Page 71 of Keeping Amanda
“But there’s been nothing concrete?”
“Nope. She’s been prescribed lots of different drugs over the years, but after she left the country for Guyana, as far as I can tell, she hasn’t been taking anything.”
“That could be bad,” Buck said, more to himself than to Tex.
“I’ll keep working on it and get back to you as soon as I can. I don’t blame Amanda for being worried about the kids and her friends who work down there.”
“Appreciate it.”
Tex hung up without another word. And while Buck felt better that the man was doing what he could to find out what was happening in Guyana, the need to see for himself that Mandy was all right was overwhelming. He couldn’t believe the DEA had searched her apartment. After what she’d already been through with the rebels, that had to have been traumatic for her.
He went back into the conference room he and his fellow pilots were using to go over intel for an upcoming mission. They’d taken a break, so he’d been able to check his messages, and he’d stepped out to call Mandy back.
“Everything okay?” Obi-Wan asked when he entered the room.
“No. I need to head out.”
“Mandy?” Pyro asked, sounding concerned.
“Yeah.” He once again went over what happened to Mandy, from her scare with the DEA to her concerns for the school in Guyana, and he wasn’t surprised when his fellow pilots and friends were outraged on her behalf.
“Mandy would no sooner have drugs in her apartment than Mother Theresa.”
“Give me a fucking break!”
“I bet they trashed the place while looking.”
“You need us to come with you?”
His friends were the best. This was why he’d lay down his life for any one of them, because he knew they had his back without question. “She says she’s good. Locked inside her apartment now. So I don’t think I need any backup, but if I do, I’ll call. Okay if I head out early?” Buck asked Casper.
“Of course. We’re almost done here anyway. We can fill you in on what you missed tomorrow.”
“Thanks.”
“And keep us in the loop,” Casper said sternly. “If something’s up, we want to know.”
“I will. I’ve got Tex looking into what the hell is going on.”
“All right, but seriously, you know we’re here for you. And if Tex finds anything hinky going on in Guyana, I’ll talk to the colonel about seeing if we can head down there and offer our assistance,” Casper said.
“Thanks, guys,” Buck said, feeling emotional all of a sudden.
“Is Mandy your girl?” Casper asked.
“Yes.” That was an easy question to answer.
“Then she’s one of us. Fuck with one of us, fuck with all of us,” Casper said firmly. “And if I need to call my brother and get the SEALs involved, I will. I went through hell when Laryn was taken from me, and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Not that Mandy will be taken again, but if someone’s messing with her or threatening her, we won’t let what happened to Laryn happen to her. Now get. I’ll touch base later.”
Buck nodded, then turned to leave. He was anxious to get to Mandy’s apartment. To see with his own eyes that she was all right.
It didn’t take much time to get to her complex, and the entire time, Buck was thinking hard about what his next steps would be if Tex found out the rebels had returned to the school to exact revenge or to re-kidnap the children.
He took the stairs to her apartment two at a time and knocked on the door, calling out as he did. “Mandy? It’s me. Let me in.”
The door opened almost immediately, and then Mandy was in his arms. Buck felt like he could breathe normally for the first time since they’d spoken on the phone not too long ago.
He hugged her tightly, then pulled back, running his gaze down her body to see for himself that she was truly all right.
