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A FIERCE KICK to the stomach brought Kelly Kimber back from semi-consciousness. Wincing, the lieutenant curled tighter into a ball, bracing for another blow. This time it didn’t come. The echo of footsteps retreated down the walls.
Kelly opened her eyes. Her throat felt like sandpaper, making it painful to swallow, and her body cried out for fluid. Her captors had left her a small bowl of dirty water like she was no better than a dog. Somewhere in her mind, Kelly recalled her training—take small sips when dehydrated—but she was way beyond thinking rationally. She grabbed the water and gulped it down, not caring what bugs or diseases she might ingest.
All sense of time gone, Kelly had no idea how long she’d been in this small dark, windowless cell, with only filth and bugs for company. After stripping her naked, her captors had thrown her in here, locking her up like an animal. The scraps of bread and dirty water did nothing to ease her hunger pains or the incoherence from being so dehydrated. The fighting strength that had fired her in the beginning was long gone. Her body was breaking down, with her mind not far behind. God! She hated the weakness, the lack of fight, the sense of hopelessness. This wasn’t who she was, but they’d worn her down. Her body and mind could take only so much punishment.
Hopes of being rescued had dwindled as time went by and no one came. Her resolve wavered as her body weakened. Lazir had been relentless, throwing question after question, demanding who was providing the Americans with information and how much they knew about his plans. Oh, she knew quite a bit about their plans, it was why Reyes Lazir and his second in command, Ahmed Khalini, were such high-value targets. Their intel indicated the rebel faction calling themselves Reborn had cells across California, and they were radicalizing vulnerable people to join their cause and plan an attack to rival 9/11.
Kelly stayed silent despite the beatings, determined not to give up information that would get more innocent people killed. America had their own allies across this war-torn country, people who risked their lives daily to provide small pieces of intel. She would never turn on them.
Footsteps once again echoed in the tunnel outside her cell. Instinctively she stiffened and held her breath. This time they continued past, and she almost cried out in relief. She couldn’t take much more. The questions, taunting, beatings, and the deadly blade of Lazir’s personal four-inch knife. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Lazir’s face and heard his voice.
“No one is coming for you, lieutenant. You Americans think you can come to my country and interfere in a war that has nothing to do with you. You think you are better than everyone else. Smarter, tougher.” Lazir let out an evil laugh. “It was almost too easy, feeding the famous American military false intel. Now your team are dead.” Lazir spat the words at her.
“So why am I still alive?”
“Because you are a woman. Easier to break. And I will break you. I know there are traitors of my country working with you and I want to know who they are.”
“I will never tell you, so you may as well kill me now.”
Lazir pressed the blade of his knife to her throat.
“You will tell me, lieutenant. I have only just started with you. I can be patient. By the time we're done, you will beg to tell me.”
Lazir would sometimes question and beat her for hours, sometimes just minutes. Just enough that it hurt but not enough that she would pass out from pain. She never knew when his soldiers would come or what to expect, breaking her mentally as well as physically. As a woman, she knew what else he might do and he enjoyed toying with her, constantly dangling the threat.
“A woman has no place as a soldier. No right to fight. You need to be shown just what women are good for. You are nothing, do you understand? Allah says it is a man’s world and women are here to please us. That is all. I think I may need to remind you of what your use is to a man.”
Yeah, the bastard tormented her, biding his time, jerking off, enjoying seeing the fear of rape mentally destroy her. With little food and water, she was too weak to fight him off if he tried. She certainly was no match for the dozen men always present.
Kelly put down the bowl of water and curled back into a ball. She lay there listlessly, waiting for the next round. Closing her eyes, she focused, using a technique they covered in survival training, a form of meditation. At the time, she never expected to ever be using it. Put yourself somewhere else, a happy time, a good memory. See it, hear it, feel it, smell it, taste it. Put yourself in the memory, stay focused and block out your current reality. Block out Lazir’s face and voice.
The water sparkled, a beautiful aquamarine. The waves gently lapped the shore as the sun peeked its head out above the horizon. Sunrise was her favorite time of day, the promise of a new day. No matter what happened, or where you were in the world, the sun was guaranteed to rise. She dozed in the chair, enjoying the early morning sun warm on her face as the light breeze caressed her skin. It was perfect.
