by Robin Perini
“Yes.”
He slapped her face. Hard. Her head whipped to the side. “I told you, no talking. Just nod your head. Do you understand?”
She nodded.
“Excellent.”
His perpetual whisper creeped her out each time he spoke. It was as if he were less than human. He pushed her through the study door and down the hall to the guest room where she’d been staying. She said nothing. She couldn’t risk Dylan’s life. Or anyone else’s.
“You’ve never been helpless a day in your life, have you? Well, you’re going to find out exactly what it’s like to feel that way.”
She tried to move her arms and get at the knife in her pocket, but when she adjusted her shoulders, he slapped her again.
“Don’t play games, Courtney. I can see your moves coming a mile away.”
He shoved her into the bedroom and kicked the door closed. There had to be a way to warn Velma. The cameras were no help. The app was on Jared’s phone.
Unless he looked at it. A small sprig of hope ignited until her captor pushed her face down onto the bed.
“Turn over.”
Oh God. What was he going to do? She had no choice. She complied.
“Stay there. And remember what I said. If you move, they are all dead.”
He gripped her throat, and she could tell without a doubt, he could snap her neck if he so chose. He loomed above her. “Will you obey me?”
She nodded.
“Don’t worry, Courtney,” he said with a slight smile. “I’ll be back soon.”
He left her lying there. She stood up and scanned the room. Her eyes fell on a picture. If she broke the glass she could use it to break free. When he came back, she could stop him, as long as he didn’t have Dylan with him.
She grabbed the photo frame. How much noise would it make if she slammed it against the bathtub?
Before she could decide a loud crash clattered from somewhere near the kitchen. Velma shouted in terror. “You’re not taking that baby,” she screamed.
Dylan squealed in terrified cries. Panicked, Courtney ran to the bathroom and threw down the frame.
The noise was drowned out by a horrific crash. Then a loud thud.
A gunshot rang out.
God no.
Footsteps raced across the floor.
“Courtney! Jared!” Léon’s voice shouted.
“I’m here!” Courtney replied.
After what seemed forever, he opened the door. He held Dylan in his arms.
He whipped out a knife and cut through the rope.
She reached out for Dylan and pressed him against her breast, patting his back to calm down her terrified baby. “Shh. Jelly Bean. Mama’s here. You’re safe. I promise.”
“When did you get back?”
“Just arrived. Lucky thing. You okay for a minute?” Léon asked.
“Did you get him?” Courtney asked. “Please say you killed him.”
Léon shook his head with a scowl. “He got away. I’m not sure how, but he’s gone.”
Her head fell on top of Dylan’s. “Then it’s not over.”
Léon shook his head. “Take care of your son. I have to help Velma. She hit her head pretty badly protecting Dylan.”
Courtney followed him to the kitchen. She gasped in dismay. Velma lay on the floor in the midst of shattered glasses and dishes. Blood oozed from a head wound. Her eyes were shut, her skin pale.
Courtney knelt down beside her. Léon felt for a pulse.
“She’s alive, but we need to get her to a hospital as soon as possible. Where’s Jared?”
“Driving back from the Criswell ranch, I hope. I tried calling but there was no service.”
“Jared has his own tower. He rarely loses service.”
“He did it.”
“That’s my guess.”
Léon rose and wet a rag to clean some of the blood away from Velma’s injury. “She was hit hard.”
He glanced over his shoulder. “Keep trying the phone. We need to warn Jared to keep an eye out for someone suspicious on the ranch.”
Courtney hit the redial button. Over, and over, and over again.
Finally she had four bars.
Jared answered. “What the hell happened? I’ve been trying to reach you for a half hour.”
She could hardly speak. “He was here, Jared. He broke in and tried to take Dylan.”
Chapter Eleven
Jared pressed the accelerator to the floor. The beat-up truck bounced over the dirt roads. He wiped away the blood at the corner of his mouth. Thank God for Derek, Courtney, and Velma. Dylan was safe, but damn it, Jared should have been there to protect his family.
