Chapter 29

Spook

We arrive in Atlanta in Dani’s Excursion and park a few blocks from Dyson’s condo. It’s time to do some recon.

We strip off our kuttes and start to take in what we can see from the truck.

Rudy starts with his observations. “So we can see the three out front. We need to see if they’ve got a break schedule. If we can get at least a ten minute window, some of us will be able to get through the front door.”

“Wait.” Chase interrupts. He’s looking across the street at a pizza joint. “I think I have an idea on how to get in, but it’s just going to be one of us.”

“Not happening, Chase.” Rudy growls.

“Listen, Prez.” Chase calls out. “We have the floor plans. We know if we enter in the front door there’s a reception desk on the right and elevators across from the door. There’s also a side door on the left and a door for the stairs. If one of us can get in there and distract the receptionist and not draw attention from the guards, the rest of us can come in through that side door. The elevators don’t require a card and we know he’s on the top floor. Some of us can take the stairs and the rest can take the elevator. We have to assume that he has a guard or two outside his door.”

I nod. “He’s made valid points, Prez. It would be easier than trying to take out five guards outside, then trying to get past a receptionist who could call the cops and rush the rest of the mission to get to Ryland with too many unknowns from the bottom floor to the top.”

“Yeah, but whose scrawny and goofy enough to pass as a pizza boy.” As we sit back and ponder who the best fit would be, there’s a knock on the window and Trigger is standing there with stupid look on his face. “We’ve got our pizza boy.” Rudy chuckles.

Trigger may not be scrawny, but he sure can pass the goofy test. He climbs in and sits on the only available spot, the floor.

“Why are ya’ll staring at me? Is there a booger hanging out of my nose?” He pouts.

Rudy pats him on the shoulder. “Nah, son. We just nominated you to pizza boy.”

Trigger looks at him bewildered. “I don’t think this is the time for a pizza run. We need to get in that condo and jack this fucker up. I need to get my niece and get her back to Cumming to Greer.”

“No, dumbass.” Rudy grunts. “We’ve made a plan and you are the key to its success.”

Trigger’s intrigue by the aspect of being the key to anything and listens as Chase re-explains the plan. When he’s done, Trigger has a cocky grin on his face.

“Yeah, I got this. Let me go get that pizza and see if I can steal a shirt that fits my big ass.”

He gets out of the truck and runs across the street. Twenty minutes later, he struts to the truck with three pizzas and a red shirt placed haphazardly on top.

He climbs in, setting the pizza in my lap and pulls off his black t-shirt replacing it with a red Russo’s Pizza shirt.

He opens the top box of pizza and pulls out a slice of pepperoni making my stomach growl. He passes the box around and everyone grabs a slice.

With a mouth full of pizza, he mumbles. “So, what time do we want to get this party going? Is the receptionist a dude or a woman?”

Rudy slaps Trigger on the back of the head. “What does it matter? Just go in there and use your normal charm.”

“Yeah, but if it’s a dude, I gotta come up with new shit. I don’t hit on dudes, so I’ve got to get prepared.”

I can’t help but laugh at his ass. As much as this shit has drug us down, he can still bring us out of our funk enough to make us forget even just for a few.

“It’ll be dark in about twenty minutes and it’ll be easier for us to get to the side door without being noticed.” Rudy relays.

Trigger nods as he shoves another bite in his mouth. He swallows. “I got this. I’m good at distractions.”

There’s no doubt about that.

***

Trigger’s been inside for a couple of minutes and the rest of the gang and I have quietly and successfully made it to the side door undetected.

The longer we wait the more anxious energy rolls off us. We have five more minutes until we make our way inside, which should be enough time for Trigger to do his part.

When the time arrives, Rudy gradually cracks the door and peeks in. He turns his head and nods. We file into the entryway and half go to the stairs while the rest take the elevator.

I chose the stairs in case there’s a guard on the door. Hiking up ten flights of stairs is just a warm up for us. The need to have Ryland cradled in my arms outweighs the burn in my calves.

Reaching the tenth floor, Chase looks through the small window. He holds up one finger signalling that there’s only one guard.

Ryker slides past Chase, grips the door and opens it suddenly, shocking the guard long enough for him to put him in a chokehold. The ding of the elevator indicated the rest have made it up.

We all step out into the hallway simultaneously. We tie the guard to a pipe in an open storage closet and gag him with a rag, but not before we remove his keys hoping he has a key to the condo.

After several attempts with the keys, Brute finally has the right one and slowly turns it. As the door creaks open, I leisurely sneak in putting my back against the walls.

