Kidnapping in Kendall County

by Delores Fossen

  Oh, God.

  It was happening again. They were in danger.

  “Hold on!” Austin shouted a split second before he jerked the steering wheel to the right. If he hadn’t done that, the SUV would have crashed right into them.

  Instead, their front bumper bashed into the concrete guardrail on the narrow bridge. Her body jolted forward only to be slammed back again when the air bags deployed and hit her right in the face.

  She couldn’t see, but mercy, she could feel. The impact knocked the breath right out of her. Thankfully, though, Austin seemed to be able to react. He quickly batted down the deflating air bag on his side because the truck was still moving. And Rosalie got a glimpse of where they were headed.

  Straight down the bank and into the creek.

  Austin fought the steering wheel, and he hit the brakes. But it was already too late. Rosalie put up her hands to brace herself for the impact.

  She didn’t have to wait long.

  It seemed only a blink of an eye before the truck plowed right into the water. The impact gave her body another jolt, knocking her off balance. Before she could even get the door open, icy water started pouring into the cab.

  “Colt’s behind us,” Austin mumbled.

  Maybe he said that so she wouldn’t panic and would remember that they had backup. However, her brother could be under attack, as well.

  Rosalie frantically tried to open the door, and her heart skipped a beat when it didn’t budge. Neither did Austin’s, but he slammed his shoulder against it until it gave way, and he pried it the rest of the way open with his hands.

  “Come on,” he said, keeping his gun and phone above the water that was rushing in.

  He caught on to her wrist and pulled her closer toward him. However, he didn’t get out. Austin looked up at the SUV, probably to make sure they weren’t about to be gunned down when they exited the vehicle.

  “They’re still out there on the bridge,” Austin told her. “Keep low and move fast.”

  That didn’t help steady her heart, and she was already shaking so hard that Rosalie was afraid she wouldn’t be able to move. Austin made sure she did, though. With the water inside the truck already chest high and getting deeper, he pulled her into the creek.

  The water wasn’t over their heads, but it was freezing, and the cold blasted through her. Her teeth started to chatter and she was shaking. Still, Austin kept her moving. Not toward the gunmen and Colt but toward the bank on the opposite side of the creek.

  Her heartbeat was so loud in her ears, and with the water raging around them, it took Rosalie a moment to realize some of what she was hearing were gunshots.

  Sweet heaven.

  Not again.

  They were under attack and literally out in the open. Plus, her brother was no doubt being shot at, too. Hopefully, Colt had managed to stay safe and could return fire.

  Somehow, Austin was able to keep his gun and phone out of the water while he also kept her moving. Her heart was pounding even harder, her breath barely there by the time they made it to the bank. It was a mixture of dead grass, icy mud and rocks, and they crawled toward one of the large boulders. With her wet clothes weighing her down, each inch was a challenge.

  The moment that Austin got her behind the boulder, he turned and fired at the people shooting at them. Rosalie got a glimpse of the men then. Both had taken cover behind their SUV. One had his weapon aimed at them. The other had his aimed in the direction of Colt’s truck. She didn’t see her brother, but she heard the sound of the gunshots coming from his direction.

  Thank God.

  Maybe Colt would be able to capture at least one of the men so that Austin and she could finally get some answers as to what was going on. However, she wasn’t sure it was a coincidence that they’d been attacked so close to Yancy’s house.

  Was Yancy trying to kill them so she wouldn’t find her daughter?

  That only made her anger and resolve stronger, and Rosalie wished she’d managed to hang on to a gun so that she could help Austin and Colt return fire.

  “Backup’s on the way!” Colt shouted to them.

  Rosalie didn’t know if that was a bluff or if Colt had actually managed to make a call with all the chaos going on around them. Either way, it stopped the men from shooting, and she saw one of them motion toward the other.

  The pair hurried to get back inside their SUV.

  Oh, mercy. “They can’t get away,” Rosalie whispered. Even though she didn’t want more bullets coming toward them or Colt, she also didn’t want them to escape. Obviously, neither did Austin.

  Cursing, he levered himself up, took aim and fired a shot at the man getting behind the steering wheel. His first shot missed.

  His second didn’t.

  Rosalie saw the man’s shoulder snap back, and he howled in pain. However, it didn’t stop him. He jumped into the driver’s seat and slammed the door shut. His partner did the same on the other side of the SUV.

  Both Colt and Austin didn’t stop shooting. Austin came out from behind the boulder, and standing, he fired directly at the driver again. The bullet tore into the glass, shattering it.

  Just as the driver jammed on the accelerator.

  Even if he was hurt and bleeding, he was still managing to get away.

  The SUV flew past Colt’s truck, barely missing her brother.

  “Come on,” Austin said, pulling Rosalie to her feet.

  She wasn’t sure how he managed to move so fast as they hurried back into the creek and toward the bank. While still keeping watch around them, Colt barreled down the slick incline to help them. The moment they made it back out of the water, the three of them raced toward his truck.

  “Are you hurt?” Colt asked.

  Austin gave her a quick once-over and shook his head. “Hurry,” he told Colt. “We have to find those gunmen.”

