Chapter Thirty-Three
Once he was alone in the car, the magnitude of everything blanketed him yet again. He was on edge, livid, murderous, close to tears, but mostly he was terrified. So utterly, incapacitatingly terrified. Despite the promises he made to approach this logically and follow the plan, he knew without a doubt as soon as he got a chance, he”d throw the Goddamn plan straight out the window and do whatever it took to make sure Theo and Toby lived to see another day. Even if that meant Connor had to give up his own life in the process.
Every mile closer to the location, his determination grew. The one and only goal was their safety. Nothing else mattered. His fists clenched around the steering wheel as he made the final turn and tried to clear his mind of anything but the objective. Dozens and dozens of high-stakes operations colored his past. None felt as dire or important as this one, though. He cleared his throat and spoke aloud as they neared the destination.
“Y’all go dark now. I”ll park up ahead and give y’all a chance to get situated before I head in. Over.”
“Copy. We got your six, brother.” Luke’s voice in his ear provided only a modicum of reassurance. He knew the odds. That was the sacrifice he was willing to make. Their plan was roughshod and flimsy at best. The fact that it was the only option they could have any faith in was a grim prospect. He schooled his breathing and dug deep to find the grit and determination that had gotten him through the Marines as well as the Secret Service. Lastly, he let himself revisit the fateful night he”d had to go through the last time a psycho fucker used his partner as a pawn in his delusional games. The parallels sent a shiver down Connor’s spine.
He killed the engine once he reached the coordinates he”d been given and eyed the ominous darkness of the forested edge of the reservoir that loomed ahead. His cursory glance at the map told him there was a path running alongside the chain-link fence, and the photo showed that he would need to head along it for at least a few paces. Luke and his brothers would be somewhere at his left once they got in place. Knowing they were going to be out there helped a little, but the truth of the matter was that it would be him walking into the unknown. Fine by him. As long as he could get Theo and Toby out, it was fine by him.
He waited a little longer, as much as it pained him to act cautiously. Each second that passed made it harder to show restraint. His Theo was somewhere in that shadowed woods. The urge to jump out and run into the tree line shouting at the top of his lungs was strong. Eventually, a low whisper came through his earpiece.
“Spiking a heat signature about half a klick northwest of your position, over.”
Connor’s hand was on the handle before the radio cut out. He mumbled receipt of the message and leapt from the vehicle. The sound of his door slamming shut reverberated through the muggy air before insect sounds and the leaves rustling took over once again. It took a second for his eyes to adjust to the darkness and then he was off. Northwest. Half a klick. He’d get to Theo in mere minutes at a fast clip. His feet knew no other speed than fast as he moved toward the shadows and let them swallow him.
Cicadas and crickets heralded the night around him as he moved along the path. Fields was expecting him, waiting for him, luring him there, so he made no effort to keep his footfalls quiet. The more of a presence he made himself, the better chances he had of preventing the others who had followed him from being detected. All too happy to be the decoy, he trudged forward and tried not to let his nerves cloud his judgment. It was a difficult task considering his sole desire was to rush into the unknown and rip the fucker’s throat out with his bare hands.
One minute became two minutes. Two became three. Finally, a disembodied voice carried through the trees and he could track the sound. He’d found the target, which meant he”d found Theo. His skin prickled with the sound of Fields, back from the grave.
“That”s far enough, Connor.” A figure stepped from the tree line to his left and moved toward him with a deranged laugh. “I knew this would get you right where I wanted you.”
“Enough bullshit, Fields. Let them go.” Connor drew up to his full height and squared his shoulders. Moonlight sliced through the canopy to illuminate the man in front of him as Fields took another step forward.
“Maybe I will. Maybe I won”t. It depends on how I”m feeling once I finish with you.” The sound of a gun safety being disengaged rang out in stark contrast to the organic noise of insects and voices and the rustle of leaves and underbrush. Metallic. Cold. Deadly.
“Whatever it is ye want, spit it out. If’n you”re tryna get to Addy, we ain”t the way. If it”s Elias… well, ye missed the mark again.”
“No. No, this is personal, Connor. Honestly, you can”t be that stupid,” Fields cooed, the lilt of laughter dripping from the ends of his words. “You made sure it was personal when you got away that night. Do you remember?”
Connor tensed as the Black Ops mission came to the forefront of his mind. The whole shit show had felt like a sick joke. The bare bones team. The shitty planning. The lack of backup. Flood lights, sliding glass doors, the bullet that had sliced over Connor”s head, only inches from ending his life. He realized with cold dread that he”d been directed into the line of fire deliberately that night. Now, he’d walked himself into it.
“Reckon I do remember it. You got what ye wanted. Here I am. Let Theo and Toby go.” Connor took a step forward in spite of his primal survival instincts screaming at him to run, run, run. The only thing stronger than his desire to survive was his need to ensure Theo did.
“Maybe. Maybe not.” Fields’ expression twisted into a sadistic grin, all teeth and no mirth. “It might be more fun to make you suffer. To make you watch them bleed and struggle and cry and die. Do you want to know why?”
