Nine hours later, and after finding TJ’s prints spanning the entire house, including her windows…and every surface in her bedroom—doubts slowly crept into my mind.
“You doin’ OK?” Miranda asked me as I stared at the construction that continued on without me across the street.
My cover was completely blown. The three black Denali’s with tinted windows sitting out front screamed “notice me.”
“Yeah, Miranda. I’m fucking perfect,” I spat out as I glared at her. “How are you? She’s been your best friend for the past eleven months.”
She quickly brushed away the single tear that escaped her eye and turned away from me.
“I know what you’re thinking, Adam.”
“Tell me what I’m thinking, Miranda.” My hateful, angry tone was evident.
“You’re doubting her. You’re doubting her feelings and what you two shared.”
I shook my head, angry that her assessment was spot on. “Whatever. So fucking what if his prints were on her goddamn head board. In her bathroom. In her closet. What does it really matter? She’s missing. I had a job to do. I did it. End of story. Now I find her. That’s what I do.”
Miranda, who was about as soft as a brick, touched my shoulders. The thought of any woman touching me made me sick.
“She loves you, Adam. She told me herself. She’s fallen for you.”
“We got him!” Jennings shouted as he and Hamilton darted down the front steps.
“Him? What about her?”
All four of us piled into one of the SUV’s.
“After several stops. He just parked at a farmhouse about 50 miles east of town,” Hamilton said. “No sign of her yet, but he’s going out there for a reason.” His eyes met mine in the rearview mirror.
I always drove, and I knew why he hopped in the drivers seat—I was emotional.
“Just go,” I whispered, silently praying that she would be alive.
Chapter 19—Anna
The skin on my cheeks was tight from dried tears, and I squinted trying to focus on anything in the blinding darkness. With one eye swelling from TJ’s fist and the other trying to see… no matter how hard I tried to concentrate and calm myself, my breaths were still coming in short gasps. The pain radiated through my ribs with the longer breaths, and, based on the degree of gut wrenching pain, my ribs were probably broken.
I’d collapsed on my hands and knees in the dirt hole he’d thrown me in and tried to listen to determine if he’d left. Though a nasty rag he’d found in his car gagged my mouth, I could easily manage a muffled scream if I knew for sure he was gone. Footsteps thumped over the floor above me, and I silently prayed for him to leave.
Unsure how much time had passed, something crawled lazily over my hand and my chin trembled as tears lurked. I quickly flicked it off. His footsteps had faded, but my hearing was in tune and a door never closed, so I continued to wait.
A shiver rippled up my spine as the temperature of the hole settled through me. My naked body shook from the cold and the shower he forced on me left me even more chilled. The way his soapy hands scrubbed over me…all of me…made the tears seep over their dams. That was at the first house we stopped at. My clothes and everything had been left behind.
I couldn’t stand and I refused to lie down, so I stayed on my knees with my forehead resting on my fists.
More time passed and my right eye was now swollen completely shut—a constant throbbing pulsed behind my socket. And some sort of freaking something continued to crawl on me.
I’m sure Adam wondered what was going on and where I was. The hurt of not seeing him ever again was pretty overwhelming and caused an ache in my heart that I forced myself not to think about.
Our beautiful night together now made my stomach turn over since TJ confided that he’d watched it all. Every last detail. Images floated through my brain—visions of him…of us. Lashes of Adam’s tongue until I completely came undone beneath him once again. The slow gentleness when he rolled down a condom and entered me in the most deliberate way. The way he hissed my name like I’ve never heard it said before as he released inside me. The reality of learning there was a better lover than Michael—that alone was burden enough to carry. But the thought of being with Adam again washed that entire burden away, and even as I lay aching in a hole…caused my body to clench in hope.
“Adam…” I whispered his name, trying to find reason to fight. Then I closed my eyes fearing I’d never see him again.
Chapter 20—Adam
Agency cars sat off the road ready to block off access from every outlet—ready to move once he came back home. TJ had left the house about fifteen minutes ago and we were banking on Anna being inside. The fog was thick, which made penetrating the land and house a little more difficult simply because we couldn’t adequately evaluate the terrain and anything that he could have rigged for us.
Equipped in full tactical gear, I stood next to Miranda, Hamilton and Jennings waiting for our entry plan. The back of the house was covered. Agents were going in as we penetrated the front.
A single light silhouetted what looked like a living room, and the blinds were open as if to hide nothing. This…anticipation pumping through my veins at Mach 3 speed caused my breath to hitch with the taste of TJ’s blood…all of it…was a thrill I never wanted to live without. Our red laser sights dotted the ground as I gave hand signals indicating our entry.
The front door was locked, but Hamilton made quick work of the dead bolt and we were in—three agents simultaneously coming through the back with no sound.
Voices started echoing through my headpiece.
“Kitchen, clear.”
“Bedroom, clear.”
“Living room, clear,” Hamilton said from behind me as I gauged the dark staircase up to the second level.
I tilted my head to two officers who, along with me, slid our night vision wear down and soundlessly ascended the stairs. The house was quiet with no light upstairs. A bleach smell hung in air.
