Justice

Chapter Five

Justice read the note Jessie had left on the bed. He’d gotten hung up with the press by the reporters but had hurried back to his room looking forward to being with her.

He read the note again, understood she’d gotten an emergency call from the task force after they’d gotten a lead on a New Species female and she’d had to leave. Tim Oberto had sent someone to pick her up. He snarled and crumpled up the note in his fist.

Justice pulled out his cell phone and froze. What would he do? Call the head of the task force and complain that he’d ordered Jessie to work when Justice wanted to climb back into bed with her? He cursed and lowered his cell. Jessie would never forgive him if he did that. Human women were private about their sex lives and independent. He doubted she would want the task force and the people she worked for to know she’d been in his bed. She’d also possibly resent him interfering with her job.

What pissed him off the most were her written words. She’d had fun and had thanked him. Worse, she’d told him to relax more and to attempt to work less. A growl of frustration burst forth again, his instincts at odds with his reasoning. She should have promised to come back or given him her number with an invitation to call. She didn’t.

She thanked me for a good time. He clenched his teeth. She said it was fun. FUN! Another snarl tore from his throat with his rising anger. It was more than fun!

Justice stared at the bed and his temper finally snapped. Jessie should be there waiting for him to touch her again and hold her in his arms while they slept. She made him laugh, the sex had been incredible and he’d been happy for once. His rage at the loss took hold and he lunged forward, his instincts refusing to be denied.

He attacked the mattress with gusto. His nails dug into the material and he ripped it up. When that didn’t make him feel better, he lifted the entire mattress and tore it apart. He attacked the box springs next, snapping the wood with his feet and broke the frame apart. The headboard succumbed to his temper tantrum last while he destroyed it. He stood in the middle of his room panting with a mess surrounding him.

He assessed the damage and cursed, half embarrassed at the destruction he’d created. He hadn’t allowed his temper to get the best of him once since he’d been freed despite the many times he’d been really angry. He’d lost it now for sure. He studied the damage grimly before storming out of the bedroom. He threw himself onto the couch, taking deep breaths but her faint scent filled his nose. He turned, buried his face against the cushions and inhaled deeply. It helped him remember every detail of them touching, his sense of smell keenly connected to his memories and he groaned. He wanted the real thing, not just sniffing at what he’d had.

What am I doing? He lifted his head with disgust. He was sniffing the couch just to smell Jessie Dupree. He uttered a vicious curse and stood to pace out his frustration. He finally calmed down enough to place a call downstairs. In minutes he’d ordered a new bed and bedding to be brought up. He hung up and closed his eyes. Jessie Dupree had driven him crazy. He was Justice North. He didn’t have time to lose his mind or reasoning over a female, not even a hot, little sexy one who made him happy when he wasn’t furious that she’d left.

The two Species males who brought up the new bed frowned at Justice when they cleaned up the destroyed bed and headboard. He glared at them, daring them to say a word about the floral stench in his suite. He’d walked into the bathroom and found a can of air freshener under the sink to mask Jessie’s scent before they’d arrived. No one would know she’d been in his bed and her female pride would be intact since they were so private.

The men left and Justice opened his phone. He always had work to distract him and he welcomed it suddenly. He dialed his nighttime staff, knew they’d be awake in their suites down the hall from him and ordered coffee. He liked the sweet, hot drink. He avoided the couch by setting up his computer at the bar instead. Half an hour later he was connected to his staff via the interface and immersed in work. He had coffee in front of him and his staff was busy updating him on projects currently underway.

The doorbell rang and hope gripped him for a second that it might be Jessie but Tiger stood there when he yanked open the door. He silently invited him inside by stepping out of the way.

“Are you all right?” Tiger frowned. “As head of security I’m informed of everything. I received a call that you totaled your bedroom. That is unlike you, Justice.

They said everything from the bedding to the headboard had to be replaced.”

Justice studied Tiger carefully. He was a trusted friend and he wanted to talk to someone. “It was over a female.”

“Ah.” Tiger grinned. “I hope she’s doing better than the things inside the bedroom did?”

“She’s fine,” Justice growled. “You know I’d never hurt a female.”

“It was a bad attempt at a joke. Do you want to talk about it?” Tiger sat on the arm of the couch.

“I wanted her to stay the night but she left while I was at the press conference. I lost my temper. I’m not proud of it but I was looking forward to spending more time with her. The reporters were brutal and wanted every detail about the raid. They didn’t appreciate me telling them some things were confidential and I refused to give up numbers. We’re dealing with victims after all and they don’t care about our privacy.

