Page 27 of Salvation

Photos of known gang territories, printouts of Shield’s technical data, lists of abandoned properties that matched the concrete construction we’d identified from the ransom photo. Red Xs marred most of them now -- warehouses cleared, safehouses raided, leads exhausted. My brothers had torn through the city like a hurricane, leaving terrified informants and smashed doors in their wake, all with nothing to show for it.

In the center of the corkboard hung the photo I couldn’t stop staring at -- Yulia and Clover at the fairgrounds, taken not long before they disappeared. I’d snapped it without them noticing, capturing a moment of happiness I’d taken for granted.

My phone vibrated against my hip. I snatched it up, pressing it to my ear without checking the caller ID.

“Tell me something good,” I demanded, my voice raw from lack of sleep.

“Nothing at the Southside warehouses.” Beast’s deep voice rumbled through the connection, exhaustion evident even through the static. “We’ve cleared every building on our list, turned over every rock. No sign of them.”

I closed my eyes, swallowing the bitter taste of disappointment. “What about the Scorpions’ clubhouse? I overheard Shield mentioning it to Ranger.”

“Empty. Looks like they cleared out in a hurry, but not recently. Place was already covered in dust.”

My free hand clenched into a fist, knuckles still raw from earlier connections with walls that couldn’t fight back. “Keep looking. There has to be something we’re missing.”

“We will.” A pause, then Beast’s voice softened slightly. “How’re you holding up, brother?”

“I’ll hold up when they’re home,” I answered, ending the call before he could respond.

Yulia and Clover had been gone for too many hours. The 6 AM deadline had come and passed with no word from the kidnappers. Shield’s theory was that they were waiting us out, thinking the silence would make us desperate enough to pay on any terms. He was probably right, but knowing their strategy didn’t bring us any closer to finding them.

I studied the map again, tracing the routes we’d already searched, the buildings we’d already cleared. My vision blurred momentarily, fatigue and worry creating a haze I forced myself to blink away. I couldn’t afford weakness now. Not when Yulia and Clover were counting on me.

Yulia. The last time I’d seen her, we’d been so close to crossing the line we’d danced around for too long. Her gaze had met mine with such warmth, such promise. And Clover, my daughter in every way that mattered, her future stretching bright and limitless before her. Both of them, taken from me in an instant because I’d let my guard down. Because I’d forgotten, just for one day, the constant vigilance that kept our world safe.

My phone vibrated again. Hawk this time.

“Downtown’s clear,” he reported without preamble. “We’ve hit every location on Shield’s list. Nothing.”

“What about the building on Parkway? The one with the loading docks?”

“First place we checked. No one’s been there in months.”

I pressed my fingers against my closed eyes, the pressure doing nothing to relieve the throbbing headache building behind them. “What about informants? Someone has to know something.”

“Everyone’s scared silent or genuinely clueless.” Hawk’s frustration matched my own. “We’ve twisted every arm, called in every favor. It’s like they vanished into thin air.”

But they hadn’t. They were somewhere in this city, being held by men who’d been bold enough to take them but hadn’t been heard from since missing their own deadline. What did that mean? Were they having second thoughts? Changing plans? Or…

I shut down that line of thinking before it could fully form. I couldn’t afford to consider the worst-case scenarios. Not yet.

“Keep pushing,” I told Hawk. “These guys aren’t professionals. They’ll surface eventually.”

After disconnecting, I braced both hands against the table, letting my head hang for just a moment. Exhaustion pulled at me like quicksand, threatening to drag me under. I’d been running on rage and fear for hours, and both were starting to wear thin, leaving only a bone-deep weariness in their wake.

My gaze fell on the photo again. I reached out with unsteady fingers, tracing Yulia’s face through the glossy paper. Her eyes, so blue they seemed to pierce right through you. The slight curve of her lips that had taken years to appear after I’d first brought her to the compound, a frightened girl with scars on her wrists and emptiness in her gaze.

Eleven years we’d been married. All those years, I’d kept my distance, telling myself it was for her sake. That she needed security, not complications. That friendship was enough.

What a fucking waste.

My jaw clenched as I stared at her face in the photo, the weight of unspoken words sitting heavy in my chest. If -- when -- I got her back, I wouldn’t waste another day. Another moment.

A sound escaped me, something between a growl and a sigh. I pushed away from the table, resuming my pacing. The floor creaked beneath my boots, the sound oddly comforting in the too-quiet room. Outside, the compound was eerily empty, most of our brothers still combing the city. Those who remained moved with purpose, gathering information, coordinating search parties, following whatever leads Shield found.

I paused at the window, staring out at the early rays of sunlight. Somewhere out there, Yulia and Clover were waiting. Counting on me to find them. To bring them home.

“I’m coming,” I whispered, the promise fogging the glass briefly before fading away. “Hold on just a little longer.”

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