Silver Shield Security Box Set

by Dee Bridgnorth

  “We’ve already gotten away with it,” Marinette said dryly. “Now, silence!” She turned to the man behind the wheel. “Have you sent the text message?”

  “I sent it when we made a stop.”

  “Have you heard anything yet?”

  “No. Once we get to the cabin, I’ll send the offshore account details. The clock will start ticking then.”

  Hope listened to them without saying a word. It was clear they were trying to get some money off someone. If it was a ransom, then they most likely contacted Jared. She thought about him with a pang. If anything happened to her she had no idea how he would cope. She was all he had, literally.

  If they got the money, would they let her go? She hoped so, but somehow, she did not think so. The mere fact that they had not bothered to hide their identities was a dead giveaway, no pun intended.

  She took a deep breath and let it out. Okay, no talking about dead or dying or death. She needed to keep such negative thoughts far, far away from her thoughts.

  They had just passed Bloomington when the radio came alive. Hope was shocked to hear the police put a BOLO on a blue van with DesireU.net branded on the side. All patrol cars along every route to the Shawnee National Forest were asked to be on the lookout. She felt hope rise before she remembered that when they had stopped to pick up the two other men, they had also changed cars. The cops would most likely find the van, abandoned in a gas station somewhere along the road. Her heart sank.

  “Hey, you guys are tuned in to the cops?” Marinette asked, the delight evident in her voice.

  “Yeah, Ron here hooked us up,” the man behind the wheel said, gesturing to the man by his side.

  “Wow, you boys are really good,” she said.

  “Only the best, sis.”

  Hope sat up. Wait! “Sis?” What was going on here.

  Marinette laughed. “You are right, bro, she’s not very smart.” She cast a derisive glance at Hope. “Took you long enough to catch on.”

  “She’s your sister?” She felt the knife sink in and twist. “How could you? I trusted you. I was good to you. Even when Rusty suspected you, I stood up for you!” She was yelling now.

  Marinette reached out and hit her across her face. “Shut up!”

  It was nowhere as painful as the first one, but then again, the pain in her heart was so intense that it was possible it had overshadowed the pain from the slap. The sting of betrayal was deep and sharp, but more than that, it made her question herself. Was she that much of a fool that she had failed to see what was right under her nose?

  “Aw, poor Hope. Are you feeling betrayed?” he said with a laugh.

  She met his gaze through the rear mirror and wondered how she’d failed to notice the malice in his eyes. He was either a damn good actor or she was as slow witted as they said she was. She sank back again and shut her eyes, trying to block out the pain. She tightened her resolve—she was going to get out of this. And if the cops had put out a BOLO, it meant they knew where these crazy people were taking her to, right?

  “But doesn’t this mean they know our destination?” Marinette asked.

  “They think they do,” her brother replied. “But we are going somewhere completely different.”

  Hope’s heart sank again. She would have to depend on her own resources if she was going to live through this, and from where she was sitting, she did not have too many options at her disposal.

  He passed a phone over to his sister. “Here, send the bank details. They have six hours to make the transfer. Once we get it, we move. We’ll use the cover of darkness.”

  “What if he doesn’t pay up?” the man sitting beside her asked.

  Marinette shot him a venomous look. “Shut up, Ray!”

  Ron and Ray? Seriously? They could not get people with more creative names? Hope almost snorted. Well, it looked like she would have to keep her eyes on the R twins.

  “The money will be paid,” the brother said confidently.

  “As long as we get what we agreed upon,” Ron said from the front.

  Marinette tensed beside her. “We have an agreement, right? Don’t worry, you’ll get your money.”

  So the R twins were in this for the money? Hope noted that. When the time was right, she would make her move.

  **

  The Silver Shield crew got to the Shawnee National Forest a few minutes past noon. They followed the instructions Jared had given them to his cabin. He had loaned the cabin to the man months before, so he had guessed they were headed that way. The cops had found the abandoned DesireU.net van, further confirming their suspicions.

