Chapter 13

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HENRY

~~~~~~

It was afternoon. I took a sip of coffee and placed the paper cup in the holder. Figured I might as well have some while we waited.

In the distance, Mary stood near a street light, waiting. The cold breeze blew her brown hair to her face. She gathered it all up and tied it in a bun before pulling her coat together and crossing her arms.

Robert and Louis were across the street from us. Since their Ford Taurus blew up, they had to borrow the chief's Lexus, which Martin allowed after some initial reluctance. That car was his prized possession, and he never usually let anyone touch it. A radio transceiver sat on my dashboard, to communicate with them.

I blew a gust of air, tapping my palms on my thighs. Waiting made me impatient. Aidan, on the other hand, stared at her curiously, observing her with his dark brows pulled together. He looked different, perhaps because this time he made the effort to groom himself. His short, textured side-parted hair suited him well. He had also trimmed his stubble.

"Will you tell me what we're waiting for?" I asked.

"I thought you already figured that out by now," he replied. "From the conversation I had with her yesterday."

"I remember you told her to check on Jacob. God knows what the Trickster might have done since he most likely knows you spoke to her. He might have threatened her or something."

"Maybe, but she would still want to see her kid."

Realization hit me. "That's what you were expecting. You knew she'd be here."

"I didn't know where she'd be. Hence, the tracker. That psycho would've threatened to kill her son. And she would've most likely persuaded him not to do so."

"So, the whole point of meeting her wasn't to get information, it was about getting Jacob into the open."

"Exactly. Told you I know what I'm doing."

He was complicated; I'd give him that.

I shook my head slowly. "It's a risky plan. You realize you're leaving things to chance, right? We're not sure the Trickster would let her see the kid. Even if he does, we can't simply grab Jacob and run. There's a good chance he'll send his accomplices or set a trap. He's been messing with us so far."

"Don't worry, I'm expecting that too," he replied. "It's not over yet. I'm pretty sure my plan's going to work. Speaking of, the show's about to start."

He gestured to Mary with his chin. A white van pulled over near her and two intimidating men in trucker jackets got out. One of them had slick, dark hair, parted at the side, while the other wore a beanie. Both of them had bandages on their foreheads. They looked strangely familiar to me.

"Wait, those guys—" I said. "They were at Mary's apartment."

"There were three of them. One of them must've died in the crash," Aidan replied. "I thought we'd gotten rid of them. They're gonna be real pissed to see us."

The dark-haired man slid open the door at the side of the van and dragged Jacob out by the arm. Mary broke down in tears. pulling the ten-year-old into a hug, and pressing emotional kisses on his cheek.

Aidan's plan was playing out like he expected, so far. He took his gun out.

"You actually remembered to bring one this time," I said.

"Yeah, it's a miracle. That's our cue. Let's go." He picked up the transceiver. "Heads up, you two. We're going there. Don't let anyone get away."

Robert's voice sounded from the radio. "Got it. Don't do anything stupid."

"I think we might," I said.

The two of us got out of the car, making our way to Mary discreetly. We needed a clear line of sight to take down the men. We took cover behind tall, wide concrete columns lining the entrance of a building, several feet away from them.

I signaled to Aidan with a nod, before aiming my muzzle at the man with the beanie, and firing a shot to his head. Aidan fired at the other, but he ducked and hid behind the van. Mary cried out in fright and hurried back, clinging onto Jacob protectively.

Two more men hopped out of the van, stopping us from getting to Mary. Grabbing Aidan by the collar, I yanked him behind a pillar as shots fired our way. I flinched when the bullets hit the concrete, almost taking my head.

"Go! Get Jacob and Mary! I'll cover you!" I yelled.

He seized the opportunity and raced towards her. She couldn't go anywhere with the men threatening to kill her. I fired at them from behind the pillar, keeping them from shooting Aidan.

I got one of them in the arm. He yelped and clamped a hand to his arm, blood streaming down to his fingertips. He and his accomplices took cover behind the corner of the building.

Aidan tried to take Mary and Jacob to safety when someone else stepped out of the van and pointed a gun at him.

Someone neither of us saw coming.

"Toby," I whispered.

The security guard—who had seemingly vanished without a trace all this time—showed up out of nowhere. Aidan froze in his tracks, equally nonplussed by the sight of him.

