“I’m warning you. If you get in my way I’ll haul your ass to jail. You’re not going to turn my town into a war zone,” Sam shouted as he pointed his finger in Gage’s face.
****
It was five o’clock before Gage pulled up in front of the house. Brooklyn had been transported to the nearest hospital two towns west. Once the nurses cleaned the blood and assessed the gash, it was determined the wound needed stitching. The resident on duty closed the cut with twenty seven stitches and prescribed pain medication.
Marie and Daniel had taken the girls to their house where they would stay until it was safe for them to return home.
Gage followed the ambulance to the hospital and stayed with Brooklyn the entire time. On their way back home, he’d pulled through a drive thru so Brook could eat something before taking her meds.
Gage refused to allow her to walk. He opened the passenger door and scooped her up. Once inside, he placed a pain pill in her hand and ensured she swallowed it. Next he disappeared into the master bedroom only to return carrying a lightweight gown. Due to the soreness, she wasn’t able to remove the hospital issued top on her own and without hesitation, Gage removed her clothes and pulled the gown over her head. Ever so gently, he clasped her hand and led her to the kitchen. It was time to get some answers.
As soon as she sat down, he began the interrogation. “I want the absolute truth to every question I ask. Do you understand?” He forcefully ordered. Gage hated to do it this way given she was already nodding off due to the effects of the pain medication, but he had to get some answers.
“Yes,” she answered softly.
“Do you have any idea what they’re looking for?”
“No. If I did, I’d give it to them. Surely you don’t think I’d put my family in danger if I knew what they wanted,” she stated as she searched his eyes.
Without giving any indication he did or didn’t believe her, he continued with his questions. “Do you know who or what Garret was involved in?”
“Absolutely not. That part of his life was completely separate from our home life.” She lowered her eyes as she made the statement.
“Do you know what drug he was abusing?”
“This time it was meth.”
“How long had he been using?” Gage asked in bewilderment.
“The first time was two years ago. He went into treatment and stayed clean for a while. I began suspecting he was using illegal drugs again right after we found out I was pregnant with Sadie. Of course he emphatically denied it. At the end of the first trimester, Ollie caught him smoking out of some sort of glass pipe in the house. That’s when everything came to…I…I…I.”
Gage watched her fidget as she wrestled with the memory. “Tell me what happened?” When she didn’t continue quickly enough for Gage, he became more forceful. “What did you do? What happened to drive Garret to drugs? It had to be bad if he willingly left his family or did you make the decision for him? Did you force him to leave his family? Were you so heartless you’d punish him by taking his family away? Tell me what you did, Brook?” He shouted as he threateningly leaned toward her.
“You’ll never understand. You’ll never believe me or forgive me so what’s the point in wasting my breath?”
“What did you do to my brother? What did he do to you? I want the truth!” Gage’s voice boomed throughout the house.
“I did what I had to do. I couldn’t let him use drugs in our house one more time. I couldn’t let him hock one more family heirloom, one more piece of jewelry, one more vehicle, or one more electronic toy so he could buy drugs. I couldn’t let him drive with my children in the car while he was high one more time. I couldn’t let him beat me one more time while I was pregnant with his baby. I couldn’t let him accuse me of being in love with his brother one more time! What did I do? What did I do for this family? I did what I had to do to protect my girls but I didn’t leave him. He promised to love me for the rest of his life but instead, he hurt me then abandoned me and his daughters! He walked away from us! The drugs were more important to him than we were! How could he do that to us, Gage? How could he do that to me?”
Brooklyn’s voice was incredibly weak by the end of her rant, all of her strength was used because she dropped to the floor and wailed in despair. Gage took a minute to process what she’d said, then gently lifted her from the floor, carried her to the mattress and sat down with her in his lap. He held her tightly at first, but when the sobs slowed he leaned back slightly so he could wipe her tears as he whispered in her ear and showered her face in soft kisses. It took a good twenty minutes before her tears dried up completely and she dozed off. Gage must have held her an additional thirty minutes enjoying the feel of her in his arms before he eventually laid her down and covered her up.
There’s no way I’ll be able to keep my hands off of her now. I’ve loved her too much for too long not to make her mine, Gage sighed to himself.
He quietly and efficiently brought his bags inside where the first order of business was a shower. He’d removed his clothes at the hospital since they were covered in Brook’s blood. Even though the scrubs he wore were clean, her blood had dried on his skin.
Three minutes later, he stepped out of the shower and dressed in clean, black fatigues. Next he located the thermostat and turned on the air conditioner. The cool air flowing out of the vents felt heavenly. Just as I thought, there’s nothing wrong with the air conditioner. She just can’t afford to pay for the electricity, he murmured to himself. The night he helped clean the place up, he’d stumbled onto some bills that were marked with final notice. Garret had saddled her with three small children and no income. Childcare would be outrageous for three kids under the age of five. Even if she could find a job, she’d never earn enough to pay for childcare and have anything left over to cover her bills. It was one thing for Garret not to take responsibility for himself, but it was another not to provide for his family. Before Gage left town, he’d ensure his family was financially secure.
