by A. J. Macey
“Yeah, if you say something along the lines of a rap sheet and wanted list longer than I've seen in a long time is useful, then yeah, I'd say we got something.” He handed it over and I immediately flipped it open.
“Whatever you've got going with Chance, Porter, Ricky, and Ethan over the Phantoms,” he told me, hitting the top of the folder with his finger where the four men's mugshots faced me, their names written underneath each one, “be careful because they're dangerous.”
“Yeah, tell me about it,” I muttered, flipping through some of the beginning sheets, knowing that I wouldn't be able to look through all of it right then; standing here was too much of a liability around other people. I'd have to take it back to the compound or back to the house where I could study it. “What do you know about these guys?”
“Well, they're part of the muscle at the Phantoms,” he started, but I picked up on his half-truth.
“And?”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “You were always really good at that,” he muttered, giving me a glance. “These four are particularly good at cleaning up loose ends if rumors are correct.”
I skipped over some of the pages until I was looking at a list of crimes they were wanted for.
“Why haven’t you gotten these bastards yet?” I ground out, realizing just how much shit Harper had coming down on her.
“You say that like I don't want them behind bars,” he snapped. “They're good, like really good. No DNA, clean up all squeaky clean, no witnesses that we’ve found. We have a list almost a decade long that we're hoping to pin on them. We just need a break in the case that can link them to all of this.”
He emphasized his point by tapping the rap sheet with his forefinger. I looked through the crimes more closely this scan and my body tensed.
Murder, rape, kidnapping, torture. The list went on and on.
“Jesus Christ,” I muttered. My chest tightened in rage, knowing that Harper had now gotten the attention of what happened to be four of the most dangerous men that worked for our rivals.
“Yeah, now you understand my warning about the four of them,” Inspector Carter stated, patting me on the shoulder.
“You stay safe. Watch your back. I've got to get out of here, you know, don't necessarily want to be seen around you for too long,” he teased. But I couldn't bring myself to laugh at his lame joke that he always liked to tell. He had just opened the door of his car and slipped in when he looked back at me. “Let me know if you find anything, because you're not the only ones out there trying to take these bastards down.”
I nodded, giving a little two finger salute before slipping back into my own car. I waited until he had left for a few minutes before starting my car and prepping to pull out of the parking spot. My phone rang once I turned onto the main street; I didn't recognize the number, but I answered it anyways, knowing that there are a lot of people who we used for information and other stuff like that that we didn't have numbers for.
“What?” I demanded as soon as I answered.
“You got to get to this address,” a squeaky little voice on the other side told me, rattling off the location quickly. I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, but whoever it was, they sounded terrified.
“Why?”
“I heard about issues you've been having with a certain group of criminals,” the person murmured, the sound muffled as if they were trying to block it out with a hand.
“Not sure what you're talking about,” I denied, not wanting to give away that we were, in fact, having that same issue.
“You can cut the pretenses, I know. I heard from one of my Auckland King buddies, they asked if I knew anything.”
Confidential informant, I realized, that was who was calling me.
“So, why aren't you talking to that person?”
“Because they said you were the one leading the charge,” the person exclaimed on the other end, clearly flustered at the conversation. I sighed.
“All right, fine. What is at this address that you gave me?”
“Information. I found it out and I'm leaving it here for you. But hurry, because I think the Phantoms are on to me.” I rubbed my eyes when I stopped at a light.
No wonder he’s terrified. I wouldn't want them on my back either.
“All right, I'll head over there. What am I supposed to be looking for?”
“You'll know, it'll be right in the middle of the room in a small duffle bag,” he revealed, giving me a quick rundown on which room it was in within the building.
“That doesn't sound suspicious at all,” I muttered, hanging up and dialing Theo's number.
“Yeah?”
“Pretty sure the Phantoms are trying to set us up. I have an address, but I need some backup,” I relayed.
“All right. When? Where?”
“Now,” I told him, rattling off the address. “Meet me there.”
“You got it.”
Ending the call, I raced as quickly as possible to the address. Thankfully, Theo ended up making it there before me, no doubt having sped all the way over.
“So what's the plan?”
“I’ll let you know when I figure it out,” was all I said when I got out, not having been able to come up with one until I saw the building. There were a few other Auckland Kings pulling up in various cars in the parking lot. It looked like a construction site for one of the new high rises, and based on how empty it was, it seemed the crew wasn’t working that day.
“We go check it out and hope to God that this isn't an ambush,” I stated with a shrug. Theo groaned but nodded, not wanting to argue with me.
“All right, fine. Let's just get this bullshit over with,” Theo grumbled. The two of us went in different entrances, me through a side door that was still waiting for its glass door installation, while Theo went to the front. The three or four other Auckland Kings that had showed up stationed themselves around the building, waiting to follow us in if necessary. We didn't want to go rushing in with all of us at once and risk putting more lives at danger.
When I found the room the CI had said, I scanned it from the doorway. It was empty, no visible cameras or electronics were anywhere on that floor or in the room. Theo appeared at the other end of the room, standing in his open door.
