The boy stopped and threw up his hands again. “Oh gosh, I’m sorry.”
She shook her head. “It’s okay. I can deal with the pain. Just get me out of here.” He worked feverishly on the knot, but it wasn’t budging. She probably tightened them in her struggles to break free.
Trying to take her mind from the pain, she asked, “What’s your name? Mine’s Zoe.”
He didn’t look up from his task. “Kai.”
Kai. Unusual. She liked it. Her mouth dropped open when he gave her a rueful smile and turned to leave. “Wait—where are you going, Kai?”
“To see if there’s a knife. The ropes aren’t budging.” He jogged to the small kitchenette against one wall and jerked open a drawer, rummaging around inside. “Eureka,” he shouted, holding the utensil aloft before hurrying back over.
“That doesn’t look like a—” Zoe gasped when he pressed a button and a wicked-sharp blade popped out. That sucker could do some serious damage.
As if reading her mind, Kai said, “I won’t cut you. Promise.” She believed him. He sliced at the first rope and in no time, her hand was free. She almost cried out in joy. He scrambled to the other side and worked on the next knot with feverish strokes.
“There were some crackers and cereal in the cabinet,” he told her as he sawed away. “We need to see if we can find clothes and shoes since it looks like we’ll be hiking through the woods.”
#
Kai was sweating as he worked on the ropes, his heart beating rapidly. They needed to gather supplies and get the heck out of here before the man came back. The girl—Zoe—was tough, but she looked worried.
“So, Zoe, do you know why bananas wear sunscreen?”
“Bananas don’t wear sunscreen, you goof,” she said with a frown.
“Yes, they do,” he insisted with a solemn nod. “They have to or they peel.”
She just looked at him and then she burst out laughing. “Peel! I get it.”
Despite their precarious situation, Kai smiled back. He didn’t like for people to be upset. Putting a smile on Zoe’s face went a long way into making him feel ten feet tall.
The final rope came loose and Zoe was free. She scrambled from the bed and shook out her arms and legs. “You gather any food items we can take with us and I’ll get the clothes.” Kai wasted no time hurrying to the small unkempt closet. There were a few pairs of battered shoes inside. They would have to do. They could stuff socks in the toes. Clothes were tossed haphazardly in a pile. He picked up a t-shirt and pulled it on, wincing at the musty smell. At least it didn’t reek of body odor. It hung on him like a dress. Man, he wished he’d hit the growth spurt his gigantic dad promised him. He was tired of being a shrimp. Then Dorian Demarchis and Dan Bradley would have to call him Big C instead of Little C. Or maybe Hi C. Kai chuckled at his joke, wishing he had a glass of the fruit punch right now. He was parched. He found a shirt for Zoe, also musty but BO-free. Then he found them some sweat pants. They’d have to roll the cuffs, but it would beat getting scratched up by twigs and vines in the woods. After padding socks in the toes of a battered pair of boots, he pulled them on and tied the laces. One broke in his hand and he said a bad word. His mom would threaten to wash his mouth out with soap…not that she had ever followed through. His cavity-free teeth were also Dial-soap free. He found another lace and quickly switched it for the broken one.
Suddenly, a noise caught his attention and he spun around, looking for the source. “Did you hear that?”
Zoe glanced over her shoulder as she stuffed boxes into plastic bags, her eyes wide in fear. “No. What? Is he back?”
“I’m not sure.” It sounded like scratching and whining. Maybe an animal was trapped beneath the cabin. He should leave it but he couldn’t stand to see anything suffer. He dropped to the floor and listened. There! He heard it again. He moved the small rug aside. There was a trap door. He was a little afraid of what he’d find when he opened the hatch. What if it was a skunk and he scared it and it sprayed? Eww. One had gotten his dog once and they had a heck of a time getting the stink out. But what if it was a raccoon and it was injured? Only one way to find out.
He slid his fingers beneath the latch and carefully lifted the door. At first, his mind couldn’t process what he was seeing. When it did, he gasped in horror.
It wasn’t a skunk or a raccoon. It was a young girl.
