Forever Freed

by Kathleen Brooks

  “Two. You only told me about one. Oh my god, you’re going to blow up the distillery too,” Evie whispered in horror. He was going to blow up Aniyah’s wedding.

  Jonathan laughed, and at Evie’s horrified look, the girl did too. Jonathan’s phone rang and he answered, still chuckling. Then his smile fell and he turned to look at Evie. “What’s going on in town this morning?”

  “What do you mean?” Evie asked, distractedly, still reeling.

  “The race with all the dogs,” Jonathan snapped.

  “What about it?” Evie rolled her eyes.

  “What is it?”

  “It’s a race where you can bring your dog,” Evie said as if she were saying duh, except she had no idea what was going on downtown. But she knew in an instant who and what those dogs were. They were Bridget’s bomb sniffing dogs and hope soared inside her.

  “You knew about it?” Jon asked.

  “Yeah. Everyone did. They talked about it at the café every night this week.”

  Jonathan told the person on the phone that and then hung up. “Anything funny and I blow the café.”

  “How would I know? I’m here, aren’t I?” Evie glared.

  “That was fast,” Jackson said to his team. “They found the bomb in a planter in front of the café. They didn’t do anything because they knew they were being watched. Now they’re on a manhunt for the last man.”

  A couple of hours before, Dylan followed a man who left the house before sunrise. He was hiding in an alley downtown. That left one male unaccounted for.

  “Does Dylan have the guy?” Talon asked.

  “Walker has eyes on him now. Dylan’s on his way back here,” Jackson told him.

  “Are you sure the unaccounted man isn’t one of the six who arrived during the night?” Lucas asked.

  “I’m sure. I got pictures of the six and now have IDs on them all. But we’re still missing one man,” Abby told them.

  Jackson hoped for a quick resolution, but it didn’t come. Hours later, with the race over, they still hadn’t found the second man. “Walker says the man he’s watching talks to two people. One is Jonathan and one is TJ, who must be the last man we’re looking for, Terrence Johannes.”

  “What do we do now?” Lucas asked. “It’s five thirty and Aniyah’s wedding is going to start soon.”

  “Something isn’t right. Not knowing TJ’s location bothers me,” Jackson told them.

  Dylan and Abby looked at him and nodded in agreement.

  Jackson picked up his phone and sent a text to Walker to take his man down. A minute later Walker texted a picture of the man bound and gagged and in the back of his SUV. “Well, there’s only one way to figure out what’s bugging me,” Jackson said with a shrug. “Let’s go ask Jonathan.”

  * * *

  Jackson ordered his men into position. He, Dylan, Abby, Talon, and Lucas waited for the others to get into position before they moved silently under the dark winter sky. Jackson felt the familiar thrum of adrenaline coursing through him as he led his team through the night. His feet fell sure and steady while never making a noise.

  There were three men outside the cabin. They were armed but not at attention. One was stationed out front and the others on either side of the cabin. The back, which had no guard, was their destination.

  Jackson and his team moved as a silent pack until they reached the back of the cabin. Without speaking, Jackson issued his orders. Dylan and Abby moved to the left first. Jackson waited for the count of ten and then slid around to the right. The man guarding that side was walking closer to the front door. He never heard Jackson coming.

  Jackson lowered the body to the ground and pulled his knife free as Dylan and Abby ran on silent feet from the front of the house. Jackson looked back and saw Talon at the back corner scanning the area. He nodded to Jackson, indicating that he and Lucas were moving. Talon jogged by the group and took up his position at the front left of the house. He gave Jackson the thumbs-up. Lucas was in place opposite him. It was go time.

  Jackson nodded to Dylan, who pulled a large suction cup from his backpack and attached it to the window. Jackson used the glass cutter and Dylan then lifted the cut glass from the rest of the window without a sound. Abby placed a blanket over the window to protect them from any sharp edges and Jackson lifted himself up and into the room.

  Jackson heard Evie yelling and moved. Abby opened the bedroom door so he and Dylan could storm in. Three quick shots were all it took to take down the men who had been in the living room.

