Abandon: The Unloveable Series Book One (7 page)

Chapter Seven

The phone rang three times before someone picked up.  “Hewooo,” came a small voice.  Even though he’d only been around his nieces less than a week, he already knew their voices and speech patterns.

In the background he could hear Bo’s voice.  “We talked about this just a few minutes ago.  Do you remember me saying little girls aren’t supposed to answer the phone?”  There seemed to be a struggle with the receiver then a squall followed by a threat.  “Kynwee git Gammy.”

“Hello,” a deep voice finally answered.

“You better watch yourself.  I believe my niece has gone to tattle on you,” Gage said with a laugh.

“I’ll never volunteer for a job involving kids again.  Who’d have thought three little girls could be so much trouble?  As if she had an internal alarm clock, Sadie woke the entire house up every two hours last night.  We’d hoped to sleep in this morning but no.  For some reason, Ollie and Makynlee woke up before dawn and weren’t satisfied until everyone else was awake.  This assignment is exhausting.”

Once he stopped laughing, Gage relayed the new development.  “We found a key hidden in Sadie’s stuffed doll.  It looks to be for a locker of some sort.  We’ll have to locate the locker and see what’s so important that these guys killed my brother and have been terrorizing my family.  I want you and Kai to stay at my parent’s house until I call to let you know what I find.”

In the background, Gage could hear Ollie ask for the phone.  “Let me talk to Olivia before I hang up.  And remember, don’t let any of them out of your sight.”

“Roger that.  Here she is.”

“Uncle Gage, when are you coming for the tea party?  You promised.”

Gage heard Kai chuckle in the background and it pissed him off.  “I bet Kai would love to have a tea party with you.”  Ollie didn’t say anything else but apparently she dropped the phone because it clanged all the way down the wall.  Gage heard his niece order Kai to participate in a tea party immediately.  He smiled as he disconnected the call.  His life had changed so much.  Just a week ago, he never would have believed he’d come to enjoy spending time with three precocious little girls.  He assumed it would be worse than a root canal, but currently he couldn’t wait for all of this to be over so he could spend more time getting know the girls better.

The screen door slammed pulling him from his thoughts.  Two arms wrapped around his waist from behind and he felt the shape of Brook’s face molded in his back.  “Good morning.  What are you doing out here?”

“I called to check on the family.”  The phone dinged in his pocket.  When he saw the text, he laughed heartily.

“What’s so funny?” Brooklyn asked curiously.

“See for yourself.”  He held the phone out so Brook could see the picture of Kai sitting at a tiny pink table, drinking from a tea cup.

Covering her mouth, Brook giggled.  “I feel sorry for him.  He might be a tough soldier but he’s no match for our girls.”

Brook might have said it unconsciously, but the words still caught Gage off guard. 
Our girls.
  Had she meant to say it?  Was she hoping he’d stay and help raise them as his nieces or did she hope he’d become their dad?  With a shake of his head, he put the thoughts out of his mind.  He had a job to do.

“We need to load everything and get going.  We have to make several stops before we get home.”  He had no intention of telling her that he planned to pay off her house and bring all of her bills up to date.  He’d made a lot of money over the last seven years and had spent very little.  Gage couldn’t think of a better use for it.  At the very least, Brook and the girls would be financially set. 

****

It was ridiculously hot and Brook couldn’t wait to go home and take a cool shower.  She waited for their order at the restaurant next door while Gage took care of some business at the bank.  The impending confrontation weighed heavily on her mind.  Gage had convinced her there wasn’t any other way out of the situation but Brook still didn’t relish the thought of men losing their lives, especially ones volunteering to protect her and her family.

“Dammit, Garret.  You left a hell of a mess behind,” she whispered as she rubbed her tired eyes.

“What was that, baby?”

Gage’s words caught her off guard.  “I didn’t hear you walk up.  Did you get everything done?” She quickly changed the subject.

“Sure did.  The next stop is the police station,” he announced as he dropped a couple of bills down on the table.

“Where the hell have you two been?  I thought I made it clear you weren’t to leave town,” Sam shouted as he stormed toward them.

