Framed Shadows: Shadows Landing #6

by Kathleen Brooks

  “Let’s get into position. Cy, do you need any explosives?” Paxton asked.

  “Nope, I always travel with them. You never know when you might need some C-4.” Cy turned and gathered his team as they headed to the SUV.

  Doors were opened, equipment handed out, and then they were moving into position. Paxton took a deep breath as he pulled on the gloves for fast roping. He closed his eyes and sent up a silent prayer of protection for Tinsley. I’m coming, sweetheart.

  28

  “Please don’t hit me!” Tinsley screeched as Mark and Curtis walked toward her again. They’d left her alone for a good while as they talked. “Oh God,” Tinsley said, embarrassed as tears started flowing again. She looked up at Curtis with embarrassment all over her face. “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?” Curtis asked.

  “I was so scared of him I had, um, a little accident. Can you take me to the bathroom, please?” Tinsley let her head drop in complete defeat.

  “Take off her cuffs,” Curtis ordered Mark.

  “What? No. Let her sit in her piss for all I care,” Mark spat. “Until she tells us where those paintings are, she’s not going anywhere.”

  “Remember who is in charge here,” Curtis said, dropping his voice for only Mark to hear. “Do it.”

  Mark angrily yanked her arms and Tinsley cried out in pain, but he took off the cuffs. Her purse fell to the floor and Mark grabbed it. “Maybe she has something in here.”

  He dumped the contents on the table next to her as she rubbed her wrists. Curtis called to one of his guys and turned back to look at the items from her purse. “Why do you have a candlestick?”

  Curtis reached for it and Tinsley held her breath. It wasn’t easy to see, but the bottom came off and a dagger would slide out. “I bought it at the street fair and took it home. I didn’t like it on my kitchen table so I put it in my purse and was going to take it to the office after lunch,” Tinsley said.

  “Is this real gold?” Curtis asked, and Tinsley snorted.

  “Sorry, it’s just that I bought it for ten dollars so I’m guessing it’s not gold.” Tinsley held her breath and almost fainted from relief when Curtis set it back down on the table. Why? Because it was made from real gold with a dagger in its center.

  A man joined them who made Mark look like a sweetheart. He glared at her with pure hatred and Tinsley wondered if he knew why he hated her or if he just hated everyone. “Take her to the bathroom,” Curtis ordered.

  Tinsley let herself be grabbed and yanked in the direction of the bathroom. She didn’t fight. She only prayed he didn’t go in with her and discover Tina strapped to her thigh. The man pushed the door open and shoved Tinsley inside.

  “Hurry up,” he told her.

  The bathroom had two stalls and two sinks. Two cracked mirrors outlined with stickers hung on the wall above each sink, and one window with light streaming through the frosted glass was opposite the door.

  The man watched as she went into the far stall and then the door closed. Tinsley finally took a breath. She had a moment alone. She hurried from the stall and went straight for the window. Tinsley surveyed the window made of frosted glass and wire. It was supposed to be shatterproof. She looked to see if she could open it, but the best she could do was vent a small portion of it. She unlocked it and pulled the small portion of glass inward, then ducked her head under it the best she could. She had to twist her neck to the side to do so. She felt the disappointment like a tidal wave. She wasn’t going to be able to escape through the window.

  Tinsley was about to pull her head back in when a small movement in the water made the marsh grass sway. It was probably an alligator but her eyes kept starting at the spot.

  “Hurry up, woman!” the guard yelled.

  “I’m almost done,” Tinsley yelled back as she kept her eye on the movement. A head popped up just above the mucky water and looked right at her. “Wade,” she whispered in a surprised gasp. She wedged up her hand and waved. Wade froze, his eyes catching the movement.

  Tinsley’s neck muscles were shooting pain, but she had to warn him. She moved her hand up and wiggled all five fingers before closing her fingers to form a fist. She did it again just in case he didn’t catch it. Then she knew her time was up. The man would burst in soon so she angled herself out from the window and closed it before flushing the toilet. She was in the middle of washing her hands when the man kicked the door open with his gun raised.

  “I told you to hurry up.”

