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Chapter 33
Travis
She won't leave me. Cassie denied her father's request and stuck close to me. Upset and anxious that he would try to separate us again.
Doc went to work. I cringed in pain but refused to get knocked out. I need to stay alert. The stitches had broken and the wound was once again bleeding badly. Doc re-sewed the wound on my shoulder quickly as I bit down on a thick stick. Eventually Cassie convinced me to take some pain medication but I wouldn't take enough to sleep. There are too many questions to be answered before I can rest.
From what I know, Anthony is still out there and hunting us. If I take the full dose Doc wants me to take, only the Colonel would be left to protect his family. As much as I respect Colonel McAfferty, it had been a long time since the man has seen battle. Planning it was one thing, facing it another.
Once bandaged up, Doc left Cassie to take care of me. I smiled weakly up at Cassie as she sat next to me. I'm tired, so very tired and weak but I refuse to close my eyes again. The medication has taken the edge off. As much as I would like to hold Cassie, I don't have the strength. Her hands grip tight on mine and the simple touch relaxes me.
"Sleep. Daddy's downstairs calling back the troops. They'll be here soon." Cassie whispers, her fingers stroking over the back of my hand.
"My job is to protect you, not theirs." I can barely say the words without slurring, but I know I need to get up. I need to move and finish my assignment. Dean is still out there. For all we know, he could be right outside the gate "Where's Jacob?"
"With Mama. She won't let anything happen to him." Cassie is certain her father is watching everything like a hawk. I wish I had her confidence.
"Keep him inside, Cassie. It's not safe outside." I know it isn't a good idea to let Jacob go outside. That is where Dean has made himself at home. It was too easy for him to just come up to the house whenever he felt like it. How many times had he gotten in without her knowledge?
I pushed myself up to a seated position. For my own peace of mind, I need to know the house is secure. Cassie reaches out, gently pushing my shoulders back against the headboard. Keeping me in bed.
"What are you doing?" She knows I can't fight her.
As much as I want her hands on me, now isn't the time. I have to complete my mission. Cassie and Jacob aren't safe. Not until Dean is behind bars, or better yet, dead. Throwing my legs over the side of the bed, I breathed heavily in pain. My head spun and a wave of nausea rolled into my throat. Swallowing hard, I bit back the urge to curl into the soft bed and forced myself to stand up.
Cassie stood with me, carefully guiding me so I didn't fall. "Travis, this isn't a good idea."
"Maybe not, but Dean is still loose, right? Your father's men haven't located him?" I need details on what is being done.
Cassie shook her head, that brief flicker of fear once again lit her eyes. I want to be sure I never have to see that look on Cassie's face again. "Then I still have a job to do."
The scream from the yard broke the moment. Adrenaline rushed through me, waking my senses. I'm suddenly on full alert. We raced through the house and out the back door. Cassie stopped dead on the back steps looking around the yard. I came to a quick halt behind her and upon the sight before me, knew I was right. Moving around her, I let my adrenaline take over.
The Colonel heard the scream as well and raced out the door a moment later. Seeing his wife on the ground, blood spilling from her temple, he froze. It has been a long time since he has seen the blood of battle.
She is still conscious, her eyes met his for a moment with sorrow and pain holding between them. He saw her lips move, mouthing the word "Go." before she went limp. He knew she understood his duty.
Movement in the distance sent him running toward the side of the house. His cell phone still at his ear, the Colonel continued to bark out orders. He will have the helicopters back with a full crew of troops in minutes but it's already too late. Dean got away, this time with Jacob.
She is on her side, her head tilted toward the ground and her temple covered with blood. A shiver raced down my spine as Cassie stared at her mother's limp, lifeless body. Kneeling over her in seconds, I proceed to check her pulse. Rolling her to her back, I check for more injuries. Cassie grabbed my arm.
"Jacob?" She whispered his name as she frantically looked around the yard. "Jacob!"
Cassie yelled louder searching the yard. It was then she saw them. My pulse, pounding in my head, recognizes the threat immediately.
