You Only Love Twice (40 page)

“And you’ve lost some of your will.” The doctor clucked like
a sad mother hen as he brought the tray over. Jesse could see it sitting almost
within grasp of his left hand. There were a few bottles on it, some bandages,
and what looked like tape. He caught the gleam of something metal. Scissors for
the tape. And naturally there was a hypodermic needle. Narcotics. They loved
their narcotics. He couldn’t let them inject him. He would be helpless when
they came, unable to signal to his team.

“No,” he said without lifting his head. “The will is still
there. It’s the body that’s weak. I’m out of practice being beaten half to
death.”

“I suspect our leader will get you right back into practice.
You were always his favorite, you know. He’s risked a lot to get you back.”

Awesome. The one place he was teacher’s pet. “Where is he
going to take me?”

“He has a home in Riyadh. I suspect we’ll go there in order
to keep up appearances.” He slipped a blood pressure cuff around Jesse’s limp
arm and went through the motions. “His business partners will be a tad upset if
they discover what he’s done, so he’ll try to keep it under wraps. He’ll go
through with his speech and behave as though nothing has happened. Once we’re
certain the heat has died down, as you Americans say, then we will move you to
our training compound.”

“So he’s training terrorists now?” The cuff slipped off his
arm.

The doctor made a note on the chart. “Soldiers. They are
soldiers in our war, and yes, we are building our army. You’ll be our little
mascot, I think. You Westerners love mascots.”

He would be the Caliph’s grand experiment. He would be tortured
and brainwashed until one day he forgot who he was and where he came from and
became nothing but a weapon for them to use. “I think I’ll have to get away
before that happens.”

The doctor picked up a bottle. “I doubt that. This is going
to hurt quite a bit.”

Pure hellfire rained on his back and Jesse let out a shout.
Alcohol. The bastard poured alcohol on his open wounds. The pain nearly made
him faint. He saw the edges of his peripheral vision begin to fade.

That was it.
Play possum. Look weak.

He let his whole body go limp and knew the next few moments
would be some of the worst of his life, but he would get through them. When the
second assault came, he somehow managed to stay still.

He heard the door open, heard that horrible voice again. “He
is well?”

The doctor sighed. “He passed out. I suppose the pain was
too much.”

It was hell to keep his eyes closed. It went against every
instinct he possessed. He needed to see, needed to fight. But he remained
still.

Patience. Breathe in. Breathe out. Wait for the moment.

He heard Big Tag’s voice and then Simon’s.

Have faith. Wait for your team. We won’t let you down.

But mostly he heard her voice.

I love you.

He beat the panic back by concentrating on those voices.
Slowly, the fire across his skin settled to a low but manageable ache.

“Your brother can’t be happy with you,” the doctor said.
“I’m going to need to stitch a couple of these.”

“Do what you need to do. I want him healthy.” Jesse felt the
man move, place his hand on Jesse’s ankle. It made his skin crawl. “When I
break him, he will be my masterpiece, my proof that righteous will bends all to
the truth.”

Now he was going to vomit. Asshole. His greatest enemy was
right there. He could kill the Caliph, but would probably die in the process.
At one point in time, he would have done it. It would have been worth it. He
would have traded his life for even one shot at revenge, but that time had
passed. He would trade all the revenge in the world for one shot at a life with
Phoebe.

“As for my brother, I believe his usefulness is coming to an
end. He’s too close to the truth, and he would undo everything I’ve done. I
caught him in my office. I think he suspects I’m working with the senator.”

That was interesting. He needed to hold on to that little
tidbit.

“You should dose him before you continue,” al Fareed said.
“I wouldn’t want him to damage himself. That’s my job.”

The doctor sighed. “Fine, but I have my own experiments. I
want a couple of my own subjects. Are you sure you can’t capture his friends? I
saw the red-haired woman. I would love to spend some time taking the arrogance
out of her.”

Erin. He was a bastard because he was relieved they weren’t
talking about Phoebe, but he would be damned if he would let them take Erin
either. He couldn’t watch another team member die.

