Hardwired (The Brotherhood Series) Read online

  A small flicker in Dean’s eyes gave him away. Luke knew Dean knew who the woman was, and why she had been targeted. Luke needed to find out if it was because of his current obsession with her and her child, or were they part of his past. Luke was determined to find out, damned the consequences.

  He released Dean’s throat and stepped back. Dean sucked in a deep breath.

  “We have a new assignment. We leave today.”

  Luke nodded, “I’ll meet you in the control room.”

  Dean nodded and turned around leaving Luke alone again. Luke stood there gathering his thoughts before he went back to his room and changed his clothes. He dumped out his duffle bag, and quickly repacked it for a mission.

  “Bella and Jen,” he whispered to the emptiness of his barracks.

  Luke had expected to feel the pain shoot through his mind, but nothing happened. Luke stepped forward, as if to confront the unknown assailant.

  “Bella and Jen.”

  Nothing.

  He couldn’t have imagined it all. There had been something there, they had ignited something inside of him that nothing or no one else ever had. Why was it all of a sudden gone? Luke grabbed his phone and shot Dean a text.

  “Be there in an hour, going to debrief with Dr. Connelly.”

  Luke knew no matter what the mission, they would give him time to speak with his therapist. Dr. Connelly had followed Luke from place to place since his accident, always at Luke’s disposal. At first, Luke had hated the woman for what she represented: a physical reminder to everyone that he was suffering mentally. No soldier wanted to be the one who couldn’t free himself from the terrors of his mind, let alone have it on display for everyone else to see as well. In time though, Luke had come to appreciate the woman.

  She had a tough kind of tenacity that Luke respected the hell out of. No matter how many times Luke had told her to leave him the hell alone, she had stayed right beside him, refusing to give up. In his darkest of times, when all he wanted was to die she told him to get his shit together and fight harder to live.

  Luke walked into the small trailer that had been turned into her office just as a younger soldier was walking out. Luke nodded to the soldier, whose eyes immediately looked down, as if in shame.

  “Soldier, eyes up,” Luke gave the command.

  Luke outranked most of the soldiers on the barracks, a power he usually didn’t abuse since he stayed to himself most of the time. He couldn’t allow the soldier to look down as he once had though.

  “Sir,” the soldier replied, his eyes immediately meeting Luke’s and his hand at salute.

  “At ease. Don’t ever be embarrassed to be here. If not for Dr. Connelly, I can say that I wouldn’t be standing in front of you right now. There’s no shame in that. We serve our country; there are demons that come along with that. You may be tired of fighting them, but don’t give up.”

  The soldier nodded, and then Luke dismissed him. Luke couldn’t be sure if the kid would heed his advice or not, but Luke felt better having given it. He continued on and knocked on Dr. Connelly’s partially opened door.

  “Come in,” she said.

  Luke pushed the door open and entered. The room was just as it was when he had left it almost a week prior. Dr. Connelly hadn’t been a fan of him going on leave, but she had eventually signed off on it. He felt a bit nervous like a kid waiting to see the principal would feel about what he was about to divulge to her. When she finally looked up, her eyes widened briefly, and then just as quickly her normal stoic expression was back in place.

  “Luke, you’re back early.” She said it as a statement, not a question, as if she had known all along he wouldn’t make it the entire week.

  Luke nodded, unsure how to proceed.

  “Take a seat. I don’t have anyone else to see today, so how about you tell me how vacation was.”

  “I killed a man.”

  Her face never faltered.

  “Why did you kill this man?” She asked, her eyes probing into his as if she would be able to read his mind.

  “He threatened someone I care about.”

  “Tell me about this person you care about?”

  “She’s a woman, and she has a child; a little girl.”

  “How do you know this woman and child?”

