Tori: Where are you?

Me: At the police station. Why?

I wait for her answer, but the text bubble never pops up.

“There was a tip someone saw him in Tennessee, but we haven’t been able to confirm it,” Max says, pulling my attention away from my phone. I crack my neck, knowing it’s not good he’s been spotted closer to us. Closer to Ellie.

He’s coming for her.

“How’s her dad doing?”

“He’s alive.” The downcast of his eyes tells me he’s being too generous with his statement. He continues, confirming my suspicions. “He’s lucky the FBI got there when they did. Shot three times and is scheduled for another surgery today.” We need to locate this son of a bitch so Ellie can be with her father. She’ll never forgive herself if he dies.

“Stone, what’d you find on the guy?” The next fifteen minutes I scribble on the whiteboard as he talks. We have already heard this information, but the task force we set up needs to hear it. The Captain, a couple of local officers, and two FBI agents fill the room alongside our group.

We quiet at the knock on the door and an officer peeks his head in. “Sorry to interrupt, Captain, but there’s someone here searching for Kase.” All eyes turn to me and I shrug. I’m not expecting anyone. Max walks with me out of the room. Once the lobby comes into sight, I see him before he does me. I set my jaw as my eyes bore into him. He paces the room, gripping his neck. It looks like he hasn’t slept for a couple days.

“Wayne.” He freezes at the sound of his name. The second our eyes meet, he rushes me, fists ready to hit something. Preferably my face, I’m sure. I duck as he swings, grabbing him at the waist and slamming him against the wall, adding my weight to the force of the hit. He’s lucky he wasn’t here yesterday, it would’ve been more than a shoulder.

He grunts, falling forward on his knees. “Where is she?” He looks up, his face beet red. “Why the hell is my son calling me saying he’s scared?”

I let out a low growl, my spine stiffening. “He’s not your son.” An arm halts me from pounding that point into his lying skull. My jaw ticks as I glare at Max.

“Not the time, Nixon.” He waits for me to nod and relax my shoulders before putting his arm down. “Did you say you talked to Reed?” Wait, what? When did he call? How did he call? 

I close my eyes for a moment, needing to pull my shit together and put away my personal feelings right now. Focus on keeping everyone safe and worry about personal shit later.

Wayne holds his hand out to Max. “Wayne Carroll,” he says, shaking his hand.

“Max Shaw.”

Wayne’s eyes widen, and he jerks his head my direction. “You work for Max Shaw?” he asks surprised, with a hint of envy in his voice. I smirk, crossing my arms. Yes, I fucking do. My ego does a tap dance inside my head.

“Wayne, do you mind coming with us into the meeting and telling us what Reed said?”

“Sure,” he replies, staring at me with furrowed brows.

We walk in silence into the room. Wayne looks around at everyone, then his eyes zone in on the whiteboard. Max introduces Wayne and explains the situation. I stay quiet knowing this is tearing him up inside. The feeling is mutual.

Wayne shifts in his seat, looking uncomfortable. Finally, he speaks up, “If Everly and Reed are in a safe house, how did Reed call me yesterday?”

“Ellie’s burner phone,” I reply through gritted teeth, angry with myself that I missed this. “With everything going on, I didn’t notice it was gone. I put it on the table when I walked into my apartment yesterday. This morning when I left, I grabbed my phone, but there wasn’t another one on the table.” Stone looks at me and I nod at his unasked question. If Stone can trace it, so can Ray. That’s why he’s on his way here. He probably traced it when he talked to me a couple days ago.

“Agent Barsotti, you need to warn your guys,” Max instructs one of the FBI agents. He nods and walks out of the room. “Wayne, what did Reed say?”

“He called me last night, upset and said he was really scared. I asked him why and he didn’t answer me. When I asked him where he was, he hung up.” He glares at me like this is all my fault.

Now I understand why they remove law enforcement for conflict of interest because it’s hard as hell to step back and look at this through impartial eyes.

When Agent Barsotti comes back into the room, everyone stops talking.  “I informed the agents about the phone. They’re waiting on instructions on where to move them.” Everyone in this room knows they aren’t safe where they are. “They’ll report back when they're at the new location.”

It’s a relief to hear they’re safe. But every second they stay in that house, they’re sitting ducks. I stand and lean my hands on the table, stainless steel cold against my fingers. “Ray probably tracked them to the house, maybe we can meet him there?” My voice is as cold as the stainless steel. 

“We can’t disclose that location,” Agent Barsotti says.

That's too bad. Fortunately for me, I put a tracker in Reed’s shoe before he left.

I glance at Max and his expression is unreadable, but I catch the slight tick of his chin and I know he’s thinking the same thing I am. 

We’re taking a trip.

Everyone discusses the game plan around town, but I tune out. He’s not here. My mind is on my game plan. First, head to my apartment and load up my guns. Then, it’s hunting season.

I’m on a mission when I walk out of the police station. I’ll meet the guys at Max’s after I get what I need. Instinctually, I scan the streets, watching for anything that stands out. A hand grasps my shoulder.

“I wanna help.” Wayne’s voice used to never make me want to kill him. It does now.

I shrug his hand off and walk away. “No,” I snap, over my shoulder.

“Kase, whether or not you like it, we share them. And if you think I'll sit back while they’re in danger, you’re fucking crazy.”

Talk about going for the jugular. I whip around and my jaw hurts from clenching it so hard. “The only one crazy here is you. How you thought I’d never find out about him. You took ten years of knowing my son away from me.”

“I told you I was sorry. I don’t know what else to say. I can’t take it back.”

A couple people wander by, observing us with hesitant glances. I roll my shoulders and rock back on my heels, letting the heated energy wash off me.

“C’mon Kase, let me in. I’d do anything to keep them safe.”

“Fine,” I grit out. “You get in the way; I won’t hesitate to pull the trigger.”