Running Scared

by Velvet Vaughn

  “That’s too bad,” Bandanna said, snatching the phone from his hand.

  The first blow took him off guard. The second knocked the chair over and he crashed to the floor. The third forced the air from his lungs. The fourth one was the last one he felt as darkness swallowed him.

  #

  Noah Addison arrived in Chicago with his brother Ethan riding shotgun and Kayla Hepburn stretched out in the seat behind them. They didn’t know when Declan and Jamal would arrive, but they wanted to be in place when they did. Two gang members already lost their lives trying to grab Jamal. No telling how many others were gunning for the young boy. There was a reason they wanted him so badly and until they figured out why, he wasn’t safe.

  Noah’s fiancée Peyton had wanted to accompany them to support Jamal, but no way was Noah putting her at risk. She’d already been the target of a deranged madman once. He wasn’t sure his heart could live through another scare like that one. Better that she be safe and secure in the compound back home. He knew she was strong and capable and could take care of herself, but the way Noah saw it, that was his job now. She’d probably kick his behind all the way to Chicago if she could read his caveman-like thoughts. He didn’t care. He loved her and wanted her safe. Always. That was all that mattered.

  “Still no answer.” Ethan lowered the phone from his ear and disconnected.

  They’d been trying to reach Declan’s brother, Eric Bishop, to no avail. Ethan had already left several messages and texts, but Eric hadn’t responded to any. That wasn’t like him. They’d gotten to know him when Declan had been injured and in the hospital. They kept in touch with Eric and he always answered promptly.

  “Maybe he’s out of town,” Kayla suggested. “Or otherwise occupied…”

  She let the sentence hang but her meaning was clear. Eric might have company of the female persuasion. Noah hoped that was the case but the tingling at the back of his neck told him that wasn’t the reason he was incommunicado. If the Eighty-Sixers connected Jamal to Declan, they might be able to connect Eric to him, too.

  Ethan had entered Eric’s address into the GPS and the voice instructed them to take the next right. The condo complex was older, but clean and well-maintained. Not much curb appeal with minimal landscaping and buildings painted a drab shade of gray. Still, the cars in the lot were a mixture of luxury brands and newer models. No trash littered the area and graffiti artists hadn’t tagged any of the open surfaces. Noah found a parking space in a section reserved for visitors and they exited the Escalade. All three heads rotated on a constant swivel, searching the surroundings as they made their way to Eric’s unit. Ethan lifted his fist to knock on the door, but the movement caused it to creak open.

  “That’s not good,” Ethan muttered as he reached for his weapon. Noah and Kayla withdrew theirs and using hand signals, they entered the condo. Ethan went in high to the right. Kayla followed, crouching low to the left. Noah brought up the rear to keep watch while they cleared the apartment for any intruders.

  The place was a disaster. Furniture was upended, cushions and pillows slashed. Picture frames had been smashed and drawers were dumped, their contents littering the floor. Plants had been overturned leaving trails of dirt. No surface had been untouched. Among the destruction was Eric lying lifelessly on the ground in a pool of congealed blood.

  “No.” Noah knelt beside his unmoving body to feel for a pulse.

  “Clear,” Kayla called from the left.

  “All clear,” Ethan echoed as he stepped over a side table and crouched beside Noah. “Is he…”

  “He’s alive, but barely. I’ve got a pulse. It’s weak.”

  “I’ll call for a bus.” Kayla said, moving away to dial the emergency number.

  Noah and Ethan both had combat medic training. They untied Eric’s legs from the chair, careful of not jostling him in case there was any spinal damage. Someone had worked him over good. He was bleeding from his nose, mouth and several cuts on his body.

  They stabilized him as much as possible without any equipment. Sirens sounded and Kayla left the condo to guide the paramedics inside. He and Ethan stood back while they worked to set up IV’s and transfer him to a backboard. The medics secured a collar around his neck and then lifted him to the gurney.

  “He’s lost a lot of blood,” Ethan said.

