Chapter 29 #2
“We’ll find her,” Tanner said, more determined than ever to get to his little girl.
“She called me on a stolen phone, but the battery was dying. She said her room was on the twenty fourth floor, but so far, all we’ve found up here are empty rooms. We were about to turn back when we found you.
The guys and I split up. We’re not leaving without her. ”
“The door to her room is behind a sound proof, fake wall that you probably walked right by. But if she’s not there, Ned could’ve also taken her to the gym.
She once told me that he likes to work her at night when there are less people around.
And when I’m not there. Chances are she’s in one of those two places. ”
“The gym?” Caden asked, looking around the room.
April gritted her teeth as she put her shoes on. “That’s where Ned makes her use her ability.” She started for the door but was immediately blocked by a large body standing in the doorway. “Echo.” There was no fear in her voice. Only determination and anger.
“I’m sorry, I can’t let you leave,” Echo said.
“Get out of the way. We have a federal warrant and you have no right to stop her,” Caden ordered. “Move or be arrested. Right now.”
Echo considered Caden’s words. “Ned took her to the gym a few minutes ago. Told me I wasn’t needed.”
They must’ve just missed them, Tanner thought, noticing the way April glared at Echo in horrified disbelief.
“So, you just left?” April asked. “Like you have no control over what happens to her? You of all people should know better. You’re Ned’s right-hand man.
You could stop him. You could tell him to cut Violet a break.
But instead, you just go along with whatever he says.
I get why the others do what they do. They don’t know that they’re firing on and attacking a little girl.
What’s your excuse?” April was seething, practically foaming at the mouth as she jabbed her index finger into his chest. “Get out of my way.”
He stepped aside and April stormed past him, with Tanner and Caden at her heels.
“Don’t go far,” Tanner warned Echo. “As soon as we find Violet, everyone here will need to answer for the role they played in abusing and torturing a six-year-old.” He glared at Echo like he was the scum stuck to the bottom of his shoe.
“Your days of hurting my daughter are over. And if you try to run, I’ll find you. Count on it.”
“Wait,” April circled back to Echo. “We need him to get into the gym. I don’t have clearance for that building.”
Tanner gestured to Echo. “Lead the way and don’t try anything.” Echo walked ahead of them, back down the new hallway that led into the old one. They rode the elevator down to the main floor, then took a sharp right out into the courtyard. “Hold it,” Tanner said. “Where are you taking us?”
“No, it’s okay,” April said. “Aside from the express elevator, this is the only way to get to the gym. Why didn’t we use the express elevator?” She asked Echo.
“Maintenance,” he answered, keeping his expression blank, his eyes forward, and his shoulders back.
It was like he knew he had nothing to lose and wasn’t going to cower at the last minute.
They walked out of the building and into the cool night air.
Right away, Tanner felt like something was off.
The little hairs on the back of his neck stood straight up, and the small sinking feeling in his gut screamed this was all wrong.
The courtyard was lit up, illuminating a large fountain to his right, and a few oversized cement planters with half dead palm trees lining the large open area.
But it was the human shaped shadow in the far corner that drew Tanner’s attention.
He pushed April behind him and drew his weapon, just as an armed guard stepped forward.
Caden took a protective step in front of him and April, his weapon drawn and pointing at the target.
“We have a federal warrant,” Caden said.
“Drop your weapon before you make things more difficult for yourself.”
The guard slowly lowered his weapon, but then Tanner heard the unmistakable sound of another weapon being cocked behind him, and then another, and then another.
With very few places to take cover, they were basically sitting ducks out here.
They were the fish in a barrel that Ned’s goons could pick off one by one without wasting a single bullet.
Tanner spun around in a full circle, as more armed men entered the courtyard.
Echo had led them into an ambush, and was now nowhere to be found.
Then Tanner spotted Ned standing just outside the building opposite the one they’d come out of.
The situation was dire with them being surrounded on all sides, but it was the death grip Ned had on Violet’s arm that made Tanner see red.
“Ned, please don’t do this to her,” April begged. “She’s just a little girl. You can’t ask her to defend herself against all these guns.”
