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Okay, no one panic... I know it's been a while, but I'm finally posting a new chapter. Also, I'm tossing in a brief recap since it's been so long.


Brief Recap: Sonny, Jason and Elizabeth are rescuing Brenda from Luis Alcazar. Elizabeth inadvertently gives their position away while buying supplies. During the next supply run Elizabeth is recognized and captured. During her escape she stabs Luis, Jason is shot and they are seperated from Sonny and Brenda. Alcazar reveals he has a spy in Jax's cabinet. Jax worries about the lack of word from Brenda since her rescue began. Sexual tension is taut between Jason and Elizabeth as well as between Sonny and Brenda, but all four have valid reasons not to act on their feelings. At the end of Chapter 9 Elizabeth is feeling guilty for her actions or lack thereof, Brenda has a breakdown and winds up in Sonny's arms, Jax has a traitor in his cabinet, and Luis is planning on using Elizabeth as a means to his ends.

Back chapters are at my site : Blue Haze and at Beautiful Memoirs.


Chapter 10

Sinking onto his haunches in a thicket of bushes, Jason put a finger to his lips to tell Elizabeth to keep silent.

He didn't have to look to know she'd dropped to a crouch just behind him. He felt her presence like an energy snapping through the air around him. Years of training had honed his senses to take in all of the nuances of the world around him. The slightest scrape of the soles of her boots shifting in the dirt, the soft exhalation of air as she breathed, the faint tang of her fragrance of sun and wind and flower blossoms, the barest of movements caught in his peripheral vision, he could even feel the subtle wave of heat from her skin.

As a warrior, Jason had fought alongside hundreds of soldiers under similar conditions and had felt, heard and sensed the same things about every one them. Although none of them had ever affected him the way Elizabeth did.

Elizabeth had gotten under his skin. She saturated his senses while he was awake and filled his dreams while he was asleep. Two nights ago when she'd dressed his shoulder wound in the barn, it had taken every ounce of his strength not to pull her to him and take her like some wild rutting bull caught in a frenzy of lust.

His long denied desire for her was becoming a torment. In simple self-preservation he became surly and distant, hoping she would return the treatment in kind and withdraw from him. Not that his plan had worked, nor had it eased his dreams. Last night they'd been just as erotic as ever.

This morning they'd made it within a click of Stowson and Jason welcomed the distraction of setting the second stage of his plan into motion. Abandoning their plow horses, they set out on foot. The two mounts had stood forlornly watching them walk away, uncertain how to behave without their harnesses and bridles, but one had finally shook his mane and headed into the woods and the other quickly followed.

Now Jason led them ever nearer to the city and the closer they'd come, the more soldiers they'd seen patrolling the area. It seemed that Alcazar had bought their ruse and was flooding the area with troops to find them.

Jason's goal was to leave one more sign that Stowson was where Brenda was being hidden and then they would head, much more stealthily this time, to the true safe house.

Peering through the bushes, Jason contemplated the three soldiers eating their lunch. Without a doubt they were Alcazar's men, wearing Alcazar's black and red colors, and they looked young and inexperienced - perfect for what he had in mind.

With a tip of his head, he gestured toward the horses tied beside a stream. They were military steeds, bred for speed and endurance. Exactly the kind of horses they needed to make it to the safe house in two days.

Pivoting on the ball of his foot, Jason pointed at Elizabeth and then at the horses. Then he pointed at himself and then at the guards. Elizabeth nodded, understanding clear in her eyes. For a brief instant something else shone in her blue eyes, something that spoke of concern for him and his heart quickened, but then she blinked and the look was gone.

Very deliberately he took a deep steadying breath and then held up two fingers, swung them in a large horizontal arc and pointed to a spot about ten paces beyond the stream.

With a nod, Elizabeth shifted and moved away from him, slipping silently through the undergrowth. Jason watched her go fighting an urge to reach out and stop her. He was sending her into a dangerous situation where he wouldn't be close enough to help her if something went wrong. Letting her go warred with his desire to protect her.

He didn't like this, but they had to do what needed to be done. So with one last look in the direction Elizabeth disappeared, Jason turned and prepared to deal with the three soldiers.

~*~*~

Elizabeth crouched in the bushes near the horses, careful to stay downwind so they were unaware of her presence.

As she waited for Jason's signal her thoughts found their way back to yesterday afternoon. She'd floundered in self pity over her reaction to being taken hostage by Alcazar and Jason's comments had given her a mental and emotional shake.

She'd naively ascribed a certain nobility to the actions warriors took in the line of duty - actions taken to defend the kingdom and protect the innocent. Yet Jason's words had given her a glimpse at a truth that was far less noble and justifiable.

The regret in his voice had carried so much weight and heartache she'd wanted to wrap her arms around him and murmur words of comfort into his ear. Yet she didn't dare.

A silence had hung between them for hours after that and when it was finally broken, neither of them broached the subject again.

A trilling whistle, very much like a bird call, cut through the forest and Elizabeth shifted into action. Creeping low through the undergrowth, she pulled her dagger and headed for the horses.

