He ground his teeth, willing his muscles out of lethargy as he opened the truck’s door. “Let’s get this over with.”
Heather nodded, following his lead.
Ashley met them at the front door, propping herself up on a cane. Apparently her magic couldn’t heal the damage his hammer had delivered to her knee. Good to know.
She scanned the area for anyone else and finally ushered them into her home. “Come inside.”
Drake caught Heather’s hand in his. If Ashley thought she was going to separate them, she’d better think again. Ashley locked the door and pointed at the dining room table. “Sit.”
“I’d rather stand.” Drake glanced around the room. “We’re here. Let Bale go.”
Ashley smirked and withdrew a Taser from her jacket pocket. “I make the rules. Now, sit.”
Heather obeyed, her eyes on her twin. “We came alone, Ash. David has nothing to do with this now.”
Drake took the chair beside Heather, his heart pumping hard and fast with adrenaline.
Ashley lumbered across the room, Taser at the ready, and grabbed Heather’s arm, yanking her up from the chair. Drake lunged forward and suddenly had no control over his muscles as electricity shot through his body, paralyzing him.
He sank back into the chair as the jolt faded. His already exhausted body resisted his efforts to regain control of his limbs. He had to do something. His hands trembled on the tabletop. His arms might as well have been tree trunks. He couldn’t lift them.
Heather screamed as Ashley picked up a carving knife from the table. Drake struggled to catch Ashley’s wrist, but it was useless. He was too slow.
Ashley glared at him as she raised the knife. “My ghosts told me you can’t be killed. This should slow you down, though.”
She swung the knife straight down, right through Drake’s right hand and into the oak dining table, pinning him in place. The sharp pain cut through the fog and disorientation of the electrical charge.
They hadn’t found Bale yet, but he didn’t give a shit at the moment. They needed backup. Now. With his free hand, he slid his shaky fingers into his pocket, pressing the button from Department 13. All he could do now was pray they got here fast.
Ashley started to pull Heather toward the door, and Heather slammed her shoulder into Ashley’s chest, knocking her off-balance. Heather spun around and managed three steps toward Drake before the end of Ashley’s cane struck the back of her head. Heather collapsed onto the carpet.
“Leave her alone!” he shouted.
Ashley’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t worry, pirate. I’m not going to kill her. In fact, I need her alive for this to work.”
She whispered something under her breath and suddenly they were both gone. His ears popped.
“Fuck!” Drake grunted as he pulled the knife free and dropped it on the table. The blur spell would’ve bought Ashley time, but how much?
He ducked into the kitchen, wrapping a towel around his bleeding hand on his way to the garage. Behind him the front door burst open.
“Put down your weapons.”
“You’re too fucking late!” Drake yelled from the empty garage. “She took her.” He rushed out, shoving the agents aside to see the driveway. His truck was the only vehicle. “Damn it!”
“Where’s Agent Bale?”
He almost didn’t recognize Agent Henderson in her riot gear. “Hell if I know. He’s here someplace. I’m going after Heather. When you find Bale, ask him if Ashley told him anything. I’ll check Heather’s house.”
His hand throbbed, but he managed to get inside his truck and start it. Since drinking from the cup he’d been injured a few times, and the pain, while intense, always vanished rapidly as his body healed. This wasn’t getting any better. He glared at his hand and tightened the knot on the towel. There wasn’t time to inspect the wound.
Right now, finding Heather was all that mattered.
…
The basement door exploded inward, shooting splinters of wood down the stairs. David breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Agent Henderson descending the stairs. She lowered her weapon and rushed to slice the duct tape off of his ankles and knees.
“How’d you find me?” He grunted.
“The pirate. He contacted King and we gave him a GPS tracker.”
David turned so she could cut his wrists free. His shoulders ached, but having his hands in front of him again was a relief. “Where’s Drake now? Is Heather safe?”
Agent Henderson straightened to her full height. “Ashley took her sister. He’s trying to find them.”
“Damn it. Call the Port Authority and have them close all the docks along the Savannah River.” David grabbed his pen, slipped it into his jacket pocket, and pulled out his cell phone to call Drake.
He skimmed the numbers, his heart sinking. He didn’t have the pirate’s number. He pressed Kingsley’s number and waited.
“Yes?”
“Hey, King. I need Drake’s number. He called the office, right? Do you have the caller ID?”
“Of course.” After a few keyboard clicks, he texted the number to David’s cell phone. “See you soon, Agent Bale.”
David paced the basement floor, listening to the pirate’s phone ring. “Pick up. Pick up. Damn it!”
Drake answered. “Bale, where’s she taking Heather?”
“It’s not that simple.” David froze in place, meeting Agent Henderson’s gaze. “Ashley is the figurehead.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
David brought his free hand up to rub the back of his neck. “She claimed she made a deal with Davy Jones, and he’s calling in his marker.”
Drake was so quiet David started to think the call dropped. When he finally spoke, his voice was a feral hiss.
“She wants to send Heather down to the depths in her place.” He cursed under his breath. “Over my dead fucking body.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Heather woke up in the bow of a boat, squinting as the bright sun assaulted her face. Her lips burned, already beginning to crack as she wet them. Where was she? The harsh wind and the spray of saltwater as the boat rocked
