Avenging Laura (Special Forces: Operation Alpha)

Chapter 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Laura woke with a start. The nightmares were the worst. She knew she would have them. That was a given with everything she’s suffered through, but it didn’t mean she had to like them.

She was now going on four months after her kidnapping. Sixteen weeks since she’d been freed. She just got both of her casts off two weeks ago and was dealing with physical therapy.

She’d been lucky after everything she’d gone through. She wouldn’t need any more surgeries to repair the shoulder, arm, leg, or pelvic area. Her doctor told her she’d been lucky with the extent of the injuries. She didn’t feel lucky.

Her biggest issue was the fact that she hadn’t been able to be intimate with her own husband. He was patient with her. God he was so patient with her.

When he was home, he would take care of her anyway she would allow him. While she allowed him to rub her feet or massage her hands and shoulders, that was the extent she could allow him close.

Laura was startled when there was a knock on the front door. Looking over at the clock she realized she had fallen asleep on the couch. Cody, Willie, and Ryleigh were in school, and Aurora was at daycare.

It was only noon, so she still had about three hours of free time to herself. Physical therapy this morning had kicked her ass which is why she probably crashed when she got home. She hadn’t even taken her much needed shower that she usually took after her physical therapy sessions.

When she heard the knock again, she leaned her head back and rubbed her face before moving to get up.

“Coming!” Laura yelled out as she got up off the couch.

When Laura opened the door, she inwardly cringed when she saw Fiona and Summer at the door. She plastered a smile on her face and greeted them.

“Hey, guys! This is a surprise. What’s up?”

“Told you we should have called before we came,” Summer Reeds quipped as she winked at Laura.

“Yeah, and she would have made an excuse about plans and hid her car.” Fiona Knox smirked at Laura who cringed visibly knowing she’d been caught.

“It’s not that I’m not happy to see you…” Laura started as she stepped back to let them into the house.

“It’s that you’re not wanting to admit you haven’t seen the head shrink doctor yet because you’re stubborn as hell,” Fiona called Laura out.

“Damn it, stop reading me!”

“Have you been to see the head shrink yet?” Fiona stared Laura dead in the face. “Do I need to tell the boys you are bailing on that part?”

“No!” Laura said loudly as she shut the door hard before going to the couch and plopping her ass down.

“Oh, this was on your doorstep when we came up,” Summer said as she handed Laura the familiar envelope.

“Laura, why are you going pale?”Fiona watched Laura open the envelope.

“Fiona, call the guys. These photos are of Ghost, Fletch, Truck, and some older guy.”

Laura heard what Summer was telling Fiona to do, but she couldn’t react. All she could do was stand there and stare at the photos of her newfound father.

There were several photos in this batch. Usually there were about one or two photos in each envelope but this time there were six. The first photo out of the batch was that of her biological father talking with Ghost, Fletch, and Truck out somewhere. The next couple of photos were of him getting into his vehicle or on the cell phone. Probably talking to her since he called her every day. The last three photos were variations of him with his wife and one or two of his kids.

When she finally snapped out of the trance she was in, she looked up to find herself surrounded by Ash, Wolf, Abe, Cookie, Mozart, and Dude. Well fuck a yellow rubber duck.

“This isn’t the first time she’s gotten the photos,” Ash admitted to Wolf and the guys.

“How many others?” Wolf took charge.

Everyone turned to look at her. She lowered her eyes to the ground, afraid to answer that question.

“Laura Renee Pratt MacLeod, how many photos have you gotten?” Faulkner “Dude” Cooper asked when he stepped forward.

“One a week since I woke up from the coma,” she admitted softly.

“But you haven’t been alone…” Fiona started to say until she stopped and looked at Cookie.

“I know you guys have been taking shifts in keeping an eye on me. But you haven’t always been there twenty-four-seven. So, yeah, several envelopes have managed to slip through y’all’s bodyguard duty changes and shit,” Laura huffed as she walked away from the group.

“Where are the other photos?” Wolf followed Laura to sit across from her.

Laura looked up at Ash who nodded and walked out of the room. She leaned back onto the couch and closed her eyes. She needed to figure out a way to get away to keep her family safe. They weren’t safe as long as she was here.

“No!”

Laura’s eyes popped open quickly when she heard Diesel, York, Raso, Sgt. Brocard, and her captain’s voice all at the same time. Well fuck a duck, who the hell called them? She looked around the room at the only ones who could have notified them and landed on Cookie who smirked at her with his shit eating grin. Asshole.

“No what?” Laura grit her teeth.

“You’re not running. You wouldn’t let me run. I’ll be damned if your ass is going to run.”

“How did you know that’s what she was thinking?” Fiona looked between Laura and Diesel.

“Because that’s what she does when things like this touch her. She’s thinking if she disappears then that will protect us. Not just the team, but Highlander, his parents, his siblings, the kids, and even you guys. She’s thinking she needs to martyr herself. I want to see the damn pictures!” Captain Irby called her out as she walked over to Ash to get the photos.

“Don’t you people have shit to do besides annoy the fuck out of me?” Laura yelled, tears streaming down her face.

“Yeah, starting with you. Now, spill before I call your brother and have these boys get word to Joe about what’s going on,” Captain Irby ordered, looking up from the photos to Laura, fire in her eyes.