Page 63 of Higher Notes

“Mom, we’re getting on the next flight out. Do you have the twins with you?”

“I do. I don’t want to go home. I want to look for Gabe.”

“Dana, please get the twins home and arm the alarm. Fizzbo has eyes on the house.” I had a bad feeling about Paul. “We have highly trained combat guards looking for Gabe now. They will find him.” Now was the time to be overly confident yet cautious.

“I don’t want to be too far from him. He’s close, he has to be.” Dana burst into tears. Mother fucker better hope Sarge and Frogman found him before Snipe and I did.

That was all our hope, but Tacoma and Seattle were veritable farms of homeless encampments. Paul could be hiding anywhere, though I dare not say that aloud.

“I’m just gonna drive around for a bit.”

“Mom, please.” At this point Jason was crying. “I can’t afford to lose you, none of us can. Please let the guards handle this and get the twins home. Please,” Jason pleaded, tears streaked his face. Snipe and I each had an arm around him, but we weren’t much better off. “Please.”

“Jason,” she cried out. I hoped like hell the car was in park. Dana was in no position to drive. “If he lays one hand on my baby, I’ll kill him.”

She’d be standing in a long line for that job. Once Snipe and I got ahold of him there wouldn’t be a stich of skin left.

“Mom, the twins are crying. I can hear them. Please. Get. Them. Home.”

“Wyatt,” Nicole cried out. “Wyatt, come home.”

“We are, baby girl. We’ll be there soon.”

“We love you all,” Sikes said from beside me, all three of our faces crowded Jason’s phone screen but it was important the babies saw us.

“Love you,” they said through their tears. My fucking heart broke. I hated being this far away from them, unable to soothe their fears and wipe away their tears.

Fizzbo: You’re thirty minutes from the Raleigh airport. Andy has been notified to take you to the private airfield. Easton secured transport. Team will be waiting.

Me: Thank you.

Fizzbo: Jeremiah has been notified. Joey insisted he cover for Jason so the show will go on.

Me: We owe them, owe all of you big time.

Fizzbo: Thank me once Gabe is safely home.

“Dana, we are almost at the airport. Flight is booked and we’ll land at Seatac in five hours. Jason will meet you at home and Snipe and I will join the hunt.”

“Thank you both. Bring my baby home to me.”

“We will. Love you guys.” Snipe was near tears himself as he said that.

“Love you all. We’ll see you soon.” My mind was already in motion thinking of every possible place the piece of shit could try to hide.

What the fuck did Paul want with Gabe after all these years?

Then, it hit me.

Money.

Fuck.

Hurriedly, we threw everything into our bags. As soon as the bus came to a stop at the private terminal, we jumped off. Quite literally, none of our feet even hit that last step.

A man in a suit and tie met us on the tarmac. “Gentlemen, please, follow me.”

We were loaded into a jet akin to Masterson’s. As soon as we buckled in, the plane was secured, the tower cleared us for takeoff and we were airborne moments later. Jason sat between us and held our hands. His knee nervously bounced. I was on the verge of coming out of my skin. Sitting idly by didn’t work for Snipe or me.

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