26. I'm His Child
Children are resilient they learn to cope in all situations
Sam and his rouge crew of men crept through the grounds of Edward House, it was a difficult task to get close without being spotted as the land was flat, tree free, and the tower standing two stories above the roof of the building was sure to have someone watching. Their best bet was to move in the dead of night, the four men had spent the last two nights working out where all the lighting triggers were, how the guards moved, who needed to be where and when.
This wasn't a regular government assignment this was personal for Sam he was doing a favour for a friend. A dear school friend from back in the day had called him, asking him to help her get her 13 year old out of her recently defected family home, she was so distraught, and fearful for her son he just couldn't say no.
As well as the sophisticated alarm systems the man had hooked up, they also had to get past the ten guards, four roaming guard dogs and the two snipers. He hadn't asked for even a third of the money this mission was going to cost him, he'd called on a ride or die crew that he was basically paying out of his own pocket, but for him the risk was worth it.
He'd already let her down all those years ago, which was part of the reason this mission was so important to him
Flashback
They were born and brought up in the same neighbourhood, their part of Brooklyn was definitely ride or die, the community kept itself to itself and dealt with its problems internally. Sam's dad was missing, he'd been rumoured to have been shot by Dwight, who was the man on the block back then, for robbing him of some drugs or something, apparently he'd tried to get some money together to get his family the hell out of there, and massively failed.
Nearly 15 years later and Mercy's dad was facing the same fate, the only difference was he wasn't stealing from Dwight to get away, his habit had got out of control, and he was throwing it up his nose faster than Dwight was getting it through. A few of his fingers went first, it was a slow process, but of course the man was hooked, Mercy got taunted at school for her having a crack head dad and his behaviour, they were drawn together because of their like stories, their love for music and her beautiful singing voice, they became firm friends.
That friendship deepened quickly, she was running away from home to get some peace when her parents flew into their drug fuelled arguments, they were both addicted. Mercy could see for both of them it was the pressure of trying to be better for her that sparked the guilt ridden feuds. She often remembered a time when her mother was a mom before her dad's addiction forced the woman into becoming a taster for Dwight. The innocent nights she spent sleeping in Sam's single bed soon moved on to kissing, fondling, and as if by natural progression by the time they even understood what was going on, they were having sex.
They were each other's first in a lot of things and were planning on running away together, Sam's dream was to become the world's best sniper and he was determined to find a way to take Dwight out, for all of them. Mercy had always wanted to sing and get herself as far away from Brooklyn as was physically possible, so they dived into their schoolwork with their dreams firmly planted in their heads.
A year on and her dad had lost all his fingers, an eye and had several scars on his face and chest, he was unrecognisable to be honest and Mercy walked in the house to find him holding her mom's lifeless body in his arms crying telling her it was all his fault. She cried hysterically for a minute before grabbing a bag, the few clothes she had that still fit her and marched out the house, there was nothing else left to stay for, she couldn't take any more of this, she felt like she was going insane. Within the week Sam's mom found out she was living in their home and asked her to go back home, everyone knew what was happening in the streets, Mercy understood the danger she was posing to Sam and his mom, so she went back home.
The next thing he knew a few days later, Mercy wasn't at school, nobody was saying anything, so he went round to their house, he needed to know what had happened to his girl "Where's Mercy" he tapped the sleeping man on the couch he knew was her dad "Mr Jones" he shoved him "Where's Mercy?" he asked again shaking him harder
"Mm" the man grunted
"Where's Mercy?"
"Gone" he started crying, Sam was scared for what was coming next, but he had to ask
"Where's she gone?"
"Dwight took her, she belongs to him now"
"What?" he gasped "And you let him?"
"He was going to kill me" Sam stood looking at the man in disgust, so far he'd let his wife become a damn taster, watched her kill herself because of the pressure of all his actions, had all his fucking fingers and a few toes cut off, an eye blinded, scars all over his face, and he still wanted to live enough to give his daughter away
"You should have let him kill you" Sam hissed at him "Where did he take her?"
"I don't know" he frowned
They were 17 years of age, and she was destined to be the bitch of a drug lord, while her fucked up dad lived his insignificant life. Sam had become more determined than ever to become the best damn special agent in the world, that man needed to be ended for what he'd done to his first love. For the rest of his school life, he lived two very different lives, one that conformed with everything that was expected of him while he lived in the neighbourhood, seeing deals go down, watching people get hurt, killed, addicted even, but when he locked himself in his room he was studying to become a seal, because one day he was going to get her out.
