We drove past the motel and pulled into a parking lot a little less than half a mile away where the operation had set up its command. Robbins took us to a set of portable picnic tables where someone had set up several laptop computers. He gestured to one.
“That your girl, Mr. Matthews?”
I leaned in closer and studied the grainy, black and white video. The child was lying with her back to the camera, but I could clearly see the slow respirations that were causing her back to move rhythmically. She had fine blond hair and…I leaned closer, my heart jumping into my throat when I saw the logo partially hidden on her hair.
“That’s her. That’s the shirt she was wearing the day she disappeared.”
It was a team shirt from when McKelty was on the soccer team back when she was eight. A hand-me-down that was a favorite of Aidan’s.
“Positive identification,” Robbins said into his wireless radio.
Chaos erupted upon those words. Men began donning their protective gear, rushing around to grab guns and ammunition and grenades. I was suddenly in the way. After side stepping three different people, I backed up against the SUV to stay out of the way. Mike came to stand beside me.
“Don’t worry. These guys know what they’re doing. Aidan will be fine.”
I nodded, but the amount of firepower going into to this room where my daughter was being held scared the shit out of me. If someone missed and hit her…
“Tell me they won’t allow this woman to use Aidan as a hostage. Tell me Aidan won’t be in the middle of some massive shoot-out.”
“She won’t. They’ll get her out of there unharmed.”
“I’m holding you to that, Spencer.”
“Do you really think I’d let this go forward otherwise? Joss would never forgive me.”
I nodded in agreement. “She’s going to be pissed enough when she wakes in the hospital and learns we did this without her.”
Mike shot me a small, humorless smile. “I’m glad you’re the one who’s going to have to answer to that.”
The SUVs took off in a swarm, like bees disturbed from their hive. Mike gestured to the laptops that were left open, two men sitting in front of them with their coms ready for any information they might be able to offer. Mike and I stood at their shoulders, watching over the video feed as the door of the motel room suddenly burst inward. The woman had been sitting in the middle of one of the queen sized beds, her phone in her hands. She jumped up and dove for Aidan as the door splintered, but two men in tactical gear charged at her, one lifting the muzzle of his rifle while the other grabbed her upper arm. She relented immediately, allowing them to walk her out through the shattered doorframe.
Another man carefully lifted Aidan off the bed. I tilted my head to one side, a little concerned that she hadn’t woken when the door shattered. It had to have been very loud. But I could see as they carried her out that she was still in a deep sleep. Panic and fear seeped through my whole body.
“Something’s wrong.”
I rushed to the road, running as fast as I could. Mike called after me, but I wasn’t stopping for anything. I ran until I reached the circle of SUVs in the motel parking lot.
“Aidan!”
Someone tried to push me back, but Robbins suddenly appeared. “Let him through.”
Aidan was lying in an agent’s arms, her body limp. Her eyes were closed and her face was pale, but she was still breathing. The only thing that kept me on my feet was the visible proof of her respirations. I took her from the agent and settled on the curb, resting her against my raised knees as I gently tapped her face.
“Aidan? It’s Daddy, baby. Open your eyes.”
She didn’t move. She didn’t even react to the taps.
“Aidan?”
“What did you give her?” an agent suddenly demanded of the woman they’d just pulled from the room. The woman looked me in the eye and started laughing. Mike—I hadn’t even realized he’d followed me—strutted up to her and socked her right in the jaw.
“Fucking bitch!”
Maybe Mike wasn’t such a bad guy, after all.
Chapter 12
Joss
Rose kept trying to pull me back, holding onto my arm as I rushed through the halls of the unfamiliar hospital. From one hospital to another, just like we’d been from one FBI field office to the next. It felt like I was caught in some sort of time loop, or something.
“Where is she?” I demanded when I finally saw Carrington standing against a mural of a panda bear down one corridor. “Where’s Aidan? Is she okay?”
He pushed away from the wall and came toward me, his face haggard, his eyes dark shadows. “Joss—”
“No, no, no! Don’t you tell me anything bad! Don’t you dare!” I let out a sob.
He grabbed my shoulders and forced me to stand still in front of him. “She’s okay.”
I shook my head, pain slicing through me. “Please, no!”
“Joss!” He smacked the side of my face gently, laughter dancing in his eyes as he lifted my chin so that I was looking him in the eye. “She’s okay. Just really drowsy.”
I stared at him, not quite able to comprehend what he was saying. “She’s okay?”
“She’s fine. That woman who was holding her fed her like a triple dose of Benadryl, so it took some intervention to get it out of her system, but she’s okay. The doctor says there shouldn’t be any permanent effects.”
“Benadryl?”
“Yeah. Can you believe that?”
I started to shake my head, anger rushing through my body. But then I had to find a little humor in it. I’d given Aidan Benadryl on occasion to get her to settle down at night. But there was nothing funny about a kidnapper drugging my child.
“Where is she?”
Carrington stepped to one side and gestured to the door near where he’d been standing. “She’s still pretty out of it. But she’s conscious.”
