Chapter 27 Theo
THEO
We descend down the hill on our way like hell's cavalry. We're in the first SUV, the devil leading his fallen angels who follow in the other two SUVs right behind us.
The GPS dot still blinks steadily on the screen of a tablet Andrew holds up front. There's no movement. There's a slight worry that he's taken his watch off, but I pray they've stayed still because they don't know we're coming.
"Where are we taking Stassi, sir?" Andrew asks, looking over his shoulder back at me.
"Right to where the fuck you're going," Stassi blurts out.
"What?" I say, looking at her.
"Stassi, you can't. I can't worry about you while I'm going after my son."
“Our son,” she retorts. “So I just have to sit someplace and worry about you and him then? Is that it? No. I'm coming. I'm already in the car. You don't tell a mother she can't—"
"Anastasia! No. It's too dangerous. I can't risk it. I'm sorry, but no," I say, interrupting her.
"Listen, Theodore," she says, using my full name in return—something we only do when we're mad—"if you don't let me go with you, wherever you drop me off, I will just break free and find a way to those hangars or buildings or whatever the fuck is where that blue dot is.
And I don't even know exactly where it is, but it's by the airport, so I'll just wander around until I find him. Don't think I won't."
I stare at her. Her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her fingers balling up into fists. It's a side I've never really seen of her. Traces, sure, but being a mom seems to have unlocked primal, protective parts of her.
She holds my gaze and doesn't even blink. Part of me wants to continue on with the plan of leaving her some place safe, and another part of me wants to just give her a gun and let her loose. She'd probably kill 100 men and bring Xander out unscratched while FaceTiming me.
"Fine. But Stassi—and I mean this," I say, turning to face her—"you stay in the damn car.
You do not get out. You do not let anyone in.
No matter what. Can you agree to that? Because if I go in having to also worry about something happening to you, I could fuck up.
And that means me never coming back out. Do you understand?"
Her eyes are fierce, but they soften a bit at the last part.
I don't mean to threaten her with me losing my life, but it's true.
And while I'm willing to risk it for her, for Xander, I'd prefer a world where the three of us finally get to be together.
A place where she and I can have a few more kids.
A timeline where we grow old together, inseparable.
"Okay. I promise I'll stay in the car."
I reach down under my seat and pull out a bulletproof vest.
"Put this on," I say and hand it to her. "If you get shot, it'll hurt like hell, but at least you'll be alive to feel that pain."
She doesn't hesitate. She puts it on and I help her strap it down. It's a little loose on her small frame, but it's something.
"Five minutes out," Andrew says, then repeats it into a small walkie-talkie.
We start to see planes taking off and landing, the large roar of their engines filling the silence.
I take these final moments to prepare. Check my guns, and focus. I crack my neck, roll my shoulders, and let the darkness in.
They took my son.
And now I'm bringing death.
We park a half mile out, just like we planned, down a tree-lined service road behind the hangars.
The men file out of the car. I get the keys to hand them to Stassi and then give her a gun.
"You remember how to use one of these?" I ask.
"Yes," she says simply.
"Good. Use it on anyone who tries to get in here. Also," I say and look up at her, "if shit goes sideways, cops come, or something happens - get the fuck out of here. Don't wait for me. Just get to safety."
"Okay. Should—"
I kiss her deeply and with everything I've got. I know I'll see her again. I know I'll return with our son. But in the off chance something does happen, I want to die with her taste on my lips.
"I love you, Stassi. Stay here. Stay safe."
I turn to leave, and she grabs my hand.
"I love you too, Theo. Bring our baby back to me."
I smile.
"Give me 30 minutes," I say and shut the door.
I turn to the men. "Let's roll."
We move fast and low as we make our way toward the blue dot that beats to the rhythm of my son's heart.
We come to an industrial complex. Six massive rectangular buildings rise into the sky, all concrete and sheet metal.
Andrew shows me the tablet. "Looks like he's in that one," he says, pointing to the one farthest away.
I stare at it. The one that holds my son.
And the man who betrayed me.
"Remember, Milo's my kill," I say flatly.
They all nod in the understanding that comes with what I've said.
Pain.
Suffering.
