Page 11 of Carver
At his single word greeting, Hex choked out a laugh. “This is my boss, everyone. He’s the reason we made it here to help you.”
It was as if something shifted around the space. Carver was crowded in an instant as he received thanks in various languages. He understood a couple, a result of his years building up allies in the criminal world. The Angels might not be up to their old ways, but he wasn’t afraid of getting his hands dirty when the need arose.
Like this instance. It was nothing for them to take down Mordecai. Shutting down her trafficking ring would free hundreds, if not thousands, more people like there were in this room. All of that was worth the bloodshed. It’s worth ten times that amount.
When the group finally quieted, Carver spoke to them again. “We’re going to help you get out of here and start over. I have a friend. They will be able to give you whatever you need. It’s not an issue, so don’t be afraid to ask.”
A hand went up towards the back. Carver nodded towards it.
“Yes?” he called out since he figured they might not be able to see him.
“Did you kill the pet?”
At the question, several eyes widened. Some people also shook their heads and a few even did the sign of the cross. Carverhad seen the move many times as he dealt out punishments through the years as The Butcher. He couldn’t say he understood it’s use just then though.
“Pet? What pet?” Carver turned to Hex. “Did someone mention a pet?”
“Not to me. This is the first time I’m hearing about it.”
Carver then spun to face Slash. The other man turned his device to show he was already dialing Trix’s number. They’d cut the comms off while Carver took Archie back. There wasn’t a need with everyone taken care of.
Except now there was a new element in the mix.
“Go for Trix,” the voice called across the line.
Slash immediately answered. “We’ve got a problem. The survivors are asking if we killed Mordecai’s pet. Do you have records of a dog or a cat in the house? Hopefully the damn thing didn’t get hit. I’m not an animal killer.”
Trix hummed. “I didn’t see anything. I can look… ohhhhh. Or I can pull up the thermal imaging again. Anything with a heartbeat should show on the scan.”
A tiny tap on Carver’s leg drew his attention. He turned to find a small child waiting there. Their little hand was clasped in an adult’s, as if they needed the support simply to speak with him.
Carver decided to do what he should have in the first place. Dropping to a crouch, he made himself eye level with the child.
“What do you need?” he asked softly.
As Trix clicked away on the computer to gather more intel, Carver, Slash, and Hex waited out the young child. It only took a moment for them to answer, and when they did, Carver nearly lost control.
“Pet is not pet. It’s a boy.”
The sound on the phone stopped for a second before speeding up to an alarming rate. Carver knew Trix would feelguilty if an innocent person was taken down in the midst of the fight.
“Got him!” Trix shouted a few moments later. “Shit, boss. They’re… they’re not moving. I can tell they’re still warm. You’ve got to get to him.”
Carver stood abruptly, then snatched Slash’s phone. As he headed up the stairs, he heard Hex telling them he was going to look for the pet. While it wasn’t what they’d call the boy when they did find him, it made more sense to share in a way the others would understand. They needed to remain calm for as long as possible. It was best for everyone involved.
As he took the stairs two at a time, he listened to Trix give him basic instructions on where to go next. “Head upstairs. On the main level, head to the back hall. There’s another set of stairs there. Take them to the second floor.”
He followed the directions as quickly as he could. With each step he took, his heart rate increased. This chase, this search, felt pivotal. Whatever awaited him would change his life. He just knew it.
“Turn into the next room on your left,” Trix shouted.
Carver pivoted, nearly tripping over a dead body. The door to the room had been left open in a way that suggested the man face down on the floor had exited in a hurry during the fight earlier. It also had enough locks on it to make him aware something important had been kept here.
When he stepped into the room, ice swept through his veins. A large bed sat to one side of the room made up in a way that said it hadn’t been recently used. There were various sex toys on multiple shelves on either side of the large monstrosity.
But neither of those things were what had him fighting for control.
No, it was the goddamn cage.