Chapter Seventeen

Reynolds

W e’re sitting back at the Obsidian clubhouse, waiting to hear something, anything, from Knox, when the phone rings. But it’s the club’s landline, not our burner. Not Knox.

“What?” Ghost answers.

“Who is this?”

“And how the hell do you know that? Hold on.”

Ghost presses a button on the phone and places it on his desk.

“Start again,” he orders.

“I don’t have long,” the voice on the other line whispers. “In one hour, your brother and the woman will attempt an escape. I’m going to help them as best as I can, but the female is really sick and not strong enough to walk on her own.”

“What the fuck do you mean she’s not strong enough?” I bark out.

“She caught an infection,” the man rushes. “That’s not the point. The big man may need to fight their way out, but I know he won’t leave her behind. They won’t make it without help.”

“Where are you?” King asks.

“I don’t know,” he says. “Please, just listen. They don’t know I have this phone. I had it hidden between some medical supplies. I’m just as much of a prisoner here as they are. My name is Doctor Ethan Stone, and they’re holding my granddaughter in the room next to your friends. They kidnapped her to keep me in line.”

“How can we send help if you don’t know where you’re being held?” Ghost asks. “You said our female wasn’t doing well. How is our brother?”

“He has a few bruises on his face and seems to have pain in his left side that he tries to hide, but other than that, he seems fine. I don’t know where I’m at, but you can call the police and have them trace this phone, right? I can turn the sound off but keep it powered on. Isn’t that how they do it in the movies?”

Ghost’s jaw clenches, his fingers drumming rapidly on the desk as we all absorb the doctor’s frantic words.

“We can trace it,” Taylor says, his voice sharp with determination. He grabs a laptop and pulls up the software Obsidian Security uses for situations like this. Knox’s very own software.

“Keep him talking for another minute. I just need a bit of time to lock onto the signal.”

Ghost leans forward, his tone steady despite the urgency crackling through the room. “Doctor Stone, stay calm. We’re going to help you, your granddaughter, and our people. You’ve done the right thing by calling us. Tell me, do you know how many guards are stationed near them?”

“Four, maybe five,” the doctor answers, his voice shaking. “They rotate every shift, so it’s hard to tell exactly. And they’re armed.”

“Of course they are,” King mutters, pacing the room like a caged animal. “Doc, you said our female is too weak to walk on her own. Is she stable enough to survive an escape attempt?”

The pause on the other line causes my heart to stop. When Dr. Stone speaks again, his voice is hesitant. “She’s...critical, but she’s conscious now. I’ve been giving her antibiotics and steroids to keep her strength up. I gave her a strong dose of steroids two hours ago in hopes that it will help her, but she’ll need proper medical care immediately once she’s out. And I mean immediately. Once the steroids are out of her system, she’s going to crash. And, not in any way that can be considered good.”

“I’m going to fucking kill Paston when I get my hands on him,” I growl.

Ghost shoots me a look, silently telling me to keep my emotions in check. “Doc,” he says, “are you armed? Can you defend yourself and your granddaughter when it’s time to move?”

“No,” he says. “I had a small pistol that I always kept in my medical bag, but I shoved it under the female’s body during my last visit, hoping that it would help them escape.”

Ghost exchanges a glance with Taylor, who nods. “Got it,” Taylor says, typing furiously. “I’ve locked onto the signal. It’s bouncing between towers, but we should have a location in five minutes.”

“Stone,” Ghost says, his tone like steel, “stay near that phone. We’ll handle the rest. Do you have any way to alert our people when we’re close?”

“No,” he whispers. “But I’ll tell the guard that I need to check the female’s vitals. They trust me enough not to frisk me every time I enter their room. I could give your people my phone. Would that help?”

“When?” I ask frantically.

“It’s been a couple of hours, so I’ll go now. Don’t hang up. I’m going to tuck my phone into my bag.”

Ghost leans forward, his grip tightening on the edge of the desk. “Good thinking, Doc. Keep this line open. Don’t say anything unless it’s absolutely necessary. We’ll guide you as best as we can.”

