Page 250 of Keep This Promise
Jackson’s voice is strong and steady as he speaks to them once more. “All right. We move silent, boys.”
“And girl,” Blakely pipes in.
He huffs but chuckles a little. “And girl. No noise unless necessary for my team. Do we have snipers in place?”
“Here,” one answers.
“Here and eyes on. I’ll keep you informed of what I see.”
“All right, teams. Stay safe and alert, let’s make this clean and quick. On my count. Everyone locked and loaded. We go in three, two, one.” Then everyone falls silent.
What happens next leaves my stomach falling. There’s nothing. No noise. No talking. Just steady breathing.
I wait, straining to hear something, anything, but there is nothing to distinguish where anyone is.
“Did they find her?” Sophie asks.
I shake my head. “They’re moving in now.”
She buries her head in my chest. “I can’t handle this. I feel as though I might pass out.”
“I’m right here with you. I won’t let you fall, just hold on to me.”
All the fear that’s choking me, I shove down. If she’s in there, I’ll need to keep a cool head and treat her immediately, so I focus on different treatment strategies.
“One on the left,” someone whispers.
I keep my breathing steady so as not to alert Sophie.
I hear a door creak and then there’s a scuffle. “One down.”
“Two down.”
The voices are muddled, so I can’t tell who’s saying what.
“Third down.”
“House clear. Checking for Eden.”
After who knows how long, I hear the same voice. “House is empty. No signs of Eden,” the voice says. “I’ll need the K-9 in here to do a further search.”
No one from Emmett’s group responds, which tells me Jackson’s team hasn’t found anything yet, good or bad.
“Jackson, on your right,” a deep voice whispers, and it sounds like the sniper from earlier. “I’ll take the shot.”
“I need something, Holden,” Sophie says, her teeth chattering as she moves around a little.
“She’s not in the house,” I tell Sophie. “Here, sit and just breathe, love.” She sits in the back of the ambulance, struggling to stay calm. I squat in front of her, holding her hands in mine as I listen for anything else.
“Beneath car.” It was Spencer’s voice that time. I would know it anywhere.
What’s beneath the car? Is it Eden? Did they find her?
“On two,” Jackson instructs, but I have no idea what they’re doing.
“I have eyes on two circling the garage. Find shelter.” The sniper speaks again.
It’s still silent on Jackson’s team, and then I hear a car starting.