Connor grunted softly. He didn”t trust himself not to escalate the situation if he opened his mouth. The radio in his ear came to life with a soft whisper.
“You need to ask him why. Stay engaged. Stay focused. Keep him talking, Con.” Luke”s hushed voice sounded like sirens for how loud it was in comparison to the poised tension in the air between him and Fields.
“Why? Why them? If you want me, I”m right here.” Connor focused on Fields, fighting the urge to search the trees for Theo and Toby.
“Do you know what I had to give up because of you? You and your meddling fucking friends? No one would have ever found out if you hadn”t gone snooping. The plan would have worked out the way it was supposed to. That bitch would have backed down. The right person would have taken her place. Everyone would have seen what a terrible idea it was to support that liberal bitch and all her equal rights, socialist bullshit!” The first cracks started to appear in Fields’ demeanor as he flailed the gun erratically at his side.
“Ye mean Andrew? The VP?” Connor eased just a little closer. Just another few steps and he would have the advantage.
“Ha! That fucking fool. They”re all fools! Don”t you see? Don”t you fucking get it? You”re all so busy chasing one or two people, meanwhile we have thousands. Thousands! Keep playing your little games. You’ll see. The plan is so much bigger, so much better than—”
“A-wooo! Hey, fuckwad! Look! The cops are behind you!” Toby’s voice exploded from somewhere beyond Connor”s field of vision. Theo’s wrecked, strained cries joined shortly after.
“Look up! A drone! Help! We’re down here! Over here!”
Fields whipped halfway around on impulse. This was his shot. Likely his one and only chance to turn the tables in their favor. Connor launched himself forward and flung his arms wide, channeling every single tackle he”d ever practiced all through high school and during pick up games in boot camp or while on deployment. He connected with the trunk of Fields’ body and the momentum brought them both to the ground with a simultaneous grunt.
Unlike a successful sack on the football field, this one turned into an instant brawl. A literal fight for the upper hand in a game of life or death. He desperately fought to keep the hand holding a loaded firearm pinned to the hard scrabble dirt track beneath them, but Fields had maniacal psychosis on his side, fueling his rage as he writhed beneath Connor’s weight. This wasn”t the kind of brawling seen in movies and television shows. This was gritty, raw, uncoordinated grappling and wild blows in a fight to stay alive.
Fists. Feet. Foreheads. They all connected with flesh and bone amid a flurry of grunts and growls. Spit flew among the leaves and debris. There was too much adrenaline and too little time to register any of the blows that found their mark. There was only the pin-hole focus of kill or be killed. Up became down and then it was up again as they rolled to and fro through the gravel and damp soil. Connor’s only focus was to ensure the gun in Fields’ hand remained pointed away from him at all costs.
Just when he thought he had the upper hand, Fields flipped their positions again. One, two, three, who knows how many times the knuckles of his opponent’s fist connected with his head. A plaintive wail, half growl and half scream, broke free from his lips as his sweat-slick grip faltered where his fingernails dug for purchase between the tendons of Fields’ wrist. No, no, no. He couldn”t come this close to saving them, only to lose in the end.
Again and again, blows battered against his skull and each one sent his world spinning, plummeting, spiraling into his worst nightmare. He couldn”t hear, he couldn”t see, and then, his hand was empty. He”d lost his hold on the arm holding the gun. He”d failed his mission. He’d failed the love of his life. His world swayed and bucked and rolled, over and over to the soundtrack of his pulse rushing too loud in his ears. Screaming beats of his heart pounded drum-like in his skull and there was only mourning in their rhythmic thrumming.
But it continued on. Beating. Badump. Badump. Badump. He was still alive. He blinked to clear the black clouds and then the shouting eclipsed his desperate, despondent heart. Where were the shouts coming from? He blinked again and tried to make sense of the words over the thump-bang cacophony in his head. He strained harder until syllables became recognizable words.
“Stay down! Don”t move!”
“This is Agent Luke Gendry with the FBI. I need an ambulance to the west side of Georgetown Reservoir!”
“Don’t move!”
Theo. Oh, God… he needed to get to Theo. Mustering what little strength he had left, Connor rolled his body until his hands found the earth beneath him. It took even more energy to push himself to his knees. He didn”t think he had the strength to stand, but nothing would keep him from getting to his Theo. He’d crawl if he had to. One arduous movement followed another. Foot by foot. Inch by inch.
“Connor!” Theo’s voice brought a strangled sob to Connor”s throat. The only sound he ever wanted to hear for the rest of his life. “Oh, fuck. Oh, God, babe! Don”t move… help is coming.”
Help? What help? Why help? Connor’s hands searched and searched and searched until he found what he was looking for. Theo. His Theo was there. Alive. He didn”t fail his mission after all. Arms slipped under him and he could finally, finally put down the weight he had been carrying. His Theo was there. They were together. They were okay. The exhaustion settled over his weary body and the last thing he registered was the whisper-soft, reassuring cadence of his sweet Theo’s voice calling out his name. I”m here. I ain”t going anywhere. I promise.