32. Bradyn
CHAPTER 32
brADYN
T he damage is substantial, but no lives were lost.
The blast from Kennedy’s place took out a wall into the next cabin as well as all the windows, but we were able to keep the fire at bay long enough for the fire department to get here and put it out before the flames damaged the others any further.
A gift from God above, for sure.
But, man, two fires in as many weeks on the ranch? Not a great start to the year.
“Any idea what caused this?” Elliot asks as he comes to stand beside me. It’s still relatively dark with the sun just starting to creep over the horizon, so there’s not much we can see except what’s illuminated by the work lights.
“Not sure yet. We’ll have a better idea tomorrow when they’ve been able to see it in the daylight.”
“Gas line, maybe?” Tucker offers.
“Possibly.” But my gut is telling me something is off. These homes have buried propane tanks, and both cabins were empty since one was Kennedy’s and the other Arthur’s. Which means the theory of someone forgetting to turn off a stove is not a likely one.
“No one needs anything more than some minor stitches,” Lani says as she comes to stand beside me. “They were all really lucky.”
“God had His hand on them tonight, that’s for sure.” Elliot sighs.
“Amen to that,” Tucker adds. “Dylan and Riley headed up to the house to let Mom know. She’s pretty shaken up about the whole thing. And Dad is struggling, too.”
“Understandable.” I pull my hands out of my pockets. “I need to check back in with Kennedy. Let her know that everything is okay.”
“Is it, though?” Tucker asks. When I turn toward him, he continues. “It seems strange, doesn’t it? The first fire, sure, storm-related. But the cut fence and tire tracks? This explosion?”
I can see the lines he’s drawing because they’re ones I already have. “I’m wondering if it’s all connected, too.”
“The cut fence could’ve been someone scoping out the tree lines. Seeing how close they can get before the cameras catch them,” Elliot offers.
“My thoughts exactly.” Tucker shakes his head. “It just all seems?—”
Bravo lets out a warning bark, and both Tango and Echo join in.
The dogs are staring off in the distance, their hackles standing on end.
“What is it, boy?” I ask, turning to face the same area they are. I half expect to see Kennedy strolling toward us, tired of being cooped up, but there’s no one coming.
Something shifts in the shadows above us a heartbeat before the soft whirring of a motor fills my ears.
“Get to cover!” I yell seconds before the gunshots begin.
Grabbing Lani, I throw her behind my truck and cover her with my body as I withdraw the pistol that stays holstered at my waist. In the pause between the firing, I peek up over the bed of my truck, take aim, and fire.
One hit.
Two.
The bullets tear through the metal, and a drone crashes down onto the ground in front of us. I’m momentarily stunned. What in the world is a drone doing?—
“What on earth was that thing doing?—”
Elliot doesn’t even have time to finish vocalizing my question before I’m jumping into the UTV he drove here and racing up toward my house. The adrenaline in my system is nothing compared to the fear.
Please, God. Please let her be okay. How did I not plan for this? Why did I think she was safer alone?
But I know the answer.
I got emotionally involved and lost sight of the fight ahead of us. I was too afraid one of the ranch hands would collect on that reward money and turn her over. To me, that was the bigger risk. I was wrong. So, so wrong.
Throwing the UTV into neutral and shutting off the engine, I jump out and race up to the front door. “Kennedy!” I bellow.
She doesn’t answer.
“Kennedy! Please answer me!” I sprint down the hall, checking every bedroom and closet then heading back down the hall and into the kitchen. Panic claws at my chest, tightening around my heart and bringing the walls crashing down on top of me.
I turn in a slow circle, trying to find anything that might clue me in, and then I see it—a note on the counter along with a cell phone—and her Bible.
Rushing over, I read the note.
Bradyn,
I’m sorry. He told me that he was going to kill you all, and I can’t risk him following through with it. No one else can die because of me. I hope you understand and that, someday, you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me for leaving. If I can get the key and escape, I’ll contact you.
He caused the explosion and is using drones to bypass your security. He also used one to deliver this phone. I thought you might be able to use it to put him away even after I’m gone.
But don’t come looking for me, Bradyn. Not this time.
Just turn him in. Let the authorities do it. Please don’t risk your life.
Always,
Kennedy
I crush the paper in my fist, my entire world crashing down around me. I left her here…alone. Vulnerable. Because I was too absorbed in what was growing between us and lost sight of the fact that she was a job.
And now she’s gone.
Breathing ragged, I stare straight ahead, though I see nothing but red.
My door opens, and Elliot races in, Tucker at his side.
“What happened? Where is she?”
I hold out the crumpled note, too shaken to read it aloud or even speak the words.
“Did she take the thumb drive?” Tucker asks. “Did you find it anywhere?”
I shake my head. “She would’ve taken it with her.”
Tucker pales slightly, his eyes going wide. “Then we have another problem.”
“What is it?”
He hesitates a moment. “I switched the drives.”
“You did what?” I growl, taking a step toward him. I love my brother, but right now, I want to level him where he stands. “If she doesn’t come with the right drive, he’s going to kill her!”
