Tides of Vengeance (The Montclair Brothers Book 4) (9 page)

Tyler listened to the call disconnect. His knees felt weak and sweat began to form on his face.
Ohio
?
What the heck are they doing in Ohio
?

“Honey, who was that?” asked Renee as she came down the steps.

Tyler reached out and took her hand, slowly walking her to the living room. He had to sit down before his legs gave way.

Renee sat on the sofa next to him. “Tyler, you don’t look very good. Are you sick?” She reached up and felt his forehead.

“I just got a strange phone call from a man named Ralph Charles, in Laurel, Ohio. He wanted to thank me for the packages.”

“That’s odd. He obviously had the wrong number.” She patted his knee then started to stand up. Tyler reached for her hand again and gently pulled her back down.

“The whole conversation was in code, Renee. The packages are Brian and Carrie.”

“Oh my God!”

“He said the packages arrived undamaged and are fine. He even gave me his address, where they’re at.” Tyler showed her the napkin. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and saved the number.

“Did you speak to them?” Carrie’s eyes filled with tears.

“No. Carrie knows better than to place a direct call to me. My guess is that they’re being helped out by this Ralph Charles.”

“Tyler, what if he’s done something to them!” She began to sob.

“He didn’t, Baby. If he meant them any harm, he would have asked me for ransom money, or something. He also wouldn’t have given me his address.”

“We need to get online and look it up. Maybe he’s a creep who’s just playing games with us!”

Tyler got up and walked over to the front door, then bent down to get his laptop out of his briefcase. “Wait. We can’t do this. If the cops check my computer, or any computers in the house or at the office, and see that we’ve searched someone in Laurel, it could lead them right to Brian. We have to come up with a better way.”

“Tyler, the cops haven’t bothered you since right after he disappeared. I highly doubt they’ll take measures like that. You can’t possibly be a suspect.” Renee walked over to him and started to remove his laptop.

“Honey, no.” He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her back up. “When the cops questioned me, they acted suspicious. In the morning, I’ll gather my brothers and Emma. We’ll figure something out. But you have to
promise
me, that you won’t do anything to try and locate Brian or Ralph Charles until then.”

“I’ll give you until noon to give me something, Tyler. If you don’t jump on this the first thing in the morning, I’ll get in my car and head to Ohio. You’re willing to take this guy’s word, and not only that, maybe you just misread the entire conversation.” She covered her face with her hands.

“Then come to work with me in the morning. You can be there and help us figure it all out. If Ralph calls again, and you’re near, I’ll put the phone on speaker. I promise not to leave you out of the loop, okay?”

Tyler pulled her to him and kissed the top of her head. She nodded in agreement, but the second she went back upstairs, he was going to remove her keys from her purse. He’d have Emma camp out in front of his house all day if need be, but there was no way he’d allow another family member to come up missing. No way in hell.

Chapter 9

E
lissa followed Stella
around the house and helped her to round up blankets for everyone, though she knew there was no hope for getting any sleep tonight, herself. When she glanced over at Sean, she saw the tension on his face. Maybe he, too, was realizing that staying here, with Brian and Carrie, would be a mistake. First of all, they couldn’t afford to waste any time, and the safest hours to illegally enter someone’s house would be at night. Right now, Elissa felt like she’d drunk a whole pot of coffee, though she hadn’t had any since the cup she’d bought on her way to Montclair Pharmaceuticals this morning. She looked over at everyone as they spread out blankets on the floor and sofa; her uneasiness couldn’t be concealed.

“Are you feeling okay?” Sean interrupted her train of thought.

“Not really. I think you and I should hit the road. Brian’s parents live about an hour and a half from here. If we leave now, it’ll give us time to get there while it’s still dark outside.” She hoped Sean had it in him to travel a little further. “I can drive if you feel too tired.”

“That’s actually pretty smart, to leave now,” began Carrie. “The cops have no idea that Brian is in the area. With a strange car here on this property, it could raise suspicions. My guess is that the police aren’t even checking Mosby, where Shirley and Hank live. But, we know they’re currently checking Laurel, and that’s a good enough reason to keep our heads low. Once they come up with no leads here, they’ll move their focus on to other counties.”

“But you two just got here,” Brian said with a frown.

“Listen, Brian. I know you don’t want us to leave, but this is just a temporary situation. We are willing to do whatever it takes to get you back to Tyler and Renee, safe and sound.” Sean ruffled the kid’s hair before turning to look at Ralph. “Will Carrie and Brian be safe here? Is it okay for them to stay for a few days?”

“Absolutely!” Ralph’s expression grew serious. “I’ll protect them with my life. Stella will add a few pounds to their frames by the time they get back to their real homes, but we’d love to have them here for as long as they’d like to stay.”

Carrie looked over at Sean and laughed. “I think you should scrap the suit and white shirt though. Both of you should get into dark, comfortable, clothing and shoes.”