His hard work and diligence got him where he wanted to be he graduated from an excruciating Navy SEAL course and for his first mission he along with his trusted crew successfully stormed a hijacked plane, the 124 passengers terrified as the hijackers walked around stabbing people for being scared, heightening conformity, his enemy became anyone outside of the ten men he worked with. Today he was a total contrast to who he was as a young man, he wasn't even a confident swimmer as a boy, today he was the strongest swimmer he knew, proving there was no harm in overcoming fears and learning new skills.
The planning of any good mission took ninety percent of the time, it had to be done with precision, allowing the minimum amount of time actually delivering the attack, no bullshit questions, recaps, there was no room for error, error meant someone's life, and when that adrenaline started pumping your logical brain had to be up front and centre, no second guessing just planned, instinctive moves, it they were in for more than a minute they'd failed the mission.
His reputation had helped in his climb up the ladder, his crew was loyal and now they were at a point where they'd go off and do a rouge run, just for fun. His guys knew this was off the books, they also knew the target was a 13 year old child, but they didn't know the child belonged to a dear friend of his, and they didn't know that he was trying to make up for letting her down all those years ago, by not being there to stop Dwight from taking her.
End of Flashback
"Mercy" he whispered "It's all going down tonight"
"Sam, I can't thank you enough, I'm so grateful, but please, be careful"
"I'd do this for anybody" he laughed
"Sam" she called his name just like he'd remembered
"Okay, I wouldn't, you're not just anybody" he laughed "I'm entering the mouth of the enemy, I ask one favour"
"What?" she giggled
"Sing our song for me, I'm fed up listening to the track"
"I haven't sung for anyone except Sam in a while" she cleared her throat
I'll always think of you, inside of my private thoughts, I can imagine you, touching my private parts
And just the thought of you, I can't help but touch myself, that's why I want you so bad, just one night of moonlight
Yeah, with you there beside me, all night, doing it again and again, you know I want you so bad, baby (ooh, ooh)
Ooh, I get so high, When I'm around you Baby, I can touch the sky You make my temperature rise (ooh, baby)
You're makin' me high (high, ooh)
"That's all I've got" she laughed nervous for actually singing to him
"That's just how I remember it" he laughed
"Sam" she hesitated "Thank you for doing this, I don't know how to repay you" there was a smile in her voice
"I've got something in mind" he laughed
"As long as you're not going to run off again"
"Is there a future for us?"
"I hope so"
"Your voice is still beautiful, we'll do something about that when I get back" he laughed "Got to go, I'll call you when we have him" he closed the call
Flashback
Mercy
She'd been past terrified that day when she walked in on Dwight and his men stood in their living room, her dad's head pressed against the kitchen table and a sword on its way down to chop off his head, it wasn't that she didn't want it to happen, she just wasn't up for watching it.
Her dad must have seen the smile forming in the corner of her mouth because the next thing she heard was him shouting "I can pay" over and over again, she stood wondering how the hell he was going to pay looking into his eyes waiting for the signal to run "You can have her" his eyes never moved from hers as he spoke
"You're going to give me your daughter?" Dwight asked him
"You can have her, clear my debt and never give me another drop" his voice begging for the trade, Mercy stood looking at him with disgust on her face, gasping for air when Dwight looked at her and smiled
"Okay, I have use" he nodded to the man at the door to grab hold of her
"Dad" Mercy called scared "Dad?"
"It's okay baby, Dwight's gonna take care of you"
"Daddy?"
"Take her to the car" Dwight snapped, everyone looked at the man as he spoke, watching the girl being dragged out, she could tell by their faces this was a new low for Dwight, she went freely, her mother was dead, her dad was nobody to her and Sam was a boy, there was nothing he or his mother could do. She knew her resistance might mean her death, so on the car ride over to the big house she closed her eyes and hoped hard that Sam wouldn't give up on his dream and one day he'd come and find her.
The big house was more pleasant than she'd expected, that first night was the scariest one of her life, she expected to be raped, beaten, or worse but on waking up the following day unharmed she took a walk around the house, which was for all intents and purposes a prison, freely, it became a place where she ate, drank, and slept when she wanted, and Dwight treated her well. He'd brought her new clothes, something she hadn't had for long time, not that she was allowed to go anywhere, but at least she felt human. It was nearly a year after she'd arrived his son turned up, Sam was very much like his dad without the tint of ginger hair, and they were both surprised they got on. It was a while in before they both realised he'd brought her there for his son, sex wasn't forced but it wasn't welcomed either, it was more a chore they both knew was expected of them, five years later she had two children, the youngest from a one night stand Sam had, the child's mother had been killed for suspected cheating.
