The Current Between Us (43 page)

As Gage took a step back and let everyone work, relief coursed through him. Relief the government agreed so easily to his terms, and relief that the capture ended successfully with no harm to his people. Funny, how a week and a half could change a person. He would have given them anything they asked in order to keep Trent safe. They had him by the balls and didn
’t even know it.

Gage took a moment, standing in the middle of the command center breakdown, to send a text to his head of security. The weak signal required he stand with his phone stuck in the air, but it finally went through. He used their code to let Hopkins know phase one completed with everyone intact, they were moving into phase two. He got an immediate text back assuring him Trent and the children were inside their home, safe and sound. Hopkins beefed up security surrounding the Cooper house in case Abdulla
’s apprehension triggered an attack on the family, but so far nothing had changed in the neighborhood, and again, staggering amounts of relief poured through him.

General Porter caught his attention signaling departure time. Gage followed the general to his jeep, where he was driven to a secret location. They left the region in a secure military airplane. Porter thrived in the environment, shedding the dignitary role and garbed in his fatigues. Seeing him from this side, Gage had a whole new respect for the man who seemed to crave being back in the trenches with his men.

Once they were in the air, he got a little bit better signal and finally received confirmation from Hopkins that all his men in the area were in retreat mode. The military had never beaten them to a target before. This was a first. They were retreating and regrouping, waiting to hear from him. Gage sat casually in the airplane, wondering what that conversation might be like. How could he tell these men who’d worked so hard for him, he’d abandoned the report for his boyfriend? A grin spread across his face at the thought, and he swiped his finger across the cell phone screen until Trent’s photo came up. This particular picture never ceased to make him smile, and he thought about how in love he found himself with this wonderful man.

The plane ride to El Paso seemed to take longer than the extradition mission. Once landed, the entire team drove in caravan style to the secure location holding Abdulla. Dust and sand caked everything in this drought-ridden location. The farther they drove out of the city, the more tumbleweeds and dust bowl conditions they encountered. Porter spent his time studying the information Gage supplied them, occasionally asking a question, and Gage answered, but that was all he gave in the way of communication. His mind focused on exactly the best way to confront Abdulla. He
’d decided hard and firm was the best approach. Abdulla needed to know he didn’t mess around and he meant what he said.

As the detention center came into view, Gage watched the stark white building take shape in the distance. Gage took a minute and centered himself. He was going to have to look the devil of a man straight in the eye and intimidate him enough to make sure he never opened his mouth about Lynn, Hunter, or Em.

Guard shacks dotted the landscape around the highly secured detention center. Armed military guards patrolled both the grounds and the rooftops. Every few hundred feet there were elevated guard booths, high in the air, with assault-style weapons trained on the yard and the building. No one got in or out unless they were authorized to do so.

Gage
’s convoy entered through a remote location toward the back of the center. Even with the clear markings on the vehicles, no one was allowed entry without proper formal protocol taking place. Every one of their IDs were checked and scanned. They drove straight to the back of the facility, and used a private door to gain entrance. They held Abdulla in the maximum security portion of the center, but to Gage the entire place felt maximally secured. He couldn’t see anyone making a step in the wrong direction without fearing for their lives. These guys weren’t playing at all.

The deeper in the center they got, Gage watched the size of the officers grow. The military officers protecting Abdulla were massive and stood about every twenty or so feet, lining the stark white hallway. Gage was taken from security point to security point, ID
’d the entire way. He stayed quiet, and the deeper he got in, the more glimpses he got of Abdulla sitting in a room from the many monitors stationed at the check points along the hall. Apparently they weren’t taking any chances with Abdulla. He stayed under constant video surveillance. His arms and legs were still chained and the chains were locked to the floor where he sat.

“
He hasn’t said a word or resisted anything,” a guard said to Gage who stood watching the LCD monitor outside the interrogation room Abdulla sat in.

“
Nothing?” Porter asked.

“
No, sir, not a word,” the guard said.

“
Has anyone tried to speak to him?” Porter asked.

“
Yes, sir, his rights were read to him. He was told he is a prisoner of the United States, and he hasn’t responded or said anything,” the guard replied, handing them back their identification.

“
He hasn’t spoken in a month. It’s the vow of silence,” Gage added to the conversation.

“
What’s that all about?” Porter asked, staring at the screen now.

“
I don’t know. It was a surprise to us too. We found nothing that would have led him to this spiritual journey,” Gage said, itching to get inside. The guard picked up his hand-held and began the steps to get General Porter and Gage inside the room. There was another long hall lined with armed guards and a massive set of doors locked from the outside, with two armed guards standing outside the doors.

“
Then I doubt he’ll say anything to you,” Porter said as they walked toward the doors.

“
I have to try,” Gage said as they got to the doors.

“
We need the video feed turned off,” General Porter said to the men standing in front of the two massive doors.

“
Sir, we can’t, it’s against policy,” one of the two officers said, never looking at either one of them. “And, sir, civilians aren’t allowed inside the room at any point.”

“
Young man, I do not need you to explain procedure to me. Turn the monitors off. Remove your men from the room, and that’s an order from the President of the United States.” There seemed to still be some hesitation which Gage found he appreciated. If they kept this attitude with Abdulla, he might not ever see the light of day again, which meant good things for Trent and the children.

“
The order just came through. Sir, we would like to keep the monitors on, but the sound off in order to be available if you need us,” a guard from behind a desk said as he came to the front of the desk. Porter looked over at Gage, and he nodded his approval.

“
It’s fine. Let’s get this done,” the general said.

