Page 49 of Ethan's Command

Cooper, Bellamy, and Rusty rushed into the kitchen area, their expressions grim. The air was thick with tension. Ethan gave Brooklyn’s hand a reassuring squeeze before pressing the button to put the call on speaker. The faint crackle of static filled the space, each second stretching unbearably long.

“Hello?” Brooklyn’s voice wavered, her throat tightening with fear.

“You have the USB drive?” The voice on the other end was so distorted and emotionless it sent an icy shiver down her spine.

“Yes.”

“Bring it to the Pu’u O Umi Nature Preserve. Twelve-thirty.”

Brooklyn’s pulse pounded. “That’s more than ten thousand acres!” she burst out, frustration laced with fear.

“I’ll send you coordinates.” The voice remained eerily calm, unaffected by her panic. “Come alone. No cops. And you have to be the one who delivers the USB. Your boyfriend can drive but you have to be there.”

Brooklyn swallowed hard, her fingers trembling as she clenched Ethan’s hand. “I want to talk to Liam,” she demanded, her tone turning steely. “I’m not coming unless I know he’s okay.”

Silence stretched; suffocating and heavy. Then, a small voice broke through the static.

“Aunt Brooklyn?”

Brooklyn gasped, her breath catching in her throat. “Liam! Are you okay? We’re coming to get you, buddy.”

There was no response. Just dead air.

Brooklyn sat frozen, the phone still clutched in her grip. The sudden, deafening silence rang louder than the call itself. The room seemed to close in around her, the walls pressing against the fear clawing at her chest.

“They cut the call,” Ethan muttered, his jaw tightening.

Brooklyn sucked in a shaky breath, blinking hard to push back the rising panic. They had a location, but no guarantees. Liam had sounded scared, vulnerable. And now, with no way to reach him, they were walking straight into the unknown.

“We’re running out of time,” Rusty said, his voice grim. “We need to move.”

Brooklyn nodded, forcing down the panic. They had no choice. They had to go. They had to get Liam back. No matter what it took.

CHAPTER 20

Ethan adjustedthe tactical vest over his shoulders, the weight grounding him as he surveyed the room. The comms center buzzed with restless energy. Screens flickered with satellite imagery of the Pu’u O Umi Nature Preserve coordinates the kidnappers had sent. Weapons were checked and rechecked, tension clogged the air.

Cooper leaned against a desk, arms crossed, eyes dark with focus. Bellamy sat at a nearby terminal, double-checking radio frequencies. Rusty was by the weapons locker, securing his gear with methodical precision. Brooklyn stood off to the side, gripping her arms, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

“We’re taking the dogs,” Ethan announced, his voice cutting through the tense quiet. “Mojo’s coming with Brooklyn and me in the SUV. Coop, you and Bellamy take Soda, Whiskey, and Tucker.”

Cooper nodded. “No problem.”

Bellamy glanced up from his screen. “Coop and I will set up the second vehicle back in the trees. We’ll approach on foot as soon as you give the go.”

Ethan gave a sharp nod. “Good. We can’t afford to be seen too early. They’ll be on edge, and if they sense a setup, they’ll bolt—or worse.”

Rusty holstered his sidearm and turned to Brooklyn. “You sure you’re up for this?”

Brooklyn lifted her chin, but Ethan saw the nervous flicker in her eyes. “What choice do I have.”

He stepped toward her, lowering his voice. “You do exactly as I say, Brooklyn. No hesitation. No second-guessing.”

She swallowed hard and nodded. “Okay.”

“Say it.”

“I’ll do exactly as you say,” she whispered, her voice unsteady.

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