Escape: A Stepbrother Romance Novella (7 page)

“You
made that fast,” he says, keeping his eyes on the building.

“Did
you see anyone else leave?” I ask, pressing myself against the brickwork.

“Nah,
and no one else has gone in either.”

I
exhale though I’m far from feeling relieved.  That won’t come until Samantha is
in my arms and I know she’s unharmed.

My
phone vibrates in my pocket and I expect it to be Adam with an update but it
comes from a discreet number.  I read the message, blinking a few times at the
cryptic words.

Brandon
Ford.  You have a tail.  Contract set by S.C.  Can no longer contact as
arranged. Concerned for safety.  Indicate from position if you are seeking S.C.

I
shake my head, confused, then realize the message must have been sent by the
man Samantha arranged to watch me, the one that pointed her towards Jackson’s. 
I curse, mad that she didn’t listen to me and cancel the surveillance.  I don’t
know whether this development is useful or a burden to our activities but I
wave anyway, one hand movement down. I don’t want whoever is out there to blow
our cover when we could be so close to finding Sammie. After thirty seconds I
get another message. 

My
name is Dirk. I’ll be at your position in one minute.

“We’re
getting some company,” I tell Jared and he frowns.

“That’s
not part of the plan,” he says, but after last night’s betrayal I don’t trust
him enough to tell him anymore details.

“He’s
my backup.  That’s all you need to know.”   I try to mirror my father’s tone
and it seems to work as Jared goes back to watching the house like hawk.

Dirk
arrives as promised and I’m surprised when he turns out to be a guy that looks
like he’s just out of Special Forces rather than the overweight dude I’d
expected.  With cropped black hair, a military style vest and black combat
trousers, he’s huge and imposing.

“That
where you think she is?” he asks, nodding to where Jared is staring.

“Yeah. 
The guys in there are trying to extort from my father using Samantha as
leverage,” I reply.

“What’s
the plan then?”

“I
think there are two men in there with the girl,” Jared says behind me. “There
are two doors, one at the front that opens into the ground floor area and one
at the side that opens into a utility area.  There is also a flat roof that
could give access to one of the upstairs rooms via a window.”  Dirk nods and I
get the impression he’s done this kind of thing before.  He certainly looks the
part.

“Well,
what the fuck are we waiting for?” I say, getting pissed off with all the talk
and total of action.  Anything could be happening to Sammie right now and the
longer we stand here talking tactics, the worse it could be.

“We’re
good,” Dirk says.  “Three points of entry, three of us,” he says like that’s gonna
answer all the questions.

“Are
you suggesting one of us knocks at the front door?” Jared asks.

“Yep,”
Dirk nods and I catch Jared rolling his eyes.

“Where
the fuck you get this dude from?” he sniggers.

“Two
make their way round the side, one to climb and access upstairs, one to come in
the back.  On a signal, the one at the front knocks the door as a distraction. 
If they can, they should work to disarm and immobilize whoever opens the door. 
And we hope that the girl is being held out in the open as opposed to in a
basement that we will struggle to get access into and escape from.

Jared
is staring at Dirk open mouthed.  “You some sort of police reject?” he asks and
Dirk shakes his head. 

“Just
seen a lot of Hollywood movies.” 

I
think for a fraction of a second that Dirk’s serious, then I see a slight
twitch at the corner of his mouth and I know this strange man is playing with
us.

“I’ll
take the upstairs,” I say, because that feels like the most obvious place
Sammie will be held and I want to be the first to get to her.

“I’ll
take the side entrance,” Dirk says. 

“So
you want me to do the dick job,” Jared says, looking putout.

“Every
job is equally important.” Dirk grins. 

“So
let’s go,” I say, moving to stand at the edge of the walkway and scan in both
directions.  We’re clear and I start walking to the right about forty feet
before I cross over the street and make my way back toward the house.  Dirk
follows, then Jared goes to the left.  I wait in the shadow cast by a tree,
pressed in close to a brick wall. Jared gestures for us to go down the side so
we do, me with my gun in hand. When I glance behind me I catch a reflective
glint off the side of Dirk’s piece.  I’m glad he’s packing because I have no
idea what we’re about to face.

Chapter 13

Brandon

The climb onto the
roof is easy because there are garbage bins against the side of the house that
give me enough leverage to make it up onto the flat roof without making any
noise.  Dirk is watching from below, sticking close to the wall and lurking in
the shadows.   He’s pulled a metal implement from his pocket, ready to pick the
lock of the door into the utility area that looks like a beer cellar and
general dumping ground.

