Chapter 29 #2
I don’t even have to speak German to know what he just commanded his dog to do because the animal goes into attack mode.
I lunge forward, weapon drawn, but by the time I’m up on the porch, both men are on the ground.
Ryker quickly zip ties the hands of the man Bravo has a hold of, while Sawyer does the same with the other man, who is currently unconscious, thanks to Bradyn.
“Perfect timing,” I tell him.
“God’s timing always is. I had a feeling you may need me, and I was on my way when the text came through.” Weapon in hand, he remains near the door. “I’m betting she heard that.”
“Let’s hope we can—”
Anastasia’s piercing scream has Sawyer kicking the door in without so much as a heartbeat of hesitation. We move in behind him. Jack has his weapon drawn and trained on Brenda, who somehow managed to get a hold of my little sister.
The blood pounds in my ears when I see the gun pressed to her temple.
Brenda’s eyes, wide and wild, are staring straight at me. “I knew you were alive.”
“You’re outnumbered, Brenda. Drop it,” I growl.
“Nah, I’m going to walk out of here, and you’re not going to stop me. We both know you won’t risk your sister. Or will you put a bullet in her like you did that teenage girl six months ago?”
I swallow hard.
“What’s the move, Cap?” Sawyer demands, his tone urgent.
Brenda ducks down behind Anastasia, keeping herself completely shielded.
“It’s okay, Zane,” Anastasia says. Her eyes are shimmering with tears, but she doesn’t look afraid. More determined. Her eyes quickly glance down then back up at me, signaling that she’s about to make a move.
I offer one single nod to let her know I’m ready.
Anastasia drives her elbow backward. The hit jolts Brenda just enough that the gun drops slightly. It goes off, and Anastasia screams. My heart races as I sprint forward, tackling Brenda to the ground. She thrashes, but I throw the gun to the side and flip her over onto her stomach.
Ryker is right there with a zip tie, securing her hands.
As soon as I know she’s not going anywhere, I rush over toward Anastasia. Sawyer, Jack, and my mother are all hovering over her. Sawyer has his shirt off and is pressing it to the side of her face.
My heart plummets. “How bad?”
She pulls the shirt away just enough for me to see a nasty gash on her cheek. Similar to the one still healing on my cheek. Tears stream down her face, and her body is trembling.
“Sawyer, get her to the hospital for stitches.”
“Take my truck,” Bradyn says as he hands him the keys.
“I’ll drive,” my mother says, taking the keys as Sawyer lifts Anastasia into his arms. She pauses next to me. “You make her pay for hurting my girls.” It warms my heart knowing she’s not just talking about Anastasia but about Tessa as well.
“She won’t get away with it,” I promise.
Ryker and Bradyn step out onto the porch first, each of them grabbing a hold of one of the men on the porch and dragging them into the house.
As soon as they’re propped up against the wall feet away from each other, Bradyn and Ryker cross their arms and stand watch, Bravo sitting happily at his owner’s feet. Sawyer steps out with my sister, my mom closing the door right behind them.
I turn toward Brenda. Jack and Weston have her seated in a chair. There is no emotion on her face. No anger, no fear—just an expressionless mask.
“Where is Tessa?” I ask, keeping my voice level. Interrogation happens to be a specialty of mine. Not because I go out of my way to cause pain but because I don’t allow the subject to believe I won’t.
Brenda knows my reputation, though. She knows my limits. Which means she knows what I’m willing and not willing to do for answers.
Fortunately, she also knows that Ryker has his own reputation. And if need be, I’ll pass it over to him.
“Where is she?” I ask again.
Brenda grins at me. “Do you know why I chose you?”
“I’m not interested in that.”
“I chose you because of how predictable you are. It’s sad, really.
I can look at any situation and know exactly how you’re going to behave.
It’s how I knew you’d leave Garrison here when you went to Savannah.
How I knew you’d go to the basement, and how I knew you’d come back here after you survived. ”
With a grin of my own, I drag one of my mom’s kitchen chairs over toward her, then slide it right in front of her. “That’s all well and good. But you crossed into uncharted waters when you got Tessa involved.”
“Me?” She rolls her eyes. “I wanted nothing to do with bringing that trash in.”
I ignore the insult and focus only on getting answers. Brenda wants to rile me up, but it’ll be too late for her when she realizes she won’t. “Then how is she involved?”
“You’ve made a lot of enemies, Zane. People who want to see you hurt.”
“Who?”
She grins at me, clearly thinking she’s won. “You really haven’t pieced any of it together, have you? What a shame. Either way, you won’t make it in time. Tessa will be dead in five hours, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“Do you really think I don’t already have a team headed straight for the Southeast Environmental Commission’s building?” I ask with a laugh. It’s a total bluff, but I’m running out of time.
The slight shift of Brenda’s expression tells me everything I need to know.
“She’s there.” I shove the chair aside and push to my feet.
“Five hours is not a lot of time,” Ryker comments.
“I’ll call my team.” Jack is already on the phone.
“You’re going to fail,” Brenda sneers. “You’ll never make it in time.”
“You made a mistake when you went after what was mine,” I growl.
“I’ve been pulling your strings for longer than you can even imagine, Knox,” she snaps back. “And when they find out what you did to me, you’ll never see the sunlight again. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, assault—I wouldn’t count on it,” Jack says. “Get a tactical team over to Southeast Environmental Commission. Tear that building apart brick by brick if you have to, but find Tessa Lane.”
As soon as he hangs up, I turn to Bradyn. “Can we get there in time?” I ask, almost afraid to hear the answer.
“Pilot is fueled up and ready to go,” he replies.
Brenda laughs. “You’re going to be treated to one unforgettable show, Knox. I hope you enjoy it.”