by K. C. Lynn
Silence remains but the terror is deafening.
Mr. Thompson stands, beads of sweat dotting his forehead. “No one by either of those names go to this school.”
His lie prompts a malicious smirk on the other man’s face, putting his feet in motion. He stops just in front of Mr. Thompson, crowding his personal space. “You are the principal, yes?”
“That’s correct. I know all the children in this school and not one of them go here by that name.”
The man reaches inside his jacket and pulls out his gun, holding it to Mr. Thompson’s forehead.
Oh God.
“Do you want to answer that question again?”
My heart lodges in my throat, horror washing over me. “Turn away,” I whisper to the kids, my blurry eyes frozen on the men before me. “Do it now. Close your eyes.”
Mr. Thompson swallows hard, his entire body trembling, but he holds his ground. “I could but my answer will be the same. There are no—”
The gun goes off, echoing through the gym. Screams explode through the air and mingle with my own.
I cover the children, sobs ripping apart my chest as I watch Doug hit the floor, his blood pooling beneath his lifeless body.
“Who’s next?” the man bellows. He trains his gun around the room, landing on Mrs. Foster, Mia’s kindergarten teacher. “You. Tell me where my grandson is or you die, too.”
Crying, Leslie shakes her head from where she sits with her class in the corner of the gym. “I don’t know him. He’s not one of my students.”
“Well, I guess that’s too bad for you.”
“No, stop! Please,” I plead out loud. “She’s telling the truth.”
The man turns to me, recognition dawning in his eyes. “Ah, you, from this morning.”
“She doesn’t know who he is but I do. You’re right, he is a student at this school, but he didn’t show up today. I saw the list of absences this morning.”
He stares back at me, searching for the truth.
I hold his gaze, willing for him to believe it, because right now it’s our only hope.
“If what you say is true then it seems we have a very big problem here.”
The cold, calculating look in his eyes sends my stomach plummeting. Any hope I just had diminishes and I fear for what’s to come.
CHAPTER FIVE
Jaxson
I pace the cement like a caged animal, everything inside of me falling apart. A crowd has gathered outside the school and it continues to grow with each minute that passes. Word of mouth has always traveled fast in this town.
The property is surrounded not only by squad cars of the local police but fire trucks and ambulances, waiting and ready if necessary. Cooper barks out commands, trying to keep order while we wait for more information to come in.
Logan comes up to me, his hand going to my shoulder. “It’s okay, man. We’ll get them out of there.”
It’s not okay. There’s nothing okay about any of this.
“What the fuck are we waiting for?” Sawyer asks. “We should be in there, not out here.”
“We need to know what we’re dealing with,” Logan says, being the voice of reason. “We can’t just go in guns blazing.”
“Why not? It’s worked for us every other time.”
I’m with Sawyer on this one. I become more restless with each second that passes. Ready for battle, to shed the blood of the bastards who dare to threaten the lives of innocent children and the people I love most.
My attention shifts to Cade, waiting for him to weigh in but he remains silent, pacing as restlessly as me. He’s been quiet the entire time but the fear and rage in his eyes mirrors the one hammering through my veins.
“Sawyer!” Grace’s frantic voice breaks through the chaos as she runs from across the street in her bakery dress, her panic-stricken face ashen with fear.
An officer intercepts her, grabbing her shoulders to hold her back.
It sends Sawyer in motion. “Get your fucking hands off my wife.” He surges forward, grabbing the officer by the back of his shirt and throwing him against one of the police cruisers.
“Evans, back off.” Cooper jumps between them. “He’s just doing his job. He doesn’t know who she is.”
“I don’t give a shit. No one touches her. Ever.”
Cooper orders for another officer to let Grace through.
She rushes over to Sawyer, tears staining her cheeks. “Tell me it’s not true. Tell me there are not gunmen in our children’s school.”
He remains silent; unable to speak the words she longs to hear, what we all wish wasn’t true. Her forehead falls to his chest, overcome with grief.
Faith and Alissa show up next, making a beeline for Cade. The officer is smart enough this time to lift the tape and let them through.
“Cade, what’s happening?” Faith asks, emotion thick in her voice. “Someone said there’s been a shooting.”
He opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out. Clearing his throat, he tries again. “I’m going to get her, Red. I swear, I’ll get her out of there.”
“Oh God!” A sob tumbles from Faith.
He pulls her in close, whispering promises into her ear.
I shake my head, feeling so fucking helpless. “What’s the hold up, Coop? What’s taking so long?”
“The phone line has been cut. We can’t get through to anyone inside. SWAT’s on its way and so is their negotiator. We—”
A gunshot explodes from the school, the distant sound slamming into me like a freight train.
Grace drops to her knees on a scream; gut-wrenching sobs ripping from her chest. Sawyer covers her, his arms banding tight around her body.
“You have to get them, Sawyer. You have to get our babies out of there,” she cries.
All of us share a look, making a silent agreement.
No more waiting.
“Sheriff McKay?”
We turn to find a man in a suit pushing past the police tape.
Cooper eyes him up. “Yeah?”
He flashes his badge. “Special Agent Dobson. We’re here to take over.”
“Take over?”
