Page 49 of Logan

“Can you be more specific? It’d be nice how many people are coming.”

“Negative,” the voice on the earpiece responded. “Visual confirmation was minimal. Assuming this is our target, they are being careful to stay out of sight.”

The team leader sighed audibly. “They’ve had a lot longer to study the area than we have. They probably have every streetlight, porch light, and security system in the entire neighborhood memorized. Everyone, stay alert and be ready for anything.”

Two minutes later, the telltale sound of the front door lock clicking open could be heard through the otherwise empty house.

From her position behind an armchair near the door, the team leader held up a fist in a silent signal to hold our positions.

I waited with my hand on my gun, but still kept the weapon holstered. Cold sweat dripped down the sides of my temples as I stared into the dark, my gaze fixed on the door.

The door opened. At least three people slipped inside. It was so dark I couldn’t see any details, but based on the shape of the shadows, I was almost certain it was only three people.

We could take three people. Hell, I’d take all three down myself if I had to.

The three intruders closed the door behind them and navigated through the house with the ease of people who had already memorized the layout.

Still, Agent Stayner signaled for us to stay where we were.

Logically, I knew why. The targets were still too close to the front door. If we revealed ourselves now, they might be able to get away.

Still, it was nearly impossible to wait while the target of my fury was right in front of me.

It would have been easier to hold back a volcano with only my bare hands, I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood in order to keep myself hidden behind that couch.

The intruders were nearly to the stairs leading to the upper floor when our team leader finally gave us the signal to move. She turned on the light in the dining room, which was far enough away to illuminate the area without blinding us, and I jumped up from behind the couch.

My gaze locked onto the nearest target, focusing solely on the gun in their hand. I never even looked at their face, as I disarmed their weapon and slipped around behind them to lock my arms around their neck in a chokehold. Their nails scratched desperately at my arm, but the long thick sleeves of my shirt protected me and made their struggles useless. Without anyblood flowing to their brain, it took only thirty seconds for them to grow weak, and I lowered their body to the ground without releasing my hold on them.

Soon enough, they lost consciousness, but I still didn’t let go.

“Hollingsworth,” the Gloria shouted from across the room. “Hollingsworth. The bastard’s already unconscious. Let go before you kill him. We need to bring them all in alive.”

Growling low under my breath, I was so tempted to ignore the order and keep squeezing until the body under me stopped breathing. This monster harmed kids in the worst way possible. For all I knew, it could be one of the very people responsible for what had happened to Clay.

It was the thought of Clay that managed to calm me down and convince me to let go. In the year since I’d taken him to Maryland, he was doing so much better, and working his way toward healing. He needed justice the proper way. Vigilante murder wouldn’t help him, and it would probably get me booted from the case.

Standing up, I looked over at the team leader, where she had a struggling man pinned face down on the floor in a very efficient and painful armlock. She nodded at me, before returning her focus to her own target. My moment of almost-insubordination seemed to have been forgiven.

While I’d decided not to kill the man I’d taken down, I couldn’t help using my foot to kick his unconscious body over onto its back with more force than necessary.

I don’t know what I was expecting to see, but whatever my expectations were, they were significantly underwhelmed. In my mind, these Bell ringers were tantamount to monsters straightout of a child’s fable. The kind that parents would use to warm their children away from wandering off into the woods alone.

Yet, the person on the floor before me was just a guy. Not particularly old or young, and there was nothing outstanding about his appearance. It was the kind of man I wouldn’t have looked twice at if I passed him on the street.

Was it better or worse that the monster hunting kids in the dark was just a human?

Sudden shouting made me jump and raise my gun. Near the staircase, the third target had managed to slip away from the agent trying to subdue him, and stood with his back to the wall, gun in hand.

“Get away from me. I’ve done nothing wrong.”

The absurdity of the statement made me snort under my breath. I would never understand the inner workings of these people’s minds, but surely this man couldn’t be delusional enough to think himself innocent.

The agent that had accidentally let their target go was obviously peeved about the mistake and pointed their own weapon at the man with a calm hand and a steady gaze.

“So, breaking into other people’s homes is just a harmless hobby is it,” they taunted the man. “Give it up. This is the end of the line for you. Come quietly and you won’t get hurt.”

“No,” the man shouted as his gaze darted from side to side, looking for any possible escape. “I’ve been to prison once. I’m not going back.”

---