His woman wasn’t playing games, a quality he found incredibly attractive.
Ty joined her less than a minute later, one gun in hand and the other tucked into his waistband.
No way were the two of them going to stay here like sitting ducks and wait for these guys to act. Those men had already exerted enough control over this island. It was time for this to end.
“I just called for backup,” Braden said, standing near the door. “Dane and Leggott are on the way.”
Ty turned to Cassidy. “What’s our plan?”
This was Cassidy’s territory, not his. Ty wasn’t a SEAL anymore, and this wasn’t his mission, even if he wanted it to be. He had to take a backseat here, even if every part of him wanted to resist.
“Do you still have eyes on them, Braden?” Cassidy asked, energy humming off her as she pulled on a jacket and headed toward the door.
Braden peered out the glass atop the door. “No, unfortunately, I lost sight of them. They were on the dune, heading this way. They could be anywhere now.”
His words were true. The two could be beneath the house. Could be coming up the stairs. Could already be waiting on the deck, for all they knew.
“We’re going to go find them.” Determination lined Cassidy’s gaze, along with an unwavering resolve that she wasn’t going to be pushed around.
And that was the woman Ty loved. Strong. Courageous. Selfless.
This was also the side of her that terrified him.
“We stick together,” Ty said, a surge of protectiveness rising in him. “Especially since we don’t know what these guys are planning.”
“Absolutely,” Cassidy said. “Braden, stay with Kujo. Keep an eye on this place.”
“Will do.”
Cassidy nodded toward the outside. “Let’s go find these guys.”
They stepped out the door, remaining low and guarded. Ty scanned everything around them. The screened-in porch. The darkness beyond it.
It was nearly impossible to see anything else.
Which would make this even more dangerous.
“Ty, look over there.” Cassidy pointed her head toward a sand dune. “You see that reflection of the moonlight? Like maybe it’s hitting a watch face or something.”
He followed her gaze. Sure enough, there it was—an ever-so-slight gleam. Anyone else would have missed it. “It’s them.”
“Let’s go find out what this is about.”
They crept down the stairs and remained crouched as they navigated the edge of the sand dune. After crossing the gravel lane, they passed the neighboring house. They’d just started toward some woods when a shot rang out.
“They see us!” Cassidy ducked behind a tree, shielding herself there.
Ty followed suit. Adrenaline pumped through him. Yes, those men had spotted them. Maybe they’d seen them all along and were just trying to draw them out.
Another bullet sliced through the air, splintering the tree between them.
These guys were taking cover behind a nearby dune, if Ty had to guess. If he and Cassidy ran toward them, they’d be open targets with nowhere to hide and no real protection.
Their best hope right now was that Leggott and Dane would show up. That these guys would be outnumbered. Encircled. Captured.
Because they couldn’t let these guys get away. Not when they were so close.
Cassidy gripped her gun as she remained behind the tree. Her fighting instincts demanded she chase these guys down. But her survival instincts told her to stay put. For now, at least.
But she wasn’t going to just hide here like a scared mouse. No, she could still be proactive.
“You’re not going to walk away from this,” Cassidy yelled. “You might as well give up now.”
The men responded by firing again. More wood splintered, and electricity filled the air as the situation escalated.
Cassidy contemplated her next move. They were so close to catching these guys . . . yet there were so many unknowns right now also. She had to play this just right.
She paused and listened, hoping to hear a hint of what these men were planning. Were doing.
Were those footsteps? Were the men . . . running? The sand masked so much. Made it nearly impossible to hear.
And the darkness offered them a perfect cover. To chase these guys down right now could be a death wish, especially if Cassidy misjudged their location.
Despite all that, she was going to move in closer. She’d remain careful. As long as she didn’t do anything impulsive, they should be safe.
If she couldn’t see these men, then there was a good chance they couldn’t see her either.
Carefully, Cassidy maneuvered around the small patch of trees. She motioned for Ty to follow.
No more gunshots rang out.
Maybe that was a good sign.
As they reached the edge of the woods, she made a run for the empty rental house there. She ducked behind an outdoor shower area beneath the house, her heart racing.
Ty paused beside her, adrenaline pulsating off him. “Where do you think they are?”
“I have no idea,” she whispered. “Why don’t we split up? You go left, I’ll go right? We’ll see if we can surround them until backup arrives.”
“Sounds like a plan. Be careful.”
“You too.” She nodded at Ty, hoping to convey just how much she loved him. She knew all too well how life could change in an instant, especially in her line of work. You could never tell a person too often how much they meant to you.
Muttering a quick prayer, Cassidy headed to the right, circling around the house and crouching low near the sand dune. Before cresting it, she peered up.
She saw nothing.
Where had the men gone? There were only but so many places they could go from here.
Holding her breath, Cassidy glanced around. She held her gun, ready to fire if she needed.
But all was silent.
How about Ty? Was he okay?
Just as the questions entered her mind, gunshots rang out again. One. Then two. Three.
She darted toward the noise, still remaining low.
Ty . . . was Ty okay? Panic raced through her at the possibility he wasn’t.
