by Dana Mentink
“God—”
His cell phone rang. He grabbed it and noticed the time. One thirty in the morning. He glanced at the caller—Hannah.
He bolted out of his chair as goose bumps skirted across his arm. “What’s wrong?”
“They’re here,” she whispered.
“Who?”
“The gang. We’re under attack. Come—”
The call dropped.
Fear sliced through him and his legs weakened. He grabbed the table to steady himself as dread overtook his weary body.
He had to save Hannah and Gabe.
Before the gang stole them from him forever.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Layke pulled onto his half brother’s road, heart pounding. Hannah’s Jeep fishtailed at his sharp turn. He struggled to keep the vehicle on the road with a new storm pummeling the area. Lord, keep them safe. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he approached the ranch in stealth mode by turning off the lights.
Silence greeted him. Stillness. Where was everyone?
Was he too late?
He stepped out of the vehicle and removed his gun. He had to stay on high alert. Lives depended on him. He approached the police officer detached to guard the place. Layke peeked in the window of the cruiser. The constable was slumped forward. Layke opened the door and checked for a pulse.
Weak.
The gang had subdued him first. He was out cold.
“Hannah!” Layke took the front steps two at a time in spite of the falling snow. He checked the door. Unlocked. He eased it open, slipped inside and listened.
Once again, silence greeted him.
No laughter. No conversation. No barking dogs. Where were the huskies?
He raced to the living room with his weapon raised. “Police!”
Murray and Natalie lay still on their stomachs gagged with their hands tied behind their backs.
“No!” Lord, I just found my family. Don’t take them from me. Layke rushed over and fell to the floor. He felt Murray’s wrist for a pulse. Steady. Natalie. Steady.
Thank You.
He gently shook them. “Wake up!”
They both stirred.
Murray squirmed and moaned behind the duct tape on his mouth.
Layke untied and removed their gags, helping them to sit. “What happened?”
“They took Hannah and Gabe!” Murray’s eyes darted back and forth.
“Slow down. Tell me what happened. Where are your dogs?”
“Tranquilized. It was feeding time and I called them, but there was no answer. That’s when I knew something was wrong. They always come running. I found the officer outside unconscious and discovered the dogs inside the barn, all alive but sleeping.”
Thank heavens. His brother would be crushed if something fatal happened to his dogs. They were family, as well as his livelihood.
“What about the officer inside?”
Natalie sobbed. “They tranquilized him, too, and stuffed him in a closet.”
“Hannah tried to stop them, but they knocked her unconscious.” Murray rubbed a welt on his forehead. “That’s when some of them took her and Gabe away. The rest gagged us. I tried to stop them, but they hit me on the head. Next thing I knew, you were at my side.”
“How many were there?”
“Five or six,” Natalie said.
“How long ago did they leave?”
Murray glanced at his watch. “About ninety minutes.”
Layke stood. “Do you know where they took them?”
“No. They just said everyone would pay for interfering. That’s what he wanted.” He held his hands over his face and sobbed. “I failed you, brother. Now Noel, Hannah and Gabe are lost to us.”
Layke eased Murray’s hands down. “You didn’t, man. There was nothing you could do. Pray and pray hard.”
He nodded and grabbed his wife’s hands, bowing their heads.
Layke pulled out his cell phone and punched in Elias’s number. He didn’t care that he was getting him out of bed. He hurried outside and grabbed his laptop from the Jeep along with additional weaponry. The wind created a vortex of snow circling in front of the ranch house.
“What’s going on, Layke?” Elias’s groggy voice reminded Layke of the hour.
Could he trust this corporal or was he the leak? Someone knew their every step. Lord, guide me.
“They took Hannah and Gabe. Constable Antoine is unconscious. We need everyone here at the ranch. Stat. I have an idea on how to find them.”
“What?”
Layke could hear him rustling. “Do you have connections in the military?”
“I do. Why?”
“I have a radius of where the ranch is, but need their infrared imagery to find its location.”
“Do you know how big an ask that is?” Elias replied.
“I don’t care. We need to find them all. Bring Hannah and those boys home. Safe.”
“Okay, one of them owes me. I’ll call in a favor, but it’s a long shot.”
Layke turned his face to the sky and closed his eyes, allowing the snowflakes to settle on his cheeks almost like it cleansed him from the guilt of letting this kidnapping happen. “Do it. How soon can you get here?”
“I’m in the area so not long. I’ll call in the troops.”
“Bring a medic.”
“Got it. See you soon.” He clicked off.
Layke stepped back inside and set his laptop on the table.
Murray sat beside him. “What’s your plan?”
He pulled up an image he’d found of the region Smitty had circled on the map. He pointed, circling his finger around an area. “Our prisoner told us the ranch is somewhere in this radius. This was as small as he could narrow it down.”
“I know that area. It’s huge and mostly wooded.” He slammed his hand on the table. “You’ll never find them. It’s too dense. Why did I let Noel go on that trip? What kind of a father am I?”
