Black Smoke (27 page)

With Boomer and Ricochet dropped off, the two headed home. They weren’t inside the door for two minutes when Kong had her undressed and on the floor. Every room in the house was utilized to its fullest extent. They ended in the bathtub, covered in bubbles and warm water, their bodies slick and sated.

The next two days flew past. The day at the amusement park was a blast. They rode every roller coaster three times, toured the chocolate factory and brought home five-pound chocolate bars. Sam collected on her explosives lesson and showed Boomer how to bury himself underground. By the end of the day, Kong had started acting funny, his mood sour and his temper as hot as the scorching sun.

Sam should have known, or at least guessed what his mood was about. But she was having too much fun with them—her first real friends. Later, she would realize how much of a fool she was being, ignoring the obvious.

That night, he made the most passionate love to her yet. He took his time, running his hands over her body, lavishing her skin with agonizing attention. He told her how beautiful she was time and time again, making her feel as though she were the most beautiful woman on Earth.

Three times he made her reach her peak before he entered her.

When he was about to climax she was sure she saw a tear in his eye. That’s when it finally dawned on her. His bad mood all day and now his so sweet lovemaking meant he was saying goodbye the only way he knew how. Sam held back her tears and clung to him. She wouldn’t think of the future without him, not now, not while he was still inside her. When he was gone, she would cry, but not now.

* * * * *

Dawn broke without sun. It was a steady rain that woke Sam. She loved rainy days as it was the time she used to treat herself with a good book while curled up on the couch. As she listened to the patter of the rain on her bedroom window, she stretched and was reminded of the night before.

Her muscles were sore and stiff. Not an unpleasant feeling, but one she enjoyed. It meant she had been loved over and over again the night before. As she stretched, she reached across the bed to wrap her arm around him, like she had done for the last three mornings.

This time, he wasn’t there. Sam listened for him in the bathroom across the hall, but didn’t hear his usual whistling, or the water running. Confused, she sat up and looked around the room.

His duffel bag was missing and on the pillow was a folded sheet of paper. Her heart sank. A tear rolled down her cheek as she reached for the paper. Her hands trembled as she picked it up.

Dear Sam,

Cannon has a plane waiting for us this morning. We’re scheduled to leave at nine-thirty. I didn’t tell you last night, because I didn’t want any long goodbyes. Thanks for the last couple of days sounds too hokey to say, but I can’t think of any other words to use. You can’t begin to know how much it meant to me. Take care of yourself and watch your back out there.

Mark

A tear dropped on the paper as she read the last line. Her bedroom clock read eight fifty-five, if she hurried, she could catch him before he left. Kicking the blankets aside, she pulled on a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt, then slipped on her sneakers. Did he really think he could leave without saying anything to her? Did it all mean that little to him?

Tires squealed as she backed out of her driveway and she pressed the accelerator to the floor. Her anger grew as she raced down the streets toward her uncle’s base. He may not love her, but he could damn well treat her better than this. She wasn’t one of his groupies he picked up in bars.

When she reached the base, she threw the car into park and bolted from it. Rain poured over her as she ran for the runway. The door to the plane was closing as she approached, then the plane started moving. Sam ran to the edge of the runway and watched as it picked up speed and lifted into the air.

“No! Damn you!” she yelled, then collapsed onto the ground. “Damn you Mark, I love you.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Four weeks later

Kong, Boomer and Ricochet were returning from the field where they had been helping to train a new batch of rookies when their commander called out for them.

“Campbell, Underwood. I need to see you,” he yelled.

“I’ll catch up with you guys back at the barracks,” Kong said then walked away.

The two men jogged over and saluted the commander. “Sir,” they said in unison.

“I have an important phone call for you two. I suggest you take it in my office,” he said in an unusually sympathetic tone. When he left the two looked at each other, then entered the office.

Boomer picked up the phone and put it on speaker so they could both hear it. “This is Lieutenant Campbell and Lieutenant Underwood.”

“Boomer, Ricochet, it’s Cannon. I need your help.”

Both men straightened at the sound of Cannon’s voice. “Yes Sir, how can we help?” Boomer asked as he looked at Ricochet.

“Black Smoke is missing. I need you to help me find her.” Walt’s voice nearly broke as he spoke the words. He hadn’t slept in three days and had barely eaten. His mind was consumed with how to find his missing niece.

“Sir, what makes ya say she’s missin?” Ricochet asked.

“She was working on a case and kept in constant contact with me four times a day. Three days ago, I lost contact with her.” He had to be careful how much information he gave over the phone. The people that probably had her, if she was still alive, had the means to listen to anything they wanted to hear. “Are you willing to help me find her?”

Without hesitation both men spoke as one. “Yes Sir, we will.”

A slight sigh was heard over the speaker, then, “I’ll have the plane there within the hour. I’ll clear everything with your commander. And men. Thank you.” The phone disconnected abruptly.

“Damn, missing?” Ricochet said in disbelief, then his head snapped up. “He didn’t mention Kong coming along.”

“You know as well as I do he doesn’t want Kong involved with this. You saw the same thing I saw that day we left. He walked away without so much as saying goodbye to that woman. Cannon would probably kick the shit out of him if he saw him.”

Boomer wanted to kick his ass. Not just for hurting her, but for ignoring their friendship with her. They had never had the opportunity to say goodbye and now it looked as if they would never see her again.

“I’m not gonna disagree about that. But he’s gonna wanna come, you know it.”

“I know. Come on, we have to pack up, then break the news.”

“Boomer? You think she’s still alive?”

“I hope so buddy. But if she’s not, I’ll kill whoever killed her. That I promise you.”