The first sound I hear is a baby crying, my baby crying. In an attempt to get to her I push off the wall, but I’m stopped by a hand on my arm. I turn my head to see Rudy by my side with the same furious look on his face, but he shakes his head no. I know I can’t act out of anger, but the longer I listen to her cry the urge to run gets stronger.

Rudy whispers. “All in due time, Spook.” I nod.

As we fill the entrance and move down the wall a foot at a time, a gruff man’s voice booms through the condo. “Shut that fucking child up or I’ll shut you up.”

I spin to Rudy only to find Brute up against my back. Looking further down the line, I see Rudy has been demoted to the last one as apparently he couldn’t handle his rage.

Brute taps me on the forehead and I begin to move again. At the corner of the wall, I peek around the corner to a sitting room. As I go to round, a tall man in an expensive suit storms towards a door in the hall.

When he opens it, the screams get louder and I make my move. I come up behind him unexpectedly and place my gun against the back of his head. “I suggest you don’t move any closer to my baby.” I growl.

His body tenses and then his shoulders lower. I look in front of him to a middle-aged woman frantically trying to calm Ryland.

I yell over my shoulder. “Rudy, get up here and get Ryland.”

Rudy passes and holds out his hands to Ryland, who quiets and reaches for her grandfather. “Come on baby. We need to get you back to your momma.” He says against her cheek. He turns and is about to leave when a gunshot rings out from the other room.

A screaming woman’s voice reaches my ear. “I suggest you hand that child back to Olga or I’ll shot the closes man to me.”

I wrap my forearm around Dyson’s neck and place my gun to his temple. I pull him out into the hall and towards the sound of the women.

Coming into the sitting room, I see a skinny, blonde-haired woman who looks as though she’s seen better days. Her face is overly wrinkled and plastered with makeup to hide her flaws, but all it does is make them more obvious.

Before I can speak, Rudy comes forward with Ryland in his arms. He hands her off to Brute and takes in the woman.

She gasps as her gun waves from side to side. “Rudy?” She questions. “Why are you here?”

“Farrah, you stupid bitch, I’m here for my granddaughter.”

She stammers. “She’s not your granddaughter. She’s just some brat Dyson wanted to raise so eventually he wouldn’t have to spend his hard earned money on finding young girls to satisfy his needs.”

I tighten my hold on Dyson’s neck and press the gun taut to his temple. “That little girl is mine.” I bellow. “She was taken from her crib while we were sleeping.”

She’s still staring at Rudy perplexed. “She’s not yours. She’s some tramps. Right, Dyson?” Dyson doesn’t say a word. “Dyson, the deal was that we didn’t take from people we know that way there was no fallback.” Dyson remains mute. “Whose kid is she, Rudy?”

“Greer’s.” He roars. “Haven’t you taken enough from her? Shit, I trusted you with her and all you did was hand her out to strangers.”

“N…no…no.” She stutters. “Greer can’t have kids. The doctors said so. That baby isn’t hers.”

“You’re the stupidest bitch I know. Did you even look at that baby? She’s the spitting image of Greer when she was that age.” Rudy takes in a deep breath and blows it out. “You couldn’t just let her be. She has a good life in Cumming with a man who loves her and a daughter who cherishes her. She’s got family at her back that’d never do the shit you let her be put through.”

Farrah bows her head. “I didn’t have a choice, Rudy. It was either her or me.”

“No, cunt.” I snarl. “You only give a shit about yourself. You could have left and taken her with you, but you chose to live the life of luxury while your daughter paid the ultimate price.”

“You don’t understand.” She begins to sob.

Rudy is fuming now and stomps over to her grabbing her by her arm and twisting it behind her back forcefully. “I understand too well. You abused my child because you couldn’t handle being second best, but when push came to shove you chose to stick around with a money hungry sick fuck that made his money off of underage girls and my daughter.”

The door to the condo bangs against the wall and Mad Dog and several other Feds come hassling through. Mad Dog comes to me first and puts Dyson in cuffs while another agent takes Farrah from Rudy and does the same.

Farrah’s ranting and raving about how they’ve made a mistake and before she can get out of hearing range, Rudy yells. “Have fun in prison, Farrah. Maybe you’ll become someone’s bitch and they’ll teach you the meaning of ‘don’t drop the soap,’ you worthless gash.”

Mad Dog nods at us on his way out and lets us know he’ll be in touch. I turn to see Ryland passed out on Brute’s shoulder. I go over to him and take her from his arms and bring her firmly against my chest. I take in her scent and instantly relax.

“Let’s get you home, baby girl.” I mumble against the side of her head.