Drift Away (Noah Braddock Mysteries) (28 page)

I had no way of knowing if I was doing the right thing. It felt like so long since I’d had an internal compass, that innate sense that told me I was doing the right or wrong thing. I’d been drifting for too long, rudderless. I hadn’t made a real decision in
—
I couldn’t remember how long.

But now, I was making a decision.

I was just letting Liz’s voice guide me.

FORTY-NINE

“I probably should’ve said something awhile ago, but how exactly are we going to do this?” Alex asked.

I’d pulled the car to a stop several blocks away from where I’d parked earlier in the day in
Hanson
’s neighborhood and cut the engine. I handed him one of the guns Ike left for me.

“We’re going to wait for a sign,” I said.

“A sign?”

“Yeah. A sign. We’ll know when to go in.”

“What kind of sign?”

“I don’t know.”

He stared at me.

“Just trust me,” I told him. “We’ll know.”

“And we’re just going in the front door?”

“Yep.”

He stared straight ahead for a moment, then turned back to me. “A sign?”

“A sign.”

He blinked. “Alright.”

“I’ll go in first and you can cover me,” I said. “But it’ll be safe.”

He shook his head, disbelieving, but said, “You say so.”

We got out of the car and I tucked the gun into the band of my shorts, beneath my T-shirt. I honestly wasn’t sure if I’d even need it if everything went according to plan. Alex came around to me on the sidewalk and we walked slowly in the direction of
Hanson
’s house.

I glanced at the watch on my wrist. “Four minutes.”

“Until?”

“Until the sign,” I said. “I think.”

“Dude, you’re confusing the hell out of me.”

“Bear with me.”

“Trying.”

We stayed on the opposite side of the street and I scanned the houses as we walked. I saw no one perched between the homes or in cars or posing as lookouts. As I suspected,
Hanson
was either too stupid to believe Red, or too arrogant to think we could come and get him. I didn’t want to go in overconfident, but
Hanson
was proving himself to be pretty predictable.

We slowed as we reached the block where
Hanson
’s house stood. A guy was parked in front of his door, but it wasn’t Red. It was someone I didn’t recognize, but he didn’t look all that different from
Colin
or the other guys
Hanson
surrounded himself with. He stood indifferently on the brick steps, turning his head occasionally from side to side, his arms folded across his chest like he was pissed that he’d been stuck with lookout duty.

“Let’s split up,” I said. “You walk ahead and go all the way past the house. Stay on this side. Don’t even look at the house when you pass it, just keep going until you’re about the same distance away as me on the other side. They won’t recognize you.”

“Then what?”

“Wait for the sign.”

“Right,” he said. “The sign.”

“Trust me.”

He shook his head but started off.

The guy glanced at him when Alex was across from the house, stared for a moment, then continued his rotating gaze. Alex walked casually, messing with his phone as he passed the house, not giving it even the slightest glance.

Perfect.

I looked at my watch.

One minute.

I stood and waited.

I wasn’t really sure what I was looking for. I wasn’t being difficult or evasive with Alex. I really didn’t know what we should expect. But I was confident that we’d know it when we saw it.

Two minutes later, I saw movement on the roof. A large figure, crouched, wearing something that looked like a backpack with an automatic weapon of some sort slung around his body. He moved quickly along the pitch of the roof, then paused, staring down at something. Then he brought the weapon around, aimed it at the roof and unleashed a flurry of bullets into what I was pretty sure was the bank of windows above the living room.

The guy in the front of the house nearly jumped out of his shoes, he was so startled. He fell to the pavement, fumbled for the gun under his shirt and disappeared inside the house.

I looked back to the roof.

The figure was no longer there.

I smiled and started jogging toward the house. I thought about the phone call I’d made just hours earlier. It had been startling to hear his voice. He’d agreed to drive straight to the airport and help. And I’d given him directions to my place so he could pick up one of the guns Ike had gotten for us.

I hadn’t seen him in forever and he’d agreed to do all of that in about ninety seconds.

He was still my best friend.

And Carter still knew how to give a sign.

FIFTY

Alex followed me into the house, his eyes wide, nearly as surprised as everyone inside.

Hanson
,
Colin
and several others, including the guy that had been standing guard at the front of the house, were face down on the floor, showered in shattered glass. Carter stood over them, looking bored.

“I came all the way out here for this?” he asked. “I think you just missed me.”

He wore a plain black T-shirt, long khaki shorts and running shoes. His hair was a bit longer since I’d last seen him, but still electric-white. He waved the gun over the guys on the floor the way a kid might brandish a squirt gun.

He was right. I had missed him.

“Just figured you needed the practice,” I said.

“Good to know you still aren’t funny,” he said.

“Good to know you’re still ugly.”

“Let’s discuss your lame comebacks later on,” he said. “What are we doing here?  Do I get to shoot people or no?”

“Maybe,” I said. “Be patient.”

“Not my strong suit,” he said, then looked past me. “What’s up, Alex?”

“Carter,” he said, still disbelieving. “I, uh
…
good to see you.”

“It usually is,” he said.

I stuck my toe in
Hanson
’s cheek. “Where is he?”

“Where is who?” he mumbled.

I brought my foot back and kicked him hard in the cheek. He squirmed on the floor and turned his face away from me.

“Where is he?” I asked again.

“Is he the biggest asshole here?” Carter asked. “Can I shoot him first?”

“Upstairs,”
Hanson
said.

“Red up there with him?”

“Yeah.”

“Keep them down,” I said to Carter. “Anyone moves, shoot the one I just kicked.”

“Kill him or play with him?” Carter asked.

“Play with him,” I said. “Then kill him.”

“Totally worth the trip now.”

Alex and I ascended the staircase and we each took a side of the long hallway. We were halfway down when Red stepped out into the corridor, his hands up.

“Kid’s in here,” he said. “He’s fine.”  He eyed me. “Choosing your side.”

“He should be cool, Alex,” I said. “Keep an eye on him. I’ll get Jackson.”

“Got it.”

Red stepped away from the door, his hands still up. “You want me to get down or something?”

“You’re fine,” I said. “Alex won’t miss from here. No offense.”

“Just business,” Red said, shrugging. “We’re cool.”

I stepped into the room. Jackson was sitting on the floor, surrounded by stuffed animals, watching television.

He looked up and his eyes lit up. “Noah!”  He scrambled to his feet and attached himself to one of my legs. “I missed you!”

“I missed you, too, Jax,” I said. “We’re gonna go get your mom, okay?”

“Yes!”  His grip tightened on my leg. “Don’t leave me again, okay?”

“I won’t,” I said. “We’re going to get your mom right now.”

I reached down for his hand and he unclamped himself from my leg, latching onto my hand. He looked a little tired, but otherwise fine. I scooped him up with my other arm and he threw his arms around my neck.

“You okay?” I asked.

“I’m fine,” he said. “I just miss Mommy.”

I stepped out of the room and Red and Alex were exactly where I’d left them.

“Hi, Alex,” Jackson said.

“Hey, buddy.”

I nodded at Red. “Was that man nice to you?”

Jackson nodded. “Yeah. Red brought me ice cream and watched movies with me. We played games, too.”  He smiled. “Hi, Red.”

“Hey, little man.”