“Bathroom, clear.” Agent Evert said in front of me as he pulled back the shower curtain. I cautiously opened the bedroom door across the hall. Agent Connell checked behind the door as I spotted the girl sprawled out naked across the bed. Anna!
As I approached her, I realized she wasn’t Anna. This girl was blonde and tremors shook her body. With fear in her wide eyes, she tried to determine who I was.
“Please, don’t hurt me!” she cried out as I grabbed a thin, dirty sheet at the bottom of the bed and wrapped her in it.
“Sshhhh. I’m not going to hurt you. But I need you to be quiet,” I whispered, stepping away from her.
“Don’t leave,” she squeaked out.
I whispered into the mic on my shoulder. “Female. Blonde. Located in upstairs south bedroom. Need assistance.”
Connell was checking the closet and beneath the bed.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Sarah McClinton. Please don’t leave me!” she cried.
Connell spoke into his mic. “One female, Sarah McClinton located. Victim is alive but may require medical attention.”
Connell nodded indicating us to move on so Evert and I continued to search for Anna. Evert slowly opened the door to the second bedroom. Another woman lay on the bed in the same position as the first girl—naked and visible to whoever came in. Her dark hair pillowed out around her head…but I knew instantly it wasn’t Anna just by her height.
“We have an additional brunette female on the second floor north room. Possibly unconscious.” Evert spoke into his mic.
As I approached the bed, vomit lurched in the back of my throat when I considered what had happened to Anna. As my thoughts strayed, my foot accidentally kicked a heavy chain on the floor, shooting the woman upright with panic and terror in her expression.
I shifted my weapon out to the side and held my finger up to my mouth to try and shush her.
“Sshh! We are here to help. But I need you quiet,” I whispered.
“Please help me!” she shouted, and I instantly slammed my hand over her mouth.
“We will help you. I promise. But we need you to stay quiet.”
She nodded as big tears freed themselves from her eyes.
“What’s your name?” I asked, but in the back of my mind knew there was one more bedroom.
“Jackie Bro,” she cried as I freed her mouth from my hand.
I nodded. “Spell that for me, Jackie.”
“BREAUX.”
Evert cleared his throat and spoke again. “We have second missing female Jackie Breaux located. Victim is alive.”
Two officers I didn’t recognize came in. “Third bedroom is clear.” I heard through my headpiece.
“NO!” I shouted and both looked at me through their night vision goggles. “NO!” I shouted again and without thinking bolted from the room and barreled into the other bedroom. Nothing but an empty bed. Ripping the goggles from my face, I raked my hands through my hair, pacing as I tried to wrap my brain around all of the possibilities.
“Get it…the fuck…together,” Miranda hissed out, charging into the room. “We will find her. You’ve done pretty well up until this point. I will ask that you be removed if you can’t pull it together.”
I knew my lip was pulling into a snarl but I couldn’t help it. Motion in the hall drew my attention as one of the girls was being carried out.
“It’s the two missing girls that Evert told me about at the bar.”
She nodded. “I know. We hadn’t gotten word that any dogs were on the move.”
“They’re women,” I gritted.
“No shit.”
“Then we shouldn’t say dogs.” I’d never given it that much thought until now. I couldn’t stand the idea that Anna would be referred to as a dog.
“Well. Maybe if we weren’t undercover we wouldn’t have to, Stroud. But since we can’t just shout to each other we have two missing women, we need a word that will work.” Miranda was getting pissed, I could tell.
“Please hurry before he gets back,” the girl cried from the hallway.
“Hey,” I said and turned away from Miranda, following the cradled girl downstairs.
“Did you see another girl here?” I asked.
She didn’t answer.
“Jackie…did you see another girl here?” I desperately questioned again.
“Stroud,” Evert cautioned setting her down on the sofa.
“ANWER THE GODDAMNED QUESTION!” I screamed. “When he was here earlier, did he bring a woman?”
“Suspect turned off highway and is approaching location.”
All of us reached for our earpieces and listened as the perimeter agent spoke. TJ was back.
“What?” the girl asked. “What’s wrong?” The room fell silent as we all looked at each other. Hand signals began to fire off.
“No one fucking touches him but me!” I growled.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. A thumping vibrated the wood floor. None of us moved. Panic seized the girl as she realized her captor had returned. Evert escorted her quickly from the room as the floor vibrated again.
What the hell?
“Subject is parking. Thirty yards from front door. Possibly armed.”
A pained moaning resonated from beneath the wood. Without thinking I shoved the coffee table and kicked the area rug exposing a door in the floor.
“Twenty yards.”
Arms wrapped me from behind in a bear hug. “Don’t fucking move.”
As soon as I heard the voice, I knew it was the one agent here who out ranked me. Disobeying his order would definitely be a one-way ticket to the unemployment line.
“Ten yards.”
“Stroud. If that’s her, she’s safer down there than up here right now. Get your head in the game,” Cummings hissed into my ear.
“At the door.”
Nine red lasers targeted his body as he stepped into the house. A defeated expression colored his features until his eyes landed on me.
When his line of sight flickered down to the exposed floor then back up to mine…my lips curled up. Not because I was smiling…but because I felt pretty confident she was there now.
