Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
“I love you, Fletcher Wild. Come home to me.” Delilah Taylor has been around the block a few times with her father being a police chief. I imagine she’s seen him dressed down and dressed in gear.
“Love you, Delilah. No one can keep me away from coming back to you.” It’s a promise I’m making here and now. The other questions that are lingering in the air can wait until later. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.” She nods but remains quiet. Yeah, we’re going to be coming back to a much-needed discussion, and very fucking soon.
Chapter 19
Fletch
“Everyone have their comms in?” I ask over the channel. We’re at the second house. The whole team came together for today’s festivities. The last house was a clean sweep. No one was there except for a shit ton of drugs, paraphernalia, and enough illegal guns to supply a cartel. We called in the drug enforcement agency to help process everything and to move this along in order for us to get to the second search warrant.
“Go for Joyfield,” Wyatt says.
“Good for Matthers,” George responds.
“Landry here,” another officer from night shift says into his communication device. We finish going down the line with the rest of the officers we have on the house. DEA decided to wrangle up a few of their officers to make it a mutual effort since the amount we found at the last house was as big as it was. Still, I’m taking lead, and it’s up to me when we barge through the front door.
“Warwick is a go,” Chet checks in.
It’s go-time. “Peach Springs PD, open up!” I bang on the door. “Search warrant!” I finish off, letting them know who’s at the door. I’d rather not break the door down, and sometimes it comes down to it. Everyone is aware of the report I wrote up indicating a child and likely her mother have been seen here.
I repeat the process one more time, waiting for a response, and when none is received, and we’re about to use the battering ram, I yell out, “Stop!” The door slowly creeps open. It only opens an inch, and where I should be met eye to eye, I have to lower my gaze, slow and steady like. There are still too many unknown variables I can’t control. Being lead on this doesn’t help the knots of worry in my gut when I’m confronted with a pair of big blue eyes and a wobbly bottom lip. Fuck me running, this day has gone from good to bad in a blink of any eye.
“Is your momma here?” I bend down, going against every protocol we’ve ever been taught. There’s no way I’m aiming my fist, a gun, or a battering ram in her face. It’s clear as day she’s been crying.
“Momma?” The little girl opens the door another inch.
“Wyatt, cover me,” I toss over my shoulder, squatting down until I’m on my haunches, hoping being on eye level will make the little girl trust me.
“Do you know where she is?” Her head shakes back and forth, and tears start to stream down her cheeks. “That’s okay. You want to come out here? We’ll help you find her.” As much as I’d love to open the door and pick her up swiftly, there are too many variables. I’d like to say no one would leave what I’m assuming is a toddler home alone, but you never know. What I’m more worried about is someone coaxing her to open the door and setting a trap. I watch as she plops her thumb in her mouth, nods, and she takes a step closer to me.
“Wild.” Warwick has a warning tone in his voice over the comm, and I know I’ve got seconds to spare before shit goes further south than it already has. I hear it before I see it. I make a split decision hoping I’m not injuring the officer but knowing there’s no way I won’t protect this little girl.
“I hear it. Come on, sweetheart, we’ll find your momma.” I push the door open a few extra inches until my hands wrap around her tiny body, pulling her into my chest, and barely clear out before the sound of guns cocking overwhelm the need to get the fuck out of the way. The little girl lets out a loud scream. My hand cups the back of her head, pulling her into my chest wishing like hell there were more protection surrounding us.
“Go, go, go!” Landry bellows through the comm. The second my back is turned to the door, I double-time my pace, running while having a gun strapped to my shoulder and a kid in my arms. The only hope we have is the shields the rest of the team has surrounding the house. I’m nearing where we’ve got our vehicles parked when a bullet whirs past me. I zig then zag in my pursuit to get us out of the fucking line of fire. The next gunshot, I’m not so lucky. I feel the burn, heat, and pain. Through it all, I don’t stutter in my steps. I push on.