One-Knight Stand (White Knights #3) - Julie Moffett Page 0,98
leaving the light on. I heard the muscular man say on the way out, “That woman is dead the second I find her. No more waiting around.”
“They’re going to kill her if they find her,” I said, trying not to panic. “And the bald guy is coming outside. Now.”
“I see him,” Mike hissed. “Take cover, everyone.”
“Radio silence,” Kira ordered. “Immediately.”
I took off my headphones for the laser mic and froze in place. I wasn’t sure what to do. I scanned the yard for Jax but saw nothing. I hoped he’d heard what was happening and was hiding. Then, at the edge of my vision, I saw something move in the dark beneath the bedroom window.
A dark figure hunched over.
Jax? Bald Guy? My mom?
The more I studied it, the more I thought it was my mom. But how could I be sure? Without actually thinking about it, I started crawling toward the shadow. As I got closer, I got a better view of the figure. It seemed as if it were struggling with something on the ground. But one thing was immediately clear. The figure was too small to be Jax or Bald Guy.
I crawled a little faster, and a branch cracked under my knee. The figure froze, lifting their head.
“Mom?” I whispered.
There was a pause, and then I heard an uncertain, “Angel?”
I reached her, scuttling the last few feet until I was able to throw my arms around her. “Mom, are you okay?” Tears were sliding down my face, blurring my vision.
“Angel, what on earth are you doing here?” she whispered. “You have to get out of here. It’s a very dangerous situation.”
“I know. We’re getting out of here together. Can you walk?”
“Not well. They tied my feet.”
On closer inspection, I saw the zip ties around her ankles. Unfortunately, I wasn’t carrying a knife or scissors in my pocket. “Can you crawl?” I asked.
“I can try,” she whispered.
“Good, let’s go.”
We started crawling slowly back to where I’d left the laser mic. Everything in me was screaming that we had to hurry, but I could only go as fast as my mom. We were just in sight of the tree line when a flashlight clicked on, blinding both us. I was so startled, I gave a small yelp.
I raised a hand to shield my eyes and could see the bald guy behind the light holding a gun aimed directly at my head.
“Well, what do we have here?” he said. “An accomplice? A young girl? Where did you come from?”
I pressed my lips together, and he reached up and yanked me effortlessly to my feet. He grabbed my mom, too, but she fought him, wiggling and refusing to get up easily. “Leave me alone,” she shouted. Still, she was no match for his size, and he had us both on our feet in seconds.
“Anyone else come with you, girl?” he asked me, looking around at the woods, which were silent.
I didn’t answer, so he pushed us ahead of him, keeping the gun trained on us. “This puts a wrinkle in things. But whatever you had planned, I’m afraid it ends now. Let’s head back to the house nice and slow. The first one who does anything out of line gets shot. And, just so you know, I don’t miss. Ever.”
I dared a sideways glance at my mom. She was shaking with anger, and maybe fear, most likely for me. We took a few shuffled steps forward when suddenly our captor and his flashlight flew forward, plunging us into the darkness. I heard a thump and then another one as I grabbed my mom, pulling her out of the way and sending us both crashing to the ground.
“I’m sure that hurt,” a voice said from the darkness. “Threat neutralized.”
Jax!
“We’ve got the mom safe,” he said. “Keep an eye out for any others.”
“Good job, guys. I’m on it,” I heard Mike in my ear. “So far, Sampson hasn’t come out yet, and I haven’t seen anyone else in the house.”
I looked over and saw Jax kneeling on the back of the bald man, who was lying prone on the ground. “You knocked him out? What did you use?”
“The biggest, heaviest branch I could find. Who knew baseball would be good experience for a spy? Look, he probably won’t be out long, so I have to tie him up and gag him quickly.” He handed me the flashlight. “Hold this so I can see what I’m doing.”