Devin nodded, a touch of satisfaction in his gaze. “One and the same. She told me that a stranger approached her and asked her to do a small favor. This woman said she would be paid well, and that it was for a very important cause.”
“And Michelle didn’t run?” Macy asked. “A stranger approaching with an offer like that should be suspicious within itself. It sounds like a scam.”
“Well, at first she was skeptical,” Devin said. “But she was also strapped for money. She has a six-month-old, but her name is Bella. She also has a sister named Deborah who lived not far away.”
“That’s convenient,” Tanner said, not liking where this was going.
“This woman who approached Michelle said she was in trouble with her ex-husband, and that she needed to use Michelle’s house,” Devin said. “She said Michelle should leave town, only use cash so she couldn’t be traced, and that she shouldn’t come back for at least two weeks.”
“But that doesn’t make sense.” Macy’s forehead wrinkled. “Why would this woman need to get out of town because someone else’s ex was chasing her?”
“It doesn’t at all make any sense,” Devin said. “But Michelle was desperate for money, so she agreed to it. I think she figured that some cash was better than none. Unfortunately, she blew a lot of it by buying lottery tickets. That’s why she had to use her credit card after all, and that’s how we were able to trace her.”
“In other words, Deborah, or whatever her real name is, and Mike planned this to a T,” Tanner said. “They found a woman with a baby that was Addie’s age, who had a sister named Deborah who lived not too far away. That way when the FBI checked out the story, it would seem like it all fell in place.”
“That’s correct,” Devin said. “Deborah even changed her appearance to match that of Michelle’s real-life sister.”
“Have you reported this to the FBI?” Tanner asked.
Devin nodded. “Saul was there when we questioned the woman.”
“Things are finally looking up,” Tanner said, glancing at Macy and then back at Devin.
Devin nodded. “Maybe the end is finally in sight.”
His words echoed through Tanner’s mind. Though his friend was referring to the end of this case, he couldn’t help but think about Macy. Was the end in sight—again—for the two of them?
The thought squeezed his gut with regret.
He was going to lose her again, and the sooner he accepted that fact, the better off he would be.
Sixteen
“Tanner, I’m worried about Addie,” Macy said the next morning. She’d tossed and turned all night, unable to rest because Addie had been fussy and unhappy. “I thought she was just teething, but I think she’s getting an ear infection. I know we don’t want to take her out into the public, that it’s risky. But I’m not sure we can wait. She’s warm and she could have a fever.”
Tanner gently ran his hand over the top of Addie’s head and frowned. “I agree. We don’t want her to suffer.”
“I know it’s dangerous to leave. I don’t want to put her in danger. But...”
Tanner’s jaw flexed. “If we don’t have a choice, we don’t have a choice. We’ll just take precautions. It’s all we can do. I think there’s a walk-in clinic the next town over. Why don’t you go ahead and pack the diaper bag? We should go soon, before the clinic gets too busy.”
Macy nodded and rushed up the stairs. She quickly put things together, her heart pounding erratically. She was nervous, she realized. More nervous than she thought she would be. But they had to do this, for Addie’s sake. All of this was for Addie’s sake. Her well-being was Macy’s number one priority.
Macy was back downstairs in less than five minutes. Tension pulled across her chest when she saw Addie in Tanner’s arms. He bounced her gently, doing a little two-step across the floor. It was such a beautiful sight.
What if that was her baby? Tanner’s baby? Things could have been so different... Jamie.
Macy hadn’t said her baby’s name in a while. She hadn’t allowed herself to do so. Even saying the name aloud all these years later made a lump form in her throat and tears brim in her eyes.
She and Tanner hadn’t known if they were having a girl or a boy, so they’d decided on Jamie, since that would fit both genders. Even though she was only three months along, Macy already had visions of what the baby would be like. First steps. Sleepless nights. First words and smiles and...first everythings. The idea had quickly taken root in her heart.
He kissed Addie’s forehead, and her sniffles stopped. The baby rested her head against Tanner’s chest.
Macy could hardly stomach it. “Ready to go?”
Tanner nodded and took the diaper bag from her, wrapping it over his shoulder. “Let’s hit the road.”
Their sedan was parked in the garage, so they slipped inside without incident. Macy held her breath as Tanner opened the garage door, and they eased out. To her amazement, nothing and no one waited for them outside, either.
Macy had programmed herself to think and expect the worst.
It took twenty minutes to get to the walk-in clinic. When they arrived, the waiting room was already crowded, and full of crying children with runny noses and terrible coughs.
Tanner checked them in, and they took a seat in the corner. Macy continually scanned the others in the waiting room, looking for a sign of someone suspicious. No one caught her eye.
Addie seemed content at the moment, though she’d cried almost the entire way here. She tried to hold her on her lap, but Addie wanted to stand. She straightened her legs and stood on Macy’s knees, bouncing happily as Macy held on to her.
A smile stretched across Addie’s face when she looked at Macy. The smile widened when her gaze then turned to Tanner.
“I think she’s starting to like us,” Macy whispered.
