"I think I found it!" Gunner whispered after a few minutes.
Chase went over, looking down at where his brother was shining his flashlight on a small door in the floor. Gunner'd had to move what looked like an old washing machine from off it. "That's got to be it!" Chase said. It was a rusted, metal slab lying inconspicuously flush with the floor. A metal handle was soldered on one end, which Chase pulled up on, removing the entire door completely revealing a big hole dropping down into a tunnel. "I'm going in. Let Pop know we found it." He jumped down into the crude opening and looked up at Gunner. "Shut the door once I'm gone. If they come out or something, we don't want them checking it out."
Chase crouched down, pointing his flashlight down the tunnel, and moved forward when he heard Gunner replacing the cover. He got a whole lot of claustrophobic right about then. The tunnel was only around five feet high and three feet wide making it a little difficult for his six-foot-plus frame to get through. Jesus. He took a deep breath pushing through his damned phobia and forged ahead.
****
"Bingo!" Julia cheered. With all the bad things that'd been going down, this one little ray of hope just set her off. She reached out for the crowbar that Sherry handed to her, kissing it with a big, "Mwah!" which made Sherry giggle.
"Who knew we'd be laughing in a situation like this?" Sherry said.
"I know, right? At least we're optimists, I guess." Julia giggled right back. "Okay, let's see if we can get this bitch open." She stuck one end of the crowbar in the crack between the door and the jamb and pushed on it. "It's moving a little but I'm not strong enough. I think you'll need to help."
"What if they come in?" Sherry's face went ghost white.
"Look, Sherry. We're dead either way. We've seen them. God only knows what they'll do to us before it's all said and done. Me? I'd rather die at least trying to get the hell out of here. You in?" She looked at Sherry raising her eyebrows, a small smile on her face.
"You're right. Okay, let me get back there to help."
****
After Gunner covered the tunnel opening, he started to leave the barn when the wind ripped open the other door, slamming it hard against the side, scaring the holy hell out of him. He cursed under his breath pushing his back against the wall and watching the entrance, listening to see if anyone was coming outside to investigate. When no one appeared, he slowly made his way to the door, looking around the frame to see if there was movement in the house. When he didn't see anything, he let out his breath, cursing the wind.
"Someone's coming out!" Oz whispered into his mic.
"Get ready; hold your positions. We have movement. Someone's heading toward the barn, boys. Be drawn and ready," Hank said.
Gunner backed away from the door, pulling his SIG from his back waistband, holding himself flush against the barn wall, quietly cocking the gun, ready for what was to come.
"Stupid fucking door. Stupid fucking wind," someone muttered as they made their way to the barn. Whoever had come out was just as pissed at those things as Gunner was.
Hank whispered into his mic telling them to take it easy and told Oz and Quaid to position themselves on the north and south sides of the barn in case they needed to go in. Both stood ready, guns drawn. They watched as the big man grabbed the barn door, looking like he wanted to rip it off its hinges, which wouldn't have taken a whole lot, and slammed it shut, locking it from the outside, cursing the entire time. He turned and walked back to the house, not suspecting a thing.
"You okay?" Hank called to Gunner.
Gunner let out a breath then spoke into his mic. "Yeah. Fine. We found the tunnel. Chase's gone in."
Chase interpolated into their conversation. "What I want to know is did we fucking evolve from munchkins because this tunnel is damn small."
Hank chuckled. "People were smaller then, son, but I'm sure the tunnel wasn't used for long, so they probably didn't feel the need to upgrade it."
Sweat dripped from Chase's forehead as he made his way forward. "Fuckers should've thought about it," he grumbled. "Okay, I'm seeing some light ahead. Think I might be at the end."
****
"Well, they've seen all of us. No way can we let them live." Liam used a toothpick on his front teeth as he spoke.
Brady came in the backdoor cursing. "Stupid fucking wind. What the hell kind of place is this?"
