by Elle James
“Sadie is hot no matter what color her hair is.” Sam grinned.
Hank grinned. “You’re right. She is.” He shrugged. “Anyway, there are sunglasses, hooded jackets, lipstick and wigs in this box. If you don’t want anyone to recognize you, these items will help you hide in plain sight.”
She gave a nod. “Good. Because I can’t sit back and wait for everyone else to find the bastard. I vowed that if I was able to escape, I’d be back to help them.”
“And we will help in that effort,” Hank said. “First, you have to recover.”
“I’m recovered,” Reggie insisted.
Sam shook his head. “Less than twenty-four hours ago, you almost died.”
“But I didn’t.” Reggie sat up straighter, as if to prove she was ready to start the journey to free the others. “The longer I wait to go back, the worse it is for them. I have to get them out. Now.”
Hank nodded. “As I said, we’re working on finding the house. After all you’ve been through, do you think you could find the house? Did you see where you were going when he took you there?”
She shook her head her shoulders drooping. “But I can’t give up.”
“Did you see the exterior of the house in your flight to get away?”
Her entire body sagged. “No. I was in a hurry to get away. I didn’t look back.” She buried her face in her hands. “How will we find him, if I won’t recognize the house?” Tears leaked through her fingers.
Sam’s chest tightened. “We’ll find them. It’ll just take a little longer.”
“What gets me is that he’s probably from around here,” Hank said.
Reggie’s head jerked up, her cheeks damp, her eyes wide. “I was abducted from Bozeman. I’m not sure where the others were taken.”
“That’s a scary thought to think he might be someone everyone knows.” Sam reached out and gathered Reggie’s hand in his. “We’ll find him.”
Hank nodded. “Yes, we will.”
“Hopefully, before it’s too late,” Reggie whispered.
“We’ll do our best to get to him before anything happens to the others.” Sam couldn’t promise more. If the man got spooked by Reggie’s escape, there was no telling what he would do.
“I need to get back to the ranch and check on Swede’s progress. You two might want to stop by.” He tipped his chin toward Sam. “I have an arsenal of weapons and gear for you to choose from, should you need it. And communications equipment, if we do a team extraction.”
Sam nodded. He wanted to see Hank’s setup. “If Reggie’s up to it, we’ll stop by later today.”
“I’m up to it,” Reggie quickly assured them.
Sam’s lips twitched. “We’ll see. You’ve been through a lot.”
“Those ladies are still going through a lot. If I can help in any way, I want to be there. Besides, I was there. Something might trigger a memory that could be significant in our effort to find this guy.”
“She’s got a point,” Hank said. His eyes narrowed. “But to keep him from learning that you’re alive and well, you need a cover story if someone should see you riding around town with Sam.”
Sam tilted his head. “I’m new in town. People don’t know me. If I show up in Eagle Rock with a woman, they’ll assume she’s with me.”
Hank grinned. “For all they know, she could be your girlfriend, fiancé or wife.” He glanced at Reggie’s finger. “You might be the same ring size as Sadie. I’ll see what she has in her jewelry box she’s willing to loan you for an engagement or wedding ring.”
“Let’s go with a simple gold band. Reggie can be my wife.”
Reggie chewed her bottom lip. “Lies have a way of growing and becoming more complicated.”
“Then we need to get our stories straight,” Sam said. “We were married two years ago in San Diego where I was stationed as a Navy SEAL.”
She murmured. “I’ve never been to San Diego.”
“It’s sunny on the coast, and beautiful,” Sam said.
Hank chuckled. “Don’t worry, most folks around here have never been to San Diego, either.”
“I can’t go by my real name,” Reggie said. “He knows me by Reggie. And since he followed me enough to know my habits, he might also know my last name.”
“Do you have another name you can remember to respond to?”
She nodded. “My full name is Regina. My mother called me Reggie, but my high school friends called me ‘Ginnie’.”
Sam dipped his head. “Ginnie Franklin it is.”
