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Sighing, I stripped down Jayden to his boxers. I didn’t feel good about what I did, but what other choice was there? Two of us against eight with dozens of hostages didn’t bode well. At least it was seven now, except Emma was involved. I needed to take her out of the equation.
I opened up the nearest door, a janitorial supply closet, and dragged Jayden inside. I shut the door, and with Mason’s help, we quickly dragged the vending machine in front to block Jayden from escaping. Just in case he woke up before my plan was complete.
Quick to don Jayden’s clothes, I slid on the last part of the ensemble, the black ski mask, and held out my hand for the gun that Mason had been watching for me.
“You sure about this?” Mason asked. “You’re a father. Maybe I should be the one risking my life.”
It seemed he had second thoughts. I couldn’t allow myself to second guess any decisions now or in the future. “I got this.” I needed to protect Ariella as well as Hazel. My job involved risking my life. It was part of the position.
On my belt were a handful of zip ties that Jayden had worn on his pants. While I didn’t intend on taking hostages, I also couldn’t let Emma discover I wasn’t Jayden. Would she recognize my voice or my eyes through the mask? We may have only spent one night together, but she’d shown up at my door with Isabella, and I’d shown up at her door telling her to leave town a little over a month ago.
I gestured for Mason to follow me down the hallway. Emma stayed away from the hostages. She leaned against the wall, her phone in hand, staring down at the device, oblivious to my presence. Mason hung back, watching with his gun drawn in case I needed backup.
I snuck up without her so much as flinching. Her focus was entirely on the game she was playing on her cell phone, which involved a series of colorful bubbles that made no sense to me. I grabbed her arms and thrust them behind her back. Her phone fell to the floor. Yanking a zip tie, I secured her wrists, binding them together.
“Jayden,” Emma’s voice held a hint of annoyance. “This isn’t funny. Let me go.”
I didn’t answer her. I didn’t want to speak yet, worried she might recognize my voice wasn’this. I had to be careful, I may have had only one chance, and I didn’t want to ruin it before I found Ariella and Hazel.
It took all my strength not to turn around and glance at Mason. I was used to sharing signals in the field. He had my back. I had to trust that he had it now, too, while I couldn’t turn around.
“Fine. If you want to play cops and robbers, I guess I can play along.” Emma almost sounded bored.
The mask was hot, stuffy. I breathed heavily through my nose, doing everything I could to keep my mouth shut. It was difficult. I wanted to tell her to shut up. To shake her and demand to know what the hell she’d gotten herself involved with and why.
What sane person would leave their life behind to live amongst the off-gridders? Their refuge was a hell hole, compromised of a commune with no running water or heat. They were basic, lived off the land, and depended on each other for survival.
It might have been a nice idea if they weren’t men with sinister pasts.
I still had yet to grasp what they wanted, why they’d taken over the Blue Sky Resort. I couldn’t flat out ask Emma. It would alert her that I wasn’t Jayden.
I grabbed her elbow and escorted her with heavy footsteps toward the crowd of noise and commotion. Mostly it involved tears and whispered pleas, some praying, others talking amongst one another.
The offenders hadn’t demanded silence. Okay, so they weren’t worried about being overthrown or the hostages working together to defeat them.
If the perpetrators were all off-gridders, then these weren’t the brightest men. Some had military training, but not all. Most that had served would have been dishonorably discharged. These weren’t honorable men.
I led Emma down the hall and glanced from one person to the next until my gaze landed on Ariella.
She rocked slowly, her knees pressed tight to her chest, her arms wrapped around her legs. To her right was a hostage with an oversized sweatshirt, hood up. I’d recognize that hoodie anywhere. It belonged to Mason Reid. It must have been Hazel buried underneath, probably wise.
I briefly glanced at the hostages. A few were town folk, the owners of the resort, and several guests I didn’t know. They’d have to wait. Hazel was my priority, and Ariella, I refused to leave her behind.
“Leave me alone!” Emma pulled away from me, sniffled, and fell to the ground beside Ariella. She knew how to play the part of the victim. How long had she been auditioning for that role?
“Did they hurt you?” Ariella whispered, falling for her performance.
I hated watching Ariella filled with fear, trembling against the wall, but I had to make it convincing if I wanted everyone to believe I was one of them.
I had no other choice. I lifted the handle of my gun and poised it at her forehead. “Quiet!” I barked out orders.
The shiver coursed through her body. Anyone could see the fear I had instilled in her.
No. I had to separate the two. I was only here to save her. These men had caused her trauma. “Smart girl,” I said and tried my damnedest to laugh. I needed to be convincing, or I’d put all of our lives in danger. I lowered my gun and bent down to grab her arm. “You’re coming with me.” I hoisted Ariella to her feet.
“No!”
She was a fighter; I’d give her that. “You don’t tell me no,” I seethed. I had no choice but to demand her to come, show force. These men wouldn’t take no so easily. I grabbed a fistful of her hair and jerked her head back to face me.
