Blind Loyalty by M J Marlow (ebook reader wifi .txt) 📕

it back. He didn’t want to get Joanna in trouble. “She’s like a little sister to me.” He was relieved when the anger left the man’s eyes. “Thank you for bringing me the reminder, boy,” James nodded. “When you see Joanna, tell her that her father is missing her.” Aidan nodded and left the estate as quickly as he could move. He went to his father and told him what he had done. Murphy unwrapped the package and inside was a golden charm bracelet with five heart-shaped lockets dangling from it and five one hundred dollar bills. Innocent looking enough, Murphy thought, as he made a call. A man from the Aerie arrived to examine it closely. The bracelet contained micro-transmitters and bugs and the bills had been impregnated with a nasty little drug that would have made anyone who handled them very sick. Leighton would have been able to hear everything going on around Joanna if she had received the gift intact. The locket was wrapped up again after the additions were removed and the money was destroyed. “You need to be careful around that man, son,” Murphy said as they left together. “We’ll stop by the Castle and drop this off.” They drove to the Winbourne house and Murphy went inside. He talked to Adam and the Judge for several minutes, explaining the situation, and then Joanna was called. “Your father stopped by my office with this gift for you,” he lied to her. “Happy Birthday, Joanna.” “Thank you, Sheriff Murphy,” Joanna smiled up at him shyly. She took the package out onto the porch and sat on the swing to open it. When Adam followed her, he found her in tears. “It was Mama’s.” Joanna smiled softly as she ran her finger along the bracelet. She remembered Hannah letting her play with it when she was little. She saw his face and laid her hand on his arm, looking at him in concern. “I gave this to her,” Adam said as he remembered the day; “when your brothers were born.” He pulled her into his arms as she started to cry. “She had it all those years.” He showed her how to open the tiny lockets that were the charms. One held their wedding photo, one was a baby picture of Patrick, a third was a baby picture of Ryan, and the fourth was Joanna’s baby picture. “What is this one?” he asked as he opened a fifth locket. A slip of paper fell out and there was a picture of Hannah. He sat staring at it for a moment and then he picked up the slip of paper. “I thought I knew what I wanted, Adam. I was wrong. Please forgive me. Your Hannah.” Joanna had always wondered why her mother was so sad. She leaned against the man as they grieved for Hannah. Her mother had found out too late what Leighton was like, Joanna realized. Joanna had another flash of memory. That’s why her father had kept her mother locked up in that room, she realized. She saw the questions in the Major’s eyes and knew she couldn’t keep what she had remembered from him. “She was more a prisoner than a wife,” she told him honestly. “Whenever I went to see her, they had to unlock the door. She was always so happy to see me,” Joanna smiled at the memory. “But I was never allowed to stay long. Father told me she was ill and needed her rest.” She looked up at him with pain in her eyes and a little anger. “Why does he hurt people like that, Major? He was supposed to love us.” Adam could bear to hear the pain in her voice and he held her closer. How could that bastard have raised a child to never know the fullness of a mother’s love? He had read the files they had on the man and the turnover of the employees on the estate told him plenty. Anytime his child got close to someone, they were shown the door. James had not wanted her to be close to anyone but himself so he could mold her into the person he chose her to be. But he had not counted on the fact that she would be stronger than the mother she was only given restricted access to. Hannah had fallen for Leighton’s lies and given up everything she had to become that bastard’s wife. Joanna was questioning his lies and determined to find out the truth. “Get some sleep now, child,” Adam said as he helped her to her feet. “We’ll talk more tomorrow.” His phone rang as Joanna went inside and he moved down the walk to take the call. Joanna heard him curse and turned to see him running for his Jeep. An hour later, he entered the complex and stormed into Braxton’s office. “Suppose you tell me that again in person, sir. I don’t think I heard you correctly.” “It just came over the wire, Jeffries,” Braxton replied. “Leighton has been given the ultimatum. He either delivers what he has promised his ‘buyer’ or there will be repercussions.” He ran a hand through his short spiky hair and cursed. “He is dragging his feet, citing ‘personal concerns’.” He did not look amused. “Our operatives are going to have to abduct Joanna.” “No!” Adam protested. “She’s been through enough at that bastard’s hands already!” He was insistent. “He’s already tried to poison her twice, sir!” “I’m sorry, Jeffries,” Braxton replied tightly; “but it has to be this way.” He pressed a button on the intercom and two men stepped in. “Make the Major comfortable in one of our ‘guest’ rooms, gentlemen. The operation is at too critical a stage to let his sensibilities endanger it now.” “Damn it, Commander,” Adam hissed as he rose to his feet. “She’s just a child! Can’t you find another