  Luke went on to tell Dr. Connelly everything about his week at the beach house. She never showed an ounce of emotion as he explained his obsession with them, and the pain he had felt whenever he would say their names or hear their voices. She never flinched when he told her how he snapped the man’s neck right in front of them. When he told her his analogy about himself and the dog, she simply jotted a few notes down on paper. When he was finished he felt lighter having told someone. Then he looked at her, expectantly, hoping she would explain everything to him. Why had he been obsessed? Why had he felt those jabs of pain and felt connected to the family? Instead she was silent.

  “Well?” He finally said, when he couldn’t stand the silence any longer.

  “Luke, I’m not sure you’re ready to go out on a mission. We need to decipher what happened to you over this past week, as far as what was real and what was your PTSD.”

  “It was all real.”

  “Luke, this woman and her child- they are a status symbol to you. Your mind is tricking you into believing there is something else going on. Your accident, and your hard drive, have saddled you to this life of soldiering, and up until this week, you weren’t aware of just what that cost was. Being out amongst civilians, you see the their families and the freedom that they have. I’m afraid it’s too much for you to handle.”

  Luke’s phone buzzed in his pocket before he could respond. He pulled it out and checked it. Much to Luke’s surprise his session had gone over the hour he had requested from Dean. Without another word, he shoved the phone back into his pocket and stood up.

  “Luke, I’ll be speaking with your superiors about this. I won’t tell them anything specific, but I will write in my report that I don’t believe you should be allowed back in active duty until I have more time with you.”

  “We both know they’re not going to sideline me.”

  “They will at my request, Luke. This is important.”

  “Nothing is as important to them as who is next on their kill list. I’ll see ya later, Dr. Connelly.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jen

  “We’re fine, Dad. Thanks for checking on us.”

  “That’s code for I’m annoying you, but I don’t care. I wish you’d consider staying with us just a little bit longer.”

  “You’re not annoying me, and we’re fine. Love you, bye.”

  Jen heard her dad tell her he loved her, too before she hung up on him. She and Bella had spent their first full night back at their house since the accident over a week ago. Jen had jumped at every sound and spent most of the night triple checking the locks on her doors and windows. Not that she would admit that to her dad, though. Bella had already sworn her vow of secrecy to the fact that Jen had kept every light in the house on the entire night as well.

  “Are you not working today, Mamma?”

  “Nope, it’s just you and me today, baby. What do you want to do?”

  “I want to go play on the beach, and then go thrift store shopping.”

  “That sounds fun! Let’s go get our swimsuits on.”

  It didn’t take them long to get dressed and hit the beach. Their morning on the beach flew by. Jen enjoyed her time with Bella. The only thing that dragged them away from the beautiful sunny day was their growling bellies.

  “Well, we’re gonna have to eat out for lunch and then make a pit stop at the Food Lion before coming home.”

  “Can we eat at the Froggy Dog, Mamma? Please,” Bella asked sweetly.

  Bella always wanted to eat at the Froggy Dog. Jen couldn’t blame her. The food was pretty good, and they had all of Bella’s favorites on the menu. Plus, the staff knew Bella by name and spoiled her with extra treats.
r />   “We can do that. They’ve probably missed you since we’ve been gone.”

  Jen couldn’t have been more right. As soon as they walked in, the hostess scooped up Bella and spun her around. The rest of the staff followed suit. It warmed Jen’s heart to see them all make a fuss over Bella.

  “How are you doing, baby girl? We heard about what happened. Just makes me sick to think of someone breaking in on you and Bella,” Sue Ellen, one of the older waitresses at the Froggy Dog said quietly to Jen while they were walking to their regular booth.

  Jen knew word was going to circulate; it always did in a small community like Avon.

  “We’re fine, Sue Ellen. Thank you for your concern.”

  “Thank goodness for that handsome neighbor of yours. I heard he busted in and beat that man up something awful.”

  More like killed him. Jen kept her thoughts to herself. If the police hadn’t released the man had died, then they probably didn’t want it out. If it kept people talking about her and Bella, then she certainly didn’t want to be the one to bring it up.

  “He did. We’re very grateful that he stepped in.”

  “My Daddy sent him to save us,” Bella chirped as she climbed in the booth.

