They pressed into the wind finding walkways and buildings to block the pressure from pushing them backward. The wind had forced live ones indoors leaving the streets empty, save aged debris. The blasts of wind camouflaged their footfalls, and the grayness of the skies turned their shadows invisible.
Ryan surged ahead of them. He’d survey the perimeter of the building. Meanwhile counting security and making mental notes of positions. The team found shelter to regroup and plan an entry. Tucked in a windowless room, they gathered around a handheld lantern. When Ryan returned, he relayed the information they would need to get in.
"Two at the stairwell, four people at each angle. Just a guess, they have everything else disabled because the back entries were free." Ryan said slightly out of breath. "I say we just go in one of the back entries regardless."
“I bet the elevator’s working,” Jack said. “Or was before the storm.”
“Generator,” Ryan said. “There’s lights. One man posted at the front elevator.”
“What about the pool?” Trenton asked.
“It’d be tough to cover every door unless he’s got manpower,” Jack said dryly. “Who is this asshole anyway?”
The radio crackled in their ears. Jack tapped the earpiece with his finger. “Base this is Desert One. Do you copy?” Ryan sat down on a broken chair and looked at his brother.
“Too much interference,” Ryan said. “You need to get up high.”
“The roof,” Jack said. “I’ll be back.”
Jack took the stairs to the roof two at a time. When he reached the top floor, he found a room with an available window. There was no opening it. Down below the wind was blasting the streets below., He leaned in towards the glass.
“Base this is Desert One do you copy?”
“Base we read you loud and clear.” Chandler’s voice streamed through the earpiece without interference.
“Copy,” Jack said relieved.
"The relay switch has a live wire. I made contact, and we've got an affirmative location that is compromised." Chandler said. "We can pick up your location from here. Be advised he has the seasons and the mirror."
Jack took in a deep breath. “Affirmative,” He tried to hide his frustration. Seasons referred to Summer and mirror referred to Eric. Sam and Blake included. He had an entire slew of his team to get out.
Jack glanced down at the streets below. The rubble swirled and flew to the rhythm of the wind. There were no live people only mounds of battered remnants of objects left behind. The evening was fast approaching casting a darker gray contrast to the sidewalks below. He stepped away from the window and made his way back down the stairwell to the others.
“What’d they say?” Adam asked taking a seat on a broken bucket while grazing on a protein bar.
“The asshole is Riley’s husband. Ray is Mark Raeburn.”
There was a moment of silence.
"Gene was right. There's something wrong about him." Adam said.
“How do you know?” Ryan asked.
“Because I met him a few days after you were there at the house.” Adam climbed to his feet. “He was asking a bunch of questions.”
“You should’ve said something sooner,” Jack said. “You should’ve told her the day she showed up on her doorstep.”
"He told me she was the bad seed. How was I supposed to know who to believe?" Adam said. "Guys an asshole but you two show up looking all FBI and shit. I thought you were going to take the house back, make us leave."
“I don’t blame you for not trusting us kid,” Jack muttered irritated.
"I do. Holy shit kid; you know how many houses are out there for the taking?" Ryan said looking up. "You should've told us. How bad is this situation Jack? They’re probably tied up somewhere waiting to hacked up for stew or some shit like that." Ryan said turning red in the face.
“Calm down Ryan,” Jack said in a calm tone.
"I can help." The voice came out of the darkness, and it wasn't one of them.
Jack pivoted, and all four semi autos pointed in her direction. She stepped into the darkness with her hands out in front of her.
“Summer.” She said softly.
Jack lowered his weapon. “Chandler told me Raeburn had you.”
“He did.” She stepped into the light and Adam followed her with the barrel of his weapon. She gave him a nod holding her hands out in front of her. “I have a friend looking for Raeburn. I followed him from the Arco. I think he’s in danger.”
“Who’s your friend?” Ryan asked lowering his weapon.
“Dragon.” She said. “You’ll know him when you see him.”
“The Queen Mary?” Jack moved closer to the light. “He’s on the wrong side.”
"He was, but he isn't anymore." She answered.
Dressed in all black, her hair hidden away from her face in a ponytail made her appear slightly younger than she was. She stared at them with large almond shaped eyes. She was elegantly beautiful, and from the looks of it, Adam and Trenton noticed. The blue-eyed girl was the distraction and focal point of conversation.
“Are you Jack? She asked.
“Jack Colton,” he said.
"Everything Axel tells you isn't true," she said with a slight grin. Jack didn't believe her. He knew Axel wouldn't have gotten involved sending them this far if this girl wasn't of some notable importance.
“This is Ryan Colton, Trenton, and Adam,” Jack said.
