aWhen you come in, keep to the left wall,a Grant said.
aCopy that.a aOliver, standby at the edge until Aidenas inside. If heas watching the opening, I donat want him to know youare with us. Okay?a aCopy that, Grant. Be careful,a Oliver said, reaching up to tap my leg, giving me the signal to enter the cave.
Even with the darkened sky outside, the cave was much darker, but I made my way over to the far left wall with only a few minor missteps. Kneeling alongside it, I pulled the pistol Grant loaned me before we left the church from the side pocket of my cargo pants.
aAiden,a Grant whispered as he moved to stand beside me.
I looked up, seeing only the outline of his face.
aOliver, hold your position. Aiden and I are going to move towards the back of the cave and see if we can flush him out.a aCopy that, standing by.a aOkay, Aiden, letas see how good your night vision is,a Grant said, gesturing for me to follow him. aCom communication going silent. Stand by,a Grant warned.
aCopy that,a Ace and Oliver answered.
Blackness enveloped us, the cave briefly illuminating with flashes of lightning, but not long enough to give us any detail as to what wead find the further we walked.
The damp air around me felt suffocating. The walls pressed in as the darkness swallowed us, making me feel like Iad entered the belly of a beast. And hadnat I?
Robert de Fleur didnat make it onto Cole Enterpriseas list of most wanted for being a good person after all. Iad seen the charges against him. Knew the kind of madness head plunged himself into.
Even knowing all head done, I still knew he wasnat the biggest fish in the pond of sc.u.m he swam in. Taking him out wouldnat even touch the rest of the underground world head immersed himself in, but head be one less madman the rest of society had to deal with. One less child smuggler. That had to count for something.
Grant halted, putting his hand to my shoulder and leaning in close, speaking low into my ear. aDo you hear that?a Shutting off my thoughts, I listened. Somewhere in the darkness, water dripped, plunk, plunk, plunking, and I fought to hear past it and the sound of my own heartbeat.
Faintly, just past the water and my own blood pumping though my veins, I heard something, but it was hard to tell what it could be. aWhat is it? Bats?a aNot sure, but itas faint, which means this cave goes back quite a ways,a Grant whispered.
aWe canat even see our own feet in front of us. How the h.e.l.l are we supposed to find out what that noise is?a I asked.
aWe canat. Not right now anyway,a he said, stepping around me as he kept his hand on my shoulder, turning us back to the mouth of the cave.
As much as I wanted to keep moving and get to the enda get to him, I understood Grantas reason for turning back. Neither one of us would be much good if we ended up plunging to our deaths over a ledge we couldnat see, or dying from whatever other dangers that awaited us in the darkness.
Wead gone deep enough into the cave that wead lost the minimal light coming from the opening. Darkness swarmed around us as we shuffled back along the same wall wead followed down.
aAiden,a Grant said, halting us. aSomething is not right. We should have been able to see the opening by now.a Dread wormed its way up my spine and settled into my bones. We couldnat be lost inside the cave. We hadnat veered from our original path. Or had we?
A small beam of light shot out from Grantas hand, landing by my feet. I swallowed hard, noticing for the first time what kind of danger wead almost put ourselves in without a clue.
Inches from where I stood solidly on the ledge was a drop off that seemed endless. Grant shined the flashlight over the edge, losing the end of the beam in complete darkness.
aWe need to get more light and more people. G.o.d only knows whatas in this cave. He could be anywhere.
aMove one step and Iall drop him right here.a My heart slammed against my ribcage so hard that I half expected it to burst from my chest and keep going until it flew out of the cave and did a swan dive to the water below.
aAiden, donat move,a Grant said, bringing the flashlight up, partially blinding me with it.
Something clicked inside my ear. Head brought communication back up, linking everyone to the situation we were in.
aLower your weapon, Robert,a Grant demanded.
aNo. Back away and Iall let him live. For now,a Robert answered, pushing the barrel of the gun against the back of my head.
aLet him go and take me instead,a Grant countered, moving a step closer to me.
aNo deal. He comes with me. And youa die.a The gun moved past my ear and fired at Grant at about the same time that everything went pitch black.
