outside world. Kick knew it would be steel-reinforced and impenetrable without some major explosive power. As they climbed out of the SUV into the vacant warehouse bay where it had come to a halt, two more armed guards ran up to them.
No need. Even if he’d had the means, he wasn’t going anywhere. By now his rubbery legs could barely support his weight.
“You okay?” Rainie asked, grabbing his arm as he stumbled.
“I’ll live.” Maybe.
Escorted by an entire phalanx of trigger-happy guards, they were marched out of the bay and down a long hallway Kick knew would end in an interrogation room. It was absurd. Did they really have such a high opinion of his ability to escape? More likely, this was just one of ZU-COM’s usual unsubtle displays of power, intended to scare him. Sorry to disappoint, but he was beyond feeling much of anything but queasy. Before he’d walked more than a few feet he was sick on the floor.
Their guards cursed at the mess, grabbed him under the arms, and practically dragged him the rest of the way. Rainie yelled at them in outrage the whole time. She was amazing.
They pushed him into a chair and thrust a wastebasket from the corner at him. He puked again.
A moment later, bootfalls thumped up from behind them and a harsh, commanding voice that was all too familiar snapped, “A drug addict? No wonder you didn’t want to come back to the unit.”
His fucked-up day was complete. Colonel Frank Blair. His former commander. Ex-uniformed special ops and fanat ically conservative, the old boy was pure piss and iron. Hated anything that smacked of weakness. Kick had respected him as a leader, but never liked him. He didn’t waste his breath with a retort. Good and bad alike ricocheted off Blair like solid granite. The man was impenetrable.
“Good God, soldier. What the fuck happened to you?”
“This unit happened to me,” Kick muttered, looking around for Rainie. At the perimeter of the room, her arm was being firmly held by one of the guards. So far Kick hadn’t recognized anyone but Blair. His old division mates must be on a mission somewhere. Maybe they’d even been rotated OCONUS on purpose, so he wouldn’t have any friends here to help him. Not that they would have anyway. Unquestioning obedience was de rigueur in the ZU. Another reason he’d had to get out. He’d finally started asking questions.
“Listen, Colonel, let the woman go,” he said as forcefully as he could muster. “She’s no part of this. You’ve got me where you want me.”
“Where I want you is the Sudan,” Blair barked. “And until you’re at least in Egyptian airspace, she stays.”
Rather than objecting to her own kidnapping, Rainie surprised them both by protesting, “You can’t possibly send him anywhere in that condition! Look at him. He needs medication and to stay in bed for at least a week.”
The colonel scrutinized her with a cold stare. “They tell me you’re a nurse.”
She huffed up like an indignant bird. “Yes, and—”
“Good. We weren’t expecting this complication. We’ll be counting on you to help him through the treatment.”
“ What? ”
“What treatment?” Kick asked suspiciously. “There isn’t any—”
Blair cut him off. “Doc says they can put you under and give you some drug to induce rapid detox.”
“Not without a proper facility!” Rainie argued. “The method is dangerous, and still only experimental.”
“But you’ve done it before, I take it?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“Don’t worry. We have a sick bay.”
Kick should have been worried by the look on her face, but he was starting to hurt too much to care much what happened to him.
“And if I refuse?”
Blair narrowed his eyes. “Jackson needs to be operational ASAP. Getting this drug business over with quickly is in his best interest. And yours.” There was no mistaking the threat, but Rainie didn’t seem to understand that.
“I don’t see it that
No need. Even if he’d had the means, he wasn’t going anywhere. By now his rubbery legs could barely support his weight.
“You okay?” Rainie asked, grabbing his arm as he stumbled.
“I’ll live.” Maybe.
Escorted by an entire phalanx of trigger-happy guards, they were marched out of the bay and down a long hallway Kick knew would end in an interrogation room. It was absurd. Did they really have such a high opinion of his ability to escape? More likely, this was just one of ZU-COM’s usual unsubtle displays of power, intended to scare him. Sorry to disappoint, but he was beyond feeling much of anything but queasy. Before he’d walked more than a few feet he was sick on the floor.
Their guards cursed at the mess, grabbed him under the arms, and practically dragged him the rest of the way. Rainie yelled at them in outrage the whole time. She was amazing.
They pushed him into a chair and thrust a wastebasket from the corner at him. He puked again.
A moment later, bootfalls thumped up from behind them and a harsh, commanding voice that was all too familiar snapped, “A drug addict? No wonder you didn’t want to come back to the unit.”
His fucked-up day was complete. Colonel Frank Blair. His former commander. Ex-uniformed special ops and fanat ically conservative, the old boy was pure piss and iron. Hated anything that smacked of weakness. Kick had respected him as a leader, but never liked him. He didn’t waste his breath with a retort. Good and bad alike ricocheted off Blair like solid granite. The man was impenetrable.
“Good God, soldier. What the fuck happened to you?”
“This unit happened to me,” Kick muttered, looking around for Rainie. At the perimeter of the room, her arm was being firmly held by one of the guards. So far Kick hadn’t recognized anyone but Blair. His old division mates must be on a mission somewhere. Maybe they’d even been rotated OCONUS on purpose, so he wouldn’t have any friends here to help him. Not that they would have anyway. Unquestioning obedience was de rigueur in the ZU. Another reason he’d had to get out. He’d finally started asking questions.
“Listen, Colonel, let the woman go,” he said as forcefully as he could muster. “She’s no part of this. You’ve got me where you want me.”
“Where I want you is the Sudan,” Blair barked. “And until you’re at least in Egyptian airspace, she stays.”
Rather than objecting to her own kidnapping, Rainie surprised them both by protesting, “You can’t possibly send him anywhere in that condition! Look at him. He needs medication and to stay in bed for at least a week.”
The colonel scrutinized her with a cold stare. “They tell me you’re a nurse.”
She huffed up like an indignant bird. “Yes, and—”
“Good. We weren’t expecting this complication. We’ll be counting on you to help him through the treatment.”
“ What? ”
“What treatment?” Kick asked suspiciously. “There isn’t any—”
Blair cut him off. “Doc says they can put you under and give you some drug to induce rapid detox.”
“Not without a proper facility!” Rainie argued. “The method is dangerous, and still only experimental.”
“But you’ve done it before, I take it?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“Don’t worry. We have a sick bay.”
Kick should have been worried by the look on her face, but he was starting to hurt too much to care much what happened to him.
“And if I refuse?”
Blair narrowed his eyes. “Jackson needs to be operational ASAP. Getting this drug business over with quickly is in his best interest. And yours.” There was no mistaking the threat, but Rainie didn’t seem to understand that.
“I don’t see it that
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