“What about Payton?” Morgan said urgently. “I can’t leave her.”
“We’ll find her. I promise, but we have to get everyone out of here. The more people that stay, the harder it is to keep track of everyone.”
Jon came running out of the room, and straight to Aurora. Everyone followed me out and I held the stairwell door open for them, making sure they all got out. I watched as each of the ladies found their husbands and then my eyes settled on someone I hadn’t expected. I stormed over to Vanessa, pissed as hell that she was here. But it all made sense when I saw Maggie, Kate, Cara, Ali, and Lindsey standing nearby.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I shouted.
“Why didn’t you tell me that my father was going to attack you?”
“That’s beside the point.”
“That is exactly the point. If anyone should be here today, it’s me!”
“You’re pregnant. I don’t want you anywhere near him.”
She glared at me, her hands on her hips in anger. “Don’t you dare tell me that I can’t confront him because I’m pregnant.” I started to interrupt, but she stopped me. “Don’t. It happened once, but that doesn’t mean it’ll happen again.”
“I’m not willing to take that risk.”
“I’m fine. You have to believe that I’m fine. I’m not asking to do hand-to-hand combat with him. I just want to be here when you take him out.”
“Fine,” I said, with little heat behind my words. It was hard to be angry with this woman. I pulled her into my arms. If she wanted to be here, I had to let her. This was her fight just as much as it was mine, and I wouldn’t take that away from her. Well, I wouldn’t now that she knew about it.
Jon came over, sighing as he ran his fingers through his hair. “What are the chances a building would catch fire while we’re on vacation?”
“This wasn’t an accident,” Aurora said as she approached. “They don’t just install security. They kill people too!”
“You kill people?”
“All of them bad,” I said quickly, not wanting him to get the wrong idea.
“So, if this wasn’t an accident, what was it?”
I ran my hand over my jaw, trying to figure out how to answer that. “Um…training exercise gone wrong?”
His eyes widened in shock. “That wasn’t a team building exercise, was it?”
“No.”
“So, that was live ammo in the woods.”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
“I took…” His voice shook as he recalled grabbing the C4. “I held…”
“Don’t worry, man. C4 is totally stable. It wouldn’t have killed you.”
“So…someone was trying to kill you.”
I nodded my head from side to side, trying to figure out the best way to put this. “Technically, not me personally. But yeah, they were definitely trying to kill us.”
Jon turned to Aurora. “What the fuck is wrong with your family?”
⛄️⛄️⛄️⛄️⛄️
Sinner
I ran through the hallway, Burg right on my ass as we checked each fucking room, trying to find Claire, Lucy, and Payton. The smoke was working it’s way down here, making it more difficult to work as fast.
I kicked in another door and ran inside, coughing slightly as I ran into the fresh air of the room. Nothing. Relief flooded me when I saw Claire and Lucy coming out of the opposite room with Burg.
“What the fuck were you doing?” I yelled.
They were covering their mouths with spare shirts, and before they could answer, Burg shot me a look, telling me to shut the fuck up. I gave a tight nod.
“Get them out. I’ll keep looking for Payton.”
“I’ll get them downstairs and be back.”
“Just get them out!”
I turned and continued banging on doors, kicking them in because I couldn’t take the risk that Payton was passed out or sleeping and had no clue what the fuck was happening. The further I got down the hall, the worse the smoke was. I was just about to kick in another door when I heard what sounded like a shout. I ran further down the hall, straining to hear it again. I was getting closer to the center of the lodge when I heard it loud and clear, coming from a room up ahead. The heat was overwhelming down here, and when I tried getting the door open, it wouldn’t budge. I kicked at the door, coughing as I tried again and again, until finally, the door opened, splintering in the process.
I stepped into the room and froze. Payton was in there, but she was not alone. There was a man standing behind her, a knife pressed to her throat. I had no fucking clue how he got in here or how he found her, and frankly, I didn’t give a shit right now. The fire was growing more intense, and if we didn’t get out soon, we would burn alive in here.
“Put the knife down,” I said calmly.
“No fucking way. I put it down and I’m dead.”
“You’re dead anyway if you stay in here. You want to be burned alive? Because I’m pretty sure that would suck a whole lot more than a bullet to the head.”
“Just back the fuck off,” he yelled when I took a step toward him.
“Not a chance. Do you really think I’m gonna let you slit her throat?”
He didn’t say anything, but I saw the knife nick Payton’s throat just slightly. Steady as she was, she didn’t even flinch. She just stared me dead in the eyes and lifted her hands a little, slowly moving them up her body until she had them just below the arm wrapped around her throat.
I narrowed my eyes, letting her know that I was ready. My fingers twitched at my sides as I prepared to grab my gun and fire. In a flash, Payton shoved her hands between the arm at her neck and shoved away from her body, ducking out from underneath the man and out of the way. I already had my gun in hand and had fired by the time he realized what had happened.
The look of shock on the man’s face was something I was sure I would see in my mind for the rest of my life. He crumpled to the ground, wheezing in and out as he tried to catch his breath. I ran to Payton and got on my knees to make sure she was okay. The nick in her neck was just that and she appeared to be doing okay. Her eyes were responsive and a grin started to split her lips.