He gestured with his gun, forcing my partner to toss his weapon away and get down on his knees. Aidan had no choice but to obey, dropping the sidearm and raising his hands halfway up. I wanted to run out there and help him, but I had to deal with the scumbags shooting at me first.

I cautiously peered out to see where the men were, then pulled back immediately as a bullet zinged past me. My heart skipped several beats. I exhaled slowly to compose myself.

I wanted to take another look but dreaded getting shot. The concrete column I leaned against was too big to be damaged by mere sidearm bullets. They simply chipped its surface. Still, I couldn't hide for too long.

Before I could make a move, a gun clicked behind my head.

"Not so fast," came a voice.

Damn it. There couldn't have been worse timing for this.

Ever so cautiously, I turned around to see a muzzle pointed at me. The one behind the trigger was the man who'd been hiding behind the van earlier.

He gave me a creepy grin. "The Trickster told me about you. I'll do him a huge favor—"

A bullet abruptly ripped through the side of his head. Blood sprayed from his temple as he dropped to the ground.

Louis showed up in the nick of time. As relieved and grateful as I was to him for saving me, he shouldn't be here.

"What're you doing?" I said. "You're supposed to be keeping watch."

"You're welcome," he replied. "Don't worry, Robert's keeping watch."

"We can handle this."

"Yeah, I can see that. Great work getting yourselves into this mess."

"We got to help Aidan."

Two thugs remained. They ceased fire for a minute, probably to reload. There were eight rounds in my gun last I checked, and I had to make them count. Taking a chance, I came out of hiding, darting towards another pillar as I fired a few shots. One of them made the mistake of peeking out and got hit in the shoulder.

Louis went to Aidan's aid, aiming his gun at Toby. "Put your gun down!"

Aidan reacted the same way I did. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"You guys don't appreciate help, do you?" said Louis.

Despite his presence, Aidan's safety still concerned me. The Trickster must've sent Toby here to kill him, most likely. There was a fifty percent chance Toby might even do it. Fifty percent because his fear might hold him back from pulling the trigger. I held my hopes on that.

Of the two gunmen firing at me, one of them—with a cropped blond hair—dashed towards Aidan and Toby.

He confronted Louis, speaking in a German accent, "Put down your weapon!"

His accomplice with the wounded shoulder kept me from trying to help my friends.

"Son of a—" I grumbled.

Things grew messy. I had to take care of this douchebag. His wounded shoulder took a toll on him. That was my advantage. I ducked near the pillar, poised to shoot. He leaned out to fire but paused when he saw me on my knees. I seized that second to kill him.

Toby and the blond German were all that remained. The latter shot a brief look at his dead accomplice and was quick to act when I confronted him. Pulling Aidan to his feet, he coiled a strong arm around his neck. I stopped in my tracks as he pressed a gun to my partner's temple.

"Let him go!" Louis ordered.

My blood boiled whenever someone held Aidan at gunpoint. My pulse throbbed in my temples. I glared at the man, keeping my gun locked on him.

"Drop your weapon," he said.

Toby wasn't sure who to aim at. His sidearm darted between me and Louis.

"Don't do this," I said. "I know you're scared. The Trickster's making you do this. Trust me when I say, he'll toss you aside when he doesn't need you. You know that. The only place you'll go after this is prison. It'll be a lot worse."

His gun trembled in his hand. "He'll kill my wife."

"What guarantee do you have he won't kill her even after this?"

"Enough talk!" the German interjected, tightening his grip around Aidan's neck. "Drop your weapons now or I shoot him!"

Aidan grunted and tugged at his arm, trying to loosen the grip. He shook his head at me, telling me not to drop my weapon. I could've shot the thug in the head if he wasn't in the way. I never took chances with my partner's life, and seeing the situation, I had no choice but to surrender.

I clenched my teeth. "Damn it."

Unwillingly, I dropped my Glock and convinced Louis to do the same. Despite his initial reluctance, he lowered his weapon before dropping it.

The German turned to Toby. "You. Bring the boy."

"Don't do it," I said.

Toby looked conflicted. He went to Mary with hesitation.

She clung to her son. "No. Please."

He pried Jacob from her. "I'm sorry."

"Mom!" the boy cried.