As she moved, she kept the soldiers in her peripheral vision. At the moment they were looking away from her, distracted by something in the forest. She wasn't sure exactly what Jason planned to do, but she couldn't spare him a thought, she had her own task to concentrate on.

The horses skittered at her appearance. All four of them. One steed had been picketed away from the others and had gone without being noticed.

Elizabeth's eyes went wide in alarm. Four horses meant there were four soldiers. Which also meant Jason was facing one more soldier than he expected.

She had no way to warn him. She couldn't yell without alerting the soldiers to their presence, nor could she leave her task undone to go warn him because their escape depended on her. The only thing she could do was to hurry and hope she could get to him quickly enough to help him.

Her fingers clenching around the hilt of her dagger, she set to work cutting the horses tethers. With two of them free, she paused to flick a glance in Jason's direction. He had already subdued all three soldiers and was tying the men's hands behind their backs.

Then a rustling from the bushes near her caught her ear and as she turned to investigate the noise, a man stepped out of the undergrowth not four steps from her. He was casually cinching his belt and as his gaze swung toward his companions, he saw Jason.

The man was a seasoned soldier; he didn't panic and yell and give himself away. Instead he reached for the bow on his back with one hand while drawing an arrow from his quiver with the other. His mistake was in not checking the area for other enemy soldiers and he didn't realize that mistake until it was too late.

Elizabeth didn't think, assess the situation and plan an attack as much as she simply reacted. Jason's life was in danger and her training kicked in. She moved on instinct, her body remembering the lessons that had been practiced at the academy over and over again until their movements were automatic.

The man had his arrow notched when her foot caught him in the ribs. His fingers released the half taut string as his body was thrown sideways sending the arrow into the ground in front of him. Her surprise attack had worked, she'd caught him off guard and in the few seconds it took him to react, she'd landed a kick to his gut, emptying his lungs of air and doubling him over in pain. It was as if she were in a trance, each move ingrained through repetition - dodging blows, ducking and turning, seeing a moment to strike and taking it. The man staggered from another kick to the ribs and seeing a break in his defense, she spun, her dagger in hand, her arm gaining momentum and power through the arc of the turn so that when her blade hit its target it carried with it all the force of her strength of muscle, body weight and momentum.

The sound is what broke her from her spell. The dull wet thunk was a shock to her ears, startling her back into the moment. Then she saw what she'd done.

Her hand was still gripping the hilt of her dagger and the dagger's blade was buried deep in the man's chest. She blinked, for a moment not wanting to believe what she saw. Then the man groaned and she unwillingly dragged her gaze to his face.

He was younger than she thought. Maybe only a year older than she. Pain laced his features, drawing his eyebrows together in shock and confusion. He was staring at her uncomprehendingly, almost as if he were asking her why she'd killed him.

She couldn't tear her eyes from his face. Then as she watched as his brown eyes glazed over, lost their focus, his face slackened and he collapsed.

He was dead.

Elizabeth couldn't breathe. Rooted in place, her eyes locked on the man she'd just killed, her stomach roiled and she thought she was going to be sick.

Then a hand was on her shoulder and her name floated into her hearing. The voice sounded familiar, yet it seemed far away, muffled somehow.

Something moved in front of her blocking her view of the body on the ground and her eyes traveled upward and she had to blink several times before she recognized Jason. He was gripping her shoulders and began steering her toward the horses. She moved stiffly, unable to resist his lead.

"Elizabeth." His voice was soft, almost soothing, as he took something from her hand. She caught sight of it - her bloody dagger - and felt her stomach heave. Turning away, she ran into the bushes and vomited.

Once she'd finished, Jason's hand was again on her shoulder. This time he offered her his water skin. She took it gratefully and rinsed her mouth. Her hands were trembling and she felt very close to losing control, but Jason was there, with her, silent and strong. She could feel his strength saturating the air around them and clung to it.

"We have to go before we're discovered." It was simple and straightforward and Elizabeth wrapped her head around that one idea. They had to go.

Nodding, she stood on shaky legs and slowly plodded back to the two horses still tethered by the river. Jason helped her into the saddle and untying both horses, mounted and turned to Elizabeth. He gave her a questioning look and she set her jaw and nodded.

Without further hesitation, he spurred his horse forward and Elizabeth followed, not once looking back at the man she'd left dead on the ground.

~*~*~

The safe house sat on a hilltop barely inside Vallejo's borders. It was a securely walled compound and had an unhindered view of the surrounding countryside. No one could sneak up unawares on its inhabitants. They would be seen coming miles away.

It also had a secret entrance via a tunnel whose entrance was hidden at the base of hill in a copse of trees. Once inside the tunnel there were several locked gates to pass through and a steep stairway carved into the rock to climb, but it was possible to get inside the compound without being seen.

Sonny and Brenda were within sight of the manor house perched solidly on its hill, but Sonny was being extra cautious about their approach. They had dismounted and were on a distant slope amid a stand of trees and he was surveying the surrounding area through his spyglass.

