Zero grabs me, holding me back.
Ethan’s eyes drop as he signals to Coombs to open the filing cabinet with the sign.
Miny
I turn away, running my fingers through my hair.
I can’t stand to watch.
The squeal of the drawer opening is like my heart shattering into a thousand pieces.
“We got something, lieutenant.”
My face scrunches up, bile instantly hits the back of my throat as Ethan rushes forward. “Oh, Jesus-fucking-Christ…”
I can’t stand the tension as I spin around seeing Ethan pick up a giant bloody dog’s bone. He pants hard through his nose, then he hurtles it across the room. It slams into a wooden crate, making it splinter into pieces. I widen my eyes.
Hammond places his hand on Ethan’s shoulder. “Keep it together, Rudd. I know they’re your family, but you need to keep a straight head or wait outside.”
Ethan’s eyes meet mine, and for the first time, I look at him with understanding.
He loves Sadie and Lucas.
Just like I do.
He only wants the best for them.
Just like I do.
Maybe he’s not such an asshole after all.
“Let’s keep moving,” I tell them.
Ethan nods, and I move in, slapping his back.
We’re in this together.
We head through into a smaller room. It’s freaking cold, the chill hitting me instantly as the back of the room is blocked off by a door with a large handle and a padlock sealing it tightly closed.
It’s an industrial freezer.
Everyone’s searching the room, but we see nothing in here.
It’s a dead end.
“There’s nothing in here. I don’t understand! Why lead us this way, unless…” Ethan’s eyes widen.
“It’s a trap!” Hammond blurts out as all the cops raise their guns aiming at the door.
But nothing happens.
“No, we’re missing something…” I turn, assessing the freezer, studying it, then moving to the padlock. I lift it. There’s something engraved on the body of the lock.
My eyes widen, my heart halts with a huge thud.
It’s like time stops, and everything I was ever scared of is becoming a reality.
Moe
KEVLAR
I drop the padlock like it’s made of ice. The fucking thing sends a chill right through the center of my soul. I stand back, my entire body shaking as I stare at the giant freezer door in disbelief. I’m stunned for a second, then instantly, I reach around for my gun, bringing it up frantically, but I am shaking.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, drop the damn weapon, Liam,” Hammond yells at me, but I click off the safety unloading two rounds straight into the padlock.
The gun recoils in my hand as the frantic yelling of, “Shots fired,” echoes behind me. But my head is spinning right now as the padlock explodes into pieces—the freezer door jerking with the movement. I drop my gun to the ground running forward and yank the door open. My heart races so fucking fast it’s like it is going to burst through my skin as the blast of cold slams into my face.
A wave of bitterly cold steam washes over my vision, impairing my sight for the briefest of moments as I rush inside. Goosebumps invade every crevice of my body as a deep chill is so intense my entire body shudders as I search the freezer.
Shelves of frozen dead meat carcasses line the racks.
I rush in further when a sight almost knocks me on my fucking ass.
There, Sadie and Lucas are huddled together in a tight embrace in the corner, both their eyes are shut, their bodies turning a blue color. Bile scorches my throat as I lunge forward, Ethan now by my side as we both slide in next to them.
“Fuck,” I yell as I wrap my arms around them. They’re both freezing to the touch. I grab Sadie, detaching her from Lucas while Ethan grabs Lucas in his arms. Sadie’s got her little fingers gripped tightly to Moo, the rabbit, who’s dangling just as lifelessly as she is.
“Sadie,” I scream in her face.
“Lucas, wake up,” Ethan yells just as loud.
I stand with Sadie in my arms. “We need to get them out of here, Ethan. Warm them up.”
Sadie’s so fucking limp in my arms, her body is like a damn bag of ice. As I look over at Lucas, my entire body shudders like it’s being electrocuted. The force and my brothers all rush alongside us as we make it out of the warehouse. The sun is rising in its orange hues, but right now, I wish the sun would send down a solar-fucking-flare to heat up my kids because right now. I’m panicking.
“I radioed dispatch to call an ambulance to meet us here on the way, they should arrive soon,” Ethan informs me as we place the kids on the ground.
“Are they breathing?” I lean down, placing my ear over Sadie’s mouth as Ethan checks for Lucas’ pulse.
“It’s weak, but it’s there.”
“She’s breathing, but fuck man, it’s shallow.”
Hammond walks over, concern etched on his face. “The EMTs are driving in now. I’m sorry I didn’t trust you shooting open the freezer, Liam.”
“Not now, Hammond.”
He bobs his head, stepping back, as Zero kneels to my level. “What do you need?”
I pant for breath as I cling Sadie to me tighter. “I need my kids to live, Zero.”
Zero nods, then walks off to the side of the road to greet the ambulance which has just pulled up.
My eyes shift to my kids as I pull Sadie onto my lap a little more, trying to warm her up.
Zero and Neon run over with two silver blankets. “Kevlar, put these around them while the EMTs get ready to bring their shit over.”
I reach out, my hand shaking as I take it. “Thanks, pres.”
“Whatever you need, brother.”
We wrap the kids up in the blankets, then I rub up and down the outside to try and gain some more friction to warm Sadie up faster. Ethan does the same to Lucas as the EMTs come rushing over.
“Thank fuck you’re here. You have to help them!”
“And we will, but we need you both to step back so we can work.”
I glance at Ethan, and we both hesitate as the EMT exhales. “Honestly, time is crucial here, so please step back.”
Ethan stands, my chest tightens, my breathing accelerates, and dizziness washes over me. Letting go of Sadie seems like an impossible task right now.
“Liam…” Ethan urges, but I can’t.
I can’t let them go—either of them.
My breathing increases as my entire body wracks with guilt.
Ethan’s hands loop in underneath my arms as he drags me away to let the EMTs in.
“I can’t leave them,” I yell out, fighting to get back.
Ethan grabs me, but I pull against him. He wraps his arms around my torso forcefully, dragging me away as my brothers and my old workmates watch on with serious expressions on their faces.
“Let them work, Liam. You’re not leaving them. You never left them!”
Anger flares inside of me. I should have been there. I should have been the one watching them. I should have been able to protect them. I yank out of Ethan’s grip, shoving him. He raises his hands in surrender as I let out a long huff and start pacing, running my hands through my hair.