“Dad called Highlander yesterday. He told dad what happened, so we caught the first flight we could.”
Pratt looked over at her husband, nodding at him before walking away to get ready. Highlander looked at Ian and Carter. “Take care of my lass. She’s my world.”
“We’ve got her. Don’t worry!” Ian assured Highlander before smacking him on the back as he walked away.
An hour later, Ian’s team, Alpha Squad, Tampa PD SWAT and Dakota Swift’s team were suited up and slowly descending on the property where the cabin was located.
As they descended on the cabin, they watched as Jackson pulled into the property and Dakota jumped out of the SUV, running towards the log home. Jackson slowly following behind.
As Dakota came out of the cabin, she had two small children, no more than two years old holding onto each hand. As they came out of the home, Jackson walked up to one of the children, demanding their hand, to which the child hesitated slightly before letting go of Dakota’s hand to take their father’s.
Just as the kid let go of Dakota’s hands, Tampa PD shouted for everyone to freeze and get onto the ground. Jackson swung around to look at his surrounding before grabbing one of the children and taking off into the wooded area behind the cabin.
Dakota, out of fear for the child, followed Jackson, screaming for the child to be put down. Pratt, York, Alvarez, Carter and Ian took off after Jackson and Dakota into the woods.
The five of them scoured the woods before they came to a halt. Jackson stood there with a gun to a small boy’s head, with Dakota on her knees begging Jackson to let the boy go. Next to Dakota was a little girl, slightly smaller than the boy, crying for her mother.
“Get the fuck off my property or I will kill him. I can make more of him, so don’t fucking play me.”
“Let the boy go, Jackson. You’re not going to kill your own son. Let him go!” York ordered Jackson.
“He wouldn’t be the first one I killed, probably won’t be the last!” Jackson retaliated.
“Well, I’m sure daddy would be proud of your lack of accomplishments, killing your own sons. Daughters seems to be the way you Harris men go, not killing the sons!” Pratt mocked Jackson. Trying to get his attention.
“Fuck you, whore. My own brother was ordered to kill the spawn he created with you, to put you in your place and the fucking reject couldn’t even do that. Useless waste of sperm that he was. Father should have ended his life when he was younger, but no, he had high hopes that Jon would make a great Marine. Dumbass is even messing that shit up now with the trash he’s fucking.”
“Last chance to let the boy go, Jackson.” Pratt ordered, aiming her gun a little higher.
“Fuck you!” Jackson screamed at Pratt.
Pratt fired her weapon, hitting Jackson between the eyes. As he fell to the ground, Dakota screamed and grabbed her son, pulling him to her. Pratt stared at Jackson’s body for several seconds before going to Dakota and checking the boy over.
Ian and Carter ran over to Pratt as she handed the boy back to Dakota. “You ok?”
“Yeah. If I hadn’t killed him, he never would have left Dakota and these two kids alone. He would have hunted them down until the day he died. I couldn’t let him do that.”
“He would have shot his own kid. You were protecting them. No one faults you for that.” Ian said, glancing over at Dakota with the two children. “I would have done the same thing. You just beat me to it.”
Carter and York agreed with Ian’s statement, watching Dakota as she approached. Alvarez joined the group after she had caught up with them.
“Thank you for saving us. I’m sorry I had to…”
“Don’t. You did what you had to do to protect your children. I get it. Took me a bit to realize why you willingly left with him, but I get it. You have nothing to be sorry for.” Pratt said, crouching down to get on the little one’s levels.
Dakota followed suit. “Auntie Laura, meet Edward Pattrick and Sheyna Lauren. It was the closest I could get the names of the people who gave me hope.”
Pratt looked at Dakota in shock at the names. “I’m surprised Jackson let you name them.”
“He didn’t know who Eddie or Pattrick were. He did try to fight me on the Lauren part. I lied and said it had nothing to do with you. It was a name I had always loved as a little girl, so he relented when I obeyed him for a while.”
“Smart chica!” Pratt looked at the two small children and smiled. “Hi, I’m Auntie Laura. It’s nice to meet you.” Pratt held out her hand for the two youngsters to take in a handshake.
The two small children just stared at her before looking to their mother who nodded at them. Instead of taking Pratt’s hand to shake, both children engulfed her in a hug, causing everyone around them to chuckle when they knocked Pratt to the ground, laughing.
After all the children were gathered from the home, the couple taking care of them arrested, they all headed back to the station where everyone else was waiting.
Dakota walked in with both children holding her hands in between Ian and Carter, with York leading the way. Alvarez and Pratt walked behind the group, protecting their six’s.