"Cassie, get in the house!" I ordered her to move.
Her body froze in pure fear for her child. The yellow flowers tied by a yellow ribbon in a perfect bow lay at her mother's head. His signature flower for Cassie. He has the boy. Dean took Jacob.
"Oh God!" Cassie groans, her hands went to her mouth. "Travis? He has my baby!"
Anthony
I stayed in the shadows watching and waiting to see her reaction. It was a risk I had to take. I haven't felt this aroused in a long time. Her fear has always turned me on. The look in her eyes when she knows she's in trouble, the way she trembles, the way her skin takes on this glow. Damn this feels good.
The smile creeps to my lips as I hush the small boy in my arms. "Sshh... it's a game, remember? We're playing hide and seek with mommy."
I know that look, the anxiety on McKennans face. He's hurt, like a doe in the crosshairs of a hunter. He knows I'm better than he is. He knows I can destroy him in one shot. Lifting my hand I aim with my finger and mimic pulling the trigger.
"Bang!" I grin at the boy who kicks his legs and claps his hands. "Yeah? You like to kill too, huh?"
Looking back at the clearing , proud that my boy takes after me, I study his mama. Cassie has stopped eating, she looks exhausted turning around looking for me. She is a walking zombie.
For a dead woman, she looks decent. It's a private joke and I laugh to myself. Cassie has never looked great. A little chunky for my taste, and homely like she's not even trying to impress me. Not that I'm interested in that now.
It isn't her I want. She is easy prey once I get the big guns out of the way. The Colonel won't be a challenge, neither is the old doctor with him. No, there's only one who is worth the hunt. McKennan is who I'm taking down first.
I watch, silent and still, as McKennan stares right at me. He sees me and the kid. The grin on my face causes the child to screech. Smacking the boy's butt, I step back from view.
"Stop that! We're playing a game, remember?" I place a finger to my lips, telling the boy to stay quiet. "Come on, McKennan. Let's see what you've got left in you now."
The sheer thought of what I can do to cause Cassie pain is unlimited. A tingle runs through me, when her knees buckle under her and she drops to the ground. Her son is missing and the flowers are just the reminder she needs.
"Jacob," she whispers, knowing in her heart that her son is in mortal danger.
Travis
Glancing down at Cassie, I know she needs me, but her son needs me more. "Cass? You need to call an ambulance. Your Mom's alive, but she needs help. Cassie! You have to get her help." I kept my voice steady, cold and calm, as I nudge her toward the house. My eyes remain on the treeline as I search the shadows for movement. Something to tell me what direction Dean headed.
Her hand gripped tightly to my arm, anticipating what she knows I have to do. It's her time to be the strong one. She needs my strength to regain her own.
"Cass, go in and call an ambulance. Take care of your mom. I've got this." Looking away from the trees for a brief moment, I saw the tears in her eyes that had yet to fall. "I'll bring him home."
Nodding she understood, she lifted to her toes and kissed my lips. "I will. Go find my baby, Travis. Make sure he doesn't do this again." Cassie gained her strength.
Giving her a single nod, I lean into her. "I'll bring him back, I promise." I seal my promise with a kiss, firmly pressing my lips to her forehead. "Don't leave
without me, Cassie."
"Not a chance." Her hand curled my T-shirt into her grip. "Travis, I need to tell you... I.."
Kissing her hard, I don't let her finish. "I know. Me too. When I get back, when this is finished, tell me then."
It's time to get to work. Going to the picnic table, I gather supplies from what is still there. Checking my gun, and loading it, I shove a box of ammunition into my pocket. Cassie is on the phone with emergency services and I wait for her to finish the call. I won't leave her unprotected.
Hearing the muffled cry and seeing movement out of the corner of my eye. I turned, gun aimed, scanning the trees. The brush on the far west side of the property is covered in dark shadows. But I notice a limb of a tree swaying without the help of a breeze in the air. Lunging forward, I head toward the end of the yard yelling over my shoulder to call for backup just as I disappear into the trees.
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