Page 100 of Holding On to a Hero
“Yep! We’ll all be ready when you get here.” She didn’t know Spencer was with them. Spencer, who knew guns and martial arts. It was good to have an ace in the hole.
“Great. I’ll be there in about twenty minutes.”
“See you then! I love you, brother.”
“I love you too.” We hung up.
“Where to?” The woman put the car in gear, backed out and turned around with her left hand still holding the gun. Based on her failing to kill Will three times, I thought her a poor shot. But from the seat next to me it would be hard for her to miss.
Chapter Fifty-One
Jason
My heart was in my throat as Will and Cole lined up silently behind me. Spence was hidden at the side of the house, armed with a gun from Foster’s safe. Cole and I were also armed, and Will wore Foster’s bulletproof vest under one of my sweatshirts. We’d turned off the front porch light so the shooter wouldn’t notice Will’s sudden weight gain.
The three of us were standing just inside the front door, waiting for the shooter and Brian to arrive. I tried to calm my racing heartbeat and steady my nerves. The stakes tonight were more personal and important than any mission I’d ever been sent on in the Army, and I could feel anxiety trying to push every bit of training out of my brain. For what little reassurance as it could provide, I once again mentally ran through the plan, such as it was.
As I’d anticipated, Brian had called a few minutes ago to say he’d bought some food for us and asked us to meet him at the car to help bring it inside. When the car pulled into the driveway the three of us would exit the house, which put us facing the driver’s door. My assumption was that the shooter would be driving since it would be too hard to control Brian otherwise, even if the shooter had a gun on him. Spence’s position on the opposite side of the driveway would be crucial if I was wrong. And if Brian was in the passenger seat, Spence’s priority was to get him out of the car.
I was going to walk toward the driver’s door, supposedly to greet Brian. As soon as the car door opened or a window started to roll down, Cole and Will were to get low and try to make it back into the house before any shooting started. Spence and I would play it by ear from there.
“Remember,” I told Will and Cole, “Pretend like you’re arguing or having a conversation as an excuse to walk very slowly out of the house. Cole, stay between the car and Will if you can.” My brain was screaming at asking him to put himself in that much danger. But he gave me a firm nod and gripped his gun close to his leg. I breathed in and out slowly before I continued. “The goal is to get me as close to the car as possible before the shooter tries anything.”
Will looked worried, but he gave me a small smile and nodded as well.
It was a shit plan, but the cops wouldn’t make it here in time to help. None of us had discussed the possibility that the shooter might try to pick us all off one by one from inside the car, but I knew Cole at least had realized it. He’d made a point to text Ranger Ramirez that Dave was locked in the bedroom upstairs “just in case”.
I wished we could just hide inside the house, but with Brian held hostage we had to take the risk.
Headlights glared across the front windows as Brian’s SUV turned into the driveway.
“Okay, just like we planned it. Stay calm and let the shooter open the door or start rolling down the window. Then Spence or I will make our move and you two duck and get back to the house.”
Will reached out and touched me and Cole. “I’m sorry I brought this asshole into your lives.” Both of us tried to interrupt but he shook his head and smiled. “I know it’s not my fault. But I love you both so please stay safe.”
“Will, that’s not fair, saying that right now.” He chuckled and kissed me on the cheek.
“Let’s get Brian back.”
The three of us exchanged a quick kiss and then faced the door again.
Show time.
After the car stopped I waited a few seconds before opening the door. I stepped out onto the porch and then looked up like I’d just realized the overhead light was out. I pretended to play with the switch inside the door before shrugging and leaving the doorway. The gun was heavy in the back of my pants.
I started toward the still-running car, trying to be ready for any movement from the shooter while still making sure Cole and Will didn’t follow me too closely.
It was too dark to see through the SUV’s windows, so the muzzle flash that accompanied a gunshot crack perfectly illuminated Brian struggling with the person in the driver’s seat.
“Brian!” I shouted as I lunged for the car. I didn’t see any bullet holes in the SUV’s windows. My gun was in my right hand as I jerked open the driver’s door with my left.
I barely registered the hot pain of a bullet creasing my left bicep as the door swung wide. Brian, torso covered in blood and wrists zip-tied, was half in the driver’s seat wrestling a woman for control of a gun. I shoved my weapon into her jaw. “Drop the gun!” I yelled at her.
Slowly she stilled and then let Brian have the gun. I made her put both hands on the steering wheel as Spence jerked open the passenger door.
“Shit!” he yelled when he saw the blood on Brian. He barely glanced at the woman, just tucked his gun into the back of his pants and helped Brian ease back into the passenger seat. After Brian passed him the shooter’s weapon, Spence put it on the ground and started peeling Brian’s shirt away from the wound.
“Brian, how bad is it?” I barked. His eyes were closed and he didn’t respond. I didn’t like how fast he was breathing.
