Page 26 of Finding English

Chapter 11

The joys of not flying commercial and having the plane land at a private airfield, meant not having to hang around at baggage claim. His friends were already standing on the tarmac when he pulled into the parking lot, numerous bags surrounding them holding God knew what.

Relief was sharp and sweet as Will and Aubrey approached him first. He and Aubrey had grown close these last few years since she’d gotten together with Will. She was like the little sister he’d never had. She threw her arms around him and he accepted her hug returning it with a smile.

“I can’t believe you came here and met your soul mate, and then this happened.” Her face was a mask of concern as Henry shook Will’s hand.

“Thanks for coming. I guess it’s not that much different from you two. Your start was a touch rocky.”

Will slid his hand around Aubrey’s waist. “Now look at us.”

Aubrey rolled her eyes as Henry moved to greet the others. “Nate, good to see you. How are Skye, Noah, and Nancy?”

The big guy with dark hair and eyes, and muscles on his muscles, grinned at the question. His hard face softening at the thought of his family. “Perfect. Skye says hi.”

Zin nodded but said little else, the vibe from him was always friendly, but beneath the surface of his blond good looks that always seemed to draw the woman. There was an edge of danger about him that anyone with a survival instinct recognized. This man had killed and seen things nobody should ever see and yet seeing him with his girlfriend, Celeste, or his pixie as he called her, it was hard to remember that.

“English.” Jack Granger picked up the bag and tossed it into the back of the truck before he locked eyes on him. “I’ll ride with you. I want a full break down on where we’re at, what you need, and any plans the authorities might have.”

He crossed his arms over his broad chest as he assessed Henry. Jack always took charge, ran his team with calm efficiency, but if anyone threatened that team, he came out fighting like a beast. He was a good man to have on his side.

“Let’s get you settled, and we can de-brief,” Henry added as he watched Reid, the ex-FBI hostage rescue member pull up behind him with a rental vehicle.

He poked his head out and waved. “We ready to go or what?”

“Let’s roll,” Jack called and in minutes the cars were loaded, and he was driving Will, Aubrey, and Jack, who was seated beside him in the front. Waggs, who had been in the car with Reid, had taken most of the gear along with Nate and Zin.

“So, tell me about this serial killer. I did my research, but I want to know a little more firsthand detail so we can figure out how this fucker ticks. I’m assuming you don’t want Cassie to go over it again?”

Henry glanced at him. “You assume right. She’s been through hell the last week.”

Jack rolled his lips and flexed his jaw. All of these men were deadly, yet all would lie down in the highway and be run over rather than harm an innocent.

Henry told them everything he knew, not leaving anything out and was rounding the corner to the ranch as he finished.

“Motherfucker,” Will spat.

The man was a total softy which was a contrast to his appearance. Both he and Reid had loads of tattoos and he wondered if they had some sort of silent competition going.

“It was bad,” Henry finished not knowing how else to explain everything and not needing to. These people got it.

“Are the others meeting for a de-brief?”

Henry nodded. “Yes, but they’re a little unsure about you being involved. This isn’t exactly the usual route involving outside contractors. Jesus, it’s as much as most agencies can do to play nice with each other let alone with private contractors.”

“Don’t worry about that. We have no intention of getting in the way or taking the credit. We want this asshole caught and you and your lady safe.”

Henry swallowed touched beyond measure that they would do this for him. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.”

“No need. You’ve helped us numerous times. You saved Aubrey’s job, gave her sister a place to stay, covered for us when shit went down at the church with the chopper, and kept the brass of our backs. We owe you and you’re our friend, so you can shut the fuck up with the thank you.”

Henry laughed at that as he remembered the shit he had gotten in for the ‘losing the evidence regarding the church stand-off.’ He’d do it again though because as he’d learned keeping those you loved safe wasn’t black and white.

Pulling in through the gates of the ranch, he slowed as he saw more government vehicles than he’d been expecting.

“That’s a lot of people,” Will exclaimed as Henry’s stomach tightened with unease.

Jumping from the truck he ran toward the house, hearing the others behind him. As he entered everyone turned to him, but the only person he was looking for was sitting between Mack and his mum, her face stripped of color.