His family. He’d come to think of them that way in just a few short days. He slammed his hand on the steering wheel. “Come on. Faster.”
He glanced in the rearview mirror. He looked like hell. Ned could throw a few good licks for a man old enough to be Jared’s father. Chuck had cowered. He’d also admitted to sabotaging the fence posts, stealing the pin on Angel Maker’s gate and flicking the cigarette near the oil wells. He’d denied firing the shot, dousing the stalls with gasoline and salting the water, though.
For some reason, Jared believed him.
Chuck would pay for what he’d done. The man was just lucky no one had died.
But his denial begged the question, was Courtney’s blackmailer also responsible for the destruction on Jared’s land? Or was there someone else still out there?
One thing at a time.
He drove onto his land and closed in on the ranch house as fast as the truck would allow. He didn’t hesitate when he reached the perimeter alarm system. The sirens sounded and his men scrambled, their weapons at the ready.
Jared slammed on the brakes and the tires skidded in the dirt in front of the house. Courtney met him at the door, Dylan in her arms. She ran to him and he hugged them close.
“Are you okay?” He pulled back and studied her face. He touched her cheek lightly. “He hit you?”
“I’m fine. He threatened to kill everyone in the house if I didn’t obey him.” Her face went pale. “I didn’t know what to do, so I followed his instructions.”
Jared placed his hands on her arms. “You did the right thing. There are times to fight, and situations where it’s best to bide your time. We know he’s killed before. You and Dylan are alive and safe.”
Jared kissed her forehead, so as not to hurt her bruised face. “How’s Velma?”
“She hasn’t regained consciousness. Tim took her to the hospital and Roscoe went with him,” Courtney said. “She wouldn’t let him have the baby. She and Léon saved Dylan from that man.”
“Where’s Derek?” Jared could feel the fury rising in his chest. Had his friend let him down? “He was supposed to watch you.”
“He went to help you. We thought we were safe.”
“He never showed.” Jared’s gut sank. “We have to find him.” His gaze snapped to Courtney. “Is there any clue as to his identity?”
“He wore a ski mask and he whispered. All I can tell you is that his eyes are brown.”
“So, we’re no closer to identifying him, and now Derek’s missing.” Jared ran his hands over Courtney to make certain she was all right. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.” Jared turned to Léon. “No more games. No more trying to draw this guy out until we have actionable intel. I want Courtney and Dylan out of here. Now.”
The operative winced and nodded in agreement. “Ransom has his plane gassed and waiting for you at the airport. We’re not filing a flight plan or revealing the destination to anyone until you’re in the air.” He scanned the area surrounding them, his gaze piercing. “Come inside. No telling when or if the guy will come back.”
Holding Courtney close to his side, they walked in the
house.
“You’re taking my truck. There’s no way to track in, even for a hacker. You’ll leave the kidnapper’s phone here. When you leave, you’ll keep your hat pulled low and your face down,” Léon said. “I want it to appear as if you’re still here.”
“What about me and the baby?” Courtney asked.
“I have an equipment box that you’ll fit in. Jared can carry Dylan in a duffel and we’ll stow the car seat in a garbage bag. You’ll all go into the back end of the SUV until you arrive at the airport. The perp will expect us to be hunkering down for a while. Hopefully long enough for you to get away.
Jared nodded. “I like the idea.”
“Then let’s do it.”
A half hour later, Jared started Léon’s SUV and pulled down the road leaving Last Chance Ranch. The tinted windows hid the luggage area from view.
The vehicle rumbled over a cattle guard. The rough ride shook the SUV waking Dylan. The baby let out a cry that made Jared wince.
“Just a minute, little guy. Mama will get you soon. I promise.”
Jared’s voice calmed Dylan a bit, but it didn’t last long.
Once they were off his property, Jared called out to Courtney. “Clear.”
