“Okay.” I agree.
“I promise we’ll get him.”
“Okay.” I repeat because I believe him. I don’t doubt Carm.
We follow the same direction as his men and a small building pops into view. It’s made up entirely of cinder blocks and has a large steel door. Beside the door is a keypad and one small light to illuminate it.
“Beyond this point,” Carm begins talking to his men. “Ember has the same rank as me. Whatever she asks, you will do. No hesitations. Comprende?”
Most men nod and a few mutter “si”. I turn and look at Carm, this can’t be easy for him and I smile in appreciation.
“Open the door.” He nods to one of his guys.
The guy pulls out a gun with a silencer and shoots the keypad. I watch as the faceplate is completely blown off and sigh with relief when I hear the click of the door unlocking.
Carm points to two men, prompting them to enter the building and motions for the rest of us to wait.
When the door opens, I see the faint yellow glow of a light and watch as the men disappear down a flight of stairs. So this is an entrance to the basement of the town hall. We wait-not so patiently-for the men to come back.
Then I hear the faint whistle coming from inside and watch as more men enter the structure.
“Ready?” Carm asks me.
“Yeah.”
He tries to hand me a gun but I shake my head. I’ve never been too keen on them and besides, my knife has always served me well.
He rolls his eyes and motions with his head for me to go in first while he covers us from behind.
Inside is damp and the smell of musky mold assaults my nose. The ceiling is dripping moisture and the lights swing precariously back and forth, creating shadows with their eerie yellow glow.
“Watch your step.” Carm murmurs behind me and I look down.
The concrete steps are green with moisture and narrow, barely the width of my small feet. I try to hurry, feeling the anxious energy in my chest the closer I get to Vin, but Carm has his fist in my hoodie, refusing to watch me break my neck on the stairs.
I hear two pops further ahead and jump down the three remaining stairs to hurry forward.
The door opens again and Moore comes and removes the rope securing me to the chair. He waves to someone just outside the door and I watch as two uniformed cops come in and lift me by each arm.
The fire that burns both through my chest and my leg has me gasping in pain. They ignore my pained sounds and continue to drag me out through the door and then up a small flight of steps.
We’re still in a basement but the air is a little clearer, not so musky and the room is large and open. It looks almost like a church with rows of pews and a large looking altar at the front.
I’m dragged to the altar and thrown to the floor. The impact jars my injuries and I grunt through the pain. I push myself up to my hands and knees and watch as a chair is placed in front of me.
“Tie him to the chair.” I hear Moore order and cringe as I’m roughly thrown into the chair.
When I muster the strength to lift my head, I see more cops in the room. From a quick count I can determine at least twenty men. That’s almost the whole force here.
“I want his hands free.” Moore’s voice breaks through my concentration. “I need those fingers spread out nicely.”
My stomach rolls with the thought of losing a finger and then the worry sets in for when Em receives it. I might as well kiss the town of Whitsborough goodbye because she will raze it to the ground.
The cuffs are removed and my hands begin to tingle as the blood rushes through. My shoulders protest when I try to bring my arms forward and they crack with stiffness. If I had more strength, I would fight them as they pull my arms forward and tape them to the chair. I have no strength, so I let my head fall to my chest as I accept what’s about to happen.
Then, I pray for every soul in this room because when she comes-and she will-they will all be decimated.
I feel my hand being stretched out and then Moore’s chuckle.
“Are you ready?” He asks, like the most cliché villain.
I chuckle right along with him and lift my head, “are you?”
It’s small but I see a sliver of hesitation in his eyes, no doubt feeling the fear of what the repercussions of this particular act will be.
I feel the sharp edge of his blade as it begins to press against my skin. Just as the blade hits bone, I hear the doors crash open and gunshots ring around me.
That’s the last thing I hear as the world goes black.
24
I’m running through a narrow concrete hallway when I hear gunshots going off just above us.
“What the fuck is that?” I scream.
“I think my men found them.”
I scramble up a small set of stairs and storm into the open door ahead of me where the gunshots are ringing.
“Fuck!” I hear Carm behind me just before his body slams into mine, forcing me to the ground.
He eases off of me and stands, shooting his gun into the ceiling.
“Stop!” His voice rings out strong.
The shots cease and I lift my head up from the concrete floor. I see a few bodies laying across what looks like church pews and breathe a sigh of relief when I see they are cops.
I stand up and scan the room quickly until my eyes land on him. His chin is resting on his chest and he’s tied to the fucking chair. His face is a mess of bruises and
