Rebecca Zanetti - Blind Faith

The cell phone remained silent. “Why hasn’t he called?” Nate asked no one in particular.

Nobody answered him.

The commander hadn’t called because he wanted Nate to sweat it out. To be so desperate when the call finally came that he’d agree to almost anything.

Senator Nash suddenly appeared in the bedroom doorway, a sling around his arm. “What’s going on?”

Nate frowned. “We took a bullet out of your shoulder. You need rest.”

Nash shrugged and then winced. “I want to help find Audrey.”

“I’ve got this.” All Nate needed was one more person trying to get shot in his stead. “You, ah, need to worry about your future.”

Matt nodded. “Senator Nash disappeared and will never be found.”

The senator shook his head. “I don’t understand. Why did I disappear?”

“Chances are the commander has figured out you’re double-crossing him, but even if not, he’d kill you because you know too much about his organization,” Nate said slowly, his vision graying. “After this whole fiasco, he’ll take Audrey and run before tying up any loose ends.” Where was Audrey?

The senator reached out to clutch the door frame with one gnarled hand. “You’re telling me the commander would actually kill a U.S. senator and that I’m a loose end?”

“Without a hiccup,” Nate said. “I’m not sure about that PROTECT group, either. They might want you dead.”

Shane typed more keys on the laptop. “I can create an identity for you, Senator. We can also make sure a body is found that is identified as you, but you’ll have to stick with it.”

The senator ran a gnarled hand through his gray hair. “Okay. I’m staying with you guys. With Audrey. I mean, a kid needs a grandparent, right?”

Nate stilled. He wasn’t adding to family here. “Um, one of the most powerful organizations in the world wants us captured or they want us dead. Sticking with us is a bad idea.”

The senator smiled. “I’m glad we’re in agreement.” He swayed. “I guess I’ll go take a nap.” He shut the door behind himself.

Nate shared an amused look with Matt.

“Let’s worry about him later.” Shane unrolled a map Nate had created of the compound. “We need to go over this again. The plan sucks.”

“The plan really sucks,” Matt agreed without turning around.

Nate stalked over to study the map once again. “The plan is my only chance.” The clock was counting down, and he had no good options. This was do or die, and the odds stank. Something in his chest hurt.

“I hate statistics, but the odds of you surviving this are not good,” Shane said, his gaze down, his shoulders rigid. “We have to find a better way.”

“What would you do?” Nate asked softly, heat filling his head. “If the commander had Josie right now, what would you do to get her back?”

“Anything.” Shane smoothed out the paper, a muscle in his jaw visibly tightening. “But that doesn’t mean I like this. We should all go in at once.”

“No.” Giving the commander exactly what he wanted would be suicide for all of them. “I know I can’t control either one of you, but this is the way it has to go down right now. You have Josie and Laney to worry about.” Nate left fear in the dust and allowed the soldier inside him to take over. “And Jory. We have to find out about Jory.”

A strangled groan rumbled up from Shane’s chest. “We will find him, and we’ll do the job without sacrificing you.”

Nate fastened his brother’s arm and turned him. “My woman is in there, and so is my baby. I have to go.” His entire life was being held hostage by the commander. He waited until Matt turned to face him. “If I don’t make it, promise me—”

“You’ll fucking make it,” Matt growled, fury hardening his jaw. “That’s an order.”

Nate nodded, his throat closing. There were so many words he needed to say, so many in such a short time. “Thank you both.” The multitude of words wouldn’t come, so he did his best. “For being my brothers.”

Shane’s eyes darkened, and he yanked Nate close for a hug. “Shut up,” he muttered.

Nate hugged back, his heart aching. “You shut up.”

“Both of you shut up.” Matt clicked a clip into place. “We’re going with the plan, but we all survive it. I trained you until my head nearly blew off my neck, and you’ll fucking remember every single session we had. Remember who you are, what you can do, and who needs you.”

Nate swallowed, his shoulders going back. “I’ll remember.”

Matt threw him a weapon. “Take this.”

Nate tucked the Glock into the back of his waistband. “If you say so.”

“I do.” All soldier, Matt stalked forward to view the map. “I think you should go in this way.” He pointed to an area heavily patrolled to the north. “They won’t expect it.”

Nate sighed. “Mattie, we have the plan they won’t expect, and that’s what we’re going with.” He understood Matt’s need to protect him, but there wasn’t time for another debate. “You know what I can do, and you know what you would do if Laney was in there.” Hell, Matt would lay siege to the place to get her out. “Trust me. I know what I’m doing.”

Matt eyed him for a moment and then grabbed him for a quick hug. “Okay.” He let go and turned to study the map again. “I guess we go with your plan.”

Good. Nate nodded. He needed his brothers on board. “We’re good to go.”

On the table, his phone rang the tune assigned to unknown numbers.

Nate swallowed and answered the call on speaker. “Yes.”

“Nathan! So good to find you, boy.” The commander’s voice had gotten even deeper in the last five years, if that was possible. “It’s time to come home. Your woman and baby are here.”

Audrey sat in the conference room and twirled the new box of prenatal vitamins across the table. Her stomach hurt and her eyes burned from lack of sleep. She’d spent the night at the facility in a rather plush room complete with attached bath, but sleep had eluded her. She needed to save Nate. Somehow. “Mother, I’ve never asked you for anything.”

Isobel glanced up from a stack of papers, her brow wrinkling. “Why would you? I gave you life.”

“Thanks for that.” Audrey reached over and clasped her mother’s chilly hand. “I’m asking you for help now. Please help me save Nathan—help me get out of here.” The genuine plea came from her heart and asked for more than just help. She wanted to add a request for Isobel to care.

Isobel tilted her head to the side. “I’d think you’d want Nathan to come be with you. This is the best course for everybody.”

“No.” Audrey tightened her hold. “The best course is for me to leave with Nathan and give this baby a chance for a normal life. He’s your grandson. Don’t you want that for him?” So much need roared through her that Audrey’s hands trembled. Even if Isobel didn’t care enough about Audrey to give her freedom, maybe she’d care enough about a grandson. Sometimes bad parents made good grandparents, right?

Isobel frowned. “But the boy will be special. We need to study him, to make sure he trains in the correct manner. Just think how powerful he’ll be and what an asset he’ll become to Franklin.”

Ah, Franklin. So Isobel cared about the baby because of what he might do for the organization, and not as a grandson. In that second, Audrey let go of any childhood dream she’d harbored of her and her mother finding a common ground. A relationship. Resignation and a sad wisdom filled her. “You love the wrong man, Mother.”

“I most certainly do not.” Red slid over Isobel’s porcelain skin. “How ridiculous.”