He heard the door open. “They’re gone. Their plane took off
a few hours ago. The Agency themselves verified it. He’s alone. I have no doubt
that Smith fellow will look, but this time I’ll be ready for him. I’ll send him
back to the States in pieces. Perhaps I’ll send parts of him to newspapers.
That would create some chaos. I think I’ll start with the
New York Times
.”
He laughed, a truly nasty sound. “It’s going to be a new world. With Ibrahim
gone, I won’t need to hide any longer. Get him ready to go. I want to leave as
soon as possible.”

The door closed and once again he did not hear a lock.

They were getting complacent.

“So your friends have all abandoned you. Poor boy. And you
don’t need painkillers. He’s being too indulgent with you.”

Pain flared as the doctor started to sew the places where
the whip had opened his flesh. This time Jesse welcomed it. He even gave the
fucker a good groan.

He opened his eyes. The scissors were there, waiting to be
used. They weren’t terrifically sharp, but they would do.

He heard the sound of something rattling floors below.

The doctor stopped and turned to the door.

Jesse moved, forcing his body to work. He ignored the pain,
ignored the fear. He focused. The scissors were in his hand and in one smooth
move, he planted them in the doctor’s neck. He never gave the man a chance to
scream. With aching arms, he held the doctor tight until the scissors had done
their job and he went limp.

Think. Think. Adrenaline rushed through him, making it
easier to focus. The doctor had a gun. Jesse pulled it from the holster on his
waist. He couldn’t make too much noise, but he would use it if he had to.

The hypodermic needle was much quieter, though it could only
be used once.

He glanced out the window. Too far up. He couldn’t jump and
there wasn’t enough roof to land on. But he could see the ocean. If he was on
the ocean, he couldn’t be far from others. Al Fareed had said he was going to
the conference. That meant they were still in Dubai, and it was a
well-populated city. He had a shot.

First, he had to get out. He had to find a way to
communicate with his team.

There was another bang and the floor seemed to shake. Jesse
flattened against the wall, holding back a groan as his back hit. The door flew
open and the guard strode in. His eyes immediately went to the doctor’s body,
and that gave Jesse the shot he needed. Two steps and he plunged the needle
into the man’s neck. The guard turned, but his movements were already slowing.
He hit his knees and then his body fell beside the doctor’s.

And Jesse had another gun. It looked like he would be making
some noise on his way out, but he wasn’t the only one.

He opened the door as quietly as he could. Gunfire. No way
to mistake the sound. It peppered the air around him in short volleys and then
he could hear someone shouting.

Chaos. It was a soldier’s enemy but an operative’s friend.

He took a deep breath and stepped out. He looked back at the
stairs. They were his best bet. He flicked the safety off both guns and made
his way.

Pain flared as he felt a bullet hit his left shoulder. He
went down on one knee, pivoted, and took his own shot. The second guard. He was
approaching, but stopped suddenly and looked down at the hole forming in his
chest. He shouted out, but Jesse was already on the move again.

He stopped at the top of the stairs and surveyed the battle
that was going on below. The front doors had been blasted through and hung
limply on their sides. Two men lay on the marble below, though they twitched
and moved. Smoke was beginning to dissipate, but it looked like someone had
chucked a grenade or two through the door.

Or C-4. Erin. She liked to play with explosives and she
wouldn’t hesitate to try to rescue him.

“Are you coming or not?”

Jesse looked down and Simon strode through the wrecked door,
his gaze on the stairs. Though he was wearing all black, including a black cap
covering his hair, Jesse would know Si anywhere. Theo was behind him, watching
Si’s back. The sweetest sense of relief pierced him. Months he’d lain in a
cell, every day a pure torture, losing piece after piece of himself and he
hadn’t even dreamed of rescue.

He hadn’t doubted it for a moment this time.

He wouldn’t dream about it again. The Caliph had utterly
lost his power over Jesse Murdoch.

Jesse took the steps two at a time. “Where’s Phoebe?”

“She’s with Ten. They came in the back,” Simon explained.
“Erin is causing as much chaos as she can, and Hutch took over the security
system. He’s relaying everything he can to us.”

Jesse heard the sound of a window breaking and then the
house shook again. Yes, Erin was likely enjoying her work.

Simon stopped, obviously listening to something Jesse
couldn’t hear. “We’ve got incoming.”

Three men rounded the corner of the big house.

Jesse dropped to one knee and took aim, popping off three
quick shots. Theo took out the one on the left.

