Nick nodded.“True.But he’s been withAiden at your place at night, so he could have been in and outthen.”
Sam glanced over at Nick.“Don’t youhave a security system in this place?”
Nick gave him an incredulous look.“Noof course not, why would we?”
Sam just stared at him for a momentbefore he shook his head.“That does it.As soon as all this shitis over, I am sitting down with Riley and getting our house built.I am adding in a fucking security system, a perimeter alarm, and Iam contemplating a fucking moat!”
Silence met his outburst,and Sam took a deep breath to calm down.Despite the diresituation, Nick looked over at him and grinned.“Damn, you’re hotwhen you throw aman-trum.”Sam felt the heat rise in his cheeks but hopedthe muted light in the room hid it.“When this is over and we’veall taken our pound of flesh from this fucker, then all three of uswill sit down with Riley to plan the house, and I’ll spring for themoat.As long as we have a clear line of sight to the dog run atthe back for Aiden, I think it’s a great idea.”
Sam grinned back and was about to saysomething when Dev suddenly cursed over the phone line.“Fuckingline of sight.”
“What’re you thinking,LT?”
“I’m thinking he’s got aclear line of sight to where you were standing when you took thatcall,” Dev answered.“Were you standing by a window oroutside?”
“No, we had come into thehouse and as soon as we realized it was empty we were both standingin the kitchen.The window is north facing.”
Nick jerked upright.“The lake acrossthe road is at a slightly higher elevation that the house.If hewas over there somewhere, in a tree or up on the ridge, then hewould have a clear line of sight to the house.”
There was the sound of muffled voicesover the phone line before Dev came back.“I’ve relayed thatthrough to Glenn and Marcel.Riley is heading toward you with acouple of earpieces so you can all be on comms.I reckon this guyis planning one huge fucking come to Jesus moment near that lake.Iwouldn’t put it past him to be faking about rigging your place toexplode.”
After a few minutes, another muffledsound of voices came over the phone that Sam couldn’t quite makeout.“Christ, okay, I’m not always right apparently.”
“What exactly does thatmean?”Sam asked with a frown.
“Riley said the house isrigged to blow, but he thinks that if the two of you were to removethe slats in the bathroom top window, you should be able to getout.”
“Riley thinks?”Samgrowled into the phone.“When did he pass a fucking EOD test?He’sa goddamn SEAL!”
Dev barked a laugh.“True, but whatelse have you got to do tonight?”
Just then Nick’s phone rang, and Samfell silent, his entire focused shifting to the phone on thecounter in front of them.Nick took a deep breath then slid theicon to the left to answer the call.
“This isJones.”
“It’s just not as fun whenyou know who’s about to pick up the phone.”Sam’s hands curled intofists at the smug satisfaction he heard in the bastard’s tone.“ButI am glad you took heed of what I said and didn’t call in thecavalry.That would have ruined the night for all of us.Aiden mostof all.”
“You hurt him,” Nickgrowled, “and there will be nowhere on this earth you canhide.”
“Aww, I can hear the lovein your voice, Sheriff, and it does my black heart good to hear it.Well, kinda.I’ve always thought that love was a wasted emotion.Fear is my emotion of choice.Not my own, of course, but there issomething decadent and arousing about seeing it on the face of theperson you are about to kill.There is this moment when you see itin their eyes when all hope is lost and they know that this will betheir last moment on this earth.There is no greater power thanthat.”
Sam felt ill hearing this man talkabout killing someone like others would describe a fine wine.“Areyou going to start this little game you’ve orchestrated or bore usto death with your sick fuck diatribe?”
“Wow, medic, I neverthought you would be so forceful!That must be what the other twosee in you, a little verbal sparring fun and a good fast fuckbefore they throw you to the curb.You know that, don’t you?I’vebeen asking Aiden here a few questions and I understand that thetwo of them are committed and have been for years as far as I cantell, and you are simply the latest in a long line of thirds thatthey toy with for kicks and giggles.”
Sam looked up at Nick and saw theconcern that shimmered there.Sam smiled and mouthed the words “Ilove you”, loving that Nick’s identical response came just asquickly.He hated that this moment was marred by the fact thatAiden wasn’t there to share in it, and the fact that some homicidaljerk-off was playing with them.
“Just tell us how you wantto play this game,” Sam said.“I’m sick of all this waiting, andyou are boring me.”
There was a pause.“You’re bored,medic?”the man snarled in the phone.Then moments later there wasa muffled roar of pain, and Sam’s heart clenched when he realizedit came from Aiden.
“Aiden!”Nick roared.“Leave him the fuck alone!”
“You still bored,medic?”
“Touch him again,” Sam’svoice was ice cold, “and I will cut you before I kill you.Youwanted my attention, you have it.Tell us where to find you.Youwant to test yourself against us?Then let’s fucking get toit.”
Again there was a pause,and Sam prayed that the man wouldn’t hurt Aiden again.“Okay then,medic, let’s see who wins.The house is rigged to blow.As soon asyou closed the front door, you close the circuit.If you open thedoor, the house will explode.Work out a way to get out, and cometo the lake across the road and get your man.Oh, and I’ve left youa few things to test your skills along the way.They are allconnected, and get harder the closer you get to the prize.If theyare not disarmed in sequence, then Aiden here will know what it’slike to fly apart, blown into a million pieces.You have sixtyminutes to defuse them all before the vest I strapped to Aiden’schest explodes anyway.The vest is also connected to my heartbeat,so if you think to go after me before releasing Aiden, thenboom!Goodbye, Aiden,and the two of you miss the opportunity to say goodbye to him faceto face.”