“
Yes, sir.” The guard who kept them from the room dismantled the security of the door and opened it, allowing General Porter in first and then Gage. The room’s dark gray steel walls were in complete contrast to the bright white of everything inside the building. A table stood in the middle of the room with two chairs on either side of it. Abdulla sat in one, chained to the floor. He no longer wore his robe, but sat in his own clothing of elastic waist cotton long shorts, and a tank top style undershirt. Without the hood, Gage could see Hunter more clearly in this man. He was dark headed and his face shaven. Even with the plastic surgery of the last few years, Abdulla was still a very handsome man. He could see how Lynn fell so hard for him. He just couldn’t understand how he’d hidden the evil. It seemed to radiate from him as he sat staring at the wall in front of him.

When Gage got approval, he stepped farther inside the small room. The MP stationed at the door received his orders to leave, and with a look of uncertainty, he left, shutting General Porter and Gage inside the room with Abdulla. Porter stayed at the door, but Gage moved forward and walked a full circle around Abdulla. After a minute, he stopped in front of the guy and took the seat directly across from him, studying him closely. One thing about the way his reports played out, he rarely got this close up and personal with the suspects. This was different for him.

He took a minute to gather himself, but the entire time, he stared at Abdulla who wouldn’t take his eyes off the wall behind Gage. After a minute he scooted into his line of sight, but even then, Abdulla wouldn’t focus on him. His eyes were blank, staring at nothing.

“
I’m going to cut straight to the root of my reason for being here, Ahmed Abdulla, aka Benito Bugiardini, aka Rennie Depaul, aka Aaron Adams, Emalynn and Hunter’s biological sperm donor,” Gage said, and paused as the full weight of Abdulla’s gaze moved to Gage’s eyes. He never said a word, but the stare spoke volumes as hate shot out at him. Gage stayed firm, unmoved by the evil glaring back at him and continued. “Yes, there we go, much better.”

Gage let the words hang there a minute while he looked back at Abdulla before he continued.
“Let me tell you how this is going to play out. You’re never going to breathe a word about Lynn, Hunter, Emmie, Trent, or Sophia, and in return, I’m going to make sure those kids have functional, healthy lives, never knowing what their bio dad did to this world.”

Gage leaned in across the table as Abdulla continued to stare at him, not saying a word.
“Now, let me tell you what’s going to happen if you decide to go against my request. Your days are numbered, that’s not ever gonna change, but what can change is how these last few days of your life play out. Now, listen closely, you even say their names and General Porter’s gonna give me a call, then I’m calling Karzai… Yeah, I can see by the look in your eyes, you know where this is going. They’ll be made aware of your part in the massacre of their women, and those male children… I and I alone have the proof you orchestrated the violent attack against those children, even after you took their money to bomb the US Embassy in Afghanistan. Our military prisons are full of Taliban prisoners… Porter here is gonna make sure each of them has regular access to your chained up ass until the day you die. Got that?”

Silence
. Abdulla stared back at him, his expression unchanging.

“
You need to tell me you understand, and you need to know I’m not bluffing in the least,” Gage said, his hands linked together on the table, his gaze never wavered as he spoke, but was met with more silence. They stared at each other for several minutes, before Gage grew outwardly disgusted. This must work… They had come so far, there were no other bargaining chips at his disposal… Gage needed to be able to tell Trent they were safe and mean it. But, then again why would he ever think this slime would grow a conscience and give Trent the peace he needed to get on with his life.

“
You disgust me. I have no idea how those children could have turned out so precious coming from you. You need to hear me and hear me well. You keep your motherfucking mouth shut about them. I don’t give a shit if you keep your mouth closed up tight about everything, but I’m telling you, this government, this prison, won’t be able to stop the hell I’ll rain down on your sorry ass if you breathe their names from this moment forward!” Gage stood, slamming his hand down on the table, trying to do anything to gain a reaction from Abdulla, but the man sat there silently staring at him. “You’re a piece of sorry ass shit, you motherfucker. Let’s go, Porter.”

As Gage reached the door, Abdulla spoke quietly behind him, none of the hate in his gaze reaching his voice. It stopped Gage and Porter in their tracks. Abdulla
’s eyes were still on Gage when he turned back to the table. “My children have nothing to fear from me. Trent Cooper is a good man, raising my children as they should be raised. I’ve been watching. I’ve been watching you, Gage Synclair Layne, as you have watched me. Know you have me to thank for his job in your gallery. As for the children, I don’t want them to ever know of this. I want them to believe I was the soldier who died in war. That’s my condition as to how this will play out.” His accent was thick with Middle Eastern influence, and in a long line of mastered accents, Gage knew this was his real voice.

“
You don’t get a condition, but you’re fortunate, they won’t ever know because it would hurt them,” Gage said, and Abdulla’s eyes cut back to the wall in front of him, again giving his blank stare, saying nothing more. Gage stood there a minute more, letting all the little bombs Abdulla had dropped fill in the silence of his stare. Porter ushered him from the room.

“
You can turn back on the audio portion of the feed,” Porter said to the guard, as the other guard stepped back into the room.

“
Just did, sir,” the guard at the desk said. Porter’s eyes stayed on Gage as he released a long breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

“
You all right, Synclair?” Porter asked as they were escorted out the way they’d come in.

“
Yeah, I guess. It’s hard to hear the person I hate most in the world could possibly be the matchmaker, giving me the person I love most in the world… I need to get to a phone,” Gage said, changing subjects, not welcoming any further conversation on the topic.

“
This way,” Porter said, allowing the discussion to drop. He was led to the administration area of the prison, to a small conference room. The light came on automatically as they walked in and Porter left Gage alone. “When you’re done, open the door, but wait inside. I’m going down the hall to make some calls of my own. I’ll be back to get you, then we’re off to DC to present this case to legal.”