by Crimson Syn
“It’s okay, Sweetheart. I’m right here. No one is going to hurt you as long as I’m by your side.”
“I’m afraid, Lucian. I’m so afraid,” she admitted her pain to me and all I could do was hold onto her. Reassure her that nothing was going to happen to her. I had Drake, Max, and Adam on this. They were the only ones I trusted.
“We’ll find the son of a bitch, baby. I promise you that. And when I do, they better lock him up for ten lifetimes before I get my hands on him. Cause if I do, I swear to God there will be nothing left of him to bury.”
15
Lucian
I hadn’t gone home yet. I couldn’t bring myself to leave her side. I was tired, worn out, and to be honest, I hadn’t eaten in at least twenty-four hours. A nurse brought in some coffee for me and a tray of food, but it just sat there untouched. I couldn’t swallow it.
Sabrina was in and out of consciousness due to the medication. When she was up she would reprimand me over not taking care of myself. And when she was out, she’d be shivering in her sleep, her dreams becoming memories of what had happened. There were several times that she’d wake crying, clinging on to me.
I barely slept at night wondering if the call would ever come in. That call that told me they had the fucker in custody. I waited patiently, but of course patience was a virtue for a reason, it usually dissipates quickly, and it’s replaced by anxiety and doubt.
I was standing by the window this morning. The rays of early morning sun were already streaming into the room. I closed my eyes and felt the sun warm my body. It felt good to bask in it for that moment. Sabrina stirred in her sleep and I walked over to her, placing my hand on her head. The past few nights, my touch seemed to calm her. I was just watching over her when the phone rang.
I reached into my pocket and pulled it out, Drake’s name glaring back at me. As soon as he got notice, he contacted Adam and was working alongside him to find this son of a bitch.
“Tell me you have good news.”
“We got him.”
“You, what?”
“We got the motherfucker! I’m heading over there right now!”
I could hear his rough breathing as he ran, car horns blaring, and traffic noises filled the background. “Where are you headed?”
“The FBI offices.”
“I’m coming with you.”
“Now, Lucian, you know this is not a free for all.”
“I said I’m coming with you. I have every right to!”
I waited for a moment, he knew I was going no matter what. When his deep sigh came through I almost smiled. “Fine. Meet me out front of the Federal Plaza in an hour.”
“Out front?”
“Just do what I tell you and don’t ask questions. I don’t even know why I called you.”
“I’ll be there.” Hanging up, I gave Sabrina a quick kiss and ran out, making sure the nurses knew I was leaving. I’d given them all my number in case something happened, and I was hoping nothing did.
An hour later I was pacing in front of the federal building, waiting on Drake to arrive. “Damn, you got here fast.”
“Where have you been?” I walked up to him, my nerves on edge.
“We have to walk towards the back. This isn’t going to work if we don’t do this right.”
“What isn’t going to work?”
“He’s supposedly being transported, or at least that’s what he believes.”
There was a game plan I was not aware of and the not knowing started to give me anxiety. “Just tell me what the hell you guys are up to.”
He sighed and dragged me down the alleyway toward the back of a building. “His name is David Tamblin. He used to work as a government contractor for the FBI.”
“You’ve got to be shitting me.”
He turned to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. “I wish I was. In the end, I know how you feel, but you have to let me do my job.”
“Who says I’m not going to let you?”
“I know you, Lucian Steele. I’m here for information and you need to see the bigger picture here. I understand that Sabrina means the world to you, fuck I understand it better than anyone. But in order for me to get this shit dealt with, I need you to keep your mouth shut.”
I stared at him for a long sullen moment. I was simmering inside. I wanted to get my hands on this fucker and make him pay for what he did to my woman, but on the other hand, I knew that the ones who sent him were the real threat.
“Do you have any information?”
“According to Adam, the FBI has one lead. Catchfire. That’s all the fucker has given to any of them. He was hired by Catchfire to do a job, and that’s what he did.”
Frowning I began to pace up and down the sidewalk. “Why? What is it that they want?”
“Well that’s what we’re about to find out.”
Out of the corner of my eye I spotted Adam dragging a man out, he was cuffed and bagged. I thought it strange at first, but as he shoved him into the truck, I realized this was the plan. Fuck with his head and get him to talk. These plans were not only dangerous, but highly illegal.
“Come on!”
I followed Drake to his car, and we followed the truck in silence. Adam turned and headed towards the mountains. I stared at the road as it winded down the familiar mountainside.
“Are we headed to Ravenhead?”
“Not exactly.”
“Does anyone else know about this?”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” He gave me a seriously pissed off sideways glance and I realized I was asking stupid questions.
“Well, how the fuck did he get him out of FBI headquarters!”
“He has his ways, and I’ve still got friends inside.”
An hour later we were parked near the old hangars. Adam stepped out the truck and waved at us. We quietly followed as he yanked the man out of the truck and shoved him towards the vacant structure. The sun was setting and as soon as the door slammed shut, we were drawn in shadows.