  * * *

  Evie watched the woman she wanted to kill walk into the bathroom, close the door, and turn on the shower. But then Evie heard it—a single creak of the wooden floor that came from the bedroom, not the bathroom. She didn’t know how, but Evie knew Jackson was here. She knew it with all her heart.

  Jonathan looked back toward the bedroom as if wondering where his girlfriend went and Evie instantly went into action. She rocked hard and tipped the chair backward with a large crash. Her back hit and then her head and it hurt like crazy.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Jonathan screamed. He was up and standing over her in a split second.

  “If you don’t have the nerve to kill me, I’ll kill myself. I hate you!” Evie screamed and that distraction was all Jackson needed. He slammed into Jonathan from behind and had him cuffed before Evie could blink.

  “Hiya,” Abby smiled down at Evie as she sliced the ropes off her.

  “Evie!” Jackson yanked her up from the chair as Dylan took control of Jonathan.

  “I knew you’d come,” Evie said into his chest as she clutched him. Her legs were weak and stiff so she grabbed onto his utility belt with her right hand and the knife hilt from his blade housed in the utility belt with the other.

  “Nooo!”

  Evie heard Jon’s girlfriend scream as she came running out of the bathroom with a gun. Evie yanked the knife free and threw as Jackson spun around. The knife hit the woman in the chest at the same time three bullets did.

  “I feel so much better now,” Evie said with a smile. “I couldn’t stand her.”

  She was wrapped back in Jackson’s embrace, but Evie pounded on him to let go as his men burst in through the doors.

  “There’s another bomb!” Evie yelled getting everyone’s attention.

  “Where?” Jackson asked calmly, even though she knew how worried he was.

  “The distillery.”

  “The wedding,” Abby gasped before kicking Jonathan hard.

  “Talon, you and Lucas come with me. Worski, Drummel, and Garcia, take Jonathan to Desert Sun Farm. The man Walker grabbed will be in a holding cell at the Rahmi Security Building. The soldiers at the gate will take you. Ronson, handle things here and call it in.”

  “Yes, sir,” his team snapped and then they were off. They had a wedding to save.

  34

  “Oh, for crying out loud,” Bridget snapped as she read the text. “I just got her into this dress and I’m not getting her out of it.”

  “What’s the matter?” Aniyah asked as she looked worriedly at Bridget.

  Bridget smiled up at her and blinked. “Not a thing, dear. I’ll be right back with your flowers.”

  “Those inconsiderate little brats,” Bridget muttered to herself as she walked out of the separate building at the Barrel Creek Distillery where Aniyah and Riley were getting dressed for the wedding. “I’m going to kill him if Jackson doesn’t. I can’t believe I have to do this.”

  “Ahmed!” she called to her husband. He was in the horse-drawn carriage with a portable heater for the group riding to the wedding. This was going to be brutal.

  Her husband stepped from the carriage and Bridget’s breath caught in her throat. He straightened and ran his hands down his tuxedo jacket. His broad shoulders filled the jacket and his muscular thighs filled his pants, leaving Bridget licking her lips. It didn’t matter that they’d been married almost thirty years. Her husband still left her breathless.

>   “Yes, sweetheart?” Ahmed walked toward her, and Bridget had to remember why she came outside. “You look as beautiful as the day you tried to beat me at hand-to-hand.”

  “Tried?” Bridget argued and then smiled at her husband.

  “Is Aniyah almost ready?” Ahmed asked.

  “Yes, but we have a problem. The only solution is . . .” Bridget took a deep breath. “Nemi.”

  Bridget rolled her eyes as her husband smiled broadly. He was ridiculously proud of his dog. Don’t get her wrong, she was a big dog lover, but Ahmed was next level.

  “She’s ready for anything. I’ve trained her to carry the ring. Or the flowers.”

  “Jackson sent a text.”

  “I didn’t get it,” Ahmed pulled out his phone and looked at it. “Oh, I did.” His eyes lit up as he raised his head to look at her with delight. “There’s another bomb. Nemi will find it and save the wedding! Aniyah will have to let her be in the wedding now!”

