Chapter Five

The jail was inside a prefab building. There was a small office at the front with security cameras lining the walls. Behind a heavy metal door were five cells. Each cell had a bed, a metal sink and toilet and absolutely no privacy.

The MP removed my handcuffs and locked the cell door. “Your duty officer will be notified of your arrest.”

“Yes, sir.” A wave of weariness rolled over me, and I collapsed on the narrow bunk. I could finally catch up on my sleep.

“You didn’t search her,” Sergeant Stone interjected.

Shit! The last thing I needed was for him to find my derringer and knife. Standing up, I yanked my shirt up and did a slow circle. “Happy now?”

“Damn.” Sergeant Stone’s eyebrows rose. “Are you anorexic? When is the last time you ate?”

Was he serious? He was wearing my chocolate cake. I gave him a one-fingered salute and sat on my bunk.

A grim expression on his face, the MP asked, “Where did you get all those bruises?”

Running from the Taliban, I had tripped and fallen down the mountainside, but he didn’t need to know that. “Where do you think?”

The MP’s eyes narrowed. “What’s your explanation, Sergeant?”

“I never laid a hand on her.”

Which was true, but I wasn’t done with the jackass yet. I let out a sob and curled into a fetal position.

“I’m notifying your commander of this incident.” The MP stormed off.

I smiled.

“Hey, Tinkerbell!”

I sighed. Tinkerbell? “Are you always this annoying?”

“By the end of the day, I’m going to know everything about you, and I do mean everything .”

I doubted that, but I was so damned tired; I couldn’t think straight anymore. “Whatever.”

“I’m gonna prove you are the Scorpion.”

“I thought because I’m a girl, I can’t be a sniper.” I closed my eyes.

Sergeant Stone shot back, “They say the Scorpion never misses.”

“I don’t.” I fell asleep.

*****

“Release her immediately,” Captain Harris shouted. “Did you hear me, Lieutenant Moss?”

Lieutenant Moss said calmly, “I can’t, sir. She has been arrested for insubordination, and two counts of assault.”

“Assault?” Captain Harris sputtered. “Who did she assault?”

“A military police officer and a Marine sergeant.”

With a groan, I opened my eyes and checked my watch. Two hours of sleep wasn’t enough.

“Is that true Reynolds?”

I sat up. “Yes, sir.”

“Why?”

“It seemed like a good idea at the time and the MP kinda got in the way.” The cell next to me was empty. They must have kicked Sergeant Stone loose. Would he follow through on his threat?

Captain Harris’s hands balled into fists. “Release her into my custody. I need her for an important job.”

Oh God, they were trying to kill me.

“Find another secretary, she’s not going anywhere,” Lieutenant Moss replied bluntly.

I released a long breath. I got to live a little longer.

A muscle twitched in Captain Harris’s jaw. “I’m taking this up the chain of command.”

The lieutenant shrugged. “You do what you have to do.”

The captain stomped out.

“You don’t look so good,” Lieutenant Moss commented a minute later.

I blinked in surprise. I was exhausted and hungry as hell, but that had become normal for me. “I think I’m a bit dehydrated, sir.”

“I’ll have a medic check you over.”

“Thank you, sir.” Ten minutes later, a cute, red-headed medic showed up.

Under the lieutenant’s watchful eye, the medic examined me. “Her blood pressure is too low, and she’s badly dehydrated. She needs to be admitted to the hospital, sir.”

I did?

“Okay. Let’s go.” With a firm grip on my arm, Lieutenant Moss escorted me down the hallway.

Andrews, the MP I had assaulted, stood by the back door. “All clear, sir.”

I frowned. What the heck was going on?

Throwing a quick look around, the lieutenant practically threw me into the back of an ambulance. “Lay down on the gurney.”

“Okay.” I did as he asked.

The medic shut the back door.

His hand on the butt of his handgun, the lieutenant peered out the back window.

“Are we under attack, sir?”

“We have intel of a possible attack,” Lieutenant Moss said.

The ambulance tore off with sirens blaring.

I wasn’t at death’s door, so what was up with the sirens?

Five minutes later we pulled up at the field hospital.

