by Erin Bevan
“No.” He ran toward the water. “Duke did. They’re in the woods.”
Annie knew these woods. She could be anywhere, but he had a feeling of where she might have gone. He started for the other side of the water, hoping his instincts were right. She’d go to a place where she used to feel safe. Her old home.
“Tyler, he has a gun. Wait for backup,” Father yelled.
“Not on your life, old man.” He sloshed through the water. ”Annie and Bear are both out there.”
“I’m coming, too.”
“No,” he shouted. “Get more help. Tell the police to circle around the woods. Annie’s old home is on the other side. She knows these woods better than anyone. They’re in here somewhere.”
“Be careful,” Father called and turned to run back to the house.
His adrenaline charged full steam as he raced into the trees, and prayed he was on the right trail. Why had he left her alone? All of this was his fault. All of it.
He went about fifty yards before he stopped to listen. He felt as if he were running in circles. All of the trees began to look the same.
The faint sound of Duke’s voice vibrated to his left, and what he hoped was backup to his right. Following the sound toward the monster, he was careful not to make too much noise. If he were lucky, he could charge the man from behind and knock his gun out of his grasp. Hold him steady until backup arrived. If I’m lucky.
He shot straight ahead until a little clearing came into sight. The chief stood straight in front of him, his back to him…and a gun in his hand by his side. Ten feet in front of Duke—Annie.
Still alive.
Thank God.
Where’s Bear?
He scanned the grounds, but didn’t see any sign of the boy. His heart hammered and he focused back on Annie. A log clutched in her grasp ready to be swung, her body in a batter’s position. If he charged, the monster could turn and shoot.
The man’s hand shook, his finger pulsing over the trigger as he favored one leg. “Annie, just come home. That’s all I want you to do. It doesn’t have to go this far.”
Beauty made eye contact with him, and he held his finger to his mouth. She quickly reverted her gaze back to the monster.
His mind raced, taking in his surroundings. He could charge straight ahead, but the chance he would get shot was too high. Several sticks and brush lie between him and the man. He glanced to his right—a giant tree, with gnarly limbs…and a branch so long it hung almost directly over the monster’s head.
If the maniac would just stay where he was…
Tank gripped the tree and pointed up to the branch above Duke’s head. Annie’s expressions never changed.
That a girl.
He reached for the branches, the bark digging into his hand. Slowly, he climbed, doing his best not to overexert himself. The last thing he needed was to take in a big breath. One so big and loud the monster could hear. He reached for a limb and it snapped. He stopped his momentum.
“Duke,” Annie raised her voice a little louder, surely to cover the noise he made in the tree. “Just put the gun down, okay? We can talk about me going home with you.”
The distraction worked. Tank slowly continued his ascent, thinking twice about where he placed his hands or his feet.
“Is that what you want, baby? For me to drop the gun?” He raised it up and stared at it, the barrel nonchalantly pointed at Annie.
Tank’s heart quickened as he stood to his full height. He focused his gaze straight ahead. Bear stared at him from an equally high limb across the path. Relief the boy was okay ran through him and tossed him off balance a little. Tightening his core, he focused straight ahead and braced his legs as he walked like on a balance beam out to the farthest end of the branch. He motioned for the boy to stay quiet. Nate nodded.
“Fine, Annie,” Duke said. “I’ll put the gun down. If you drop the stick and come here.” He dangled the gun from his middle finger.”
“O…Okay, Duke. I’ll put the stick down.” Hesitantly, Beauty laid her weapon on the ground and took a step closer.
Her move was his cue to act. He sucked in a deep breath, bent his knees, and leapt off the tree, his stomach flying to his chest as he soared downward. The side of his body crushed into Duke’s shoulder. Stars flashed in Tank’s eyes as his breath jerked from his lungs, and his ribs seared in pain. He lay on his side, fighting for breath as Duke scrambled to his hands and knees.
Move.
He had to move.