"No!" Mary went after him, pleading to let him go. I couldn't do anything and it angered me. I clenched my fists.

"Put the kid in the van," the German ordered.

My voice rose. "Toby, you're making a mistake!"

"You shut up!" the man yelled at me.

Aidan struggled to free himself. As Toby carried Jacob to the van, he stopped near it and turned around.

The gunman grew impatient. "I said put him inside!"

He hesitated. "I can't do this."

The vexed man pointed his gun at him, dropping his guard for those few seconds. Seizing the chance, Aidan rammed his elbow into his face twice before ducking. I grabbed my gun from the ground and took a shot with a brief aim. The German's fell back as the bullet found its home right in the center of his chest.

With the gunmen dead, Toby was the only one remaining. We didn't need to use any force on him. Despite his crimes, he wasn't innately a bad person. He could be persuaded.

"Come on," I said. "It's over. Let the kid go and come with us. We'll help you. We can figure this out, okay?"

Louis picked up his sidearm from the ground. "Nobody's gonna hurt you, buddy. You can be sure of that."

Aidan approached the man and held Jacob's arm. Toby muttered something to him.

"What're you doing?" I said. "Get the kid."

Mary went forward to take the boy herself. Right then, a speeding car came out of nowhere, screeching to a halt nearby. I spotted more armed men inside.

"Get back!" I yelled.

Three men scrambled out of the vehicle, opening fire at us. Mary retreated to find cover. I rushed to her, pulling her along as the rest of us hid behind the concrete columns again. Instead of grabbing Jacob and running to safety, Aidan left him and picked up his gun, darting behind another pillar.

"The kid!" I yelled to him.

"He's with Toby!" he replied. "He's okay."

"Are you insane? Get him, dumbass!"

"In case you didn't notice, we're being shot at!"

"You—ugh," I glanced at Louis. "Where the hell is Robert? You said he's on lookout."

"He is! I don't know what he's doing," Louis said.

One gunman shouted. "Bring the kid!"

I peeked out to see Toby running towards the car. So much for persuading him. Aidan had had the chance to take the kid to safety before the thugs arrived. Toby was willing to comply too.

Aidan fired back at the gunmen. In between, he caught me scowling at him.

"What?" he said.

I shifted my focus to the threats. They retaliated, while one of them snatched Jacob from Toby and held him at gunpoint.

"Let's go!" he ordered the other two. "We have the kid!"

"Mom!" Jacob screamed.

Mary was about to go after them when I grabbed her and pulled her into my arms.

"Let me go!" she cried. "They're getting away!"

"It's too dangerous!" I clutched her firmly. "We'll get your son back."

She tried to wriggle out of my grip. I understood her pain. After that incident at the school, I swore to myself I'd never let anyone else die on my watch. I didn't need more regret on my conscience.

The gunmen drove away, leaving Toby behind.

We failed yet again. First, the school explosion. Now this. I hoped I could make it right by rescuing Jacob.

Mary freed herself of my grip and stormed towards Toby. I stopped her before she could hit him.

"Wait! Wait. Listen to me." I tried to calm her down. "We'll get Jacob back. I promise."

"They'll kill him," she cried.

"No, they won't. The Trickster won't kill him yet. He needs leverage. We still have time. I need you to calm down, okay?"

She placed her hands on her face.

Toby's gaze lowered. "I'm sorry."

"Shut up." I pointed my gun at him. "Get down on your knees. Now."

He complied, putting his hands behind his back. Louis came with a pair of handcuffs, securing them around his wrists. Aidan holstered his gun as he walked to us.

"Why the hell didn't you take the kid?" I said. "You had the chance."

"I was about to before those men showed up," he replied.

"No." I furrowed my brows. "You let him go."

"You crazy? Why would I do that?"

"I don't know. Maybe a part of your plan? Maybe you wanted to try something stupid? I never know, because you never tell me anything!"

He fell silent at my sudden rise in tone.

"You let the kid go. I saw you!" I snapped. "You had the chance, and you let them take him. You didn't even try. I know you are smarter than that. If you grabbed him when I told you to, none of this would've happened! I was ready to cover you!"

"What?" Mary said, voice cracking. "Wh-what do you mean he let him go?"

