Barney
Barney was feeling very irritable now. Lee and Toll kept firing digs at each other, and he'd had enough. He approached them both now as they were hot and heavy into another verbal battle. He had to be grateful, though, that no knives or bullets had come out yet.
"Alright, that's enough," he snapped, cuffing Lee in the back of the head. "Go home."
"What?" Lee asked, surprised. It was almost two in the morning.
"You heard me. Get out of here."
"Why me and not him?" Lee asked, getting angry again.
"Because you're the loudest," Barney retorted. "Go home, Lee."
"You're picking him over me," Lee said in disbelief. "Are you serious right now?" Barney grabbed his arm and hauled him out. Lee yanked free once they were out of the room.
"You've done enough night shifts already," Barney said to him now. "And you're pissing me off. Just get out here and get some sleep."
"I'm fine..."
"That's an order, Christmas," Barney said firmly. "Now." Lee ground his jaw and shot him daggers from his eyes, but he turned and went to get his things. He was gone in less than three minutes.
Gunner
He was awake. Victoria was sleeping next to him on her side, pressed against him. He thought about their night together and how happy she was. It eased his worry, but only slightly. Things were going well now, but if they didn't and she crashed, he feared she would seek solace in the familiar.
His thoughts traveled to what Caesar was enduring right now. He knew the man was feeling frustration and rage inside over his family being torn apart and terrorized. He wanted to solve this for him so things could go back to normal.
Victoria sighed in her sleep and shifted. He turned his head to look at her in the moonlight. She was so pretty. And smart. And funny. She was everything to him. He didn't know how he'd ever cope if he lost her.
He did his best to close his eyes and fall asleep. He worked to tame down the anxiety thoughts, and eventually, after a long time, he succeeded.
Norah
She was still crying. Her hands and knees hurt, but she couldn't move. She had stayed on that couch with Rupert whining and trying to comfort her every so often. She just couldn't bring herself to go to bed or clean herself up. At around two thirty in the morning, she heard steps on the porch, and she panicked. Had her attacker found her? Was he coming to finish what he started? She lurched off the couch, rushing to find something, anything, to use to protect herself.
"Norah?" Lee asked, finding her in the kitchen. She was reaching for the tenderizer in the drawer. She instantly relaxed upon seeing him.
"Lee," she said. "I thought you were gone all night."
"I was no longer needed," he advised, setting his bag down and ignoring Rupert's eager sniffing and nosing at his waist. He was looking at her hands. "Norah, what happened?" He sounded concerned, and it became her undoing. She started to cry again, and he instantly took her arms in his hands.
"Hey," he said. "Talk to me. What happened?"
"I'm sorry," she cried. "I'm s-so sorry, Lee. I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't mean to make you feel like you didn't mean anything to me."
"You didn't," he promised, pulling her in a little closer. "Norah, I know I meant something to you. Don't think that, okay?"
"I'm just so confused," she went on. "I don't know what I'm doing."
"None of us really know what we're doing," he advised. He reached to touch her chin with the crook of his finger. "You wanna tell me what happened to your hands?"
"Oh," she said. "I...I tripped and fell going to my car after work." She didn't know why she was lying. She just didn't want him to worry about her any more than he already did. It had just been the wrong place at the wrong time, and she'd been lucky enough to have someone there to intervene. She had convinced herself it was just a one off, although she didn't understand why.
"Why didn't you clean yourself up?" he asked, sounding puzzled.
"I d-don't know," she answered. "I told you. I'm m-messed up."
"You're not messed up," he said firmly. "Okay? You're not."
"I'm too tired to argue with you," she replied, making him smile a little.
"Come on then," he said, tugging her arm gently and taking her to the bathroom. "Let's fix you up." She let him, and she stood by the counter top as he got a cloth wet with warm water and started wiping her palms lightly. The blood was dried on there hard, but he took his time. It did sting her; she hadn't felt it until now since she'd been in shock. He pulled out a few tiny pebbles lodged in her skin too.
"This'll hurt a bit," he stated, getting ready to pour antiseptic on them. She braced herself and grunted her way through it as he did one section at a time on her right hand and then her left. She loved the feel of his hands touching her and making her better. She could feel the care for her with every move he made.
"Were you fighting with Nick?" she asked, realizing that Toll had said he was going to be at Caesar's tonight. She hadn't thought anything of it until she saw Lee just now.
"No," Lee answered, but he looked a little sheepish and his voice indicated he was lying.