A message.
We kill everyone else first.
"We don't know what we're dealing with, so proceed with caution. Kill everyone. No one lives. Understood?"
My men nod.
I turn to Andrew. "Good. Let's go."
Andrew looks at his crew. "Team One, take the east wall. Team Two, back entry. Move fast. Shoot faster."
We fan out, weapons drawn. No more talking. Just the deadly quiet of killers on a mission.
We round the front of the warehouse. The metal door is padlocked, rusted.
"They must have gotten in another way," I say, looking at it.
"Over here, sir," a man says, waving us over.
We move and see a side door. New handle. I reach out and gently turn it. The door pops open.
Suddenly there's a loud bang, and bullets start flying through the door. I duck, barely getting out of the way. One of my men isn't so lucky. Blood pours from his right eye and he collapses to the ground.
I look up as a flock of birds takes flight from a power line.
And then.
Shouting. Footsteps. Movement inside.
"Go! Now!" I yell, jumping toward the door.
We breach.
The air explodes into smoke and gunfire.
Gunshots ring out. My men are already inside, reapers ready to claim bodies.
I get in and run behind a crate. I scan the area but have to duck again due to the barrage of bullets raining down on us.
A man lunges at me with a rifle. I shoot him in the neck. He drops, choking on his own blood.
I step over him without looking.
Another tries to run. Andrew drops him with two shots to the chest.
Inside the hangar, there's makeshift offices and hallways. My men move quickly and I join Andrew, moving through the corridors like death searching for victims.
The fact that there are more people here than just Milo means he wasn't working alone.
I can't think of what that means right now. Gunfire is erupting all around me. I see a man run by and I fire, hitting him in the leg. He drops and turns his gun on me. I fire three times. The man's body jerks and he goes limp, his eyes turning black.
Down a hall, I see two men funnel into a room and shut the door. Andrew and I make our way toward it. That has to be where Xander is.
A man comes around the corner and fires, his bullet grazing my arm. Both Andrew and I shoot back. His white shirt turns red and he falls backward.
"There. That room," I say, pointing. "Come on."
I run down the hall and kick the door.
Again.
And again.
One more time and the door flies open.
Then I see him. The motherfucker that brought me here. That took my son.
He's slumped on the ground against a wall.
A knife sticking out of his stomach. Blood all around him.
I look around. A window in the corner is shattered. I run over to it and look out.
Nothing.
"You piece of shit," I say, walking over to Milo and punching him in the face.
He winces, but with all his blood loss, I'm not sure how much pain he feels.
I go to hit him again.
"The sons will follow the father," he says in a low tone.
"What did you say?"
"I said it! You hear me? I said it. They live," Milo says, his voice growing louder as if he's speaking to someone other than me.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" I ask.
"They made me say it. Said they'd let my family live."
"What?"
"The message—'the sons will follow the father.' You were supposed to hear it. They wanted you to know."
Milo looks up. His eyes are bloodshot, his face puffy and swollen, his teeth stained red.
"For them," he says, looking over my head.
I look up.
"Is that a camera?"
Shit. It's a camera.
"Someone's watching us?" Andrew asks.
"I SAID IT!" Milo yells.
"Andrew, get the camera," I say.
He nods and goes to find a way to get it down. Maybe we can use it.
I kneel down, making sure to keep my distance.
"Where is my son?"
Milo doesn't answer.
"Milo," I say, raising my gun, "you have five seconds to answer me."
He looks at me. "Theo, I didn't know it was your—"
Bang.
I shoot him in the knee.
He screams.
"Four."
"Please. He said he'd—"
Bang.
Other knee.
"Three."
"Stop! Jesus, it wasn't supposed to go like this."
"Two."
He sobs. More blood pools beneath him.
"Two rooms down, under the desk."
I stop counting.
I turn to some of my men that have gathered. "Go check."
"I can give you names!" Milo says.
"Who?"
His face is turning pale. He better talk soon.
"I know him only as The Hawk. He did the whole thing."
Well, he's dead now so that's not helpful.
"Why?"
"I don't know. They threatened to kill my family if I didn't. They took them. Shit," he stops and winces, "shit went south. They said if I told you 'the sons will follow the father,' they'd let my family live."
