The man looked at Pinzano and he nodded. Once he saw the nod, he moved back to give me some space.
Kneeling down, I placed Jeremy on his feet and tried to pry him from me. When he knew he had to let go, I cupped his head in my hands and wiped away his tears. “I can’t go with you, Jeremy.” He opened his mouth to speak, but I stopped him. “Jeremy, you have to go to your mother. She is worried sick about you.”
“But I don’t want to leave you.” He said it with such a soft voice, I almost broke down.
“I know, Jeremy, but you have to. Your mum is expecting you and I have to make sure you get to her safely.”
Jeremy frowned. “And then you can come home?”
“Don’t—”
I put my hand up to stop Pinzano from talking any further. I gritted my teeth and glared at him before looking at Jeremy again. “I will do my best to get to you, but I can’t unless I know you’re with your mummy, okay?”
Jeremy nodded and I wiped away the remaining tear on his face. “Now, you have to go with this man and he will take you to see your mum. I’ll be fine here, Jeremy. Don’t worry about me.” I smiled tenderly and kissed his hand just before the guy stepped forward again to grab him from me.
He made a move to walk out the door just as two men put me in handcuffs. “And another thing…” The man stood still and turned so that Jeremy was facing me. “I’m so glad you found me, too, grown-up.” With probably the last smile I would ever offer, I winked at him. I knew the minute that door closed, my life was closing with it.
Only a miracle could help me now.
Chapter 20
Jimmy
I was sitting in Tyler’s house, fidgeting more than I ever had in my life. I was on edge and knew that shit was about to go down. Every minute that passed was one minute closer to Dean’s death. I knew he was walking into a trap, but he was doing it to save his son. What father wouldn’t?
Tara tried stroking my back to calm me down, but the more I looked at the anguish on Tyler’s face, the more I wanted to get into the action. I’d be damned if I’d let Jeremy become fatherless now after just meeting him for the first time.
It had been an hour since I had spoken with Dean on the phone. A whole fucking agonizing hour of waiting. I knew what to do once I got that call. I also knew that the police would follow. I wasn’t stupid enough to think they would let me go alone. It may be a good thing for me in the end.
Tyler’s phone started ringing and she raced to pick it up. The police were there and listened in on the conversation.
“Hello?... Yes, this is Tyler…” She gripped the top of her dress so tightly, I thought she was going to rip it. “Where?... I’ll meet you there.” She hung up the phone and quickly grabbed her keys.
“Ma’am, you can’t go alone,” one of the officers said.
Tyler’s eyes widened. “You heard what he said. I’m not taking any chances. Do you want to be the one responsible for my son’s death?”
The officer winced. “No, but—”
“Then don’t follow me. I want to go get my son. Please.” She looked at him pleadingly and the officer’s shoulders sagged.
Digging into his pocket, he pulled out a phone. “Then, please, take this. We will be able to track you with it. The minute you have Jeremy, I want you to drive as far away as possible and call us. Okay?”
She nodded and looked over at me. I nodded in silent conversation. It was a nod that said I knew what to do, and I’d be damned if I wouldn’t try my hardest to put things right.
With a tight smile, Tyler left, leaving Tara and me clinging to one another. She was distraught and I wanted to comfort her, but I was rigid with anxiety.
I looked up to the officer who had handed Tyler his phone. His name was Sergeant Phil Shaw, and from what I’d seen so far, he seemed like a good guy. He could tell the desperation was there to make sure Jeremy returned home safely. They had asked the question of why, but all I told them was that the Pinzanos had wanted Dean’s family dead for years. If they looked into it, they would see it to be true.
“Once we get the word Jeremy is back with Jessica, I need to get going. I will know where to find him.” Tyler’s assumed name was alien on my tongue now.
Officer Shaw frowned at me. “How do you mean?”