They also don’t seem to understand that every time more of us are rescued that it stirs the pot with the people who hate us. They put me in a bad mood and then I returned to find her gone.”

“So you destroyed the bed? I understand. I really do.” Tiger looked sympathetic.

“Maybe she’ll change her mind and knock on your door later.”

“She won’t.”

Tiger cocked his head. “You know our women, Justice. All those years of captivity made them unwilling to be with us for more than a few hours and they get antsy if you hint at anything more than sex. They don’t want to commit because they don’t want someone trying to tell them what to do. It’s in our nature to dominate and we’re a bit controlling. They know our flaws as well as we know theirs and that’s why they avoid anything beyond a few hours of physical enjoyment with us.”

Justice didn’t correct Tiger’s assumption that it had been a Species female he’d been with. “I wasn’t asking her to move in with me. I just wanted her to spend the night.”

Tiger grinned. “You could always get another female. You’re Justice North. Our females are all a bit enamored of you. You could walk into a room, hold out your arms and one of them would jump into them. You’re the ultimate strong male they are attracted to. Not only do you have physical strength but you’re viewed as iron willed because of your job.”

“They are drawn to me for the wrong reasons. It is because they think they owe me for all that I do. I don’t want a female who feels gratitude.”

Tiger’s grin faded. “You want one to come to you because she likes you for who you are.”

“Yes.”

“You’re lonely, aren’t you?”

Justice sighed. “I guess I am. It would be nice to have one person to share everything with. I would enjoy having the same female to go to bed with at night and hold.”

“I understand loneliness. I feel it sometimes.” He suddenly grinned. “Then I just find someone to come to my bed and feel much better afterward.”

Justice laughed, his amusement over his friend’s simple fix for what ailed him near comical. “You’re so easy.”

“It works for me.”

“Wait until you meet one that you want to keep longer than a few hours.”

Tiger’s smile died. “You found one in particular that you want to spend more time with?”

“Yes. Unfortunately. I should have canceled the press conference, broken all the phones and kept her in the bed with me for as long as possible.”

“Kept? You had her in your bed?”

Justice sighed. “Yes.”

“That good, huh? I’m sure she will come back eventually and spend more time in your bed. You are well liked and respected.”

“I don’t think she’s impressed with me.”

“All of our women are.”

Justice just nodded. He wasn’t about to admit that she wasn’t one of their females but it would be a hell of a lot easier if she were. He’d at least have access to her to tempt her back into his bed if she lived at Reservation or Homeland. He had no access to Jessie since she lived in the outside world.

“Stay with me for a while.” Justice hated to ask anything from someone else but he despised the idea of being alone even more. The sexy female would haunt him otherwise. “We’ll watch some movies Ellie suggested to me recently and I’ll order some food.”

Tiger stood and gripped his shoulder. “It sounds fun. I’m not sexy, not going to fuck you but I’ll spend the night.” He chuckled.

Justice laughed. “For that, you can order the food.”

Jessie strapped the gun to her thigh and tightened her bulletproof vest as she studied the men around her. They looked tense but she didn’t blame them. She’d overheard the team commander going over the security measures they were about to face. The old man who owned the mansion was paranoid and had a thing for hiring mercenaries to guard the grounds.

Tim Oberto walked to Jessie, looking grim. “You stay to the back, do you hear me?

Just because your daddy got you a permit to carry a gun doesn’t make you a real team member. You’re here to hold the woman’s hand and prevent the big boys from scaring the piss out of her. This one is going to be dangerous, Jessie. I will personally put you over my knee in front of the entire team and spank your ass if you pull a stunt similar to the one in Mexico five months ago. You remind me of my daughter and I’d do the same to her.”

Jessie frowned. “Mexico wasn’t my fault.”

He snorted. “Bullshit. You heard that woman scream and you didn’t wait for the team to clear the scene. You flew in there and the only thing that saved your ass was being short. That bullet missed your head by an inch because he aimed higher, expecting a man when you kicked in that door. You hold back until the scene is cleared and the woman is secured. You can take her in hand then and only then.”

“The only reason the female in Mexico is alive is because I went in. He planned to set fire to the place with her tied to a bed to destroy the evidence, which was her. A few more minutes and he would have finished the job.”

“Your life is more important.”

She shook her head. “You and your men risk your lives. Why can’t I do the same for the Species?”

