Wearing headphones, Boomer approached carrying a laptop. “Everything is muffled. I can’t make out what’s being said, but they’re talking. The tag must still be in Egghead’s pocket.” Figures the first time they found a fault in the geek’s microphone and GPS device was while they were trying to rescue him.
Cal listened to something coming over the comm set in his ear, then responded, “Copy that.” He then addressed the group gathered with him. “Shed is sealed tight. Can’t get a camera in there without making noise. Ian, I know your team wants in on this, but you’re too close to the situation. And we have more personnel than we probably need already.”
Reluctantly, Trident’s leader nodded. “Just because I don’t like it, doesn’t mean I don’t agree with you. But God help you if we don’t get Brody out of this alive.”
Marco knew it had taken a lot for Ian to step aside, but the man was wise and experienced enough to know when it was necessary. However, that didn’t stop Marco from wanting to go all Rambo and kick the door of the shed in to rescue his best friend. His boss gave him a look that said he understood, but it was best to calm the fuck down and allow HRT and SWAT to do their jobs. Nodding, Marco let the two teams do what they were trained to do and prayed it was the right decision.
* * *
The urge to panic was strong, but Brody shoved it to the back of his mind and tried to think of a way out of this dilemma—before his goose was cooked. “Listen, Maguire. She’s all yours. Fancy was just a fling for me.” He almost choked on the lie, but if that was what he had to do to save Fancy and himself from this psycho, so be it.
“I knew you were just looking for another notch on your bedpost.” Corey shut off the hose. The water in the pool was above Brody’s ankles. “Should have thought about the consequences when I warned you off the first time.”
He tried to maneuver the cuffs so maybe he could snap one and then the other. Shackled to the heavy wooden chair, his options were few. “Well, consider me warned this time. You’ve made me see the light; you’re the better man for her. Let’s forget this ever happened. I’ll walk away and leave her for you.”
Sneering, the bastard attached the clamps of the jumper cables to the car battery. “Do I look stupid to you? The only person walking out of here when this is over is me. Then I’ll comfort Fancy over the fact that you disappeared, and I won’t have to do all that shit to her shop anymore.”
What? Swallowing hard, Brody watched as Corey picked up the clamps at the other end of the cables. Shit, this was going to fucking hurt! “You were vandalizing her shop? Why?”
“She was supposed to come to me for protection, not you!” He dropped one of the clamps into the water and slowly lowered the other one to just above the surface. “You had to stick your nose and dick where they didn’t belong!”
Brody realized this wasn’t going to be a quick death. The bastard was going to shock him over and over again. He tried to pitch himself and the chair to the side and hopefully out of the pool, but he didn’t have the leverage to do it in one shot before the electrical connection was made in the water.
“Corey, man, don’t do—” His body seized as the current flowed through him. Pain was an understatement. It was a hundred times worse than the Taser. The air around him crackled, and his brain didn’t register anything but the agony every cell in his body was experiencing. This was it. He’d survived countless missions, idiotic childhood stunts, and a few extreme sports, and he was going to bite the dust at the hand of this deranged asshole. Just when Brody thought he was going to pass out, the clamp was yanked out of the water, and his body sagged heavily. What had felt like an hour of being electrocuted had in reality been only a second or two. His throat was raw, and he concluded that the screaming he’d heard had been from his own mouth—involuntary though it was.
Thoughts of Fancy flashed through his mind, but he couldn’t grasp one to hold on to. She was going to be devastated if he died. She’d come so close to not surviving the first time she’d lost a man she loved. I’m sorry, sweetness. If I could turn back time and save you from another heartache, I would. I would’ve never pursued you if I’d known how this was going to end. I love you, Fancy-girl.
He'd barely recovered when he was hit by another jolt. His muscles went rigid, and his limbs felt like they were going to snap in half. Above his own screaming, he heard a crash, shouts, and then gunfire, but the electricity still coursed through his body. His heart pounded out of control. A white light filled his vision, then suddenly there was no searing pain, no sound, no anything, just darkness.