I smiled. “You’ve heard of Hansel and Gretel, right?” The officer nodded. “Breadcrumbs. Dean would have left me breadcrumbs.” I smiled at the officer again, then beamed at Tara. I wanted to try and reassure her that everything was okay, but the more time went on, the more my gut clenched.
After about a half-hour more of waiting, we finally got the call from Tyler. Jeremy had been delivered safely to her and they were on their way home. She had police escorts with her, so I knew now was the time to act.
Shooting out of my seat, I grabbed my keys and turned to Tara. She looked so frightened.
“Please come back to me.”
A single tear ran down her face, and I kissed her gently. “I will be home before you know it.” I winked at her and offered a reassuring smile. I didn’t know whether my words were true, but I had to offer her something.
“Love you, gorgeous girl.” I kissed her hand and she smiled.
“I love you, too.”
With one last smile, I turned to the officer. “I need to get going. Tail me if you need to, but there’s no time to waste.”
Officer Shaw nodded. “We’ll keep a tail about five cars down.”
I nodded and we all ran to our cars. The minute I was buckled in, I started the car and started driving towards the diner. I had already gotten GPS coordinates before I set out.
About twenty minutes into the drive, I saw the diner, turned in, and immediately saw the spray paint mark on the exit. I had learned this technique from my army days many years ago. Knowing I couldn’t track him down using technology, I thought it best to hand him a can of yellow spray paint and instructed him to make a hole in the bottom of his car. The paint was a color that would show up easily. At every junction, Dean should have marked the road and pointed to where his next turn would be. Now I just had to find him, and I would.
As quick as I could, I drove out of the diner’s exit. I spotted the car with the officer’s a bit further down the road. I nodded to them and took a right out onto the main road. I drove for about a mile before I spotted the next marking. The further the journey went, the more the forest surrounded me. A perfect hiding spot to torture and kill someone, I would think. I just hoped I wasn’t too late.
As I neared the last turn, I noticed the spray can laying next to a tree and knew this must be the final destination. I left the car parked in as much of a secluded spot as possible, and made the rest of the way on foot. I was fucking pissed that I didn’t have a weapon, but I was trained to fight without them, so I could hardly complain about it now.
I ran as quickly and as quietly as possible alongside the path that led towards some lights in the distance. I had no clue if the police were following me now, but I couldn’t stop to find out. I had come this far and I wouldn’t back down now.
I ran a little further until I could see the house in the distance. I saw a man with a gun scanning the perimeter, so I ducked behind a tree and looked around for any other signs of life.
Nothing.
Getting as low as possible, I ran up behind the man. I knew I couldn’t kill him—that would get me into a whole heap of trouble with the police right behind me—so I was happy I knew certain pressure points that would render a man unconscious. It was up the police to handle him after that.
I tapped him on the shoulder. He spun round just in time for me to give him a bright smile and strike his neck. He went down in a fraction of a second. Smiling, I took his gun from him and made my way closer to the house. Looking around, I could see four other guys outside, all with guns and all patrolling their surroundings.
I sighed, knowing that getting to Dean was going to take longer than I thought. I had to do it, though, and I had to be care
ful.
One by one, I went up to each guy and did the same thing, collecting their guns as I went. By the time I did the same to the fifth guy, Officer Shaw had reached me, a stunned expression on his face.
“Are you special forces or something?”
I smiled at him. “Used to be.” I looked down at the guns and handed them to him. “Here. You take these. I need to go inside. You can cover my back.”
Shaw, still stunned, took the guns from me and just stared. By the time I was on my way, I noticed that several other officers were surrounding the house. That was a good thing. At least I had someone watching my back now.
I ran towards the edge of the house and scooted down near to the front window. I raised up a little to look in the window and saw two men inside, both with guns. I signaled to the officer that there were two men in that room, both packing. I crawled my way along to the other window and looked in to find the kitchen. No one was in there. I motioned that all was clear. One other officer gestured to me that they were going around the back of the house. I nodded and crawled along until I got to the front door.
