Nothing. He threw the shot back before staggering to his chair and collapsing into it again. He scratched behind Gipper ’ s ears with his free hand.
Why me? What did I do to deserve this?
He wasn ’ t exactly sure who he was addressing with his question, though he felt it might be an appropriate one for God — if he even existed. At the moment, it felt like he was all alone. And he was.
With Luke gone, the house creaked and groaned like it always did while settling at night. But tonight felt different to the senator. Perhaps it was the fact that Luke was indeed out there — somewhere. He certainly wasn ’ t lurking upstairs. Regardless, it made an already eerie soundtrack become more ominous. Senator Daniels wanted his son back — and he wanted him back now.
He walked into the downstairs bathroom and turned on the water. He then dialed Matthews ’ number on his burner phone.
“Please tell me something encouraging,” Daniels said.
“We know where Luke is,” Matthews answered.
“That ’ s great. Are you going to be able to rescue him?”
“It ’ s not that easy.”
“What do you mean?”
Matthews sighed. “He ’ s a few hours away and we don ’ t know where he ’ s headed next.”
“ You can ’ t track him?”
“Just leave the details to us. We ’ ll handle it.”
“I can ’ t lose Luke. ”
“I know. Me either. We ’ re going to bring him home safely. Don ’ t you worry. Get some sleep, okay?”
“I will. Just promise me you ’ ll bring him home.”
“I promise. Now get some rest.”
Daniels hung up and dropped his phone and collapsed next to it on the cold tile floor. “I can ’ t lose you, Luke. I can ’ t lose you.” His tears spilled onto the floor.
After a few moments he stood up to turn off the water.
The house fell silent — and empty.
He shuffled into the hallway and started to walk upstairs to get in his bed before a loud noise startled him.
Bullets sprayed the front of his house, shattering glass and startling Gipper. The dog howled as he cowered behind the couch.
Daniels dove to the floor and waited for the glass to stop raining.
After several seconds, it stopped. Then nothing — before the screeching of tires pierced the silence.
Daniels raced to the window to catch the red taillights disappearing down the street.
Several porch lights from neighbors blinked on as bushy-haired men clad in robes and boxers stumbled down their walkways to survey the action.
Daniels glanced at the lamppost several feet down the walkway leading to his front door. It was off. He wanted to keep it that way.
Without a second glance he retreated upstairs and called Matthews.
“Hurry. They just sprayed my house with bullets. I ’ m not sure how much longer I can withstand this.”
Matthews took a deep breath. “ Relax — we ’ re going to find him.”
CHAPTER 19
SETH MATTHEWS SETTLED into his leather seat aboard his Learjet 31A and watched the rest of his team settle in. The fact that he owned one of the premier private aircraft in the world often embarrassed him. He took plenty of guff from the team about it, though no one ever complained when they had to travel in it.
“When are you gonna get us some stewardess babes for these flights?” Hammond said as he collapsed into his seat across the aisle from Matthews.
“I believe they ’ re called ‘flight attendants ’ these days,” Matthews said.
“Whatever, man. I just wanna know when you ’ re going to hire a few. It gets old looking at your ugly mug on these flights.”
Matthews glanced back down at the folder in front of him. “Read a book then.”
Shepherd nearly tripped as he stumbled into the plane.
“That first step ’ s a doozy, ” Zellers quipped.
Shepherd glared at him. “Do you know the additional gravitational pull a person feels when he is carrying an additional seventy-five pounds strapped to his back and shoulders?”
“Nope, but I have a feeling you ’ re going to tell
Why me? What did I do to deserve this?
He wasn ’ t exactly sure who he was addressing with his question, though he felt it might be an appropriate one for God — if he even existed. At the moment, it felt like he was all alone. And he was.
With Luke gone, the house creaked and groaned like it always did while settling at night. But tonight felt different to the senator. Perhaps it was the fact that Luke was indeed out there — somewhere. He certainly wasn ’ t lurking upstairs. Regardless, it made an already eerie soundtrack become more ominous. Senator Daniels wanted his son back — and he wanted him back now.
He walked into the downstairs bathroom and turned on the water. He then dialed Matthews ’ number on his burner phone.
“Please tell me something encouraging,” Daniels said.
“We know where Luke is,” Matthews answered.
“That ’ s great. Are you going to be able to rescue him?”
“It ’ s not that easy.”
“What do you mean?”
Matthews sighed. “He ’ s a few hours away and we don ’ t know where he ’ s headed next.”
“ You can ’ t track him?”
“Just leave the details to us. We ’ ll handle it.”
“I can ’ t lose Luke. ”
“I know. Me either. We ’ re going to bring him home safely. Don ’ t you worry. Get some sleep, okay?”
“I will. Just promise me you ’ ll bring him home.”
“I promise. Now get some rest.”
Daniels hung up and dropped his phone and collapsed next to it on the cold tile floor. “I can ’ t lose you, Luke. I can ’ t lose you.” His tears spilled onto the floor.
After a few moments he stood up to turn off the water.
The house fell silent — and empty.
He shuffled into the hallway and started to walk upstairs to get in his bed before a loud noise startled him.
Bullets sprayed the front of his house, shattering glass and startling Gipper. The dog howled as he cowered behind the couch.
Daniels dove to the floor and waited for the glass to stop raining.
After several seconds, it stopped. Then nothing — before the screeching of tires pierced the silence.
Daniels raced to the window to catch the red taillights disappearing down the street.
Several porch lights from neighbors blinked on as bushy-haired men clad in robes and boxers stumbled down their walkways to survey the action.
Daniels glanced at the lamppost several feet down the walkway leading to his front door. It was off. He wanted to keep it that way.
Without a second glance he retreated upstairs and called Matthews.
“Hurry. They just sprayed my house with bullets. I ’ m not sure how much longer I can withstand this.”
Matthews took a deep breath. “ Relax — we ’ re going to find him.”
CHAPTER 19
SETH MATTHEWS SETTLED into his leather seat aboard his Learjet 31A and watched the rest of his team settle in. The fact that he owned one of the premier private aircraft in the world often embarrassed him. He took plenty of guff from the team about it, though no one ever complained when they had to travel in it.
“When are you gonna get us some stewardess babes for these flights?” Hammond said as he collapsed into his seat across the aisle from Matthews.
“I believe they ’ re called ‘flight attendants ’ these days,” Matthews said.
“Whatever, man. I just wanna know when you ’ re going to hire a few. It gets old looking at your ugly mug on these flights.”
Matthews glanced back down at the folder in front of him. “Read a book then.”
Shepherd nearly tripped as he stumbled into the plane.
“That first step ’ s a doozy, ” Zellers quipped.
Shepherd glared at him. “Do you know the additional gravitational pull a person feels when he is carrying an additional seventy-five pounds strapped to his back and shoulders?”
“Nope, but I have a feeling you ’ re going to tell
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