. That would not be a good thing. She needed to know where she was and what the men who had taken her wanted with her. She had no family, so it couldn’t be for ransom. Maybe they had mistaken her for someone else, but that really didn’t make any sense to her. Slowly an idea formed in her fogged brain that sent a chill down her spine, despite the heat in the hut. Were the men who had taken her part of some sort of human trafficking ring? Oh, God! Please, don’t let that be what all this was about. She couldn’t stand the thought of what could happen to her if that were the case.

  Kiera swallowed a couple of times and tried to calm herself. She knew that there would be no one looking for her. The people she worked for would just assume that she had decided to move on so they wouldn’t notify the authorities. Wait a minute! What about Bradley? Didn’t she remember him calling her name just before everything went lights out? Oh, please, oh, please let him have seen what happened to her and called the police! Please let someone be looking for her!

  Panic was setting in and Kiera knew that wouldn’t help her, so she kept telling herself to take slow, deep breaths. It became her mantra as she sat there and tried not to start crying like a baby. She had to keep her wits about her if she was going to get out of this alive.

  In a small building located across the compound, three men were talking in hushed tones.

  “Look, I got her here. Now it’s in your hands. I just want my money so that I can get out of here,” Bradley Stevenson Reed sniveled as he spoke to the other two men.

  He hated being in this God-forsaken jungle working with people that he considered beneath him. But he needed the money to maintain his luxurious lifestyle since his father, Senator Charles Reed, had cut off his funding. “I’m done footing the bill so that you can sit around on your ass and do nothing with your life. You want money, get a job!” his father had told him.

  Yeah, right, like that was going to happen. Work and Bradley Reed just did not go together. Besides a job would seriously interfere with his socializing, not to mention his little habit that he tried to keep hidden from the old man.

  “When we get our money, you’ll get what’s coming to you. Until then, you’ll just have to sit back and relax. We’ve got a few more women being brought to the compound in another day or so and then we can set up the online auction. Once that happens, we’ll all get paid.”

  Both men smiled at Bradley. He huffed out his breath and stomped out of the small building and headed back to a small shack where he was staying for the time being. He needed a fix and he needed it bad. Once inside his hovel, he searched through his duffel bag until he found what he was looking for. The small baggie contained the last of his stash of cocaine so he knew he would have to be careful not to use it all up at one time. He’d never make it out of here if he didn’t have a little something to help him.

  He poured out a small amount of the white powder onto a mirror that he kept stowed in his gear and promptly snorted it up his nose. It didn’t take long for the warm feeling to spread throughout his body and slowly he began to feel better about being out in the middle of nowhere.

  The two men watched as Mister Bradley Stevenson Reed strolled through the compound to his shack. The compound consisted of several small mud huts, barely tall enough to stand in and a few larger wooden huts which housed the security detail, a communications hut and a storage hut for food and supplies. Bradley had been assigned to a small hut by himself.

  Manuel Cortez smirked and shook his head as he reached for a bottle of water that sat on the table. “Do you think that he has any idea about the ransom?”

  Jorge Gomez shook his head. “Not a clue. He’s too worried about his money and getting his next fix to think about anything else. Has the ransom note been sent?”

  “Yes, I sent it this morning. The old man should have received it by now. According to our source, the Senator had morning meetings but was supposed to be back in his office before lunch.”

  “What about the woman?” Jorge asked.

  “What about her? We continue on as planned. Between the money we’ll receive for her and the two coming in, as well as the ransom money, we’ll make a pretty penny. We could retire if we wanted to.” Manuel laughed before taking another swig from his water bottle.

  Jorge moved to stand in the doorway of the hut to look out across the compound. “Retiring might not be such a bad idea. We’re getting too old to hang out in the jungle and sleep on the ground. I’d like a nice house on the coast, where I can watch the sun go down and drink good tequila.”

  “That’s a little too slow for my tastes. I’d like an apartment in Cartagena that looks out over the city. I need more night life than you do.”

  Jorge turned to look at his partner. “Well, maybe we can make both our dreams come true after all this?”

  Both men chuckled, each thinking of their coming payday and not caring one wit about the woman they were holding prisoner, nor the senator’s son who they were double crossing. Neither would lose any sleep over what was to happen to the women they planned to sell on an online auction or Bradley Stevenson Reed.