The message that Ares found on our dad right after he was murdered. The same words that are casting a shadow over all of us.
"FUCK!" I yell and stand.
That means this is all connected. My father's murder. The people harassing Stassi. The ones who knew about Xander. The ones who took him.
It's all connected.
"Please, Theo. I didn't mean to. Help me. Get me to a hospital."
I look down at him and laugh.
"He's here, sir. Alive!" one of my men yells.
I feel my body relax. The weight of the world lifts off my shoulders. My boy is safe.
With that comfort, knowing he's alright, I snap.
I grab Milo by the collar, yank him up to his knees. He's crying. Begging.
I don't care.
"You touched what's mine," I say firmly. "You don't deserve to die with a bullet."
I slam the butt of my gun into his face. He slumps, but I'm not done. Not even close
I hit him again.
And again.
And again.
Bone cracks.
Teeth scatter across the floor like gravel.
Blood splashes up my wrist. Red mist coats my shirt and arms.
Then, I crouch beside him. Pull the knife out of his stomach and, in one motion, I slice his throat.
Blood spills like an offering. I watch as he gurgles, twitches, then goes still.
Only then do I turn to go to my son. Once I know the monster who took him is destroyed.
I toss the knife and run to the room Xander is in.
He's sitting in a chair, silent, wide-eyed. One of my men is cutting the zip ties from his wrists. I can see how raw they are. I rush to him, dropping to my knees.
"Xander," I say, trying to keep my voice steady.
"Daddy!" he sobs, crying so hard he can't breathe.
It shatters me.
I pull him into my arms. His small body shakes with terror.
"Shh, shh, I've got you, buddy," I say. "You're safe now. I'm here."
I hold him so tight I feel his heartbeat against my chest.
He wraps his arms around my neck. He's so small. So warm. And the crazy thing is, through all of this, he still smells like his mother.
"I was scared," he says. "The bad man yelled a lot."
"I know," I say, taking a deep breath to calm my nerves. "But I'm here now. No one's going to hurt you."
He holds me tighter.
And I swear, I've never wanted to kill more men in my life.
Andrew comes in and stands beside us. "We're clear. I got the camera. We'll see what we can find out."
"Good," I say, picking up my son.
"What should we do with Milo?" Andrew asks.
"Burn him."
He nods and turns to give the orders.
I walk out of the hangar in silence, holding Xander in my arms.
My men step aside as I pass, then follow close behind, guns sweeping the area just in case.
And while I'm covered in blood, I hold my son like he's the most precious thing in the world.
Because he is.
We turn the corner where our SUVs are parked, and I hear her scream his name.
"Xander!"
Stassi comes flying out of the SUV, ignoring all my warnings about staying inside, but I don't blame her.
"Xander, baby!" she calls out, running toward us.
He lifts his head. “Mommy!”
When we meet, I lower him into her arms. She collapses to the ground, hugging him like she’ll never let go.
They cry together. Clutch each other.
I stand behind them, silent.
She kisses his forehead and then looks at his face.
“He didn’t hurt you? Are you okay?” she asks.
He shakes his head. “No. I was only a little scared. I knew you and Daddy would come.”
Stassi looks up at me.
Her face is soaked with tears, her mouth trembling.
"I—Theo, I thought... Oh God, I can't even," she says, stopping herself.
"I'll always make sure we're together. Nothing like this will ever happen again," I say.
She blinks. Then slowly, she reaches up for my hand and holds it.
"Thank you for bringing our son home," she whispers.
I squeeze her hand, then kneel down and kiss her cheek.
In that moment, I realize something.
I didn't just get my son back.
I got a piece of myself I thought I buried with my father.
"Thank you for coming back. For giving me a son. For showing me I'm more than what I was taught to be."
Andrew steps up behind me and clears his throat.
"What now?"
"Let's get out of here. Back to Greece."
He nods.
"And Andrew, there's people alive connected to this. I want names," I say. "Or I start carving them out of people."
I turn back to look at Stassi. At Xander.
I don't know what will happen next or how this is all connected, but one thing is certain, my family will come before anything from this point forward.