“Because I’m in charge and I said so.” He smirked. “Another stunt like Mexico and I swear I’ll haul your ass in front of the men and whip your ass as if you were my daughter. Then I’ll call your father. I bet he’d yank your chain so hard he’d have you at home baking cookies for him in five minutes flat. That’s what I’d do.”

“You don’t know my father.” Jessie glared at him. “He raised me and I know him much better than you do. He taught me to be tough and that some things are worth taking chances on. He is with me on this. These Species we save are worth risking our lives for and he knows that as much as I do. If anyone gets their chain yanked it will be yours, so back off from beating your chest and telling me to act more like your version of what a woman should be.”

He spun away. She watched him walk to the assault vehicle he’d set up as the command post. “Bitch,” he rumbled.

Jessie glanced at her watch, refusing to let him bait her temper. Tim was a dick but he cared about his team, including her. It was two thirty in the morning and the raid would go down soon. She thought of Justice and figured he was definitely asleep at such a late hour. She sighed, wishing she were next to him in his bed, curled up against his side. Of course, wishing didn’t do a thing since she was two states away from him.

Jimmy Torres pointed to his watch, held up one finger and jerked his thumb toward one of the black vehicles. She pulled her hair back to secure it tightly at the base of her neck in a ponytail. She clearly wanted to be identified as a woman and her long hair helped. Her all-black, bulky outfit sure didn’t look feminine and the bulletproof vest hid her breasts.

She approached her team. Five men waited inside the black SUV parked a block from their target. She sat in the back seat. It was a tight squeeze to close the door and she glanced at the two guys sharing the bench seat with her. The task force was made up of all men who were at least six feet tall and muscularly built. They only hired large, strong men since sometimes they didn’t want Species males to noticeably stand out from the humans they worked with. It made them easier targets to pick off if it ever came down to a firefight.

Jessie shivered, thinking about that. So far she’d been lucky. The closest she’d ever come to being shot was the mission in Mexico. Shots had been exchanged but Jessie had stayed away from the fighting until she’d broken ranks.

The men had been pinned down but she’d been able to slip around to enter the back door of that house and go after that poor Gift Female. Tonight they were going in all at once. It was a large estate with three buildings on the grounds. The Species female could be stashed in any of the three locations. If the rich asshole still has her. If she is still alive and if the jerk who paid Mercile was given one of the women. The chances are good. You know that. Think positive. We don’t get called in unless they honestly believe we can recover one of them.

“What’s the word on this one?” Jessie glanced at Jimmy, seated next to her.

“We received a tip from an anonymous caller that this jerk is holding a weird-looking woman on his property and she’s being chained up. When the police ran the jerk’s background it turns out he has a strong association with Mercile. They called us.

A report like that immediately gets flagged. The tipster also implied this rich asswipe is about to move the woman. We knew we had to move on this one tonight. We’re hoping he hasn’t moved her yet since whoever called said it would go down tomorrow morning.”

Jessie felt hope. “It sounds like a hot tip.”

“That’s what the bosses said.” Jimmy grinned. “So when are you going to hole up inside a motel with me so I can have my dirty way with your body?”

She smiled over the conversation they always shared before a raid. She was pretty sure the ex-Marine wasn’t seriously hitting on her, that he was just trying to make her laugh by distracting her from becoming too nervous. He was good at doing that.

“When I’m ninety-two. Do you think you’ll still want me by then?”

He laughed. “Sure. I’ll let you climb on my lap in my wheelchair. I’ll pop some blue pills and we’ll talk about the first thing that comes up.”

Laughter softly floated around the SUV. Jessie smiled, relaxing a little. She liked most of the men on the task force. They teased her but not one of them had ever harassed her.

“It sounds kind of hard.” Jessie winked.

More laughter filled the vehicle. The driver and team leader, Trey, suddenly cleared his throat. “Lock and load, boys and girl. Put your ears on. We’re about to crash a party.”

Jessie shoved her earpiece in and secured it firmly to her ear. She waited. Six seconds later a voice over the com said, “Check.” Jessie held up a thumb. The other men did too. Trey nodded.

“We’re all good and we can hear you.”

“All right people,” Tim said in Jessie’s ear device. “We stick to the plan. On my ‘go’ let’s hit this mausoleum and see if we can wake the dead.”

Jessie took a deep breath and blew it out. She gripped the door to brace, her boots flattened on the floor and she swallowed while tucking her chin down just a little. She’d been on enough raids to know what to expect.

“Go!” Tim roared. “All go!”