“You might be right.” He reached out and gently poked her belly, eliciting a giggle from Addie.
“Your little girl is adorable,” an elderly woman beside them said. A ten-year-old boy sat next to her, earphones in his ears and a Game Boy in his hands.
Macy guessed the boy was her grandson.
She started to correct the woman and explain that Addie wasn’t hers, but she stopped herself. She just needed to go with it. Saying anything else would only raise suspicions.
“Thank you,” she said.
“She’s a nice mix of both of you.” The woman pushed her glasses up on her nose and glanced back and forth from Tanner to Macy.
“She’s sweet like her mom.” Tanner winked at Macy.
“Oh, you two are just precious. I have a good sense about these things.”
Macy’s curiosity spiked, even though she knew it shouldn’t. She should just let the woman’s comment go. “About what things?”
“Couples who are going to make it,” the woman explained. “You two are going to be together until death do you part. I can just tell, and I have a ninety-five-percent success rate.”
Macy’s cheeks heated. “Is that right?”
Let the woman think whatever she wanted. She and Tanner would not be together forever. They weren’t even together now.
“My Johnny and I were together for fifty years, you know,” the woman continued.
“That’s something to be proud of, quite an accomplishment,” Tanner said.
“Accomplishment? I don’t know that I’d say that.” She chuckled. “It was a lot of hard work. But it paid off in the end. We didn’t just give up like couples do nowadays. At the first sign of trouble, they split. That’s not the way it was meant to be.”
Macy’s cheeks warmed even more as she remembered the way things had ended between her and Tanner. “You’re right. It’s not.”
The woman waved her hand in the air. “Anyway, listen to me ramble. I’m sure you have better things to do than hear
an old woman blathering.”
“No, it’s been nice,” Macy said. “Thank you.”
Just then the nurse called them back. Finally, Macy could flee from this awkward conversation that made her sad and reminded her about what could have been.
* * *
Tanner was glad they’d taken the risk of bringing Addie out today. They discovered she had a double ear infection. The doctor prescribed an antibiotic, and now Tanner and Macy just had to pick it up. Then they could head back and lie low.
So far, this trip had been surprisingly easy. Tanner hadn’t seen any signs of danger. Maybe they’d lost these people who were after them once and for all.
Tanner wanted to believe that, but he was smarter than to latch on to the idea. He had to remain on guard because trouble could pop up at any minute. That had been proven time and time again.
“Do you want to wait out here?” Tanner asked Macy when they pulled into the parking lot of a big box store.
“There are a few things I’d like to pick up while we’re here, things I forgot yesterday. Is it okay if I go inside with you?”
“Of course. We just need to be on guard.”
He opened the door for Macy. She slid out and grabbed Addie, who’d just fallen asleep. She left her in the car seat so she could rest.
“Soon we’ll have some medicine to make you feel all better,” Macy cooed.
Tanner kept an arm around her back as he led them into the store. Inside, it was busy with customers buying groceries, school supplies and other disposables. The crowds could work in their favor and help conceal them.
“We stick together inside,” he told Macy, leaning close enough to smell her clean cotton scent and, just for a moment, to relish it.
“Of course.” Macy’s gaze darted around them.
They dropped off the prescription, and the pharmacy tech told them it would be fifteen minutes until it was ready. That meant they had some time to kill before they got out of here and returned to safety.
Tanner’s gaze searched the store as they moved down the aisles while waiting. He didn’t see anyone suspicious, but since he wasn’t sure what the bad guy looked like, he had to be extra cautious.
He pushed the cart down the aisle of the busy store, waiting patiently as Macy grabbed a few cosmetics and toiletries.
Being out right now with Macy and Addie, in one way, felt way too natural. It seemed like something they’d done countless times before. Like they were a little family, just like the older woman in the waiting room had assumed they were.
He shoved the feeling down. He couldn’t go there. They weren’t a family, and they never would be. He’d be wise to keep that in mind.
Someone yelped on the other side of the aisle. Tanner’s muscles tightened, and he exchanged a look with Macy.
He quickened his steps and peered around the corner. A man in a wheelchair had taken a tumble and now lay sprawled on the floor in the center of the aisle.
“I can’t get up,” he muttered. “I slipped.”
Tanner rushed toward the man, slid an arm under his shoulders, and carefully helped the man back into his wheelchair.
“You’re a real lifesaver,” he said. “I’m glad you just happened to be close by.”
“It’s no problem,” Tanner said. “Do I need to call a doctor for you?”
He shook his head. “No, I think I’ll be okay. But thank you, young man.”
Tanner turned back to Macy and Addie, whom he’d left right behind him. But when he looked around, they were gone.
Seventeen
“I’ll do whatever you say,” Macy muttered as she walked stiffly toward the exit. “Just don’t hurt Addie.”
The man behind her shoved the gun harder into her back. “Oh, don’t worry. I have no intention of hurting the child. We need her.”
What did that mean?
The man had appeared out of nowhere. Macy hadn’t even seen his face. One minute, she’d been standing there watching Tanner help the gentleman back into his wheelchair. The next moment, something pressed into her side, and she was pulled away.
