The little bump startles my brain enough to help me think clearly again. If the man wants me to open the door for them then they probably can’t get in. I can still grab Fluffers and make it back to the basement before anything happens…
The man backs away from the window, disappearing from my line of sight. Not willing to waste another second, I run for the living room without stopping on the way.
“Fluffers! Please come out, please!” I scream as I tear into the living room and head for the couch.
I make it two more steps before a loud booming crash nearly knocks me off my feet.
Stumbling and catching my balance, I whip around to see a fucking armored truck sitting where the front wall near the garage used to be.
They must have driven it into the house…
There’s shit everywhere, like a bomb just went off.
The air is thick, almost foggy with dust.
Most of the debris though seems to be in front of the truck, which happens to be pushed up against the inner wall, blocking the basement door.
The truck’s engine revs then it begins to reverse, bumping over chunks of wall and whatever else it knocked out.
A couple of seconds later, four men dressed in black SWAT gear pour in through the truck-size hole in the front of the house. Crouched a little, with their weapons out.
I never ever thought or dreamed I’d ever find myself on the other side like this…
Staring down the wrong side of the barrel as four law enforcement officers come for me.
“Freeze!” the officer taking point shouts. “Put your hands in the air where I can see them!”
Shaking my head in horror and denial, I feel tears streaming down my cheeks as I take a step back.
I know… I know it’s stupid and dangerous to ignore an officer’s command, but this isn’t right… They have no right to do this.
“Freeze and put your hands up or I’ll fucking shoot!” the point man warns.
Oh fuck… He’s willing to shoot me.
Me.
When the hell did the world turn sideways?
“The fuck you will,” someone growls. Then another one of the men bumps into the point man and steps in front of him. “Back the fuck down, Dickers. It’s Sophia, for fuck’s sake.”
The small group stops, and the point man, Dickers, straightens to his full height. “She could be compromised. There’s no telling—"
“She is not the fucking enemy. She’s our mission, you dumb fuck,” the man in front of Dickers snaps, and I recognize his voice.
It’s Trent.
Trent turns toward me, and I finally see that he’s not holding a weapon at all. He’s actually wearing a black sling over his right shoulder and arm.
“Sophia, it’s okay. Don’t be afraid.” Trent says, his voice softening. “We’re not here to hurt you. We’re here to rescue you.”
“Rescue me?” I repeat a bit too shrilly as I take another step back. “Rescue me from what?”
“From the sick fuck that’s holding you hostage here,” Trent almost growls as he walks forward.
Shaking my head in denial again, I say, “I don’t want to be rescued, Trent.”
“I told you she was fucking compromised,” Dickers snaps angrily.
Spinning toward Dickers, Trent says, “Shut your fucking mouth! She’s not compromised, she’s just confused and in shock.” Turning back to me, Trent slowly walks forward again, as if he’s afraid of startling me.
“Sophia,” he says calmly. “Everything’s going to be okay. I know you’re confused, but you need to come with me.”
I take another step back, straight into the coffee table, and almost fall on my butt. “No. I’m not going with you, Trent. You need to leave. Get out of my house!”
Sighing, Trent continues to close the distance between us. “I’m not leaving without you, Sophia.”
Not able to go backward, I glance around Trent, trying to figure out the best way to escape.
I can’t go out the front or back to the basement. But I’ll have to dodge around Trent to get to the stairs that lead upstairs.
As if he knows exactly what I’m thinking, Trent suddenly lunges forward, reaching for me with his free arm.
Shrieking, I manage to slip past the arm, but I can’t escape the weight of his body as it crashes into me, taking me down to the floor.
Trent falls on top of me, but with only one arm, he can’t hold me down. I manage to shove him off me and roll to the side.
Scrambling to my feet, I hear Trent shout. “Don’t fucking shoot her!”
With him no longer in my way, I have a clear path to the stairs.
Stumbling forward, I start to run when Trent orders, “Tase her!”
I’m in motion.
Then suddenly I’m not.
All the muscles in my body seize up in one great big cramp that steals all the air from my lungs, and I drop to the floor.
I can’t breathe. I can’t move. I can’t fucking think past the pain.
I’m helpless, my face against the floor, my body twitching and spasming, as a commotion breaks out somewhere.
“Sweep the house!” someone shouts. “He’s gotta be around here somewhere!”
A knee is shoved into my spine and then my hands are yanked behind my back.
By the time I can fill my lungs again with air to scream, my hands are zip-tied behind me and I’m thrown over a shoulder.
“Get her in the fucking SUV,” Trent says from somewhere beside me. “The others can deal with him.”
18
James
My balls hurt so fucking bad, I’m surprised Sophia didn’t literally break them. One would think with all the shit I’ve been through in my life, I would get used to being hit in the balls…
But no.
Sophia’s knee hit me so hard it knocked my ass down a whole fucking peg in my life.
“Fluffers! Please come out, please!” I hear her pleading with her damn cat as I near the top steps of the basement.
Then there’s a loud rumbling. I have no fucking clue what is causing it, but the hair on the back of my neck stands on end as the entire house begins to shake.
One second I’m on my feet, the next I’m flying off them.
I slam first into the stairwell wall then tumble ass over head to land right where I fell when Sophia kneed me in the nuts.
The void threatens to swallow me and succeeds for a moment.
Everything becomes fuzzy and I feel myself shaking my head without even realizing I’m doing it.
Blinking my eyes, I force myself to focus and stay conscious. Shaking off the last of the void, I look up and see two little worried eyes staring down at me.
Mitzy stands over me, trying to check on me, but I have to push her away.
I need to figure out what the fuck just happened.
Turning my attention to the top of the basement stairs, I try to make sense of what I see. The basement door and the walls at the top of the stairs look like they’ve partially collapsed.
What the ever-living fuck?
Standing up as quick as my wobbly brain will allow, I know I need to get up the stairs, but whatever the fuck the SWAT just did to my house must have been massive. I won’t be any good to Sophia without a weapon.