48 Hour Lockdown

by Carla Cassidy

  “She says when she looks out the window, in the distance she sees a big, wooden owl. She believes the name of the cabins has owl in it,” Annalise told him.

  “Does she have any idea where they are located?” Evan asked.

  Annalise typed in the question. “She says she doesn’t know. She just knows it must be owl something. She also says she doesn’t think they had plans to be there.”

  “So, the odds are good that wherever they are, it isn’t a private cabin,” Evan said.

  They waited several more minutes, but Sadie didn’t type anything more. Evan got on a call to Hendrick and told him what Sadie had said.

  “I’ll start a search right now,” Hendrick stated. “Later.”

  “We’re going to get her, aren’t we?” Annalise asked, her green eyes shining with a new hope.

  “Yeah, I think we’re going to get her,” he replied. He just hoped they got to her in time. Once again he felt the ticking time bomb inside his veins.

  Ticktock.

  Chapter Eleven

  Two hours later Hendrick called. “Man, I had no idea there were so many cabin resorts around with owl in the name. Owl’s Nest, Sleepy Owl, Twin Owls...we’re galvanizing local officials to make contact with each one of them to see if Jacob and Gretchen are guests.”

  “Why would any of them rent to these people who have been splashed across the news for the past twenty-four hours?” Annalise asked.

  “Some of these cabins are completely off the grid. The owners or managers might not even know they’re harboring fugitives,” Hendrick replied. “We’ve told law enforcement to approach the cabins in unmarked vehicles so we won’t spook the fugitives with any police presence.”

  “So, now it’s just a waiting game,” Evan replied.

  “It’s coming to an end. Thank God Sadie got us enough information to narrow the search. I wouldn’t be surprised if something pops within the next hour or two.”

  “Let’s hope so. I’m ready to put this one behind me with a happy ending,” Evan replied.

  “Fingers crossed, it won’t be too long now,” Hendrick said, and then hung up.

  “I should call Chief Cummings and let him know what’s going on,” Evan said, more to himself than to Annalise.

  “Why would you consider not calling him?” she asked.

  Evan released a deep sigh. “I don’t know. I just fear that if he gets involved in the ultimate takedown, things will somehow get all muddled and screwed up.”

  “We definitely don’t need a screwup at this point,” Annalise replied.

  “I’ve got three highly trained men with me. Between the four of us we should be able to take control of a small cabin and two adults who have no warning that we’re coming.”

  “That’s got to be your call,” she replied.

  “I appreciate that. I haven’t forgotten that Jacob and Gretchen got away from the school due to Chief Cummings’s men and his decision to remove a lot of his men. The last thing I want is for Jacob and Gretchen to somehow escape the cabin, which will result in a manhunt through the mounains. I’m taking a wait and see attitude before I decide to involve Chief Cummings.”

  And so they waited.

  As the minutes and then hours passed, Evan stayed on the phone checking in with the ongoing investigation and Annalise remained at her computer, hoping and praying for a successful end for Sadie.

  The tension inside her grew with each minute that ticked by. She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, she wanted to be in Evan’s arms once again.

  Spending this time with him had made her realize she wanted to try to rekindle their relationship again. She wanted to reclaim the magic that they once had. But she had no idea if he would ever want to try again with her. She wasn’t even sure he’d understood why she had left him in the first place.

  She shook her head, aware that she was getting too deep into her emotions about Evan because thoughts of Sadie were too frightening to entertain. Every moment that passed without additional contact with the child made Annalise wonder if she was still alive.

  It was just after three when Hendrick called Evan. “We’ve got them,” he said.

  “Where?” Evan asked. Annalise got up from the desk and moved to stand just behind him.

  “Owl’s Nest cabins on mountain road 358. It’s about three hours from where you are right now. Local authorities just confirmed with the owner there that they are in cabin number 7. The owner hadn’t heard the news of a manhunt. Jacob paid cash for a four-night stay, and the locals are staying on scene with the owner until you all arrive.”

  “Get me the name of the chief of police in that jurisdiction,” Evan said.

  “Already got it. It’s Chief Joe McCabe,” Hendrick replied. “He’s expecting your call.”

  As Annalise listened to Evan talk to Chief McCabe, her entire body thrummed with excitement. Hopefully in the next four hours or so, Sadie would be safe and Jacob and Gretchen would be under arrest.

  “Wish us luck,” he said to her when he was off the phone and heading toward the front door.

  “You aren’t leaving here without me,” she protested.

  “Annalise, we don’t know how this is going to go down. It could get extremely dangerous,” he told her.

  “I don’t care. I’m coming with you whether you like it or not. If I don’t ride with you, then I’ll take my own car and follow you.” She raised her chin in stubbornness.

  “Annalise...” he started to protest once again.

  She was having none of it. She was going and that was that. There was no way in hell she was staying here. “If you get Sadie out of there, she’s going to need to see a familiar face. She’ll need me to be there for her,” she replied firmly.

  He wasn’t going to stop her from coming. Sadie would need her...and more than that, she needed to see Sadie. She wanted to hold her tight, to assure herself that the little girl had not only survived physically but emotionally, as well.

