Search Me

by Katie Ashley

  Gunfire rang out behind me. All I could think of was Dad and Maddox…had they been shot in the crossfire…were they hurt or…dead? Jensen started to drag me towards one side of the clearing. I knew I had to get to Maddox and Dad, but most importantly, I had to get away from Jensen. A thought flashed before me of how easily I’d incapacitated Maddox earlier with my absentminded groin kick.

  My mind whirled with the logistics. I couldn’t get free from Jensen enough to kick him, and there was no way I could elbow him either—I’d only get him in the gut. I would need to hit him pretty hard to take him out, and I didn’t know if I had the physical strength to do that. Then I had a light bulb moment.

  A purse, heavy laden with gold, hung at my side. Slowly, I reached over and grasped it in my hand. I drew in a deep breath. This was it. Now or never time. Channeling my rage and despair, I brought the purse forward and then rammed it back into Jensen, directly in the balls.

  His arm fell from my neck, and I gulped in air. Huffing and puffing, he started to hunch over. I seized the moment and whirled around, kicking him again for good measure. His gun dropped to the ground before he sank to his knees.

  Scuffling and cursing echoed from the barn as the agents subdued Jensen’s men. My gaze searched the throng for Dad and Maddox. The sight of them, crouching down next to the sofa, restarted my heart, and I exhaled in relief. A groan came from behind me.

  I whirled around to see Jensen struggling on the grass. I’d totally forgotten the carnal rule of never turning your back on the bad guy. His lips curled into sneer. “You bitch! I’ll kill you if it’s the last thing I do.”

  Since I had depleted all my adrenaline with my attack on Jensen’s crotch, I did the girliest thing I could think of. “HELP!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. Just as Jensen got to his feet, the knights in shining armor came charging into the clearing.

  Until they could get closer, I started a strange tango of wits with Jensen—I took a step to the side, and he mirrored it. If I moved backward, he moved forward. Anytime I tried the give the agents a clear shot, Jensen would block it.

  “Freeze Jensen. Do not move. We will shoot you!” an agent shouted.

  He gave me a maniacal grin. “Just try and get one off without taking her down instead,” he called over his shoulder.

  “Move in Alpha Team for takedown!” an agent called.

  “Agent down! Agent down!” came another voice.

  Then a long groan came from the clearing. “I’m clear. Got it in the vest,” Agent Montrose said.

  Jensen lunged at me, and I dodged out of his way. As he went careening into the barn wall, I scrambled in the dirt for his pistol.

  With a shaking hand, I aimed the gun at Jensen. He eyed it and then smirked at me. “Oh, you really think you’re going to shoot me?”

  “No, but they will.” I jerked my head over my shoulder at the agents. “All I have to do is step out of their way, and you’re in their line of fire.” Keeping the pistol trained on Jensen, I slowly backed away from him. “All right, he’s all yours.”

  Agents sprinted forward, knocking me out of the way. I spun around, trying not to get trampled. They had Jensen spread-eagled on the ground and in handcuffs by the time I regained my balance. I heaved a sigh of relief and then leaned back against the barn. Dizziness overcame me, and my shaking knees threatened to not hold me up.

  “Lane?” Maddox called from the doorway. His hands were untied, and his expression was one of pure panic while he frantically scanned the crowd.

  “I’m here,” I said meekly.

  He rushed over and pulled me into his arms. “You scared the shit out of me! I couldn’t see you and with that gunshot...”

  I opened my mouth to protest, but his lips crushed against mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him tighter to me. He released my mouth and started feathering soft kisses on my cheek—the one that Jensen had slapped earlier. “I don’t know what I would have done if something happened to you. I love you, baby.”

  Tears stung my eyes. “I love you so much too.”

  Someone cleared his throat behind us. Maddox jerked away from me, and I flushed at the sight of Dad standing behind us with his arms crossed over his chest. He cocked his head at us. “Would one of you like to explain what’s going on here?”

  “Yes sir,” Maddox replied, sounding like he was addressing a drill sergeant rather than Dad. “I love your daughter, and I’d like your permission to date her.”

