Holding Out for a Hero (Baytown Heroes #9)

Chapter 33

33

Brad and Mark were only a few minutes away from Artie’s place when the call came over the radio. An emergency call had come in—10-73 and 10-74. Possible kidnapping, abduction, hostage. The address was Williams’s Automotive. Location: the barn near the back of the property.

Brad’s chest depressed as his heart threatened to stop beating. “Fuck…”

Without taking his eyes off the road, Mark grunted, “They should have gone in silent.” The deputy vehicles responding to the emergency call from Artie Williams’s somewhat jumbled message were heading to his place, sirens blaring.

Brad’s gut was filled with fear that the gang members would retaliate against Bess and Carol. He closed his eyes as a wave of adrenaline threatened to shock his heart into overdrive. The woman I love and my sister—Christ Almighty!

Artie had managed to get the dispatcher to understand that Bess Crowder had been kidnapped and was being held in the old barn. Then he’d said another woman was with them. Artie had told the dispatcher they could get to the barn from a back lane, and some of the deputies were headed that way, but Mark was speeding to the front of the garage.

“Can’t you go…” Brad halted his words, knowing Mark was doing everything he could. He just wished that fear hadn’t penetrated every cell in his body. With a squeal of tires, they turned onto the lane heading to the garage, and Brad focused his intensity on the barn in the distance. Even from where they were, he could see four men running toward the barn.

Two deputy SUVs were in front of them. One stopped at Williams's Auto's garage and office, and the other flew past, along the fence on an old, overgrown path leading to the barn.

“Follow them,” Brad ordered. “To the barn.”

Wasting no time, Mark accelerated their SUV down the gravel drive, which now had more potholes and weeds than anything else.

Two more deputy SUVs were coming to a halt at the barn, having come from the back lane Artie had mentioned. Right behind them was Aaron and Sam, with Hunter and Luanne directly behind him and Mark. The four men rounded the corner near the barn entrance.

“They can’t possibly think they’re going to get away,” Mark said.

“They will if they get out of there with hostages.” The idea of what could happen to Bess and Carol if the gang members tried to leave with the two women turned Brad’s blood to ice.

“We won’t let them do that,” Mark said.

Brad just nodded, knowing Mark was right. But he also knew if the gang members felt trapped, unlike regular citizens, they would have no problem killing their hostages to try to force the hand of law enforcement.

“I hear sirens!” Artie cried out. “Oh, hell! Someone’s coming!” The crowbar was jerked out of Carol’s hands, and he said, “Get back. I gotta get outta sight.”

Carol swung around and made her way back to Bess’s side. “He said someone’s coming. Maybe they heard the sirens and got scared, deciding to come back here.”

“You may be right. We’d be the perfect hostages,” Bess said through gritted teeth.

Close-running footsteps were heard, as were the sirens gaining ground. Carol stood again and worked her way to the far side of the container door, followed by clattering sounds as though she was rummaging in the tools. Bess stared at the door and wondered who would get to them first—Flip and his crew or law enforcement. She thought of Brad and wondered if Mr. Williams had thought to tell who needed rescuing.

The door rattled, and cursing was heard. “Open the fucking door, Flip.”

“Shut the fuck up!”

“They’re almost here.”

“Won’t fire on us as long as we got hostages. We can get all of us in the van and get out of here.”

At hearing that last statement, the air rushed from Bess’s lungs. If they were carted off in the van with the others, she wouldn’t get the medical assistance necessary for her leg, and they wouldn’t handle Carol with care either. The door finally swung open just as sirens screamed close by.

The light poured in from the open door, allowing Bess to see the four men as their eyes faced forward, not seeing her at first. Suddenly, a movement directly behind them captured her attention, and one of the men screamed just before he dropped to the ground. Bess stared in stunned silence at the sight of Mr. Williams having swung the crowbar, hitting one of the men in the head. A second man who’d entered the container was turning when he also suddenly dropped. Carol stood to the side, having swung another crowbar in her hand.

The others whirled around, and Bess screamed to divert their attention. They circled as though not knowing where to look.

The first two were pulling out their weapons when Mr. Williams grabbed Carol and pushed her to the ground just as shots were fired. More screaming ensued, Bess’s cries joining Carol’s as Bess rolled to the side to protect herself while still clutching her leg.