“Ginnie Franklin,” she said, as if rolling the name on her tongue. “Married two years ago in San Diego.” She turned to the pile of clothing and the wigs Hank had brought. “I’ll go change, then I’ll be ready for whatever we need to do.” Gathering the items in her arms, she crossed to the tiny bathroom and disappeared inside, closing the door softly behind her.
Hank faced Sam. “I’m worried. We need to get moving on finding this guy ASAP. He sounds like a sociopath.”
“I’m worried, too. If he does away with the other women and finds out Reggie is still alive and might be able to identify him, he’ll come after her.”
“Ginnie,” Hank corrected. “And you’re right. Ginnie is in danger, either way. He could kill her to keep her from coming back for the others, or to keep her from testifying against him.” He pushed to his feet. “She’ll need twenty-four-seven protection.”
Sam nodded. “That’s where I come in.” Whether Hank assigned him to her or not, Sam had been the one to find her. He felt a sense of obligation to keep her alive. No. More than an obligation. He liked her. She’d been through hell. Instead of running away, she wanted to go back to save the others. That took a lot of courage. He admired a woman who stood up for what was right no matter the danger to herself.
“I’m headed back to see what Swede’s found on the other missing women and the folks who own property along the rivers.”
“We’ll be there as soon as Reg-Ginnie’s ready.”
Hank grinned. “Congratulations on your wedding, though I’m two years late. Make sure she wears a wig. That reddish-blond hair is a dead giveaway.”
Sam nodded. “We’ll be sure to make her disguise a good one.” He walked with Hank to the door and out onto the front porch. “And Hank, thanks for the opportunity. This might not be the assignment you had in mind for me, but assignment or not, it’s the one I’ll follow through to a resolution.”
Hank shook Sam’s hand. “That’s why I hired you for the Brotherhood Protectors. We don’t leave things undone.” He drove away in his pickup, kicking up dust on the dirt road leading toward the highway.
Sam turned back toward the cabin to find Reggie standing in the doorway, dressed in jeans, a bulky gray sweater, black ballet slippers and the brunette wig covering her strawberry-blond hair.
Her green eyes shone brightly out of her pale face. “I’m ready to go.”
“Oh, sweetheart, are you sure you can hold up?”
She squared her shoulders. “I feel much better since having something to eat. I’ll make it now.” Reggie lifted her chin. “Those women need me to be strong. So, I will be.” Her green eyes swam in unshed tears she wouldn’t let fall down her cheeks.
Sam wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her until all the bad stuff went away. But no amount of hugging would save those women. Only speed, action and determination would bring them out of captivity alive.
Reggie swayed on her feet. She straightened and pushed her shoulders back. Sam would bet she was fighting exhaustion, afraid he’d leave her behind if he thought she was too weak.
“All right then, let me grab my keys, and we’ll follow Hank out to his ranch.” He brushed past her, his shoulder bumping against her arm. A spark of electricity ignited in his bloodstream.
This woman had been tortured, probably raped and had nearly drowned. Top that with battling a raging fever, and she still insisted on going to the rescue of the others who were still trapped.
Sam grabbed his keys, slipped his shoulder holster over his arms and buckled it in place. Then he slid his 9 mm pistol into the holster, shrugged into his jacket and looked up to see Reggie watching his every move, her hand resting on Grunt’s neck.
“You don’t happen to have another one of those, do you?” She nodded toward the holster, now hidden beneath his jacket.
“Sorry. I don’t. But I have a conceal carry permit. Do you?”
Reggie shook her head. “Never thought I needed to carry a gun.” She snorted softly. “I guess I was wrong.”
“Having a gun doesn’t guarantee you’ll be safe. Being fully aware of your surroundings at all times is even more important.”
“I thought I was pretty aware of my surroundings.” She shrugged. “I guess I wasn’t aware enough.”
“We can ask Hank for a weapon for you.” He held the cabin door open for her. “Have you ever fired a gun?”
