O Here We Go

Ok so here goes- Part 2 Thanks once again go to my editor sOrethr0at for all her hard work and superb advice without which none of this would be possible.

Tom's POV

Following our night together, I had so many questions, and yet when I went to the bar after work, I was surprised to find only Kelly there.

"Hi, Kelly, how are you?"

"Oh, hi, Tom," she replied, looking nervous.

"Ok, what's up?"

"Erm, err, I don't know how to say this," she said.

My heart rate rocketed as my heart plunged. "Just tell me, Kelly," I said, perhaps in a harsher tone than I meant.

She turned away and quietly said, "Jess is gone, Tom."

My heart sank. How could this be? How could she do this with no warning at all? Did I scare her that much? Bloody hell. I knew it. This is why I never let anyone close, but I thought Jess was different. Bloody women, just what is it about them?

My heart ached, and my emotions went on overdrive. Kelly came to me and drew me into a hug. "Tom, I don't think this is about you. I know she thinks the world of you."

"Then why disappear on me like this?" I asked angrily.

"Tom, I honestly don't know. She just asked me to cover for her, and she was gone."

"So, does that mean she is coming back?"

"I don't know, Tom. I hope so for all our sakes."

"I let her go." He said miserably.

"Tom, you're not going to do something stupid, are you?" She asked nervously.

"I don't know. I just might." I said.

"Tom, please don't." she pleaded. My head was reeling, running a million miles a minute. My military training taught me that in a crisis, first above all act! Not randomly, but if possible, in a set order of thinking. First intelligence. I didn't know where she was or how long she planned to stay if she planned to return at all.

So, whilst I had time, it was not unlimited. I called some of the few people I knew in the US, including the guy who got me out there. I dialled his number.

"Hi, Shaun, how're things?" I asked.

"Hey, Tom, Kelly said you might call."

"Shaun, can you find someone on a flight manifest for me?"

"Jesus, Tom, that's a big ask, man. That's federal shit, man; they gonna toss our arses in jail and melt the fuckin keys down."

"Shaun, I know it's a big ask, but son, I'm desperate."

"This girl means that much to you?"

"Yeah," I sighed.

"Ok, look, gimme an hour, I can't promise anything, but I know a guy, ok?"

"Shaun, you're a star, thank you."

"Yeah, well, your gonna owe me big time, fella."

"Thanks, Shaun."

I spent the next couple of hours doing research on Costa Rica and reading everything I could find on the important names in Costa Rican society. Oddly the name Sanchez appeared a fair bit. Common name down there could it be the same family.

My phone rang, making me jump.

"Hi, Shaun."

"Hi, fella. Well, I don't know how you do it, boy. How does the shit always find you?"

"Erm, I dunno what you mean, Shaun."

"She's just a girl. A very beautiful, smart, sexy girl, granted, but fuckin hell, she works in a bar for Christ's sake with my girlfriend! Jessica Sanchez yeah?"

"Yeah, that's her."

"Ugh, dear god, don't suppose there is any point in me telling you to let her go, is there?"

"Nope, none," I said.

"I was afraid of that," he sighed.

"Shaun, what in hell is going on? What aren't you telling me?" I was shouting now, angry, worried, and frustrated.

"Tom, Jessica Sanchez, your Jessica Sanchez is the eldest daughter of

Diego Sanchez leader and oligarch of the Sanchez crime family."

"Whoa, stop, man. This can't be right. You are telling me my barmaid is hooked up with one of the largest crime families in South America? I don't believe it. You're mistaken, or someone else is."

"Sorry, buddy, but there is no mistake. It's her. None of us knew, but it's true. When my buddy started looking, all sorts of alarms went off, and the FBI came knocking, then homeland, then the CIA."

Oh my god, how could this be? Had she been she playing me? I didn't think so, but I was hurt and depressed, and despite Shaun's absolutely certain opinion that I should walk away, somehow, I just could not.

God, what a mess.

"So has she gone home?" I asked him.

"Seems so," he said. "But boy, leave it, please leave it."

Point 2 on my list was to form a plan of action. There was a lot I didn't know. Where exactly she was, who else would be there. Was this a rescue mission or an assassination?

And perhaps most importantly of all, did she really mean this much to me that I was seriously contemplating the book's operation in a foreign state? And was I going to seriously be able to take on a heavily armed opponent single-handed like some action movie hero? This was crazy. I knew it was crazy beyond all craziness ever contemplated, and yet I felt driven to at least try and find out if our love was real or fake.