Layke grabbed his arm. “A good, loving one. Stop blaming yourself. This is the work of criminals.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Layke gestured toward the map. “Have you been there?”
“Only by snowmobile and sled.”
Layke pointed to a line on the map. “Is this a road?”
“It is, but it’s probably impassable in this storm.”
“Let’s pray it’s not.”
Murray stood. “I’m coming with you.”
“No, you’re not. I need you to stay here with Natalie.”
Natalie entered the room with a groggy Constable Yellowhead beside her. The officer had been deployed from Beaver Creek to protect them.
“Are you okay, Constable?” Layke asked.
“Angry I let them get the drop on me.”
“No one saw this attack coming. How did they even know we were here?” Layke scratched his head. There had to be a mole providing them information. Or—
“Wait! I need to check something.”
Layke grabbed his flashlight and raced outside. He shone it around the entire vehicle and under it. That’s when he saw it.
A tracker. Lodged deep into one of the wheel bearings. A perfect place to hide.
Layke yanked it off and squeezed it in his hand. How had the police constables missed this earlier when they did a cursory check of the vehicle?
He made his way back into the ranch and held it up. “This is how they found us.” He threw it on the table. “I can’t believe we didn’t find it before this. Now it’s too late.” His voice choked. Had he lost the one woman he’d fallen in love with? Would he get to tell her how he felt?
Murray squeezed his shoulder. “Don’t blame yourself, man.”
“He’s right,” Constable Yellowhead said. “They’ve be
en one step ahead of us.”
“There has to be someone leaking information to them.” Layke sat down at the table. “Can’t dwell on that now. We need this plan to work.”
A knock sounded on the front door.
“I’ll get it,” Murray said.
Layke jumped up and unleashed his 9 mm. “No! Get in the corner with Natalie. Constable, you’re at my flank.” Could he trust this officer? Was he the mole? Right now, Layke didn’t have a choice. Hannah’s and Gabe’s lives were at stake. He handed the man the gun he’d brought in from the Jeep.
He checked the chamber. “Got it.”
They skulked their way to the front door.
Layke eased his head forward to look out the window, then let out a breath and opened the door.
Corporal Elias Bakker had arrived with a team, including a medic. He held up a sat phone. “Got the military at my beck and call. They have their military helicopter ready to fly at your word.”
Thank You, Lord. “Good. Everyone in the dining room.”
Elias made introductions as the team sat.
Layke gave Elias the latitude and longitude of the area he needed the search-and-rescue team to scour.
The corporal relayed the coordinates into the phone. “Got it.” He clicked off. “Now we wait.”
“How long will it take?”
“Not sure. I heard on the way here that the Martells have been seen in the area and they’re out for revenge. We need to be prepared for the possibility that we’re walking into a war. Let’s discuss our plan.”
They spent the next twenty minutes formalizing their attack and rescue operation.
Natalie grabbed the phone. “I’m going to call all of our church prayer warriors. We need them on this.” She moved into the living room.
Good. God, we can’t do this without You.
He remembered the promise he’d made earlier.
How had he been so blind all these years? God had been right by his side even though Layke had refused to see Him. He’d been too stubborn to admit defeat and trust in the One he couldn’t touch. Not anymore. It was time. He bowed his head. Father, I surrender my life to You. Totally and completely. No matter what happens. You are in control. You’ve been with me all through my life. Forgive me for not seeing it before now. Protect Hannah, Gabe and the other boys. Protect our team. Help us to capture this gang without any loss of life.
Murray grabbed his arm. “You okay?”
He smiled as a peace washed over him. “Just fulfilling a promise I made to God earlier. I surrendered to him.”
Murray slapped his back. “Good for you. I’m so glad. I officially welcome you not only into our family, but God’s family.” He pulled Layke into a bear hug.
The sat phone rang. “Bakker here,” Elias said. “What? The road is gone? How is that possible?” A pause. “Contact Search and Rescue. We need that chopper to take us in. Now—and I don’t care that it’s snowing.”
“Speak to me,” Layke said.
“Good news and bad news. They found multiple images in this area.” He pointed to the map.
“The bad news?”
“The road is gone. I’ve requested Search and Rescue to take us in by helicopter.”
“Will they do that?”
“They will if they know what’s good for them.” He grabbed the sat phone. “We need to roll, though. We’ll meet them here.” Once again, he pointed to the map, showing a clearing.
“Let’s go,” Layke said.
Murray grabbed his hand. “Stay safe, brother. Bring them all home.”
“I promise.”
He would even if it cost him his own life.
* * *
Hannah bolted upward. Too fast. The room spun. Why did her head hurt so much? Where was she? She focused her gaze in the dimly lit space. The small room held twin beds and a dresser. The scent of burning logs lingered in the air, telling her a fireplace was nearby. Gabe slept in a bed beside her. A man with a rifle across his lap sat in a rocking chair in the corner, snoring. She rubbed her head. What had happened at the ranch?