"Where am I supposed to go?" she looked at Sam wondering what to do, it had been nearly 17 years since she'd been taken to, and locked into this six star prison, and now without any warning she was being told to leave
"I don't care this isn't a love relationship Mercedes, if I ever get married I want to marry for love" he looked at her blank, his father had recently passed at the hands of the same thugs he called his men, and now Sam needed to go into hiding, unfortunately he had no intentions of taking her with him, but the children were going with him and that wasn't negotiable
"I'm coming back for you baby" she smiled nervously hugging her eldest "Take care of your brother" she hugged her youngest child, he wasn't hers, but she'd cared for him all his life, she stood crying as Sam walked away with them, wondering if she was ever going to see them again. She grabbed the bag of money she'd been given and walked for as long as she could before grabbing a cab
"Where to Miss?" the driver put his foot on the gas asking
For the life of her she couldn't think of anyone she wanted to call or anywhere she needed to go "The nearest hotel please" she smiled, she needed some thinking time. Two days later she was still sitting in that hotel room, no wiser as to where to go or what to do, in desperation she caught a cab and went back to her old neighbourhood, surely someone there would know something.
Her family home was just cardboard and rubble now, she hadn't heard it, but she was sure her dad would have passed by now, he wasn't in the best of health the last time she'd seen him and right now, he wasn't someone she wanted to look for "Sam" she smiled passing his mother's house "Stop please" she called to the cab driver, jumping out as soon as the car stopped. She knocked the door and stood back, the place still looked lived in, she didn't even know if Sam had made it out "Mrs Evans" she smiled at seeing the much older woman to what she remembered smiling at her "It's Mercy" she waited for the woman to recognise her "Sam's Mercy"
"Carol's daughter" she held her hand up, it had been a long while since Mercy had heard anyone call her mother's name
"Yes Mrs Evans" she smiled stepping in as the woman moved out the way, not much had changed about the house except Sam's pictures had been updated "Sam's in the navy now?" she turned to ask
"That was about five years ago, he's in some special force thing now, hardly ever comes home, he thinks money replaces his presence" she walked towards the kitchen "Can I get you something to drink?"
"No thank you Mrs Evans, do you have a number for him, it would be nice to catch up"
"You'd be a better woman than me if you could actually pin him down" she laughed walking over to the desk to get a pen "here" she gave Mercy the number before the two women sat down to talk about the past. By the time Mercy left the house she knew if there was nothing else true she wanted her child, she didn't stand much chance of legally getting the youngest but for her child, like Mrs Evans, she was going to fight to the death.
A few hours later she was in another cab on her way back the hotel calling Sam, his mother had bigged him up so much she was praying he could help her get her baby back. The reunion was emotional, somehow she'd pushed all those feelings to the back of her mind, buried them in a dream long lost, but when they came face to face it was clear the old feelings were still there, she couldn't help but notice his chest was wider now, the thin white shirt he had on exposing harden nipples, his chest muscles firm and he had grown even more handsome with age
"Mercy" he walked towards her unable to believe his eyes "I wouldn't believe it until I set eyes on you" he stood in front of her unable to work out what he wanted to do first, she was a grown woman, grown in all the right places, looking just as he'd imagined her, fit, fit, and fit again. Over time work had consumed him too, there had been women in his life, but his job had always meant they felt at risk, and for that reason he tended to be alone "Did they hurt you?"
"I'm fine" she smiled tearfully "I'm fine" she fell into his arms with a sigh of relief as he wrapped his arms around her like a blanket
"You're safe with me, I'm never letting you go again" he held her tighter, his heart beating so fast, he felt like he was about to go on a mission
They sat telling each other about their lives, they didn't know it, but their lives had pretty much been the same, except his goal had been to be what they had talked about so he could one day get her back, while hers was about surviving the life afforded by Dwight, Sam and their crew and praying that one day she'd find a way to get the hell out of there.
"So, where are they?" he looked around the room, too engrossed in their stories to ask earlier "The children?"
"With Sam, he took them, Dwight the youngest isn't mine, but Sam is" she looked at him "And I want my baby back"
"How old is he?"
"Thirteen" she smiled "Will you help me get my baby back?"
"Tell me where he is, and I'll try my best" he smiled "Everything will be alright" his hand cupped her face and pulled her in
"I have a feeling it will be" she smiled, then finally he was kissing her lips again "I wanted to do that when I came in" he smiled, his face turning serious at the look in her eyes before he pulled her back in "Is this okay?"
