His chief cursed. “I’ve been trying to get ahold of you all day,” he responded grimly. “We got their boss. This is a drug smuggling ring, and Tommy was collateral damage. From what we can tell, they wanted him as a front for drugs, and he refused. The fucking mob tried the same with another shop owner, but this time, he came to the police department with the information. We had him wired. We got it all on tape and have already made the arrest. I’m sending the DEA and swat team up on the mountain. Stand by.”
Jacob cursed as he hung up. Fucking A. It was always drugs! If it wasn’t drugs, it was money, but drugs always tied into money, and Jacob was really getting sick of the city where the crime was everywhere and always senseless. Murder, money, prostitution, it was all a mix of what he dealt with every single day. Being on the mountain for the past few days made Jacob realize that he wanted out.
He wanted a slower pace, less society, less everything of what he was constantly forced to deal with. When he returned, he was going to talk to his chief. He was done, over the whole fucking city.
When one cockroach emerged from the rotten wood of the slums and they crunched them beneath their boots, five more took its place. It was senseless, and Jacob was flat out done.
Chapter 10
The sun was gone, hindering their fast return, but Rob and Stephen didn’t slow down. The lights came into view, and Rob saw the flashing lights of the emergency crew parked in the front of the main building, and his heart stopped. He stepped on the gas as far as it would go, and it jerked, racing toward the yard. He and Stephen braked and jumped off the ATVs, running over to Jacob’s pacing form.
“Where’s Nina and Emily?” he demanded.
“Where’s Joan?” Stephen demanded next.
Jacob ran his hands through his hair, his face pale and flickering with shadows that were cast from the emergency lights of the ambulance. Rob saw Connie and Danny sitting on the back of the ambulance, their heads lowered and bandaged but seemed to be okay.
“They’re gone, taken.”
Rob was beyond panicked now, and he turned toward the sheriff as the other man came closer to their group. The sheriff was in his sixties, bald and round, a grouchy old bear who hated to be disturbed from his La-Z-Boy chair. It was the main reason the man usually called Rob and his small rangers to handle tourists on the mountain who were lost. The old bastard needed to retire, but he was hanging on to his small dose of authority by a thin thread.
“Has a team been sent out?”
The old sheriff nodded toward the six to ten men standing to the side, suiting up with body armor and loading up. “Being sent now. We just got here. The DEA and additional forces are being sent in from New York,” he growled, glaring over at Jacob, who glared back.
Rob bent at the waist, his hands on his knees as he tried to draw in deep breaths, his thoughts racing.
It was impossible to block out Nina, Emily, and even Joan’s dire situation, and it was just as impossible to focus. “Where could a vehicle be parked around here?” he asked Stephen, ignoring everyone else as he started to pace alongside Jacob.
The man was a wreck, pale and agitated. He could see Stephen trying to breathe as well, his throat working as all three paced. The sheriff looked between them with an indifferent expression, and Rob wanted to punch him. From the looks of Jacob, he was almost tempted to say fuck protocol and hit the old bastard anyway. Rob shot him a warning look, and Jacob growled, turning away before he ignored the warning and ended up in a jail cell instead of helping find the girls.
“The north side?” he questioned grimly. “There’s a clearing there and not far from the old main gravel road that’s not used very often. It floods too much, but he wouldn’t know that. It does lead to town.”
It was the only lead they had. Rob didn’t know whether to pray Stephen was right or not. If the bastard took them that way, then it was a dangerous route to take.
If they even made it that far alive. Before he could finish the thought, all three men loaded up and took off, ignoring the sheriff’s yell behind them. They weren’t waiting around for the idiot to get his head out of his ass and actually do his job.
The washed-out road blocked their exit off the mountain, the flooded river blending into what used to be a gravel road. Nina braked, way past fear as her fingers tightened on the wheel as she looked at the flowing water rushing across the road. What little gravel there had been was now completely gone.