I felt a tap on my shoulder and spun around. “We’ll take it from here,” the officer whispered. “There’s no need for you to go any further. It’s too dangerous.”
I sighed, knowing I had pushed it as far as I could. I kind of knew they wouldn’t let a civilian run the show, but I thought it was worth a try.
I nodded and motioned for them to pass me. I held back and let them all run past into the house. I kind of had an inkling where Dean would be, so I moved around the back of the house to see if I could find another way in.
Shots soon rang out. “Fuck!” I frantically looked around and spotted a rope laying beneath the undergrowth. Not wasting any time, I pulled the rope back, finding a trap door, a ladder leading down. I took each step as quickly as I could, leaving the door wide open so that the police could see it. The first thing I noticed was how much cooler it was down there than above ground. Then there was the smell. It was a musty, old smell that I would imagine got worse when the winter months hit. I saw a faint light coming through a door in the distance, muffled sounds coming from behind it. I heard grunting and the minute that sound hit me, I was off. If there was a chance Dean was alive, I had to move quickly.
I got to the door and noticed it was ajar. I moved it as slowly and quietly as possible. My heart was beating out of my chest, adrenaline coursing through me. I had no idea what I would find, but I had to look. Death could come quickly to me, but I had to make an attempt at saving Dean.
What I saw once I opened that door shocked me. I didn’t know why because I was used to this kind of thing day in and day out, but it was someone I cared about getting the brunt force of the torture this time.
Dean barely looked alive. His arms were above his head, his wrists tied with rope. It was the only thing keeping him upright. There was blood everywhere, seeping out multiple cuts in his body. He had burn marks, three of which formed the letters “A”, “P”, and “J” on his chest. No doubt this was an attempt on Pinzano’s part to be funny.
I certainly wasn’t laughing.
I saw a whip suddenly lash out, and Dean lifted his head with the pain. I could see he was trying his best not to cry out. I knew he would never want to give that fucker the satisfaction.
“I will make you scream, even if it’s the last thing I do. There is only so much a man can take, Dean. Maybe I should have kidnapped your lady friend and had a little fun with her whilst you watched. Would you have screamed then, ha?”
“Fuck you,” he growled through gritted teeth. He was a broken man, but his spirit failed to give up.
I moved forward a little more, trying to see who else was in the room. Dean looked up, his swollen eyes trying to stare back at me. It looked like Mike Tyson had been in the room and was on his twelfth round with him. All it did was make my anger rise even further. Dean was my boss, yes, but in the last couple years, we had become closer. And it was all because of one lady in his life he could never lose hope on. I couldn’t stand there any longer and watch him get tortured. He had only just found Tyler again. I had to save him. I had to make sure he chased his happily ever after.
Without a moment’s thought, I stepped into the room, having only a second to take everything in. Apart from Pinzano, there were two other men in the room. Both had guns and both aimed them right at me. They were quick, but I was quicker.
“What the fuck?” Pinzano screamed. I lunged and got behind one man as quickly as possible. Shots were fired and the man I stood behind took a direct hit. Within an instant, I lifted the gun out of the dead man’s hand and fired it back at the other one. He was down within an instant, and there we stood, Pinzano and me in a face-off. I had a gun now, but so did he.
“What took you so fucking long?” Dean mumbled, trying to laugh in an attempt to let me know he was okay.
“Sorry I’m so late, honey. Traffic was appalling.” I smiled at him.
“Shut the fuck up!” Pinzano yelled.
I sighed. “It’s too late. Your time is up. The police are here and it won’t take them long to find us.”
He growled and mumbled something under his breath. “What was that, sweetie? I didn’t quite catch it.” I turned to Dean. “I think he may be having a hard time getting his words out.”
Just then, we heard shouting above us. Pinzano looked up and I scooted to Dean, trying my best to untie at least one hand whilst aiming the gun at Pinzano. He flicked his gaze back at me just as I managed to loosen the rope.
