Chapter 10 - BLACKWATER FARM
Blackwater Farm sat ninety miles north of the city.
No livestock.
No crops.
Just four hundred acres of forest, one abandoned farmhouse, and a private medical building hidden behind trees.
Hayes couldn’t officially take Mara.
Mara wasn’t officially free.
So Hayes did something that could end her career.
She uncuffed her.
“If we get caught,” Hayes said, “I never did this.”
Mara climbed into the passenger seat.
“If we get caught, I’ll tell them I kidnapped you.”
Hayes almost smiled.
“Comforting.”
They drove through rain.
Halfway there, Hayes received a message from her captain.
RETURN TO STATION IMMEDIATELY.
She ignored it.
Another message came.
QUINN IS A SUSPECT. DO NOT ENGAGE CALLAHAN FAMILY WITHOUT BACKUP.
Mara looked at her.
“They know.”
“Yeah.”
“How?”
“Department leak.”
“Briggs?”
“Maybe.”
Hayes turned off her phone.
At 11:20 p.m., they reached Blackwater.
The gate was open.
Too easy.
They left the car in the trees and approached on foot.
Mara saw lights inside the medical building.
A van parked outside.
Engine running.
“They’re moving somebody,” she whispered.
Hayes drew her weapon.
“Stay behind me.”
They reached a side window.
Mara looked inside.
Dr. Hale.
Two guards.
Grant.
And Eli.
The boy was strapped to a hospital bed.
Mara’s vision went red.
“I’m going in.”
Hayes grabbed her.
“No.”
“He’s strapped down!”
“There are four men.”
“One is a doctor.”
“Doctors can shoot people.”
Grant leaned over Eli.
Mara couldn’t hear the words.
Then Eli turned his head toward the window.
He saw her.
His eyes widened.
Mara pressed one finger to her lips.
Grant noticed.
He turned.
“Mara!”
Gunfire shattered the glass.
Hayes pulled Mara down.
They crawled behind a concrete wall.
“Still think the doctor doesn’t count?” Hayes shouted.
Mara grabbed a broken piece of metal.
“What now?”
“Now we survive.”
A guard came around the corner.
Hayes struck him.
Mara kicked his knee.
He dropped.
She grabbed his access card.
They ran inside.
Alarm lights flashed.
Hale disappeared down a corridor.
Grant dragged Eli’s bed toward an exit.
“Mara!” Eli screamed.
Mara chased them.
Grant shoved the bed through double doors.
A black SUV waited outside.
Mara jumped onto the rear bumper as it pulled away.
Hayes yelled behind her.
“MARA!”
Too late.
Mara held on as the SUV tore down a gravel road.
Inside, Eli screamed.
Grant looked through the rear window.
Their eyes met.
His expression changed from surprise to fury.
He climbed into the back.
The rear door opened.
Wind slammed into Mara.
Grant reached down.
“Let go.”
“Go to hell.”
He kicked her hand.
Pain exploded through her fingers.
She held on with one arm.
Grant kicked again.
“You should’ve taken the money.”
Mara looked at Eli.
Then at Grant.
“No.”
Her fingers slipped.
“I should’ve hit you with the fire extinguisher.”
May you like
Grant kicked.
Mara fell into the darkness.