Ricochet nodded his agreement as they walked out of the office. Both had felt a surge of panic when they heard Cannon say Sam was missing, but training had them reacting calmly and coolly. Neither was cool when they hit their barracks, both slammed through the door and headed for their lockers. Because of their high ranking status, the three didn’t have to share a barracks with any other men.

Kong was walking out of the shower when he heard the locker doors slamming against the block wall. “Hey, we headed out somewhere?”

The two men looked at each other for a few moments without saying a word. When Kong walked up and crossed his arms then stood staring at them, they knew it wasn’t going to be easy.

Ricochet threw his duffel bag on his cot and slammed his locker door shut. Boomer slouched his shoulders and stared at his feet.

“You better sit down Lowe,” Boomer’s voice was soft and low. He wanted to yell, he wanted to hit something, but it wasn’t going to help her.

“I’ll stand. What gives?” Something had them rattled, no doubt about that. Whatever it was he wanted to know and he wanted to know now.

“Cannon called,” Boomer said evenly.

Kong felt his blood drain from his face. Gauging by their reactions, it wasn’t good news. “Go on.”

“Sam’s missing. She was working a case and he lost contact with her three days ago. He asked us to help him find her.”

The floor dropped out from under Kong. He felt his legs start to give and caught himself before he hit the floor. Missing. How could Sam be missing? She was too good. She was well trained. She had her spirit guide. How could she possibly be missing?

Bright white light flashed in his eyes as his heart sped up then nearly stopped. It took every fiber of his being to gather himself to speak. “Cannon asked you two to help?”

“Yeah. We both spoke with him,” Boomer said quietly.

He knew why Cannon didn’t call him. He’d seen her on the runway that morning. He could see her mouth moving as she yelled. He had watched as she dropped to the ground in the pouring rain and her uncle ran to her side. The man didn’t want him near his niece. Well that was too damn bad.

Kong turned away from the two men and went to his locker. His vision still wasn’t clear and his heart was racing but still he managed to pull his duffel from his locker. He didn’t give a damn what Cannon thought. He was going after his Sam.

“You think it’s a good idea you go?” Boomer asked from across the room.

The loud sound of metal hitting mortar echoed through the room. He’d have to put up with it from Cannon, but he shouldn’t have to put up with it from his two best friends. “Why?” he growled.

Boomer’s temper was rising. He’d been angry with Kong for some time. Now that Sam was missing he couldn’t control it any longer. “Why? Maybe because of what you did to her. You think we didn’t see her that morning? You think we don’t know that you walked out of her bed without telling her you were leaving? We would’ve liked to say goodbye to her ya know. You may have been through with her, but she was our friend!”

Boomer balled his hands into fists. He’d never forgive him if she was dead and they never got to say goodbye. Ricochet echoed Boomer’s feelings. He missed the sassy little thing and not getting to tell her that bothered him. Now he may never get to.

Kong spun around and faced them. His face flushed with anger. “You don’t know anything about it!” he yelled. “What the fuck do you know about anything?”

“I know she was in love with you. Hell, even Ricochet knew it back in the desert. You used her like she was one of your sluts from a bar, then walked away! That’s what I know!” Boomer was losing his control. He wanted to hit something and right now. He wanted to hit Kong.

When Kong started marching across the room toward Boomer, Ricochet stepped up next to him. He’d have to take them both on, because they both felt the same way.

Kong stopped toe to toe with Boomer. “She is no slut and I didn’t use her damn it!”

“Then what do you call it? Showing her a good time? My God Lowe, she trusted you!” Boomer’s voice grew louder. “She trusted you and you threw it back in her face! How many people do you think she’s trusted in her life?”

The words struck like a fist. Kong’s head snapped back, his eyes softened. She had trusted him. She told him about her childhood, about her gift. She willingly gave him her body, when she so obviously hadn’t shared it with many others. How could he have been so stupid? The only other person that knew those things about her was her uncle. She had no one and yet she trusted and loved him.

Kong ran his hand through his hair. She loved him, he knew it, but was so wrapped up in his own feelings that he didn’t see what she was offering him. Love.

“You don’t know what love is do ya Lowe?” Ricochet could see it in his eyes. He knew his background, knew that he wasn’t loved by anyone as a boy. Love was nothing to him. “You never had no one to love you, so when it came, you freaked. That’s it isn’t it?”

Kong paced back and forth. All the emotions and feelings he’d pushed aside a month ago came rushing back. The need for her touch, to see her, to hear her laugh, to see her smile. His stomach twisted hard, causing him to double over. He’d lost her. He was given a precious gift and he had tossed it aside.

“We have to find her,” he said with a choked, strained voice. “I have to find her.” Those words came back like a sledgehammer in his head.
Her journey isn’t over yet. Protect her
.

This must be what the warning was about and he’d screwed up. He’d left her. Run like a frightened child. Boomer went to him then and shoved him down on his bunk. He paced back and forth in front of him, running his hands over the top of his head. What a mess, he thought to himself. If he’d realized that Kong didn’t know what to do, he would have talked to him. But being the good friend he was, he’d stayed out of it. Now look what happened.

“My stomach, it feels like I’ve been punched. You didn’t sneak one in did you?”

Boomer looked up at Ricochet both shaking their heads. “That’s called love Lowe. You just found out that the one person in this world you love is missing and your soul is reacting.”

Boomer and went to his locker. “You better get packed. The plane will be here in less then forty-five minutes.”

When he was packed, Kong went to the runway and sat. His mind played over the last night they spent together. How he wanted to tell her how he felt, but couldn’t. How she felt wrapped around him. The sadness in her eyes when she realized he was leaving, yet she never pleaded with him to stay. She thought he just wanted an affair, so she settled for that.