"It's just a spring storm, I guess," Josh offered, immediately knowing he needed to learn to keep his mouth shut after he'd blurted his weather forecast.
"Yeah? Is that what it is, lad?" Brady pushed Josh in the chest with his palm making Josh back up a few steps. "We've got us a weatherman here, haven't we?" He pushed Josh again making him trip a little over the carpet as he backed into the living room. "I've had about enough of this little cunt as I'm going to take." Brady looked back at the Boss as if wanting permission to do away with Josh right then.
"Oh, leave him alone, you damned idiot. Men and their testosterone." She huffed and shook her head. "I'll never understand you. I swear to God, it amazes me that you all don't walk around with your dicks in your hands comparing sizes." The Boss narrowed her eyes at Brady, waiting for him to leave Josh alone.
"Hm, looks like you were saved by the belle this time, boy," Brady said, laughing at his pun as he held Josh's chin with his fingers, tightening them, digging into the kid's jaw. He patted Josh's face with his other hand, which a pat to Brady was pretty much a fucking hard smack to any normal person, then let Josh go.
Josh ran his hand over his jaw, opening his mouth like he was trying to pop everything back into place. He was pissed. By God, when things went down, he hoped Brady was going to be the first to take a bullet.
****
"Okay, push!" Julia said as she and Sherry both pushed against the crowbar. The door made a splintering sound. "Stop! Ugh. The crowbar's just digging into it. It's not prying the door open. Damn it!"
"We need to go into the room for a bit. I'm scared they're going to come back down here." Sherry looked anxiously at Julia. They'd been working at the door for twenty minutes or so and Sherry was frightened that someone would come check on them.
"You're right. I need some water, anyway."
They picked their way back through the mess and into the main part of the room. Julia took the little cup at the side of the sink and turned on the faucet, filling it. She drank five cupfuls before stopping. She hadn't realized she was getting dehydrated.
"If you want to lie down for a bit, I'll keep watch," Sherry told her. "You haven't gotten any sleep and you've been going at this for a while."
"I am pretty tired," Julia said with a yawn. "I'll just take a little nap. Wake me up if you hear anyone coming, okay?" She lay back on the tiny cot and was out almost before her head hit the grungy pillow.
Sherry sat on the floor leaning back against the wall facing Julia, biting away at what was left of her fingernails, disgusted at herself for regressing back to her old, nasty habit. Hell, if she was going to die anyway, what did it matter?
****
"Things are getting serious now," Hank spoke into his mic. He'd heard the kidnappers talking about killing the girls. "We need to put the first phase into action."
Everyone knew he must've heard something being said inside the house.
"Fuck," Chase spit. He was stuck down in the tunnel and knew his dad was setting things into motion for a sneak attack. But his spirits rose when he finally reached a door. He listened for a minute. When he heard no sound on the other side, he tried opening it. Fucker wouldn't budge. He didn't know what was on the other side, but he bet it was at least a way into the house. He just hoped it wasn't right into the middle of the room where the kidnappers were. Actually, he wouldn't have minded that one bit because he'd have shot them all dead before they realized what had hit them. But they'd still have the advantage of hearing him coming in. He turned away from the door, whispering into his mic, "I'm at the door. I don't hear anything on the other side. What do I do?"
&
nbsp; "Hang tight, son. We need to get in position if you're going to be breaking in. Gun, watch my six. Oz, north side of the house. Quaid, you’ve got the south and anyone coming up the drive. Chase, wait for my count."
"Got it." Chase was trying to figure out how the hell to break the door in when he was as hunched over as he was. He hoped ramming it with his shoulder would do the trick. Hell, if all else failed, he could always shoot his way in.
