23. Chapter 23
Two Hours Earlier
My buzzing phone on the nightstand stirred me awake. I glanced over at the bed to find Sid missing, my reaching hand hitting a piece of paper. I sat up, found a note, and picked it up to read. Sid stated he would be back in a couple of hours, and not to worry. Where’d he go? He probably went out to talk to Easton.
My phone stopped buzzing, and I lifted it, assuming Sid had called. My stomach twisted, seeing Savannah trying to call so late at night. I dialed her back, praying nothing had happened, but my gut told me something was seriously wrong.
“Hey, Savvy. Is everything okay?” I said when she answered.
“There are men here,” she whispered frantically. “You said we’d be safe.”
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
Vertigo suddenly hit me, and my hands shook. With a few deep breaths, I calmed down. “I’m fifteen minutes out. I’m on my way. Call the police. Now!”
Once I hung up, I was singularly focused. I tossed on clothes and grabbed my gun, extra ammo, and the car keys sitting on the table. I had no time to hunt down Sid. He would figure out where I’d gone if his security cameras were working at the house. I couldn’t wait for him. Easton could drive him.
Whoever the threat was, they showed up for Owen to get to me. So help me, if they hurt him or anyone in that family, there would be hell to pay.
I pulled out of the parking lot and gunned it, desperate to get to the farm. The clock was ticking.
It took me around ten minutes to arrive at the farm, and I parked the car away from the house to remain unnoticed. As soon as I got out of the car, I pulled out my gun, flipped off the safety, and chambered a bullet while I scanned the area for men and threats.
FBI training from years ago kicked in, but I wasn’t as well-trained as Sid. Dammit to Sid for leaving me alone, but surely he’d be here soon, or so I hoped. I’d just have to be extra careful, but I also needed to rush.
I found two cars sitting in the driveway, but I couldn’t see anyone inside them. It didn’t help that it was dark out since the lights outside were turned off.
My hands threatened to tremble again, and my heart raced. It was hard to be calm, knowing my son and friends were in danger. Now was not the time to panic and lose my cool.
Why weren’t there sirens in the distance? They should’ve already been here or on their way.
With my gun pointed in front of me, I rushed, crouched low, toward the house as quickly and quietly as possible, checking for movement in my surroundings.
When I reached the front door, I found it cracked open.
I eased the door open more and slowly stepped through. Suddenly, a bright light blinded me, and the pain radiated throughout my head. That was the last thing I remembered before I got lost in total blackness.
My head felt like it was splitting in two. My stomach roiled from the pain, and I swallowed back the rising bile.
What the hell happened?
When I tried to move, I couldn’t. Something was holding me down. As the fog in my brain cleared, my eyes popped open as the clarity and panic hit, looking around what looked to be inside a barn.
Owen. Savannah.
I struggled, but it was useless. Someone had tied me to a chair. All the fighting with my bonds did was make my head spin and my stomach more nauseous. Suddenly, someone backhanded me, stunning me before the pain set in. I spat blood onto the dirt ground covered in hay as I fought to keep from passing out again.
“Wakey, wakey,” said a man.
My eyes rolled up into my head, and the dizziness made me feel like I was floating and spinning. I shook my head and blinked my eyes open to find a blurry man standing in front of me.
“It’s about fucking time we found you,” he said. “Do you have any idea what you’ve put us through?”
“Wh-what’d you do with… my son?”
“You don’t get to make demands, asshole. I’m sick of chasing your fucking ass. You’re lucky my employer wants answers. Otherwise, you would all be dead right now.”
“My. Son,” I gritted, demanding.
“He’s fine… for now.”
Even through my hazed mind, I took the threat for what it was.
I blinked my eyes open again, and my vision started clearing up. The man in front of me didn’t look like a killer at all, but I knew looks could be deceiving. He wore black tactical gear, but his hair was a mousy brown and cropped short, and he wore thick, black glasses. He wasn’t too tall or too short. He was the type who blended perfectly into a crowd.
“I need to know how many copies of the video you made and where they all are, along with any other evidence you’ve gathered.”
I licked the blood dripping from my bottom lip and then scoffed. “As if you’ll let me live if I tell you. ”
He squatted in front of me, appearing outwardly calm and collected. “Do I need to bring your son out here? Do you need proof of what we’re capable of if you don’t answer my questions?”
“As if you’ll let him live if I tell you.”
His smile was small, but it sent chills down my spine. “There are worse things than death, Agent Dalton Reed.”
When I didn’t answer, he looked over at another man standing next to a stall and nodded. The man opened the stall door, and the panic threatened to tear me apart at seeing Owen lying on a pile of hay, unmoving.
“Is he… Is he?” I couldn’t finish my words.
“He’s alive. We just gave him something to… relax.”
I struggled and thrashed in my bonds, growling. “I’ll kill you! You fucking monsters! You all put me in this position by murdering that girl!”
The man in front of me spread his arms. “It wasn’t me who killed her.”
“No, but you’re just as much of a murderer. Spare me your fucking ‘ innocence .’ All of you are monsters.”