Lieutenant Moss threw a sheet over me. “Don’t say a word.”

“Yes, sir.” This was getting weirder and weirder.

The medic opened the back doors and pulled the gurney out.

I grunted as it hit the ground hard.

“Keep your eyes closed,” Lieutenant Moss ordered.

I closed my eyes as they pushed me into the hospital at a dead run. Was Pops or his creepy boss behind this? Or was this Sergeant Stone’s doing?

“This is the patient I told you about, Doctor Morrison.”

I took a quick peep at Doctor Morrison. He wasn’t much taller than me and he looked as exhausted as I felt.

“I’ll take good care of her. If you’ll wait outside, I’ll examine Private Reynolds.”

Lieutenant Moss pointed a finger at my face. “Don’t try anything. I’ll be on the other side of the curtain.”

“Yes, sir.”

A young nurse came into the curtained area and handed the doctor a clipboard.

Doctor Morrison flipped through the attached papers. “Hmmph. They want me to check you for dehydration, anorexia and multiple contusions.”

“I’m not anorexic. I’ve lost weight because they put me on half-rations. I am dehydrated from a lack of water, and the bruises are from a fall I took.”

“Who put you on half-rations?”

“Captain Harris,” I answered.

“Why?”

I couldn’t say they were trying to break me, so I simply shrugged. “You would have to ask him.”

“Help her remove her shirt, Peggy. I need to look at her contusions.”

“Yes, doctor.”

Before I could move, Peggy yanked my tee shirt off. I bit my lip to keep from crying out. Damn, that hurt.

“You took quite a fall.” Doctor Morrison said as he poked and prodded me.

If he poked me one more time, I was going to punch him.

“I want you to start an IV with a saline drip, I need two vials of blood taken and weigh her, Peggy. According to her file, Private Reynolds has lost twenty pounds since boot camp.”

“Yes, doctor.”

“Excuse me,” I interjected. “Could I get a couple of aspirins and something to eat?”

“Peggy will take care of that.” Doctor Morrison walked out. “I need a word with you, Lieutenant Moss.”

I watched them move off. “If you have a vending machine, a candy bar would be great. I have money.”

Peggy grinned and wrapped a blood pressure cuff around my right arm. “I have a stash of chocolate in my locker. As soon as I’m finished here, I’ll get you a couple of bars.”

“Bless you. You aren’t going to put me in a hospital gown, are you?”

“No, as soon as the IV is done, they’re taking you back to the brig.”

“Oh, goodie.”

Peggy grinned and removed the cuff. “Did you really assault Sergeant Stone?”

“I did.” I quickly put my tee shirt back on. I hated people seeing how skinny I was.

Peggy sighed. “That man is sex on two legs.”

“And he’s hung like a stallion too.”

“You’ve had sex with him?” Peggy stared at me in awe.

“God, no! I just caught a glimpse of him swimming in the nude.”

Peggy asked eagerly, “Did you take any pictures?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Too bad. Let’s get you on the scale.”

Sliding off the gurney, I walked over to the scale and reluctantly stepped on it. Shit! Even with my boots on I was down to a hundred pounds.

Peggy noted it on her clipboard. “I’ll have the mess hall bring you some food.”

“Any chance of some chocolate cake?”

“I’ll ask Doctor Morrison.” Peggy patted the gurney. “Up you go.”

Yawning, I got back on the gurney and watched as Peggy efficiently took my blood and inserted the IV.

Lieutenant Moss pushed through the curtains. “How long will the IV take?”

“About an hour,” Peggy answered.

Lieutenant Moss handcuffed me to the gurney. “Don’t go anywhere.”

“Yes, sir.” What a smart ass.

He walked off.

“I’ll see about your cake,” Peggy said.

“Thanks.” I laid back and closed my eyes.

Gunfire woke me. I jerked upright when a woman started screaming for help. Shit! That kinda sounded like Peggy. Pulling the lockpick out of my bra, I unlocked the handcuff and yanked out the IV.

A Taliban goon charged through the curtains. “Allah Akbar!” He threw a knife at me.

I ducked.

