“Hi, I was inquiring about your Granada. How much?”
“Ya’ll want that thing?” the man on the line said with a thick southern drawl. “My old lady was gonna sell it for $500. It just ain’t got no tags since it took so long, and we couldn’t sell it.” He yelled to someone else. “Mildred, someone is asking about Buck.” Myers could hear a muffled voice, and then the man came back on. “I’ll take $100 to get it out of our alley.”
“I’m at the car. Can you meet me?”
“Sure thing. One moment. I need to put on some pants.”
Myers laughed and discontinued the call. It took the man about twenty minutes to appear. The few strands of gray hair he had stood up on end. He wore overalls and no shirt. Behind him was an oversized lady dressed in flowered housecoat.
“Howdy.” The man stuck out his hand. “I’m Ray. This here is Ola. So, you want to buy Buck?”
“Is Buck the car?”
“Yes, sir. She runs fine, just can’t pay to get her tags done. We don’t go far nowadays. No need for a car. They wanna tow her, and I’m about ta let ’em.”
Myers reached in his back pocket and pulled two hundred dollar bills out. Somehow, he felt the need to overpay. “Here.”
“This here is $200.”
Myers nodded. “Yeah, I feel I should make an honest deal.”
“Well, I’ll be. You got yourself a car, young fella.” Ray stuck out one hand for a shake and held keys in the other.
Myers shook his hand and took the keys. “Thank you again.”
“No, thank you. Y’all ever need somethin’ you just let me and Ola know.”
“Appreciate it. Night.” Myers unlocked the door. The hinges squeaked as he climbed inside. The seats were a little worn, but overall, it didn’t look too bad inside. However, it had a slight mildew and oil smell. Myers placed the key in the ignition and turned it. It backfired, but then purred. He pulled the door closed, waved, and started back to his friends. Ray and Ola waved behind him, grinning ear to ear. So much darkness surrounded them; it was nice to bless someone for once.
Chapter Nineteen
Laura low crawled to the back porch. No longer could she view Eri. It didn’t matter. Right now, all focus needed to be on not dying. Harding would anticipate her coming. Traps would be set. Even if he thought they were well hidden, he would still plan for this. A camera, snipers, and some sort of reconnaissance was likely in motion. They would be fools to think this was all a surprise. With that in motion, she would try to be aware.
Like a cat, she slunk up to a window and rolled over to look through a crack. Empty. She waited, listening. Nothing.
Eri buzzed in her ear. “No sign of anyone. Are you sure this is it?”
“It’s where Helena’s phone led us. We need to get inside. Charlie, anything?”
“Yeah, go ahead and release the drones,” Charlie said. “Any opening…a doggie door, cracked window, whatever you can find. You are clear to have them enter.”
From what she could tell, there weren’t any holes or openings. Laura glanced up to Eri, who stood above her on the roof.
“Fireplace.” Eri nodded higher.
Laura tossed the mini drone. Eri caught it, back flipped to the top of the brick stack, and dropped it in. “Now, Charlie.”
“Check your phone.”
Eri bounded back to her side and peered at Laura’s screen. The drone flew around the house. Each room was vacant. On the kitchen counter was a cell phone. “I think we found it.”
“Are we clear to go inside?” Eri asked.
“Let me check the rest real quick.” The drone passed into a back bedroom, a few bathrooms, down a hall, up some steps, and into a few more rooms. Finally, it was deemed empty, and hopefully, free of any booby traps. “Okay, but please be safe.”
“Thanks, Charlie.” Eri laughed. “Because we were going to be anything but.”
“Man, my wife is sassy.”
Eri chuckled. “Quiet, so I can be safe.”
Laura fiddled with lock until it clicked. She turned around, walked to the yard, squatted to the ground, picked up a handful of dirt, and then returned to the back door. “Walk softly, be very aware.”
Eri nodded.
Laura tossed some dirt in the air. No laser. She walked forward, her eyes darting from corner to corner. Every step creaked in resistance, making her heart beat faster. She reached the phone, grabbed it, and motioned for Eri to back out. They were almost back to the door when the phone rang. Both women visibly jumped.
