60. Escape Take Two
SIXTY
Escape Take Two
CJ
A flash of silver was the first thing CJ saw, followed by the whites of Melissa’s terrified eyes. His mad dash ended between one step and the next, bringing him to a stuttering stop with his weapon aimed between Scott Patterson’s eyes.
Take the shot!
Years of training kicked in. There was no way to assure Melissa’s safety, not with the press of a knife against her throat.
Mac was two steps behind him. He gripped CJ’s shoulder, but there was no need. It wasn’t a clean shot. Jenny side-stepped Mac and swept the room with her gun drawn.
A man lay on the ground, horribly disfigured by whip and cane marks. He labored to breathe, and blood trickled from a gash in his head.
What the fuck was the nurse from the hospital doing here?
No way to know if he was a victim or a threat, but for now, he wasn’t conscious.
There were too many fucking people to cover.
Trussed up between the uprights of a four-poster bed, Pierce-fucking-Channing yanked on the chains which bound him. The foulest expression of murder scrawled on his face.
Charlie stood behind him, chains taut in her hands, and beside Charlie, Henrietta Jones trembled, her face ghostly white. Terror shone in her eyes, and her hand covered her mouth, perhaps to stifle a scream.
His quick scan took less than a second. Two rows of cages, four to each side. All but two occupied. The farthest cage held a woman cuffed to the metal bars with a red ball-gag in her mouth.
“Release him,” Scott Patterson demanded, “or I swear to God, I’ll kill her.”
CJ held his gun steady.
Scott jerked Melissa back, and the knife bit into the skin of her throat. A bead of red formed on her ivory skin and trickled down her neck. Melissa tensed.
Charlie stared at CJ, seeking his lead. Jenny edged into the room, her movements slow, deliberate, and meant to flank.
“There’s nowhere to go,” CJ said. “It’s over.”
Scott laughed. “As if.” He jerked his chin toward Pierce. “I trained him well. I’m betting my life on another way out.”
There was a look exchanged between the men, confirming CJ’s fears.
“Your guns don’t scare me,” Scott said. “But I sure as hell bet my knife terrifies you. Release him, or I kill her.” Scott jerked the knife against Melissa’s throat.
So close. So fucking close.
He wouldn’t lose her like this.
Henrietta backed away from the bed until she came up against the bars of one of the nearest cages.
He was glad to have her out of the way. It would make whatever came next easier. He tapped Mac’s hand, which dug into his shoulder. “Check on him.”
Mac bent down, placing a finger to the man’s throat. “He’s alive.”
Brett and Jon were in the tunnel behind them but kept themselves out of sight. He could only imagine the fire burning in their bellies, knowing Charlie was inside, but they were well-trained and knew the mission came first.
Pierce’s sharp command echoed in the dungeon. “Release me!”
CJ could kill Scott, but not before the lunatic put his knife to its intended use. There wasn’t a clear shot that wouldn’t place Melissa at unacceptable risk. With his gut-churning, CJ put his faith in his team.
“Release him,” Scott growled.
Charlie removed the cuffs. Pierce ran his fingers around the metal band encircling his neck, pulled a key out of his pocket, and popped the lock.
The next few moments brought a bead of sweat to CJ’s brow. He was playing a dangerous game of chess.
Scott pulled Melissa toward the back wall. A look of resignation filled her face and something else, undeniable trust.
He hoped he was worthy of that trust.
Pierce left Charlie at the bed and stormed over to the cage holding the woman with the ball gag in her mouth. She gazed at him, adoration filling her face. He petted the top of her head and worked the combination lock to the cell.
“Belle, will you serve me?” Pierce released the gag, easing it out from behind her teeth.
“Master,” she said with a bow of her head. “How may I serve?”
“You must go upstairs.”
Her head snapped up, a look of terror scrawled on her face.
“I know, Belle. You must leave your home, but only until we find another.”
Her body trembled, but she agreed to his demand with a nod.
Pierce undid the cuffs binding her wrists.