****
Josh had been waiting for an answer from his Uncle Felix for hours. He'd called him when he was back at his apartment but didn't know if the old bastard would come through. Felix was Josh's father's brother and he had a finger stuck in all kinds of crime bosses' pies throughout the City. When Josh had called him, he'd told Felix what was going on and that he needed help. At first Felix said he didn't want any part of it, that he knew the people involved and they were bad news. When Josh had informed his uncle that he knew computers and would probably be able to break into the accounts these people were having the money deposited into, Felix had started singing a different tune. He told Josh he'd get back with him as soon as he checked with a couple of his associates.
While Liam and Brady sat watching TV, Josh was nervously waiting for an answer from Felix, his fingers all tap-tap-tappy on the end table, which garnered several dirty looks from the two thugs. When his phone buzzed he almost flipped out. He pulled it out of his pocket, checking the screen. Felix had texted him that he was in and that they were almost at the house. Josh let out a sigh of relief. He got up, walking out of the room, sticking his head into the office telling the Boss that he'd forgotten something out in his car. Going outside and away from the house, he called Felix to make plans. Everything was good to go. He hung up thinking that maybe he would make it out of this alive, when out of nowhere a gun muzzle was held against his temple.
****
"Julia! Julia!" Sherry whispered, trying to wake Julia by shaking her.
"Mmmm," Julia answered. Poor girl was out cold.
"Julia, something's going on. I heard something from upstairs."
Sherry was horrified. She'd heard arguing outside the upstairs door. The woman and one of the big guys were having it out over something to do with Josh. Sherry was afraid that Josh had come up with a plan to rescue them and had screwed up and now the others would kill him then she and Julia would be next. She'd continued shaking Julia until she'd finally roused her.
"What is it?" Julia asked sitting up quickly. She rubbed her eyes then yelped when she forgot about the hurt one, accidentally touching it.
Sherry cringed then told Julia, "I'm not sure, but it has something to do with Josh. It didn't sound good." She bit down on a phantom fingernail.
Julia’s adrenaline fired up finally waking her fully. "What'd they say?"
"Something about he hadn't come back but his car was still there. What do you think happened?"
Just then the woman screamed a string of obscenities and they heard a slap.
Both girls looked at each other, scared that they'd be the next recipients of the woman's wrath. "I don't know. Shit. But if they find him doing something to help us, he's dead. We've got to get out of here before they come for us next." Julia stood and stretched quickly, rolling her head around on her neck. "We've got to try the door again."
Sherry looked panicked, afraid they'd be caught. "I'm so scared, Julia."
"I know. I am too. Come on."
****
"Gotcha, fucker." Oz had his gun pressed against Josh's head. "Say one word or move and you'll be minus one cranium."
Josh held his hands up to his sides letting the guy with the gun know he wasn't armed and he was cooperating.
"Got one," Oz spoke into his mic. "North side."
"Okay, hold him until I can get over there," Hank said back. "Gun, stay where you are until my ‘go.’" He silently took off heading to the other side of the house.
Right as Hank got to Oz, Quaid saw a car pull in at the end of the driveway about sixty yards away, headlights off, parking. What the hell? Three men got out holding guns. "Fuck me," Quaid hissed. He spoke into his mic, "We've got company. Three men due south approaching the house, fifty plus yards away. All armed."
"If-if I can talk, I can tell you what's going on," Josh stuttered.
Hank pushed his gun under Josh's chin. "Speak."
****
The girls wended their way through the junk back to the door. Julia picked up the crowbar and pushed it between the door and the jamb. "Push!" she said. She and Sherry pushed on the thing with as much strength as they had. Again, the door splintered. "Fuck! We've got to get it deeper or it's just going to dig into the door." She repositioned the crowbar and they pushed again getting better results.
"Wait! I hear something!" Sherry said, looking quizzically at Julia.
Both girls stood still. Julia looked at Sherry expectantly wanting to know what it was she'd heard.
"Did you hear it?" Sherry said excitedly, putting her ear to the door.
Julia guessed her hearing in her left ear must've been knocked for a loop when the big guy had hit her, so she turned and pressed her right ear to the door.