  Dad grinned. “You have to learn something about timing, son. It’s overwhelming enough coming off a hostage situation. Don’t add to my stress level by asking to date Lane.”

  Maddox’s brow furrowed. “Does that mean no?”

  With a chuckle, Dad patted Maddox’s back. “It’s more of a ‘let me catch my breath before you pull the rug out from under me’ type answer.”

  Our attention was then drawn to the GBI SUV’s tearing down the road, kicking up a cloud of dust behind them. They wheeled to a stop at the clearing, and agents and sheriff’s deputies charged out. Terrance, Parker, and Julius were led out of the barn and ushered toward the clearing. Each was loaded into a separate SUV.

  “I can’t say I’m going to be too sad to see them go,” I mused.

  An agent who didn’t appear much older than Maddox jogged over to us. He thrust out his hand. “I’m Agent Greenburg. If you all will follow me, we’ll head back to the Sheriff’s Department where you can be debriefed and then released.”

  Dad wrapped an arm around my shoulder and kissed the top of my head. “Come on, let’s go home.”

  On the way back to the Sheriff’s Department, I sat wedged between Dad and Maddox. Agent Greenburg had offered me the passenger seat in the SUV, but I wasn’t ready to be separated from Dad or Maddox, and the feeling was mutual for them as well. Dad kept his arm around me while Maddox held one of my hands. I was a total Lane sandwich between the men in my life. My purse filled with Pretty Fawn’s gold rested on my lap. Even now that everything was over, I still didn’t want to let it out of my sight for an instant.

  We crested the hill above the Sheriff’s department, and I gasped. TV news vans packed the parking lot—their tower antenna’s stretching into the sky. Leaning over Maddox, I pressed my face against the window. All the local Atlanta stations were there along with some from far away as Chattanooga.

  Agent Greenburg could barely get into the parking lot much less ease into a parking space. He honked his horn in frustration, but it didn’t do much good. Reporters and cameramen lunged at us. Even with the windows rolled up, they peppered rapid-fire questions while flashbulbs blinded me.

  “Holy shit!” Maddox exclaimed, taking in the chaos.

  “All this hoopla is for us?” I asked.

  Dad chuckled good-naturedly. “Hey, it isn’t every day you get kidnapped and held for ransom while your daughter and her boyfriend hunt for buried gold.”

  Maddox laughed while I blushed at Dad using the word ‘boyfriend’ to describe Maddox. “I guess you’re right,” I said.

  “You folks hold on, and I’ll get the door,” Agent Greenburg said. He flung himself out into the throng. “All right everybody, back-up right now. These people have had a harrowing experience and deserve some rest. I know that we’re planning a press conference for later today, so you’ll get all your questions answered. But for now, please just let them get inside.”

  He might as well have yelled, “Stampede!” because the reporters totally ignored him. Instead, they pushed and elbowed their way towards us.

  “Is it a true an agent was shot?”

  Agent Greenburg grimaced. “Yes, he’s been taken to a local hospital only as a precaution. We’re all thankful his Kevlar saved him.”

  The reporters asked more questions about the GBI takedown and Jensen. I tried cowering behind Maddox and Dad, but a female reporter’s dark eyes honed in on me. “Lane, is it true that after you witnessed the attempted murder of Maudie Sinclair, you were then forced on the run by Jens
en and his men?”

  My tongue felt cemented to the roof of my mouth, and heat rushed into my cheeks under the camera’s intense scrutiny. “Um, well, yeah.” I surveyed the reporters who salivated for more of the story. “It was so scary. He tried to kill us several times—Maddox was even wounded.”

  That one statement sent the reporters diving at Maddox. He widened his eyes at me. “Sorry,” I called over the roar.

  “How bad were you hurt?” a tall man asked.

  “Where were you shot?” the persistent female reporter demanded.

  Maddox eyed the microphones thrust into his face. “The left bicep. And really it was nothing—just a little scratch. I mean, I’ve been in the Army, so it takes a lot to take me down.” The reporters laughed, and Maddox gave them a genuine smile.

  Just when I thought I was safe, another reporter asked, “Lane, how did you feel when you found out your dad was being held hostage, and that if you didn’t find the gold, he could die?”

