Chapter 23

Gillian

I didn’t think it was necessary to get into a spirited debate about the differences between men and women. I did enjoy the attention and the feel of his warm body. He was close enough that I could reach back and grab onto the unyielding presence of his equipment. I was a slave to his body. I could’ve dropped to my knees in worship to his love muscle.

The hallway was empty devoid of any obstacle standing in our way. We were outnumbered, but it wasn’t going to stop us from attacking. I knew the reason why I wanted to have him at my mercy. The rush of facing the unknown had an interesting side effect. My body was dredging up the memory of him planting his flag from behind. I gave him an opening literally and figuratively when I tried to punish him for leaving me in the dark.

“Jackson, it shouldn’t be that difficult to give us a count. The drone should easily pick up the heat signatures of everyone in the room. Those standing are most likely going to be the bad guys. Anyone lying prone on the floor is obviously their hostages.” It was going to take him a few moments to get an accurate location of each cartel member.

I checked the rooms on one side of a hallway while Dalton cleared the other side. It wouldn’t have surprised me to find some staff member cowering in a closet waiting for the danger to pass. It appeared the cartel had done an extensive search. We didn’t find anyone, but we could’ve easily overlooked something.

There was still the other side of the estate where the main family took up residence. We didn’t have the time to check the rooms.

We were soon standing in the very room where we had consummated our relationship. The bed was bringing about the memory of how I had allowed the pharmaceutical aid to dictate my actions. It was a blur, but everything was coming back with clarity to leave me feeling every sensation like it was happening at that very moment.

“This is where the magic happened. I wasn’t expecting to have sex with you that night. I came here for the ring. You know the one I’m talking about.” It was his safety blanket and a superstition he needed with him before going into any dangerous environment.

I lifted the chain hanging underneath the black turtleneck to see a look of recognition in his eyes. The ring was right there. Ironically, it wasn’t on the chain when he performed in a way that exceeded my expectations. It was hidden in the pocket of my jeans. It was only after I woke up in the morning that I wanted to keep it close to me.

“It’s not where I would’ve gone looking for it. I guess I should have known it would be close to your heart. I’ve been tempted to give you this as a symbol of my love and fidelity. It’s unique and I don’t think another one was made like it.” The mind was a battlefield and any hope of resisting him was fading into the ether.

“I always thought they would have to pry that out of your cold dead hands. You have no idea how much it touches me that you wanted to share it with me. I feel honored and you have made it difficult to speak without having a catch in my throat.” We had gotten off track.

I was about to give him back the ring, but he placed his hand on my chest where the ring was dangling between my breasts.

“It looks far better on you than it does on me. I want you to keep it. Let it be a reminder of what is waiting for you at the end of this. I don’t want to presume what you might want. You have some things to iron out with Grant before we can even consider making a commitment to one another.” He had said a mouthful.

We heard voices and they got louder as we got closer to where the hostages were being kept. We were on the stairs and there was an armed sentry at the entrance to the living room. I tapped him on the shoulder and had Dalton follow me down the hallway to the same room we had just vacated.

“The living room is located right underneath this room. We will be spotted the moment we take the first couple of steps down the stairs. The best way to circumvent that from happening is to take it outside.” The snow was coming down in huge flakes and it was getting thicker by the second.

“We both know I came in that way to get to you. I can find my way back down and you can follow me. We will need someone to warn us of imminent danger.” He had been a little quiet, but we gave Jackson enough time to come up with a reasonable number of men we were dealing with.

“This can’t be entirely accurate, but I would say you have a dozen men. That’s not including the three you took down. I could even the odds by strafing the room with bullets from the drone. I can’t guarantee there won’t be any collateral damage.” I didn’t want to risk anybody else getting hurt, but we would leave that option on the table in the unlikely event we would have to use it.

“Let’s put a pin in that for the time being. I know how eager you might be to see them dance to a different tune. You’re not the only one who feels this need to bring an end to this swiftly and decisively.” I checked out Dalton to see what he was going to say on the subject, but he was already outside the window. I heard Jackson still talking in my ear.

“I have been reluctant to tell you something. I would hate to see you blindsided. They have taken Grant into a different room. They have worked him over with his right eye swollen shut. He has some superficial wounds to his cheek. They’re not done by a long shot. I will keep you abreast of any other information.” I saw the intermittent light show in the sky through the snow. Jackson was trying to get Melanie’s attention to make sure she was ready for when we came to the rescue.

Dalton gave me a mock salute with two fingers before disappearing. I went to the window and followed his progress down to the ground. I was aware of the possibility of him being surrounded. Thankfully, it didn’t happen. He gestured for me to do the same thing. I couldn’t see what I was doing as I dangled my legs over the side of the windowsill.

