his eye, but with the intel he’d provided Liam through the years, he had saved numerous lives.
Whoever had done this had wanted to send a clear message. Liam had no problem interpreting it. Now he was even more determined. These people were going down.
“We found the tunnel.”
Gideon’s voice punched through Liam’s fury. Getting caught up in anger would accomplish nothing.
“Let’s go.” Following Gideon, he glanced over his shoulder once more at Myron and felt another surge of guilt and grief. Dammit, why did people do things like this?
“Hey, man, it’s not your fault.”
“Oh yeah? Whose is it, then?”
“Myron was no amateur. He knew exactly who he was dealing with and what could happen. He was in the business a long time and made his choices…” Gideon held up his hand before Liam could protest. “I’m not saying he deserved this, but he played a dangerous game with a lot of dangerous people. He knew the risks.”
“Maybe so, but this happened on my watch.”
“And you gave him the option of protection, which he declined. You’re gonna have to let the guilt go, man. Focus that energy on finding the bastards. Remember, there are at least a dozen victims needing to be rescued.”
As usual, Gideon’s sound reasoning was hard to argue against.
Liam jerked his head in assent. “Let’s go.”
While Sean, Serena, Jazz, and Xavier examined each room for any evidence that could be used, Liam, Gideon, and Eve took off down the stairs of the hidden tunnel. Even though the group was likely long gone, finding their exit point might give them a clue to where they were headed next.
The tunnel was damp and old, almost as old as the house. It hadn’t been on the original blueprints but likely had been added not too long after the house was built. Though musty smelling, the brick work had held up well. Whoever had built the tunnel had put some work into it.
Liam looked over his shoulder. “What are the odds that these pricks purchased the house without knowing about the tunnel?”
“I’d say that was the biggest selling point,” Gideon answered.
“Yeah. Chances are they’ve been transporting their victims through here all along.”
In grim silence, they continued through the tunnel. The only evidence of recent use was the cigarette butt at the entrance to the tunnel and a small scrap of fabric hanging from a protruding nail. Liam collected both items. Might not tell them anything, but he didn’t plan to leave any stone unturned.
The tunnel was shorter than he’d expected. Less than a mile. A small set of stairs led to an unlocked steel door. The hardware was only a few years old.
Guns at the ready, Liam pulled back the door and walked out into a small wooded area. Hearing Gideon and Eve behind him, he turned. “Looks like the ideal spot to bring in new people and take them out, too.” He made a 360 observance. “Plenty of tree cover. No houses close by. Bring them in under the cover of night, and no one’s the wiser.”
“Stryker, you copy?” There was a unique tension in Jazz’s voice.
“Yeah. What’s wrong?”
“I think we’ve figured out who gave them Myron. You’re going to want to see this in person.”
“Copy. I’ll be right there.” He swung his gaze over to Eve and Gideon. “You guys keep searching. Let me know if you find anything.”
With that, Liam took off back down to the tunnel and ran. Since he was no longer looking for clues, he made it to the house in less than five minutes.
Jazz met him at the entrance. “We searched every room and was about to call it a bust, then we found this lying in an ashtray.”
Taking the evidence bag Jazz held out, Liam didn’t need any explanation. There was only one man arrogant enough to have left the calling card. The Arturo Fuente cigar was not only one of the most expensive in the world, it was also one of the rarest. And Liam knew only one man who had a strong addiction to these cigars—Barnabas Drury.
Son of a bitch.
Chapter Fourteen
Burnsville, North Carolina
Aubrey gasped in delight as she rounded another curve and gazed up at the majesty before her. Oh how she loved the mountains! The forty-minute drive from the Asheville airport had been both awe-inspiring and breathtaking. The trees were gloriously colored in every hue and shade known to man. It took every bit of her willpower not to stop at the various pullover sites to snap a dozen pictures and just