“I have no idea how you’re standing much less firing a
weapon.” Simon reached out a hand, helping him up before touching his ear. “We
have the package. Fall back.” Simon nodded toward the open doors. “I think it’s
safe to go out the front. Erin’s watching and we took out the guards at the
gates. Do you know where he is?”

He didn’t need Si to say anything more. “No. He left me
about ten minutes ago. He was heading to the conference.”

Simon frowned. “Then he likely took the helicopter. Damn
it.”

“Don’t. It’s fine. We know who he is and I know who he’s
working with. We’ll have to be happy with that.” Jesse followed them outside.

“I won’t be happy until he’s dead, Jesse. What the hell did
he do to your back?” Simon kept moving.

Theo took Jesse’s six. “Whipped him good, and not the way
big brother does it. Damn.”

“It’s fine. We need to get out of here.” He needed to get
Phoebe out of here. “Where is the extraction point?”

Simon touched his earpiece again as he looked back before
moving on. He frowned fiercely. “What do you mean? How the hell did that
happen?”

They turned the corner and Jesse realized how wrong he’d
been. The Caliph had plenty of power over him.

The Caliph stood next to his helicopter, the blades just
beginning to rotate. Jesse nearly stopped breathing when he realized that
Phoebe was beside him, a gun pointed at her head.

Phoebe fell in beside her brother as the first explosion
occurred. She tried not to think about the two bodies she and Ten had taken out
in the guard station. It had been necessary. They’d been ready to shoot, but
still, it had been a long time since she’d been forced to kill a man.

“We’re going around back to make sure the dock is secure,”
Ten said into his comm.

“I should be with them,” she whispered as they moved around
the massive main house. She watched their back, making sure no one came around.

“You’re clear as far as I can see. Erin, good work on that
door. You’ve got two coming in at three o’clock.” Hutch’s voice was a low buzz
in her ear. He’d been left in the guardhouse monitoring the security systems.
The compound had a complex set of cameras that seemed to cover every inch of
the grounds.

Someone was a paranoid freak, and that totally worked in
their favor.

She heard a volley of gunfire and then Erin spoke. “Got ’em.
Do you have eyes on Murdoch? I don’t want to blow him up. Tag would send me to
the doghouse. Seriously he bought one and he’s threatening to use it. I think
that violates labor laws, right?”

“I got him. You’re clear to blow up anything but the center
of the main house. He’s on the move and he’s being feisty,” Hutch said.

“Is he okay?” She couldn’t help but ask.

“He’s already taken out two. Simon, if you go through the
hole Erin blew, you’ll see him going across the top of the stairs.”

“On it.” Simon came through loud and clear.

She breathed a sigh of relief. They weren’t out of the woods
yet, but she felt better knowing Simon was about to have Jesse’s back.

They rounded the corner. The dock was up ahead.

Ten touched his earpiece. “Kash, you can bring the boat in.
We’re a go.”

The boat Kash had bought was a small speedboat that would
take them to a large yacht anchored in the gulf and waiting to haul it as fast
as they could to Loa Mali and safety.

To her left, Phoebe watched as a door opened and five men
started out. They surrounded a sixth.

She realized what would happen in a moment. The helipad was
between them and the dock. If they saw the boat coming, they could easily shoot
it out of the water. If they took off, it would be simple to gain the high
ground and potentially take them all out.

But more than anything, if they turned soon, they would have
her and Ten outnumbered. Even if they survived, that was al Fareed they were
protecting and he was about to get away. Jesse wouldn’t be safe until the
Caliph was dead. He would be out there lurking in the shadows and manipulating
their lives.

It was time to gamble. They obviously knew she was with
Jesse. Al Fareed’s intelligence was too good to not know that she was spending
her time in the same room with Jesse. She would make an awfully good hostage in
exchange for Jesse’s good behavior. She had to think they wouldn’t kill her.

She touched her earpiece. “Ten, find a sniper position. We
have to take him out. Forgive me.”

She took off, screaming. “Jesse! Jesse!”

“Phoebe? What the hell?” Ten’s voice became a low growl in
her ear. “I’m going to tell Murdoch to beat your ass for this. Don’t you
fucking die. Not until I get the chance to murder you myself.”

