One step at a time, he ventured down the stairs knowing full well that he could be walking into a trap. Even so, he was filled with blood lust and determined to take down Haqazzii and his men.
SYDNEY
Sydney wasready to deep-six these men but, even more so, she was searching for someone she’dneverplanned on hunting.
Her cousin.
She flicked her gaze to Caroline and Grey as they disappeared down the long flight of wooden steps leading to the lake front.
With her attention on the detached two-car garage, she set out.
Here we go.
The lake air was cold, the frigid breeze whipping across her cheeks. The gear kept her warm, the Kevlar vest hugged her. It was a reminder she had protection, but she wasn’t out of danger.
As she walked the perimeter, she triednotto crunch the fallen leaves, but it proved an impossible task. She had no other route. She had to make her way around to the back door. After fighting her way through the overgrown bushes, she tripped over a mound of dirt and stumbled, catching her balancebefore she crashed to the ground. With her gaze rooted on the area, she knelt, ran her hand over the dirt.
What the hell…
Crawling on her hands and knees, she felt the mound, eyed another through her night goggles. There were several mounds, all equally spaced apart.
A chill rocketed through her. She knew exactly what they were.
Graves.
Her heart rate spiked, the adrenaline pounding through her as she approached the back door to the garage. With her SIG at the ready, she did a quick sweep of the area. She saw nothing, not even an owl or a fox. The autumn wind swirled around her, and she chugged in a calming breath.
She wasn’t scared, but she was fully aware of what she might find.
With her back against the side of the building, she applied pressure to the door handle. It turned, she pushed open the door, but she didn’t enter. Seconds passed before she stepped into the two-car garage and eyed the four-door sedan. No one hiding inside, so she continued toward the back.
That’s when she spotted a sliver of light coming from the floorboard on the far side of the parked vehicle. Nearby, a throw rug had been moved out of the way.
What the hell…
Even through the greenish hue of the goggles, she couldn’t miss it. A flattened handle to a trap door. She crouched, pulled up on the door. It gave way, flooding her with light. Squinting, she flipped up the goggles, peered down. There was a metal ladder with basic rungs. Without hesitation, she holstered her SIG, turned around, and started climbing down.
Reaching the bottom, landed her in a small room, like a vestibule or waiting area. A single, red lightbulb affixed to the ceiling bathed the room in a devilish glow. If the room hadbeen there all those years ago, she’d never known, but she had a feeling this hidden space was a recent add-on.
She removed her SIG from the holster as she headed toward a metal door on the opposite wall. There, she turned the handle and pulled open the heavy door.
The moment she stepped into the next room, she saw him. A shudder flitted down her spine, hairs on the back of her neck prickled. For a split second, she wanted to run, but then the panic gave way to determination. She’d been hunting him for over a year.
And she’d finally found him.
A masked King A stood no more than ten feet away.
As she raised her weapon, electricity jolted through her and her muscles seized. She could feel herself falling, but she was powerless to stop herself. Even with the pain careening through her, she was aware that she’d been tased.
He loomed over her, a terrifying figure, his face concealed behind a white mask with simple cutouts for eyes. A Halloween nightmare come to life.
Moving fast, he’d zip-tied her wrists and ankles, then dragged her over to a chair and tossed her onto it like a rag doll. As she braced for impact, she forced herself to stay on the chair and not go flying off the other side.
Then, she took in the room. And her most terrifying nightmares came rushing toward her like the boogeyman.
She was sitting in a torture chamber.
When she turned around, the image took her breath away. A woman dressed in a tight black shirt and snug black pants was strapped to a Saint Andrews cross. Her eyes framed in a black mask.