I couldnat move, but that didnat stop me from hollering out to Grant, waiting to hear him answer me past the ringing in my ears.
The only thing that kept my ear drum from shattering was the com tucked into my ear ca.n.a.l.
There was no amount of training that could compare to the real deal. A man with a gun pointed somewhere at your head who had the opportunity to end you should he choose to. A ledge that was mere inches from your foot with no bottom to be seen and a path that led out to blackness and confusion.
I was f.u.c.ked, unless I went along with him willingly and made my move when I had a handle on the situation.
So that was what I did. I stayed as calm as I possibly could, praying with everything in me that Robert hadnat killed Grant.
Jabbing the gun against the back of my head, Robert clamped his hand on my arm, pulling me backwards. aMake one stupid move and youare just as dead as he is.a aHold on, weare coming for you.a Oliveras voice sounded garbled as I retreated further back into the cave, stumbling over my own feet.
Robert maneuvered us onto what I hoped was a path to solid ground before marching me in front of him.
I didnat answer Oliver back. I couldnat without tipping Robert off, but I had a feeling he knew we hadnat come alone.
WHAT THE h.e.l.l WAS TAKING Aiden so long? Head been gone most of the day. Granted, Iad slept for a little while after Father McKinnonas visit, but that had been a while ago.
I was done lying around. I wanted to see Aunt Brenda and Mum.
Pushing myself up, I moved my legs over the side of the bed, rubbed sleep from my eyes, and then stood.
As I left my room, I had no idea where Iad find Nadia, but I sort of remembered the path Ace led me down to where they were keeping Aunt Brenda and Mum.
They. Who were they anyway? And how had they come to our rescue when wead needed it the most?
It was obvious they had no intention of hurting us. And even more obvious that Aiden was either one of them or theyad drafted him into helping them. Either way, I had no answers.
The hallway was empty and quiet, all but the sound of my own feet treading against the carpet. Coming to a stop at the doors Ace had led me through, I reached out, pushing the door open. I stepped inside and was met with a flurry of activity.
The beds werenat in the same place. Two men and three women moved around one another, almost synchronized in their individual movements, as first one bed and then the other were made travel ready.
aWhere are you taking them?a I asked, my voice weak as I moved quickly to Mumas side.
aWhat are you doing in here?a one of the ladies asked, whisking over to my side as if to escort me out.
aItas okay, Ruth. Iave got her,a Nadia called as she briskly crossed the floor and came to stand beside me.
aWhat are they doing?a I asked her as she put her arm around my shoulder, gently nudging me back a step.
aItas okay, Airen. Theyare just getting them ready to transport to the hospital now that theyare both stable enough to move,a she answered.
aI want to go with them,a I said, trying to pull away from her.
She made no move to release me. aYou canat. Not right now, but I promise, Iall take you to them later.a aLater? No, not latera now! Iam going with them, so let go of me,a I hissed, yanking my arm from her grasp and gasping as white-hot pain boiled in my chest.
aAiren, you canat go. Theyare being transported along with my staff directly to a secured intensive care unit. No one, not even me, can get into that unit until after theyave been seen to. Both your aunt and mother need surgery that we canat do here. Please understand, weare doing all of this so that they will survive,a Nadia said, coming to stand in front of me, blocking me from where the crew of people had taken position to wheel the beds away.
Before I could form the words to protest what she said, a man Iad not seen before burst through the door. His eyes locked on Nadia as he said, aNeed you in command. Thereas a problem.a Nadia rushed both of us out the door and down a hallway, stopping only when we made it inside a large room set up with a long desk and a flat-screen monitor mounted on the far wall.
aStatus report,a Nadia said, releasing me as we entered the room.
aThey entered a cave here,a the guy said, laying a map down on the table in front of her. aAce and Oliver are outside the cave on standby.a aEli, whatas the status on Grant and Aiden?a she asked, reaching out along the table to a black box with a glowing red light.