  Tinsley wiped her hands on her maxi-length skirt and felt the comfort of Tina holstered to her thigh. If Wade was out there, Paxton was, too. She just needed to buy some more time and distract the men as much as possible. She’d help Paxton, Wade, and whoever else they brought with them every step of the way—from distracting her captors to providing cover shots.

  The man shoved her back into her chair but didn’t put the cuffs back on. Instead, Curtis and Mark approached and Curtis handed her a bottle of water. “Now, tell us everything Paxton has told you.”

  Bless his heart, you never ask a Southerner open-ended questions like that. Tinsley took a deep breath and started spinning her tale. Curtis and Mark had better settle in because she was about to talk them right out of their boots.

  Paxton pushed open the door to the rooftop and looked at the helicopter known for its muted blades. Most helicopters were noisy, and while this one still produced noise, it sounded as if a giant pillow were being pressed over the loud blades. It was done with the help of a mostly encased tail blade.

  “Mr. Faulkner!” Ryker’s secretary yelled at Ryker, Paxton, Bridget, and Ahmed. “You have a phone call! They said it was urgent!”

  Ryker looked out of place in his fitted slacks and button-down shirt along with Paxton, Ahmed, and Bridget who wore the more traditional tactical gear. At least Ryker had put on steel-toe boots.

  Ryker grabbed the phone as Ahmed and Bridget stepped into specialized harnesses. Ahmed even slipped on a little pair of goggles onto his Vizsla, Nemi. Both Nemi and Susi were all business as Ahmed and Bridget checked the vests the dogs were wearing.

  “Let’s go,” Ryker told them, handing the phone back to his secretary.

  Ryker climbed into the helicopter first. Then Bridget. Ahmed lifted Susi and Nemi into the helicopter before jumping in himself. Paxton was the last one in since he was going to be the first one out.

  Paxton slid the headphones on so he could communicate with the other teams. “We’re airborne,” he said into his coms.

  “Road crew is in position,” Annie replied and Paxton had to smile. He was sure Whitlock was wondering how someone from Kentucky was in charge.

  “Ready to ring the doorbell,” Granger said.

  “The fireworks are ready when you are.” Paxton heard Cy’s voice say.

  They waited a moment and then Wade’s voice came on the coms. “The water team in is place. Also, I just saw Tinsley in a window. She couldn’t get out. All she could do was angle her head to look out. We made eye contact and she stuck her hand out to signal. Five O. Fifty. I’m guessing that’s how many people are inside.”

  “I told y’all you could never have too much C-4,” Cy said over the coms. “Does anyone want to borrow some?”

  “Don’t worry, we have backup right behind us,” Ryker said simply.

  “I’m in position,” an unfamiliar female voice came over the coms.

  “Who are you?” Paxton asked.

  “Your backup. Let’s move it, my girl is in there,” the mystery woman said back to him.

  “Okay then. We’re a go in two minutes,” Paxton said. As the coms went quiet, the helicopter’s altitude climbed. They went high into the air and only then did they fly the short distance from one side of North Charleston to the other.

  “We’re a go,” Cy said as Paxton looked down at the bar where Tinsley was confirmed to be inside.

  A second later, three explosions sounded simultaneously. Paxton used the binoculars to see people pouring in
to the streets. “What is he doing?” Paxton asked as Cy sped toward the bar. “We don’t have time to find out. Get down there now,” Paxton said to the pilot who rapidly descended.

  Two ropes were tossed out the side of the helicopter. Paxton looked at Ahmed next to him. Nemi’s short tail wagged as she waited to go. She was attached to Ahmed’s harness and leaned against his leg. Paxton nodded and together they fast-roped down and onto the rooftop. The second they were clear, Bridget and Ryker began down the ropes. Bridget was down just as fast as Paxton, but Ryker was clearly the new guy. Paxton didn’t wait, though, and noticed that Ahmed didn’t either.

  Paxton got his rifle into position as Ahmed unstrapped Nemi and got into position. Together they headed for the stairs as the helicopter was already taking off.

  “Curtis, you coward! I came for you in Atlanta and I’ll come for you here!” Paxton simultaneously heard Cy scream over the coms and also from the end of the drive.

  “Get that asshole!” Paxton heard Curtis yell below them.