She passed him, her shoulder rubbing against his chest. Her eyes widened for a brief moment, and she swallowed. “My father taught me how to fire his rifle. He always wanted to take me deer hunting, but he died before I turned eleven.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
Reggie’s lips twisted. “He thought he had a headache and ignored it a little too long. It turned out he had an aneurysm. He went to bed that night and never woke up. It was me and my mother against the world until she remarried after I finished high school.”
“And your mother? Is she still alive?”
Reggie nodded. “As far as I know. She moved to Florida a couple years ago with her new husband. I wonder if she even knows I disappeared.” Reggie shook her head. “I usually call her once a week. It’s been at least two since I last talked to her. She must be beside herself, wondering why I haven’t contacted her.”
“We can make that call from Hank’s place while we’re there,” Sam suggested.
“No,” Reggie said. “The Master knew my name. He might be able to trace my previous calls to my mother. If I place one now, he’ll know I’m not dead.”
“Good point.”
“I hate to leave my mother in a panic, but I can’t let any more people know Reggie McDonald is alive.”
“But Sam and Ginnie Franklin are alive and well and can move around without trouble.” Sam snagged her arm with his hand, holding her with a light touch. “Come on, sweetheart, we’d better make this look real.”
“I’d like to go back to the place where you found me.”
“Will do.” He held the truck door for her and helped her up into the passenger seat. She leaned on his arm as if it took a lot of effort to climb up on the running board.
He might be a fool to allow her out of the cabin so soon, but he was also convinced she’d leave without him, if he didn’t let her help in the investigation. He chose to go with the flow. If she passed out, he’d lay the seat back in the truck and let her rest until she regained her strength.
With Hank and his team working on locating the house where Reggie and the other women had been held captive, Sam could concentrate on keeping Reggie alive and well. Though she would soon grow tired of him stalling her efforts.
The drive to White Oak Ranch, where Hank based the Brotherhood Protectors, took only thirty minutes. They had to pass through Eagle Rock along the way.
Reggie had slipped a pair of sunglasses over her eyes that Sadie had provided.
As a mega-movie-star, Sadie knew all the tricks of remaining incognito. Otherwise, she’d never catch a break from the paparazzi. The public was voracious in their appetite for anything to do with Sadie McClean. From what Hank had told Sam, Sadie had escaped to Montana to live a normal life with her husband and baby girl, Emma.
Reggie had an entirely different reason to remain undercover. Her life and the lives of Beth, Kayla, Terri and Marly depended on keeping their tormentor from knowing Reggie had survived her plunge over the edge of the cliff.
At the gate to White Oak Ranch, Sam pressed the button and waited for the someone to answer.
“Sam, I didn’t expect you to get here so soon,” a voice said over the intercom. A camera pointed down at the cab of the truck. Hank could see the driver of the truck. “Is Ginnie with you?”
Sam nodded. “She is.”
“Good. I have something I want to show the two of you.”
Already, the black iron gate was sliding open.
Sam pulled through and drove along the paved road to a sprawling cedar and stone ranch house perched on a knoll, with the Crazy Mountains rising up in the background, covered in Douglas fir, Lodgepole and Ponderosa pines. The sky was a deep blue with fluffy white clouds floating over the peaks.
Before he’d left the military, Sam had never been to Montana. He hadn’t been sure about the move but working with Hank had drawn him to the cold north. He’d heard the winters were brutal, but he couldn’t imagine any place as wild and beautiful.
As Sam pulled up to the house, Hank stepped out onto the porch. Sadie, his wife, emerged to stand beside him, holding a little girl on her hip.
The mega-star was beautiful even without all the Hollywood makeup and costumes. Her baby, with her soft blond curls, showed every sign of being as stunning as her mother. Hank slipped an arm around Sadie’s waist and waited for Sam and Reggie to join them on the porch.
Sam hurried around the front of the truck to the passenger side.
Reggie had the door open and was sliding out of the passenger seat when he came to a stop beside her.
