by Samantha Bee
I push it all down the way Scar taught me, not letting the adrenaline or the fear take control of me. I keep my mind clear and my senses sharp as I focus on my breathing. I push thoughts of everything else away and focus only on what Scar has drilled into my head.
My eyes scan everything around us but still, nothing. This ends up being another dead end.
We repeat the same routine with two more locations to no avail. The frustration continues to mount, and Scar’s strategies get harder and harder to hold onto as we continue to find nothing. I can barely hold on to the emotions tearing through me to keep the clear head I know I need.
This is the true difference between me and the others. They have years of experience at keeping their cool. Every minute that passes that no one has any new intel chips away at the control I barely had to start with.
I feel as if I’m failing Noah. Failing Scar. Failing all over again, just like I did with Jen. I close my eyes and try to picture Scar’s smiling face in my mind. Picture the way she taunts and teases me in training as she tries to push me to break. It’s so different from the tumultuous emotions swirling through me in this moment, but the drive not to let her down is the same. I tap into that need to do right by my girl, by my family, to find the strength I didn’t know I could ever possess.
I take another calming breath just as Adam begins to slow down once more. My eyes drift open slowly as if I’m coming out of a trance. I see Ian clenching his hands into fists, fighting the same battle within himself that I am. That we all probably are. We don’t take well to our own being touched. And we really don’t handle failure well. We aren’t used to it.
I sigh as my eyes scan the street.
Fuck.
Everything in me freezes.
“Don’t stop.” My sharp tone jars both men in the front as Adam slowly gains speed and Ian tears his hand away from the door handle. Neither ask why, instead turning to look down the street. Ian spots it first, but Adam is cursing with him only a moment later.
The blue sedan with blacked out windows is parked further down the street. The same blue sedan that we had plenty of surveillance footage of. “Don’t slow. Don’t speed.”
Adam jerks his head sharply in acknowledgment. “Ian, eyes on the buildings, away from the car.” He leans back, appearing relaxed as I lean in between the front seats, a huge grin spreading across my face as I pretend to talk excitedly about something to Adam.
This is the first non-residential area we’ve been to. The buildings more spread out and the environment less busy. Less people around, less cars on the street. I keep my eyes on the familiar car as we drive by, moving my hands as if telling a story. Adam smirks and shakes his head. Every expression, every movement, every single thing being done is to give off the impression we have no interest even as I can’t take my eyes off that fucking car. It must work because I catch the slight movement of the window as it rolls down a bit and smoke begins to spiral out and dissipate into the air.
We’ve got him.
“It’s the one at the end,” Ian says, barely above a whisper.
I catch sight of the building that stands farther back than the others, a large dirt lot between it and the street as well as any other buildings. This is the first place that actually made any sense to keep him. Add into the fact that the blue sedan is here? Noah has to be in that building.
“Turn left here,” I instruct Adam. We can’t risk tipping them off and having them move him again. Or worse, cutting their losses. I pull out my phone to send an update to everyone just as we begin to turn. I keep my eye on the dirt lot and see a black car pulling out. The window is rolled down and I catch a brief glimpse of the man in the passenger seat.
William.
A glimpse was all I needed to recognize that man. Romano’s second in command. If there was any doubt about Noah’s whereabouts, there isn’t now. He’s here.
I forgo texting and dial Luca’s number instead. As soon as I hear him inhale, I speak, not giving him a chance to even say hello. “We’ve got him.” I rattle off the address before running through every single detail I was able to pick out as we drove down the street. I make sure to include the blue car and that we just saw William leave the building.
“Eyes on Noah?”
“No, the building is set far back on a dirt lot. No way are we getting closer without tipping them off.” There’s an abundance of antsy energy running through me and being so close but not being able to do anything. Not yet. This isn’t a situation I can handle on my own. And it’s not one we can rush into. My nerves are eating away at my stomach as I wait for his response.
“Find a spot and sit tight. Wait for backup. Scar is showering now, but we will be there soon. Armed to the teeth.” He pauses and the stone cold tone of his voice shocks me. I have no idea how they are all able to control themselves so well. It’s something I’m still struggling with, even after all of Scar’s training. I wonder just all that they’ve been through that they can keep calm and collected even in the face of kidnapped family. I saw the cracks in Scar. The way she screamed and raged and completely fucking lost it. But even so. You’d never know just how close to breaking once more she came as she worked her way through mountains of intel to find the one thread she could pick at until this entire plot of Romano’s unraveled.
“I hope you’re ready to get your hands dirty once more, Ry. This isn’t going to be pretty.”
I have nothing to say to that, so I just hang up. I heard the concern in his voice. I know I only have the one kill under my belt. The runs we’ve gone on have not been nearly as frequent or as bloody as I once thought. I know all of that is about to change.
Luca said that Scar had declared war by releasing information to the police and the public. She didn’t though. Not really. It’s hard to go to war with a shadow. Hard to fight a fight where you don’t know who your opponent is. This will be entirely different. There won’t be any more hiding in the shadows. Not after this. Which just begs the question that has been on all of our minds.
