“They’ve got Shay. One of my security officers is down. You better hope that nothing happens to either woman or I will fucking crucify you all. Now, get me what I need.” No one moves. Lucca just looks at my hands and blood-soaked pants. “Now!” I yell.
Lucca nods and pulls me in the direction of the building again. The receptionist looks confused and shocked, but we join her behind the desk.
“Where do you need to see?” asks Lucca.
“That corridor, entrance to the women’s bathroom, and wherever they took her after that.”
Caleb and I lean down at either side of Lucca and watch the screen. The women walk into the bathroom, Amber looks out, and finally goes in to join Shay. That’s all we see for a few minutes. Then two men in hoods look up and down the hall before they enter the bathroom. A few minutes pass before the door opens. Shay’s laying limply over someone’s shoulder, but his face is still covered.
“Can you follow them?” asks Caleb.
Lucca clicks a few buttons, and we follow them down the hall and out through a fire exit at the back of the building. He changes camera view, and we get a clear picture of the black SUV’s license plate.
“Can someone run that plate here?”
“I can do even better. If that car doesn’t leave army property, we can follow it through different cameras.”
But the SUV leaves through the gates and we’re back to square one.
“Of course, they knew we could track them on army land. It’s a fucking army boss in that SUV.” I pull the strands of my hair when paramedics come running in. The receptionist shows them to where Amber is.
“What are you talking about, Clay?” asks Lucca.
“Michael Morrison is the one behind this. I could bet my life on it.”
“Are you serious?”
I want to punch the look right off Lucca’s face. “I don’t joke around. Trace that fucking number.” I bang the desk again.
“What’s going on?” asks Carrick as he joins us. “I’ve left my mom and dad out there worried sick. I can only keep them out of here for so long.”
“Fuck!” I snap. I forgot all about Shay’s parents. “Shay has been taken and Amber is hurt.”
At that moment, paramedics roll Amber past us, followed by Mike. His shirt is covered in blood and his jacket hangs over his arm.
“I’ll go with her. Do you need anything before I go?”
“Can you trace a car number quickly? If you do it, I know it’s accurate and not lies.”
I know I’m being ridiculous with Lucca, but I can’t trust anyone other than my own family. I won’t trust anyone with Shay’s health again.
Mike pulls out his cell and types a few things. I’ll never understand how he can work with technology so easily. I’m not a technophobe, but it would take me a few tantrums before I got the information I needed.
“This is the registration number we have on camera,” says Lucca.
Within a few minutes, Mike shows us the screen. “You already knew that.”
I nod. “Thanks, bro. Keep us updated on Amber.”
“Chris, give me your cell. You take this and run the tracker. I can access most of my computer system from this device.”
“On it.” Chris nods.
I look between Chris and Mike, and Mike runs out quicker than I’ve seen him run before. I know he and Amber have always been close; they’re like siblings instead of colleagues. I think it’s just the way we run business that connects us in a way that no other company will.
“She better pull through, Lucca. I swear to God, I will…”
“Crucify us… I got that memo, Clay. I’m not one of the bad guys here. I’ll do what I can to help you.”
“Excuse me for not believing a word that comes out of any army personnel’s mouth.”
Chris clears his throat, breaking me off from saying something I would probably regret. “Right, car is moving south toward the old airport. Why would they be heading there? There is nothing other than the old run-down hangar that’s practically collapsing. It’s deemed unsafe to enter by the state.”
Lucca pulls out a map and lays it down in front of us. “We have an old ammunitions locker there. It’s empty and abandoned now, but it’s worth a try,” Lucca points to the location on the map.
“We need some backup. Will you join us?” Caleb asks Lucca.
I know we’re down two men, but asking the army for help isn’t leaving me with much confidence that we’ll get Shay back in one piece.
“Of course. I’ll do all I can to help.”
“Carrick, can you get your parents back to the compound?” He nods and Caleb tosses him a set of keys. “When you’re locked down, call the cops and give them our location. That should give us time to get in there and get Shay before the cops even arrive.”
“Okay.” Carrick leaves us and I watch his retreating back.
“We’ve got this, Clay. We’ll get her back.”
I walk away from my brothers and out into the fresh air. I need to walk away because I’ve never felt so much anger rushing through my veins before. I know if I don’t move, I’ll end up saying something or using that anger to knock someone out, and spending the night in the cells isn’t high on my list of priorities. I need to get Shay back home before I decide how to deal with every fucker that has laid a hand on her.
Chapter 27
Shay
My eyes crack open and the light from the hole in the roof makes me shy away. Only, I have nowhere to hide my eyes. My hands are tied behind my back tightly; I can feel the bind digging into my flesh. And to top it off, I’m tied down to a mattress; I can’t move anything other than my head. I fight against my restraints, but it’s no good. I need to pick my battles wisely, and this isn’t one of them.
A sudden noise from my side makes me lift my head. The pain rushes through my head and shoulders. There are three men armed with guns. I blink a few times to try to clear my vision. I think I’m dreaming at first, but I see Josh, pacing up and down like a brainwashed soldier. His posture is ramrod straight. His gun is poised against his shoulder. His vision is pointed straight ahead. He looks thinner and unlike the man I left behind, but it is him.
“Josh!” I cry out. He’s alive.
He doesn’t look at me. He doesn’t even acknowledge that I spoke to him. He’s not the man that saved me all those months ago.
“Josh. Please. Look at me. It’s me, Shay. You saved me. Remember. You’re my commander. My friend.” Tears roll down my cheeks freely.
He carries on pacing up and down, a few feet behind the other soldier. It’s like they’re following a pattern.
“I saw your mom and dad this morning.” He stumbles; I’m reaching him. “They’re missing you, Josh. Your mom and dad are distraught. Please, listen to me.”
Josh stops dead and the soldier behind him bumps into his back. Josh takes a step out of line to allow the other two soldiers to carry on with their pacing.
“Josh.” I sob.
Josh looks down at me on the mattress. His eyes are glassy, his cheeks gaunt. He’s like a shadow of the man I once knew.