The Family Secret

Chapter Fifteen

We had been in this car for I wanna say three hours as we pulled into what appeared to be an abandoned apartment complex. "What are we doing here?" I asked.

Nick opens up his computer and answers, "While I was booking us ferry tickets I thought I would try checking any traffic cameras and seeing if I could spot your brother. And." Just sitting there watching all these faces pop up on the screen it locked in on six images. Nick then adds, "These photos showed up with images of your brother coming in and out of this building for the passed three days."

That doesn't make any sense. Why would there be captured images of Nick for the passed three days when we were just told about this crazy situation two days ago? And then it clicked. I took Nicks computer for him and zoomed in on three of the images. "There." I pointed out.

The second image I could one hundred and ten percent tell that it was Tanner. I told Nick, "That's Tanner. I can see his tattoo on his chest."

Nick takes his computer back from me to do a search based on the images around Tanner in the picture. "Got it." Nick blurted out. "Tanners at an abandon appartment complex just south of here."

We floored it all the way to this abandoned building. "How many floors do you think that is?" I asked Nick.

Nick answers as were both getting out of the car, "My guess is about six floors." He takes one good look at the building and then suggests, "We'd better suit up. Who knows what we are going to be running into."

I put my vest on along with my black hawks gloves. While loading my gun I told Nick, "We should both go in together. Cover more ground that way."

Nick quickly says, "No."

"Why not?"

"Because of what happened back there with Ezekiel. Just keep an eye on the fire escape and the entrances."

"Fine." I replied a little irriated. "Just be careful alright."

Pacing back around this building for about an hour was driving me nuts. Crunch time Nick, hurry up! I understood that Nick was concerned for my safety, but its not safe for him to just go in there alone. Nick says to me, "Okay I'm on the fourth floor now."

"Any sign of Tanner?" I asked. "Or any unfriendly's?"

"Hold on. I just found a locked door." Nick replied.

I waited for Nick to answer me. However I didn't hear anything back for about five minutes and right now that was very unsettling. "Nick are you there?" I asked. "Talk to me Nick." I started walking towards the fire escape, "I'm coming in."

I reached up for the ladder when someone grabbed me by the back of the neck and slammed me down to the ground. I let out a moan from the pain I was feeling in my head. Just as I was trying to get back up, I'm stopped by a blade being held against my throat. My attacker removes my hood leaving me surprised. Tanner?

He says to me, "Taylor! How did you find me?"

"You were never good at hide and seek." I responded as I pushed him off me. "Plus your pretty easy to track down." I helped him up as I asked him, "Well what did moms note say for you?"

Tanner answers, "Her note said to head east. I left the night I found it." He mentions, "I had to take a detour through Nashville unfortunately. I had people from division six tailing me."

"Division Six?" I questionably replied.

Nick jumps down from the fire escape as he responds, "Division six was always the group that chose which ever side that had the most to gain. But whatever side the went with they always looked out for themselves."

Tanner then says, "Either way. In the end they no they have to choose. No more flipflopping around this time." We all start walking towards the car when Tanner pushes me down. I looked up and saw to SUV's, "They found me!"

We had to split up to get to the cars. I went to the left with Tanner and Nick went straight. The alley way I randown with Tanner seemed to go on forever. "Come on Tanner!" I said jumping over a trash can.

To my surprise I was much faster than Tanner. Every once in a while I would glance back to check on him. That when I heard, "TAYLOR!"

I slid right into a stop as I turned back around to see that four men were trying to take Tanner. I ran back to rescue him. About halfway someone grabs me from behind and pins me face first against a brick wall. He whispers in my ear, "How does it feel to be defenseless and not have big brother to protect you?"

I managed to get my arm free to strike him. He falls back stunned as I used a trash can to knock him unconsious. "I can take care of myself." I muttered. I could hear Tanner struggling to escape, so I picked up a trash can lid and yelled to him, "Get down!"

Tanner drops to the ground as I threw the lid like a frizzbee. To my surprise it hit all four of them one after the other in the forehead. I pulled Tanner to his feet as he says to me, "Really! A garbage can lid!"

I told him, "Hey I saved your ass from getting kidnapped." We met up with Nick at the end of the alleyway as I shouted to him, "Go! Drive!"