Jess's POV

My heart was a heavy lump in my chest as I sat in the back of a cab. The thought of what I was about to do hung heavy on me. My mind drifted back to that night when I was sitting by the lake that was my quiet place back then.

I never heard the approach of the person who grabbed me from behind clasping a hand over my mouth. I felt my lip start to quiver as I recalled what had happened that night. The terror, the weight of him as he held me down, a knife at my throat. I remembered the smell of sweat and cheap whiskey, and the pain, the terrible pain as he used me.

Later much later I had still lain there a used husk of the happy girl I had been. I determined I could tell nobody about this, the shame it would bring upon me, my family and my father especially was even worse than I had suffered at the hands of my attacker. I also vowed that no man would ever enter me ever again.

Except now I had Tom, and for the first time since that awful night I wanted a man inside me, I wanted to make love with him, be full of him and feel the heat of his cum inside me. There was also the very practical issue of children. Until I had met Tom it was never really a problem for me to keep any of my boyfriends from getting that far. I would just break up with them before things got past casual kisses.

Yet within 24 hours of meeting Tom I was hopelessly in love.

I walked into the palazzo and saw Pappa. I ran over and hugged him.

"You look so well," I said.

"I am much better, my little Jessica, and yet I am troubled."

This, I knew, was not good.

"I hear things, little things that do not please me."

"Pappa, I--" He cut me off.

"Jessica, you are seeing a gringo, aren't you? Do not deny it. I know you are and that you stayed with him only last night. Jessica, I told you I would cut the cojones from any man who laid a hand on you. You must come home now and do as I say."

I was shocked. I was being spied on by my own father.

"Pappa, how dare you?" I started.

"I dare, Jessica, because I will do what is necessary to protect this family."

"Pappa, I do not understand." I huffed. "What is so important that the family of a park supervisor must be protected so and why must you spy on me? I am a grown woman, not a girl. I will see whom I like."

"I have followed your rules until now out of respect for you. But no more, pappa. No more."

"Jessica." He warned in a low tone, but I continued undaunted.

"I am in love, and I want to go my own way with this man. I love him with all my heart, and it is my choice to be with him." I stamped my foot defiantly.

"NO, Jessica, you will obey me. I will say who you will love and when you may surrender your virginity and to whom it will be given. There is much you do not know but will soon find out. You will stay here, and I will teach you, and you will forget this gringo."

I was angry now almost beyond reason and before I knew what I was saying. "Where were you when I was raped?" I screamed at him, You speak of my virginity and yet you lost that, I had that ripped from me, I was 12 years old!" I was crying completely hysterical now.

My father stood, walked towards me and grabbed my arm. His face more angry than I had ever seen it." "You whore!" he hissed at me. I couldn't believe it. "I was raped," I cried. He ignored me and turned his back to me. I tried to hold him but he shook my hand off. I couldn't believe what was happening.

I knew that to continue to antagonize pappa was to invite more trouble, and I knew I had to get away. To be with Tom was all I cared about. I walked away and went to my old room. I deliberately went there because I knew I could get out covertly, or so I hoped.

I suspected my father would have me watched, but nothing I could do about that now. I lay on my bed and tried to sleep. For my plan to work, I was going to need my strength. When I awoke, it was dark and very quiet.

I got up and went to the door as quietly as I could. I opened the door only as much as I needed to. Sure, enough I could see the outlines of two figures in the hallway. Thankfully they did not seem to have noticed. I closed the door and locked it.

I wouldn't be able to take a bag, so I only took what I knew I needed to A. Warn Tom and B. Call a close friend and ask him to take me back to palm springs.

Carefully I dragged the bed to one side so that it too blocked the door and carefully lifted the old floorboards. I had found the hidden staircase when I was a girl and often used it to go play with my friends after dark. I just prayed it was still unknown to the rest of the household, and I could get down it.

It seemed ridiculously small compared to when I had last used it, but then I had grown a fair bit. Trying to be as quiet as possible, I descended to the small trap door that would drop me into one of the old stables.

I just prayed they were still unused. Carefully pulling back the old boards, I snuck a look. All was quiet. I dropped silently to the floor, my sneaker-covered feet allowing me to move quietly.

