Combatting Fear

by Sandy Vaile

  “We’ll bring them home safely, but we have to be sure they’re here first.” The promise was worthless, but she would give her all to make it a reality. “Now is not the time.”

  Micah paled.

  • • •

  It took them forty minutes to get back to the car, and Neve’s T-shirt was soaked with sweat. Micah hadn’t said a word, and didn’t complain when she opened the passenger door for him. After adjusting the Bentley’s mirrors and seat, she cranked the air-conditioning up and rolled her shoulders to loosen muscles. She pushed the big car over the speed limit at every opportunity on the narrow roads.

  Micah’s arms were crossed in a protective huddle, and the farther they got from the Mutts, the more he hunched over. Neve pressed the back of her hand to his forehead and it came away damp. His skin was cool despite the ambient temperature, and his breathing was faster than it should be now they’d had time to rest.

  He’s probably going into shock. I need to distract him. “Hey, can you pass me the water?”

  Mechanically, he fished in the knapsack and handed her the litre bottle. It was nearly empty, so she just sipped and handed it back.

  “You need to drink something too.”

  He drained the bottle and dropped it onto the floor.

  She laid a hand on his thigh and squeezed. “We’re going to find them,” she reaffirmed.

  At last he looked at her. “I know.” He shook out his arms.

  That was the longest answer he gave all the way home. By the time she parked in front of the house, Neve didn’t like the look of his grey complexion and listless eyes at all. The shock was shutting his body down, slowing circulation.

  Before the key was out of the ignition, Tony was striding towards the car, with Jack close behind. “What took you so long? Why is Neve driving?”

  She jumped out and ran around to the passenger side to help Micah. He was compliant.

  “Is Micah hurt?” Jack looked them over as he assessed the situation.

  “Not exactly.” She pulled Micah into the house and the bathroom.

  “What happened?” Tony demanded.

  “Will you just wait? Go put the kettle on if you want to be helpful.”

  Her father retreated, mumbling something about babying a grown man under his breath. Jack stood watch at the bathroom door as she pulled Micah’s T-shirt over his head and turned the shower on high.

  “You’re not getting in with him, are you?” Jack raised an eyebrow.

  “Ha ha. I think he’s in shock.” Once the water was hot, she pushed Micah under the stream, jeans and all. “Can you keep an eye on him while I help Tony?”

  “Sure, love.” As she passed, Jack touched her arm. “Are you all right?”

  It was a lie, but she nodded anyway. There was nothing all right about not knowing where Chelsea and Rowan were. Her eyes stung, but she blinked back the tears. This wasn’t the time to let emotions get the better of her. Micah needed her to dig deep and use her training to come up with a solution.

  Whatever she’d originally thought of Micah, he really was a decent guy. Seeing him with marital problems, hopes, and regrets didn’t come naturally to her, but aside from being a business magnate, he was just a guy, who had fit into her life, her home, like he was custom made. Unfortunately, it didn’t change the fact that he belonged in another social class.

  “How’s the tea coming?” she said in an upbeat voice as she entered the kitchen.

  Tony nodded towards four mugs on the counter as he measured leaf tea into his favourite yellow teapot. By the thin line of his lips, he wasn’t impressed about being banished to the kitchen. Neve wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his cheek.

  “Thanks, Dad. It’s been a long day.” He tensed momentarily. Oh yeah, she’d called him Dad. It sounded nice, actually.

  Tony wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on top of her head. The pot on the stove boiled.

  “Just let me freshen up and I’ll tell you everything,” she said.

  The bathroom door was shut when she passed.

  “He’s good,” Jack said from the couch.

  Neve headed for the bedroom with the intention of changing into clean clothes. Instead, she sat on the edge of the bed. What a mess this day was. She still didn’t have a clue where Rowan and Chelsea were or how the heck they were going to safely retrieve them if they were with the Mutts. What if the reason they hadn’t seen them was that they were already dead?