“Everyone out, now,” the man barked, his gun still pointed at Emily’s head as she sat on his lap. Nina would give anything to jerk her daughter away from the bastard, but she was helpless to stop him. Her thoughts racing, she opened her door and stepped out of the vehicle, along with the others.
The gun still trained on them, he let go of Emily, and she ran over to her as she clutched her tightly to her side. Taking her hand, they walked away from the car, heading deeper into the woods as full dark came down, cloaking them with the secrets of the night.
They couldn't see where they were going, but that wasn't stopping the man from pushing them farther as they tripped and stumbled along in the dark. Nina held on to Emily's hand, and Joan was slightly in front, a few feet ahead but just as cold and terrified as they were.
Nina couldn't think of a way out, not with the man behind them and the loaded gun.
"At the first chance, you run, Emily. Do you understand?" she whispered, keeping her eyes down cast and head bent as if she was forced to concentrate on where her feet were landing. And she was to a degree, but she was more concerned with making sure her daughter survived the madman behind them.
"Mommy…"
"Mind me, and do what I say. Run as fast as you can when I say to. Got it?"
"Y-yes."
Suddenly, they heard a scream erupt from Joan as she disappeared in front of them. Nina felt her heart threaten to explode as her throat tightened with her own scream, and the man behind them cursed with a violent swirl of his gun.
Pushing them to where Joan disappeared over the side, Nina's eyes burned, and tears streamed down her face. It was now full dark, and she couldn't see a thing.
The shadow of the man stood close beside her, the gun barrel digging into her back as he looked over what looked like a deep cavern. She couldn't tell how deep it was, hearing nothing but silence.
Oh, Joan, I'm so sorry. She silently cried, the tears coming faster as she thought of her friend's broken body at the base of the mountain. Her shoulders shook as the sobs overwhelmed her. Her daughter clung to her side, silent and shaking.
"Let's move!" he barked, startling the two of them.
Emily whimpered, tearing her heart to pieces with the small sound of terror echoing in the woods.
Nina tried to stop crying as the bastard pushed them forward, away from her friend. She didn't know where he was taking them, why he didn't just shoot them and get it over with.
Ten minutes later, he paused and looked around. Nina's legs were shaking from exhaustion, and her daughter's pale, tear-stained face shone in the man's flashlight.
"This should be far enough," he growled, turning to face them.
She hugged her daughter to her side, pushing her slightly behind her.
"Please don't do this. Please. She's just a little girl," Nina cried, her voice breaking.
"You should have thought of that before you pissed off my boss," he growled, unmoved by her plea as he raised the gun, her chest dead center in his line of sight. "But I will do you a favor and make it quick."
He took a step back, his intent clear, but just then, his boot caught on a log behind him, and he stumbled. Nina didn't waste time as she suddenly shoved her daughter completely behind her.
"Run, Emily, now!" she screamed just as she launched herself at his falling silhouette. "Don't look back! Run, baby!"
Her slender body hit his broad chest, and together, they both tumbled to the hard ground as a shot went wild, exploding from the gun.
Yells and screams filled the woods as he lurched up with a c
urse, throwing her off. She fell to the side, landing on a large rock. She cried out in pain, but adrenaline coursed through as he swung the gun around. Nina dove to the side as the gun went off again, and agonizing pain exploded in her side.
He jumped up as she lay curled into a ball, unable to move as she started to go numb. Her eyes dazed and blurry, she dimly saw him straighten and swing the gun toward her.
"Fuck painless, you bitch. I'll shoot ya a few times before I put a bullet through ya head, and then I'll take care of that fucking brat of yours."
He lifted the gun, and Nina saw it all ending. Thoughts of her beautiful daughter and Rob flashed through her mind, thoughts of what could have been had the tears blending with the blood that was soaking her shirt.
Another shot and Nina flinched, expecting pain and the end, but instead, the man standing over her stumbled back. He paused for a minute and then lifted the gun again, rage glittering in the dark orbs of his brown eyes.