“When you guys are done getting changed,” began Brian, “I’ll give you the layout of the yard and house in Mosby, and tell you where to park the Equinox once you’re there. The lots are all pretty big with plenty of trees, so it’s not like the neighbors will be breathing down your necks. That’s pretty much how Hank and Shirley got away with all the crap they did to me.”

Elissa didn’t miss the sadness and anger that came over Brian’s face. “Pretty soon, Brian, they’ll pay for everything they did to you. We’ll make sure of it.”

“Damn straight,” added Sean. “Let’s finish up here and hit the road, Elissa. We have some serious digging to do.”

Elissa went into the bathroom to put on some black jeans, and a black sweatshirt. She had packed carefully, and with forethought, knowing she’d be breaking into the Waters’ home. When she studied her face in the mirror, she saw no fear, but the determination in her eyes was the same look as when she left her parents’ house with Miles and Noah. The Montclairs had helped her then, and now she’d give this mission her all…even if it cost her freedom. If Shirley returned home, it could mean the end of her life…
or Shirley’s
, thought Elissa, as she took a deep breath.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

The drive to Mosby took less time then they’d anticipated. Though Sean was excited to get the two monsters locked up, his stomach turned to acid at the thought of coming face to face with the place where Brian was tortured and held captive. He knew the kid’s bedroom and the basement bathroom had been revamped, and no evidence would be visible, but just standing in those rooms, Sean believed he’d feel Brian’s screams run through every vein. He’d have to stay focused to get this job done, because if he didn’t, Brian could die as a result.

Sean took careful note of every detail as they entered Mosby, which matched what Brian had told them. The good news was the positioning of the houses and the distance between them. Part of him wished he’d asked to borrow Carrie’s weapon, so he didn’t end up bringing his fists to a gun fight, should they encounter Shirley. He’d never hit a woman before, nor would he ever, but she wasn’t a woman…she wasn’t even human. The more Sean dwelled on that beast, the more he felt his blood boiling. He looked over at Elissa who was sitting with the map Brian had drawn out for them in one hand, and a penlight in the other.

“Change of plans,” she blurted.

“Wait.
What
?” Sean did not need Elissa to be throwing a wrench into things right now. They’d discussed their mission in detail back at Ralph’s.

“Our first check in the house shouldn’t be Brian’s room or the bathroom. Shirley and Hank are violent mongrels, but they aren’t stupid. Whatever they have hidden, is either in another area of the house or outside. If filming Brian’s torture was important enough for them to have as a trophy, then I highly doubt they’d be willing to destroy it. So I think we need to focus on the attic, the laundry room, and the living room. They wouldn’t be dumb enough to hide anything in a closet or their bedroom. We’ll have to dig deep, because the investigators were all over that place. Therefore, we can leave the obvious spots until last.”

“See? You’re not only beautiful, but you’re also smart.” Sean smiled and winked at her, even though she couldn’t see him in the dark. “Okay there’s the gas station.”

“Around the corner is the grocery store. Brian said that this is the route he took when he escaped. Hopefully, they haven’t built any fences between here and the Waters’ house. Park away from the lights in the lot.” Elissa held onto Sean’s arm and climbed into the backseat, where she began to gather their equipment. Most of which Ralph had provided. “Okay, I think we’re ready. Remember to be super quiet.”

“Are you kidding me? We have to be quiet?” With that comment, Sean got a nice shoulder shove. When he heard Elissa open the back door, he did the same. They quietly closed them together when they got out, to minimize the noise. Sean stuffed the keys in his pocket, then off they ran into the dark behind the store.

The alley behind the store had one dim light, so they kept to the shadows close to the building. Once they entered the tall grass and trees, Sean took ahold of Elissa’s hand so they wouldn’t be separated. They couldn’t see much at all, so they had to slow down to a snail’s pace.
So far so good
, thought Sean. Things hadn’t changed, as far as the property borders, since Brian ran through here. As they neared the Waters’ home, he wanted to call Vincent to find out if Shirley was still in Southfield, but he knew he couldn’t.

A dog or two barked in the distance, but nothing that was close enough to alarm anyone. Besides, unless someone turned on a floodlight, they couldn’t be spotted. If that happened, all they had to do was drop down on their stomachs to hide. The grass and weeds were at least three feet tall. Suddenly he felt Elissa tug on his arm. He stopped and crouched down to her level so she could whisper in his ear.

“We’re here.” Elissa and Sean both put on black leather driving gloves.

Sean took ahold of Elissa’s hand again, pulling her into a crouching position. From what he could tell, the grass had been allowed to grow as tall as the weeds behind the lots.

When they reached the back of the house, Elissa took the lead and went to where Brian’s old bedroom window was. Sean could feel his neck and shoulders stiffen as a tear threatened to spill over onto his cheek. He loved that boy with all his heart, which meant he had to work as hard as he could to save him. That was all the incentive he needed to put his emotions on hold and rip this house apart, brick by dirty brick, until every secret was spilled onto the streets.