I blew a gust of air in frustration. "The entire plan was to rescue your son. Or rather, it was Aidan's plan. He said he knew what he was doing, and I trusted him. I thought we would succeed."

Her mouth parted in disbelief at him.

"I wanted to save the kid," he said. "You saw what happened. They outgunned us. Those guys showed up out of the blue. The Trickster planned—"

"Enough!" I stormed towards him. "Tell me you didn't let the kid go on purpose."

"Henry."

"I don't give a rat's ass about your plans anymore." I turned to Toby. "You said something to him right before those men showed up. What was it?"

Toby's eyes darted to Aidan for a second. "I told him he was making a mistake. He's taking a risk by doing this. He said he knew that."

I looked at Aidan. My voice lowered, laced with anger. "You knew, huh? Did you let the kid go deliberately or not?"

He didn't respond, nor even looked at me. His silence and his lowered gaze spoke volumes.

My jaw clenched. "You son of a bitch."

This affected Mary more than me. She strode over to him and smacked him hard across the face. I could've stopped her from hitting him, but I was satisfied she did. It was that or I would've punched the hell out of him myself. Only when she tried to slap him a second time did I stop her.

"That's enough. Let me handle this." I glanced at Louis. "What the hell is Robert doing?"

"I don't know. I'm going to check on him," he replied and hurried back to his car.

Mary glared at Aidan. "If anything happens to my son, I will come after you, I swear to God."

With that, she walked away, her cheeks glistening with tears. None of us knew what to do. The chief would be pissed when he found out what happened, so going back to the HQ wasn't an option. Then again, we had to let him know what happened, anyway.

I holstered my gun at my hip. "I don't know what the Trickster's gonna do. He might kidnap someone else, or kill people. We nearly got killed for this pointless mission. Whatever happens now, you have only yourself to blame."

He tried to find words to say. "I thought I could... I knew what I had to do. My plan was going well. Then I realized if the Trickster knows I pulled a stunt off like this, he might kill the other hostages. We'd risk the lives of other people."

"Oh, now you think about that? I fucking warned you about it before."

"I thought we could do this. Also, I didn't know Toby was going to be there. I didn't know those gunmen would show up later. It shouldn't have turned out this way. I thought I knew what would happen."

I sniggered. "Of course, you did. I mean, you sure act like you knew everything."

Louis came running. "Guys! Robert's gone."

I frowned. "What?"

"He's not in the car. I tried calling him and found his phone on the ground."

He held out the phone. I had a bad feeling. Robert was all by himself in the car. My only guess was he might've been taken.

"Oh no," I mumbled.

A muffled ringtone sounded from Aidan's pocket. He took his phone out, glancing at the screen.

"It's him, isn't it?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Put him on speaker," I said.

Answering the call, he held it out so Louis and I could hear.

A familiar irritating voice spoke, "You've got some guts going against my rules, Aidan. You think I was bluffing? I told you there'll be consequences if you went near her. Not only did you do that, you questioned her! She sounded anxious when I spoke to her, begging to see her son. You told her something."

"She wouldn't tell me anything about you," Aidan replied. "She refused to spill the beans."

"Stop bullshitting me."

"I just told her to check on her son, make sure he was safe. That's all. As a mother, she has the right to know her son is alive."

"I get it. This was your plan. You were expecting me to bring the boy to her. You wanted this to happen, so you could snatch him. I knew you were up to something. Quite crafty of you. I would've appreciated the risk you took if you didn't fail to save the boy."

"If I saved him, you would've killed the other hostages."

"Damn right, I would've. I would've killed your friends too. You still broke the rules. I don't think you took my warning seriously. I'm going to show you what happens when you try to be a smartass."

I had enough of this fellow's blabbering. "Where's Robert?"

"Henry," the Trickster said. "Quite a surprise hearing from you."

"Cut the crap. Where is he? I'm guessing you had something to do with it."

"Robert's alive, but he won't be for long. Aidan's gonna have to pay for his mistakes. Since he was so keen on rescuing Jacob, he has to make a choice. I suspect Toby's with you as well."

At the mention of his name, Toby looked at the phone.

"His wife is one of the hostages," the Trickster added. "He must've already told you that. You're going to have to choose between saving her or saving Robert."

I exchanged alarmed glances with Aidan and Louis. The latter approached the phone, his eyes

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