Under the Cowboy's Protection

by Delores Fossen

  She obviously didn’t think it was a ruse, either. And that led Raleigh back to his second issue with this ransom arrangement.

  “I’ll transfer twenty grand,” Raleigh told the kidnapper. He could take that from his own personal checking account. “You’ll get the rest when I actually see the baby. And Thea will have no part in the drop. It’ll be between you and me.”

  Along with some backup deputies that Raleigh would have in place. The plan was to catch these idiots and make them pay for what they’d done. First though, he had to make sure the baby was safe.

  The guy didn’t say anything, and the silence went on for what seemed to be an eternity. “All right,” the kidnapper finally answered. “Get that money to me in the next five minutes, and then I’ll give you the location of the kid.”

  Before Raleigh could ask for any more time, the kidnapper ended the call. Raleigh didn’t bother to hit Redial because it would just eat up precious time.

  He had a quick debate with himself as to how to handle this, and the one thing he knew was that he didn’t want Thea anywhere near this. That meant getting her to the station.

  “Call the emergency dispatcher,” Raleigh said as he used his own phone to access his bank account. “Have him connect you to Dalton. Tell him to gather up as many deputies as he can because I might need them. I also need Dalton to get the remaining thirty grand of the ransom money.” If nothing went wrong with the first part of this plan, Raleigh wanted to be ready.

  “I could do backup,” Thea insisted. “I still have your gun, and I’m not woozy anymore from the stun gun.”

  Raleigh dismissed that with a headshake and motioned for her to make the call. She did, and he continued with his own task.

  It took several moments for him to get access to his account, several more for Raleigh to put in the number the kidnapper had given him. The transfer went through without any hitches.

  He had more money in investment accounts, but he doubted those would be as easy to tap into. That’s why he’d wanted Dalton to come up with the rest. That would involve getting some help from fellow law enforcement, maybe even the DA. Somehow though, they’d come up with that money.

  “Dalton said to tell you that he’ll get to work right away on all of that,” Thea relayed to him the moment she finished her call. She also took his phone and had another look at the photo the kidnapper had sent. “I’m just trying to figure out if there’s any resemblance between the baby and Yvette.”

  “And?” He started driving again so he could get Thea to the station. They were still ten minutes out, so Raleigh sped up. After everything that’d happened, he didn’t want to be on this rural stretch of road any longer than necessary.

  “I can’t tell. You think we should send it to Yvette to see if she recognizes any features? The baby could resemble her husband since it was Yvette’s and his fertilized embryo that was implanted in Sonya.”

  He had another short debate about that and dismissed it. The woman had been so frantic that this might push her over the edge. Raleigh wanted her to stay put with Dalton at least until he could get there.

  “Egan would send backup if you need it,” Thea reminded him.

  She probably hadn’t suggested that to rile him. After all, Egan was Sheriff Egan McCall of McCall Canyon. Along with being Thea’s boss, he was Raleigh’s half brother and Warren’s son. Raleigh wasn’t so stubborn that he would refuse help and therefore put the baby at even greater risk, but he didn’t think he would have to rely on McCall help just yet.

  Only a short distance ahead, Raleigh spotted a dark blue SUV. It wasn’t on the road but had pulled off onto one of the ranch trails. A trail with a lot of trees and wild shrubs. Normally, seeing a vehicle parked there wouldn’t have alarmed him. After all, there was pasture land out here for sale, and this could be a potential buyer. But this day was far from normal.

  “You recognize the SUV?” Thea asked. She drew her gun, which meant this had put her on edge, too.

  “No.” And it was parked in such a way that he couldn’t see the license plates.

  Raleigh considered just speeding up, and once he passed the vehicle, he could get the plates and call them in. But he saw something else. Something on the ground next to the passenger’s side door.

  “Is that what I think it is?” Thea muttered. “It looks like a baby carrier.”

  It did. Raleigh had already had a bad feeling about this, and that feeling went up a significant notch when the SUV came flying off the trail and onto the road just ahead of Thea and him. The driver sped away, heading in the direction of town.

  Raleigh hit his brakes and slowed so he could have a better look. At first, he thought the carrier was empty, that this was some kind of trick. But then he saw the baby’s tiny hand moving away. He heard the cries, too.

  His phone dinged with another text. Since Thea still had hold of it, she read it to him. “Change of plans. The kid is all yours. Thanks for the twenty grand.”

  Raleigh wanted to know what had happened to make them flee like that. He also wanted to go in pursuit, but that would mean leaving the baby out here.

  “Call Dalton back,” he told Thea. “Let him know what’s happening. I want that SUV stopped.”

  While she did that, Raleigh drew his gun and got out. He fired glances all around them but didn’t see anyone. However, the baby’s cries seemed to be even more frantic now. She could be hungry or scared.

  Still keeping watch, Raleigh went closer, and he prayed this wasn’t some elaborate dummy. It wasn’t. The baby was real. And there was what appeared to be a note on the blanket that was loosely draped over her.

  Raleigh went to her, stooping down, and he touched her cheek, hoping to soothe her. It didn’t work. She kept crying, and he was about to pick her up when he saw what was written on the note.