  The idea was like a sucker punch to the chest. Her lungs wouldn’t fully expand, and she couldn’t seem to gasp enough air. Her heart was arrhythmic as she pressed her face into her hands to keep the image of a bloody bullet hole in a tiny body at bay. Her heart raced faster still.

  No way. She wouldn’t survive that kind of loss a second time.

  It wasn’t the same as before though, not just her trying to pull Carlos from a sinking car this time; she had Tony, Jack, and Micah to back her up. They were closing in on the Mutts and she wouldn’t stop until . . .it was over.

  Chapter 29

  Micah tossed his sodden jeans onto the shower floor and wrapped a towel around his waist. He nodded to Jack on his way to the bedroom, grateful the old man didn’t rub his face in the fact that he’d been dazed on the way in.

  The sight of Neve on her bed, hunched in on herself, set his hairs on end. He sat beside her, draped an arm over her shoulders, and pulled her closer when she shuddered. She’d been as good as alone this afternoon, dealing with him nearly charging into the biker’s camp unarmed and then completely ignoring her while he wallowed in self-pity. She was so used to taking care of others, but had anyone ever taken care of her? Although, having Neve in his arms felt more like he was the one being comforted.

  “You look exhausted. Why don’t you take a shower? It certainly made me feel better.”

  “Yeah, I think I will. Can you tell Tony to pour the tea? I won’t be long.”

  Yep, Neve Botticelli was nothing like any woman he’d ever known. What woman could take a shower and get dressed in the time it took to brew tea? Everything about her was at face value, just an undemanding woman who was prepared to do anything to help another human being. He ought to cut Tony some slack too. After all, she’d lived with him since she was twelve years old, so he must have had some input into the kind of person she’d become.

  He headed for the kitchen and leant against the door jam, watching Tony place a stainless steel strainer over the mugs and pour tea through it. He stepped forward and tipped a spoon of raw sugar into one mug, grabbed a carton of milk from the fridge, and splashed some into all four. It felt strangely satisfying to know how everyone took their tea. He felt more comfortable in this mud-brick shack than he’d ever envisaged.

  “My girl better be okay,” Tony mumbled.

  “Neve’s taking a shower. She won’t be long,” he said. It wasn’t the first time Micah had noticed how attuned Tony was to his daughter. The guy might appear zoned out at times, but he didn’t miss any sign of Neve being off kilter.

  He transferred the mugs to the dining table as Jack ambled in and took a seat.

  “I can’t wait any longer,” Tony announced. “I gather from the long faces that you didn’t find anything good.” He dropped handfuls of almonds and dried fruits onto a plate.

  “Contrary. We found the Mutts.”

  “What the hell?” Tony spun around. “Where are they?”

  “I’ll have to show you on the map, but it was about a kilometre off Yallunga Road.”

  Jack’s and Tony’s mouths popped open. Micah recounted the initial search and how they’d followed the fire track. When he got to the part about possibly seeing Dave’s vehicle, Neve slid into the chair next to him and squeezed his thigh under the table.

  For a moment he was totally diverted by the mouth-watering scent of the honey wash in her damp hair. She’d left it loose, and limp spirals fell around her oval face.

  “You did the right thing by getting out of there,” Ja
ck said.

  Neve’s gaze didn’t leave Micah’s. “It doesn’t feel like it,” she whispered.

  “There wasn’t any more we could do without putting everyone in danger.” Now that he’d had time to think, he knew she’d been right and he couldn’t bear her beating herself up about the decision. “Don’t worry. Boiler isn’t expecting payment for another couple of days. We’ll find them before then.” His eyes flicked to Jack, who corroborated with a nod.

  Tony slid the plate of nibbles in front of them, and Micah used the ensuing hush to figure out what his next move should be.

  Who the hell knew how he’d won the loyalty of these amazing, quirky people, but he was glad he had. The dilemma was whether or not he should involve them in a rescue operation or keep them out of harm’s way by hiring mercenaries for a snatch and grab. Maybe it was time to get the police involved. If he gave them the location, they’d go in heavy. Trained or not, there was always going to be a risk of someone he loved getting hurt.