“You work for the Feds?” he asked. But it was more of a rhetorical question.
My grin only broadened—busted you piece of shit.
“Did you even care about her at all?” he asked.
My heart beat funny in my chest as anger boiled beneath the surface.
It only took him two seconds and my slight hesitation for him to pull the nine-millimeter out of his pants and point it straight up under his chin.
BANG! BANG! BANG! The gunfire was deafening.
I didn’t even lift my gun. Three other agents took him out—hitting him in the shoulder, the knee and the arm before he had the chance to kill himself. As I kicked his gun away, I stared down at him writhing in pain on the floor.
“The good thing is, you’ll live. A long, pathetic life behind bars. The best thing is, you’ll never touch Anna or any other woman ever again.”
“It’s OK sweetheart, we got ya,” I heard Miranda say behind me. I spun around to see her and Evert pulling Anna from the ground. Her naked body was dirty and covered in angry red splotches.
“Oowww,” Anna cried out.
Hamilton stepped over the hole and covered her with a sheet as Anna’s arms flew around Miranda’s neck. Two other agents jumped down into the hole clearing the scene.
Leaning back and looking at Miranda, Anna worked the gag around her mouth off. “Miranda,” she cried—desperation clung to her words. “What are you doing here?”
Miranda lifted the Velcro piece on her uniform and exposed the FBI logo.
The truth was unfolding before Anna’s eyes, and my heart nearly beat out of my chest as I measured her response to someone she thought was a friend. Someone who hadn’t fucked her 24 hours ago.
“Are you OK?” Miranda whispered, cupping her face.
She nodded. “You’re with the FBI?”
Miranda brushed over her hair. “I suppose I have some explaining to do,” and smiled. “You need to be looked at by a doctor first, sweetie.”
“There are spiders everywhere down here,” one of the agents said.
“Adam…I need to speak to Adam,” Anna exhaled out frantically clinging to Miranda. “TJ’s going to hurt him. TJ will kill him!”
Nine sets of eyes fell on me. I was up. I’d never been short for words in my life. But nothing in my life had ever meant so much. Miranda stared past Anna directly at me.
Then it happened, she turned around.
Chapter 21—Adam
“Jesus Christ!” I whispered, but loud enough for all to hear. Holy mother of God, half her fucking face was swollen to more than twice it’s normal size. Instinctively my fists clenched, and when I spotted the bite mark near her neck, I spun around and furiously kicked TJ with the bottom of my foot—twice—until Hamilton lifted me in a bear hug and jerked me away from him.
“Adam!” Anna cried and my eyes darted up to hers. She quickly covered her swollen face with one of her hands and looked down. “You’re FBI?” she asked.
I stood there like a coward unsure of what to say and scared to death of losing her. I was going to lose her.
“Get him out of here,” I ordered, glancing back at TJ who was now being transferred to a gurney. There was no way in hell he was going to witness my downfall.
“Adam…you’re FBI too?” Anna asked again, her voice cracked and she wobbled unsteadily until Miranda reached out to steady her.
“This victim needs medical attention. What are you all waiting on?” I addressed all of the agents watching this unfold and found it to be bullshit that they’d forgotten how to do their jobs.
Miranda’s eyes narrowed and she shook her head while still glaring at me.
“Adam?” Anna said as fresh tears trickled slowly down her face.
>
“Yes, Ms. Brice. I’m FBI.”
“Ma’am, we need you to come with us. We are going to be taking you to the hospital. Ok?”
Anna’s eyes flickered to the paramedic unit then quickly back to mine. Desperate eyes. Hurt eyes. Wounded eyes.
I pivoted to walk away.
“Adam?”
I cautiously glanced back at her.
“Did your parents die on Halloween?”
I hesitated for only a second. It seemed a trivial question, but I knew why she asked. “No.”
Chapter 22—Anna
Waking up woozy with the blood pressure cuff tightening around my arm, I glanced around the bare room and saw a blur of someone rush through the door…leaving. A strong antiseptic smell penetrated my fog and I scrunched up my face, causing pain to ricochet off my nose and up into my eye and temple. Then a flicker of flashbacks blew threw my mind in a haze. Adam…TJ…ADAM!
I lay there allowing the immense pain to engulf me…to swallow me whole. Tears came immediately at the recollection of what had happened tonight, all that had transpired. The uncomfortable, strange aloneness of this room was suffocating and I wanted out. I wanted to be in my house—the place where I could hide away from the cruelties of the world, where I could grow numb again.
Trying to catch my breath, I pushed the nurse’s call button as sharp pain radiated in my back and chest.
An unfamiliar man in a suit stepped into the room and glanced around, leaving as quickly as he arrived. The nurse passed him in the doorway.
“Anna. You’re awake. How are you feeling?” she asked.
I nodded. “I don’t know. I…feel lightheaded.”
She examined the machines next to the bed.
“I don’t remember what happened. I mean…I remember a lot but not what happened as to why I’d be waking up from something. I remember being conscious.”
The only image flashing in my head like a rerun was that of Adam coldly turning his back on me when the paramedics approached.
“The doctor will be in a few minutes to talk to you.”
A Haunted Heart Page 8