The two nearly collided with each other in the darkness just below the sand dune.
“Did you see anything?” she whispered.
Ty shook his head, his hand grasping his bicep. “No, these guys shot at me and then ran.”
She stared at his arm. “You were hit . . .”
“A bullet grazed my skin. It’s not a big deal. Besides, I hit one of them too.”
“Are you okay?” The words tumbled from Cassidy’s lips as her worry reached a crescendo.
“I’m fine. I’ve had much worse. These guys must have shot at us and ran away, knowing we’d remained guarded for a while. I’ll be okay.”
“It’s not too late to find them.” Just as Cassidy said the words, a car pulled up at the end of the lane, and Dane and Leggott rushed toward them.
Leggott drew in a shaky breath, looking out of sorts as he stopped in front of her.
“The tires to our police cars were slashed,” he explained. “That’s why we drove my car here instead. Someone must have planned this, Chief. They must have known we’d come, and they wanted to slow us down.”
This was all premediated. Unlike the incident in the general store, this had moved beyond random crimes and random victims. Cassidy and her crew were now a target. That was not okay.
“We need to split up in pairs and search for these guys,” Cassidy said, a new determination rising in her. “They’re armed and dangerous. We need to find them now more than ever.”
“Got it,” Dane said. “Let’s go find these guys.”
Cassidy only hoped they’d be able to do just that.
Chapter Twenty-One
Moriah lay in her bed, trying to sleep.
But she couldn’t.
Her shoulder still hurt something fierce. She thought it
would feel better by now. Was the wound getting infected?
She’d tried to take a look at it earlier, but it was impossible to see many details. The bathroom mirror was muted and uneven, and the lighting in the RV was bad.
She only knew that every time she moved, pain pulsated through her, burning all the way from her wound down her back and arms.
But this was worth it, right? This is what Moriah had to do for the Cause. She was proving her loyalty. She wasn’t ashamed for all the world to know she was a Makirite, and that she would soon be a leader of the group as she stood by Gilead’s side.
That was the problem with the world today, Gilead had said. Everyone wanted something for free. They wanted results without work and rewards without effort. That wasn’t the way of the Lord.
Sacrifice should be our way of life.
Unable to bear the pain anymore, Moriah sat up in bed. Silence stretched around her.
She thought she would have gotten used to the quiet here at Gilead’s Cove by now, but she hadn’t. It wasn’t that her house had been noisy growing up. But there had been the buzz of her favorite Hello Kitty alarm clock. She’d outgrown it a decade or more ago, but she’d still loved it. Her fish aquarium had splashed as the filter cycled the water. Her dad had snored, and Moriah had been able to hear him through the walls, even two rooms over.
Those had been the proof of life.
And she missed them.
Moriah felt so ungrateful that the thoughts even crossed her mind. Gilead had given her a good life here. He provided for all her physical needs. He also guided her in regard to her spiritual and emotional needs as well.
She had nothing to complain about.
Besides, things would be even better once she and Gilead were married. Then she could lie in bed at night and listen to him breathe beside her. Moriah wouldn’t feel so alone . . . and cold.
Because it was always during the night when these thoughts and feelings hit her. When she had too much time on her hands. Especially now that she couldn’t sleep because of her wound.
Climbing out of bed, she walked into the bathroom and tried to get another glimpse of her marking, though she knew it was a lesson in futility.
She flinched when she saw a vague image of it. The wound had blistered and scabbed, leaving grotesque marks across her ivory skin. Until it healed, it would continue to look horrible.
Red streaks stretched out from around it.
Red streaks? Wait. Was that the sign of infection? Wasn’t that what her mom had always said?
Panic rushed through her.
What were some other symptoms of infection?
Fevers, right?
Moriah touched her forehead. She had felt uncontrollably cold tonight. She hadn’t been sure if it was the weather or something else. What if it was a fever?
If she got sick, would Gilead take that to mean that she wasn’t worthy? Had her faith not healed her as it was supposed to?
Fear sprang to life inside her. Maybe she shouldn’t tell anyone about this. These symptoms would pass. She just needed to give them a couple days and then things would return to normal.
Still fighting panic, Moriah walked to the window and peered out. Her heart sank.
The sun wasn’t even beginning to show itself yet. That meant it was still the middle of the night. Without a clock or watch, it was hard to determine exactly what time it was. Moriah only knew the sky began to lighten around seven a.m. at this time of year.
What was she going to do until it was time for breakfast? Moriah knew she wouldn’t be getting any sleep.
She plopped on the edge of her bed. She would sit up. If she didn’t move or lie down, maybe her shoulder wouldn’t hurt so much.
Her thoughts wandered as she sat there with nothing to distract her . . .
Would Gilead come again this morning? Would he kiss her and look at her with those emotions in his gaze that made her heart nearly stop?
And what about the other women here—the single ones? Was Moriah imagining things or did they all cast her dirty looks? Were they jealous because God had told Gilead to pursue her instead of them?
The thought brought a touch of satisfaction.