Chapter Four
Kai stared down into the hole in shock. A small girl with scraggly blond hair stared back at him, her blue eyes wide and vacant. She looked almost skeletal and he wasn’t sure she was even breathing. A lump formed in his throat.
Zoe came up behind him. “What is it? What did you find?” She cried out and dropped to her knees. “Oh my God! Is she alive?”
Kai leaned forward but the girl flinched. Definitely breathing. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he assured her in a soft voice. “Are you okay?” There was no answer, no indication that she heard or understood him. Maybe she spoke a foreign language. “We’re going to get you out of here.” He reached for her and she flinched again. He held up his hands. “I promise I won’t hurt you.” She must’ve decided to trust him—and she spoke English—because she lifted an arm. He pulled her out and his heart broke at her thin frame. She didn’t weigh much more than a bag of his dog’s food. “What’s your name?” No response. She wore a stained white t-shirt and nothing else. She made no effort to stand so he placed her on the bed. She tottered over to her side and curled into a ball. Kai’s heart twisted more.
“I pulled out some clothes for you,” he told Zoe. “Let me find something for her.” He grabbed another t-shirt and a pair of pants that looked like they were hers. Zoe quickly dressed her while he dug around and came up with a small pair of pink sneakers. Also hers. He fit them on her feet. Zoe pulled on the clothes he’d found for her and rolled up the hems.
“Let’s get out of here.” He held his hand for the girl but she didn’t move. Didn’t blink. Her eyes stared vacantly at the wall.
He glanced at the closet again. Belts. He grabbed them. “Help me strap her to my back.” He handed Zoe the belts and then he picked the girl up and arranged her on his back, holding her arms to keep her from sliding down since she made no effort to cling to him. She hung as limp as a rag doll. “Tie a belt around both of us.” Zoe cinched it and then added another to secure her arms in place. He grabbed the girl’s legs and locked them around his waist, tying the laces of the shoes together.
They gathered the bags of supplies Zoe had packed and headed for the door. He made sure the way was clear before motioning for her to follow him deeper in the woods. “Are the shoes okay?” No answer. “Zoe?” He spun around. She was gone. “Zoe!”
She jogged beside him and he let out a relieved breath. “I’m here. I dropped some things over there,” she pointed with a thumb over her shoulder, “so he’d think that’s the way I went.”
“Good idea.”
The sound of an engine cut through the woods and they froze. “Over here.” He grabbed Zoe’s hand and tugged her beside the house. There was a dilapidated shed a few feet away but there was no way they’d make it before the man appeared. They crouched down behind the stack of wood. Kai’s heart thundered in his ears. He searched the area but he didn’t see the ax he dropped when he sprang through the window. If the man found them he’d be forced to use the knife. He pulled it out of his boot and fingered the lever. He’d do whatever it took to save the girls.
There was a small gap between the logs and the house. The man pulled up to the cabin on an ATV. Man, if they could steal the all-terrain vehicle, they could get the girl to the hospital quicker. Kai was afraid she needed extensive help. She was a dead weight hanging off his back.
He wasn’t exactly sure how to work an ATV. His over-protective dad wouldn’t let him drive one. Golf carts, sure…with an adult present. But in a life or death situation, he had no doubt he could figure it out.
“Stay here,” he told Zoe. He wanted to get a lo
ok at the vehicle. He needed to see if there was room for both him and Zoe on the seat with Jane—he was starting to think of the girl as Jane Doe—between them. If the keys were in it, maybe they could jump on and zip out of here while the man was inside the cabin.
“No!”
A roar sounded and a startled Zoe grabbed Kai’s leg. He gasped, throwing out his arms to steady himself, but Jane’s weight and the clown shoes messed with his balance. The world slowed as he teetered and careened towards the tower of logs. If he knocked them over, they were as good as dead.
In a last-ditch effort, he dropped hard to his hands and knees, wincing when pebbles and little pieces of bark bit into his palms. Then the load on his back shifted and he wobbled sideways. He managed to stop himself and plop to his behind before he crushed the small leg wrapped around his waist.
“Oh gosh, I’m so sorry, Kai,” Zoe whispered through the hands covering her face.
