Page 45 of Walking the Bird

“I said,” hooking her hands on her hips. “Open this door and let me out.”

Jumping to his feet, Derek closed the distance, grabbing Eleni by her shoulders.

“I said to sit the fuck down!” Shouting the latter, Derek picked Eleni off her feet, crossing the room and slamming her into the chair.

Dazed, Eleni pushed her hair out of her face, taking several measured breaths as she tried to slow down her heart rate and regain her composure. This wasn't like the first time she was held against her will, there was no game plan or way out if something went wrong. This was real.

“You can forget any of the little tricks Alex may have taught you, I know them all.”

Remaining still, Eleni kept her eyes on the monitor, following the geometrical shapes as they danced around the screen. “I don't know any tricks.”

“Bullshit!” Derek shouted, his face turning red. “SEALs always have an exit plan.”

Snapping her head in Derek’s direction, her mouth gaping open, “Your accent.”

Balancing his upper body on his arms, Derek lowered his face to within inches of hers. “Is as fake as the name I stole.” Donning a Cheshire grin, “The moment I laid eyes on you, all weight-of–the-world on your shoulders and travel-haggard, I’ll admit, I had plans to fuck the shit out of you before flying off to avoid your husband and his team. All that changed when I learned you and Alex were married, and there was trouble in paradise.”

Rounding the back of Eleni’s chair, Derek placed his hands on her shoulders, squeezing until she cringed.

“We’ve played a game this week, your husband and I. He has something of mine, and now, I have something of his.”

“Is that why I’m here?”

“Of course. I’ve allowed him to breach my security system and expect him to come barreling through that door at any moment.” Derek glanced to the hatch door and back to Eleni.

“You realize your error in all of this?”

“What’s that?”

“You picked the wrong wife.”

* * *

Alex remained utterlycalm as he watched the faceless motherfucker put his hands on his wife. He’d kill this spineless bastard, that was for certain, as soon as she was safely tucked away. Her words however, ripped him to shreds. Eleni wasn't the wrong wife, she was absolutely perfect, and he intended to remind her how much she meant to him.

“Zoom in on his hand, Ghost.” Zach tapped the screen, shifting Alex’s focus to the pixilated series of lines and dots.

Ryan tapped away on his keyboard, adjusting layer after layer until the left hand was crystal clear and a tattoo which matched the one stamped on the drugs filled the screen.

“Diablo!” A collective chorus rang out in the room, followed by a second of complete silence.

“I need a ping location on Eleni.”

“Reaper, get me a schematic for this island.”

“Ghost, see if you can get a scan on the room.”

Zach ticked off each command as if it had been days since their last mission instead of the number of years that had passed.

“I know that voice.” Melinda shouted, halting the organized chaos of activity in the room. “That’s my boss, Derek Silvers.”

Ryan looked up from his computer. “Do you have a photo of Derek, something recent?”

Reaching for her phone, Melinda scrolled through her pictures once again, her heart crashing as she landed on a selfie taken a few weeks ago when Derek surprised her with a party for her birthday.

“It’s not of his whole face,” handing off the phone to Ryan. “And the lighting isn’t the best.”

“Viper?” Unable to believe his eyes, Ryan couldn't look away from the face he’d assumed they’d never see again.

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