His buddy didn’t. A look of astonishment on his face, he stared at the knife embedded in his chest and toppled over.

Rolling off the bed, I yanked the knife out of the dead guy’s chest and returned it to the owner. Making an awful gurgling noise, he slumped to the floor.

The woman screamed, “Someone help me. Please, I need some help here!”

“Shit!” I took the dead guy’s AK-47 rifle and checked the magazine. Damn, there were only twelve bullets left, and just my luck, the militant wasn’t carrying any extra ammo.

“Allah Akbar!” A volley of bullets shredded the curtains.

Laying on the floor, I shot the militant in the legs and duck walked toward the screaming woman.

It was Peggy. She had taken cover behind a desk and was desperately trying to keep a soldier from bleeding out.

Two militants fired wildly, turning the waiting room into rubble.

How in the hell had they managed to get inside the base? I raised my rifle and took them out. “Are you hurt, Peggy?”

“No.”

Bullets whizzed over our heads and smacked the walls.

Grabbing a handful of the soldier’s shirt, I helped Peggy pull him out of the line of fire.

An explosion rocked the building. A second later, a fierce gunbattle erupted outside the hospital.

Doctor Morrison pushed a gurney up to the wounded soldier. “Keep those bastards from killing anymore of my people, Reynolds.”

“Yes, sir.” I shot a charging militant and took his rifle. Hey, it was fully loaded.

Peggy grabbed my arm and handed me two chocolate bars. “In case you get the munchies.”

“Thank you.” I shoved them in my pocket.

Doctor Morrison picked up the injured soldier and put him on the gurney. “Munchies in a firefight? Seriously?”

I shrugged.

“Don’t get dead,” Peggy shouted over her shoulder.

“That’s the plan.”

A grenade flew through a broken window. I scooped it up and threw it back. Boom! The blast shook the hospital.

A burning pain slashed across my upper left arm. Damn, a piece of debris had hit me. I examined the wound. It was a three-inch gash and bleeding badly. Taking some gauze off a suture tray, I wrapped it around my arm and tied it off.

Kaboom!

I frowned. That sounded like an IED going off. The militants were attacking in force. The fastest way to stop them was to get to high ground. If memory served me correctly, that door would get me to the roof. Gathering as many weapons as I could find, I hurried up the stairs and took cover behind a low wall. I quickly surveyed the area.

Flames and thick black smoke rose from the brig. The bodies of three women with blonde hair were sprawled on the ground like broken dolls, and my barracks was on fire. Horror rolled over me. Somehow Roberts had found out I had enough evidence to put him away for the next four hundred years and he had sicced the Taliban on me. Was my father helping that slimy sociopath? Maybe. Eric Roberts was his boss.

Boom!

I focused my attention back on the battle. Sergeant Stone, his team, and Lieutenant Moss were trapped behind a bullet-riddled Humvee.

I laid down cover fire until they were able to get to safety. I quickly whittled down the number of insurgents. When one rifle ran out of bullets, I seized another, then another, until I was down to two pistols.

The door to the roof flew open.

I rolled behind an air-conditioning unit and raised my pistol.

Sergeant Stone, his team and Lieutenant Moss rushed through the door.

My shoulders sagged in relief. “Got any ammo?”

“I do.” Sergeant Stone’s gaze took in my bloody arm and the pile of useless weapons. He tossed me a clip for an AK-47.

I quickly inserted the new clip and went back to shooting the attacking militants. The men joined me at the wall, and I had to admit, they were all damned good shots.

Silence suddenly fell.

Was the attack over?

Sergeant Stone suddenly handed me his sniper rifle. “I need you to take out the Taliban warlord directing this attack. He’s wearing a black turban and robes. He’s standing in the back of a tan truck that’s parked next to the hanger.”

Shit! I knew my charade was over, but I didn’t think it would end this way. “Yes, sir.” I raised the rifle and sighted in on the warlord. He was an older version of Imad Shakur, the warlord I had eliminated.

“24 inches square to the right of the hanger,” Sergeant Stone advised.

I guess he was my spotter. “Copy.” I adjusted the scope. “Range?”

