Page 125 of Single Teddy
Barnes smirked and crouched down, which made him look even more dangerous, an absurd thing considering our current predicament.
“If you insist,” he said, taking out a gun and pressing it right against my forehead.
THIRTY-THREE
TEDDY
Every second spent driving was as excruciating as chewing glass, worrying about Wesley, about the kids, about what I’d do with myself if anything happened to them.
One would think my job would have prepared me for moments like these, but it wasn’t the same. This was different. When you’re a SEAL, you prepare for everything. You rely on intel. On meticulous planning. On advanced technology that can see through walls, so that when you do go on a rescue mission, you’ve got next to no chance of failure.
But this? This was the real world without the billions of investment in technology, weaponry, and human-powered support, and without any assurances. Hell, we didn’t even know where Wesley had been taken. How could we rescue him if we didn’t know where to go?
“God! How much farther is this godforsaken bar!” I yelled behind the wheel, and Slade cast a glance at me.
“Breathe, Teddy. Just breathe. We’re not going to let anything happen to them.”
“You don’t know that!” I shouted, and he flinched.
Great. Now I was snapping at my friend. It was hard to keep my emotions in check when I just needed to find Wesley. I needed to find him and save him and make sure he was okay. I wouldn’t calm down until he was back in my arms.
“I’m sorry,” I said after a moment.
Slade shook his head and put his hands in the air.
“You don’t need to apologize. I’ve been where you are. I get it. I—” He never got to finish his sentence because a car swerved onto the main road, and I had to hit the brakes before we crashed.
“The fuck? What’s wrong with people?” Slade muttered, but I stared at the car speeding ahead.
“That-that’s Zach’s car.” As soon as I recognized the electric blue Smart car, I put my foot to the gas pedal and followed him. “Something’s wrong. I can feel it. Can you try calling him?” I handed Slade my phone and started honking at him, but he didn’t slow down.
“Nothing,” Slade declared, but he tried again. “Didn’t you just leave him behind at the food truck?”
“I did.”
“Then why is he in such a rush?”
“I’m telling you. Something’s wrong,” I repeated, and when the coast was clear, I joined the oncoming lane and sped up until I was side to side with him and able to get his attention.
It took a couple of tries, but he slowed down when he saw me, and I overtook him to avoid the honking car coming right at me.
I screeched to a stop and caught my breath for a moment before I jumped out of the car and approached Zach’s. Even before I got to him, I could tell he was distressed. He looked at me through the windshield, but he wasn’t really looking at me. It was as if he’d seen a ghost.
“Zach, what the hell? What happened? Why are you driving like a madman?” I opened his door and crouched to his level.
He turned to me with wide eyes full of terror, shaking like a leaf.
“It…it’s him. It’s him,” he said.
“Him who? What are you talking about?” I grabbed him by the shoulders and squeezed, shaking him back to his senses slightly.
He froze, staring at me, but at least he wasn’t shaking anymore.
“My…it’s my ex. I saw him. He…he’s here.”
I narrowed my gaze and waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t, so I had to read between the lines and assume his ex was bad news. That was the only explanation for such erratic behavior.
I glanced around, but I didn’t see anyone suspicious.