As soon as he checked on Brook, he called Daniel. After a brief conversation, Gage unzipped one of his bags and removed his arsenal. Most of his high powered armament was still in Central America. However, when he left the United States military, he’d stored multiple weapons at his parent’s home. In his line of work, a man couldn’t be too careful. It wouldn’t be beyond some of the career criminals he dealt with on a regular bases to organize an attack while he was visiting his family. Gage might stand firm in his belief that even an immoral man’s family was off limits no matter the circumstance but the people he dealt with didn’t share the same code of conduct. He returned to setting the guns out in a straight line on the floor. Next he began disassembling his new slide fire SSAR-15 riffle. A prepared soldier ensured his weapons were cleaned and ready for action.
By seven o’clock, his guns and reserve ammunition were strategically placed around the house. He definitely wouldn’t get any sleep tonight. With Brook sleeping merely a few feet away, he’d spend most of the night looking through his riffle scope, but first he needed to do some recon. Once that was out of the way, he’d return and start his vigil. He’d bet his last dollar someone would come snooping before dawn.
True to his threat to the sheriff, he’d get involved in the situation one way or another. Daniel’s truck pulled up in front of the house. Gage met him on the front porch so their conversation wouldn’t wake Brook. “Thanks for coming, Dad. Brook’s asleep in the family room. My weapons are loaded and ready to go but I don’t anticipate any activity while I’m gone. Once I’ve scouted out where the narcotics are being delivered and repackaged for sale, I’ll come back so you can return home to protect mom and the girls.”
“Your uncle is at the house now looking out for them. I’m more worried about you. Going after this group of cut throat hooligans by yourself could get you killed. We don’t know how many men you’re up against. What they did to your brother was horrific. Your mother and I can’t bear to lose you, too,” the e
lderly man’s voice cracked as he spoke.
“I don’t intend to engage the enemy tonight. This is strictly a reconnaissance mission. I need to find out what I’m dealing with, whether it’s a small time local dealer or if they have ties to a major narcotics trafficker. I’ll be back before midnight,” Gage spoke the words with authority so Daniel would know the mission wasn’t up for discussion.
He dropped a medium sized duffle bag on the front passenger seat, started the truck and eased out of the drive so the sound of gravel spraying wouldn’t disturb Brook. The night before, he’d located the abandoned building where the drugs were being repackaged. Tonight when he pulled up, there was a lot more traffic going in and out of the building. He surmised a shipment must have been delivered in the last twenty four hours.
His truck was parked a fair distance away so Gage pulled his long range binoculars from his bag. Whoever was running the operation was either an idiot or didn’t fear the law because Gage didn’t see anyone patrolling the perimeter of the building and there were at least ten vehicles parked outside what was supposed to be an abandoned building.
He needed to get closer so he could see and hear inside the building. One thing was for certain, Gage knew exactly what he was doing. He pulled on a black beanie, covered his face and hands with black paint, loaded his binoculars in one of many pockets on his vest, and silently exited the truck. Once the truck was locked, he slid his trusty combat knife in the scabbard strapped to his calf and secured his nine millimeter hand gun in the holster on his right side with quick, efficient movements. He was ready for confrontation if it came his way.
Gage was completely confident he could walk right up to the building without any of these dumbasses knowing, but at this point he couldn’t risk tipping them off that he’d located their base of operation. The men working here weren’t smart enough to be the mastermind of the operation. Tonight’s mission was to gather information only. Tomorrow he’d devise a plan to take out every last one of the bastards and make sure this operation was shut down for good.
Making his way to the south side of the building, Gage stayed hidden in the shadows. Camouflaged in the over grown brush, Gage watched men come and go. As he expected, the only security was a man stationed inside the door. Taking out everyone inside the building wouldn’t be difficult for someone as well trained as him. It pissed him off royally to have to wait, but that’s what made him extraordinarily good in his profession. He devised and implemented plans. He never acted on impulse or emotion.
It was nearing midnight and Gage needed to get back to Brook. Before he hightailed it out of there, another car pulled up. Through his binoculars, Gage watched the driver get out. “Un-fucking believable,” he whispered to himself when he saw the newly arrived man’s face.
****
At two forty five, a black SUV stopped in front of the house. Thankfully with the night vision scope, Gage was able to monitor all movement. The front and back passenger doors opened silently and two individuals climbed out of the vehicle. As they raised their weapons, Gage took aim. The first man immediately dropped with a bullet between his eyes. As he fell, his finger must have pulled the trigger because the barrel lit up milliseconds before the bullets pierced the family room wall. The second man’s automatic weapon fired ammo in quick succession. The driver punched the gas. The vehicle pealed out, leaving the second gunman in the open. Gage lined up the shot and pulled the trigger, leaving the gunman to crumple like a rag doll. That’s when Gage heard Brook’s screams.
Chapter Five
It was a little past seven a.m. when Gage and Brooklyn finally exited the police station. It had been a long, grueling ordeal. Once he’d calmed Brook’s hysterics, Gage called the sheriff’s department to report the incident. The timer began counting down, the first responders would be at the house soon. Most of the windows had been shattered in the battle, so Gage lifted Brook and carried her to the bedroom where he quickly stripped and redressed her. As soon as she was decent and her feet were covered, they exited the house. Even though he’d reported there were two dead bodies, emergency medical techs were dispatched anyway. It didn’t take long for them to confirm the two men were deceased. He had no doubt because his shots were always precise. Both men sustained a single bullet to the forehead. Death was instantaneous which was more than they deserved.
