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I stayed silent as I watched resignation cross Greggs’ face and I knew there’d be no team that could arrive in time to safely get Lily and the other woman out of there. No official team that is.
“Gear up,” it was all I needed to say and every member of Falls Security was on the move. I’d put a lot of faith in Greggs but not so much that I didn’t have a backup plan and make sure that we’d be covered if shit went south. Each of us had brought our own weapons and bulletproof vests. Roe was currently doling out earpieces and I slid mine in, checking the connection.
“Now wait a minute,” Greggs started.
“No,” I got in his face. “I’ve played this your way. I know it’s your investigation but I’m not going to stand here and watch that mother fucker either take Lily to another location or do God knows what to her in that house.” I pointed across the street, emphasizing what he should already know.
“I’ve got a man in there, too, James.” Greggs wasn’t intimidated by me and the feeling was mutual.
“My woman is in there!” I shouted, fucking seething that he’d compare the two. Whoever he had in that house was trained, more than likely armed. Lily was completely defenseless; I’d promised to protect her and I was done sitting on my ass.
Quiet descended over the room and my chest heaved up and down with my anger. Greggs only had two other agents in the room besides him and they appeared to be analysts more than field agents. If I had to, I could get past them all and he knew it.
“Fine,” he removed his suit jacket and grabbed a tactical vest emblazoned with FBI off the table before strapping it to his chest. “But we’re not going to be stupid about this. The original plan stands. You know your team best, where do you want them?”
The vice around my heart loosened infinitesimally. “Thank you,” I told him earnestly before addressing my team.
“Gage and Sam, you cover the front of the house. Roe, we’ll need cover fire for the remaining guards in the back while Kane and I breech the door. You with us?” The question was for Greggs, he was doing a check of his weapon and my admiration for him went up a few notches when he accepted his role.
“Just don’t kill Ashwood. I want him in cuffs, not a body bag.” I kept my mouth shut, not agreeing to Greggs’ condition which didn’t go unnoticed by him. He shook his head and sighed, “Let’s go.”
30
LILY
Istared at Murphy in disbelief, no not Murphy, he’d said his name was Mick O’Conner. He’d just finished telling me that he was actually an undercover agent with the FBI and he’d been infiltrating a human trafficking ring for the past fourteen months.
“Do you actually expect us to believe you?” Stephanie said. She’d come to stand next to me when Mick had started talking and was clinging to my hand so tightly my fingers were numb. She stared at him with eyes that had seen too much for someone even twice her age.
“I’d show you my badge but for obvious reasons, I don’t have it on me,” he said sarcastically. “The best I can do is tell you that my boss’s name is Special Agent David Greggs and he told me he’s working with a man named Gray James.”
My heart soared at the mention of Grayson but I kept my face neutral this time. He could have learned that name easily from Ashwood or Lucas. I’d never heard of Special Agent David Greggs. The only thing I knew for certain was that Stephanie and I were still prisoners.
“If you really are a cop, then free us,” I challenged, shaking my chained leg.
“Special Agent,” he corrected. “And I can’t do that.”
Stephanie physically wilted next to me. How many times had she been let down in her short life? I stared at him with a combination of distrust and anger. How dare he give her hope and then steal it away.
“You’re a liar, no better than the rest of them. Is this part of our torture? Make us believe that we have a chance of escape only to laugh at us when we believe you?” I waited for the change, for his features to shift into the evil man I suspected he was or for his giant fists to strike me.
His mouth thinned into a firm line and he started to reach into his pocket with his right hand. I pushed Stephanie farther behind me and readied my body to roll with the attack as best I could.
He didn’t reveal a weapon, in his hand was a tiny silver key and he knelt down in front of us, unlocking the handcuffs one at a time from our ankles. I flexed my foot, rejoicing in the freedom from the heavy chain.
“Is that proof enough?” He stood back to his considerable height. His overall appearance still screamed, ‘Don’t fuck with me,’ but his eyes looked tired. Like he’d been imprisoned almost as much as Stephanie or I had.
“It’s a start. Now, tell me why you can’t let us leave.” I couldn’t believe I was making demands of him, the old Lily would have cowered and cried. I looked at Stephanie who was examining her newly liberated ankle and thought how I felt responsible for her safety. I’d do whatever it took to help her, even standing up to goliath here.
“There are at least six guards stationed around the property. I can’t just waltz the two of you up those stairs and out of the house without raising some eyebrows. The only reason they aren’t in here with you two is because Ashwood thinks that I’m doling out your punishment until he returns.”
I shivered at his words, not wanting to know what kind of punishment was befitting my supposed crimes. “This Agent Greggs knows we’re here? And he’s working with Grayson?” My heart began to race at the very real possibility that Grayson knew where we were and was coming to rescue us.
“That’s literally what I’ve been telling you.” He crossed his arms and frowned down at me.
“Well excuse me for not trusting the huge, scary torture master,” I huffed. “What are we supposed to do next?”
“We wait. I was told that a tactical team would arrive soon, secure the scene and then the two of you will be free to go home. After you provide your statements, of course.”
