“They took her.” Garrison’s voice cuts through my thoughts, and I quickly get to my feet, then cross to his bedside. His eyes are glassy, his expression slack. “They took her. I’m so sorry, Zane. I tried.”
“It’s okay. We’ll get her back.” I saw the blood stain in his apartment; it’s a miracle he’s even still here. Hearing his voice settles a bit of the gnawing fear that’s been eating me alive ever since I got the news. “They’re working on identifying the guy in your apartment,” I tell him.
“They were so fast. I didn’t even see the third guy.” He sucks in a ragged breath, then closes his eyes and winces in pain. “I was just getting out of the shower when I heard her. I came out, and there were only two. The third guy was hiding.”
I can imagine how terrified she must have been. Not just being taken, but did she see Garrison get stabbed? Does she think he’s dead? “Just stay calm, okay? We’ll get it figured out.”
He nods, but the movement is slow. Then, he opens his eyes and narrows them on me as if he’s seeing me for the first time. “What happened in Savannah?”
“They blew the building while we were in it. Set a thirty-second countdown on a crate that was rigged to blow the moment we opened it.”
His eyes widen. “What kind of bomb?”
“I have no clue. Didn’t get a good look at it, but it leveled the building. We were in the basement.”
“How are you here?” he asks. “Are you here?”
“I’m here, brother. God brought us through.” I gently clasp his shoulder. “We have you here under a fake name, but I’m going to get the doctor so she can look you over, okay?”
The door opens, and Lani steps in. “Hey there.” She smiles brightly.
“This is Doctor Lani Hunt,” I tell him.
“Or, as I’m referred to most often in circles like this, the youngest Hunt sibling,” she adds with a laugh. “Anyway, I’m treating you since technically you’re dead.”
He turns to me. “What?”
“We’re letting them think they succeeded in taking us all out.”
He nods and closes his eyes. “So how bad is the damage, doc?”
“Collapsed lung, some muscle and tissue damage from the serrated blade. But your worst enemy was the loss of blood. They gave you a transfusion, but—medically—you really shouldn’t have survived.”
“Thank God above that I did,” he says, then tries to sit up. “So what’s the first step in finding her?”
“You’re not going to find anyone,” Lani says as she steps forward and places a hand on his shoulder to keep him from getting out of bed. I do the same, wanting to ensure he rests long enough to heal. “Seriously, any overexertion and you’ll collapse that lung again.”
“I have to help.” There’s so much guilt on his face. So much brokenness. But even though I know he wants to see this through, I can’t risk losing him, too.
“Lani is right, Garrison. We need you to stay put.”
He shakes his head. “The last time you went anywhere without me, you all nearly died. I nearly died. We have to stick together.”
“You have to heal, brother. Otherwise, they will have succeeded in destroying us.” I reach forward and cover his hand with mine. “It wasn’t your fault.”
His eyes fill, and he takes a deep breath. “Make them pay.”
“Even if it’s the last thing I do, brother, they will.”
Chapter 28
Tessa
The zip ties bite into my wrists as I continue trying to work myself free from the bindings. I’ve seen countless videos of people escaping them, but I’m definitely not having the luck they did. Even still, I won’t quit. I twist my wrists, moving them opposite each other in an attempt to find some leverage so I can get free.
Warm blood trickles from the wounds, but I’m hoping it’ll help me slip free. If I can, then I can get help. Maybe I can call Zane and—my throat constricts. And what? If they’re right and he’s buried in that rubble…I shove it aside, redirecting my thoughts to the things I can control.
I have to get to a phone. Then I can call the police.
