FIRE & LIES (Hunters Inc Book 1)

by JM LOWE

  "Yeah but ... " Jacks started, he should have taken the shot, taken him and the fucking goons out, job done. Now Hannah was out there, no one to protect her, fuck, he knew he should have stayed with her, what had she done to him, he couldn’t blame Chris, she was a little fire cracker after all, hell he doubted even Jenson could have kept her at the house once she had decided she was leaving.

  "No buts Jacks, Jenson is right, we need to send a message of our own, it's either take him out and leave the rest of them scratching their heads as to who did it cause let’s face it, you don’t get to own a slick pad like that monstrosity without making a good few enemies." Conner looked at Harry as he spoke. “Or its take them all out, I vote for the later."

  Harry hadn't said a word since they had all got back to the van and he had churned up gravel trying to get to the bar. Going back to the house would be a waste of time, they all knew where she was heading, all Jacks could think was she was gone and he needed to find her before Sanchez did.

  Hannah pulled up in front of the smouldering remains of what had been Harry’s Bar.

  It had been easier than it should have been to slip past Chris and Emma who had been chatting in the kitchen as they thought she slept on the couch, rookie mistake she thought to herself, and she had to feel guilty about the ass kicking Chris would probably have coming his way from Harry as well as Jacks, but she needed to get home and nothing or no one was going to stop her.

  She gripped the steering wheel with both hands, her knuckles turning white with the applied pressure as if it was keeping her alive. Her breathing becoming rapid as the tears filled her eyes, silent words forming but not reaching the surface.

  What was left of the building had been cordoned off with bright red tape that shouted DANGER in thick black letters.

  Somehow from somewhere she found the strength to get out of the car and walk towards the smouldering ruins.

  There really was nothing left, but a pile of wood and ash, the feeling of nausea gripping her as she wrenched.

  It was gone, he had taken everything from her, the last of her dad, her home, her life. She felt the dirt between her fingers as she dropped to her knees, the sobs over whelming her.

  Carlos Sanchez shifted in the back seat of the black Escalade as he watched her, this was the first time he had seen her in the flesh and not just grainy photographs taken from a distance, she was not what he had expected, he had to admit it was going to be a shame messing up that pretty face, but the pleasure of fucking her mouth first helped push the sympathetic thought to one side.

  The three men with him waited for the go.

  She was in the dirt on her knees, right where she should be.

  Sanchez enjoying watching the woman he had broken as she wailed and sobbed, pathetic.

  She was nothing without the protection of the brother she clung too, perhaps he would take him too, he wouldn't be hard to find, probably on his way here now.

  Perhaps he would let her watch as he had his men beat the brother to his last breath and then let him watch as he took little Hannah, yes, that would give him great pleasure. Perhaps his men would like to take her one at a time before the brother was allowed to beg to be killed. Suddenly, this day had got a little more exciting.

  "Enough of this, take her." Sanchez eyes widened as his men excited the vehicle and approached her. None spoke, he didn't like it when his men spoke to him, he didn't see the need for questions, he wasn't their friend, they were here to do his bidding, nothing more.

  Hannah hurt, physically, mentally, was there any other way? if there was, she hurt that way too. A thousand images racing through her head, it was like her life was on fast forward as memories of the place flooded her mind. And then the shattering sound of the gun shot and her father being thrown backwards, slamming into the table, blood seeping from a wound in his chest.

  She gasped audibly, as a large hand wrapped around her mouth and face, falling back into the dirt. Blinded by the sun, all she could make out was the silhouette of a large figure as she was dragged to her feet.

  Hannah grabbed at the hand across her mouth, panic consuming her whole being. Lashing out, her legs and feet kicking blindly, the deep grunt as she made contact with someone willed her to fight, to hurt, kick, scratch, punch. Everything that Harry had taught her in a way to defend herself suddenly rushing to the forefront of her mind.

  "Fucking Bitch, grab her arms you idiot"

  Searing pain gripped her wrists as she felt her arms being forcefully wrapped around her body until she resembled a human straight jacket.

  Hannah screamed the second he had released her mouth to grab her arms, it was loud and piercing but lasted a mere second as the palm of a hand made contact with her face. She flopped unconscious, the two men carrying a now lifeless Hannah towards a waiting Carlos Sanchez.

  "In the back, and cover her."

  Dust and gravel splattered into the air as the vehicle drove away leaving nothing but the remains of a burnt out building and a Range Rover, engine still running.

  No matter, he had what he had come for.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Jacks was out of the van and running before it had come to a stop. He pulled open the door of the Rover, empty. Where the fuck was she?

  "Hannah..." His booming voice filling the silence. Panic closing in on him.

  Briggs and Jones took off to the left, Jenson and Connor to the right, Jacks running flat out towards the back of what was left of the building with Harry on his six, both men had their weapons drawn.

  "Anything?" Janson’s voice laboured from his sprint.

  "Not yet. Hannah..." Jacks raced through the trees at the back, twigs snapping and cracking underfoot as he searched desperately for something, anything that he knew he wouldn't find.

  He shouldn't have left her, she was his responsibility, he even trumped Harry in that department now, even if he was the only one that knew it.

