by K. J. Dahlen
Trudy giggled and countered, “In your dreams, old man. Only in your dreams.” She gazed all around. “Where is everybody?” The shop looked almost empty, only Wyatt and Alea remained. Dewey, Cade, Jake, Parker and Colten were gone.
“Your sister and Sniper are catching some sleep at Parker’s cabin,” Boomer explained. Then he stared at her intently. He was wondering just how much to tell her about what happened a few hours ago.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Well baby girl, there’s been a little bit of trouble…” Boomer began. “Terik might be right here in Sabine Pass. Earlier today, someone broke into Mrs. Pope’s house. When they didn’t find her, they set the house on fire. “
“Oh, no!” Trudy gasped.
“Oh yeah, anyway when they couldn’t find Mrs. Pope, they went over to Shreveport and tried to take Wyatt’s mom. Dewey just called a little while ago. By the time they got there, Terik had already been there and gone again. The fire department was already there putting out the fire they left. The boys will be back as soon as they can get here. There’s nothing left for them there.”
“Damn that bastard!” Wyatt growled. He and Alea had joined them.
“At least, he didn’t get your mom and she’s safe,” Trudy tried to reassure him.
“That’s of little hope right now,” he muttered. “She has no home to come back too.”
Trudy patted his arm. “She’ll have you to come back to. All the rest was just a house. Houses can be replaced, children can’t.”
Wyatt nodded. “That’s true enough. She doesn’t know I’m still alive. No one told her yet.”
“Why not?” Boomer asked.
“I asked them not to. I wanted to be the one to tell her in person.” Wyatt shrugged. “She’s been missing me for a year now. I thought a few more days wouldn’t hurt.”
“Maybe the program I have running will catch him,” Trudy said. Turning to Boomer she asked, “Have you thought about getting your friends to look for him?”
“We’re still thinking about that. We’re willing to give your programs time to find him. We really don’t want to start a run against Middle Eastern men and that might just happen if we just go after him that way.”
“Okay, whatever you guys decide.” Trudy rubbed her hands together. “Speaking of lunch, what do we have to eat? I’m starving.”
“I’m sure we can find something around here to eat.” Boomer laughed out loud. “The kitchen is right over here.”
An hour later, Dewey and the others returned to find Boomer, Wyatt, Alea and Trudy sitting around talking and laughing. Stone and a couple of his men joined them as well. As they all filed in and sat down, they looked exhausted.
Wyatt was the first one to ask, “Well, what did you find? Was her house destroyed like Wesley’s mom’s was?”
Dewey nodded. “Yeah, by the time we got there, the house was gone. The fire department was shutting down. They couldn’t tell us much about the blaze other than it was definitely arson. The front door was kicked in but the two men who did it were long gone before the cops and fire department showed up. I did ask for a report to be sent when the fire marshal got done.”
Wyatt nodded. “Thanks man.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “At least, I know she’s okay, and it’s just a house right? Houses can be replaced.” He echoed Trudy’s earlier words.
“Yeah, when she sees you and knows you’re all right, she won’t care about the house,” Dewey agreed. “We’ve been checking in on her the whole time you were missing. She’ll be okay when she sees you’re alive and well.”
Just then, they all heard a ding from Trudy’s computer. She popped up and ran toward the desk. Sitting down she began typing. Then she raised her hands and shouted, “I found the little bastard! I found him.”
Rushing feet came toward her and when she looked up, she caught Dewey, Stone and Boomer leaning over the desk.
“Where did you find him?” Boomer asked.
“How did you find him?” Cade asked.
“I tapped into the city’s surveillance cameras and ran a search.” She began tapping the keys on her laptop. It was one of three she had running at the moment. “He’s at an abandoned hotel on First Street, down in the warehouse district.”
“We need to get eyes on him and figure out what we’re dealing with,” Dewey concluded. “We know he’s one of seven men, right now we need to know how many of them are at that location.”
“I can get a camera nearby.” Sniper offered. He had joined the others when he heard his father’s bike pull in the dooryard. “One with night vision would give us a thermo count.”