“Are you going to answer it?” Eri asked.
Should she? It was no mystery who was on the other end. Laura slid the bar, pushed the green button, and placed it on speaker. “Yes?”
“Good to see you found the phone, Agent Black.” It sounded like Alicia. “I guess the jig is finally up. You now know with whom you are fighting.”
“Alicia? Why? I thought we were family.”
She snickered. “Have you ever considered what all those orders over the years did to people, Black? Did it ever occur to you that you were killing innocent people? People who had families, loved ones? That somehow you were making enemies and not even realizing it?”
“You know I never killed anyone because I wanted to. I was only following S.I.U. orders just to stay alive. Same as you.”
“Ha!” The phone was silent for a moment, and then she said, “Have Eri leave, or we’ll shoot her in the head right below the brim of her black hat.”
Laura glanced at Eri. She was indeed wearing a black hat which wasn’t super unusual, but it did give Laura pause. It was highly probable they could see her.
“You’re probably wondering if we can see you. Face any way in the house, and I’ll tell you what you are looking at.”
Adrenaline began to fill Laura’s body. She turned to her left, now facing a cat picture on the wall.
“Good. You’re looking at an orange tabby cat. Ugliest picture I’ve ever seen, but we didn’t decorate the place. Shall we try again?”
This time, Laura faced the sink, looking out the window.
“Tricky. You turned to the sink, but your eyes are focused on the window.”
Laura motioned for Eri to return to the car.
Eri mouthed, “What about you?”
Holding up one finger. “I need to finish this call—alone.”
Though not quick to obey, Eri finally exited.
“What do you want from me?” Laura asked.
Alicia laughed again. There was something evil in her tone, menacing. It sickened Laura. How could this be the same girl who had lived with them for over six months? But then, Laura knew. She had played a long con before. It took a lot of acting skills, but it was not impossible to fool someone. Harding handpicked Alicia for a reason.
“You want to know what I want from you?” Alicia laughed. “I want you to die, Agent Black. Not today, of course. That would be way too easy.” The screen door behind Laura flipped open, and Alicia stepped out with a gun. “No, you need to suffer for your crimes. Down on your knees, Black.”
“You are not going to get out of here with me alive. You know I’m not alone.”
Alicia looked at her sideways and sneered. “Please. And what? You think I’m here alone? This entire house is surrounded by the best S.I.U. has to offer. We were never in this house. We took residence in the houses around this one. Waiting. Hoping. Praying, even, that you would fall for our precious trap. Of course, you did. You are so predictable.”
Myers appeared behind Alicia. Laura tried to pretend she didn’t see him, but some micro expression must have given it away.
Alicia elbowed behind her. Myers swung and hit her in the jaw. Laura went for the gun as it slid across the room. Alicia leapt, too, but Myers yanked her back by her hair. Laura grabbed the gun. Alicia kicked her hand, causing Laura to drop it again. She was just about to rush for it when the door opened revealing Harding with a gun to Eri’s head. Helena held a gun to Charlie’s head.
“Now he
re we all are…one big happy family.” Harding smiled. “This is quite the reunion. But wait, we’re missing a few from the original group, aren’t we?”
Red faced with clenched fists, Myers ran toward Harding.
Just inches away, Harding cocked the gun at Eri’s temple. “Ah ah ah. You wouldn’t want to put a bullet in another friend, would you?”
Myers backed off, but not without spitting at Harding’s feet. He began pacing like a cornered animal; his eyes filled with disgust. If Myers saw a crack, Laura knew he would take it. This could end in a blood bath.
“What do you want, Harding?” Laura said, trying to calm the situation.
He tilted his head sideways and gestured the gun around the room. “It’s what we all want, my good friend. Justice. Closure.”
“What does that mean?” Eri asked.
“It means, my waif enemy, that everyone in here is tired of playing these games with your crew. It is time to end this once and for all. Helena?”