I almost told him that someone more dangerous than him was on his way, but I didn’t know that. Even if Sid would be here soon, I didn’t want them to be aware of his presence. Sid needed the element of surprise to succeed and get us out of there alive.
Like a viper, he lashed out at me, grabbed my finger, and snapped it. I held back my scream, groaning loudly. I couldn’t do fucking anything with my wrists bound to the armrests of the wooden chair.
“That’s only a sample, Agent Reed. Us monsters have done far, far worse. ”
“If I’m going to die, there’s no point in giving you the satisfaction of knowing where the videos are. And if I die, all this comes out, live.”
“So there’s more than one?”
“Of course, there are, and others know about it—people far more dangerous than you.”
The man scoffed. “Killers don’t help the feds. I don’t believe you.”
Maybe, but one killer did , I thought to myself, wishing and hoping Sid would be here soon. Even if I died, he needed to get here before they hurt Owen.
I choked back my fear and grinned. “You all are so dead. Harming me means you’ve signed your death warrants.”
He blinked for a second before he burst out laughing, and his minions joined in. I was more than happy to let them underestimate Sid.
Suddenly, his face morphed into nothingness as he pistol-whipped my head, and I blacked out again.
“Baby?” said a voice that I instantly recognized as I came to. My head throbbed all over, and it was hard to clear my mind. Fuck, my head was going to take a while to recover.
“Sid?”
He quickly untied me, and I fell forward before he caught me. “I’ve got you, Boy Scout.”
“Owen?”
“Just rest. I’m going to check on everyone. ”
I tried to stand, but a wave of dizziness hit me, and I nearly fell again before he caught me.
“Dalton, just rest. I’ll get them.”
“Just… god, if he’s hurt.”
“If anyone is hurt more than you are now, I’m going on a fucking murdering spree. There will be nothing that will stop me.”
I nodded and lay down on the dirt ground as my head throbbed from the back and in my temple. “Good,” I said, but I wasn’t sure he heard me.
My eyes opened to bright light from some bulbs hanging on the ceiling. Did I pass out again? How long was I out for?
“Sid?”
“I’m here,” he said close by.
“Are they… Is he…” I couldn’t say it as my fears grew by the second.
“They’re all fine. No one is hurt. Mason has a concussion because he fought back. Owen, Savannah, and the kids are unharmed. They’re just scared and confused. Owen was drugged, but it’s wearing off.”
When I tried to sit up, Sid helped me, but I shrugged him off, trying to shake off the dizziness as my anger started to rage. “I’m going to fucking kill everyone,” I hissed, cupping my hand with the broken finger. “How dare they touch my son like that! How dare they drug a little boy!”
When I was upright but still sitting, I looked around to find only Sid, Easton, and the bastard who hit me tied up to a wooden pillar. “Where are they… Where’s Owen and…? ”
“They’re fine, Boy Scout. I sent them back into the house so we can deal with this prick right here. They don’t need to see what we’re about to do to him.”
I blinked up at him. Sid looked tired and stressed. No longer did he carry that perpetual humorous arrogance he wore so well. “You came.”
His smile was soft, and he gently kissed my head. “Of course I came, though I’m pissed you didn’t at least text me you were going.”
“No time. I knew you’d find me.”
Sid helped me to stand on shaky legs so I could walk over to the bastard who hit me and spat on him. “I told you I had killers on my side. This is what happens when you underestimate your opponent. And fuck you for threatening my kid!”
The man glanced at Sid, his nearly black eyes flashing with fear, then schooled his features and said nothing.
Sid pulled me aside. “Go in with the Duvalls and be with Owen. Easton and I have this. You don’t want to see what we do. You definitely don’t want to see what I’m fucking capable of when someone hurts and threatens the people I care about. This asshole is going to suffer.”
“Good. I’m not leaving.”
He sighed and tried to pull me away. “Dammit, Dalton. You’re a good man. I don’t want you involved in this and tarnish you more than I already have.”
“I’m fucking staying, and there’s nothing you can do about it. I want to see him suffer. He threatened to hurt my son if I didn’t give him answers, Sid. He drugged my kid! These men tried to hurt my friends!” I tossed my hands in the air and wobbled as Sid caught me again. “And where are the cops?”
“We’ll ask Mason later.”
I grabbed Sid’s face and pulled him into a kiss, careful of my busted and throbbing finger. He completely melted under me. “So, I’m staying,” I said.
He sighed and nodded. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. But…”
“But what, baby?”
“I don’t want you to witness what I’m capable of. It’s one thing to know what I do. It’s quite different to see what I do and how I do it.”
“It won’t change how I feel about you.”
Sid’s denim eyes looked sad. “It will, but stay if you must.”
I had to steel myself because I knew it would be bad, but I needed to see this man pay. I was fucking sick of running. Sick of being a victim. Sick of not knowing when I was going to die or not. It had to end, and it started with this man. Then, I was going to get my life fucking back and make a fresh start with Sid.