Rescuing Mattie (5 page)

The next few weeks flew by. Mattie felt like she was in a dream. Jai left early each morning but not before loving her as thoroughly as he had during the night. She spent her days with her dogs, cats, rabbits and ferrets practicing for the big performance that was coming up. She had been warned that it would be dangerous that night and anyone who wanted to stay away could. Jai tried to convince her to remain in her camper where she would be safe but she had to support the clowns who used her furry friends in some of their performances.

Now, as she watched the last act being performed, she wondered if she had made a mistake. The nightmares she had from being held by those males on the warship were just beginning to fade. But as the tension mounted inside the Big Top, those fears came rushing back until she jumped at every noise. Her eyes searched the dark shadows for anything out of the ordinary. She desperately wished Jai was with her but he had been assigned somewhere else.

“Mattie, are you okay love?” Harold asked as he handed her Bandit as he came back behind the curtain.

Mattie nodded and reached for Bandit, slipping her into the small cage beside the cats and rabbits. The dogs all lay quietly around her as if sensing her nervousness.

“I just wish tonight was over,” Mattie whispered.

She looked over to the stands. Her eyes stopped on the man sitting with two unusual women. She shivered as she watched as one of the women looked coldly at the stands where she thought the royal family was sitting.

“At least your dogs didn’t pick up any explosives. That would have really livened tonight up,” Harold said as he patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. We are ready for anything. You just find a nice place to hide.”

Mattie looked at Harold with wide eyes. “Aren’t you scared?” She asked softly looking into his wrinkled face covered in makeup.

“Naw honey,” Harold said looking at the stands. “I was in Vietnam. You don’t get scared of much after that.”

Mattie watched as Harold walked away. There were so many of her friends that she really knew very little about. Her eyes moved back to the stands just as the man stood up and screamed ‘Kill them!’ Mattie watched in horror as men rose and began firing at where Marcus was standing. One minute Marcus was standing, the next he was covered by a huge creature covered in thick scales. Thick, silver scales the size of half-dollars that belonged to Marvin, only it was a Marvin she had never seen before! She stumbled backwards when Martin charged the stands. Turning, she fell to her knees and crawled across the floor until she could curl up under the cage holding Katarina’s tigers. She whispered to the dogs to come to her. They crawled on their belly’s imitating her until they were up under the covered cage as well. Mattie pulled Chia into her lap and shivered as she listened to the tigers pacing and snarling under the covers concealing them.

She covered her ears against the screams and yelling. Images of the males cutting their friend up danced through her mind and she started rocking and humming in an effort to drown out the noise of the fight. She had no idea how long she stayed hidden. It wasn’t until Jo came up and called her name several times that she opened her eyes to stare in terror at the slender
blonde.

“Mattie, I need your help,” Jo whispered. “Please, I need you to get the dogs to find someone.”

Mattie crawled slowly out from under the cage, looking back and forth. “Who?” She asked, her voice trembling.

She watched as Jo pulled a small piece of fabric out by the corner. “Tai Tek. Please, I know your dogs can find him,” Jo said.

Mattie looked at the torn cloth. She reached out a trembling hand and took the piece of torn material from Jo. She called the dogs to her. Giving them a quiet command, she dropped the piece on the ground and watched as they sniffed it. Once she was satisfied they had a good scent, she gave them the command to ‘go find’. Oscar took off running as fast as his little legs could go, the other dogs following close behind.

“Let’s go,” Jo said with a grin as she turned to follow the dogs.

Mattie nodded not saying anything. She doubted if she could over the lump of terror threatening to choke her. She averted her eyes from all the blood soaking into the floor of the center ring. She pushed aside the huge flap of the tent and breathed in a deep breath of the clear night air. She glanced and saw Oscar running toward the animal compound.

They were rounding one cage when Mattie heard Jo cry out as a dark shape came from behind it. She watched as Jo fought against a huge male. He was darker than the ones who had held her but he had the same look in his eyes. They were cold and deadly. She bit her lip to keep from crying out when she saw the male knock Jo backwards. She waved her hand to signal the dogs to move in. If they got a chance, they would attack.

“You will lead me out of here,” the male growled out to Jo. “Dead or alive, I will use you to get out of here.”

Mattie’s head turned when she heard another voice speak softly out of the darkness of the night. “Dead sounds good to me.” A moment later, the male crumpled to the ground, dead from a knife to the back.

Mattie sank down and pressed her body against the side of one of the fences. She bit back the sob that threatened to escape. She was so tired of death. She had never been around so much violence before and to see people actually killing for enjoyment was too much for her. She hated violence. She hated anyone or anything getting hurt. Mattie listened as Jo and Shannon, the young FBI agent that had snuck aboard the warship disguised as one of the crew, asked each other questions. She was about to stand and tell them she had to get out of there, that she couldn’t do this, when the dogs started growling again. A moment later she heard Shannon’s soft exclamation as she drew a gun from her waist and pointed it, firing rapidly twice.