  Of course, the police would also want to know how he found the Mutt’s property. That would be an awkward conversation. He could see the news headline now: Business Magnate Goes Rogue.

  • • •

  Neve popped an almond into her mouth, then grabbed her laptop from the kitchen bench, and slid it across the table to Micah. “You find the location on Google Maps while I bring the boys up to speed.”

  On a pad of lined paper, she sketched what they’d seen. “It’s a long driveway, and we saw Dave’s ute here. The land drops away below the car park, with a sizeable dam, and I spotted another house a little way through the trees. There are surveillance cameras.” She pointed them out. “But none are pointed at the shed entrance, so they’re more worried about uninvited visitors than protecting whatever is in the house. We didn’t get close enough to see much, because the house is surrounded by thick bushes.”

  “I’ve got the map up,” Micah announced.

  “Switch to satellite imaging, so we can see the details.”

  He clicked on the screen and turned it so everyone could see.

  Jack scrutinised the image. “One thing to remember is that this should be a stealth mission. In and out undetected. These guys are likely to be big and mean.”

  “And armed,” Tony added.

  Neve took a swig of tea to disguise a shaking hand. “If we take weapons, it will make us look like we intend to hurt someone, and we don’t, right?”

  Tony bit his lip. “No contact is preferable,” he agreed.

  She pointed at the computer screen with a pencil. “There’s a big industrial shed here, and it sits right up against the trees with high ground behind it.”

  “That’s the best place to set up reconnaissance,” Jack cut in.

  “And if there is any danger of contact, we get the hell out of there,” she reminded him.

  “But we’d be fools to assume our ideal scenario is going to run like clockwork,” Jack said. “If we see Chelsea and Rowan, we need to try extraction there and then.”

  “No. I don’t like that.” The very idea of the people she loved coming into contact with the Mutts made her cringe.

  Tony put his mug down. “I agree with Jack.”

  It was the first thing he’d contributed, but Neve knew he was taking in every detail. Planning covert missions had apparently been his specialty in the military, but they were dealing with civilians now, and they didn’t have the right to carry guns. That didn’t mean the Mutts wouldn’t be armed.

  “We need a back-up plan in case we have to get up close and personal,” Tony continued.

  “Dad, I think you’re forgetting that Micah doesn’t have any tactical training. I don’t want him in danger.”

  “Hang on a minute!” Micah threw his hands up. “I can look after myself, and that’s my wife and child in there.” Micah said.

  “It’s not just about holding your own against these guys,” Tony said. “Some of us are trained soldiers. We should go in first.”

  “Hey!” Neve slapped the table. “I am just as capable as any of you.”

  “I’m not saying that,” Micah said. “I don’t want any of you in danger. It’s time to get professional help.”

  Tony grunted and then pointed to the map again. “What’s the best way in?”

  Neve tapped it. “We came in from Yullunga Road, but it’s only a couple of hundred metres through medium-density scrub to Vickers Road. That’s the way we should get in and out.”

  Jack drummed his fingertips on the table. “Two hundred metres is still a long way to drag a frightened woman and child.”

  Micah paced the tiny kitchen, an intense scowl on his brow. “That’s the problem. I don’t want any of you involved in this. I know I said we should go in, but I’ve changed my mind. Now’s the time to bring in outside help. If I report stolen car parts on the property, the police will have probable cause to go in. A SWAT team could be in and out before the Mutts knew what hit them.”

  “Maybe.” Tony crossed his arms.

  Neve grabbed Micah’s hand on his next pass. “I know you’re frustrated, but we have to cover every aspect if we’re going to find and retrieve them safely. There’s more going on here than a hostage situation, and we just don’t know how these thugs will react if they see us.”

  There was a frustrated sigh from Tony. “We can find them and get them out ourselves, without it coming to a fight. This is what Jack and I specialise in. There’s nothing to say a SWAT team will do a better job, especially when they’re bound by rules and regulations. Not to mention they’re lacking one key motivator.”

