FIRE & LIES (Hunters Inc Book 1)

by JM LOWE

  "Go on" Jenson spoke low

  "The maid, you have to help the maid, small woman, mid-forties, long brown hair." Emma had panic in her voice and Jacks didn't like it, not one bit.

  "We need to wipe the compound Emma, you knew this" Jacks tried not to scare her, but he needed to get this done, needed to get Hannah back.

  "No, listen to me, get the maid, just let her go, make her walk out first, he raped her, pulled up the feed from the previous couple of hours, guys he hurt her, bad." She was clearly shaken by what she had seen, well shit, this certainly changes things Jacks thought.

  "I have a visual on the maid, she is in the kitchen, as soon as the distraction is in place I can get to her." Connor watched her through his scope, he could see her swollen and bloodied face as she stood leaning against the sink.

  "Shit, she has a knife, I think she is going to kill the fucker, we need to move now."

  Connor moved silently down the banking until he was at the side of the house, his back flat against the building.

  Jacks breathing slow and steady, he adjusted his scope and squeezed the trigger on his rifle, the silence of the night shattered as a small propane cylinder located at the side of the main gate exploded.

  Connor cracked the glass of a small side door and slipped into the building.

  Lights at the front of the property flooded the yard, a scattering of men and two large German Shepard’s filling the area.

  Sanchez ran out of the building just as a second cylinder was hit, shooting high into the air, the explosion ripping a hole in the wooden gate.

  There was panic and chaos, bodies running in every direction, no one seeming to want to take control as the flames licked against the freshly painted walls of the compound perimeter.

  Connor had located Maria, the big man towering over the tiny battered woman, he grabbed the wrist of the hand that contained the long sharp chef’s knife.

  "Sanchez dies tonight, you need to take your things and leave, don't stop, don't look back, you understand me?" Shit, did she even speak English?

  "Please, I.." Maria didn't fight, she nodded "I go now yes?"

  "Yes, now. Just keep walking. I promise you, he dies tonight, but do not look back understand?" Connor waited until he saw her head for the front of the house.

  The woman, frightened yet relieved turned and in a soft quiet voice "Thank you", but there was no one to hear her.

  Jenson was the one to reach the French doors to the room where Hannah was still sat secured to the chair.

  She had heard the loud explosions, had screamed, her eyes almost swollen shut now, but she could just about make out the dark figure before her.

  "Jacks?" She knew it wasn't Sanchez, this man was massive, nothing like the pathetic weasel of a man who had tied her to the chair.

  Her instincts told her she could trust whoever it was that stood in front of her. In that moment, she understood what the explosion was, this was for her, they had come for her, Jacks had come for her!

  "Sorry to disappoint sweetheart, Jenson." He squatted in front of her, his night vision goggles covering his face.

  "Ok, listen to me Hannah, we don't have much time."

  She nodded, tears stinging her eyes as the relief swept through her.

  "I’m gonna cut you lose, but I need you to stay sat in this chair ok." his voice was low and as soft as he could make it.

  "OK" she nodded as she spoke, the grip from Sanchez fingers had made her throat raw and she struggled to produce the words.

  "Good girl. Now when Sanchez walks in the room I want you to close your eyes and keep them closed, can you do that for me?"

  Again, she nodded.

  "OK. Will have you out of here in no time, brother and boyfriend and newly promoted best friend are waiting for you." Jenson cut the ties and she rubbed her wrists and ankles, the blood rushing back into her hands and feet causing her skin to throb and prickle.

  Jacks watched through his scope as Connor made his way into room where Barren Holmes was still swinging from chained wrists that had been snagged over a large industrial hook that was anchored to the ceiling.

  Connor lifted the battered and barely conscious man and threw him across his shoulders.

  “I got you man, hang in there. He’s still with us, barely” Connor, his breathing heavy had kicked out the glass of an outer door and was now on the move back to the van.

  "Bud, go" Jacks gave the instruction as soon as Connor was clear.