She pushed open the metal case. Dylan lifted his arms. “Ma.”
“Stay hunkered down,” Jared said. “We can’t take any chances.”
“I will.” Courtney pulled Dylan into her arms and cuddled him. Jared kept his eyes on the road. The small airport got very little traffic. They shouldn’t run into anyone.
They reached the outskirts of Carder. The ribbon of asphalt cut through the landscape. A bright blue sky met the horizon. It would be good flying weather.
Jared reached a dip in the road and a white vehicle drove toward them. His hands clenched on the steering wheel.
“Car coming. Keep low.”
The sheriff’s lights took shape on top of the SUV the closer they got. Blake Redmond would recognize one of CTC’s vehicles. It shouldn’t be a problem.
Jared whizzed by the sheriff. Almost there.
A squeal of tires came from behind him and a siren started screaming.
“What’s wrong?” Courtney asked.
“Nothing. I’ll pull over and get rid of Blake. If I was speeding he can write me a ticket.”
Jared pulled the vehicle over. The sheriff’s car stopped behind him. Blake rounded the car and Jared rolled down the window.
“Look, Blake—”
The sheriff whipped off his sunglasses. “Where do you think you’re going, Jared?”
“Since when do you go all official on me?”
“Don’t go there.” Blake shook his head. “I gotta ask. Do you have a gun in the vehicle?”
“Of course. I’m wearing it. I have a conceal carry permit.”
“Nine millimeter, right? According to your permit.”
“Yes.” Jared didn’t like the wincing expression on the sheriff’s face. “What’s going on, Blake?”
“I need you to step out of the vehicle.”
He glanced behind him and met Courtney’s frightened gaze. He gave her a quick nod. If he could keep her hidden, even from a friend, that was one less person who knew where they were. “Look, Blake. Whatever it is has to wait. I’ve got a plane—”
“I’m sorry, Jared. You’re not going anywhere. Not until we straighten a few things out.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You got a nice-sized bruise on your chin, and that eye’s not looking so good. You get into a fight?”
Jared didn’t like where this was headed. “So what if I did? Since when’s that a crime.”
“My information says you took a drive out to Ned Criswell’s house? Is that true?”
From Blake’s expression, Jared had the distinct impression the sheriff wanted him to deny the allegation. Trouble was he couldn’t.
“Ned’s wanting to renege on an agreement we made. I thought we should talk it out.”
“Well, hell, Jared. You can’t make my job easy, can you.”
“Look, this is all interesting, and I’d love to play guessing games with you, but I have to get on that plane. It’s a matter of life and death.”
“Now we’re in perfect agreement. We just found Criswell dead. Shot with a nine millimeter.”
Jared’s body numbed. He had to ask. “Was Derek there? Is he dead, too?”
“Derek Hines?” Blake’s brow crinkled in question. “No one mentioned him, but I’ve got a half-dozen witnesses who saw you two come to blows and heard you threaten to kill him. I have a warrant for your arrest for the murder of Ned Criswell.”
A loud gasp escaped from the back of the SUV. Jared winced at the sound. Blake had to have heard her.
“Who’s in the back of the truck?”
Jared wasn’t about to have Courtney show her face. He pushed open the door and stepped onto the pavement.
Blake placed his hand on his weapon. “Whoever’s in the back of the SUV, I want you out of the car, now. Hands up.”
“She can’t.” Jared opened the door, held up his hands and stood toe-to-toe with the sheriff. “Damn it, Blake. You’ve known me since we were in high school. I wouldn’t kill in cold blood.”
“I thought so, too.” Blake frowned. “You’ve been a pain in my butt the last month with your theories about all those strange occurrences at your ranch. With no proof, I had no way to arrest Ned, and then you go and take things into your own hands. I expected more.”
“You’re not making any sense.”
