Page 105 of Hart of Hope
“A handful, maybe.”
“Dad, we need to go to the barn. That’s where Grace is. She can’t save the girls alone.”
“Where’s the barn from here?” I kept the gun trained on him.
“Not sure, but it’s east of the house.” He shook.
“One last thing before I let you run for your life.” I drove my knee into his balls. “That’s one for the road, a reminder that if I learn you’re involved in sex trafficking and buying young girls again, I will personally shoot off your dick. Now, get the fuck out of here.”
As Grayson held his junk, screeching in pain, I grabbed Fran’s hand. “We need to move. Stay close to me.”
As we trekked deeper into the woods, the storm raged on, nature’s fury matching the violence still to come because I wouldn’t be so kind to Josh Kinley.
37
BRIAN
“Over here.” Holding on to my daughter, afraid to let go, I found a spot under a canopy of trees. “Duke and I shared our locations. I want to see if I have a signal strong enough to tell where he is.”
“Are the cops coming?” she asked.
“They should be.” I was able to pull up Duke’s location with one bar for a signal. “Duke is to our right, in that direction. It’s best if we go to him. It will be easier to find the barn.”
She swept the flashlight I’d given her outward, the light highlighting the rain that seemed to be slowing down. “There.” She pointed at a large boulder in the distance. “I bumped into the rock earlier. We need to go in that direction.”
“I want to call Duke before we go. We still might encounter more men. Keep alert.”
She smiled, nodding and shivering. I was desperate to get her to safety so I could freely look for Grace without worrying about her.
“Brian,” Duke said. “You got Fran?”
“I do. We’re coming your way. What’s it like on your end?”
“I counted four men that went into the house about ten minutes ago. I don’t see any guards or anyone else. They’re probably all at the barn, is my guess.”
“See you in a few.”
Through the rain-soaked darkness, Fran and I trudged forward as my phone guided us to Duke. He was standing by a tall oak tree, binoculars in hand, when we approached him twenty minutes later.
“Hey, friend,” I said in a low voice.
Duke placed a finger on his mouth.
I spotted a guy on the porch, lighting a cigarette.
I gave Fran the binoculars. “Do you recognize the man?”
After a quick glance, she shook her head.
“We should move now,” Duke said, gun in hand, “while these four are none the wiser.”
Memories of our old days working for the cartel were shining like a fluorescent bulb before me. Duke and I had so much experience surprising our enemies when the situation warranted.
“Fran, stay behind me,” I ordered.
Duke took the lead as we walked up to the house.
The cigarette dropped from the guy's mouth the moment he saw us and our guns.
