Razing Kayne

FOURTY-THREE



After a quick stop by the armory, Kayne, Trace, Nick, Rafe, Mark, and Joe played follow the leader and managed to sneak out the side door undetected. With directions in hand, they were heading toward where they knew Jess and Gracie to have last been. Or at least where the cell phone had last been. Please God, let them be there. Let them be alive.

The six of them quickly piled into the chief’s borrowed Tahoe. They wanted a twenty minute head start on the Feds to scope out the scene before the alphabet agencies got in their way. Mark with his special forces training, and Trace—who had served in the Marines—felt they could still do a sneak and peek better than anyone the Feds had with them. Though Joe hadn’t admitted to it, the military grade tactical equipment he’d shown up with said more than words could.

They made their way down back roads. When they were about half a mile out, they pulled the Tahoe off the road and called Del to let him know they'd arrived. His job, other than to keep Kayne's kids safe, was to call the PD at the designated time and tell the Alphabet-boys and girl where to locate a copy of the map. Del wasn’t happy he was being left out, but he understood he was needed where he was more.

“While I have you on the phone…” Kayne placed it on speaker. “I need you all to hear this. I don't know what’s going to happen, but if it's between Jess and I living, it's going to be her. I need you to swear to me that you'll take care of her. I need to know she and the kids will be taken care of, and, if neither of us makes it back, those kids need to stay together. I'm asking you five to figure out which one of you will take them and raise them. The rest of you are witnesses to my wishes.”

“F*ck that,” Rafe said. “No man left behind.”

But he nodded when everyone else solemnly agreed.