Page 53 of A Touch of Frost
“Jesse.” I called.
“I know.” He slipped back into the vehicle.
As he put his seatbelt back on, I glanced in my mirrors then eased the car back onto the road, watching to ensure Lizard had done the same. We found parking close by and made our move to Lover’s Folly on foot. Kandi remained in Lizard’s jeep—she was supposed to b our backup.
We split up—Lizard and Widow entering the store together, hand in hand, while Jesse and I checked for surveillance cameras then hurried along a side walkway and into the back of the compound.
The first building wasn’t much of one.
It had no windows and the door stood open. Looking in, we realized it was one big room, with nothing but a broken chair. Jesse and I looked at each other and I saw it the moment his soul cracked.
Patting his shoulder, we hurried across the backyard to the other. He tried the door to find it locked. Jesse backed up and caught his arm.
“Let’s hold on for a second.” I told him. “Go around that side and I’ll take a look around this end.”
Jesse nodded and headed off in the opposite direction. I inched my way around, my heart slamming inside me, yearning to see him again. When he popped up at the back of the building, safe and sound, my heart raced painfully.
There wasn’t another way into the building.
That worried me but when we made our way back to the front of it, I allowed him to send a foot into the door close to the lock. The first hit did nothing. The second sent the wooden door splintering inward.
“We have movement.” Black Widow said, calmly into my ear. “We’ll try cutting them off but whatever you’re doing, do it now.”
“Shit.” I swore.
Easing my body ahead of Jesse, I pulled my gun as we entered. This building was bigger and had two rooms across from each other. The hallway led down the middle to nothing but a bigger space that was building into the ground, but from what I could tell, it was empty except for a bunch of hoses lying on the floor.
We rushed back just as gunfire erupted into the night and I knew our plans have been exposed. If we were going to check the space, we had to do it, and fast.
Jesse went to one door while I took the other. I had to shoulder my way into it as the door seemed to have been locked. That room smelled like mould, stale booze and regrets.
“Paul!” Jesse called.
I looked back in time to see him rushing into the space and I knew he hadn’t checked the space around him. As we entered, someone reached out and grabbed me.
Reacting, I spun, elbow upward catching the man in the nose. After following up with a punch to the head, I slammed my foot into his chest, sending him flying out the door. Someone came at me from the shadows, and I lifted my gun and fired.
I found Jesse kneeling by Paul, tapping his cheeks, not paying attention to the man with the gun on the other side.
Aiming, I caught him between the eyes, blood splashing onto Jesse and Paul.
“Tink!” I called through the communicator.
“On the move!” Kandi replied.
“Jesse and I are fine, go to Lizard and Widow.”
“Roger.”
The firefight was still happening outside. I went on the premise they didn’t know where Jesse and I were, I figured the others could use the help.
I ensured the rest of the space was empty while Jesse untied Paul. From what I could tell, Paul was still unconscious.
That meant dead weight.
“Can you lift him?” I asked.
“I got him.” Jesse moved into a kind of fireman’s position to get his brother on his shoulders then pushed to his feet.