“So this wasn't a trap,” he called out, his voice echoing around the large barren space.
“Not yet at least.” Just as the CI had told me, the black bag was in the middle of the room.
“Well... that’s interesting.” Theo’s statement was flat and sarcastic.
“Could be a bomb,” I reasoned, moving close to study the object.
“Would be a hell of a way to go out, wouldn't it?” Theo knelt without hesitating and opened it. It was mostly empty inside save for one small piece of paper in the bottom of the bag.
“At least we didn't go kaboom,” he joked, pulling out the paper and flipping it over. His joking smile dissipated immediately, and when his eyes hardened, I knew whatever was on the piece of paper wasn't going to be good. I snatched it out of his hand and felt my blood run cold.
It was a photograph, one of Harper through the window of the mansion of the Auckland Kings compound.
“We need to go,” I commanded warning bells going off in my head.
“I'll find out who that CI was,” Theo advised. “You go get your girl.”
I nodded, sprinting to my car as we went about our separate tasks. I didn’t give a shit about speed limits, traffic signs, or anything else as I sped through the city. There was only one thought in my mind.
Harper better fucking be okay, or heads will roll.
12
Harper
The breeze brushing over me was soothing. That mixed with the warmth of the sun lulled me into a nice, relaxed state. So much so I was able to jump back into the book that I had started reading earlier. The buzz from the beer worked its way through me, helping relax me the rest of the way until I could truly enjoy the nice summer weather. As if I’m act
ually on vacation like I told my parents, I thought, finishing the chapter.
I was getting hungry at that point, so I closed the book and hopped up. Probably should also get some sunscreen. My arms and legs were tinted pink, and I made a note to scour the kitchen and bathroom for any kind of sunscreen as I walked inside. But the thought faded away into the background when I heard a thud deeper in Liam's house.
The alcohol in my system seemed to dissipate, my focus immediately on high alert as I looked around. I didn't see any broken glass or open doors, but I heard yet another noise. Fuck. I didn't have my phone on me, having left it in the kitchen. Thankfully, it wasn't too far from the balcony door, I just needed to make it through the lounge area and grab it off the counter.
Tiptoeing quietly through the living space, I moved slowly and kept my eyes peeled for anyone in the home. Phew. I breathed a sigh of relief when I reached the kitchen and had my phone in hand, dialing Liam’s number as soon as it was unlocked.
“Harper?” he greeted sharply, the hard sound startling me with how intensive it was.
“I think someone's at the house—” I had just started to whisper, but a hand yanked the cell out of my hand. A different man grabbed a hold of me as I screamed loudly.
“Get her in the fucking car,” the man commanded, looking at the phone. He didn't wear a ski mask which made my adrenaline start to pump harder.
“Put me down!” I screamed, able to land a few hits that Liam and I had practiced. The arms holding me dislodged long enough for me to grab hold of one of the knives in the butcher block. I swiped out catching the man with my phone in the chest.
“Bloody fucking bitch!” he roared, pressing a hand to the bleeding wound. He chucked my phone on the ground, shattering it into a bunch of pieces as I continued to wield the sharp knife. The cold steel and heavy handle helped to ground me, but I knew I was outnumbered when I finally got eyes on the man who had tried to pick me up to carry me out of the house. He was big, bigger than Liam with bulging muscles and a buzz cut head. The other guy who was currently bleeding all over the kitchen was tall and lanky. But I could tell he was strong based on the rippling muscles shifting in his forearms as he applied pressure to his wound.
“Get this bitch and get her in the car,” he commanded again, glaring at his partner.
“No!” I shouted, my voice an octave higher than normal, and I tried to stab the guy who lunged at me, but he grabbed my wrist, squeezing so tightly I thought my wrist was going to break. The knife clattered to the ground as I screamed in pain, and I was lucky it hadn't stabbed me in my own foot. An ether soaked rag covered my face, while two steel arms secured me long enough for the darkness to press down on me.
Liam
I could hear my heart rate thudding deafeningly loud in my ears as I weaved through traffic and around corners.
“Come on, come on, come on,” I muttered under my breath, waiting at one of the busiest intersections. I didn't have the chance to run the light, knowing it was too much of a risk that I could crash and injure myself leaving Harper in potential danger. So, much to my frustration, I waited impatiently for the light to change. It had just shifted when my phone rang.
“Harper?” I exclaimed when I saw her name.
“I think someone's at the house—” she started to say, and I saw red, flooring my car. The sounds of her yelling and the deep voice of a man burned into my consciousness, and I knew that her terrified and pain-filled screams would fill my nightmares.
Not today, I thought, drifting through my next turn as quickly as I could. Only two more blocks. Finally, I whipped onto my street and I didn't bother to follow the curve of the driveway, pulling straight right up into the grass and jumping out. There were no cars in the driveway, and the front door was wide open. I rushed in, finding the house empty and quiet.
“Goddammit,” I screamed, kicking the closest thing next to me. The chair and side table both clattered across the floor in a loud barrage of noise. Smears of blood were all over my kitchen, a bloody knife lying on the ground. I didn't know whose it was, but if I heard correctly from the phone, Harper had fought as hard as she could and I could only hope that she was the one that had wielded the knife and not the men. Not wanting to waste time, I called Theo as I walked out of my house.