I rushed to the door, but then hesitated before I pushed my way inside. I leaned my head back and took several deep breaths, needing to get control of my emotions before I went inside. I didn’t want to frighten my baby.
She was curled up in a massive bed, the white sheet pulled up to her shoulders. Her blond hair was falling thickly over her back, the side of her face so familiar that it physically hurt to look at her. I wanted to yank the sheet off of her, wanted to check for bruises or cuts or any indication of what these monsters had done to her while she was missing. I wanted to count her toes and fingers, wanted to make sure she’d been returned to me in good condition.
I just wanted to touch her and feel the solidity of her familiar form.
“Mommy?” she asked, peeking at me through the slit of one eye.
“I’m here, baby.”
I went to her side, so desperate to touch her that I was almost afraid to touch. But then she lifted her arms and I couldn’t help but tug her into my arms, careful of the IV still sunk on top of her hand.
“I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry!”
“She lied, Mommy! Shauna said we were going to Disneyland, but all we did was go to stinky motels. They were hot and gross.” She wrinkled her nose. “I hated it. I want to go home.”
“I know, baby.”
“I’m sorry I ran away.”
I grunted, trying to hide a sob. “It’s okay. We’ll talk about all that later. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
She snuggled up against me. “She made me drink stuff and I got so sleepy. I’m so tired.”
“I know. Go back to sleep.”
Aidan snuggled up against me, falling asleep almost immediately. Carrington came over and pulled a chair up, helping me sit without pulling Aidan’s IV out. Then he knelt beside me and rested his head on my knee.
I ran my hand up and down Aidan’s back, dropping kisses on her forehead and temple every couple of seconds. I didn’t want to move. I wanted to hold her like that forever.
Relief wasn’t even the word for what I felt. Neither was love, a
ffection, or joy. Perhaps it was a combination of them all. What I felt had no definition.
But it wasn’t long before my mind moved beyond this moment. Aidan was home and safe now. We’d make sure she was taken out of the equation, beyond Mahoney’s reach.
We’d won this battle. But there would be another and another in this sick game. I was getting to know Mahoney, learning how his mind worked. He wasn’t going to stop. No matter what I did, no matter what steps I took to protect my family, he would never stop.
I was going to have to stop him. It was the only option.
Chapter 13
Carrington
I woke in the night and slipped quietly out of bed, careful not to disturb Joss or Aidan—who was sleeping soundly despite sleeping off and on for two days in the hospital. My phone was overflowing with missed calls and unread text messages, most from members of the Gray Wolf family, some who only recently learned what had been happening in our lives these past few weeks. Rose had gone back to Santa Monica, filled with news for Ash and the others at the compound. She’d been a good friend, staying with Joss until we had news to offer her. And then flying here with Joss when she could have just sent her on Ash’s private plane alone.
I was beginning to realize how underappreciated Rose really was. Nearly sixty, she’d taken the job with Gray Wolf as a way to fill her days after her children left for college. But it quickly became something more to her. She treated the original five like they were her own children. And, to be honest, it had kind of annoyed me over the years. But now?
I think I needed to start paying more attention to the world my wife lived in.
I glanced over at the bed, watching the two of them sleep, their bodies not touching, but lying in such a way that they’d fit perfectly into one another if one just moved a few inches forward or backward. They looked so much alike, Aidan with her mother’s hair and her perky little nose. If she got her mother’s curves, too, she’d be a knockout when she was older.
That was a sobering thought.
And then came another sobering thought: this wasn’t over. We’d found Aidan, but that didn’t end this thing between us and Mahoney. I knew it was true just by the lines of tension that were constantly present on Joss’s face. She knew something she’d as of yet hadn’t felt the need to clue me in on. But it wasn’t over.
I went over to her side of the table and slipped her phone off the charger. I used it to plug numbers into my phone that I didn’t already have, composing a single text message that I sent to more than a dozen recipients.
I might not have been paying attention to Joss’s world these past seven years, not noticing how tough she was or how capable she’d had to be, but I did see how she tried to take so much on her own shoulders, refusing to ask for help. She shut everyone out, including me. It was time that stopped.
As much as I hated to share her, I knew she was loved. Deeply loved by those around her. I was counting on that love now.
I wasn’t going to let her face what was coming alone.
***
“There they are!”
Aidan was jumping up and down, laughing like a hyena with a feather under its armpit. It was infectious. I laughed, too, rushing forward to embrace first McKelty, then my mom.
“Oh, Cary,” Mom said, taking my face between both her hands. “You look so happy!”
“We’re at Disneyland. Who’s not happy at Disneyland?”
That made her laugh.
Aidan grabbed McKelty’s hand and ran off, demanding that they ride the teacups together. Joss, Mom, and I followed closely behind, amused by the energy of a small child. Even McKelty began to wither a little after the fifth set of rides, the fifth line they were forced to stand in, the fifth wait with Aidan jumping and laughing and telling long-winded stories.
“She looks good.”
I nodded. “She is.”
“They didn’t hurt her?”
Joss’s face tightened a little. “They didn’t. They were under orders to make sure she arrived at her destination without a mark on her.”
