Chapter Eight
“For the last time,” Miracle said, her body numb, her teeth chattering. She’d been dunked under frigid cold water so many times, she’d lost track. “I don’t—know where it is. All I have—is a name.”
“No one is coming to save you,” the man torturing her said in really bad English. “If that’s why you’re holding out. We have all the time in the world for you to tell us what we want to hear.”
That’s what you think—the Beast is coming...
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Miracle caught her breath as best she could. “I don’t care about any picture. I just wanted research for my dissertation.”
She was rewarded with another submersion into the tank. After so many times, she stopped struggling. The water stung the cuts and buries on her body and face. The air evaporated faster than it had before and she inhaled because her brain didn’t know better. Coughing under water, puttering, feeling the ice cold liquid seep into her lungs, Miracle knew she was going to die. Beast and Tex didn’t know where she was and she didn’t make love to Beast or have the chance to see if they could build something worthwhile together. And she was going to die without ever knowing what it felt like to be loved.
Her captor yanked her above water again and her hungry lungs clamored for air. She coughed, sputtered. Her throat burned, her eyes ached and her body trembled.
Still they asked for the picture. If she knew where it was, Miracle would have told them if only to stop the torture. But she didn’t. Even though she knew they wouldn’t let her go.
And somewhere in the background, Miracle’s frazzled brain could have sworn someone was playing Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head. The first time they dunked her, they’d been playing a song by the Beach Boys.
If I ever make it out of this, anyone who even mentions those songs will be getting a foot up their ass.
From somewhere in the bleakness of her mind, she remembered Beast’s training. But she could barely lift her hand much less attack anyone. Her captor seemed to have gotten tired because he ordered her be brought back to her cell. She was tossed in and crashed into the wall. Miracle felt nothing. After her body thawed, she’d be bruised and battered all over. In that moment she didn’t care. There was no getting out. The place was like a prison—no windows that she’d seen except the grilled one in her cell. It was barely big enough to get her head out. She remembered two doors—one that was boarded up and the other was heavily guarded. Even if she did manage to step out the door, she wouldn’t get very far before she’d be dead.
Exhausted, Miracle barely had enough strength to roll to her back. The minutes ticked by and her body began feeling a bit better. They hadn’t fed her and Miracle was starving.
No, screw that.
“I’m not going to die here,” Miracle murmured. “I might get killed but it won’t be in this filthy hovel.” She gritted her teeth, held her breath and pushed her wet, matted hair from her face. Bracing her free hand on the floor, she dragged herself to the wall closer to the door. “I’m not going to die here. Not like this—not before...”
She looked up at the single light bulb in the ceiling then out the window. It had gotten dark. “I’m not going to die here,” became her mantra as she sucked in the pain to rise to her feet. She stuck her hand out the window, feeling for the cell phone. Her fingers knocked into it and it almost fell to the ground before she could grab it. She sighed in relief and checked the screen. She had two bars of power left.
Calling Texas. She tried sending but apparently the network was down. Miracle sighed as another idea flashed through her mind. She shuffled over to the door and pressed her ear to it. When nothing caught her attention, she wrapped her shirt around her fist and stood underneath the light bulb. She knew stretching her arms above her head would hurt like hell but it had to be done. Holding her breath, she pushed to her tiptoes and stretched for the bulb. Thankfully, the ceiling was low enough and she was able to loosen the bulb. She then picked up the cell phone from where it had been sitting and waited.
This may be the dumbest idea in the history of dumb ideas or she was a genius. Whatever happened, she was ready to end this. Miracle exhaled carefully before inching to a spot behind the door.
She didn’t have to wait long. Soon, the lock on the door fell loose and a frame moved into the doorway and reached for the light switch. He flicked it and when nothing happened, he moved into the room and turned his back to her. Like beast had taught her, she snuck up behind him and with the cell phone gripped in a tight fist, she bashed him against the side of the head. He howled in pain but she merely pushed the door closed as he hit the ground. Without wasting time, Miracle dove on him. Repeatedly, she brought the phone down until it shattered and he went limp.
That’s gonna smart in the morning.
She used his own shirt to gag him then tied his arms behind his back before grabbing what she could off him. The gun she hid in the same place she had her phone. It wouldn’t do her any good since she wouldn’t know what to do with the damn thing. She’d only fired a gun once—that was because Curtis had taken her to a private range. After one squeeze of the trigger, she’d given up and handed the weapon back to him.
She shrugged and stuck her head out the door and glanced both ways up and down the corridor. Since she’d been blindfolded when they brought her in, she didn’t know which way was out. But Tex had replied. He had to know where she was and all she had to do was stay away from the bad guys.
