Celtic Dragon Page 16

  Chapter 20

  Emma

  The next morning, Caden and the boys spend most of the day in the basement. Caden says that we need to be ready to go back to the States today and that Damon and Patrick will be taking us to the airport later tonight. I’m a little nervous about what he’s up to, but I have to trust that he knows what he’s doing. And in doing that, I have to believe that he will come out of this alive. That they all will.

  After we get all our stuff together, Honey, Ari, and I try to keep busy for the rest of the day. I brought a book with me, so I spend most of my time lost in one of the best romance novels I’ve read in a long time. Ari is totally occupied with her phone, probably on Facebook. I think that’s what they call it; I’ve never been one for social media. Honey has a book with her as well, but she is nervous and fidgety all day. I see her try to read, but she often puts her book down and just stares into space. Then she paces. I know she’s worried about the guys and what they are up to tonight. I try to reassure her, which is odd because she’s always the one reassuring me.

  The boys came up from the basement late in the afternoon and start to get their stuff together to leave Ireland. We’re all going home tonight. When it’s time for them to leave, Caden comes over to me with a guy that I have not met yet. “Emma, this is Reese. He will be staying with you and will make sure that you all get to the airport on time tonight.”

  “Oh,” I reply, surprised. “I thought Daman and Patrick were taking us?”

  “They are, Reese is just insurance. I really don’t completely trust those two and although I felt I needed to give them something to do to keep them out of my hair, I also had to make sure that the task I gave them got done.” He smiles.

  “I get it,” I reply.

  He leans in and kisses me on the cheek and says, “We’ve gotta go, babe. I’ll see you at the airport.” He kisses me on the lips this time and turns to leave.

  “Caden?” I call after him. He turns and raises an eyebrow. “Please be safe. Come back to me in one piece, please,” I say. I’m really worried about what he’s about to do. They’re all loaded up with weapons, some of which I have never seen before, and it scares me. I have no idea what they’re doing, but judging by the mood everyone has been in today, I know it’s dangerous.

  He walks back over to me and gives me another hug. “Do you really think you can get rid of me that easily? I’ll be back, I promise.” He kisses me again and then proceeds to hug his sister and Honey as well.

  “See you later, Emma,” Rebel says as he gives me a hug. Doc and Ryder both say their goodbyes as well and they all head out the door, accompanied by Liam.

  At first, Honey, Ari, and I try to keep busy. We’re all so worried about the boys and we know that if we just sit around the house doing nothing, our worries will get the best of us and make us crazy. We have a couple of hours before Damon and Patrick take us to the airfield and since all our stuff is already packed and ready to go, we decide to watch a movie. Nothing passes time better than a good movie.

  When the movie is over, I notice the stillness of the house. It’s so quiet I can hear the tick of every clock and every creak the house makes. It’s an odd, eerie feeling and I don’t care how early it is, I’m ready to leave and just wait at the airfield. This waiting is killing me.

  “Damon, would it be ok if we headed over to the airfield now?” I ask. “I don’t mind waiting there and I am sure the girls don’t either.”

  “I don’t,” Honey says.

  “I’d love to go now,” Ari adds.

  Damon looks over at Patrick and says, “It’s a little early, but what do ya say, bro? Wanna head over to the airfield? It might give us some extra time to take care of that other matter.”

  Patrick gives Damon a knowing look and nods. “Ok ladies, we’ll get your stuff loaded in the SUV.”

  After all our bags are loaded, we all get in the car and head out. I’m anxious but also happy. I’m not sure what to expect; all I know for sure is that we’re going to an airfield. I don’t even know if it will be like an airport or something totally different. But the one thing I do know is that we’re boarding a plane tonight and going back home.

  Forty minutes later, we arrive at the airfield. There isn’t much there, just a building and a couple of runways for the transport flights that go in and out of this facility. I realize that we would have been better off waiting at home, but all three of us were so anxious to get moving that we didn’t think about what this place would be like. Caden said that our flight would be leaving at midnight. I look at my watch; we have three hours to wait.