“Bingo!” Shannon muttered darkly.

Mattie screamed and covered her head as a huge male fell forward, dead near the first one. She tried to jerk away when she felt a set of slender arms wrap around her shoulders.

Shannon muttered a curse as she came to kneel next to Mattie. “That bastard has been following me for the last ten minutes playing cat and mouse. I knew if I stopped long enough he would show himself. Hey, are you okay?” She asked in concern when she saw how much Mattie was shaking.

“No, I’m not okay! Ever since I made the mistake of coming to this horrid world I haven’t been okay. Why I ever thought it would be better I don’t know. I want to go home!” Mattie cried out before silent sobs overcame the slender thread of control she had left. She was not cut out for this type of life.

Mattie let Shannon help her up. She felt bad about breaking down in front of the two women who were so much stronger than she was. She pulled her shoulders back and tried to hide her fear and embarrassment.

Mattie sniffed and shook her head. “Take Oscar. The command is ‘Go find’ in German. He’ll find the man you are looking for. Just tell him ‘hush’ and he won’t bay.”

Mattie turned to Shannon making sure she kept her eyes turned away from the dead men. She drew in a deep steadying breath, waiting until she felt like she could talk. She knew she couldn’t ask the other woman to protect her when she was obviously strong enough to help with the fight.

“Go,” Mattie said. “I’ll be fine. I have the other dogs. I’ll find my own way out of the shield.”

Shannon looked down at the younger girl with a frown. She could see how badly shaken she was. Her eyes moved to the dogs sitting and watching their mistress.

“You know, I was trained for this,” Shannon said quietly. “They desensitize you in the Academy. Plus, my dad was a police detective. I was used to hearing about it.”

Mattie nodded, not looking at the other woman. “Thank you,” she said. “They need you. The dogs will see me home. I just… it would be better if I wasn’t in the way. I’m not used to violence and I find it very… upsetting.”

Shannon reached out and gave Mattie a quick hug. “Neither could my mom. That is why it killed her when my dad was killed. Good luck,” she added before she turned and disappeared into the night.

Mattie motioned for Peewee to stay next to her while Polly took up the lead. “Let’s go home.”

Mattie followed the dogs through the maze of cages, animal pens and storage units. She
only had a few more yards to go before she reached the area Ricki and Walter had said the border of the shield was located. She cried out when a figure suddenly grabbed her from behind, holding a sharp blade against her throat.

The dogs growled menacingly as the man backed up against the storage unit he had been hiding on top of. Peewee snarled and pawed the ground with his massive paws. Even Chia was growling.

“You will lead me out of here,” the man snapped. “If they attack, I will slit your throat! Tell them to leave.”

“Go home,” Mattie whispered as the blade cut into her throat. “Go! Go home!” She ordered with a slight wave of her hand.

Peewee whined and moved back but refused to listen to her. The knife cut deeper into her flesh and she cried out at the sting. Her hands went to his arm out of reflex.

“Please! They won’t listen if you hurt me,” Mattie cried out.

“Then I guess you die,” the man growled out in her ear.

Polly, who had been in the lead, had come back around the storage container. She charged the man, biting down on his leg. Mattie had wrapped her hands around his arm and felt it when he jerked backwards. She pushed his arm away from her and fell to the ground. She scrambled away from him as he swung out.

Mattie heard Polly yelp when the man sliced the knife along her left leg. Peewee charged at the man and knocked him back against the storage container with a vicious growl. The man swung around, this time with a laser sword in his hand. He struck Peewee along the side of his face opening a long cut.

“No!” Mattie screamed as she smelled the scent of singed fur and flesh. “Peewee, come!”

Peewee and Polly both hobbled over to her. Mattie wrapped her arms around the two dogs, ignoring Popper, Bouncer and Chia’s yapping and frantic barking. The man looked down at his bleeding leg before looking back at Mattie in fury.

“You and those creatures are going to die,” he snarled.

Mattie’s eyes widened as the man took a step toward her. Her mouth opened to scream when a dark shadow came out of the night like an avenging angel. Jai had heard the dogs barking frantically. He had been battling two mercenaries when he heard Mattie’s scream. A dark rage burst from him and he had cut both men down without mercy as fear flooded him.

“You are the one to die tonight,” Jai said as he struck out.

Jai ignored everything but the male he was fighting. He had to cut him down so he could make sure that Mattie was safe. That was all that mattered to him. She was supposed to have hidden once the fighting had begun. He struck out again and again with cold calculated moves designed to weaken his opponent.

He watched as the male fell backwards. Moving in, he swung his sword across the man’s wrist slicing a mortal wound across the vein. The male’s furious cry rang out in the night. Jai stood over the male as he grabbed his wrist.

“I should have killed the bitch,” the male moaned.

“She is not a bitch,” Jai said coldly. “Her name is Mattie and she is mine. No one touches her but me.”

