14. Maverick

14

Maverick

My phone rang, interrupting what I was doing. I answered it. "What?" I asked Steel, already knowing what he wanted—it was time to go to work.

"You need to be here tomorrow. You're heading to Saudi Arabia on Monday morning. From there, you'll go to that small country where the kidnapping happened to find the missing prince. Viper and Rebel will join you."

"I'll see you tomorrow," I replied.

"By the way, congratulations on your marriage. Have you thought about how you're going to juggle this? Living the Amish life half the time and being a Delta Force Guardian the other half won't be easy."

"I'm not Amish. I told Rebecca when we got married that I couldn't be, and she understands. But I'll never let anything harm my family. I'll call the airport. See you tomorrow."

I turned to find Rebecca watching me from the front porch.

"Hey, sweetheart," I said as I walked up and wrapped her in my arms.

"Maverick, I have something to tell you," she said hesitantly.

"What is it?" I asked, sensing her unease.

"We're going to have a baby. So when you leave, be extra careful so you can come home to us. I'll be praying for you every hour."

A wave of joy rushed over me. "A baby? I'm so happy, Rebecca! I love you so much." I hugged her tightly. "We're having a baby!"

She laughed. "Yes, we are."

"You take care of yourself while I'm gone. I wish someone could be here with you when I'm away."

"Dinner is ready. Let's go eat," Rebecca said, taking my arm. "I'll miss you so much, Maverick. But I'll take care of myself and our baby. If we have a girl, I'd love to name her after my mother and Mary. Mary Ella."

"That's a beautiful name. She'll be proud to be named after her grandma and auntie," I said, leaning over the table to kiss her.

The next morning, I left at five. Rebecca was busy making bread, and Kevin was in the barn. I had already told him his pay would double since he'd be working more.

"Whatever you do, don't mention your pay to Rebecca. I handle the bills," I said.

"I won't say anything," Kevin promised.

"And make sure to stop by and check in on her. She'll get lonely."

"I'll visit her. Don't worry."

"Thanks, Kevin. I'll see you in a couple of weeks."

But two weeks turned into four. When I finally found the prince, he thought I was going to kill him and started screaming. I was captured alongside him, though I could have escaped. I didn't want to leave him behind, so I let them catch me.

I tried to explain, but the prince didn't hear me because he had earplugs in, and his hands were tied. I removed the plugs myself.

In the cell, I reassured him. "We'll get out soon, but when we do, try not to shout." He nodded, and once he relaxed, he talked nonstop.

When a guard approached, I immediately knew it was Viper in disguise. He opened the door and gave me a knowing look. "Your wife isn't acting very Amish right now. She's been calling Steel nonstop, demanding we bring you home. She even threatened to rescue you herself."

I smiled, realizing Rebecca was likely terrified. "She's probably scared to death."

"Are you going to walk out, or do I have to drag you?" Viper asked with a grin.

"Prince Sultan, we're leaving. Get between us. This is Viper—he's American, a Delta Force Guardian like me."

We started running. I glanced around, noticing the place was oddly quiet. "Where is everyone?"

"You tell me. We saw most of them leave about fifteen minutes ago. We need to get out before they come back."

"That's strange. Who's behind this? Did you learn the name?"

"Amar, something. We didn't get his full name."

"I know who he is," the prince said.

"You do? Who?"

"He's my father's best friend. He doesn't know I'm aware, but he's behind the kidnapping. I don't think he intended to kill me at first—he needed money. But I overheard the guards say Amar changed his mind and ordered them to kill me. That's why I screamed," the sixteen-year-old prince explained. "I thought they were taking me to my death."

"That explains why they left. They don't want to kill you, but we'll need to make sure Amar isn't at your father's palace before we bring you home."

We got to safety, and I called Rebecca.

"Hello?" she answered, her voice shaky. "Don't be mad at me for calling Steel. You said you'd be back in two weeks, and it's been four. I had to call the Guardians when I heard you were missing."

"Sweetheart, it's my job. I'll see you soon. I love you."

"I know. Steel explained everything. I love you, too," she said, her relief evident.

Rebecca still didn't fully understand my work. She had never known evil until it stole her family from her.

We drove the prince back to his father's palace, and the guards surrounding our vehicle were shocked to see him alive.

"We were told you were dead," one of them said.

"It was a lie. Who's inside with my father?"

"Amar. Your father is grieving your death."

"Amar is the one who kidnapped me. Please bring my father here alone. Don't let him know we're here."

The guard relayed the message, and soon, the prince's father appeared, eyes wide in disbelief. He stared at his son, and tears began streaming down his face. Before anyone could react, he pulled the prince from the vehicle and embraced him tightly, sobbing.

Then, I saw the moment the prince told him who was responsible. His father stiffened, and I knew what was coming next. He would seek justice for his son. He turned to his men, gave an order, and some left. I knew they were going after Amar.

"I want to thank you for finding my son. I owe you more than money—I owe you my life. Thank you for everything. You should leave now before you get involved in what's about to happen."