I
feel strangely calm as I approach the window from the side with my back flat
against the wall.  I’m not accustomed to breaking and entering but I’ve seen
enough movies to know that stealth is the key.  I turn and try to get a look
into the room round the corner of the window frame.  The curtains are drawn but
they are old and half falling away from whatever is holding them up.  There is
a gap where the fabric is bunched at an odd angle and I can see the bed is
empty.  I can’t be sure that there is no one in the room but I’m pretty sure
there isn’t.  It’s a warm night and the window is slightly agar.  I stick my
fingers between the frame and the window and push upwards as carefully as I
can.  The movement of wood on wood makes a squeak and I stop, looking around to
check no one has heard me.  I try again, feeling sweat trickling down my temple
and my heart beating fiercely in my chest.  This situation is so fucked up but
I have to keep focused on getting to Sammie.  I pray again to whoever might be
out there that she comes back to me safe and sound.  There is nothing I
wouldn’t do to make sure that happens. 

The
window raises enough that I can slip through it on my stomach and get one leg
across too.  The smell in the house is musty and stale, and there is the
distant sound of voices and maybe a TV from downstairs.  I pad across the room
as softly as my big feet and body will allow, standing at the edge of the door
that’s slightly open into the hallway.  I listen for about ten seconds, trying
to get an idea of where the men might be in the house. I can see two other
doors from where I am.  One has a tiled floor so must be a bathroom.  The other
door is also ajar, and I can see brown carpet inside. 

Stepping
out of the blackness of that room and into the hall is fucking terrifying.  If
I’m discovered and injured or killed they may hurt Sammie in retaliation, if
they haven’t already. The thought of her being mistreated makes me feel crazy.
Every step feels hazardous. 

Downstairs,
I hear a knock at the door and know that Jared is trying to draw the remaining
gang members to the front of the house.  I hear footsteps and cursing as I take
silent steps down the hall with my back pressed against the wall.  The gun in
my hand feels slick with sweat but I don’t have time to adjust my grip.  If I
need to, I’ll use it and fuck the consequences.

As
I reach the doorway, I nudge the door just slightly with my hand, figuring that
anyone inside will come forward to investigate the movement.  I wait but there
is nothing so I risk pushing it open further. 

As
it swings I see the end of a bed come into view and a woman’s feet and legs,
still in their high-heeled shoes.  Sammie.  The sight of her in front of me
sends me into action.  I surge into the room, my arms out in front of me,
pointing my gun into every corner.  There is no one there, but Sammie’s eyes
are wide, staring at me as I frantically make sure we’re safe.  She can’t talk
because there is a gag around her mouth but she nods at me, her eyes beginning
to blink frantically and her body bucking against her restraints.  I want to
fucking kill someone for doing this to her but I’ve got to hold it together.  I
have to get us out of here.

Taking
a deep breath to steady the effects of the raging adrenaline in my veins, I
push the door back to where it was and make my way over to Sammie. I put my finger
to my lips and then set about removing the gag from around her mouth.  When I
get the knot undone and pull the cloth free she gasps and licks over her lips. 
“Oh god,” she whispers. “Where am I? What’s happening?”

“It’s
okay.  Stay quiet,” I whisper back, reaching around her body to untie the rope
around her wrists. 

“I
can’t move very much,” she says. “How am I going to get out of here?”

“I’m
gonna get you out. Don’t worry.  Just stay calm.”

The
rope is tight from where she’s been pulling at it, trying to get free. It seems
to take forever for me to get it loose but I know that time feels distorted in
a situation like this.  Then there’s a loud bang and shouting coming from
downstairs and everything speeds up.

I
hear cursing and more banging, the sound of fists hitting flesh. A gunshot
rings out, slicing through the last fragment of calm and restraint I have.  The
rope comes loose and I scoop Sammie up from the bed and hoist her over my
shoulder.  I’ve got my gun pointed in front of us as I make my way towards the
bedroom door.  I cover the ground between Sammie’s room and the room with the
open window quickly.  Getting her out through the window when she’s not got
full movement of her limbs is a challenge but I manage it.  When I get onto the
flat roof I see Jared running around the side.  “We’ve got them tied up down
there,” he shouts up. 

“Help
me get her down,” I call back.  I sit down on the edge of the roof with Sammie
on my lap.  She’s clinging to me like she doesn’t want to let me go, and I
don’t want to release her from my care but I can’t get us both down without
risking an injury.  Then Dirk is behind Jared and he gets up onto the dumpster
to help me. 

“Samantha,”
he says.  “I’m Dirk, your P.I.  You’ve got to let go so we can get you down.”

She
blinks at me and whimpers but as I loosen the grip of her hands around my neck
she lets me hand her across to Dirk.  He passes her down to Jared and both Dirk
and I jump down. 

“What
happened in there?” I ask Dirk and he grins.

“Like
taking candy from a baby,” he laughs.

