Taken! - Bedeviled (A Taken! Novel Book 17) Read online

  TAKEN! – BEDEVILED

  By

  REMINGTON KANE

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  TAKEN! - BEDEVILED

  First edition. April 19, 2016.

  Copyright © 2016 Remington Kane.

  Written by Remington Kane.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  QUOTATION

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  COMING SOON!

  A PLEA

  ALSO BY REMINGTON KANE

  Further Reading: Inevitable I

  About the Author

  QUOTATION

  “A person’s a person, no matter how small.”

  Dr. Seuss

  Join my Mailing List and Learn about New Releases. Also, get access to FREE Books and Short Stories, including The TAKEN! ALPHABET SERIES, THE FIVE STAGES OF TANNER, QUICK – A TANNER Short Story, and A LITTLE OFF THE TOP – A TANNER Short Story. REMINGTON KANE http://www.remingtonkane.com/contact.html

  CHAPTER 1

  The African Nation of Umgawai, Jungle Region, 6:03 a.m.

  Mr. White rose silently behind one of a pair of perimeter guards and shot the man in the back of the head. White’s “silenced” weapon sounded like thunder in his ears, but he knew he was far enough away from the main band of rebels to remain undetected.

  Another shot followed his own. It came from his right. There, MI6 agent Reginald Carter dispatched the other guard.

  Carter and White had met years earlier when they stopped a band of rogue British and American agents led by a spy named Alistair Matthews. Thomas Lawson asked both White and Carter to partake in a clandestine rescue mission, and both men agreed.

  They had watched the guards first, and saw that they tended to stop and talk whenever their routes crossed. That bit of socializing made them one target instead of two, and now there was no one guarding the perimeter.

  Carter moved closer to White and flashed eight fingers.

  White nodded, yes, eight more rebel soldiers to kill and then they could free the prisoners.

  ***

  At the camp, one of the rebels rose after having a dream about an old girlfriend. In the dream, which was based on a memory, the girl told him that she wouldn’t marry him because he would never amount to anything.

  The rebel’s name was Okafor, and he awoke sighing, but then grinned. Once he was paid his share for selling the prisoners, he would return to his town and rub his newfound wealth in the woman’s face.

  Okafor’s bladder urged him up and out of his sleeping bag. He could tell that sunrise was just minutes away. The light glimpsed through the flap of the tent was dim, but growing brighter.

  Okafor slipped out of the tent without waking the other five men and looked over at the smaller tent where the prisoners were being guarded. There were only two rebels in there, but they were armed and the prisoners had their hands and feet tied together.

  Okafor went over to the trees on his right. As he reached for the zipper on his khakis, a hand covered his mouth. Before he had time to react, a sharp blade sliced his throat open.

  Okafor went down and lay at the base of a tree, as his body released urine and blood in copious amounts. As he lay there gasping, aware of his imminent death, he watched as two men headed into the tent he had just left.

  He was unable to cry out a warning, and his last thought was of the girl from his dream.

  ***

  As they neared the temporary camp, White and Carter saw that their count concerning the remaining rebels had been wrong.

  They had come across Okafor’s body, and as they watched, they saw their companions leave the larger of the two tents. It was the tent that held the rebels’ sleeping quarters. Given the amount of blood dripping off his friends’ knives, White knew that the five remaining men who’d been sleeping inside the tent would never wake.

  The two friends were Colonel Jack Beck and Jace, like himself and Carter, their faces and hands were covered with dried mud to help camouflage them. They had all volunteered to go on a rescue mission to free Brendan Ryan, Samantha Ryan’s grandfather. They were also there to rescue a British citizen named Thad Howard, a business partner of Ryan’s.

  Both men had foolishly interfered in the politics of a foreign nation for personal gain and had been left to their fate by their own governments.

  Ryan and Howard’s business interests were seized during a coup d'état that had occurred months earlier. The new government took control of their diamond mines and the two businessmen had sought to regain them ever since. They had joined with Umgawai’s ousted leaders and funded a civil war in the country. When the former government recaptured control of Umgawai’s capital, Ryan and Howard flew to the country to reestablish their businesses.

  The day after they landed, the country was plunged back into chaos by a new faction of rebels. The two westerners were taken into custody not only as prisoners, but as hostages, to be sold to the highest bidder.

  Meanwhile, both the American and British governments had discovered evidence that Brendan Ryan and Thad Howard had conspired with the former government leaders of Umgawai to put the old regime back in power.

  That placed Brendan Ryan in violation of The Logan Act, which forbids unauthorized citizens from negotiating with foreign governments having a dispute with the U.S.

  At the time, the U.S. was negotiating a settlement with Umgawai’s new leadership, even as Brendan Ryan conspired to place the old rulers back in power. The U.S. had formally denounced the old regime, and Brendan Ryan and Thad Howard were in serious trouble.