“I can run a program and see if he’s online too,” Trudy suggested. “If he is, I can hack his feed and see what he’s up too.”
Dewey, Stone and Boomer agreed.
“The more information we have the better.” Dewey said.
Boomer turned to Trudy and asked, “Can you bring us up a map of the hotel? So we can see where the cameras need to be placed?”
Trudy nodded and went back to her computer. A few minutes later, the printer Colten had spit out a satellite photo of the street the hotel was on. She gave the photo to Boomer.
Dewey, Stone, Sniper and Boomer looked it over for the best placement of the cameras.
Cade went over to one of the lockers Dewey used before and took out a small long box. Bringing it over to the table, he opened it, revealing four infrared lipstick cameras.
Boomer looked them over carefully and handed the box to Sniper. “You get in there, place the cameras and get out. Don’t fuck up and play the hero and get yourself shot up. Be careful, they may be covering their tracks or have people watching the streets.”
“Yes, daddy,” Sniper quipped as he rolled his eyes. “This isn’t my first rodeo you know. I used to do this for a living.”
Boomer cuffed the back of his son’s head. “I know damn well what you did before, but this little prick isn’t planning on taking hostages. I don’t want to lose you, boy.”
Sniper grinned. Looking at Amanda he said softly, “I don’t want to lose me either.”
“Then you’d better come back alive and not bleeding,” Boomer retorted.
Sniper smiled and walked over to where the two girls were standing. He grabbed Amanda and whirled her around into his arms. He leaned over her and pressed his mouth to hers. “Wish me luck baby.”
When he broke the kiss, Amanda could only stare at his retreating back.
Trudy smiled and went back to her computers.
Twenty minutes later, Sniper slowed his bike and pulled to a stop. He rolled it into the shadows and took the keys out. He was three blocks away from the hotel and there wasn’t anyone around. Hitching his sniper rifle to his back, he kept to the shadows as he snuck closer. His eyes took in everything as he scanned the immediate area.
Just as he was about to climb the tree to place the camera, he saw the shadows move. He crouched for a moment and waited. A man stepped out of the shadows and began circling the block. When he got to where Sniper was hiding, Sniper took out his knife carefully. Striking without thinking too much, he sunk the blade in just below the man’s ribcage and straight into his kidney.
It wasn’t much of a struggle and the man made no sound as death took him.
Sniper dragged him into the nearby bushes and tied his hands behind his back. Then he took his place near the trees again and searched the area for any movement. When he found no one there, he shimmied up the tree and when he got high enough, he placed the first camera. Switching it on, he waited for a green light, meaning Trudy’s computer picked up the signal.
Sniper dropped to the ground soundlessly and moved to the second location. When the fourth camera was placed, he went back to where he’d placed the body and dragged it to a nearby dumpster where he placed it inside and closed the lid.
When he got to his bike, he pushed it along the street and got out of the area. When he knew no one would hear his start up, he turned th
e key and went back to the compound. Keeping an eye on his rearview mirror, he didn’t notice anyone following him.
Sniper shut off his engine and coasted down the driveway. As he almost reached the gate, he noticed someone sneaking into the warehouse. Immediately, he rolled his bike into the bushes and crept closer, keeping to the shadows and undercover of darkness. Swinging his rifle to position, he searched the scope for movement. Flipping on the night vision, he waited for his prey to step outside.
Chapter Eight
Trudy sat in the corner petting Ivory. The quiet of the shed was almost refreshing for a moment. Dewey, Stone and Boomer were out walking the fence line at the moment. Amanda and Alea were throwing a load of laundry in at Stone’s house with McKenna. There wasn’t anyone else there and Trudy closed her eyes and relaxed. The past few days had run her ragged and she needed a moment to catch up.
When she heard footsteps coming toward her she smiled, thinking Dewey or Boomer had joined her. Then she felt Ivory tense and she growled low.