“Leave him!” he growled but, although he tried his best to look bad, his voice was shaky. Even his hands were starting to tremble a little.
I made a tutting sound. “I don’t think you quite get it, Pinzano. You’re outnumbered. By now, all your men must either be dead or in police custody. You’re just the last little worm they have to pick from the dirt from which you came.”
Everything then seemed to happen in slow motion. Dean managed to get untied at the moment the police came running in. Pinzano roared, running at Dean. I was quick, shooting the gun out of his hand, but Pinzano swung and stabbed Dean in the chest with what looked like an ice pick in his other hand. Shots rang out as Pinzano and Dean both slumped to the floor.
In a panic, I ran to Dean, grabbing his hand as the police radioed for an ambulance. Cursing myself for not being more alert, I gripped my eyes shut for a moment before meeting Dean’s stare.
“You hang in there, Dean. We’re getting you help.”
He gave me a small smile. “We must be getting old, Jimmy. We were both a bit slow there.”
I laughed. “My reflexes aren’t what they used to be.”
“Be honest with me.” I nodded. “Do you think Tyler will like my new tattoos?” He grinned again, then winced in pain.
I looked down at his markings. “Probably not. I’d get your fucking money back if I were you. One of the letters is all lopsided.”
Dean tried to laugh, but he inhaled sharply. Calming, he looked at me. “Do you think I’ll be accepted?”
Confused, I thought he was delusional. “Accepted where, Dean?”
He grimaced with the pain. “The pearly gates. Do you think my sins will be washed away now that Jeremy is safe? Please tell me they’re safe.”
I nodded and for the second time in my life, I felt the tears brimming. “They’re safe, Dean, but you’re not going to get to those pearly gates just yet. Do you hear me? You have to fight, Dean. Fight for Tyler. Fight for your son.” He closed his eyes and I squeezed his hand. “Don’t fucking go to sleep on me, Dean. Stay awake.”
“It’s funny. I thought I would feel cold, but I don’t. Maybe I’m going to hell.”
His eyes started to roll back, so I yanked at his hand. “Listen to me, you little shit. You’re not going anywhere, except to the hospital. You have too many people who care about you. Don’t you dare give up.”
Dean smiled. “You care about me, Jimmy? I always thought you
fancied me.”
I laughed. “Don’t fucking get too big a head. You’re not that good-looking.”
I looked up at one of the officers and he nodded at me. “Ambulance is on its way.”
I nodded back and looked at the ice pick still in Dean’s chest. I daren’t take it out just in case, but he needed to be seen by a doctor.
Loud banging was suddenly heard from the door on the far side of the room. Soon, it swung open and more police officers ran through. I was glad there was another exit out of here because it meant getting Dean out was going to be a little easier.
I gripped his hand. “Hang in there, man. Help is almost here.”
“How bad does it look?” His breathing was getting more and more ragged.
“I’ve seen you look better, Dean, but you’re fine. You’ll heal in no time.”
Dean moved his head from side-to-side, his eyes becoming more and more unfocused. “Tell grown-up that his dad loves him and he needs to look after his mum.”
I shook my head. “You can tell him that yourself, you little prick. Dean, for fuck’s sake, don’t you dare fucking die on me.”
His breath wheezed a little more. “Tell Tyler I love her, and that I’m sorry.”
“Fuck! Don’t you do this to me, Dean. Don’t make me say this. You need to stay alive and tell them yourself. Live, for fuck’s sake. Just live.”
He struggled for breath, then looked me in the eye. “Thanks, pansy.” He smiled and closed his eyes.
“No, no, no, no! Dean!” I looked up. “Where’s the fucking ambulance?”
A police officer ran in. “They’re coming now.”
I looked back at Dean and squeezed his hand one more time. “You listen here, fuck face. You didn’t come all this way to let Tyler back into your heart, only for you to give up. You have a son now. You have to live for him. You have to see him grow up. If you don’t do as I tell you, I will personally kill you myself.”