Melia-Irrevocable Journey (Sequel to Irrevocable Quest)

089:

089:

Her eyes widened---

Her fingers had already pressed the speed dial for General Colby.

His voice was tight and busy, old, but glad to hear from her. She could barely be pleasant.

"Thomas." She said without preamble. He was her step-father, after all. But he was also Raine Maverick's most trusted commanding officer, a man whose daughter, Tiffany, had been Raine's fiancé, before her death.

"Raine." She directed his aging thoughts toward her former husband. "Was there a woman he was involved with in South America?"

"Before Tiffany?" Thomas grasped the ability to focus easily. Tracy's voice was all curt and frosty. He sensed the immediacy of her inquiry. "Yes. Yes, there was. He had a girl in Cartagena. It had been a one night stand thing he told me about it. Got drunk with his buddies, woke up in bed with her. That sort of thing. We all did it in our wilder days."

"Any chance he got her pregnant?"

"Chance? I believe he told me... something is ringing a bell here. There might be an illegitimate child, yes. I remember something about him regretting his wild oats...."

"This is very important, Thomas. How can I find this girl? I must know her name and if there was a child. What year was it? Is there any record of it? Raine was an officer. There must be someone who would know."

"I'll make a couple of calls Tracy. I take it this is of an urgent nature?"

"The most urgent, Thomas. Raine's children are involved. Melia has been kidnapped. I need to know why, right now." Tracy said the words and felt a cloak of fear descend over her. For the first time, she was realizing how mixed up and intertwined their lives all were. A sharp pain whipped through her as she pounded her fist into the table in aggravation.

It only took a few seconds and her phone buzzed. A man identified himself as one of Raine's closest friends in the military. Tracy asked her questions, and the man remembered the time they'd gotten drunk, took girls home.... Yes, her name had been Melinda Villarino, and he'd actually slept with her twin sister, Melissa. Yes, he did know their names, Melinda and Melissa Villarino. Yes, he was sure. Twins... who could forget that night?

Tracy then called another number she had in her cell phone and requested information she'd never thought to be asking.

"Hugh, I need to know if Melissa or Melinda Villarino is related to Carlos Villarino, and if either of them is alive. I need family details right now."

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