Desperate Measures
Suspense Thriller
Abby Regatti is a young Airman's wife with two little girls and a narrow view of the world around her. Agent Ian Taylor is a seasoned field agent who hasn't seen any real "good" in the world in a very long time. When a terrorist plot throws the two of them together, both of their worlds will shatter to pieces. How do you find balance again when everything you know changes? How do you sleep again when you know the monsters from your dreams are real? And how do you protect those you love when your life is wrapped in a blanket of lies? What desperate measures would you take to save all that you love?
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/453309
Reviews
Review by: Amber Bright on Nov. 25, 2014 :
Riveting! A must-read for anybody who loves suspense novels!
Review by: titanboss on July 20, 2014 :
After reading the book,it was something I would definitely recommend. If you like Clancy or Ludlum you will like Schaefer. The author had a unique way of writing the story that is a believable fiction. Instead of the lead characters being a super spy with a million gadgets or IQ of 175 hers were again believable. Lead character Abby is someone a normal reader could relate to. Caught in a uncompromising position that is realistic to the reader and gives you the sense of what would I do in that situation. The book does and will keep you on the edge and wanting more. It was an outstanding first offering and very good read. Eagerly awaiting the broad canvas Amy will interpret as Abby travels to Italy.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)
Review by: Jacqui on July 16, 2014 :
I could not wait to finish this book, to see what Abby was getting into next. I loved the closeness of her family and how protective she was over her friendships, each and every one. I hope there is a sequel to Abby's adventures! I recommend this book to everyone, of age!
(reviewed within a month of purchase)
Review by: mbrindamour on June 30, 2014 :
They day of this being published was eagerly anticipated by many, myself included. As soon as it downloaded to my tablet, I started reading. Since I had to get to work, I had to put it down, albeit reluctantly! Amy's words are magic on the page. She paints a picture that sucks you in and doesn't let go. I felt as if I were there in Abby's shoes, feeling her struggle with conflicting loyalties, her protective instincts for her babies, and her challenge of life as an Airman's wife. Once I was through with work and able to return to the book, I was once again transported into the story. This is a magnificent read, an awesome story, and I cannot wait for book two! I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the teleportation into the world of stories!!
(reviewed the day of purchase)
Suspense Thriller
Abby Regatti is a young Airman's wife with two little girls and a narrow view of the world around her. Agent Ian Taylor is a seasoned field agent who hasn't seen any real "good" in the world in a very long time. When a terrorist plot throws the two of them together, both of their worlds will shatter to pieces. How do you find balance again when everything you know changes? How do you sleep again when you know the monsters from your dreams are real? And how do you protect those you love when your life is wrapped in a blanket of lies? What desperate measures would you take to save all that you love?
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/453309
Reviews
Review by: Amber Bright on Nov. 25, 2014 :
Riveting! A must-read for anybody who loves suspense novels!
Review by: titanboss on July 20, 2014 :
After reading the book,it was something I would definitely recommend. If you like Clancy or Ludlum you will like Schaefer. The author had a unique way of writing the story that is a believable fiction. Instead of the lead characters being a super spy with a million gadgets or IQ of 175 hers were again believable. Lead character Abby is someone a normal reader could relate to. Caught in a uncompromising position that is realistic to the reader and gives you the sense of what would I do in that situation. The book does and will keep you on the edge and wanting more. It was an outstanding first offering and very good read. Eagerly awaiting the broad canvas Amy will interpret as Abby travels to Italy.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)
Review by: Jacqui on July 16, 2014 :
I could not wait to finish this book, to see what Abby was getting into next. I loved the closeness of her family and how protective she was over her friendships, each and every one. I hope there is a sequel to Abby's adventures! I recommend this book to everyone, of age!
