Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Ramsey
The building was a nondescript shed, a couple of kilometres outside the limits of Dusk Bay. Several cars were already parked outside the front when we pulled up.
"Are you sure this is the place?" Storm peered through the front windscreen. His brow was creased, grey eyes swiping back and forth doubtfully.
"This is the address he sent me." If only to prove I had faith in Ice, I pushed out of the car and started toward the structure.
For half a second, I entertained the same doubt, but there was no reason for Chelsea's brother to send us to the wrong place. If he had, it was only to keep us out of the way, so we didn't get harmed. Instinct told me that wasn't what was going on here.
That was confirmed when I stepped through the open double doors. The heavy smell of fuel and grease lingered in the air, along with a heavier dose of barely contained anger. That radiated from Chelsea's brother, Ice, and to a lesser extent the men standing with him.
Ice glanced over to me and gave me the slightest hint of a nod to acknowledge my presence. He was smiling, like usual, but no one would miss the fury in his eyes. He was ready to hurt people.
He looked away and resumed his conversation. "Thanks for coming. You guys look like shit." He elbowed one of the Brantley twins, who elbowed him back.
"Bro, you try having three-month-old twins and see how you go. It's exhausting, right, Park?"
"I can't remember the last time I had a full night's sleep," Hunter replied wearily. "But the little guys are worth it. Hey, Ramsey, good to see you. Shame the circumstances are crap." He walked over to give me a side hug.
“Who are your friends?" Parker asked. He looked around us to the doorway. "Hey, I know you guys! Storm Keller and Daniel Frost. I'm a big fan of the Smashers. I've been trying to convince Mack to sell us the team for ages now, right Hunter?"
Hunter squinted at him. "Since when?"
Parker grinned. "I don't know, but I'm going to nag him now."
"We already own the Dusk Bay Demons,” Hunter reminded him. "Why do we need another team?"
"The question is why wouldn't we need another team?” Parker shrugged. "Who else is coming to this party?"
"Who the hell are these guys?" Storm asked.
Hunter and Parker exchanged looks of mock outrage. At least, I thought it was mock.
"You haven't heard of us?" Parker asked. "Apparently we need to invest in more publicity. Maybe a billboard. We could have them all over Dusk Bay, and on the highway coming in from north and south. Maybe coming from the west as well."
"We're not getting billboards, Park," Hunter said. He offered his hand to Storm. "Hunter Brantley. My brother Parker." He jerked his head towards his twin.
"Brantley?" Storm frowned. "Like that Reuben Brantley guy?"
The twins exchanged another look before cracking up laughing.
"Dibs on telling Reuben he referred to him like that," Parker said, mid-laugh.
"Dibs on being there to watch," Hunter added.
Storm shook his head like they were both out of their minds. He leaned over to me and said, "Are these guys supposed to help us get Chelsea back?"
"Don't be fooled," Ice said. "They act like a pair of clowns, but they're both almost as ruthless as I am. They’re Reuben Brantley's youngest brothers."
"And favourite brothers," Hunter said. “Also most indispensable, if I may say so myself."
"I don't know, Caleb is pretty indispensable," Parker said. After a beat, they both laughed again.
"Pair of clowns is right," Storm said darkly.
"They seem like fun to me," Frost remarked.
"We are fun." Parker draped an arm over Frost's shoulder. "We also understand the gravity of the situation. We will get Chelsea back. We like her. She reminds me a lot of Lila, our girlfriend. Smart, determined and kick-ass.”
"She's all of those things," Ice said.
"I bet she's looking for a way to escape before we even get there," Hunter said. "Lila did that the time she was taken by some asshole. We got there to rescue her, but she'd already rescued herself." He smiled softly. Clearly he adored her.
"Chelsea's definitely a badass," I said. If anyone could save themself, it was her, but without knowing where Atlas and Jay stood, I could only assume the odds were not currently in her favour. We'd change that.
"She's the biggest badass," Ice said. "The only one who doesn't think so is her." He glanced over to the doorway as another couple of cars pulled up and footsteps headed closer.
"Who are we killing?" Gianni asked cheerfully as he stepped into the shed. He was followed by Mina DiMarco and Daisy LaSalle, along with a bunch of other men.
"What he said." Daze jerked a thumb towards Gianni. "Who the hell dared take my friend?"