Just why the fuck did they take Noah?
Even if they wanted Scar, acting against Luca in such an outright way is just begging for retaliation. What the fuck triggered Romano to make such a bold move against us? He doesn’t seem stupid. This has to be more than just believing Luca is withholding information. Especially after he handed over that file pinning it on one of Romano’s underlings.
“Turn around and park under that tree.” We will be far enough away to avoid suspicion but close enough to still have a good line of sight of any cars coming or going. Too far to see much detail but out of the most likely range they’ll be checking for a stakeout.
My heart rate that has been oddly erratic ever since I first got the call from Scar is shockingly steady and even as I stand next to her. We all have our earpieces in and are ready to head out at any moment. Just being back in her presence has me feeling a sense of calm and control that I haven’t been able to manage for the last thirty-odd hours.
I guess altogether it’s not that long to be kidnapped. Not when it could have taken us days or even weeks just to locate him. But every hour has felt like a month since he’s been gone. His missing presence like a block on all of our chests. It’s clear none of us are capable of living without each other. Not anymore. Our bond runs too fucking deep to be able to walk away from each other.
Scar exudes control, an ice queen as she commands her troops. Everyone is infected by her sense of control and all of the fidgeting, all of the nervous energy that had the rest of us by the throats, all of the fear and unease, it all melts away. Replaced by a confidence that only Scar can invoke in us.
We are going to get Noah back. We are going to get answers. We are not going to have any casualties on our team.
Why?
Because of the vicious queen we’ve all chosen to follow. She’s above the rest of us and certainly above the scum that we will find in that house. Noah is hers. You don’t steal from someone like Scar unless you
’re willing to pay the price. They are about to find out just how steep that is.
The beast inside me unfurls and I feel a shiver run through my body at the deadly chaos that overtakes me. Poignant and utterly fucking dark. A controlled violence that is just waiting to be let loose. For the first time, I truly understand what runs through Scar’s mind and body. I feel more in sync with her and the others than I ever have before.
She starts to move, and we all fall into position around her, the setting sun a backlight for the destruction we are about to rain down on this hell hole. Kade and Luca run a step behind her, flanking her side. I run directly behind her but two steps back.
Ian, Holden, and Ty split off to the right while Mikey and Ronan branch off to the left, ensuring we have the building surrounded before we make any moves. It isn’t long before they move out of our sight and we slow down, sticking to the shadows as we make our way down the street we drove down earlier.
Scar and Kade pick up their pace and separate from each other as we begin to come up on the blue car. Luca grabs my arm as we blend further back into the shadows even as we continue to move forward.
Scar and Kade easily sneak up on the car and dispatch both the driver and the passenger with almost no resistance. They smash the windows simultaneously with the handles on their knives before reaching in and deftly slicing across their throats. Angry red arcs splash against the windshield just moments apart as they work in sync.
Awe travels through me. Luca scoffs and I know I must appear to be a little starstruck. But fuck. That type of synchronization has to come from a hell of a lot of kills. Not for the first time I wonder just how many kills Scar has under her belt. I don’t think she would know even if I asked her.
They barely break their stride as they move back into formation as we continue down the street. Scar already made this run to ensure no other vehicles were keeping an eye on the street. Their arrogance is going to be their downfall.
Scar lifts her hand just barely from her thigh, holding it flat, palm out. We all stop. She waits until she gets the signal from both Ian and Mikey. She holds for another second before nodding to us and letting out a barely audible, “Go.”
The steel in her tone infuses me with every ounce of strength I could ever be capable of. Hardening me as I prepare to go in and annihilate anyone who stands between us and getting Noah back.
We move as a unit, staying quiet and stealthy until we reach the building. The element of surprise is going to give us the advantage. With Noah’s safety being at risk, we need every leg up we can manage.
We make it all the way to the front before we see signs of anyone. The arrogance really is astounding. They never considered we would really track them down here. Underestimating Scar is going to be their last mistake.
I hear noise coming down the line and can tell the others have already begun dispatching guards. We don’t have a headcount about how many are here. Something that worried Luca but Scar and Kade took in stride. The sounds are all muffled and just barely heard through the earpieces. No gunshots. Yet.
Scar stabs the man walking out the front door, a cigarette dangling from his fingertips. She buries it all the way to the hilt into his gut before ripping up. Practically tearing him open in her savagery. She doesn’t even break stride. Luca leans down as he passes, slicing across his throat, cutting off the noises he had been making as the light fades from his eyes.
I don’t think Scar is sane enough to be completely stealthy here. The cracks in her armor becoming visible. Just barely discernible, but when you know her as well as I do, you can see the way she isn’t wholly herself.
We move into the building and I’m forced to take my eyes off her as we encounter more men than we can possibly take down by stealth alone. Cursing and shouting breaks out even as the thought runs through my mind.