“I take it you’re okay,” I said with a smile.
“Yeah.”
“Good, let’s get out of here.” I grabbed her hand, just about to turn to go when a shot rang out.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Coop
Flying over the lodge, I could see that everyone was taken out. I found a good spot to land, the same spot in fact that I had stolen the helicopter from, and set her down. An explosion rocked the sky and I flinched, covering myself as best I could as flashes assaulted me from the night I was shot down overseas.
The fire licked up at me from the control panels. I heard screaming from Gerard, but couldn’t figure out why. Then I felt the heat on me and I knew why he was screaming. We were about to be burned alive.
I shook my head and unbuckled, climbing out and trying to shake myself of the flashbacks.
“Coop, you okay?” Storm asked, his face masked in worry.
“Yeah, I’m good.” I looked up to the building where the explosion happened and my heart just about stopped. The whole fucking building was going up in flames. It was spreading fast from the south end of the lodge toward the north, where all the ladies were staying. I took off, not even stopping to see if anyone else was coming. Becky was in there.
Cap was yelling in the mic about making sure everyone got out and was accounted for. I could see the managers already rushing out the back door. Everyone was racing for the lodge, Adams completely forgotten by now.
“Cap, where the fuck is Becky?”
“She’s set up in room 136.”
Shit, that was toward the middle of the building. The fire was almost to her. I heard footsteps pound behind me and I thanked God that I had backup. I charged into the building, coughing as soon as the smoke hit my lungs. I could barely see in front of me as I ran for
the hallway.
“Fuck, it’s spreading fast,” Tony said from behind me.
The fire was already to the hallway and there was no way through. I tore down a curtain and started slapping at the flames, but it was already engulfing the whole span of the hallway.
“Coop, we have to find another way!” Tony shouted. We ran back out of the building, gulping in air as we tried to find another way in. Finally, I pulled my gun and shot out a first story window and then climbed in. The glass bit at my arms as I pulled myself up, but I didn’t spare a glance to look at the damage. Tony was right behind me as I ran through the room and out into the hallway. The flames were moving fast toward me, and I knew I only had seconds. I kicked in the door to the hotel room, but she wasn’t in there.
“Becky!” I shouted, getting down on my knees to look under the bed. Tony came rushing out of the bathroom and we hauled ass out.
“Anyone see Becky?” I asked over coms. Nobody answered. “Anybody know where Becky is?”
“Coms are down,” Tony yelled from beside me. We rushed down the hallway until we found a short hall that led to an outside door. Pushing through it, we immediately saw the other ladies being ushered out of the building from the north end. I ran down there, looking through everyone, but not seeing Becky.
“Has anyone seen Becky?” I shouted. I was spinning around so fast, searching through all the faces, but not seeing her. My head was getting dizzy and the panic rising in my throat had me on the verge of puking.
“Payton!” I heard Morgan shout. I spun to find her and saw her running for the building. I sprinted to catch up to her, just as Chance did. He grabbed onto her, trying to get her to calm down.
“What room was she in?” Chance yelled.
“I don’t know. She went to get some snacks from the vending machine! I couldn’t find her! I thought maybe she came out here! Sinner and Burg were looking for her!”
Chance and I ran into the building, stopping at the end where a sign with the building layout was posted. Chance quickly followed the paths of the hallways, searching for the vending machines.
“Upstairs!” he shouted and I followed blindly behind him. We ran up the stairs, coughing even harder as the smoke thickened. The fire hadn’t reached this part of the building yet, but it wasn’t far off. We ran down the halls, banging on doors and hoping Payton or Becky heard us. I almost tripped over my own feet when I saw Becky pulling Payton out of a room up ahead. Sinner was right on their tail. Chance quickly snatched Payton up in his arms and ran for the north exits.
“Where’s Burg?”
“He got Claire and Lucy out,” he shouted.
I took Becky’s hand and pulled her along beside me. I could feel her tight grip on my hand and the way she stumbled every now and then, but she kept running. Sinner pulled up the rear.
After running down the stairs, we burst through the exit and ran away from the building until we couldn’t feel the heat on our backs anymore. I watched as the flames engulfed the rest of the building, parts of it crumbling in and destroying everything below it.
“Are you okay?” I finally asked Becky. She nodded, still breathing heavily. “I looked in your room, but you were gone.”
“I saw Payton on the monitors. One of the guys got in the building and he had her. I went after her, but Sinner was already in there. The guy wasn’t dead though, and he was reaching for his weapon.”
“You shot him?”
She shrugged. “I’m not just a pretty face.”
I wanted to yell at her, to kiss her, and kill her all at the same time. She had done something very brave, but she could have died for it.
I grabbed her by the arms and yanked her to my body. “Don’t you ever do something so fucking stupid again.” I smashed my lips down on hers before she could respond and poured all the anger, fear, and lust I had into that kiss. I felt her fingers run through my hair and then glide down my neck, stopping on a rough patch of skin. That was all it took to remind me of why I didn’t want to pursue this with her. I yanked back and set her firmly away from me.