“That’s right. Since your son is in that school you are being removed from this case.”
His arrogance sends Cooper forward. “I don’t think so, motherfucker.”
Logan intercepts him, holding him back.
“I don’t take orders from you or anyone else. This is my fucking town!”
“He’s right,” Ryder says, shouldering through the crowd with Nick following close behind him. “You aren’t the one who has been appointed in charge of this case, Dobson. We are, and we say Sheriff McKay stays.”
Dobson’s jaw flexes, teeth grinding. “The chief said—”
“It doesn’t matter,” Nick cuts him off. “The sheriff stays. He and his men know this town and its people better than anyone.”
“Cooper!” The call comes from Kayla as she pushes through the throng of people and ducks under the tape, launching herself into Cooper’s waiting arms. “Ella is with my mom. I left as soon as you called.”
My phone vibrates in my pocket, dragging my attention away. Pulling it out, my heart stops when I see whom it’s from.
“It’s Julia,” I announce.
Everyone surrounds me as I swipe the screen to read the text.
Jules: All of the children are safe and with me.
“Thank God,” Faith cries, burying her face into Cade’s chest.
Before I have a chance to reply, she sends another one.
They’re holding us in the gym. All of them have accents. I think they’re Russian but can’t be certain.
Me: How many?
Jules: If I counted correctly, 14.
“Fourteen? Who the hell are these assholes?” Sawyer asks, voicing my thoughts.
Jules: They need to hurry, Jax. Janice and Mr. Thompson are dead. They shot him in front of the children minutes ago. They’re growing impatient.
Her f
ear bleeds through her words, making me feel even more fucking helpless.
Me: Hang tight, baby. We’re coming for you. Have they said what they want?
We stand by, waiting for her response but it never comes. I debate on texting again but I don’t want to draw attention to her.
Looking up, I make eye contact with Coop, Cade, and Sawyer. “Let’s go. We’ll load up at my house.”
I push forward, resolution burning in my veins.
“Just wait a goddamn minute.” Dobson grips my shoulder, halting my pursuit.
Spinning around, I grab the bastard by the throat and drop him to the pavement. “You ever put your hands on me again I will rip out your fucking spine.”
“You have no command here,” he wheezes out.
My fingers squeeze his throat, an inch away from shattering his windpipe as I lean in closer. “My wife and daughter are in that school and no one will fight harder for their lives than me. So take your pissing match somewhere else or I will fucking end you in my path of destruction.”
“Easy now,” Nick says calmly, pulling me back. “Come on, you can suit up with us. We’ll go in together.”
“That’s against orders, Stone,” Dobson snaps. “This is SWAT’s job and no one else’s.”
“SWAT isn’t here and we aren’t waiting any longer,” Ryder says. “We’re going in now.”
I follow behind them, thankful that I don’t have to waste time going home. Nick motions for Knight to follow while the others kiss their wives, reassuring them everything will be okay.
I wish I could do the same for Julia, to tell her everything will be okay. I have no doubt she’s terrified out of her fucking mind right now but being brave enough for all the children inside.
“Cade!” Christopher shows up, hurdling over the police tape. “Are we going in?” he asks, ready for battle like the rest of us.
“Yeah, follow us.”
Nick leads us to a black, tinted-out SUV that’s hidden behind news vehicles. Ryder opens the hatch, unveiling a selection of weapons. He starts tossing us vests, ear sets, and lets us have our choice of gun.
Meanwhile, Nick flips open a laptop, bringing up an image of a floor plan. “This is the most updated version of the school I could find. There are seven entrances, all have surveillance to them but we’ve been told they’ve been disabled,” he says, looking at Coop.
Cooper nods. “All the power has been cut but I’m assuming the backup generators are running. We’ve been able to detect that all entrances are being guarded from the inside.”
“What if we go in from the roof?” I suggest. “We can go through the air ducts and split off in different directions.”
“Half of us take out the entrances and the rest have eyes in the gym,” Cade says.
“I’m taking the gym,” I cut back in, both Sawyer and Cade making the same statement.
Ryder nods. “All right. But we take no one out unless we’re forced to, got it?”
We remain silent, refusing to make that promise.
“I’m serious. I know you guys are pissed off, we all are. But we do this by the book.”
“I tell you what, Jameson,” I start, trying to rein in my temper. “You go ahead and do it by the book. You’re an officer of the law. I’m not. I was trained to kill for the sake of this country. I also took that vow when it comes to my family. So I will do whatever it takes to free the people inside.”
“That’s what we all plan to do, Reid.” Nick steps in, defending him. “This isn’t a fucking war zone. Rules need to be followed.”
“Those rules were thrown out the moment those bastards walked into that school and threatened the lives of innocent people, especially our kids,” I bellow. “They deserve no fucking mercy.”
“Our first priority is the safety of everyone inside, even before making the bad guys pay.”
“What if this were Katelyn?” I ask him. “What if your son was sitting in that school with guns pointed at him? Would you follow your goddamn rules then?”
“We care about your kids, too,” he says. “We’re all family here, which is why Ryder and I are going against orders and letting you guys be a part of this.”
