Page 39 of Bren

We’re in a holding pattern until we find out information. I hate the waiting, even though I know it’s pointless to be out there when we have no clue on where to look. Just because it’s pointless doesn’t mean that it doesn’t burn my arse. I’m itching to get out there and look. Instead, all I can do is pace up and down. Beau doesn’t look like he’s faring any better; his head is buried in his hands again, and his knee is bouncing. He’d done what he could to track Helmsworth, but he wasn’t as good as Ellie on the internet. From what he’s turned up, it doesn’t look like Helmsworth was behind this.

“They’ll be okay, right?” he lifts his head to look at me, and the look of anguish in his eyes makes me wonder if mine look the same.

“The girls are strong; we’ve trained them and they aren’t helpless. I’m sure the only reason they haven’t alerted us is that they were knocked unconscious in the accident,” I answer. I hope that’s why they haven’t alerted us. I couldn’t bear thinking it was for any other reason. “And,” I continue, “you know as well as I do that Bren will take down mountains to make sure Ellie is okay. She’s always been like that when it comes to her siblings.”

Beau nods; he knows I’m right. Both Bren and Ben are quiet but fierce when it comes to their little sister. I was surprised at how calm Ben had been, although I hadn’t missed the way Brice and Carly had wrapped their arms around him before ushering him out to do what he was best at—speaking to people. He had a way about him that immediately made people trust him.

Slowly, the clubhouse fills back up again. Draco comes in and goes straight to Reaper, who is much calmer and speaks to him. Beau and I have a clear view of the clubhouse from Skinny’s old room. The look on Reaper’s face at whatever Draco told him doesn’t seem to be good news.

Sam, Navy, and Hawk shouldered their way through the door next, black duffle bags in hand and black backpacks that I know from experience would hold explosives.

They put their load down on the pool table and start to unpack.

“Stay here and keep an eye out for their trackers. Hopefully, they’ll switch them on soon. I’ll grab you a weapon,” I tell Beau.

Beau nods and swivels back to the screen. I walk to the table and select a couple of handguns, making sure that they are in working order, although Hawk and Dragon regularly maintain them. We’d been taught to always check our own weapons. Loading them up, I strap on a holster and a bulletproof vest while we wait for Reaper to fill us in on whatever Draco had told him.

“Listen up,” Reaper bellows loudly, getting our attention. “Draco’s found out that Christian’s done a runner after killing two of the guards transporting him. By the looks of it, he had some help. They’ve brought his father in, who doesn’t seem to know shit about what’s going on. We have found out there is another son, and that’s who is helping him. They’re identical twins; his name is Kristoff.”

I want to roll my eyes at the stupidity of the names.

“The worrying thing is that their father says the second one is a psychopath who has been in and out of medical facilities for most of his life. He thinks the police got it wrong and arrested the wrong son.

“Personally, I think they’ve been tag-teaming each other and pulling the wool over everyone’s eyes and that the one helped the other escape. Draco managed to get a list of property that the Helmsworths own from Greg. We’ll start by checking the closest ones.”

Reaper is interrupted by Ben walking in with Carly, Brice, and Booker.

Ben walks up to stand next to me. “Anything?” he whispers quietly. I shake my head negatively, “You?”

He nods, “I may have something.”

Once Reaper stops talking, Ben steps forward, “We may have found something, Pres.”

“Go ahead, Ben.”

“I hit up all my usual people and one of them said that there’s been lots of activity out by the old industrial estate to the west of the village. The one that was bought a few years ago but is now in dispute with the council about building houses as it backs onto the nature reserve.”

We all know the one that Ben’s talking about. Reaper looks at the list that Draco gave him and flicks the paper.

“It’s one of Helmsworth’s properties,” he exclaims. “Grab what you need; we’ll check that one first. Make sure we take at least one cage with us.”

“I’ve got them!” Beau shouts out. “They’ve activated their trackers!” he shouts out again, relief clear in his voice.

“What’s the address?” Reaper barks out.

Beau rattles off an address and Reaper nods, confirming, “It’s the same address.”

Ben’s already moving before Reaper’s finished talking, taking the gun and holster that Brice holds out to him, strapping on his bulletproof vest as he’s walking. None of us are waiting; we’re moving fast.

Beau goes to one of the four-by-fours and I jump in the passenger seat with him, gripping the‘Oh, shit’handle so tight my fingers turn white as he careens out of the main gate and onto the road. Bikes fly past us as the brotherhood overtakes us, moving faster than we can in a cage.

We’re about a mile out when Reaper motions for the bikes to pull over. I know they’ll be going in on foot from here on out. Beau cuts the lights on our vehicle and slows right down to a crawl as the brotherhood and Carly disappear into the darkness. We slowly idle down the road. Time seems never-ending in the darkness as we wait for some kind of signal that we can drive in. And I know there will be a signal of some sort. Not ten minutes later, I’m right when we hear the sounds of guns firing. Beau doesn’t waste any time flicking on the headlights and bowling down the pothole-filled road towards the lit-up factory in the distance.

Outside, the brotherhood is picking off a few guys that look no better than thugs for hire; they don’t seem to have a clue on how to fight or defend themselves. Some have even laid down their firearms as if that’s going to save them.

Beau screeches to a halt, throwing open our doors, we run towards the warehouse, ignoring everything else that’s going on around us. Trusting brothers to have our backs. Reaper breaks off and runs after us. Slamming the small pedestrian door open, I immediately see that both the men are down on the ground, blood pooling around both of them.

Bren and Ellie are standing huddled together near one of the large machines at the far end of the factory. Relief fills me when I see that they seem unharmed for the most part.

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