  “Well, Emma, Patrick and I need to go. Will you girls be alright?” Damon asks me shortly after we arrive.

  Surprised that he is just gonna leave us here, I say, “You’re not staying until the boys get here?”

  “We can’t. We have something that we need to take care of.” He pauses for a moment and then adds, “But you ladies have Reese. Isn’t that why Ice had him tag along in the first place?” I look over to Reese and he smiles. Caden knew exactly what he was doing when he had Reese tag along. Before I can even answer Damon he adds, “It was nice meeting you girls. Have a safe flight home.”

  Patrick adds, “Yes, really great to meet you all.”

  And just like that, they are both walking out the door and we’re now left alone with Reese in a strange airfield.

  As the time ticks by, the more worried and concerned we become. Caden told me to get on that flight whether he and the boys made it or not. At the time, I didn’t think it would be an issue, but as the night progresses and it gets dangerously close to midnight I begin to worry.

  At 11:30, the pilot and co-pilot greet us.

  “You ladies with Caden Jackson?”

  “Yes,” I reply.

  Looking around, the pilot asks, “He here?”

  “No, not yet.”

  “And you are?” he asks.

  “Emma, I’m his fiancée.”

  “Is there a way you can contact him? I was told that we would be transporting four women and five men. By my count we’re a lass and five lads short.”

  “We’re waiting on the other six. They’re supposed to be here by now.” Where are they? Something must’ve happened, or they would have been here by now.

  “You realize, ma’am, that I can’t wait for them. I need to have this plane loaded and boarded by midnight,” the pilot says.

  “I know. We still have some time. Hopefully they’ll get here.” I’ve never been one to do a lot of praying, but I figure that now is as good as time as any to start.

  Chapter 21

  Caden

  Our first stop is the Belfast Knights clubhouse. We drop the loaner bikes and switch vehicles. After spending a few minutes with Declan and the guys that are helping us, they hop into a black SUV, wish us well, and drive away. They’re going to be our lookouts at the prison and need to get there before we do.

  Parked next to the SUV is a truck. It almost looks like an 18-wheeler, but it’s shorter, white, and on the side in big letters it reads HM Food Services.

  “What’s that?” I ask.

  “What? The lorry?” Liam responds.

  “The what?”

  “Oh, lorry, it’s our word for truck. This one delivers food to the prison,” Liam says.

  “Oh. I guess we’re making a food delivery tonight?”

  “You got it. Had to get you in through the gate somehow,” he replies. Opening the back, he says, “Ice, you ride up front with me. You three, in the back.” The boys get in the back and Liam and I get in the cab.

  When we get to the prison, we stop just outside the gates. Liam asks, “You ready for this?”

  “Do I have a choice?” I reply and he laughs.

  Personally, I don’t find any of this funny, but maybe that’s how he deals with stress. Me, I have nothing to be laughing about right now. The prison is a fucking fortress. There’s a fifteen-foot fence that surrounds the entire prison. An eighteen-f
oot concrete wall topped with barbed wire also surrounds a portion of the prison. The outer gates appear to be solid steel and are electronically operated.

  Liam pulls up to the main gate, stopping at the guard stand. “Late delivery?” the guard asks him.

  “Aye,” he says. “They got us working OT tonight.”

  The guard flashes his flashlight into the cab of the truck, looking at both of us closely, and then says, “Go on.” He lifts the gate and just like that, we’re in.

  “Shit, I was afraid he was going to recognize you,” I say as we drive through the gate.

  “I knew he wouldn’t. I was an internal guard. The gate guards rarely venture inside the prison.”

  “That’s good to know,” I reply.

  He pulls over to the left side of the prison and stops in the darkness. “You need to get out here. I need to go around back to the loading dock to make this delivery, then I’ll be at the tunnel to pick you all up.” He reaches under his seat and pulls a latch and I hear a click. “The guys in the back should be able to get out now. The tunnel is right over there,” he says, pointing in the direction of the main entrance. “Be safe, watch your ass, and hopefully I’ll see you on the other side.”