  His instincts had told him the fire was a trap to lure her out into the open. He knew she would try and make her way back, he also knew there was probably no way Chris would have been able to stop her, hell, he wouldn't have been able to stop her short of hog tying her and covering her mouth with duct tape.

  Six deep commanding voices roared her name, each met with a silence in return. They knew she was gone, knew it as soon as they had pulled up and found the abandoned vehicle, but it hadn't stopped them from doing a thorough sweep, each man weapon in hand ready to shoot some fucker in the head if they had so much as a pinkie finger on their girl.

  Every inch of the area was covered, and they found nothing.

  Apart from the Rover, the only sign that she had been there were the drag marks in the dirt and that made Jacks want to put a fucking bullet in someone’s face.

  As they regrouped at the side of van, Jacks opened the door to the Rover

  "Meet back at the house, we need to finish this shit now!" He jumped into the driver’s seat, Jenson into the passenger.

  "I think we all agree on that, now what do we do about it?" Jenson watched as the others loaded into the van.

  "Aaahhh so you’re awake." Hannah opened her eyes slowly, her cheek throbbing, she gently wiggled her jaw, expecting it to have been broken from the force of the hit, but to her relief, it wasn't.

  "Fuck you." She seethed.

  Hannah looked around the room, it looked overly large for an office, he was stood leaning against a large desk, his back to a set of large French doors that over looked the pool. Obviously over compensating for something else being small she thought to herself.

  The angle of the sun as before made it almost impossible to make out anything but his silhouette, but it was clear that whoever this was, he was not a big man.

  The room was sparsely furnished and the chair she sat on seemed to be one of only two that where in the room. Take it in she forced herself, take it all in.

  "Now now Hannah. I bring you to my home and that is how you thank me. I would have thought your 'FATHER'
would have raised you better than that." Carlos Sanchez took gratification from seeing her flinch at the mention of her Dad.

  Hannah stared at the man before her. Was this him, was this the Carlos Sanchez who had taken everything from her? She felt sick to her stomach. Pointy features, pock marked skin and jet black hair that had been slicked back, he really was a fucking clique she thought.

  The cable ties he had used to secure her to a chair cut into her wrists as she struggled to free herself. Her ankles were tied too, and the fucker had removed her boots and socks, causing the ties to cut into her if she made the slightest movement.

  "Cut me the fuck loose and I will show you thanks you fucking coward" She jerked in the chair again, wincing at the pain.

  "You disappoint me snitch" Crack...

  Hannah closed her eyes as the back of his hand connected with her face, her head thrown round with the force. The pain stinging like nothing she had ever felt before.

  'Don't cry, don't give him the satisfaction' she willed herself to control her breathing and slowly bring her head back around, her eyes focused solely on his face.

  "You fucking coward, you're nothing but a fucking weasel." She knew Harry and Jacks, even Jenson would be screaming at her to keep her mouth shut, antagonising a mad man who had you tied to a chair wasn't her smartest move, but she was done.

  Here she was in the home of the man who wanted her dead, she was probably going to die anyway, fuck him, if she was going out, she was going out fighting.

  Carlos Sanchez threw his head back and laughed, it was as fake as the king pin lifestyle he tried to promote.

  "I am a coward ay? Yet you are the one who is tied to a chair in my beautiful home, no one to hear your screams Hannah Taylor." He laughed, but inside he was fighting the urge to kill her, he had promised himself she would suffer and he wanted to play, three years he had been waiting for this moment and it wasn't going to be wasted just because she ran her mouth.

  CRACK...

  The sting, this time on the other side again came with such force her head was snapped round and this time he grabbed her by the throat, gritting his teeth, saliva spitting as he growled in her face.

  "A weasel am I? let’s see how much of a weasel you think I am when you are choking on my cock Hannah Taylor" her eyes widened at his words.

  Hannah could feel her eyes starting to close from the swelling that was forming, she licked and tasted blood, but still she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing the tears that were forcing their way forward.

  "Is that the only way you can have a woman?" Hannah again refused to look away from him, the pressure on her neck causing her to gasp, if he squeezed any harder she was sure she would pass out and then god knows what he would do.

  "I can have a woman anyway I want them as you will find out. I have plans for you Hannah and when I have finished with you, you will be begging to die, but not before I watch as my men each take you. Believe me, your time here will not end quickly."

  This time she didn't speak, he released her throat, leaving behind his hand print on her skin from the pressure. The bruises forming like a hot cattle brand.

  She was bruised, swollen and afraid, and she knew goading him further would do her no good. 'Please find me Jacks' the words repeating in her mind, he was all she could think of, she needed him.

  Sanchez walked towards the door that was located behind her.

  "Nothing to say now? Ha, shame, I thought you would have more fight in you than that, no matter, you will be screaming soon enough."

  Hannah heard the door open then close and then silence, the tears she had been holding back falling freely from her swollen eye.

  Jacks and Harry would know where she was, they would figure it out, please god let them figure it out. Why couldn't she just listen when they told her to stay at the house?

  Those men had all come prepared to put their lives on the line for her and she had paid them back by running straight into the hands of the man they were trying to protect her from. How could she be so fucking stupid?

