DECLAN ARRIVED ON scene and had done a thorough search with the team that was with him. He returned to the group, a sour scowl on his face, anger radiating. Blake read him like a book, knowing full well where his anger rooted from—he found his men.

“There isn’t much here, small blood splatter there.” Blake pointed to the porch steps behind him. “May have a small trail that direction but it only goes a few feet.”

“Christ!” Declan spat.

“What happened, Dec? You said she was safe, eyes on her at all times!” Colton accused, his voice full of anger. “Where were those eyes? Why did Valdez himself walk right up to us? How did half a dozen or more assholes get this close? They fucking have her man…” His voice cracked, choking on his last words at barely a whisper. “They have her.”

“I’m sorry, Sparks. We’ll get her,” Dec said, full of sympathy. “It looks like they had the spin on us – three men dead. No struggle at all, from what we can tell. That only means one thing.”

“Inside job,” Blake delivered firmly rather than as a question.

“Shit. Any idea who?” Morgan asked.

“Three men dead on a four-man team…pretty good idea that it’s the missing fourth man,” Dec reconciled.

“So, we’ve had a traitor trailing us, on my property, in my home this whole time. Fucking great. Now they’re one step ahead. How do we catch up?” Colton asked, ready to move on to what was really important.

Dec excused himself when one of his teams arrived back from a preliminary search. Their voices were out of range, but body language and hand gestures indicated their interest was in the trees surrounding the lake. Saying they took her through the woods was like saying a bar has alcohol.

Colton’s normally well-mannered animals were making a ruckus inside. When one of the ladies went inside to check on them and tend to a possibly injured pet, one pet in particular shot out and went straight for Colton. Duke, his three-legged German Shephard, whined, whimpered and even tugged at Colton’s pant leg.

Colton assumed the animal was upset because he had become quite fond of Megan and just watched something horrific surrounding her. Morgan and Blake, however, saw something different. They remembered the explosion at Meg’s house. Duke had been staying with her, and once rescued, he took off to the woods, exhibiting the same behavior.

Morgan and Blake followed, finding evidence that someone had most definitely been there, but Duke lost his trail. Perhaps, this was Duke trying to lead them again. They filled Colton in, Declan pausing to listen in.

“The night of the fire…he took off toward the woods, wouldn’t listen or stop. Got a ways in and lost whatever he was chasing,” Blake shared.

“What, like Lassie or some shit?” Sarcasm slid from Colton’s words.

“No, well…sort of. What if he saw or has a scent?” Morgan questioned. “What else have we got at the moment?”

“He does have it bad for Meg, follows her everywhere.” Colton crouched down, holding his dog’s head in hands, scratching his ears and asked him, “Do you know something, boy?”

“We use dogs all of the time. They have a keen sense for this shit,” Declan interrupted. “That dog is trying to pull you to the north woods, and that’s where the trail of blood points. I’m sending a team southeast, and they will work their way around back to us on the north side. It doesn’t hurt to take the dog.”

Colton rushed inside the house, retuning with a loaded gun, sliding an extra magazine in his waistband. He called for Duke who led the way down to the lake shore, headed toward the flock of trees resting behind Megan’s house to the north where they lost the blood trail.

Though Declan had plenty of agents on the case, the McKenzie Ridge friends insisted on going, too. Meg was one of them, and they weren’t standing down. Declan hoped and prayed this didn’t backfire on any of them. Esteban was that fucking crazy.

Duke led them deep into the dark woods, moonlight the only light to chase. Declan was scattering his men, every so often, into the woods in various directions. The dog hesitated a few times, suggesting he was picking up the scent from Valdez’s posse from every direction. That suggested that Esteban and his guys were everywhere.

Light came into view, a mile or so ahead of them. Duke sat and stared at what appeared to be an old hunting or forest service cabin. The team crouched low while Dec delivered coordinates and orders into his wrist again. Movement from inside cast shadows through the dark, dirt stained windows. This had to be where they were, where Meg was, given the short head start. They had probably been here all along, watching and plotting. A loud rumble in the distance caught their attention – cars, several, headed their way.

“He’s leaving; we’ve got to go in now!” Colton panicked.

“Not yet. My men are nearly in position, we’ll have them surrounded,” Dec replied.

“They get her in a car, and we won’t see her again. We need to go now. There can’t be but a dozen or so in there,” Colton negotiated.