"You were," she said. "Lee..."
"Alright, so the principal sent me home," he said, admitting it. "We just had some words is all." She gave a groan and moved one hand to press against her face. Then she winced from the pain of contact with her scrapes.
"Don't worry about it," he told her, applying something to her hands that felt really good before wrapping them with some gauze. "I've let it go."
"That's nice of you to say," she said dryly, "but I know you're lying."
"Alright, so it stings a little," he admitted. "But I'll get over it."
"I don't even know if it'll work out," she said, and he gave her a look that couldn't entirely hide his hope. "And I'm not moving fast. I swear. I don't even know why I kissed him back..."
"Norah," he stopped her. "Just...don't. Okay? It happened. You're a single woman. It's fine. I'm a grown man who made a decision, and I have to live with it."
She held his gaze, wishing he would just tell her he loved her. If he told her that, she'd without a doubt tell Toll that she couldn't proceed with what they were trying to do.
"He's a lucky guy," Lee said, still looking at her. He gave her arms a light squeeze before releasing her. "Your knees okay?" He glanced at her pants.
"Um, yea. They hurt a little, but they didn't get scraped as bad."
"What made you trip?" he asked.
"My own feet," she lied. "I was tired." She could tell he didn't quite believe her, but he let it go. "Thanks for helping."
"No problem."
"I'm going to get some sleep now."
"Okay," he said, nodding. "Good night."
"Night."
She walked away from him, needing to breathe. She went down to her room and sat on her bed. She looked at her hands, which were wrapped. She was grateful that he took care of her. She wished things weren't so different between them now, though.
She blamed herself for that, for falling for him to begin with.
The Next Day
Toll
He found Norah outside with Rupert when he pulled up the next morning. Since he was on the nightshift, he figured he'd take her out for brunch before going home to get some sleep. He hoped Lee wasn't awake. He didn't feel like getting into another fight with him about this.
"Hey," he said with a smile as he shut the car door behind him and walked over to her. Rupert came to greet him, and he roughhoused with him for a moment.
"Hey," Norah said back. He moved to hug her, and she accepted, but she turned his head so that his kiss landed on her cheek.
Huh.
"Everything okay?" he asked, looking at her. Her eyes flicked towards the house briefly.
"Yea," she answered. Toll looked to see Lee standing in the doorway. So she'd wanted to spare Lee's feelings. He wasn't sure what to think about that.
"Hey, whoa, are you okay?" he asked, seeing her wrapped hands now. He lifted one to examine it.
"Yes. I just tripped and fell last night. I'm okay."
"You promise?"
"Yes," she answered, nodding. "I'm clumsy, you know."
Toll looked at the wrapping and recognized Lee's handiwork. It irked him to know that Lee had touched her. He knew it shouldn't, but it did. He let her hand go, not wanting to get mad right now. He shoved those feelings deep down.
"Ready to go?" he asked. He'd texted her first to invite her, and she'd accepted.
"Definitely," she said with a smile finally. "I'm ready to get my grub on."
"Alright." He grinned. "Have I got the place for you..."
They walked to his car side by side, and he shot another look towards Lee, who was watching. Toll felt another swell of anger suddenly. Lee couldn't judge or be pissy. He'd given up Norah; that was not Toll's fault. He looked away, resisting flipping Lee off. He opened Norah's door and smiled at her instead. She got in, and he shut the door before going to his side, getting in, and starting the car. He tried not to feel irritated when Norah looked out the window at Lee as they drove away.
Barney
They were congregated at Tool's, leaving Caesar's place empty aside from security cameras monitoring everything. Barney figured it was safe to do since nothing had happened yet. Caesar's family wasn't there anyway, which was the most important thing.
"Family meeting," Barney said, making Tool snort and snicker.
"I love that you think of us as a family, brother," he advised.
"Am I the weird cousin?" Caesar asked over the phone.
"No. I am," Yang corrected, also on the phone since he was with Caesar still. Gunner and Lee were sitting on stools, listening.
"I don't want to be the uncle," Gunner stated.
"Me either," Tool chimed in.
"Alright, alright," Barney cut in before it got out of hand. "I've been doing some thinking."
"That would explain the brain matter on the floor," Lee muttered dryly. It earned him a glare.
"Anyway," Barney went on, looking around at the others. "I'm thinking...wait, where is Toll?" He just noticed he wasn't there.
"Where do you think?" Lee asked aggressively.