And then she heard the most beautiful sound ever and immediately burst into tears. Chase was on the other side of the door calling her name.
***
"Those men down there that just drove up? Th-that's my uncle and his guys. I called him earlier and told him what was going on, and he said he'd send his men here so that they could get rid of the bad guys and then I could get him the money because I know how to use computers and I could reroute the money to an account that he set up." Josh took a deep breath after spitting out everything he knew.
Oz raised an eyebrow and looked at Hank like, "Can you believe this asshole?" The guy whose temple he was smashing his gun into could definitely talk.
"So, those men know we're here?" Hank asked Josh.
"No. But I can call my uncle and let him know so you don't get hurt." Josh swallowed roughly, wishing these guys would get their guns away from his face.
Hank laughed. "Yeah. You do that. Call them so they don't hurt us." He knew his men had the leg up here since they were aware of Josh's uncle and buddies who'd come onto the property. Well, that and the fact that his team was all badasses, himself included.
"O-okay. I'm just going to call him now, if that's alright with you," Josh stammered. He looked at Hank for permission and when he nodded, Josh called. "Uncle Felix? There are some other guys here, but I think they're good guys." Josh was amazed at himself for keeping his cool like he was. He'd always been a suck-up, but he couldn't believe himself capable of kissing ass in the situation in which he now found himself. Bravo, Josh! Bravo!
Hank and Oz watched Josh's face fall and they heard screaming coming from the phone.
"Let me have it," Hank said, taking the phone from Josh. "This is Hank Murphy. Who am I speaking to?" He listened for a bit. Ah, Felix Martin. He knew the man was affiliated with several questionable organizations in the City and he had no desire to tango with him at the moment. "We're here for a rescue, nothing more." He listened again. "One woman. We believe there's also another victim, but we don't know whether it's a male or female." He looked at Josh asking him, "How many are inside?"
"Two men and three women," Josh replied, more than happy to be of help. "The men and the red-haired woman are running it. Julia and the blond woman are being held."
"Did you hear that?" Hank said into the phone. "Yeah. Let us go in first. No! We don't give a fuck about the money. After we've gotten what we came here for, it's all yours. Give us ten minutes." He hung up, giving the phone back to Josh. "You'd better make yourself scarce. I'm sure the people inside would love to get their hands on you right about now."
He didn't have to tell Josh twice. He took off like a flash down the road toward his uncle.
"Quaid, keep your position and let us know if those fuckers try anything stupid. Chase, what's your position?" Hank asked.
"Wait for my signal then bust the fucker down."
"Got it."
****
"What do you mean you still can't get him?" the Boss screamed at Liam.
"I mean, he won't answer his goddamned phone!" Liam answered back, irritated.
"Well, you'd better find him fast!"
Liam dialed Josh's phone again and left a rather nasty message. When the idiot showed up, he was going to get an earful… and then a mouthful of Liam's fist, for sure.
"Brady, go check on the girls. Liam, check outside to see if Josh is around anywhere. This is ridiculous!"
Liam went out the kitchen door mumbling about how he was going to teach the dumbass kid a lesson when he found him.
Brady headed toward the basement door.
"Wait! Have you heard from Ephraim?" the Boss asked.
"No, not lately."
"Call him to make sure the money's all set. If it is, we can dispose of the girls."
Brady pulled his phone out, stepping back into the office to make his call while the Boss clacked a pen against her teeth. She was pissed at Josh and his tomfoolery. When she got her hands on him…
Holding the phone away from his mouth, Brady told her, "Ephraim says the Larson girl's all set and he's working on the Cooke girl. Says he's got the ten mill being rerouted from the other Cooke dude and the Moore guy. Still waiting on the rest from the girl's dad."
"When will it go through? The twenty million?"
Brady talked to Ephraim for a couple seconds. "He says to give him another thirty minutes and it should be there."
Being Chased Page 28
