by K. C. Crowne
I opened the door slowly. It creaked, and I froze, expecting one of the brothers to notice.
“Going somewhere, Jack?” Samuel’s voice didn’t surprise me. He spoke softly. Hopefully soft enough that no one else would hear him.
I stood there with the door partially opened, staring into the hallway. I couldn’t tell him the truth, so I said the first thing that came out of my mouth. “No, I was just looking for the bathroom and got confused.”
“The bathroom is in the bedroom,” he said, watching me.
I turned and looked at him. He was wide awake; I don’t think he was asleep at all during any of this. He’d been watching me, waiting to see what I was doing.
I closed the door gently and turned to Samuel. “Listen, I have to do this. And I have to do it alone,” I said, speaking barely above a whisper. “It’s my one chance to make everything right.”
“What are you doing?”
“I can’t tell you. You just need to trust me, Samuel.”
Samuel was quiet, staring at me in the darkness. I could tell he was studying me, pondering. I should’ve known I wouldn’t be able to get past him - or any of my brothers. The truth would go a lot farther.
Samuel sighed. “Do you really think it’s wise going anywhere alone?”
“I have to do it. Now, are you going to stop me or…”
“I’m not going to stop you, Jack,” he murmured. ‘You’re a grown man. You can make your own choices. But I can tell you that you’re stupid if you think—”
“Thanks, Samuel,” I said, cutting him off. I opened the door. “That’s all I needed to hear. I gotta get going now. Can you lock the deadbolt behind me? And please, no matter what happens, make sure my family is safe.”
I stepped into the hallway and closed the door. I checked the knob. It was locked. I moved toward the elevator, my feet once again feeling too heavy to walk very fast. I was leaving everything I loved behind. I had to trust in my brothers to protect them after I was gone. I hardly knew them, but I could tell they were good people.
They were better men than I was.
I stepped into the elevator, with one last look down the hall to make sure none of them were following me, then pressed the button. The ride down to the garage was slow. I sighed as the doors opened.
The garage was empty of people. Considering how early it was - or late, rather - it was no surprise. I hurried to Graham’s truck as the elevator doors closed, and the elevator went back up.
I climbed into the truck and started the engine. I checked my phone and put the address Hank had sent me into the GPS. Three hours away. Considering the time he’d given me, it would be tight, but I’d make it if I didn’t stop much.
I pulled out of the parking spot and drove out of the garage, listening to the robotic voice of the GPS. I let it guide me where I needed to go.
Two hours and fifty-five minutes later, I was pulling into a warehouse parking lot. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, hinting at the day to come. I didn’t see another car in the parking lot. Not a sign of another person in sight. The car that had been behind me passed after I turned in, and now the road was empty.
I double-checked the address, making sure I was in the right place, which I was.
“Alright, Jack. This is it,” I muttered to myself as I climbed out of the truck.
I noticed headlights pulling into the gravel driveway just as my feet hit the concrete. Must be Hank, I thought to myself. Or whoever he sent to finish the job. I wasn’t sure if he would do it himself or trust one of his right-hand men for the job. As far as I was aware, Richard was dead. I wasn’t sure who else in his organization was trustworthy. Maybe we’d killed them all. Wouldn’t that be nice, I thought.
I also knew it was likely a lie. This was bigger than just a few people. I had no idea the extent of this crime ring when I got involved with it. I knew Hank was at the top, so I knew it had to be powerful. But the size of it - they seemed to know people everywhere. Hank had connections, not that it should surprise me. I always thought they were mostly a Liberty operation, maybe the surrounding counties. But now I realized it went much further than Utah.
I stood by the truck, my hands out to show I didn’t have a weapon. As the vehicle came closer, I realized it was a truck. A truck I recognized too. I cursed under my breath, “Dammit, Samuel,” just as Graham pulled up beside me in his brother’s truck.
He wound the window down and said, “Get in, Jack.”
“What the hell are you doing?” I growled. My fists were balled up at my sides. “I told Samuel I needed to do this alone.”
“I know you did, but even Samuel agreed we couldn’t let you do this alone.”
“You’ve already been shot because of me,” I ground. “Get the hell out of here before you end up dead because of me.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m not leaving you to die,” he said. “If you die, I’m going down with you. We promised our dad we would take care of you, and we’re not breaking that promise.”
My heart was racing as I scanned the area. Hank had been very clear. I had to come alone, or everyone I loved would be at risk.
“Graham, you don’t understand—” But it was too late for me to explain. A motion sensor light near the building flipped on, and both Graham and I turned to look at the same time.
Hank was walking towards us, and he wasn’t alone. Three very large men with machine guns were walking with him.
“Shit,” I muttered.
“Get in the fucking truck, man.”
“Well, well, well,” Hank called. “What do we have here? Jack, you disappoint me. I really thought you were nothing like your father.”
“I’m not. I was followed. Just let him go, and you can have me,” I yelled to him.
“Too late for that. He’s already seen my face,” the man said as he reached us. “And it’s too late for everyone you love as well.”
“Please.”
