Page 64 of Protecting Bree
Smiley rushed after him, his weapon still drawn and ready to be used. He had no idea what the other man had seen, but he wasn’t taking any chances. The last thing they needed was one of them to get hurt.
To Smiley’s shock, a woman’s head emerged from beneath the car.
It was Fiona.
Cookie dropped to his knees, carefully pulling her out from under the car then taking his wife in his arms, rocking her back and forth.
A second head popped out from where Fiona had emerged—Julie.
Tex also dropped to a knee, and engulfed Julie in a huge hug when she was safely out from under the vehicle.
His heart beating hard in expectation, Smiley waited for Bree to slide out from under the car, or another one nearby. But after several long seconds, when she didn’t appear, his chest tightened and emotion clogged his throat.
Fiona looked up from where she was still held tightly in Cookie’s arms. As if she could read his mind, she whispered, “She’s not here.”
Smiley wanted to ask where the hell Breewas. What had happened. But he couldn’t get any words past the lump in his throat. The disappointment and fear were crushing.
Cookie shifted then, not letting go of Fiona butinching back enough that he could remove his T-shirt. He tenderly put it over his wife’s head. The slips she and Julie were wearing were sheer and left nothing to the imagination. Seeing what they’d been forced to put on was infuriating. And it only proved how much danger they’d been in.
Smiley shifted impatiently…but he couldn’t bring himself to interrupt Cookie’s reunion with his wife. If Bree had been there, if he’d had his arms around her, Smiley would’ve exploded in anger at anyone who dared rush him.
Tex pulled out his cell, hit a few buttons, then handed it to Julie, all without removing his arm from around her waist.
“Patrick?” she said in a wobbly tone.
Smiley turned away. The emotional reunion of the women with their husbands was too much. He was thrilled for his friends, but…
Kevlar’s hand came down on Smiley’s shoulder, but he didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. The disappointment and fear in the air was palpable. Where was Bree? Why wasn’t she with Julie and Fiona? How had they gotten away? How long had they been hiding? Smiley had so many questions, but he’d have to wait for answers.
He scanned the shipyard, hoping against hope he’d see Bree coming toward him. Maybe she’d gotten away too. Maybe she’d simply gotten separated from the other women and was too scared to come out of hiding.
“Holster your weapon,” Kevlar said softly.
Looking down, Smiley saw he was still clutching his pistol in his right hand. One of the worst sins a SEAL could commit was losing track of his weapon. And even though his finger wasn’t on the trigger, he didn’t remember anything about the last few minutes in regard to the gun.
Moving slowly, as if mired in quicksand, Smiley put the pistol back in the holster at the small of his back. Taking a deep breath, then another, he turned toward the others. Bree wasn’t here. He knew that as well as he knew his name. He felt empty, hollow.
It was as if he was watching the scene in front of him from a great distance. Or was simply an observer watching a play. He felt cold. Numb.
Stepping toward Tex and Julie, who was wiping tears from her eyes after just hanging up with her husband, Smiley removed his T-shirt. He held it out to the petite woman, who took it with a grateful smile.
Cookie got to his feet, his arm not leaving Fiona’s waist, holding her against him.
“Are yousureBree isn’t here?” Kevlar asked gently.
Smiley held his breath waiting for the answer. He already knew what it would be, but maybe he’d get a miracle.
“We need to hear what happened, and we need to get you two somewhere safe,” Kevlar told them. “But if there’s even a one-percent chance Bree is here, hiding, we need to know.”
Fiona shook her head. “We saw her being carried over that way,” she said, pointing to a large dock. Anemptydock. There was no boat waiting to be loaded. No cars idling. The area was deserted.
“They got onto a boat and left. We’ve been hiding ever since, just to make sure the guys who took Bree didn’t call for others to come find us.”
“How long ago did the boat leave?” Tex asked.
Smiley was grateful for his friends. He couldn’t get aword out. If he opened his mouth, he’d either start screaming, swearing, or moaning. He wasn’t sure which.
“I’m not sure. It feels like forever. But probably at least…four or five hours,” Julie speculated.