The vehicle shot forward and Jessie’s back slammed into the seat from the sudden force but she’d been prepared. She hadn’t put on a seatbelt. None of them had since they needed to exit the vehicles quickly when they stopped. The SUV picked up speed fast. The gate next to the road was the only thing in the dark she could see until they reached the well-lit area where the gates sat to admit visitors to the estate.

Trey turned the wheel sharply to leave the road for the driveway. An explosion boomed ahead, bright light flashed and the locks on the iron gates blew apart. Their team had determined that blowing the locks on the gate would be the fastest entry and a marksman had nailed it with an explosive charge from across the street. The walls had motion sensors so going in on foot wouldn’t have worked. The rich guy also had motion sensors all over the grounds. Speed mattered and they didn’t have time to slow down for pesky locks.

Jessie realized they were the lead car as Trey gunned the vehicle straight at the iron gates. They hadn’t been blown open but the damage to the locks was clear even from a distance. They hit it hard, sparks flew and the gates parted with a massive noise. Jessie knew alarms had to be sounding inside the mansion. She turned her head, spotted six pairs of headlights right on their ass, driving in pairs.

Trey jerked the wheel hard, left the driveway and bounced over the curb. They’d been assigned to hit the guesthouse. One vehicle followed, still close on their ass. The easiest shortcut to that location was across the personal golf course.

“Avoid the sand,” Bob, the team member in the passenger seat, said and chuckled.

“It’s a trap.”

Jessie grinned. She really liked the guys and their smart-ass remarks. It helped keep the terror at bay as long as possible. The vehicle picked up speed.

“Hang on. We’re going airborne, kiddies,” Trey warned.

Jessie saw the small hill as they hit too fast and gritted her teeth. The nose of the SUV cleared the peak and they were flying. The vehicle slammed down hard when it landed. Trey weaved a little but kept control. The impact would have thrown her forward since she didn’t weigh as much as the guys but Jimmy had thrown his arm across her lap when the wheels left the ground. He’d kept her from moving too much.

“There went our stomachs but we’ll pick them up on the way back,” Bob groaned.

“Remind me to buy us all ass donuts for the next time we try that.”

Jessie saw a well-lit, two-story structure coming up fast. She reached down and unfastened the strap securing her gun inside the holster on her thigh. Her heart pounded. She knew it could turn really bad but she still hoped for the best. The fear would keep her sharp and alert. Terror was a good thing in a dangerous situation.

They reached the front of the guesthouse and Trey locked up the brakes hard, skidding ass end around a few feet and killed the engine. Jessie threw open the door and jumped out, moving fast toward the front doors. Trey and Bob were already ahead of her. Jimmy, Mike and Shane remained behind her.

Trey held a metal battering ram about three feet long and charged full force with it as he hit the locked double doors dead center. The wood splintered under the assault, popped apart and opened hard. Trey dropped the battering ram, just tossed it aside and grabbed both his guns. He and Bob entered first by throwing themselves to the sides of the door. Jessie slammed into the wall next to the entrance, yanked her gun out and waited.

“Clear,” Bob called.

Jessie eased around the broken door. She glanced around the large entryway, took in the curved stairwell, high ceilings and long hallway leading to other parts of the house. Trey and Bob moved door to door, clearing rooms while she stayed put with her gun trained at the top of the stairs to cover Jimmy and Shane as they rushed up them.

Mike took position across from Jessie to guard the door. Anyone coming in or out would face off against a heavily armed man. As soon as both men hit the landing above, she lowered her gun and turned to train it on the broken doors.

The waiting was the worst as Jessie stood there. She heard gunfire suddenly erupt from upstairs. Shit. Her gaze flew to Mike, met his grim, tense expression and hoped her team was doing the shooting. He jerked his head toward the front door. She moved, followed his silent command and stepped back outside. Her back pressed against the house as more gunfire came from the second floor. A gun battle had started.

“Gunfire inside the guesthouse!” Tim’s voice shouted into her ear. “Four armed men. Second floor.”

“We’ll get them,” Jimmy’s voice grunted. “One down. Three to go.”

Jessie’s gaze kept roaming the yard for any motion coming at them. Tim’s voice inside her ear kept her informed of what was happening with her team and the others.

“We have eight incoming heat signatures in two cars speeding toward the guesthouse from the south.”

Jessie jerked her head in that direction but didn’t see anything. In less than ten seconds that changed. Headlights appeared in the distance and approached quickly.

She moved, eased inside the house and nodded at Mike.

“I’ve got your back covered if you can handle the cars.” She glanced at his guns.

