“It’s going to be okay,” he told them. “I’ll make sure of it.”
“
What’s the ACAB Militia?” Isobel asked.
Callum’s jaw clenched as he quickly decided how much he should tell her. His memory brought up an image of the letters tattooed on the dead guy’s knuckles. He’d thought it was the more common use of the acronym. He hadn’t even considered other possibilities. If he had, they wouldn’t have been in this position. He’d have taken Isobel and her kids far from Arness and called in every resource he could get his hands on to protect them.
But he’d been careless. And now, they were stuck in a makeshift bomb shelter with one of the most dangerous groups on the planet bearing down on them. And Isobel deserved the truth.
“It stands for Anarchy, Chaos, Annihilation and Brotherhood. They’re a group of mercenaries, disenfranchised gang members and self-taught military. They’re guns for hire. Terrorists without a country or a home. They take jobs that cause as much trouble as possible, and they only care about the money.”
“Oh.” Her eyes clouded with tears, and she blinked fast. “Okay. Thanks.”
Callum touched the keypad on the gun safe beside the door at the bottom of the stairs. There were two handguns inside. Not enough to defend them for long. He took one out, inserted the clip and checked the gun. He did the same with the other one before looking at Elle.
“You still practising at the range?” After the Peru mission, he’d made it mandatory for everyone in the London office to know how to use a weapon.
“Yes. I can even hit what I’m aiming at now. Mostly.”
That was good enough. It had to be. He handed her his spare gun. It looked completely out of place in her hand. Blue hair, yellow dress, pink handcuffs, purple Doc Marten boots—and a Beretta. Callum ran a hand over his face and hoped they wouldn’t all die.
Jack put his arm around his mother’s shoulders, his serious gaze on Callum. “What can I do?”
“Protect them. You still have the stun gun I gave you?”
Jack nodded, but it was clear he knew it wouldn’t be enough against the team coming for them.
“Elle.” Callum turned to his blue-haired tech. “You need to get hold of Lake. Tell him he needs to call in everything he has, and get it here fast. Tell him we don’t know what we’re dealing with, but let him know who it is.”
She nodded, pulled out her phone and looked at the screen. “No signal. Hundreds of pounds on a state-of-the-art phone and it won’t work in a bloody basement in Scotland.”
Callum pointed at the wall. “Landline. Old school.”
She rushed for the phone, her eyes wide when she looked back at him. “Dead.”
They’d cut the line. That knowledge rippled through the room, ratcheting the tension up as it went. Isobel started to shiver, and Sophie made a little whimpering noise as she picked up on her mother’s distress.
Callum tossed his phone to Elle. “Mine works on the stairs. You call. I’ll cover you.” He looked at Jack. “Get your mum and Sophie into the middle bedroom. Guard the door and stay there until I come for you.”
Jack nodded and turned towards the room.
“What about you?” Isobel grasped his arm.
“I need to deal with this.”
“Be careful.” Her bottom lip trembled, and it was too much to take.
Callum clasped the back of her head and pulled her in for a quick and deep kiss.
“Wanna kiss too,” Sophie demanded when he pulled back from her mother.
“This is too gross,” Jack said, but there was amusement in his eyes.
Callum kissed Sophie’s cheek. “Be a good girl for your mum. Jack, watch over them.”
Jack nodded, and they ran for the room Callum had been sleeping in. The room he’d been hiding in for the past few months. Well, he was done hiding from life. He wanted to live large and live well, with the woman and kids who’d stolen his heart.
“Let’s get going.” He held his gun tight in his hand.