Page 67 of Splintered Security
silver linings
Ren
If they’re not at Adrienne’s… if they’ve taken her somewhere, I don’t know how in the world I’ll find her.
But I wonder if that’s the point. Make it a production so Anni has to come—bait, if you will. Or make it messy, so if she has to identify the remains, it leaves the residue of brutality that haunts nightmares.
Liam: Anni’s mom is not okay. When you’re done with whatever, check in with her.
Liam: I spoke with her. It’s not good, brother. Do you need me to handle it?
Both messages arrive while I’m en route. I manage to shoot off a text as I enter Adrienne’s subdivision.
Me: Stay put. Protect my wife.
I pass her house. It’s littered with motorcycles, two of which Irecognize. They belong to Giltenhouse and Conyers. Three others flank them.
I take precious seconds and puncture the front tires of all of them, enjoying the satisfying hiss of air releasing. I circle the house and peer in the windows as I pass. The blinds are drawn on all of them until I get to the rear of the house.
Adrienne is tied to a chair in the center of the kitchen, though from the looks of it, I don’t know that it’s necessary. It doesn’t appear that there’s much fight left in her. Blood covers her face and pools on the floor below her.
I don’t think. I act.
I throw open the back door and walk straight into the fray. Giltenhouse’s eerie smile is the first thing I see after a cursory glance verifies my mother-in-law is still breathing. In that split second, I hear the unmistakable rack of the metal slide on a handgun.
I turn, drawing my pistol, and put a bullet in the forehead of the underling who thought time—or fear on my part—was on his side. He was wrong.
“I didn’t miss. I won’t next time either. Leave.”
The two unknowns scatter like cockroaches in a floodlight.
Giltenhouse twists backwards and forwards as he yells, “You do not take orders from him. Hold your ground.”
Neither listens as they bolt through the kitchen door, not looking back, as Giltenhouse’s face reddens in anger. “You’ll pay for this. And so will your families.” His voice rises on every word.
“Eh-eh-eh,” I tsk. “You’llbe the one to pay.”
From the corner of my eye, I see Conyers lunge for me, a glint of light playing off the steel in his hand. I turn with his movement, collecting his forearm with my elbow, and use my other hand to snap his wrist backward. The pop of bone breaking is one I never wanted to hear again, but can’t help but be thankful for in this instance.
“You fucker!”
His words are barely out of his mouth before I take his knife and plunge it into the shoulder joint of his good arm. “Stay.” I extend my hand like I would to an errant puppy as he squirms on the floor, attempting to grab his shoulder with his useless hand.
Giltenhouse looks between me and him and draws his own weapon, pointing a forty-caliber pistol directly at Adrienne’s head.
Her eyes hit mine before leaning forward to push her forehead into the metal barrel.
“You and your bitch daughter asked for it.” His finger wraps around the trigger, and I draw.
“That’s my wife you’re talking about.”
He turns his head in utter confusion. Those are the last words he hears before I squeeze, putting two in his ass.
Two to the head would’ve been more satisfying. The splatter of gray matter would’ve taken down the anger that boils over in my gut. I kick his gun from his hand where he fell and use a boot to keep him in place while training my firearm on Conyers.
I quickly dial nine one one, giving my name and the address. “My mother-in-law was attacked. She’s badly injured and needs an ambulance. Please send police. Have them come armed. Two of the attackers are still here. Two escaped. One is dead. All have gang affiliations.” I listen to the operator repeat back my words to dispatch. “The remaining two will need medical attention as well. I incapacitated them.” I listen for a moment. “I had no choice when one put a gun to her head.”
I disconnect after being cautioned not to, and pull zip ties from my pants. I roll Conyers onto the wound where the knife still protrudes and twist both hands behind him, binding them.
