Bound For You: Men in Blue, Book 6 (19 page)

For the ninety seconds it took for their resident techno-whiz to work his magic, no one made a peep. Hell, Ryan hardly breathed. He rocked Shari, and she hugged him back.

Then from Julie’s room, Jeremy shouted, “Got it! It’s disarmed.”

He reappeared with Ben, who looked as white as a ghost. Lacey forced him to sit beside Shari and shoved his head between his knees so they didn’t have a repeat performance.

“What? What is it?” Lily wondered.

“Give me something sharp,” JRad demanded.

Detective Tran reached for Ryan’s prized ceramic chef’s knife and handed it over. Any other time, he would have objected to such an unsuitable usage.

Jeremy took it and, with one motion, beheaded the bear. He stuffed his fist inside and yanked out its brains. Actually, one of its eyes. Because the eye turned out to be the lens of a compact action cam.

“Fuck, no!” Ryan looked over at Shari, then Ben.

“Someone’s been watching her? Us?” Ben’s face turned purple then.

Ryan wasn’t sure he’d every truly seen the man full of rage before.

He never wanted to witness it again.

“Oh fuck, that’s disgusting.” Razor even seemed kind of ill and the Men in Blue had seen it all.

Detective Tran was suspiciously silent.

“Did you suspect this?” Ryan asked her pointblank.

She nodded. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to frighten you needlessly. One of the priorities for Special Agent Salinas is to compare the voice samples from the surveillance footage to known child pornographers. It’s a leading motive for abductions.”

Ellie fled the room, followed closely by Lucas. “E, wait!”

Considering the horrible violations she’d endured, Ryan didn’t blame her. Things were so much worse than he’d imagined. God knew he’d had plenty of horrible scenarios running through his mind. This topped them all.

When he turned to Ben, prepared to find him regressed to hopelessness or hiding behind a blank mask, he saw his lips moving instead. His hands were clasped, his elbows resting on his knees, and over and over he said to himself, “We’re going to find her. They’re going to bring her home safe. She’s okay. We’re going to find her.”

Now it was Ryan’s turn to choke back tears. It was either that or howl like a wounded animal. Shari leaned her head on his shoulder.

Special Agent Salinas had a fancy headset on and seemed to be hard at work already. As JRad slipped a jeweler’s loupe over his head and began the painstaking process of taking the nanotech apart teeny screw by teeny screw, a knock came at the door.

Razor was closest, so he cracked it open to see who was interrupting their breakthrough discovery. He shouted over his shoulder, “Did someone order a pizza? Good thinking, I’m starving.”

Then the person outside said something Ryan couldn’t hear from across the room.

Razor said, “Huh? Seriously? What the fuck?”

Every cop in the room stood at attention, as if their Men in Blue senses started tingling at precisely the same moment.

“You’d better get in here.” The rookie hauled a pizza guy inside and slammed the door. The blood draining from the newcomer’s face made it likely he was going to pass out like Shari had, or piss his pants. Odds were even. “Tell them what you just told me.”

“I was making a delivery up the street and something seemed off.” He stammered as he continued, “T-there’s a little girl in a house over there. I think her dad might be beating her or something. He’s…not right. And when she signed for the pie, she did this—”

He reached into his pocket and withdrew a crumpled slip.

“I saw all these cop cars over here and thought maybe you could make a quick house call. Check it out or something. I hope I’m not gonna get in trouble for this.”

“Definitely not. You did good, buddy.” Razor reassured the guy with a clap on the shoulder that nearly sent him sprawling.

Detective Tran retrieved the paper, then glanced at it. The widening of her eyes spoke as loudly as a shout from one of the other officers. With a few brisk steps, she crossed the room and extended her hand, so they could see it for themselves.

“Is this your niece’s handwriting?” she asked Ben.

Ryan and Shari leaned in for a look too.

They took a single glance at the word
HELP
scrawled there, and all three said at once, “Yes.”

When Ryan’s ears stopped ringing, he realized the pizza dude was rambling on in the background, being grilled by Clint and Matt.

“I think the guy is new to town. He’s been ordering pizza the past week or so. And there are lots of boxes stacked in the entryway. His kid’s stuff, I guess. A ton of teddy bears. She must collect them. There’s a whole mountain of them.”

Ryan had to hold Ben back then. He strained forward as if he was about to bolt before he even knew what direction to run in.

“Address?” Detective Tran fired the question at him.

“324 Ridgeway. H-half a block that way, across the street. The blue Victorian with the black shutters.” The pizza guy cowered when faced with their collective intensity.

Matt and Mason stepped toward each other, creating an impenetrable wall in front of Ben. Matt boomed, “Stop right there.”

