Chapter 21

Gillian

The estate was completely dark except for where the living room was located. It was a little unexpected to find them in one spot altogether. It was merely an illusion to lull us into a false sense of security.

“I’ve already taken care of the gate. The fencing is child’s play when you know what you’re doing. This is where you take the lead. You have a better understanding of how to find this doorway than I do. I’ve always given my people the freedom to speak openly. A leader knows when to take a step back. He also has to understand his limitations and rely on his team.” He respected me for my opinion, but I could also see how he was undressing me with his eyes.

“It would stand to reason you would know how to get in since you’ve already done it a couple of times. There’s no reason for you to confirm or deny it, but I already have my suspicions you were the one I chased in the estate. I don’t know what you were thinking.” He knew better than to overstay his welcome.

He had pushed it to the limit by allowing his personal feelings to shadow his judgment.

The grounds were quiet, but the night vision goggles showed unwanted pests. They didn’t think anything of smoking and making it easier for us to get a bead on their location. They weren’t soldiers, but it didn’t mean they weren’t as deadly as we were. Their guns could cut an enemy in half in less time than it would take for a response. We had to be careful not to give them any reason to report back.

“Dalton, I’ll take the big guy and you make sure the other two don’t become a problem.” I knew how to make an opponent’s weight advantage a weakness. It wasn’t going to take much for him to overexert himself, but fighting him was a last-ditch maneuver.

“I will give them credit for wearing camouflage to blend into their surroundings. It won’t do them any good against us. We are well trained and have been taught by the very best. We know how to strike with efficiency and with no wasted motion.” I couldn’t believe that I was working with him and not against him.

“I think it goes without saying we should avoid firing off a gun… wait… don’t tell me that was you on the street looking like someone down on their luck. That wasn’t the backfire of a car. It was you protecting me without being seen. How close did they come?” I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer.

“It was a little too close. I take full responsibility. I didn’t act quickly enough and was temporarily blinded by you wearing a wedding dress. It shouldn’t have affected me, but it did. I make no excuses. We managed to neutralize the problem. We tried to send them on a wild goose chase, but your wedding announcement was hard to ignore.” He told me in the car coming over that they had gotten their hands on one of their radios and was feeding them misdirection.

“It felt like a straitjacket. I really don’t know how anybody is able to wear a wedding dress and make it down the aisle without stumbling.” I was making light of it, but I knew he was wondering what compelled me to make this kind of commitment to Grant.

“I have to salute you for being a good soldier. I don’t know the full scope of your situation, but I can surmise. Grant has something hanging over your head. I’ve never taken you for having skeletons in your closet. It brings to mind what we did on January 1. He knows and is using it as leverage to make you a pawn in his political aspirations.” He had put two and two together pretty quickly.

I was impressed with how he was able to use the part of his brain that didn’t involve shooting first and asking questions later. He was one of the few who were able to think and act with deadly precision at the same time. We were different parts of the spear. We used the strengths we had and tried to avoid the weaknesses.

“I don’t know if I want to give you a confirmation. This isn’t your problem. I have made my bed and I will lie in it. Grant isn’t a bad person and he never had a chance to be his own man. He pretends to have the power, but we both know he doesn’t. His father has always been the influence behind the man. The same thing can be said for his mother.” I didn’t know why I was defending his honor. I felt it was necessary at the time.

“I hope you don’t make a habit out of being a martyr for a cause. I hope you know what you are doing. I won’t interfere unless you want me to. I will say his leverage might be short-lived considering the circumstances.” I could tell from the way he was staring he could see his opening and was going to use it.

“It would be nice to cut the strings off of his puppet. I’m getting tired of dancing every time he wants me to make him look good with the public.” Brunch was the furthest thing from my mind.

“I can see how it’s weighing heavily on your mind. Try not to think about it. You’ve always landed on your feet. I believe in you and I always have. You always made me feel like I had to be better. I pushed myself hard to match you.” I began to laugh. I tried not to but it was futile.

“I always thought it was you pushing me to be a better soldier. Being a Navy Seal is a privilege and honor. We are the best of the best. Most people have no idea what we put our bodies through. I learned some valuable life lessons.” He was already moving and was upon his target in seconds.

He reminded me of a jaguar stalking his prey in the wilderness and bringing the two of them down with a fierceness that was inspiring. It was time for me to do the same thing with the bigger guy. It wasn’t going to be easy, but I was ready to use my pent-up aggression in a more constructive way.

This was my time to shine and to show that my talents could be relied on. I used the trees for cover. Looking up, I could tell Jackson had fulfilled his part of the bargain. The drone was silently hovering above. You wouldn’t know it was there unless you looked up. It was whisper quiet. I heard his voice in my earpiece.

“The area is clear. It’s interesting to take a page from the past. I remembered the last time we were connected by a voice. I believe the positions were reversed at the time.” When we were a team, we were constantly changing roles to never feel like we were going through the motions.

The light snowfall made my approach tricky, but Jackson was there with encouraging words. He told me when to move and how far to go before stopping.

I was soon behind my adversary. I could smell his overpowering cologne. We would have never been caught dead wearing anything aromatic.

I struck the back of his knee, dropping him to the ground with a grimace of pain in a compromising position. The cigarette in his mouth dropped into the snow and sizzled upon contact. My hand went over his mouth and I put enough pressure on his carotid artery to feel the fight extinguish from his body.

He didn’t go down without flailing his limbs and digging his fingernails into my arm. I blocked out the pain and concentrated on what had to be done.

His hands slapped against the side of his pants and I waited a moment longer before dragging him to the outcropping of trees. I took off his belt and bound him with it. The leather was coarse against my fingertips. I made sure to give him very little room to maneuver. His breathing was steady and I could see the puffs of cold air coming from his mouth.

“That was textbook perfect. You did everything by the numbers. I do wish I wasn’t watching all of this play out. It is rather amusing to see the both of you working like a well-oiled machine. It must feel weird being back in the shoes you left behind.” I signaled with a slight hand motion to Dalton who was finishing up rendering his two subjects into unconsciousness.

The wind had picked up, swirling the snow that was a fresh powder on the ground. I could feel the chill through my clothing, but it reminded me I was alive. The adrenaline rush was something I missed. There was no better feeling.

I pretended not to notice, but Dalton wasn’t the same gentle soul giving my body a reason to cry out in joy. He had the dead eyes of a seasoned soldier who had seen too much in action.