“I’m okay. How’s Jane?” He couldn’t see her face. He didn’t even know if she was still breathing.
“Jane?”
“That’s what I’m calling her.”
Zoe scooted to her knees and placed a hand on the girl. “Are you okay?” Kai didn’t hear an answer but Zoe said, “She’s okay.”
The next sound that rent the air sounded positively inhuman. All three of them flinched. The man must’ve realized his other captive was gone.
“Precious!”
Chapter Five
Claustrophobia crept in and Harlow was having trouble breathing in the room stuffed full of people that just quadrupled in numbers. The Secret Service had arrived in full force. Her mother wouldn’t be far behind. Her father was at a campaign stop in Wichita, Kansas, so it would be a couple of hours before he arrived with his entourage in tow.
“How are you holding up?”
She glanced at the cup of coffee Sawyer held out for her. She didn’t have the heart to tell him she didn’t drink the nasty brew. She accepted it with thanks. The warmth felt good against her frozen hands. Her whole body felt encased in ice. She didn’t know if she’d ever be warm again. “Just waiting for the hammer to drop, and by hammer, I mean my mother.”
Sawyer pulled the chair out next to her and dropped into it, drinking from a paper cup like the one he handed her. Heat from his solid body touched her and she had the urge to lean closer. Place her head on his wide shoulders. He looked eminently capable of taking care of her, not that she needed a man for that. Though she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, she wasn’t nearly as proficient taking care of her sister, as demonstrated by her abduction.
As if feeling her gaze, Sawyer turned to her and it was as if an electric shock hit her body when their eyes met. His were an almost unnatural shade of bright blue. The color of the waters around St. Thomas, one of her favorite vacation spots. She wasn’t sure how long they stared at each other when a commotion jerked her attention away.
“Shit…I mean shoot, the Secret Service is trying to take over.” He jumped to his feet.
“That’s what they do,” she murmured.
“Not this time.”
He marched forward with purpose. She hopped up and quickly followed, grabbing his arm to stop him. “What does that mean?” She really didn’t want any trouble…or any more trouble.
“Kai’s involved. We don’t trust anyone but ourselves to get him back safely.”
“But the Secret Service have resources…”
“Not as good as ours.”
“Sawyer, I don’t want any conflict. This is my fault. If you don’t let—”
He jerked to a stop and faced her, grasping her shoulders in his big hands. She stared at him with wide eyes. “This isn’t your fault, Harlow. The man had this all planned. He knew where to park and what door to use. There was no way you could stop it. Do you understand me?” She nodded, not because she believed what he was saying, but because she knew that was the answer he wanted. “And I’m not going to cause trouble. I used to work for the FBI. I know first-hand how the Feds take over investigations. I’ve done so myself, unrepentantly, many times in the past. If I thought they had a better chance of finding Kai and your sister, I’d step aside without complaint. They don’t.”
Wow. There wasn’t a trace of hesitation or doubt in his tone. He truly believed his company would bring the kids home safely. His conviction gave her the shot of strength she needed. She nodded, coming to a decision. “I believe you.” She turned and marched to Franklin Temple, the Special Agent in Charge. He was facing off against two men who were bigger and stronger-looking than him…and that was saying something because the man was a beast.
“Excuse me, Mr. Temple.”
He paused mid-rant and aimed his scowl at her. “Ms. Duquesne. I’ll get to you in a moment.” He turned back to the two men, dismissing her. Gritting her teeth, she tapped him on the shoulder.
“They’re working for me. I’ve hired them to bring my sister home.”
#
Sawyer’s brows raised along with those of his bosses, Luke and Logan. Harlow hadn’t mentioned hiring them to him…not that she needed to do so for them to find the kids. Kai was one of their own.
Harlow stood with her fists on her slim hips, looking like a petite warrior facing off against the hardened Secret Service agent. She wasn’t at all intimidated by the glower on the man’s face.
“Ms. Duquesne, Zoe is our responsibility.” Harlow flinched at the words and Sawyer felt like slamming his fist into the man’s face. “This is our investigation. We’re taking over.”