(reviewed within a month of purchase)
Review by: mbrindamour on June 30, 2014 :
They day of this being published was eagerly anticipated by many, myself included. As soon as it downloaded to my tablet, I started reading. Since I had to get to work, I had to put it down, albeit reluctantly! Amy's words are magic on the page. She paints a picture that sucks you in and doesn't let go. I felt as if I were there in Abby's shoes, feeling her struggle with conflicting loyalties, her protective instincts for her babies, and her challenge of life as an Airman's wife. Once I was through with work and able to return to the book, I was once again transported into the story. This is a magnificent read, an awesome story, and I cannot wait for book two! I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the teleportation into the world of stories!!
(reviewed the day of purchase)
A Fragile Balance
Suspense Thriller
Abby and Nick get orders to an Air Force base in Aviano, Italy. Abby is tasked by the U.S. government to get close to the General's wife who is suspected of sharing national secrets to a mysterious arm's dealer. But things aren't what they seem. The General's wife knows nothing about her lover's nefarious lifestyle or how, like her husband, he is using her for his own means. As Abby's missions become more dangerous, her ability to cope with the lies she must tell her husband eats her alive and the only person she can really talk to about it is Agent Taylor. Their bond is creating a fragile balance that threatens to crumble her life to pieces.
Teasers for A Fragile Balance, Coming in 2016:
In my first novel, Desperate Measures, young military wife Abby Regatti gets caught up in a terrorist plot that's about to take place on the military base where her husband Nick is stationed and they live with their two small daughters. She is forced by her government to become a spy to help foil the plot. Her assigned government handler, Agent Ian Taylor, is charged with keeping her contained and helping her to do the bidding of his superiors in assignments that may never end if something drastic doesn't happen. Agent Taylor doesn't want that drastic thing to be Abby giving her life for a cause she didn't want and his desire to keep her safe is mounting, along with the feelings he doesn't want to have but can't seem to stop.
When the government discovers that the base commander's wife in Aviano, Italy, is having an affair with a man who may be a terrorist arms dealer, they seize the opportunity to use Abby to get close the the General's wife, uprooting her entire family to set in motion a dangerous game. Abby, who has grown quite fond of the General's wife, Nara, gets a frantic call from her in the middle of the night and Abby attempts to send Agent Taylor, who's not answering his damn phone. She's afraid Nara won't survive if she doesn't do something, so she races to the arms dealer's home where he is hosting a lavish party. She discovers Nara locked in a bedroom and attempts to free her, but both of the ladies are caught, taken out to a building on the grounds, tortured and nearly killed before Agent Taylor finally comes to the rescue.
The Guard Shack
Special Agent Ian Taylor crouched in the thick underbrush, studying the movements coming from the guard shack that sat about a hundred feet ahead of him. The moon cast eerie shadows over the grounds of the compound. a a light breeze blowing warm and clean from the mountains nearby. Abby was in there somewhere, damn her hide for moving forward without him. Why that little fool would go looking for her friend at the home of a dangerous killer was beyond him, especially since she knew he'd be furious. What the hell had she been thinking? He kept tight control over the emotions threatening to consume him. He'd be pissed later, if he found her alive. He wasn't sure what havoc he would wreak if he found her dead, but the thought alone made dark things inside him boil like an angry sea.
He'd counted five guards, which didn't mean there weren't more inside that were unaccounted for but he didn't dare wait much longer. Abby had already been out of contact for two days, according to her kid brother who'd contacted Ian hours ago. He would deal with whatever he came across. Years of training would ensure his success...besides, in this mission failure wasn't an option. When two of the guards walked towards the main house, presumably to take a break, he made his move. Keeping to the shadows, he slipped around the back of the shack. The guard posted at the door was alone, turned facing away. Agent Taylor quietly crept behind him quickly snapping his neck, then pulled his knife from his boot and went inside.
The stench was God awful, like other places of horror he'd been and would rather forget but he pressed forward, searching. Where was the other guard, Goddamnit? At the end of the hall, he saw one of them sitting in a chair, the legs of it off the floor as the man dozed against the wall. Agent Taylor silently slit his throat and broke the lock on the door beside him. He opened it, slipped inside and closed it back softly.