Chapter 23
Ian waited with Marco and Devon as Cal grabbed a bullhorn and prepared to announce their presence to Maguire. Boomer was in the HRT’s tactical communications van with one of the techs, trying to clean up the static coming from the device in Brody’s pocket. The Omega team was gathered back by Marco’s truck. They felt as helpless as everyone else and opted to stay out of the way. A paramedic unit and ambulance were parked up the street in case they were needed.
Devon was about to say something when Cal’s hand flew to the comm device in his ear. “Shit! Take it!” he barked.
The Fed tossed the bullhorn onto the grass and took off at a dead run to the target property. Ian, Dev, and Marco threw protocol to the wind and hightailed it after him. Boomer came crashing out of the van to follow just as they all heard shouts and gunfire. As they neared the shed, with it’s now kicked in door, Cal stopped short, and his fist shot up at shoulder height, silently ordering everyone behind him to freeze. They heard the “all clear” and “get the medics” seconds later. Before anyone had a chance to get close to the door, two men in full tactical gear hurried out carrying someone between them.
Shoving aside his shock, Ian pulled a switchblade out of his back pocket and lunged forward to help the others free an unconscious Brody. His hair was sticking straight up, and there were burn holes in his lower pants legs. Ian could smell seared hair and flesh as he cut through the Duct tape restraining Brody’s wet ankles and legs.
“He’s been electrocuted,” said one of the men who had carried the big geek out.
After the others had gotten the handcuffs and tape off him, Dev and Marco picked Brody up by the armpits and legs, and someone kicked the chair out of their way so they could lower him to the ground.
As Marco opened Brody’s airway, Dev felt for a carotid pulse. “Nothing! Start CPR.”
Marco took a deep breath, tilted his best friends head back, sealed their mouths together and blew as hard as he could. In the meantime, Dev lined his hands up over their teammate’s chest and began compressions as soon as Marco finished giving the breath. They worked in tandem until the paramedics and EMTs arrived to take over. One EMT pulled out an Ambu-bag attached to a green tank, placed the mask over Brody’s face, and forced the oxygen into his lungs.
Dev continued giving compressions as the other medic cut the shirt out from under his hands. As Marco scrambled to get out of the way of the rest of the arriving medical personnel, the medic slapped defibrillator pads and EKG leads on Brody’s chest. “He’s in V-fib! Need to shock him!”
The whine of the defibrillator charging increased in volume until a green light appeared on the device. The medic held his finger over the discharge button and yelled, “Clear!”
Everyone took their hands off of Brody’s body and when the medic hit the button, the unconscious man’s entire torso jolted. Ian had a wry thought; it was weird that to counteract what the electricity had done to Brody’s heart, they basically had to electrocute him again.
Devon checked for a pulse, and the EMT began squeezing the Ambu-bag again. After checking the monitor, the medic recharged the device and once again yelled, “Clear!”
Movement to his right caught Ian’s attention, and he turned as Cal came back out from the inside of the shed. The agent approached him. “Maguire’s dead. My men heard Egghead scream, so I gave them the clear to take the door. The bastard had him tied to that ch
air in a fucking kiddie pool filled with water. He used jumper cables attached to a car battery. The gun that he pulled on them, forcing them to shoot, was a Taser. Unfortunately, when they took out Maguire, both ends of the cables were in the water. Egghead was already unconscious when they cut the current off. I’m sorry, Ian.”
His gaze returned to where the medics were still working on Brody and loading him up for transport. He wished Maguire was still alive so he could kill the bastard himself. His voice was flat as he said, “Not your fault. You played it right. All we can do now is pray.”
* * *
Fancy was numb. She’d been sitting in the ICU waiting room for the last few hours along with Brody’s teammates, their significant others, and extended family. After Brody had been loaded up in the ambulance, Ian and Marco had returned to the compound to break the news. Corey had been shot and killed by the rescue teams, but not before he electrocuted his hostage. Ian hadn’t gone into much detail, and Fancy didn’t want to know everything that had happened just yet. All she wanted was for the doctors to come out and tell her she wasn’t going to lose another man she loved.