“Stand down, Sparks! You’ll get her killed! You hear me? Do I need to place you under arrest?” Declan threatened. “We do this the right way; no one that matters gets hurt. You got me?”

Colton begrudgingly listened.

Four SUVs in various dark colors rolled to a stop in front of the cabin, blocking half from the team’s view. The front door of the cabin was still visible, allowing them to see that there were three men, each heavily armed, taking their post, securing the area. Declan continued to rattle off information to his team, in some sort of code, while the rest watched, keeping track of what and who was in front of them.

Each driver remained in the vehicles with them running, confirming the idea that they were taking off with their bargaining chip along for the torturous ride. Patience paid off when more activity approached the doorway.

Four men disbursed, one to each vehicle, opening the rear door. Finally, the major players found their way out of the cabin. Dec’s suspicions were confirmed when his missing man, Tom Boyd, exited first with Megan, bound, blind folded and gagged in his tight grip. Valdez was the last to make his way out. There they all stood, only yards away.

“My team has a clear path from the back. They swept six men giving them access from the rear. I have eyes out here.” He pointed to his left. “Snipers, ready to disable the vehicles…tires first, then drivers if need be. They aren’t leaving.”

“How do we get her? When do I grab her?” Colton inquired.

“You don’t, bro. You stay right here; we bring her to you.” Dec put his hand on Colton’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze, trying to assure him they had this under control.

“We have the element of surprise…less than a minute, and we’re done,” Blake offered. “Jessie, Morgan, you stay here with Colton. Morgan, you got eyes in the background here, got it? Dawson, you follow me in. We’re only support. We let them do their job, and I leave with all of my people in one piece.”

A branch snapped behind them, putting everyone on alert and setting the plan in motion before they knew what happened. On instinct, Blake tossed Jessie and Morgan’s heads to the ground, weapon drawn on whoever was behind them. Word must’ve made it to Valdez just as quickly because his people scattered, taking defensive positions.

Gun fire rang out like a fireworks display in July. The man behind them eliminated, Blake began to move in, Dawson at his side. Shots whizzed by so close, Blake shoved Dawson down, yelling for him to stay low and fall back. Their organized plan quickly shifted to chaos, and he wouldn’t be responsible for Sam becoming a widow or their children fatherless.

With vehicles now out of commission from sniper fire, and his men falling at his feet, Esteban grabbed Megan, using her as a shield as he went for cover behind the SUVs. Tom Boyd stayed close, offering protection, shooting at his own team like the traitor he was. Shots rang from behind, turning Blake’s attention to his own people – Jessie had fired at one of Valdez’s men, apparently wounding him in the groin. She smiled and winked at Blake, gun aimed at her prize while Dawson zip-tied the hands and feet of her target.

Shocked and impressed, he moved in, watching Dec’s back as they got closer to Megan. Several shot to death, most wounded and zip-tied, it appeared that Valdez was down to a barely-there army. Creeping from behind the vehicle, Valdez used Megan as protection. Esteban, being the coward he was, had himself pinned between Meg and the SUV, gun placed at Meg’s temple as insurance.

Blake circled back around to meet Esteban at the front of the vehicles while Declan used traitor Tom as a distraction. With Blake in place, Dec discharged his weapon, nailing his target in the right thigh, clean shot, straight through and likely a nice break as well. Tom lay on the ground, writhing in pain, screaming like the bitch that he was. Distraction accomplished. Dec smiled, thoroughly satisfied with his shot, even if it didn’t make up for the lives lost at Tom’s hands.

“You’re done Valdez; let her go!” Blake said, weapon locked on Esteban. “It’s over!”

Tom was quickly zip-tied, moved out of the way, and propped against a tree – his weapon in possession.

Meg’s blindfold was now draped around her neck, having fallen in the scuffle. Eyes locked on Megan, Colton gave her an endearing grin and said, “It’s going to be okay, baby. You’re okay, we’re going home. Just a few more minutes.” She grinned back, the best she could through her swollen face and fat lip, her left eye swollen nearly shut.

Esteban was completely surrounded, nowhere to go, the worst kind of desperate there was, the most dangerous, too…he had nothing to lose at this point.

“You shoot me, she dies. So, this is how it goes. I’m getting in that car, and she comes with me. You give me a driver, unarmed,” he reasoned, as if he thought he still had a chance. “When we are far enough away, I let them go; nobody follows. Do I make myself clear?”