“You’ve got to let us do our jobs.” Tyler wasn’t about to bend. None of them were. “If we don’t do this by the book, he could walk when he gets his day in court.”

“If you take me with you, we won’t have to worry about that,” Ben threatened in the coldest voice Ryan could have imagined. It chilled his soul.

Razor attempted to be the voice of reason for once. “I also don’t like to arrest my friends for murder.”

When that didn’t cool Ben off, Clint said, “Worse, that fucker could get spooked. He could take her and run. Or…”

“Quit arguing,” Ryan urged. “We’re wasting time.”

“Fine. I’ll hang behind. As soon as it’s clear, I’m going to her,” Ben compromised, which was more than any of them had a right to expect of him.

“Take that deal, guys,” Lucas spoke up, acting as their mediator. “It’s only fair. A hell of a lot more reasonable than I would be if I were him.”

“Fine.” Mason nodded.

Then Ryan, Shari, and Ben tried to fade into the wallpaper so the Men in Blue could fly into action. The rest of the civilians left the room entirely, giving the cops space to do their thing.

Having never been on this end of things, it was enthralling to watch. Their teamwork had been responsible for saving his own life. And Ben’s. And Julie’s. And Ellie’s. And Izzy’s. And Lacey’s. And Lily’s. And Jambrea’s. And each others’ several times over. Countless other strangers’ as well.

A whole new level of respect grew within Ryan for what they had chosen to do with their lives.

They made a difference.

A huge one.

He prayed that today would be no different.

A win for the good guys and the innocent.

Please, God, if you’re listening, let this go our way.

B
en had déjà vu
. He felt hollow and disconnected from the action around him. Exactly like he had the moment Lily and JRad had shouted for him and Ryan as they approached Lily’s harem in one of the labyrinthine hallways of Morselli’s dungeon, pleading for them to help get Ellie and Lucas to safety. Ryan had blasted past him, collecting his sister, who had been bombarded by a massive dose of Sex Offender. Though they didn’t know it at the time, Lucas had just suffered the catastrophic impact that would lead to him losing his leg. Shocked the man could move at all as he attempted to drag himself to safety, Ben had assisted him the rest of the way, then fashioned a tourniquet around his crushed limb.

Between the drama that had buffeted them from every direction, Ben had visually searched the bloody, terrified, battered crowd of people without luck. His sister wasn’t there. They hadn’t found her. Or Julie, who had been released later by the Men in Blue—from the cage where she’d been locked with her mother’s corpse. He still dreaded the day she recalled that particular detail of her internment.

Like then, an odd blend of hope and dismay assaulted him.

They knew where she was. So close this whole fucking time.

But they didn’t have her back yet.

So much could still go wrong. He had to see her. Hug her. Show her she was safe again. Reassure her that even though bad shit happened in life, she was a survivor. Until he did, he could hardly stand to breathe.

It seemed like several hours had passed, though it had taken less than ten minutes for the Men in Blue to formulate a plan, get it approved by the chief, and assemble for action. Other than Shari, who refused to stay behind this time, and Lacey, who was their backup in case of a medical emergency, and Lucas, who would be an asset to any covert operation, the rest of the non-officers wished them luck then huddled up, waiting for news.

Mason briefed Ben, Ryan, Shari, and Lacey. “You four hang back. Street level is okay, but I want you out of sight. Stay behind that overgrown hedge in your neighbor’s yard until you hear me shout the all clear. Then you can haul your asses over as fast as you can. Lacey, if we need you, we’ll send an officer to escort you and provide cover if necessary. Do not run out in the open on your own under any circumstances.”

She bit her lip.

Mason knew his woman too well for that to fly. “Promise, Lacey. Even if you see me take a bullet or—God forbid—Tyler, you
will not
put yourself at risk to save us.”

“If I won’t?”

“Your pretty ass will stay up here with the rest of the civilians.”

“How did I know you were going to say that?” She rolled her eyes. “Fine. I won’t move without a police escort until you give the all clear.”

“That’s my girl.” He kissed her cheek, then marched to the door. “Anyone need more time?”

No one spoke up.

Mason took his firearm out, switched off the safety, then led the charge out the door.

Ben counted out loud to fifty as they’d agreed, then crept down the stairs and into the yard with his group. If he hadn’t been one-hundred percent certain they weren’t punking him, he would have thought the officers, detectives, agents, and their pet super spy were hiding behind the house.

He didn’t see a single one of them, no matter where he looked.

Damn, they were good.

The four of them crept into place and peeped as best they could through the dense, thorny branches. It seemed that they were slightly less invisible to their trained friends. As soon as they were in place, hell broke loose.

Ben couldn’t quite see what exactly happened, or in what order. Still, he was sure someone had jumped or fallen off the roof from one of the attic dormers. “Julie!”