  He read the note out loud, so Thea could hear. “‘Warren’s going to be so sad when he finds out she’s dead.’”

  Raleigh shook his head, not understanding what it meant. Who was the she? Certainly not the baby because she was very much alive. It hit him then. Another she, and this one was definitely connected to Warren. He whipped back around, his attention going to the cruiser.

  What he saw caused his heart to go to his knees.

  Because there was a guy wearing a ski mask, and he had a gun pointed right at Thea’s head.

  Chapter Four

  Thea was certain that Raleigh was cursing her as he was diving for cover with the baby. She was cursing herself for letting this snake get the drop on her and knocking the gun from her hand. Yes, she was still wobbly from the other attack, but that was no excuse. She was a cop, and she shouldn’t have let this happen.

  Especially because it could end up getting Raleigh and the baby hurt.

  Raleigh was obviously trying to prevent that from happening because he dropped down into the shallow ditch with the baby. It wouldn’t be much protection if shots were fired, but it was better than being out in the open. And much better than having the baby in the hands of this thug.

  She had no idea who was holding her at gunpoint, but one thing was for certain—if he’d wanted her dead, she already would be. Instead of grabbing her when she stepped from the truck, he could have just put a bullet in her head and then escaped. Raleigh would have had a hard time going after him with a baby in tow.

  So, what did the thug want?

  Thea prayed that whatever it was, the baby wouldn’t be put in any more danger. The newborn had already been through enough.

  “Why are you doing this?” Thea managed to ask.

  It was hard for her to talk though because he had her in a choke hold, and the barrel of the gun was digging so hard against her skin that she’d probably have a fresh cut to go along with the one she’d gotten when she fell on Sonya’s porch after being hit with the stun gun.

  Was this the same attacker
?

  She didn’t know, and even if she got a chance to see his face beneath that ski mask, she still probably wouldn’t recognize him.

  And that only left her with another question. Where was his partner? He had almost certainly been the one to drive away in the SUV—probably after this thug had gotten out and hidden in a ditch to wait for them. But the partner would come back. No doubt soon. That meant Raleigh and she didn’t have much time.

  “Let her go,” Raleigh called out, though he certainly knew that wasn’t going to stop this thug. However, he had positioned himself in front of the baby, and he had his gun ready.

  Not that he had a shot.

  The guy behind her was hunched down just enough that Raleigh wouldn’t be able to shoot him. She certainly wouldn’t be able to do that, either, not with the backup weapon that Raleigh had given her on the ground. She was only about five feet away from where it had fallen when the guy bashed his own weapon against her hand to send the gun flying. But despite it being that close, there wasn’t much of a chance she could get to it without getting shot. Still, she would have to go for it if he tried to hurt the baby. First though, Thea wanted to know what the heck was going on.

  “Did you bring the baby here?” she demanded, and she hoped she sounded a lot stronger than she actually felt. Thea was scared. Not for herself but for the baby.

  “Nope. It wasn’t me. But this is how this is going to work,” the guy said in a voice plenty loud enough for Raleigh to hear. “First you’re gonna use your phone to transfer the rest of the money. All thirty grand of it. Then, you’re gonna bring the kid to me.”

  Raleigh cursed. “Why the hell would I do that?”

  “Because if you don’t, I’m gonna shoot this pretty lady here. Warren’s going to be so sad if that happens.”

  It was similar wording to what had been in the note, but Thea didn’t take either it or this snake’s threat at face value. He could be lying so he could connect Warren to this. Of course, Thea didn’t know why he would do that, but it was still a possibility. None of this had felt right from the beginning.

  “Did Nick O’Hara hire you to do this?” she snapped. “Is that why you want the baby?”

  The thug didn’t answer, but she thought maybe he tensed more than he already was. Hard to tell though because he was wired and practically fidgeting. Definitely not someone she wanted with his finger on the trigger.

  “Transfer the money now!” he shouted to Raleigh.

  Raleigh had his famous glare aimed at the thug, but she also saw him do something with his phone. Even though there hadn’t been a lot of time to do it, maybe Raleigh’s deputy had managed to get the money. If not, perhaps she could bargain with her captor to let her call Warren for the funds. That could also buy her some time so she could figure out what to do.

  “Once you have me and the money,” she said to the guy, “there’s no reason for you to have the baby, too. She’s a newborn, and she needs to be at the hospital.”

  “What the kid needs is for the sheriff to cooperate,” he snarled. She felt him fumbling around and realized he was checking his phone. No doubt looking to see if the transfer had been made.

  Raleigh lifted his head enough for Thea to make eye contact with him, and for a moment she thought he was going to say he hadn’t been able to get the money. But the thug made a sound of approval.

  “Good job,” he told Raleigh. “I knew you’d come through for me.”

  Thea didn’t breathe easier, because she figured what was coming next, and she didn’t have to wait long for it.

  “Now the kid,” the guy said. “Me and Thea are going to walk closer to you to get her. That means you toss out your gun and keep your hands where I can see them.”

  “So you can kill me? I don’t think so. Tell me, why didn’t you just take the baby and run?”

