Page 22 (1/2)
"Good, okay" Scorch’s voice moved closer "Just--"
A hand s!" a heavily accented voice shouted "No talking!"
O-kay
Footsteps shuffled along a dirt path Or sand Who knew? The guards talked back and forth, not that any of it uided them up concrete steps Inside The haze darkened
The hood swept up and off JT blinked against the stark lightbulb inside what appeared to be a craphole jail Standard for this country He hadn’t expected any better frouys than where they would keep their own prisoners
He stared at his three crewmates, probably the last tiations would start now Rough But at least they were in official hands
One of the foreign soldiers stepped forward "We question now You" He pointed to Spike "We start with you"
They knehat to say, what not to say Although Spike had the ather his thoughts Hellish luck that they’d decided to begin with hilanced at Scorch Their mission Keep the enemy off Bo and protect Spike’s secrets JT started to speak, to divert attention and buy Spike extra hts under the Geneva Convent--"
A rifle butt landed on Scorch’s jaw
The aircraft coainst the wall Blood spurted into his sand-caked n soldier reacted as expected He shifted his attention from Spike to Scorch and hauled hi so soldiers led the theht
JT stared out into the dark void of the night sky E with his memories "All jumpers clear," he called into his headset "Door secure"
JT strode back up the steel cavern to his station, the instrument panel and seat situated below the cockpit Their part was done He’d be ho he hadn’t fully appreciated until he’d screwed up his life
He thought about fishing out his book, but found hi instead Right now, he wanted to pass out in his own bed with his oife, against her soft body Wake up and lose hionna happen, of course
But he would be across the hall He was back in the house Progress in regaining his world
And not being stuck in a cell in so country
Two hours later, he turned the corner onto his street to find police cars lining the curb Foreboding gripped his gut in an icy, unrelenting fist He threw open the door of his truck, boots pounding up the driveway, across the yard, just as hard and fast as when he’d run across the Rubistanian desert, raced to Rena in the wrecked car
Control over his world shattered in -room
Rena held on to her co foot offered an excuse to sit in the overstuffed chair rather than stand
She faced the two police officers in her living roo his feet by the piano She could do this by herself, but damn it, she didn’t want to She wanted to lean on her husband while he leaned on her
And when this bizarre night ended, she wanted to crawl into the strength of his arms, lay her head on the breadth of his chest and listen to his steady heat thru would be fine It was just coincidence that Chris’s car had been hit and a rock pitched through theirall in the span of teeks
She needed to hear that their son wasn’tbad like her every parental instinct was screa? She just flat out wanted JT with her
And as if he’d soh the front door Intense Focused
On her
He stalked straight to her chair, ignoring everyone else in the roo to his knees in front of her, he clasped her by the shoulders, firht?"
His concern pulsed into her, soothing and exciting all at once "I’h theA scary way to wake up, but nothing overly dangerous I just thought it was iaze fell to the splash of glass glinting on the floor, to the harsh gouge in the wood inches away from the couch, then up at her rumpled blanket and pillows "You were asleep in here when it happened?"
She nodded Only a few hours ago she’d nestled into those pilloith plans to show JT the ultrasound photo
His fingers bit into her skin She struggled not to flinch and up his concerns
"But I’m fine Really I wouldn’t lie about this, not when it co to Chris "Son, are you okay?"