We shook hands, and then we left.

I couldn't wait to see Rebecca. I needed to explain to her how my job worked—how sometimes it took longer to get home, and other times, shorter. I wouldn't mention that Viper was held in a filthy prison for four years.

When I pulled into the yard, I saw Rebecca working in the garden. Rhonda was lying behind her, keeping watch, while Chewy slept on the porch. Rhonda stood up and growled softly, making Rebecca turn around.

I walked over, picked her up, and kissed her. "I missed you, wife."

"I missed you too. But you can't pick me up and kiss me out in the open. What if Kevin sees us? I need to maintain my respect in the community."

"I don't care who sees, but I know you do, so I'll wait until we're inside for more kisses," I said with a smile, giving her one quick kiss before resting my hand on her tummy. I was surprised by how much the baby had grown.

"How's our baby girl doing?" I asked.

"She's very lively and growing fast," Rebecca replied.

"What does the doctor say?"

"I don't see a doctor. I see a midwife. When it's time for Ella to be born, the midwife will stay with me for a few days."

"What do you mean, no doctor? What if something happens, and you need one?"

"Then I'll go to the hospital. But Lily, my midwife, will know if something's wrong ahead of time. Our baby will be born at home, just like I was. Lily has everything she needs to make sure Ella will be fine. You don't have to worry—we'll be alright."

"I'm not going to argue with you right now, but we definitely have different views on midwives versus doctors in hospitals."

"Lots of women have their babies at home. It's very safe, and I'm not changing my mind. I'd never risk our baby's life if I thought she wasn't safe."

"Okay, I won't say another word about it," I said as we reached the house. "Now, will you welcome me home with a kiss?"

"Yes, I will," Rebecca said, wrapping her arms around my neck. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed me.

"Tell me what you've been up to while I was gone," I said, taking her hand and sitting down in the family room.

"I've been busy with the garden and planting the small field with corn. Chewy keeps running off, and he's been acting strange lately—just lying around sleeping."

"How old is Chewy?"

"He's sixteen."

"He's tired and worn out. He's probably preparing to join everyone in heaven soon."

"I thought the same. Poor Chewy. He always played with my brothers, so I'm sure he misses them as much as I do."

"Have your friends been visiting? I hope you haven't been working the whole time I've been gone."

"Everyone's busy planting, so they haven't had much time to visit. I've talked to Lily a lot about the baby and visited with the bishop. Kevin has been a huge help. Thank you for getting him to work here."

"Of course. I don't want you overdoing it. You're carrying our child, and I don't want anything happening to you or the baby."

"Stop worrying. Amish women work right up until the day their child is born. We're strong, as my mamm used to say whenever we told her to rest."

"I'm so sorry about what happened to your family. I know you must wish your mother were here, especially now that you're expecting."

"Yes, I think about them all the time. I can't even imagine how scared they must have been, knowing they were going to die, especially knowing their children would be killed."

"How about I cook dinner tonight? What are you craving?"

"I've been craving tacos. We can make them together. I'll grate the cheese. I made some cheese while you were gone, but it's not ready yet. It's a good thing we already have some. I've also been craving hot sauce."

I chuckled. "When Sarra was pregnant, she craved fruit. We were always hunting for fresh fruit. Looks like I'll be hunting for hot sauce for you."

Rebecca giggled. "I had hot sauce on a pickle the other day—it was really good. I pickled cucumbers while you were gone, so we'll have plenty for my hot sauce."

I laughed until my sides hurt, and Rebecca joined in.

"I'll eat that when you're working outside," she teased.

"That might be a good idea," I said, grinning. "It feels so good to be home with you. Anywhere you are is home to me. I love you so much; it's hard to put into words. You sit here, and I'll cook dinner."

"I want to be near you, so I'll help. Tell me about the prince."

"His father's best friend was behind the kidnapping. They grabbed me too, but I could have escaped. I stayed because I didn't want them to hurt the prince. When I found him, I startled him, and he shouted."

"How did you know where he was?"

"We'd already searched a dozen places when a kid ran up to us with a piece of paper. It had the address. He ran off before we could ask him any questions."

"I bet the prince was happy to see you."

"Not at first. I scared him. He's only sixteen, and he'd overheard the kidnappers saying they were going to kill him."

"What about after he knew who you were?"

"He was relieved, especially when I told him there were more men outside."

"Why would his father's best friend kidnap him?"

"He'd spent all his money and thought he could get a quick ransom."

"That's terrible. What happened to him?"

I wasn't about to tell her he was killed. "He was arrested. We left after that, so I'm not sure what will happen next."

"I don't know much about the world outside this community. I think I'm better off not knowing too much. I wouldn't want a television in our house. But if you do, we can get one."

"I don't need a television. Now, sit—I'm going to serve you dinner," I said, pouring us both some tea.

"How long do you get to stay with me?"

"I'll be here for a while. You don't need to worry about me returning to work immediately."

"Good, I love having my husband here with me."