  He had. The puddle on the floor was large. He’d probably need a transfusion.

  Noah glanced around at the destruction. “This was a message.” One meant for Declan.

  “The rest of the condo looks the same way,” Ethan said. “Whatever they’re after, we need to find it first.”

  “I’d better give Declan a heads up.” He wasn’t looking forward to the call.

  #

  Kenzie glanced over her shoulder at Jamal as they motored along the backroads on the way to Chicago. Wearing a pair of headphones, his attention was glued to the monitor in the headrest behind Declan’s seat. Whatever movie he was watching had him totally engrossed.

  She hadn’t wanted to leave the mountain home. It was even more superb in the daylight. She’d have loved to spend a week exploring the house and grounds, sitting on the deck overlooking the view of the lake like last night. It was a needed break from the chaos of the last few days. But Declan had been itching to get home to figure out why Jamal was being hunted by his brother’s old gang.

  Since Declan’s belongings were in Chicago, he’d have clothes once they arrived. Kenzie and Jamal were running dangerously low, so they stopped in the first major city they came to and picked up enough to tide them over for a few days.

  Kenzie thought back to their conversation last night. He’d told her that she could leave any time. She wondered if it was a subtle hint for her to go. He’d been quick to assure her that he wasn’t trying to get rid of her, but if she left, there would be one less person for him to protect. He could focus all his efforts on Jamal. She’d like to think she could take care of herself, but she was out of her league with gangs.

  Selfishly, she didn’t want to leave them. She especially didn’t want to go when Jamal’s life was in danger. She’d been terrified when the car he was in flew over the cliff and landed in the river. The thought of losing him was too horrible to contemplate. She glanced over at Declan. She felt the same way about him.

  Kenzie brought up something she thought about last night lying in bed. “Have you decided what to do about Jamal’s school?”

  Declan glanced over at her. “Do you mean the fact that he’s missed several days?”

  “Yes. Do you think we could be arrested for kidnapping? I mean, we aren’t related to him and we don’t have the right to take him.”

  “That’s a bridge we’ll have to cross if we come to it. I plan on taking him with me when I move, so I need to see about getting him into classes so he’s not too far behind.”

  Declan’s phone rang and she picked it up from the cup holder. “It’s Noah.”

  “Can you put it on speaker for me?”

  “Sure.” She slid the button to answer and activated the speaker.

  “Hey, Noah.”

  “Hey, Declan. Where are you?”

  “We’re about two hours away from Chicago on backroads.”

  “Ethan, Kayla and I drove up and we’re at your brother’s condo. There’s been an incident.”

  Kenzie’s eyes shot to Declan’s. His mouth flattened into a grim line. “What happened?”

  “It’s Eric. He was attacked.”

  #

  Blood roared in Declan’s ears and he had trouble pulling air into his lungs. “Is he…” He couldn’t even finish the sentence. If something happened to his brother, it would gut him.

  “He’s alive but in bad shape. The paramedics are taking him to the hospital now. We’re on our way.”

  “Before you go, there are a couple of nanny cams inside his condo. I made him install them when there was a rash of robberies in his neighborhood a few years ago. We might be able to identify whoever did thi
s.”

  “What am I looking for?” Noah asked.

  “One’s in a frame of a picture of us at his graduation. The other is a figurine of the red power ranger.”

  He listened as Noah told the others what to look for. “Got the power ranger…and the photo.”

  “If you find his computer or phone, you should be able to watch the footage.”

  “Computer’s been smashed and no sign of the phone. We’ll get the tech guys back at the office to give us a hand.”

  “What hospital?” When Noah gave him the name, he said, “We’ll meet you there.”

  Kenzie disconnected and he stared at the expanse of road ahead of him, his foot unconsciously pushing the accelerator harder. He needed to get to his brother as soon as possible. He didn’t even realize he was shaking until Kenzie reached over and placed a comforting hand on his leg. She was silently lending her support and he appreciated it. He was barely holding it together.

  “Tell me more about Eric.”