  I nod and get out of the cab, walking to the back of the truck. They’re getting out as I approach. We close the back and Liam leaves.

  As we slowly approach the entrance, through the shadows of the cars in the parking lot we can see Declan and T-Rex talking to one of the guards just outside the main doors. We hear a bit of yelling and commotion, but we’re sure that’s a distraction for our benefit. I look at my watch: 9:13 pm. We have two minutes to get over to the spot where Liam indicated. Heading in that general direction, I see a small hint of light coming from beneath the bushes. I tap Rebel on the shoulder and whisper, pointing to the light, “That’s it.” He nods.

  We approach the entrance, which is basically a round manhole opening. It’s not completely open, but I hear a voice from inside. “You Ice?” the man at the door asks.

  “Yeah.”

  “Get in quick, your guys out there can only keep them occupied for so long.” The trapdoor opens some more and one by one all four of us climb inside.

  “You friends with Liam?” I ask.

  “Yeah. I’m Denis,” he says, extending his hand to me.

  Shaking his hand, I ask, “So what now?”

  “We get the O’Byrnes out,” Denis says as he holds up a key.

  “Lead the way.”

  Denis proceeds into the darkness of the tunnel. The only light we have comes from the flashlight he holds in his hand. We walk for several minutes, getting deeper and deeper into the prison.

  Nobody speaks; we just follow Denis one by one until we come to a gate. Denis pulls out a ring of keys and opens the gate. We walk through the tunnel, turning right, then left, left, and then right again until we approach another gate. With the same ring of keys, he selects another key and opens this gate as well. We take a few steps and come to a security door that’s armed with an alarm. The tunnel proceeds to the left. Denis stops at the door.

  “How are we getting through?” Rebel asks. “That door looks armed.”

  “The alarm has been disengaged. See?” he says as he opens the door. He ushers us through and now we’re standing in one of the hallways of the prison. On the wall in front of us reads a sign: Cell Block C – Closed.

  “This way,” he says, turning right down the hallway. As we follow down the hallway, a guard up ahead turns the corner and quickly approaches us. I notice he’s carrying a semi-automatic pistol in his right hand. Oh, fuck!

  “You need to move fast,” he says to Denis. Thank God. They must be friends.

  “Why?” Denis asks.

  “There’s an uprising in B Block. Prisoners are waging war.”

  “What the fuck?” Denis says.

  “It’s chaos. You don’t have much time and I can’t guarantee they’ll get out. Move fast.”

  Denis nods and says to us, “You heard the man. Let’s go.”

  We pick up the pace, walking quickly down the long hallway. At the end of the hall is another door. Opening the door, Denis says, “Head left.” We do as he says, walking past several empty cells as Denis follows behind us.

  I get to the end of the hall first. Peering at the cell to my right, I spot a man. Sitting next to him is a woman who looks remarkably like Ace. Rebel comes up behind me and the woman whispers, “Balefire?”

  “Ma! Da! We’re getting you out! Hang tight,” Rebel exclaims. Denis walks up with the key and opens the cell. My aunt and uncle just stand there staring at me. What the fuck?

  “Come on!” Rebel yells. “We don’t have much time!”

  They look to us in confusion, and Aillise’s eyes fixate on me more closely. “Caden?” she asks. I nod.

  “Ma, come! You can have your reunion once we get out of this bloody hellhole. Go!” She shakes her head as if disoriented, and Rebel seems to realize that he’s yelling at her. She rushes out of the cell and my uncle follows. We proceed down the hall back the way we came.

  When we get to the last door, Denis says, “This is where I have to leave you. Can you get back to the tunnel?” I nod. Liam had told us that Denis wasn’t going to be able to escort us out, so I’d made sure to take a mental note of our steps when we came in. “Instead of going back through the tunnel the way you came, go right and follow that tunnel. At every turn, go right. It will lead you to the trapdoor that you’ll be able to leave from. Godspeed.” He hands me his flashlight and turns back toward the cell block.

