by Maree Green
“That’s being arranged,” Mr. X said softly. He moved further into the light, his dark eyes sharp and dangerous. He gestured to the table. “Shall we?”
TJ nodded and jerked his head at Vinnie. Pock, Vinnie and I stepped forward with a case each and carefully placed them on the table. With my fingers on the locks, I looked up to make sure I was okay to open it.
Guns raised to us again, and Mr. X gave us the nod. With sure fingers, I snapped the locks and slowly opened the lid before stepping back to my position behind TJ.
The guns remained trained on us as one of Mr. X’s men checked the payment. When he was happy it was all there, he nodded. “It’s all there, boss.”
Mr. X smiled. “Excellent.”
The guys immediately started clicking the cases closed. Mr. X gestured with a swipe of his hand towards two of his nearest guys, who immediately moved to the back of the van they were standing by. Unlatching the doors, they swung them open to reveal the entire cargo area filled with packages of cocaine and ecstasy tablets.
I watched everything. While TJ stepped forward with Mr. X to sample the goods, Mr. X’s guys snatched up the cases and moved towards the other side of the van, ready to get moving the instant the transaction was compete.
My heart rate started to pick up a little faster. It was almost time. Resisting the urge to back up or coil my body ready to take cover, I stood my ground and continued to watch everyone’s movements.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw TJ dip his little finger in the powder and place it on his tongue. This was it. The second he confirmed its quality it was show time.
I braced myself.
He gave one, tiny little nod. And all hell broke loose.
Diving for the table, I up-ended it and grabbed my piece at the same time, taking cover as best I could. Davo and Mac were instantly beside me, scrambling for their guns too.
“What the fuck?!” I yelled for good measure.
S.W.A.T guys and detectives were pouring in from all sides, yelling out orders to freeze and drop our weapons. I looked over to see TJ, hands in the air, by the van. He had nowhere to go. I couldn’t see Pock or Vinnie, or Mr. X anywhere. His guys seemed to have reacted quick enough to usher him somewhere out of sight, but I didn’t think they had much of a chance at escaping.
“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me!” Mac barked, spinning around so his back was to the table, his gun at the ready.
I jumped when a sudden explosion rocked the entire side of the building. S.W.A.T guys leapt to the side, trying to escape the flying debris. Thick smoke clouded half the warehouse.
“Fuck this!” Davo shouted, making a run for the new gaping hole.
“Fuck!” Mac grunted, taking off after him.
I had a split second to make my decision. I couldn’t arrest them. I had to keep my cover in case the worst happened, but I couldn’t just let them escape either.
Cursing everything I had, I braced myself and ran after them.
All around the warehouse, gunshots rang out amongst shouts and curses. Across the other side I saw one of Mr. X’s men firing at anything that moved from behind an up-turned cabinet. Just when he popped up to fire again, he caught a sniper’s bullet in the head.
I grimaced, running through the smoke, again, praying the S.W.A.T guys knew I was one of them.
Somehow I managed to break through to the outside of the building. I liked to think it was because they knew who I was, but I couldn’t be sure. Seeing Mac and Davo’s figures running down the darkened lane, I broke into a run after them.
We’d barely gone a third of the way down the lane when a team of agents poured out at the far end.
“Fuck!” Davo shouted, darting to take cover behind a pile of machinery to the side.
Mac and I dove after him, on the lookout for anyone within striking distance. Floodlights suddenly came on in the distance, lighting up the explosion area. From where we were camped out, I could just make out more agents pouring into the area, and beyond that, sharp shooters stationed outside the fence line.
We were completely surrounded.
Chapter 49
Kaeli
Hours after Aaron’s declaration of me finally being useful to him, he was still shining with happiness.
I had no idea what he had planned for me. He wouldn’t say, but considering he was happy to wait for hours and hours for whatever, or whoever it was, scared the crap out of me.
I was just watching him flick through his cell, trying to wrack my brain to figure out what he was up to, when the sound of complete and utter chaos breaking out, exploded on the other side of the door.