  Legal difficulties became the least of their worries when they were taken as hostages. The men who had traveled with them as bodyguards had been killed, and they were soon shuffled about from one rebel base to another, depending on how the war raged.

  As the country descended into total chaos, the men guarding them decided to go into business for themselves. They were headed for Umgawai’s northern border, where they hoped to sell the American and Brit to Muslim extremists.

  If Ryan and Howard fell into the wrong hands, they could be used as political weapons of propaganda. That couldn’t be allowed to happen.

  That was where Thomas Lawson came into the picture, and through Lawson, Mr. White and friends.

  ***

  One of the two remaining men in the other tent with the hostages must have sensed something. He peeked out with his rifle leading the way. When he spotted Jace moving towards him, along with Jack Beck, he raised his rifle.

  Mr. White threw a knife even as Carter shouted to Jace and Beck.

  “Down lads!”

  The first man screamed as White’s blade entered his neck. Meanwhile, Beck and Jace hit the ground as a flurry of shots flew over their heads. The shots came from the second man inside the tent. He had slipped out of the rear of the tent and come up behind Jace and Beck. Unfortunately for him, he never saw Mr. White or Carter until it was too late.

>   Carter shot the last guard four times, then placed two rounds into the one with White’s knife sticking out of his neck.

  Unlike their own weapons, the soldier’s shots weren’t silenced. If anyone was in the area, they would soon come to investigate.

  It was time to gather up Ryan and Howard and get to the pick-up point.

  Jace signaled that he was headed for the rear of the tent while Jack Beck moved to the left of the tent’s flap, then lay flat. White gave Beck a nod, and the older man reached up and pulled back the flap.

  When nothing happened, they felt assured that the satellite images had been accurate. There had been only ten men, and they had killed them all.

  “Jace!” Mr. white called out.

  “It’s clear, boss!” Jace answered, then followed with, “but we’ve got a problem.”

  Mr. White and Carter entered the tent while Colonel Beck kept watch. They saw what the problem was the instant they entered.

  It was Brendan Ryan. The elderly man was not doing well and was unconscious. His fellow hostage, Howard, appeared weak, but was mostly dehydrated and malnourished. Howard had been marched through the jungle for days, but still looked pale as a ghost. The only evidence of tanning was the redness on the crown of his head, where he was balding. Carter passed Howard a canteen. After the man had a healthy drink, he spoke.

  “Brendan needs medication; he has a heart condition.”

  “We know,” White said, as he removed a leather pouch from the pocket of his pants. The pouch contained a sterile alcohol wipe and a needle with a liquid dose of Ryan’s heart medication. Once the shot was administered, White helped Thad Howard to stand.

  “We have to leave now.”

  Carter and Jace carried Brendan Ryan outside the tent, as Mr. White helped Howard along. Howard grimaced as he viewed the dead men outside the tent, but then breathed in a lungful of air, as he was thrilled to be free.

  Thad Howard was sixty, but still fit. When White asked him if he could walk on his own, Howard smiled.

  “I’ll run if I have to. Just get me the hell out of here.”

  Jace, Carter, and Beck were discussing the best way to travel with Brendan Ryan. Jace wanted to just get moving and offered to keep carrying Ryan with Carter’s help. Beck was of the opinion that they needed to make a litter out of one the dead guards’ sleeping bags. Beck spoke while his eyes still scanned their surroundings for signs of trouble.

  Mr. White ended the discussion when he transferred Brendan Ryan onto his left shoulder and began walking towards the extraction point. Ryan weighed over 160 lbs., but White carried the burden with ease.

  Jace laughed.

  “You’re one strong old dude, man.”

  “Watch the old crap, Junior,” Jack Beck said, and moved in front of White to take point. Carter took the rear while leading Howard along, and the man asked him for news in a whisper.

  “Who’s in control of the country now?”

  “A new faction called the Riosi. They hate the West. If you hadn’t been taken away to be sold, you’d be dead.”

  “I guess Brendan and I can kiss our diamond mines goodbye for sure.”

  “It’s worse than that. The PM will want to have a word with you, and I was told that he’s not happy.”

  Howard sighed.

  “Yes, we knew the risks, but dammit, those mines were worth hundreds of millions, and now some damn rebels will have control of them.”

  “At least you’re alive. Now stay quiet, we don’t know who might have heard the gunshots.”

  “Oh,” Howard said, and then hunched over as he walked. He was a very tall man, even taller than Mr. White. Howard knew that he would make a handy target for a sniper.

  Fortunately, they encountered no trouble and reached the extraction point in less than an hour. Jace had called ahead and they stepped into the clearing as the helicopter came into view. Two minutes later, they were in the air and headed towards Pretoria, South Africa.

  Brendan Ryan came awake and White held a canteen to the man’s lips. When Ryan realized who was helping him, his eyes were full of questions. White leaned close to be able to hear him. After gathering what little strength remained, Ryan asked a question.

  “My wife and Samantha, how are they?”

  “They’re good, sir. They’re both looking forward to your return.”

