Noaz (Van Doren #2)

34. Noaz

34

NOAZ

Briar is freaking out. I can see it in his eyes and the tension in his shoulders. Part of me thinks I should have forced him to stay home. Should have kept this part of my life a secret from him for as long as I possibly could. But my gut tells me that would have hurt our relationship. I need to trust him. I need to include him.

“Briar?”

He nods, eyes glued to the road ahead.

“If you’re going to freak out, you need to do it before we get there. It’s important for you to keep calm and maintain a clear head when we’re there. I don’t want you dead.”

He flinches, nodding. “Yeah. I’m good.”

“Don’t lie to me,” I whisper. “Please.”

“Okay. I may be sick. I’m having a hard time believing this is real. But I’ll be fine.”

“Briar—”

His hand lands on my leg. He’s not shaking. When I glance at him, he’s watching me. “I’ll be fine. I can’t stay while you go alone, I just can’t. Let me have my internal meltdown, and by the time we get there, I’ll be fine. Promise.”

I nod, unsure what else to do. I suppose if I want him to trust me, I need to trust him. It’s hard to know if he’s being completely honest about his mental and emotional capacity right now. We’re still learning about each other. This stuff takes time. Not a matter of a handful of very short months, most of which were focused on preparing for our baby.

Nope. Can’t think of our baby. Not right now. All of this is far too close to home and letting it get personal is a good way to lose concentration.

The rest of the drive is silent as I speed down the road. While I try not to go too fast because I have a trunk filled with weapons, there’s no way I can convince myself to slow down. Thankfully, we don’t meet any troopers on the road.

As we’re nearing, I call Voss.

“Bypass the primary driveway,” he instructs when he answers. No doubt he’s tracking me via my phone.

“I don’t see a primary driveway,” I say, having passed a bunch of overgrown tire tracks leading into the trees that look like they haven’t been used for ages.

“The one right there looks like it leads to the buildings,” Voss says and my eyes immediately follow it. As do Briar’s. “Keep driving. There’s another trail a little further up.”

“Are there cameras here?” I ask.

“No. Just in the nursery. If I had to guess, he wants as little evidence as possible left behind should he feel the need to move on in a hurry.”

“Is he here? ”

“Not yet. I’m sure someone will send up an alarm before too long. I’ve interrupted the security they have in place, but leaving it down will also trigger an alarm, so as soon as you’re in, I’m going to activate it again.”

“What else can you tell us?”

“I’ve sent some drones up, one of which is infrared. It looks like there are a handful of security guards roaming the property. I can’t see inside the buildings, but I know where I want you to head first.”

“Are there bodies?” Briar asks.

Voss hesitates, and I hold my breath.

“There are pigs,” Voss answers.

Bile coats my mouth. Oh no.

“Pigs?” Briar asks in confusion.

“Pigs eat anything,” I tell him. “I think we talked about pigs before. They eat everything. Including bone. No trace left behind.”

“Oh my god,” he murmurs, covering his mouth with his hand.

I nod.

“What else?” I prompt.

“I’ve been watching the feeds from the drones and I don’t see any other movement except the guards. Plan of action is to take them out before locating any victims. We know there’s the nurse inside watching over the infants, so as quietly as possible would be great.”

“Do you know if…” Briar trails off.

“I don’t know,” Voss says softly. “I have two places where I suspect, if there are any other living souls on this property, they’re being held.”

Briar nods.

“You’re coming up on the right path.”

It’s a path much like the others but I turn down there.

“Yep. Drive as far as you can, so the car’s not seen from the road. Then get me on coms.”

I nod. The line doesn’t cut out, but there’s no more talking and I can hear the occasional click of a keyboard. Keeping an eye on the rearview mirror, I drive until I can’t distinguish between the path we’re on and the road before stopping. The line disconnects as soon as I turn the key off and open the door.

“Keep your phone with you but put it on silent. No vibration either,” I tell Briar.

He nods and does as I say. Then I’m opening the back hatch, pulling out the coms first. It’s a little earbud that practically disappears. “Voss?”

“I hear you.”

Then I put Briar’s in. “Speak.”

His eyes narrow. A playful smile tries to tug at his lips. “Voss?” he repeats.

Voss chuckles. “Hear you, too.”

I gear him up in a Kevlar vest and a helmet. He glares at me when I don’t put a helmet on. I kiss him. “Trust me. Please.”