  “We can’t drive there. We’ll have to find somewhere to park,” Emily said.

  “Fortunately, this is not tourist season,” Tamika noted.

  They drove into Elizabethtown, where the River to River Trail began. They drove to one of the many lodges there. Tamika jumped down and disappeared inside the building. She returned a few minutes later with a key.

  “I got us a cabin. It has room for six people, so we’re good,” she said, then pointed the way to one of the cabins, right at the edge of the forest.

  “Did you ask if anyone with Hope’s description is staying here?” Rusty asked.

  “Yep. No one.”

  He looked out the window. He could see the dense forest. He knew that in there were rivers and hills with steep cliffs. He did not want to imagine what could happen to Hope. They would begin their search in Jared’s cabin and pray that they were there.

  They stopped in front of the cabin and walked inside. It looked decent enough, but they were not too concerned about the amenities or facilities. They would not be spending a lot of time there.

  He checked his weapons to be sure that they were fully loaded. Then he slung some extra cartridges over his shoulders. He looked up to see the others doing the same. Their weapons were always in top condition, still, they did not take anything for granted. They each went through the process of making sure everything was exactly as it should be.

  “We’ll hike through the forest and stay off the trails,” Emily said. “We don’t want to risk running into any off season tourists.”

  “I still don’t get why they didn’t just wait till it was dark to grab her,” Tamika said dryly.

  “Tamika,” Ace said reproachfully. She looked at him in confusion and he nodded at Rusty.

  “I’m sorry Russ. I didn’t mean to be insensitive.” She walked to him and hugged his arm.

  “Don’t worry about me.” It was hard on him, but it would be much harder if they walked on eggshells around him. The only way he could get through this was if they all acted normally, like they were on a regular mission.

  “We’re dealing with amateurs,” Emily said briskly. “There are pros and cons of that. While they won’t be using any sophisticated gadgets or making any elaborate plans, the downside of that is that we can’t predict them. Amateurs are wildcards. We can only hope that they slip up.”

  Rusty knew what she meant. Dealing with amateurs was scary. They tended to get jittery and were often trigger-happy. Case in point was what had happened to Sandy. He tightened his hold on his weapon, then deliberately relaxed his hold and shoved it into the shoulder holster. He was not going to think that way. He knew Hope. She was very smart. She would find a way to get out of this. He had to believe that.

  “Okay, guys, let’s move!”

  They trooped out of the cabin through the back entrance and walked into the woods. It was still daylight so they could easily find their way.

  “You have the coordinates?” Emily asked Ace and he nodded.

  With the coordinates for Jared’s cabin, they did not need to follow any trail. They could find their way quite easily.

  They walked for a couple of hours deep into the thick woods. Rusty checked the underbrush for any sign of disturbance. Anything, a broken twig, disturbed vegetation…anything at all would have helped. But the further they walked, the more obvious it became that no one had been that w
ay.

  “Maybe they chose another route.”

  He looked up to find that Ace had matched his steps to his.

  “I don’t think we’ll find them there,” he voiced out what his heart feared.

  “Maybe not, but we might find something,” Ace said.

  “They could have driven up through another route,” Tamika said, looking back.

  Rusty found that hard to believe. “Why would they drive up to the cabin? The tire tracks alone would give them away.”

  “Yeah, it doesn’t seem likely,” Ace agreed. “Still, we can’t really predict what they’ll do.”

  “Yeah. Leaving the van at a gas station like that was a dead giveaway,” Tamika agreed. “How much longer do we have?”

  At her question, Rusty came to a dead halt. The others stopped and looked at him.

  “What’s up, Russ? Why are you looking at me like that?” Tamika asked.

  “Shouldn’t you be home resting?”

  “Don’t you dare say it!” she snapped, suddenly angry.

  Rusty did not care. How could he have forgotten that she was pregnant? And she had just hiked two hours with more to go. He narrowed his eyes at her.

