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“Blame it on someone else.” He looked smug.
Rubin. Jerry and his buddies had been setting up Rubin to take the fall. Someone had noticed Marsh’s interest in Jillianand jumped to the wrong conclusions. “Target, Jerry. I’m tired of messing with you. You interrupted my time with my woman. I won’t forget that.”
“Like I care.”
“You should.” Seth moved closer, letting his anger show. “You planned to kill the woman I love. I take that very personally.”
He pulled his Ka-Bar and flicked a glance at Bowen who immobilized Jerry’s head. Seth rested his blade against the enforcer’s throat. “Last time, Jerry. What’s the target?”
“I don’t know. I swear. Peters and Richardson don’t tell us anything.”
Unfortunately, Seth believed him. Answers would have to come from another source. So, what to do with these clowns was the new dilemma.
Violet appeared in the archway.
“Watch him, Grant.”
“Yes, sir.”
Seth nudged Violet into the short hallway between the kitchen and living room. “What is it?”
“I have a medication that will knock these guys out for twelve hours or more.”
He sighed. “We only have three options. Knock them out, take them out, or get them out of here like we did the kids.”
Would his mission be finished in twelve hours? Perhaps. No way to know for certain. Everything hinged on how long it took Riley and Zane to dig through Peters’ computer files.
“Can you keep them knocked out without endangering them?”
She shrugged. “It’s possible but the logistics are messy. We’d have to feed them and give them bathroom breaks.”
“How close is the second Fortress team?”
“They’re 40 minutes out. The team can take them off our hands and send them to a black site until our mission is complete. At that point, we can turn them over to the feds.”
“Good. Contact Iona and have her set it up. We’ll see if we can get more information from these guys before the second team arrives.”
They’d have to move fast. Peters and Richardson would notice the absence of the teenagers plus the four enforcers.
He returned to the living room to find Jerry moaning with Bowen standing close by. “Problem?” Seth asked.
“With a little persuasion, Jerry admitted he came up with the idea to kill the five of us in our beds tonight, then volunteer himself and his merry band of thugs to guard Peters.”
Seth stilled. “What about the women?”
Fury burned in Bowen’s eyes. “He planned to kill them, too, after he and his team took turns raping them.”
Blinding rage swept over Seth. He turned away, fighting to control the urge to kill Jerry on the spot. When he could think again, Seth pivoted on his heel and punched the prisoner. A satisfying crunch filled the air a second before Jerry screamed. Blood gushed from his broken nose.
He leaned close to Jerry’s ear. “You’re lucky I don’t kill you. One woman you planned to rape and murder is mine. No one touches her without repercussions. You’re going to regret threatening my woman, Jerry. One day, I will find you and make you pay. You’ll never hear me coming. I have a long memory. Know what that means? When I take you out, your death will be painful and slow.”
By this time, Jerry was sobbing and shaking.
Jerk.
Violet returned. “All set. Thirty minutes.” She looked at Jerry. “Want me to help him?”
“No. He’s tough. He can handle a little pain.” It was more humane than what he planned for Violet and Teagan.