I made my way to the door of the stable. I was about to run for it when an idea hit me. Carefully edging to my right, I peered around the wall end that divided this stable from the one next door.

The stable was empty, the corral wasn't there, there didn't seem to be anyone about, so carefully I made my way over to the corral. There were only a few horses there, but saddles and tack hung on the rails.

Now just to choose a horse that wasn't going to raise hell if I tried to ride it. I stroked a few of the horses, and then a bay mare came to me and nuzzled me.

"Hmm, looks like you found me," I said. I carefully collected a saddle and tack, and the mare stood patiently whilst I saddled her. Offering a quiet prayer of thanks, I climbed onto her back, and we quietly made our way out of the corral. Once clear, I pushed her into a gallop and headed east.

I kept checking my cell, and once I had reception took a risk. I called my long-time friend, confidant, and pilot, Analise Gomez.

I dialled the number and offered a silent prayer Ana would pick up. The voice in my ear was sleepy.

"Jess, hey, girl. Where the hell are you? You sound like you're humping the whole football team." she said.

"Ana, I'm heading for your place on horseback right now, and I need your help."

Ana woke up fast, "Oh god, Jess, what's happened? What do you need?"

"I need to get out of Cost Rica and preferably back to California by tonight or tomorrow morning."

"Holy hell. That's a big ask, but ok, I have a g5 that belongs to a friend of mine, and he won't mind if we borrow it. I'll go and start pre-flighting it and fuelling up."

"Thanks, Ana. I'll be there as soon as I can." I tossed my phone as far as I could and pushed my new friend to cover the ten or so miles to Ana's airfield. The bay mare was flagging and lathered in sweat as we cantered towards the hangar. We slowed as I spotted Ana coming around from behind the jet waving at me. We stopped beside her, and I dismounted.

She came over to hug me, a look of deep concern on her face.

"Jess what on earth?"

"I'll tell you, I promise," I said. "But can we get going?"

"Yes, we're good to go."

"What about my new friend?" I nodded towards the bay.

"I'll get Jorge to look after her. I assume you stole her?"

"I did, from my father."

"Oh, dear god girl, what next? Ok, Jorge will sort it, let's go."

We lifted off and flew north. Ana was flying very low, and that made me nervous. Ana turned to me.

"I assume you don't want your father to know where you are just now," she said.

I nodded.

"So, we'll fly low, and as we have no flight plan, we'll have to fly the smuggler routes to the US." She obviously knew what I was going to ask, and before I spoke, she just told me not to. Silently I muttered, "Hold on, my love, I'm coming back to you, just hold on, please."

Ana looked at me, "So come on, then, Jess, spill it. What is all this about?

"I'll tell you, but I need to make a call."

"Be quick, else they'll get a handle on us."

Tom's POV

The phone rang as I was sitting studying a detailed map of San Jose and its surroundings. I didn't recognize the number but when it rang back a third time I answered. It was her voice, and she sounded scared.

"Is this a joke? Coz it would be a bad idea right now."

"No, it's me, Tom, it really is. I'm coming back. Look, I can't talk now. I'll text you when we are near to landing."

And then she was gone. I had a million questions. I was excited but alarmed. All I knew was she was coming back by plane and who were we exactly? I tossed the map aside and got the aviator's map with all of the So-Cal airspace marked on it and started to study it closely.

I had a suspicion as to what I was looking for. Whilst my mind worked the problem, I retrieved the grip I had bought and threw the stuff I had into it. I loaded the new Colt .45 and the two spare mags, as well. The colt I slipped into a shoulder holster, and the spare clips into the belt pouches.

I checked the fs knife in its boot sheath and then loaded the Remington rifle. I had spent the afternoon at the range and zeroed the rifle and scope to 400 yards. At that range, the 10 power fixed mil-dot scope would allow me to drop most targets with a high degree of accuracy.

I wanted to avoid a shoot-out at all costs. If I was forced to shoot, I would, but I wanted to drop my targets quickly.

Why all the hardware? Well, I reckoned if I was going to sneak into Costa Rica and take on one of its most powerful families, I would need to be loaded for bear. I reckoned if they were flying in, they wouldn't be landing at Palm Springs International. I also thought the plane would probably be a jet to avoid refueling stops.

So, a quiet, preferably disused airfield not too far away with paved runways. After studying the map, Victorville AAF Auxiliary #3 / El Mirage Airport seemed to fit the bill, so that is where I would head.