Declan laughed at Esteban’s desperate attempt to portray that he was still in charge with two dozen weapons casting a red dot on various parts of his body. The man was already as good as dead. All they needed, for that clear shot, was his weapon pulled away from Meg’s head.

“I’ll drive,” Colton said, tossing the weapon from his waist band to the ground and kicking it away. He lifted his shirt and turned in a circle, showing that he wasn’t carrying another weapon. He raised his arms in a surrender position and walked toward his target.

“Sparks, stand down,” Blake yelled, moving in to try and intercept him. “I mean it, Colton. Back off; back the fuck off!”

“Colton, listen to Blake. Please…don’t do this,” Megan cried.

“I’m going where she’s going. Not negotiable,” he said, staring down Valdez, showing his lack of fear and full confidence. “We all know how this ends, Valdez. When you are far enough away, you kill her, right? Well, I can’t live with that, so I’m going where she’s going. However this ends for her is how it ends for me!” Colton was now an arm’s length from Esteban, not showing a single sign of his anger or loathing.

“Sparks…” Declan barked, trying to stop Colton.

“It’s not up to you, any of you,” he said, eyes still locked on his enemy.

“Fine, this pathetic man goes. You can live together or die together, entirely your choice. No one follows, Mr. O’Reilly, and you know I will know.” With a smug smile and leering eyes, he gave a knowing wink. He was toying with them, reminding them that his reach was far and pockets deep. Anyone could be bought.

“Let’s go, Mr…Sparks,” Valdez ordered.

Colton moved toward Megan first, catching Esteban off guard.

“You drive, you buffoon,” Esteban said, strengthening his grip on Megan, causing her to cry out.

“She’s hurt, asshole. I’m helping her into the rig. I’m guessing she can’t entirely see where she’s going, given what you did to her face!” Colton shot back, standing firm, face to face with evil…so close he could smell his cigar and expensive scotch on his breath.

“Fine. Quickly!” Esteban backed down, enhancing Colton’s confidence.

Colton looked to Blake first, sharing a knowing look in which Blake gave a subtle nod. He turned to Megan, resting his hands at her waist, making eye contact with Morgan and Dawson at the rear of the vehicle, both giving a similar slight nod. Completely in sync with his friends, he took this mission into his own hands, bringing the grand finale.

He whispered, “Hang on. I love you,” to Meg who fell right into Morgan and Dawson’s waiting hands with a vigorous push from Colton. They swept her around the vehicle and into the shadowy tree line, guarded by Dec’s people and even Jessie. As quickly as he turned her over to safety, his left elbow made contact with Esteban’s face, stunning him with the unforeseen action taking place around him.

Injured and disoriented, he was easy to overtake. Colton slammed Valdez against the vehicle behind him, pinning him with his own body. One arm across his enemy’s neck, one holding his arm with the weapon above his head, slamming it repeatedly against the car until the gun fell to the ground. Colton beat the holy living hell out of Esteban.

While the crowd around him looked on, letting the extra punches to the root of his rage slide, Declan signaled for his guys to step in and pull Colton off of a bloodied Esteban Valdez. He slid down the vehicle like a rag doll, landing hard at their feet only semi-conscious.

Distracted by their reunion, the reach Valdez made to his ankle was missed. He pulled out a small weapon and aimed it directly at Megan and Colton.

Tom, still propped against the tree where he was left, shouted, “Gun!” Causing a whirlwind of actions to follow.

Esteban slurred his final words before getting a shot off. “Fuck you!”

The activity seemed to transpire in slow motion. Another gunshot rang out, causing everyone to take defensive positions and to aim their weapons at their villain. Colton rolled himself over Megan in an attempt to shield her from tragedy when a loud growl pierced the silence, followed by a sharp yelp…Duke.

Scanning the scene, shock came over everyone at what would be the dramatic end to it all. Blake stood, frozen with his smoking gun in hand, facing a dead Esteban Ricardo Valdez.

Feet from Meg and Colton lay Duke, shaking and whimpering in pain, having taken the bullet meant for his family. An ambulance transported the dog, a hero, and his owners to the town vet who was standing by, waiting for their arrival. Tom Boyd, was treated as an animal and had to wait for help – the consequence of being a traitor. Now an active crime scene, Declan and his people began to gather evidence and prepare to close their case.