“I thought I’d put off this argument till now,” he said, then pulled down his sweater and shrugged into the black rain jacket he’d brought with him to cover it. He slipped the gun into his boot.
“I feel like I’ve stepped into some kind of movie,” Annabelle said. Her face was white now, her hands shaking as she lifted it to brush hair off her cheek. “You seem too calm, as if this kind of thing is entirely natural, when inside I’m Jell-O. My knees hurt they’re so weak, and I’m pretty sure that wedding cake is about to make a reappearance.”
“I’m a Texan, honey. Not much can get us worked up.” He flashed a smile, but her color was fast turning green, so he pushed her head down between her knees. “Breathe, woman, for the love of God.” She did, slowly, and when he let her back up she looked shaky but her eyes were clear.
“I didn’t follow through with my first instinct, which was to leave you in the plane, because I knew that A, you’d probably relocate my balls to the back of my throat if I tried, and B, I think Cooper may need your medical expertise. But,” he added as she opened her mouth, “you will do what I say from this minute onwards. You stick to me like we’re attached with glue, and don’t leave my side until I tell you to. Got that?”
Her teeth snapped together, but she reluctantly nodded.
“I mean it, Annabelle. This shit could get nasty, and I have no idea what or who is inside that building. Best case scenario is that we pay your brother’s debts, get him, and leave.”
“What’s the worst case scenario?” she whispered.
“Hell if I know, but be prepared for anything.”
They got out, and he took her hand as they crossed the street and entered the building. He could feel eyes on them. Even at this early hour, there were people about; they were just hiding in the shadows. Every wall in the building was tagged with something, and the place smelled of things Ethan would rather not think about, so he headed for the stairs.
The address Bills had given him was on the second floor. They climbed until they reached the upstairs hallway. The light in the ceiling had blown, so he pulled out his phone, turned on the flashlight app, and shone it on the doors. Annabelle was stuck to his back, her fingers holding on to the belt loop of his jeans.
“This is it,” he said when he saw the number on the door. Lifting a hand, he knocked, then waited.
“What do you want with Cooper?”
The man had materialized behind them so quietly neither of them had seen him arrive. Big, with long dark hair, he was built like a wrestler.
“I’m his sister, and we’re in town and want to see him,” Annabelle said, moving to Ethan’s side.
He’d told her not to speak; the surprise was that she’d waited this long.
“He ain’t got no sister.”
“Yes, he does, and I’m it!” she snapped. “You want to see my driver’s license?”
“You’ve got a smart mouth on you for a woman,” the man drawled, looking her up and down, which pissed Ethan off.
“She does, but she’s my smart mouth, so kept your eyes off her,” Ethan snarled.
“No harm in looking, man.” He held up his hands.
“Is Cooper in or not?” Ethan asked.
“He’s in, but not sure as you’d want to see him, lady.”
Ignoring the words, Ethan opened the door and pulled Annabelle in, then shut it behind him. There was no lock, which made his teeth snap together. A lock would have given them some time before the others arrived, as he was sure they would.
“We have to move quick. That guy will be contacting the people Cooper owes money to and telling them we’re here.”
“I can’t find a light,” she whispered.
“The electricity is probably shut off.”
Using his flashlight app again, he moved into the room. It smelled worse than the hallway. They walked the main room and found no one, so they headed for the only room off it, and that was where they found Cooper Smith.
“Cooper!” Annabelle’s cry was pure agony as Ethan’s light touched the man lying on the bed. He was slumped sideways, and shivers wracked his body. His cheeks were hollow, his hair long and lank, and his breathing was a weak rasp. Ethan held the light on Cooper so she could see him while she checked him over.
“He’s unconscious.”
Ethan then watched as Annabelle fought a battle with herself. She went from hysterical sister to nurse before his eyes. She took his pulse, lifted his eyelids and did other things he’d seen Jake do a time or two. When she was finished, she turned to him, her eyes now calm.