As he scanned the room, the first thing he saw was a body curled up in the corner. His stomach lurched and he was grateful for however long it had been since he'd last eaten lest he lose the contents of his stomach like some green new recruit. He closed his eyes, took a steadying breath, and turned to take in the rest of the dank space. A woman, bound by the wrists which hung from a hook in the ceiling, stood above a drain. Her head was slumped over but he knew...Abby. She was wearing nothing but a torn tank top and panties, her bare legs blotches of bruises. She was stretched so that she had to stand on tiptoes and her feet were bloody from the effort. He went to her and the minute he touched her shoulder, she convulsed, trying to get as far away from his touch as possible. She lifted her head looking wildly around.
"Shhhhhhh," he said near her ear. "It's me, Abby. It's Ian. Don't scream, please."
He put his head up between her arms and lifted gently, taking her down off the hook. He could feel her sobbing against his chest, although she made no sound. Ian held her tightly, studying her face and noting the bruises and marks there, memorizing the places he could see where they'd hurt her.
"I didn't tell them anything, Ian. No matter what they did or threatened to do," and at this she shuddered violently, "I didn't say anything. They didn't break me."
"Shhhh," he comforted her. "It's okay baby, I've got you."
She squeezed him as tightly as possible and whispered against his chest, "I think Nara is dead." Her voice shook.
"Don't think about that now," he told her. "We've got to get out of here."
Ian lifted her into his arms but she was shaking her head.
"No, please. Take her first. I'll be okay," she pleaded.
"Abby," he growled, but she wouldn't be deterred and he didn't have the fortitude, at the moment, to deny her anything. Seeing her like this did dangerous things to him and most of them weren't good things. He gently set her down next to the woman lying curled in a ball. He felt for a pulse. Alive. He said a prayer to whatever God was listening, scooped Nara up into his arms and quickly got her to the cover of the woods. Then he was back and Abby was in his arms again. He carried her to safety, putting her next to Nara, who hadn't moved or made a sound. He knelt in front of Abby and lifted her chin.
"Look at me, baby. I need you to focus." She nodded that she understood, watching him and trembling. He pulled a small gun from the bag he'd brought that was sitting next to a tree nearby, came back and put it in her hands. "Anyone comes into these woods, shoot them. Do you understand?"
"Yessir," she whispered. "Hurry?" she said, choking back a sob. Ian leaned forward, pressing his forehead to hers and putting his hands on her face, tenderly caressing the soft skin he already knew by heart. He wasn't sure if he was trying to reassure her or himself, but it didn't matter. She was alive. Nara was alive. And someone was going to pay for what had been done to them.
The Hospital
Agent Taylor stood outside her hospital room door knowing her husband was inside holding her while she slept and healed from the damage that had been done to her by the hands of a monster. That fact, alone, made him want to kick the shit out of something. He smiled instead, knowing he'd gutted the monster as easily as he would a fish and felt even less remorse. He walked towards the waiting room and restlessly paced, his mind so full it made his cells hum with the need for action. The girl. Goddammit, how had become so attached to that crazy cream puff who had confessed to him she'd not spilled even a single secret while they'd tortured her. Never in his life had he wanted to kiss a woman so much as he did then. He wanted to kiss that brave little creature he'd carried to safety until they both forgot their names.
"So," a lone male voice came to him from the shadows, "...why don't you tell me what really happened to my sister? I'm guessing you're the man who knows."
Agent Taylor looked up at the speaker and studied him carefully from head to toe. Abby's younger brother, Aiden, bore some of her features but mostly he had the air of cocky youth that permeated from him. Bet the nurses swarmed him like bees on a flower, Ian thought. "Why would you think I know anything, boy?" Agent Taylor replied, smirking. Aiden raised an eyebrow at the question.