He waited to see if she could climb down on her own.
She placed her foot on the running board and slipped out of the seat. Her knees buckled, and she would have fallen, but her hand on the door slowed her descent.
Sam reached out and helped her the rest of the way to the ground. “Well enough, my ass,” he muttered.
She shot him a narrowed glance. “I am. I just…missed my step.” Reggie squared her shoulders and marched toward the porch.
Sam jerked open the back door and let Grunt out. Then he hurried to catch up with Reggie, one hand ready to grab her if she “missed her step” again.
When they neared the porch, Sam cupped her elbow and helped her up the steps.
Sadie held out her free hand. “You must be Ginnie.” She winked. “Sam’s told us so much about you, I feel like I know you already.”
Reggie shook the proffered hand and smiled. “I can’t believe I’m shaking hands with Sadie McClean.”
“Sadie Patterson around here.” She smiled up at her husband. “My husband made an honest woman of me.”
“I don’t know about honest, but if you mean I made you my wife…” Hank tightened his hold around her waist and bent to kiss her lips. “I’d say you’re all right. Mmm. And you taste like sugar cookies.”
Sadie laughed. “Because Emma and I just made some.” She smiled at Sam and Reggie. “Come in. I have cookies fresh out of the oven. Would you like milk, lemonade, tea or coffee?”
“Coffee, if it’s no trouble,” Sam said.
“Milk for me,” Reggie said with a crooked smile. “I like to dip my cookies.”
“So do I,” Sam said. “In my coffee.”
Hank held open the door.
Sam turned to Grunt, “Bleib,” he said, giving him the German command for “stay”.
The dog sat on the porch, his single eye bright and alert.
“Good boy,” Sam praised the animal and followed Reggie inside.
“I’ll bring the drinks and cookies down to the war room.” Sadie handed Emma to Hank and strode across the massive living room to the entry into what appeared to be a kitchen beyond.
Hank tickled his daughter’s belly. “Hey, you. Want to take Sam and Ginnie down the stairs to see what we’ve discovered?” He led the way to a door, pressed his thumb to a bio scanner and waited for the door to slide open. Stairs led down to a cool, white hallway.
Sam stood back and let Reggie follow Hank down into the basement below.
The white hallway
opened out into a wide room. One wall was lined with computers, keyboards and an array of monitors.
A big man with white-blond hair sat in front of one of the arrays of monitors, clicking away on a keyboard.
“Swede,” Hank said. “Meet the newest member of the Brotherhood Protectors. Sam Franklin, formerly known as Talon.”
Swede glanced up and held out a hand. He didn’t rise and kept his other hand on the keyboard. “Nice to meet you.”
Sam crossed to the man and shook his hand. “Swede your name or nickname?”
“Axel Swenson,” Swede said. “But everyone calls me Swede. Do I call you Sam or Talon?”
“I go by Sam now that I’m a civilian.” Sam peered over Swede’s shoulder at the monitors in front of him. Half of them were filled with images of the Montana countryside. A river ran through the middle of each screen. “Are those images of the river I was fishing on?”
Swede nodded. “Kujo and Molly are working their way upriver by kayak with a drone flying overhead.” He clicked on the keyboard and four of the six monitors changed to images of women. Two were driver’s license photos, two were snapshots. All were young, pretty women. One of the snapshots was of a woman with a toddler girl.
“I pulled these from missing persons reports,” Swede said.
Sam leaned closer and read the names beneath the pictures. “Beth Snow. Marly Miller.”
Reggie stepped up beside Sam and continued, her voice shaking, “Kayla Long and Terri Thompson.” She pressed a fist to her lips, and tears spilled down her cheeks. “All missing.”
“Kayla’s family is offering a reward for information leading to her return,” Swede said. “She’s been gone a week. Marly’s been missing for over a month. Beth for three weeks and Terri for about the same time.” Swede ran his fingers across the keyboard again and brought up one more photo.