  “I risked everything, and lost everything,” Ryan shouted in anguish, the words sounding like no more than a whisper over the sound of the chopper’s rotors. He took another sip of water, and then drifted off. Mr. White wasn’t sure if Ryan had passed out or fallen asleep, but he was still breathing.

  “What did he mean by that?” Jace said. “He wasn’t talking about money was he?”

  Howard nodded sadly.

  “Brendan’s entire fortune was in those mines and he’s spent nearly a year and what money he had trying to regain control. He may still be worth many millions, but I’d be willing to bet that he owes more than he’s worth.”

  “And you?” Jace said.

  Howard smiled.

  “I’ll land on my feet.”

  Carter shook his head.

  “You’ve stepped in it, mate. Trying to overthrow a foreign government is a major mistake. But you’ll find that out when we land.”

  “It can’t be all that bad,” Howard said, “otherwise, they wouldn’t have sent you men after me.”

  “We aren’t official,” Carter said. “This rescue never happened. The British and American governments want nothing to do with Umgawai until the dust settles. We were just lucky enough to get permission to risk ourselves to save you.”

  “Why did you do it?” Howard asked.

  Mr. White pointed at Brendan Ryan.

  “He’s important to someone who is important to me; also, you two could have become an embarrassment politically.”

  Carter grinned.

  “Had there been no way to save you, we would have had to kill you.”

  “Oh,” Howard said, and turned even whiter than he was.

  CHAPTER 2

  Back home in America, it was many hours earlier and late evening.

  Jessica was with Dr. Elena Colt and they were on their way to the home of a serial killer. Dr. Colt ran the vigilante organization known as PREY, and one of her members had captured a serial killer inside the man’s home.

  Several teenage girls had gone missing in the area over the past year and PREY had been actively seeking their abductor. Tonight, Violet Poe came across the man and knew what he was just by looking at him.

  Violet shared Elena’s gift and could spot a serial killer on sight. To her and Elena, such men were as different to normal men as wolves were to dogs. However, if related to such a man, as Elena had been to her serial killer father, they went undetected by them.

  At least, that was Elena’s belief, as the revelation of her father’s true nature came as a surprise to her.

  Jessica parked the car they were using. After a short walk, she and Elena went around to the rear steps of a well-tended suburban home. Elena was carrying a black bag. It was the type of satchel that doctors often used. Although Elena was a doctor, she was not acting as a physician, and the bag contained no medicine.

  Elena removed two pre-assembled kits from the bag, and she and Jessica took out the items from the kits and began putting them on. When they were done, their shoes were covered by plastic booties and their hair was secure inside disposable hair restraints. They also wore cheap, clear plastic raincoats and had filtering masks hanging around their necks. Both of them carried fog-proof goggles and were wearing latex gloves.

  Violet opened the door to let them in and was dressed as they were. Elena winced when she saw the small bruise on the girl’s chin.

  “Violet, you were struck?”

  “It’s nothing, Elena. He elbowed me after I had his wrists bound. I was careless and leaned in too close.”

  Jessica smiled at the girl. She had come to like Violet a great deal and the raven
-haired beauty seemed to return the affection. Violet was devoted to Elena, and the two of them shared a mother/daughter relationship of sorts.

  “He didn’t see your face did he, Violet?”

  “No, Jessica, I had him down and blindfolded within seconds, when he lashed out. It was pure luck that he hit me, but I should still have been more careful.”

  “Have you uncovered any clues to the whereabouts of his victims?” Elena asked.

  Violet nodded her head solemnly.

  “There’s a freezer downstairs... with body parts in it. There’s also a torture chamber behind a hidden door. Why did you want him alive, Elena? He so deserves to die.”

  “I need to interrogate him. He might know something about Prophet.”

  Violet’s head lifted.

  “Then he might also know something about my sister, right?”

  “Yes, dear, where is he?”

  Violet had a twin sister named Viola, Viola shared Violet’s gift, but had gone missing more than a year earlier.

  After donning their masks and goggles, Violet led Jessica and Elena down into the basement to see the horrors she had uncovered. Afterwards, they walked through the home and up a staircase. Violet had attacked the man in his own bedroom and he lay face-down atop the bed, gagged, bound to the four corners of his bedpost, and blindfolded.

  “He can’t hear us,” Violet said. “I taped earplugs into his ears.”

  “What’s his name?” Elena said.

  “Anthony Dalen.”

  Elena walked over and yanked down on the gag. The man cried out and she removed one of the earplugs and told him to calm himself. He did so, likely soothed by the sound of hearing an older woman’s voice.

  “Who is that? You have to untie me before they come back.”

  “Before who comes back?” Elena asked.

  “The guys. The men who did this, now take off the blindfold lady.”

  “There are no guys here, only women, and we know who and what you are, Anthony.”

  “I want a lawyer.”

  “There are no lawyers here either, nor any laws, and you will answer all of our questions.”