Chapter Twenty
Liam was escorted to the computer room and sat down in one of the chairs. He was going to ask what he was supposed to be looking at, but Hound pulled up a video and hit play. Liam felt his stomach drop at seeing Alejandro in front of the camera and Cora half naked, with her hands lifted above her head. His fists clenched in rage at what had been done to his woman. He could see bruises on her torso and blood on the corner of her lip. His teammates stood on either side of him as the video played.
“Hello, American soldiers. You know who I am. And I know you know who this lovely delicate flower is.” Alejandro indicated Cora with a wave of his hand. “You stole from me a few weeks ago. My women and drugs. You even kept my favorite. Hannah.” He purred her name. “You think you big powerful men because your soldiers, and have fancy weapons.” Alejandro got close to the camera. “What good are your weapons now huh?” Alejandro laughed. “Just know what is about to happen to your woman is because of you.” Alejandro stood away from the camera, so there was a clear shot of Cora and two men standing on either side of her. “For stealing from me,” Alejandro said, and one of his goons punched Cora in the ribs. “For killing my men.” Another hit to the opposite rib. “Ruining my business.” Two quick punches. Cora could barely stand, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. The chains holding up her arms were the only things keeping her standing. “After my men, each has a turn at her, I will kill her. This is what you get when you mess with Alejandro Ferrera.” Alejandro laughed as the video ended.
Liam stared at the blank screen for a moment, not believing what he just saw. His Cora. His beautiful precious Cora was in the hands of that monster. It was his fault. He should have left her here at Hound’s while he went to his sisters. She was going to die because of him. Liam pushed away from the chair and stalked back and forth the length of the computer room. He couldn’t get the image of Cora being used as a punching bag out of his head. She had just been hanging there. Limp. She never said a word. He didn’t even know where she was. “When was the video posted?”
Aaron cleared his throat. “Twelve hours ago.” Liam felt a vise grip his heart. Hound told him he had been out for twenty-four. Cora had been alone with him for twenty-four hours. The man had threated to rape and murder the only woman he loved. And he had been powerless to stop it. If Cora was still alive and Alejandro had only been bluffing he was going to tear the man apart piece by piece. Anguish consumed him and he felt tears sting his eyes. He hadn’t cried in years, since news of his sister’s accident. He let them fall now. To fuel him.
“Please tell me you have a location, Hound?” Liam didn’t care that his teammates saw the tears in his eyes. He was beyond caring now. He wanted to get his hands on Alejandro and see how he liked being used as a punching bag.
“The signal keeps bouncing around. It could be a few hours. I’m sorry.” Hound hung his head in shame, knowing he failed his friend. No one would look Liam in the eye. They all knew Cora would die, and no one would know where she was. It was unacceptable.
“It’s a small island, just south of Alejandro’s home in Panama,” Hannah said from the doorway. Everyone turned and looked at her. Ben stood up and went to Hannah’s side and wrapped her in his arms.
“Are you sure?” Liam pressed. If anyone knew the ins and outs of Alejandro, it was Hannah. Alejandro admitted Hannah was his favorite. She had spent a few weeks with him before being rescued. Everyone had treated her with kid gloves since she was released. From what he heard, she still got night terrors and was seeing a base therapist on a regular basis.
Hannah laid her head against Ben’s chest and looked at Liam. She looked so lost and fragile standing there. “I’m sure. Please don’t ask why I know, just trust me.”
“Can you show me where on a map?” Aaron asked pulling up a map of Alejandro’s property.
“I will help you in any way I can. Please bring Cora back. I can only imagine what he is doing to her. Alejandro has a volatile temper, and he doesn’t take being bested well. The fact you have beaten him twice I fear has only fueled his rage.”
Liam could hear Alejandro’s taunting words in the back of his mind. After my men each have a turn at her. “You show us where the island is. I’ll bring her back.”
“We’ll bring her back,” Ben stated matter of fact.
“That’s all well and good.” Mike piped in. “but we don’t have a plane to get there. Our new Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Jones, won’t approve a mission at the last minute to allow us to go to Panama to get your girlfriend back.”