No one said anything, and Jack cleared his throat.
“Summer.” Summer said.
They shook her hand one at a time. Ryan kept glancing over at Jack. The kid was anxious as hell to get to the hotel and find the others.
“Does Axel know you’re here?” Jack asked.
“No.” Summer replied. “One of your guys and I were forced into speaking with a woman at the Arco. He didn’t give us her name…”
“Riley.” Jack and Ryan said at the same time.
“Yep.” Summer nodded. “She’s a diviner as well.”
“Shit!” Jack slammed his hand down onto an old wooden table and then began to pace a slow walk back and forth.
“Is he okay?” Summer asked.
“Yep. It’s complicated.” Ryan replied.
The door creaked behind them. Jack turned, and Summer spun around. She stepped backward reaching behind her. She brought out a pistol and aiming it in front of her. Adam and Jack came in beside her.
“Someone’s there.” She whispered.
Jack stepped forward. He pressed open the door allowing an abyss of nothingness to appear in front of them. Something whined, and Jack looked closer stepping aside as Shift made her way into the room. She took one look at the team and then went into to a prone position. Jack knelt down and called Shift to him. The dog dropped her ears slightly lowered her head and crawled.
“Shift,” Jack whispered.
The dog cried. Through dim light, Jack made out the entire body of the dog. Shift tried to stand but changed her mind midway and went back down to a prone position. Jack stayed low to the ground moving towards the dog.
“Easy girl.” He said letting his hand fall towards her nose. “Easy.”
Shift lowered her head submissive to Jack’s voice. He ran his fingers around her muzzle and the bridge of her nose. The dog allowed him this.
"She's hurt." Summer said kneeling down next to Jack. Her fingers were beginning to run over the dog's body. "She belongs to you?"
“You didn’t see her with Eric?” Jack asked running his fingers over her coat. Her skin felt chilled except for one section. The warmth coming from the wound was blood. "Here." He said.
Summer pulled off her sweater and then pulled off the long sleeve Tee that was underneath leaving her only in her bra. Without modest, She tore the sleeve off and then pressed it into the wound and then redressed. “She’s lost blood.”
Jack moved in closer to the dog’s body trying to give her some warmth.
“Shift doesn’t leave Eric’s side for
nothing,” Ryan said from behind them. He patted Jack on the shoulder and handed him a survival blanket. “Wrap her up, so she doesn't go into shock."
Summer wrapped the blanket around Shift as Jack lifted her upward. Jack raised his head just as Trenton slipped out of the building and disappeared into the evening light.
“Where’s he going?” Jack asked.
“The roof so he can call for help,” Adam said.
“That kid’s going to like Eric. They move alike.” Ryan said with a grin. Shift looked up at Ryan as if understanding what he’d just said and then slowly laid her head down on Jack’s lap. Save my man person, please.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
Riley, Cobra, Conman, and Chandler stood in complete darkness. Riley blanketed in a cold sweat, felt betrayed. She’d wondered but never had to face it. Back in Sacramento, she was trying to escape her worst nightmare one more time. The communications room was coal black. Riley was strong. However, her human tendencies were to remember and react. It was up to her to override those old feelings of fear and apprehension and remind herself of whom she’d become.
“Where are you, Lucas?”
She didn’t need to close her eyes, but he did. The darkness was enough to allow Lucas in. He pulled her to him until she stood under the sunshine, knee-deep in tall grass under the warm sun. Riley lifted her face and let the sun kiss her from every direction. She felt her body surrender as the cold chill of darkness washed away from her. When Riley opened her eyes, Lucas was standing next to her watching. She swore the next time she saw him, she'd look carefully. He reminded her of Jack and Ryan.
“Riley.” He whispered stepping in closer.
Somewhere behind her, a horse snorted stomping its hoof. The sweet smells of the desert captured all senses. She'd been craving the sunshine, and here she stood. The dress Lucas put her in was soft. Thin material wrapped around her legs as the breeze stirred.
“He’ll make me end it. There won’t be a resolution.” She said.
“No.”
“He won’t hesitate to kill me.” She said. “I want this to be over.”
“I don’t know if it’s going to be that simple.” He said softly.
“Simple or not. Mark won't stop until I confront him.” Riley said. “It’s what he wants.”
Lucas turned and faced her. His fingers reached up and touched her face. His skin was warm. She felt an intense heat burn inside her again as he pulled her close to him. She hated the guilt she felt when he was near her. Something told her, it wasn’t what she thought it was. The breeze moved her hair wrapping around his broad shoulders like newly grown branches. Then he pulled away holding her by her shoulders.