“We don’t have fucking time for this.” Scott hissed.
“I won’t leave Belle. Besides,” Pierce said with a snort, “how the fuck do you think we’re going to get away on foot?”
CJ glanced between the two men, feeling the tension spike between them.
Pierce made soothing sounds to the woman as he gave instructions. “Go upstairs. Get the keys to the van. Bring it around. You know where?”
Belle nodded.
CJ put a hand behind him and signaled Mac, knowing he would telegraph the message back to Brett and Jon, who hid in the tunnel. Mac took a step back to relay the code.
Upstairs. Girl. Van. Be inside.
He didn’t hear Brett and Jon retreat, but he would have killed them if he had.
Belle fell to her knees. “Master,” she said in a breathy whisper. “I’m so scared.”
Her eyes flicked toward CJ, Mac, and Jenny. They blocked her exit from the dungeon with cold steel gripped in their hands.
“Be brave, my slave,” Pierce said. He kissed the top of her head and then removed his shirt. “Put this on. Can’t have you driving naked. The keys are on the kitchen counter. You remember where to go?”
She nodded.
“Good.”
Pierce’s eyes darkened when the sweep of his gaze landed on Jenny. He stepped back, wary of the three guns trained on his chest.
“No way in hell is that happening,” Mac said with a rumble.
“The two of you will let Belle pass,” Pierce spoke as if they would do as he commanded.
Mac leaned forward, his bulk intimidating Pierce into taking an involuntary step back.
“Put those down,” Pierce demanded, “and kick them this way.” He jerked his chin at Jenny. “You too, Princess.”
CJ’s mind worked the puzzle pieces in his head, moving his resources on a virtual board of chess. If there was another way out of this hellhole like Scott suggested, he needed to buy time for Brett and Jon. It was a risk, but one he was willing to take.
They were at a standoff with Melissa’s life hanging by a thread. Losing the weapons was a gamble, but he believed in his team.
He lowered his weapon and placed it on the ground.
“CJ,” Mac growled.
“Trust me.”
He twisted the radio frequency ID ring on his finger. Their guns could only be activated in proximity to the rings worn on their trigger fingers. He kicked his weapon toward the middle of the room and prayed Pierce didn’t attempt to take a shot. Glancing at the women in the cages, he made an assumption about the tension clogging the air between Pierce and Scott.
One was a killer. The other was not.
He gambled the lives of everyone on a hunch Pierce wouldn’t kill.
Mac breathed out, then followed CJ’s lead. His gun went skittering across the ground to join CJ’s.
“Now yours,” Pierce said to Jenny. “Kick your weapon over.”
CJ didn’t like having his entire team disarmed, but with Brett and Jon outside, the edge of surprise remained theirs. And Sam should arrive soon with even more reinforcements.
A triumphant grin filled Pierce’s face when Jenny slid her weapon over to join the others. Pierce directed Belle to gather the guns. The woman scurried to the middle of the room and scooped up their pistols.
CJ’s chest squeezed, then released when Belle handed his and Mac’s weapons to Pierce and gave Jenny’s to Patterson.
Pierce shoved Mac’s weapon under his waistband and gripped CJ’s gun. If Pierce tried to fire the weapon, he would discover the RFID lock.
Pierce’s smile flashed greasy white. “Belle, you have always served me well.”
“Thank you, Master,” she said in a whisper.
“But you’re not done yet.”
She shuddered and glanced at the doorway leading out of the room.
“Lock the door on your way out.”
Lock the door?
Melissa was too far away. While he and Mac could subdue Pierce, Jenny wouldn’t have enough time to close in on and disarm Scott.
Melissa would die.
Pierce waved Belle toward the door. She scurried to obey, keeping as wide a berth from CJ and Mac as she could. She stepped over the unconscious man, then pulled the door shut. Metal rasped on metal, the sound of locks engaging.