Sensing him, she opened her eyes and looked up, her pulse quickening. He leaned on the back of the wooden chair, staring down with that smile. The smile that made her heart miss a beat and butterflies dance low in her belly. Every. Single. Damn. Time. Shirtless, he must have just rolled out of bed. She licked her lips at the sight of his mouth-watering torso. She reached up, placed her hands on his forearms, and tilted her head to meet his mouth as he lowered it to hers. This man, her best friend, her lover, a powerful warrior, yet so tender and loving.
Mmmm, she wanted to kiss him forever.
He moved to stand in front and took her hands, pulling her up out of the chair, into his arms. Muscular, strong, beautiful arms. Every part of his hard, toned, sculpted body pressed up against her as he kissed her again, harder. His tongue explored every inch of her mouth, making her hyper-aware of her body heating beneath his touch. Her tongue entwined with his, stroking, licking. Desire tingled across her skin and every nerve-ending came alive as she ran her hands over his back, shoulders, down over his chest to the waistband of his shorts. Dipping a hand inside she circled his hard, ready cock and smiled at his sharp intake of breath, loving the way he reacted to her touch. His cock was thick and hot as she massaged him up and down. When his hand moved under her nightshirt and slid over her naked ass, her moan disappeared into his mouth. Her sex ached for him; she always ached for him. Expert fingers moved between her thighs and teased her sweet spot. She cried out, her knees almost giving way, but those strong arms caught her. He knew exactly what she liked and how to turn her body to liquid. Pleasure swelled deep within her. He slid a finger inside her wet folds. One finger, two fingers. Oh god, Dex!
Pulling his fingers out, he lowered her onto the sand before she could protest. Weight braced on his forearms; he covered her body. All six-foot two of him was muscle. Perfectly toned, hard, and sculptured muscle that made her shiver. Being immersed in his strength made her feel so protected. He was sexy, powerful, and loving all at the same time. Their bodies molded together perfectly.
Her sex demanded his touch. She pushed up, rubbing herself against his erection. He growled low in his throat. Encouraged, she circled against him and increased the friction. She wanted more, wanted to feel him inside her, filling her. His mouth crushed down on hers, hot, hard, stealing her breath. She shivered at his kisses trailing down her neck. Then he grabbed the bottom of her shirt, quickly pulled it over her head and kissed his way lower, lower. A strong hand cupped one breast, his thumb teasing the erect nub. A low cry bubbled in her throat...
Her skin was on fire, pleasure pulsating down between her legs. The throbbing, wanting, was almost too much. When he replaced his hand with his mouth, she cried out. Arching up, she pushed into him, tangling her fingers in his short dark hair. He raised his eyes, so full of hunger and want that her heart flipped. He released her nipple and smiled. That goddamn beautiful, irresistible smile.
Tantalizingly slow, his mouth moved lower. Her sex was hot, wet, and begging for him. When his lips finally touched her folds, her body jerked into his, and sparks danced before her eyes. Firm hands held her hips as his tongue licked the length of her slowly, teasingly. She screamed his name. Her hands tightened in his hair, pushing him harder as her body twitched beneath his touch.
Just when she thought she couldn’t take anymore, his tongue dove deep inside, and her arousal soared to its limit. When he replaced his tongue with two fingers, her inner muscles clenched around them as he gave a low hum of approval. His fingers moved in and out, picking up pace as his tongue played with her clit. Her orgasm rose quickly, and she pushed up harder against his mouth. Her body shuddered as waves of indescribable pleasure ripped through her. His lips and tongue continued to caress the sensitive skin and she relaxed, melting into the sand. Panting and completely sated, she felt his lips moving back up. He took her mouth in a tender, passionate kiss. His cock brushed against her opening, sparking another flood of arousal.
She groaned as he slowly entered her, gently at first, with long, slow thrusts. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she urged him deeper and met his gaze. What she saw there made her heart constrict. His skin was hot, covered by a sheer film of sweat. Her hands explored his chest. Pleasure blew her mind when he reached between them to finger her clit.
Hearing a growl deep in his throat, she gripped his shoulders. He was close. So was she. Again. Digging her nails in, holding on, she lifted her hips to meet his thrusts. Harder, faster, he filled her completely. She forced his head down, covering his mouth in a wild, frenzied kiss as their bodies slapped against each other. His cock thrust deeper, harder, and she moaned into his mouth as he took her to heaven again. Seconds later, his breath quickened, his body locked, and he gave one final deep thrust. Throwing his head back, he exploded inside her.
