Page 10 of Unintended Love

“They are not going to shoot me, a priest. Their camp used to be a school run by the Catholic Church. We’re going in to reclaim it.” His smile was devious, perhaps it was more one-sided than the other, caused by his facial injury. “And you are going in as college students working for an NGO to clean up the place and prepare it for the return of children. While I’m going to be all surprised to find it filled with men, I’ll negotiate with whoever is in charge. Meanwhile, you’re going to do what college-aged girls do… Take lots of selfies. Flirt a little.”

“You know they’re not going to turn the camp over to you,” Piper pointed out.

“Of course not.” Bishop James shrugged. “But they’ll make a sizable donation to the church just to keep me and my Christian ideology away from their fundamentalist Islamic teachings. You know that’s one of the things they’re doing there. Brainwashing them to hate Christianity and modern Western ways.” The grin was back. “Now, it’s important you are extremely distracting to everyone in camp. I hope you have those short shorts that many college girls wear. I’ve seen how some of the young women working for the NGOs that have come through here, they roll up their T-shirts, constantly complaining about the heat.”

Ashlin was impressed by the bishop’s plan. “What makes you think that we can pull this off?”

“You just need to look as sexy as possible. I’m told, to have those skills…” He raised one dark eyebrow. “Let’s just say, I’ve worked with Monsignor Francis’s brother before. How do you think they found out about this camp in the first place?”

The Ladies of Black Swan were well aware of the connections between their boss, Katlin Callahan Wolf, and her uncles on her mother’s side; Monsignor Francis Gillpatrick, a Navy captain; and CIA Deputy Director Tom Gillpatrick.

“Do you really intend to get this camp back and make it into a school?” Mia asked.

The bishop nodded. “Sure. Someday. ISIS will eventually abandon the area and move away. I, or my successor if I’m called to serve elsewhere, will call in an NGO, or five, and have them clean up the place before I arrange for teachers and children to return. This is not my first rodeo.”

He tried to stifle a yawn and failed. “Ladies, I’m sorry, but I need to get to bed. Happy children will be here in just a few hours, singing and dancing. I suggest you take it easy tomorrow—I mean today—and acclimate. I have commitments tomorrow that I can’t ignore. We’ll head out the morning after.”

As Ashlin tried to get comfortable on the lumpy bed, she thought about their flight from Djibouti. She had the stick as they flew over Ethiopia, close to Clint’s home. She’d been to the Riggs’s compound, Eden, several times and couldn’t help but wonder what he was doing. Although it was the middle of the night, was he sleeping in his own comfortable bed? On a mission, fighting to stay awake? Or worse, in a firefight? She sent up a quick prayer for his safety as well as that of her team. Maybe since she was inside a church, her prayer had a direct line to heaven.

Chapter 4

Theodora lay in the bed where she and Javier had created the baby in her womb, made love hundreds of times over the last few years, and discussed their future together while holding each other tight. The sheets were now cold…and would be forever more. The pillow, the one on her side, was damp with the tears that wouldn’t stop. The last ten minutes of Theodora’s life rolled through her mind like a nightmare on a never-ending loop.

Javier was dead.

She thought that when he’d left the Army, he was safe. No more dangerous missions with Delta. Although she never knew where he was going and what he was doing, she always knew he was in mortal danger. Her greatest fear was that he’d be killed on a mission. That was part of the reason she had refused to get pregnant while he was on active duty. She’d never been so relieved in her life when he reached his twenty years in the military and took retirement.

She’d been excited when he’d suggested joining Captain Riggs’s team that he was building in Africa. Parts of Ethiopia didn’t look all that different from Texas. The home they were given on the compound was nicer than what they’d lived in on their last post.

And the money was unbelievable.

Javier had convinced her to finish her graphic arts degree online, then completely supported her as she built a steady business freelancing on the computer. Because of the time difference to the USA, she could have client projects waiting for them when they woke up in the morning, giving them great satisfaction and building a reputation quickly.

What was going to happen to her now?

Javier was gone.

Technically, he was somewhere on the compound. A part of her wanted to throw on clothes and go find him just to prove to herself that he was really gone. That this wasn’t just a nightmare. Clint Riggs had really been there. In their home. Delivering the dreaded news that constantly lived in the back of every military wife’s mind.

What was it that he had said? He’d promised Javier that he would take care of her and the baby. That meant Captain Riggs was going to be there for her and take care of her and the baby. Right?

He was so handsome. She’d always thought so. Javier had said he was a wonderful man, caring and thoughtful of everyone, especially his family. She would now be part of his family, so he’d be caring and thoughtful of her and the baby.

Her phone alarm went off. She’d set it the night before, planning to get up and make Javier breakfast when he got home from working all night.

Realization started to hit her.

Javier would never be coming home for breakfast again. She had no one to cook breakfast, lunch, or dinner for ever once more.

Her tears became uncontrolled sobbing. She couldn’t catch her breath.

The baby started to twist and turn inside her extended belly as though it knew something horrible had happened.

Theodora started to panic that something was wrong with the baby. She picked up the phone from the nightstand and started to dial Javier. She’d made it through the first few numbers when she realized he’d never pick up the phone and answer her again. He’d never calm her frantic nerves again, reassuring her in his loving way that everything would be okay.

Theodora gasped and howled, what the hell was she going to do? Who could she call? She truly knew no one in the compound. As the equivalent of the senior noncommissioned officer of a unit on a post, she and Javier had not socialized with anyone, not that there were any other wives in the compound, except for a few graduate students working for Professor Riggs. They came and went with every semester, so she’d never bothered to meet them. Besides, she’d been so busy with her own studies and then starting her design career, she truly hadn’t had time.

The baby moved in ways that hurt like she’d never felt before.