  “We’re on our own now,” I say grimly. “Guns ready.” Rebel, Ryder, Doc, and I remove the safety on our AKs. We’re armed and ready. Doc, Ryder, and I lead while Rebel follows behind Aillise and Connor. They don’t say a word, they just follow. They’re putting their lives in our hands. I know we’re here to get them, but I never realized until now the importance of what we’re doing. We’re saving the lives of two people. I’m not sure I can say they’re innocent, but they’re my family. Rebel’s family.

  Once we get back into the tunnels, I lead as Denis instructed, going right at every intersection we encounter. As we move quickly through the tunnels, I begin to hear footsteps quickly approaching us. We start moving more swiftly, and temporary relief hits when we turn every corner—but it’s always snuffed out by the approaching footsteps.

  We continue to move quickly, guns still at the ready. I can sense that we are getting to the end and again relief washes over me. Turning the last corner, the footsteps continue to get louder. Suddenly, shots begin to ring out. What the fuck!

  They’re right on our heels as we approach the hatch.

  I turn back to see what’s coming and spot four figures, all armed and running directly toward us. I quickly turn back to the hatch and work hard to get it open. Once it opens, I force my aunt and uncle to go through first. Doc and Ryder follow, then Rebel. Just as I’m about to climb through, I feel the wind of gunshots flying past me. This can’t be happening now! We are so close! I turn back instantly and fire my entire clip into the four men charging at us. All of them hit the ground. I’ve always been a good shot.

  Turning back to the hatch, I realize that Rebel is still hanging onto the rail of the hatch. He hasn’t moved. When I try to nudge him, he goes limp, falling into me as we fall to the ground. Fuck, he’s been hit!

  Suddenly, I hear more footsteps and realize I need to act quickly. Instead of checking his wound right there in the dark tunnel, I grab him and lift him through the hatch. Ryder reaches through and grabs him, saying, “Ice, what the fuck happened?”

  “Get him in the truck, I’m coming! I’ll fill you in once we get out.”

  Ryder pulls Rebel through the hatch. Just as I’m about to climb through, more shots fly past me. I’ve about had it with these fuckers! Reaching into my jacket pocket, I pull out the grenade that I’d brought along just in case. While holding down on the lever, I pull the pin. I toss the grenade toward
the mass of guards that are quickly gaining on me. It explodes directly in front of them. I don’t wait to assess the damage; I quickly turn and proceed through the hatch. The truck is right where Liam had said it would be, and Conner and Aillise are already in the back of the truck. Doc and Ryder carry Rebel in and I close the back behind them. I run to the passenger side of the truck and open the door.

  “Let’s get the fuck out of here!” I say.

  “Trouble?” Liam asks as he starts to drive.

  “We almost got caught. The guards were gaining and started firing on us. I may have blown some of them up.”

  “What the fuck, Ice?”

  “It had to be done. We had to get out.” I wait and when he says nothing, I continue, “Rebel got shot. I don’t have any idea how bad it is, but he’s unconscious in the back. Doc is back there with him and I’m hoping he can at least hold the wound until we get safely away.”

  Liam drives the truck with purpose, making it look like he’s just leaving from his delivery. When we get to the gate, the guard stops us. Fuck, what else can go wrong tonight?

  “What’s the problem?” Liam asks.

  “Sorry, I can’t let you leave.”

  “Why?”

  “We’ve had some inmates take over Cell Block B. The prison is on lockdown.”

  “Oh shite, man, I’m already working OT, can’t you let me go? I wasn’t even near Cell Block B.”

  “I’m sorry, I can’t,” he replies. “Warden’s orders.”

  This can’t be happening. Not only do I have a flight to catch, but Rebel is losing blood by the minute. I look around to see if any other guards are around. It appears that the upper towers are unmanned; I assume everyone was called to the cell block in question. Slowly, I reach down along my pant leg and pulled out my Glock. I cock it and aim it directly at the prison guard. Liam sits as far back as he can to ensure he’s not in my line of fire. I say, “The way I see it, buddy, you have two choices. You either open this gate and live, or we kill you and bust our way through. It’s your choice.”

  His fingers slowly inch toward his gun. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. You keep your hands where I can see them.”