“Bullshit. If that was true, then how come he kicked the shit out of Santo and his guys? This guy wiped the floor with them.” The head moron in charge marched up to Liam and smacked him with the butt of his machine gun. Stars appeared in the front of Liam’s eyes, and he sucked in a sharp breath. His face was in serious pain, but he couldn’t make a move. Not yet. Before he could recover, he was punched across the face and kicked in the chest. He wheezed and drew in a lungful of air as he fell onto his side. He was kicked a couple more times for good measure, pain shooting through his body. Liam tightened his abs and covered his head as best he could with his restrained hands.
“We need him alive, you idiot,” another gunman hissed.
The guy who’d kicked him jerked him back onto his knees in front of him. “If you can’t remember, maybe we’ll go back and ask your boyfriend.” He laughed as he squeezed Liam’s cheeks.
The hell you will. Liam murmured something under his breath.
“What was that?” The guy leaned in closer. “I can’t hear you.”
“I said,” Liam ground out through gritted teeth, “I’d like to see you try.” He made fists and thrust his elbows back with all his strength just as he smacked his head forward, head-butting the guy as he snapped the zip tie restraining him. Liam threw a hand out and grabbed hold of the guy’s shirt, snatching the machine gun away with his other hand. Knowing what came next, Liam spun the guy in front of him, using him as a shield. He could almost kiss the guy for wearing a vest. Instead, he fired at the guy’s associates as he backed up toward some trees. No honor among thieves. They fired at him, hitting their friend wherever they could in the hopes of getting Liam.
When Liam was in the clear, he released his screaming and bloodied friend and took off into the woods. The men shot as they chased after him into the darkened mass of trees. Liam knew the place well. He’d come here plenty of times with his parents when he was a kid and then with friends when he was older. If he kept down this path, he’d end up on Payson Avenue a few yards from the playground. Liam fired behind him at no one in particular. All he had to do was continue making enough noise and his team would find him. They’d close in on the bastards and take them down.
Liam ducked and dodged, running around trees, and over boulders and fallen trees. The shooting continued and a bullet grazed Liam’s arm.
“Shit.” He ducked behind a tree. In the distance he could hear shouting and see the faint glow of flashlights. His captors were closing in on him. If he called out now, he’d give away his position. Forget waiting for backup. It was time to take matters into his own hands. Liam checked the magazine of the machine gun. He was tired of being hunted. It was time to become the hunter.
Liam slipped into a thicket of trees and crouched down in the shadows. He grabbed a rock and tossed it far across to the other side, where it hit a tree. Two of the men rushed forward, their guns ready. Liam fired twice, one bullet per guy, catching them both in the legs. They dropped to the ground, shooting blindly as they screamed and writhed in pain. Three down. Three more to go. Liam silently and swiftly left his hiding spot to duck behind a large tree. He peeked out, grinning. The three men were out in the open, exposed. Liam’s adrenaline was pumping. He smiled to himself. It was good to be back.
A SERIES of shots rang out somewhere close-by, and Joe gave a start. “Oh no.” It was Liam, he just knew it. Joe took off, ignoring the shouts of the men who’d stayed behind with him. He had to go to Liam, make sure he was all right. Joe sped off in the direction the sound had come from. There he was putting his safety at risk, but he couldn’t think about anything except Liam. It was strange thinking of Tom as Liam. Whatever name he used, it wouldn’t change what had happened over the last few weeks. It wouldn’t change how Joe felt.
Running through the woods, Joe was aware of the dozens of agents running along with him, guns in hand. Joe prayed Liam was safe and that he was able to call on his training as he had in the shop. Liam could handle himself; Joe had to trust in him. Maybe he even remembered who he was. All this had to jog some kind of instinct or reaction, some memory recall.
In the distance he spotted a man holding a gun standing over an injured man, and Joe’s heart almost stopped, until he realized the man holding the gun was Liam. Joe came to a halt when he reached him, stunned to find three men scattered around on the ground writhing in pain. Liam had done this on his own?
The Feds closed in, rushing the men and detaining them. One officer arrived to take the machine gun from Liam. When Liam spotted Joe, he hurried over and pulled Joe into his arms.
“Thank God you’re all right. I was so worried.”
“You were worried?” Joe pulled away. “When they took you, I was terrified.” He noticed the blood on Liam’s arm. “You’re bleeding!”
Liam released him, seeming to remember they weren’t alone, especially as an EMT was heading their way. “It’s just a graze. Thank you for coming.”
“Of course I came. I was so afraid they’d hurt you.” Joe swallowed hard as they escorted the men away, cursing and shouting. Joe had witnessed arrests before, but never anything like this. Liam pulled Joe to one side, his expression troubled.
“I’m okay, Joe. How about you? Are you all right?”