Project Rescue - A Shifter Novel (NaNoWriMo19)
Chapter 63 - Build Back Up

Barbosa was yelling and cursing at the soldiers. He would shake me as did so. His grip was tight but every time he moved it would loosen up. It wasn’t as if he was trying to kill me. Oh no, he wanted his paperwork back and he would do anything to get it back.

“Antonio grab the guy there,” Barbosa ordered Antonio, pointing at Matheus.

Antonio walked over and grabbed Carlito as Barbosa yelled at him, telling him not him but the other guy - Matheus. Antonio shook his head. “I don’t work for you. I work for the U.S Government.”

I would have loved to see Barbosa’s face about right now. I could tell it would look like Carlito’s face. Madrid got his wish as Antonio told Barbosa those words.

“I’ll kill her! You know I will!” Barbosa informed everyone.

I smiled even wider as everyone one of the soldiers gaped at me. The soldiers didn’t know me. They thought I was a female who would cry at the situation I was in. Oh, hell no! I cried when I was little and it only brought me pain. I wouldn’t cry now.

I felt as Barbosa went to drop his blade into his hands. I jerked my arms up behind me, stabbing Barbosa in his junk. He went down hard, crying like a little bitch. I turned to him and sneered at him as he cried out.

“What did you say to me when I would cry? Oh, I know...only babies cry and I wasn’t a baby anymore and I would be marrying the man of your choosing.” I laughed as I put my shit kicker on his throat. “Well, consider this your punishment for raping girls from the age of thirteen and up. For making them give up when they got pregnant and killed themselves. You have brought pain to a lot of people. But, now you will be in pain.” I lifted my foot off his neck.

I could see the soldiers from the corner of my eye gaping at me still. I heard Matheus tell one of the soldiers I was his girl and wasn’t I magnificent? I blushed and turned around fully to see Barbosa trying to crawl away.

I stalked him, turning him over with my shit kicker. “Where do you think you’re going? I’m not finished with you,” I explained as he glared at me.

I would have laughed at his glare due to the tears on his face but I was still mad. I decided I had enough of him and he needed to die. I cut his throat as he weakly pushed at my hands and stabbed him in the heart for good measure. I turned back to the guys and saw our guys smiling at me. The other soldiers were gaping at me again.

Madrid laughed loudly and ran towards me, swooping me up in the air. “You did it, Selina! You got rid of your monster!”

I rolled my eyes. “I got rid of everyone’s monster, including yours.” He nodded his head as he put me down.

I caught Matheus running towards me. He hugged me tightly and checked my neck where Barbosa had his hands. I tried to push his hands away from my neck. “I’m good, Matheus. Everything's fine. I wanted him to think he had the upper hand. It’s okay,” I assured him.

We walked over to Claw to check on his injuries but he was sitting on the ground laughing. “Wow, Matheus, just wow! Your suit protected me from all the hits. I didn’t feel a thing.”

I started laughing with Claw. “Me neither. I only felt as if I was punched hard when I got hit by a bullet.” I started laughing all over again.

I heard one of the soldiers asking Madrid if there was something wrong with me. Madrid didn’t get to answer. “There’s nothing wrong with me. I lived under Barbosa’s tyranny for too long but he never broke me. I built myself back up brick by brick. I made sure I was stronger, faster, knew every weapon and to harness my skills. I hate killing but to protect everyone I became the monster. I’m alright, promise.”

“Matheus, you need to marry your girl. She can fight better than most of us and she’s fine too,” a soldier told Matheus.

Matheus growled. I rolled my eyes as Madrid spoke up, “She know weapons, she has the best fighting skills outside of Antonio, she has a kind heart, and she can cook.”

Antonio piped up. “She’s a lot better than me on some things. And, I’m not talking about cooking skills. I think I will let her show you later.”

Everyone laughed and stared at me. I didn’t like to be stared out. Matheus came towards me and hugged me, kissing my head as he did. We ignored everyone, taking the time we had to ourselves.

Madrid yelled out, “Come on, we need to take this to Washington. Selina, you’re coming too. I need your help with something.” I nodded my head and helped Claw up.

When we walked out of the compound I could see Papa loading up the girls. I looked at Matheus as he nodded his head. I walked over to the girls, checking to see if all the girls were there. I was so happy to see them all there. All the girls stopped talking and turned to me as one of the girls screamed and ran to me. It was the twelve-year-old. I plucked her up and hugged her. All the girls were happy to see me.

“You came back for us. You kept your word. Did you kill the monster?” Cali asked as she kissed my cheek.

“I told you I would get you out and banish the monster. I keep my promises,” I told her as she nodded her head. I was engulfed as the girls gave me a group hug. “Time for everyone of you to go home. Do not hang your heads in shame. You’re survivors and survivors don’t bend or break.” They nodded and loaded up in the back of the pickup. I knew the girls would be taken to the healer. They all needed to go. All of them threw me a kiss and waved as the truck moved.

“Good job, Selina. One of those girls is Madrid’s mate. He’ll come back and see her after the briefings. He doesn’t want her to worry about anything that happened to her. It doesn’t matter to him,” Matheus whispered in my ear.

I turned around and hugged him tightly. “What do we do now?”

“We go to Washington to replace the dealer and we make time for us to get to know each other...if I can keep my jaguar from prodding me. He’s a pervert,” Matheus whispered.

“What’s your jaguars name?” I quietly asked.

“His name is Rebel. He’s definitely a rebel,” Matheus whispered to me, causing me to laugh.

We walked over to the HELO but was stopped by a voice in our ear. “Matheus, you need to tell me where to get fuel for this bird.”

We all laughed as Matheus told him where to go. I guess Flirt and Eagle would be flying to Washington in Matheus’s bird. I don’t know if Matheus knew they would but I had a feeling he did. Washington was too interested in Matheus’s invention.

We loaded up in the second HELO as it touched down. Matheus held out his hand to help me but I jumped into the HELO as if I was born a soldier. In a way I guess I had been. Antonio strolled up to the HELO, jumping in and patting my shoulder. I knew he was telling me he was proud. It was all I needed.