The sound of heavy breathing filled the air as I fumbled my way to an empty chair at the end of the table.
aComas up,a the guy Nadia called Eli said, rounding the other side of the table where a keyboard sat. aVisual is a no go with the weather conditions.a aOliver, this is Nadia. Do you copy?a Nadia asked.
The sound of breathing kept hissing through the speakers, but no reply came. She waited a few seconds and tried again. aOliver, do you copy?a Oliveras voice broke through the speakers. aI copy.a aStatus report,a she fired back.
aTwo inside. One shot fired. No response from Grant or Aiden,a Oliver paused briefly, aNadia, we need reinforcements.a aCopy that. Stand by,a she answered.
She was cool under pressure, or at least until she hit the b.u.t.ton on the black box and exploded into a tidal wave of curse words that stopped when she pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingertips and took a deep breath, saying, aEli, patch me through to Chicago.a After that, I was lost in a flurry of commands and procedures. The only thing I knew for sure was that Aiden and Grant were in a cave with Uncle Roberta and all h.e.l.l had broken loose.
Nadia, as small as she was, was like a hurricane of motion. Seeing it not only awed me, but it terrified me as well.
At no point did I say a word. There wasnat enough air in the room to speak my thoughts with everything else going on, so I watched intently, piecing things together.
At once everything quieted as Nadia sucked in a sharp inhale. aWe donat have all the resources we need for a team. Looks like itas you and me, Eli. Get Grantas contacts up and alert his guy in the FBI that weare going in for an extraction. Weall need a chopper and a medic team as soon as they can get us one.a Eli nodded, fingers dancing over the keyboard in front of him briefly. Getting the information he needed, he plucked up a cell phone.
Nadia didnat wait to hear the conversation as she turned her focus on me.
aCome with me, Airen,a she said, gesturing for me to follow her out the door, but I refused to get out of my seat.
She made it a few steps down the hallway before noticing I hadnat followed her. Her eyes spit fire when she walked back into the room. aLetas go. I donat have time for this!a I got to my feet. aYer no pa.s.sing me off anymore. Iam going with ye.a Nadia snorted, shaking her head. aNo, youare not.a aYes, I am. Robert de Fleur is my uncle. Heas my problem just as much as heas yers. Iam no staying here while everyone else puts their neck on the line because of him.a aYou donat understand the danger that puts you in. Now, please follow me. I need you safe upstairs before we can leave,a Nadia said, reaching out to take my arm and, evidently, lead me to Father McKinnon.
aHeas come after me before. What if he still wants me? What if I can help get ye into the cave? Think about ita"I could be yer bargaining chip,a I said, trying everything I could to make her take me along.
aAre you crazy? Putting you back in danger is the last thing I want to do. Youave seen what heas capable of. No, just let us handle this without any more to worry about,a Nadia argued.
aI have just as much to lose as any of ye! Maybe even more. Ye owe me this much, and you ken it. Had my family and I been warned what we were up againstaa I left the rest unsaid.
aWould it have made a difference? Made him any less dangerous?a she asked, tossing her hands to her side. aAiren, I donat have time for this right now.a aThen stop fighting with me and tell me how I can help ye. Because if ye leave me here, Iall just show up anyway,a I said, squaring off with her. There was no way in h.e.l.l shead be leaving me behind.
THIRTY MINUTES LATER, I ALMOST wished she would have knocked me out and left me behind.
The helicopter shuddered, lurching on pockets of turbulence as the pilot fought to keep it in the air. How Nadia managed to get anyone to fly in that kind of weather was beyond me. Had I been the pilot, I would have told her to p.i.s.s up a rope.
