Takedown by Heather Atkinson (latest books to read txt) 📕

Vance wouldn’t feel up to driving after the crash the day before but he seemed to be back to his usual self and his right arm wasn’t giving him any problems.

The church was abandoned, the doors and windows boarded up, the stonework charred and streaked by smoke.

They left the vehicle down the road and decided to skirt around the back of the church so no one would see them enter the grounds from the main road. The gate was padlocked shut, so they vaulted it. Because of their height, Vance, Jason and Caleb had to boost Faith and Kevin over, the latter red-faced about needing a hand from his brothers.

“Not a word,” he told a grinning Jason once he was on the other side.

They split into two groups – Faith and Vance heading one way, Caleb, Jason and Kevin the other, skirting around the building until they met up at the other side.

“All the doors have been barricaded shut with wood hammered across them,” said Vance. “They haven’t been opened in a long time.”

“But they definitely came here last night,” said Jason. “We saw them.”

“Where did they go exactly?” said Caleb.

“They looked to go to the rear of the building.”

“Wherever they went,” said Vance. “It wasn’t through the back door.”

While they talked, Faith tramped back the way they’d come, avoiding large puddles and weeds, which were slowly reclaiming the church grounds. She came to a halt in the cemetery behind the church. Why did she keep finding herself in cemeteries lately? Was it an omen? The thought made her shiver.

Her brothers rushed after her.

“Don’t go wandering off alone,” Vance told her.

“What about there?” she said, pointing to a low, squat brick building in the corner of the cemetery.

“What is it?” said Jason.

“A crypt,” she replied.

“I wish I hadn’t asked,” he muttered.

Together they made their way through the graves, boots disappearing into the grass that was almost as high as the tombstones.

“It looks like this graveyard hasn’t been used since the late nineteen hundreds,” said Faith, glancing at the dates on the weathered stones.

“Meaning there won’t be any mourners coming here,” said Vance.

“Exactly.”

They stopped by the iron gate leading into the crypt. Through the bars they could see nothing but darkness.

“That looks like a shiny new padlock to me,” said Caleb.

“This could be where they stashed the product,” said Faith, excitement rising in her gut.

“If it is they can bloody well keep it,” commented Kevin. “Who wants drugs that’s been in a tomb?”

“Caleb, pick the lock,” said Faith.

He nodded, everyone taking a step back to allow him to bend down and examine it.

“Wait,” said Vance. “What if they’ve got security around here? They could have motion detectors or cameras.”

“I can’t see anything,” said Faith.

“It doesn’t mean they’re not there.”

“We’ve no choice but to go in. If they have any of that stuff then they probably already know we’re here.”

“I’d better get on with picking this lock then,” said Caleb, producing a pick from his pocket, which he’d made out of one of Abi’s bobby pins. Ten seconds later the padlock clicked open.

“We have to be fast,” Vance told them. “They could know we’re here and are on their way and we do not want to get trapped in there.”

“You mean, we’re going inside?” exclaimed Kevin.

“We’ve no choice.”

“But…what if there’s dead bodies in there?”

“As it’s a crypt I’d say that’s pretty likely.”

“But…oh Jesus.”

“You can wait out here Kev,” Faith told him. “It doesn’t take all five of us.”

“I’m not a coward,” he announced.

“I know but if Ben and his friends are on their way we don’t all want to get trapped inside. You and Jason can wait out here and let us know if anyone comes along.”

“Oh yeah, great plan,” he breathed with relief.

“Jason, you can fetch the car,” she said, tossing him the keys. “If the product is down there we don’t want to be carrying it through the streets. Park it behind the wall. We can form a chain and throw it to you over the wall.”

“Will do,” he said.

Faith took out her phone, switched on the torch and followed Vance and Caleb, who were similarly lighting the way with the torches on their phones.

“You wuss,” Jason grinned at Kevin, who was leaning against the crypt wall, arms folded across his chest.

“I bet you’re relieved that you don’t have to go in there,” retorted Kevin.

“Well, maybe. It stinks from out here and these trainers are new and very expensive.”

“Yeah, that’s the real reason,” he said knowingly as Jason vaulted the wall to fetch the car.

“Christ, it stinks in here,” grimaced Caleb, who was starting to think that Kevin had been the smart one. He glanced over his shoulder past Faith, who was walking behind him. The entrance was just a speck of light in the darkness. Judging by how it appeared to be above them, the floor of the crypt was sloping downwards. Ledges had been cut into the walls either side of them and he shuddered when he saw they held coffins that were damp and splintered with age. Caleb forced himself to keep his gaze on Vance’s back, so he wouldn’t be tempted to peer into them. “When I woke up this morning I didn’t think I’d be doing this,” he muttered to himself.

“We’ve reached the end,” said Vance when the light from his torch revealed a brick wall.

“Thank God,” breathed Caleb.

They looked around the small chamber, which measured about thirty feet square.

“I don’t see the product,” said Faith.

“Maybe they stashed it in the coffins?” said Vance.

“Please don’t say that,” replied Caleb.

“Or maybe one of the coffins is newer than the rest,” said Faith, shining her light on one particular coffin on