Taylor nods, keeping his eyes locked on the screen. “I’m almost there. Just stay calm, Doctor Stone. We’re going to get you all out of this.”

The line goes quiet, but the faint sound of rustling tells us the doctor is moving. My heart pounds as I imagine him sneaking the phone into his bag. If anyone catches him, the consequences will be deadly for him, his granddaughter, Steel, and Delphi.

King’s voice cuts through the tense silence. “We don’t know how much time we have. Once we get the location, we move. No delays.”

“I’m not waiting a second longer than necessary,” I snap. My fists clench at the thought of Delphi lying there, vulnerable and in pain.

Through the open line, we hear muffled voices, guards, maybe, and then the doctor speaks, his tone carefully neutral. “She’s still running a fever. I need to make sure she hasn’t relapsed.”

A gruff voice replies, “Fine, but make it quick.”

There’s more rustling as the doctor likely pushes through a door.

“Is she asleep or unconscious?” I hear the doctor ask, which causes panic to rise to the surface.

“She’s just asleep,” Steel’s baritone voice says. A sigh throughout the room can be audibly heard as we hear the voice of our brother.

More muffling, as if the phone is being moved around before we hear clearly as the Doc’s voice drops to a barely audible whisper.

“I’ll unlock the door in exactly one hour,” we hear him say. “That’s the only time I can do it. Hopefully, your people will be here by then. I’m going to give you an injection to give her ten minutes beforehand called epinephrine. It will cause her heart to race, but it should give her the boost she needs to get out of here. Get her to a hospital as fast as you can.”

“Where does she get the shot?” we hear Steel’s whispered question.

“Place it firmly against her upper thigh and press the button. Keep it in place until you hear the second click.”

“Let’s go,” someone calls out.

“I’m finished,” the doctor says. “She’s good for the rest of the night. Please, leave them be so she can rest.”

“Knox got back with the address to that land Mark was talking about,” Taylor says. “But it’s not the same place this cell is pinging.”

“How far away is it?” I ask, desperately waiting to hear from Steel on the other end of the phone.

“The Vault is several hours away. It was just another way for Mark to have us look in the wrong direction. The Doc’s phone, however, is less than half an hour,” Taylor says. “You’re not going to believe where they’re located.”

“Where?” I ask.

“Hillcrest Retirement Home,” he answers. “It used to be an old sanitorium where they locked away those deemed crazy.”

“Not completely true,” we hear Steel say.

“Steel, thank fuck,” Ghost sighs. “Are you hurt?”

“Nothing that matters, but Del’s not doing too good,” he whispers. “They tore down Hillcrest Sanitorium years ago. They built the nursing home soon after. I bet there are still rooms underground. But we’re not in a nursing home or underground. I can hear the traffic outside when they open the outer doors and I haven’t seen or heard anyone apart from Paston and his guards.”

“Steel, can you help me sit up?”

“Freckles,” I whisper desperately. “Fuck. I need to get to her.”

“And we will,” King promises. “Just as soon as we pinpoint their location.”

“Steel,” Ghost says, his voice steady but urgent, “can you hear anything else? Doors? People moving?”

“I hear them,” Steel whispers. “They’re talking about moving her soon, but I don’t know where. Paston, the bastard, wants her to be flight-ready by tomorrow.”

“He’s obsessed with her,” Ghost explains. “It’s a long story that I don’t have time to explain. The Doc said there were a handful of armed guards.”

“Yeah,” Steel says. “They change shift about every eight hours or so. It’s almost time.”

“Got it,” Taylor says. “Fuck, this is crazy. Behind the nursing home is a small building that is used as a morgue. It’s the original one they used back when the Sanitorium was still in use. They have to be in there.”

“Might explain why it’s always so fucking cold in here,” Steel says.

“The Doc is going to unlock your door in thirty-five minutes,” Ghost says. “You need to be ready. Did you find the gun he left?”

