“That’s how they did it,” Melina murmured.
Her brother glanced up from his phone. “What do you mean?”
“Ollie said an officer attacked the station, and Kellan assumed a police car and uniform had been stolen. That’s how they got into the station to get her out.”
“To get who out?”
“The girl.” Melina blinked. “The one who robbed the Marks’s house.”
22
Wednesday, September 26th
7:20pm
The van slowed and turned, the road changing from smooth to bumpy. Leah tensed as she recognized the motion: the turn to the left, then the veer off to the right as the long drive home neared its conclusion.
Fear gnawed at her belly.
What would happen when they got there?
Robin had been out of town for the last couple of days. Had he returned today? Or was it the next?
Did he know about the failed robbery?
Threading her hands together, Leah squeezed them so tight her fingers began to ache.
The bumpy drive couldn’t go slow enough.
Everyone in the car was silent.
Scared.
Waiting.
The van finally pulled to a stop, Leah could picture the billow of dust coming up from the back tires as the van came to rest in its usual post outside the barn, parallel to the two-story house. That night the van would be washed, the stickers removed, and the plates changed again.
John shut off the engine, but didn’t make a move to exit the vehicle. Everyone was no doubt pondering the same things Leah had been for most of the trip.
A storm was coming. Not a weather storm. No, it was way worse than that.
But just how big would it be?
The van door slid open, crashing back on its hinges, and they all jumped. Dee even let out an audible gasp, which she covered with a totally unbelievable cough.
Robin stood in the darkening twilight, his feet apart, hands on his hips, his nostrils flaring.
That was the scary part. The flaring nostrils. It never meant good things.
“You.” He pointed a fat finger at Leah.
Dread simmered inside of her.
He then barked at John. “Get into the bunker. Now!”
Leah closed her eyes, fear clawing her throat.
The bunker was where they trained, sweated…and bled.
The bunker was where they were taken when they’d broken the rules.
JJ took her hand and gave it a firm squeeze. There were no words of sympathy that could make this better.
She just had to get it over with.
Cricket’s hand slid down her arm as she stood on shaky legs and jumped out of the van. Robin didn’t touch her, just glared down at her and whispered, “Get.”
She swallowed and trotted toward the barn.
“Everyone else get washed up and fed. I want you in your rooms by nine o’clock. We clear?”
“Yes, Robin” came the unified reply.
Leah resisted the urge to glance over her shoulder. She knew what lay behind—a trail of submissive teenagers following orders without question, fields of corn on the verge of being ready. The tall stalks would be harvested soon, and she’d spend a few weeks working her tail off to bring in the harvest before getting back into training. They tended to lie low in the winter, preparing for spring and summer heists that would fill Robin’s pockets and keep them all housed and fed.
The corn didn’t seem to be enough.
Leah had made the mistake of questioning why once.
She hadn’t asked again.
A shiver ran through her. She hated the dark. She always had. Probably because that was where her parents had left her.
Alone and afraid in the dark.
They’d just taken off in their car without her.
Robin had found her on the edge of the road, curled into a ball and crying. She’d been lost and afraid, and he was like a guiding light. When she’d first arrived on the farm, he had been everything. She’d adored him, hung on his every word.
And then four years ago, he’d beaten her black and blue and then left her in the dark.
Something died within Leah over that time, and when she was finally allowed to emerge, her adoration for Robin had faded. Even when he told her that he was only teaching her, trying to help her remember to stick to the rules. Even when he told her he did it because he loved her, because he wanted to teach her strength and resilience.
It wasn’t the same.
She still tried to do as she was told, but for different reasons.
She was now loyal out of fear, not love.
Clenching her jaw, she fought the sting of tears as she shuffled through the barn and down the ramp that led to a place she both loved and hated.
The right side of the bunker was fun. It was where they trained and got to jump, climb and play parkour. She was good at it, her lithe body negotiating walls, turns, and drops with ease. She’d learned to pick pockets and locks in the bunker, learned how to fight to keep herself safe, how to cause the right distractions at the right moments for easy getaways and quick steals. They’d spent hours playing out live scenarios in preparation for the real deal.
But then there was the left side of the bunker.
She descended the ramp behind John, fear making her muscles vibrate.
He hadn’t said anything since arriving on the farm. As they neared the end of the ramp, he stopped and looked over his shoulder, obviously wondering which way to go.
“Right,” Leah squeaked. “Let’s just go right.”
John nodded and led the way through the narrow corridor and into the open space.
The bunker was a huge concrete block, built by some paranoid loon in the fifties. According to Robin, the guy was convinced the Russians would invade, so he’d prepared a sanctuary beneath his farm. It must have taken him years and cost the Earth. Leah had no idea how Robin secured the property, but he’d turned the concrete expanse into a training facility with everything necessary to turn them into highly trained thieves.
“What the hell happened?” Robin boomed, his voice ricocheting off the walls as he stormed down the corridor and into the open space. “I never said you could do a raid while I was away, John! I’m back all of five minutes when I get the fucking call that Leah’s in jail.”