Kelly stirred, trying so hard to keep herself immersed in that memory. Her happy place. Was it really just six weeks ago they’d been in Cuba? Dex had been in her life for all her thirty-one years. He was her best friend, her lover. Always there, a phone call or text away. He had been by her side through some of the best and worst times in her life. The thought of never seeing him again, never seeing his smile, never laughing with him, never watching old movies, never feeling his arms around her, protective and loving... Swallowing the lump in her throat, her current reality came flooding back.
The footsteps grew louder, entering her cell. Hauled up, she was half-carried, half-dragged to another room.
Lazir stood there, an evil leer on his face, stroking himself through his pants. Kelly closed her eyes and fought the rising nausea as they tied her to a chair.
“Lieutenant Kimber, are you ready to talk?”
Kelly didn’t answer. This was how every session started. She had stopped answering some time ago.
“I will take that as a no.” He moved closer, bringing down his face until it was inches from hers. She averted her eyes.
“Your country believes you are dead. They’re not even looking for you.”
Kelly refused to believe that. Even if she were dead, they would send a team to recover her body and the bodies of Bravo team. They had to come eventually, didn’t they?
“Tell me what I want to know, and I promise I will leave you alone, perhaps even let you live.” He trailed a finger down her face and her neck. He stopped before he reached her breasts. “The alternative would not be good for you.”
Kelly forced herself to stay calm, refusing to meet his gaze.
“I am a lieutenant with the US Navy. I am prepared to give my life for my country.”
Lazir straightened, a smile on his face.
“You are nothing. Your life is worth nothing. I’m not going to take your life, not yet. If you refuse to cooperate then, as an American lieutenant of the US Navy, you will pay for the crimes your country has committed, slowly and painfully.”
This time Kelly did look at him.
“Alive or dead, my country will come for me, and they will hunt you down. You will not get away with this.”
“Your country has been looking for me for three years. What makes you think they will succeed now?”
“Because good will always win over evil and they will never give up. However long it takes, they will find you and you will wish you were dead.”
Kelly waited for the blow she expected would come. Lazir didn’t like being talked back to, especially not by a woman. This time he slapped her face, snapping her head to the side. It hurt but she was becoming numb to it. What did that say about her mental state? When her brain barely registered pain being inflicted?
A soldier whispered in Lazir’s ear, and the two men abruptly left the room, saving her from anything more, for now. Returned to her cell, she settled back in the corner, hugging her knees. The pain she could bear, but the fear was so much worse. Fear swamped her mind, and at times it suffocated her. Fear of what Lazir had planned for her. It was only a matter of time before his threats of making her understand the use of women became a reality and none of her military training had prepared her for that.
***
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER Dexter Dawson, jumped from the helo, grateful to be back at the forward operating base. A quick shower, gather their stuff, and they would board their C130 plane back to San Diego and home. His SEAL team had been deployed six weeks ago, on what should have been a two-week mission, but new intel had put them on the tail of a wanted ISIS leader and extended their stay. It had been worth it.
The op was a success and Alpha team were ready for some well-deserved downtime. Dex smiled to himself, thinking of Kelly. Maybe she could get some leave for a few days. That sexy body would make the perfect downtime. It had been two weeks since he’d spoken to her, let alone seen her. It felt like forever but being off the grid was typical for his team and she was often on a warship or in the field herself. He sighed. There were never-ending challenges being involved with a fellow naval officer.
Dex spotted Charlie, their pilot, walking toward them.
“Hey, Charlie, you ready to take us home? It shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours to wrap things up here.”
Charlie stopped in front of the team. “The plane had an issue. It’s being fixed now. Just need to run some tests. We should be wheels up in about six hours?”
“Sounds good.” Dex went to move past him.
“Hey Dex, you spoke to your CO?”
“Not since last night. Coms were spotty. Why?”
“There’s a situation, I don’t know all the details. Call Joe, he’ll fill you in.”
“What sort of situation?”
Charlie paused and Dex waited patiently.
“Look, all I know is a team got ambushed in Daram.” Charlie held up his hands. “I gotta go and make sure the bird is ready to go. Call your CO.”
Dex didn’t stop him, his radar on full alert.
“Daram? That would be one of our teams,” Ryan Baxter, Dex’s second in command, said.
Dex started walking. “Let’s get Joe on the phone and find out what the hell is going on.”
Ryan was right. It could be Bravo or Charlie team. Worse still, Kelly sometimes deployed with those teams as intel liaison. Ryan fell in beside him. Ryan wasn’t just his 2IC, he was his best friend. They had met at the recruiting office in Coronado, both enlisting at age eighteen. In the dozen years since, they had been to hell and back several times. Literally.