He continues to glower, but it disappears when I start strapping different knives and weapons to him before sticking an extra magazine in his cargo pocket and handing him his rifle and magazine separately .

“Load it.”

Briar does as if he’s been doing it his entire life. I watch as he chambers a bullet and then checks the safety. I feel a little more confident about this now.

“Keep the safety on.” I show him once more how to hold the weapon, so his finger hovers over the trigger against the guard and his thumb hovers over the safety at the same time. “Remember the technique I taught you with the arrow? Aim, release your breath, and in that moment of complete relaxation, that’s when you take your shot. Okay?”

He nods. “Yes.”

I attach a camera to his chest and then a much smaller one to the front of his helmet.

“I have both feeds,” Voss says.

Nodding, I get my own weapons attached to my body, then my vest and my camera on my chest. My machete goes across my back. I like it better at my hip, but in the trees, it’s more likely to be brushing along sticks and trunks, making all kinds of noise.

“Okay, let’s go.” I shut the trunk as quietly as I can. “Where to?”

“You’re about a mile from the tree line. There’s no one in this area at the moment. Walk northeast and I’ll give you the layout of the land when you can see beyond the trees.”

It takes us thirty minutes to get to the edge of the trees, moving as quietly as our pace will allow. We don’t concentrate too much on keeping silent since Voss is watching the heat signatures of the security guards. He’d let us know if someone was getting close.

We stop just inside the trees. Straight ahead is a cluster of buildings. One large; reminiscent of an old barn with faded and chipped red-painted barnwood and sliding doors. I can see a concrete slab, though, which isn’t that common in old barns.

There’s a much smaller building next to it. It almost resembles a house, but there’s something clinical about it. Then there are several sheds.

“The pigs are in the acreage behind the barn. You can’t see it from here, but the mud starts almost just outside the back door. However, I don’t think these are the pigs that are… fed. There’s another pen a couple of acres in the distance, around an outcropping of trees. There are two sheds out that way, too. Since three of the security guards are circling close by and haven’t left, I’m going to assume that’s a big point of interest,” Voss says.

“Where are the other two?”

“One is at the side of the nursery, which, based on shadows and light and the line of the buildings I can see through the windows, is the little stout house in the middle. There’s a constant moving shadow, rhythmic in their pacing just beyond one of the windows. I’m guessing that’s where one of them is. The fifth is to the right in the trees. He’s been making a slow and steady perimeter all around the property.”

“Okay. I’m going to get rid of the three guards since they’re clustered together,” I say and turn to Briar. “You’re going to stay here.”

Briar opens his mouth to argue, but I cover his lips with mine. “I need you here. Watching the buildings. Watching for cars coming in. You’re the only camera and set of eyes we have besides mine on this property.”

“The drones?”

“They’re on their way back to base,” Voss says. “I have another set closing in, but their batteries don’t last long. Besides, ground level is the perspective I need. Drones give off a very specific noise, so I have to keep them high in the air to avoid being detected.”

Briar sighs.

“Trust me,” I whisper. “I need you to watch up here. That building has babies inside and we can’t let them leave. Okay?”

It’s the first time since we’ve been talking about this that I wonder where they’re taking the babies. I’m sure I really don’t want to know.

I take Briar’s hand and we walk along in the tree line for a few more minutes before I find a place that’s hidden with a clear view of the front. He has an eyeline to most of the buildings, including the front doors. He also has a view of quite a bit of the driveway.

“Here,” I tell him. “Try to stay close to the ground and don’t move too much. Just watch as much as you can. Voss can see what you’re seeing.”

Briar nods and drops to his knees. He sits back on his haunches and looks up at me. He’s so damn sexy like this. He’s sexy all the time, but on his knees decked out in military garb? Yes, please.

He probably knows exactly what I’m thinking because his lips quirk up with an amused smile. I lean down and kiss him. “Be safe. I love you.”

Nodding, he repeats my words.

It’s difficult leaving him behind. While I wasn’t lying—his eyes on the front are important to give us more perspective of the property and a warning should someone come—I could have set up a camera. I need him safe, though. I can’t be worrying about him when there are armed men who won’t hesitate to kill him and he’s trying not to freak out.

There wasn’t a right way to do this. There just wasn’t .

Taking a breath, and begging the stars I can’t see that Briar will be unbothered until I get back, I bring my rifle to the front and walk within the tree line, following it around as I head for the pigpen in the back.

