Pieces Of Heaven (Heaven & Hell #2)(22)

Jackson looks down at Lilah. "You did so good, baby girl. Just like we showed you." He then kisses her stain-streaked face. "So brave, my baby girl."

"I want Momma, Ackson," she says as her eyes start to close as the trauma of today finally hits her.

My phone starts beeping in my hand with the address of the hotel. "We got the name of the hotel. We are sending two cruisers there right now."

He looks at me, about to ask questions, when his mother runs into the house.

Her eyes are open wide with fear as she scans the area. Tears start falling when she sees Brenda being lifted on the stretcher.

She finds him sitting on the floor holding Lilah. "Jackson." She gets on her knees next to me, stroking Lilah's hair softly.

He looks at her straight into her eyes. "He did this." He doesn't have to say his name because we all know it's Adam, Jackson's long lost addict brother.

Her hand covers her mouth, and she gasps in horror.

"He came here, into her home, and he took her. He beat Brenda, badly as you can see, to get to her. And he did it in front of Lilah."

"Jackson." That word is ripped from her, pained, but it's all she gets out before I step forward, drawing his attention away from his mother.



       
         
       
        

"Jackson, Bella has her phone on her. We have a location."

He hands Lilah to his mother before he gets up.

"You aren't going to like this," I tell him.

His fists clench at his sides. "Tell me," he says through gritted teeth.

"Same motel Ryan sent us to." It's all I have to say.

He looks at his mother. "I have to know if you will keep her. If anything happens to us, to me, to Bella, you will keep her."

"Jackson, get Bella and just bring her home. Both of you just come home to Lilah."

"Mom, I need you to promise not to leave her sight. Do not leave Lilah alone for a second, not even to go to the bathroom. I'm going to have someone staying with you both, but I still want you to promise not to let her out of your sight."

"I promise, Jackson. Go get Bella."

We both nod at her, rushing out of the house, he jumps in the passenger seat of the car since I'm driving, and he immediately calls for backup.

The address they gave us is about twenty-five minutes out, but with the way I'm driving, we should get there in about ten, maybe fifteen minutes max.

There are five undercovers on-site, waiting around the corner, scoping the place out.

There is a black Honda parked right in front of room eight, which is the room we think they are in.

We let the on-sites know when we are two minutes out. I want into the room the minute we get there.

"You loaded?" The question isn't to ask if I'm carrying my weapon, it's to ask if I'm carrying more than one.

"Got two on me. A couple in the back, locked."

He nods, while I'm preparing myself for the war that is about to be waged at the motel.

The moment we get there, Jackson walks in the front door and straight to the reception desk. "Adam Fletcher, what room?"

She looks at us, smacking her bubble gum. "Who are you?"

Jackson takes his gun out and places it on the counter, her eyes going as wide as saucers. "You really want to do that right now?"

She shakes her head. "Room eight."

I don't even wait to hear her finish before I walk back out, talking to the team that has gathered. Jackson opens up the trunk so he and I can grab our vests and put them on.

"Room eight confirmed. We know they are armed. Brenda has a bullet hole to prove it."

I look around at the twenty officers who have showed up, plus the ten of Brian's guys, all waiting for the war to start. The adrenaline is rushing through my body. The blood in my body flowing so fast from my beating heart that my body is starting to radiate and shake.

"We just saw movement," Brian says while looking over at the room. 

"It's go time. Seems they know we are here." I turn to walk away from the car to attack the door from the side.

Jackson approaches the other side. We have our guns both drawn.

We're a few feet from the door when we hear a shot fired. My stomach drops, and I rock to a halt as my feet stop moving. Two shots and my breathing stops. Three shots and I brace myself on the wall outside room seven. My body goes from hot to dead cold. Rage courses through me.

I don't even wait for Jackson. I just shout out, "Police, hands where I can see them."

The swat team breaks down the piece of shit door in one measly kick. Standing next to a naked Bella is a man with his gun at his side.

