Chapter 30
30
brIAN
L ogan’s car was parked down the road from the house, hidden behind a patch of trees. I pulled the Jeep up behind him as Josh and I hopped out and jogged over to him. “What do we know?”
“There are cameras on the outside of the house, but I snuck around it getting as close as I could. There are two windows boarded up from the inside in the back on the second floor. This has to be the place. I couldn’t get close enough to see if the car was in the garage, but I feel it. She’s here.”
“Do you have any weapons?” I ask as Josh tucks the glock he pulled from my Jeep into the back of his pants.
“I have my service weapon, but that’s it. Are you going in unarmed?”
“I have the switchblade from Kelli’s purse. It’s not much, but better than nothing.” A dry chuckle leaves my lips. She insisted she bring her purse shopping even though we told her she couldn’t pay for anything. We compromised that she could leave it in the Jeep, which just saved my ass from going in with absolutely nothing. “What’s our plan?”
“There are three entrances: front, back and garage. My guess is she’s in the room upstairs in the back that has the boarded windows. Figured we could each take an entrance. What do you think, Brian?”
I didn’t want to be in charge. The last time I led a team, my life imploded. But Kelli was worth taking charge for again. “You two take the home since you have the guns, and I’ll take the garage. We move as one, stay out of sight until the last possible second. Move through quietly until you find one of them.” My heart was in my throat, but they needed to know this now. Anything could happen in there. “Kelli is your priority. You get her out and you keep her safe at all costs. She’s here because of me. I’ve got Caleb. Love you, brothers.”
They will get her out safely. Their love for her was felt in their every action. There’s a chance one of us won’t make it out of here. We all met with psychologists to go over PTSD signs, symptoms, and outcomes. Caleb has nothing left to live for; he has proven that by taking Kelli, knowing we would come for her. He will fight to the death, and I will take his life without remorse, but not at the risk of Kelli losing hers. I wouldn’t survive it. I just need her to be okay, and I will handle the rest.
Josh’s hand wraps around the back of my neck, pulling my forehead to his. “We are all leaving this house together. All of us. This isn’t the same, Brian. Now let’s get our girl.” He lets go with a squeeze. “Love you, brothers.” We separate, making our way towards the house so we can save our girl.
I’m the only one who can view both the front and back of the home, so I motion Logan and Josh forward when we are all in place. Crouching low, we make our way up and into the house. The garage side door is unlocked, not surprising in this secluded location. Sure as shit, the red Camry is parked in here, but Kelli is nowhere to be seen. We have it right. We are getting her back. As I look through the car and garage, a high pitch scream comes from somewhere in the house.
Everything goes black as I rush into the house, yelling for Kelli. So much for going in quietly. She needs to know we’re here for her. We came for her like I promised her I always would. The garage opens up to an empty hall that I follow to the back of the house. Josh is there in the kitchen, gun out, aiming it up the stairs. Logan comes from another doorway as I look down at what Josh is staring at.
“The front of the house is clear. They have to be upstairs,” Logan says as he zeroes in on what we are staring at. The bottom step has a bloody kitchen knife with a trail of blood and red smeared handprints leading up the stairs.
We rush for the stairs together, all three of us yelling for Kelli now. All the doors up here are shut, but one with padlocks on it has a bloody handprint in the center. Too large to be Kelli’s, so it has to be Caleb’s. That doesn’t tell us whose blood it is, though. I step in front of Josh and Logan. I have to be the first through the door; if someone is going to get hurt, it is going to be me. Kelli can’t lose the men she loves. She deserves the happiness she has found with them.
Logan and Josh hold up their guns behind me as I kick open the door. My eyes immediately find Kelli, crumpled in a ball in the opposite corner. Caleb is standing in front of her, the front of his shirt covered in blood, with blood dripping from his face, his nose clearly broken. He is holding his stomach right over the growing red stain, his other hand holding a gun pointed at me.
“Drop the gun, Caleb,” Logan calls from beside me now, slowly stepping toward Kelli’s unmoving body.
Caleb’s eyes stay locked on mine. “Stop moving, or I shoot.” His face is pale, hand shaking slightly. My strong girl must have stabbed him, but I can’t focus on anything other than if she is okay.
Not removing my eyes from Caleb, I ask Logan, “Is she breathing?”
“I think so. Caleb, let me help her,” Logan pleads.
“This is between you and me, Caleb. Let her go. Let Logan help her.” Logan took another small step toward Kelli.
“Caleb,” Josh says as he steps forward to my other side, “It’s three against one. Come on, man, drop the gun and let her go.”
“STOP moving!” he shouts, still not moving his gun from being pointed at me. “You guys can shoot me, but I doubt you can do it before I also shoot him. Want your golden leader to die?” I glance at Logan, then Josh, begging them with my eyes. My life isn’t worth hers. Risk it.
Neither one moves.
If Logan is wrong and Kelli isn’t breathing, we are wasting precious time. She needs help. I can’t risk her life; she is the only thing that matters to me. I love her, and if I have to die to save her, it would be my honor. I lunge forward, grabbing for the gun in Caleb’s hand as two shots ring out. Heat spreads through my shoulder as I tackle him to the ground. Josh is at my side grabbing the gun in an instant, Logan crouching down to Kelli.
Caleb sputters below me as I try to get hold of his hands, but my left arm won’t cooperate. “Is Kelli okay?” I yell. No one answers me, Caleb’s body now unmoving under me. “LOGAN! Is Kelli okay?” I shout again, my vision going hazy.
“She’s okay man. You’re both going to be okay,” Josh says, his face swimming in front of mine, “Just stay with me brother.” It’s the last thing I hear before it all goes black.