Chapter Twenty-Six

Eagle

Gripping the edge of the window, Eagle lifted his feet and kicked out the glass. He used all of his might and sent his boots, glass and all, into the man’s gut.

Not much could withstand his power and this fucker was no exception. The gang leader lost his grip on his hostage and gun and went sailing back off the fire escape. Like slow motion, the man flew through the air with a surprised look on his face before he tumbled screaming to the concrete below.

Eagle used his boot to kick out the remaining glass and leaned his head out to look up.

Tyler Carson stood gazing down at him with wide, scared eyes.

“Told you I’d come back.”

The boy let out a shaky breath and clambered down the rest of the ladder. When Eagle pulled the boy through the broken window, Tyler collapsed into his arms.

“Thank you. Thank you so much,” Tyler said with a sob.

Eagle cupped the back of the boy’s head and held him close. Gazing at Link, he caught the man’s silently mouthed words.

My hero.

He didn’t know that he was anyone’s hero, but that Link would think that of him had his chest swelling with pride.

“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Eagle said gruffly.

“Dalton? Package is secure, gang leader is dead,” Link said via the comms.

“No,” Eagle growled, because he’d recognized the fucker he’d just kicked off the fire escape ladder.

“He’s not,” Tyler whispered.

“He’s not?” Link echoed with a confused look.

“That wasn’t Elron, that was his second-in-command, Sticks.”

“Well, fuck,” Link muttered and then said into the comms. “Scratch that, Dalton, we didn’t get the leader.”

They reached the lower levels of the building and found the unit gathered near the front. Jordan had moved the tank-like ATV closer and Dalton had his device up with a map of the neighborhood loaded on the screen.

“Jordan!” Eagle said. “Will you keep Tyler in one of the Pegasus vehicles? Elron is still on the loose.”

“Come on,” Jordan said, taking Tyler to the ATV. “I’ll show you our arsenal.”

Tyler smiled, and it was the first genuine smile Eagle could remember seeing. Once the pair disappeared, Eagle turned to Dalton and Link.

“I can’t believe I didn’t notice that wasn’t Elron until he went flying off the fire escape,” Eagle said.

“We never got a look at who took Tyler over the side. If you can see through walls, then I’d say take the blame, but since you can’t…” Link shrugged.

Eagle rubbed at the back of his neck. He prided himself on getting the facts straight.

“Just think of it this way,” Link said, gripping him by the front of his vest and yanking him closer. “We took down most of the bad guys. What’s a few more?”

Eagle smirked and nodded, he hadn’t stepped away when Link pulled him close and Eagle imagined they might have kissed if Dalton hadn’t cleared his throat.

“We need to reassess,” Dalton said.

“Yes, and I need to call CPS,” Eagle said and rubbed a hand at the back of his neck.

“I’ll get EMS out here to check over Tyler,” Link offered and made the call.

Tyler was antsy, but reluctantly walked to the ambulance when it arrived a few moments later.

It took an hour for the representative from Child Protective Services to make an appearance.

Meeting with CPS put a sour feeling in Eagle’s stomach, but he gave his statement and information to the stodgy-looking woman wearing a dark brown pantsuit and a tight bun at the back of her head. Her weathered face wrinkled when she smiled and nodded.

“Where are you taking him?” Eagle stared at the women.

“We have a foster place who can take him tonight until we find somewhere permanently.”

Eagle looked past the woman to where Tyler sat on the tail end of an ambulance, being checked over by an EMT. From here, Tyler would be taken to the hospital, where they would do a rape kit for evidence.

“He didn’t stay at the last place you put him in.”

“I know. We will do better,” she promised.

Eagle supposed that was all he could hope for. With a brisk nod, he walked over to Tyler.

“Hey.”

“Hey.” Tyler offered him a small, wobbling smile.

“After the hospital, they have a place for you tonight.” Eagle gestured to the woman.

“Yeah.” Tyler slowly nodded. “She told me.”

Eagle didn’t like the way the boy’s voice cracked. “You okay?” A stupid question, but one he had to ask.

“Getting there. Are you going after Elron?” Tyler’s voice trembled.

“Yes, we already have two men searching for him. We will get him.” Eagle pulled a piece of paper from his pocket where he’d written down his cell number and Link’s, as well as the Pegasus headquarters number.

“Call any of these numbers if you need anything.”

“I will.”

It took everything inside of Eagle to walk away from the vulnerable fifteen-year-old who sat watching him with big hero-worship eyes.

Eagle had killed the bad guy who’d taken Tyler over the edge of the building. The boy’s scumbag of a brother was dead and could no longer pimp him out for money or whatever, so he needed to be satisfied with a job well done.

Only one thing left to do.

Find Elron.

And end that motherfucker’s life.

“Fan out, let’s find this dirtbag,” their boss ordered, and all but Jordan fanned out.

Dalton made the call and SWAT showed up thirty minutes later, and together they combed the surrounding area.

They came up with one dead end after another.

“He’s probably laying low in someone’s house,” Link murmured.

“He could be miles away by now,” Eagle agreed. He wanted to wring that fucker’s neck and squeeze the life out of him more than anything right about then. He wasn’t going to let up until Elron was found.

Several more hours went by, but they found no signs of Elron.

“We need to call it.” Eagle gnashed his teeth.

“Let’s get some rest. We’ll find him eventually unless he leaves the state,” Link said.

Dalton and the rest of the men gathered near the Pegasus vehicles.

“Fish and I got a lead,” Ice said.

The man stood at the edge of the group with Fisher. Both of them were heavily armed, without an ounce of fatigue or tiredness on their faces. Ah, to be that young again, Eagle thought.

“You two check out the lead,” Dalton told Ice and Fisher.

Both men turned and started walking down the sidewalk.

“Fish?” Creed called.

“Yeah?” Fisher swung around.

“Don’t let this son of a bitch get away.”

Fisher gave Creed a cocky smile. Ice though, he didn’t crack a smile, and a glacial glint moved in the man’s gaze.

Eagle had a moment where he was fucking glad Ice was on their side. It gave him a chill to think of what the man was capable of.