  “What’s that?” Micah asked.

  “They don’t give a shit what happens to your kid.”

  Micah stumbled back as though he’d been shoved.

  Neve came to his defence. “This isn’t the time for your suspicions, Tony. We are talking about the lives of real people.”

  “Are you insinuating I don’t know the value of those lives?” Tony’s brows pulled together in one shaggy menace.

  She dropped her gaze to the tabletop. “Sorry, that’s not what I meant.”

  “I think we all need to chill for a minute.” Jack, ever the moderator. “How about we open a bottle of wine and make a plan?” He held up a hand against Micah’s rebuff. “There’s no point in rushing into anything when we still have time to make an educated decision. We need to weigh the pros and cons of involving the police, and sleep on it.”

  “No. We have to act now!” Micah punched a frustrated fist into the air.

  “You’re understandably emotional, but think about it; we don’t even know for sure Chelsea and Rowan are on the property, and besides, the Mutts aren’t going to do anything to them when they’re waiting on their biggest payday ever.”

  Neve’s stomach lurched. No matter what, she didn’t want Micah going near the Mutts again. “It’s too dark to take action now anyway. We’d be at a disadvantage and someone is liable to get hurt.” Then she stared at Tony. “And I think the final decision should be Micah’s.”

  Tony growled, and Neve braced for his lecture about how you couldn’t trust anyone outside the family. His nostrils flared, and then the flat line of his lips softened. After a moment, he calmly got to his feet.

  “Well, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I need a beer at the pub.”

  Three mouths gaped.

  Neve’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline. “You want to go to the pub?”

  “While it’s full of locals?” Jack added.

  “Doesn’t look like anyone here’s going to cook my dinner,” he grumbled half-heartedly, already heading for the front door.

  “I’ll drive,” Neve called, hot on his heels.

  • • •

  Conversations died when the Botticellis entered the pub. Micah stepped over the threshold behind them as every pair of eyes in the place followed Tony to the front bar. Even the chef stuck his head around the corner to see what had happened.

  Wow, Tony really doe
sn’t get out much, Micah thought.

  “I’ll have an Oak Burger and a Coopers Ale, thanks,” Tony said in a booming voice.

  Apparently that was a normal enough thing to do, and attention gradually returned to individual conversations. When a few of the locals raised their glasses and said “hi” to Micah, Tony and Jack did a double take. Neve just rolled her eyes and pulled up a barstool beside him.

  “Hey, I’m going to call Bron and see if she wants to join us for a drink. I owe her one.”

  Huddled around a tall table by the window, the conversation turned again to what they’d seen on the property.

  “They were removing identifying features from cars,” Micah said. “Features you might want to grind off if you worked in a chop shop.”

  Everyone turned to look at him.

  “I think he’s right,” Jack said. “That would explain the stolen cars and the remote location.”

  They fell silent as the waitress cleared their dinner plates, and then Bronwyn joined them. Propped against the windowsill, she waved a glass of vodka and orange at Neve and chatted about a local band and their salad gardens. Despite him being nothing but polite to her, there was a weird vibe coming off the woman and she’d barely spoken to him. Still, it was nice to see Neve having fun with her family and friends in a relaxed atmosphere. She lit up the room when she smiled, but her laugh . . .that was something once heard, he’d always crave.

  By ten o’clock, Micah knew he’d had more than enough beer. His stomach sloshed with the stuff as he followed Tony and Jack outside amidst rowdy farewells from the locals. A different scene than when they’d arrived.

  “That was a good night,” he whispered in Neve’s ear, arm draped over her shoulder as they crossed the road to the dirt car park.

  She giggled.

  “What?”

  She threw a nervous glance in Bronwyn’s direction. “You’re tipsy.”

  “Sorry.” He withdrew his arm.

  “It’s not a criticism, just nice to see you smile.”

  Tony and Jack broke into a chorus of the ’60s hit “Born to Be Wild” as they stumbled forward and slapped one another on the back.