Abandon: The Unloveable Series Book One (5 page)

Brooklyn’s voice was incredibly weak by the end of her rant, all of her strength was used because she dropped to the floor and wailed in despair.  Gage took a minute to process what she’d said, then gently lifted her from the floor, carried her to the mattress and sat down with her in his lap.  He held her tightly at first, but when the sobs slowed he leaned back slightly so he could wipe her tears as he whispered in her ear and showered her face in soft kisses.  It took a good twenty minutes before her tears dried up completely and she dozed off. Gage must have held her an additional thirty minutes enjoying the feel of her in his arms before he eventually laid her down and covered her up.

There’s no way I’ll be able to keep my hands off of her now.  I’ve loved her too much for too long not to make her mine,
Gage sighed to himself.

He quietly and efficiently brought his bags inside where the first order of business was a shower.  He’d removed his clothes at the hospital since they were covered in Brook’s blood.  Even though the scrubs he wore were clean, her blood had dried on his skin. 

Three minutes later, he stepped out of the shower and dressed in clean, black fatigues.  Next he located the thermostat and turned on the air conditioner.  The cool air flowing out of the vents felt heavenly. 
Just as I thought, there’s nothing wrong with the air conditioner.  She just can’t afford to pay for the electricity,
he murmured to himself.  The night he helped clean the place up, he’d stumbled onto some bills that were marked with final notice.  Garret had saddled her with three small children and no income.  Childcare would be outrageous for three kids under the age of five.  Even if she could find a job, she’d never earn enough to pay for childcare and have anything left over to cover her bills.  It was one thing for Garret not to take responsibility for himself, but it was another not to provide for his family.  Before Gage left town, he’d ensure his family was financially secure.

As soon as he checked on Brook, he called Daniel.  After a brief conversation, Gage unzipped one of his bags and removed his arsenal.  Most of his high powered armament was still in Central America.  However, when he left the United States military, he’d stored multiple weapons at his parent’s home.  In his line of work, a man couldn’t be too careful.  It wouldn’t be beyond some of the career criminals he dealt with on a regular bases to organize an attack while he was visiting his family.  Gage might stand firm in his belief that even an immoral man’s family was off limits no matter the circumstance but the people he dealt with didn’t share the same code of conduct.   He returned to setting the guns out in a straight line on the floor.  Next he began disassembling his new slide fire SSAR-15 riffle.  A prepared soldier ensured his weapons were cleaned and ready for action. 

By seven o’clock, his guns and reserve ammunition were strategically placed around the house.  He definitely wouldn’t get any sleep tonight.  With Brook sleeping merely a few feet away, he’d spend most of the night looking through his riffle scope, but first he needed to do some recon.  Once that was out of the way, he’d return and start his vigil.  He’d bet his last dollar someone would come snooping before dawn. 

True to his threat to the sheriff, he’d get involved in the situation one way or another.  Daniel’s truck pulled up in front of the house.  Gage met him on the front porch so their conversation wouldn’t wake Brook.  “Thanks for coming, Dad.  Brook’s asleep in the family room.  My weapons are loaded and ready to go but I don’t anticipate any activity while I’m gone.  Once I’ve scouted out where the narcotics are being delivered and repackaged for sale, I’ll come back so you can return home to protect mom and the girls.”

“Your uncle is at the house now looking out for them.  I’m more worried about you. Going after this group of cut throat hooligans by yourself could get you killed.  We don’t know how many men you’re up against.  What they did to your brother was horrific.  Your mother and I can’t bear to lose you, too,” the elderly man’s voice cracked as he spoke.

“I don’t intend to engage the enemy tonight.  This is strictly a reconnaissance mission.  I need to find out what I’m dealing with, whether it’s a small time local dealer or if they have ties to a major narcotics trafficker.  I’ll be back before midnight,” Gage spoke the words with authority so Daniel would know the mission wasn’t up for discussion.

He dropped a medium sized duffle bag on the front passenger seat, started the truck and eased out of the drive so the sound of gravel spraying wouldn’t disturb Brook.  The night before, he’d located the abandoned building where the drugs were being repackaged.  Tonight when he pulled up, there was a lot more traffic going in and out of the building.  He surmised a shipment must have been delivered in the last twenty four hours.

His truck was parked a fair distance away so Gage pulled his long range binoculars from his bag.  Whoever was running the operation was either an idiot or didn’t fear the law because Gage didn’t see anyone patrolling the perimeter of the building and there were at least ten vehicles parked outside what was supposed to be an abandoned building. 

He needed to get closer so he could see and hear inside the building.  One thing was for certain, Gage knew exactly what he was doing.  He pulled on a black beanie, covered his face and hands with black paint, loaded his binoculars in one of many pockets on his vest, and silently exited the truck.  Once the truck was locked, he slid his trusty combat knife in the scabbard strapped to his calf and secured his nine millimeter hand gun in the holster on his right side with quick, efficient movements.  He was ready for confrontation if it came his way.