"Because I'm not as dumb as people assume. You look like a man with a lot of secrets who has a thing for my sister. Is she in there because of you?" he asked low and dangerous, his posture changing over to a more lethal stance.
Agent Taylor laughed to cover up the surprise at just how dead on the mark the kid had been. "Ease up there, boy," he chuckled. The kid amused him and he couldn't help but smile genuinely. He cold have quietly killed the boy quicker than it would take for him to screech out a call for help, but he imagined Abby would be somewhat put out if he harmed her brother.
"Well?" Aiden waited for a response to his question.
"You should go see if your brother-in-law needs some relief from sentry duty, boy," was Agent Taylor's only response. He tried not to snarl it, but damned if it didn't come out that way anyway.
"No, I should get to the bottom of what's really going on here, and I will. You can count on that. See ya around campus, old man," Aiden replied cheerfully, then headed for Abby's room. Ian sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. Well, this kept getting more fun all the time! Now there would be two of them to babysit! Might as well give the powers that be a head's up now rather than later. His ass was already going to be reamed for the number of people he'd had to kill to get Abby and Nara safely away, although killing the head of the operation had been a pleasure. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and made the call.
Separation
*Note: Nick is leaving for his new duty station in Italy. Abby and their daughters have taken him to the hanger where he'll catch the bus that will take him to his flight.
They drove in silence the short distance from their townhouse on base to the hanger where Nick would leave for Italy. The parking lot was already full of families just like theirs in various stages of unloading. Abby got the girls out and took each of their hands, walking them over to the roped off area where family members waited, while Nick took his bags and went to check in. Abby and the girls stopped at a table set up by the Enlisted Spouses Club and got a cookie then went to find a spot to wait. Abby sat Indian-style on the Tarmac, pulling the girls down into her lap and they played a silly game of "Eye Spy", where the girls kept choosing a tree for the topic and giggling when "tree" was guessed. All too quickly Nick's shadow appeared over them and he knelt down, scooping the little girls up into his arms.
"Be good for Mommy, munchkins," he said, then covered the girls' pretty faces with kisses. Abby couldn't look, bowing her head while he said his goodbyes. His hand reached down in front of her face and she took it, gripping tight as he pulled her to her feet. The girls had arms around his legs and the sight made her choke back a sob. Nick drew her into his arms, squeezing tight.
He whispered, "It will be over soon, baby." She could only nod, her silent tears soaking his uniform shirt.
She pulled back, looking up at him and wishing for the life of her that she had the right words to say, but nothing would come. She stepped away and Arden came with her, putting a little arm around her mother's leg, gripping tightly to the jean fabric and popping her thumb into her mouth. Nick brushed his fingertips over Abby's soft cheek, patted his youngest daughter on top of the head and went to pull Ava away.
"Time for me to go, munchkin," he told her gently.
"No," she replied stubbornly and squeezed his leg tighter.
"Baby, daddy has to leave," he said, pulling a little harder to get her to release him. Big, fat tears were streaming down her face when she looked up at him.
"Please don't leave me daddy," she begged. Abby reached down, got Ava by the waist and pulled her up into her arms.
"Go," she whispered to her husband while her daughter fought to get free.
He turned and left them, walking towards the bus that would take him to his plane while his wife directed their girls back to the car. When he got to the bus door, he turned to look back. Arden was walking stoically with her mother, holding tightly to her hand, but Ava was kicking and screaming.
The Sergeant behind Nick patted him hard on the back. "At least they were here, man. It's worse when whey don't come. Trust me," he said somberly. Nick nodded and boarded the bus. Christ how he hated this part of his job.
Suspense Thriller
Abby and Nick get orders to an Air Force base in Aviano, Italy. Abby is tasked by the U.S. government to get close to the General's wife who is suspected of sharing national secrets to a mysterious arm's dealer. But things aren't what they seem. The General's wife knows nothing about her lover's nefarious lifestyle or how, like her husband, he is using her for his own means. As Abby's missions become more dangerous, her ability to cope with the lies she must tell her husband eats her alive and the only person she can really talk to about it is Agent Taylor. Their bond is creating a fragile balance that threatens to crumble her life to pieces.