Gage pulled Brooklyn behind him as the sheriff continued to yell at them.  It must have caught Sam by surprise because he stopped dead in his tracks several yards away.

“Why on earth would you think I’d hurt Brooklyn?  I’m the sheriff, I’m sworn to uphold the law,” Sam rubbed the back of his neck and took a deep breath before he began again.  “Let’s take this conversation to my office.”  He stepped aside as he motioned for them to precede him.

Gage wrapped his arm around Brooklyn and moved her to the side away from Sam.  Once inside the cramped office, Gage pulled a chair out for her to sit at the small table.

There was no mistaking Sam’s anger given the glass rattled in the office door when he slammed it shut. 

Before the sheriff had the chance to express his displeasure, Gage started talking.  “We found a key hidden inside a stuffed toy.”

“Let me have the key.  It’s part of an investigation,” Sam ordered as he extended his hand, palm up.  When Gage didn’t comply quickly enough, Sam became even angrier.  “I’ll slap you in cuffs right here and haul your ass down to a holding cell while I get the key from Brooklyn.”

“Don’t think for one second it’s okay to threaten Brook or me.  I want some assurances from you before I hand the key over.”

Sam exhaled loudly and ran his hands through his hair as he sat down in his chair.  “I’ll listen to what you have to say but I’m not promising anything.”

“I’m taking Brook back home this afternoon.  I want an officer stationed in front of her house until I’m confident she and the girls are no longer in danger.  I want to be present when the locker is opened.  If you can guarantee those two things, I’ll hand the key over right now.”

Sam took a minute before he answered.  “Here’s what I’m willing to authorize.  There will be a sheriff’s car parked in front of Brooklyn’s house with a deputy stationed inside. Once I locate the locker, I’ll remove the contents and bring them back here.  You’re welcome to come by to see what was inside.  When I’m satisfied there’s no longer a threat of danger, I’ll pull the protection,” Sam offered as he stared holes in Gage.

When Gage shook the sheriff’s hand in agreement, Brooklyn couldn’t believe it.  As soon as they exited the station, she fired off questions.  “Why did you give him the key?  You have to know he won’t call you when he finds out what’s inside.  If you haven’t noticed, he doesn’t like you very much.” 

The only reason she stopped berating him was because Gage held up his hand.  “I’m only going to say this one time so listen up, things aren’t always as they seem.  Have faith I know what I’m doing.”

She stopped walking and stared at his retreating back.  He must have noticed she was no longer beside him because he turned around and stared back.  One thing was for certain, Gage Hennessey was as stubborn as a mule.  She knew he’d never walk back to her, she’d have to give in and go to him.  As if she were one of her daughters, Brooklyn stomped all the way to him and he still didn’t say a damn word.  “Fine, I’ll trust you this time,” she groaned.  The only good part of the argument was when Gage leaned down and kissed her.

****

The sun had disappeared from the sky by the time Gage’s phone rang.  Very few words were dispensed before he disconnected the call.  Brooklyn looked at him curiously, so he knew it was time to let her know.  “That was Jericho.  Earlier today, I dropped the key off at the bank so he could locate the locker and remove everything in it.  He finally figured out the locker’s location.”

“I thought you gave the key to Sam.”

“I gave a key to him but not the key we found.  Long before we arrived in town, Jericho rented a locker and dropped that key off at the bank.  When I was finished with my banking, I traded the keys out.  Shortly thereafter, Jericho retrieved the real key and began eliminating possible locations.  The key belonged to a locker at the recreation center.  Inside were two letters and a backpack.  One letter was addressed to me and the other to you.”

Gage could tell the stress of so many loose ends was affecting her.  Unconsciously, she wrapped her arms around her midsection and held herself tight as though she would fall apart if she let go.  He enveloped her in his arms and held her close as he showered the top of her head with kisses.

“It’s alright.  You don’t have to read the letter until you’re ready.  There’s no hurry.”

Eventually she leaned back so she could see his face.  “What was in the backpack?”

“A shitload of money,” he explained with a smile.

“What?” She shouted as she pulled out of his embrace.  “Garret had money?  He never gave me so much as one penny in the last year.”