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Jacks paced the kitchen as Jones and Briggs pulled out the compound blue prints, spreading them out on the counter top, tumbler glasses used as paper weights on each corner.

  "How many times do we need to look at those fucking plans? I know the layout of that place just as well as I know the layout of this place, I say we just go, blow the fucking gates and put a bullet in that fuckers’ head."

  "And I say sit the fuck down and pay fucking attention." Jenson spoke slowly, his voice steady and commanding. Jacks looked at the man in front of him and nodded. "We need to find out which room she is most likely to be in, any suggestion how we do that?"

  "Actually..."

  No one had noticed that Emma had been stood in the door way, all hell had broken loose when they had got back, Harry and Jacks both hunting ready to kill Chris, it had been Connor and Jenson who had kept them away from him, each man ready to blame the younger when they both knew there would have been nothing Chris could do. It was funny how blaming someone else was meant to help fear, it didn't.

  Seven pairs of eyes where suddenly focused on her.

  "Actually?" asked Harry, his arms folded across his chest "What do you mean actually?"

  "I mean, not much to do around here while you were all out playing GI JOE so I sat studying the paperwork." Emma walked towards them and put the open file on the counter "If he has the security system that I think he has, like everything else it's cheap. The same kind of system that..."

  "Out with it woman" Jenson folded his arms this time, patience growing thin.

  "I can hack it." She looked at the shocked faces "I mean, I'm no CIA, NSA genius, but I'm pretty sure I can get into his security system. I just need a laptop and a WIFI connection, somewhere to work and quiet."

  "Well I'll be. Just full of surprises aren’t you." Jenson smiled at her.

  "Everything you need is in the office" Jacks walked from the room and Emma picked up the file and followed him.

  "Bring me the plans, I'm gonna need them" She shouted as she ran to keep up with Jacks as he walked to the door at the far end of the house.

  Harry scooped them up and made his way to where she was setting up sat behind a large wooden desk.

  "Why did I not know this about you?" Harry asked as she took the plans from him.

  "There is a lot you don't know about me. Now shut up while I think."

  Jacks and Harry both stood behind her as she worked, her fingers floating across the keys as page after page of letters and numbers appeared on the screen.

  Both men watched, Emma worked as fast as she could, down loading what Jacks recognised as scanner programs and remote access codes.

  "I'm in." She hit the keys and eight small boxes appeared on to the computer screen. "Now this is on a delay, maybe fifteen, twenty seconds, but it’s a live feed if that makes sense, look at the time stamp in the corner."

  By now the two behind her had become seven. Each man straining to catch a glimpse "There, number four, is that?" Conner pointed as Emma pulled the picture up so it was the only image on the screen.

  "Son of a bitch..." Jacks fisted his knuckles as he leaned on the desk.

  A side view of Hannah tied to a chair with Carlos Sanchez stood over her, his hand on her throat.

  "Does this thing have sound?" Harry asked as he crouched at the side of Emma who was visibly upset to see her friend on the screen.

  "N..No, like everything else about him, the system is cheap" she spoke quietly as she continued to watch the black and white images.

  "You are amazing you know that." Harry stood then leaned down and kissed her head.

  “Wait, there’s someone else” Emma pulled an image onto the screen. What looked like a bloodied animal hanging from the ceiling came into focus.

  “Mother fucker, is that…?” Jacks watching the image.

  “Barren Holmes, that’s the guy who tipped me off.” Harry leaned in closer
to the screen “Em, which room is that? Show me on the prints”

  “Next room to where he has Hannah, look, next window along” she pointed on the plans.

  “He’s Darrens twin, isn’t he? How the hell did he get mixed up with a scum bag like Sanchez?” Connor saw the man was in bad shape, he had taken one hell of a beating, that much was clear, even from security footage “we can’t just leave him”

  “I think we all agree on that” Jenson was pissed and headed for the door.

  "I can erase the system from here as well, wipe his hard drive, just leave me one of those little ear thingies’ that you use and as soon as you have her out, just tell me, I can wipe any trace that you were even there." She continued to stir at the screen where they had all just watched Sanchez walk out of the room and Hannah’s shoulders start to shake, it was clear that she was crying, had waited until she was alone before she had finally let go and Hell if that didn’t make every person in the room proud as shit.

  “Good girl” Jacks saw as Harry leaned into Emma and spoke so only she could hear. Emma paled and nodded and then Harry followed him out of the room.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Jacks lay in the long damp grass, the moisture helping to reduce any noise that he might make as he had snaked into position.

  It was almost dark, but even in the light of day no one would have known he was there. Only the faint mist from his breath giving any indication that he was lying in wait.

  Each man was now in position, it has been agreed this wasn't a 'he's mine' kind of situation, it was a case of first come first served, if any of them had the opportunity to take Sanchez out or grab Hannah they did it. No time to wait around for Jacks or Harry to be the one-man hero today.

  "Jacks, whenever you're ready." Jenson spoke, his voice low, almost inaudible.

  "Wait" Emma shouted into their ears, the pitch of her voice causing more than one to grab at the ear piece.