Freeing Him: A Hart Brothers Novel, Book 2 (29 page)

Drex adds, “We’ll drive, using our night vision, until we’re about a quarter mile out. Then we’ll hoof it. We go in the front window, taking out the guys at the front along the way. Once we’re inside, we’re pretty damn sure the big guy will be in his office. At least that’s what we’re hoping. If he’s not, we’ll put him there and wait on you. The rest of the goons we’ve disabled will be locked up in those nice little cages you’ve told us about in the basement.”

I nod but then a thought pops in my head. “What about Sylvia?”

“Unfortunately, the poor thing will be a victim of a sort,” Drex says.

“What do you mean?”

“We have to keep her silent and under lock and key. She won’t be hurt, but she’ll be scared shitless. We’ll tranq her and lock her in her room. When we’re done, she’ll wake up thinking she slept through it all. She’ll remember bits, but nothing can be done about it. She can’t interfere. Maybe if we’re lucky, she won’t even be there.”

“That’d be nice, but I doubt it. He controls her every move. One other thing. There’s a stable guy named Grady.”

“Shit! Why didn’t you tell us?” Drex is pissed.

“I forgot. He’s close with Kolson. If you run into him, tell him you’re here to help Kolson. Tell him to stay inside and keep his mouth shut.”

“I don’t know.”

“Just do it. Tell him this is in retaliation for Storm. Tell him to stay inside,” I insist.

“Okay, but I don’t like it. I don’t operate like this, Gabby. All loose ends are tied, and this isn’t.”

“It will work. And you may not see him. If you stay clear of the stables, you won’t.”

I glance at Gemini. “Where will you be?”

“In here, monitoring your recording. I’ve got to make sure we can hear you and Langston. You’ll wear a tiny earpiece. If I can’t hear what he’s saying, I’ll tell you so you can get closer.”

“When I’m with Langston, where will you all be?” I ask Drex.

“Right outside the door, making sure nothing goes wrong.”

“He’s crazy. It’s likely everything will go wrong.”

“You don’t have any faith, do you?” he asks.

I release a breath, one that I feel like I’ve been holding for a month. “Not anymore. I used to but every time I do, someone strips it away.”

Drex turns in his seat again and looks me square in the eye. “Well, Gabby, we’re going to give it back to you tonight. Faith, and the rest of your life.”

He stretches out his hand toward mine and I grasp it. I almost feel the faith flowing from him to me. I hope so, because I need a big damn dose of it.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Gabriella

We drop off the four men and I watch as they unload the two ATVs. They mount up, check their radio links with the other team members, give a thumbs up, and hit it. My heart thrums in anticipation.
Please, God, keep them safe.

The rest of us return to the cars and carry on. When we’re about a mile away from the Hart driveway, we stop and pull off the road. We’re silent as we wait.

Every so often we hear the radio crackle as they speak, but it’s insignificant. They arrive at the designated points and leave the vehicles, continuing on foot to the first guards. They decide to bypass the stables altogether. Unless Grady is out and about for some reason, he should have no idea about what’s going down, since the stables are quite a ways off from the house.

“Team Alpha, we’re ready to strike. Looks good from our position.”

“Roger. That’s a go, Team Wheels.”

All we can hear is movement, then the sound of muffled grunts and groans.

“Team Alpha, two subs are disabled.”

“Roger that. Team Wheels, make sure they’re out of commission until we can move them to the cages.”

“Yeah, they won’t be going anywhere for a while.”

“Copy.”

“Drex, we have headlights in the rear.” Juan’s voice comes to us over the speakerphone.

“Let’s move, Huff,” Drex says.

Huff drives, with Juan following.

“Team Wheels, stand down for a minute. We’re on the move. We have road company.”

“Copy Team Alpha.”

“Juan, keep eyes on.”

“Got it, boss.”

We pass the turn in to the Hart mansion and keep going. After a little bit, Juan says, “Boss, that car. I think it turned into the Hart driveway.”

“Could be him,” Gemini says.

“Gabby, is there another entrance in?”

“Not that I know of. But there is a road that runs around the property.”

“Yeah, we know about that. But that doesn’t do us any good because it only takes you to the helo pad out back. Let’s sit tight for a minute and then turn around.”

We wait for ten minutes, and then we’re on the move again. It’s painful, sitting here.

We go back to the quarter-mile point.

“Team Wheels. The lights we saw turned in here. Did you notice any activity?”

“No. But we need to move before they notice the
lack
of it. Feel us?”

“Copy. It’s a go.”

We hear movement again, feet lightly running across pavement and grass and then rustling sounds, perhaps feet shuffling through dry leaves or mulch. Then something creaking. A door? A window perhaps? Then more muffled grunts and groans. It’s obvious they’re knocking these guys out.

“Team Alpha, security room taken. All hands disabled and secured.”

“Copy. Now go get Mom and be gentle, Houston. Do not, I repeat, do not let her scream. You know which room she’s in and watch out for Daddy.”

“Copy that, Wolfe.”

It’s sit and wait again, maybe for five minutes. We drive to the main gate and it swings open for us. The two cars, sans lights, drive in. Huff puts on his night-vision goggles—they’re a lot bigger in person than they are in the movies. Drex puts his on as well.

I ask Riley, “Why aren’t you putting any on?”

“I’m escorting you so I won’t need any. The coast will be clear.”

Gemini hands me a Kevlar vest and Riley helps me put it on. He adjusts the straps to the proper tightness. It’s uncomfortable.

“Sorry, but it has to stay put.”

“Boobs fuck us on these things, Gabby,” Gemini says. “They’re heavy and our boobs get in the way. Men have it easier.”

I want to laugh, but I’m too edgy. It comes out more like a stutter.

“Yeah, it’s uncomfortable.”

