In Too Deep (Grayton Series Book 4) (17 page)

When an agent walked in, he walked right up to her.

“Mrs. Grayton,” he nodded. “We’ve spotted the van that took your husband and son.”

She didn’t correct him, only nodded automatically as Cassey wrapped her arms around her.

“It’s parked just inside the gates. We haven’t confirmed that they are in the compound yet, but are currently trying to negotiate their release.”

She nodded again.

“Has anyone talked to them yet?” Cassey asked.

He shook his head no. “Not yet. We’ve got all the phone lines into the compound, but they’ve remained silent.”

“What happens now?” Missy asked, rubbing her hands up and down her arms, which seemed to grow colder the longer she waited.

“We’ll continue to establish a dialog. If that doesn’t work, we’ll send our men in. They’ve made their intentions clear and after Waco, we’ve learned that waiting them out isn’t the best plan.”

She nodded, feeling more light-headed at the mention of her worst nightmare. Hadn’t she always believed that her father was sending his members down the same path?

After all, she could vaguely remember some of his preaching. How the apocalypse was coming and that the chosen one would lead them to the chosen land.

She’d always been told the chosen land was beyond the gates of heaven. With her father as their prophet and her son, the chosen one, now behind the walls of the compound, she only prayed that Roman would be able to save their son.

They waited around for hours, not hearing anything more, until Cassey stood up.

“Something’s burning.” She sniffed the air and rushed from the tent. They all rushed out after her. They stood looking towards the compound, but nothing was visible from this far away. Their arms were all around one another as they waited.

Officers in full body gear rushed around them like they were invisible. She could hear someone shouting orders and saw a group preparing to enter the compound with a battering vehicle.

Just when they were going to turn back and go into the tent, they heard a loud pop and turned back towards the building in time to see the entire place shatter into a million fireballs.

She screamed over and over again as she fell to her knees, watching the buildings blow up, one at a time. Her family stood beside her, crying and holding onto one another as the agents all scrambled back away from the heat that they could feel from almost a mile away.

Missy’s knees sank slowly into the mud as she cried into her hands. When she looked up again her vision grayed, and all she could hear was a loud buzzing sound.

Tears wracked her entire body. Every joint and muscle hurt. Her skin ached and she felt as if she’d been stung by a million bees.

Her eyes were glued to the fire until she had to blink from the brightness. The cries of her family dulled in her mind as she mourned.

Then she felt a hand on her shoulder.

***

Roman was knocked to the ground when a bullet lodged in his shoulder. Stumbling, he lost his hold on Reagan as they rolled down the embankment and landed into the muddy banks of a stream.

“Over here,” someone called. “I see them.”

“Roman!” Reagan cried out. “Get up!”

Roman obeyed, pushing the pain behind him. He could only hold onto Reagan with one arm, but the kid was hanging onto him like a monkey as he ran through the shallow water.

They cleared the water and had just ducked into the trees when he heard the sound of men running through the water. They were just a few yards behind them. He had to outsmart them, since he couldn’t outrun them. He was reminded of all the games of hide and seek he’d had with his brothers and sisters. Games he’d always won.

Heading in the same direction, he waited until he knew the men were in the trees and then ran in a big U shape, ducking behind a large boulder and bushes as he heard them pass their hiding spot. When everything was silent, he quietly walked back to the edge of the water and waded into the stream, this time keeping with the current until he found another spot to climb out on the opposite bank.

“Do you think we lost them?” Reagan asked quietly.

He nodded and shushed his son. “We have to be very quiet for a while.” Reagan nodded as they continued to walk slowly through the brush.

When they came to a clearing, he glanced around and noticed a small pump house.

“Can we hide in there?” Reagan asked.

“No, buddy. That’s the first place they’ll look.” He frowned. “But, maybe we can slow them down for a while. I need to set you down for a minute.”

Reagan nodded. “You’re bleeding.” He pointed to his shoulder.

“Yeah.” He frowned. “I’ll need to borrow your jacket.” Reagan removed his light jacket without hesitation. “Thanks, son.” Roman smiled down at him. Reagan smiled back up at him.

“How can we slow them down?”

“By making them think we’re hiding in there.” He nodded to the pump house.

They walked closer to the small building. Roman used his clean hand and smeared some of his blood on the edge of the door. Then he used his only booted foot to kick the door in until it hung on its hinges. “Okay, we need to run now.” He looked over at his son as he wrapped the boy’s jacket around his shoulder to stifle the bleeding. Do you think you can run or do I need to carry you?”

“I can do it. I’m the fastest boy in my gym class.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Fastest boy?”

Reagan sighed and looked down. “Susie Morgan is almost a minute faster than me.”

Roman stopped himself from laughing. “Your mother could always outrun me.” He smiled and wiped some dirt from Reagan’s chin. “Okay, let’s see how fast we can make it to those trees.”

Reagan glanced up and nodded. When they took off, he had to slow his pace just to make sure the kid stayed right beside him.

They were a few yards into the trees when he heard more gunfire. This time, it was coming from the west. Back where he imagined the compound was. Taking a chance, he grabbed Reagan’s hand and started running towards the sounds instead of away.

They heard the loud explosions just before exiting the trees. Then they stopped long enough to take stock of what was happening. Over six dozen vehicles were parked alongside the road. There were barriers blocking traffic and men in dark uniforms stood around.

When he took Reagan’s hand this time, the kid smiled. “It’s the Cavalry,” the boy said, causing him to laugh.

“Even better. It’s the FBI.” He stepped out into the clearing, only to have several agents draw their weapons and point them directly at his chest.

