Guarding Forever

“And you think I’m supposed to buy that shit? I wasn’t born yesterday, lady. You’ve got the heart of a stone-cold killer and it bleeds through your eyes. Now, what’s your real name and who is your husband?”

“Anna Sparks. My husband is Dallas Sparks.”

“Cummings’s lawyer.”

“I need to make a call. You move, and I’ll put a bullet through your skull, no questions asked. I’ve met evil bitches like you before and I’ve killed them as well.”

Mike brought up Dax’s number on his phone and dialed. “Hey, I’m on the way to the hospital. Gage asked that I be informed. What the hell is going on?”

“I don’t have time to explain, but Cummings is dead on Gage’s floor and his accomplice is on the run. I have Anna Sparks tied up until you get here or she tries something fucking stupid. We’re still looking for the other guards that were supposed to be here.”

Bill and James came back inside. “One second.” Mike turned the guys and asked, “Well?”

“They’re not here and neither is their car.”

“Okay. Grieg and Moran bolted. Send someone here to deal with this mess, but you get to the hospital and secure Gage and Hope. I have a feeling the hospital isn’t safe.”

“On it. I’ll send a team right now. With the storms raging like this, I don’t know how long it’s going to take.”

Mike glanced back over at Grace and saw the fatigue and strain on her body. He didn’t know what else they did to her, but she definitely needed to see a doctor for the head injury. “I need a medic for Gage’s mom as well.”

“Of course. How’s the baby?”

“He’s good with his grandma.”

Mike ended the call and then took the baby from Grace. “I’ll look after him for now. We’re going to need to get to the hospital as well, but we’ll have to deal with this shitshow right here first.”

“I’m thirsty,” Grace groaned.

“I’ll get a drink for you.” Bill went into the kitchen and then came right back. “Mike. We have a problem.”

“What is it?” he asked, keeping Johnny happy while never taking his eyes off the imposter.

“Can you smell this?” He passed the baby back to Grace and then took the glass.

“Almonds in lemonade?” His mind tried to figure out what that meant. “That’s cyanide,” he shouted out.

“Son of a bitch.” The entire kitchen had been filled with mostly prepared foods. “There was no guarantee that only the lemonade had been poisoned. Dump it all. I don’t want anyone to even sample it. The groceries from the store are still in my trunk. There’s a case of water bottles and Gatorade.”

“Okay, I’ll run and get it.”

“No. Send James. You watch that bitch out there. He’s used to wrangling heifers, but that’s one sick, twisted bitch out there.”

“Got it.”

As they tossed all the food on the counter in the garbage, Mike blurted out, “Where is the real Ms. Rhoades?”

“Good question. Let’s ask this bitch.”

Mike confronted the woman with his hands on the armrests of her chair as he glared in her face. “Where the fuck is the real Ms. Rhoades?”

“Trapped in Cummings’s apartment.” There had been no true fear in her eyes. She answered as if she couldn’t give two fucks about the woman.

“Why didn’t he just kill her too?” Bill questioned.

Mike stood up and crossed his arms and answered for her. “Because I bet he plans on selling her, doesn’t he?”

She shrugged off the question, remaining completely unaffected. “There’s a lot of money in sex trafficking.”

“Damn, see? I told you she was heartless. I wonder how many cases her husband has taken that involve that same issue.”

“How many did he sell?” Mike added.

“He’s not into that.” That was the first time she spoke with inflection. She either had to be naïve or willingly ignorant.

“Whatever lies you want to tell yourself.”

Sirens blared through the fast-approaching rain.

Bill’s phone rang and he put it on speaker. “What’s going on, Chris?”

“We’ve got almost all of them wrangled and in the barn, but we’re missing two.”

“Report back. Maybe someone will find them grazing somewhere in the morning.”

“It’s still early. Is there something wrong?”

“Yes.”

“We’re on our way.”

The police, fire, and ambulance arrived. “The body’s over here. This wench was his accomplice, and Grace needs to be seen,” Bill said, shaking the sheriff’s hand.

“I was almost to the hospital when I got the call. I spun around and flew here. Who did the honors?”

“That would be me. He had Johnathan Gibson held hostage with a gun to the baby. I took my opening.”

“And you are?” the sheriff asked Mike.

Bill stepped up and said, “This is the security guard Gage hired to protect Hope and Johnathan. The other one was sent to the hospital with them.”

“Yes, he was shot in the shoulder.”

Grace called out as the medic came to look at her. “I don’t need a doctor. I need to know how my son and daughter are doing.”