  Paxton heard boots on the ground as some of the men emptied out of the front of the bar.

  “Water is in position,” Wade whispered into the coms.

  “Road crew is engaging,” Annie said.

  “Doorbell is in position,” the woman’s voice said instead of Granger’s.

  Paxton looked over his shoulder to see the air group stacked up on the steps by the side door. He was in the lead. Ahmed and Nemi were right behind him, then Bridget and Susi, and finally Ryker bringing up the rear. “Air is ready. On the count of three, we go in. One. Two. Three.”

  29

  Tinsley started inching up her skirt as soon as the phones began to go off. Something was going on. She’d only gotten to Paxton’s made-up college years in the saga she was weaving for Curtis when they all heard three loud explosions. Curtis bounded up and Mark ran to the window. Then the phones began to ring. And then Curtis began cussing and kicking things.

  “Curtis, you coward! I came for you in Atlanta and I’ll come for you here!”

  Uncle Cy? Tinsley tried to hide her recognition of the voice, but it didn’t matter. No one was paying her any attention right now.

  “Get that fucker!” Curtis yelled as men armed themselves and ran out the front of the bar.

  Tinsley didn’t waste any time. She yanked up her skirt, grabbed Tina, and then used the long skirt to cover her hand with the gun in it. She waited, knowing Wade and Paxton were coming. Tinsley had twelve rounds and she was going to make each one count.

  Curtis glanced over at her. “Mark, tie her up.”

  No way was she going to let that happen. Tinsley waited until Mark was standing in front of her, ready to grab her hands. He sneered at her and she sneered back. Then she shot her leg up and connected with his balls. Mark went down at the same time the side and back doors were kicked open. Mark pulled his gun and crawled behind an overturned table to her right and took aim at the intruders.

  “Paxton!” Tinsley yelled in a warning and then chaos erupted. She felt as if she were the point of a triangle. Paxton was the bottom left corner and the back door was the bottom right corner. She was closer to the front door at the top point of the triangle but felt a mile away from her rescuers.

  The remaining twenty-five or so people in the bar opened fire and the people pouring in from the side and back doors did, too.

  Tinsley couldn’t wait any more. She flipped the table to her left over, sending her candlestick and everything else scattering. She raised Tina, her hands shaking as adrenaline raced like wildfire through her body. She saw the men taking cover on her side of the bar and firing at Paxton, Ahmed, Bridget, and Ryker.

  Tinsley held her breath and pulled the trigger. She moved her aim and pulled again, and again, and again. She didn’t wait to see if she’d hit her target before moving on to the next.

  “You bitch! You brought them here somehow!” Mark yelled over the gunfire.

  Tinsley glanced from where Paxton was fighting alongside her cousin Ryker, Ahmed, and Bridget. She couldn’t fathom how they got here from Atlanta so fast, but they couldn’t get to her fast enough to save her. Mark had a clear shot at her. Tinsley swung her gun around and fired. Click. She was out of bullets.

  Paxton heard Mark yell at Tinsley and everything else was forgotten. He knew what he needed to do. He ran. He ran through gunfire to get to the woman he loved. He couldn’t see where Mark was behind an overturned table, but he fired as he ran, keeping the man pinned down.

  He kept Tinsley in his peripheral vision but focused his gaze on the table where Mark was crouching. Paxton was only steps from Tinsley when Mark’s head appeared with the muzzle of a gun. That was all Paxton needed. He fired and Mark went down.

  “Tinsley!” Paxton was so relieved to see her alive he almost dropped to his knees to hug her. The bullet that slammed into him stopped any thoughts of hugging the woman he loved as it sent him tumbling to the ground.

  Tinsley ducked behind the table as Paxton fired. She looked up and didn’t see Mark anymore. “Tinsley!” Paxton called.

  Tinsley opened her arms with relief. Paxton was here! Then everything changed. There was so much gunfire she didn’t hear the bullet that hit Paxton, but she did see it slam into him. Paxton was flung back and landed hard on the ground out of her reach. When he hit the ground, his gun skittered off beyond the safety of the table she was hiding behind.

  “Paxton!” she yelled, hysterics threatening to overtake her.