Ned barked out a laugh. “These guns aren’t aimed at her, April. They’re aimed at you. I told you what would happen if you crossed me. And you’ve done it not once, but twice now. Jail would be too good for you. Death is your only way out now.”
“Noooooo!” Violet screamed, punching and kicking out.
She must’ve hit Ned in the balls because he made an incoherent sound and shoved her away as he hunched over.
His hands went to his groin area as Violet fell, landing on her backside.
She recovered quickly though, got to her feet, and ran toward April.
“Aunt April!” She yelled, coming full speed ahead at them.
Tanner wanted to go to his daughter, but keeping her safe was his number one priority.
He kept his weapon trained on the guards, as did Caden, even though they were severely outnumbered.
More armed men were emerging from the surrounding buildings.
If they started shooting at them, Tanner and Caden would be taken down in seconds.
It was a sobering thought, but there were much worse ways he could think of leaving this world than dying for his daughter and the woman he loved.
Ever since meeting April and finding out Violet was his, there had never been a doubt in his mind that he’d do anything for them. Even give his own life.
The door behind them opened. Luke, Garrett and Blake came out, weapons raised.
“We saw what was going on from a window on the third floor. We called for backup and came down as fast as we could,” Luke said, just as Violet collided into April.
She scooped her up, planting quick kisses on her cheeks and head.
“Aunt April,” Violet whimpered, wrapping her arms around April’s neck.
“There’s too many.” Her words hit Tanner, and he quickly glanced at Caden, who judging by his expression, had also heard what Violet said.
He gave their friends an almost imperceptible shake of his head and everyone fanned out, trying to take cover behind the columns, planters, and even a metal trash can.
Tanner carefully backed April and Violet behind the retaining wall of the fountain, using his body to shield them and hoping the wall held up against gunfire. But the reality was, they had almost no chance of making it out of here alive.
The first shot came from one of the guards, then several more shots came in quick succession.
It was raining bullets in the courtyard as the guards shot up the place.
Tanner and his friends returned fire, hitting a few of the guards, but missing others who were using the remaining cement planters, columns, and other things as shields.
When Tanner looked over at April and Violet, his heart broke at what he saw.
Violet was peeking over the ledge of the wall from behind April, her eyes darting from him to his friends as she stopped and dropped every bullet that came their way.
“Violet, Honey, you can stop,” Tanner called out as he returned fire.
There was no way she was going to be able to keep this up for much longer.
“You’re going to kill your own stepdaughter, Ned! How can you live with yourself?”
Ned laughed again. “I have no intention of killing her. Violet will reach her limit, and once that happens, my only goal will be to kill all of you. And I’ll start with April, so Violet finally learns her lesson.”
“No!” Violet screamed just as bright red blood dripped from her nose.
April tried to pull her back, but she knocked her aunt’s hands away.
“You can’t kill Aunt April. I love her.” Violet wiped the blood from her nose with her sleeve, but wouldn’t budge from her spot.
“Please stop shooting. I’ll do whatever you want. Just please don’t hurt Aunt April.”
Ned held his hand up and the shooting stopped. “Is that right, Violet? You’ll do whatever I want?”
Violet hiccupped and nodded, then as if realizing she had to speak, she came out into the open with April on her heels. “Yes. I’ll do whatever you want, but you can’t hurt Aunt April. Promise?”
Ned seemed to think about it for a moment. “All right. Come over here,” he ordered, pointing to his feet like she was a dog.
Violet stood unmoving, clearly considering his words. “You promise you won’t hurt her?”
“I said get over here,” Ned roared, making Violet jump. She started toward him, not looking back.
“Violet, no!” Tanner yelled, but Ned glared at him and the guards opened fire, again. Tanner dove on top of April, shielding her with his body as bullets rained down around them again. But none of them touched him, April, or any of his friends.
Anger boiled over on his daughter’s behalf.
Violet was out in the open, and too far for him to reach her.
But she wouldn’t be able to protect them much longer.
She was starting to slouch, her nose was bleeding, and her little hands were starting to shake.
She was losing strength quickly, and that was exactly what Ned was waiting for.