  “He did, did he?” Sue Ellen responded.

  “Yeah, he was a soldier just like Daddy. That’s why Daddy trusted him to come in and save Mamma and me.”

  “Okay, that’s enough, Bella. Let’s just get something to eat.”

  Sue Ellen took mercy on Jen and changed the topic over to drink and meal choices. The rest of their meal was uneventful, which Jen enjoyed. After their meal they spent the rest of the afternoon browsing through the local thrift shops. Jen and Bella both found a few things they were happy with before heading home for the evening.

  As the day came to end, Jen felt a little more at ease. Lights filled her hallway, indicating a car driving by. She stood up and peeked outside to see a police cruiser creeping around the cul-de-sac. Jen smiled, knowing her dad had called in a favor to his golfing buddy, the chief of police. Even though she knew it was empty, she couldn’t help but peek across the dunes to where her savior had stayed. An unexplainable sadness settled in; Jen hadn’t even known the man, but she missed him.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Luke

  It wasn’t until Luke plunged into the dark waters that he finally felt his mind leave the beach house and snap back to reality, his reality. Darkness and impending death; those were the things he lived for. As soon as he walked into the operations room, Dean had switched out his civilian hard drive for his missions one, and the briefing began.

  Luke was currently off the coast of South America, where intelligence had word that one of the biggest drug lords of the south was sending money overseas to al-Qaeda. If there was anything worse than a drug lord, it was one who further blackened their soul by funding terrorism. Luke’s job was simple: infiltrate the drug lord’s home and kill everyone.

  The fastest way to tear down a drug cartel was to make a big statement. Luke was about to rain down hell on this one. No one left in the cartel after Luke was finished would want to breath wrong, let alone send money to their terrorist’s friends.

  Dean’s voice crackled in his ear.

  “Come in, Alpha.”

  “Dive successful, Beta,” Luke returned, his wet suit had been special made so that he could speak handsfree.

  “Roger that. You’re approximately six miles from your intended target. Swim northeast.”

  “Roger that.”

  With that, Luke swam. His muscles never fatigued, and his mind never wavered from his job. Adrenaline coursed through his body as he anticipated his first kill. As the lights flickered over the water from the gigantic house, Luke’s mind flashed back to the little girl’s big blue eyes. He blinked away the memory and kicked harder, pushing himself forward to the rocky bank that they had determined was unguarded through the night.

  Luke let the ocean wash him the rest of the way into shore. He kept his body against the sand, thankful for the protection of his wet suit. During Hell Week the sand would cling to the salt water on his body, chafing it to pieces.

  “Alpha, approaching east wing of intended target.”

  “Roger that, you’re clear. Guards at three and nine.”

  “Roger that.”

  Luke rolled his shoulders. His wet suit had been specially fitted to be gentler over his hard drive, but nothing was soft enough that Luke wouldn’t feel it. Once he was in the shadows, Luke rose to his full height. His wetsuit had been tested for combat, and Luke had spent many hours sparring in it, so he was comfortable fighting with it on.

  “Guard closing in on you from your nine.”

  There was no need for a response, Luke was ready. He moved against the side of the house, blending into the darkness of the brick, as he waited for his opponent to get close enough. The guard rounded the corner, his automatic rifle hanging across his back. The man didn’t suspect anything. Most people didn’t, especially those walking around with guns. They assumed their guns would protect them. This man could draw his gun if he wanted, but nothing would save his life, not now that Luke had set his sights on him.

  “He’s my hero, but you can be, too.”

  Luke shook off the tiny voice, reminding himself that he was no one’s hero. The man stepped within reach, and Luke shut off the tiny part of his heart that the woman and child had awoken and let the machine take over. He grabbed the man’s gun from his back and swiftly maneuvered the strap so it was around the man’s neck. Luke twisted the gun, tightening the strap. The man never even had time to scream before Luke crushed his windpipe.

  “Threat eliminated,” he said softly, as the man’s body crumpled to the ground.