I had noticed two guys a couple of days ago, thought nothing of it at first. But given the new information I now had, when they followed me out of the parking lot, let's say I was suspicious. As I headed out of the city towards the I10 south towards Palmdale, I thought about how best to lose my tail.

Tom's POV

As I got close to my destination, an unlit stretch of freeway gave me the opportunity I wanted. I killed the lights and floored the big V8. I wasn't looking to outrun my tail, just surprise them for a bit.

I swung right onto the exit ramp for El Mirage and then left onto a dirt track I knew ran out to the airfield eventually. After 5 minutes, I saw no sign of the SUV and headed out cautiously towards the airfield. I had about 10 miles to go when the phone rang.

I heard a voice I didn't know. "Hi, this is Jess's friend. We are heading into a disused strip near El Mirage. Can you meet us there? We are about 20 miles out, but I can circle till you get there."

"No, come straight in," I said. "I'm about 10 miles away. I'll explain later, but just to let you know, there are a couple of bandits looking for me, so be careful on your way in." She assured me they would and cut the call.

I had just turned into the airfield boundary when I saw the front lights of a car. That fucking SUV had found my trail. I headed for an old building as fast as I could and piled out of the mustang.

Jess's POV

Ana looked astounded when I told her my story.

"Wow, this must be some guy," she said.

"He is strong and gentle and kind and tough and generous and so caring. Oh, and he has a great cock. I get wet just seeing him, and when he touches me or holds my hand, my god, Ana, it's the most amazing thing."

"And your father?"

"I don't think I know him at all. My kind, loving pappa. You should have heard how he spoke to me, Ana. I knew it was going to be difficult for him when I told him about Tom, but the way he acted, it was like he owned me. He roared at me and put guards on my room, Ana, where has my loving pappa gone?" I began to cry, and Ana held me.

Tom's POV

I grabbed my grip and the Remington and frantically looked for somewhere to set up. I remembered from the map, the airfield was shown as having 4 bituminous runways, the longest being the north/south, ENE/WSW, and WNW/ESE.

So it seemed that one of those would be most likely; the wind was coming from the northwest at about 4 knots. I heard the SUV as I stumbled upon an old ditch or maybe a drain. I slid to the ground and set the rifle on my grip as a rest. I reckoned I was a little over 325 yards from the entrance I had used. If they came through there, I was in a good position.

As it happened, the SUV stayed outside the wire, the lights off, but I could hear the engine tick as it cooled. The sound of aero engines came from the southeast. I hope this pilot was good coz it was black as a boot out there. The jet, a G5 by the look of it, made a very low pass then circled back south. I heard the pitch of the engines change and knew a landing was on the cards this time around. Concerned with the jet, I didn't notice the guy who slipped through the wire and crouched by the fence.

As the G5 made its final approach, I returned to the scope and was surprised to see a silhouette that had not been there before. I chambered a round.

Then I saw him raise something. I wasn't sure what it was and couldn't wait to find out. As he turned slightly to track the approaching jet, I caught the outline of a shoulder launch rocket launcher. Having confirmed the target hostile, I hoped the noise of the approaching jet would mask my shot. I let the reticule settle on the center of his chest and squeezed.

The 168g 308 round traveling at 2.750 fps or thereabouts slammed into his sternum and destroyed it, taking out most of the internal organs. He dropped instantly.

The G5 landed, bounced, and landed. The roar increasing, again as the pilot used the reverse thrust buckets to slow the aircraft on the uneven surface. The SUV started up, and as it came through the wire, I shot the driver. The vehicle carried on for a while until it rolled into a pile of old soil and stopped. I gathered my stuff together and headed for the jet.

Jess's POV

As soon as the plane stopped, I ran for the door. As I pulled it open and lowered the steps, I saw Tom. I launched myself at him, my heart leaped, and I cried as I covered him in kisses, crying and telling him how sorry I was and how glad I was to see him. As I stopped to draw breath, I saw he was looking at me intently, his eyes full of emotion. I heard a throat clear and turned to look at Anna, who was standing in the plane's doorway.

I waved her forward, unable to speak.

"Look, let's get out of here, and we can sort this out." Ana nodded.

"What about the jet?" I asked.

"I'll get it collected. I don't want to be on it when it lands back in San Jose'." I frowned.

"I'm sorry, Ana, you've landed in the middle of my mess. You're a good friend." She smiled.