“Easy.” He nodded to the kid. “I think you’re here for us.”

***

Missy closed her eyes and held her breath. When she turned her head, her eyes refused to open. Then soft lips settled over hers and she melted into Roman’s arms.

Her arms wrapped around his shoulders as she cried and pressed her lips against his.

“Mom!” Reagan called out. Her eyes flew open as her son flung himself towards them.

She held onto them both as their family cried around them. Roman was on his knees in front of her, holding her tight.

“Sir, we need to see to those wounds,” someone said over them. Gasping, she pulled away long enough to see Reagan’s bloody jacket tied around his shoulder.

“What happened?” she asked, frowning at him.

“He got shot saving me,” Reagan said, smiling.

She heard several people gasp. “Look at his feet,” Cassey cried.

“I’m okay.” He smiled at her, brushing a tear away from her face with his thumb. “As long as we’re safe, everything’s going to be okay.”

Chapter Seventeen

M
issy sat in the waiting room with Reagan and her family, waiting for Roman to get out of surgery. The bullet had lodged in his scapula and they had needed to get it out before it caused any more damage.

They were all sitting at the hospital just outside of Tallahassee. Roman’s feet had been bandaged up and he’d been told to stay off his feet for the next few weeks.

Which, if she knew anything about him, would be a living hell.

“So,” Cassey glanced over at her, “in all the excitement, we forgot to congratulate you.”

She blinked and then frowned. “For?”

Cassey smiled. “Marrying our brother, of course.”

Missy frowned. “I… We…” She shook her head. “We’re not married.”

Cassey smiled. “I heard the agent call you…”

Missy laughed, stopping her by shaking her head. “I just didn’t think my business was any of his. We haven’t married.”

“Yet,” Reagan added, causing everyone to chuckle.

“Well, we really wanted to be the first ones in the family to have kids,” Marcus said, taking Shelly’s hand in his, but it looks like you have us beat by eight years.”

“What?” she gasped. “You’re…” She looked between Shelly and Marcus, who just nodded.

She jumped up to hug him, just as the glass doors to the hospital shattered. She threw her body over Reagan’s as glass flew everywhere. Then her arm was being yanked and she tightened her hold on her son as someone tried to pull him away from her.

There were a few moments of screaming and chaos as she and Reagan were pulled down a hallway. By the time things finally slowed down, she was staring up into caramel eyes so like hers she had to blink a few times to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating.

“Well, well, little girl,” her father said in a dry voice. “Looks like I finally got my hands on you again.”

She recoiled just as his hand swung out and caught her just above her jaw. Stars exploded behind her eyes as she fell to the ground. Hearing Reagan cry out in pain, she pushed herself up from the ground just in time to see her father grab for the boy’s arm.

“Don’t you touch him,” she growled as she threw herself at her father. She used every skill Roman had taught a sixteen-year-old girl who had been bullied and landed a solid kick to his shins.

Her left hook took the old man by surprise, causing him to drop the gun he had pointed at her son’s head. The right cross landed on his left ear, causing him to howl with pain as blood sprayed from the open cut that appeared. Next, she gave two quick jabs and had him up against the wall. She wound her right back for one of Roman’s specialty uppercuts, just as she heard the door behind them open. The blow landed on her father’s chin, sending him sprawling to the ground just as her brothers rushed into the room, cheering her on.

She stood over her father as Marcus grabbed up the gun and held it at his head. “Don’t you ever touch my family again, you bastard.” She spit on the ground in front of him, then turned and snatched up her son and ran from the room, knowing her brothers would take care of the scumbag until the police arrived.

***

“I tell you,” Cole said, laughing, “you should have seen it.” He smiled over at Missy, pride showing clearly in his blue eyes. “She’s a killer, that one.”

“I’ve never seen a pro boxer fight like our little sister did,” Marcus added, standing next to Shelly across the room.

Roman felt like a complete vegetable. His feet hurt like hell, and he couldn’t even move his shoulder. He hadn’t been there to protect his family when they’d needed it. His heart was heavy, knowing they could have been taken away from him so easily.

Missy’s hand was in his as Reagan sat next to him on his hospital bed. The kid’s eyes had been huge the entire time. A large smile played on his lips.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked her once more.

“Geez, Dad,” Reagan said, rolling his eyes. He realized it would never get old, having the kid call him that. “Like Uncle Marcus and Cole said, Mom took out Grandpa like a pro. And she’s promised me that she’ll show me how to box like her.” He smiled up at his mom and Roman saw something in the kid’s eyes akin to hero worship.

“Well…” He reached over with his good arm and ruffled the boy’s dark hair. “You do know who taught her, right?”

Reagan smiled. “Sure, Aunt Cassey said she did.”

Everyone in the room laughed as Cassey smiled and crossed her arms over her chest.

More than an hour later, after their family had left to go home, Missy tucked Reagan into the makeshift bed on the sofa across the room.

“He didn’t want to leave,” she said softly. “I hope it’s okay with the hospital that we stay tonight.”

He smiled and patted the spot next to him. “Just let them try to remove you.” He chuckled. “From the sounds of it, you can hold your own ground.” His smile fell away.

“What?” she asked, brushing her finger across his nose. “Why the sad look?”

His eyes met hers. “I wasn’t there to protect you.”

She smiled. “Oh, but you were. Who do you think taught me all those moves. If it hadn’t been for you…” She shook her head and closed her eyes as he pulled her closer.

“Shhh, don’t think about it,” he whispered into her hair. “We’re safe now.” She nodded. “Besides, no more need to run,” he said, causing her to pull back.