Page 46 of Wick
"I went to check on her and Piper, but she wasn't in her bed. Then I checked the bathroom, and the kitchen while Malik was checking the breaker box in the supply room. I found the front door barely cracked open. When I ventured outside, I noticed Malik's truck door ajar. Thinking Sydney may have gone out to find her cellphone, I investigated. Her phone was lying on the ground." Tears sting my eyes as they threaten to break free. "There's an image of Sydney on her phone. With a message from Cortez. He wants a trade. His son for my niece." I swallow hard past the lump in my throat. Malik takes hold of my hand, giving me support.
Riggs scrubs his palm down his face. "Shit." And Nova rushes up the stairs informing everyone along the way he is going to check on his daughter. The room falls silent, just for a split second, before Zara has our undivided attention.
"You can't have him." Zara cries, holding her sleeping son in one arm, while her other hand trembles as she aims a gun in our direction.Where the hell did she get a gun?
"Take it easy." Kiwi takes a step in her direction, and she points the gun at him. He stops, putting his hands out in front of himself. "We're not going to hurt you." He tries assuring her, but she's not listening.
"Don't come any closer. I don't want to shoot anyone, but I will if I have to." Tears stream down her face.
"Whose firearm did she get a hold of?" Riggs asks, not taking his eyes off Zara.
"Mine." Kiwi answers. "It's the one I keep in the top drawer of my nightstand."
"And, I'm assuming it's loaded?" Riggs looks for clarification.
"Yep," Kiwi confirms.
The sound of bare feet slapping against the steps causes all our heads to turn and find Luna walking down the stairs. Luna's hands lift signing something, before turning her head, finding Zara with a gun in her hand. Luna's eyes widen with fear.
"Upstairs. Now," Riggs yells as he signs his warning, then speaks to Zara, as Luna rushes back up the stairs. "Listen to me. We will figure all this out. Now, give Kiwi the gun." Zara darts her eyes from Riggs to Kiwi, who is standing closer than the rest of us.
Her head shakes violently. "No. My son and I mean nothing to you and your club. I can't trust anyone. It's up to me to keep my son out of the hands of that monster." While saying this, I notice Nova slowly making his way down the stairs behind Zara, pausing on every step, trying to be as quiet as possible. He lifts his finger, pressing it to his lips.
I take a few steps to the left. My movement has Zara swinging the gun in my direction. I try my best to not only distract her but convince her once more that The Kings would never give her son to Cortez. "Zara." Malik takes a step toward me, causing Zara to divert her eyes to him. Worried, she may get too jumpy and pull the trigger, I grab her attention again. "Zara," I say a bit firmer, and her eyes dart back to me, the gun still pointing at the men. "We are here to help you. I promise you they will keep Julian safe." Zara's body shudders as she begins to cry harder. "Trust us and put down the gun."
At a standoff, we wait for Zara to make her choice, and hope like hell someone doesn't get hurt before it ends. Zara's arm falls to her side, her finger still on the trigger, giving Nova the opportunity he needs to rush in and quickly disarm her. Backing herself into the nearest corner with her son still in her arms, Zara sinks to her knees in defeat. "Vayda, I am so sorry," she cries. "I never meant for any of this to happen. I'm only thinking of my son. I want him to have a better life. One free of crime and evil."
Amidst the chaos that continues to erupt around me, and worried for my own family, I kneel on the floor in front of her. I understand her desperation and the willingness to go to any extreme to keep her child safe. I know now, I would do the same for Sydney. Zara looks at me. "You'll have to kill him. It's the only way to make him stop."
I brush the curls atop her little boy's head, who is still fast asleep in her arms as she sobs uncontrollably. Then, glance over my shoulder, seeking Malik, finding him across the room. My eyes connect with his, and I know without a shadow of doubt Malik and The Kings will get Sydney back. "Make no mistake; death is coming for Cortez," I tell Zara with absolution.
Chapter Seventeen
Wick
Iwatch Vayda from across the room as she does her best to console Zara. Not only has Sydney been taken by Cortez, but Zara had gotten it in her head we'd turn her and her son over to her husband and decided to go fucking nuclear on the club by threating to unload a clip on our asses. The woman has some balls, that's for damn sure. I can't even blame her for her actions. She's a mother. Zara reacted in a way any mother would in that situation. And though I understand the woman, I'm unable to hide my irritation. "Everest!" I thunder, my voice echoing off the walls of the clubhouse. "Take Zara back to her room with her son and lock them in." My words clipped, and my tone harsh. I don't miss the look Vayda tosses over her shoulder at me as she passes Zara off to Everest. I know she thinks I'm an ass, but while dealing with Zara, we wasted precious time that could have been spent figuring out where Sydney is.
"Church," Riggs barks. "Tequila, you can join us."
Vayda doesn't have to be told twice. She steps to my side, and we file into church. I drag an extra seat from the corner of the room and pull it up beside me then motion for Vayda to take a seat. Once Everest and Kiwi join us, Riggs gets down to business. "I would start by askin' how the fuck Cortez and his men were able to gain access to our property. Let alone cut our goddamn power considering my orders were to double-check every fuckin' thing hours ago but we don't have time for that shit." Prez levels Kiwi with a hard stare. "I'll be wanting those answers later. For now, pull up the photo of Sydney." Prez tosses Sydney's cell to Kiwi. Kiwi wastes no time connecting the phone to his laptop. His fingers glide across the keyboard of his computer at a rapid pace. Seconds later the photo taken of Sydney appears on the TV over Riggs' shoulder. Out the corner of my eye I gauge Vayda's reaction. Not surprisingly, there is none. She sits quietly in the chair beside me, her expression not giving away a thing and her body language, stiff. Anyone who didn’t know Vayda would think she is almost bored, but that's not the case at all. I take in the vein pulsing on her neck and the way her eyes are glued to the TV screen where a photo of her frightened niece is displayed. She's scanning the picture looking for the same thing the rest of us are; clues. It takes me all of three seconds to spot one.
Standing, I stride over to the TV and point to the top left corner of the photo. "Zoom in right there, Kiwi." It's faint but it's there. The top half of a pointed metal roof. "This is the control tower over at the train yard."
As soon as the words leave my mouth, the chair Vayda is sitting in scrapes across the floor. "We need to go." She races for the door.
"Not so fast," Riggs calls out, halting her movements.
"You know that's not how this is going to work, baby," I cut in. "We don't go in without a plan."
"Yeah? Well, you all can sit around and waste time while you come up with that plan. I'm going to get my niece back." Vayda turns her back and heads for the door.
"Get your ass back here."
My words cause Vayda to stop in her tracks. She turns to me with murder in her eyes. I hear Riggs mummerfucknext to me
"What did you say?"
"You heard me, woman. Get back here."