Aaron’s head snapped up and he lurched to his feet, eyes wide. “Shit.”
I held my breath, watching, waiting. The yells got louder. Gun shots rang out, and then it sounded like something exploded. Literally. Aaron went pale. He turned towards the door, his body language oddly uncertain. I eyed the table that held his gun and my car keys.
With shaky legs, I pushed myself up to stand, my heart beating faster and faster with what I was about to do.
This could be my only chance to escape. If there were police out there, they could help me. But only if they knew I was here.
Taking a slow step forward, I reached out for the keys, praying the noise coming from outside was loud enough to mask if they made any sound. When they were clasped tightly in my hand without Aaron noticing, I slipped them deep into my pocket.
Aaron shifted from foot to foot, reaching up to rub his hands in his hair. I still wasn’t sure how to go about the next step. He was standing between me and the way out. I took a deep breath, trying to get my brain to come up with a plan.
Eyeing the chair, I wondered if I could smash it over his head. Would that work, or was it only something that worked in the movies? I guessed the worst case scenario would be that it just shocked him, but maybe that would be enough for me to get out the door.
I’d watched him every time he left, and he never had to unlock it or anything, so I knew it would open. I just didn’t know if I would have enough time.
Swallowing, I knew I had to take the risk. It was either that, or stay here and risk not being found, and god knew what would happen to me then.
Stealing myself, I stepped forward, clasping the chair tightly and maneuvering it upside down. Raising it above my head, I stepped closer.
Shit. Was I really going to do this?
I thought of that malicious smile as he told me I was finally going to be of use to him, and I strengthened my resolve. Neither he nor his father had ever done anything but cause pain for me and my mom. Neither one of them would blink twice before using us for their gain.
Clenching my teeth with all the hatred I had for him and his father, I brought the chair down as hard as I could.
Aaron grunted, a muffled curse flying from his mouth as he crumpled to the ground. Not wasting a second, I dropped the chair and darted to the door, throwing it open and launching myself outside. Turning left, I ran. It wasn’t until I’d taken a few steps that I realized I hadn’t put any thought into what I might find outside.
If it was possible, the sound of voices shouting and gun shots exploding in the air was even louder than before. I screamed as a cracking sound, louder than any I’d heard so far, came from somewhere behind me. Flares of fire-like light flashed in the darkness, accompanying the pops of the gun fire.
Dark shapes appeared down the lane in front of me, the shapes of guns in their hands. Shit! I had no idea if they were friend or enemy. Panicking, I darted sideways, around some rusting machinery and across the lane to the other side.
The sound of what could only be bullets hitting the metal made me scream again. I heard more shouts, closer this time, and the scream that came out of me sounded more like a cry. I ran harder, instinctively throwing my arms over my head as I went.
Footsteps, hard and fast, closed in on me. The cracking of a gun, way too close now, reverberated in my ears. Frantically, I pushed forward,
my breath dragging in and out through my lungs, harsh and ragged with a slight whimper to it. A loud crashing came from somewhere in the direction I was running, making my footsteps falter. Three dark shapes sprang out of the shadows, running towards me.
It was pure instinct that made me dart out into the open lane again. From somewhere, I thought I heard my name called, but I must have been imagining it, because no one could possibly know who I was.
A helicopter zoomed overhead, its bright search light sweeping over the estate. Two seconds later, a gun shot rang out just as something hard connected with my body and I was thrown to the ground, a hard, heavy shape landing on top of me.
The breath was instantly knocked from me as my back connected with the pavement and my head spun from the sudden hit. Another gun shot came and a loud grunt sounded in my ear before the heavy mass on top of me jerked hard.
“Kaeli…” I heard a deep voice say against my ear.
My head refused to stop spinning. That voice…
The mass shifted, awkwardly trying to get off me. “Kaeli. Please tell me you’re alright.”
The spinning seemed to be slowing, but I still couldn’t get myself to respond to the voice.