“Kneel, motherfucker!” Adam’s sharp command put us all on alert. The man barely flinched as Adam shoved him in the back with his rifle. When he hesitated, Adam cocked the gun and waited. Sure enough, the fucker got to his knees.
Adam yanked the black cloth off his head, and he squinted in the dim light. He took a moment to clear his head and take a look around him. His eyes then landed on Drake’s shadowed form.
“Who the fuck are you?”
He was a big brawny man. Dark features and a black thick, unkempt beard encompassed half his face. His black eyes looked bloodshot and dark circles outlined his cheeks. He had a sharp gash on the right side of his head, and I knew Adam hadn’t been nice to him in the least bit.
We waited a moment and then Drake stepped into the light and eyed him. “You!” He spat out.
“Hello, David.”
“Fuck you!”
Drake chuckled and dragged a metal chair along the concrete, the noise echoed in the empty space, grating on all our nerves. He twirled it and slammed it down right in front of him.
“Nice to see you too.”
The man glared up at him with disgust. I shifted in the shadows and his gaze followed me. “Who’s there?”
“Don’t you worry about that. You and I have a conversation we need to have.”
“This is illegal, I want a lawyer.”
Drake leaned forward and grabbed his head; a surge of energy filled the room. “You lost your rights when you stabbed an innocent woman and left her for dead.”
“That was her fault. She knew the consequences.”
Holding his head, Drake reached back and gave him a nice swift punch across the cheek. “Who hired you?”
The man spit out blood and gave Drake a bloodied smile. “What’s it worth to ya? Don’t tell me that sexy thing was yours? Fuck, I’d give her dick any...”
Drake tipped the chair and fell over him. He slammed back onto the concrete, the metal back pressing against his throat. “Keep it up a
nd I’ll fucking snap it.”
His eyes grew large and his legs kicked as Drake held the chair down on his throat. “Once again. Who. Hired. You?”
“C-Catch…f-f-fire.”
Drake nodded and pressed down on the chair just a little more. “D-don’t know. D-d-don’t…”
He alleviated the pressure and slapped him across the forehead. “Stop your fucking stuttering. Who did you speak with, David?”
He coughed and gagged for a moment as Drake got up and dragged him onto the chair. “Now you know my methods, Tamblin. Do you really want to go that route? Cause I can assure you neither of these men will save you.”
He pointed at Adam. “That man right there wants to see you behind bars and this one,” he signaled to me. “He wants to put a bullet through that thick skull of yours.”
Drake folded his arms and stood before him. “So once again, Tamblin, who did you speak with?”
He remained silent and Drake nodded at Adam who set the rifle down and took out what looked like pliers. He handed them to Drake, and he crouched down before the man. “You remember these, Tamblin?”
He squirmed in his seat and shook his head. “You don’t remember?” Drake asked in mock shock. “Well then maybe we should jog your memory.”
He swung the pliers towards Adam and he crouched down behind the chair and placed the pliers around Tamblin’s pinky finger. Applying pressure, Tamblin started to scream.
“Okay, wait! Wait!”
Drake looked at Adam, who kept still. These two were not only efficient, but they knew exactly what to do to fuck with a prisoner. He started to squawk like a canary.
“He never said his name and his voice was always distorted. I couldn’t pinpoint his location either. He was smart. He found me on the darknet and paid me in cash which was sent to a box at the post office. I never had direct contact.”
“Why Sabrina?”
“All he said is he needed to get into Lucian Steele’s offices. Sabrina Montgomery was his only way in. When I first met her, I was only supposed to scare her into cooperating. All she had to do was place the device near the computer. They wanted some sort of weapon blueprints. When she didn’t…well, fuck. The fucker told me to stab her.”
“And you do just what you’re told to do, like a good dog right?” He grabbed his hair and yanked his head back. “I need something more, Tamblin. You know it. Before I tell my friend here to cut off that finger so we could send it to your eight year old daughter and dear Katherine. Are you guys still together?”
The man shook his head and Drake nodded in understanding. “I don’t blame her, I’d leave your ass too.”
Adam squeezed slightly, and he jumped, trembling. “I swear that’s all I have. That’s all I know!”
A little more pressure was applied to his finger, and he yelled out. I wonder how much more it would take for it to actually snap off. “He was meticulous in his planning. He concocted everything, wanted everything to go right. He always said the devil’s in the details! He always said the devil’s in the details!”
I froze. Cold chills ran down my spine as the phrase hit me full force.
“Why Sabrina Montgomery?” Drake continued.
“I don’t know. But it seemed personal somehow. He told me not to kill her. To make sure I hurt her, but that the wound wouldn’t kill her.”
“What the fuck?” Drake looked over at me, and I shook my head.
All these thoughts hit me at once, the familiar words danced in my head, and I turned and walked out. I needed to breathe. Bending over at the side of the building, I took deep calming breaths. There was only one other person I had ever heard utter those words like a mantra.
Joseph Montgomery.
Drake and Adam walked out a few minutes later.
“You alright, Lucian?”
Adam placed a hand on my back, and I whirled on them. “It’s Joseph Montgomery. Catchfire is fucking Joseph Montgomery!”