Jared
laughs too.  “You should see them, Brandon.  Trussed up like two Thanksgiving turkeys.”

“Fuck
them,” I say, reaching for Sammie and holding her against me. She’s wobbly on
her feet and her eyes are glancing back and forth, as though she’s still
worried she’s unsafe.  “Come on…let’s get the fuck out of here,” I say.

I
swing Sammie into my arms and carry her like a bride, telling her she’s okay
now, she’s safe, I’ve got her, over and over until I get to my truck. There’s
no one around on the street.  The other gang members must still be meeting with
Adam. I wonder what they’ll think when they get back and find their crew left
so humiliated.  Half of me wants to get back in there and make them regret ever
even looking in Sammie’s direction.  My desperation for revenge is like a
raging fire in my chest. Those assholes nearly killed me, but it’s the trauma
they put Sammie through that’s driving me to go back. But then I look down at
her in my arms, and I see the fear there, and I know she won’t want to hang around
while I deal with those scumbags.  She needs to get away as quickly as possible
and I know there is a very real risk that if I go back to that house that I
will do something I’ll regret for a very long time. 

Dirk
helps me open the passenger door and I rest Sammie gently onto the seat. She
clutches at the edge as though she’s feeling adrift and needs to know she’s
anchored to something.  I know what that’s like because there hasn’t been a day
gone by since I left my stepsister behind that I haven’t felt that way. 

Escape. 

If
I can just hold myself together and do what’s right I’m closer than I’ve ever
been. We’re getting away together, not just from this fucking ordeal but out of
the life that has kept me down for so long.

I
shut the door and turn to Dirk.  “Thanks for all your help, man,” I say and he
nods. 

“Tell
Sammie that I’ll be in touch,” he replies and strides off further down the
road. Jared is hanging around the truck, his gun still clutched in his hand,
pointing at the ground but ready just in case. I can tell he’s worried we’re
going to be disturbed and I’m grateful for him keeping a vigilant watch over
everything.  He’s acted like a true pro.

“You
okay from here?” he asks. 

“Yeah,
man,” I say.  “Thanks for your help.”

“I’ll
see you back at Jackson’s?” he asks, slapping me on the shoulder.  I shake my
head. 

“I’m
done, Jared.  I’m done with all this shit.  I’ll take it all to the grave, but
I’m out for good.”

He
looks surprised.  “Adam isn’t gonna take that well,” he warns.

“He
knows.  I’ve done a lot for him and this is my time now.”  It’s awkward for a
moment as Jared takes it in.  We’ve known each other for years but we’re not
friends, not really.  Just acquaintances that have been forced together into
situations requiring a lot of trust.  He’s a good guy considering the bad life
he leads.  I hope he’ll find his way out sometime soon.

“Okay,”
Jared says eventually.  “You take care now.  Maybe I’ll see you around.”

I
pull him into a one armed ‘bro’ hug because it seems the right thing to do.  He’s
always had my back at the end of the day.  “You take care too,” I say.

Dirk’s
truck fires up in the distance and I make my way around to the driver’s door. 
When I climb in Sammie reaches out and grabs my hand, holding onto it with a
fierce grip.  “Thank you,” she says, “for finding me and getting me out of
there.”

“It’s
my damn fault that you were there in the place,” I say, squeezing her hand
back.  “Just rest okay.  I’m gonna take you to the hospital to get checked out.”

I
put my foot on the accelerator and tear out of the road, passing Jared as he
gets into his car and making my way towards Sammie’s neighborhood and the big
swanky private hospital they have there. 

“How
did you know where to find me?” she asks.

“The
men who took you want to make a deal with my father.  They sent your necklace
as proof that they had you.  They’re trying to muscle in on territory and it’s
been getting crazy.”

“I’m
sorry,” she whispers.  “I should have done what you asked and left you alone.  You
had to risk your life to come and get me out of there.”

“No,
Sammie?” I snap angrily.  I won’t have her making me out to be a hero.  “It was
my fault they took you in the first place.  This has nothing to do with you and
everything to do with the shitty things I’ve done.” 

Her
breath hitches and she starts to cry quietly.  “I couldn’t just leave you…once
I found you again,” she whispers, using her free hand to wipe away her tears.

“I
know, baby.  I was trying to be strong for your sake and I couldn’t see how to
get away.   Now I just don’t give a shit. If Adam wants to come for me, he can
come.  I’ve told him I’m not going back and I’ll tell him again.  This is it. 
I’m out.”

Sammie
squeezes my hand in hers.  It’s such a simple gesture designed to reassure but
the feelings rush straight to my heart. 

She
could have died.  We both could have died. 

And
I can’t believe I’m really doing this. I’m walking away from Adam.  I’m making
my escape and I’m trying, for both our sakes, to take my future into my own
hands.