Chapter 27: Chapter Twenty Seven

Andy scanned the huge yard, focusing on the large house that resembled a small prison. It took him a moment to take in the many iron-grilled windows. He raised his gun higher, moving silently towards the back of the house. So far so good. No one had seen them move in.

He braced his back against the cool concrete wall then jerked his head to Louie who followed close behind. Louie signaled to him that he had his back covered. With a quick nod, Andy moved towards the door. He pressed his ears to steel listening for sounds or movements.

A second ticked by. No movement. The place was dead silent. Louie brushed against him and pointed his gun to the brass handle on the door. Compressing his lips, Andy tested handle then quietly turned the nub. He braced himself for some kind of resistance. When none came, and a click sounded, the door swung open easily.

Gun first, he stepped into the slightly lit room. Glancing over at Louie he saw him scouting the small room. It looked like they'd stepped into a basement. The ceiling was low. Cobwebs casting eerie shadows on the white walls. Stacks of clutter were piled almost everywhere. There was a door on the far side of the room and a short flight of steps leading straight ahead.

He stepped back to whisper to Louie just as he closed the door they'd entered with a soft click.

When Louie was close enough, he whispered. “Take that door, find Annie and my son. I’ll take the stairs.”

With a quick nod, Louie walked away.

“Good luck,” Andy said under his breath.

Andy crept slowly up the wooden stairway and it groaned under his weight. He held the brakes on his steps listening for the door ahead to come flying open. After a few seconds of waiting, he tentatively continued on his way.

Easing the door open he peered out into the brightly lit hallway. Shit. Andy jerked back almost banging his head on the wall. A cloud of dust whooshed out behind him and he waved it away, praying he wouldn't fall into a sneezing fit. Breathing slowly he pressed his back to the wall. Two men were on the opposite of each other standing guard at a door on the far side of the hallway.

You can do this. Deep breaths. Andy sucked in a deep breath and released the air slowly through his nose. Looking out this time he observed everything in his line of sight. First, he made sure the men weren’t looking his way. They were too busy passing cards to each other.

Directly in front of him was a deep maroon colored door with a huge golden lock. He could take his chances and test to see if the door would open. He had to get rid of those two.

A plan formed in his head. Risky—but definitely worth trying. Andy glanced back at the men. They were doing a Piss-poor job of looking out. The one with the huge tattoos on his arms had taken to the floor to count his winnings. Andy’s eyes moved to the other—Christ, but he was a scrawny one. His neck was overly long while his face was so narrow his bulbous eyes hardly had space to accommodate it.

At least he had an advantage, None of the men had any noticeable weapons. One man let out a grumbling curse and snatched at the other man’s throat.

“Give me my bloody money! You cheated, you scaly trout fucker!”

“I won fair and square. You’re too dumb to notice.”

“I’m going to kill you—something your momma should have done when she first saw your ugly mug.”

“Don’t talk about my mother.”

“What will you do? Poke me in the eyes. Run to the boss?”

As the men argued back and forth, Andy wondered if his plan would work. He didn’t think he could take down two men at the same time. He had to try; he couldn’t possibly shoot them from where he was hiding. That’s a dead giveaway.

“Shut the fuck up. Both of you. Boss needs us to stay on the alert. Not you two arguing like a bunch of jackasses.”

“Shit,” Andy hissed, yanking himself back just as another man who sounded and built like a monster truck stepped into the hallway.

He eased the door closed as quiet as possible. The man belted out a few curses and continued to scold the men.

“Get the hell out of my way, I’m going into the break room.”

“He started it.” One man whined.

“I said shut the hell up.”

Andy stepped down a few steps as footsteps neared his hideout.

“The cameras are down. Payne, go check that shit out. Thank-the-heck for the backup generator or else we would still be without lights. Fucking electricity.”

Crap. That would explain the lights. Andy had almost forgotten Deneilo shutting off the power. With the cameras still not working, he had nothing to worry about—well, except those idiots guarding that door. Andy would bet on his life Annie was being kept in that room.

Voices neared, and he held his breath as the two men walked passed where he hid.

“What do you think the boss will do with that hot chick? Dark skin. Smoother than a motherfucker. I’ve always loved chocolate. Even when that shit rotted my teeth, I couldn’t stop eating. I wonder if he’ll let me have a go at her?”

Andy clenched his teeth until his jaw ached in exertion. He wanted to burst out there and squeezed the life out of that bastard’s neck. He vowed in his mind to kill the man just for his words. His chest tightened and he barely held himself back from ramming his fist into the door.

“You better cut that shit out and mind your own freaking business. That woman and baby are off limits.”

“What the hell is your problem, man?”

“Look, Payne, I have no time for your shit. That fucker—Andy—messed with the boss’s head and you, me and rest need to stay the heck out and do as we’re told.”

Andy pondered over the man’s words. He knew the boss had to be Kyle, but what the hell did he do to him? Kyle was his best friend. Soon to be... ex-best friend. Everything was so confusing, but he had a feeling he was close to finding out all the details. Mysteries were his kryptonite. He hated that shit. Andy didn’t hear Payne’s reply; all he heard was the door slamming and then complete silence.

Back to the plan he had tucked away in his mind, he peered out for the third time. The remaining man was pacing in front of the door. His toothpick legs kicking at invisible pebbles.

Andy let out a low whistle, and the man jerked around just as he pulled himself back against the wall. Chest rising and falling in quick successions, he waited until he heard the scrawny man approaching.

When he saw the shadow under the door whisk past, he eased open the door.

“Who’s there?” he heard the man asked.

“Your fucking nightmare,” Andy clonked the bastard hard at the back of his head with the butt of his gun.

A strangled scream escaped his mouth as he stumbled forward. His ankle twisted, and he crashed into the wall. Shit, he had a hard head. Andy thought the hit would knock him out stone cold. And what a waste of thoughts that was. The man had righted himself and was turning to face Andy. His claw-like hand clutching the back of his head.

Andy didn’t wait, he rushed forward and sent his fist into the man’s bonny nose. The sickening crunch of the cartilage almost made him gag. The man grabbed for his face, bright red blood gushing from his nose. A keening sound erupted from his mouth as he went down hard on his knees.

“You broke my nose,” he cried.

“That’s not all I will break,” Andy whispered.

“Who the fu--"

Andy didn’t wait for him to finish his sentence, he grabbed a handful of the man's greasy hair and yanked his head back. The force of it caused his skinny neck to popped while his protruding Adam's Apple bobbed in urgency. Andy’s finger brushed over the growing lump at the base of his scalp. That had to hurt. Putting pressure on the injury, he heard the man released a gurgling sound. Andy sneered and the man’s eyes bugged.

“This is for kidnapping my woman and child.”

He pulled back and landed a solid punch to his temple sending him unconscious in a matter of seconds. Andy moved back and the man’s scrawny body slid to the ground. Thwack. His head smacked hard against the ground. That should keep him out for a while. Andy did a quick sweep of the place and shoved his gun into the waist of his pants.

Andy grabbed the man’s feet and dragged him into the room. Propping his unconscious body on the stairs. He pulled the door closed and made his way down the hall.

When he reached his destination, he pressed his ear to the door just in time to hear a weak cry. Not thinking, he kicked the door open and burst his way inside.

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