Fear jumped in and Trudy slowly opened her eyes. Swallowing hard, she saw her brother come into her line of sight. When he paused in front of her, Trudy stared at him for a moment. Then he saw the gun in his hand. “What the fuck do you want Ronnie?” she asked. “How the hell did you find me this time?”
Ronnie snorted and kicked at her. He caught her in the ribs and Ivory growled as Trudy groaned. “I told you bitch, I would find you and when I did, you would be turned over to the cartel. Well, that day is right now. Get up, but first tie that damn dog up. I don’t like being bit, not by a damn dog anyway, now a willing woman is always worth a bit of pain.”
Trudy sneered. “You always were a sick fuck.”
Ronnie kicked out again.
She doubled over as his foot caught her again in the ribs. After she got Ivory tied to the wall, Trudy got to her feet.
Ronnie stepped in closer and back handed her hard, striking her in the face, splitting her lips.
Blood sprayed on the floor and Trudy spit at him.
“Do you know how much trouble I’m in since your little stunt?” Ronnie yelled. “I’ve been worried as hell the cartel will run out of patience and just kill me!”
“Maybe you should just let them?” Trudy yelled back. “Then everyone would be happy.”
“They want their money back bitch and you are going to give it to them.” Ronnie hit her with his fist. Her head snapped back and she fell to the floor with a groan. “I hope they kill you slowly. I can’t wait to hear you scream. Even after they get their money back, they might just kill you,” he taunted her.
“How did you find me this time?” Trudy asked, hoping to delay their departure until someone came along to prevent Ronnie from taking her away from here.
“I found where you stashed Amanda and followed her here when that biker came for her earlier. I had to wait until you were alone to come and get you,” Ronnie boasted.
“Okay, you found me now, how are you going to get me out of here and manage to stay alive, butthead?’ Trudy taunted him. “There are guards posted outside and anyone might come in here anytime.”
“That’s why we’re leaving right now. With a gun at your head, they won’t bother our escape.”
“Are you just plain stupid or what?’ Trudy asked. “You just told me the cartel wanted their money back, if you hurt me they won’t hesitate to kill you. You will have cost them everything they’ve waited ten years for.”
Ronnie scoffed. “I don’t have to kill you. I can just shoot you in the leg or the shoulder, somewhere that won’t kill you.”
“I think all that dope you’ve done has fried your tiny brain.” Trudy shook her head. “You won’t make it out of here alive, shithead.”
Ronnie grabbed her braid and pulled her to him. “You’d better hope we do get out of here, bitch,” he whispered in her ear. “If it comes down to me or you, there ain’t no question, I will kill you. You’ve done nothing but mess up my life. I’m sick of it.” He threw her to the ground in front of him and stomped on her leg.
Trudy cried out in pain and Ivory started growling and barking. She pulled on the rope holding her to the wall.
Ronnie scooted away from the dog and leaned down to grab Trudy’s braid again. He dragged her along until she got to her feet. Then he wound her hair around his wrist and pulled her to her toes.
They stepped close to the door and Ronnie peeked out into the compound. He didn’t see anyone moving around. He hauled his sister close to him and whispered, “If you make any sound at all, I will shoot you.
Slowly, they began making their way across the foreyard of the compound toward the main gate. Trudy’s fought against the pain in her ribs and her leg, not to mention the grip Ronnie had on her hair. Her eyes darted along the fence line but she didn’t see anyone in the shadows. For a moment, she fought against the fact Ronnie might just pull this off. He might just be able to get her away from the men who vowed to protect her.
Suddenly, all the lights shining down around the shop blinked off. The darkness was complete and Ronnie dragged her closer to him. “What the fuck is going on here?” he grumbled in her ear.
Trudy didn’t say anything for a moment, then Ronnie pulled her hair even tighter. She hissed in pain. “I think they know you came here looking for me.”
“They won’t stop me,” Ronnie whined. “They won’t risk your life.”
Trudy snorted. “You won’t know what hit you until it’s too late. Do you even know who you’re up against, asshole?”
“I know I have cartel waiting just beyond the fence,” Ronnie bragged. “They will protect me against anyone in here.”