Elissa stood next to him, ready to be lifted inside. They had plans for her to open a door and let him in if need be. The window was small and had no screen.
Why would it have a screen
?
It wasn’t like the bastards ever let the kid get any fresh air
. He swallowed hard. Sean tugged at the window, before pushing up on it hard. He heard the latches give, before looking around into the distance. Elissa stepped in front of him so he could lift her high enough to crawl through. Sean then put his hands on the windowsill, and with his feet against the side of the house, he climbed up and slid in head first. He felt like he’d broken his neck. After standing up and stretching his muscles, he realized how much darker it was inside the house than outside.

“I can’t see shit,” Elissa whispered.

“Neither can I. Turn your penlight on so we can see our way around the house. Keep it away from the windows and try and stay as low as possible. We don’t need anyone seeing our silhouettes.”

Elissa turned the light on and then began to slowly walk towards the doorway of the small room. Sean thought for sure he’d trip on a toy, but there weren’t any…not even a book. Nothing. The house smelled of rotten food and mildew, making him want to open the door and hurl.

“We should start in the basement. The laundry room is down there along with a family room.” Elissa looked around for the stairs that led to the basement. She found them through a door in the kitchen.

“I’m going down first. Just keep a path lit for me, Elissa.” Sean held onto the banister and slowly descended the ten basement steps. He was glad he was wearing a barrier between his skin and that of the monsters, as they’d dragged their child down these steps. He pulled his gloves tighter against his hands.

“Appliances. Check inside, behind, and beneath, the washer, dryer, and the hot water tank,” directed Elissa, as she began opening the lids of the laundry machines. Sean pulled a step stool from against the wall, and he began to push up the ceiling tile. I need your light, Elissa.” He checked out the ceiling, before lifting any exposed insulation on the wall. He carefully pushed on every surface to check for any weak seams. He wouldn’t put it past the Waters to hide something underneath a paint job.

“Okay, I’m going to tip the machines. You look underneath and in the back of them. Also pay attention for any loose floor tiles.

“Clear.” When Elissa was out of the way, he carefully lowered each machine and slid it back into place. He checked the dryer vent and the clothes hamper. The dirty towels and clothes had mildewed. The smell hit them both in the face when he opened the lid. Still, he lowered his arm and dug through it. He could easily wash the stench out of his clothes and off of his skin. Brian, on the other hand, would never be able to wash away the rancid memories.

“Let’s hit the family room.” Elissa nodded and moved the penlight to the doorway so Sean could go first.

The room was small but well furnished, from the massaging leather recliner, to the leather sofa and entertainment center. He felt so much anger as he thought of how much trouble they’d gone through to provide for their own comfort, while Brian lay naked, chained to the floor of a dark bathroom. He shook his head and blew out a long, slow breath.

Elissa pulled out every CD, reading labels both on and inside each case, she also carefully checked out every inch of the entertainment center. Sean removed cushions and turned over the furniture to feel around for anything that could be taped underneath.

“I can’t see behind here.” Elissa whispered, as she tried to shine the light behind the entertainment center.

“Is it attached to the wall?” asked Sean as he held onto a corner of it and slowly pulled. “It’s not. Hand me the light.” Again, they found nothing. “We need to head upstairs.”

“Do you want to check the bathroom while we’re down here?” she asked as she moved the light in that direction.

“No. Once I’m in that room, I know I’ll have to immediately leave here. Let’s hit the rest of the house and save that for last.” Sean took the light from her hand and started for the steps.

“Do you think there’s anything underneath this staircase?” she paused and asked.

“It’s all made of cinderblock, so I don’t think so. Come on up with me.” As Sean approached the top of the stairs, he noticed that the sun had begun to rise. He quickly shut the light off.

“Oh God, Sean. We’re not going to be able to leave this house now. We’ll be seen!” gasped Elissa.

“We’re not going to leave. Just stay away from the windows and listen for any voices or movements outside. We’ll leave once it’s dark again.” This wasn’t exactly what Sean had planned to do, but then again, he’d had no idea how things were going to pan out once he arrived at this house of horrors.

“Okay,” sighed Elissa, as she headed towards a closed door off the living room. “Let’s start here in this bathroom.”

When Sean peered in over Elissa’s shoulder, he realized immediately that there was a window behind the shower curtain. “Don’t open that curtain or we could be seen.”

“Yeah. Luckily this room isn’t very big. We won’t have to be in here for very long.” Elissa opened up the medicine cabinet. “Look at these razors. Too bad we can’t use them to slit Hank and Shirley’s throats.”
Yeah
, thought Sean.
And leave their bodies rotting inside the locked bathroom in the basement
,
nailed to the tile
.

After thoroughly checking the living room, Hank and Shirley’s room, and the attic, they made their way into the kitchen. It wasn’t a big kitchen, but there were plenty of drawers and cupboards, as well as a pantry.