  Harry was up and sliding down the embankment at the back of the house, Jacks watched through his scope as his friend reached the gas supply that had been fixed to the external wall of the property. Another one of Sanchez mistakes in his rush to impress.

  He needed this over as soon as possible, needed his girl safe and Carlos Sanchez on a slab in a morgue, preferably in tiny pieces.

  Job done, Harry was climbing back up the banking, his boots slipping as he struggled to gain a grip having smoothed the muck on the way down.

  "Fucker coming your way Boss" Jacks listened as Briggs (who had been silent until now) passed the info.

  Briggs, had been situated on the opposite side of the compound, and had a clearer view of the front of the house, he was watching the panic and chaos unfold “We got blues n two’s” he also had a clear view of the streets below the compound and could see the emergency lights approaching from the distance “we need to wrap this up”

  As Jacks heard the words, he had an urge to break cover, run down and wrap his hands around the ‘bastards’ throat himself, this was killing him, it should be him with her, not Jenson, fuck, he had let her down again.

  "Ok, Hannah, remember what I told you, eyes closed" Janson’s voice was low and surprisingly gentle, not the loud booming no bullshit that he normally used.

  "Ok" just hearing her voice tightened Jacks gut, he needed her away from this place, he needed her safe, needed her with him, wherever that might be.

  The sound of the door being thrown open and slamming hard against the wall caused her to let out a surprised scream, she couldn't see him, but knew Sanchez was raging with anger as he took heavy strides in her direction, never speaking, just the sound of his agitated breathing filling the air.

  "This is you, they have come for you" he surged towards her, his hands out stretched as he grabbed her by the throat.

  Jacks watched, held his breath as Jenson stepped out of the shadows towards an unsuspecting Sanchez.

  What he wouldn’t give to be the one who took the fucker out, but at this moment, he didn’t care which one of them it ones, what mattered was that she was safe and Sanchez would be nothing but a corpse by the time they were gone.

  Hannah kept her eyes closed, tight. She gripped the arms of the chair, her breathing hard and rapid as she anticipated the next hit, punch.

  A snap and a crack, then the clear sound of a body dropping to the floor, no gasp or breath exhaling as it fell. Carlos Sanchez was dead, it had been quick and silent, but he was dead.

  It made sense now why Jenson had insisted she kept her eyes closed, she didn't need to see, she knew it was done and that's what mattered.

  "Keep those eyes closed for me ok, now put your arms around my neck and hold tight." Jenson scooped her from the chair like she weighed nothing, Hannah grabbed him tight as he ran into the night.

  "Package clear, Em time to clean up, you get me? Jacks light the fucking place up" Briggs had waited until Jenson and Hannah where almost to the top of the embankment before he gave Jacks the go.

  "On it" Emma worked quickly, erasing the last few hours from the security footage.

  Jacks held his breath, and counted down as he always did before his finger squeezed the trigger.

  His target clear in his scope.

  The bullet hit the leak from the gas pipe and lit the sky up like the fourth of July, glass and brick flying in all directions, pressure from the blast sending a ball of angry flames heaven bound like they were reaching for a freedom of their own.

&
nbsp; Hannah screamed but didn't open her eyes as she clung on to Jenson who was now running flat out to get her away.

  Fuck, they needed out of there, and fast "Move." His order was short but direct and everyman was on his feet and running within a second of the command being given.

  The compound was being reduced to a pile of rubble that resembled the burnt out remains of Harry's Bar.

  A secondary explosion ripped through the main building, it would take a fucking miracle to survive that thought Jacks as he hot footed it to the van they had travelled in.

  Now all he needed was to get Hannah in his arms and tell her she was safe, to tell her for the first time that he loved her, was in love with her, had always been in love her, and would love her forever.

  It had almost killed him knowing that Jenson was the one who had got her out, but his skills where needed elsewhere and if he was honest, he wouldn't have been as swift with Sanchez as Jenson had been, hell no, he would have made the fucker suffer just a little first.

  Hannah felt the soft leather of the rover seat against her skin as she was placed gently into the passenger seat.