  “You’re pregnant, Tamika.”

  Her eyes shot fire at him. “Thanks for stating the obvious.”

  “Russ, calm down,” Emily said, walking back towards them. “I promise I would not let her come on this mission if I did not think it was safe.”

  “I can’t believe he’s doing this to me!” Tamika said in disgust. “I’m out of here.”

  Rusty watched her walk away with mixed emotions. He knew Tamika was a strong woman and smart too. She would never deliberately endanger her unborn baby. But things could go wrong on a mission. Ace was shot on a mission. She was taken hostage at the last mission as well. Anything could go wrong, and he would never be able to live with himself if she lost her pregnancy because of him.

  “You have to trust her, bro,” Ace said.

  Rusty swung his gaze to Ace. “Would you let Sierra trudge through the woods like this if she were pregnant?” he shot at his friend.

  “Hell no!” Ace said, then smiled wryly. “But she’d do it anyway.”

  Rusty thought about it and a chuckle escaped his mouth. Ace was right, he had to trust her. Being her best friend did not give him the right to second-guess her decisions. If she felt she was up to it, then she was, and Tamika was a damn good operator. One of the best.

  He hurried after her and caught up to her. He matched his steps to hers and walked silently beside her.

  “Are you here to tell me to pick up knitting?” she asked with biting sarcasm.

  “No,” Rusty replied calmly. “I’m here to apologize.

  She threw a suspicious glance at him. Yeah, Tamika was also the most suspicious woman he knew.

  “I should not have questioned you like that. In my defense, I care about you.”

  She was silent a while, then she sighed. “I know. But I’m already taking all the shit I can handle from Nico, I don’t need you giving me grief as well.”

  “He did not approve of your taking up a mission, right?” Rusty guessed with a sly smile.

  “He is not the boss of me!” Tamika snapped.

  “Very mature, Tamika.”

  She sighed again. “I’m just frustrated. I will never do anything to jeopardize my baby.” Her hand went to her stomach, which was still flat. “I need you to trust me on that.”

  Rusty nodded. “Okay.”

  “Okay?”

  “Yeah.”

  She snorted. After a few minutes, they exchanged a smile and just like that, he knew he was forgiven.

  “We’re coming up to the cabin in thirty minutes,” Ace said.

  They slowed their steps, but kept walking. Rusty focused his attention on the mission ahead. He did not think they would find Hope at the cabin, but he knew they would find something. He just hoped whatever they found led them to her.

  His mind went to her and he hoped that wherever she was, she knew he was thinking about her. Wherever you are, Hope, I’m coming for you.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Hope puffed as she struggled to breathe. She had no idea how long they had been hiking in the woods, but they had been at it for a while, and she was exhausted. They had driven up to a cabin, which had looked strangely familiar. As soon as she’d entered, she’d known exactly where they were. Jared’s cabin. She had never been there, but Jared had excitedly shown her pictures.

  Dread had struck her upon recognizing their location. The thought that Jared was also in on the plot had almost been too much for her to bear. She had sunk to her knees by the door in dismay, even though her gut had told her that Jared had nothing to do with her kidnapping. He would never betray her like that, she’d thought, but she hadn’t been sure anymore. However, she and Jared had been through too much together and even though her trust in humanity had been badly shaken, she had decided to trust him.

  She had even been a bit relieved when she’d discovered that they were in Jared’s cabin. She had hoped that she would be able to find something to help her escape. Then before she’d even had a chance to take in anything, they had dragged her out and unto the trail. She had no idea where they were taking her to, but they were walking deeper into the woods. The only plus about this mindless walk was that they had been forced to untie the ropes around her wrist.

  She rubbed at her chaffed wrist and winced at the sharp pain.

  “Why couldn’t we stay at the cabin?” she finally asked, speaking to no one in particular.

  “Because it’s the first place your dear Jared will look,” the traitor said.