“Get in the truck, Jack. Get in the fucking truck, now,” Graham ordered.
“It’s too late now,” Hank said.
It’s too late. Too late to save my family through sacrifice.
They needed me now.
Graham swung the passenger side door of the truck open, and I jumped inside. He slammed on the gas pedal, making a beeline toward the men as I slammed the door shut. Explosions and shots rang out as Graham called out to me, “Get down!”
I hunkered down in the seat just as the window exploded above me. Shards of glass littered the seat and covered my body as the truck made a quick u-turn, throwing me into the door.
I couldn’t see what was happening outside, so I had to trust in Graham to get us out of there. The truck bounced as we went from gravel to asphalt, signaling we were on the road. I managed to sit up, catch a glimpse from the window. The gunshots were further away.
“They’ll follow us,” I said.
“Oh, I’m counting on it,” Graham said. “But there’s a town just ahead. Once we get there, we’ll work on losing them. We can’t go straight back. I gotta be sure we lost them.”
“This was fucking stupid, Graham,” I said.
“No, what you were doing was fucking stupid. Do you wanna get killed?”
“That was the whole point,” I yelled. “If I handed myself over to him, he would leave my family alone. But only if I came alone. Now? Well, now you fucking ruined it.”
My blood was on fire. I was raging mad. My fists were clenched, and I wanted to punch something, anything.
“You need to trust us, Jack. Believe it or not, we know what we’re doing. None of you have to die.” He shook his head. “But then you pull shit like this without talking to us. We have to work together. Do you hear me?”
“I can’t let anything happen to them,” I said.
We’d pulled into a town, just as Graham had said we would. It was a quiet, small town, and most of the people were still asleep. People were walking down the street, cars on the road. I glanced behind us,
but no one had followed us that I could see.
“How did you find me?” I asked. “I was so careful. I didn’t notice anyone following me.”
Graham smirked. “There’s GPS locators on all of our vehicles,” he said. “In case we ever get separated, we know how to find each other. I left shortly after you did. I didn’t have to follow directly behind you to know where you were.”
“Damn.”
“I told you, Jack. We’re professionals. We know what we’re doing here.”
I shook my head. “You don’t know what you’re up against.”
“I think we have a better idea than you do.”
“Did you see who that was back there?”
“I did.”
“And that doesn’t fucking scare you?”
“I don’t scare easy, Jack.” He glanced at me. “Death doesn’t scare me - but losing the people I care about does. Losing my family is the worst thing I can imagine.”
“We’re hardly even family,” I said.
“You’re my brother, Jack. And I made a promise to my dad. One I take very seriously.”
I rested my head back against the seat and closed my eyes. “Well, now my family is likely in danger here.”
“No, they aren’t. We’ll make sure they’re taken care of,” Graham promised softly. “You can trust us.”
We drove through the sleepy little town without saying much. I had no idea what we were going to do now. We couldn’t lead them back to the condo. We needed a plan.
And from the look on Graham’s face, he already had one.
Cassie
I rolled over in bed, reaching for Jack. I expected to find his warm body next to me. I opened my eyes to find his side of the bed empty. Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes and looked toward the bathroom, expecting to see the door shut or hear him inside.
But it was silent.
I slipped from the bed, stretching as I checked the time on my phone. It was almost five in the morning, almost time for Owen’s breakfast. The apartment seemed quiet, and I wondered if I was the only one awake. It sounded like it.
But where was Jack?
As I put my phone back down on the end table, I saw a piece of paper folded up. My name was written on the outside. My heart stopped as I recognized Jack’s handwriting. I didn’t even have to open it to know it wasn’t good news. I reached for it and opened it. His handwriting was sloppy and looked rushed, but I could read it.
Cassie,
I’m sorry to have to do this, but I have the opportunity to make everything right. You and Owen will be safe again. Please, stay with my brothers and Teddy. Let them keep you safe since I can’t. I trust them. I just want you and Owen to have a long, happy life. And I’m willing to do anything to make it so.
I love you,
Jack.
Tears pooled in my eyes and fell. My hands shook so badly, I nearly dropped the letter. I managed to get to my feet and stumbled to the door. I rushed into the living room and found all the men awake. Everyone except Graham, who was nowhere to be found.
“Jack left,” I croaked.
“We know,” Samuel said, his voice soft. He stood up and walked over to me. “Graham followed him; we’ll get him back.”
“Graham went alone? Why?”
“He said we needed to be here,” Samuel said. “And he’s right. We don’t know what’s coming.”
“But you let Jack leave?” My voice was high pitched. “With just Graham? He’s injured and what if—” I was frantic now, my entire body shaking. I couldn’t finish. Samuel took my shoulders, helping me stay on my feet.
Breathe, Cassie, I told myself. You need to breathe.
“We have to protect you and the children first,” Samuel explained. “Mason said Graham’s injuries weren’t that bad, and he’ll be fine. Jack will be fine too.”