"Right," Barney said, understanding. "Alright, someone can fill him in later. Anyway, I think we need a new plan. I don't think our guy is gonna come to us."
"I think I want to stay with my family," Caesar said now.
"I stay too," Yang offered. "Back up."
"Alright," Barney agreed, "so how do we flush this guy out? How do we find him?"
"We don't even know who he is," Lee pointed out. "How can we flush him out when we know nothing?"
"See, I don't think it's anything to do with Caesar," Barney said, looking at Lee, who was shaking his head vigorously back at him now.
"What do you mean?" Gunner asked. "They hurt Sasha and then cased the house. It's about Caesar..."
"They want us to think it is," Barney clarified, still looking at Lee.
"What's going on?" Tool asked, noticing.
"Just tell them, Lee," Barney said.
"It's not my thing," Lee tried.
"I think it is. I think he's shifting the focus so he can strike."
"Can someone please explain what the hell is going on?" Caesar asked impatiently. No one needed to actually see him to know that his nostrils were flared.
"Lee's got someone from his past coming after him," Barney explained when Lee wouldn't. "This person has killed a former girlfriend already, and he's threatened more." He left out Lee's brother. He wasn't entirely an asshole.
"Oh, shit," Gunner said.
"Damn, dude," Caesar added. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"Seemed unrelated to your thing, and it's my past...I don't expect anyone to be put in harm's way because of me," Lee advised.
"Come on, man," Caesar said. "That's crap, and you know it. We have each other's backs. Always. You should have told us."
"Is that why you broke up with Norah?" Gunner asked, realizing. Lee's jaw was clenched as he looked at the floor, his arms crossed tightly.
"That's a yes," Tool answered for him.
"Shit, so you really do care for her?" Caesar asked next.
"Can we stop talking about it, please?" Lee demanded. "It's my problem. I'll handle it."
"Not by yourself you won't," Caesar said.
"We are here," Yang advised.
"Just suck it up and take the help, will ya?" Barney said, giving Lee a bit of a smug look. He was making sure his friend was going to be taken care of. What was wrong with that?
"I don't want to share about my past," Lee said, getting up now. "It's my past. I shared with you in confidence, Barney, and I'm not about to open up to every bloody person on this team just because you think I should."
"Lee," Barney started.
"Do you need me for this anymore or not?" Lee interrupted. "Cos if not, then I've got my own shit to get back to."
"You don't have to give us details," Gunner insisted. "Just tell us who is after you, and we'll look for him."
"See you later," Lee said, walking out. Barney didn't go after him. He knew Lee needed time to cool off. He just hoped his friend wasn't going to explode from everything before it was too late.
Norah
She was smiling as she listened to Toll talk about Victoria and his nephew, Bobby. She was genuinely happy for him that they had a good time. She just wished she could stop thinking about her attacker. She knew Toll would start to ask why she kept looking over her shoulder all the time.
"So," he said now, taking her hand in his across the table. "What are your thoughts? About us?"
"Well," she replied, trying to feel something at his touch. "I think this is nice."
"Yea?" He looked pleased, and she felt bad suddenly. Was she going to try this out only to crush him if she decided it wasn't going to work?
"I think going slow is definitely good," she went on.
"Okay."
"You're okay with that?"
"Of course," he answered, lifting her hand to kiss the back of it. She noted the lack of shivers of attraction from that gesture. She wondered if she was just overthinking things too much. She decided to be honest.
"I am worried," she told him.
"About what?"
"I'm worried that we try this and you hate me if it doesn't work out," she confessed.
"Norah," he said softly. "I'd never hate you. I understand that sometimes things don't work out. I'm willing to try, though. I'd hate to think that we missed out on something if we didn't at least try."
"Right," she agreed, feeling a bit relieved. "I mean, that's why people date...to see if they like each other and want to move forward."
"Yea," he said with a laugh. "This isn't a marriage we're jumping into here. I don't expect you to be with me forever if you decide you don't like me anymore. I mean, I really hope you stay liking me, but I...I get it."
"Okay," she said, smiling a bit wider now. She felt so much better. She'd been worried that he was thinking they were in this for life already. She looked at her watch. "Shoot, I have to get to work."
"Alright. I'll drop you off."
"Thanks."
He chatted on the drive about different little things. Norah listened and smiled and nodded in all the right places. When she got to work, she leaned on the car window ledge and looked in at him.
