Looking Back

Chapter 49

Axel

I moved around the back of the barn and froze when I saw the freshly turned dirt. I ran my gloved hand through it and fought to not throw up when I saw bits of bone and hair. This was way worse than we had thought. "Alert authorities. There's a dismembered body out here. Looks fairly fresh and the dirt was just recently turned," I whispered into the coms with no response. They must already have boots on the ground. We get the girl first, then the cops.

The barn doors were closed and I couldn't see where the men were at, so I scaled the side and entered through the hay opening. Nothing in this world could have prepared me for what I saw. On the outside, it looked like a normal farm, but instead of animals, there were humans in the breeding stocks. Four metal pens were constructed, each holding a woman in a sling of some kind. Avery was in the last one as the man, Shane, held a feeding tube down her throat, forcing her to swallow the contents. Her struggles became less and she appeared to pass out. He gently secured her head in the sling, then spoke in a low voice to her, "Soon number four, soon Mike and I will make sure you're good and bred. A few babies and you'll be ready for training just like Ma." He stroked her face as she slept.

I pulled back and hissed, "Avery's unconscious. One male in the barn, other unknown."

"Female in the house with an infant boy, large male outside the barn," Gabe replied.

"Authorities are en route and advised, Ax. We need to secure the barn and the women before they arrive," Owen said.

"Going after the big guy," Nate said.

"I'll take the old lady and kid," Marc said.

"I'm in the barn. Four women including Avery. They're bound like livestock and appear to be drugged." I heard curses as Kota's voice came back.

"En route to the barn. This ends now," he growled.

Marc

I entered the house, moving silently. The baby was in his crib and the woman was in the kitchen cooking. I knew she wasn't innocent in all this, but damn, I hate hitting women - even batshit crazy ones. "Ma'am," I said calmly. "I need you to place your hands in the air and turn around slowly."

She laughed, "I don't think I will, sonny." Before I could say anything else, she spun around and threw a knife. It barely missed my shoulder as I let out a curse.

"Fuck, lady!" I pushed the table towards her, sending her reeling against the counter. She threw her head back and screamed before grabbing two more knives, and launching them at me. One missed, but the second found its mark in my bicep. I grunted and threw a plate at her head when suddenly she made an odd sound and convulsed.

She fell over the table and I looked up to see Gabe with a taser in his hand. "Really, Marc? You throw a fucking plate at a knife-wielding psychopath? How the fuck have you even survived this long?" He walked over and looked at the knife in my arm, hummed, then grabbed a towel and the sugar bowl. "Wow, that looks painful. Here, can you hold this?" He held out the taser and when I reached for it, he yanked out the blade and dumped sugar on it massaging it in, then tied it off with the towel.

"What the fuck, Gabe?" Shit that hurt. "Hey, it's not bleeding?"

Gabe grinned, "Yeah, sugar staunches the blood and fights infection, but you're still gonna need stitches."

I just shook my head, "What the fuck did they teach you in art school?"

He laughed and patted my cheek, "And here you thought I was just another pretty face, huh? Come on, let's search the house for anything of use."