HUNTED

by C. Luca

  Kane and his men are risking their lives for me.

  If I’m caught, it’s all for nothing.

  My conscience hollers at me. Get moving!

  Being silent is the key to surviving this mess, so I turn and begin to carefully make my way along the side of the home. All the windows are dark, indicating that the neighbor is sleeping. I sure hope he or she stays that way, because if they stumble into the ambush next door, they’re going to end up taking a bullet.

  The silence of the neighborhood is disturbing considering I know exactly what is happening nearby. Kane had assured me the attack would likely happen at night with guns that have silencers. He’d been correct with his assumption, because there’s nothing to hear.

  As I creep along the side of the home, I think of all the people sleeping in the neighborhood. I hate that Kane has brought so much danger to them, but yet I understand why we’re here. This neighborhood is like a maze and will be easy to get lost in.

  I come upon the opposite end of the trailer, and I pause before carefully peeking around the corner to scan the front and side yard. There’s a little light to see by now that a break in the clouds above has allowed the moon to shine through.

  Everything looks clear and still. There’s no movement anywhere that I can see. I study the neighboring trailer next to the one I’m hiding behind. It’s only about twenty yards away.

  I can make that.

  After one last scan of the area, I take a chance and run. Well, not run. It’s more of a limping gait, but it’s better than nothing. Dry grass crunches beneath my bare feet, and I nearly trip over a twig on the ground but manage to catch my weight against the side of the next home.

  Shit.

  I catch my breath and remain where I am, flattening myself to the outside wall.

  Sweat trickles down between my breasts.

  It’s humid out tonight, and it certainly doesn’t help me catch my breath. I don’t consider myself in shape, but I’m certainly not in bad shape, either. Fear is stealing my breath, and I struggle to calm myself.

  Kane is counting on me.

  Trying to be as silent as possible, I get moving again and carefully creep along the back. The last thing I need to do is trip over something that’ll make noise. It also dawns on me that I’m only wearing what I’d gone to bed in—a tank and panties.

  Then, I realize that I’m making a mistake by continuing to go straight, and I briefly falter.

  I should be crossing the street so that I can make my way further into the neighborhood. If I keep going in the direction I’m headed, I’ll continue to remain on the outskirts of all the homes. It’ll be easier for the enemy to find me if Kane and his men can’t take them all out.

  My right foot comes down upon what must be a sandbur patch, and I manage to muffle my yelp of pain in the nick of time while nearly dropping the phone. Tears spring to my eyes as I stumble to the side of the trailer to lean against it.

  It feels like dozens of tiny needles have wedged themselves deep into the tender arch of my foot. With a shuddering breath, I continue to balance my weight against the home as I use my free hand to try to pull one of the sandburs out.

  My breath hisses as the tiny thorns wedge themselves into the skin of my thumb and index finger. I shift the phone, trying to use my other hand to pull them out, but the thorns are no match for me.

  Damn it!

  Frustration sweeps through me.

  I don’t have time for this!

  Giving up on trying to pull out the little thorny burrs, I limp along the trailer, trying not to put weight on my injured foot. It’s quite difficult considering I’m trying to put all my weight on my damaged leg.

  The sandbur patch was one of the worst things to happen during a time like this, but it’s done.

  I’ll have to ignore the pain.

  When I reach the corner of the home, I study the front yard.

  In the dark, everything appears all clear. The calm bewilders me. How can everything look so normal? The mobile homes across the street are all dark, and all along the end of the driveways are garbage cans neatly set out for the morning garbage truck.

  Not even a dog is barking tonight.

  At least the garbage cans will provide a hiding place so I can hopefully make it across the street without being seen. Once I cross this street and make my way further into the neighborhood, I’ll be safer.

  With gritted teeth, I gather my courage and rush for the garbage cans at the end of the short driveway. My foot is throbbing now that the sandburs have wedged themselves deeper, but I have to keep going.