There was no sign of enemy troops but he didn't relax his guard. He knew well enough that many missions were lost in the final few steps. It was too easy to relax when your goal was in view.

Beside him Brenda sighed. "A real bed in a real house." Closing her eyes, she moaned in delight. "And a hot bath. I can't wait to get out of these clothes and soak in a tub of hot soapy water."

Sonny turned away from her, gritting his teeth and trying to erase the mental image of Brenda stretched out wet and naked in a tub scrubbing herself with scented soap bubbles.

"Come on." He couldn't bring himself to turn and look at her, not trusting himself to be able to keep his gaze from roaming to inappropriate places. "It's not much further and then we'll both be able to sit in a comfortable chair, eat a hot meal and sleep in a comfortable bed."

~*~*~

The tent was well adorned for a portable structure. It was not as well adorned as it could be as during a prolonged military maneuver when there were plenty of men and horses to pack and carry all of his belongings. However, Luis Alcazar never traveled without the basic necessities due to a King.

Since he was traveling in secret his entourage had been pared down to a bare dozen, the most he felt he could get away with without trumpeting his presence across the lands.

They were currently encamped along Telador's border with Vallejo and Luis was sitting at a small folding table plotting their course on a map. The palace of Vallejo was a five day trek, but Jax's palace was not his destination. Jasper Jax had thought the palace as the obvious destination for Brenda's return and expected Luis to have sent men to try to snatch her back before she arrived.

So Jax had chosen a different location for Brenda's return. Luis pressed his lips together. Jax could have chosen to go to war to secure Brenda's return. However, his plan had been much more subtle and unexpected. If Luis hadn't had a spy in Jax's cabinet, he would have no idea where Brenda was or how to recapture her.

This had turned into a game of strategy and Luis had been given Jax's next several moves. Hardly fair, but Luis wasn't bothered by unfairness. He only was concerned with getting what he wanted no matter what the expense.

So in the morning he would set out across the fields and plains of Vallejo and he wouldn't leave the country again until Brenda was back in his possession.

Outside his tent flap, someone tugged the cord of the bell hanging on his door.

"Come." Luis looked up from his maps and greeted the arrival with a nod.

A man entered and bowed. "Sir, a bird has arrived."

Luis gestured him inside and the man stepped forward and handed him a small tube of paper. He then stepped back, bowed again and exited the tent.

Luis unrolled the slip of paper and his brows furrowed as he read the small print. Carrier pigeon might be the fastest way to send information, but the messages were by necessity, short.

"No word from Brenda. Waiting two more days, then will leave. Wedding to take place within a week of their reunion."

Cold fury bubbled through Luis. No word from Brenda? Surely Jax would have heard something by now. If she'd been hurt in this rescue, he would make Jax suffer. Brenda had been safe and living in luxury while she'd been with him. To steal her away and subject her to such danger was inexcusable.

If one hair on Brenda's head was harmed he'd make them all pay dearly. Jax, Sonny and most especially Morgan.

The wedding however, was another complication entirely. He would have to retrieve Brenda before she was wed to Jax. Not that he had any qualms of stealing another man's wife, but in this case, she would be a Queen and kidnapping a Queen was a much more serious issue than kidnapping the king's paramour. He had no doubt that Jax would declare open war between their lands and the sympathies of neighboring kingdoms would undoubtedly lean toward Jax.

Jax had just ratcheted up the stakes in their game. Luis grinned. The man was a master strategist, but obviously didn't have a clue who he was dealing with.

~*~*~

Elizabeth was numb, as if someone had reached in and scooped out her insides leaving her nothing but skin stretched over empty space. That man's eyes… she couldn't get the sight of those eyes out of her head.

He was staring at her, his horror slowly bleeding away until there was nothing inside them but a blank stare. A dead stare.

She shuddered. She'd killed a man. A young man. Not any older than herself. Had he had a wife and children? Was there a mother and father out there grieving the loss of their son? A wife grieving a husband? Had she turned babies into orphans?

Yet he'd been an enemy soldier who had been preparing to kill Jason and then would have killed her.

However, that thought was cold comfort. A man was dead by her hand, never to laugh, cry, hold his children or make love to his wife again.

Elizabeth splayed her hands in front of her. The blood had long since been washed off, but she still could see it, staining her skin red as a banner of her guilt. As she stared her hands began shaking.

What had she done?

She killed a man.

Then Jason was in front of her, taking her hands in his. She curled her fingers around his. There were so many questions she wanted to ask him. Does the guilt ever go away? Do you ever feel whole or happy again? Do you ever forgive yourself? But no words would come.

His thumbs stroked her knuckles in a comforting rhythm and she found in his eyes an understanding that went beyond words. She knew without question he knew exactly what she was feeling.

Then there was no more need for words. Not now. Collapsing forward into his arms, she gave herself to the emotions she'd been trying to keep tightly under control because she knew Jason would be there to hold her together until she worked her way through to the other side.