  She shot him a venomous glare, but inside she was doing an Irish jig. Not that she knew what an Irish jig looked like, but it sounded like the sort of dance one did when they were really very happy. And she was. His statement meant that Jared was not a part of all this.

  “I need a break.”

  That had come from Marinette and Hope almost breathed a sigh of relief. She needed a break as well, but she was damned if she was going to give them the satisfaction of asking for one.

  “We don’t have time for a break.”

  The woman came to a dead stop and planted her feet on the ground. “I am not taking one more step until I’ve rested up,” she said, glaring at her brother.

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake! The cops could be hot on our heels and could catch up with us at any moment.”

  “There was no sign of the cops and you know it!” she snapped. Then she turned to Ron, or Ray…Hope wasn’t sure which. “We’ll take a five-minute break while you backtrack and find out if there’s any one following us,” she ordered.

  The man turned to Marinette’s brother, the one Hope had quickly dubbed the traitor. At the traitor’s nod, he marched back the way they’d come. They were in a hilly part of the woods. Marinette found a rock and sank down on it with a sigh.

  After a few moments, Hope sank down as well. Even though the temperature was in the forties, she was sweating profusely. She pulled out a hanky from the tiny pocket of her running pants and wiped her face. She hadn’t had anything to eat all day and was feeling faint. She glanced at her watch, it was already two pm. She desperately needed something to drink but knew that if she asked, they would deliberately deprive her of one, just because they could. So she clamped her mouth shut.

  Twenty minutes later, Ron or Ray returned.

  “Well?” Marinette demanded.

  “All clear, ma’am. No sign of anyone.”

  “Great. We can be on our way now,” she said, getting to her feet.

  Hope got to her feet as well, but not before leaving her hanky on the ground. She looked at the others to see if they had noticed anything, but no one had seen anything. While she was seated, she had also loosened her shoes so that they could come off easily.

  “How long do we have to walk in these damn woods?” Marinette complained.

  Hope rolled her eyes. If anyone
had reason to complain, it should be her. She was several pounds overweight and was not fond of long hikes through the woods.

  Actually, I’m not fond of exercise of any kind. Her breath puffed out as she walked. Her chest was getting tight. If I make it out of this, I am so going to take exercise seriously.

  “We have a few more miles yet,” the traitor replied.

  A few miles! Hope was not sure she could go a single mile further. She was feeling light headed and nauseous. If she did not stop now or get a drink, she was sure she would fall in a dead faint. She used the back of her hand to wipe the sweat that had gathered on her forehead.

  “Why the hell did you not plan this better? Isn’t there a way we could have driven to wherever the hell it is you are taking us to?”

  Okay, Marinette’s bitching was beginning to get on her nerves. She was having enough of a job just keeping one foot in front of the other, she really did not need to hear a grown woman whine.

  Just then, she tripped on one of her loose shoe laces, tried to gain her balance as her leg caught on what looked like a tree stump, and failed. She felt the breath get knocked out of her as she landed on the ground with a whoosh. A sharp pain shot through her leg from her ankle. Hope felt tears gather in her eyes as she sat up gingerly and pressed her hand to her ankle.

  “What the hell do you think you are doing? Get the hell up!” Marinette screeched.

  Hope pulled off the shoe and felt her ankle. She gasped in pain at the contact. “I think I sprained my ankle,” she said, trying hard not to whimper in pain.

  She felt a hard kick to her back and went down in agonizing anguish. “Get up!” Marinette yelled at her.

  Hope lay on the ground, one huge mass of torment. There was a consistent throbbing in her head and the stabbing pain in her ankle meant that she could not move, even if she wanted to. She shut her eyes and tried to will back the nausea that was slowly overwhelming her. She felt tears escape her tightly shut lids and roll on to her face.

  “Get her up,” she heard Marinette say.

  She was grabbed by two sets of hands and dragged to a standing position. The hands fell away and she swayed. She thought she was going to land back on the ground when the hands returned, supporting her.