Teasers for A Fragile Balance, Coming in 2016:
In my first novel, Desperate Measures, young military wife Abby Regatti gets caught up in a terrorist plot that's about to take place on the military base where her husband Nick is stationed and they live with their two small daughters. She is forced by her government to become a spy to help foil the plot. Her assigned government handler, Agent Ian Taylor, is charged with keeping her contained and helping her to do the bidding of his superiors in assignments that may never end if something drastic doesn't happen. Agent Taylor doesn't want that drastic thing to be Abby giving her life for a cause she didn't want and his desire to keep her safe is mounting, along with the feelings he doesn't want to have but can't seem to stop.
When the government discovers that the base commander's wife in Aviano, Italy, is having an affair with a man who may be a terrorist arms dealer, they seize the opportunity to use Abby to get close the the General's wife, uprooting her entire family to set in motion a dangerous game. Abby, who has grown quite fond of the General's wife, Nara, gets a frantic call from her in the middle of the night and Abby attempts to send Agent Taylor, who's not answering his damn phone. She's afraid Nara won't survive if she doesn't do something, so she races to the arms dealer's home where he is hosting a lavish party. She discovers Nara locked in a bedroom and attempts to free her, but both of the ladies are caught, taken out to a building on the grounds, tortured and nearly killed before Agent Taylor finally comes to the rescue.
The Guard Shack
Special Agent Ian Taylor crouched in the thick underbrush, studying the movements coming from the guard shack that sat about a hundred feet ahead of him. The moon cast eerie shadows over the grounds of the compound. a a light breeze blowing warm and clean from the mountains nearby. Abby was in there somewhere, damn her hide for moving forward without him. Why that little fool would go looking for her friend at the home of a dangerous killer was beyond him, especially since she knew he'd be furious. What the hell had she been thinking? He kept tight control over the emotions threatening to consume him. He'd be pissed later, if he found her alive. He wasn't sure what havoc he would wreak if he found her dead, but the thought alone made dark things inside him boil like an angry sea.
He'd counted five guards, which didn't mean there weren't more inside that were unaccounted for but he didn't dare wait much longer. Abby had already been out of contact for two days, according to her kid brother who'd contacted Ian hours ago. He would deal with whatever he came across. Years of training would ensure his success...besides, in this mission failure wasn't an option. When two of the guards walked towards the main house, presumably to take a break, he made his move. Keeping to the shadows, he slipped around the back of the shack. The guard posted at the door was alone, turned facing away. Agent Taylor quietly crept behind him quickly snapping his neck, then pulled his knife from his boot and went inside.
The stench was God awful, like other places of horror he'd been and would rather forget but he pressed forward, searching. Where was the other guard, Goddamnit? At the end of the hall, he saw one of them sitting in a chair, the legs of it off the floor as the man dozed against the wall. Agent Taylor silently slit his throat and broke the lock on the door beside him. He opened it, slipped inside and closed it back softly.
As he scanned the room, the first thing he saw was a body curled up in the corner. His stomach lurched and he was grateful for however long it had been since he'd last eaten lest he lose the contents of his stomach like some green new recruit. He closed his eyes, took a steadying breath, and turned to take in the rest of the dank space. A woman, bound by the wrists which hung from a hook in the ceiling, stood above a drain. Her head was slumped over but he knew...Abby. She was wearing nothing but a torn tank top and panties, her bare legs blotches of bruises. She was stretched so that she had to stand on tiptoes and her feet were bloody from the effort. He went to her and the minute he touched her shoulder, she convulsed, trying to get as far away from his touch as possible. She lifted her head looking wildly around.
"Shhhhhhh," he said near her ear. "It's me, Abby. It's Ian. Don't scream, please."