  Jorge and Manuel weren’t just cold hearted, they were evil to the core. Always had been, always would be. They had started in the streets of Cartagena and worked their way up to running a very successful human trafficking and kidnapping for ransom business. That kind of life didn’t lend itself to developing a conscience. Rather, the more people feared you, the more power you had and the more money you made. That was their philosophy and neither was going to change it now. Just a few more days and this transaction would be over and they could move on to the next one.

  Chapter Four

  The rain beat down on the thatched roof of Kiera’s hut. She had lost track of how long she had been held prisoner. One day blurred into the next. Every so often someone would come and take her out to use the b
athroom in the jungle behind the camp or give her some meager rations to eat.

  She tried to talk to her jailers, but every time she spoke the men would hit her and tell her to keep her mouth shut. One of the men had tried to fondle her breasts once, but she fought him. That earned her a beating which left her with multiple bruises all over her body. Kiera hurt all over and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could hang on.

  From what little conversation she could hear, Kiera had figured out that her captors were waiting for two more kidnapped women to be delivered. Curling up in a corner, she fought back tears and the urge to give up hope. To pass the time and keep herself from giving in to despair, she played a rescue scene over and over in her head.

  A man would come stealthily out of the jungle. He would be dressed in camouflage, like she’d seen men wear in military movies. He would be strong and handsome. He’d have a team of men with him and they would take care of her kidnappers. Then he would gather her up in his strong arms and carry her off. Kiera knew that it was a childish fantasy, but it was all that kept her from going crazy.

  As night fell the jungle took on a more sinister mood. Kiera could hear the sounds of night creatures beginning to move about. She prayed that nothing with a fatal bite came into her shelter. Suddenly, she heard a lot of commotion in the camp. There was yelling in English and Spanish. Gunfire exploded nearby and she huddled in the corner of the hut.

  Kiera curled up into an almost fetal position and covered her head with her hands. Men ran around the compound and vehicles could be heard cranking up and speeding off out of the camp. Despite all the noise, Kiera heard a voice that she recognized. Her mind must be playing tricks on her. Surely Bradley wasn’t here, too!

  Bradley heard all the yelling and commotion going on outside and he stumbled to the door of his cabin, still foggy from his last fix. When he realized that his partners in crime were leaving in a hurry, he began to run toward the communications hut. Just then a jeep skidded to a stop in front of him.

  “What the hell is going on?” he yelled at the two men in the jeep.

  “Get in!” Jorge shouted back at him.

  “Tell me what is going on!” Bradley demanded.

  “We’re under attack! Now get in or get left!” Jorge snarled at him.

  “But what about the girl?” Bradley whined.

  “No time! We got to get out of here now!” Manuel scowled at the prissy little prick.

  If Bradley Reed wasn’t a potential money maker, Manuel would have shot him by now. Bradley jumped into the back of the jeep and Manuel gunned the engine and took off into the jungle. More gunfire could be heard as the camp disappeared behind them and Bradley ducked down in the back of the jeep. What the hell was he going to do now? He had just left his meal ticket behind and he wasn’t too sure that he could trust his partners. Life really sucked right now!

  * * * *

  Malcolm made his way through the jungle, making as little noise as possible. The camp he and his team were looking for was not far away. He could hear noises of people talking along with a radio playing classic rock-n-roll. He could also smell camp fires and food cooking.

  Ian had been right about them getting a mission soon. Two days after their conversation in the ranch office, the call came. The assignment was dangerous, of course, and unfortunately, it was also in the middle of the Colombian jungle. An environment as hostile as the drug cartels and anti-government rebels that hid there.

  Their assignment was to rescue the kidnapped son of a United States senator. Kidnapping had become a lucrative business in certain regions of the world. Sometimes the victim was returned and sometimes they were never heard from again. The senator didn’t want to take any chances with his son’s life. He wanted the best team of operatives he could find to rescue his son. He had worked with Heath and Malcolm’s team on other difficult missions and knew that they were the best.

  Thanks to Seth Williams, the team’s computer guru and all around techno nerd, it hadn’t taken long to find out where the criminals had taken the senator’s son. It’s amazing what a little spy software in the right hands could do today.

  “Listen up, guys. There are at least a dozen men spread throughout the camp. Let’s try not to spook them,” Heath relayed to the team. “These guys are experienced in jungle warfare. So be on alert. We don’t want to get our target killed.”

  That would suck rocks big time,” Ian pointed out.

  “Not to mention, it would mean no payday.” Carlos stated the obvious.

  “Enough you two. Ethan, any sign of our target?” Heath was always about business when on a mission.

  “Not yet.”