  “I promise you that if you don’t take me with you, then I’ll drive on my own,” she repeated firmly.

  He looked at her for a long moment and then gave a quick nod. Minutes later they were on the road with Davis driving in a car behind them with Nick and Daniel as passengers.

  “I’m almost glad they are out of Chief Cummings’s jurisdiction,” Evan said as he pressed the gas pedal to pick up speed. “I’ll be glad to deliver Jacob and Gretchen to him to put in his jail so he can have all the glory, but I’m fine working with somebody else to take them down.”

  “I’m just so happy this is finally coming to an end,” she replied. “I just want Sadie to be saved.”

  “I want that, and I also want whoever the insider is behind bars,” he replied.

  They fell silent as he focused on the road ahead, and Annalise stared out the side window. She could feel his tension in the air, and the last thing she wanted was to be a distraction.

  After driving for an hour and a half, he turned onto a narrow road where the trees encroached on either side and stole all the sunshine.

  The shadowed semidarkness increased her anxiety. The optimism she’d left her house with waned a bit. It was only going to get darker as evening approached, and things could go so terribly wrong.

  What if a gunfight broke out? Would Sadie become collateral damage? Would Evan be hurt? Killed? Her heartbeat quickened. Would Sadie still be alive when they finally got to the cabin? A glance over at Evan let her know he was probably entertaining the same dark thoughts that she was.

  His hands clenched the steering wheel, and his jaw muscles were bunched. He looked like a warrior ready to do battle. All she could do was pray that the warrior would come through on the other side unscathed and that he’d have a living, breathing little girl in his arms.

  The small police station was located on a narrow mountain road next to a bar
named Whisky Dan’s. Evan parked next to another police car in the lot. “Stay here,” he said to Annalise. “And lock the doors.”

  He’d been reluctant to allow her to come along with him, and the only reason he had brought her was because he had no idea how traumatized Sadie might be. He also knew that Annalise would have followed through on her threat to trail the team in her own vehicle. But he had no intention of her being part of the arrest and rescue mission.

  He got out of the car and waited for his men to do the same and then the four of them went inside. Chief Joe McCabe greeted them and introduced four of his men. “These guys are as close to a SWAT team as we have,” he said.

  “We’ve taken down a lot of men holed up in all kinds of cabins in this area,” Officer Larry Knox said.

  “A lot of meth-cooking goes on in some of these little cabins,” Officer Nash Burton explained.

  “The Owl’s Nest cabins are owned by Charlie Tankersly. Charlie is something of a character,” Chief McCabe said. “He claims to be an artist, and spends most of his time using trash to make things nobody ever buys. But the good news is he supports law and order, and he’ll do whatever we ask of him.”

  “So, let’s talk about a plan,” Evan said.

  For the next forty-five minutes, Evan and Chief McCabe talked about the cabin’s location, the best way to approach it and who would do what when they got there.

  By the time they left the police station, dusk had fallen, casting the area in deep, purplish shadows. Adrenaline pumped through Evan as he got back into the car where Annalise waited.

  “Everything okay?” she asked.

  “It’s all a go.” He started the engine, then waited for his men and the chief’s team to load up. They had specific equipment in their vehicle that would hopefully make the takedown easier.

  “McCabe seems to have a good team to work with us,” he said. “They all seem bright and more than capable, and they’re used to taking down people in cabins in this area.”

  “I just can’t wait until this is all over,” Annalise replied.

  It took twenty minutes before everyone was ready to pull out of the police station parking lot. They would coordinate again a mile from the Owl’s Nest cabins.

  They had no idea how much firepower the two fugitives had in the cabin. It would be imperative for the agents to use the element of surprise to their advantage.

  Evan drove approximately three miles on a road that was little more than an overgrown trail. How in the hell had the fugitives found this place? It was definitely off the beaten path. Maybe the insider had told them to come to these cabins, knowing they were isolated.

  Tree limbs brushed against the side of his car, and what was left of the sunlight was being usurped by both the woods and the encroaching darkness.

  Thankfully Annalise remained quiet, allowing him to concentrate on the plan. He stopped his car and the others parked just behind him.

  “I don’t want you leaving this car for any reason,” he said to Annalise. “According to Chief McCabe, the cabin is about a mile up the road.” He reached out and touched her cheek. “I need to know you’re safe.” He pulled his hand back.

  “I’ll be here waiting for you and Sadie to return,” she said softly.

  He nodded and then got out of the car. It was cooler here, but he scarcely felt the chill in the air as he clipped his radio to his collar and tuned to the frequency they would all be using.

  Chief McCabe opened his trunk, which contained not only a battering ram, but also flash-bang grenades and additional guns and ammo. The men loaded up.

  “We want to go in fast and forcefully,” Evan said. “But I want everyone to remember that there’s a little girl who is their hostage. Whatever we do, we need to get her out of there safe and sound.”

  “Once we have the fugitives under arrest, I’ll make arrangements with Chief Cummings to transfer them into his custody, but first we need to get them in handcuffs,” Chief McCabe said.