  “Oh, I will be doing that.” He chuckled and started walking with her. “First though, I had to fix a screwup.”

  Thea wasn’t sure if he meant her or not. Maybe his partner and he thought she could ID them. She couldn’t. But since a murder charge was on the table, they might not want to risk it. Or it could be something more than that. They could want to use her to get to Warren.

  Or make it look as if they were using her for that.

  She heard the sound of a car engine, and moments later the blue SUV came into view. It was creeping toward them, the driver probably looking to make sure his partner had what they’d come for—the baby and her. And in a few more seconds, that might happen if she didn’t do something.

  Raleigh still didn’t have a shot, but since he still hadn’t tossed out his gun, there was a chance that her captor would shift his position enough for Raleigh to take him out.

  “Are you deaf?” the man shouted to Raleigh. “I told you to drop the gun.”

  There was no way Thea could let that happen, not with the SUV getting closer and closer. Right now the thug holding her was outnumbered, but that wouldn’t be true once his partner arrived onto the scene.

  She looked at Raleigh again, hoping that he was ready for what she was about to do. If not, it could get them both killed.

  Thea dragged in a deep breath, and just as the thug pushed her forward another step, she rammed her elbow into his stomach. In the same motion, she dropped down her weight. She didn’t get far though because he still had her in a choke hold.

  But she did something about that, too.

  Thea twisted her body, ramming him again with her elbow until he loosened his grip enough for her to drop down low enough to give Raleigh a chance at a shot. She prayed it was one he would take.

  And he did.

  Raleigh already had his gun lifted, and the bullets blasted through the air. One shot, quickly followed by another.

  Time seemed to stop. Thea thought maybe her heart had, as well. She could only wait to see what had happened, and several long moments later, the thug’s grip on her melted away as he collapsed to the ground. She glanced back at him and saw the blood and his blank, already lifeless eyes. Raleigh’s shot had killed him.

  “Get down!” Raleigh shouted to her.

  Thea scrambled away from the thug, snatching up the gun as she ran, and she dropped down into the ditch. It wasn’t a second too soon. Because more shots came. Not from Raleigh this time but from the person who was in the SUV.

  The bullets slammed into the surface of the road, just inches from where she was. That told her that she was the target since the shooter didn’t try to take out Raleigh even though he also had a gun. But what she still didn’t know was why this attack was even happening.

  The gunman fired two more shots, both of them slamming into the dirt bank of the ditch just above her head. If he changed the angle just a little or got closer, he’d have a much easier time killing her. However, as bad of a thought as that was, at least this snake wasn’t shooting in the direction of the baby.

  Thea waited for a lull in the shooting, and she lifted her head enough to take aim at the shooter. He was wearing a ski mask and was leaning out of the driver’s-side window. She fired right at him.

  So did Raleigh.

  She wasn’t sure which of their bullets hit the windshield, but one slammed into the glass. It also sent the shooter ducking back into the SUV. Almost immediately, he threw the SUV into Reverse and hit the accelerator.

  He was getting away.

  Thea definitely didn’t want that, because they needed him to get answers. She came out of the ditch, aiming at the tires, and she fired. The SUV was already moving too fast though, and before she could even take a second shot, it was already out of sight.

  * * *

  RALEIGH STOOD IN the doorway of the ER examination room while he waited for his deputy Dalton to come back on the line. If they got lucky, then maybe Dalton would tell him that the driver of that SUV had been caught and was ready for interroga
tion.

  Because Raleigh very much wanted to question him.

  Then he’d arrest him for not only murder and kidnapping, but also for the attempted murder of two law enforcement officers, as well.

  Thea looked up at him, no doubt checking to see if he knew anything yet, but Raleigh just shook his head. He also kept watch in the hall and ER to make sure a gunman didn’t come rushing in to try to finish what he’d started.

  There was a lot to distract Raleigh though, and he knew he had to be mindful of that. Thea was holding the baby while Dr. Halvorson, the pediatrician, finished up his exam. An exam that Raleigh hoped would let them know that the baby was all right. It would be somewhat of a miracle if she was, considering the ordeal she’d been through. At least she was too young to know what was going on, but maybe she could still sense the stress.

  And there was plenty of that.

  Thea’s face was etched with worry, and Raleigh was certain his was, too. Because as long as the shooter was at large, then they were probably still in danger. It was too much to hope that the shooter would have fled and had no plans to return.

  The doctor pushed his rolling chair away from Thea and the baby, and he stood. Raleigh turned so he could see the doctor but also keep watch.

  “She seems to be just fine,” Dr. Halvorson said, causing Raleigh to release a breath of relief. “Of course, I’ll still run tests to make sure nothing shows up.”

  The tests would include a blood sample that a nurse had taken from the heel of the baby’s foot. The newborn had definitely made a fuss about that, and Raleigh didn’t intend to admit that it’d put a knot in his stomach. But when Thea had given her the bottle that the hospital had provided, the little girl had drifted off to sleep.

  Thea had had to collect the baby’s clothes and diaper. Since the items could have fibers and such on them, they’d been sent to the crime lab, along with the infant carrier. Thankfully, the hospital had had newborn gowns, fresh diapers and a blanket.