  “Devastated,” I replied, my voice choking off. Dad reached over to put his arm around my shoulder. I glanced up at him, tears filling my eyes. “It was unbearable to think of him being hurt or killed over something that was my fault. Rescuing him was the only thing that kept me sane—although I did kinda lose it a few times.” I wiped my eyes and then met Maddox’s gaze. With a smile, I added, “And Maddox gave me the strength to get through it all.”

  A chorus of “aww’s!” rang over the crowd. “So, Maddox and Lane, this is a true ‘happily ever after’ type ending then?” someone asked.

  Maddox grinned. “I don’t know about all that fairy tale kinda stuff. The way I see it, I got to do a heroic rescue while putting some bad guys away, and I got to track down hidden treasure.” He turned to me and winked. “But most importantly, I got the girl.”

  Dad cleared his throat. “Yeah, just remember she’s my little girl, too.”

  The reporters chuckled heartily, especially when I flushed red. “Stephen, did your ordeal give you any ideas for your next novel?”

  With a toothy grin, Dad replied, “Yes, actually it did. The minute I get home I’m pretty sure I’ll be in front of the laptop for a long, long time.”

  Agent Greenburg then held up his hand. “That’s enough questions for now. You guys can stick around for the press conference later on.” He motioned for some sheriff’s deputies who had come out of the office. They escorted us inside and into a break room that had couches and chairs. “We’ll bring in some fresh coffee and some sodas for you guys. Just have a seat and make yourselves comfortable,” Agent Greenburg said.

  I flopped down on one of the leather couches. My body felt like a rung-out ragdoll. Any remaining adrenaline I had got depleted with the rush of reporters.

  “Damn, that was intense. I’m seriously in a sweat.” Maddox fanned his shirt before quickly doing a smell check of his armpits. When he caught my expression, he laughed. “Can’t meet my adoring public smelling like a stinky beast now, can I?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re going to let this go to your head and start signing autographs?”

  “Just be glad we were official before all the screaming fan-girls try to get a piece of me,” he replied, with a wink.

  “You are impossible,” I muttered.

  Raised voices in the hallway interrupted us. The door swung open and my hysterical mom burst in. Everything about her, from her wrinkled clothes to her disheveled hair, screamed that she’d been in freak-out mode for a long time. Her tear stained face lit up at the sight of us. “Oh, thank God! You’re both all right!”

  She threw her arms around both Dad and me, alternating between kissing our faces. When she finally stopped to catch her breath, Dad asked, “How did you get here?”

  “The GBI was nice enough to send a helicopter for me. There was no way I could wait for a commercial flight or drive.” Tears spilled down her cheeks, but she didn’t bother wiping them away. “I didn’t feel like I could breathe until I saw you two were all right.”

  I glanced over Mom’s shoulder at Maddox. He was staring down at his hands. My heart ached for him that he wasn’t having a reunion like this. Neely would be all over him, but she was with Maudie. But Mom, being the intense nurturer that she is, saved the day by reaching over and throwing her arms around Maddox’s neck. “Thank God you’re all right, too. I can never thank you enough for taking care of our sweet Lane. You’re a guardian angel, plain and simple.” She pulled away to kiss his cheek, and he blushed.

  “I think he’s a little more than a guardian angel for Lane,” Dad said, an amused smile on his face.

  Mom appeared momentarily puzzled before her eyes widened when she got Dad’s meaning. “Oh, well, we might have to discuss this a little.”

  “Mom!” I protested at the same time Maddox blurted, “What, am I not good enough to date Lane?”

  “Oh honey, it’s nothing like that. It’s just she’s not yet twenty, and you’re twenty four.”

  “No, I’m twenty. Today is my birthday, remember?”

  Dad cleared his throat. “And I was twenty-two and you were eighteen. What’s your point?” The mischievous glint in his eyes brought a smile to Mom’s face, and she wagged a finger at him. Normally, it would have been enough to make me gag, but after all we’d been through, I could let them be a little flirty.