  Colt didn’t waste another second. He gunned the engine, and they went in pursuit.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Austin looked at the purple bruise on Rosalie’s cheek and cursed again. He had no idea when she’d gotten it, but it’d probably happened when they’d plunged into the creek.

  Where they could have died.

  He was responsible for that. He should have done everything to stop her from going to Yancy’s estate, should have forced her to let him protect her. But he hadn’t, and she’d paid another high price for it.

  “I must look pretty bad, huh?” Rosalie mumbled.

  She had another sip of the hot tea that one of the Sweetwater Springs deputies had fixed for her. In addition to the tea sipping, she was also pacing back and forth in front of the doorway of the sheriff’s office.

  Since she was still shivering a little from the adrenaline crash, the hot tea obviously wasn’t doing its job. Ditto for the change of dry clothes that her brother had brought for both Austin and her from the ranch. Of course, tea and dry clothes weren’t nearly enough to erase the nightmarish memories from this latest attack.

  Or erase the fact that their attackers had gotten away again.

  The men were out there, no doubt ready to come after them the first chance they got. It was up to Austin to make sure another chance was the last thing they got.

  “You look fine,” Austin assured her.

  She made a yeah, right sound and paused her pacing so she could glance out into the squad room. The place was cluttered with cops, two of them her own brothers. Her other brother, Tucker, a Texas Ranger, was also there. All of them were on the phone. All trying to track down those gunmen and deal with the Yancy situation.

  Obviously, no one had made any headway or they would have come into the sheriff’s office, where Rosalie and Austin were waiting for news.

  Any news.

  But especially news that concer
ned the search warrant they’d managed to get for Yancy’s place. With luck, there’d soon be a team of cops and FBI agents, including Seth, streaming through the house and grounds to look for any shred of evidence.

  With even better luck, they’d find Sadie.

  Of course, Yancy’s place wasn’t the only lead they had. Austin was sure he’d wounded one of their attackers. Colt had possibly wounded the other. It meant the men would have to get medical attention, and maybe they’d do that at a hospital where their injuries would be reported. Then, once they had the gunmen in custody, it would make it easier to find out who’d hired them.

  Austin hoped so, anyway.

  Sooner or later they had to catch a break that didn’t end in them nearly being killed.

  “I don’t know if I can stand around here waiting much longer,” Rosalie said, gripping the cup of tea so hard that her knuckles were turning white.

  Yeah, he felt the same way, and yet Austin knew there was little more that they could do. Well, other than take Rosalie back to her family’s ranch.

  Something she’d repeatedly refused.

  Austin couldn’t blame her.

  Since she couldn’t be at Yancy’s house while it was being searched, the sheriff’s office was the next best place. At least they’d be there when Yancy was brought in, and there was no doubt about it—the man would be brought in for questioning.

  As a minimum, Yancy had to answer questions about the files that Vickie had given them. Of course, he’d lie about them, but with the photos from Sonny and now the files, that might be enough to make an arrest. Being tossed behind bars might get Yancy to bargain with them, and he could just open up about Sadie and anything that he might actually know about her.

  Eleven months was a long time to hold a child, and that meant there might be records for payment of nannies and baby supplies. Well, there would be if Yancy hadn’t simply given her away to someone. But maybe there’d be something in his house about that, too. Yes, Yancy was careful, always covering his tracks, but maybe he’d gotten sloppy about this.

  “I wish you’d see a medic,” Austin tried again when he gave that angry-looking bruise another glance. Perhaps this time, she would actually agree.

  But Rosalie only shook her head and touched her fingers to the wound on her face that kept snagging his attention. “It’s not bad. I’m okay.”

  “You’re not okay. You’re still shaking.” Austin stood, went to her and pried the cup from her hands so he could set it on the desk.

  “It’s not a good time for you to hold me,” Rosalie protested.

  That was yet something else they could agree on, but it didn’t stop Austin from pulling her into his arms because she looked as if she needed it.

  Heck, who was he kidding?

  He needed it, too. Needed to feel her next to him. Needed the way she sort of melted against him. He got it all right. But it came at a high cost—it only made him need her more. And it broke down even more of those barriers that she kept putting up between them.

  Rosalie eased back, just a little, meeting him eye to eye. That wasn’t a happy expression on her face. “We keep getting closer and closer.”

  Austin figured his expression wasn’t happy, either. “I want you,” he settled for saying. “So yeah, we’re getting closer.”

  Rosalie stared at him a long time, as if trying to figure out a way to dismiss what he’d just admitted, but then she huffed. Her breath from that huff was still on his mouth when she kissed him. She didn’t settle for a peck but instead turned it into the kind of kiss that he knew they should be avoiding.

  Oh, man.

  He was just plain brainless when it came to Rosalie, and Austin proved that by kissing her right back. The timing sucked. Same for the location. But did that stop him?

  Nope.

  He kept it up until both of them were in serious need of some air. Or maybe a bed.

  “I’m not sure I’m ready for this,” she said, her mouth still way too close to his. “And it could be that I’m just using this right now, using you, to get my mind off Sadie.”