Another shot and he jerked again, this time the gun falling to the ground beside her, and he fell back, hitting the ground with a hard thud.
Silence for a split second until she dimly heard crashing through the trees. She lay there, staring up at the stars that littered the dark sky.
Blackness threatened, and the pain was a mere memory as she tried to draw in pain-filled breaths, her side on fire.
Voices rose above her, her panicked name screamed in a familiar, deep voice, mixed with the cries of a smaller voice.
Emily.
Rob.
The stars faded as her eyes closed, exhausted, and she gave into the darkness as her world went black.
Chapter 11
Rob saw Nina on the ground, and his heart broke as he crashed through the woods, his pistol still smoking as he landed down beside her. Stephen had the little girl in his arms, her sobs echoing his own.
"Nina," he choked, his hand trembling as he felt for her pulse.
Relief knew no bounds as he closed his eyes and bowed his head, tears leaking through his closed lids. In mere seconds, the recent events of the past few hours held him paralyzed. They had managed to pick up the tracks of the bastard and had raced after them. Soon they were forced to leave their ATVs in the woods and head on foot, racing and running over logs and fallen trees, barely able to see past the light of their beams.
When they had heard the scream, Rob's world had shattered, not to mention Stephen's. They had found Joan at the bottom of a cavern, but it hadn't been deep.
She was alive, her leg broken from her evident fall or push. Stephen had picked her up and carried her up the steep incline, handing her off to the deputies who had not been far behind them, trying to keep up.
Rob knew it had killed him to hand her off, but she had been conscious and had begged him to save Nina, her voice weak and in pain, trembling with her plea.
So Stephen had relinquished his hold on the woman he loved and handed her off, racing after Rob, followed by a few more deputies. When they had heard the shot, followed quickly by another one, Rob had cried out, imagining both Nina and Emily dead.
When he had rounded the bend, a small body had flown past him, and Stephen had grabbed the sobbing little girl up in his arms. Rob had then seen the man's shadow standing over a dark form on the ground.
At that point, Rob lost it and, without thinking, lifted his gun and fired, hitting the bastard in the back. When the man jerked and lifted his arm again, Rob had fired once more. This time, the man fell to the ground, but with the men at his back, Rob took no notice of anything except the motionless figure in front of him.
Tears streaming down his face, Rob, his hands trembling, felt her body, his fingers coming away bloody from her side. She was unconscious, but he picked her up as gently as possible and stood up, his legs shaking.
The minutes turned into an eternity as blood dripped down her side, soaking his shirt and pants as he carried her back to the ATV. Someone had apparently radioed ahead because before long, Rob heard the sound of a chopper coming closer, and it was waiting for them in a clearing, still miles from the resort. Joan was already on board, strapped to a gurney, and within minutes, Rob, Emily, and Stephen were inside with Nina and Joan. Strapped in themselves, they lifted off, headed for the hospital.
Nina's dry throat worked to swallow, and something touched her cracked lips. Without thinking about it, she worked her lips and swallowed, the cold water soothing the dryness of her throat.
She heard whispered voices above her and struggled to open her eyes, the faint memories of what had happened causing her heart to pound furiously. The whispered words rose, no longer quiet.
"Nina, can you hear me, baby? Everything is okay. Calm down, baby. You're safe. You're okay, sweetheart."
"E-E-Emily."
It was hard to talk past the pain and fear that seized her as the flashes of guns and screams filled her mind.
"Baby, she's fine. She's right here beside me."
Then she heard it. Her daughter's sweet voice close to her ear.
"Mommy, Mommy, I'm here."
Her heartbeat slowed as relief and joy spread through her, and she finally managed to open her eyes. The blurriness slowly cleared, and her surroundings evened out. Her daughter's pale face came into view, and Rob's brown eyes filled with relief behind her.
"Hey, baby," he said softly, his voice choked as he looked down at her. "How do you feel?"