It wasn’t until I found my body moving that it came to me. That voice. I knew that voice! My boy…
Jerking my gaze up to the dark figure holding me, I cried and flung my arms around his neck. “You found me!”
He grunted and awkwardly lowered me to the ground, slumping down against the wall beside me. When he didn’t answer me, I looked at him. Really looked at him. His face was scrunched up with pain and his hand was clutching his stomach. Lowering my gaze, I finally noticed the red staining his fingers.
“Oh my god. No!”
Dropping to my knees, I took his face in my hands.
“What do I do? Tell me what I can do!” I cried.
His gaze ran over my face and the corners of his mouth twitched up a little. “I looked everywhere for you. I was so worried…”
I shook my head, tears brimming my eyes. “I’m fine. You found me. You saved me. Now I have to save you. Please. Tell me what I can do. I’ll do anything.”
“Was it Aaron?” he asked, speaking as though he hadn’t heard me.
I frowned. “Yes. He’s…here somewhere…”
He watched me for a while before moistening his lips. “I need you to go, Kaeli. I need you to be safe.”
My eyes widened. What? “No. I’m not leaving without you. You’re hurt. You need to go to the hospital.”
He shook his head. “No. I have to finish this. I have to stay.”
Tears fell down my cheeks and I brushed them away roughly. I didn’t understand. “Please don’t make me go without you. I can’t leave you like this.”
He took my face in his hands, gazing deep into my eyes. “I need to finish this, baby. I know it’s hard to understand, but I need you to do this for me.”
I stared into his eyes for a long time, gun fire and shouts echoing all around us. I wasn’t sure what it was I saw there, but I knew I needed to trust him. This was his job. If I couldn’t trust him to make the right decision, then I didn’t deserve him.
As more tears fell from my eyes, I nodded. “Okay,” I whispered.
His body instantly relaxed at my words. Pulling my face closer, he kissed my forehead. “Thank you.”
Just as I was about to pull away, I paused. “Before I go…” I drew in a deep breath and swallowed. “…I need to know your name.”
His eyes widened and his gaze darted between both my eyes. Drawing in a shaky breath, he exhaled sharply. “Noah,” he whispered. “Noah Murphy…”
Chapter 50
Noah
Sending Kaeli off without me was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do. I knew there was still a risk she could get hurt before she actually got to one of my team, but it was safer than being with me. I still had to make a spectacular exit.
Nothing had shocked me more than when she’d asked for my name. To know she’d been seeing the real me all this time made something inside me ache. I hoped that meant she’d be willing to see me after all the dust had settled. It wasn’t something I’d ever allowed myself to think before, but now…
A new round of gun shots erupted down the lane, followed by some pretty horrific crashes, and then a gruff voice reading out someone’s Miranda rights. I inhaled a deep breath and shoved myself to my knees.
Footsteps came rushing towards me and then I heard Davo’s voice. “Fuck. Mitch. I thought you were dead…”
I grunted and staggered a little, listing to the side.
He reached out to steady me. “Jesus. You’ve been hit?”
“I’ll be right,” I murmured. “Where’s everybody else?”
He looked at me and shook his head. “TJ and Vinnie are gone, man. They refused to surrender. I saw them go down.”
“Mac?” I asked.
He exhaled heavily. “I don’t know. We got separated when that explosion hit.”
I nodded, trying to take a step without falling down. The sound of gun fire had faded now. I hoped that meant it was almost over because I wasn’t sure how long I had until I blacked out. I was losing a shit load of blood and my head was feeling pretty damned light.
A sound from behind us caught my attention and I reacted automatically, turning and raising my gun. It all happened within the blink of an eye. I recognized the agent immediately, but I still had a job to do. Making sure my aim was just past his shoulder, I fired, just as he fired too. Pain lanced through my shoulder and my body was thrust sideways and backwards. I heard another shot fired and I hit the ground.