CJ took in a deep breath. His team was unarmed and locked in. Time for the final move to play out, but he hadn’t made it this far in his career by being a fool. Pierce didn’t know it, but he’d made a juvenile mistake.
So far, everything was coming together, even if it didn’t look like it. Pierce might discover the RFID locks on the triggers. If that happened, someone would die. But CJ had a feeling Pierce didn’t enjoy killing. Scott was the wild card.
“You’re going to rot down here,” Pierce said with a snort.
“And what of them?” CJ waved to the rows of cages.
Pierce flinched. “Casualties I must accept.” He breathed in and forced the breath out, looking resolute. He cocked his head.
CJ expected a reaction from the women, but only a soul-wrenching nothingness returned from the cages.
Pierce condemned these women to death, and not a single one reacted? What had he done to steal the life from them?
Pierce moved to a spot behind Belle’s cage. He pried a panel off the wall, revealing a mechanism inside, and pulled on a lever. The wall behind Belle’s cage slid to the side, revealing another tunnel.
Pierce gave instructions to Scott. “Go. I’m right behind you.”
Scott forced Melissa into the tunnel, and Pierce followed. A few seconds later, the concrete slab slid back in place, leaving CJ, Mac, and Jenny trapped inside.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Mac growled.
Mac turned to the woman standing behind Charlie. “Where does he keep the keys?”
She rubbed her hands together and brought them to her mouth as if saying a prayer. “He carries them on him, and the cages are combination locks.”
Mac went to the box on the far wall. “Fucking lever won’t budge.” He went to one of the cages and looked at the woman inside. “What’s your name?”
The poor thing shook and buried her head in her hands.
“Shh,” Mac cooed. “I promise we’re going to get you out. This nightmare is over.”
“Beauty, my name is Beauty.”
Mac cocked his head. “No, sweetie. That isn’t your name. It never was. Now, tell me who you are?”
“Is he gone?” She flinched when Mac rested his hand on one of the bars of her cage.
“He’s gone.”
“My name is Sarah, Sarah Mackenzie.”
CJ called out. “Well, Sarah, you’re getting out of here. Mac get over here. Jenny and Charlie find a way to break those locks.”
A groan sounded from the floor. The unconscious man was coming around. He lifted himself to his elbow, and with great effort, struggled to a sitting position.
“What happened?” he asked.
“Do you think you can stand?” Mac reached down to help the man to his feet.
“Not just yet. I’m getting there, though.” He shook his head, waving off Mac’s help.
“Why do you look familiar?” Mac asked.
“We met at the hospital when Miss Evans was discharged.”
Pierce had been there, too; the deliveryman with the rose. If he and Mac had arrived a few minutes later, Melissa might have disappeared from the world for good.
“How did you get here?” CJ asked.
Charles huffed a laugh. “Because I was stupid and didn’t mind my drink. At least, I think that’s how he got me. Nothing else makes sense. I went to a bar, talked to him, and things get fuzzy from there. Next I know, I’m strapped against that wall, and he demands that I take care of Gretel.” He pointed to the one woman who had yet to move.
CJ turned to Henrietta. “Henrietta Jones?”
Her eyes widened with shock.
“Name is CJ. This is Mac. Charlie and Jenny are also on my team. I know two little girls who will be very happy to have their mother back. We’ve been looking for you.”
“Are my girls okay?”
“They are.”
Henrietta lifted her gaze to the ceiling, mouthing another prayer. “I wanted to believe. Melissa told me not to lose hope.” A look of hopelessness crossed her face. “Oh dear God, what are they going to do to her?”
“Don’t worry. Melissa will be fine.”
He turned his attention to getting out and joining the rest of his team.
“Help me with the door,” he said to Mac.
“How? It’s locked from the other side.”
He ran his hands around the edges and landed on the hinges. “This door might be locked, but it swings inward. It’s a rookie mistake.”
“So?” Mac’s gaze traced the lines of the door.
CJ tapped the hinge holding the door in place
“We pull the pins, and the door comes off. Now, let’s get out of here.”