goddamn house down with me.
Chapter 10
The Hunter
“I’ve got a location on the van,” Jay says, turning in his chair. I’ve only just
stepped into his office, having just got back from Daya’s house.
A week has passed since I got her out of Luke’s clutches, and since then, she’s
been helping out. I put her in charge of researching Rio and Rick while Jay has
been focused on tracking down the van. We hit a dead end in Oregon. The vehicle disappeared from cams without a trace, and I've been losing my mind since.
She’s been gone for twelve days now, and I’ve felt every fucking second of it.
"How'd you find it?"
"Finally got a hit on a satellite image taken yesterday."
“Walk and talk,” I order, pivoting and walking right back out. “What’s the address?”
He rattles off the address while he scrambles from his chair, followed by a muttered curse, a loud thump, and another colorful word or two.
I glance back to see him struggling to put on a second shoe, hopping on one
foot and nearly face-planting into the wall.
Shaking my head, I make my way down the stairs, leaving him to figure out
how to be a functioning human again.
By the time I swing open the door to my Mustang, Jay is locking his front door behind him and hurrying to the car.
He lives in a modest home with his younger brother, Cameron, though I’d
never know if it wasn’t for the occasional screeches when he yells at whatever
game he’s playing. Or whoever he’s playing with.
Jay and Cameron’s parents were drug addicts and skipped out when Jay was
sixteen and Cameron seven. Luckily, Jay is an actual genius and managed to keep it a well-kept secret from the state. He’s worked numerous jobs to keep the bills paid and his brother in good health.
Six years later, Jay has legal guardianship of Cameron, and they’re living lavishly. Cameron isn’t aware of what his brother does for work, and right now, he’s too young to care. I think he’s more concerned with not dying in Call of Duty to notice, and Jay is happy to keep it that way.
“I need to call Michael to babysit,” he says, dropping into the passenger seat
with a huff. His phone is already out, his thumb flying across the keyboard.
“Dude, he’s thirteen.”
Jay pauses to look at me, a dry look on his face. “Exactly, which means he’s
going to be up until six o’clock in the morning with a bag of Doritos in one hand
and his dick in the other, running up my credit card with porn.” I tip my head side to side, conceding. “Plus, I don’t feel comfortable leaving him alone,” he finishes quietly.
My gaze flickers to him while I speed out of his driveway. Claire is
determined to hurt me, which puts the lives of my employees and their families
at risk, too. I make a lot of enemies, and by association, so do my employees. No
one goes into this job without knowing this, which is why most of them choose
not to have a wife and kids. Obviously, not everyone can or will isolate themselves from loved ones, so providing protection for anyone directly impacted by the organization is essential.
“I get it. I’ll call in a few extra men, too. Nothing will happen to your brother.”
Jay nods, his shoulders relaxing an inch. It’s the same thing I said to Addie,
and I failed her.
I slide out a cigarette from my pack and pop it in my mouth.
I won’t fail again.
“This is the location?” I ask, my voice tight. “You’re sure?”
We’re in an awfully shitty part of town in Portland, Oregon. The address Jay
directed me to is a three-story brick building that looks like it was built in the 1800s and abandoned before the century turned.
The building is slightly lopsided, the windows are crusty and blackened with
grime, and the interior looks to be completely dark.
“This is it,” Jay says quietly. "The van is around the corner still."
“Fuck,” I curse, briefly squeezing the steering wheel until the leather groans.
“Doesn’t look like they’re still here,” I bite out, swinging open the door and
stepping out. "We'll check out the van after."
I slip out my gun from the back of my jeans and approach the door quickly
and quietly, keeping my eyes on my surroundings at all times.
“Jay, stay behind me,” I order. He listens without argument, his breathing escalating as I approach the glass door. He doesn’t have any weapons on him, only his laptop. I’m tempted to hand him one, but I’m pretty confident he’d do more damage hitting someone upside the head with his computer rather than firing off a gun he has no idea how to use.
I peer through it, a crease forming between my brows when I see the
upheaval. It appears like it was once an administrative office. Cluttered desks fill the space, with random items scattered across the surfaces; toppled over picture frames, pens, and flyaway papers.
My eyes scan the area as well as I can, watching for any movement and
listening for any sounds.
When I hear and see nothing, I grab the handle and tug on the door, setting my jaw when I find that it’s open.
Addie isn’t here, but I knew that already. Just as well as I know that something bad happened here.
Quietly, I creep into the building, Jay sticking close behind me. The energy here is stale and heavy, filled with dust and decay.
“What the fuck were they doing taking her here?” Jay whispers, sweeping the
room.
I shake my head, incapable of verbally answering when my heart is beating in
my throat. But that’s exactly what I’m about to find out.
Not wasting any more time, I rush through the space, checking a few rooms,
only to find them empty. In the back is a stairway with a dim light shining from
beyond the steps, the only sound a quiet whirring from the light bulb.
Glancing back at Jay, I put my finger to my lips before carefully making my
way up the stairs. From the sound of it, there doesn’t appear to be any activity,
but if lights are on, I won’t take any risks.
The whirring grows louder as I near the top, and with it comes a wretched smell that burns at my nostrils.