“Tyler, the gun,” Annie screamed, her voice quavered through his pain.
He crawled on the leaf-covered ground, reaching for the gun at the same time Duke did. Fighting for control with one hand, Tank reared his other arm back. The impact of his elbow to the man’s skull caused his own bones to ache. The firearm hit the ground as Duke’s eyes rolled back in his head and his body flopped over, motionless.
Rolling painfully to his side, Tank reached for the weapon and slid it out of Duke’s reach.
It was over. It was finally over.
“Oh my God, Tyler.” Annie ran to him and fell to her knees, wrapping her arms around him. “He told me you were dead. I thought you were dead.” She gripped his face, planting kisses on his cheeks, her hold on him weak and shaky.
“I’m here. More help is coming.” He squeezed her tighter, his ribs aching with each new breath he took in. “I am never letting you out of my sight again.”
“Your mom?”
“All a ruse. I never should have left you guys alone. I’m so sorry.”
“Tank, watch out,” Bear screamed from the tree.
He glanced to the side as Duke sat up, gripping another pistol in his hands. Annie let out a shrilling scream as he pushed her on the ground, rolling to cover her with his body. and reached for the other gun.
“Stop,” a voice screamed from the side.
Before he could grasp the pistol, a shot echoed in his ears. He ducked his head, squeezing Annie tighter as he waited to feel the impact, the pain.
“Oh my God, Tyler,” Beauty cried beneath him.
The world around him went silent, as an eerie pause took over… the pain never setting in.
“It’s done. He’s dead,” the faintly familiar voice said.
Tank glanced at Annie, searching over her body. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Are you?”
“Yeah.” He rolled off of her and helped her to her feet, wincing at the sharp pain in his side.
Turning to see their savior, a man stood with his gun poised as Duke lay motionless on the ground, a bullet hole straight through his head.
“Brayden, oh thank God.” Annie leaned her weight into Tank.
He wrapped a protective arm around her as he stared at the man. He dressed in street clothes, but his face, he remembered seeing the officer at the diner. The short cop.
“Are you guys…” Brayden ran a hand over the back of his neck. “Are you guys okay?” Brayden asked.
The deep tone of the man’s voice resonated in Tank’s ears. The fake phone call? He was the one who made it. And the one who saved them?
None of it made sense.
Cops from every direction swarmed out of the woods, one officer holding back a K9. As they came closer, guns drawn, many of them stopped and stared at their dead Chief on the ground.
Tanks body heat soared seeing so many uniforms. His breathing escalated, and his grip on Annie clammed
They’re here to help. Calm down.
“Drop your weapon.” One yelled. He wore a star on his chest. The current sheriff.
Brayden threw his gun to the ground.
“Hands up, everyone.”
Tank let go of Annie and grimaced as he raised his hands over his head.
“What happened here?” The sheriff stepped closer, both hands still on his gun that rested at his side, while another officer came to secure the visible weapons on the ground.
“Officer Brayden, sir. Chief Fields held a gun at point blan
k range towered Wilde and Annie. I told him to stop, and he turned his weapon on me. I shot in self-defense,” Brayden answered.
“Someone call an EMT, and the coroner. Let’s get this mess cleaned up,” the sheriff demanded.
Another officer came over and demanded they both stand. The man patted him, Annie, and Brayden down. “All clean, sir.”
The sheriff nodded. “You can all lower your hands. You two,” the leader said to him and Annie. “When you get back home, I’ll need statements. And you.” The man pointed to Brayden. “Why are you in street clothes?”
“I wasn’t on duty today, sir.”
“Then why are you here?”
All questions Tank had and wanted to know answers to.
“I…I…” Brayden stuttered.
“Don’t go too far.” The sheriff pointed a finger at the short cop. “And where is the kid? The officer at the house said a child was involved.” He swiveled his head from side to side.
Loud sobs came from above.
“Bear,” Tank hollered and hobbled toward the tree. “I’m coming.”