“It wasn’t her.” Ryan gripped the waistband of his jeans to keep Ben from violating his oaths to Mason. “It was an adult. Maybe the guy.”

Shouting ensued as radio silence became a thing of the past. He heard people calling out locations and finally someone—Lucas, he thought—hollered, “I can take a clean shot.”

“Hold your fire!” Mason responded, negative. “This is a residential neighborhood. And Julie’s somewhere inside. We’re not taking any chances here.”

“Damn it!” Lucas again. “I lost him. I don’t have the right foot on for this terrain.”

“Fall back.” Mason again. “Outside team, watch our backs. We’re going in.”

Ben drew an enormous, shaky breath, then held it until his lungs felt as if they were engulfed in flames. Time slowed. He swore he could hear Ryan, Shari, and Lacey’s hearts pounding in time to his own.

None of them budged, straining for the two words that would free them.

“All clear!”

Ben didn’t care about his ripping clothes or the rending of his exposed flesh—he cannonballed through the hedge then sprinted up the street. His early morning runs had not prepared him for this sort of dash. He was fairly sure he set a world record.

Ryan, Shari, and Lacey’s footfalls echoed behind him, but he wasn’t about to wait.

As he was tearing clumps of the kidnapper’s lawn out with his sneakers, the silhouette of a child appeared in the foyer. “Julie!”

He stumbled, knowing right away it was her.

Why wasn’t she running to him as fast as he was rushing to her?

Ben slowed, wondering if he was scaring her. His face was probably a grotesque twisted mess.

He took the stairs to the porch with two humongous leaps, tripping on an uneven board. He crashed to his knees about ten feet from the front door. “Julie, are you okay?”

“Uncle Ben! Is it really you? You found me!” She trotted closer.

He held his arms out. “Yes, it’s me. I’m here.”

She froze on the threshold.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, and scooted closer. She stumbled back a step or two.

“No.”

Something inside him began to loosen.

“She’s scared, Ben,” Ryan said gently from somewhere behind him, likely the yard.

“It’s okay, honey.” He tried again to reassure her. “We’re here. Me, Uncle Ryan, Aunt Shari, all our friends. Look at how many policemen there are to protect you. You’re safe. It’s okay now. Come on out and we’ll go home.”

“I can’t!” She began to sob. “If I leave, he’ll find me. He told me he’ll hunt me down. Next he’ll come for you, and Uncle Ryan, and Aunt Shari, even. He told me he knows about you. Where you work, and where we live, and…no. Just leave me here. Go. Run away before he comes back and sees you talking to me. He’s going to catch you, too.”

“Julie, none of that is true. He’s a bad man. He was lying to you.” Ben held his hands out, feeling useless.

Knowing that words alone could be used as a weapon this powerful, to warp an impressionable young person’s mind and turn it into an effective weapon of self-destruction, seemed like the most heinous crime he’d seen committed.

And he’d seen his share.

He wished they’d caught the fucker even more now. Although Razor had made a good point about murder charges.

Ben stood up and edged closer.

Julie screamed, “Stop. Stop! Uncle Ben, don’t. I don’t want him to get you.”

Why hadn’t they thought to call Julie’s therapist? They could use Dr. Epstein right now. He turned then and looked to Ryan and Shari and Lacey for help.

“Hi, Julie,” Shari said then, approaching but staying off the front steps. “What if we run away together? You, me, Uncle Ben, and Uncle Ryan. We’ll go to my house. You know how far away it is. The bad man doesn’t know how to get there. Remember how I told you about my brother?”

“Yes.” Her tears slowed and she elaborated, if weakly, “He was a soldier. Like Uncle Lucas.”

“Even better than me, Julie,” Lucas promised. “He was the best. And he built lots of alarms and booby traps around Aunt Shari’s house to keep her extra safe when he was away. I absolutely swear to you that no one will be able to get you, or your family, if they are staying there.”

“Can you come too? To watch them?” Julie scrubbed her hands over her eyes, leaving streaks of…marker?…on her cheeks. What the hell?

“Of course.” Lucas earned even more of Ben’s respect. “I’ll always take care of you.”

“No, them. I don’t want him to get them because of me breaking the rules and being bad.”

“Honey, you’re not bad. Never bad. That man was the bad one, so his rules don’t count.” Ben made a mental note to email Dr. Epstein as soon as they were in the truck and out on the highway. Whatever it cost, he’d try to persuade her to make a mountain call…

Ben dropped to his knees and held out his arms again. “Do you trust me?”

“Yes.”

“Am I a bad man?” He hoped she knew better. If she didn’t, it wouldn’t be her fault. Confused, and troubled—hell, traumatized—she might not be able to tell anymore.

“No. You’re the best.”

“I love you very much, Julie.”

“I love you too, Uncle Ben.”

