“I am sorry for abandoning you,” Harper continued.“For abusing your trust and for all the hurt I’ve caused.”
Stoically, he still refused to express the pain he was in, though I knew him well enough to see the anguish swimming in his eyes.
“And you think you can just saunter back in here, apologize, and what?”Jackson glanced toward the camera, intentionally putting on a show, and evidently, relishing every second of it.“Everything will just be forgiven?”
“No, Sir.”Harper heaved in a breath.“I deserve to be punished.”
“Damn right, you do.”Jackson rolled his eyes, once again ensuring the camera captured the gesture.“If it had been anyone else but you, Adam, I’d have them hanging from the masts of my gorgeous ship already.”
“I understand.”Harper lowered his head, revealing some of that gray hair I found so sexy.“I’m thankful for your clemency, Mr.President.”
“Clemency?”I retorted, staring out at the pale light coming in through the windows.“How is such brutal treatment clemency?”
Though I knew in the system the new order had created, it was.
“I think he had to say so.”Akari shrugged.“To appease the president.”
“I know!”I snapped, unreasonably irritated with a woman who’d only ever really been kind to me.“I know what people have to do to survive, but...”I exhaled, my anger giving way to a heavier, more desolate energy.“It’s just bloody difficult to see this all unfolding.”Rubbing at the growing tension at my temples, I slumped onto the small sofa by the window and stared at the screen.“How much longer is Laurent going to let this go on for?”
Akari tugged her phone from her pocket and checked the smaller screen.“There’s no news from him, but the intervention has to be soon.”
“Yes, well...”Jackson snorted before his ugly lips stretched into a smile on the screen.“Clemency is more than you deserve.A few more licks of the whip should help to reinforce the point.”
“Mr.President, Sir.”A nervous-sounding male voice from out of shot interrupted Jackson’s evident enjoyment.
“What is it?”Jackson hissed, glaring at the newcomer.“I told you I didn’t want to be disturbed during the broadcast!”
“I’m sorry, Sir.”The owner of the voice remained off camera.“But there’s a problem.The command deck needs to speak with you urgently.”
My pulse sped up at the explanation, hoping the problem he referred to was actually the French military imposing itself.
“Now?”Jackson blew out a satisfyingly irritated breath.
“Er, yes,” came the reply.“I think so, Sir.”
Jackson’s glare slid from the intruder to Harper, still bound on his knees before returning to the camera.
“This isn’t over,” he declared, gesturing for the armed sentry to follow him.“Cut to our sponsors.Commander General Harper’s penance resumes soon.”
The picture disappeared, replaced by the commercial propaganda the BTP spewed between its alleged news coverage.I’d experienced a few weeks of its drivel before I’d been dragged into hell at Fortorus.
Akari flicked the television to silent, her expression expectant when her gaze met mine.
“This is Laurent, right?”I asked, vocalizing what I suspected we were both thinking.
“Yes.”She flicked back into her phone, as though the device would have confirmation for her, though if there was any, she didn’t report it.“This is Laurent.”
“Good.”I rubbed harder at my head, praying that Harper could hang on.He’d shown resilience so far, but the wounds on his back had to be killing him.“Can you make sure there’s a medic on The Libération who can help him?”
Akari’s lips twisted as she replied.“There will be.”
Wrapping my arms around my body, I hugged myself, listening to the same mantra pinballing in my head.
Thishasto be Laurent.It just has to be him.
But despite Akari’s assurance, I couldn’t ignore the gnawing dread rising in my solar plexus.Even if the distraction was Laurent and the French military, Harper was far from safe.