He put his head up between her arms and lifted gently, taking her down off the hook. He could feel her sobbing against his chest, although she made no sound. Ian held her tightly, studying her face and noting the bruises and marks there, memorizing the places he could see where they'd hurt her.
"I didn't tell them anything, Ian. No matter what they did or threatened to do," and at this she shuddered violently, "I didn't say anything. They didn't break me."
"Shhhh," he comforted her. "It's okay baby, I've got you."
She squeezed him as tightly as possible and whispered against his chest, "I think Nara is dead." Her voice shook.
"Don't think about that now," he told her. "We've got to get out of here."
Ian lifted her into his arms but she was shaking her head.
"No, please. Take her first. I'll be okay," she pleaded.
"Abby," he growled, but she wouldn't be deterred and he didn't have the fortitude, at the moment, to deny her anything. Seeing her like this did dangerous things to him and most of them weren't good things. He gently set her down next to the woman lying curled in a ball. He felt for a pulse. Alive. He said a prayer to whatever God was listening, scooped Nara up into his arms and quickly got her to the cover of the woods. Then he was back and Abby was in his arms again. He carried her to safety, putting her next to Nara, who hadn't moved or made a sound. He knelt in front of Abby and lifted her chin.
"Look at me, baby. I need you to focus." She nodded that she understood, watching him and trembling. He pulled a small gun from the bag he'd brought that was sitting next to a tree nearby, came back and put it in her hands. "Anyone comes into these woods, shoot them. Do you understand?"
"Yessir," she whispered. "Hurry?" she said, choking back a sob. Ian leaned forward, pressing his forehead to hers and putting his hands on her face, tenderly caressing the soft skin he already knew by heart. He wasn't sure if he was trying to reassure her or himself, but it didn't matter. She was alive. Nara was alive. And someone was going to pay for what had been done to them.
The Hospital
Agent Taylor stood outside her hospital room door knowing her husband was inside holding her while she slept and healed from the damage that had been done to her by the hands of a monster. That fact, alone, made him want to kick the shit out of something. He smiled instead, knowing he'd gutted the monster as easily as he would a fish and felt even less remorse. He walked towards the waiting room and restlessly paced, his mind so full it made his cells hum with the need for action. The girl. Goddammit, how had become so attached to that crazy cream puff who had confessed to him she'd not spilled even a single secret while they'd tortured her. Never in his life had he wanted to kiss a woman so much as he did then. He wanted to kiss that brave little creature he'd carried to safety until they both forgot their names.
"So," a lone male voice came to him from the shadows, "...why don't you tell me what really happened to my sister? I'm guessing you're the man who knows."
Agent Taylor looked up at the speaker and studied him carefully from head to toe. Abby's younger brother, Aiden, bore some of her features but mostly he had the air of cocky youth that permeated from him. Bet the nurses swarmed him like bees on a flower, Ian thought. "Why would you think I know anything, boy?" Agent Taylor replied, smirking. Aiden raised an eyebrow at the question.
"Because I'm not as dumb as people assume. You look like a man with a lot of secrets who has a thing for my sister. Is she in there because of you?" he asked low and dangerous, his posture changing over to a more lethal stance.
Agent Taylor laughed to cover up the surprise at just how dead on the mark the kid had been. "Ease up there, boy," he chuckled. The kid amused him and he couldn't help but smile genuinely. He cold have quietly killed the boy quicker than it would take for him to screech out a call for help, but he imagined Abby would be somewhat put out if he harmed her brother.
"Well?" Aiden waited for a response to his question.
"You should go see if your brother-in-law needs some relief from sentry duty, boy," was Agent Taylor's only response. He tried not to snarl it, but damned if it didn't come out that way anyway.
"No, I should get to the bottom of what's really going on here, and I will. You can count on that. See ya around campus, old man," Aiden replied cheerfully, then headed for Abby's room. Ian sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. Well, this kept getting more fun all the time! Now there would be two of them to babysit! Might as well give the powers that be a head's up now rather than later. His ass was already going to be reamed for the number of people he'd had to kill to get Abby and Nara safely away, although killing the head of the operation had been a pleasure. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and made the call.
