Page 20 of Descent
Now that I’d broken through, I froze, questioning everything, especially the probable stupidity of this plan and how it was destined to fail. Getting to my son would be the easy part—it was getting him out undetected that worried me most because I had no clue what kind of security Shelton had in this place.
Did he have cameras installed? Men posted outside?
Fuck.
There was no going back now. I looked left then right, squinting in the dim light and searching for Shelton or his goons, but the hallway was as empty as I’d suspected. With light steps, I hurried in the direction of my son’s room.
Of his fucking prison cell.
But I didn’t want to scare the shit out of him by breaking down the door. Rapping my knuckles in three gentle strikes, I called out his name in a muted tone. The ensuing seconds of silence grated on my nerves, energizing my foot into a constant tap against the ground.
And then I heard it.
Three responsive knocks, small fists against the wood in inquiring hope. “Are you going to get me out?” His question was barely above a whisper, but somehow, I still heard it, detecting the color of blind trust in his tone.
“I’m gonna try. I need you to sit on the bed. Can you do that for me, Will?”
“Yes,” he said in a loud whisper.
I gave him a full minute before veering back in preparation. Putting as much strength as possible into the strike, I busted into his cell on the first try. The ruckus made me cringe, but there wasn’t shit I could do about that.
Will sat huddled on the cot, and the wide set of his deep green eyes punched me in the gut. I’d forgotten the resemblance, how staring at him was like looking straight into my childhood.
“Let’s get you outta here.” I held out a hand for him to take, experiencing his curious stare in a tangible wave over my skin, and I couldn’t help but wonder if I looked familiar to him. Did he sense the shared DNA between us?
Shaking the question from my head, I pulled him to his feet. There would be plenty of time later to speculate on what Will knew and what he didn’t. First, I had to get him to safety.
I turned, hand surrounding his smaller one, prepared to bolt, and that’s when the tall figure standing in the doorway caught my eye. My heart slammed against my ribcage.
“Going somewhere?” the guy asked, shifting, and the dim bulb behind him caught the top of his head just right, revealing Shelton standing between freedom and me. I stepped in front of Will while still keeping him in my periphery, but it was too late.
My son had seen his face. I was sure of it, and I was certain Shelton knew he’d been made, even as Will dropped to the cot, head in his hands to hide the sight of the man responsible for this situation.
“Don’t hurt him,” I said, trying to keep the plea from my tone. The less emotion I attached to the kid, the less power Shelton could wield over me.
“You fucked up, Mason.” He stepped inside as his favorite three goons filed in after him. They settled between the busted door and me, their arms crossed, feet perfectly spaced apart in the same stoic disregard. Military Dude, standing to the left of Shelton, cracked his knuckles.
Shit.
They had me cornered.
“Let me guess,” Shelton said with a wave of his hand. “About now, you’re realizing the mistake of your actions. Am I right?”
I took another step toward Will. “Leave the boy out of it. This is all on me.”
“Normally, I’d agree,” Shelton said, taking a calculated step forward. “Except what you do falls back on him.” He nodded in my direction, and before I knew it, two of his goons descended. I got in several good blows, drawing blood and curse words until Shelton grabbed my son.
Will let out a terrified shriek, and I froze. The way he looked to me for help gutted me.
The fight in me fled as suddenly as it had come. “Wait!” I shouted, allowing Shelton’s men to slap a set of cuffs onto my wrists.
Shelton put a knife to Will’s throat, and the boy’s complexion blanched. He stopped struggling as the solid metal pressed against his skin. We exchanged horrified glances. Time slowed to a crawl as a cold-sweat erupted on my skin.
“Don’t hurt him! Please. I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Why should I give you another chance, hmm? What are you going to do for me in exchange for the boy’s life?” He tightened his hold on Will, making him cry.
“I’ll cooperate. I’ll make you a shit ton of money.”
The next several seconds dragged past in heart-pounding anxiety. Slowly, Shelton lowered his arm and let Will go. My son scurried to the twin bed, folding himself into a ball in the corner as if he could simply disappear from the danger in the room.