My head spun. The pain was indescribable. Trying to breathe through it as best I could, I panted and hissed. Somewhere beside me, I heard Davo grunting and swearing like a trooper.
Footsteps rushed closer and I heard my gun being kicked away. I blinked open my eyes and saw a S.W.A.T. guy looming over me, his gun aimed at my chest. Turning my head a little, I saw Davo laying a few feet away, writhing on the concrete with another agent holding him at gunpoint.
Letting my head fall back, I closed my eyes and, for the first time in eighteen months, I relaxed.
Noises faded in and out. I heard the sounds of sirens, of footsteps, voices that tried to get me to answer. One stood out in particular when I heard them say, “I don’t think this one’s going to make it. He’s lost too much blood.”
I felt myself jostled and lifted, and something put over my face that I just wanted to rip off, but I just couldn’t get my arms to cooperate. I heard the sounds of doors closing, engines revving, and machines beeping.
I tried to get myself to focus. Forcing my eyes open, I looked to the side and saw the same S.W.A.T. guy who’d shot me, staring down at me.
“Hey, buddy,” he said darkly. “You gotta stay with me, alright?”
I blinked at him. He looked worried. I wanted to tell him not to feel bad. He was only doing his job. I nodded because it seemed like the only thing I could think of to make him feel better.
Closing my eyes, I let the darkness take me.
Chapter 51
Kaeli
Leaving Noah lying there bleeding, had been the hardest thing I’d ever had to do - and I thought I’d faced some pretty tough things over the last couple of months. It was also one of the scariest things I’d ever had to do.
Even though the gun fire seemed to have stopped, there were still armed S.W.A.T. agents everywhere, ready to take down anything that moved. I’d thrown my hands in the air at the first agent I came across, yelling out, “Don’t shoot me!” as loud as I could.
I’d tried to explain how I’d come to be there in some sort of coherent manner, but it’d all come out in a rush, and I was pretty sure I’d only managed to confuse him. At one stage I even thought he was going to handcuff me.
The only thing that seemed to make sense to him was when I’d said I’d been kidnapped. After that he’d bundled me into the back of a police cruiser,
with an armed guard outside the door, while they finished processing the scene.
Eventually, I was taken to the station where I had to give a statement. They wanted as much detailed information on Aaron as I could give them. I had no idea how, but apparently he’d managed to evade an entire estate crawling with S.W.A.T. agents.
It was also there at the station that I was reunited with Mom, and when I heard her story, I went into shock.
Apparently the bust that I’d somehow managed to get caught in the middle of wasn’t the only one that went down that night. Our house had been one of the many houses that were hit, and Mom had been brought to the station like I had.
She told me in hushed tones that Ken had resisted arrest and they’d shot him. She didn’t know how bad his injuries were, or even if he was alive. No one would tell her. I think we both hoped he was dead.
To top it all off, our house was now a crime scene and we weren’t even allowed to go home. Mom and I had decided together that we would call Lillian, Mia’s mom, hoping she’d be okay with us staying there until we could go home.
Aiden was the one who’d answered the call when I’d rung, and he hadn’t hesitated in saying he’d come to our rescue.
Guiding Mom into a chair by the doors to wait for Aiden and Lillian, I straightened. There was one more thing I needed to do before I could go.
“I’ll be right back, Mom,” I said before walking back over to the counter.
The officer gave me an easy look as I approached. “Everything okay?” he asked.
I had no idea how to ask. Moistening my lips, I took a deep breath. “I was just wondering if anyone knew how Noah Murphy was doing.”
A shutter went down inside his eyes. “I’m sorry. I don’t have any idea who you’re talking about.”
I opened my mouth, but what was I going to say? Noah hadn’t exactly told me he was a police officer. It was just a hunch. I really wanted to press my point, but I was suddenly very unsure. Not about him being one of them, but about how undercover he was. What if this guy didn’t even know? What if there were crooked cops and they’d kept it all secretive and stuff? I didn’t want to be the one to put him in danger.