She looked confused and angry all at the same time, and I couldn’t say I blamed her. I was doing this to her. I was making this harder than it had to be. All I had to do was walk away, no matter how much I wanted to pull her into my arms and keep her. I took a step back, and then another. I watched as tears filled her eyes and slipped down her cheeks, and that was enough. I turned and walked away, disappearing into the sea of Reed Security members. It was time to put distance between us for good.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Sinner
We all stood there and watched the building burn to the ground. There was nothing left of it, even if the fire department did get here soon. I watched Cap walk over to Maggie and followed, knowing that I would have to intervene on Maggie’s behalf.
“You want to tell me what happened?” Cap snapped.
“Well, see, what happened was…Did you know that thing was so heavy?”
“Yeah, I’ve held one before, so I’m aware of how heavy they are.”
“Yeah,” she chuckled. “I was not expecting that.”
“And I wasn’t expecting the whole fucking building to go up in flames. What were you thinking?”
“I was trying to help,” she said indignantly.
“Yeah, I get that, but we had already taken everyone out. What were you even firing at?”
“The helicopter,” she shouted.
“The- Holy fuck. Are you kidding me?”
“Well, I had perfect aim, but that thing is really heavy, and when the shockwave happened, I sort of fell and then the way I landed and how I tried to pick it up, it just sort of happened.”
“Nothing just sort of happens with an RPG.”
“Well, nothing ever sort of happens, but it always does with me,” she snapped.
“That’s why I didn’t tell you what was going on.”
“I thought you didn’t tell me because I was pregnant and you were worried.”
“Well, it was the reason before, but I amended that in my head about three minutes ago. Now, it’s just because you blow shit up without thinking about it.”
“You know, I was only trying to help.”
“Maggie, you fired an RPG into a propane tank and took out the whole fucking building. How the fuck am I supposed to explain this?”
“She wasn’t in her right mind, Cap,” I said, trying to diffuse the situation. “It’s all those hormones running through her. It makes her crazy.”
“Hey,” Maggie snapped, “Don’t you dare-”
I shoved my hand over her mouth and dragged her in front of me. “She’s totally insane with raging hormones. Don’t be mad, Cap.”
“She blew up the fucking building! There were people inside. Someone could have died!”
“Well, maybe that wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t left me behind! I knew you were up to something.”
“And I left you out because I didn’t want you to get hurt.”
“Yeah, right. You left me out because-”
“I think now would be a good time to point out that everyone is alive and well,” I said placatingly. “All the good guys are alive and the bad guys are dead. That’s a win in my book.”
“Shut up,” Cap snapped.
“Hey, you know what? I’ve been putting up with your pain in the ass wife, dealing with all the shit you throw at me because of it, and this is the thanks I get?”
“I am not a pain in the ass,” Maggie snapped at me, her claws coming out to get me. I stepped back, knowing I was in the danger zone.
“Please, Freckles. You’re always running off and finding trouble. That’s how we got Taco Man-”
“It’s Tony,” Tacocheese bit out.
“Whatever, it’s sticking, man. Just get used to it. Anyway, we’re lucky to have him, so you did good there, but let’s face it. You bring trouble whether you’re involved or not. What I’m trying to get at,” I said to Cap, “is that you knew this
was coming. It was only a matter of time before she blew up a building.”
“My wife was in there,” Derek bit out, obviously still feeling his underwear twisting his balls just a little too hard over the whole thing.
“Yeah, but admit it, if Claire had known Maggie was down here, she would have been right alongside her. And then the woods would be on fire also. Let’s not pretend your wife is a saint here. I’m just saying, be grateful it wasn’t the Reed Security building.”
Cap sighed heavily. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Look, we have a shit ton of cleanup to do. I don’t know how the hell I’m gonna explain all this. You know, I had it fucking contained. No one would have known and we would all be on our merry way.”
“Well, let’s focus on the cleanup,” I said, trying to steer us away from any more regret for what happened. It was done and over with. No sense in thinking this through any longer than necessary.
“Sinner, do me a favor and take Maggie…anywhere but here.”
“Will do,” I said, grabbing Maggie’s arm. She protested, pushing away from me, but I shut her up with a look.
“That’s not working this time.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, turning her nose up at me.
“You know exactly what I mean. You’ve been playing Cap and I with your loss of fingers for the longest time, but the thing is, I’m not buying it. I’ve let you have your way, but you went too far this time. And I was a stupid fuck because I allowed you to get past me.”
“I didn’t-”
“Ah! I didn’t say you could talk.” I continued pulling her along beside me. “You blew up the fucking building. So now, you’re gonna sit your ass down right here and you’re not gonna move a fucking muscle until we go home tomorrow.”
She sat down on the tree stump, crossing her arms over her chest and sticking out her tongue at me.
I sighed and stared down at her. “Yeah, I can do this all fucking night.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
Cap
A Mad Reed Security Christmas Page 20