“I got her back, didn’t I?” John retorted.
Robin stopped mere inches from his face and seethed, “How?”
John swallowed before lifting his chin and looking Robin in the eye. “I’ll give you a full rundown when you’re calm enough to hear it.”
Robin’s upper lip curled. “You arrogant bastard. Who the fuck do you think you are?”
“I’m capable! You’ve been training me for years! I knew what I was doing. It was a good score!”
“That I didn’t authorize. And look what happened! It went bad!”
“I was trying to show you that I could do it,” John muttered, resting his hands on his hips and glaring at him.
Robin’s jaw jutted out, his eyes on fire as he slammed his fist into John’s face.
The guy nearly fell, but managed to steady his feet and catch himself against the edge of a computer desk. Spinning around, he wiped the blood from his lip with the back of his hand.
“You’re not ready. Today just proves it.” Robin pointed at him. “You never act without my authorization! You want to be the big shot? You play by the rules!”
“It was a good hit,” John stupidly argued. “Stella and I had scouted the area. People were away, the houses were just sitting there for the taking. Rich bastards who probably wouldn’t have even noticed for weeks if she hadn’t screwed it up!”
John’s accusing finger felt like a knife blade pointing at her chest.
Leah stepped back from it as Robin rounded on her. “What happened?”
She tried not to shrink as he stalked toward her. He was tall and intimidating, his chest puffing out wide as he stood toe to toe wit
h her. She leaned back and he grabbed her shirt, pulling her close. “What. Happened.”
“Unexpected house call,” she mumbled.
Robin’s eyes narrowed, his grip on her shirt tightening. “Did Cricket not warn you?”
Fear for her best friend shot through her. She glanced up with wide eyes and quickly rushed out, “Yes, of course he did. He didn’t do anything wrong. I just wasn’t fast enough.”
His breath was hot and acidic as he leaned in close and murmured against her cheek, “You’re the best I got. Don’t tell me bullshit.”
She closed her eyes and knew the slap was coming before he’d even swung his arm back. She didn’t try to duck away from it; that only made it worse. Instead, she took it, the sharp sting burning her cheek. She bit her lips against the whimper that rose up her throat.
“Tell me what happened or it’s solitary for a month!”
Her eyes shot open, fear overtaking the stinging pain. “I should have dropped it and ran when Cricket first warned me, but the jewels were right there. It was a good haul, and I didn’t want to walk away empty-handed,” she quickly lied, hoping she sounded convincing. “I know I was stupid. I’m sorry, okay?”
Robin’s fist clenched. Leah inhaled sharply and leaned away from him. He was puffing hard and obviously livid, but his hold on her relaxed.
He must have liked her answer. He was no doubt proud of the fact that she wanted the jewels so badly.
He would never know that for Leah, the rush of the steal had nothing to do with the taking. It was about the challenge of breaking in and leaving undetected.
“Tell me what happened at the station.” Robin stepped back, wiping his mouth as he paced in front of her. “Did you say anything?”
She shook her head and lied again. “Nothing.”
His nostrils flared. “Did they interrogate you?”
“They tried, but I wouldn’t talk.” She held his gaze, desperate for him to believe her. “I stabbed a cop with a pen. I was trying to escape so you wouldn’t have to come in and pull me out.” Her voice rose, hopeful for more of his pride. It was better than a beating.
He snorted, his lips rising into a smirk. “What happened after that?”
“They put me in a cell.”
“That was what we were counting on.” John stepped up to try and redeem himself. “Pig cops are so fucking predictable.”
Robin rounded on him again. “Those pig cops could ruin everything!”
“We broke her out.” John threw his hands wide. “We covered our tracks and saved her ass. Dammit, I did the right thing, Robin!”
“You think they’re just going to let this go?” Robin growled. “You broke into a fucking police station!”
“Which is what you’ve trained us to do!”
Robin swore and launched himself at John again. His fist was ready to deliver another blow, but John blocked it. Leah couldn’t believe what she was seeing. You didn’t fight Robin. He was the boss. The leader.
But John was his second-in-command and in that moment, he didn’t seem to care. The guy, probably twenty years Robin’s junior, put up a good fight, blocking and swinging where he could.
Leah inched back and tried to make herself small. For a fleeting moment, she had the thought that maybe she could sneak away unnoticed. Hell, with them both busy, maybe she could sneak off the farm.
What? Did she really just think that?
Sneak off the farm?
Run away?
But this was her family. Her home.
The idea of true freedom teased her. What did that even look like? A big part of her wanted to know. A life without Robin’s rules was enticing.
But a picture of a little missing boy made her freeze.
She saw the image from the police bulletin board again—stark and clear.
Missing Persons.
She couldn’t just leave now, not until she’d gotten to the bottom of the mystery.
John grunted as Robin caught his leg with his foot, forcing him to the ground. Shoving his knee into his chest, Robin’s arm worked like a piston, delivering three solid blows until John, blood streaming from his mouth and nose, finally relented.
