Page 42 of Unbreakable Connection (Connections Duet)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Edric

The trek up the mountain didn’t take as long as I thought it would, not when you have the motivation to get your woman back from the hands of a madman. I’m going to enjoy taking him apart piece by piece. We reached the top and gathered around to decide the best entry point. Patch pulled up the coms, and we all agreed to split up our two teams and take the front and back simultaneously. I would lead my team with Patch, and Oleg would come with the guys he brought along.

“Okay, from the footage at Ellen’s, it showed four guards along with Paolo. We all know I can take them with my hands tied behind my back if I had to.”

“Yeah, that may be true, but we need to know what we are up against,” Patch said as he gestured to all four points of the structure.

“No one likes a bragger, but he’s right. We don’t know what we are facing, be alert, as everything is a threat.” We walkedvigilantly, expecting the unexpected, and heard gunshots from the back of the house. Oleg directed his team and sprang into action with their weapons drawn while Patch, and I followed the gunshots that led into the woods.

“Whoever it was came this way,” said Patch as he pointed out the broken twigs and footprints.

“Yeah, but who?” I said, and then we heard the onslaught of gunfire erupt at the building. We both sprinted when we came upon Oleg, who appeared injured but raised his hand to show us he was fine.

“It’s just a scratch; you should see the other guy?”

“Speaking of which, how many are there?”

“It was only the four, and they are no longer a problem, but Paolo still is. We searched the entire building and grounds; they’re not here.”

“Was she?”

“It looks that way. I found a chair with shredded ropes and some blood, too. If it was Ellen who was bound to that chair, she found a way to get free, and I suspect she was out there when we heard the shots.”

“So, it’s Paolo chasing her?”

“Yes, that would be my guess,” I sighed and gripped the back of my neck.

“We were too late; if we had just gotten here a little sooner, we could have saved her.”

“Hey asshole, stop talking in the past tense,” said Patch as he approached me. “Your woman is a fighter who has seen her share of battles, and if you think she’s going down at the hands of that weasel, Paolo, then you have severely underestimated her.”

“He’s right; she’s brave and takes no shit,” Oleg stepped up and slapped me on the back.

“Okay, I get it, and you both are right. However, I don’t know what to do and where to begin.”

“We go back into the woods and follow the trail. We have night vision goggles and all the proper gear to find her. He probably, at best, has one gun and a round or two to reload.”

“You are not putting my mind at ease right now.”

“I’m just pointing out what you are already suspecting. Now, let’s stop wasting time and get your woman. Oleg, you okay to press on?”

“I am. However, I need to take care of the clean-up first,” we both understood the meaning behind his words and took off searching for Ellen. The ground was dense with brush and rocks, making it hard to get through and not so quietly. Every time I took a step, I snapped a twig.

“The trail ends here,” said Patch, pointing to the ground.

“Where is she?” I said aloud as I kicked the rocks in front of me.

“Wouldn’t you want to know?” the voice stepped out of the shadows with a gun aimed directly at Patch and me.

“This looks familiar, remember?” I said, not taking my eyes off him.

“It does, but this time, I’ll be the one going through you,” he said, sounding like a desperate man who didn’t have anything to lose, but I did and would not be so eager to take the bait. We both knew we could take him down before he fired his first shot, but we couldn’t, not knowing where Ellen was.

“Where is Ellen?” I asked coldly.

“Dead, and you’ll be joining her,” he shouted, firing his weapon, clearly missing me since Patch swept his leg and quickly took him down. He reached for his tie wraps and secured him.

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