  I squat behind one of the cans and look up and down the street. When I gaze to the left towards the rental trailer, I see the vehicles still parked out front, and I swear I hear the unmistakable sound of a grunt.

  As my heart lodges in my throat, I anxiously look around the immediate area, alert to any movement.

  Everything remains still.

  Staying low to the ground, I hurry across the street to the garbage cans in another neighbor’s driveway. While I remain crouching behind them, I scan the street once more.

  Everything still appears clear.

  I make my move and limp as fast as I can up the driveway to take shelter in the shadows next to the mobile home. After a brief moment, I scurry along its side and enter another yard.

  I’m breathing raggedly now, and sweat has broken out across my forehead. Needing to catch my breath, I lean against a tree in the small yard as I try not to focus much on my throbbing foot and aching knee.

  Kane’s a genius.

  This place is a complete maze.

  Kane…

  My heart clenches fiercely.

  I don’t know if he’s even alive or dead. I’m praying that he comes out of this with his life, because if he doesn’t, it’ll be my fault.

  My breath hitches.

  This is all my fault anyway, because I broke the rules.

  Somewhere nearby, I hear a baby begin to wail. I’m startled and look up as a light comes on in a window two homes down. The bottom of my stomach drops away with panic.

  Oh God.

  There are so many innocents all around me.

  I need to get as far away from the trailer with the baby as possible.

  Without hesitation, I quickly begin moving. I have to keep going until I can find a safe place to hide. Ignoring my pain, I limp along the yard and enter another.

  Three trailers over, I have no choice but to take a moment to rest. This humidity is just draining my energy. I lean against the side of the home, sweating and trying to catch my breath while clutching the phone.

  Perhaps I’m far enough into the neighborhood, and I can focus on hiding now.

  An unlocked shed would be perfect. That way I could catch my breath while remaining out of sight until Kane comes for me. I allow myself only a few more seconds of rest before I begin moving once more.

  I take care to keep close to the homes so I can remain hidden in their shadows.

  When I come upon a corner of a home, I pause to peer around it. The clouds have covered the moon once more, and my eyes strain to look around.

  There!

  There’s a trailer with a shed in its backyard. If the door is unlocked, I can finally rest and focus on my injured foot.

  A soft noise comes from behind me.

  I automatically turn around, and just as I see a shadow of a man, something slams into my temple.

  There’s a quick burst of pain before everything goes black.

  Twenty-four

  Kane

  There’s carnage everywhere.

  Sweat trickles down my temple as I stand over the black-clad bodies in the darkened living room, waiting to see if more are going to come bursting through the door.

  They’d naturally assumed Tessa was inside, so Sean and I had been waiting for them. He’d come up through the escape hatch after sending Tessa off to hide. Bryce and Leo had stationed themselves outside, and the men that made it past
them, Sean and I took care of.

  The attack wasn’t very loud thanks to the silencers, so I doubt any of the neighbors are aware of what had just gone down.

  There’s nothing but silence coming from outside. After minutes of adrenaline pumping action, the quietness seems almost deafening.

  I glance at Sean, who is standing across the living room from me.

  I’m unable to see his expression, but I sense him giving me the same look.

  Had we finally gotten them all?

  There’s a familiar repetitive tap on the trailer door. Both Sean and I tense from the sound even though we know that whoever is coming in is one of our own. We’re all going to be on edge for the next few hours. There is so much shit that needs to be done.

  The door slowly opens, and just as a precaution, we keep our guns trained on whoever is entering.

  Leo cautiously appears in the trailer’s doorway. In the moonlight, he scans the bodies littering the floor. “Everyone’s dead outside,” he confirms.

  About damned time.

  He reaches for the wall and flips on the light switch. Light immediately fills the home, and we all squint briefly.

  Once my vision clears, I look at both men as I focus on the next task ahead of us. “They all need to be taken care of and the vehicles disposed of.”