Gage was completely confident he could walk right up to the building without any of these dumbasses knowing, but at this point he couldn’t risk tipping them off that he’d located their base of operation.  The men working here weren’t smart enough to be the mastermind of the operation.  Tonight’s mission was to gather information only.  Tomorrow he’d devise a plan to take out every last one of the bastards and make sure this operation was shut down for good.

Making his way to the south side of the building, Gage stayed hidden in the shadows.  Camouflaged in the over grown brush, Gage watched men come and go.  As he expected, the only security was a man stationed inside the door.  Taking out everyone inside the building wouldn’t be difficult for someone as well trained as him.  It pissed him off royally to have to wait, but that’s what made him extraordinarily good in his profession.  He devised and implemented plans.  He never acted on impulse or emotion. 

It was nearing midnight and Gage needed to get back to Brook.  Before he hightailed it out of there, another car pulled up.  Through his binoculars, Gage watched the driver get out.  “Un-fucking believable,” he whispered to himself when he saw the newly arrived man’s face.

****

At two forty five, a black SUV stopped in front of the house.  Thankfully with the night vision scope, Gage was able to monitor all movement.  The front and back passenger doors opened silently and two individuals climbed out of the vehicle.  As they raised their weapons, Gage took aim.  The first man immediately dropped with a bullet between his eyes.  As he fell, his finger must have pulled the trigger because the barrel lit up milliseconds before the bullets pierced the family room wall.  The second man’s automatic weapon fired ammo in quick succession.  The driver punched the gas.  The vehicle pealed out, leaving the second gunman in the open.  Gage lined up the shot and pulled the trigger, leaving the gunman to crumple like a rag doll.  That’s when Gage heard Brook’s screams.

Chapter Five

It was a little past seven a.m. when Gage and Brooklyn finally exited the police station.  It had been a long, grueling ordeal.  Once he’d calmed Brook’s hysterics, Gage called the sheriff’s department to report the incident.  The timer began counting down, the first responders would be at the house soon.  Most of the windows had been shattered in the battle, so Gage lifted Brook and carried her to the bedroom where he quickly stripped and redressed her.  As soon as she was decent and her feet were covered, they exited the house.  Even though he’d reported there were two dead bodies, emergency medical techs were dispatched anyway.  It didn’t take long for them to confirm the two men were deceased.  He had no doubt because his shots were always precise.  Both men sustained a single bullet to the forehead.  Death was instantaneous which was more than they deserved.

The initial recounting of the incident was given on scene.  As soon as Sam arrived, he insisted they follow him to the station.  Once there, Brooklyn and Gage were separated.  It was standard procedure so Gage had prepared her in advance.  There wasn’t any crime Sam could charge him with.  The weapons he’d used were registered and legal.  Clearly the men came prepared to attack Brook so it was a kill or be killed situation.  He’d known it was just a formality and a chance for Sam to feel important so he knew they’d eventually be released.  Of course the sheriff issued the standard statement about not leaving town.  Gage dismissed the sheriff before he was finished giving his warning.  Gage had no intention of keeping the sheriff informed about anything he’d planned.  The man was a bumbling idiot and proven to be untrustworthy.

Their first stop was his parent’s place so he could pick up the rest of his equipment and give Brook some needed time with the girls.  Impressed with her composure around her daughters, Gage finally admitted to himself Brook was an amazingly strong, resilient woman that deserved better than the way he’d treated her.  The deeper he dove into his brother’s death, the more he realized he didn’t know who his brother had become in the last few years.  There was no doubt drugs destroyed lives.  He could accept that Garret’s addiction was directly responsible for his death.  Being a grown man, Garret knew what could happen if he chose to take illegal narcotics.  What Gage couldn’t accept was what his brother’s addiction had done to his family.  Brook and her small girls absolutely didn’t deserve what the addiction had cost them. The longer Gage thought, the more the usual notions plagued him. If he’d come home would Garret have cleaned up his act and become the husband and father he should have been?  Unfortunately he’d never know, but currently there were more important issues to address. His guilt and self-loathing would have to take a back seat.

“Uncle Gage, will you come to my tea party?” Olivia asked from behind him. 

As he picked her up, Gage realized how much he’d come to care about his nieces.  “I’m sorry, pumpkin, I don’t have time right now.  Your mommy and I are going on a short trip.”

The look on her face pierced his heart.  “You won’t go anyway forever like Daddy, will you?”

“No.  We’ll be back in a few days.  I promise,” Gage reassured emphatically.

