Password to Her Heart (The American Soldier Collection 9)

“I don’t know. I’m on my way. The police should be arriving.” Just as Tex said that, Lee heard the sirens and saw the police. The sports car quickly headed back onto the main road.

“Tex, I won’t be at the hospital. There was a car I thought was following me. I’m going to follow it now.”

“Be careful, Lee, and call me for backup. Sandman is involved now, too. Shit!” Tex exclaimed.

* * * *

“What the fuck do you mean someone took her? Who was it? Chavez’s men?” Mercury asked Tex over the phone. Stitch and Tiek were standing there looking shocked and angry.

“I’ve got men in the hospital now going over the surveillance tapes. We got a license plate on the vehicle and Lee is following a car that he believes was tailing him. They shot a bullet into Keith’s pillow, Mercury.”

“That’s probably how the bastards got her to go without a fight. What are we going to do? Where should we meet you?” Mercury asked.

“Head this way, toward the hospital, and I’ll call you if anything changes or if we get a lead on her. I should have seen this coming. I should have known that something was up when I had that feeling in my gut,” Tex told him.

“You weren’t the only one who had that feeling. It was more than just us falling in love and feeling vulnerable. It was that instinct that kept us alive when we were in the field facing danger. You do whatever you need to do to find Shawna. We’ll be there soon.”

Mercury explained to Tiek and Stitch about what was going on. Tiek slammed his fist down on the island in the kitchen.

“Fuck. He’ll kill her. She’ll go through hell again, and then the fucker will kill her to get back at Keith, at all of us.”

“Calm down. I’m not going to let that happen. You two grab the gear and the guns,” Mercury told them.

“Why?” Stitch asked.

“Just do it,” Mercury said, and as they left the room, he ran toward his bedroom to grab some things he needed. He called Calico, their ex-commander.

“Calico, Chavez and his men have Shawna. I need your help. I won’t let them destroy the only family I’ve ever had. I need to do something. You have to help me.”

* * * *

Lee wasn’t surprised when the black sports car veered off the highway and onto the exit for the private airport. Of course they were going to join the assholes that took Shawna. But he had to be sure he didn’t just go on some wild-goose chase. He needed proof.

He parked along the perimeter of the building adjacent to where the sports car parked. Two Hispanic men got out of the car, pulled small travel bags from the trunk, and then locked the car up. Lee texted the license plate to Tex. He carefully made his way around the building, pissed that all he had was a small firearm on his ankle. He pulled it out and carefully moved closer. The moment his eyes locked on the dark sedan, he saw Shawna being pulled from the vehicle and he lost it. He texted his location to Tex, and told him to hurry.

Just as the two men approached the three men with Shawna, he saw Shawna shaking her head and planting her feet into the ground as they pulled her along. A second later she started swinging.

“Fuck.”

Lee pointed the gun and aimed at the tall guy with his revolver out. If he took him out now, that would almost even the odds. He took the shot, the guy went down, everyone turned, and Shawna ran.

Lee bolted away from the wall and headed toward them, running at full speed. A few shots whizzed by his head, and he ducked and rolled then saw the one with the gun shooting. He took another shot, pissed that he didn’t carry his Glock.

As he headed toward Shawna, men grabbed her and stopped her from running. Someone turned and shot at him. Shawna saw him and screamed out his name just as another shot went off and hit him. He fell to the ground then quickly got up. He grabbed his arm. A flesh wound. In the distance he could hear the sirens blaring, and he looked up in time to see Shaw

na fighting off the other men. One hit her with something. She faltered and fell to the ground. She looked enraged, and as the guy pointed the gun right at her, Lee yelled out her name just as she kicked the gun from the man’s hand. She fell to the ground and grabbed the gun as Lee got himself up despite the pain in his arm and headed toward her. He couldn’t use his gun. He was helpless, but the need to get to her was intense.

She continued to fight the two men. One guy grabbed her by her hair and started pulling her toward the car again. She swung at him and then Lee heard tires squeal. Police cars and unmarked cars pulled onto the scene just as Shawna punched the guy and a gunshot went off. Shawna fell backward, hit the car, and slunk to the ground.

“No! Shawna, oh God, no!” he cried out. He made it to her as the police grabbed the other guys, including the one that shot her. She was bleeding from her shoulder. He placed his hand against her cheek as Tex and Stitch fell to their knees beside them both.

“Oh God, baby, are you okay? Shit, she’s hit, Stitch, and so is Lee,” Tex stated, pulling Lee over to sit beside Shawna.

“I’m fine. It hurts really bad, but I’m fine. I thought they shot you. I was so angry,” she told Lee. He leaned over and kissed her. She cringed and was crying.

“Rest. Let’s apply some pressure to the wound. Tex, you apply some to Lee’s wound.”

“I’m fine. It grazed the skin, I think. I just can’t really move it. Take care of Shawna,” Lee said.