Jax Read online

  “Jax?”

  “Whatever,” he said. “And who the hell has a name like that?” He waved his free hand. “Regardless, the pirates had big plans. But theirs weren’t Bahan’s plans. Still, it’s funny that he’s the one who escaped.”

  “So Bahan is Abdul’s uncle?”

  “Yeah. He is Nahim’s head of security. Bahan went over on his own time, rigged this up, and was planning to leave everything with the pirates, so he wouldn’t have to pay them and could just take you off the ship.”

  “Well, that makes more sense than what I’ve heard so far,” she said. “You do know that more than twenty pirates died on that cruise ship, right?”

  He whistled. “Wow. Bahan didn’t say anything about that.”

  “Of course not,” she said, “because that would expose his failure. Jax and his friend took them all out.”

  He stopped, turned her around, and stared at her. “Two men took out twenty-plus armed men?”

  She nodded. “Bahan didn’t do anything but come running home with my message.”

  Benjamin’s face darkened with anger. “What a lying piece of shit. That’s not what he said.”

  “Of course it isn’t,” she said. “You know perfectly well that these guys won’t tell you the truth.”

  “Well, they aren’t supposed to lie to me,” he snapped.

  “But didn’t you lie to them?”

  He stared at her. “And none of that has anything to do with you.”

  She laughed. “It’s ridiculous, all of it,” she said. “Because, of course, they lied to you, and you lied to them. That’s how you guys operate, isn’t it?”

  “Maybe,” he said, “but who cares? Bahan won’t live anyway. Not sure Nahim will either.”

  “So who will take Nahim’s place?”

  “Not my problem,” he said. “I really don’t care.”

  “If you say so,” she said. “But you could try living peaceful for once.”

  “When I’m dead,” he said. “But, for now, I’ll disappear again to live long and happy.”

  “Just not in the US.”

  At that, her shoulder was squeezed really hard. She cried out in pain, but he didn’t let go. He shoved his head against hers and said, “Yes, in the US, you bitch. You’ll fix what you did. I didn’t have anything to do with that. You know you wanted me in your house, and you’re the one who invited me in.”

  She could barely even hear his words from the pain slamming through her body. She knew he was trying to dislocate her shoulder. He’d succeed too. She gasped several times, easing back the crippling pain so she could figure out what the hell she could do. Her mind raced, but it found nothing useful. “Stop,” she yelled.

  He released her shoulder just to shut her up and said, “And remember that, anytime you go against me, I’ll just hurt you more.”

  A witty retort was on her tongue, but she held it back because it wasn’t worth yet another painful blow or torturing grip. She looked around, seeing great big furnace pipes and other ductwork on the ceiling. “Where are we?”

  “Down in the basement.”

  “And how do we get out?”

  “The same way we got in,” he said. “There are many ways in and out of a hospital. Remember that.”

  She thought about it and shrugged. “I guess an awful lot of exits and entrances exist just for the morgue and for the shipping requirements.”

  “Exactly,” he said.

  “And then what?”

  “You’ll go to my place,” he said. “And you’ll write out a very nice letter, dropping all the charges, stating how you feel terribly guilty for having accused me of any of these crimes.”

  “That might work,” she admitted. It would probably work, and everybody would be happy to close the case and to forget about it.

  “Of course it will. Do you really think anybody’ll stop me?”

  “Well, I was hoping one or two would,” she said, sighing heavily.

  “If you’re talking about that macho male who hung close to you,” he said, “I took him out easily enough.”

  “Was that you?”

  “Well, somebody I paid. It was a bit of a joke. He was a buddy of mine, and he just clobbered him as he walked past. Never saw it coming.”

  “Of course not because he didn’t realize that your buddy was a threat.”

  “Exactly. But you must realize threats come from all directions,” he said. “And that’s what I specialize in.”