“You’re not like Daddy.  I know you’ll stay and take care us because we don’t have a daddy.  You’ll make mommy happy so she doesn’t cry all the time.  You love us, don’t you Uncle Gage?”  Olivia questioned as she wrapped her little arms around his neck.

Before he could answer, a tiny voice belted out.  “Kynwee tuwn, Daddy!”

Standing at his feet was nothing short of a little firecracker known as Makynlee Hennessey.  Gage reached down and lifted her in his other arm.  “It isn’t possible to forget about you, muffin.  Give me a giant hug like your sister.”  The tiny cherub went one step further giving him a loud kiss on the cheek to accompany the hug.  “Kynwee love Daddy.”

“I love both of you,” he blurted out without thinking. 

“You love Mommy and Sadie, right Uncle Gage,” Ollie asked with concern in her eyes.

“Yes.  I love Sadie and Mommy, too,” Gage answered honestly.  Unbeknownst to him, Brooklyn had walked up behind him carrying Sadie in her arms.

“Famwee hug,” Makynlee shouted.

Brooklyn stepped beside him and wrapped her free arm around the girls, then leaned into Gage’s side.  One at a time, Gage kissed the top of each girl’s head, including Brooklyn’s.

Once all the goodbyes were said, the couple pulled away from the curb with a toot of the horn.  Their next stop was Brook’s home where he’d help her pack enough items to last a couple of days. 

By eleven thirty, they drove up in front of his small cabin by the lake.  It had been years since he was last here.  Daniel regularly made the trip out to check on everything.  While it had never been much to look at, it had even deteriorated more than he expected.  The wood siding was marked with years of decay.  The corrugated tin roof was hidden under a thick layer of rust.  The overgrown forest greenery practically camouflaged the outside of the cabin.  He could only hope the inside was in better condition.

He walked around the truck and opened the passenger door.  “It’s not much to look at but it’s a good place to hide out until I’m fully prepared for their next attack.”  He reached in the bed of the truck and lifted one of many bags they’d packed.  Taking her hand, they approached the cabin.  “Be careful, baby.  The dry rot on these steps looks dangerous.  I don’t want you to fall through.”

The inside of the shack was sparse but clean.  There was a small kitchen table, a couch, and a bed and that’s about all that would fit. 

“How long do we plan to stay here?” Brooklyn quietly asked.

“Only a couple of days at the most. It’s not the Ritz but we’ll survive,” he replied with a hearty laugh.  “All of the broken windows should be boarded up at your house by then.  I’m also waiting for an important delivery to arrive that will help even the odds.”

Gage set down the bag he was carrying.  “I’ll get the rest of the gear while you unpack your suitcase,” he announced over his shoulder before he made quick work of the other seven bags. He knelt down and unzipped the first.  “This one has surveillance equipment,” he explained as he unzipped another one.  “This one has ammunition.  That one over there has a high powered riffle.”

She lifted her hands up in the air.  “Stop right there.  Why do you even have so many guns?”

“I’m preparing for the impending attack,” Gage answered, never breaking eye contact.

“No.  Marie and Daniel can’t lose another son.  I can’t bear to lose another man I love,” Brooklyn teared up as she spoke the words.

“Come here, baby.”  Without hesitation, Brook walked into the fold of his arms.  “Nothing is going to happen to me.  I promise.  I’m very good at what I do and I won’t stop until everyone that poses a threat to you and the girls is eliminated,” he whispered into her ear.

Gage held her tight until the tears subsided.  Even though he didn’t think Brook realized what she’d admitted to, hearing the confession that she loved him was balm to his dark soul.  

“Let’s figure something out for lunch then we’ll take a hike around the area.  I want to set up some surveillance equipment to ensure no one sneaks up on us,” Gage explained as he released her from his hold.

****

By eight that evening, they were dog tired.  After a long, luke warm shower, Brooklyn allowed Gage to redress her wound.  “Even though the temperature wasn’t overly hot, the water still felt heavenly.  I’ve been fighting a headache for the last couple of hours.  I think it’s lack of sleep,” Brook mindlessly jabbered while Gage applied the gauze and tape to her stitches.

“You can sleep soundly tonight.  If anyone comes close to the cabin, the detection system will let us know,” he reassured her as he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.  “I’m going to take a quick shower.  Why don’t you go ahead and crawl under the covers and see if you can relax enough to fall asleep,” Gage suggested before he closed the bathroom door.

Brooklyn quickly changed into her night gown and laid down.  However, her brain wouldn’t slow down enough for her to relax which had become the typical pattern over the last year.  She’d work herself into exhaustion every day in hopes she could fall asleep quickly but it never worked.  Every night when she finally laid her head on her pillow, the doubts would manifest.  Originally she’d second guessed her decision to call for help that night.  If the girl’s had a bad day, she’d worry it was because she sent their daddy away. When she couldn’t pay a bill, Brooklyn blamed herself for not trying to hunt down Garret and beg him to come home.  In the last week, she hadn’t been able to sleep because Sam had inconsiderately relayed the condition of Garret’s body when he was discovered in a ditch by the main road in town.  Why would someone torture a fellow human being like that?  Garret had suffered terribly before he passed.  If she’d made him stop using drugs then he wouldn’t have died such a violent death.  It didn’t matter how tired she was, sleep was elusive.