Helena stepped the rest of the way into the room, a sardonic grin plastered on her face contrasted with what appeared to be tears. Her gaze locked with Myers’.
Hatred seethed through his expression.
Harding laughed. “Awe, the happy couple reunited at last.”
“Harding, don’t,” Helena warned. It seemed there was some conflict happening inside her. A fight between good and evil. It was good to know. Laura may be able to use that.
Circling between Helena and Myers, Harding seemed to gloat. “Agent Luther, do you ever wonder who pulled the trigger on your precious Denise?”
Myers’ countenance seethed.
“You see, we had to find a way into your band of outlaws, and you were our best bet. Denise was in the way of our plan.” Harding wrapped his arm around Helena’s shoulders. “So, I had my good agent, Helena here, kill her.”
The room went nuts. Myers lashed out at them both. One of Harding’s men took him down with a punch to the throat. Everyone began fighting, but within minutes, Black’s family were all subdued with syringes in their necks. Laura saw a few drop before her own body went limp.
****
When Laura opened her eyes, it was dark and damp. A soft drip fell to her right. The smell of mold and sulfur burned her nostrils. Her hands and feet were both bound. A chain rattled when she shook her hands. “Hello?”
Silence.
She tried to focus in the darkness. Without any light, she struggled to adjust her vision or make out any shapes. Worry consumed her. Not for herself, but for those she loved. What had happened to the rest of her team? If Harding’s main focus was to torture Laura, they would have no use for the group. Please, God, protect them.
Someone groaned by her feet.
Her heart flipped. Maybe they were with her. “Is someone there?”
“It’s Myers.” His voice sounded weak.
Relieved, Laura leaned to her knees and did her best to shift to his side. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I thought for sure they’d killed everyone.”
“I’m a big guy. It took a while for the drugs to kick in. I saw them take Charlie and Eri out, but I’m not sure what happened to them.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. You?”
“Thirsty, hungry, and a huge headache, but I’ll survive.”
“Yeah.”
Laura leaned against him. “We have to get out of here. Are your hands in front of you or behind you?”
“Behind.”
“Okay, turn with your back to me. Let me see if I can untie you.”
It took a few times of maneuvering, but eventually, they were back to back. She felt the bindings. No such luck. “Shoot! Leather straps, with a metal lock. Not going to work.”
They shifted back around next to each other.
“We’ll figure something out.”
Laura pulled her legs to her chest and stepped through them, so her bindings were in front of her. None too soon as her shoulder muscles were on fire. “Step through your arms. It will relieve some of the pain.”
Myers grunted a few times but must have complied.
They sat in silence for a while. Laura leaned her head on his broad shoulder and sighed. “I’m really sorry about Denise.”
Myers sniffed. “Yeah, it seems Helena killed both of them.”
“We’re going to get out of here. Alicia, Helena, Harding—they are all going to pay.”
“You know, putting them in an insane asylum isn’t going to work this—”
Laura cut him off. “No, this time will be different.” She closed her eyes. Images of Bryce fluttered through her mind. “This time, they all die.”
Chapter Twenty
Teddy ducked down low in the car and watched as a couple goons loaded their friends into two different vans.
Alicia walked out, and Teddy’s heart rate increased. He leaned over the steering wheel, trying to read her—to somehow understand the why behind all she had done. She was his friend, maybe even something more. How could she betray him like this? All of them? It stung deep into his soul.
Suddenly, someone ran up behind her. Alicia flipped around and kissed him passionately. When she pulled back, the streetlight illuminated his face. Harding. Bile filled Teddy’s throat. He swallowed, hoping to keep it together.
“Well, I didn’t see that coming,” Willow said from behind the passenger seat. “Did you?”
Teddy shook his head, too shocked to speak.
Willow slid over the passenger’s seat arm and dropped down in front. “What do we do now?”
“We follow.” He stuck the key in the ignition but didn’t start it yet.
“I don’t know, Teddy. That is a lot of manpower. I don’t know if we can rescue them.”