God, the poor boy. Beat by his father, and now he’d seen a man shot to death. Father’s counseling skills would have to work miracles.
Tank pushed up the tree, his sweaty palms hindering his grip as his body ached in protest. Still, he reached Bear’s branch. “Here, man. Grab on to my back.” He helped Nate get a good grip. “Just hold on. I’ve got you.”
Slowly, he brought the boy down, and set him on the ground. Lowering to one knee, he held Nate at arm’s length and watched as his lower lip trembled.
“It’s all okay. It’s all going to be okay.” He wrapped the boy in a hug, fresh tears moistening Tank’s shoulder.
Bear pulled back and looked at him in his eyes. “I told you that cop was bad.”
“I know buddy, I know.” He cuffed his hand around the back of Nate’s neck and guided his head back into his shoulder. “Just don’t look. We’re going somewhere safe.”
Annie joined their side, and eased her arms around both of them. “We’re all going to be safe now.”
Chapter 35
Six Weeks Later
Tank sat and stared at the clear glass partition as he waited. He’d come to terms with what he had to do. Annie had helped him. She’d sat with him night after night as he read each and every letter, every apology, every plea for forgiveness.
Being in a room with so many officers would usually have him breaking out in a sweat, yet his hands were eerily dry, even though the man of his nightmares would soon walk into the room and sit down to talk to him.
Being in a police station so frequently after his last nightmare, giving statement after statement, he’d learned to conquer his fears. And Beauty had been by his side every step of the way.
The love of his life had forgiven Brayden so easily for his mistakes. The young officer confessed to aiding the monster unaware of the end goal: The address searches, following Tank home from the camping trip, sleeping with the young girl for information, and even using burner phones to make the crank call. But through all that he swears he had no idea Duke planned to kidnap or murder anyone.
Scared of his own future in prison for having relations with an underage girl, he followed through with the monster’s plans, but declared he couldn’t follow through with intentions to kill.
Despite Brayden’s ill choices, if the man hadn’t followed his gut, and followed Duke into the woods at a safe distance, Tank might not be alive today. And despite all the man’s wrong doings, Annie saw it in her heart to forgive the guy, claiming if he had of ignored his gut, she would have lost the one true love of her life.
Me.
Annie claimed he was more important to her than holding any grudge against someone scared for their own fate, and she’d been right.
The past was in the past. She’d taught him that. He needed to face his demons, so he could move on with his future. With her.
Slowly, the man he’d thought for twenty-seven years as his father walked to the seat across from him. He’d aged exponentially in the past several years. His once large and towering frame seemed gaunt and small. Nothing to be afraid of.
Being here was the right thing. No longer would he let this man and his past control him.
The person sitting across from him picked up the phone, and Tank did the same.
“You came.” His father’s voice sounded much scratchier than in years past.
“I did.”
“Did you read my letters?”
Tank stared at his dad, his eyes filled with dejection and hope all at the same time. His own heart split down the middle. Still, after all these years and all the hate, he still felt something for the man. Endearment? Like? Love? He couldn’t pinpoint the emotion, and more importantly, he had no idea how it was even possible. But he did know, no matter what, he would never be like the person that sat across from him. His blood was not in Tank’s veins. He was his past.
“I did,” Tank said, determined to keep the emotion out of his voice.
“I’ve got a hearing soon. Early parole.”
“I’m not…” He clenched the phone tighter. “I’m not here to make small talk. I’m not here to talk about your parole. I’m here to tell you I read the letters, and I forgive you.”
Glazed eyes stared back at him. Eyes filled with a genuine happiness, the lines of the old man’s face turning up with his smile. “Thank you, son. Thank you.”
He didn’t have the heart to tell the man he wasn’t his real son.
“But understand, that doesn’t mean I can forget. I’ll never forget. I wish you no harm, but we can never have a relationship. Do you understand?”
The once happy features turned down as quick as they had come up. “Yes. I understand.”