  A horrible feeling of helplessness and being frozen in fear tried to push its way in, but she wouldn’t allow it. Tinsley looked around and saw everyone engaging in their own battles. The front door was kicked in, and a person Tinsley guessed was a woman due to the long hair under her helmet stormed inside with her gun raised and ready to fire. Behind her, Granger and Kord were in position as they provided relief fire for Wade and his team. The sight of the woman in charge spurred Tinsley into action.

  She lunged out from the safety of the table and grabbed hold of Paxton’s feet, using all her strength to drag him toward her. Tinsley heard him groan and then his eyes opened as he reached to his side, ripped the Velcro from his bulletproof vest off, and took a deep breath.

  Relief that he was alive was short-lived. She had to get him to safety.

  “Paxton, wake up!”

  “Let sleeping agents lie in their graves,” Curtis growled as he advanced on them.

  “No! Tinsley screamed as Curtis fired.

  She closed her eyes, thinking that was it, but the bullet didn’t rip into her. Instead, it was Paxton who was yelling in pain. Tinsley opened her eyes and saw blood pouring from his leg.

  “I see you two are together. You’re a good actor, Tinsley but Paxton is not. Only a man in love would make an unprotected run for you. I’ve shot you three times in the chest and you just refuse to die.” Curtis looked down at Paxton. “Well, four times, but you cheated with the vest. The one in the leg was to wake you up. I want you to know I’ve wasted enough bullets on you. The bullet after yours is for your woman.”

  Curtis pointed the gun at Paxton’s head, and all thought fled from Tinsley’s mind. Driven by instinct, she leaped onto Curtis’s back with a wild cry. She clung to him as she clawed his face, bit his ear, and tore at anything she could. He spun her around trying to get her off him while he cursed, but Tinsley refused to let go. She was wild with rage as she moved to shove her thumbs into his eyeballs.

  Curtis howled and fell backward as hard as he could. The initial impact of hitting the floor shocked Tinsley, but then having over two hundred pounds of pissed-off, homicidal male land on top of her shoved the air from her lungs.

  “You bitch! I’ll kill you first then. Let Paxton watch the woman he loves die, knowing he couldn’t save her,” Curtis growled as he rolled off her and landed a solid punch to her face.

  Blackness crept into the edges of her vision, but Tinsley shoved them back while Curtis staggered to his feet. A red blur shot across the room and
leaped through the air. The Vizsla latched onto Curtis’s arm as Tinsley coughed, trying to drag air into her lungs. She reached out to push herself up and her hand hit someone familiar—the candlestick.

  Her heart pounded as she grabbed the candlestick, yanked the base free, and felt the familiar weight of the dagger in her hands. Curtis lifted his gun and placed it on the dog’s head and Tinsley threw.

  Her aim was as steady and true as if she were practicing in the church. An overwhelming feeling of Anne Bonny guiding the dagger home came over her as it sank into Curtis’s heart a second before the gunshot from Ahmed’s gun went through his head and a shot from Paxton went through his back.

  Blurs of fur were racing past Tinsley as she stood on wobbly legs. There was less gunfire now and more screaming orders to put their hands up. The sound of guns dropping to the floor and zip ties tightening were all around her, but Tinsley only had eyes for Paxton. His leg was bleeding badly. He’d crawled to where his gun had skidded when he was shot the first time and used it to shoot Curtis. A blood trail showed the ten feet he’d dragged himself. He was now sitting up with his legs stretched out straight in front of him.

  Tinsley’s eyes met his and Paxton blew her a kiss before he fell back to the ground. Tinsley rushed forward at the same time Ahmed did.

  “We need Gavin!” Ahmed shouted into his coms as he pulled a tactical tourniquet from his utility vest.

  Tinsley grabbed Paxton’s hand in hers and began whispering encouraging words to him as Ahmed tightened the tourniquet to the point of Paxton screaming.

  Tinsley looked over her shoulder at the sound of movement. Men in FBI jackets were swarming the group of captured Myriad members. “Uncle Cy? Uncle Miles? Uncle Marshall? Uncle Cade? Aunt Annie? What are you all doing here?” Tinsley asked as they all rushed to her side.

  “You’re our family. Where else would we be?” the person in the full helmet and tactical gear said as she pulled off her helmet.