18. Cal

18

CAL

Landing on a small undisclosed airstrip, the Giovanni brothers and I double check then triple check our gear. This is nothing new. We have done this thousands of times. The normal steady feelings are nowhere to be found, replaced by the pure rage and determination to hunt Kiel down. These emotions pump adrenaline into my veins. One mistake. One thing doesn't go according to plan - this all goes to shit.

"You good, man?" Chase questions with a pat on the back. I know what he's asking.

Shaking my head, I throw his comforting hand off and grunt. "Yep, mother hen. I've bounced back. Doctor cleared me, so fuck off."

Chase chuckles at my words before turning serious. "I know," he hesitates. "I'm just not sure what we'll find there."

"Get fucked." I growl at him, throwing the rest of my gear in my bugout bag. I stomp off as I throw it over my shoulder. "Her being in his hands.." I pause, shuddering at the reminder. "It's my fault … what he has done to her is my fault." Taking a few steps, I stop. "I will fix this and patch every single fracture and broken part of her soul." Chase and the other brothers listen silently to my intimate thoughts. I watch them exchanging meaningful glances and simultaneous nods.

We load up and begin our trek to the unknown coordinates. Flying into Italy was easy enough - I have connections all over the world. It's how we smuggled in an arsenal of weapons and gear. I was not heading into Kiel's territory without enough weapons, bullets and tactical equipment to outfit an entire troop. Underestimating Kiel is how we got here. Thinking we had the upper hand, and that we'd taught him a lesson, is how Ava became a prisoner to that sadistic scumbag.

"Fuck," I spit out. The brothers are also tossing out various expletives. We reach the coordinates location, and I'm staring at a fortress. Towering stone walls line the perimeter, multiple security shacks splattered around the grounds from the perimeter to major entry points. Kiel learned from last time. What a damn shame.

The Giovanni brothers are scoping out the area, attempting to find a weakness. If I can't find one, they won't either. Their shoulders slump. Chase looks at me. "Fuck. What the hell do we do now?" Even after being tortured, carried from the building, and weeks of recovering, they still look at me. I am still the leader, and I need to get my shit straight or we will all lose.

I slump over the wheel, closing my eyes, running through the different scenarios. Snapping up, I turn and look at the brothers. "Where is the computer?" Jax digs around for it before pulling it out.

"It's a long shot. But so was someone sending these coordinates." I open the computer, pop open the email with the location, and reply to the message with ‘We're here. What are the next steps?"

Each brother takes a look at what I wrote. "Really?" Chase snorts. The others shake their heads.

"Let's hope that whoever is sending us this info is wanting the same thing we want." Shutting the truck off and turning off all lights, we sit. Hours go by as we wait. The soft ping wakes me from a nap - a nap that took me by surprise. Sleep is a complete joke since Ava was taken. I just need her back here with me.

I nudge the brothers awake. Opening the computer, I make sure the satellite connection is still solid. Clicking on the email icon, I open the newest email. The message is short and sweet: Tomorrow @ 22:00. I look from brother to brother then to brother, the serious glint seeps into their eyes. They are just as ready as I am.

"Are we sure this isn't a trap?" Jax cautiously asks. He nudges his other brother and they both turn to stare at Chase and me.

Chase turns fully, facing the back seat to stare at his brothers. "But this is the only way," he whispers. "I don't think I could live with myself if we didn't follow through." His voice cracks with unshed emotion. These are the last clear words I hear as the three talk loudly and over each other with their opinions. I'm sure they make valid points, both good merits for following the mysterious tip, versus it's a trap that will kill us all. Ten minutes of this bickering fiasco of pros and cons, a few harsh ‘fuck yous', and I lose it.

"Shut the fuck up," I bellow. The truck goes silent. I now have the undivided attention of all three Giovanni brothers. "Yes, it is possible that this is a trap and we will all die. But truth be told, I don't give a fuck." I pound my fist against the steering wheel. "I will walk through the fires of hell to get to Ava. And I will slaughter that piece of shit til I'm holding his beating heart in my hand."

The brothers stare at me with shocked expressions and mouths gaping open. I just confirmed how much Ava means to me.

Turning around to face the windshield, I close my eyes and send a small prayer into the ether that Ava is surviving, that she can hold on one more night. We will get her home and I will be there for her every single step of the way.

The wait for tomorrow will be long. We were so close to her and yet … We must wait.

The decision is made. Trap or not, we will move forward. We drive a distance away from where Ava is being kept, a place off the beat and track about an hour from the holding, to find a hiding spot to drive off road further into the forest area where we can camouflage ourselves into the surroundings. A temporary command center - a place where we can plan, plan, and then plan some more, and fake a few hours of sleep. I don't think I could even rest knowing she's so close but not here and probably being tortured by that sick fuck.

As we set up to go over our recon notes and begin to determine the best course of action, I send another pleading prayer that she is alive. If she is alive, she can survive. If she can survive, then we can stitch together all the pieces that scum broke and flayed.