  "Thank you." Her voice was low and broken.

  Harry was the first to reach her, his panic finally breaking through as he saw her bruised and swollen face.

  Jenson grabbed him by the arm and shook his head, Harry calmed himself before he spoke.

  "You’re safe Han, but we need to get you out of here, get you checked ok." he put a blanket around her shoulders as he spoke.

  Again, she just nodded. Hannah had nothing left.

  Harry kissed her gently on her head before swinging her bare feet into the passenger well, and pulling the seatbelt across her.

  Hannah sensed someone had got into the drivers’ seat and she forced her eyes to open the small fraction that she had left.

  Jackson, he leaned over, took the seatbelt from Harry and clicked in into place before giving his friend a nod. Harry closed her door.

  "Don't try to open your eyes baby, just know I'm here and you're safe ok." Jacks wanted nothing more than to pull her into his lap and kiss away the bruises, fuck, this was killing him, seeing her in this state, what she had been through.

  If Sanchez wasn't already dead, he would have gone back and torn the sick fucker limb from limb, but they needed to get moving, already the sound of sirens could be heard in the distance and it couldn’t be more than three minutes since he had blown Carlos fucking Sanchez sky fucking high.

  "Ok" Hannah finally allowed the tears to fall, not because of the pain, that was just physical, it would heal and it would pass, no, she cried for having put the people that cared about her in danger, she hadn't been thinking and now they were in the middle of a whole fucking mess, and it was all her fault, how could she have been so stupid, so selfish?

  "Hang on sweetheart, will have you home in no time." Jacks put the vehicle in drive and spun the gravel as he hit the accelerator.

  Jacks followed the van. He needed to get her home, needed her safe.

  “Harry, you driving?"

  “Yeah” Harry was calm, shit much calmer than her was right now.

  “How’s Barron doing?” Jacks trying to keep his eyes focused on the road, but constantly glancing across at Hannah who was curled almost into a ball in the passenger seat.

  “Not good man, he’s in a bad way, real fucked up” Jacks knew the familiar tone of Connors voice, knew it wasn’t good and they needed to do something and fast.

  “Follow me, don’t ask questions, will explain everything, but try and keep Barron alive” then he cut his comms, He glanced over at her from time to time, never speaking, Hannah stared straight ahead before she closed her eyes and gave in to sleep. Her body exhausted.

  “Hello, Jen?” Jacks gave a silent pray of thanks that the traffic was light as he clocked the miles, the van was close, Harry making sure that no other vehicle came between them.

  “Jacks, to what do I owe this pleasure?”

  “Jen, I need you to meet me at the clinic, small team you can trust and I mean trust, you understand?” Jacks new the woman on the line would be loyal.

  “Ok, can you give me an idea of what I’m gonna be dealing with?” her voice clear, business mode had been switched on.

  “One adult male, badly beaten, been suspended so possible shoulder dislocations, but not sure, unconscious, but breathing, not in the best shape, you get me?” shit, was that all he could give her to work with, well, yeah, it was the best he could do.

  “Ok” the sound of an alarm system being deactivated could be heard through the hands-free system in the rover.

  “One adult female, facial injuries, nothing else obvious at the moment, but she’s gonna need a full exam” his last statement made him sick to his stomach, so help him if Sanchez had done more than hurt her face, he would lose his shit, and with Sanchez dead he had no idea how he would scratch that itch.

  “Ok, how soon can you get them here?”

  “Fifteen minutes, is that enough time for you to get...”

  “Jacks, I live next to the clinic, I’m already here, my team are five minutes out, don’t worry, see you when you get here.” The line went dead.

  A set of automatic gates opened and the vehicles drove through, Jacks pulled up outside a newly built red brick building and a team dressed in medical scrubs came through a set of double glass doors.

  Jacks ran around and pulled open the passenger door before lifting Hannah out and putting her into the waiting wheel chair.

  He looked over to see Barron now laid on a gurney, drip being put into his arm, shit, Jen worked fast.