  It’s exactly what he specialized in, and it drove her crazy. Down in the bowels of the basement, he led her through the laundry room and out to the other side. “Remember. If we see anybody,” he said, “you’re not to say anything because I’ll put a bullet in your head as soon as you do.”

  “But then you won’t be allowed back into the US,” she snapped.

  “Sure, I will,” he said. “I’ll just fake your letter. Better to do it with your wording and with your handwriting, but, if I have to, I’ll try it without.” She winced and he laughed.

  Up ahead were double doors, and she knew, as soon as they went through that and headed outside—into the dark night—chances of her ever getting free of Benjamin would be much less. In her head, she kept crying out for Jax. He had to be somewhere around. He had to have known that she was gone, and he had to be looking for her. But she didn’t have a clue how to let him know.

  “Now get ready,” Benjamin said. “You better look like you love me and that you want to be with me and then anybody who asks gets a damn good and convincing story. Because not only will I kill you but I’ll kill every person I see.”

  She bolted up a bright smile. “I understand perfectly. Let’s go.”

  And he reached for the double doors.

  Jax’s heart sat in his stomach like a great big rock that had no place to go. And it just kept festering in acids churning there. They’d already searched the hospital. Nahim had contacted him and the rest of the guards immediately. Once they found the two dead soldiers, everybody was on lockdown in the hospital. But it was a huge place, even with security assisting Jax as he desperately checked inside and outside. Griffin searched all the camera feeds, and still no sign of Benjamin was anywhere.

  Once Jax realized that the body they’d found in the laundry room wasn’t Benjamin’s, then Jax knew Benjamin would go after Abby. Jax still raced through the entire hospital, finding no sign of her or Benjamin.

  Just then he got a call from Griffin, saying, “Head down to the basement laundry room again. I think that’s how Benjamin got in, and I’m pretty sure that’s how he’s heading out.”

  “Have you caught sight of him?”

  “Not yet,” he said in frustration. “That whole area has no cameras.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Jax snapped. “This entire place should be completely covered with camera feeds.”

  “You and I both know that,” Griffin said, “but nothing we say will make a difference here and now.”

  Groaning, Jax quickly raced to the stairs and headed down.

  “At the next floor,” Griffin continued, “change staircases and head to the service area.”

  It took another five valuable minutes to get where he needed to go. And finally he hit the same floor that the laundry room was on. He headed toward where they’d supposedly found Benjamin, but he wasn’t here. Jax kept running and picked up the pace even more. “Still no sign of them?”

  “No,” Griffin said, “but we’re narrowing it down. It’ll be straight ahead of you, so watch your back.”

  With that, he hung up. Just then Beau contacted him.

  “I’m coming up on the other side,” he said. “I think we’re about forty feet apart.”

  “And there’s no sign of them,” Jax said in frustration.

  “No, but an exit is between us. I suggest we hit that exit fast and hard because they’re likely to be just outside the door.”

  And there he was, at the double door. He pushed the door open as a bullet fired over h
is head. He slammed the door closed again. And then he opened it slightly. Suddenly Beau was right there with him. “We need eyes outside.”

  Beau pulled out his phone and snapped out orders. It wasn’t a full minute before he had a report back. “Two people,” he said. “Both of them in between the trucks parked in the delivery area, one of them a woman.”

  “Is it her?” Jax asked.

  “Yes, it’s her. He’s holding a gun on her.”

  “Son of a bitch,” Jax said.

  “Move now,” Beau said. “They’re behind the trucks. We can get out of here without being shot at now.”

  They quickly bolted through the door, heading for the big trucks. Immediately Jax noted the streetlights in this parking area gave enough coverage for him to see Benjamin. And for Benjamin to see Jax and Beau. Jax headed to the concrete underneath and crawled his way forward. He could see legs up ahead. Beau was already on the other side of the truck, coming up from the far side, behind Benjamin and Abby. Just as Jax neared the front of the truck, Jax could hear Abby arguing.

  “You can’t just walk around with a gun in your hand. You know they’ll shoot you.”