Separation
*Note: Nick is leaving for his new duty station in Italy. Abby and their daughters have taken him to the hanger where he'll catch the bus that will take him to his flight.
They drove in silence the short distance from their townhouse on base to the hanger where Nick would leave for Italy. The parking lot was already full of families just like theirs in various stages of unloading. Abby got the girls out and took each of their hands, walking them over to the roped off area where family members waited, while Nick took his bags and went to check in. Abby and the girls stopped at a table set up by the Enlisted Spouses Club and got a cookie then went to find a spot to wait. Abby sat Indian-style on the Tarmac, pulling the girls down into her lap and they played a silly game of "Eye Spy", where the girls kept choosing a tree for the topic and giggling when "tree" was guessed. All too quickly Nick's shadow appeared over them and he knelt down, scooping the little girls up into his arms.
"Be good for Mommy, munchkins," he said, then covered the girls' pretty faces with kisses. Abby couldn't look, bowing her head while he said his goodbyes. His hand reached down in front of her face and she took it, gripping tight as he pulled her to her feet. The girls had arms around his legs and the sight made her choke back a sob. Nick drew her into his arms, squeezing tight.
He whispered, "It will be over soon, baby." She could only nod, her silent tears soaking his uniform shirt.
She pulled back, looking up at him and wishing for the life of her that she had the right words to say, but nothing would come. She stepped away and Arden came with her, putting a little arm around her mother's leg, gripping tightly to the jean fabric and popping her thumb into her mouth. Nick brushed his fingertips over Abby's soft cheek, patted his youngest daughter on top of the head and went to pull Ava away.
"Time for me to go, munchkin," he told her gently.
"No," she replied stubbornly and squeezed his leg tighter.
"Baby, daddy has to leave," he said, pulling a little harder to get her to release him. Big, fat tears were streaming down her face when she looked up at him.
"Please don't leave me daddy," she begged. Abby reached down, got Ava by the waist and pulled her up into her arms.
"Go," she whispered to her husband while her daughter fought to get free.
He turned and left them, walking towards the bus that would take him to his plane while his wife directed their girls back to the car. When he got to the bus door, he turned to look back. Arden was walking stoically with her mother, holding tightly to her hand, but Ava was kicking and screaming.
The Sergeant behind Nick patted him hard on the back. "At least they were here, man. It's worse when whey don't come. Trust me," he said somberly. Nick nodded and boarded the bus. Christ how he hated this part of his job.
Dangerous Deceptions
Suspense Thriller
Airman Nick Regatti's wife has been acting very strangely. But when she lands in a hospital in Italy, suffering from dehydration, covered in cuts, and severe bruises from a beating, the story he is given doesn't add up. Now he is convinced that something is very off and whatever it is, he knows he's not going to like it.When he follows her, he finds that she is secretly meeting with a man he remembers seeing before and when he tries to uncover the man's identity it is as if he doesn't exist. Nick uses some Washington D.C. connections to uncover what his wife is involved in and it's much worse than he ever imagined. As the lies pile up, Nick isn't sure how his family will survive all of the dangerous deceptions surrounding them.
Suspense Thriller
Airman Nick Regatti's wife has been acting very strangely. But when she lands in a hospital in Italy, suffering from dehydration, covered in cuts, and severe bruises from a beating, the story he is given doesn't add up. Now he is convinced that something is very off and whatever it is, he knows he's not going to like it.When he follows her, he finds that she is secretly meeting with a man he remembers seeing before and when he tries to uncover the man's identity it is as if he doesn't exist. Nick uses some Washington D.C. connections to uncover what his wife is involved in and it's much worse than he ever imagined. As the lies pile up, Nick isn't sure how his family will survive all of the dangerous deceptions surrounding them.
