Page 24 of Key Of Dreams
Back at Storm, Falcon takes Allen to the basement. He’s not gone for long, but when he makes it back upstairs, his fist is bloody, and his face is fierce. It’s a look I’ve seen before on him, and it’s lethal.
“Why did you get to have all the fun?” Rebel asks with a sly grin.
Falcon doesn’t respond to his question, instead saying, “He’s confirmed the location of the boy. They have a security system.” He looks over at Wire. “Pack what you need.” Then back to us: “Load up. We leave in fifteen.”
It’s a forty-five-minute drive to the old farmhouse. We’re all accustomed to the silence while on a mission. There’s a familiarity in the way we prepare for battle. It was the same when we were in Afghanistan. The quiet is our time to reflect on the plan and home in on our part of what comes next.
We shut off the headlights to the vehicle and drive in the dark, stopping down the far end of the street. We’ll walk the rest of the way. Wire knocks out the security cameras and stops the alarm from sounding for intruders. He taps into the alarm company and disables the connection. This way, we can make it inside without being noticed.
Stealthily, we move through the trees. When we reach the house, Falcon climbs through the window and, after taking a quick look around, waves us in. The place is filled with dust and cobwebs; no one’s lived here in years.
We sneak around the corner and take note that two men are in the living room playing cards. Another man calls out from the hallway, which must lead to the bedrooms, “When’s dinner coming? I’m fucking starved, and the kid needs to eat.”
“Craig went to pick up the pizza. He’ll be back in half an hour,” the guy sitting closest to the door answers. “I’ll be glad when this is done,” he adds.
“What happens if the dad doesn’t come through?” the guy sitting across from him asks.
“He will,” his friend responds.
“And if he doesn’t?” He hesitates. “We don’t get paid unless we get those files.”
“He loves his kid. His wife is a fucking mess. He’ll show up, and we’ll get what we came for. Then we’re home free. We tell him where to pick up the boy, and we’re gone as soon as we deliver the files,” the first man with the deeper voice responds.
The room is dimly lit, but I get a better look at the three of them. The one with the plan is older, heavier set, and slumped in his chair. The guy he’s playing cards with is late twenties at best, blond, and nervous as a cat. The last guy is lean and scrawny. He’s pacing the room and looks worried. He should be, because he’s going to be someone’s bitch in prison soon.
I can hear the faint sound of crying. That’s got to be Troy.
“Go shut the kid up,” the oldest guy says.
“He’s scared,” the scrawny guy responds.
“Get him quiet, or I’ll find a way to do it myself.” The scrawny dude goes to do as he’s told.
I want to rush him right then and there, but Falcon bars the doorway. He points to the hall and motions for me to follow it down. Phoenix and I are to find Troy and get him to safety, so we head o he hallway. Rebel, Wire, and Falcon are going to round up the kidnappers.
With the element of surprise on our side, this is a much easier takedown than we hoped for. Falcon gives the signal, and we all move in. The kidnappers don’t even have time to react. Phoenix and I rush through the bedroom door, and the scrawny guy grabs Troy to cover himself. Troy is crying so loudly, the sound is echoing around the room.
“Put the kid down,” I order.
He just grips him tighter. “Just let me go,” the man says.
“Look, man,” Phoenix says, “you got nowhere to go. Put him down, come peacefully, and things will go a lot smoother for you. Your buddies out there aren’t going to be able to help you. You gotta help yourself.”
Slowly, he puts the kid down. I wave Troy over to me, and the little boy races into my arms. “You got him?” I ask Phoenix, jerking my head toward the scrawny guy.
“Yeah, get the kid out of here.”
Troy holds on tight as we rush through the living room and out the front door. Falcon, Wire, and Rebel have subdued the other kidnappers and have them face down on the floor. Wire follows me out and runs past me to grab the SUV. He pulls up sharply and opens the door, grabbing the blanket we brought with us to wrap Troy in. I sit with him in the back seat and calm the boy down.
“Hey, Troy, we’re going to call your parents. They’re going to meet us, and you’ll be home soon, buddy,” I tell him in a soft voice. His tears finally stop falling. I reach into my bag and take out a granola bar. “You must be hungry.” He nods. As he nibbles on the granola bar, I wipe the dirt from his face and check him out to make sure he’s all in one piece. The next stop is the hospital, where his parents will meet us.
The sound of sirens fills the air. Police cars pull up. Falcon meets them at the door. Falcon has a brief conversation with the cops, then comes to the car. “The guys will get a ride to the hospital and meet us there.” He looks at Troy, who is now sipping on the juice box I gave him, and says, “Let’s get this little man to his mom and dad.” Troy smiles, and I know that everything is going to be okay.
When we arrive at the hospital, Troy’s parents are already waiting for us. Troy’s father takes him from my arms and begins to weep. Our job is done.
Falcon and I wait for Wire, Rebel, and Phoenix. We reconnect after a mission to make sure we’re all safe. Falcon tells us to sleep in tomorrow, and we’ll debrief later in the day. Falcon’s heading back to Storm. The police will meet him there to take Allen into custody. It’s convenient for Falcon to have built his own apartment on the premises. Then again, I think he did it because he feels driven to make Storm Enterprises a success.
I sit in my truck and dial Maya’s number. It rings once before she picks it up. “Bull?”