Teddy glanced at Willow in the moonlit car. The amber light made her green eyes light up, bright and beautiful. He gave her the best reassuring smile he could muster. “Laura trained us well. We have this. We just have to find the right time.”
Right now was not that time. Right now, they had to wait. Too soon, and they would give their position away. His head swam, dizzy. Wow, he wasn’t breathing. He sucked in some air and tried to relax.
“Are you okay?”
He shrugged. “Yeah, sure, why?”
“You’re not your usual chatty, happy self.”
“Our friends are in there. There are only two of us. And my ex-whatever is dating Satan. Not a lot to be happy about right this second, you know?”
Willow laughed and then covered her mouth with her hand. “Sorry. I shouldn’t laugh. You just surprised me, and I laugh sometimes when I’m uncomfortable.”
Though his instincts said it was wrong to laugh, he couldn’t help it. His outburst was comical.
“I am sorry, though. For real. Not about laughing, but about Alicia.” Willow touched his bicep. “It isn’t right.”
“Yeah.” Teddy glanced at her and offered a closed-mouth grin. “At least now I know who she is…what she is. That destroys any residual feelings, and I can move on.” Instantly, he wanted to take the words back. Did she know he meant her? In the dark, he prayed she couldn’t see the heat rising in his cheeks. In the light, he’d be a crimson tomato. “You know what I mean.”
She laughed again, then leaned over, and kissed his cheek. “I know exactly what you mean.”
Did she mean what he hoped she meant? As he opened his mouth to respond, the vehicles began pulling out. “It’s time.”
The last of the cars joined the caravan. Teddy turned on the engine and followed slowly, not turning on the headlights. When the caravan came to the end of the road, one van turned right, the other left.
“Which one do we follow?”
“Eeny meeny miny…” Teddy said pointing to each one, picking the left one, he said, “moe.” He didn’t know which friend or friends he was following. Hopefully, Laura. She would be the best bet for rescuing the rest of them.
Willow clipped in her seatbelt. “In some ways, this is good. We aren’
t taking on as many people at the same time.”
“True that.”
The van drove for about an hour before pulling up to a large red wood barn. A man, dressed all in black, got out of the van and opened the barn door. The driver pulled in, and the man closed the door behind the vehicle, then walked around the side to a smaller door, and disappeared from sight.
Teddy rolled the car behind a clump of trees and cut the engine. “I’m glad Myers picked green for the car…more camouflage. See how many guns we have back there.”
Willow climbed over the seat and transferred a duffle bag to the front seat. “Five handguns, a rifle, a few knives, and one CS gas grenade.” She passed them out equally, ending with the rifle. “Who wants this?”
“You. I’m better at hand-to-hand, so I want my hands free,” Teddy said. “You can fire from a distance, right?”
“Yeah, I’m a good shot. Here.” She reached again in the bag and then passed him an earpiece. “How do we want to do this?”
“I’ll go around back and see if there is any other way in. Once I have eyes on, you can go in the front door.”
“Sounds good.” She tucked a gun in her boot and another in the back of her pants. Teddy started to open the door, when she caught his sleeve. “This is dangerous. We could die.”
Not lost on him. “Yeah, I know.”
She rose onto her knees, leaned over the middle console, and touched her lips to his. They were warm, sweet. Tingles shot through his system. She slowly pulled back and smiled. “It’s about time, right? I mean if we’re going to die, I want to say I did.”
Teddy grinned. “Me, too.”
“Good,” she said with a deep sigh. “Now that we got that said, let’s go kick some bad guy butt.”
“Agreed.”
Both of them exited the car. The night was silent with the exception of cicada buzzing and clicking in the brush behind them. The two of them moved stealth-like to the end of the building and ducked down. Willow went for the door, and Teddy ran around to the back. A small ladder lay on the side of the red building. He climbed it carefully, engaging all his senses. Inside, two people were strapped to chairs. Both wore hoods. From their short height, Teddy guessed Charlie and Eri. Neither Harding nor the girls were present. Just a couple big guys holding AK-47s. One stood in front of them. Another paced behind.
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