“1,520 yards dial 9.75 MOA,” Sergeant Stone replied.

“Copy.” I tweaked the scope. “Wind?”

“Dial in left 2 MOA.”

I put the crosshairs on the warlord’s head and fired. He toppled off the truck.

“You’re the Scorpion alright.”

“Am I?” A flash of movement caught my attention. I swung the rifle to the left. “Sonovabitch!” It was Roberts. I tweaked the scope but before I could fire, Sergeant Stone pushed the barrel down.

“Who are you aiming at?”

“A CIA asshole by the name of Eric Roberts. He needs killing.”

Sergeant Stone frowned. “Why?”

“He’s behind this attack,” I answered.

“What makes you think that?”

I scowled at him. “Gee, is it because the Taliban are killing any woman with blonde hair? Or maybe the fact they attacked my barracks and the brig too. Roberts won’t stop until I’m dead.” I jumped up and headed for the door. “But the only one dying is him.”

Stone wrapped his arms around me and lifted me off my feet. “Why does he want you dead?”

“He’s getting away.” I tried to break his iron grip, but I could barely wiggle and why did I like the feel of his body against mine?

Stone growled in my ear, “Answer the question, Tinkerbell.”

“I have enough evidence to put him away for the next four hundred years.”

His body stiffened. “Evidence of what?”

“For starters, Roberts drugged your marine and turned him over to the warlord to be executed.”

“And?”

“Roberts is responsible for the Air India flight that went down with several of his CIA cohorts on it. He’s also giving the Iraq military the locations of our troops. Plus, he arranged the Bali and Sadr bombings.”

“Where’s your proof?”

As much as I hated to admit it, if I wanted to bring Roberts to justice, I needed help. “It’s on a microdot I glued to my dog tags.”

“What?” Sergeant Stone shifted his hold on me and stuck his big hand down my shirt and searched for my dog tags.

My nerve ending ignited, and I wanted to rub against him like a cat in heat. This was bad. This was really bad. “Hey! Quit groping me, you pervert!”

Sergeant Stone pulled out my dog tags. “Don’t get your panties in a twist. You’re not my type.”

“Hallelujah.”

“Where is the microdot?”

“Next to my social security number.”

Sergeant Stone removed my dog tags and examined them. “I’ll be damned. Tex!”

“Sir?” Tex reminded me of a muscle-bound surfer dude.

“Take care of her arm and don’t let her out of your sight.” Sergeant Stone dropped me like I had a contagious disease.

“Yes, sir.”

Lieutenant Moss walked over to us. “Reynolds is still my prisoner.”

“Not for long.” Sergeant Stone pulled out a satellite phone.

“I notified General Grandville of the situation, and he is sending a team to retrieve her.”

“Reynolds isn’t going anywhere until she’s been debriefed,” Sergeant Stone shot back.

Lieutenant Moss got in his face. “You have no jurisdiction over her.”

Stone typed a code into his phone. “Let’s see what my commander has to say about that.”

I smiled. No one was paying attention to me. I took a step back, then another and another.

No one noticed.

I ducked behind the air-conditioning unit and looked over the side of the building. There were enough handholds I could easily free climb down. I swung my legs over the wall and lowered myself to a small window ledge.

A large hand clamped around my right wrist and Sergeant Stone dead lifted me back onto the roof. “Going somewhere?”

Damn, he was strong. “I have a man to kill.”

“Unarmed?”

“I’m never unarmed. Put me down,” I snapped.

His cold gaze searched my face.

“Put.”

“Me.”

“Down.”

Stone growled. “You need to learn to obey orders and respect your superiors.”

“I’m not a Marine.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

I was suddenly upside down and the bastard was removing my boot knife and derringer. I tried to kick him, but I couldn’t get any leverage. “Put me down!”

“Yes, ma’am.” He dropped me on my head.

Swinging my right leg out, I knocked Stone off his feet and smiled as he smacked the rooftop hard.

“You little hellion!” He pinned me down.

A volley of bullets whizzed overhead.

The others returned fire.

“Fuck!” Sergeant Stone rolled off me, grabbed his rifle and started firing at the Taliban.

