CHAPTER 29 - Bryan Trevor
It's like I buried my faith with you
I'm screaming at a God I don't know if I believe in
Because I don't know what else I can do
In the stars – Benson Boone
“Did you get into the basement?” I ask the moment Dominic crosses the room, his face tense, Lauren right behind him looking equally grim.
“Not yet.” The curt response makes my jaw clench.
“Why?” I ask, keeping my voice low, trying not to fly at his throat.
“That place is protected with cutting-edge tech,” he shoots back, trying to sound controlled but failing to hide his irritation.
“I needed more time to crack the system, but Gavin sent his goons, so we had to bail. Before I left, though, I locked out the facial recognition—now he’ll have to type in the password. ”
“I left a camera positioned perfectly to catch every damn number he types,” Lauren interjects, and the satisfied smile spreading across her face only makes me more impatient.
“I didn’t find any physical evidence—he’s not that stupid—but there are hidden cameras throughout the mansion and he has no clue.
” Her eyes sweep the room until they land on the monitors. “We’re ahead of him, Bryan!”
“Noah still isn’t here,” I hiss, trying not to explode at them.
“But Sadie is, isn’t she? That counts for something!” I stare at her and take a deep breath. “Where is she?”
“In my room, sleeping with Greta,” I tell her, and she nods.
“What’s the next step?” she asks as I sit down in front of the screens.
“I found Sarah’s phone.” I pull it from my pocket and toss it to Dominic, who catches it before it hits the floor. “I want you to go through everything on there, especially the recent locations.”
“That’ll be quick,” he says, sitting down next to Lauren.
“First place I’m hitting is the mansion in the neighboring town. There’s a chance that bastard has Noah there, but I need to wait for my people to arrive this evening to handle security here before I go.”
“Good. Gavin will definitely start tracking your movements to try to get Sadie back,” she says, and I nod. “Who’s going with you to the mansion?”
“Just Travis,” I say, and her expression shifts instantly.
She lets out a short laugh, but there’s no humor in it.
“What the hell is that idiot doing mixed up in this?”
“Trying to save someone I love.” The gruff voice carries across the room, and Lauren whips her head toward it.
The two lock eyes, and I cross my arms.
I can’t tell which of them is radiating more hatred.
Who wants more to tear the other apart.
“You love someone?” Lauren spits, voice dripping with venom. “I always thought you had a stone for a heart.”
“Then we’re alike in that, aren’t we?” he retorts.
“No. We have absolutely nothing in common,” she replies, and his face hardens even more. “In fact, it’s a displeasure to see you again, Travis Thorne.”
“The feeling’s mutual, Lauren Miller,” he replies, lighting a cigarette and walking toward me, breaking eye contact. “There’s not a damn trace of that bastard,” he says, shifting gears as he meets my eyes.
I don’t like the void that information leaves.
I want proof and blood.
“We’ll hit the mansion in the early hours, but first I need to know who’s on security duty.”
“Why?” Travis asks.
“Because I need to find his family for a little chat.”
“What are you planning?” Dominic asks, looking up from the phone.
“While Travis and I hit the mansion, someone will have a gun pointed at his family’s heads—woman, man, or child, doesn’t matter.” The three stare at me. “And that someone will be you, Lauren.”
“Just give me a location and time,” she says without hesitation.
“You sure she’s the best choice for this?” Travis asks, and I hear her growl in response.
“You can bet on it,” I say firmly, catching her smug smile out of the corner of my eye. “She’s never failed when she needed to blow someone’s brains out, let alone any other mission I’ve thrown her way.” Travis looks taken aback.
Travis has no idea what Lauren has been through.
And he thinks she’s just some defenseless woman.
But he’s dead wrong and has no clue what this girl is capable of.
Or the strength she has.
“What time do we hit the mansion?”
“My people should arrive in about an hour. That’s when Luke gets back with the intel we need to breach the place.”
“Do we really have to wait that long?” One look is all it takes. “Right. Let’s go back to what was on Gavin’s laptop.”
“That was exactly my intention.” I spin in the chair, turning my gaze to the screens.
Travis pulls up another chair and drops down beside me.
I open the folders again.
Together, we spend the next hour analyzing file after file.
Tons of documents, photos, and videos.
But Travis’s sister’s name doesn’t appear in any of them.
“Her stuff must be with our father,” he grunts. “I really need to rip that old bastard’s head off.”
I don’t respond, just keep going.
The Primordial House was founded by Gavin’s great-grandfather.