I found a handhold and made my way down until we were able to see through a crack in the curtains. Melanie was acting defenseless, but we both knew the truth wasn’t that simple. She knew how to put on the air of someone who looked defeated. I noticed right away how she was scanning the crowd and paying particular attention to the window.

Dalton’s father was suspiciously absent, but Meredith was sporting a cut lip. It didn’t surprise me to learn how she might have tried to stand up to overwhelming odds.

The rest of the staff was huddled near the fireplace. It was stone architecture at its best.

It was hard to believe there was nobody out there who knew what was going on inside the estate.

“The balcony doors will give us an easier way to catch them off guard. Things will go quickly if Melanie is able to act at the same time. We’re going to have to hit them simultaneously. Timing is crucial for this to work in our favor. One of us is going to have to go into the room where they are holding Grant.” I knew who I was giving my vote to.

“Melanie will be ready. There hasn’t been one time when we have worked together that we couldn’t count on one another. I think you are a little biased. It’s probably better that I deal with Sanchez. I will do my best to make sure nothing happens to Grant. I know you still consider him your friend even after everything he has done. You really do have a good heart.” We were going to wait a little while longer to make sure Melanie was in the loop.

Grant had become a friend and enemy at the same time. I didn’t know how to make that distinction between the two. It was like he was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in the same pompous package. I had to believe there were some redeeming qualities. He was acting on the direction of his father without even realizing how he was being manipulated.

“I can’t stress this enough. I know in your misguided way you think eliminating him from the chessboard is a good idea. He can’t be held responsible for his actions. The man can be ruthless in business, but there is a softer side.” Grant dying wouldn’t be the end of it not when his father and his mother knew the same information he did.

“This family believes that money will make their problems disappear. It might work for the most part, but there are people who can’t be bought. Sooner or later they’re going to come across such a person.” I knew he was saying what was on his mind for the sake of letting me know his position. He was stone cold in his thinking.

“I don’t think I have to tell you what would happen if Grant dies. His parents would blame me. We would have to run and we would constantly have to look over our shoulders without a moment of peace. We need to sell the rocks. In full disclosure, I have tracked down an unsavory character to unload the diamonds.” They would no doubt have them cut into tiny pieces to sell on the black market. They were flawless.

Finding the right buyer to take them intact was virtually impossible. Tony was known to screw over his clients. He was intrigued when I mentioned the hypothetical situation of being in possession of a cache of blood diamonds. We wouldn’t get near as much as they were worth, but the money would be enough for all of us to live our lives in luxury.

Tony would sell them for an immense profit and in some way that meant everybody was going to benefit financially. The only stumbling block was the cartel who wanted to get their greedy little hands on the merchandise they considered theirs. They had long memories. A year later they were hell-bent on making those responsible for taking the blood diamonds pay with their lives.

The snow was blanketing the earth and covering our tracks making visibility difficult for those who came from a tropical setting. They were accustomed to the humidity and heat penetrating their clothing. They weren’t dressed for the harsh climate of Midwestern Society.

“The last thing we need to talk about is the diamonds. We can revisit the subject after the dust settles. I’m going to have to leave you. I doubt we are going to be able to see each other until after the bullets cease firing. It bothers me more than I want to say to throw you into the lion’s den without backup.” I could feel the angst in his voice.

“Everything happens for a reason. You’re a man of extraordinary talents. I have no doubt in your ability to take the fight to the enemy. I want you to be safe. Don’t take any unnecessary chances with your life.” I could hear my voice crack under the pressure of the possibility of losing him all over again.

“I’ve always done my best to come back relatively unscathed during any mission. I’ve had my fair share of critical wounds, but I always manage to bounce back from adversity.” He was only telling me what I wanted to hear.

Dalton would never have done that in the past, but something between us had changed to reflect our feelings for one another. Getting physical was probably the worst mistake we had ever done. It was going to make us second guess our decisions. We couldn’t afford the distraction.

“I don’t know what I will do if they harm a hair on your head. I might lose it and become a force, unlike anything anybody has ever seen before. I have been very close in the past to losing a part of my soul. Seeing death and destruction affects you on a profound level. There’s no escaping it.” I embraced him and held him for a little longer than necessary. I didn’t want to let him go.

“There’s no reason to worry about me. I’m Teflon and nothing sticks to me. I will walk into that room and come out in the same shape you see standing here in front of you.” I had no idea how he could make this bold claim with any degree of certainty.

“We don’t have to do this. We will both do our best. That’s all we can ask for. I’m going to have to forget you exist for the next 10-minutes. You will never be too far away from my thoughts.” Our hands longed for one another and our fingertips lost contact with my heart leaping into my throat.