“I don’t—”
A sound came from the bedroom. The sound of glass shattering. Before I even had a chance to comprehend what was happening, Samuel moved past me toward the door. Elijah was behind him. Mason walked to me, taking my arm. I yanked my arm free just as the other men rushed into the room.
I followed them, Mason right after me. “Cassie, wait!”
But I was already in the room. A man in a black mask was holding my son. The glass door of the patio was broken, shards of glass everywhere. I didn’t have time to contemplate how he managed to get all the way up there on the fourth floor. All I could think about was that he had my son.
“Don’t shoot,” Samuel called out. “You might hit the baby.”
The man had a gun, pointed at my little boy. I couldn’t breathe; it felt like all the air had been pulled from my lungs. I couldn’t catch my breath or think clearly. My knees felt like they were made of jelly.
“No, please!” I cried out. I somehow moved toward them, though I don’t remember my feet moving. “Give me my son back. Please.” I sobbed, begging and pleading.
The man walked backward onto the patio. Samuel was closest to him. “Just put the kid down,” Samuel said. “We’ll cooperate, just let the baby go.”
They had their guns pointed at him. He had nowhere to go. Samuel walked slowly toward him. The masked man did the unthinkable next. He climbed over the patio railing and fell forward. I screamed so loud, falling to my knees as I watched the man fall with my son, imagining an imminent death for both of them.
The men rushed toward the patio, and the sounds of their voices sounded like they were so far away. Everything felt far away. Too far away.
“They’re on the third floor,” Mason said. “Let’s go.”
“Third floor?” I croaked.
“Stay with her,” Samuel barked to Elijah.
Madison and Teddy were in the hallway. Zoey was safely tucked into her father’s arms. Our eyes met, and Madison rushed to me, wrapping her arms around me, holding me close.
“They’re going to find them,” Madison said. “They’re gonna get Owen back.”
Elijah had remained with me, standing by the patio door.
“How? What happened?” I asked him, tears streaming down my face. “How are they still alive?”
His rough face softened when he looked at me. “They managed to enter through the floor below us, and he fashioned a rope to your patio and pulled himself up. When he jumped, he landed on the third floor, on his feet, and ran inside.”
“So there’s hope my little boy is alive?”
“He was alive when they landed, yes.”
That brought some relief, but the idea that a strange man had my son still filled me with dread. I kept talking to myself - Samuel and Mason would find him. They would get down to the third floor and get my son back.
They had to.
I couldn’t live without my little boy.
First Jack, now Owen.
Without them, my world would be empty and dark.
My heart already felt like someone had punched a hole right through it.
We waited for an eternity for Samuel and Mason, and when they stepped through that door, they were empty-handed.
“They were gone by the time we got down there,” Samuel said, his voice defeated.
I wailed in pain, and Madison wrapped her arms tighter around me, pulling me to her chest. She stroked my hair and let me cry on her shoulder.
I could vaguely hear the conversation in the background.
“The residents of 301 are dead,” Samuel said, trying to speak low. “Whoever planned this knew exactly what they were doing. They did follow us, managed to find a layout of the place, everything. I knew they were good, but I would never have imagined they’d be this good.”
“I shouldn’t have left him. Not even for a second,” I sobbed.
“You couldn’t have known, sweetie,” Madison said. “No one could have guessed they could get in like this. No one.”
The men around me wouldn’t even look at me. I knew it wasn’t their fault - but they were supposed to be the experts.
“We need to get you
out of here,” Samuel said.
“What about my son? We have to find Owen.”
“We’re gonna find him, but we need to get you, Madison, and Zoey to safety. We can’t let them take anymore hostages.”
“I’m not going anywhere without my son,” I croaked. I glanced at Teddy, holding little Zoey, and my heart broke for her. I couldn’t put her at risk either. “Get Madison and Zoey to safety, but I’m not hiding. I’m going to find my son.”
My voice came out stronger than I expected. There was still fight inside me. As long as Owen was still alive, I wouldn’t give up on him. I pulled myself to my feet and wiped the tears from my eyes. I felt broken on the inside, like a part of me was missing - but I would find Owen or die trying.
Jack
Graham had to make a pitstop to use the bathroom. He ran inside the public rest stop and left me in the truck. I was surrounded by truckers and families on vacation. I kept an eye out for any suspicious vehicles, but thankfully, I saw none. Graham had purposefully drove around in a way to lose anyone who might be following us, but I was still on guard as was he.
His phone was in the center console, and it rang. I thought about answering it for him but didn’t get to it in time. They left a voicemail. I figured if it was important, they’d call right back. Graham hopped back into the truck and tossed a Coke and some potato chips my way.
“Breakfast of champions,” he joked.
“Hey, it’s better than nothing. Thanks, man.” Graham started the engine, and I remembered his phone. “You got a call while you were in there. Went to voicemail.”
He picked up his phone from the center console and said, “It’s from Mason.” He clicked the button to listen to the voicemail, and his face blanched as his eyes cut towards me.
“What is it?”
He didn’t answer me. He pressed another button on the phone and said, “I’m calling them back now.”
“What did the voicemail say?”
“Mason, it’s me. What’s going on there?”