****

“Brook.  Brook, wake up,” Gage shook her as he repeated her name.  She gasped simultaneously and sat straight up in bed.  “It was just a nightmare, baby.  You’re safe.”  Gage softly crooned as he hugged her tightly to his chest.  “Do you remember what you were dreaming about?”

“We were back at the house and there were bullets flying all around us.  I looked over at you and realized you’d been shot.  Your eyes were open but you weren’t breathing.  I started CPR but…”

“Don’t say another word.  You’ll just get yourself upset.  You’re lack of confidence in my military skills is really started to tick me off,” Gage scolded.  “Now I’m going to get in this bed with you and explain what a superior soldier I am.  Snuggle up next to me and lay your head on my shoulder.”  Brook obeyed without argument.

Fifteen minutes later, Gage finally finished listing all of his expert combat skills.  “Now do you understand why there’s no reason to worry about me?”  Gage could feel her smile against his shoulder as she nodded.

“I couldn’t survive losing you so soon after Garret’s death.  Ollie and Makynlee would be devastated if you were suddenly gone.  They need a strong male figure in their lives.  Children have to be loved and protected, especially little girls that don’t have a father.”

“I’ve come to love the girls as though they were my own.  Never doubt that I’ll do whatever necessary to keep them safe.”  He paused as he decided how to ask the difficult questions he needed to.  “Tell me what happened the night you called nine one one.  I promise I won’t get angry or think any less of you.”

She took a deep breath and started recounting the events leading to Garret’s death.  “I’d been around him enough over the years to recognize the signs.  His speech would slow down and as his drug use progressed, he’d stumble and trip over furniture.  After a while he’d lose enough weight he looked gaunt.  He lost another job because he couldn’t think about anything but getting high.  I knew it had gotten out of control again when his boss called that morning looking for him.  Garret had been working construction for Mr. Vazquez, but his boss had had enough of Garret’s antics and asked me to tell him not to bother to come back to the site.  I was almost three months pregnant with Sadie when everything came to a head.  We’d been arguing for a couple days about him entering the drug treatment program again.  Of course he denied using telling me I was just letting my imagination run wild.  That night Ollie walked in the master bathroom and caught Garret smoking from a big pipe.  She didn’t understand what he was doing.  Instinctively Garret yelled at her and she got scared and ran out.  She barreled into the kitchen with Garret hot on her heels.  I was standing at the stove cooking dinner when she wrapped her arms around my leg.”

Gage’s hand rubbed up and down her back ever so softly to comfort her.  It was obvious she was struggling to tell the story without breaking down.

“I’d never witnessed that level of rage from him before.  I told him if he didn’t get help immediately, the girls and I would leave.  I wouldn’t tolerate him using drugs in the house with our children in the next room.  As always he claimed I was making a mountain out of a mole hill.  Our arguing escalated…”

“Take your time, baby.  There’s no hurry.  I know this is difficult for you,” Gage reassured her as he continued to hold her tight.

“Whenever he was using, he’d throw it in my face that I’d always loved you more than him.”

Gage’s hand briefly stopped then continued to gently rub her back.  He knew he shouldn’t feel happy that once again she mentioned loving him, but he couldn’t help it.  He’d denied himself feeling anything for so long that he was numb except when Brook was around.

“I told him to leave.  That I’d rather raise all three kids on my own than to subject them to his drug addiction and erratic behavior.  He was so furious he lost control and struck me.  The first blow was to the left side of my face.  I lost my balance and fell backwards with Ollie still attached to my leg.  Instinctively I rolled on top of her so she wouldn’t get injured.  Garret proceeded to kick me then he yanked my hair back so he could see my face. He finally landed a powerful blow to my left eye.  Makynlee heard the commotion and came in to investigate.  When she saw Garret punching me, she screamed at the top of her lungs.  That must have been what stopped him.  He took off to the bedroom, I guess to smoke some more to calm his nerves.  I asked Ollie to bring me the phone and that’s when I called the sheriff.  Moments before they arrived, Garret came back into the kitchen, pulled me into his lap, and stroked my face as he begged for forgiveness.  I don’t remember another time when either one of my girls cried quite so hysterically.  I couldn’t find it in my heart to forgive him for exposing our daughters to that level of violence.  If only I’d said those three powerful words, ‘I forgive you,’ maybe things would have worked out different.”