"Thanks again," she said.
"No problem." He smiled.
"See you soon."
"I'd like that."
She gave a small wave and then moved to leave. She saw him wave out the window as he drove off, and she went inside the bar. The first thing she noticed was Mike sitting in his spot with a glass of water in front of him.
"Hey," he said to her, smiling hugely. "You doing okay?"
"Oh, yea," she answered, nodding. She knew Toll had wanted to ask more questions about it but had refrained. She wasn't really sure why she was lying to him and Lee, if she was honest.
"Good. I was worried."
"Trust me, I'm fine."
"Okay."
"Thanks again for having my back," she added.
"Hey, no problem," Mike replied, smiling a little. "You'd do it for me."
"For sure."
He winked, and she felt a flush on her neck, which was surprising. She gave a curt nod before going around behind the bar and beginning to work. Mike started chatting with the guy beside him, and she forgot all about him until a few hours later when she saw he was still there.
"Well, Norah," he said, patting the bar top. "I should go live my life I guess."
"Okay."
"I'm headed to a party later if you wanna come?" he offered. "Nothing too crazy. Just blowing off some steam. On a houseboat of all things. I've never been on one, but it should be fun! It's my last hurrah before I leave."
"Leave?"
"Yea, I'm going back to my real life...as much as I'd like to stay here," Mike said. "But it'd be fun to hang with you before I go."
This was appealing to Norah in that moment. She suddenly just wanted to numb out, and what better way to do that than with some alcohol and maybe some weed?
"Sure," she agreed. "Sounds fun."
"You can bring your date if you want," he said. "The more the merrier."
"I don't think that's his scene," she advised.
"His loss then," Mike said, and she felt that swoop inside again at his gaze. What was happening here?
"I guess so," she said slowly.
"See you after your shift then," Mike said. "I'll give you a lift. I'll be sober, I promise."
"Alright."
Norah waved at him as he left, and then she got back to work. Dino ambled up to her after a bit.
"Who was that guy?" he asked. "The chatty one?"
"Mike," Norah answered. "He's nice."
"Tips well too," Dino said, noticing. Norah pocketed it with a smile.
"Damn right," she confirmed with a laugh. He just shook his head and went back to work. Norah thought about the party after work, and she knew she should tell someone about it, but then she felt a bit irritated that she had to report her every move to everyone all the time. She was a grown adult for crying out loud. She could do what she wanted.
So she didn't.
Rose
Joe could come home soon, they'd said. She couldn't wait. Seeing him in the hospital was making her picture a lot of different things that she was not ready for at all.
"I set the table," Oscar said proudly.
"Good job," she replied, ruffling his hair. He was excited to have movie night with Winston, who was arriving shortly. With her father being a lot better, she wasn't as stressed and could relax a bit more. She hadn't heard from Norah at all, but she'd heard that their father had spoken to her, and that was more important in her mind. They could talk later. She knew it would be fine.
"Do you think Winston will like the movie I picked?" Oscar asked.
"Oh, I know he will," Rose assured him with a smile. "It's a good movie."
"Is he gonna be my dad someday?" Oscar asked next, and Rose blinked. Why was Oscar thinking about that when she hadn't even considered it?
"I...I don't know, honey. We're just spending time together," she answered.
"Oh. I asked God if He could let Winston be my dad," Oscar told her matter-of-factly. "I really like him, and he makes you smile and laugh."
Rose felt like she might cry at this. Her son noticed that she was happier. She kicked herself for staying with Mac for so long. She really had deserved better.
"Well, if all goes well, maybe," she said to him. "But adults need to get to know each other well before getting married."
"I know."
The doorbell sounded, and he ran to answer it. Rose found herself daydreaming about getting proposed to, and she really liked how it made her feel.
One day. Maybe.
Gunner
He found Victoria still in his apartment when he got back. She was on the couch curled up with a book, and he smiled at the sight of it.
"Hey," she said after seeing him. "How'd it go?"
"Good," he answered. "We think there's something going on with Lee that's linked to all of this, but he won't share."
"Sounds...complicated?"
"You have no idea." He laughed.
"Well, come here," she said, patting the spot next to her on the couch. "Let's enjoy this uninterrupted time together."
"I second that," Gunner said, obliging. She accepted his kiss eagerly, and he felt her put her book down after a while and grip his face with both hands as he kept kissing her. He couldn't help himself. It just had to be said.