“Her destination?”
Joss glanced at me. We’d talked about this in whispers while still sitting with Aidan in the hospital, waiting for the effects of the Benadryl to finally wear completely off. It still made me sick to think about it.
“She was to be a gift to Jack Mahoney’s sister,” I told my mom. “A replacement child for the ones who’d committed suicide.”
“Both her children committed suicide?”
Joss looked away, anger and grief both burning in her eyes.
“Her son after he was paralyzed in a prison fight. And her daughter a few weeks ago in an attempt to avoid going to prison herself.”
“Well, that’s…” Mom shook her head. “Do these people realize how insane they are?”
I was relieved when Joss laughed.
We ate dinner on the patio of one of the many impressive restaurants within the park, Aidan exhausted enough from the day’s activities that she began to doze over her chocolate cake. I lifted her up and held her in my lap while the rest of us finished eating. McKelty slid over to the chair beside Joss and took her hand. Joss lifted our daughter’s fingers to her mouth and kissed them gently.
Love you, Joss mouthed.
McKelty smiled and rested her head on her stepmother’s shoulder for a brief moment. It was a sight I was thrilled to see. I knew the teen angst would be back soon enough, but it was so good to experience a little of this peace accord in the meantime.
But it was all over sooner than I would have liked.
We drove to the airport, both girls snoozing in the back seat during the ride. Joss’s people—Audra Johnson, Shaw Knolls, and Erin Braydon—were waiting beside the private plane. We must have put a significant number of miles on this jet over the past week. I was hoping Ash’s tax attorney could have all the expenses properly written off.
McKelty sat up blearily and asked, “Where’s Tony?” She started to rub her eyes and smooth her hair.
Joss chuckled. “He’s here. Probably in the plane, checking things out.”
We climbed out and Shaw came over, a big smile on her face as she greeted Joss. The two hugged like old friends.
“Thank Malik again for arranging this.”
“No problem.”
Apparently Shaw’s boyfriend, Malik Bailey, knew a Saudi prince or something and had arranged for Mom, McKelty, and Aidan, along with their Gray Wolf companions, to stay at his English castle in Wales. I guess all Middle East princes have vacation castles around the world.
According to Joss, I was the only person in the world who didn’t know that.
I didn’t even know Shaw had a boyfriend.
There were hugs and kisses all around. I found it quite difficult to let go of Aidan, but she was tired and a little grouchy. She went most willingly to Shaw, waving weakly over the operative’s shoulder as they boarded the plane.
Joss and I waited until the plane taxied to the runway and took off. I waved even though I knew they couldn’t see us. It made me feel connected to them anyway.
“Seems like we’re always saying goodbye to them,” Joss sighed.
“It does. But they’re in good hands.”
“I know.”
I stepped behind her and pulled her back against me, holding her as she slipped her hands over my arm. We stood there for a long time, just the two of us, staring up at the stars and thinking our separate thoughts. Joss sighed, closing her eyes as her body slowly relaxed back against mine.
“I guess we should get going. It’s a bit of a drive.”
“We could. Or we could just go to the hotel room I booked.”
She sighed heavily. “Oh, thank God! I wasn’t looking forward to the drive!”
I laughed. It wasn’t a long drive from Anaheim to Santa Monica—only ninety minutes or so—but after a long day at Disneyland, it could seem like an historic trek. I was kind of glad I’d thought of the reservation, too.
J
oss leaned on me heavily as we rode the elevator up to our suite, her eyes drooping shut every few seconds. I swept her up into my arms as we stepped into the corridor, much to her protest, and carried her into the room.
There was no rule that said a strong, capable woman couldn’t be pampered by her husband. And I had a lot of pampering to catch up on.
Tonight would be a good start.
Chapter 14
Joss
I had the best husband! He gave me a bath, refusing to allow me to do anything for myself. He washed my skin, shaved my legs, and scrubbed my hair. And then he rubbed lotion onto my skin, giving me a better massage than some of the professionals I’d gone to over the years. That was it. He didn’t ask for anything in return, didn’t expect me to do anything but crawl under the sheets and sleep like the dead.
How incredible was that?
When I woke this morning, he’d had room service deliver saltines and water bottles, adding a glass of milk in case my morning sickness didn’t linger as it had done every morning since the second I found out I was pregnant. He didn’t even insist on the bacon and eggs he’d normally eat, nibbling at a fruit platter instead.
How in love was I with this thoughtful man?
The drive back to Santa Monica was actually pleasant, the music on the radio perfect to my mood, the road smooth, and the traffic light. The closer we got to town, the more my mind turned to my next move in this battle against Mahoney, but even that didn’t spoil my mood. It only strengthened my determination.
When we crossed the city limits, I anticipated we’d go home to our house that had been essentially empty for the past month or so. Instead, Carrington turned the car toward the outskirts of town, the upscale residential area where Ash had his compound.
“Where are we going?”
“Ash asked that we stop by when we arrived back in town.”
“He told you?”
Carrington glanced at me. “Don’t sound so surprised. He does talk to me on occasion.”
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