Scar throws two knives, hitting two guards in the eyes before pulling her gun and shooting another one. Three men hit the floor before any of us have had a chance to react. Luca, Kade, and I all pull our own weapons and start shooting. At the same time, we can all hear shots being fired from two different directions.
The others have opened fire as well.
I push thoughts of them away as I focus on taking down the two men charging at Scar. Another man falls at my feet and I realize Kade blew the back of his head off as he charged me. I laugh as I reposition myself. Keeping my back from being vulnerable the way Scar has drilled into my head.
We are quick to clear the room and we begin to move again. Shouting sounds out through the house as the entire building is thrown into chaos. There’s no hiding that we’ve arrived now.
More men come rushing at us and we all duck and move to the sides to take cover. The first group we encountered had been ill prepared. We won’t be that lucky again.
I curse as I watch Scar slip further down the hall. Kade and I move and do our best to cover her back as she left herself entirely exposed to gain access to the next room. Luca covers our backs as more noise sounds off from behind us.
Fuck. Just how many people are here?
There’s silence down the line. No more gunshots ringing out besides the ones we take. Scar reaches the next doorway and slips into it unscathed. Fuck, the balls on that woman. I know she has the floor plan memorized and I’m positive she’s already deduced exactly where Noah most likely will be held.
Silence hangs in the air after she disappears. We all hold our positions, resisting the urge to rush after her. None of us will be of any use to her if we’re dead.
We move slowly, sticking close to the walls as we move forward. Luca continues to cover our backs as Kade and I scan ahead of us. We are able to move forward and follow Scar’s steps without seeing anyone else. Well, except the bodies littering the floor.
The door we move into ends up being a staircase. I follow my gut and gesture down. Kade and Luca both seem to agree as they’re already moving in that direction. We make it down to the bottom level but there’s no sign of Scar. Instead, we run into more of Romano’s men. I curse as one lunges right at me. I can’t get my arm up fast enough, so I shoot him in the gut as he’s only about a foot away from me. The force makes him stumble back as both hands go to cover the mess I just made of his torso. I rear my gun back and slam it against his temple.
I briefly catch the movement of Kade and Luca as they take out two other men but can’t focus on them as another man rushes me. I get a look at his face and I curse, recognizing him. “You,” I spit. His grin spreads across his face as he lifts a gun to me, but I’m already moving. I throw my knife. My aim isn’t as good as Scar’s. I can’t hit people in the eye quite yet. But I have managed to lodge the blade into his throat. I rush him and grip the hilt, pushing it down as I rip his throat open.
He dies with his arrogance still etched into his features. Told you it was a killer. He got too cocky. Too sure he had the upper hand.
Before I have a chance to point out to Luca who it was I just killed, William walks in, worried and distracted. It’s clear he hadn’t been expecting to stumble into anyone on this level. At least we know he hasn’t come across Scar.
Kade lunges at the man, even as he reaches for his own weapon.
“Incapacitate, don’t kill,” Luca instructs.
Kade grunts but shifts his position, knocking William out instead of snapping his neck. “Not as fun,” he complains, and I chuckle. We startle back into position as banging sounds ahead of us. We move back, pressing ourselves into the wall, raising and aiming our weapons as we wait.
I let out the breath I’ve been holding as I recognize Mikey and Ronan. Luca wastes no time as he instructs them to head out with William and get him set up at the same cabin, they took my father. They lift the unconscious man between them and immediately head out.
We hear more shooting start again from above and I recognize the sound of Ty cursing through the line. Just as Mikey and Ronan disappear from sight, more feet come charging down. Fuck. Here we go again.
But I think I know why Noah was kidnapped.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Blood flows freely from the cut in my eyebrow. You would think that I would have learned by now not to talk back to William. He just makes it so goddamn easy.
I tend to be a pretty laid back, go with the flow type of guy. Shy, reserved. Perfectly content with avoiding confrontations. I really think I've been hanging out too much with Kade and Scar because I have no idea what has come over me.
It's as if I've wanted to push him as far as he's willing to go. Not because I want to die, or even that I enjoy the pain. I don't even have a noble reason for pushing him and taking the hits. I'm not trying to distract him and keep him away from Scar or my family. Not that I wouldn't do that. It's just not necessary.
They had eyes on her while she took my call. As soon as they saw the guys get into the car with her, they moved me to this location. They haven't decided what to do with me yet.
Romano realized based on their reaction that he could use me for whatever he had originally planned to use Scar for. He just hasn't quite decided the best way to go about that it seems. He's going to regret that.
I don't think it's even been a full forty-eight hours since I've been gone, but Scar won't forgive this. I can only imagine what is running through her head right about now. She won't need much more time to find this place and get me out. I have more confidence in that than I've ever had in anything.
So no. My newfound joy in pushing other people's buttons has nothing to do with trying to protect her or distract them. No. It's born from a beast that resides deep within me that hardly ever raises its head. A beast that is almost never provoked into taking action, almost never demands blood.