  She was trying to deflect him from his morose thoughts. Sharing memories of Eric would take his mind from fearing the worst. “I’d been at the foster home about two weeks when he showed up. It was one of those homes who only took in children for the money. They couldn’t care less about the kids and we felt the same way. The old man liked to hit the kids when they first arrived, so they’d behave and not cause any trouble. It was like a gang initiation where you had to suffer through a beat in to join. He liked it when they cried and begged.”

  “Jerk,” Kenzie said with vehemence.

  “Yeah. I took it okay. It wasn’t the first time it happened to me. But when Eric showed up, he was so scrawny and scared. The man really did a number on him. I wasn’t big then, but I made up for it in attitude. When he dumped Eric on the floor in front of me, I told him that if he ever laid another finger on him, I’d cut off his balls and stuff them down his throat while he slept. I might not have been strong enough at that age, but I would’ve surely tried. Apparently, he believed me because he left us both alone after that.”

  “Good. How old were you?”

  “I was nine. Eric was seven.”

  “He beat a seven-year-old child?”

  “Pretty severely, too. Eric was in so much pain that night. He clung to me. I stayed up with him and snuck bags of frozen vegetables from the freezer. Among other places, he had a deep cut on his thumb and before I bandaged it, I took out my pocketknife and slit mine. We vowed to be blood brothers from then on.”

  “He was lucky to have you.”

  He glanced over at her. “It was the other way around. I was so lost at that point. I was lashing out, picking fights I knew I couldn’t win. I had nothing or no one. I didn’t care what happened to me. Suddenly I had a brother who needed me. Depended on me.” He laughed softly. “He was so smart and bookish, a real-life Urkel. Kids tried to pick on him but then I’d beat them up, so they learned to leave him alone.”

  “How long were you at that home?”

  “About a year. They tried to separate us after that despite our protests. We took turns running away to the other one until finally our case worker caved in and placed us together. We landed in a house run by an older couple who were one of the good ones. They truly cared for the kids. There were four of us there, and they treated us well. I knew Eric would be safe with them when I signed up for the military. I didn’t have money for college, and I was an average student so I wouldn’t get scholarships, but Eric needed to go, and I had to make sure he could. Joining the service was the only option. I was able to get a degree on Uncle Sam’s dime and send most of my paycheck to Eric for his schooling. He graduated third in his class and was offered a scholarship to Northwestern. The money paid for expenses outside of the grant money and he flourished, graduating in three years and then earning his master’s degree in finance.”

  “You must be so proud of him.”

  He was surprised to feel the burn of tears. A lump lodged in his throat and he couldn’t speak so he just nodded. He was the one who signed on to put his life in danger for his country so others would be safe and that included his brother. When Eric talked about following in his footsteps and signing up, Declan used his power as the older brother to forbid him. Not that Eric wouldn’t have been able to handle being a soldier or wouldn’t have done an outstanding job, but he needed to get his degree and just stay safe.

  He was surprised when signs for the interstate appeared and soon, they were motoring around Lake Michigan and leaving Indiana for Illinois. She’d successfully distracted him.

  He drove to the hospital and lucked out when a spot opened next to the walkway. He waited for the car to leave and then he backed in and shut off the engine.

  Jamal’s head popped through the seats. “Why are we at the hospital?”

  “My brother was hurt.”

  “Oh no, Eric? Is he okay?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Jamal unbuckled his seatbelt and threw open the door. “Let’s go.”

  #

  Declan’s legs shook as he stepped out and met Kenzie and Jamal in front of the SUV. Kenzie slipped her hand in his again and it steadied him. She was becoming his rock.

  They found Noah, Ethan and Kayla in the emergency waiting room. Jamal let out a yelp at seeing them and he launched for Noah, who picked him up and hugged him. Ethan took him from Noah’s arms. He led Kenzie to them as Ethan placed Jamal on the ground.

  Kayla leaned over and held out a hand to Jamal. “Hi there, I’m Kayla.”