tool?” “She’s all we have at the moment, Jeffries,” Braxton stated firmly. “She will be kept close to hand by our operatives. She won’t be harmed…” “You can’t be certain of that,” Jeffries spat at him. He fell silent and a deadly chill filled the room. “If anything happens to her, Commander,” Adam finally said in a voice that could chip stone, “you will be accepting my resignation.” He turned on his heel and left the room without a further word. Joanna wandered down to the pier after Adam left. She did not see the men coming towards her and neither did the young man stalking her. George watched her a moment, enjoying the sight of the pretty girl bathed in moonlight, and then he deliberately stepped on a branch. The noise sounded loud in the stillness and she turned and saw George coming towards her. Joanna clenched her fists and prepared to hurt him. The look in his face was definitely set on doing her mischief. It was the liquor fumes on his breath, however; that really disturbed Joanna. “You’ve been refusing me long enough, Joanna,” he said as he came towards her. Joanna backed away from him and he laughed. “You and I are going to come to an agreement, little girl.” “The only agreement I want,” Joanna snapped at him, “is that you will leave me alone.” She could see he was not listening. “I will talk to my brothers about you.” “As if those two scare me,” George sniffed. He continued coming at her and Joanna ducked under his arm and ran for the house. He caught her hair and yanked her back. She hit the ground hard as she fell and bit her lip as she felt a bruise forming on her thigh. George was on top of her then and she struggled to push him off as he tried to kiss her. “Don’t be shy, Joanna.” Joanna slapped him and he slugged her across the face. “You’re going to like being my girl.” “Get off of me!” Joanna screamed and struggled. “I don’t want you!” George was not listening. Joanna shifted her position and brought her knee up as hard as she could. He hissed and slammed her head onto the ground. Joanna got her hands free and drove her fists into his eyes. George backed off and then came at her again, roaring in anger. He slammed her up against a tree and clamped his lips on hers as she kicked and struggled. She heard the rip of fabric and his hands on her shoulders holding her down. She winced as his nails raked across her skin as she fought him desperately. He was going to hurt her, Joanna’s mind screamed; fueling her need to get him to stop. But he countered every move she made and her head was spinning from his blows. But then, just as she began to fear he would get his way, the kissing, clawing monster was gone. Joanna saw him lying on the ground unconscious and saw three tall dark-eyed men dressed in black suits looking at him in disgust. They turned to look at the terrified girl struggling to remain conscious, as the realization of what she’d nearly been subjected to hit her. “Your father wants you to come home, girl,” one of them said gently as he stepped towards her. Joanna backed away from them and looked towards the house. “If you scream,” he said just as she opened her mouth to do just that; “we’ll have to hurt whoever comes to help you.” It was too much for her then. Joanna gave one small cry of despair and collapsed at the man’s feet. Joanna woke up as they drove through familiar gates and looked at the tall solidly built Hispanic men seated on either side of her in fear. Like the driver, they were all wearing black suits. She had been abducted, she realized, and was back on the estate so many people had worked to get her off of. She bit her lip to keep from crying as the car pulled up in front of the house and she was taken inside. Her father looked up as she was shoved into the Study, and saw her bruised face and her torn clothing. He glared at the men as she ran to him, sobbing. “Did they do this to you, child?” James asked as he looked at her face. She shook her head but wouldn’t talk about what had happened. He looked at the intruders. “What do you want?” “Our employer has heard what a brilliant chemist you are, Doctor,” the man who had led the raid said coldly. “You are going to design some drugs for us.” He yanked Joanna away from James. “Until you do my men and I will be keeping your pretty daughter under lock and key upstairs.” “You can’t just walk in here,” James said tightly as he saw his daughter looking at the men and him in shock, “and make demands like this!” “Refuse us, Doctor,” the man broke in coldly, “and you lose your pretty child.” He turned to Charles who was hovering in the doorway. “Show us to a room upstairs. Something small and easy to secure.” “Take Joanna to her mother’s old room, Charles,” James told his man. “I’ll be up later to explain…” “There will be no contact,” the man broke in, “between you and your daughter.” He looked at Joanna and watched her struggling to understand what was going on. The shock had worn off and she wanted explanations. He was very impressed by the child. “You’ll see each other when you’ve finished your work.” “Do as they say, Joanna,” James told her. James looked at his daughter’s face and saw the confusion and the fear there. He came around the desk and took her in his arms. He looked down into her eyes kindly and she calmed down a bit. He kissed her on the forehead. “No one is going to hurt you.” Joanna