"Carlos Jones," Ice said simply.
"Ah," Gianni replied. "Well, he should have died a long time ago." He gave Mina a sideways glance and a smile.
She didn't disagree with him. "What's the plan?" she said instead.
"Do we know where he took her?" Daze asked. She looked ready to slice open throats and ask questions later.
"I've been communicating with some contacts," Ice said. "Calling in every favour I have. A friend of a friend of a friend said she was in a property close to Dusk Bay last night. That same friend of a friend of a friend said he was planning to fly her out this morning."
"I suspect you're not suggesting we have a dogfight with his aircraft." Parker looked disappointed.
"Not while Chelsea's on it," I said before anyone started to think that was viable idea.
"Abso-fucking-lutely not," Storm said. "I don't give a shit what you do to Jones and how you kill him, but if you get Chelsea killed, I'm going to come after every last one of you."
"I like him," Parker loudly whispered to Hunter. "He's got balls. I don't mean footballs either."
"I didn't think you did, Park," Hunter whisper-shouted back. "I like him too. I think we should try to buy the Smashers."
"I'm not saying that's not important, but can we focus on the matter at hand?" Daze gave them both a meaningful look. "Why are we here, Ice? Why aren't we at the airport?"
"That's a very good question," Storm said. "Why the fuck are we wasting time here?" He looked ready to run straight back to the SUV and floor it.
Ice raised his hands and gestured around him. "We are at the airport. It might not look like it, but this is one of the hangars they use to repair aircraft."
The hangar was full of tools, which hung on the walls and lay neatly on workbenches. Now I knew what to look for, I saw smears of oil on the concrete floor, here and there. It also explained the smell that hit me the moment I stepped inside.
"I think it looks like it," Parker said.
"Me too," Hunter agreed. "I'm guessing you have a plan." He rubbed his hands together in anticipation.
"How do we know she hasn't left yet?" Storm demanded.
"Because I've been here for hours, and no planes have arrived or left.
" If Ice was irritated by his question, he gave no sign.
Instead, he was all business. "According to my contact, we have approximately an hour.
We have to wait here until the aircraft arrives.
If they see us, they'll circle around and leave.
Once they do that, we might not get another chance. "
"There are cars outside," Daze pointed out.
"That's a risk we have to take." Ice didn't look happy about it. "When the time comes, we have to be ready to jump back into our vehicles and drive. If we move the cars further away, we risk not being close enough. I'm not going to watch the plane take off again with my sister in it."
Gianni put a hand on his shoulder. "We won't let that happen. Maybe we can park a couple of cars inside here, just to cut down the number of them. It'll only take a second or two more to drive back out."
"That's a good idea," Mina told him, her fondness for him showing in her blue eyes.
I'd rarely seen her show any kind of emotion. Seeing it now spoke volumes. She was easily one of the most contained, mysterious people I'd ever met. Anyone with any sense didn't turn their back on her. I didn't know why, exactly, but I knew she was dangerous.
"I have those from time to time." Gianni grinned. "I'll bring mine in here."
"So will I." Daze followed him out, keys jangling from her fingers.
"That's it?" Storm asked. "We just have to wait?"
"We can wait," Frost said. "This is Chelsea we're talking about. I'll wait for as long as it takes."
"I will too," I said. I didn't like it either, but if it wasn't for Ice, we wouldn't even have this lead. I wouldn't let myself think what would happen if this somehow slipped through our fingers. Jones could take her anywhere in the world and we may never find her again.
If that was the case, I'd never give up looking. I knew the others wouldn't either. Fuck football. We'd spend the rest of our lives searching if we had to.
"I mean, I'm not going anywhere," Storm conceded. Except to step out of the way when Gianni drove through the wide doorway and parked to one side of the hangar. Daze followed a few moments later. That left three cars parked outside. Suspicious, but less suspicious than five.
Once they turned off the engines, we were plunged into silence, apart from the sound of birds and the occasional scuff of feet on the floor.
My heart beat steadily through my body. I focused on that. Keep calm. Wait patiently. Be ready.
I wasn't sure who heard it first, but we all drew ourselves up a little straighter, faces turned towards the doorway. Bodies stiff and still.
I wasn't sure if I was hearing things, but then the sound became louder.
A plane engine.
"This is it," Ice whispered. "Wait for my go."