by Rebecca Deel
Tracey, Cassie, James, and B.J. exchanged glances in a silent communication. “Think about the kids,” B.J. said to Tracey. “We’ll have our hands full keeping them calm and protecting them if trouble comes to us. What will it hurt to have a couple of hands inside the house to help us protect our families?”
Tracey’s husband looked her direction. “Tracey.” Nothing more in his quiet voice, just her name.
She sighed. “All right. Two ranch hands inside the house. How can we help you and your men prepare, Trent?”
“Make sure all windows and doors are locked. We also need water and protein bars if you have them. We don’t know how long we’ll be out there. Might be an hour or two days, depending on whether Barone hid a car close by or set up camp on the property.”
“We’ll take care of the windows and doors. Simon, show your teammates where Mom and Dad keep the supplies.” She glanced at her other siblings and their spouses. Andrea and Emily were with the rest of the children to be sure they didn’t go outside.
Simon led his teammates into the storage room where his father kept the equipment they needed. As he stocked his pack with supplies for himself and Zoe, he prayed she was of more value to Barone alive than dead. After all, what better way to ensure that Simon would do anything Barone wanted than by threatening to kill Zoe in front of him?
Although he and the others made plans for every contingency, Simon’s skin was crawling with the need to go after his woman by the time a black SUV slid into view. He’d been hoping for contact from Barone with a demand to meet. No such luck. What was the creep waiting on?
The Otter Creek police chief exited the vehicle and grabbed a pack. He met Simon at the porch steps. “Any word?”
“Nothing.”
A nod. “Didn’t expect you would. Barone is messing with your head. Don’t let him.”
“Hard not to.”
“I know. Do it anyway. Nick called a few minutes ago. He made an arrest that you’ll be interested in.”
Simon frowned. “Who did he nab?”
“A man breaking and entering houses and searching dressers.”
He froze. “He broke into Zoe’s house?”
“That’s right. The perp was looking for a packet of loose diamonds hidden in a dresser that was sold at the flea market. Zoe happened to be one of the customers who bought a dresser from the right vendor. The man also searched Mason’s place as well as Macy’s.”
“Who would hide loose diamonds in a dresser?”
“An old man who didn’t trust banks and didn’t want his thieving relatives to steal the diamonds. Unfortunately, the relatives were too eager to clean out the house and get rid of the old furniture before they realized they’d gotten rid of the old man’s stash of wealth.”
“Huh. Is he the man who hurt Piper?”
“He says he’s not responsible for that. He didn’t hurt anyone, just searched the dressers.”
“One of the Barone cousins must have hurt Piper.”
“That’s my guess.”
Time to refocus. “We have water and protein bars for you as well as MREs that we always carry. Didn’t know how much of your own stash you’d used during your search.”
Simon led him inside the house and introduced him to the family. By the time he finished the introductions, Naomi had edged closer to Ethan, her dark brown eyes showing her wariness and worry.
Ethan crouched beside her. “My name is Ethan. What’s yours?”
“Naomi.”
“That’s a pretty name.”
“Thank you.”
“Did you want to ask me something, Naomi?”
She nodded. “Will you find Zoe?”
“I’ll do my best. She’s a friend of mine.”
“She made the bad man let me go.”
His face softened. “That sounds like something she’d do.”
“But he might hurt Zoe. Uncle Simon said so. I heard him even though I wasn’t supposed to listen. I should have stayed quiet. If I didn’t cry, the bad man wouldn’t have her.”
Simon’s eyes burned. He should have realized what she was feeling. He’d been too focused on his own anguish and fear for the woman he loved.
“You did exactly what you should have,” Ethan said. “You kept yourself safe by not making the bad man angry and you listened to what Zoe told you to do. She wanted you to be with your Mom and Dad.”
“But I don’t want him to hurt her anymore.”
Fists clenched, Simon closed his eyes for a moment as the realization sank in. That jerk had hurt Zoe. Barone was a dead man. He just didn’t know it yet.