That had been a big mistake. I leaned my aching body against the wall as everything hit me all at once. I was so damned tired; I couldn’t think straight. A part of me was aware of the blood running down my left arm from our little tussle but I just didn’t care. The Taliban attack had been too well-planned. I knew Roberts was involved, but he wasn’t a military strategist like Pops.

Would I live to see tomorrow? Maybe. Was my father a traitor? Probably, but he had saved that soldier’s life. What would happen when he discovered I had taken his blackmail material? Would I end up in his crosshairs? To my horror, hot tears rolled down my cheeks. Why was I crying? I shouldn’t mourn what I had never had. Was it wrong to want my father to love me, not be my executioner? If he came after me, was I strong enough to kill him? I didn’t know.

Now that Stone possessed the microdot, I had nothing left to bargain with. Would they kick me out of the Army or simply lock me up?

“Did I do that?” Sergeant Stone squatted next to me.

I closed my eyes and ignored him.

“Tex! Get over here.” Stone used his thumbs to wipe away my tears. “Hey, everything is going to be okay.”

My eyes snapped open. “Is your father trying to kill you?”

“Why would he want you dead?” He watched me carefully.

“I stole the microdot from him.”

“Shit!” Stone ran a hand through his thick black hair. “Your father is Matthew Reynolds the CIA assassin?”

Damn, Stone had said he would know everything about me. “Yes.”

“He’s training you to follow in his footsteps, isn’t he?”

“He is.”

Something dark and predatory moved across Sergeant Stone’s face. “You thought the Army would protect you from him.”

“That was the plan, but he showed up at boot camp, made a deal with the General and got me sent to sniper school. Which I passed.”

“And you found yourself in the Middle East basically working for your father.”

I nodded. “That’s when Eric Roberts took an interest in me.”

“Your sniper abilities or sexually?”

“Both.” An evil smile formed on my mouth. “It was six months before he could get it up again and his nose still looks wonky.”

Stone’s white teeth flashed in a dazzling grin. “I heard someone had neutered him.”

“That’s how I ended up on half-rations and being sent on increasingly dangerous missions.”

The surfer dude knelt beside me and cut off my bloody bandage. “She needs stitches. I can do it, or we can wait until there’s a doctor available.”

“You do it,” I said.

“Yes, ma’am.” Tex pulled out a suture kit.

Stone scratched his beard. “Didn’t your team share their food with you?”

“I don’t have a team. They sent me out alone.”

“Alone?” Tex inquired incredulously.

That’s when I noticed Stone’s team and Lieutenant Moss were listening to our conversation. “Yep, eight times.”

Stone grimaced in disgust. “Roberts was trying to break you.”

“He tried.” I rubbed my aching forehead. When had I turned into Chatty Cathy? Stone might be a jackass, but for some odd reason I trusted him.

Lieutenant Moss asked, “What was Captain Harris’s role in this?”

I flinched when Tex injected my wound with a painkiller. “Facilitator. My father or Roberts would send him the mission details and he’d put me on a chopper.”

“What did they promise Harris?” A muscle twitched in Lieutenant Moss’s jaw.

“A promotion to Major and three hundred thousand dollars. He wasn’t in his office when I returned, and I doubt he’ll cooperate with you.”

Lieutenant Moss grimaced. “We found his body two hours ago. He had been beheaded.”

“Roberts knows I have the microdot and he’s killing anyone who can expose him.”

Sergeant Stone’s sat phone beeped. “Don’t go anywhere. He stepped away to take the call.

Tex bandaged my arm. “All done.”

“Thanks.”

“They’re sending a helicopter for us. You’re being evacuated to Kuwait for debriefing,” Stone advised.

I nodded. “I need my guns.”

“We can provide any weapons you’ll need,” Stone countered.

“I’m not leaving without Bertha.”

Stone’s eyebrows rose. “Bertha?”

“Bertha is my modified sniper rifle. She’s the only thing keeping me alive. Please.”

“Modified, huh?”

“My father’s upgrades are one-of-a-kind.”

“I just bet they are.” Stone gestured. “Let’s go.”