  Bridget sighed as Ahmed opened the door to their car and out jumped Nemi wearing a collar of red and white roses that connected to a white bow between her shoulder blades. Cascading from the bow were five small layers of red tulle that covered her tail and almost swept the ground. This man desperately needed a grandchild.

  “Don’t wait for us. Nemi and I have twenty minutes to save the wedding. We will find the bomb and be waiting by the door for you. The wedding won’t start even a second late.” And off went her husband with a bomb-sniffing Vizsla in formalwear.

  Jackson’s phone buzzed, but he was driving too fast to look at it. He was only a minute away from the turn in to the distillery and was pushing the SUV close to a hundred miles per hour on the narrow country roads.

  “It’s from Ahmed, but I’m not sure what I’m looking at,” Evie said slowly from the passenger seat. She turned and handed the phone into the backseat.

  “I think that’s a dog in a dress,” Lucas said slowly.

  “Ahmed dressing up his dog has nothing to do with saving this wedding,” Jackson snapped.

  “No, look, the dog is pointing at something,” Talon said as he looked at the phone too.

  “Bomb,” he and Lucas said at once.

  “Is it disarmed?” Jackson asked, slamming on the brakes a second before taking a sharp right onto the distillery grounds.

  “Nope. That’s what Ahmed needs help with and since you’re the bomb

  expert . . .” Lucas trailed off.

  “Tell me about the bomb,” Jackson ordered as he slowed. He couldn’t let the one spotter realize he was here before they caught him.

  “It was wrapped as a present under a Christmas tree in the ceremony location. Everyone has been moved to the reception room under the pretense of a group photo. The bomb has a timer on it. Ahmed says it’s set to go off at five after six. However, it also has a something that looks like a receiver.”

  “So he could set it off remotely if the timer doesn’t work,” Jackson muttered to himself. “Text the group and tell them they have to find the man. He can’t be too far. He’ll have to have be in sight of the bomb. We’re almost there.”

  Jackson stopped the car and turned to Evie. “I need you to drive slowly. Can you do that?”

  Evie nodded and Jackson climbed into the rear. He reached into his bag of supplies and tossed sets of the new night-vision goggles they’d been using to Lucas and Talon before slipping them on himself. “Okay, drive,” he told Evie from where he sat in the far back of the SUV.

  Jackson scanned the area as they drove closer. He saw the horse-drawn carriage and Aniyah walking out of the outbuilding. Time was running out. He was about to turn to scan the other direction when the smallest movement caught his attention.

  “Got him. Ten feet from the entrance,” Jackson said out loud. “There’s a group of evergreens. He’s inside the one closest to the door.”

  “Confirmed,” Talon said.

  “Sending it out to the group,” Lucas said as he sent the location of the man to the text group.

  “What do you want me to do?” Evie asked. Jackson could hear her nervousness as they approached.

  “Pull up and park so the windshield faces that tree. I’ll take him out,” Jackson told her as he pulled out his sniper rifle and rested the barrel on the backseat between Lucas and Talon.

  “We have someone closing in to the line of fire,” Talon said calmly. Jackson cursed and lifted the tailgate before Evie even stopped. He rounded the SUV and took aim. In the darkness, a figure dressed in black crept forward. The man in black was within two yards of the tree when he leapt.

  “Go!” Jackson yelled as his team rushed from the SUV and charged forward. The doors to the distillery had been open and Walker, Aiden, and half of Jackson’s family ran out with guns raised.

  The tree shook and then the man in black emerged with the suspect.

  “Oh God,” Evie gasped.

  “I thought we already covered that. I’m not God, I’m just a priest,” Father Ben said to her with a smile as he handed the man to Talon and Lucas who rushed forward.

  “Are you sure you’re a priest?” Evie asked as Aiden and Walker helped frisk the man.

  “Pretty sure. The whole vows-to-the-church thing was a good indication,” Father Ben told her as he came to stand next to Evie.

  “Garage door remote,” Aiden called out. “Got it. Go, Jackson.”

  “Keep everyone outside,” Jackson yelled. He didn’t look back as he ran inside. He had to dispose of this bomb and now. “Talon, you and Lucas take him to Desert Sun with the rest of them.”