“So how about I make some new rules? You can come out of that house right now. If you do, we will go home, pack some clothes quick, and leave here. When we get to Aunt Shari’s resort, my rules say no one bad can come inside and no one bad can hurt you. Or us. Okay?”

“Okay.” This time Julie flew to him, landing against his chest with enough force to rock him back. He tried his best not to crush her as he hugged her, tucking her face against his neck. Oddly, he didn’t feel the least bit like crying anymore, though relief did threaten to leave him in a boneless puddle on the floor.

He wasn’t sure how long they’d stayed there like that before Lacey cleared her throat. “Maybe I should give her a quick lookover?”

She might as well have poured a bucket of ice water over his head.

The tiny tank top and too-tight pleather skirt Julie wore finally registered on him. Did they think…?

When he looked up, the concerned look on Detective Tran’s usually carefully neutral face made him realize they did. He asked Julie, “Are you hurt anywhere? Did that bad man touch you?”

She shook her head. “No. We were eating and then he was going to give me a bath. He didn’t like my tattoos much.”

Jesus, please let that be true.

“Well, I love them.” Lacey tried to act like everything was normal as she examined Julie without letting her catch on. “May I see the ones on your arms?”

“Yeah. I put Uncle Ben, and Uncle Ryan, and Aunt Shari over here. Aunt Shari said her tattoo makes her tough and she has her brother’s name on her side. So I thought if I put you all on here, the new bad man wouldn’t be able to hurt me ever. You found me and he ran away. It worked!”

Ben caught sight of April’s name, big and bold. She would be proud of her daughter today, he thought, swallowing hard.

“It sure did.” Lacey inspected every inch of Julie’s arms and legs. When the nurse leaned in and whispered a question Ben was sure he didn’t want to hear—couldn’t hear without turning into the Hulk and smashing half the block—Julie emphatically shook her head no.

“Nothing like that, Aunt Lacey. Can we go now? I don’t want to stay here. I don’t even want to go inside our house. I just want to get in Aunt Shari’s truck and drive far, far away so he can’t come back and get any of you. Okay?”

“Okay.” She smiled softly and nodded. “You’re a sweet girl.”

“Thanks.” Julie shrugged. “Come on, Uncle Ben. Let’s move it.”

He smiled as she yanked until he did as she said. Most of the other Men in Blue were chuckling at how a nine-year-old could lead him around, but he knew every one of them would do the same thing if Julie was their daughter.

“You going to wait in the truck with Aunt Shari, Uncle Ryan, and Uncle Lucas?” he asked Julie, though the last thing he wanted to do was let go of her small hand.

“Yep.”

“I’m going to go pack some stuff really fast. I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Yes, but…”

“Hmm?” He glanced down at her as they walked across their street and toward Shari’s truck.

“Don’t bring that new teddy bear. I don’t like it.”

“I don’t like it either. How about I throw it away?” he asked, thinking of its dismembered corpse currently being entered into evidence.

“Good idea.”

Ben stopped and put his hands out. Julie raised her arms. He picked her up and hugged her again before handing her off to Ryan.

Then he bolted up the stairs to their apartment.

He only had time to yell, “We got her. She’s okay,” as he flew through the rest of their friends in the living room on his way to collect some necessities.

Honestly, he didn’t feel much like he was fleeing. Rather, he felt like he was running toward a life he actually wished he could have. Disenfranchised with his fellow human beings, being surrounded by the tranquility of nature and the few people he loved and trusted most sounded perfect to him.

A quiet life, away from crowds and the hustle of the city, appealed more by the moment.

Just them and their little unit.

He smiled at the thought as he shoveled a random assortment of clothes, toiletries, and toys for Julie into a couple of soft-sided suitcases. He hadn’t gotten very far when Ryan called out his name.

“Back here,” he shouted. “Almost finished.”

Had the kidnapper come back?

Was Julie okay?

Ryan and Shari?

“Julie decided she didn’t want to be apart from you. I also thought maybe she could change her clothes quick.” Shari smiled, though it was clear her nerves were as frazzled as his. “So we’re going to pack together, okay?”

“Good call.” Ben nodded.

They worked as a team, getting Julie ready—adding that horrible outfit to the evidence pile—while he finished gathering supplies. Ryan and Shari were each holding one of Julie’s hands, flanking her. As soon as he indicated he was ready, Lucas took point in front of them and Ben brought up the rear.

The rest of the Men in Blue flooded the yard to ensure their safe passage.

At the last moment, Ben looked over his shoulder at the ruined apartment and knew that he’d never call it home again. Too many bad memories haunted the place.

Ready to make some new ones, somewhere happier, he smiled as he watched his little family pile into Shari’s monster-sized truck. They were finally on the right road.