Chapter Seventeen

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The storm had a mean streak, throwing buckets of rain at the van while lightning made angry zigzags across the sky. A sky that looked more midnight than daylight thanks to the bruised-colored clouds that were responsible for the downpour.

There was absolutely nothing about this plan that Slade liked—including the pisser of a storm. It put Marise and Caroline right in the heart of danger. And it left his brothers and him vulnerable as well. But yet, here they were, driving straight toward that danger at a creek near Stronghold compound.

Danger that might be wrapped up in a big-assed ruse.

Because it was possible Stephanie was in on this. Possible that she was helping Sonny try to lure them to their deaths. Slade could see the woman doing that if Sonny had given her no other option, if Sonny had threatened to implicate her in Hutton's murder.

So, saving Stephanie wasn't a high priority for Slade.

But saving the colonel sure as hell was.

Not his top priority, though. No, that was for Marise and Caroline. Somehow, he had to keep them safe while saving Colonel Rosa and Stephanie and putting an end to Sonny once and for all.

They die if you call in the cops or don't bring Marise and Caroline here with you.

That's what Sonny had written in the message. No signature on the scrawl, but Slade knew it was almost certainly from Sonny.

And the dipshit would carry through on the threat.

He'd kill the colonel, maybe Stephanie, too, and then find another way to get to the five of them. There were always other hostage possibilities and no way to protect everyone. That was the reason they hadn't called the cops to alert them. If Sonny spotted one badge, or anyone else for that matter, Rosa would be dead. One slice of a knife over that rope, and he'd plunge to his death.

The way Slade's mother had.

"Everybody vested up?" Jericho asked while he drove.

Caroline and Marise muttered yeses, and Slade had already checked to make sure they had them on properly. Jericho had put on his Kevlar and his rain parka before even getting behind the wheel to start the drive to hell, and Nash and Slade had followed suit shortly thereafter.

The vests would prevent any of them from being killed by a shot to the chest, but Slade knew there were so many other ways to die. So many other places where Sonny could deliver a fatal shot. And along with Sonny, there was the shitty terrain they'd have to go through just to get to the creek. The bluffs made it outright dangerous, even if there wasn't the possibility that Sonny had brought some thugs with him to assist this sick plan.

So far, Slade wasn't seeing any thugs, or Sonny for that matter, and he'd been keeping his attention pinned to the dash monitor where the drone feed was coming in. That didn't mean that the thugs weren't there.

No.

Sonny would know there was a good possibility of them using a drone so he'd keep himself and any other muscle hidden away in those trees. But two could play at that game.

Or rather, five.

Because Slade figured their best chance of surviving this was to thread their way through the trees, staying hidden. Using them for cover. And watching their six so that Sonny and the gang didn't sneak up on them. Then, once they were near the creek, that's when Plan D would kick in.

They would first use the thermal scanner they'd brought with them to determine how many they were up against. The rain might mess with the results of a scan, might even miss someone wearing the right kind of protective clothing, but the odds were fairly high that the scanner would detect Sonny and anyone with him.

Step two was for Nash to stay put and guard Caroline and Marise. Jericho would save the colonel and/or Stephanie. And Slade would deal with Sonny and any other threats.

Just mentally repeating all of that put a hard knot in Slade's gut. Because there were so many things that could go wrong, and he hated that he couldn't be in a couple of places at the same time. Like Marise's side, for one. That way, he could be the one to protect her, but then that would leave Sonny for either Jericho or Nash.

Slade wanted Sonny.

He needed to be the one to go after the SOB and get closure for all of them.

The knot in his stomach vised even more when Jericho turned off the main road. Not heading toward the compound itself but one of the trails they had already had the drone scope out. There were no vehicles parked there. No signs of Sonny, either. So, Jericho pulled onto the trail and parked.

They didn't get out but instead stayed put in the van while the drone did another sweep and Jericho activated the thermal scanner. The drone didn't pick up anything but the scanner did.

Six heat blobs appeared on the monitor.