  Thankfully they were interrupted by the sound of a phone going off. Maddox sat straighter in his seat at the sound of the ring tone. “Hey, that’s mine.”

  Officer Greenburg pulled a phone out of his coat pocket. “Yes, we found this on one of Jensen’s men.”

  Maddox jerked it from Greenburg’s hands and then grimaced at the ID. “Oh shit, it’s Neely. She’s probably caught the news and is ready to ream me a new one.”

  He hesitated answering it, so I smacked his arm. “Hurry up. She’s just going to freak out more if you don’t take her call.”

  Maddox grumbled, but then brought the phone to his ear. “Okay, I know you’re pissed, but—” He sucked in a breath and then glanced up at us. A wide grin spread across his face. “Maudie’s awake?”

  Three Months Later

  “Would you hold still?” I demanded, trying desperately to straighten Maddox’s tie.

  He fidgeted like a little boy and made a horrible face. “Do I seriously have to wear this?” He gestured at the electric pink tie. “I look like an absolute tool.”

  “You do not.” I stepped back—letting Maddox get a view of himself in the full-length mirror. “See? You look very handsome and distinguished.”

  He snorted. “Like I need to look distinguished. It’s just a party for Maudie returning to work, not dinner at the White House.”

  “You better not let Maudie hear you say that. She’s gone all out—there’s even a tent on the lawn and a band.” I eyed myself in the mirror, smoothing down my deep pink chiffon dress with its sequined and beaded bodice. “Besides, it’s not just about her going back to work. She’s going to present her share of the gold to Dr. Bretsky for the new educational facility at New Echota.”

  “If you ask me, it’s a waste of a perfectly good Friday night. Especially now that you’re back in school, and I only get to see you on the weekends.” Standing behind me, he wrapped his arms around my waist before nuzzling my ear. Immediately, my pulse began to race as the warmth and power of his body overtook me. “We could be cruising the lake on my boat—you wearing that sexy bikini of yours.”

  I giggled and pushed his hands away. “It’s too cold for a bikini, silly.”

  “Then you could be wearing nothing at all, and I could be keeping you very, very warm out on the water.” His mouth hovered over my ear. “I promise to use my hands, my mouth, my tongue, and my dick to get you very hot.”

  At the mental picture his words invoked, I fought to catch my breath. Finally, when I could form words again, I replied, “Tempting, but no.”

  Maddox’s one and only impulse buy with his share of the gold had been a boat. Me? I h
ad yet to make an impulse purchase, but I was leaning towards a car. Luckily, I had all the time in the world to decide and a pretty hefty amount to work with.

  Once Pretty Fawn’s gold had been appraised, it came to one and a half million dollars after taxes. You could say we were more than a little surprised—flabbergasted was more like it. Maudie insisted on dividing it three ways, although Maddox and I argued it was rightfully hers for buying the painting. But she wouldn’t have it. From the moment she saw the gold in the hospital, she made it clear we’d certainly earned our shares after all we’d been through. So we decided to humor her and accept it.

  Maddox started to fidget with his tie again. “I haven’t had to wear one of these since my Army dress green uniform.”

  I wrapped my arms around his waist and cocked my head at him. “If I promised to rip that tie off of you later when we’re alone, will you stop whining?”

  A slow grin slunk across his face. “Are you serious?”

  “Maybe. But only if you’re a good boy.”

  “You’re such a tease.”

  “Hmm, you have no idea just what kind of tease I’m going to be.”

  “Oh really?”

  Tugging the end of his tie, I replied, “After I tear this off of you, I plan to use it to bind your hands to where you’re my total and complete prisoner.”

  Maddox’s dark eyes bulged. “Fuck me.”

  “Yes, that’s what I plan on doing after you’ve begged and pleaded with me enough.”

  His hand smacked against my backside. “Who knew I had such a naughty girl?”

  “So you like what I have in store for you?”

  “Oh yes, very much.” He then leaned over and brought his lips to mine.

  Just as he deepened the kiss, someone cleared her throat behind me. I whirled around to find Maudie grinning at us. “Okay lovebirds, can you manage to tear yourselves away from each other for a few minutes for the check presentation?”