“Twenty paces,” Voss says.

“Briar okay?”

He chuckles. “He’s fine, Unc. Focus on your task. I’ll take care of Briar.”

The coms can be split by Voss. He can connect all three so we’re talking together or he can split them so we’re on different frequencies—both leading back to him but separate. Which is good. I don’t want Briar to be hearing everything I’m doing over here. I need him to concentrate on the front and the driveway.

Safely out of danger.

“You have a silencer?” Voss says.

I glance at my gun. “Yeah. Not the good one, though.”

“Then be ready. Slow down. You’ll see one come into view in three… two…”

Voss’ voice trails off as the figure ahead rounds a squat building. Now that I’m not listening to Voss, I can hear the pigs oinking quietly in the distance. Raising my gun, I wait until the figure walks fully into my view. As soon as he’s centered in my sight, I click the safety off and shoot.

A quiet, distorted pop echoes around me. The figure jerks as I duck behind a tree. There’s a moment where the man pauses and then drops to the ground. I wait to see if he moves.

“The other two didn’t hear it. The pigs are masking the sound,” Voss says.

“You can hear them? ”

He chuckles. “Yes.”

Huh. They’re louder than I thought. “Where are the other two?”

“Behind the pigpen standing still. I’m guessing they’re talking, not paying attention.”

“Why would they? I bet nothing ever happens here.”

“See if you can get into that first shed,” Voss suggests. “FYI, I’m losing eyes. I had to send back all the drones before they died. There’s only one floating overhead now, and that’s the infrared.”

“Just watch Briar,” I say. “I’ll take care of this.”

“I’m watching both of you. I have to keep it pretty high to mask the noise, anyway. He’s fine. The guard paused and hasn’t moved for ten minutes.”

“Fine.” Can’t concentrate on Briar. I have to trust that Voss will keep him safe.

The first shed I reach is empty, though it smells heavily of decay. It’s so strong that I nearly cough. However, it is, in fact, empty.

Shuddering, I creep my way around to the second shed. This one is a little further away, not quite on the beaten path of the circling guards. And yes, there’s a very distinct beaten path.

The door is locked, but the key is literally hanging right outside it on a hook that looks like it’s been put there just for this purpose. That seems really stupid. However, it also means I don’t have to try to silently break into this shed or track down the guards first.

I open the door and the smell is just as rancid. I nearly shut it again when there’s movement in the corner. My eyes widen as I recognize Miranda. Glancing behind me, I step inside and close the door behind me.

“Noaz?” she asks, voice shaking .

There’s a body on the floor that I nearly step on which makes me stop short. Taking a breath, I step over them and head for where Miranda is huddled in a corner. Dropping to my knees, I wrap her in my arms.

She begins to sob. “They cut the baby out of me,” she says. “They’re going to kill me.”

“I know and no, they’re not.” She’s trembling. “Listen to me, Miranda. There are more people here that I need to get rid of before I can take you away and get you help.”

“Don’t leave me,” she pleads, her arms tightening around me.

Very gently, I push her backward. “Do you know how to shoot a gun?”

Her eyes widen, and she shakes her head. I pull a smaller one than the rifle I’m using, put it in her hands, and aim it at the door. Making sure it’s loaded and ready, I click the safety off. “Anyone who walks through that door, no matter who it is unless it’s me or Briar, you shoot them. Understand? I don’t care if you recognize them or not. Shoot.”

The terror in her eyes gives way to determination.

“I will be back to get you. I’ll talk to you from the outside first to let you know it’s me. Okay? Anyone else, you need to shoot as soon as they step into the door.”

“Okay,” she whispers.

I kiss her forehead. “It’s going to be okay now.”

She takes a breath and nods. “There were two women in here when they dumped me,” she says, her gaze dropping to the body. “One they dragged out screaming. That one died yesterday… I don’t know why.”

I nod. Probably infection. Or blood loss. Maybe starvation .

“Just concentrate on the door, Miranda. You have control of your life back right now.”

Her resolve hardens, and she gives me another nod.

I head for the door when she stops me again.

“Noaz?” I turn to look at her. “Vanessa from the adoption agency gave me to a cop who brought me to the doctor who cut your baby from my stomach.”

Anger races through me, but I manage to nod. “Be safe. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

There’s trash to clean up.