Ethan
Shit!
It wasn't supposed to happen this way. Kill the security cameras, grab the asset, and walk out of the federal building and get Josh to safety—that was the plan. Not once did Ethan imagine he'd have to put a gun to the asset's head or have to knock out Danvers.
"You don't have to hurt me," Josh's eyes were wide with fear. "I won't say anything."
Ethan's resolve weakened momentarily — maybe it would be better to take Josh back inside, ignore everything he'd seen and done that made his skin crawl, then move on quietly with his life.
How long would any of them get to live after that?
He needed to move the asset— Josh — find somewhere to stop and give himself time to think. He just hoped that he hadn't completely fucked everything up.
"This way," Ethan gestured with the gun, and Josh took a couple of stumbling steps backward, holding his hands out in front of him.
"Please, you know I have a son. His name is Ben. Let me at least say goodbye. Please."
Ethan knew he didn't have time to talk. They didn't have long to get away from here — hacked security protocols wouldn't stand up for long if they rebooted the system— and Ethan was never happier to see the unmarked van ten feet ahead of us. All he and Josh needed to do was get inside with his off-the-books team, and then he'd try to explain. He pocketed his gun, then gripped Josh's arm and dragged him toward temporary safety, but Josh fought so hard that even though Ethan was bigger, stronger, and better trained, it took him a while to get his footing.
"Open the damn van, dammit!" he spoke into his com, and the side door opened, and his friend, comms specialist Ryder was right there with a deadly focused expression as he peered out.
"Camera blocking only has another two minutes max," Ryder reported. "Get a fucking move on." He reached out and grabbed Josh, who still fought hard to get away, but between him and Ethan, Josh didn't stand a chance, and they shoved him into the van, slamming the door shut, and with the other agent in this mess—Luca—in the driver's seat, they sped away from the building.
"Let me go!" Josh tried to get to the door.
The van swerved, Luca cursing in the front seat. There would be cameras tracing the van's every move, CCTV and local stores capturing it as it sped past at the ass-crack of dawn, and it was getting lighter, making their situation worse.
"What's the plan?" Luca called from the front.
"Let me out!" Josh shouted back, still trying to get to the door, although whether he'd survive jumping out of the moving van was debatable. Ryder placed a hand over Josh's mouth and another around his shoulder to stop him from squirming.
"You want me to shoot him so he stops squirming?" Ryder deadpanned, but Ethan's eyes widened as he froze.
"Fucks sake, Ryder, we're not shooting him." Ethan yanked at Ryder's hand across Josh's mouth. "He's scared."
"I need a fucking plan, Ethan!" Luca demanded.
Fuck. Where do we go?
Ethan hadn't considered much past getting Josh out of the building and away from Danvers, and he ran through places they could talk without sticking out like a sore thumb. The city was quiet this early and too soon for commuters, so they couldn't even try blending in. There was no use in him regretting what he'd done or wishing he'd never pulled his friends into this— what's done was done, and now they needed to get somewhere safe.
"Take us into parking at the West Tower Mall."
"For real?"
"Yeah. And I'm going to have to contact Ali."
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Luca sounded shocked, and Ethan knew it wasn't regarding the choice of destination but the fact he wanted to bring Luca's ex-wife into this. Luca and Ali's marriage had ended in chaos and caused the wider friendship group to split.
"It was two years ago; she must be over it by now."
"Have you met my ex?" Luca snarled.
"Well, it's the only plan I've got right now," Ethan snapped, and Luca cursed as he maneuvered around parked cars and ended up on the wrong side of the road for the next turn. Eight years deployed together, before being recruited to various branches of federal agencies, the three trusted each other implicitly. Still, the fourth part of their old team was an unknown quantity, even if she could help them right now.
"It's not like I want to involve anyone else."
"Ali's off the fucking map, and it's not a good plan," Luca snapped. "Maybe if you told us what the fuck you were doing before you did it—"
"It happened too fast; Josh didn't know what was gonna go down—hell, I didn't know for real," Ethan defended as the van took another violent turn to the left. Ryder momentarily lost his grip on Josh, who fell into Ethan, but at the last moment, Ryder caught them both to stop them from tumbling to the ground.
"Take it easy on the bends, asshole!" Ryder shouted.
Luca deliberately twisted the wheel, "You want to drive?"
"I could probably do a better job than you!"
"Fuck you!"
Ethan winced when Josh flailed and landed a punch on Ryder's cheekbone. "Let me go!"
Ryder didn't even react to the punch. He simply caught Josh's hands and gripped them hard.
"Listen here. We're the fucking good guys and here to save you and your son. You have to fucking trust us — trust Ethan." Ryder released his hold on Josh, then holstered his weapon to underline his statement. "That's all I have to fucking say."
Josh went quiet as Luca took another side road, using all the available shortcuts he knew, and finally entered the parking behind Target. The entry camera would have picked up the van, and when they arrived at the level connected to the lower mall, it was time for them to split up.
"I'm sorry, guys. I'll get word to you as soon as I've got him safe."
"Fucking right you will," Ryder yanked out a duffel and handed it to Ethan before exchanging fist bumps. "Stay safe, E."
"Will do."
"Give us ten to create a distraction, then leave," Ryder said and rested a hand on Ethan's shoulder, "got that?"
"Got it."
Ryder climbed into the van, and it sped away with squealing tires, and Ethan watched until it was out of sight, Josh standing next to me, his body language screaming defeat.
"I just want to see my son." Emotion brightened Josh's eyes. "Please."
"I need you to trust me."
"You kidnapped me—"
"The only way for you to keep your son safe is to come with me."
Josh took a step back, and Ethan sensed that Josh was about to run. He pulled his weapon, and Josh froze, raising his hands.
"I'm not going to shoot you. Take it."
Ethan held out his gun, and Josh paled.
"What?"
"I'm trying to help you."
"You pointed a gun at me. You kidnapped me from the station. You fucked me and videoed it! How is any of that helping me? Do you want my fingerprints on it or something? I'm not stupid!"
"Take the gun, Josh."
"No!"
"Take it, and then you can make all the decisions."
They stood at an impasse, but slowly Josh lowered his hands, reached out, and cautiously took the gun from Ethan. It was obvious he'd never held a gun in his life, awkwardly clutching it, his hands shaky, but after a pause, he pointed it right at Ethan's chest.
"Take me to see my son."
“Josh, you have to listen to me—“
“Now.”
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