“Good luck with your parole. I hope you find happiness in life.”
Tank hung up the phone, the click of the receiver indicating the beginning of the end, as he stared at the man he had called dad for so many years for the last time. While a heavy burden lifted from his chest, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for the shell of a person sitting across from him.
Still, it was all over.
He could burn the letters, and leave his past behind where it belonged.
Start new.
Fresh.
With Annie.
His phone rang in his back pocket as his feet hit the pavement of the prison parking lot. Steele. “Hey man. What’s up?”
“Dude, where are you?”
“Just had some business to take care of. What’s going on?”
“Father is calling a mandatory meeting tonight. He’s got some families that need to be on our radar. Seven o’clock.”
Tank glanced at his watch. Five. He needed every bit of the two hours to get home, and he had other plans tonight. Plans he’d been working on for weeks.
Shit.
“Man, I’m not in Black Widow. I’m on my way home now, but that’ll be pushing it.”
“Just get here, and be careful. I’ll pass the message along.”
“Yeah, yeah, okay.”
He tossed his helmet on and saddled his bike. He and Father still weren’t on the best of terms yet. That’s why the man didn’t call him himself. Hopefully, they could resolve their issues, and soon. He was ready to have a family. A mother. A father. A wife.
Five after seven, he pulled through the parking lot of the barn. A few extra cars sat in the grass. The lot was void of any people, everyone already inside.
Shit.
The meeting must’ve been important to warrant this many Guardians, and he was late.
He threw down his kickstand and tore off his helmet, placing it on the handle of his bike before he pushed through the barn doors.
A giant crowd gathered in the middle. He stopped and stared, taking in all the guests just as their hands rose in the air and they all screamed a boisterous. “Surprise.”
“What the…?”
Annie ran to him and
placed her arms around him. “Surprise, baby.” She placed a kiss on his lips.
“Surprise for what?” He wrapped an arm around her. He’d take a kiss from Beauty anytime.
Father ambled toward him. “For being the newest member of the Blue Guardians.” The man held up a new, black leather jacket with the angel insignia and a spider crawling up the sleeve.
He took the jacket, the weight thick and solid in his hands. The size on the tag read the jacket would be a perfect fit. “But I don’t understand. It hasn’t been a year yet.”
It hadn’t even been four months.
“We took a vote. It was unanimous. You’ve proved you’re worthy. Good job, son.” Father slapped him on the arm.
His mother stood out in the crowd and blew him a kiss. Bear and Mary stood near her. The boy gave him a thumbs up, and ran his other hand over Al’s fur.
He wrapped Father, his father, in a hug. “Thanks…Dad.”
The crowd hooted as he embraced his dad. He pulled back to notice the man had a tear in his eye. “You crying, old man?”
“Naw.” He wiped his eyes. “My eyes just sweat sometimes, that’s all.”
“Eye sweats. That’s a new one.” He laughed and slapped his real dad on the back.
“Speech,” Steele hollered from the middle of the crowd.
“Yeah, speech,” JoJo yelled.
“Speech? Oh man.” Tank held up his jacket then glanced at Annie.
Beauty gave him a sly smile and his heart puddled at his feet. His past, his present, his future, all coming full circle, and every bit of it contained her. She was his reason. He knew what he had to say.
“I came to Black Widow to join the Blue Guardians. I knew I never wanted a kid to suffer like I did as a child. I thought if I could prevent one kid, just one from having to go through what I did, then my time joining this group would be worth it.” He shot a glance back at Bear.
“What I didn’t expect was to make new friends, find out the identity of my real father, and meet the love of my life.” He handed his jacket to Father. “Annie.” He took her hand in his and shot down on one knee, his palms clammy from nerves. “This isn’t how I planned this, but it’s the only thing that would make this day absolutely complete. I love you more than my own life. I think I have since I was a boy and saw you walking barefoot in the river in your short shorts while holding your dad’s hand.”