“Yeah,” Steel answers. “I’ll be ready.”

“What about Freckles?” I ask, not able to voice more than that.

“She’s a fighter,” Steel says proudly. “You’ve got yourself one strong woman, brother. But she needs you. So, don’t do anything stupid.”

“Can I talk to him?” I hear her ask.

“Talk as quietly as you can, Del,” Steel tells her. “But look at me the whole time. I’ll block your face from the window in the door, but just in case they look in, it will look like we’re talking. Here, lay your head this way, and I’ll lay the phone next to your ear. Don’t move your hands.”

“Jacob,” she whispers, pain laced in her voice.

“Baby,” I breathe, my heart aching at the sound of her voice, so weak, so vulnerable. “Freckles, I’m coming for you. Hold on, just a little longer.”

“I… I’m trying…” Her voice cracks, the effort of speaking too much for her, but I hear the faintest tremor of fear in it. “Jacob, they’re going to move me. I don’t know where. I… I can’t…” Her voice falters, and I can almost feel her slipping away from me.

“Shh, it’s okay, baby. I’m right here, Freckles,” I whisper. “We’re gonna get you out. I promise you, no one’s going to hurt you again. Not if I can help it. When I get you home, I’m keeping you locked away from the world. Just stay strong for me, baby.”

The line goes silent for a beat, and then I hear Steel’s voice, low and urgent. “She needs you, Reynolds. You can’t let her fall apart now.”

“Baby,” I say, my voice breaking with the weight of the fear I can’t shake. “Freckles, listen to me. You stay strong. Keep fighting. I’m coming for you, okay? Just hold on. I’m not far. You just stay with me. I won’t let you go.”

She takes a shallow breath. “I’m so scared, Jacob. I don’t want to die here.”

“Freckles,” I murmur softly, “You’re not gonna die. You’re gonna fight, and we’re getting you out. Just hold on for me. I’m coming. Steel’s gonna keep you safe until we get there, alright? Our kids are waiting for you. Be strong for them. Be strong for me.”

She doesn’t answer right away, but I hear her steady her breathing, trying to find some calm in the chaos that has to be swirling around her. I’ll give her that calm. I’ll give her everything she needs to survive this.

“Steel,” I say, my voice growing more firm. “Keep her calm. Keep her safe.”

“I got you, brother,” Steel replies, his tone steady. “I’ll protect her with my life. Just get to us.”

I don’t have time to say anything more. The plan is set, and we move fast. Every minute counts now. And I swear to myself, no matter what happens, I’ll get to her. I’ll bring her home.

***

“The Doc will unlock their door in five minutes,” Ghost says from inside the nursing home. We’re here visiting an old comatose buddy whose window happens to look directly at the morgue. “We need this to be quiet. We don’t want to draw attention. King, I want you focused on getting the Doc and his granddaughter. Try not to kill anyone, but feel free to beat them until they’re almost dead. Reynolds and Taylor, you find Steel and Del. I’ll walk around the property and introduce myself to the guards lying in wait. Everyone ready?”

We all nod, my mind entirely focused on reaching my woman.

“Let’s head out.”

Ghost opens the window and we all climb out, quietly making our way to the building several hundred yards away.

Every second that ticks by feels like a hammer against my chest. I can’t remember when I stopped breathing properly, but I have to focus. Delphi and Steel are out there, close enough that I can almost feel them.

Images of Freckle’s almost dead enter my mind, and I stagger.

Ghost’s voice crackles in the earpiece, pulling me back to the present. “We’re one minute out. Reynolds. Stay sharp.”

Shaking my head, I refocus.

Stay sharp. That’s what I need to do. I can feel Delphi out there. It’s like a magnet pulling me toward her. She’s still alive. She has to be.

Ghost turns, and with a few steps, he’s lost to the shadows of the night. King, moving quick as lightning, reaches the guard near the door and takes him out without a whisper of sound.

Then, my senses light up with the sound of a single gunfire.

My pulse races. This isn’t just a rescue anymore; it’s a countdown.