The medics had been able to restart Brody’s heart, but they’d intubated him to assist his breathing. He hadn’t regained consciousness, and the doctors had told the stunned Trident group that the next forty-eight hours were critical. Fancy had gotten the impression they were surprised he’d made it to this point.
Marco approached where she and Harper were sitting together and handed them both cups of coffee. Fancy thanked him even though she wouldn’t be able to stomach the strong brew. They still had no clue what had led up to all of this—why Corey had kidnapped and tortured Brody in the first place. And if Brody died, they may never know.
Around her, everyone stood, and she looked toward the door leading out to the hallway as an older couple entered with Mitch Sawyer. They had to be Elise and Gerard Evans, Brody’s parents. Ian had contacted them immediately about their son and arranged for a private jet to fly them to Tampa from Texas. Then Mitch had gone to the small local airport to pick them up when they’d landed.
The distraught looking couple shook hands and exchanged hugs with nearly everyone present. Jenn broke down in tears again as she hugged Mrs. Evans, and once again, Fancy prayed Brody’s two families wouldn’t lose him because of her.
After Jenn had regained her composure, Mrs. Evans asked her a question, and the younger woman turned and pointed across the room to Fancy. She hadn’t known what to expect, but when Brody’s mother walked over to her with open arms, Fancy fell apart. Tears poured down her cheeks, and she began to sob uncontrollably.
The older woman enveloped her in a warm embrace, which made Fancy cry even harder. “I’m s-so s-sorry, Mrs. Evans. It’s all my f-fault.”
The arms around her tightened, and a hand stroked her head. “Hush, now. First off, my son is madly in love with you, so I think you can call me Elise. Secondly, Ian explained what he could, and I don’t see why you believe this is your fault. You didn’t know that man would do this. Neither did my son. Now we just have to pray that the Lord lets us keep Brody here on earth for many more years.”
Fancy didn’t know where the other woman got her strength, but she drew some of it into her own body and mind, pulling herself together. Elise released her, gave her a genuine smile, and then turned to greet Kristen, who was holding little JD in her arms. Gerard Evans then introduced himself to Fancy and also insisted she call him by his first name. They were such a friendly couple, and she immediately liked them.
Another man, whom she hadn’t noticed among the crowd, stepped forward and held his hand out to her. “Hello, ma’am. I’m Brody’s older brother, Brett. It’s nice to meet you, but I wish it were under better circumstances. Brody told me all about you when I spoke to him the other day. He’s quite smitten.”
Blushing, she shook his hand. “I’m sorry we’re meeting like this, too. You’re the Dallas police officer, right? He talks about his brothers and sisters often, but there are so many of you, I’m not sure if I’m mixing you all up.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m the police officer.” His mouth turned up into a grin. “Just be glad the whole lot of us didn’t come; you would need nametags for everyone.” He gestured for her to take a seat. “Might as well get comfortable and get to know each other. I’ve got plenty of stories about Brody from when we were kids that you can use to blackmail him every once in a while. Did he tell you his other nickname is Frodo? He read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy long before they were turned into movies.”
Forty-five minutes later, two family members at a time were allowed to go into the ICU and see Brody. They were given fifteen minutes every three hours, and as much as Fancy wanted to see him, she remained quiet as Elise and Gerard left everyone behind to go see their son. Besides, she wasn’t sure if she was allowed in the unit since she wasn’t immediate family.
Friends, police officers, and even a reporter had been in and out of the waiting room. The latter had been escorted right back out by Tiny who stood well over a foot taller than the nosy man. Detective Webb had told Fancy he would contact the local police in her Ohio hometown to have them inform Corey’s parents of the incident and his death. She was grateful since she had no idea what to say to them. She’d spoken to her mother and aunt earlier, and as expected, Aunt Denise had been more supportive. It wasn’t that her mother hadn’t tried, but the woman never knew what to say during times like these and usually ended up saying the wrong thing. Fancy was used to it, though, and she did her best not to let it bother her.