"Yeah I want to, I need to" her lips touching his ear with every word, they were back in his bedroom 17 years ago, only now there was no fumbling, no hidden bodies under sheets, no rushing in case they got caught, everything was going in slow motion, they'd bared their souls, opened their hearts and now they were offering their bodies making something that had been so torturous beautiful
"Where are you going?" she woke up to see him getting dressed
"I've got you a new phone, ordered a cab for midday, they'll take you to my ranch, you'll be safe there, I'll be back in a few days, with Sam" he walked over to the bed "Then we'll fly off home and forget the past 17 years ever happened" he pulled the cotton sheet down a touch and kissed her shoulder blade "Hopefully there'll be plenty more of that waiting for me"
"Plenty more" she smiled, taking his kiss before watching him walk out the door
End of Flashback
Today was the day, they'd been hanging about in that dodgy hotel room for two days now, eating beans from tins and drinking warm beer, but today they needed focus, so they'd drove 25 miles out and had a proper meal, drunk water to cleanse the system and slept in comfort. They'd given themselves ten minutes for the whole operation from start to finish, expecting to be inside the house for a maximum of fifty seconds
Night came fast, the only word that was actually spoken for the next nine minutes was 'go' after that it was all down to hand movements and facial gestures. They got all the way to the child's bedroom without being detected "Where's Sam" Sam asked the young lady sitting on the bed, signalling for her to be quiet "Where's Sam?" he whispered getting closer to her
"I'm Sam" she sat looking at him
"Mercy Jones' Sam?" he asked searching his mind for a time when Mercy had mentioned she had a daughter, she'd said child, baby, but at no time did she ever mention her child was female, he'd assumed everything "Your mom sent me to get you, my name's Sam" he smiled "Come with me"
"How can I trust you?" the girl sat unperplexed on the bed watching him checking the windows and door
"Because your mom and I are best friends"
"If your best friends, what's my full name" she stopped tapping on her phone and looked up at him
"I'm guessing Samantha" he smiled, will you come with me now before we get caught?"
"What's mom's favourite song?" she asked determined to work out if he was the enemy, Sam could see seconds slipping by
"I don't know" he rolled his eyes "I haven't seen her for nearly 17 years"
"Okay" she suddenly jumped up like he'd said the magic word "Let's get out of here" he rolled his eyes at her attitude, grabbed her to put her behind him
"Jump on my back, and hold on, and don't let go whatever happens" he strapped her legs to his, nodded and they were on their way out of there, it was all too easy "Where is everyone?" he asked when they got back to the cars
"It's Sunday, they went to mass" she informed them, everyone looking at each other smiling
"And left you at home?"
"I'm not Catholic" she looked at him "I'm 16 I do what I want"
"You're 13" he laughed
"I'm 16" she corrected him "You should know when my damn birthday is" she looked at him suspiciously "Are you really Sam Evans?"
"Yeah" he looked at her puzzled, she didn't say anything just got back into her game, he sat looking at her, he had everything for her mother, there wasn't a drop of Dwight in her, maybe she belonged to his son Sam, and by her complexion maybe that was it. They drove for another half an hour before everyone got out the van and into their separate cars
"This is neat" she looked around the sports car
"It's alright" he tapped the music on
"Is this your jam?" she laughed at 'You're Making Me High' by Toni Braxton coming out the speakers
"Jam?" he laughed "You sound like your mom" he looked at her "It reminds me of someone I love"
"You still love them?"
"Yeah" he smiled to himself in the comfort of admitting that
"Alright" she grinned tapping the dashboard, happy enough to start singing
Can't get my mind off you, I think I might be obsessed, the very thought of you, makes me want to get undressed
I want to be with you, in spite of what my heart says, I guess I want you too bad, all I want is moonlight
Ooh, with you there beside me, all night, (ooh baby), doin' it again, and then again (and then again, and then again)
You know I want you so bad, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby (ooh-yeah)..
He sat driving listening to this child sing like another angel he knew "You have your mothers voice"
She looked at him "You really don't know do you?"
"Know what?" he took a second to look at her
"I'm named after my dad" she looked at him "And yeah that might be a bit confusing seeing as there are three of us, but my full name" she looked at him before she carried on "Is Samantha Evans, after my dad, and I am 16"
The car came to an abrupt halt, Sam sat looking at her in disbelief, now he was looking he could see it, his own eyes were looking back at him "You're my child?" he gasped
"Yes I'm your child" she smiled "Hi"
"Hi" he shook his head smiling at the way Mercy had done that, of course she wanted their child out of there, he should have known the second she asked, she was so desperate about it, he started the car up again and drove home, the both of them humming along to the songs as they played
Mercy was standing on the steps as they approached the ranch, she could see them coming from afar "Baby" she held here arms out for her daughter to fall into, Sam stood watching his daughter run to her mother, the two of them hugging tightly
"Mercy" Sam's voice interrupted them
"Oh" Sam looked up at her mother "He knows I'm his child"
"I can explain" Mercy looked up at him apologetically
"New start remember" he smiled "Call this day zero" he hugged the two of them