"Drop your weapon!" I command, upon entering the room. "Drop the fucking weapon now!" I warn him again right before I fire a shot at the man's leg. The man cries out in pain as he drops to the floor, the gun still at his side, so I shoot one more time, this time to his shoulder. His body jerks backward, the gun falling from his hand.

I walk deeper into the room, gun drawn, and it's like I'm walking into the devil's dungeon. I look around, taking in the filth of the room. The smell of urine is so profound, my eyes burn. It makes the pier warehouse look like a spa.

The one bed in the middle of the room, dirty sheets askew, half on the bed, half off. Bella lies in the middle of it, her clothes partially removed.

One lone chair in the corner of the room is wet with obvious blood stains on it. Carelessly discarded, used needles litter the floor all around us.

An old television sits on a cheap, dusty stand facing the bed. The television is on, tuned to The Shopping Network.

I continue scanning the room when my eyes land on three teenage girls huddled in a corner of the room and chained to the wall.

All three are wearing sheer camisoles, with no bras and sheer underwear, leaving little to the imagination. All three are filthy with greasy, stringy hair, and it's obvious none of them have bathed in quite a while. Their eyes are puffy and closed, like they are napping.

Their arms show round, fingertip-shaped bruises and swollen, red needle marks along the inside of their elbows. Their hands are clipped with a chain to the wall. I can see the dirt under their chipped fingernails. If that wasn't enough to push me over the edge, I take in what appears to be dried blood crusted over on their inner thighs. Their panties are almost non-existent, brownish reddish stains covering them in the front.

I almost wish that I shot the fucker, who is lying on the floor near the bed with a bullet hole in his shoulder and kneecap, right between his fucking eyes. He's moaning like a fucking pig, complaining about me shooting him.

The girls have all opened their eyes at this point, all of them looking right at me with empty eyes. They are vacant, like they're here but they aren't really here.

Jackson rushes to the bed, checking Bella for a pulse. It's there, thank God. He covers her with the filthy sheet and gathers her in his arms to walk out of the room.

I look down at Chuck, who is being cuffed by Chris in the middle of the room, blood seeping out of his leg and shoulder.

Brian, Hulk, and Roger are all working to remove the chains from the three other girls in the room.

I walk over to the girls, squatting down next to them. Their condition is beyond deplorable. I know right away which one is Lori. She has her mother's eyes. Eyes that are now starting to clear. She starts to shake, and I'm sure she's looking for her next fix even if she wasn't the one who was injecting herself. She is absolutely filthy, and if I didn't know better, I would assume she's a junkie.

I reach out to move the hair out of her face, and she turns her head violently to the side, groaning in pain and pleading.



       
         
       
        

"Please don't do this. I don't want this. I want to go home." She looks around and starts to take in the SWAT team members with their badges hanging around their necks. "You came for us?" she asks as the realization settles in.

I have a tear running down my face before I wipe it away. "I came for you." I look at the other girls who are being attended to by the other cops. "Your mom has been searching for you since you left." I reach out to her again, and this time she doesn't turn away. She starts sobbing, calling for her mom.

Once they free the chains from her, I scoop her up in my arms. The smell of urine and feces hits me right away. She is almost naked, so I look around for something to cover her. I don't look for too long when Chris walks up to us and throws his jacket over her.

She turns her head to look at Chris.

"There you go, beautiful," he says to her right before he turns around, shaking his head angrily.

I nod to him right before Lori speaks up.

"I want to go home."

I bring her closer to my chest. "I promise you, baby girl, we are bringing you home."

She lays her head on my chest, and her body goes limp in my arms, her head falling back.

"I need help," I say, running from the room to one of the waiting ambulances. I place her on a stretcher, and the EMT goes straight to work. I move out of their way but stay with her.

I look over at Jackson and call out, "It's Lori. We found them."

He doesn't say anything more because the door to the ambulance shuts. "Sir, you need to step back so we can take her in. Her blood pressure is low and dropping," one of the EMT tells me while loading her into the ambulance.