She dropped her gun when they turned and gave her best
impression of shrinking away in fear.

“Don’t shoot her. Bring her to me and then go and find the
prisoner. I’m not leaving without him.” He spoke in Arabic to one of the men
around him and he turned and ran to the chopper.

One of the guards grabbed her and dragged her back to al
Fareed, who immediately brought her close, putting a gun to her head and using
her to shield his own body. “You’re my dog’s little bitch, aren’t you?”

“I just came for Jesse. Please tell me where he is.” She
wasn’t going to argue with the man. Certainly not when he pressed that gun so
close to her temple. It hurt where he held her, too. So tight, as though he
wouldn’t ever let go.

“How many did you bring with you?”

“It’s just me and a couple of his friends,” she replied, her
voice shaking. How long would Ten need?

“A couple of friends destroyed my house?”

There was a volley of gunfire as his guards rounded the
corner to get back to the front of the house. She prayed Hutch, the all-seeing,
had warned Simon and Jesse.

“When they bring him to me after killing your friends, I
think I’ll kill you in front of him. Or perhaps I’ll take you with me and you
can serve as another method of control. That would be an interesting
experiment.” He was dressed for the conference and his keffiyeh covered her
shoulder. He spoke into her left ear and hadn’t seemed to notice that her right
ear had a comm buried in it. She could still hear the team speaking.

“We have the package. Fall back,” Simon’s voice said in her
ear.

They had Jesse. Jesse was safe. Now all she needed was for
Ten to take his shot. He could give her cover after al Fareed was dead. He
would have the high ground. She would run.

She was going to run all the way to Jesse and they would get
away and they would be safe.

She believed. She would will it to happen. No more hiding.

“Get him to the damn boat.” Ten’s accent always thickened
when he was pissed, and it was like molasses now. “I’ve got to deal with
another issue. Al Fareed has Phoebe. She got it in her head she could stop him
from leaving and then I would shoot the fucker. Keep Jesse away from the west
side of the compound. I don’t need
Romeo and Juliet
playing out in
front of me.”

She hoped Ten was getting into position.

And then she saw him. Simon rounded the corner and then
seemed to hear Ten and paused, his hand coming up and making a fist. It was a
clear signal to stop.

Jesse still came around the corner and she watched in utter
horror as he caught sight of her. He was shirtless and she could see blood on
his chest and arms. He moved without his usual grace.

What had he been through?

“Yes. Now you’ll come in handy.” Al Fareed pressed the gun
to her temple. He walked across the grass, putting distance between them and
the helicopter.

Phoebe struggled to stay upright. The ground around her was
soft and her feet seemed to sink in.

“I’m almost in place. Almost there. I’ll take al Fareed
first, but we still have to deal with the guard,” Ten’s voice purred in her
ear. She’d watched her brother work before and invariably he calmed as he got
close to doing the actual job. He would slow down and even his voice would slip
into his deep, Southern accent when he focused. “Drop when I tell you and don’t
give him a chance. I’ll take him before he knows what’s happening.”

She had to buy him some time because now they were in a
standoff. The guard next to her had his weapon up, pointing at the same side of
the house the other guards had disappeared behind.

Jesse walked out, dropping his gun to the ground and holding
his hands up.

“That was inevitable,” Ten said and she could almost see him
shaking his head. “Darlin’, I’ve got a shot lined up, but unfortunately your
head is in the way. When I tell you to, you need to move about two centimeters
to your left.”

This was going to get so icky. And then there was the
problem of the gun to her head. It was pressing her to the right. And the
problem of Jesse, who moved toward them with the singular purpose of a man who
was going to save his woman no matter what the cost.

God, she loved him. She had a gun to her head and all hell
was breaking loose around her and she thanked the universe for Jesse. And
Jamie. And Ten. For the love she’d been given.

“Don’t cry, baby,” Jesse said. “I’m going to get you out of
this.”

Simon and Theo stalked behind Jesse, their guns trained on
al Fareed.

“Hand over the girl and we’ll let you get on that
helicopter,” Simon explained. It was easier to hear now that they were away
from the chopper.

She felt al Fareed’s head shake against hers. “I think you
would simply blow up my helicopter. No, I’ll take one of you with me. I wanted
to take them both, but I fear two would be too much.”

