Page 148 of Callahan

Turning around, I looked at him with raised eyebrows.

He responded to my unspoken question. “You ready for this?”

The adrenaline was pumping through my veins, and I responded, “Abso-fucking-lutely.”

He shook his head.

“No, I mean are you ready for the condition we might find her in. He’s had her for hours now.”

I couldn’t even allow myself to think what Earl may have done to her. Especially knowing he’d been watching her when she’d been naked probably since she moved into the apartment.

“No, I’m not ready. But I’ll be there for her, no matter what.”

“What does that mean, exactly?”

“What the hell do you think it means?”

“I dunno, that’s why I’m asking.”

“Well, Hugh basically told me to put a ring on it, but I think that might be a little premature. But I’m ready to admit that I love her and want to be with her. And nothing that happened today is going to change that.”

“Fuuucking finally!” He racked the shotgun and declared, “Let’s go get our girl.”

Chapter Fifty-Five

Adam

We crept along the wood line until we reached the location pin Alan had dropped. I heard a whistle I was familiar with and looked in the direction it came from to find my brother crouched behind a bush with binoculars around his neck.

“What’s the status?”

“Well, bad news. Earl is working with someone. Judging by his age, height, and family resemblance, my guess is it’s his son.”

Brian looked at Alan with furrowed brows. “I don’t think so. I’ve never known him to have a son.”

“Maybe a nephew then? There’s definitely some shared DNA somewhere.”

“How long have they been in the barn?”

“Earl has been back and forth from the house a few times, but Junior has stayed put, with the exception of occasionally pacing the floor, in what appears to be an apartment on the second floor. It looks like they maybe converted the hayloft and added a few windows. I think something’s up though because Earl just hustled back.”

Brian winced. “Earl hustling anywhere is not a good sign.”

My brother’s expression was solemn when he said, “I agree. We need to get inside and get a better look.”

Brian asked him, “Are you armed?”

Alan cocked his head, and gestured to his Kevlar vest and binos around his neck and replied, “What do you think?”

“Just making sure. How are you with a rifle?”

I laughed out loud. “He’s a better shot with a rifle than I am with a handgun.”

Brian’s eyebrows went to his hairline.

“Okay, then. We’ll leave the rifle with you. What do you think are our best points of entry?”

Alan pointed out what he’d observed while Earl had been coming and going.

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