The Cage (Book 2) ✔️

Guard at the Gate

The next part is already on Ritoria! 

Guard at the Gate

My sense of self-preservation nearly overcame my desire to save the man of my life, and I nearly hurled myself out of the moving car.

"What?" I gaped at Cade's hard profile. The expression on my face undoubtedly translated all the emotions I was experiencing, like flabbergastation and terror. Not only were we unsure of the father's cooperation, but if he didn't agree to help us find and rescue his own son, he'd have us executed?!

There had to be someone else! Anyone else!

As if reading my mind, Cade said, "Believe me, I've exhausted all other options. Don't forget I've been trying to find Schneider for a year and a half. I value my life as well as you do; we wouldn't have come here if there was any other choice. There's no one else who'll help us, or be able to. He's our last resort." There was a deadpan finality in Cade's voice that gave me no other choice but to trust his word.

I glanced at the steering wheel to see that he was tightly gripping it at the 10 and 2 position, his knuckles practically white.

Cade was feeling that sense of self-preservation too.

I leaned back in my seat, looked straight ahead and breathed, "Fuck." It wasn't like the seriousness, the precariousness of our situation hadn't sunk in before, but now... This was a whole new level of seriousness.

Cade chuckled wryly, a rough sound devoid of humor. "Yeah."

All of a sudden, it felt like we were death row prisoners headed straight for the electric chair. One wrong move and we'd all be dead, including Schneider.

"It's not too late to change your mind."

My very being rebelled against the idea. Abandon Schneider to his kidnappers? Never.

I'd spent so long resenting him, only to find out that he never meant to leave me, but rather things went awry. And from Cade's description of events, Schneider needed us.

So how could I turn my back on him now when he'd always been there for me, whether I wanted him to be or not?

With a gaze of fire and steel, I turned my head to glare at Cade, who was watching me from the corner of his eye like a baker waiting for his cake to bake in the oven. Or explode.

I wanted to scream and shout and tell him to go fuck himself.

Instead, I warned in a cold, calculating voice, "Don't ever say that to me again."

Cade looked straight ahead.

"You've changed." There was an impressed note in his voice, and I wasn't sure whether to be thankful or offended. Looking back on how -who- I was about two years ago, I could see where Cade was coming from.

"Prison does that to a person." And the need for survival. With my protection gone, I had no choice but to step up or quite literally die.

"I'm sorry for suggesting you leave."

I exhaled, feeling a weight pressing down on my chest. "I won't lie and say I'm not scared, but that doesn't mean I'll ever tuck tail between legs and run. That's not who I am."

I thought the topic was ended, but after a few heartbeats, Cade nodded and said. "I see what Schneider sees in you."

I glanced at Cade with a question at the edge of my tongue, but he was focused on the road.

Well, that was unexpected.

The first signs of the estate began to appear. I spotted an unscalable massive gray wall with barbed wires -actual barbed wires!- stretching both ways deep into the forest.

A flitter of alarm danced down my back. Were we headed into another prison?

"I hope you brought big guns."

"You know how to use a gun?"

"I lived in New York. Course I know how to use a gun."

I left out the part I wasn't exactly a marksman.

"Good."

"Should I go get them? Is that a machine gun?!" My saucer-like eyes followed the menacing-looking machine gun behind a barricade positioned strategically by the road until it was out of sight.

"Apparently shit went down around here once."

"I'm getting the guns."

"No."

"No?! Do you also have a machine gun?!"

"They'll search us at the gate."

Sure enough, a gigantic iron gate appeared just up ahead. Guards were stationed in front of it. They were waiting for us. They didn't look surprised to see us.

"Cameras?" I asked.

"From the moment we turned onto this road."

Cade turned off the headlights and slowed the car to a halt right under the gate. The guards, about six of them, surrounded the car from all sides.

My heart went into overdrive. It felt like I was about to face airport security.

"Stay calm. I'll do the talking," he instructed and rolled down his window.

The meanest looking man I'd ever seen carrying the meanest looking gun approached Cade. "This is private property. Turn back now." The guard growled in a dismissive tone that brooked no argument.

"We're here to meet your boss."

"Turn back now. I won't say it again." I heard the unmistakable sound of a gun -or multiple guns- cocking.

I saw Cade reach for something in his door compartment, his face stone cold.

My stomach somersaulted.

Oh no.

My eyes flew across the other guards surrounding us. They already had their guns pointed at us.

Shit.

"It's about Schneider!" I blurted.

The guard stepped closer to the car and leaned forward. He locked his gaze on me like I was his newly-acquired target and I swallowed. "Who?"

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

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