She frowned, the pain starting to get unbearable, and she flinched.
"Hurt."
"Do you remember what happened?"
She thought for a minute, and her eyes widened. She looked around wildly, the head movement making her dizzy as the room started to spin.
"Joan. Is Joan…" She couldn't finish the thought as tears sprung to her eyes, remembering the scream as she disappeared over the side of the mountain.
"She's fine, baby," he said quickly, stepping to her other side. He took her limp hand in his and squeezed it gently. "Joan is fine. She's got a broken leg, but she's going to be okay. She's in another room, honey."
Nina relaxed, his words clearing the haze from her mind as she leaned her head back, sighing softly.
"So everyone is okay? It's over?"
Rob nodded and smiled, his own relief reflecting hers.
It was over. Her daughter was safe.
"I love you, Nina," he whispered, his eyes on hers and shining brightly with the truth of his words.
He leaned down beside her and repeated it to her shocked face.
"I. Love. You."
She thought that's what he said, and before that moment, she hadn't wanted to put her own feelings into words. If the past week had taught her anything, though, it was that life was too short to be afraid to take risks. She glanced over at her daughter's smiling face, and she knew. She just knew that she had her whole world right there in front of her. And the biggest risk was denying that.
"I love you too," she whispered back.
Everything was going to be okay, and for the first time in years, Nina was convinced of that.
Jacob saw the three in the hospital room, together, smiling, and it didn't hurt as bad as he would have thought. Maybe Nina had been right. Maybe he didn't love her as he had thought, but it was the craving he held in his heart for a family, something he had really never had.
Seeing Nina on the ground in the mountains had torn him up but not as bad as Rob's cry of anguish that had pierced through them all, striking a chord of pain and terror in all who had heard it.
He turned away from the sight behind him and walked out of the hospital, headed for some major changes. Everything was going to be different. This time, he was going to fight for what he wanted. He didn't know necessarily what that was, what he wanted, but he did know one thing for sure.
He was going to fight and win.
Next time.
Epilogue
Rob and Stephen stood opposite of each other, the preacher between them. Rob didn't look around the spacious church. He didn�
��t know who all the people were in the rows, but he wouldn’t have been surprised if most of the town had shown up. It wasn’t as if it were a closed service.
He was just grateful that it was happening, that she had said yes. His focus narrowed intently on the double doors at the end of the aisle, and he quickly glanced over at Stephen, no doubt spying the same look that was probably in his own eyes, on his own face.
Pure adoration for the women they were waiting on.
His heart pounding a furious beat, the music commenced. Emily appeared in the doorway, walking toward them with a slow but confident step as she left small, white flowers behind her, looking up at him with a large smile on her radiant face.
His heart nearly exploded with affection for the little girl, an affection that would have been no different if she had been his own. It had been six months since the hospital, six months since he had almost lost them both, and he had grown and fallen more in love with the two of them than he had thought possible.
Emily walked to the left of him. Mendelssohn’s Wedding March started, and he straightened, his eyes shooting over to the entrance of the church.
Waiting, his breath held, his hands went sweaty as his heart beat furiously. He wasn't nervous. He loved and adored her, but somewhere deep inside, he was praying she wouldn't disappear. He was almost afraid that it was all a dream.
And then he saw her.
Everything else faded. Joan stood beside her, but his focus was on his bride—her glowing, beautiful face and her gentle smile she aimed at him. Their eyes met, and it was all he could do to stay put and not run into her arms before the preacher could even start.
Closer. So close until finally, she stopped next to him. Joan stood beside Stephen, their eyes on each other.
"I love you," Rob whispered to his bride.
Her smile grew bigger. "I love you too," Nina whispered back.
Just then, the preacher started, but they didn't have eyes for anyone else but each other. Rob couldn't remember the ceremony or saying "I do", but before he knew it, she was in his arms, his lips locked to hers, and the rest of the world a faded nuisance of sound in the background.
Trapped on Vail Mountain Page 8