“Me.” Jesse stopped a dozen feet away. “You’ll take me. I’m
the one you want. Let go of the girl and I’ll go willingly with you. Anything
you say.”

“And if I want to put a collar around your neck and walk you
through my training camp to show my soldiers how we should treat Americans?”

Her stomach churned because it was everything Jesse feared.
And yet he simply nodded.

“Yes. Anything. Just let her go.”

Her captor started to back away, dragging her with him. “No.
I no longer believe you. I think she’s the only thing that will keep you in
check. You surprise me. I think I failed with you. I think I would always have
failed with you.”

“No.” Panic was plainly stamped on his face and he started
toward them.

One wrong move and al Fareed would shoot one or both of
them. The guard moved with his boss.

“Si, you got a bead on the guard?” Ten asked. “Nod to
verify.”

“Jesse, stay back.” Everything would go to hell if that
guard got his hands on Jesse. She saw Simon nod.

“I can’t let him take you.” Jesse moved toward her.

“Three,” Ten’s voice said.

If he came closer, Ten wouldn’t be able to take his shot.
“He won’t. Have faith in me. Don’t take another step.”

“Two.”

Jesse stopped. “I do.”

“Such a little fool,” al Fareed said in her ear. “Perhaps I
will break you instead. Let’s go.”

“Now.” Ten’s voice was as calm as a man reading the news.

She went completely limp in al Fareed’s arms, ducking her
head and trusting her life in Ten’s shot. She heard the ping and then she was
falling. Before she could hit the grass, Jesse was there. He lifted her into
his arms and then fell to his knees, but not before he pulled her free of al
Fareed’s body. The guard dropped beside them. He’d never had a chance once
Simon had him in his sights.

“Erin’s with the boat and I’m coming in,” Hutch said
cheerfully as if he hadn’t just witnessed a bloody battle. “Simon, I’m going to
need that chopper. Could you hurry? He’s going to try to take off.”

Simon moved in and there was the sound of another shot.

She looked in horror at Jesse’s back as she scrambled to her
knees. It was a mass of welts and cuts. He was bleeding from his shoulder. “Oh,
baby.”

He stared at al Fareed’s body, but the minute she spoke, he
turned and reached for her. “It’s over now. Phoebe, we can go home.”

As gently as she could, she wrapped her arms around him. “My
home is wherever you are.”

He held her tight. “Good, because the minute I can, I’m
putting you over my knee.”

Suddenly Ten stood above them. “Murdoch, you all right?”

Jesse took the hand Ten held out, letting his future
brother-in-law help him up before doing the same for Phoebe. “I’ve never been
better. You gave up a lot to come after me.”

“I owed you, brother. I’m sorry I had to kill him. That was
your right.”

Jesse shook his head. “No. I didn’t need to kill him. I
already beat him. I beat him when I survived and I beat him again when I thrived.”
His hand found hers and he threaded their fingers together. “And now we’ll move
on and have a family. I wouldn’t have Phoebe without him. I won’t say I’m
grateful to him, but I would go through it all over again to find my wife.”

She squeezed his hand. “Let’s get out of here.”

He nodded and started for the docks. Theo and Erin were
already at the boat and she could see Kamdar hadn’t pawned the job off. He’d
told her he would get off on the adrenaline. Simon waved at Hutch, who stepped
over the pilot’s body as he got into the cab of the chopper. Hutch was taking
the helicopter?

She looked back and her brother wasn’t behind her. Ten stood
by the chopper as Hutch fired it up.

He looked so alone standing there. He nodded her way and
held up a hand. His mouth moved, but she couldn’t hear him over the helicopter
blades. She could see what he said.

I love you.

He hopped in, gave Hutch the thumbs-up, and the chopper
lifted into the air.

“It’s okay,” Jesse said. “We’ll meet up in Loa Mali.”

He tugged on her hand and she followed, but she knew the
truth. Her brother was gone. He was in the wind, disavowed and alone.

And very likely looking for revenge.

Still, even as she prayed for Ten, she followed Jesse
because he was her future, her gift.

Two Months Later

Dallas, TX

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Big Tag asked the
question in an exaggerated whisper. “Because we can still get you out of here.
I’ve got an extraction team standing by.”