Page 67 of Protecting Maggie
Preacher pressed his lips together. He wanted the samethings. But they were in an impossible situation. They weren’t even supposed to be here right now. Their job was to deliver the crates then retreat back to western Ukraine and get the hell out of the country. Then again, their mission was most likely bullshit from the start, a way for Robertson to get rid of his ex-girlfriend and use the SEAL team to do his dirty work.
“If we brought them with us, what would your plan be going forward?” Preacher asked.
A full two minutes of silence passed, and Preacher thought that maybe his friend had fallen asleep or hadn’t heard him. But then MacGyver spoke.
“I want them,” he said in a voice so low, it was almost a whisper. “I know it’s stupid. No one’s gonna give a thirty-three-year-old bachelor, a special forces operative at that, custody of three orphans. But there’s something about them that I just can’t shake.”
He wasn’t wrong. The odds of the three siblings being placed with MacGyver were probably a million to one. And that wasifthey even got to the US. It was likely they’d be taken away when they arrived in Germany to switch planes.
“I’d have to find a nanny. Someone who could help me with them while I’m at work. Maybe I’ll do one of those fake marriage things…you know, to grease the wheels. Find someone who needs health insurance or something and marry her. She gets the benefits from the Navy, and I get someone to help me with the kids.”
“That sounds like a terrible plan,” Preacher said with asmall chuckle. But when his friend didn’t laugh, he realized he wasn’t kidding.
“I can’t think of any other way,” MacGyver said. “Besides, it’s not as if women are beating down my door otherwise. I’m too…geeky.”
Preacher couldn’t help but laugh at that. “You’re a SEAL. You aren’t a geek.”
“I am. And I’m okay with that. You haven’t been to my place in a while, but it’s kind of a mess. With parts and wires from computers and other electrical crap I bought online and at yard sales. I love taking shit apart and putting it back together. Hell, Preacher, you know I got my nickname because of the crap I can manufacture when we need it.”
“All right, but there’s nothing wrong with that,” Preacher told his friend.
“I know. And I like who I am…but apparently it’s not what women want.”
Preacher snorted, then groaned. “You want to know what women want?” he asked. “They want to be loved. They want to know the man they’re with is trustworthy. That he’ll be there when she needs him. That’s it. Everything else is gravy.”
“Who went and made you an expert on women?” MacGyver asked.
“Maggie,” Preacher said with conviction. “Look. I’m the last person to preach about anything, regardless of my name. But I’m right about this. You want to adopt these kids? If you’re all in, you know all of us will do whatever wecan to help you. But don’t up and marry a chick just because you think it’ll make you look better in social services’ eyes. That’s a sure way for the situation to end up FUBAR’d.”
“Yeah…” MacGyver said vaguely.
“Wait—you have someone in mind already?” Preacher asked.
“Maybe.”
“Seriously? Do I know her?”
“No.”
“What’s her name?”
“Addison.”
Preacher waited for MacGyver to say more. When he didn’t, he asked, “That’s it? That’s all I get?”
“That’s all you get,” MacGyver confirmed. “We’ve kind of got other things to worry about right now. We need to figure out how to get away from these Russian soldiers, find Maggie and the kids, meet up with the team, and get out of this bombed-out shell of a city, then convince the US authorities to let Artem, Borysko, and Yana into the country. If we manage all that,thenI can start worrying about how to arrange for them to stay with me.”
“Right. But I’m not going to drop this. I want to know more about this Addison woman. Where you met her, and why you think she might be up for this asinine scheme.”
“You’re annoying,” MacGyver bitched.
“And you love me,” Preacher said, simply to bemoreannoying.
The makeshift door to the room they were being keptin was shoved to the side, and three Russians came into the room. One aimed a rifle at Preacher and MacGyver and the other two came over to where they were lying on the ground. They yelled something at them and hauled them to their feet.
Then they were forced out of the room and marched down the street.
Preacher kept his head on a swivel and tried to memorize where they were going. It was difficult, considering the debris and collapsed buildings around them looked the same from one street to the next. But if he and MacGyver had any chance of getting out of this alive, they needed to be ready to make their escape.