Stephanie and the colonel were easy to pick out because of their positions over the side of the bluff. There was a heat blob near them and three others in the woods. So, Sonny and three thugs to help him.

Slade didn't know if the blob near the bluff was Sonny, but he was betting that was a no. Sonny didn't care squat about Stephanie and Rosa. He'd be far more interested in being near the van or his sons. So, the odds were the trio nearest them was Sonny and some thugs who would no doubt be armed to the hilt.

Jericho did an adjustment to the monitor, splitting the screen so it showed by the thermal and the drone feed. That way, Nash would be able to keep watch of both in case Sonny and his goons did some moving around.

"Keep your communicators on," Nash said, repeating what they'd already agreed on with Plan D.

Jericho and Slade were wearing an earbud communicator that would allow Nash to give them updates. Since the earbuds were inventions of Ruby's techs, they wouldn't interfere with them hearing something that should be heard.

Slade tore his attention off the dash monitor and looked at Marise. She was trying her damndest to arrange her expression to convince him that this would all turn out just fine.

He wished he could believe her.

Wished that he could kiss her before he got out, but that would feel too much like a goodbye. And it wasn't. He had to make himself believe that he would get back to her and that nothing bad would happen before he could return.

"See you later," she said, her voice trembling a little, and he knew that tremble wasn't about fears for her own safety. But for his.

"Later," he repeated, and he tried to make it sound like a promise.

Jericho and he exchanged a glance and barreled out of the van and into the rain. Slade knew that Nash immediately moved behind the wheel so that he'd be ready to drive Caroline and Marise out of there if things went to hell.

As planned, Jericho and Slade only took a few steps together, stepping into the trees that formed a canopy that shut out some of the rain. Both of them glanced around to see if they spotted anything the drone or the thermal scan had missed. But there was nothing except the relentless rain slapping on the tree branches, the flash of lightning and the rumble of thunder.

After those few steps, Jericho went left to circle around behind the three heat sources so he could then get to the creek. Slade went right for his showdown with Sonny.

"You chickenshit coward," Slade called out. Again, this was part of the plan to goad Sonny into showing himself. "Are you hiding, too scared to come out for fear you'll get hurt?"

Nothing.

No movement, no response.

"I see, you want to kill another woman," Slade went on. "Someone smaller than yourself so it'll make you feel like a big dick. You're a dick, all right. A cowardly piece of shit who won't stand up to someone who can whip your ass."

That did it.

Just ahead about twenty yards, Jericho saw some movement. Someone wearing a hood peered out from behind a tree. A quick glance out and then a retreat back to cover.

"I know you're not alone," the man snarled.

It was Sonny, all right.

"You're not alone either," Slade fired back. "Did you bring your coward crew with you? I'm betting they're worthless losers, just like you are."

Sonny spewed out some ripe profanity. "I told you to bring Caroline and Marise," he growled out a moment later.

"They're here," Slade confirmed. "But I suspect you already know that. You could have used a scanner to check the van. You used to have one for night hunting."

"I didn't say to keep them hidden away in the van," Sonny spat out. "I want them with you and your asshole brothers. Where are they anyway? Hiding like worthless loser cowards?" He laughed at his own bad joke.

Slade figured the dipshit knew exactly where Nash and Jericho were since he would have used that thermal scanner on them, too.

"Did you think we would all just get out and line up for you to take easy shots at us?" Slade asked. "That's a coward's way of thinking," he added. "Why don't you come out and face me like the man you claim to be?"

More silence.

Well, from Sonny anyway. He got an update from Nash.

"Jericho's at the creek. The armed man there is right by the rope, and he has a knife, ready to cut it."

Slade silently cursed, but it was exactly what he'd expected.

"Jericho's getting into position to use his slingshot," Nash added.

That was expected, too. Jericho might be able to take out the knife-wielding asshole and save the hostages.

"Get down now," Nash ordered through the communicator.

Slade reacted in a blink. He dropped to the ground. Barely in time. Because there was the sound of a gunshot.

And the bullet tore into the tree right where he'd just been standing.

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