She’d never been the one people were jealous of, and she knew she shouldn’t take pleasure in it. But part of her did. It felt good to be envied instead of pitied.
As her door flew open, she gasped.
Who was here?
She halfway expected to discover it was the wind. Or . . . Gilead.
Could it be Gilead? In the middle of the night?
Instead, a man wearing a black mask invaded her RV.
Moriah screamed as he rushed toward her, a gun raised. Before she could defend herself, his rough hands grabbed her hair—hovering close to her wound. So close that her skin felt like it was being ripped off.
“Shut up!” he yelled, shoving the gun into her head. “Do what I say or I’ll kill you.”
Her entire world spun.
What was happening?
Who was this man?
And was Moriah going to get out of this situation alive?
Chapter Twenty-Two
Cassidy paused beneath her house, her heartbeat doing a war cry from within her chest.
These guys had shot Ty. They’d shot him. If one minuscule thing had been different, that bullet could have hit his heart. His head.
This could be a much different situation.
And that realization caused a new surge of anger to rush through her. But Cassidy couldn’t afford to lose it now. No, right now Braden, Mac, Leggott, Dane, and Ty all stood around her, waiting to hear what she would say. Waiting for the next plan of action.
They’d already searched the surrounding area, but they’d found no one. Ty’s bicep was still bleeding, though she’d wrapped gauze around it. He was right—the bullet had only skimmed his skin but still . . .
Cassidy shoved away the defeat that pressed on her shoulders and pulled herself together. “There are only so many places these guys could have gone.”
“We can divide up and search for them,” Mac said.
“Absolutely. But we’ll need more people. And these guys are armed. Dangerous. The darkness will be both a friend and foe.”
“Should I call in more backup?” Leggott asked.
Before Cassidy could answer, a car pulled to a stop, a door slammed, and Abbott hurried toward them, his NCSBI cap on his head, and his breath coming out in frosty puffs.
“What’s going on?” Cassidy didn’t bother to act passive. This was personal, and it didn’t matter who was in charge. Cassidy would not take a backseat.
He scowled, but Cassidy wasn’t sure why. From being awakened? From the incident?
“I just heard back from Detective Sullivan,” he muttered. “He sent out the sketch you had made to his colleagues up in Nags Head. He thinks he has a match.”
Cassidy’s pulse spiked. “A match? Who? Tell me more.”
“One of Sullivan’s colleagues said he’s seen this guy before. Said the man was living in an old apartment complex in Nags Head. He was on the police’s radar for some minor crimes—disturbing the peace, public drunkenness. Nothing that led to any jail time.
At least the information was something. It was a start. “Anything else of note?”
Abbott shook his head. “They’re trying to find out his name now and his place of employment. The officer did say this guy was living with his girlfriend.”
“Did he know anything about the girlfriend? Can he talk to her? See if she knows anything?” The questions poured from Cassidy as a new sense of eagerness gripped her.
“That’s the thing. He went there to do just that, but she’s gone. Neighbors said she was quiet. Almost acted jumpy and scared of him.”
Based on what Cassidy knew about the man, that wasn’t surprising. She raked her hair out of her face as the wind slapped loose tendrils against her cheeks. “Good to know. If you hear anything else, let me know. His girlfriend could be valuab
le to this investigation.”
Abbott nodded, slowly, purposefully, as if stretching out the moment. “Will do. In the meantime, I need you to stand down.”
Cassidy’s eyebrows shot up. Certainly she hadn’t heard him correctly. “Stand down?”
Abbott nodded. “That’s right. We’re not doing anything else right now. We’re going to wait until we find more information on these guys, and then we’re going to act. We’re going to plan this out, and it will be purposeful and thorough.”
“But these guys were just right here. This is our chance to catch them. That’s a terrible idea.”
Abbott’s scowl deepened. “That’s one way of looking at it—but it’s not my way. Those guys are probably long gone. We’re going to focus on the girlfriend right now. Understand?”
Defiance wanted to flare to life inside Cassidy. Standing down was the last thing she wanted—and she felt confident it would be a mistake. But Abbott was in charge of this investigation—not her.
She waited until Abbott walked back to his car before releasing her breath.
“What do you want us to do, Chief?” Dane asked.
“I think Abbott is making a mistake.” She pressed her lips together, willing herself not to say something she might regret. “But we need to listen to him.”
For now, she added silently.
Before Cassidy could say anything else, her phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number on her screen, but, given the events of tonight, she answered anyway.
“Chief Chambers.”
“Cassidy,” a familiar voice said. “I need your help.”
She turned away from the wind as it hit her mouthpiece. “Who is this?”
“It’s Anthony. Anthony Gilead.”
Her breath caught, and she glanced at Ty. “Gilead. What can I do for you?”
“We need your help.”
“Who is ‘we’?”
“Me. Gilead’s Cove.”
“What’s going on?” Tension cinched across her shoulders. If he was calling her, something big was going on.
“There’s a man here at the Cove. With a gun. He’s taken one of my people hostage. And he said the only way she’s leaving alive is if you come.”
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