  Ethan was the team sniper. All of the men were excellent marksmen, but Ethan was beyond description when it came to shooting. Ian was fond of saying that Ethan could hit a gnat off a deer’s ass at a thousand yards. Because of his skill, he always went high up to get the best view. Right now he was up a tree with an eye on the camp. From his vantage point he could see the entire compound and be able provide cover fire for the team.

  “What do you want to do, boss man?” Malcolm asked.

  Heath always led the missions so even his own brother deferred to him in the field.

  “We go in just like we planned. Quiet until we find our target. Seth, are you and Shane in position?”

  “Roger that, boss. We’re coming in on the east side,” Seth responded.

  “Gideon, what’s your position?”

  “I’ve got the north covered,” Gideon said.

  “Good. Malcolm, are you and Ian in position?”

  “We’ve got the south side covered. You give the word and we’ll move. Ian is starting to get on my nerves. He talks too much.” Malcolm smirked.

  Malcolm looked over to where Ian lay hidden under a bush. The only thing visible was the middle finger that Ian held up in salute to his teammate.

  “Carlos and I are in position to the west. Everyone start making your way toward the camp. We’ve got to secure our quarry before anyone is the wiser. I’d rather not get into a shootout with a bunch of mercenaries if at all possible.”

  Slowly, the team made their way closer to the camp. Without knowing exactly where their target was would make the rescue more difficult but not impossible. Each man would search a different structure. Hopefully they could do that without being seen.

  They all reached the edge of the camp at about the same time. Years of training and working together allowed them to perform smoothly and efficiently. Each man knew what the other team members would do in any given situation and they all had each other’s back.

  “Ethan, anything yet?” Heath asked.

  “Got movement in what looks like the communications hut. Two tangos are sitting near the fire to the left of that hut. Their guns are propped against the building several feet away from them. Another tango just went into the woods toward Gideon, probably to take a leak.”

  “He won’t be needing that bathroom break anymore,” Gideon responded.

  “That’s all that I can see so far. The huts only have one door, which all face the center of the camp, and no windows. It’s going to be hard to check each hut without being seen.” Ethan pointed out the difficulties.

  “Seth and Shane, you’ve got the huts furthest from the communications hut and the fire. Check ‘em out and we’ll cover you.” Heath issued clear, concise orders. He had proven himself in battle time and again so his team trusted him completely.

  Silently, Seth and Shane moved through the underbrush toward the huts they were assigned to search. Each worked in tandem with the other without being seen or heard. It was a testament to their skills and abilities to be able to move about like ghosts.

  Seth reached the side of his assigned hut and crouched, looking toward the campfire at the two men sitting by it. They were engrossed in conversation and listening to the radio that still played music. Quickly he moved around to the door of the hut and tried the handle. It opened easily and Seth peered inside. Th
e one-room hut was completely empty.

  “Nothing here, boss,” Seth reported.

  “Same for this one,” Shane concurred.

  “Roger that. Get back under cover and keep watch. Gideon, can you check out the shack on your side of the camp?” Heath asked.

  “Can do, but it will take me some time so those two tangos don’t see me.”

  “We’ll keep watch. Ethan has eyes on them so if they make a move he’ll take ‘em out,” Heath assured him.

  Gideon began a slow crawl around the wooden shack. He could hear the two guys by the fire talking. When he got to the corner of the structure, he peered around it to see if any more men were near. After a moment he slithered on the ground next to the shack until he got to the door. Just as he was about to reach for the door handle, two men came out of the communications hut. Gideon froze in place. He didn’t move a muscle.

  Jorge and Manuel stepped out of the hut with gleeful smirks on their faces. Their plans were about to come to fruition, and both men were excited as adrenaline flooded their veins at the thought of another successful business venture.

  “The other two women arrived in port an hour ago. They should be here tomorrow morning. We’ll put them in the far huts.” Manuel pulled a cigar out of his shirt pocket and lit it with a lighter.

  Jorge nodded his head in agreement. “When will we start the auction?”

  Manuel blew out a puff of smoke and glanced at the two men sitting by the fire. “If all goes well, we should be able to put them on the auction site by tomorrow night. It depends on how long it takes for the sedation to wear off. I like them to be fully awake so our customers can see what they are really like.” He took another long drag on his cigar.

  Jorge stood with his feet apart and his arms across his chest. “You mean you like them to be fully awake so that you can see their fear.”

  “So, what if I do? I take my pleasures where I can.”

  “You really are a sick bastard, Manuel. I’m glad we’re on the same side. I’d hate to have you as an enemy.”