The smile disappeared from his face.  “Yes, I figured that out.  If I’d known, I’d have remedied the problem long before today.”

“What do you mean…?”  Gage’s phone rang and interrupted her question.

“Hennessey,” he answered.  Two seconds later, he disconnected and reached for his headset.  Once in place, he listened for a few more seconds.  “Roger,” he confirmed in the microphone.

“They’re on their way,” he quickly announced as he grabbed her hand and escorted her to the bathroom.  “I don’t know why I let you talk me into this but it’s too late to drop you off at mom and dad’s now.  I want you to stay in this cast iron tub no matter what you hear.  Under no circumstances are you to climb out.  Do you understand?”  As soon as she nodded, Gage leaned down, gave her a hard kiss and then covered her in a thick layer of Kevlar.

“The vehicles have stopped less than half a mile west.  Seven targets have exited,” Cutter’s voice gave the play by play over the communication system.  “Two broke off from the group and are running toward Hunter.”

“I’ve got ‘em,” Hunter announced.

“Another SUV has stopped east of the house. Four marks exited,” Mack chimed in.

“The sheriff has arrived.  He must have dismissed the deputy because he just drove off,” Cutter shared.

“Remember, they have to be on the property before we take them down.  Don’t wait on a confirmation, just eliminate the threat as soon as it crosses the property line,” Gage instructed his team.

Six quick ‘Rogers’ were immediately followed by the start of the count down.

“One down, ten remaining,” was announced following the first shot fired seconds before all hell broke loose.

****

Brooklyn stayed as flat as she could, molded to the bottom of the tub.  She wasn’t sure how many men were out there but it had to be a lot because the gunfire was continuous and deafening.  She’d never been so terrified in her life.  When the windows breaking and bullets piercing the exterior of the house sounded around her,  she wondered what would be left of the weathered structure she needed so she could raise her girls..  Shortly thereafter, ammo striking the tub sent her into a totally differently type of panic yet the odd part was she wasn’t worried about herself.  She was more scared Gage would be injured.  In the end that’s what prompted her to take action.  When the flurry of gunshots slowed considerably, Brooklyn threw the blanket of Kevlar back and sat immobilized for a few seconds, listening for any more shots.  When she felt relatively safe, she climbed out of the tub.  Earlier in the day, she’d hidden one of Garret’s pistols under the sink.  Without haste, she retrieved the gun, strapped one of the bullet proof vests on Gage had left in the bag nearest her, and silently opened what was left of the bathroom door.  Sneaking a peek around the corner, Brooklyn was satisfied the coast was clear so she dropped to the floor and army crawled down the hall.

“You stupid son of a bitch.  All you had to do was mind your own fucking business.  But you’re so arrogant you just had to get involved.  Because of you, Brooklyn has to die now, too,” Sam shouted.

Clearing the doorway, Brooklyn ducked behind the couch.  From her location, she could see Gage on the floor bleeding from his left shoulder.  Sam passed the couch as he cautiously approached Gage’s body and she saw Gage pull himself up to a sitting position against the wall.

“Were you involved in drug trafficking when you ran for office or was it just a perk you inherited when you took over?”  Gage asked through gritted teeth.  Brooklyn worried he was in terrible pain.

“Get real.  The last sheriff was old as hell and too fucking dumb to think of running a ring like I’ve created.  I get a percentage from every illegal operation in this town.  The whore’s pay their pimp and he pays me.  The gambling going on in the back of the bar has proven to be a lot more lucrative than I thought it would be.  But where I make the most of my income is from the drugs.  I’ll be damned if I’m not a rich man!  And there’s where the problem is.  You’re clusterfuck of a brother stole quite a large sum of money from me.   Of course I want my money back and thanks to you, I’ll be able to retrieve it once I figure out where the locker is.  My men would have gotten the idea I’m weak if I hadn’t made an example of Garret.  Even worse, they might have gotten brave enough to try to steal my money if I hadn’t proven my point with your brother.  What I did was necessary.  If you’d kept your nose out of my business, I wouldn’t have had to kill you or Brooklyn.  The good news is I’m the sheriff. No one will question what happens here tonight.”