  Luke didn’t bother taking the gun, but he took the time to disarm it, so that no one else could pick it up and use it against him.

  “Roger that. You have four minutes before check in.”

  That meant Luke had four minutes to eliminate the other outside guards and get inside before anyone in there was alerted.

  “Roger that. How many?”

  “Four.”

  Luke moved with the speed and precision his years of dedicated training had ingrained in him. With one minute left to spare, he had killed all four outside guards. He quickly gained access inside through a small side door, they had discovered led to the kitchen. During his flight to the drop sight, Luke had studied the blue prints to the house, committing them to memory.

  “I’m in.”

  “Roger that. Light on upstairs.”

  “Roger that.”

  They had no inside intel to tell them which bedroom belonged to the drug cartel leader, but Luke had his suspicions. Most leaders gave the impression of feeling invincible, but they knew they weren’t, and sleeping made them vulnerable. While Luke had studied the blueprints to the map, there had been a small room on the bottom floor tucked in between two larger rooms. It almost seemed as if it was a hidden room. That’s where Luke was going first.

  He made his way through the dark house, relying on Dean to adjust his sense of sight to better see in the dark. Once the adjustment was made, Luke made his way to the back of the house, listening intently to the sounds around him. He could hear people moving above him. The footsteps were soft though, not enough weight for a man. Luke ignored them. They were a problem for later.

  As he approached the part of the house he suspected the leader to be in, he saw two doorways. His suspicion of a hidden room had been correct. Luke quietly opened the door and moved into the room. It was an office. That seemed fitting since the man probably didn’t do much outside of run his empire.

  Luke scoured the walls, looking for the entrance. A picture captured his attention. It seemed so out of place. Everything was dark and leather, very masculine, except for the picture. It was of a woman holding a baby; they were both in pink, light cascading all around them. Luke touched the picture, tilting it down like a lever, revealing the secret doorway
. Even the darkest of souls were ruled by the light of a woman.

  Just as the man raised from his bed, his eyes wide with worry, Luke slammed his fist into the man’s face. There was never a chance for a struggle. Luke pummeled the man to a bloody pulp. He could blame his anger on the money sent to terrorists, or the man’s overall shitty lifestyle of putting drugs on the street, but they were both just fronts. Luke’s anger was for the woman and child this man would leave behind. They would be lost to a world of drugs and capture, a world without the one man who was supposed to protect them. Luke couldn’t let the man live though, it was his mission. He killed him in the name of freedom, dooming the woman and child to a life of hell.

  When he left the room, all hell broke loose. Luke was confronted with one thug after another, all of which he easily took down.

  “Pick up in fifteen minutes, Alpha.”

  “Roger that.”

  Luke freed himself from the house and fled to the ocean. He only had to swim out a mile for pick up, which he could cover easily in fifteen minutes. Just as he was about to dive into the water he heard a baby cry.

  His eyes locked onto a woman running down to the ocean with a baby cradled in her arms. The fear was etched onto her face, as tears streamed down her cheeks.

  “Bring the chopper to the beach.”

  “No, drop zone is secure; stick to the plan.”

  “Leave me then, I’m not leaving them behind. They’ll be traded and tortured, amongst many other horrific things.”

  “Fuck,” Dean muttered.

  Luke ran to meet the woman, who was speaking rapidly in Spanish. Luke’s Spanish was weak at best, but he could tell she was asking him to take her child. He lifted his hands, refusing to accept the baby.

  “There’s a chopper, it’ll take us all.”

  She shook her head again and tried to shove the baby into his arms. Luke felt the sharp pain zing through his mind as a memory flooded past the tight gates of his amnesia. He was holding a baby, not much bigger than the one in the woman’s arms and he was rocking her back and forth in an oversized lounge chair. The biggest blue eyes were looking up at him with such innocence and love. He loved the child in his arms, he could feel it down to his bones. In his memory, he ran his finger down the small beauty’s face, tracing her precious features. Luke lifted his hand out in front of him as if he could touch the memory; it felt so real.