“You have the better toys.”

He smirked. “Keep your head down.”

“That’s not a problem. I’m short, remember?”

“Knock off the chatter,” Tim ordered. “Your mics are live since you’re under attack, team five.”

Great. Jessie rolled her eyes at Mike. He grinned and lunged next to Jessie, closer to the open doors. The sound of tires locking up prompted him to open fire. Jessie threw up her hand to cover her ear nearest to his weapon. She trained her gun toward the stairs to make sure no one tried to seek down them. Trey and Bob cleared the bottom floor and rushed back.

“Jessie, move your ass this way,” Trey ordered. “Bob, get upstairs to support Jimmy and Shane. I’m coming up behind you to guard the door, Mike. Don’t shoot me.”

“I’ll try not to,” Mike grunted.

Gunfire was deafening. Jessie found herself shoved farther into the house. They wanted her out of the line of fire but it was hard to do with guns being shot from above and outside. Gunfire pelted the front of the house and bullets dug into the wall by the staircase.

“Three of them just darted from the cars to go around the back,” Mike hissed. “Find a hole, Jessie. They are going to try to come at us from the back of the house. We’re screwed!”

“Fuck,” Trey snarled. “We’re pinned down! I repeat, we’re pinned down!”

Shit. There were windows everywhere past the hallway where a large living room opened up. If three men with guns breached it then she’d be a target no matter where she stood. They’d turn that corner and kill her friends, taking out anyone hiding along the way. She glanced around and lunged toward a doorway to a laundry room. It was the only place she couldn’t see a window. She heard glass break not too far from her and listened intently.

“They are breaking through from the living room,” Jessie warned softly. “I’ll cover your back, guys.”

“Damn it, Jessie,” Trey hissed. “Stay down and find a hole. I’ll try to cover our backs from this location.”

He wanted her to hide. If the three men got behind Trey and Mike they would be trapped and without cover in the long entryway despite her team leader’s bluff. He knew as well as she did that they were pinned down. He’d admitted it already to everyone.

“I’ve got your back,” she repeated more firmly.

She heard someone step on glass as it crunched loudly. She took deep breaths and jerked around the doorway, stepped into the hallway and crept to the end of it. She paused there, gripped her gun tightly and peeked around the corner into the living room. She raised her gun arm, saw a man stepping through the shattered window, pointed and fired. He screamed, going down. Bullets from his two companions tore up the wall near her. Jessie jerked back and ducked. The other two were already inside.

“One down,” she said softly.

“Jessie,” Trey hissed, “find a hole.”

She ignored the order. She took another deep breath and glanced around the corner, on her knees. One of the men had inched closer to her along the living room wall. His eyes widened when he jerked his chin down to stare at her in surprise. She opened fire and two bullets hit their mark. One found purchase in his chest and the other hit him in the face. She jerked back right as she saw the third man throw himself out from behind the couch to shoot at her.

“Two down,” Jessie whispered to her team. “One to go.”

Jessie had an idea. “I’m not really shot. I’m going to fake his ass out and have him come to me. Hug the walls and make yourself smaller targets, guys. I’m sure he can’t see if you’re in the closet area right inside the door. The cabinet should block his view of you.”

“Jessie!” Trey hissed. “Don’t do it.”

“Shut up and hug the damn wall,” she hissed back. She made a loud sobbing sound. “I’ve been shot. Oh My God. I’ve been shot. I’m dying. I can’t move. Someone help me.”

She eased back onto her feet to duck walk as far as she could to squeeze behind the dryer. It was a tight fit while she waited. The guy obviously believed he was a better shot than he actually was. He suddenly jumped into the doorway and pointed his gun at the floor where Jessie should have been. Jessie didn’t hesitate as the man’s gun exploded when he fired at the floor feet from her. She shot him three times in the chest.

His gaze widened, his mouth opened and blood poured out before he just collapsed backward.

“Three down,” Jessie got out in a shaky voice. “I’m checking vitals.”

“Don’t move, Jessie!” Tim roared. “Wait for backup.”

Oh, he’s pissed and I’m in a world of shit. She hadn’t really had a choice though. Trey and Mike had their hands full, were pinned and both needed to hold back the jerks outside. They needed that door from the living room to the entryway secure. That meant someone had to watch their backs. That left Jessie available to watch the living room and she’d done it.

Jimmy’s voice sounded. “Four down. I repeat, four down. The second floor is secured. No female here.”