  Since it was the equivalent of a no, that got him backing away. Or rather it would have if Rosalie hadn’t caught on to the front of his shirt to anchor him in place.

  “But I don’t think I can stop myself, either,” Rosalie added. “And maybe I’m not using you at all. Maybe I just...want you.”

  Since that was pretty much the equivalent of a big green light, Austin went after her again, and he could have stood there kissing her for hours if he hadn’t heard the footsteps headed in their direction. He broke away from her just as Colt stepped into the doorway.

  Rosalie’s brother wasn’t an idiot, and his lifted eyebrow let Austin know that he knew what was going on. But that raised eyebrow lasted only a second before Colt motioned for them to follow him.

  “The team’s out at Yancy’s place,” Colt explained as they made their way to a desk in the corner of the squad room. “Yancy’s not there, but the team entered the premises, and one of the SAPD officers is recording the search. Thought you’d like to watch on the computer.”

  That was a massive understatement, and Rosalie practically ran to the laptop centered on the desk. Sure enough, it was the front door of Yancy’s place. Austin had been there at least a half dozen times when questioning the man about various investigations, including the one leading up to Eli’s murder.

  The officer filming the search walked into the massive marble foyer, where a maid was waiting and glaring. Obviously, she wasn’t pleased about this intrusion, but she didn’t try to stop them.

  “The maid said no one else was home,” Colt explained.

  “What about a baby?” Rosalie asked.

  Colt shook his head. “It was the first thing Seth asked her, and she claims a baby’s never lived at the estate, and she’s worked there for ten years.”

  Austin could practically feel the disappointment ripple through her. And the relief.

  “The maid’s on Yancy’s payroll,” Austin reminded her. “Judging from her expression, she’s loyal to him, which means she’d lie to protect him.”

  Yeah, that was bittersweet, too, because if the woman was indeed lying, they might find Sadie today. In Yancy’s house. But it would mean the monster had had Rosalie’s precious baby all this time. Since that only caused Austin’s blood to boil, he tried to push the possibility aside. Best to wait and see how this all panned out.

  Best-case scenario was for the cops to find Sadie’s file and for Rosalie to learn that her baby had been adopted by a loving family. Illegally adopted, that is. Then, Rosalie could petition for the baby’s return once she’d done the DNA tests. It wouldn’t be a simple process, but this search could give them a start.

  The cop with the camera moved past the maid and into the adjoining living room, where another officer was going through a cluttered bookshelf. Austin watched as the cameraman made his way to the side of the house and to Yancy’s office.

  “There’s Seth,” Rosalie mumbled when her brother came into view. The camera was filming him while he was at Yancy’s desk going through the drawers.

  Rosalie automatically reached for her phone, no doubt to call her brother, but then she groaned when she realized that she’d lost it in the creek. Instead, she snatched up the one on the desk, pressed in his number, and a moment later Austin saw Seth answer the call.

  “Seth—” Rosalie said.

  “We haven’t found anything,” Seth immediately interrupted, glancing up at the camera as if to make eye contact with his sister.

  “Where’s Yancy?” Austin asked, and he pressed the button to put the call on speaker.

  “There was no sign of him when we arrived. The maid says he’s away on business, but she could be lying. We’ve got the airports covered and a BOLO on his vehicles.”
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  Rosalie shook her head. “Yancy might be on the run.”

  But something wasn’t right about that. Yancy wasn’t a runner. He’d come close to arrest many times and had always relied on his team of high-priced lawyers to keep his butt out of jail.

  Maybe this was something his lawyers couldn’t fix.

  Like his guilt over running a baby farm. The baby farm could net him murder charges along with other assorted felonies.

  There was some chatter outside Yancy’s office, and Seth got up to check it out. Thankfully, the officer with the camera followed Rosalie’s brother out into the hall and to the bottom of a massive curved staircase.

  “You need to get a look at this,” a uniformed cop told Seth.

  “It’s not what you think,” the maid shouted, following right along behind them as they hurried up the stairs.

  Oh, man. What the heck had they found?

  Since Rosalie suddenly didn’t look too steady on her feet, Austin slipped his arm around her waist. They didn’t have to wait long to see what was happening.

  The camera soon picked up the officer standing outside a room at the far end of the hall. Beside him, Rosalie pulled in her breath, and they watched together. The officer in the doorway stepped aside so that Seth and the cameraman could get a look.

  “Oh, God,” Rosalie said, her hand flying to her mouth.

  Austin repeated it.

  Because it was a nursery. And not just any old nursery. This one was drenched in pink. The walls, the bed, the toys.

  Everything for a baby girl.

  “It’s not what you think!” the maid repeated, and she tried to shoulder Seth and the cameraman aside. That didn’t work. And the glare that Seth gave her could have frozen Hades a couple of times over.

  “Where’s the baby?” Seth demanded.

  The maid frantically shook her head. “There’s no baby. Never was. Mrs. Yancy had this room set up because they planned to adopt a baby, but the adoption didn’t go through because they got a divorce.”

  That meshed with what Yancy had told them, but Austin wasn’t about to believe Yancy or his maid. Apparently, neither was Seth. He went into the room, looking around for what seemed an eternity.