  Sean nods. “I have a guy on standby.”

  My eyebrows angle into a frown. “Where’s Bryce?”

  Leo turns grim as he brushes his blond hair off his damp forehead “I lost track of him outside. I checked the bodies but none were his. I’m assuming there may have been a straggler, and he took off after him.”

  That’s the very last thing I want to hear.

  Shit.

  We can’t leave a single person alive, or we’re never going to get Tessa out of Phoenix. Not to mention she’s somewhere out there in the neighborhood, alone, and waiting for us to come get her.

  “I’ll search for Bryce,” Leo announces.

  “And I’ll stay back and oversee the cleanup,” Sean tells us.

  I nod, my mind already distracted by my need to make sure Tessa is safely hidden. But even with her phone on vibrate, it could possibly give away her location if I call and the straggler is still out there.

  My phone vibrates in my pocket, and Leo pauses as he’s just about to walk out the door. He and Sean watch me expectantly, waiting to see if there’s news as to either Bryce or Tessa’s location.

  I pull out my phone. “It’s Bryce,” I tell them, putting the phone to my ear. “Where are you?”

  “Kane,” he breathes, his voice rougher than usual. “They got her. There was one that got away, and a third car that had stayed out of sight. They found her. I tried to stop them.”

  Everything within me freezes, and then I force myself to stay calm. Smart motherfuckers planned for us to hide her outside of the trailer. How the fuck can they keep one-upping us? “You’re hurt?” I ask as I maintain control of my voice.

  Panicking does absolute shit for any situation.

  “Yeah,” he breathes into the phone. “I managed to get to my car, and I’m following them. I’m far enough back, so they don’t know it.”

  I’ve never been so fucking relieved in my life. “Where are you?” I ask immediately.

  Bryce names off a street, and as I repeat Bryce’s current location, I look at Sean, who is most familiar with the area.

  “They’re about five minutes away,” Sean says.

  “You go with Kane, and I’ll deal with your guy,” Leo quickly says to him.

  Decision made; I nod at Sean and toss him my phone. “Get your car, I’ll grab the backup equipment.”

  He strides out the front door, and I hurry to my bedroom, hauling out a heavy duffel bag with more guns and ammunition.

  We’re breaking the protocol that I had originally put in place. We don’t make hasty decisions and go after our targets when they run off, but they have Tessa. If we don’t go get her, she’s as good as dead. Once they no longer need her, they’ll put a bullet in her head and leave her to rot.

  The blood in my veins boils at just the thought.

  And then there’s what Tessa is likely experiencing this very moment…

  She must be so frightened.

  Damn it.

  I’d assured her that she’d be safe.

  This is all my fucking fault. I deliberately had the bastards led here, and now I’m left wondering if I should have done something different. Something that wouldn’t have been so risky for Tessa.

  What-ifs are a real bitch, and I shove them aside.

  I hurry out of the room and find Leo pacing the living room while speaking on the phone to Sean’s contact. He nods at me as I leave.

  Outside, I quickly slide into the passenger seat of Sean’s car. He drives us out of the neighborhood and speeds towards Bryce’s direction, who is now on speaker phone.

  I’ll go crazy if I keep wondering what Tessa is going through, so I concentrate on Bryce. “Where were you hit?” I know him well, and if he’s talking, it’s nothing life-threatening. At least not yet. It all depends on how much blood he’s losing.

  “Shoulder. I’ve had worse.” There’s a long pause. “They’re turning into a wealthy neighborhood.”

  As Sean passes a slow driver, I grit my teeth and try to control my impatience. Once they reach their destination, odds are they’ll hurt Tessa. “They either have a rental or took over an empty house,” I reply.

  “Hold on,” Bryce says.

  A few minutes of silence pass.

  As we have no choice but to wait, I restlessly shift my legs. When Sean has no option but to stop for a red light, I grind my back molars together as pain spears throughout my entire jaw

  This is torture, for fucks sake.