The initial recounting of the incident was given on scene. As soon as Sam arrived, he insisted they follow him to the station. Once there, Brooklyn and Gage were separated. It was standard procedure so Gage had prepared her in advance. There wasn’t any crime Sam could charge him with. The weapons he’d used were registered and legal. Clearly the men came prepared to attack Brook so it was a kill or be killed situation. He’d known it was just a formality and a chance for Sam to feel important so he knew they’d eventually be released. Of course the sheriff issued the standard statement about not leaving town. Gage dismissed the sheriff before he was finished giving his warning. Gage had no intention of keeping the sheriff informed about anything he’d planned. The man was a bumbling idiot and proven to be untrustworthy.
Their first stop was his parent’s place so he could pick up the rest of his equipment and give Brook some needed time with the girls. Impressed with her composure around her daughters, Gage finally admitted to himself Brook was an amazingly strong, resilient woman that deserved better than the way he’d treated her. The deeper he dove into his brother’s death, the more he realized he didn’t know who his brother had become in the last few years. There was no doubt drugs destroyed lives. He could accept that Garret’s addiction was directly responsible for his death. Being a grown man, Garret knew what could happen if he chose to take illegal narcotics. What Gage couldn’t accept was what his brother’s addiction had done to his family. Brook and her small girls absolutely didn’t deserve what the addiction had cost them. The longer Gage thought, the more the usual notions plagued him. If he’d come home would Garret have cleaned up his act and become the husband and father he should have been? Unfortunately he’d never know, but currently there were more important issues to address. His guilt and self-loathing would have to take a back seat.
“Uncle Gage, will you come to my tea party?” Olivia asked from behind him.
As he picked her up, Gage realized how much he’d come to care about his nieces. “I’m sorry, pumpkin, I don’t have time right now. Your mommy and I are going on a short trip.”
The look on her face pierced his heart. “You won’t go anyway forever like Daddy, will you?”
“No. We’ll be back in a few days. I promise,” Gage reassured emphatically.
“You’re not like Daddy. I know you’ll stay and take care us because we don’t have a daddy. You’ll make mommy happy so she doesn’t cry all the time. You love us, don’t you Uncle Gage?” Olivia questioned as she wrapped her little arms around his neck.
Before he could answer, a tiny voice belted out. “Kynwee tuwn, Daddy!”
Standing at his feet was nothing short of a little firecracker known as Makynlee Hennessey. Gage reached down and lifted her in his other arm. “It isn’t possible to forget about you, muffin. Give me a giant hug like your sister.” The tiny cherub went one step further giving him a loud kiss on the cheek to accompany the hug. “Kynwee love Daddy.”
“I love both of you,” he blurted out without thinking.
“You love Mommy and Sadie, right Uncle Gage,” Ollie asked with concern in her eyes.
“Yes. I love Sadie and Mommy, too,” Gage answered honestly. Unbeknownst to him, Brooklyn had walked up behind him carrying Sadie in her arms.
“Famwee hug,” Makynlee shouted.
Brooklyn stepped beside him and wrapped her free arm around the girls, then leaned into Gage’s side. One at a time, Gage kissed the top of each girl’s head, including Brooklyn’s.
Once all the goodbyes were said, the couple pulled away from the curb with a toot of the horn. Their next stop was Brook’s home where he’d help her pack enough items
to last a couple of days.
By eleven thirty, they drove up in front of his small cabin by the lake. It had been years since he was last here. Daniel regularly made the trip out to check on everything. While it had never been much to look at, it had even deteriorated more than he expected. The wood siding was marked with years of decay. The corrugated tin roof was hidden under a thick layer of rust. The overgrown forest greenery practically camouflaged the outside of the cabin. He could only hope the inside was in better condition.
He walked around the truck and opened the passenger door. “It’s not much to look at but it’s a good place to hide out until I’m fully prepared for their next attack.” He reached in the bed of the truck and lifted one of many bags they’d packed. Taking her hand, they approached the cabin. “Be careful, baby. The dry rot on these steps looks dangerous. I don’t want you to fall through.”
The inside of the shack was sparse but clean. There was a small kitchen table, a couch, and a bed and that’s about all that would fit.
“How long do we plan to stay here?” Brooklyn quietly asked.
“Only a couple of days at the most. It’s not the Ritz but we’ll survive,” he replied with a hearty laugh. “All of the broken windows should be boarded up at your house by then. I’m also waiting for an important delivery to arrive that will help even the odds.”
Gage set down the bag he was carrying. “I’ll get the rest of the gear while you unpack your suitcase,” he announced over his shoulder before he made quick work of the other seven bags. He knelt down and unzipped the first. “This one has surveillance equipment,” he explained as he unzipped another one. “This one has ammunition. That one over there has a high powered riffle.”
Abandon: The Unloveable Series Book One Page 5