Mattie turned her head as Jai brought his laser sword down and across the man’s throat. She buried her face in Peewee’s neck. Her hand wrapped in his blood soaked fur. She shuddered but refused to cry. She slowly lifted her head when she felt tender hands cupping the back of her head.

“Are you hurt?” Jai asked huskily.

Mattie shook her head, looking him in the eyes. “No, are you? Hurt?”

Jai’s lips curved slightly as he brushed a trembling hand over her hair. “Only if something happened to you,” he responded quietly.

“You rescued me again,” Mattie whispered. “You saved my life.”

Jai helped her to stand. He looked down with concern when he saw the blood on her hand and arm. He looked down at Polly who was trying to lick Peewee’s muzzle where a long, thin cut oozed.

“I will always come for you, Mattie,” Jai said. “You are my heart. I told you I would never let you go.”

Mattie wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly for a few precious moments before she pulled back. She straightened her shoulders and forced a smile to her lips. She could be strong, just in a different way. She might not be a good fighter but she was never going to be a quitter.

“I need to take Peewee and Polly home to see how badly they are hurt,” she said, taking a step back. “You need to go kick some bad guys in the butt.”

Jai chuckled. “Go, the shield is just a few meters further. I will join you as soon as I can,” he said, brushing a kiss across her lips. “Be sure you are wearing just my shirt when I get home.”

“Always,” Mattie promised. “Be safe.”

“I will,” Jai replied. “Wait for me.”

“Always,” Mattie whispered as she faded away into the darkness.

Jai watched as Mattie walked away. He didn’t turn to leave until he knew she was safely on the other side of the shield. Only then did he return to the fight.

Two years later:

Mattie opened the front door of the large house and looked out over the fields to see what the dogs were barking at. She squealed
with delight when she saw Jai walking through the tall grass that covered their small farm. Pushing the door open, she ran down the steps and across the uneven ground to meet him. The dogs barked excitedly as they raced ahead of her. Jai petted each one before he gave the command for them to go play. His eyes never left the beautiful figure running towards him throughout their enthusiastic greeting.

Jai laughed and opened his arms to catch his rounded mate as she threw herself at him. Mattie pressed wild kisses all over his face before sealing her lips over his mouth. He returned her kisses, deepening them as he pulled her down into the tall grass. He felt like a man dying of thirst who had tumbled upon a beautiful oasis. His hands greedily roamed her figure. He had missed her so much. The last two months had been pure hell. The only thing that kept him sane was his daily conversations with her.

Never again,
he swore,
never again would he leave her for so long.

“You are wearing shorts under my shirt,” Jai growled out as he pressed her into the soft turf. “You are supposed to only wear my shirt when I am home.”

Mattie giggled and cupped his face in her hands. “I would if you were the only one here but your parents are visiting,” she whispered. “I didn’t want to cause your dad to have a heart attack. Besides, I think Jayden is getting a little old for me to be walking around without shorts on,” she reminded him.

“I was afraid of that,” Jai groaned as he pressed his lips to the rapidly beating pulse in her neck. “I knew I shouldn’t have told my parents I was heading back.”

“Nonsense,” Mattie replied laying her head back as his hot lips explored her neck. “They come at least three days a week to see Jayden. Plus, your mom wanted to make sure I was doing alright.”

Jai pulled back and looked down at the swell of her stomach. He gently laid his hand over the growing mound. His eyes widened and a grin pulled at his lips as he felt the movement underneath his palm as their daughter moved. His eyes moved back up to look intently at her.

“You have been ill?” He asked in concern. “You did not mention it last night when we talked.”

Mattie laughed. “No, I’ve been fine. Your mom was just looking for an excuse to see the new puppies as well as her grandson,” she responded before she sobered and searched his face. “How long are you going to be home this time?”

Mattie was worried he would be sent out on another assignment. He had been gone for almost two months on a mission to Elpidios this last time. She had been terrified as it was the longest he had been away since she had come to Kassis. She had missed him desperately even though they had talked at least once a day.

“Forever,” Jai responded, running his hand tenderly along her cheek. “I have resigned my post. I do not want to ever be separated from you and our children again. I have talked to my father and brothers about raising Boshkas with them. They are growing in popularity and we have more than enough room. I thought maybe you could help me train them,” he said quietly referring to the horse-like creatures his family raised.

It took a moment for Mattie to understand what he was saying. When she did she cried out in joy, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling his mouth down to hers. Her life was filled to overflowing. Jai had rescued her and filled her heart with a love that she had only dreamed about back on Earth. The sounds of the dogs barking and the laughter of their son and Jai’s parents echoed in the background as they came closer, reminding them they weren’t alone.

She looked up into his eyes as he pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. “I love you, Jai.”

“I love you too, my Mattie. You are mine and I always keep what is mine,” he whispered. “Forever.”

The End…