The Law of Motion (Law Series) (73 page)

"Zoe..." Alyssa's voice carried over the radio, but it was a mere whisper.

Dad and I froze, our eyes locked for just a second, before the radio exploded. I spun to the opposite side of the game area.

Scooping the kids up, moving them away from the rec center and towards Joanne. "Take them," I snapped, handing their things to my dad, "She's here," I hissed to Joanne.

Mr. Daniels' head snapped up. "Who?"

"Zoe?" Joanne
asked, turning back to my dad ignoring the confused man.

"You get them someplace safe. Don't let them out of your sight," I ordered my father.

"Unca Adwien?" Juan called, his fear returning.

"Stay with Pops, please. It's really, really important that you do that for me. Okay?" I asked him. It was all I could do to keep my voice calm for him, because I knew we were scaring them. “You too Cedrick.”

I spun away from them without waiting for an answer, Dario right by my side as we ran toward the rec center at full speed, doing our best not to run into anyone.

             
"Macon, check in, damn it!"

"Rec center," he answered. "Where do you want me, bro?"

"Inside. Go," I ordered, pulling my gun out of its holster, and the guys followed suit. "I want this building emptied. Now!" I snapped, pointing to two other exits. I turned to the closest worker. "Get these main lights on, and get all these people outside as quickly as you can. Okay?"

He was a young kid, but he nodded, wide-eyed, spinning on his heel to slam open the breaker box in the far corner. Bright lights glowed into life, and the music died.

"Okay, I need everyone to exit the building, calmly, but quickly," Macon ordered in his booming voice. "Everything's just fine, but we need you outside," he commanded, and thankfully, they were all listening to him.

"I got that back exit, Boss," Jackson stated, bursting through the doors, barely avoiding knocking over a little boy just trying to do what Macon was telling him. "Let's get this bitch," he snapped, shaking his head as he ran toward the other side of the basketball court.

Dario and I dodged people left and right as we made our way to the back hallway, finding the girls trying to open a locked bathroom. Tink had pulled out her gun and was just about to shoot the lock. Where she kept that big thing all night was beyond me.

"Don't!" I snapped, shaking my head. "You could miss. It could ricochet inside, Tink."

The girls backed away from the door, letting me through.

"I'm sorry, Adrian. We didn't know anyone was in there," she said, putting her gun down. "Suddenly, this little kid got shoved out the door, and the lock clicked."

I nodded, putting my ear to the door, but I couldn't hear shit. Nothing. "Fuck, Alyssa... If you can hear me, I need to know what's up, Honeyface," I breathed, trying to stay calm, but having a fuck-ton of trouble doing it. "I'll tear this fucking door off the fucking hinges. I swear I will. But I need to know..."

My girl only said one word. "Go."

I waved everyone back, and my shoulder met the bathroom door with more force than I probably needed, because the damn thing snapped off the doorjamb, falling to the bathroom floor. Five guns pointed inside what was a completely empty room.

"Shit," I hissed, running a hand through my hair. "Where'd you go, baby?" I asked, but I was pretty damn sure she couldn't answer.

“It’s empty?” Clarissa repeated confused. “Where did she go?”

“We’ll find her,” Dario swore as I scanned the stalls, “Get the girls out of here to safety.”

              “Let’s go honey,” Ross directed at Tawny first and then Clarissa.

             
Kristen followed behind them her gun still pulled out, but it was Tink that was moving ahead of everyone else. “Hunter you have that van out front by the time that I’m out the front door.”

             
“Hunt and I are on it Margaux,” Cam started, “just get to—”

Tink snapped back, I couldn’t see her but I could hear her in my ear. “Just bring the van around front damn it!”

“Everyone shut up.” I commanded trying to listen to the words Zoe and Alyssa shared, because I knew that she would give me a hint. Jackson pointed to a door at the end of the bathroom, a closet. I gave him the nod and with one kick the door opened.

             
Supplies and a pair of silver heels were the only things inside. “Those are Alyssa’s.” Jackson pointed out, flipping the switch and we scaled up the shelf to the ceiling. One tile was crooked, and I knew they went nowhere but up. I could hear Alyssa threatening Zoe that she would have to use the gun if she touched her again and I cautioned her immediately. I couldn’t have this crazy bitch taking out the reason for my existence.




"Move, move,
 
move
!" Tink growled, and I could hear her typing furiously. "Damn it, Cam. We need satellite on this shit. Pull up street cameras. I'll have the thermal up in thirty seconds."

"Hunt, I need to know where the team is," Cam barked over the radio, also typing like a fiend. "We think she's gone underground. I need to know where that shit leads. How many fucking tunnels do these people have under there?"

"I’m on it!" Hunt snapped an answer.

“I don’t think the ceiling will support our weight, we have to find another way around, but where?” I hissed.

Jackson and I listened carefully trying to hear through the mess, Zoe’s voice giving us the clue. "I knew they wouldn't let anyone in here," Zoe chuckled maniacally, shaking her head. "This shit's still under construction."

The sound of a soft chuckle followed and I could tell it was Alyssa; the bitch was making this shit easier and easier.

"That's it!" Tink and I said at the same time.             

"The warehouse. Go, go, go. I want that bitch surrounded," I growled. "She won't leave that building. Understood?"

"Sir," I heard copied back. It seemed like everyone I knew answered in my ear including Kristen and Doc. The only ones who hadn’t were Joanne and my dad.

"Bring them all with you!" I snapped, not that I could keep them away anyway.

"Son, the festival is disbursed, the police are covering the surrounding streets, and you've got thirteen members of a tactical team at your command. They are on, in, and next to the surrounding buildings. Copy?" Dad stated his voice sure, angry, and just plain focused.