“Put this jacket on,” she says.

She hands me a bulky parka.

“Will the wire work under all this?”

“Oh, yeah. The thing that picks up the recording is right here by your neck. It won’t be under the vest.” And she points to the tiny wire outside the vest area. “You’re good.”

“Team Alpha, you’re all clear. Mom’s sound asleep. Not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse. Front door is yours for the taking.”

“Nice work, Team Wheels. Once we’re in, you go to work downstairs. Eyes open for anything that might be a data vault.”

“Copy, Wolfe.”

I’m puzzled. “What does that mean?”

Drex answers, “Don’t worry about it.”

We’re about a quarter mile from the house now. Drex turns to us and says, “Riley, you have your orders. Gem, you have yours. Gabby, as soon as you’re cleared, you head to his office and he’s all yours. Once there, take as long as you like. Riley here will be with you the whole time. One thing—the motherfucker is unbalanced. Do not underestimate him. Got that? We’ll all be inside. You need us, you call.”

“Got it. Do you think he knows your men are inside?”

Drex chuckles. “I doubt it. My guys are all ex-military. They could rob a bank if they wanted to, during broad daylight, and the bank employees wouldn’t notice.”

My nerves are shot and my laugh reflects it.

“We’ve got this, Gabby. And Gem. Stay put. Your ass is not to leave this vehicle.”

“Aye, aye, cap’n.” She gives him a little salute.

He looks like he could devour her. This is one serious couple. I thought Kolson and I were bad.

Drex, Huff, and Juan get out and jog toward the house, disappearing into the darkness.

Gemini asks, “Team Alpha, you see anything yet?”

“Negative.”

Then, a bit of breathing along with, “Eyes on unit at front. Two subs. Takedown time.”

“Copy,” Gemini answers.

Then it’s a waiting game. We hear scuffling, more muffled grunts, and silence. Then Drex’s voice says, “We have control. Team Alpha going in.”

We wait it out again until we hear Drex say, “Okay, Gabby, give us about ten minutes. We’re moving bodies to the basement and then he’s all yours.”

Gemini says, “Copy.”

“How can Langston not hear them?”

Gemini laughs. “All Drex’s men are former Special Forces. They were trained to do this type of thing.”

“What are they? Silent ninjas?”

“Yeah. Something like that.”

I’m so tense, every muscle wants to snap. I could never do this for a living.

“How do you do this?” I ask.

“After a while, you become more accustomed to it.”

“I wouldn’t. I’m a wreck.”

“That’s because of what you’re getting ready to do.”

“Maybe. But I’m not made of steel, so …” I rub and rotate my neck. The muscles shriek.

“After this is over, you need to book a spa vacay.”

I rest my elbow on my knees and drop my forehead onto the heel of my palm. “You know, I really only want to go out to dinner with Kolson. Have a nice meal. And not worry about his dad killing either of us.”

The radio comes to life with Drex’s voice. “Unit is secured. Repeat: all is secure. Showtime, Gabby.”

Riley looks at me and asks, “You ready?”

“Guess so.”

We drive up to the front door. I turn to Gemini before I get out. “You sure you can hear?”

She hands me a tiny earbud. “Put this in your ear.”

When I do, she talks into a microphone. “Test.”

“I got it.”

“It’s not supposed to be loud at all. If I need you to do anything different, I’ll give you direction through this, but I think we’re good.”

I nod and get out. We walk inside and I go straight to Langston’s office. I don’t bother to knock, I simply open the door and let myself in. Riley stays right outside the door where Langston can’t see him.

When I enter, Langston is seated at his desk, reading. He glances up. His face registers absolutely no surprise at all when he sees me.

“Well, Gabby, nice of you to drop in tonight.”

“Cut the bullshit, Langston.”

“Well, then, to what do I owe this honor?”

“Trust me, it’s no honor. And you know damn well why I’m here. What else have you planned? Killing Storm wasn’t enough? You had to kill Cara too. What is it with your sick obsession with destroying innocent people? Like you did with Kolson. Or should I say Jason Ackerman?

“So I see he told you. And Cara. The hooker. You’re upset because your friend is dead.”

“I’m upset because you
murdered
my friend. What’s next? Another friend? My colleagues? The people at the clinic? What, Langston? When does it end?”

“I’ll tell you when it ends. When you give up Kolson’s whereabouts.”

“You’re ridiculous. Do you think I would give up anything, if I knew it, to a man who stole a seven-year-old boy from his mother? Bought him as payoff for a casino debt.”

He can’t believe I know this. His eyes tell me as they widen. His lips press together into a single slash. His knuckles whiten as he grips the edge of his desk.

“It ends here, tonight, Langston. I’m notifying the authorities of your dirty little secrets. Of what you did to those boys. How you fucked up Kestrel and Kade too. And I’m not going to stop with that. You see, I’m not afraid of you. You think people cower around you. I don’t. When I’m done here tonight, the FBI will be knocking on your door. You might have paid off the local police. But the FBI has been trying to nail you for years. They suspect you of racketeering, and a host of other things. You know it, and so do a whole lot of other people.”

“Oh, Gabby. You don’t want to go there, baby girl. Or you won’t be leaving this house alive.”

“Why, Langston? Why won’t I leave alive? You going to kill me, like you did Cara? Huh?”

“Baby girl, you don’t have the power to do anything to me.”

“No? Maybe, maybe not. But I know what you did to those boys, you sick fuck.”

“So what? So what if I bought them?”

“You bought them after you allowed women to run up debt and then you told them they had no alternative. You extorted their kids from them. And then you abused them.”

“I never hit those boys.”

“Kolson was kept in a dark room for months so he would stop calling himself Jason. You basically tortured him. It’s a form of psychological torture! You’re an evil man.”