  Bryce’s voice finally breaks the strained silence. “They took over a house that’s for sale. It’s pretty secluded in this area.”

  “You’ve got eyes on them?” I ask immediately.

  We can hear the phone shifting as Bryce must move about within his car. “Yeah. Saw them go in.”

  “What about Tessa?”

  “She looked unconscious.”

  My fists clench. If they hurt her…

  “We going in?” Bryce asks.

  “Sean and I are, you take care of that wound. How many were there?” I ask as I begin to prepare myself for the upcoming ambush that we’re going to unleash. If the bastard behind this knows how my business is run, he’ll know we never follow. Odds are, the research has been done, and the men that took Tessa likely think they’re in the clear.

  For once, we’ve got the advantage.

  “I’m going with you,” Bryce says determinedly. “There were three of them. The house was dark when they arrived, so I think they’re the last.”

  “Three? No problem,” Sean says.

  I silently agree.

  We’re going to get Tessa and end this once and for all.

  Twenty-five

  Tessa

  A firm slap to the side of my face brings me abruptly back to consciousness.

  Immense pain is blazing from my left temple and eye. The pain is so intense that my stomach rolls and pitches. Another jarring tap to my face causes my head to jerk, and the movement triggers a wave of nausea.

  As I pry open my eyes, I momentarily realize that my left eye is nearly swollen completely shut, but then the vomit burning its way up the back of my throat becomes my main focus.

  I turn my head, straining to lean over as my stomach contents pour from my mouth.

  Someone curses profusely in Spanish.

  While I vomit and the rancid scent sweeps up into my nostrils, I hazily become aware that I seem to be tied to a hard chair. My wrists are secured to the chair’s arms, but my legs are free. My stomach heaves one last time before it uneasily settles.

  I’m briefly confused over what’s happening until I recall Kane sending me down the safe hatch to hide. My body tenses as the memory assaults me, and now th
at I’m done vomiting, I look around through my good eye.

  Before I have the chance to focus on anything, someone grabs the back of my chair and drags the chair with me tied to it—across the room. As my head spins from the motion, nausea rises within me once more.

  The chair is dragged several feet and then set upright before I hear footsteps walking away.

  I swallow hard, trying to ignore the queasiness of my stomach as I cautiously look around. My vision isn’t as clear as it usually is, and I fear I’m dealing with a concussion. Not surprising since whoever hit me inflicted a much harder blow than what was necessary. Even my jaw aches from where I’m sure my teeth jarred together from the force of it.

  Trying not to draw attention to myself, I let my uninjured eye scan the room as I remain as still as possible.

  We look to be in a kitchen.

  An empty one.

  There’s no table or furniture in sight except for the countertops, cupboards, and kitchen appliances. Everything is spotlessly clean and warmly welcoming thanks to the taupe walls and the massive bay window located in the dining room across from the kitchen. As large as the room is, I’m guessing we’re in a sizable home that is possibly up for sale.

  There are three men dressed in what appears to be black fatigues, and they are standing across the room. Two of them are conversing while the third has a phone to his ear. From here, their voices are too low for my ears to pick up what they’re saying.

  Slowly, I draw in a deep breath and carefully exhale while focusing on not panicking. Yes, I’ve been kidnapped, but that doesn’t mean Kane is dead.

  My heart leaps into my throat as I think of him.

  If he’s alive, and I’m certain he is, he’s likely livid that the plan hadn’t worked. Knowing Kane as I do, he’s coming for me.

  He knows that if he doesn’t, I’m as good as dead.

  I have faith that he will save me.

  While I keep my good eye on the men, I do my best to assess my body. I’m still clad in just my tank and panties. My right foot stings mercilessly from where the numerous sandburs are still embedded into the skin of my arch.

  If I thought those hurt before, they’re nothing compared to the throbbing of my head. I catch a brief whiff of my vomit from across the room, and I immediately gag from the sour stench.