Page 66 of Fighting Salvation

She motioned to Reid and Bein as she slipped her boys a treat to reward them. It took seconds for Bein to smash the wooden door in and Monty and Scout pulled hard as they yipped and barked excitedly. Glancing behind her, she saw Duchess and the others guarding their backs as she ducked her head inside. It was dark but there was enough light to see and she could make out enough that it made her stomach roll. The smell of blood and bodily matter almost made her gag, but then she saw the person huddled in the corner and her heart broke.

“Hey, Watchdog, we’ve got you. It’s Valentina.” She approached slowly, her hands outstretched like he was a wounded animal. The look in his eyes said he very much was at that moment.

He was naked and covered in filth, his eyes wide as he held out his hand to keep them at bay, his step moving back until he hit the wall. Fear and hope warred on his face when she spoke.

“Val.”

“Yeah, sweetie, it’s me. We’re here to take you home.”

Reid, Bein, and Duchess were holding back as the others covered the door. As if sensing he needed space, they turned their backs even though she knew this was costing them as much as it was her. She literally wanted to fall to her knees and weep at the sight before her.

Huge sobs tore through the big man who meant so much to them as he fell into her arms like a child. She had no idea what they’d done to him, but she knew just from this momentary interaction that he’d have a long road to recovery. If he ever fully healed.

Her arms held him tight as she breathed through her mouth. He was heavy and they hadn’t had him long enough for him to lose any muscle but he was broken.

“It’s gonna be all right, Watchdog.” She hoped her words weren’t a lie and she’d do whatever it took to make this man whole again, they all would. A tap on her shoulder made her glance back to see Bein handing her a t-shirt, pants, and shoes. They knew from the pictures they’d seen he was being kept naked and he’d had the foresight to bring clothes to give him back just a tiny bit of his dignity.

Pulling away, she looked him over and he was weeping silently. A murderous rage came over her and she knew if she ever got within ten feet of Joel Hansen she’d kill him for all that he’d done to the people she loved. “Here, put these on and let’s get out of here.”

She was helping Watchdog with his shirt when a crackle came over the radio that Duchess had clipped to her jacket. The hair on her neck stood up and Duchess glanced at her and stepped out of the room.

Fear seized her belly and it rolled, as a feeling of dread unlike anything she’d ever felt before moved along her spine.

“Can you walk?” Bein moved to Watchdog, taking charge and making Watchdog focus.

He nodded and seemed to muster up strength and grit from somewhere. “Yes, I can walk.”

“Good. We need to go. Stay between me and Reid, and let’s get the hell out of here.”

She took hold of Monty and Scout and followed them out, wanting desperately to ask what had happened but knowing Duchess wouldn’t say anything until they were clear. The van barrelled around the corner with Titan driving and skidded to a stop. Bishop opened the door quickly, casting a devastated look at Watchdog. This team were a family and if one hurt, they all hurt.

As the door closed, Bishop knelt beside his friend and began to do a quick visual of his injuries.

“On a scale of one to ten, how bad is the pain, buddy?”

Watchdog shrugged. “I can’t feel anything.”

Her eyes locked on Bein as he pursed his lips in worry that reflected her own. He was in shock and it was numbing the signals from his brain.

“Okay, buddy. Let’s get you warmed up and hydrated.” He handed him a bottle of water and wrapped a blanket around his shoulders. That was all he could do for now until they could get him the care he needed.

A crackle came through the radio again and she stilled.

Duchess clicked the radio. “Lotus, this is Duchess. Do you read me?”

A sob tore through the radio and her heart felt like it might beat from her chest.

“Lotus,” Duchess demanded and her own calm was evaporating as fast as Val’s.

“Oh, God. He’s dead. He’s dead. They shot him.”

Chapter 19

FIFTEEN MINUTES EARLIER.

The street was buzzing with life as the day turned to night and people began to relax now that the workday was done. Bás looked around at the families and couples and wondered if they knew how close they were to such evil as Hansen. But wasn’t that exactly his job, to keep them from ever finding out?

“In position.”