Page 74 of Unbearable

“Don’t burn the block down,” she warned.

He smirked and threw a large fireball at the wood part of the door. “Just the door this time,” he said as he began building another one.

“We should wait for a warrant.”

“I mean, we were, but then we found this door missing,” he said as the door caught fire. “We were afraid someone one inside was hurt.” He threw one more fireball for good measure. “Did you hear that? Sounds like someone in distress.”

“You’re a little too good at this.” But she didn’t argue anymore. She wanted to find Fox more than anyone. If she had to commit breaking and entering to do it, so be it.

The second loading door caught on fire as they watched. She didn’t worry too much about burning the building down. These old warehouses were made of stone and had survived worse than they could dish out.

“About damn time you showed up,” Memphis yelled the moment the doors were cool enough for them to step inside. “He’s behind this wall. There has to be some hidden door in it.” He popped back through the wall.

“His gift is much better than mine,” Dover grumbled as she felt along the wall searching for a hidden door. “Wait, I might have found something.” Her hand traced a groove in the stone. She found a small depression in the rock that a key could fit in.

“We need a sledgehammer or something to get through this door,” Knox said. “Do you have anything in your car? Something big enough to blow a hole in the door lock.”

“A shotgun?”

“That would work. Go get it while I look around for a key.”

Dover raced back through the burned-out doors. She didn’t stop running until she was back to her car. Jumping inside, she squealed away from the curb while pressing numbers on herphone. When it began to ring, she put it on speaker phone and tossed it onto the seat.

“Dex,” she yelled when he answered. “We’ve found him. Get everybody to the warehouse you followed Brooke to. He’s trapped behind a hidden door in the stone. The back freight doors are open. Hurry.”

She didn’t wait for him to respond before jumping from her car next to the burned doors. Grabbing the shotgun from the safe in the trunk, she raced back inside.

“They’re on the other side of the room,” Knox said when she joined him. “They won’t be hit.”

She pulled two shells from the box of ammunition and chambered the rounds. There was no time to even consider the damage that might be done to their ears. She just aimed at the depression and pulled the trigger. The gun sounded like a cannon going off, but it did the job. Using his shoulder, Knox managed to push the door in.

“Over here,” Memphis called.

Dover’s gaze swept over the room. There was some kind of mural on one wall behind a table. A glass wall separated the room in half. It had a glass door that was propped open with a chair.

Inside the chamber was her brother. He was standing on a chair with a leather strap wrapped around his neck. Blood poured out of his nose and down his naked body.

“He’s been trying to self-soothe, I think. Hence the blood,” Memphis said.

“I’m sorry.”Their gazes met as her brother stood on a stool trembling still at the hands of a madman.“I didn’t know.”

“He can’t move, or this thing tightens. I can’t see how to stop it. Knox, do you see anything. You’re better at physics. Hang in there, Fox. We’ll figure it out.” They moved to the box in the wall.Their voices were too quiet for her to hear as they tried to find a solution to the contraption.

“I’m right here.”She brushed his arm gently.“Everyone is rushing over here. Someone will know how to stop this. In the meantime, we can hoist you on Knox’s shoulders.”

“He’s bound to be good for something.”Fox smiled.

“You know I would say something,” Knox said from the other corner. “But this time we’ll let it slide.”

“I was just telling him he can always stand on your shoulders if he needs,” she said.

“Hell, yeah, he can. Anytime, brother.”

Fox swayed, and they all rushed at him when the strap tightened another notch.

“Hey, hey. I said not to move,” Memphis chastised gently. He moved to the wall and stuck his head outside. “I think I hear the cavalry. Hear the sirens, Fox? You’ll be out of here soon. Just hang on a little more, buddy.” The sirens grew louder. “Well, this is where I leave you. There’s no way I can explain this. Call me first chance.” He slowly shimmered away.

“I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to that,” Dover said.