I grabbed at Drake and I must have looked crazy because he literally took a few steps back, raised his hands, and told me to calm the fuck down.
“You’re spewing nonsense, Lucian. Take a moment and explain it, man.”
“I should have known, of course! He’s always bringing all these fucking weird projects, wanting me to sign off on shit that I don’t approve off. I can’t believe it!”
“Are you saying you think Joseph Montgomery is behind all this?”
I turned to Adam and shook my head. “I don’t think it, I know it. I don’t know how, but I know it.”
“Well, fuck!” Drake raked his fingers through his hair and crouched down. His head hung low as he grasped what I was telling him.
“He was there,” he murmured.
“What?” I got closer trying to hear him.
“He was present when Luminary went down. He wanted to know everything that happened, step by step, and how it had been brought down. I mean, he even asked for records and the names of people. He’s been planning this from the start and he’s had the time to do it.”
My whole world was suddenly spinning out of control. “The motherfucker sent someone to stab his own flesh and blood. If we don’t put a stop to this, God knows what else he’ll be capable of.
Adam nodded. “Lucian’s right. I need to think about this. Assemble a team, start investigating.”
“There’s no time for that.”
“Lucian, we need to do things the right way. If something goes wrong, we have no chance in trial.”
Drake shook his head. “Lucian’s right though. Montgomery has no idea that we have David Tamblin in custody. Right now, he thinks he escaped. But if he finds out…”
I looked at Adam. “If he finds out, we’ll ruin our chances of getting at him.”
We all looked at one another, a silent agreement that this needed to be handled our way and as quickly as possible.
“How do we get close without alerting him?”
“Surveillance?” I asked, looking at Drake.
“We need proof. Watching him alone is not enough. We need to catch him in the act. And if we can, catch everyone connected to him.”
We stood there for a moment, until a loud crash alerted us to the prisoner inside. Walking in we found him tipped over on the floor. He’d pissed his pants.
I stepped up to him and he leaned his head back and stared at me. I spit on him and then with a hard punch to him temple, I knocked him out. The fucker deserved worst for what he did to my woman, but in the end, making him suffer in solitary sounded more appeasing.
16
Sabrina
When Lucian told me about my father I was devastated. I knew he could be ruthless, cruel even, but to go to such measures, to get involved with such organizations. I spent hours trying to figure how I couldn’t have seen this. And in the end, I was glad I’d never told him the truth.
I had asked Lucian to leave me alone for a while so that I could think. And in that process, I realized that my father was truly an evil man. To send someone to kill me, to betray me like that, all for a title, for a fucking company.
When Lucian came back into the room a few hours later, my proposal was something that shocked him.
“Let me do it.”
“What? No.”
“Please, Lucian. I need to do it.”
He glanced down at me with such sadness in his eyes, but he understood that I needed retribution. I needed to finish this.
“How?”
I thought for a long moment, and then a light bulb clicked on. “He’s coming this evening. I can borrow his phone, maybe Adam can be here, take him off guard and ask him some questions. I could attach the device to the phone.
Lucian shook his head. “What if he sees you? It’s too dangerous. You’ve already been through enough.”
“He’s my father, Lucian. I doubt he himself will hurt me. He’s too much of a coward to do that.”
“You don’t know that,” he raised his voice as he turned to me.
�
�It’s the only way to get close and you know it.”
“No, it’s not,” his eyes fluttered back and forth. The wheel in that mind of his was spinning.
“You have the keys to his office, don’t you? Yes, but it’s only access to the building and the offices, not my father’s office.”
He nodded. “How long do you think he’ll stay here?”
“I don’t know, it’s hard to read him sometimes. He won’t stay long.”
He pulled out his phone and stared at me for a long moment. When he spoke, I realized his plan.
“He’ll be here tonight.
Yeah, I’m sure.
I don’t know, an hour, maybe two, tops.
Just come on by the hospital I’ll give you the access you need.”
When he hung up he just looked at me. “Who was that?”
“Drake.”
“Are you going to tell me what you’re thinking, cause I’m sitting here in the dark.”
He pulled the chair over by the bed and sat down. I could see he was anxious, even a little excited, he always got this way when he spoke.
“I’m giving Drake access to the building. He has his ways of getting in. Remember, he’s my security, which means he’s Ravenhead security. Your father may have changed the locks, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get in.”
“So, you’re sending Drake in to plant devices.”
He nodded. “Where does your father usually spend most of his time?”
I thought for a moment. “His office or the conference room. There is a back door no one is allowed to go into. It used to lead to an old office. I’ve seen him once or twice wander in there.”
“Where is it located?”
“Right next to his office. Literally next to it. You’ll see a small entrance down the hall and to the right, along the corner, by the window.”
He nodded. “Perfect.”
I grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “Are you going to go with him?”
“With Drake? You realize that man works better alone than with company. I have a feeling he’ll drag Maxwell with him. He won’t involve us or Adam.” He reached for his phone and placed it on the bed. “This is how I’ll know he’s done with what needs to be done.”