The clock was ticking. There was no time to sit and pussyfoot around. It was either left or right and live—or die—with the damn consequences. Exhaling, a surge of adrenaline filled her and she went left.
But Miracle quickly became lost and walked right back into the arms of her captors.
The sun was gone and CIRO along with Dude, moved under the cover of Darkness. They made entry silently and instantly Dude and Barbie veered off to their positions. Beast continued with rest of his team, clearing one room after another. From what he remembered of the schematics, there was a basement, but the upper floor had too many spaces to go through. Beast found himself slowly losing his patience and whenever that happened mistakes happened. Instead of letting it consume him, he inhaled slowly, held it, then exhaled.
“We’re in position.” Dude’s voice rang through his headpiece in his left ear.
“I found a perch.” Barbie announced soon after.
“Roger.” Beast acknowledged.
As they rounded a corner, they came in contact with their first two assailants.
“GSG 9!” Beast shouted. “Legen sie ihre waffe nach unten!”
“Weapons down!” Pitbull shouted in English, just in case. That was the training.
But these men weren’t listening. Instead, they advanced, guns up. Beast lost his patience and shot one between the eyes and Zero got the other in the chest. Mouth ensured they were dead and the group continued on their way, faster now. They were sure someone heard the shots and soon they’d be in the thick of everything.
“We have contact,” Beast spoke into his communicator. “I repeat. We have contact. Watch your six.”
“Roger,” Dude said.
“I got him,” Barbie said.
They came to a final door, and when Zero tested it, the handle wouldn’t budge. From the other side of it was the sound of water splashing and screaming. Beast’s ire rose to the boiling point and he twisted to look at Pitbull who understood what he wanted without a word passing between them. Pitbull stepped forward, attached a black, rounded disk to the door close to the handle. Beast and the others backed up as the disc beeped once then exploded. The smoke quickly evaporated and the four of them charged into the room. The room was empty except for a tank in the center. A man stood, back to the group leaning over the side as water splashed everywhere.
“GSG 9!” Mouth hollered.
The man stopped and pulled a figure from the tank. Miracle came into view, but Beast didn’t have time to feel much of anything because she was quickly yanked in front of the man who used to be his boss. Beast wanted to run to her, to pull her into his arms to make sure she was safe. He wanted to apologise for taking his eyes off her and to promise he would never do that again if she stayed with him.
“Tex, we found her,” Beast said.
“Is she okay?” Tex asked.
“Not yet—I’ll have to call you back.”
“Beast don’t—”
But Beast removed the earpiece and dropped it into his pocket.
Please—Beast pleaded internally. Hold on.
Loft now had a gun to Miracle’s temple and Beast couldn’t believe how blinding the urge to shoot the idiot in the head was to him.
“Let her go, Loft,” Zero demanded. “You’re not getting out of here.”
“Okay,” the older man said, backing away from the tank and further into the room. “Neither is she.”
Beast growled.
“Easy, brother,” Mouth warned.
Beast frowned. He released his rifle and let it fall against his body but pulled out his Glock 17 and trained it at the man.
“What are you doing?” Pitbull asked.
“Drop—your—weapon.” Beast warned. He inched forward.
“Beast?” Miracle asked, her voice weak.
“I’m here, Fleur.”
“Stay back!” Loft demanded. “I’m your superior here! I’m not going to jail now!”
“Funny,” Mouth said out loud. “He thinks that’s where we want him to go at this point.”
“Trust me, Loft,” Beast said. “We’re way past that.”
“What’re you going to do? Kill me?” Loft scoffed. “I’m a cop! You’d burn for that. And besides, anything happens to me and she gets a bullet.”
Anger surged through Beast. He was finished trying to reason with this fool. Though, if it was up to him he’d drop the asshole like a sack of potatoes and not think twice about it. But Miracle was there and even though Beast knew he wouldn’t miss his target, she’d gone through enough.
Still, Beast was done playing good cop or even a halfway decent one. He reached up and removed his helmet then facemask. He dropped them to the floor.
“Beast,” Zero said, concern filling his voice.
“This is going to end now,” Beast replied. “One final time, Loft. I am Beast, Commanding Officer of the GSG 9 CIRO. You are under arrest for crimes against humanity, two counts of murder, and the kidnapping and torture of a civilian. You will drop your weapon and come peacefully or you will die.”
“I want a car outside, gassed up...” Loft began.
“Miracle, whatever you do,” Beast said as if Loft hadn’t spoken. “Don’t move. Keep very still.”
“You’re not listening!” Loft shrieked. “I’ll kill her, I swear to God!”
“To God?” Pitbull asked. “Seriously?”
“The only thing you’re getting is a one way ticket to the Haque,” Beast said. “Or a bullet. What is your decision?”