Right. She’d heard screaming and knew the gang had found them. She’d called Layke, but the men stormed into her bedroom and destroyed her phone. They hauled her and Gabe downstairs. She tried to stop them, but they hit her on the head. Hard. That was the last she remembered before waking in this darkened area. Was Layke on his way to rescue them? Lord, make it so.
She glanced at the man with the long beard in the corner. Could she get by him with Gabe without being heard? Why hadn’t they tied her up? Strange. Perhaps it was a God thing. How could she have doubted His sovereignty? Forgive me, Lord.
She eased out of bed. The cool floor tickled her bare feet. They had brought her here without socks? Heartless. At least her flannel pajamas provided warmth.
She gently shook Gabe.
He stirred and she whispered in his ear. “Shh. We need to be quiet.”
She helped him sit up. “Can you walk quietly?”
He nodded.
A beacon of light shone under the door, guiding them forward.
Gabe hit his knee on the foot of the bed and yelped.
They stopped. She held her breath. The urge to flee washed over her, but she dug her nails into her palms to curb herself from the flight mode. She composed herself, determination setting in. She would not put Gabe in further harm by being reckless.
The man snorted and slouched farther into the chair.
Some watchdog Broderick hired.
They tiptoed by him and Hannah turned the knob, easing the door open.
Gabe grabbed her hand and headed down the corridor. “I know which way to go.”
Of course he did. They were at the kidnapper’s ranch. She let him lead her, praying as they went.
They inched down a circular staircase and stopped midway.
Angry voices sounded beneath them.
She pulled Gabe behind her. How she wished for her Beretta right now.
“I don’t care what they say,” the deep voice said. “They won’t take over my business.”
“The Martells are ruthless. They’ll kill us all.” The man’s rushed speech revealed his anxiousness.
A piercing alarm blared throughout the ranch. “What’s that?” another voice asked.
A curse resonated up the stairs. “Someone has breached the front gate. They’re here.”
“Who?”
“The Martells. They’re out for blood. We need to get my wife and everyone else onto the snowmobiles.”
Wife? That had to be the woman Gabe talked about.
“What about the kids?”
“Leave them.”
What? Hannah gasped. She clamped her hand over her mouth, but it was too late. It had echoed into the hallway.
“Who’s that, Broderick?”
The man they’d been hunting was here and she was about to meet him face-to-face.
Footsteps pounded nearby.
“This way.” Gabe grabbed her hand and they scurried down the rest of the stairs, turning right at the bottom.
“Stop, little one,” the voice boomed.
Impossible! It couldn’t be. She skidded to a stop on the hardwood floor and slowly turned.
And gazed into the hardened eyes of her beloved boss.
A cool breeze hovered around her ankles and lingered, slinking up her legs.
“Doyle? You’re Broderick?” The room spun, and she braced herself against the wall as dread cemented in her stomach. Thoughts of their relationship scrambled through her mind, betrayal setting in. How could she have been so blind? He deserved an Oscar for fooling her all these years.
“I’m surprised you didn’t figure it out sooner. You and that insufferable Constable Jackson.”
She rushed at him and pounded
her fists on his chest. “How could you? I trusted you.”
“I needed the money.”
She pulled back. “What? This was all for you to get rich? Didn’t the CBSA pay you enough?”
“I have my reasons.” He grabbed her arm. “Why did you have to get in the way, little one?”
She yanked herself free. “Don’t call me that. You don’t have the right.” She pushed away the emotion threatening to consume her. “How long have you been smuggling children?”
“Two years and, yes, it was inside fish trucks. I lied about that when you asked me to look into it.”
Her jaw dropped. “So, this is how all of those men knew everything about us. Where I lived, where we hid, and every move we made?”
“Yup.”
“And you’ve been holding these children here for two years?” How had he gone unseen for that long?
“Some of them, but then we needed more. That’s when we grabbed Gabe and his buddies. Plus Noel’s church group.”
“Where is Noel?”
“Don’t you worry, we have him under control. Now.”
She clenched her fists but kept them at her sides. “What did you do to him?”
“Sedation. My men were tired of his screams.”
Gabe whimpered in the corner.
Doyle’s attention diverted to the boy. He rushed over and hauled him up. “And you… You cost me thousands. We had to destroy the mine because you escaped.” He shook him in midair.
“My love, stop!” A voice behind them commanded obedience.
Hannah turned.
A frail woman in her forties stood with a housecoat wrapped around her and a cane at her side.
The lady Gabe spoke about was Jennifer, Doyle’s wife? Hannah almost didn’t recognize the woman. Apparently, she’d gotten sick and Doyle hadn’t brought her around to see anyone for quite some time. “Doyle, why didn’t you tell us she was sick? Why hide it?”
“She wouldn’t let me,” he said.
“I refused to let anyone pity me, so I moved out to this location to get out of the public’s eye.” Jennifer raised her cane at Doyle. “Let the boy go. This needs to end now.”
“Babe, I need you to go back to bed.” His softened voice betrayed his feelings for the woman.
If he was capable of having feelings.