No one had to tell her the man was holding a gun. She instinctively knew. She also sensed he was wearing a large coat that concealed the weapon. No one else would suspect anything.
As her fight-or-flight response kicked in, Macy had decided she had to be compliant. But what if that was the wrong decision? She didn’t know and would have to trust her gut. She had no other choice.
Macy felt rigid as she walked. Her mind raced. What should she do? Most likely, the best thing to do was just to be acquiescent. On the other hand, she’d read the statistics about what happened if you got into the car with someone. You were less likely to ever be seen again alive.
Tanner...where are you? What am I supposed to do?
All it had taken was a few seconds for this man to find her and grab her. Now he led her out the store with Addie snuggled in her car seat.
Maybe Macy could make a run for it in the parking lot.
But as they stepped outside, Macy’s stomach sank. A car pulled up at the entrance of the store. The back door opened.
Before Macy could stop the forward motion of events, the man shoved her and Addie into the back, and the driver squealed off.
Macy looked back just in time to see Tanner run out from the store.
Was it too late for him to reach them? Her heart pounded uncontrollably when she realized the answer. Yes, it was too late.
Working quickly, she strapped the seat belt across Addie’s car seat, desperate to protect the baby from whatever storm would soon be bearing down on them. She had to keep the child safe.
Work with what you’ve got in front of you, Macy.
She placed her hand on Addie’s chest, trying to keep the baby calm, and glanced into the front seat. A woman sat there. Was that... Deborah? The supposed aunt to little baby Addie? No longer was her hair auburn and neat. No, now it was short and blond.
A man sat beside her. Where Deborah was cultured and elegant, this man looked like a hired gun with his battered jeans, faded shirt and untrimmed hair.
She shivered. Macy wouldn’t easily forget the barrel that was still aimed at her. Addie might be “safe” here, but Macy wasn’t.
“Where are you taking us?” Macy asked.
“You’ll see,” Deborah—whatever her real name was—said.
“Why are you doing this?”
“That’s none of your business. But Addie is our relative, not yours. You’re the one who should be charged with kidnapping. You wouldn’t give that precious baby back to us, and you’ve caused unnecessary trauma to her.”
“If she’s so precious to you, why haven’t you even looked at her since we’ve been in the car? You haven’t asked how she’s doing even,” Macy said. “She has a double ear infection. We were picking up some medicine for her. Medicine she needs to get healthy. What are you going to do about that?”
“Shut up!” Deborah shouted. “We’ll figure things out. We always do. We just need to get back to the lake house first.”
At the woman’s loud voice, Addie burst into tears. Macy rubbed her hands in circles over the baby’s belly, trying to keep her calm before things escalated out of control. “It’s okay, sweetheart. It’s okay.”
“Stop talking to her like she belongs to you,” Deborah snapped.
“I’m just trying to make her feel better.”
“I’ll do that,” the woman growled. “As soon as we get somewhere I can take her from you. I’ve got to make sure your boyfriend isn’t following us first.”
“You’re putting Addie’s life in danger,” Macy said. “I don’t know how you can claim to love her and then put her in this situation.”
“I never said I loved her.” The woman threw a malevolent grin toward Macy. “I love what she can do for us.�
��
“What does that mean?”
“It’s not important.” Deborah nodded at the man beside Macy.
The next instant, the butt of his gun came down on Macy’s head, and everything went black.
* * *
Tanner pulled his sedan off the side of the road and hit his palms against the steering wheel. He’d lost them. He’d lost Macy and Addie.
He rubbed his temples.
Think, Tanner. Think. There’s got to be a way to find them.
How could he have let them slip away like that? Had the elderly man been a plant, only meant to distract him? He didn’t think so. But these guys had obviously been looking for an opportunity to swoop in, and they’d seized it.
At this point, Tanner had no choice but to call this in. He still didn’t know who he could trust at the FBI field office, but it didn’t matter now. Those men had Addie and Macy.
“Saul, it’s me,” Tanner started. “I wasn’t entirely honest with you earlier. The truth is that I think someone at the FBI is a mole. I don’t know who.”
“What?” His boss’s voice tightened. “Why would you say that?”
“It’s the only way to explain how these guys keep finding us. I don’t want to believe it, either, but nothing else makes sense. But listen, that’s not why I’m calling.”
“What’s going on?”
“Someone grabbed Macy and Addie,” he said.
“What? I thought that’s why you went rogue? To stop this from happening.”
“We had to take Addie to the doctor. I’m not sure how someone found out and tracked us, but they did. I need an APB out for a car with this license plate.” Tanner told Saul the plate number and vehicle description.
“Why should I do this for you?”
“You shouldn’t do it for me,” Tanner said. “You should do it for this baby. These people couldn’t have gotten too far away at this point. We still could catch them.”
“Fine. But don’t think I’m going to let this drop.”
“I understand. After this is over. Please.”
Tanner hung up and tried to sort through his thoughts. He’d seen the sedan come in this general direction. But there were multiple ways it could have turned. Too many side streets and neighborhoods were in this area.
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