Beast received his answer by the change in Loft’s body, the slight rise of his shoulder, the twitch in his eye that was left exposed. Inhaling, Beast squeezed his trigger and within seconds, one of his bullets lodged itself in Loft’s right eye. The boom caused Miracle to scream but as he’d instructed, she remained perfectly still. That could have something to do with the fear that he’d discharged a weapon so close to her. She closed her eyes as Loft’s arm fell from her throat and he slipped to the floor. The gun he’d held to her head clattered to the side and while Zero and Mouth ensured the room was secure, Pitbull hurried over and kicked Loft’s gun away.
Beast rushed to Miracle and caught her against his chest before she hit the floor. The others were busy talking into their comm units
“Darling, I’m so sorry,” Beast whispered, pushing matted hair from her face. “Please tell me you’re okay.”
“What—what took you so long?” Miracle panted. A small smile graced her lips.
“I’m sorry, ma petit Fleur,” Beast said, bowing his head and brushing his lips to her forehead. “I’ll never let you down again.”
She smiled bigger up at him and closed her eyes. His heart lurched as panic filled him.
“Baby? I need you to stay awake, okay?” Beast asked. “Open your eyes.”
She did. “I’m just so tired.”
“I know, Fleur, but stay awake.”
“Beast?” Pitbull said.
“Yeah?” Beast glanced over at him.
“He’s dead and we have a clean-up crew on the way.” Pitbull announced.
“Room’s clear,” Mouth said.
“Good,” Beast said, scooping Miracle into his arms. “Get the others to meet us at the extraction point. I need to get her some air.”
Finally outside, Beast sat on the ground with Miracle cuddled to his chest. He made eye contact with her and smiled while using a finger to push some hair off her cheek. “I shouldn’t have left you.” He told her. “I knew he was out there. I shouldn’t have left you. I’m so sorry.”
“Alric—you will stop apologizing. I’m going to be okay.”
He nodded but he couldn’t help the culpability that raged through him like a tornado.
“You’ll have to take me on a date,” Miracle said.
“What?”
“A date. You know, when two people, who kinda like each other, go out on the town—together—alone?”
Beast laughed. “I know what a date is, Fleur. And you kinda like me? I don’t know if that’s enough.”
“You’re cute and all, but I have to make sure you’re a gentleman and that my father would approve.”
“Your father...”
“Died a few years ago. But I know the kind of man he’d want for me.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.”
She exhaled loudly. “Thank you. So—the date?”
“You have a deal.” Beast promised. “It would be an honor.”
“That means I have to go shopping...”
Beast knew why she kept talking. It was her way of staying awake like he’d asked. He didn’t care the reason—he just wanted her to be okay. Happily, he talked, flirted, and brushed soft kisses across her forehead. The cleanup crew were still a little way out. Beast was about to say something else to her when he remembered Tex was still waiting.
He pulled the earpiece out of his pocket, where he’d stashed it, and stuck it in his ear. He activated it and didn’t have to say anything. Tex’s worried voice filled his head.
“I have her in my arms,” Beast said. “She’s okay.”
“Good. I assume you’re going to want some private time with her before I speak with her?” Tex asked.
“You would assume right.” Beast’s voice cracked. “You’re not upset, are you?”
“Upset?” Tex asked. “Why do you ask?”
“Her and I—getting um, close. I know you heard all that.”
Tex laughed. “I’ve known her a while and she’s been looking for a good man. I’m not her father, Beast. I’m her brother.”
“And sometimes brothers are the ones who are most dangerous.”
Tex laughed. “You’d be right with that one. All I want is for her to be happy.”
“I can do that...”
“All right. I’ve sent all the incriminating information to the GSG 9. So you shouldn’t have any trouble when they arrive. Only—can you have Dude out of there before...”
“Right! I forgot.” Beast looked up to where Dude was hanging with the rest of his team. “Dude,” Beast called. “Get out of here. Wait for us at the transport.”
Dude jogged over and hunched down beside them. “Hello, beautiful,” Dude said. “Curtis would’ve haunted my ass if anything had happened to you.”
“Really? I don’t think so. He didn’t even like me.” Miracle joked.
Dude, laughed and kissed her head.
“And Cheyenne would have my head if anything happened to you.” Miracle countered.
“We’ll talk later. Right now I have to make myself scarce. Technically, I’m not here.” Dude winked at her.
“Okay. I’ll see you soon.”
Dude patted Beast’s shoulder and took off at a steady jog back through the wooded area and toward where they’d hidden their ride. The rest of CIRO approached them and leaned in to speak to Miracle. Each touched her cheek gently as they murmured words of happiness for her safety. When they were all through, Beast pulled her tighter into his chest, rested his head back and closed his eyes.