  “I don’t give a shit,” he said. “I’ll make sure I shoot them first.”

  And, just like that, Jax was on the other side of the truck and pulled Benjamin’s legs out from under him. Benjamin went down quickly but bounced back up, gun in hand, only to meet Jax’s fists as Benjamin turned to face him. And then Jax couldn’t stop pummeling Benjamin to the ground. Finally, in the distant recesses of his mind, he heard Abby crying out.

  “Stop. Stop! He’s down, unconscious. Leave him alone.”

  He shook his head. “I wanna make sure he stays down.” Jax sat back slightly, and Beau approached with his handgun still gripped in his hand, looking down at Benjamin.

  “Looks like we got him.”

  Jax nodded. “Yes, it’s finally over.”

  “No, it’s not,” she said. “The uncle, the head of security, Bahan, we need to capture him. Benjamin here hired Bahan to do the cruise thing. Bahan then hired the pirates who took over the boat and the passengers. But you guys killed the pirates, and we let the uncle off. Nahim had no knowledge of all this.”

  “So it’s not quite over,” Jax said as he rolled Benjamin over and tied his hands behind him. “But Benjamin won’t be kidnapping you again.”

  “Or giving little boys arsenic.”

  “So you were right?” Beau asked, looking at her.

  Jax watched as she nodded.

  “Yes and no. Both him and Bahan filled the boy with arsenic.”

  “What’s wrong with these men?” Jax asked alongside an expletive.

  “The uncle wanted to take over the family leadership,” she said. “And Benjamin was just trying to create maximum chaos, which is what he likes to do. He was stealing money from the father but was also being paid by many family members, some to kill Abdul and some to keep the boy alive. Benjamin took all the money paid to him. He was to pay the uncle for the cruise thing to collect me, and then, when the uncle didn’t pay for the pirates because you guys killed them all, Benjamin didn’t transfer the last of the money to the uncle either. So he’s trying to disappear now with all the money, and he wants to return to the States, but I’m responsible for him not allowed to go back.”

  “You mean, as far as he’s concerned, you’re responsible,” Jax said.

  She smiled, gave him a quick nod, and said, “Exactly. But we must make sure that Bahan is picked up as well.” She looked over to see Beau standing off to one side, dictating orders. “Do you guys just call up whoever you want and get whatever help you need?”

  He gave her a slight grin and said, “Sounds like it. Works best that way.” Then he reached over, tucked her up close, and hugged her. “Are you okay?”

  She looked at Benjamin, still on the ground, just lying there, unconscious, and said, “Yes. I’d really like to kick him in the head myself, but there’s seriously no point.”

  “No, there isn’t. Whether MI6 gets ahold of him or not, he won’t be out of jail for a long time.” Benjamin seemed to come to, and Jax helped Benjamin to his feet as security men appeared, now checking out the area.

  She told Jax, “Benjamin shot both guards waiting beside the boy where I was, so MI6 will very much want him.”

  “Good,” he said. “I hope he rots a long way away from the US, and then at least he’ll never make it home.”

  “I can’t argue with that,” she said.

  Benjamin just glared at her. “Bitch, you know you’ll never hold me anywhere.”

  “Probably,” she said sadly. “But I hope the British jail system is harder on you than anything the US could have thrown at you.”

  “I doubt it,” he said as a bullet slammed into the truck trailer right beside them.

  She cried out and, when another volley of bullets fired their way, she ducked behind Jax. He had already pulled Benjamin back, getting him out of the danger, but his sudden weight in Jax’s arms told her everything. “He’s been hit,” she said as she dove to Benjamin, trying to save his life. But it was obviously too late. There was a bullet between his eyes. “Oh, my God,” she said, staring at him.

  “We must keep ourselves safe,” Jax said. “I’m not sure who just did this.”

  “I’d say probably Bahan,” she said. “It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

  “Everybody else is on this too,” Beau said. “We just need to keep it quiet.”

