Search Me(68)

Once again, he reached for my purse, but before he could take it, Julius burst through the door. “We got company!”

My relieved gaze spun over to Maddox. A smile flashed on his face before he mouthed, “Agent Montrose.” I gave a slight bob of my head before surveying the room to make sure no one suspected us. Thankfully, they were all riveted by Julius’s towering form framed in the doorway.

“What do you mean?” Jensen asked.

“Someone’s out there in the woods.”

The electricity in the air shifted, sending the already nerve-wracking tension into massive overdrive. Jensen whirled around. The fury burning in his eyes and his expression of rage caused me to cower and inch away from him. But he didn’t let me get away. Instead, he grabbed my shoulders and jerked me against him. His fingers dug in my skin so hard I knew I would be bruised later. “Someone has been a very bad girl.”

Furiously, I shook my head. “No, I didn’t do anything. I swear. You have our phones and GPS.”

He tore his wild eyes off of mine and dipped his gaze to my chest that was flush against him. The expression on his face told me he knew my secret. Thrusting his hand inside my shirt, he snatched out the phone. “Tsk, tsk, I don’t like being lied to Miss Montgomery.”

“But I—”

Jensen silenced me by sending a stinging slap across my face. Both Dad and Maddox lunged forward, but Terrance and Julius knocked them to the ground. Maddox scrambled to get back up with his hands tied, but Julius cocked his gun at him. Defeated, Maddox ducked his head. “All right, all right.”

Jensen turned his wrath momentarily on his men. “Didn’t I tell you two to search them completely?”

“Yeah,” Terrance and Julius replied in unison.

“Then how is it possible that the bitch had a phone on her? A phone that brought the f**king Feds to our doorstep.” Neither one of them responded. “Answer me!” Jensen shouted.

“What did you want us to do? Have her strip?” Terrance protested.

“I wanted her to come here clean—no devices. And now you two have totally screwed that up.”

Julius opened his mouth to say something when the distinctive sound of a bullhorn echoed through the barn. “All right, this is Agent Montrose of the GBI. Everyone should vacate the premises immediately. Lay down your weapons, and come out with your hands on your head.”

“Shit!” Terrance exclaimed.

“Want me to hit the outer perimeter detonators?” Parker asked.

“Don’t tell me, you’re a hacker and an explosives expert, too?” Maddox muttered.

“My time in the Army served me well,” Parker replied.

Maddox shook his head. “Dude, you’re a serious disgrace to the armed forces. I just want you to know that.”

“Shut up!” Parker snarled, training his gun on Maddox.

Jensen raked his fingers through his hair. “Give me a minute or two on the explosives. We need to give them a little more of a distraction first.”

Agent Montrose’s voice came over the bullhorn again. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be. Come to the door, lay your weapons down, and let Mr. Diaz and the Montgomery’s go.”

“You’re coming with me,” Jensen growled. Spinning me around, he wrapped one arm around my neck and then positioned his gun against my temple. “You even breathe wrong, and I’ll blow your head off. Got it?”

The intense pressure of his arm against my throat barely allowed me to breathe, let alone speak. I managed to weakly croak, “Yes.”

While Jensen fumbled with the doorknob, my gaze flickered to the floor. Maddox and Dad stared back at me with ashen expressions. Both appeared to want nothing more than to break free of Julius and Terrance to rescue me.

Like a true coward, Jensen pushed me outside first to where I would be a shield against the rifles trained on the barn. My gaze spun around the clearing, searching for the GBI agents or Sheriff’s department deputies. I honed in on Agent Montrose with his bullhorn in hand. But he was the only one visible—I had to assume all the others were carefully concealed. His eyes widened at the sight of a now deepening hostage situation.

“Now you listen to me. You and your men better back off!” Jensen shouted.

Agent Montrose shook his head. “Don’t be stupid. We’ve got the whole property surrounded. Don’t make things worse by trying to run or hurting her.”

“No, don’t you make things worse by not taking me seriously. You and your men better lay your weapons down, or I’ll give my men the command to shoot them all.”

Seconds ticked by, and I was overwhelmed at how surreal the experience was—like I was standing outside myself watching the scene play out. How many times had I seen something similar on TV or in the movies? Of course, I don’t think they’d ever adequately captured the victim’s terror not only at being held hostage, but at the thoughts of how peeing their pants from fear would add to their humiliation.

All at once the sound of busting glass and splintering wood blasted from the back of the barn. Voices screamed, “Freeze! Drop your weapons!”

Any relief I might’ve felt was short lived. The ground all around the clearing exploded. I wanted to cover my ears, but Jensen had too tight a hold on me. Dirt and branches went flying through the air. A few seconds went by before the other side went up as well. Shouts of confusion filled the air as the agents tried to regroup.