“How about if I spell it out. I have a list of complaints about sabotage on your ranch that simply stopped a couple of days ago. Not only that, you pulled every complaint and told my office they weren’t valid. Even after the arson fire, not one request. But I know better. I saw the destroyed fences, the damage. We both know Criswell was probably involved. I even had a suspect. The guy’s son, Chuck. And you go and refuse to assist in the investigation. You’ve never backed away from a fight in your life, and you just gave up. I’ve been wondering why.”
Jared tilted his Stetson back and eyed the son of the man who’d tried to help him save Alyssa. He and Blake weren’t really friends. More like acquaintances. Not that he had anything against the sheriff, but he avoided anything that brought back those five-year-old memories. “Why did you pull me over?”
“Anonymous call that you were heading to the airport.” The sheriff scowled at him. “You think I like doing this? I got word you’ve set your place up like a fortress, given guns to all your hands. Everyone’s walking around armed, including the men delivering stock across state lines. What the hell’s going on? If you tell me, I can help.”
Jared shook his head. “You can’t help. Any more than your father could five years ago. You have to trust me, Blake. I need to go. We need to go.”
The sheriff pursed his lips. “Who’s in the back of your truck?” he repeated.
“My nine-month-old son and his mother, and they’re in danger.”
Jared knew he couldn’t have surprised Blake more if he’d said he had a bunch of pink elephants in the backseat.
“Since when do you have a kid?” Blake said. “Now you have even more explaining to do.”
“And I will, but right now you have to trust me.”
“I’m sorry, Jared. I can’t. Not with a warrant.”
Jared leaned back against the car door and it clicked closed. “It wasn’t me.”
Blake pulled out his notes. “Look at it from my point of you. I have a fight over water, a confrontation, and the man was dead within a half hour of your leaving his ranch.”
Jared let out a low curse. “Who the hell is doing this to us?” He glanced back at the SUV and took a couple of steps closer to the sheriff’s vehicle so Courtney wouldn’t hear them
. He lowered his voice. “Look, I’m laying this on the line because I trusted your dad and by extension you. Someone threatened to kidnap and kill my son unless I paid a ransom. I have dozens of dead cattle, shots fired, an unexplained fire, and Velma was just attacked and is in the hospital. This is bigger than you and me. CTC is trying to help, but even they can’t seem to pin this guy’s identity down.” Jared met Blake’s gaze. “I know you have a family, and that you understand when someone is after them. I need you to let me go, Blake. I need to save my family.”
The sheriff let out a low curse. “You’re putting me in a tough position. I don’t think you killed Ned, but we received a phone call from a witness who states he saw you do it. The judge issued the warrant. He’s a fishing buddy of Ned’s.”
“What witness?”
“Anonymous call.” Blake rubbed his temple. “I get it, but if I let you go, they’ll arrest you somewhere else, and then where would your family be? At least here you have friends in your corner.”
“No way. This guy has too much intel, Blake. I have to get Courtney and Dylan out of Carder. If I don’t I’ll lose them.”
“Bring them in. I’ll help protect them.”
“Five years ago I tried the right way.” Jared shook his head. “This time I contacted a sure thing. All my men, CTC and high-tech surveillance couldn’t protect them. I’m not sure why they’re even still alive. I came too close to losing them. I can’t trust anyone. I’m sorry.”
The squeal of tires caused Jared to spin around. Léon’s SUV peeled out and down the road.
“Courtney!”
“Let’s go,” Blake shouted. He rounded his vehicle then skidded to a halt. All four of his tires were flat.
“What the hell?”
Jared froze and squinted after the SUV. His entire body numb. Devastated, he looked over at Blake. “He has them. Damn it, Blake. Courtney and my son are gone.”
* * *
THE SUV’S DOOR SLAMMED.
“Jared?” Courtney asked.
He didn’t say anything, just gunned the accelerator. When the SUV took off, Courtney toppled backward. Dylan wailed and she grabbed the baby.
“Jared, can you slow down?”
“Your lover is long gone,” a familiar whisper said.