Tiny had a point, but now that he knew where Cora was there wasn’t a force on earth that could stop him. “I’ll talk to him. Explain the situation. If they retire me, they retire me. I don’t care. I’m not leaving Cora to suffer alone. Commander Jones has to realize that.”
~
“No, absolutely not.” Commander Jones said seated behind his desk as all seven men stood at attention. “The last time you were there, you were ambushed. From what you’re telling me is on that video, then he will be expecting you. Again. I cannot condone this.”
“Sir, that video has gone viral. The media is going crazy with the story. If we do nothing and she dies, it could set off a chain of events throughout all known and unknown terrorists. We’ll be seen as weak and cannot protect our own.”
“It’s not your call to make.” Commander Jones snapped and slammed a fist on his desk.
At the end of his rope, Liam relaxed his stance and leaned over the desk. “It may not be your call, but I refuse to let her die just because you don’t have orders.”
“Careful, Sunshine, that’s sounding an awful lot like insubordination.” Commander Jones said calmly, with an arched brow, daring Liam to refute him.
“I don’t care what you call it. If you refuse to help her, then I’ll put in for my discharge.” Liam was throwing down the ultimate gauntlet. Liam was a huge asset to his team. If he left others may threaten to as well. He didn’t want to threaten the Commander, but he wasn’t being left with another choice. The longer they stood here bullshitting the more risk Cora was to lord knew what Alejandro could be doing to her. A flashback of the video he saw earlier flashed through his mind. No, he needed to stay focused. He needed to get to Coro at all cost. Damn the repercussions. Cora was worth any risk.
“You can’t be serious.” The commander chuckled but stopped when he realized he was the only one laughing. “You can’t just quit.”
“Watch me,” Liam said icily. He was done playing around. If the commander didn’t tell him what he wanted to hear and soon he would walk out the door and high jack a plane if he had to. He may go to jail for it, but at least Cora would be alive. It would be worth it.
“And the rest of you feel the same?” Command Jones asked, looking at each team member. Liam wasn’t asking the others to risk their careers for him. He hoped it didn’t come to that.
“We do.” They all said as one. Liam was floored by the show of brotherhood. Never would he have expected them to risk so much for him or Cora, but he was grateful. Now the decision was up to Commander Jones.
“What’s it to be, Sir?”
“You boys aren’t making my job easy.” Commander Jones shook his head in disbelief.
“If it were easy sir they’d let women do it.” Mike quipped. The guys chuckled, but the tension remained high in the room. Commander Jones could still say no and ruin everything.
“Then you boys leave me no choice.” Commander Jones stood up from his chair and straightened his jacket. His service medals gleamed from the overhead light. “Wheels up in ten. I suggest you get geared up.” Liam and his team just stared at the Commander stupefied, not comprehending what the commander just said. Did he just say wheels up in ten? “Nine minutes and fifty seconds, gentleman. Hanger 2. I suggest you don’t be late.” With that Commander Jones stepped out of his office.
“You heard the man,” Liam said before they raced to their lockers to collect their gear. It would be a long flight in and would be dark by the time they arrived. Liam could only hope and pray Cora would still be alive when he arrived. Liam shouldered his MK18 and checked his M9 before holstering it to his leg holster. They ran out to the hanger with only thirty seconds to spare. They pulled up, when they saw Commander Jones standing in front of the ramp of a C-17 wearing a flight suit and aviator shades.
“Sir?” Liam asked in question.
“I was looking for an excuse to get out of the office.” Commander Jones chuckled to himself. His hair blew in the breeze, but the Commander pulled out a foldable side cap and placed it on his head to keep it in place. “You don't think I earned my wings by sitting behind a desk my whole career, did you? I've flown over 70 missions and have countless hours of flight time. Let’s go boys.” The Commander waved them onto the ramp.
Liam didn’t waste another second. He ran into the cargo hold and took a seat with his teammates beside him. All to soon the cargo doors closed and the plane pulled back and took off. “Hang on baby. I’m coming.” Liam whispered, hoping he wouldn’t be too late.