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“Could be equipment …malfunction,” Tai pointed out.
Otherwise known as incompetence. Tai was too much the gentleman to point out that Paul probably dropped the thing again.
“What if it’s not?” Avery shoved him in the back. “Don’t wait for us.Run.”
He hesitated, mind whirling as he attempted to formulate a new plan. He didn’t want to leave them. But both Paige and Avery were completely capable operatives. And the rest of the team would be thundering into the main warehouse bay in a second.
She shoved him again. “We got this.Go!”
“Git.” Paige made a shooing motion. “We’ll be right behind you.”
“Copy that.” He shot into overdrive, flying through the warehouse.
At the exit, he froze, listening before slipping silently out into the night. The cool air hit him like a slap in the face. He scanned the parking lot, searching for the familiar shape of their vehicle in the shadows beyond the fence.
And then he saw it—the SUV, its door hanging open, the interior dimly lit and empty. His blood turned to ice in his veins.
“No,” he whispered, his voice barely audible over the pounding of his heart. “No, no, no …”
25
The driver’sdoor gaped open like a wound, the interior empty, uselessly lit by the dome light.
Mason bit back a shout of rage. Guilt and self-recrimination twisted his gut.
Footsteps pounded behind him, then came the ragged breathing of his team as they regrouped around him. Their gazes landed on him, their faces pale and drawn in the dim light of the parking lot.
“Mace …”
He barely registered their presence, his attention focused solely on the empty driver’s seat.
It was a sight that would haunt him, a nightmare made real. He imagined the struggle, Paul’s fear and desperation. He hung his head.Please, Lord, keep Paul safe until I find him.
“Mason, we have to go,” Tai said, his voice tight with urgency. “Those guards are waking up, and we can’t afford to get caught here.”
Mason shook his head, his jaw clenched with stubborn determination. That, and anger, were the only things holding back the intense shame. He’d let Paul down. “I’m not leaving without him.”
Tai had his drone monitor in hand, staring at the screen. “There’s no indication of anyone within a six-block radius at least. My guess is he’s long gone.”
“I agree,” Paige added. “Let’s get back to Bridger’s place. I can access every security cam in the state from there. We’ll find him.”
Avery stepped forward, putting a hand on his arm. “Us getting caught isn’t going to help. We need to regroup.”
He wanted to argue, to insist that they stay and fight. But they were right. With Paige’s Phantom down, the guards would rouse soon. The guy he took down in the office might even be up already.
He stepped aside to let Fenn take the driver’s seat. He wanted to be able to concentrate on their surroundings. “Alright.”
Without a word, the team piled into the SUV, Fenn taking the wheel with a white-knuckled grip. Mason fingered his M18, the fear and anger burning in his chest like a physical ache.
With no signs of pursuit, Fenn drove slow enough for them to eye the area, but Mason saw nothing. No pedestrians. No other vehicles. Not even a lousy pigeon. Whoever took Paul had vanished.
The drive back to Bridger’s place was a blur, the streets of the city passing by in a haze of neon and shadow. When they finally reached the mansion, Mason was out of the vehicle before it stopped moving. He stalked inside, his body coiled with tension and barely-contained rage. The others followed behind him, their footsteps echoing in the cavernous foyer.
In the living room, Mason slammed his fist against the wall, the pain barely registering through the haze of his anger. “I should have been there,” he said, his voice raw with self-recrimination. “I should have protected him.”
Avery stepped forward, her face etched with concern. “This isn’t your fault,” she said, her voice soft but insistent. “We all knew the risks going in, Paul included. He made his own choice.”
“He’s my brother. I’m supposed to keep him safe. I’m supposed to be there for him, no matter what. And I failed.”