  “You got it,” Talon answered as they shoved the man into the back of the SUV.

  “In here,” Jackson heard Ahmed yell.

  The room had been cleared except for Ahmed and Nemi dressed in what appeared to be a doggie ball gown. Jackson blinked as the gown swayed when Nemi wagged her tail. “Did you find the man?”

  “Yes, and we got the remote,” Jackson said, taking a seat and looking at the bomb. The power source was connected to an arming switch. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as easy as flipping a switch to turn it off and on. The bomb maker had used a keypad so he’d have know the number combination to turn it off. Connected to the switch was a splitter. One went to the receiver for the garage door opener. The other went to the clock that was counting down. Each receiver was connected to the explosive. There was no tertiary trigger to set it off if it moved, and that was exactly what Jackson was going to do.

  “Cady! Colton!” Jackson yelled as he ripped off his bulletproof vest and put it over the bomb.

  “Yes?” Cady asked, running in with a white face. She’d clearly been informed that there was a bomb in her building. Jackson’s cousin Colton was right behind her.

  “I need a safe place to blow this up.”

  “Um,” Cady blinked.

  “We need someplace with no buildings. Some place with either water or stone is best,” Colton said, switching into firefighter mode. “I need fire extinguishers.”

  “Um,” Cady blinked again.

  “Now, Cady,” Colton ordered and Cady’s head snapped toward him.

  “There are fire extinguishers next to the warehouse. Go about a half a mile straight back. At the very end of the property is a cow pond.”

  “Colton,” Jackson said and his cousin took the unsaid order. He raced from the room calling for his firefighters to follow him.

  Jackson walked out the front door holding the bomb.

  DeAndre stood at the front of the group. “It’s safe to go back inside,” Jackson told them.

  DeAndre took a deep breath but then looked up at the group. “Don’t anyone say one word to Aniyah about a bomb at our wedding. Not one word.”

  Jackson walked out and grimaced. He’d sent his SUV away.

  A limo turned on and pulled forward. The window rolled down and Evie looked out at him. “Need a ride?”

  Jackson didn’t hesitate. He leapt in. “Around this building and then head straight back for half a mil
e. Hurry!” Jackson looked at the timer. He had three minutes. Thank goodness Aniyah was running late.

  Jackson held on to the bomb tightly and Evie floored the limo. They bounced over the uneven ground and then slammed to a stop. Jackson shoved the door open and ordered Evie to stay put. The pond was shallow as he waded into it and set the bomb down. He took off the vest covering it and turned back. Colton and his small team of firefighters stood armed with fire extinguishers.

  “Thanks for the help, guys,” Jackson told them as they hid behind the limo. Jackson put the scope of his rifle up to his eye, took aim, and fired. His bullet set off the bomb, sending fire shooting up into the air. The limo rocked from the explosion. A few areas of grass and a shrub caught fire but Colton and his team quickly put them out.

  “Aniyah’s in the carriage!” Evie yelled.

  Jackson and Colton did one last sweep of the area. No fires. No more danger. It was over—almost.

  Jackson dove back into the limo as Evie threw it into reverse. Colton and his team, minus one who stayed at the bombsite, raced ahead of them in an SUV made for off-roading. Evie floored the limo again and off they went.

  “Aniyah will kill us if she finds out her wedding was almost blown up,” Jackson muttered as he quickly undressed down to his black cargo pants and black long-sleeved athletic shirt.

  Evie slid the limo to a stop in front of a very shocked-looking limo driver and leapt out wearing nothing but the black cotton robe she’d been in all night.

  “Will you be my date to the wedding?” Jackson asked as he held out his arm to her. Evie used a rubber band to pull her hair into a messy bun, shoved the collar of her robe down over her shoulders so it looked like an off-the-shoulder gown, and laced her arm in his.

  “I’ll go anywhere with you, Jackson Parker.”

  They walked in arm in arm, beaming at each other as if there was nothing remarkable about a man attending a wedding in SWAT attire with a barefoot woman wearing a robe as a gown on his arm.