“If you go to him several will die, maybe you. If you don’t go to him, the ones who are there already are going to die. I cannot predict this nor do I like the thought of it. You know what he's capable of so be ahead of his thinking." He said. "If you hesitate, he'll kill you."
As the light of the sun disappeared, the blackness of the communications room wrapped its uninviting arms around her. The warmth disappeared, and she felt coldness. Riley heard Cobra and Conman talking to her, and suddenly their words weren't all scrambled but clear.
“Riley.” Conman said.
“If he wants to play, I’m game.” She said. “Not his game but rather I’ll play.” She stammered. “That wasn’t right was it?”
“Pick up your ear piece,” Chandler said ignoring her blonde moment.
Riley reached out searching for her earpiece on the table. The darkness shrouded her senses making her vulnerable to its ability to steal her sight. Could Chandler and Conman hear her breathing? Could they hear her heart pounding against her chest?
“If you hesitate he’ll kill you.”
“I know.”
“He wants to meet with you,” Chandler said.
“I figured as much.” She said. “What else did he say?”
Chandler hesitated but time was important. “He shot the dog. He say’s your brother’s next.”
It’s a survival response. There’s the challenge and then the reaction. Riley shoved the earpiece into her ear feeding her anger and turning it into power. Then in her moment of being strong, Riley stumbled, but Cobra reached out and caught her bringing her upright.
“You have this.” He said. She turned slowly in the darkness and faced him. She nodded even though he couldn’t see her.
“What are you going to do?” Chandler asked turning on a table lantern. The glow was dim.
“Exactly what he wants,” Riley replied.
“Meaning?” Cobra’s face was nearly visible, and the dark shadows dancing off his face made him appear more tired than he probably was.
“Me. Mark wants me."
“You can’t do that Riley,” Cobra replied. His tone dropped a notch.
“I have no choice.” She said clicking on my headset. Riley looked at Cobra intently. “What do you want Mark?”
“You! Of course.” He said almost happily. It was a ploy. All of it.
“If you hurt Eric, I’m going to kill you. Even if you don’t hurt him, I’m going to kill you.”
“Good, good. Then we have a meeting.” Mark said.
Riley went silent for a second and then sighed. It was a game to Mark, and once again, he was in control, or was he?
“Oh I’m coming,” She said.
“I was gracious enough to send a car for you. You’ll have to walk a bit, but you'll see it."
“Thoughtful.” She said and hung up.
She wasn’t the same cowering wife she’d been when she left. Riley knew he was amused. The backup generator powered up and the lights flickered on. They cast a dim, eerie glow in the communications room where they all stood silent, and all eyes were on her.
“You’re not going.” Conman said.
“Yes, I am.”
“Jack will kill us,” Cobra interjected.
“Then I’ll tie you up and say I took you hostage. He won’t believe it, but I'd like to see you alive when I get back Cobra."
“This isn’t funny,” Chandler said.
“No, it’s pretty dangerous.” She said. “I’m going to need Conman, Piston, and Mustang.”
“Jack isn’t going to approve of this.”
“I’m in,” Cobra said.
“Jack wouldn’t approve of you letting me go without protection.” She said. “I’ll take the fall for this one. I need your help. If you need to call him, call him but make sure you tell him I am going regardless.”
Chandler got on the radio and tried to reach Jack but got no answer. He turned back toward Cobra and Riley. He shook his head. “They’re in a dead zone.”
“Gentlemen, the clock is ticking.” She said. She felt in control allowing her to regain her confidence. No wonder men liked it!
Conman stepped over to the table. “What’s the plan?”
Piston moved like a drone. Unseen and unheard he took out the driver careful not to spill an ounce of blood on his clothing or break a single item during the struggle. Within seconds, Piston had the driver’s clothing stripped off and in Conman’s hands and back inside the compound. They moved fast. The driver’s clothing fit Conman almost allowing him a little over an inch all the way around.
Under a minute, Conman was in the driver’s seat of the car Mark sent for her. Piston was at her feet going over plans of the building and Mustang, tucked neatly in the trunk, was working on a plan, any plan. Had Chandler reached Jack they’d still be waiting in the communication’s room drinking coffee? Jack would’ve talked her out of going. He would’ve ordered the team to stand by. He didn’t know Mark the way she did. Time was critical, and Eric's life depended on her arrival. She'd only one idea, trade herself in for Eric and pray to God that she could either escape or the others would rescue her. If she failed, her future looked bleak.
She’d have to deal with Jack’s wrath later but only with the others at her side. Eric was her only surviving family, her twin. Their bond
was unbreakable. He’d been there for her more than once, and now she'd be there for him.
In the Shadow of the Tiger (The Fighter Series Book 2) Page 27