  Jax pulled her farther away and said, “Let’s get you back inside.” Beau nodded.

  They left Benjamin where he was on the ground and raced to the end of the trailers, with Jax leading the way to open the door. They barreled inside the hospital and out of danger.

  “I didn’t hear any more shooting,” she said.

  “I suspect Bahan’s gone,” Jax said. “He got what he wanted.”

  “Only Benjamin can say anything about Bahan’s involvement. Except for me.”

  “But Bahan might not know that,” Jax said. “Let’s get you back upstairs where you’re under additional security.”

  “Why?” she asked sadly. “Those two young men lost their lives defending me.” She looked up at Jax, tears in her eyes now. “So much death.”

  He nodded. “Unfortunately that’s the battle we always face, day in and out.”

  She nodded. “If I ever forget why you do what you’re doing, remind me of this, please.” She smiled a brave smile, eyes shining with tears. “It’ll make it much easier to keep letting you walk away.”

  He leaned over, kissed her head, and said, “It won’t be that bad.”

  She nodded. “So you say.”

  Beau gave a hard laugh. “Glad to see you two finally got together.”

  “Well, we did,” she said. “Just not long enough.”

  “You were only doing one mission, weren’t you?” Beau asked, looking at Jax. “Or has that changed?”

  He nodded. “But this one isn’t quite done yet.”

  “True enough,” Beau said. “It’s easy to talk about the future afterward.”

  “You mean, when we’re sure that we have a future?” Abby asked with spirit.

  Beau nodded. “Exactly. Let’s first make sure that Nahim and Abdul are safe because, with that uncle running around, Bahan still needs to take out the father and the son.”

  They raced to Abdul’s bedside and, when they walked in, they found an eerie tableau facing them. The uncle was there, on the floor, somebody holding a gun on him. But not the somebody she had expected. Instead it was Abdul’s mother. And she was trembling. Immediately Abby stepped forward, wrapped her arms around her, and said, “I know he deserves it. Both the doctor and Bahan here administered arsenic to your son.”

  The mother looked at her in tears, and she still pointed the gun at Bahan, but her gun hand was shaking.

  Jax stepped forward, pulled the gun from her hand, and said, “This isn’t the way.”

  The mothe
r sank down and cried. Abby hugged her while she checked to see how Abdul was doing, just as the boy woke up. She motioned for the mother to come to her son and said, “Look.”

  At that, the little boy’s eyes widened, his gaze a whole lot clearer than it had been lately.

  He smiled at his mum. “Mama?”

  She let out a cry and wrapped her little boy up in her arms.

  When Nahim arrived, he stepped forward to find his boy awake and looking so much better. He joined his wife and son on the bed. Only a few minutes later he turned to look at Abby and Jax holding a gun on his brother on the ground. Nahim frowned and asked, “What’s the meaning of this?”

  Jax quickly explained.

  Nahim straightened, looked at his son, and then said to Bahan, “You would do this? You, who have four sons of your own, would kill my son when I have tried so hard?”

  His brother sat up slowly and said, “You know how it is. I’m the eldest son. I was supposed to take Father’s place.”

  “Yes, but our father gave it to me. You were not deemed worthy,” he said. “And now I know why.”

  As Nahim neared his brother, Bahan pulled out a weapon of his own—but, instead of shooting Nahim, Bahan turned the gun on himself, shoved it under his jaw, and pulled the trigger.

  Chapter 19

  Abby stared at the body on the ground and looked up at Jax and then at Beau.

  Nahim stared at him and said, “This is a very difficult time for me.”

  “Obviously,” she said. “Remember that part about not trusting those around you?”

  “He was my brother.”

  “But he was ambitious,” Beau said. “And that’s always a death knell to friendships and families.”

  “Yes,” Nahim said and turned to look at Abby. “And, even though Benjamin did it for all the wrong reasons, it’s because of you that my son will now be okay.”