Nadia pointed her finger at the window from her side as she asked, aCan you set us down there?a aI can try, but this d.a.m.n wind is making it almost impossible to keep this bird on a steady course and not crash as it is,a he answered, keeping both hands on the stick between his legs.
Swallowing the terror of the situation down, I closed my eyes, hoping we landed somewhere before I vomited.
Beside me, Elias leg bounced up and down as he looked out his window. The light coffee-colored skin around his mouth and eyes pinched with each jolt that shuddered through the metal hull of the helicopter.
By the time the pilot had us on the ground, I could have kissed him.
aI donat know how soon evac can get here to pick you up. You might have to ride out the rest of this storm before theyare cleared for takeoff. Radaras indicating this is just the beginning of the storm coming through. Looks like it wonat let up for a few hours. Good luck.a Nadia bolted out of her seat with a nod, tossing her headset behind her and coming around to the door in one swift motion.
aLetas go!a she shouted over the roar of sound that hit my ears when she ripped off my headset and practically rolled me out of my seat to the ground.
She had us jogging, hunched over until we were well away from the helicopter. Eli was right on our heels, lifting his arm to give the pilot a thumbs-up.
With that, the helicopter lifted off and blew away on the wind.
Nadia pulled a map out of her back pocket, fighting the wind from ripping it from her hands as Eli put his hand up in front of his eyes at an angle to look around.
Rain poured down over us in buckets as the wind shoved us.
aLetas get to the rocks and get our bearings,a Nadia said, jerking her thumb behind her.
Iad been caught in a storm like this once with my dad. It had come in off the water and rained for hours. Instead of trying to get us back to the house, head found a spot in the rocks with an overhang that sheltered us and wead waited it out.
That same spot wasnat too far from where we stood. So I tugged on Nadiaas arm. aThis way.a As a child, the spot had seemed bigger, but it barely had room for all three of us.
Kneeling down, Nadia pulled out her map again, studying it.
aYe know all ye have to do is ask. I know this property like the back oa my own hand,a I said, squatting down beside her.
Ignoring me, she turned to Eli and said, aIt looks like this path will take us around the bigger rocks where we can get a good look at the cliffside.a aItad be a whole lot easier if we were com linked,a Eli said, wiping lines of water rolling down his face.
aThatas no going to work,a I said, dismissing the whole com link thing Eli spoke of. I had no idea what the h.e.l.l he meant by it anyway.
Nadiaas head snapped over as she squinted at me. aWhatas not going to work?a aIf ye go that way, round the rocks I mean, ye willna be able to get to the cliffside.a I smirked when she looked back at her map.
aThatas the only way to the cliffside. How else will we get there?a she asked, turning the map as if a different path would reveal itself.
I laid my hand on top of the map, drawing my finger along a spot where it looked like jutting rocks. aHere, thereas a small path that takes ye out to the cliffside. Itas narrow, but it will give ye the best view. Besides, if ye go the other way, youall no make it to the other path with the tide in.a She flicked a quick glance at Eli, lips pinched together as if deciding the best course of action.
aAt the end of the path you mentioned, is there a way to get down from there and over to the cliff?a Eli asked.
aYes, but itas a bit ao a climb over to the next path,a I said, turning my head sharply as a burst of wind drove the rain into our hiding spot.
aItas the only other way?a Nadia asked.
aAye, until the tide goes out, thatas the only way in,a I answered, watching her tap her fingers against the gun she had strapped into a holster on her leg.
aLess-than-desirable conditions for a rescue mission, but weave been in worse. Letas go. Airen, lead the way,a Nadia said with a nod of her head.
I picked up the tail end of the path and moved slowly over the slippery rocks, mindful of my next step least a rock roll out from under my feet.
Iad taken my fair share of tumbles on that particular path and had no desire to do so again. I especially didnat want to move too fast and have Nadia or Eli lose their footing behind me.
If that happened, wead end up rolling right off the path into the water below. That would end the rescue mission with a giant splash of failure.