"I love you," he told her during a pause. He felt scared, but she smiled slowly and kissed him lightly.
"I love you too," she replied, smoothing a hand over his hair. "Took you long enough."
"I thought you might run for the hills if I said it," he confessed. She laughed.
"No way, baby," she said. "It's you and me now."
He felt so elated. He kissed her again, and she moved into his lap. For whatever reason, it was just so much sweeter this time.
Caesar & Yang
"What do you think Lee's got coming for him?" Caesar asked. He and Yang were sitting on the back step and looking out at the backyard. It was dark outside now.
"No idea," Yang replied.
"I really hate how stubborn he is," Caesar added, and Yang nodded. Caesar listened to the night sounds and looked up at the house behind him where his family was sleeping. He wanted to bring them home and move on. He was tired of this.
"The past is hard to talk about," Yang said, making Caesar look at him. "I understand."
"You got something big too, huh?"
"Yes."
"Will I ever hear what it is?"
"Maybe," Yang said. "Maybe not."
"I see."
Yang knew he could trust Caesar, but he still didn't want everyone to know his pain. He wasn't ready. If he was honest, he didn't know if he ever would be.
Barney
He was smoking in his office quietly, looking at the picture of Marcy. He couldn't stop the memory as it came in full force. The sight of her hurt like that haunted him all the time. He hated himself for not keeping her safe, for letting her be used against him. He knew exactly why Lee had done what he'd done to Norah. No one wanted to feel that responsibility of their loved one getting tortured on their behalf.
And it had led Marcy down a darker path than she'd ever been on. She'd always struggled with depression growing up, but this had pushed her over the edge. She'd never recovered from it, and Barney blamed himself every day for letting it happen. He'd understood when Joe had told him to leave. He never wanted Rose or Norah being used like that. Ever.
"You're quiet tonight," Tool said from the doorway.
"Just thinking about the past."
"It's always a rough place to be, isn't it?"
"Yea," Barney agreed.
"Did you tell Norah?" Tool asked. He knew what happened. He knew a lot of things.
"No. I didn't want her to live that. It was bad enough her mother did."
"You must feel worried having her around then," Tool went on. "I mean, it could happen again."
"Not if I can help it," Barney said fiercely. He clenched his fist on the desk, and Tool nodded.
"I hear you, brother. I hear you."
If there was anything he could do to make it up to Marcy, it would be to keep her children safe from harm. Barney would rather die than have them get hurt like that.
"What are we doing about Lee's situation?" Tool asked.
"I'm gonna talk to him tomorrow. I'm letting him cool off for now."
"Good plan."
"After that, we'll figure something out," Barney advised. Tool nodded again and patted the door frame before excusing himself for the night. Barney finished his cigar, letting himself get lost in his thoughts again.
Norah
She finished up at closing time. Dino was there this time, and he was counting the cash as she got ready to leave.
"Going home?" he asked.
"No. I'm gonna go hang at a party for a bit," she answered.
"Don't get too rowdy."
"I won't," she promised with a laugh. She said goodnight to him and went outside. She found Mike by his car in the parking lot.
"I checked for thugs," he told her as she approached. "Coast is clear."
"Good," she said, trying not to feel scared as the memory assaulted her mind again. She pulled out her phone and saw that Toll had texted her. He'd asked how her shift went.
Good, she wrote back. Off to dreamland soon.
Sleep well, he replied.
It was a white lie. She would be going to sleep soon, just not for a few hours. She got into Mike's car and stuck her hand out the window as he drove.
"This is gonna be great," Mike said as they pulled into the marina.
"A house boat?" she asked, seeing the yacht they were pulling up to. "That is a yacht, Mike."
"So it is," he said, looking at it through the windshield. "Maybe they were trying to be modest?"
"Let's hope they have some good booze," she said, getting out. They walked side by side towards the ramp, and Norah stopped abruptly.
"What's wrong?" Mike asked her.
"I just feel weird," she answered. "Like I shouldn't board that boat." He laughed.
"It's just a boat," he said. "It won't bite you."
"You don't feel it?"
"Feel what?"
"The vibe? It's not great," she said.
"Tell you what," Mike started. "I'll go first and check it out. If there's some real weirdos on there, I'll bail and we leave. That way you don't have to experience it. We can party somewhere else."
"Okay," she agreed.
"Besides," he added, "I saved you once. I can save you again." She smiled at this and laughed softly, and then he took her by surprise by stepping into her and kissing her firmly. She pulled back, giving him a startled look. "What're you doing?"
