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Menace
“You can’t be here,” Havoc tells me as we set up a perimeter around the school.
“The fuck I can’t, my wife is in there,” I argue with him as he grabs me by the shoulders, pulling me away from the scene. Havoc looks at me, something in his eyes I don’t normally see – a fear, a sadness. “Tell me, whatever it is, tell me,” I beg, I know it’s bad if he’s hesitating. There’s one thing Havoc Thompson does extremely well, and that’s take control of a scene, run it like a well-oiled machine, and do so without personal feelings getting caught up in the mix. To see him this torn? It’s killing me.
“A 911 call just came in. Trinity, the librarian, was in the back cataloguing. The indication bell that someone has entered the library came on. She knew Karina was out there, but she was afraid it was a student staying after school and Karina wouldn’t be able to help them. It wasn’t a student. It’s Isaac Cartwright and he’s holding a gun on Karina.”
My world fucking crashes to my feet. Legitimately, I fall to the ground on my ass, my back against one of the cruisers. My life, as I know it, is ending at this moment. My throat is working double-time, swallowing back the bile as it threatens to come spewing out. I lean my head back, panting out deep breathes.
Havoc squats down to my level, putting his hand on my shoulder. “I’m not going to pretend like I know how you feel, because I don’t. I’d be losing my goddamn mind if that was Leigh in there, but I’m going to tell you like I would tell anyone else. Let us do our job. If not, I’ll have to remove you.”
My eyes meet his. “Fuckin’ try it, Holden.”
“No, you try me, Mason. Let us get her out of there. Let us do what we’re trained to do.”
I know he’s being honest with me, know he’s speaking the truth, but none of this shit is easy. I want to be barging in there, guns blazing, beating the shit out of this motherfucker for even putting her in this situation. A shadow crosses my path, standing over me. I glance up when they don’t move, and my eyes meet Ace’s.
This is the first time I’ve ever seen Ace in sniper mode. I know he was one in the military, but I’ve never seen him ready to do battle. He’s wearing his MTF uniform, but he carries a specialized rifle in his hands and a hat turned backwards – I know it’s to keep his hair out of his face as he concentrates.
“I give you my word I’ll make sure she goes home with you after this,” he vows, his tone tight and deadly. “She’s gonna be fine, I’ll make sure of it.”
I’m feeling like a bastard, not wanting them to know how this is affecting me. “Make sure that you do.”
He nods and I think he knows I can’t say anything else. If I give in to the fear, I’ll be done for. They’ll have to carry me out of here on a stretcher and take me to the mental health ward. I will break down, and I worry that there’s no coming back. In my pocket, my phone vibrates.
Pulling it out, I read the text, forcing the palm of my hand into my eye, to rub the sting of tears away. It’s a text from Caleb with an article attached to it, about the police presence at Laurel Springs High School.
C: Is Kari okay?
I hate myself for lying to him, but I know he can’t do anything where he is except worry.
M: She’s fine, I’ll let you know when we’re done here.
C: K, I was worried! I’m headed to class. Love you!
M: Pay attention and do great things. Love you, too!
Those tears finally break through, sliding down my cheeks as I drop my phone to the pavement and send up every version of a prayer I know. As I watch my teammates make shit happen, I sit next to the squad car, refusing to leave until I have my wife in my arms.
CHAPTER 30
KARINA
“You don’t haveto do this,” I plead with him, trying to think of ways to get him to leave me alone and walk out on his own. I’m sure there are countless possibilities, but right now I’m coming up with nothing. The only thing I’m worried about is making sure my baby is okay. The baby we just announced that I’m having to our friends and family.
“No, I do.” His hand shakes as he holds the gun on me. “You don’t understand, I’ve been planning this for a long time.”
“What?” I’m confused as I hear him speak.
His brows furrow as he looks at me, and it’s almost as if I can see him arguing with himself, trying to decide if he wants to tell me the truth. A part of me doesn’t want to know, because then it gives me hope. Hope that I’ll make it out of here alive, and that he doesn’t plan to kill me. If he’s going to tell me everything, it would make sense he’d want to get rid of any evidence, but if he’s not going to harm me, then why would he tell me anything? My stomach drops as he starts to talk.
“Five years ago, there was an article ran about the moonshine trade here in Alabama. I was living in Washington State at the time, trying to make ends meet, barely doing it, and eating whatever was on sale at the grocery store that week. For three years I figured out how to make my own moonshine. I worked hard, learned how to make the best, and right when I was ready to make my move, things started happening here in Laurel Springs. Remember? We got here about the same time, Karina.”
I do remember. That’s roughly about the time Leighton’s dad was arrested and that whole operation went under. For a while moonshine had come in from a neighboring county and then it’d started in the school.
“I was sick of living paycheck-to-paycheck. These stupid backwoods kids didn’t even realize what hit them when I started putting moonshine in the lockers, with instructions on how to get more. This little operation has funded my life, and I have enough now to go live on some beach in the tropics where there is zero extradition. You and your husband? You won’t stop me.”
“They were coming for you, I taunt him. They found proof and they were coming for you, that’s why they’re here now.”