“If you turn me over to the cartel, they won’t need you anymore. If these guys don’t kill you, the cartel will.” She sneered. “Either way, you’re still dead. What would Daddy say then?”
“He’ll still blame you.” Ronnie scoffed. “You are the family fuck up, not me.”
“Oh, I think you’ve proved that isn’t necessarily so.” Dewey’s voice came from behind Ronnie.
Ronnie jumped when he felt a gun shoved into the back of his head. “You have two seconds to let your sister go before I blow a hole in your head.”
“I can’t do that,” Ronnie whined.
“He has cartel guys waiting for him beyond the fence,” Trudy told him.
“Well now, I think they’ll be waiting for a long time.” Dewey chuckled. “That is if they aren’t dead already. My boys like to watch both sides of the fence. Just in case something like this happens.” He paused then jabbed the gun into Ronnie’s head again. “Put the fuckin gun down and give yourself up. I will kill you.”
“What makes you think I won’t pull the trigger? I can kill Tremaine before you kill me,” Ronnie boasted.
“Oh, I don’t think you’ll do that,” Dewey hissed in Ronnie’s ear. “By now, my men have the cartel men either dead or unconscious. This is on you and you alone. I’m told you’re quite the coward, looking for anyway to keep on living. If you kill your sister, I’ll make damn sure you don’t live very much longer at all.”
Ronnie swallowed hard as his fingers trembled. He hated the fact he was weak. He tried not to show it but he hated it all the same. The drugs were the only thing that could make him feel strong, but he hadn’t had anything for some time now and he needed a fix. “I’ll live if I let her go?” he asked the man behind him.
“You’ll live but you’ll be my prisoner until this is over,” Dewey promised.
Ronnie tightened his grip on his sister then suddenly pushed her away from him. He held the gun up and allowed Dewey to take it. He then grabbed the back of his head with both hands and surrendered to the other man.
“Lights!” Dewey yelled.
When the lights came back on, Stone moved over and helped Trudy to her feet.
Trudy hobbled over to Ronnie and kicked him in the balls. He screamed and fell to the ground. “You fuckin bastard. You miserable fucking bastard!” she yelled as she
kept kicking him.
Dewey grabbed her and hauled her a few steps away.
Stone cuffed Ronnie and then he and Boomer hauled the injured man into the shop.
Trudy watched from the safety of Dewey’s arms as her brother was led away. Then she looked at Dewey.
He growled when he saw the blood and bruises on her face from where Ronnie had hit her. “That little cock sucker.”
“I’m fine.” She told him as she laid her head on his chest. “He didn’t hurt me too bad, this time.” She tried to suck in a deep breath but winced when her ribs protested the action.
Dewey noticed and laid a hand on her ribs. Trudy grunted in pain and Dewey lifted her shirt to see more bruises on her ribs. “Where else did he hurt you?” he snarled.
“He just kicked me a few times and stomped on my leg. It’s just bruises. He didn’t break anything.”
“Tremaine.” She heard her sister call her name. Amanda came running toward her. “Are you okay?”
The others came into the light as well. Alea and McKenna gathered around her.
Trudy nodded then hugged her sister. “Yeah, I’ll be okay. Ronnie found us again.”
“He did this to you?” Amanda asked. “What the hell is wrong with him?”
“He brought the cartel guys with him again,” Trudy informed them. “He said they were waiting on the other side of the fence.”
“They aren’t waiting anymore, baby girl,” Sniper called out. “They’re dead. All four of them.”
Trudy shuddered. “God, will they ever give up?”
“Probably not,” Stone told her as he and Boomer joined the group. “You still have their money. They want it back. They also want the gift you have with computers. With that, they figure they can rule the world from the safety of their own homes. They would be able to hack anything they wanted, even our own government.”
“They would have to kill me before I’d do something like that.” She shook her head.
“Maybe if they took you alone,” Boomer said out loud. “But if they got their hands on your sister, they could force you to work for them. They know you would do what they wanted in return for her protection.”