Boomer had gone down one flight to the surgical intensive care unit earlier and checked on Russell Adams’s status. The veteran was stable, and the surgery had gone well. Ian had Nathan tracking down the man’s family so they could be notified. During one of his few chattier moments in her shop, Fancy had learned Russell was originally from Connecticut and still had family there, but she hadn’t known anything other than that. She’d overheard Devon and Ian discussing that they would cover all the man’s medical bills, saying it was the least they could do since without him they may not have found Brody before it was too late.
When Elise and Gerard reentered the room, Fancy was surprised to see there was still time left for visitors. Brody’s father waved her and Brett over. “Go on in, you two. Let him know you’re here. I told them you were his fiancée, Fancy, so they would let you see him.”
Grateful, she gave Gerard a peck on the cheek before following Brett into the restricted unit. Although the doctor had told them about the ventilator and all the tubes and wires attached to Brody, it was still a shock when they entered the room. Brett held her elbow in support as they approached the bed. Brody was so pale, and his big body actually looked small with all the medical equipment around him. A sob threatened to escape her, and she swallowed it back down as she laid her hand on his and squeezed. There was no response.
The EKG monitor beeped with his steady heart rate, and the blood pressure cuff around his upper arm began to inflate. Brett placed his hand on his brother’s blanket covered knee. “Hey, Frodo. Got yourself in a bit of a pickle, didn’t you? Well, I’m here with your girlfriend, and she’s as pretty as you said she was. You better get your ass out of here because you know our sisters—once they find out you’re in love, they’ll want to meet Fancy at the hoedown. In the meantime, I’m telling her all the stories you probably don’t want me to, but that’s what big brothers are for.” He squeezed Brody’s knee. “We only have a few more minutes before we have to leave, so I’m going to step out and give you two a little time alone.”
Fancy gave Brett a watery smile. “Thank you.”
He nodded, clearly trying to keep his emotions under control for her sake. “I’ll be right outside when you’re done.”
Once she was alone, Fancy pulled the only chair in the small room closer to the bed and sat. Her hand never left Brody’s. “I’m so sorry, Brody. I still don’t know what happened, but it’s obvious i
t had something to do with me. Just. . .just don’t leave me, please. I don’t know what I would do if I lost you, too. I love you.” Her voice cracked on those last few words, and she took a few calming breaths.
A soft bell dinged signaling the end of visiting time. Five minutes had flown by and it felt like only seconds. Standing, she leaned over and kissed his forehead. “I love you, Sir. Please come back to me.”
The only response was the rhythmic beeping of the machines in the room and the ventilator inflating and deflating Brody’s lungs. Giving his hand one more squeeze, Fancy reluctantly left the room.
Chapter 24
For the next forty-five hours, Fancy went from her home to the hospital and back again. In the waiting room, she got to know Brody’s parents and brother better. They told her all about the boy he’d been and the man he’d become prior to her meeting him. His teammates and friends rotated shifts in and out, bringing food, coffee, and whatever else was needed, even though they weren’t allowed in the ICU unit to see him. They were keeping Jake and Nick in the loop by phone. Nick couldn’t fly back again due to an upcoming mission with the SEALs and Ian had convinced Jake to stay in San Diego with the new west coast team until they knew more about Brody’s condition. Back at the office, Colleen had reserved hotel rooms for Elise, Gerard, and Brett within walking distance of the hospital. The rest of the Evans clan stayed by their phones in Texas and took care of their parents’ ranch. There wasn’t anything they could do here but sit in the waiting room like everyone else, so they decided to stay at home where they could be of use. If Fancy hadn’t already known Brody was a good man—protective, brave, loyal, and honorable—she would have known it just by his loving, extended family.
Tickle His Fancy: Trident Security Book 6 (Trident Security Series) Page 21