"Sorry," he said, sounding sheepish. "I just had to know. Your somewhat boyfriend...he's a lucky guy."
"Don't do that again," Norah instructed, but she felt hot all over, and that was making her feel really bad. Mike pressed his lips together and gave a slight nod.
"I won't," he promised. "Wait here. I'll be back." He headed up the ramp and smiled and waved at someone inside. She could hear laughter then, and she felt a bit at ease. Laughter didn't usually come from a murder boat. Not light and cheery laughter anyway. She waited, and Mike appeared at the top of the ramp after a moment with a beer in his hand.
"They're really cool," he promised. "I think you'll fit in just fine here."
"You sure?"
"Oh yea. Come on up!"
She hesitated, but then she did. At the top, he put his hand on the small of her back to usher her inside. She pushed out the thought of his mouth on hers. What the hell was she even doing? She didn't know anymore.
"You have to try this beer," he said, leading her down a hallway. "It's amazing."
"Alright."
They entered a fancy looking room with chairs. He instructed her to take a seat and he'd be back with the beer. She did so, looking around curiously. It must be nice to be rich. She was starting to relax when a man walked into the room. She felt on alert instantly and unsure why. He stopped in front of her and smiled, and her blood ran cold.
"We meet again," he said, his British accent making her relive last night all over again. "Only this time, there's nowhere for you to run."
She panicked.
"MIKE!" she screamed.
"He cannot help you this time," the man said, coming closer to her.
"MIIIIIKE!"
The man easily caught her despite her trying to dodge him. She kicked and fought, and he dragged her to the couch and threw her down onto it. She fought back hard, but he managed to incapacitate her and tie her wrists tight behind her back. Then he gagged her. She still tried to fight as he hauled her with him down to another room. She whimpered at the sight of Mike being dragged away, his eyes open and lifeless with blood on his face. She got dumped onto the floor moments later.
"Stay here," the man ordered. "Our guest of honor will arrive soon." He moved to take her picture, and she kept turning her head away until he grabbed her face and held it still. She wasn't sure who he was sending it to, but she had an idea.
"See you soon," he promised. Once the door was shut, she struggled hard. She was not going to die like this.
No way in hell.
Lee
It had hurt so much to see Norah leave with Toll for a date. The way she'd looked at him as they drove away hadn't helped either. Then he got bombarded at Tool's by Barney, and he came home all sorts of mad.
He didn't want to tell anyone else about his brother's death. He didn't want to expose himself. He just wanted to keep that all quiet and move on from it when he'd dealt with everything.
Where was Norah? He tried not to worry. She was probably out with Toll or something. It still irked him that she didn't let him know. That was their deal after all. When she didn't answer him, he called Toll.
"What? You wanna yell at me some more?" Toll asked after answering.
"No. Is she with you?"
"What do you mean?"
"She's not home yet. Is she with you?" Lee asked. "Yes or no. I just need the peace of mind that she's alright."
"She's not with me," Toll answered. "She said she was going to bed soon like, an hour ago."
"She's not here," Lee said. They were both quiet for a moment, and Lee's stomach sunk with dread.
"Shit," Toll said now. "We gotta find her."
"She's not answering me," Lee advised.
"I'll call her."
"Wait," Lee said, his phone indicating he'd received a message in that moment. "This might be her."
"Tell me what it says." Toll's voice was giving way his fear too. Lee went to look at his messages, and he froze after seeing the image come up on his screen. He stared at it, heart pounding and nausea building hard and fast.
"Lee?" Toll prompted. "Is she okay? What did she say?"
"It wasn't her," Lee said hoarsely.
"Then who was it?"
Lee felt the image burn into his mind forever. It was a picture of Norah bound and gagged with a hand holding her face still to aim at the camera. The caption read:
Do you know where your girlfriend is?
"Lee!" Toll yelled, snapping him back.
"Call Barney," Lee said.
"What? Why?"
"Call him. Now."
"Lee, damn it, tell me!"
"She's in trouble," he answered. "Toll, it's not good." Toll swore, and sounds of him getting up and rushing around could be heard.
"Promise me we get her back, Lee," he said. "Promise me."
Lee said nothing. He had no idea if that was a promise he could keep right now. And that terrified the shit out of him. He hung up on Toll and dialed the number that had texted him with a shaking hand.
One thing he knew he could promise for sure: He'd die trying.