  Jamal shook her hand. “Wow, you’re as pretty as Kenzie.”

  “Thank you. I’ve heard so much about you.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep. And it was all good. And I’ve been ordered to do this.” She reached out and hugged him. “That’s from Peyton.”

  When she stood, he introduced Kenzie to everyone. “Have you heard anything?”

  “No, but they won’t release anything to us since we’re not family. I told them you were on your way. We should let them know you’re here.”

  He followed Noah to the nurse’s station and spoke with the woman who promised to let him know as soon as there was any news.

  “I’ve got something,” Kayla said as she and Ethan met them as they were returning. He glanced over to see Kenzie and Jamal sitting on a sofa.

  “Here’s the footage from the power ranger cam.” She held her phone so they could all watch. Eric opened the door with two men following closely behind him, both clearly visible and they weren’t wearing disguises. One of the men shoved Eric and Declan’s jaw tightened. He didn’t think he could watch his brother being beaten. Kayla sensed his discomfort.

  “We don’t need to watch much. I wanted you to see this.”

  She stopped the footage when a bald man with a goatee walked directly in front of the camera. She zoomed in to get a better look. Tattooed beneath his left eye were the numbers eight and six.

  “The Eighty-Sixers did this,” he growled. He’d thought there was a good possibility they were responsible, but now they had physical evidence.

  She skipped ahead and stopped when another man came into view. He too had the gang mark on his face.

  “We spoke with the CPD and sent the footage. They’re on their way to round up the remaining gang members now.”

  #

  Kenzie glanced around the hospital bustling with activity. People were coming and going, and loudspeakers were calling for this doctor or that to be somewhere. She’d never spent much time in hospitals and though she wasn’t happy about being here, they didn’t bother her as much as they did, say, Jamal, who couldn’t seem to sit still.

  As if he read her thoughts, he said, “The last time I was at a hospital, it was because my brother shot Declan and then my mom tried to bash in his head.”

  If she hadn’t heard the story already, his frank statement would’ve shocked her. As it was, it was still jarring. She picked up one of the children’s magazines littering the table and handed it to
him. “See if you can find Waldo.” Hopefully, that would distract him from his sad thoughts.

  Declan’s coworkers seemed nice. Noah and Ethan were both big, blond Nordic-looking hunks. It was obvious they were brothers. Kayla was a knockout. Kenzie might’ve felt a tinge of jealousy if Declan had seemed overly friendly, but he treated her the same as he did the men.

  She studied the woman. If she didn’t know she was a security specialist, she’d never have guessed. She looked like she should be striding down a runway modeling the latest fashions or starring in the next blockbuster. Her looks were natural, not enhanced with plastic surgery or tons of make-up. She was a rare beauty.

  Her gaze moved to Noah and Ethan. The two brothers even stood the same. Jamal told her that Noah was older, but they looked enough alike to be twins. They were the same height as Declan and all three were muscular and fit, as was Kayla. The four of them were an imposing force, turning more than a few heads.

  They were standing off to one side of the room, engrossed in watching something on a phone. They were close enough that she felt comfortable leaving Jamal for a few minutes while she attended to a pressing need.

  “Jamal, I need to run to the restroom. Do not leave this seat and keep an eye on Declan.”

  “Okay.”

  She entered the bathroom to the scent of lemony disinfectant and found an empty stall. It was exceptionally clean, but she’d expect nothing less from a hospital. After she adjusted her clothes and the automatic flushing system kicked on, she opened the door and washed her hands. She made the mistake of looking in the mirror. Ugh. She hated that Declan’s coworkers met her when she looked ghastly, without a touch of makeup. As she adjusted the band around her ponytail, a woman entered the bathroom and stepped right up behind her.

  Kenzie was about to make a crack about personal space when something sharp dug into her back and she froze.

  “We’re leaving now and if you make a sound or try to alert anyone, I will put a bullet in your spine.” She dragged the gun up until it poked into the back of her neck. “Would you rather be a quadriplegic or paraplegic?”