“We can do this civilly, Mr. Temple,” Logan said, “or we can do it the hard way. The civil way is to work together to bring the children home. The hard way is for you to turn around and march right out the door, taking your people with you. But know this, we won’t stop what we’re doing. And we will find them.”
The agent opened his mouth to speak when a booming voice cut him off and they all spun to the door.
“Harlow Elizabeth Schaffer Duquesne, what have you done?”
Sawyer glanced down at Harlow. Judging by the rigid stance and look of resignation on her beautiful but now pale face, her mother had arrived. His thoughts were confirmed a few moments later.
As he watched, he could practically see steel encase Harlow’s spine. She straightened her shoulders and braced herself. He had the urge to throw his arm around her, present a united front against her ball-buster mother, but he didn’t know this woman. He didn’t know her family dynamic. He was glad he resisted the urge when the woman who terrified members of the opposition, as well as members of her own party with her tenacity and zeal threw her arms around her daughter and pulled her in for a fierce hug. “Baby, what happened?”
Tears filled Harlow’s eyes and again, the urge to comfort her was almost overwhelming in its intensity. He really needed to get a handle on that emotion.
“She just wanted to swim, Mom. I thought it would be safe. She wanted to be a normal kid, not the freak with the imposing bodyguards.”
The senator released Harlow and dabbed a tissue under her nose. “I know she does, honey. You certainly did.” Laser green eyes focused on him. “And who might you be?”
“Sawyer Oldham, ma’am.”
“Oldham.” Her brows creased in thought and alarm bells rang in his head. “Are you related to Wilton and Colleen Oldham from New York City? They’re big contributors.”
Dear old dad and mom. “Yes, ma’am. My parents.” She “hummed” and he didn’t know if that was a good thing or bad. Knowing his dad, probably bad.
“What are you doing with my daughter?”
“Mom, he’s not with me.” Harlow’s voice was scandalized and Sawyer found it hard not to take offense.
He decided to let her off the hook, even though the devil on his shoulder protested. “I’m not with your daughter, ma’am. I’m with COBRA Securities. We’re working to bring your daughter home safely.”
“What’s this I heard about some boy going after
Zoe?”
“Kai Costa. He saw the man grab your daughter. He jumped in the truck to rescue her.”
“Rescue her,” she repeated dubiously, her mouth twisted with disbelief. “How old is this Kai Costa?”
“He’s ten.”
“And you think a ten-year-old is going to rescue my daughter?”
Sawyer didn’t even blink. “Yes ma’am, I do.”
“A ten-year-old isn’t capable of such a thing,” she scoffed. “Why on earth would you believe that?”
“Because he’s done it before.”
Chapter Six
The kidnapper’s inhuman bellow managed to do what Kai hadn’t been able to—get a reaction from Jane. She moaned and he felt shudders rack her small body. The man had screamed out, “Precious.” That must be what he called her. Judging by her reaction, she didn’t like the name, so he would keep calling her Jane. Kai wondered how long the man had kept Jane and his heart ached for her.
A loud crash sounded and Zoe clutched his arm in a painful grip. More crashes. Then Kai caught a glimpse through the crack as the man bolted from the house. Kai crowded Zoe against the building and shielded her with his body, putting Jane between them. The knife was in his hand, the blade engaged and ready to go.
“Precious!”
Birds flapped their wings and fled the trees at the outburst. Kai held his breath, willing the man to not peer in their direction. Then an engine roared to life. The ATV. There went his hope of stealing it. Oh well, he didn’t know how to work one anyway. He might’ve crashed them into a tree or something. The man gunned the throttle, spinning gravel and then he appeared in their view. Kai gasped and shrunk back, fearing discovery. Thankfully, the man pulled a u-ey and took off in the opposite direction without even looking their way. Kai sagged with relief. They were safe…for now.
He waited until the sound thinned out and then disappeared. “Come on.” He grabbed Zoe’s hand and a bag of supplies and took off at a brisk clip for the woods before stopping suddenly. Zoe jerked to a halt.
Kidnapped (COBRA Securities) Page 3