Their faith is based on rituals that supposedly bring them closer to God.
These rituals, just as I suspected, involve abuse at ages five and eighteen.
The daughters are drugged whenever they resist.
Noah’s abuse wasn’t random—it was because of this damn ritual, and this monstrosity would have happened to my daughter if I hadn’t come back.
It’s insane, sick, and disgusting!
“This is the last folder,” Travis says when I click on the document named Redoubt.
I start reading, and with every word, my stomach churns.
The doctrine is different from the Primordial House.
It contains multiple rituals.
Weekly purification events through the joining of flesh.
Children as young as five are chosen for purification and initiation into salvation.
At twelve, they enter the procreation phase to increase the Lord’s house membership.
Members cannot live outside the Redoubt among sinners—only the chosen ones can. Only they possess the God-given gift to recruit more people to the Redoubt.
Every word is revolting, yet I check every detail.
When I finish, I make three copies.
One for my hardware, one for Luke, and one for the company.
Gavin will die, but the rest will fall too.
I won’t let these bastards go unpunished.
I’ll bring them down one by one.
My phone buzzes with a notification, and when I check it, I see it’s Harper asking about the next sign language classes.
I reply, canceling all of them.
I won’t need them anymore.
I go back to the screens and only stop when I see Luke walk in.
“Married ten years, has a five-year-old and a three-month-old,” he reveals, tossing the photos on the table. “Lives twenty minutes from the mansion.”
“One of these days, I’m going to ask how you get information so fast,” I say, scanning the papers and photos.
Well, not a lucky day for Elton—at least not if he doesn’t cooperate.
“Everyone’s got their secrets, bro.” Luke pats my shoulder. “Our crew’s arriving,” he says, checking his phone.
I stand up, grab the gun, and walk to the porch.
The day is fading, and I hope that by dawn my girl will be with me.
I light a cigarette and take a drag, remembering a few days ago when I was in this same spot with Noah.
Damn it, I need to find her.
I need her by my side.
Along with our daughter.
The sound of approaching cars reaches me, and even knowing they’re my people, I raise the pistol.
Never be caught off guard—everything can change in an instant.
I almost smile when I notice both cars emerge from the trail with their windows down.
They know exactly how to signal they’re not enemies.
I tuck the gun in my waistband and head down the steps.
Atlas, Darius, Dylan, Hunter, and Andrew approach.
I greet each one.
They all know why they’re here.
Each has their role, but what they all share is the certainty that they need to protect Sadie and Noah above everything—even their own lives.
These five are the guys I trust most.
They’re my human weapons.
The ones who have no problem taking out anyone who gets in our way.
Atlas is the only one who doesn't get into the line of fire because he handles tracking, mapping routes, and other behind-the-scenes work—at least in theory. Still, if needed, he'll jump into the fray without hesitation.
“I'm not going to invite everyone inside because the little girl is in the house and she'll get scared with so many people around.” They nod. “Atlas, you stay with Dominic. I want you two working on tracking down Gavin's location.”
“You're not satisfied with my services, Shadow?” he asks.
“I needed someone nearby, and Dominic has been very cooperative.” He listens attentively. “The guy is good, and I'm sure he'll be an asset not just on this mission but to the company too, so put your ego aside and work with him.” I point to the door. “He's in the living room working right now.”
I don't need to say anything else.
Atlas walks past me, knowing exactly what needs to be done.
“Darius and Hunter will handle the security guard. Dylan and Andrew, you're on house security. I don't want anyone coming through the trail, and if they try, you know what to do.”
“You got it, boss!” Andrew says firmly.
“We'll scout the location and check all the entry and exit points,” Dylan says. “By the time you leave, we'll be in position.”
“If you need anything and I'm not around, talk to Luke directly. He'll be inside the house.” Everyone nods.
Dylan and Andrew head off to study the perimeter, and when they're out of sight, I turn to Darius and Hunter and start laying out the plan.
“Entry cleared, boss. You can bring the car in,” Darius says through the earpiece, and I smile, satisfied that the first part worked and I won't have to rip anyone's head off before getting to Noah.
I hit the gas, stopping only when I reach the massive iron gate.
Elton steps out of the guardhouse looking tense, but unlike the usual procedure, he doesn't come to my window to check who's in the car.
He just pretends to check the license plate.
Then he gives a thumbs up and opens the gate all the way.
“The guy's sweating bullets,” Travis mocks as we pass the security guard.
“Not everyone can stay calm knowing their family is in danger,” I reply as we enter the mansion.