“Tell me you have something.”
“Confidential informant wasn't even an informant at all,” he told me grimly.
“What?” I halted mid stride right outside my car.
“Turns out it was a Phantom calling you pretending to be a CI. It was a trap.”
“Yeah, I bloody well know it was a trap! Harper's gone; my house was broken into,” I shouted, getting into the car. “I'm on my way. Find that fucking Phantom and have him ready for me.”
“It's not going to be that simple, it was done from a burner phone. We found it not too far outside of the building after you left.”
“Fucking hell,” I ground out, punching the steering wheel as I drove. When I get my fucking hands on these Phantom bastards, I seethed. All sorts of vicious ideas flashed in my head on exactly how I planned to make them pay, drowning out any and everything around me in a wave of fury.
“Hurry up.”
“What?” I hadn’t been paying attention to him in my fit of rage.
“Just come to the compound,” he demanded. “Hunter, Sam, Father, and I will figure out a plan with you and we’ll go get her. Okay?”
I tried to take a steadying breath knowing that me being pissed wouldn't do Harper any good. “Almost there.”
“Good, we'll be ready.”
I hung up and tucked my phone away.
Damn right, we'll be ready.
I hope the Phantoms are ready to meet their maker because death is coming.
13
Harper
“Ugh,” I groaned, my body aching. My muscles were tender and my head throbbed. I pried my eyes open, despite the burning sensation of doing so. I wasn't groggy, coming around knowing exactly what had happened. I'd been taken—this time successfully.
From where I was, I tried to take everything in around me. From the room to the bindings to anything I could hear, smell, or notice from what was within view. Anything possible that could help me.
It was unfinished, the door looked sturdy with an ornate doorknob, there was no molding, paint, or flooring installed. Construction site, I noted with a frown. Unfortunately, it didn't give me too much to go on, but I was hoping if I could buy some time, Liam and his brothers would find me or I'd come up with a way to get the hell out of here.
Now that I’d figured out everything I could from the location, I turned to what held me captive. Thick, rough rope that dug into my skin painfully held my wrists secured to the metal arms of the chair and ankles to the legs. Well, that’s going to suck to get out of. Closing my eyes, I strained to hear, hoping there wouldn’t be anything significant so I could put my quickly forming plan into place. When I was met with silence, I got to work.
First things first: get out of these knots.
It was slow going and I was thankful they hadn't tied my upper body to the chair so I was able to lean over and start working at the rough material with my teeth. After a few minutes of pulling and tugging, I heard footsteps outside of the door and immediately sat up. As I wiped the slobber from my mouth onto my shirt, I hoped they couldn't tell what I’d been doing.
I hadn't expected anyone to come into the room as quick as they had, so I took a deep breath. Trying to compose myself and rein in my anxiety and fear the best that I could, I chanted over and over that I could and would get out of this. I steeled myself as the lock clicked and the doorknob turned. The man standing on the other side was flanked by two others, all three faces I recognized. The three men who had beaten up the man I saw killed. I'm so fucked, I thought as they filed in. There was a fourth man who strode in a moment later wearing a sharp suit and tie. His hair was longer and pulled back into a low ponytail, and he looked down his pointy nose at me.
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“Oh, I see you're awake,” he stated blandly, eyeing me like I was a piece of dirt under his shoes. “Do you know who we are?”
I considered not lying for a split second, to tell them the truth that I did know, since they were clearly aware that I wasn't staying where I lived. But I couldn't give in that easily, so I shook my head, not trusting myself to speak.
“Hmm.” He seemed displeased at my lie, looking at one of the guys and giving him a single nod.
I didn't have time to move before I felt the sharp sting of a slap across my face. A moment later, my eyes watered with the throb as it worked its way through my cheek, temple, and jaw.
“The truth, if you please, Miss Davis,” the man demanded “Do you know who we are?”
I tried to bring back the tears that were filling my gaze, not wanting to cry before these four assholes.
“Yes,” I bit out, not giving anything else away.
“Do you know who the man you were staying with is?”
I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat, his keen gaze taking it in.
“I'll take that as a yes then.”
“What are you going to do with me?” I questioned, unable to take not knowing. I knew the answer wouldn't be something I would like, and I knew unless I got myself out or Liam came to get me, there was no way I was leaving this room, outside of a body bag. But I had to at least know—or try to figure it out; except he just chuckled, the sound grating and cold.
“You'll find out in due time. For now, though, we have some business to attend to,” he said, glancing at his watch. “So lucky for you, you get some time to sit here and think about your options.”
“What options?” I scoffed, unable to help myself. Another slap came.
“Shut the hell up, bitch,” the guy who hit me sneered. I rolled my head side to side, trying to ease the pain that now radiated down my neck.
“For you to decide if you want to do this the easy way or the hard way,” the man in the suit stated simply with a shrug. “You can tell us everything we want to know. And you get out of this with as little pain as possible, or you don't. The choice is yours.”