  Jacks paced, Harry paced, hell, they all paced.

  The small waiting room at the private clinic was full, not all the seats were taken, but the shear mass of men that sat, stood, fidgeted, as they waited made the small room seem even smaller.

  Every time a door opened or a machine beeped, Jacks stood, ready.

  Jen had kicked him out of the room while she examined a semi-conscious Hannah, he had wanted to stay, but Jen had stood her ground and made him leave. It had been hours, or so it felt, what was taking so long?

  A thousand thoughts, images running through his head, driving him crazy, he needed to know, needed to take care of her.

  Doors opened and a woman dressed in surgical scrubs came through, Jacks was on his feet “Jen”

  “Ok, your young man is gonna need to stay for a few days, he has a few broken ribs amongst other things and I need to keep him for observation and complete rest. Hannah is fine, nothing broken, swelling and bruising, but nothing that won’t heal.” She addressed the group, the look of relief clearly evident on their faces.

  “When can I take her home?” Jacks remained standing when the others had returned to the seats.

  “Tomorrow, its late Jacks, I want her to stay a few more hours, she is fine, but has clearly been through a lot, so no harm keeping her here where I can keep an eye on her.” Jen gave his arm a gentle squeeze as she spoke.

  “Fine, I’ll just stay with her” Jacks needed to be with her, needed to see her.

  “Like shit you will, you can say goodnight, and that’s it. You can come back later and I don’t mean in twenty minutes later, I know what you’re like remember.” Jacks looked at her, he knew it was pointless arguing.

  “You have your own hospital?” Emma looked at Jacks as they all sat around the kitchen counter, she had listened as they had discussed the events that had unfolded, both expected and not, she has spoken to Harry and Jenson when they had returned, had handed Jenson what looked like a small flash drive, he hadn’t asked, didn’t want to know, all he cared about was lying in a room at a clinic and he wasn’t there.

  “No, not really” He nursed his coffee, it was cold, the second mug he had wasted since they had arrived back at the house.

  It had taken longer to leave than it should have, Jacks had taken his time saying ‘goodnight’ and eventually Jen had fetched Jenson and Harry who had all but dra
gged him from the room, not that Hannah has been aware, she had been given a sedative and was sleeping, her body exhausted.

  “So, what is that place?” Jenson asked

  “It’s a private clinic that The Hunter group has in investment in.” He twisted the mug between his fingers as he spoke “I have known Jen forever, my dad saw her potential and managed to persuade her to go to school, can tell you right now, she can be trusted, one hundred percent. I wouldn’t have called her otherwise.”

  “So, we have nothing to worry about?” Jenson asked

  “No, believe me when I tell you she is loyal, I trust her completely and I trust her team.” Jacks looked at his watch, it had been less than an hour since they had been back and already he was restless to get back to her. Jen had given him strict instructions that he wasn’t to go anywhere near the clinic for at least the next six hours, shit, that was gonna kill him.

  “Loyal? And you know this how?” Again, Jenson was the one to ask what they all wanted to know.

  “Oh, for fucks sake, she’s my cousin ok. That’s how I know she will be loyal” he shook his head as it dawned on him, they thought she was an ex-girlfriend, Jen would find that both amusing and nauseating at the same time “ok, freaks, I’m out, I need to sleep.”

  Jacks left his coffee and made his way upstairs, a shower and shut eye would do him good, besides, what else was he going to do to pass the next few hours? nothing, and if he didn’t fill that time, he knew he would be back at the clinic with Jen threatening to kick his ass.

  The shower was hot and it eased the ache in his shoulder, the water running over him as his ran over the events of the day, they had reignited a fire in him that had been smouldering just beneath the surface for months, the rush from hitting his target would never get old, and he felt a satisfaction.

  This was different from being in a war zone, this was something else and they had worked together like they had never stopped being a unit. Jacks loved the men he was with, it went beyond words how he felt about each and every one of them, but now, for the first time, there was someone he would put above them all and that scared the fuck out of him.