Braxton #3
We walk back to the two SUVs, and I open the back of one while Jude does the same on the other.
From one of the compartments under the spare tire, I pull out a go bag filled with guns, extra ammunition, and suppressors.
We all slide shoulder holsters over our shirts and load up on weapons and extra ammunition.
Is it overkill? Maybe, but we don’t know who’s in the house or what they have at their disposal, so I’m not taking any fucking chances.
Once we’re all strapped, it’s time to make the short walk to the house.
All of us are silent as we traipse through the thicket.
My breaths are coming out in long, slow intervals to keep myself as calm as possible.
We don’t have any fancy tech guys like Nik or Liam, and we didn’t have the time to wait for anyone else.
But this isn’t the first time we’ve had to pull a rescue mission without all that shit.
What we do have is years of brotherhood and instinct.
We have experience working together and absolute trust in the man standing next to us to have our back.
When the house is in sight, all of us halt just behind the tree line. Ozzy holds up three fingers and points to the side that has two windows, then he points to the back, indicating he wants us to break up and the other three to go around that way.
We keep in the same groups we were in when we drove here. Knox, Cash, and I duck low and head to the side of the house, while Jude, Linc, and Ozzy head around back.
Once we get to the house, we stay out of view of the window, with me on one side and Cash on the other.
Knox is next to the other window. I catch his gaze and nod.
We each tilt our heads toward the window and have a quick look inside.
I see a living room with a ratty old recliner and an equally shabby couch.
The open kitchen is visible, but there’s no one in either room.
I duck my head away from the window and look at Knox, who shakes his head.
Nothing.
We carefully move to the front of the house and catch sight of Ozzy coming around from the opposite direction. He shakes his head. Dammit, they didn’t see anything either. It’s not as though the house is big, but it might have a basement or cellar of some sort.
I take slow, silent steps up the rickety wooden front stairs.
With my gun raised and pointed in front of me, I open the door then duck to the left.
When no movement is heard from inside, I step over the threshold and into the small living room.
With quiet footsteps, we all file into the space, then pause.
The house is completely silent.
Linc and I walk over to the two open doors on the other side of the living room.
One is an empty bathroom and the other is a bedroom with nothing inside except a bed on an old metal frame.
I step inside and check the closet. A few wire hangers are all that occupy the small space.
I turn and look at the bed. It’s covered with a floral bedsheet and a thin blanket.
I pick it up and find a sweatshirt underneath.
Grabbing the purple sweatshirt, I look at the front.
It’s the name of some middle school with the words science club and this year’s date printed on the front.
Realization hits me.
This is probably Noel’s. Vanessa said she was some sort of science genius. Fuck. They were here, and we missed them. I walk back out to the living room with the shirt in my hand.
“No one’s here,” Knox says.
“I think you’re right,” Ozzy comments. “I checked for any doors that lead to a basement, and there’s nothing.”
“I found this in the bedroom,” I say, holding up the sweatshirt. “I think it’s Noel’s.”
“Alright, let’s have a look around and see if there’s anything in here that might help us find where they went. Obviously, they switched safe houses like Carl said they do if they feel any heat,” Ozzy says, obviously frustrated that our search didn’t turn up the results we all wanted.
We holster our guns, and I set the shirt on the scratched-up kitchen table.
Ozzy, Jude, and Linc start going through the kitchen cabinets.
Knox steps back into a bedroom and Cash takes the bathroom.
I start turning couch cushions over. Nothing.
I move to the old recliner and do the same.
When I lift the bottom cushion, there’s a small piece of paper between the arm and the cushion.
I open the crumpled receipt and check the date.
“This is from two days ago,” I say. “Looks like they picked up a case of water, some tuna cans, and bread.”
My brothers step back into the living room empty-handed.
Ozzy must see the defeated look on my face. “Hey, we’re getting closer. Nik’s IT girl is casting a wider net. We’ll get them back.”
I nod. “I know. But this is going to kill Vanessa.”
Ozzy walks up to me and puts a hand on my shoulder. “It’s not. Look at everything she’s already survived. She’s a strong woman, Braxton. And I refuse to accept any outcome besides getting her family back and putting those fuckers six feet under. This is a setback. That’s all.”
Blowing out a breath, I nod. “I hope you’re right.”