  “And that’s why we’re here,” Evan replied, eager to get this done and over with. The fact that within minutes this could all be over was exhilarating. The thought that within minutes it could all go terribly wrong also flashed in his head.

  “Shall we coordinate our watches?” Davis asked.

  Evan’s blood cooled and his nerves settled down, the way they always did before going into battle. Finally they were all ready to go. They moved through the woods like silent, stealthy shadows.

  Chief McCabe was not only in contact with all members of the team, but also with Charlie in the owner’s cabin. Thankfully the cabins were all some distance away from each other, and Charlie assured them that he wouldn’t get in their way.

  When the small cabin where Jacob and Gretchen were holed up came into view, Evan halted just behind a large tree. Some of the others found similar hiding places while a few of them circled around to the back of the cabin.

  A red Ford Escort was parked out front, and while Evan was eager to find out who it belonged to, his first priority was getting Gretchen and Jacob arrested and Sadie out of there.

  This was it. This was the culmination of all the hard work of dozens of agents. They were either going to get it right, or they’d completely screw it up and somehow the fugitives would escape once again.

  They couldn’t let that happen. They had to control the scene. He had to control it. If he somehow lost control of things, then another little girl might die.

  The curtains were drawn in the cabin’s windows. Charlie had said the cabin the fugitives occupied consisted of a small living room–kitchenette area and a bedroom and a bath.

  Evan gripped his gun more firmly. He mentally counted down from three, and when he reached one, he whispered into his radio. “Move in, let’s move in.”

  He watched as the two men manning the battering ram took their position at the front door. He and Davis moved to stand just behind them while the rest of the men surrounded the cabin, ready to go into the two windows on the back side.

  Thankfully the front door didn’t look that solid. It was old and weathered and should be breached fairly easy. The minute it was possible, Davis and Evan would sweep in and hopefully this all would go down without a single shot fired.

  “On the count of three,” he now said into the radio. “One...two...three.”

  Boom. They hit the door with tremendous force, cracking it right down the middle. Davis and Evan swept in. “Get on the floor, get down on the floor. Facedown and hands on the back of your heads,” Evan yelled.

  At the same time, the sound of breaking windows came from the back, and within seconds Nick and one of McCabe’s men flew into the living room.

  The couple cursed. They were seated at the table, but seeing they were outgunned and outmanned, they did as Evan asked and got on the floor.

  “This was all his idea,” Gretchen said. “He told me he’d kill me if I didn’t go along with him. He’s...he’s so abusive. He beats me.”

  “You stinking traitor,” Jacob yelled. “This was all her idea. She planned it all.”

  “Stop talking,” Evan commanded as he watched the two of them being patted down for weapons by Nick. Once it was confirmed neither of them had a weapon on them, they were jerked up to their feet and handcuffed.

  Evan turned to see Sadie curled up in the corner of a nasty-looking brown sofa. Her eyes were huge as she watched everything that was happening. Thank God she was alive and appeared unharmed.

  “Hi, Sadie,” he said to her with a smile. He crouched in front of her. “Do you know who I am?”

  “You’re Miss Annalise’s friend. I saw you on her phone. Are you here to take me out of this place?”

  “We’re here to take you out of here.”

  She nodded. “Good. I really didn’t want to do what they wanted me to do.”

  “Honey, it’s over now and
those people are out of your life forever,” Evan replied, just grateful that she appeared to be okay. “Are you ready to come outside with me? Miss Annalise has been really worried about you, and she can’t wait to see you and tell you how smart and how very brave you have been.”

  “Did you get Miss Annalise something to eat? Last time I was with her, her tummy was really growling because she was so hungry.”

  Evan stared at the beautiful child with her innocent blue eyes and felt utterly humbled. After being kidnapped and brought to this seedy cabin, that her first thought would be of her teacher being hungry spoke of how very special this child was.

  “Yes, Miss Annalise has been fed several times,” he replied. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”

  She got off the sofa and placed her little hand in his with utter trust. Together they left the cabin, and he used a flashlight to guide them back toward his car.

  They walked for a little ways and then, sensing that Sadie was growing weary, he pulled her up in his arms. “I hope we didn’t scare you when we burst into the cabin,” he said.

  “I was way more scared that Gretchen was going to kill me,” she replied. “She’s really, really mean.”

  “We weren’t going to let that happen. Now she and Jacob will go to jail for a very long time.”

  “That’s good. They aren’t nice people,” she said, and tightened her thin arms around his neck.

  They were several feet in front of the car when Annalise finally saw them. She got out of the vehicle and ran toward them.

  “Sadie,” she cried.

  “Miss Annalise!”

  Evan set the little girl on the ground and teacher and student raced to each other. When Annalise reached Sadie, she fell to her knees and opened her arms wide.

  Tears poured down Annalise’s face as she hugged Sadie close. As Evan watched the two of them, he couldn’t help the lump of emotion that rose in his throat.

  He allowed the reunion to go on for several long moments before he finally spoke again. “I’ve got to go back. You two get into the car, lock the doors and I’ll be back here as soon as I can.”