“You’re not the boss!” Robin spat in his face. “I call the shots around here, you got me? I make these rules to protect you guys, and when you break ’em, shit happens. We could have lost Leah today.” Robin’s voice cracked, and he shot a tortured glance at Leah before looking back at John.
The younger man didn’t reply, but his stillness was enough of an answer.
Robin slapped him on the shoulder and stood, pulling a white cloth from his pocket and throwing it at him. “Clean yourself up, and then I want a full report.” Spinning back to face Leah, he froze her with his steely gaze. “You swear you didn’t say anything?”
“I didn’t,” she whispered.
With a soft grunt, he reached forward and lightly held the side of her neck, tapping his thumb against her jawline. “I’m glad you made it out okay.” He tipped his head toward the exit. “Now get going. I want you cleaned up and fed before lights out.”
Leah didn’t move for a moment, too surprised by his response. He wasn’t sending her to isolation?
“Move it.”
She flinched at Robin’s pointed look, then shot a glance at John. He was slowly rising from the floor, wiping the blood from his nose. He looked a sickly shade of pale, and Leah almost wanted to stay, to somehow protect him from whatever Robin had in store. Whatever it was, John wouldn’t come out looking pretty, and Leah guessed they wouldn’t see him for a couple of weeks.
“What the hell are you waiting for?” Robin pointed down the corridor and Leah’s courage fled.
John would have to fend for himself. She didn’t owe him her loyalty. She just hated the idea of someone suffering, especially when it was partly her fault.
She scampered away before Robin could yell at her. The less she knew about John’s punishment, the better.
Racing up the ramp on shaky limbs, she popped into the safety of the barn and ran to the bathroom. She needed a private space where she could process everything she’d been through that day.
From the house with the loving family, to the jail cell with the pizza…to the picture of a missing child who lived on the farm with Leah.
23
Wednesday, September 26th
8:05pm
Kellan entered the hospital and spotted Nate first. He was chatting with Blaine, who had his arm securely around his girlfriend, Rosie. The woman looked pale and shaken, her eyes red-rimmed from crying. She must have thought Blaine was at the station when the attack happened. Or maybe she assumed he was the one shot when Ollie was being rushed to the hospital.
Word traveled fast in Aspen Falls, and he was sure the incident would rock the entire town.
Kellan gave her a kind smile as he approached for an update.
She reciprocated, although her lips were a little wobbly.
Blaine kissed the top of her head, his jaw clenching when he shared a pained look with Kellan. The AFPD meant a lot to the police officer, and someone attacking his friends hurt real bad.
“Mick?” Kellan asked.
“He’s stable but in a coma. Lily’s with him now.” Blaine referred to the man’s wife. “Ollie’s in surgery to remove the bullet. He’s going to be fine. Trinity is pacing in the waiting room upstairs.”
Kellan bobbed his head, making a mental note to go see her.
“Has Higgs turned up yet?” Kellan scanned the waiting room, wondering if the officer had arrived at the hospital already.
Word came through about half an hour earlier that he’d been found.
“The Millers brought him in ten minutes ago. Sally took him straight through.” Nate glanced behind him at the door that led through to the emergency room. “He’s got a gash to the head, but nothing too major. He’ll be getting stitches and could even be sent home tonight.”
“His family?”
“They’re o
n their way.”
“Good.” Kellan closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling that same sense of relief when Steph had gotten a 911 call about a man tied up down by the river. The Millers had been setting up for an evening canoe ride and found Officer “Higgs” Higginson, stripped to his underwear and shivering on the shoreline.
It had taken every ounce of control not to punch the wall when the anger spiked through him. Those assholes had stripped one of his men down and left him for dead.
If the Millers hadn’t come, would he have lasted the night?
Kellan shuddered, then quickly reminded himself that they had come and what-if scenarios were wasted energy.
Focusing on his breathing, Kellan tried to get his head back in the game. The night wasn’t over. There were people to see, patients to check on. At least the county sheriff and his team had taken on the task of searching all roads, fields, and farms in the area for Higgs’s police car. The BCA was at the station, unpacking the attack, and a couple of FBI agents had arrived just before the news vans. He had plenty of support, but so far, he’d had no word that the unit had been found. He was hoping to get something out of Higgs once he was up for questioning. The guy probably had a splitting headache—much like Blaine.
Kellan’s forehead wrinkled with concern as he glanced at the younger officer. He was tall and strong, but also pasty and obviously fighting the fading adrenaline.
“Hey, Rosie.” Kellan drew her attention with his soft voice.
She glanced his way.
“Don’t suppose you could do me a favor?”
“Sure.” She blinked and wiped beneath her nose with the balled-up tissue in her hand.
“Can you take Blaine home for me?”
The guy raised his hand. “It’s okay, Chief, I can—”
Kellan cut off his protests with a pointed look. “Get yourself home. Get some sleep and power up, because I’m going to need you tomorrow.”
After a long beat, Blaine relented and bobbed his head. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Rosie looked relieved as she led Blaine out of the hospital. Kellan watched them walk away—her arm around his waist, his secured over her shoulders. Yeah, they were the perfect fit for each other.
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