"Yes, sir, and the boys?" I asked as I ran toward the building myself.

"Just fine," He reported.

I ran up the steps of the soon to be homeless shelter with my gun leading the way. “Baby, if you can hear me... They need a clean shot, sweetheart. You be so careful, but try and space yourself from her." She didn’t answer and I didn’t wait as I descended the stairs after clearing the first floor with Jackson and Dario. "Everyone
 
on me
. Do not take any shot until 
my fucking say
. Are we clear?"

"Sir!" it seemed a thousand voices called back to me.

I was trying my best not to panic, because she hadn’t said anything in a while. But I was also anxious because I wanted to be the one to end this myself. Out of all the kidnappers involved with this, she had been one of the few stupid enough to touch my fiancé, though the bruises and lip had long since healed, none was forgiven. No one touched her.

When we descended the steps, attempting to clear another level the sound of a struggle in my ear started followed by the loud echo of a pop at the floor beneath us.

              “Babes, report
now
.” Hunter demanded at the sound of the shot.

"One," my girl said over the radio.

We all shut the fuck up; even Dario and I came to a standstill in the long, dark ass hallway we were running down.

"One, one, one," Tink chanted. "What'd she...?”

"She's counting bullets, Adrian!" Kristen stated. "Chance, what's she got?"

"Revolver," Alyssa panted, "Terry’s here too and boy are they pissed."

My heart just about shot up into my throat at the sound of Alyssa's voice finally able to really fucking answer us. I wasn't sure what got her to that point, but fucking-A, I was grateful.

“Does Windsor have a weapon?” Dario asked.

She barely whispered a “no” before Zoe echoed loudly.

“You can't hide, bitch!" Zoe yelled, firing off another round. "Why couldn’t you just be normal, you had to ruin everything?"

Alyssa chuckled, and I shook my head, because she just couldn't help herself. "Zoe, it’s not my fault you took the wrong kid. You got me involved. You shouldn’t have listened to the idiot in charge. It’s not like he gave a damn about you all." she answered, and then grunted.

"Honeyface…" I warned, finally reaching the end of the hall.

"I'm keeping her back to that boiler room door," she answered me. "I can't fire at her
because I don’t have a gun
." Her reminder that
she
insisted on being armed, though we all disagreed.

I winced, looking over at Dario, whose face was pissed off and determined. "She's protecting her
 
whole
 body. One wrong move, one wrong fall, and she gets shot.”

"Yes," Alyssa sighed, and I could hear her worry for just a second.

"Oh, Honeyface," I groaned, bracing my hand on the wall before stepping into the boiler room, because I knew under normal circumstances, my girl would've already taken the bitch out. "I've got you baby, okay?"

"Yeah," she whispered again.

"It's not just that!" Zoe yelled, firing off another shot.

"Three," Tink and Kristen chanted softly.

"Three more," Alyssa whispered, almost to herself.

“You had to steal my Myles from me, make him obsessed with
you
!” Zoe continued, firing another.

“Creeper Myles, really?" Alyssa asked, and I could hear her grunt again.

Dario and I plastered ourselves on either side of the doorway, waiting for our opportunity.

"Adrian, listen," Tink said in my ear.

"Go," I breathed.

"I see where you and Dario are. Alyssa is straight out, almost a direct line from the office doors. Zoe’s pacing slowly, about a hundred and twenty five feet from where you are one o'clock.  Windsor
at her six, got me?"

Dario peeked slowly around the corner, shaking his head. "How does she do that?" he mouthed to me.

I smiled, shrugging. "Perfect, Tink. Thank you. Still beautiful...don't care what you say."

Tink's sweet giggle met my ears as I took my own quick glimpse out into the warehouse. It was dark, the only light filtering in coming from the street lamps outside. There were two small emergency lights at the far end, but they weren't helping my situation.

Using silent hand signals, I told Dario to take the left side of the building, to stay low, to wait for my command. He nodded, slipping silently past me and immediately darting behind a few boxes.

"I didn’t want your stupid boyfriend. Didn’t you take
my
nephew?" Alyssa yelled, and I watched a brief flash of teal shimmers dart from one stack of drywall to a pallet of insulation. “You touched my family!"

I flinched, as another shot echoed loudly in the warehouse.

Terry’s voice echoed through the building but I couldn’t tell where it was coming from, “Damn it Zoe, keep it together!”

"One more," Alyssa, Dario, and I muttered to ourselves.

"Keep them talking, love," I whispered, finally stepping a foot into that boiler room "One more and their defenseless."

"I know, I know," she sighed, and I glanced up when she bolted from her current hiding spot to a new one, much f
urther down from me.

I raised my weapon, flicking the safety off and using both hands to aim, but my view of Zoe was blocked by a forklift.

"I don't get it," Zoe growled, and I ducked down when she spun in one spot. "How could you end up with 
everything
 and we have 
nothing
?"

"By your own fucking choice," Alyssa answered her. "You brought this all on yourself, Zoe. I had nothing to do with it. Don’t expect me to feel sorry for you."

I took a chance and glanced around the box I was hiding behind, seeing that I had Zoe in front of me. A straight fucking shot. I raised my gun, but at the last second, she moved. I could see Terry going through the stacks getting closer to Alyssa.

"Shit," I breathed, plastering my back to the box and slipping down to the other end to peek around the side. "No shot no shot..."

"I'm about to give you one, baby, please be fast," Alyssa stated softly, and before I could protest, warn her, or even blink, she stood up from behind a stack of plywood. She walked slowly around the large build speaking louder to Zoe. “Fine, you want my life, have it Zoe! See if it’ll fix things for you.”