"Long enough," said Abbie as Alice finished. Rising, she went to the balcony.
Louis hadn't moved. Slumped onto his behind, his legs folded around him, he was resting his chin on his chest. In front of him lay his son's dead body, concealed by a sheet up to his neck.
Passing the grieving father, Abbie turned and crouched opposite him. At once, her eyes were drawn to the teenager's face, and a stab of sadness pained her heart.
"I'm so sorry," she said to Louis while looking at Jacob. "I promised I'd keep your boys alive, and I failed. This will offer you no solace, but for what happened to Jacob, I will never forgive myself."
Louis didn't move, speak, or react in any way. Not until Abbie reached for the sheet over Jacob. Louis' hand twitched, then came towards hers.
Abbie stopped, her hand hovering over the boy like Louis'. It was as though they were casting a spell, trying to return Jacob to life.
"I'm going to cover Jacob," said Abbie. "Then we need to go."
"No."
"Yes, Louis. I know it's hard, but Kyle is still at your house. Pedro and his guys have him at gunpoint, and we need to save him."
"I'll kill myself," said Louis. "Then they'll let him go."
"I'm sorry, but you know that isn't true. Why would Pedro let him go? He's a witness to Jacob's murder, and they've already proven they have no compunction in killing minors. I want to rescue Alex and Kyle. It won't be easy, and there's a chance we'll fail, but I truly believe it's your boy's best chance of survival."
Tears rolled down Louis' cheeks. His hand came out, and he stroked Jacob's hair. Abbie pulled her hand back, let him have this moment.
"We need to go, with or without him," said Alice. "We have no time to waste."
Abbie held up a hand, letting Alice know she understood but needed another minute.
"It's true; time is running out," Abbie told Louis. "I could have left already. I'm here because it's your house we need to break into, and your help could be invaluable. No matter what, I'll try to save your son, but our chances will improve with you by our side."
Louis continued to stroke Jacob's cheek, continued to cry. His eyes never lifted from his boy. Abbie gave it a slow three count, then rose.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I'll do everything I can to save Kyle."
She swept around Louis and shooed Alice and Tony through the barroom door. She was about to follow when Louis called out.
"Wait."
Abbie turned. Now sobbing, the father was leaning forward, kissing his son's forehead. Abbie experienced pulses of mixed misery and fury at the sight. Angel and Pedro would pay for this. No matter what.
Pulling up from his boy, Louis closed Jacob's eyes and pulled the sheet over his face.
Rising, he turned to Abbie.
"Okay," he said. "Let's save Kyle.”
Thirty
They took Max's car, finding the keys in the pocket of the man Abbie had undressed and left unconscious in the driveway. First, they shoved the unnamed friend of Max in the boot of Gray's car, then they went.
Minutes later, they stopped at the end of Louis' street. The hedges around his property meant it was unlikely Pedro or his team would see them approaching. Still, Abbie and co. wanted to ensure no one heard a car, lest they decided to come out and investigate.
Once they'd stopped, headlights dimmed, Abbie turned and handed Max's gun to Alice and the gun that had killed Max to Louis. They’d already made their plan. At once, Alice opened her door and stepped out. They watched her proceed down the street, keeping close to the hedges, in the shadows, while trying to walk naturally. When she reached the hedge border of Louis' property, she made her way left around the edge, disappearing into the darkness.
"Twenty seconds," said Abbie and turned to Louis. "You sure you're up for this?"
Louis checked the gun's magazine before smacking it back into place. He met Abbie's eye.
"Like you wouldn't believe."
"Alright, move out."
Louis opened the door and stepped onto the pavement. A second later, he was tracing the same path as had Alice, not diverging until he reached the hedge border of his property. Instead of left, he turned right, passing the metal side gate and disappearing towards the front of the house.
"Twenty seconds," said Abbie, turning to Tony. "Same question: you sure you're up to this?"
"I loved Aurora with all my heart," said Tony. "She was always my little sister, and me her protective big brother. Alex never felt like a sister. More a mate. A best mate at times. I'll do anything to keep her alive."
Abbie met his eye. When she saw no sign of hesitation, she nodded.
"Come on."
"Not sure how comfortable I feel about being unarmed, though."
Abbie smiled. As part of her retirement, Alice had ensured no guns remained in her house. The two they'd taken from their enemies had gone with Louis and Alice. For the time being, Abbie and Tony had nothing but their bare hands.
"Don't worry," she said. "I'm going to sort that."
"Fine," said Tony. "Let's go."
They made their way up the street, stopping at the metal gate. As before, Abbie grabbed the sides and lifted her legs over. Tony tried the same and almost fell on his face.
Once Abbie had saved Tony, they snuck along the path to the side door Abbie had previously picked and entered through. Ignoring this entry point, Abbie's eyes traced the wall, picking out the segment where the brick changed colour. A ground floor extension, added five years previously when Louis decided his office was too small for someone so important. Above the extended office, two upper floor windows looked upon a slanting roof. One of these windows, Louis had assured them, was broken and could not be locked.
Somewhere