“He’s going to kill her anyway,” Elliot tells me, stepping up toward Tucker. “You have to breathe, Bradyn. This isn’t the first time a plan has gone awry.”
“Kennedy is gone. Gone. And we may not even have time to find her.”
“Think about it,” Elliot says. “He’s going to want to know where the drive is, right?”
I consider, hating what that would mean for Kennedy. If he’s trying to get information out of her—I shiver. I can’t think about that now. All I can do is focus on the task at hand—which is tracking her down, wherever he may have taken her.
I turn to Tucker. “Find out where those drones came from.”
“On it.” He turns and sprints out of the house.
Elliot remains where he is. “You’re in love with her.”
I can’t even deny it, not that I would. “I am. And I’m not even entirely sure how it happened so fast.” I can barely breathe as my mind is flooded with horrific imagery of things that could be happening to her right now.
Of things that could happen soon.
What if I’m too late?
Elliot puts his hand on my shoulder. “God, we ask that You watch over Kennedy. Please guide us so that we can get to her and bring her back safely. I ask this in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.”
“Amen.” I can barely get the word out, but after a few moments of silence, I’m breathing easier. “As soon as Tucker has an address for those drones, we’re rolling out. Call Jesper and have him on deck, ready to go.”
“You think they left the state?” he asks at the mention of the private pilot we hire for jobs where discretion is of the essence.
“I think it’s more than likely they’re headed back to where this all started.”
“California,” he says.
“Exactly.”
“Drones are a dead end.”
Frustration ebbs at my frayed nerves. “You couldn’t find an address?”
“Nope. They’re unregistered. The only thing I can tell you is that they were scoping us out for a while. Flying just above our radar and only ever at night.” Tucker turns his tablet to show us shaky footage of the drone flying over the ranch.
“Spying on us. Learning our routines.” Dylan shakes his head furiously.
“The explosion was a distraction,” I say. “He knew that he had to get low enough to drop the phone off safely, and we’d catch him on the security footage if he did.”
“Unless no one was watching the cameras,” Lani interjects. When we all look at her, she shrugs. “I don’t know why you’re staring at me like that. We all grew up playing army.”
“He used the explosion to mask the drop because he knew you wouldn’t let Kennedy out of that house—for fear either one of our employees or a firefighter would recognize and turn her in.”
“Well, joke’s on him because I too can pull surveillance photos.” Tucker sets one on the counter before us.
I lean in to study it. “What’s this?” A massive house sits on the top of a hill. It’s surrounded by brick walls and iron gates as well as a scattering of security guards crawling the grounds. The gate blocks off entering from the road, and from what I can see, there are no visible weak points.
He crosses his arms. “A surveillance image of the senator’s home in Southern California.”
“How did you get this?” I ask.
“Nowhere legal. It’s better you don’t know,” Tucker replies.
Dylan leans in and studies it. “This is his home? It’s a compound.”
“It’s well protected,” Tucker agrees.
“But?” I ask, knowing that Tucker has the innate ability to see what others miss.
“I found a hole.” He grins at me.
“Where?”
“Here.” He points to the back wall and, more specifically, a grate just outside of it.
“What is that?”
“Dude has a pond on his property. There’s a gap between the bottom of the brick wall and the top of the water. It’s not huge but large enough that we should be able to get in undetected. It’s getting back out that will be the problem since I doubt we’ll be able to use the same entrance.”
“What if she’s not there?” Riley questions. When we all glance back at him, he pushes off the counter. “We could go in there, guns blazing, and she’s not even there.”
“She is,” I say, studying the photograph.
“How do you know that?”
“I feel it,” I reply. “Before he kills her, he’s going to want to check that the information on that thumb drive isn’t corrupted. With how well protected that is, my guess is the key is there, too. It wouldn’t make sense to keep them in two separate places when he thinks he has everything he’s wanted.”
“Everything we need, right there, in one place,” Dylan says, studying the photograph. “We’ve taken on bigger enemies. Larger compounds. The place we pulled Silas out of in South Africa comes to mind.”
That was a dangerous mission, but somehow, this feels worse. Likely because it’s not a Navy SEAL on the inside to offer assistance but someone who is unarmed and untrained.
“Not stateside,” Riley says. “And not without the authorities backing us.”
“This will be a totally rogue mission. We have no proof without that key.” I look around at my brothers. “So if any of you want to sit this out on the off chance we get caught, I don’t blame you.”
They all look at each other then turn to me.
“You’re kidding, right?” Elliot shakes his head.
“Aren’t you supposed to be the wisest given that you’re the oldest?” Dylan clicks his tongue. “You know we won’t let you walk in there alone.”
“We’d storm the very gates of hell with you, brother,” Riley adds.
I take a deep breath, feeling overwhelmed and completely supported all at the same time. “Then let’s gear up. We’ve got a plane to catch.”
God, please let me be right. Please let her be there. And please keep her safe until we arrive.