Trey and Mike were still exchanging gunfire at the front door until another task-force team arrived to handle the attackers who were pinned without cover. Two of the property’s security guards were dead but another three gave up at that point. Jessie walked out from the laundry room into the hallway once an “all clear” was called.

Trey reached her first. He studied her grimly before leaning down to kiss her cheek.

“Good job.”

“Two are down in the living room but I haven’t checked to see if they are still breathing.” She avoided looking at the dead guy in front of the laundry room door.

“He’s definitely dead. I got him square in the face.”

Trey glanced down. “Yeah, he’s a toe tagger. I’ll check vitals on the others.” He strode away to do that.

“Someone’s gonna be in trouble,” Mike called out as he swaggered down the hallway holding his weapon cradled in his arms. “We were pinned down and you did good, kid. Thanks.”

Jessie nodded.

Trey returned from the living room. “Make that three toe taggers. You got one in the neck and the other one in the face and chest. I think all that gun-range target practice is paying off, Jessie. The bad news is that there’s no female here. The mansion was just cleared by our teams. The garage and staff living quarters were cleared by our teams. They must have moved her before we arrived.”

Jessie frowned. “They were guarding this building for a reason.”

She spun, nearly ran and searched the lower floor. She glanced at the stairs and headed that way but Trey grabbed her arm. “It’s been secured, Jessie. I’m sorry. If she was here she isn’t now. I know it’s hard to accept but we missed her.”

“Did you find a room they would have kept her in?”

“No. None of the team reported that. They would have.”

“They were protecting something. It’s a guesthouse but it’s empty. All those bodies are security. The dead guys have patches. Why station four men at this location for no good reason and then send eight more out here?” She refused to give up hope.

Trey shrugged. “Maybe the four lived here.”

Jessie jerked her arm out of his hold. “I’m going to take another look. I don’t care if we have to tear it down but they were protecting something that we haven’t found yet.”

Trey hesitated. “Hurry. Tim is on his way and he’s really pissed at you.”

She ran up the stairs. The men were guarding something. Her gut was screaming it at her. The guy who owned this guesthouse was associated with Mercile Industries. He was obviously a rich bastard and probably not a nice guy if he hired mercenaries to guard his property.

She reached the first room, found no furniture at all and searched the open closet.

She used her flashlight to search every inch of room, kicked all the walls and found them solid. She bounced a little on the flooring inside the closet and the room but nothing indicated any loosened floorboards.

The next room had a card table set up and two dead men were sprawled on the floor. The table and four chairs were the only furniture in the room. She went for the closet first, not looking forward to having to roll the dead bodies to test the floors under them. She searched it with the flashlight but saw nothing. She kicked one side and heard a solid sound. She kicked the back wall but it didn’t sound right. She frowned and kicked it again. Hollow.

Jessie crouched down and used her flashlight to study the floor carefully. She spotted slight scratches a few feet from the molding. Her fingers brushed over it.

“Goddamn it, Jessie! I fucking warned you,” Tim yelled from behind her. “I’m going to turn you over my knee.”

“Shut up. I found something.” She didn’t bother to look at her boss, too focused on the wall in front of her.

There was silence behind her. Jessie bit her lip and pushed on the wall but it didn’t move. She stood, backed up and studied the wall from a new angle. She glanced back at her team to see that Tim waited in the doorway, glaring at her. Trey and a few of the other guys had followed him up.

Jessie turned, kicking out at the wall hard. Her foot made contact and punched through the plaster a little. The plaster was an inch thick but only darkness appeared in the small hole she’d made instead of wood beams or insulation that should have been behind it. She crouched down and aimed her flashlight into the hole.

“What is it?” Trey was at her side.

“Take it down,” Jessie ordered softly. “It’s a false wall.” She backed up out of his way.

Trey yanked her flashlight out of her hand and crouched to aim the light at the small hole, nodding. “She’s right.” Trey stood. He shoved her flashlight at her as he took a step back. He kicked the plaster wall. “Back up more.”

Jessie gave him room to do his thing. Trey was a big guy, stronger, and he had the kickass military boots on. In minutes he’d destroyed enough plaster to make a hole big enough for a man to crawl through. He reached for his own flashlight clipped to his belt, dropped to his knees and his other hand yanked out his sidearm.

“It’s another room,” he confirmed, inching closer.

Jessie’s heart pounded as Trey disappeared into the hole on his hands and knees.

Seconds passed as slowly as if they were minutes. Trey suddenly called out.

“Jessie, get in here. She’s alive.”