Chapter 52
52
CONNOR
“This is where we’re going,” I tell my firefighting colleagues as we cross the street toward the skyscraper.
I smile as I look at my team as we stomp through the city. I can’t help it - we’re all wearing our Crystal River Fire Department uniforms, looking very much out of place in the middle of downtown surrounded by office workers in their fancy suits and ties. A few stop and gawk at the sight of us walking together.
We may seem ridiculous, but we’ve got hearts of stone.
They’re with me. No matter what.
I’ve given my crew a mission, and they’ll willingly complete it.
They know how important this is for me.
Our rowdy team of tall, imposing men march straight through the front doors of the skyscraper building and head for the elevators without a moment’s hesitation. We know what we’re doing. Two security guards rush up to us, attempting to block our approach, but we glare them down without breaking our stride. They scurry out of our way. They can’t stop us ten men, and they know it. We walk straight by them and into the elevator, completely ignoring all the worried looks from the receptionists and staff.
“You ready?” Eric asks me as our team cram into the elevator.
I press the button for the top level.
“I’m very ready, Eric. Especially with you all behind me.”
My team sternly nods in approval.
They have my back to the ends of the Earth. Guaranteed.
Moments later, we arrive at the top level.
To be honest, this has all been a hell of a lot easier than I thought it would be. I suspected we might’ve been stopped before we made it this far.
The elevator doors ding open, and we march on to this level, very much looking out of place in this luxury office space. There are cubicles with computer systems set up. Calendars and clocks on the walls. A big waiting room for guests.
Well, we ain’t waiting.
None of us have been here before, but we know where we’re going. We’ve planned ahead. We pass the secretary who just stares at us, openmouthed, and walk to the main office room.
I know we’ve only got a limited amount of time before police turn up. Someone surely has called them already. We’ve only got a limited amount of time to do what we’ve come here to do.
But I have the utmost faith in my fellow firefighters to get the job done.
This will be quick.
We burst into the office and burst straight into a meeting.
I instantly recognize the man behind the desk as Joseph Wilson, the United States senator for this great state. His head spins around to us as we enter his office and the meeting he’s conducting. The other members of the gathering all turn and stare at us in surprise, all in their expensive suits and with their impressive watches. Their money won’t save them against a team of pissed-off firefighters. The senator stops mid-word as we interrupt.
He’s totally shocked that ten burly firefighters have rocked up here, unannounced.
Well, he’s about to get the real big shock of his life in a moment...
I don’t waste a second. I stroll straight up to him and, in one movement, grab his fancy suit’s collar and use it to drag his body over the desk. The man cries out as I manhandle him. He’s so used to getting his own way that he’s totally surprised when someone might even dare touch his entitled ass.
He can’t do anything to me. Not even with all his power and all his money.
The other two people in the meeting sprint out of the room, guided to the door generously by my firefighters.
I ignore Joseph Wilson’s pitiful cries and lean down next to him so that I can speak directly into his ear.
“I know what you did,” I whisper to the corrupt senator. “I know what you ordered.”
“What?”
His voice is shaking. He’s scared out of his mind.
Good.
He doesn’t even know who I am.
I pull up his collar so that we come face-to-face and he can have a good look at me.
“Look at my face,” I growl. “Who am I?”
He splutters.
“You... you’re a Penmayne.”
He’s not as stupid as he looks.
I pull the collar and drag the man over the table to the ground. He tries to get to his feet, but I continue to drag him over to the window. It’s not over for him yet. The other firefighters stand around on guard - they aren’t going to let anyone else in here until I’m done.
I pull the senator and tip him over the open skyscraper window so that his head hangs out into the open air and his legs are held by me. All he can see is the ground nearly a hundred levels below. I want him to truly appreciate having the highest level office.
He’s squealing like a pig. All the arrogance he so uncaringly displays in public has faded, leaving behind a sniveling, sad, little man.
“You are correct, Joseph. I am a Penmayne. And I am here as vengeance .”
“Please take me back in. Please .”
He’s crying now. Tears flutter in the wind.
I would feel sorry for him if I didn’t know who he is and what he’s done. I might even feel a touch of pity for the man if I didn’t know the details of the helpless victims he has created... or the money he’s stolen from the public purse... or the innocent people he’s hurt.
Or what he attempted to do to my family... and our mansion...
And, most of all, what he attempted to do to Ember.
Burn her alive?
Yeah, I’m not feeling the slightest bit sorry for the bastard.
“Do you know why I’m here?” I ask him.
The man nods, still crying like a child.
“Yes...”
“What did you do? Tell me.”
“I... I got my men to burn down the Penmayne mansion...”
“You are a coward,” I tell him. “You ordered something done that you couldn’t do yourself. When I want something done, I come and do it myself... such as throwing rich cowards like you off their nice skyscrapers...”
“ Please .”
He’s swaying in the wind. His eyes are wild as he contemplates his fate splattered on the sidewalk far below. All that’s between him and an ending like that is my grip around his ankles.
“You don’t want to be thrown off, do you, senator?”
“No, please. No .”
I growl.
“Then tell me why you burned down my family home. Who were you after?”
The man shakes his head.
“No... I wasn’t after anyone...”
I let his ankle slip from my hand. Just an inch.
It’s enough to send a sudden panic through the Senator as he believes he might actually fall to his doom. He cries out before I have him back in my tight grip.
“Tell me, senator. Who did you want killed?”
“Ember...”
He only mentions her name.
And anger courses through me yet again.
She interviewed him. She had proof of his crimes. He wanted her gone.
And he failed.
And now I’m here to make sure he’ll never succeed.
“If you dare touch Ember again, then you will learn what it’s like to be hurled into a fire like the one you made of my family’s mansion,” I snarl at the man dangling in the wind. “ Literally . My firefighter crew and I will come back for you, senator. And we have many, many painful ways to set you alight. And don’t think you can hide, us Penmaynes can track you down anywhere you go. You won’t be safe from my wrath, no matter where you end up. Is that understood?”
The politician nods. He’s still squealing, but he understands.
“You get that message?” I ask him.
“Yes, yes, yes .”
“Say it. Say you won’t touch Ember.”
“I won’t touch Ember. I won’t harm her.”
“Say that you’ll never think of her again.”
“I’ll never think of her again.”
“How can I trust you, senator?”
“I swear... I swear on my life...”
“Ah, good. That’s a promise you’re sure to keep. You know what that means, Senator. If you do break that oath, then I’m coming for your life .”
He nods.
He’s got it.
I finally pull him back inside and drop him on the carpet. Looking down at his pants, I can see that he’s wet himself.
“Clean yourself up, senator. We’re leaving, and you’ve got to continue your meeting. Can’t have you losing any precious business for your citizens on my behalf.”
Father answers the phone immediately.
“Connor? What is it?”
“The fire situation is all sorted,” I say.
It’s the only thing I have to say to the man.
Father immediately understands what I mean.
“Is it?” he asks. “For sure?”
“Yes, it is. All sorted.”
“Good. I’m proud of you, son. Come for dinner next week at my residence in New York,” he says. “There are things we need to say to each other. Things to finally iron out between us. I need to apologize to you, properly.”
I take in a long breath.
“Let’s set a time,” I reply. “No matter what... I’ll be there.”