22. Gage

22

GAGE

T he stupid spreadsheet was off…again. Were his relatives trying to be idiots, or did it just come naturally? They couldn't keep up with work expenses if their lives depended on it, and instead of working on the engines waiting in the garage, Gage was wading through another mound of crumpled receipts.

Unease still swirled in his chest. Brett hadn't called to say the world was ending, and Emerson hadn't come back with any valuable information. Something still didn't sit right after Brett's visit earlier.

One, his family hadn't sought him out to tell him Brett even stopped by, which meant they were making decisions without him.

He slapped another receipt down on the desk and stood. He couldn't sit around while the wheels of war were turning. The workout room had a punching bag that was calling his name. After he blew off some steam, he could work in the garage for a while.

Stopping in the hallway, Gage listened. Silence flooded the entire building. He started walking, picking up pace as he passed empty rooms. He burst into the garage and checked around every vehicle. No one.

A car kicked up dust as it sped down the short drive. Emerson's car parked beside Gage's truck, and she darted out, running around the back of her car toward him.

Something was wrong, and Gage's adrenaline kicked into high gear. His hands balled into fists as he ran to meet Emerson.

Her hair whipped in the wind behind her as she skidded to a stop. "They're going after her."

"Who? Thea?"

"Yeah." Emerson pushed a hand through her hair and panted. "They're going to get her right now. Why didn't you answer your phone?"

He pulled it out of his pocket and saw the screen full of notifications. He'd turned it on silent when he was sneaking around following Bruce, Cain, and Tommy.

Gage bit back a curse and started walking toward his truck. "Where?"

"Wait!" Emerson grabbed onto his shoulder, pulling him back with all of her body weight. "They're bringing her here. Listen."

Whipping around, Gage planted his feet against the urge to run and find his sister. "What?"

"She has a doctor's appointment today. They knew she'd be heading for Cody, so they're going to run her off the road."

Gage spat a curse and rubbed his chin. "They're getting both of them?"

"I don't know. I only overheard about Thea. Is Brett going to be with her?"

"Probably. They'll either kill him and take her or take them both and–"

"Don't say it." Emerson held up a halting hand.

Gage looked at the time on his phone. "When did you find out?"

"They left ten minutes ago from Tommy's. I don't know where she is on the road, but they're planning to meet back here."

Gage looked down the drive leading to the garage. "Thanks for letting me know. You need to get out of here."

"I don't want to leave her. What are they gonna do?"

"Nothing good. You don't need to be around."

Gage's phone rang, and the name he'd assigned to Brett flashed on the screen. "What?"

"Where is she?" Brett asked .

"They're bringing her to the garage. It's on Finley Road."

"I know where it is. Who all is there?"

"Just me and Emerson now. She's leaving."

"I need a head count, Gage. What are we walking into?"

"I'm going to assume Bruce, Cain, and Tommy. No one else would be involved."

"The police are on their way too," Brett added.

Gage pointed at Emerson's car, urging her to leave while she still had the chance, and stalked back into the garage. "Wait, weren't you with her?"

"How long have you known about this plan?" Brett asked.

"Five minutes. Answer the question."

Brett's hesitation only served to amplify Gage's nervous energy. Finally, he answered. "Hadley was with her."

Gage halted and gripped the phone against his ear, not even trying to hide the panic in his voice. "Is she okay?"

"Yes, she seemed okay when I talked to her."

Heart beating out of control, Gage gripped the doorframe leading into the back rooms. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. She was upset about the wreck and Thea, but she said she was okay."

Couldn't breathe. Couldn't move. Hadley was out there, and he knew the extent of the evil she'd just encountered. They'd leave her for dead without a second thought.

"Buddy, they took Thea. Remember what they did to her?" Brett asked. "I promise Hadley has help on the way, but Thea is much worse off right now. Focus."

"Are you sure?" Gage managed to ask.

"Of course I'm sure. I've already sent help her way. I talked to her. Trust me on this."

Great. The moment of truth. Did he trust Brett enough when it came to Hadley? Was it enough to keep him from burning up the roads to find her and see for himself?

"They have Thea, Gage," Brett said.

How could he protect Hadley and Thea from different places? He had the best chance of helping Thea once his family got back to the garage. "I'll take care of Thea, but if you're headed this way, you better have a lot of backup."

Brett chuckled. "I have one guy, but I'm pretty sure he counts as three."

Gage sighed. "Is that all? I thought you said you had friends."

"The police are on the way too. Just tell me how to get in."

Focus. If Brett was going to be any help, he needed clear information. He rattled off everything he knew about the layout of the building. When Bruce's truck came into view, Gage positioned himself in the office where he could hear which entrance they were going to use.

He closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath. God, I don't know how to ask for help, and I know it doesn't look good to start things off wanting something from You, but I could use some help here. Send help for Hadley, and show me how to get Thea out of this.

The back door creaked open, and grunts and kicks came from down the hallway. Gage closed the office door and paced back and forth in front of it. He could storm out there now and grab Thea, but he'd probably have to kill both of his uncles and his cousin to get her out of this. If he waited for Brett and backup, they had a chance of facing this battle in one-on-one instead of three-on-one.

Thea's squeals were muffled. They must have tied her mouth. From the rustling going on, she was putting up a good fight.

Gage reached into the holster on his side and readied his pistol. One certainty gave him a small amount of comfort. He'd do anything necessary to make sure he got Thea out safely.

The noises seemed to die off on the other side of the door. The only room left down that side of the hallway was the storage room. He stepped into the hallway and almost collided with Tommy.

"Where have you been?" Tommy asked.

"The office." Gage jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "The finances are a wreck again. "

Tommy jerked his chin toward the storage room. "We just brought Thea in. We found her with Brett Patton. She's back in town and those two are planning something. Get in there and see if you can get it out of her."

Doing his best to react in the correct way, Gage frowned and glanced down the hallway. "Thea is back? Since when?"

"Not long ago. Brett's been quiet for a while, but he came by this morning. Said they're gonna be together. Bruce got the feeling it was a trap, so we need to do whatever we can to get the truth out of her. She knows too much about what we do here to go telling the Pattons or the cops."

Gage ground his teeth. "I'll do it. Where are you gonna be?"

"I'm watching the entrance. We need to get her to talk before her little boyfriend shows up."

Grumbling, Gage turned toward the storage room, leaving Tommy to head the other way. With a look over his shoulder, Gage typed out a message to Brett before going inside.

Gage: Tommy is on lookout. She's in the first room on the left down the hallway. Going in.