“Don’t jump to conclusions. When did you speak to Kelly last?”
“Two weeks ago. She mentioned they were waiting on a green light.”
The team filed into a briefing room. Within minutes Dex had Commander Joe Johnson on the secure line.
“Good to have you all back at base. Great job.” Joe’s deep voice held praise.
“Thank you, sir,” Dex replied. “We just heard there’s a situation in Daram.”
At the silence on the line, the men frowned at one another. Finally, Joe spoke.
“Bravo team were deployed to take out a high value target in Daram.”
“Who?”
“Ahmed Khalini. Reyes Lazir’s number two.”
Alpha team knew exactly who they were. Reborn. Believers of a new dawning of Allah and that Lazir had been chosen to spread the will of this new Allah to all. To destroy anything and anyone American and anyone who showed support to them. They were nothing more than terrorists, albeit well-funded terrorists, responsible for numerous attacks on American military in the Middle East.
“Green light was given. Should have been a routine mission,” Joe continued.
“What happened?” The blood drained from Dex’s face, experience telling him this wasn’t going to be good.
“It was a set up. The building was rigged. It blew as soon as Bravo breached.”
Shock waves reverberated through the team as they absorbed the news.
“How many did we lose?”
“All of them.”
“Fuck!” Dex raked his hands through his hair. They knew these guys, had worked with them on joint ops. Shared more than a beer or two. Hell, he had played pool with Mike, the Bravo team leader, right before Alpha deployed.
“There are no survivors?”
“The ground support team came under fire. They lost Commander Dave Senata. Four others were injured. Quick Reaction Force was launched and got them out.”
Fuck, if they needed QRF to get out, things were bad. Joe paused and Dex’s mouth went dry as he waited for him to continue.
“Lieutenant Kimber was the intelligence liaison and was taken alive.”
His heart dropped like a stone to his stomach. “When?”
“A little over forty-eight hours ago.”
“Jesus Christ, Joe! Please tell me they sent another team to get her back?”
“A black ops team is on route.”
“Black ops? You mean DEVGRU?”
“Dawson, we lost a whole team. We have to be sure no one will be walking into another ambush. The op has to be dark, so I will not discuss it. Not even with you.”
“Do you know where she was taken?” Dex fought to keep his voice calm. He knew procedure had to be followed, but Joe had been his CO for five years now and was aware of how close he and Kelly were. She might be trained and could handle herself, but not against an army of terrorists who didn’t follow the rules of war.
“Not yet. Everyone is working on it as fast as they can. This is not your operation. The team will be there within ten hours.”
“With all due respect, sir, Daram is a four-hour flight from here. We are the closest team.” Sixteen hours was too long. Kelly could be dead by then.
“Your team is not mission-ready, and you know it. Stand down, Dawson, I mean it. The decision has been made by those way above your pay grade and mine. Trust me when I say everything is being done to get Lieutenant Kimber back safely, and that includes sending a mission-ready team.”
Dex went to argue but stopped himself. He couldn’t stand down. This was his girl that had been captured, but there was no point arguing with his CO. He wouldn’t win, and it would only land him in trouble.
“Yes, sir. Understood.”
“Dawson, I know you. Do not interfere in this operation. You’ve crossed the line before and have been written up for it. Don’t make me have to bust your ass again, or worse. Interfering could jeopardize the mission and Lieutenant Kimber’s safety.”
Dex glanced at his team watching him expectantly. Yeah, he had crossed a few lines on previous ops, but for the right reasons, and each time the outcome had been worth it. He respected the Navy and the procedures in place because it kept them safe, kept them alive. Sometimes when you’re in the field, a situation arises, and a call has to be made. Occasionally he made a call he knew would never be approved, but when you only have seconds to decide, he went with his gut. Always. He owned his decisions and accepted the consequences.
“Copy that, sir.”
“Alright. Go get some sleep. As a courtesy I will keep you informed as best I can on the rescue.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Dex ended the call and turned around to see his team glaring at him.
“Seriously? You’re really going to leave this to some black ops or DEVGRU team we don’t know?” Ryan arched his eyebrows.
Dex gripped the back of a chair, bracing himself. His stomach tied up in knots. Kelly was in the hands of some extremists and his imagination was running overtime, conjuring up what she could be going through.
“No fucking way.”