“And we appreciate that,” Cooper adds, his hand going to my shoulder. “We all want the same thing here. The safety of everyone inside comes first.”
Nick holds my stare. “We’re with you on this, Reid. I plan to do everything in my power to save your family along with everyone else in that school.”
Pushing my anger aside, I nod, knowing he doesn’t deserve it. Without them, I wouldn’t be going into that school as quick as I am.
“Jameson,” an agent calls out, pushing his way toward us. “I have someone here with information for you.” He thrusts a petite blonde woman in front of him. Tears stream down her face, her eyes wide with fear. “This is Monica Daniels.”
“Ms. Daniels,” Ryder greets her, shaking her hand.
“I know who’s inside and what they want,” she says, her voice thick with emotion.
“Who?”
“His name is Dimitri Mogilevich, he’s from Moscow and head of the mafia there.”
I tense, my gut clenching at the information.
“Tell me, Ms. Daniels, what would bring someone like him to this small town?”
“He wants my son,” she chokes out. “We’ve been running from him for almost six years.”
“Why?”
“Because I killed his son to escape my prison of a marriage,” she tells us. “Dimitri is my son’s grandfather and he wants him back in Moscow with him.” Her composure breaks, a sob tumbling past. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. I was so sure he’d never find us here. I don’t even live in Sunset Bay. I live in Oakbrook and drive out of my way every morning.”
Ryder places his hand on her shoulder. “It’s all right. We’re going to get your son out of there. I want you to stay with Special Agent Cranston. He’s going to take you somewhere safe and we’ll bring your son to you when we have him.”
She shakes your head. “You don’t understand. He’ll stop at nothing to get Connor. He’s dangerous.”
“So am I,” I tell her, fingers gripping the rifle I hold. “And I’ll stop at nothing to get my family back.”
Slipping my earpiece in, I push forward with only one thought in mind…
Vengeance.
CHAPTER SIX
Julia
It has become so hot in the gym that the children grow thirsty, sweat soaking through their clothes. The girls are in sundresses but I had Beckett and Parker remove their button-up shirts, leaving them in their undershirts.
“I want my daddy,” Hope cries, her muffled sobs breaking my heart.
“Me, too,” Mia says, her small face tucked against my side where it’s been the whole time.
I reach over Beckett for Hope’s hand while the boys continue to console her. “I know you guys are scared,” I whisper. “But we’re going to get through this. I promise. I sent Uncle Jax a text. He says they’re coming for us. We just have to be strong until they can get in here.”
I sent the text almost ten minutes ago. I didn’t communicate for long, fearing I’d get caught, but I had to let them know we were okay.
“My dad’s gonna throw all their asses in jail,” Beckett says, his small voice tight with anger.
I don’t bother scolding him for his language because he has every right to feel angry right now.
“My dad will shoot them,” Parker says.
“Mine, too.” Annabelle sniffles, lifting her head from my shoulder. “And I don’t even feel bad about that.”
My eyes close, fear plaguing me at the thought of what all the guys will do when they get in here. For the sake of the children, I pray for as minimal violence as possible. They’ve seen enough to last them a lifetime.
“My daddy is probably so sad,” Mia cries, wiping her wet cheeks. “He always worries about somethin’ bad happenin’ to us.”
That’s every parent
’s worst fear and all of Sunset Bay is living that nightmare right now. This one horrific moment will irrevocably change us all, especially the children.
My attention draws to the two men in the center of the gym, where they speak in hushed tones. The man in charge becomes more agitated by the second. His eyes shift to me, making my heart jump in my chest as he heads over to us.
Annabelle gasps, hiding her face in my shoulder. I hold her close, keeping my eyes on the man before me.
“You,” he says, pointing at me. “Come.”
“No!” Annabelle cries, hugging my neck tighter.
“Why?”
“You do not ask questions. Come, now!”
I press a kiss to Annabelle’s cheek. “It’ll be okay, baby. Stay here with the others. I’ll be right back.”
“No, Mama. Please don’t go.”
Her heartfelt plea has me choking back a sob. “Annabelle, I need you to be strong right now.”
The man becomes angry, sighing in frustration. “Belkov, remove the child from her.”
“No!” I snap. “If you put your hands on my daughter I will not help you.”
The man’s eyes narrow, his gun swinging over to Mia. “You have seconds to stand or the first child of the day dies.”
Mia cowers, breaking into hysterics.
Defeat settles over me as I pry Annabelle’s grip from around my neck and sit her next to Beckett. I move Mia next to them, making sure they’re all close. “Take care of each other. I’ll be back soon.”
The reassurance barely leaves my mouth when I’m yanked to my feet by my hair. “Time’s up.”
“Mama!” Annabelle wails, her desperate scream shattering my soul.
Both Parker and Beckett jump to their feet, fists clenched at their sides.
“Let her go!” Parker orders.
“Sit down, boys!” Guilt strikes me for yelling at them but my fear for their lives runs deeper.
“Listen to her. Now is not the time to be brave. I’d hate to have to shoot you both.”
A crying Hope grabs their arms and drags them back down next to her. It’s the last thing I see before I’m shoved forward, the cold barrel of a gun pressed against the back of my head.
“Mama!”