“Listen to me, sweetheart.” Ethan laid his hand on her shoulder. “Zoe is one smart lady. She’ll do everything she can to keep herself safe. Because you’re here, she doesn’t have to worry about your safety as well as her own. We’ll find her and free her.”
“I want to help, too.”
Simon swallowed past the lump in his throat. His niece was killing him. So brave with a big heart.
Ethan gave a nod. “We can use it. Help the adults keep the other kids calm and inside the house. We can’t let them outside. You could find a movie to watch or play a game that involves everyone. If they want a snack, you can bring them snacks and drinks. That will encourage them to stay together in one room. Will you do that?”
She squared her shoulders and nodded. “Okay.”
“Good girl. Thanks for the help, Naomi.” Ethan rose, shoved the supplies set aside for him into his pack, and looked at Simon. “Show me.”
After handing Ethan a spare comm system and shrugging on his pack, Simon led Ethan and the rest of Bravo to the woods where he’d seen the last signs of Zoe. The surface of the stone was empty now, Zoe’s jewelry safely tucked into Simon’s pocket. He’d give them back to her when he found her.
He and his teammates stayed at the edge of the clearing, letting Ethan search. Ethan crouched at the last place Simon found signs of Zoe’s foot tread in the dirt. After a moment, he glanced over his shoulder at Simon. “Got it. Let’s go.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Simon and his teammates trailed Ethan as the police chief tracked Barone and Zoe through the wooded section of the Murray ranch. The further they walked, the more confident Simon grew that Barone had set up a base camp somewhere close. Although he couldn’t see a trail, Ethan led them away from a place where a vehicle could easily travel.
He thought about the direction they were heading. That whole area was a dead zone as far as cell coverage went. Perhaps that was the explanation for why Barone hadn’t made contact with Simon. If the thug had called and demanded Simon trade himself for Zoe, Simon would have done it in a heartbeat. He could handle whatever Barone dished out. The same couldn’t be said for Zoe.
Ten feet ahead, Ethan raised his hand and made a fist. Bravo stopped and waited.
Simon’s heart skipped a beat when the chief crouched and appeared to study the ground for an extraordinary length of time. Had he lost the trail? Unable to stand the suspense any longer, he glanced at Trent for permission, then moved closer to the police chief. “What is it? What do you see?”
“Barone brought friends to the party.” He looked over his shoulder. “At least five other men joined them here, maybe more. The prints are overlapping so much I can’t tell an exact number. One of them dropped a small bit of C-4. My guess is they set up a few surprises in case you came after them.”
“No way I wouldn’t.”
“Of course not. They hoped you would come while it was still dark. Much easier to miss the signs of a bomb in the darkness.” He stood. “Is Cade up to the task?”
“Let’s find out.” Simon motioned for his teammate to join them. When he did, Simon said, “Barone and his buddies may have set booby traps. Ethan found C-4. Are you operational?” Cade was the best around in handling explosives. Doing that job when you were still woozy from being zapped by a stun gun was foolhardy.
“I’m fine now. Let me look around before Ethan
moves ahead.”
The police chief moved back.
Cade grabbed his flashlight and began to search the area. About 25 feet ahead, he crouched, playing the light across the ground in slow motion. He shifted to the left a few feet, stopped, examined the dirt, then slid his pack from his back.
Simon joined him. “Need help?”
“Hold the flashlight.” He showed Simon where to aim the beam. “You sure you want to offer assistance? I’m not as steady as I usually am.”
Oh, man. “You said you were operational.”
“I am, but I’m not operating at the normal level.”
Small comfort. What choice did they have, though? Trent had some EOD training. He could be Cade’s hands if necessary. “Trent can handle the delicate work if you need him. What do we have?”
“IED with a pressure plate. Would have been obvious in daylight. It’s practically invisible at night.” Within a few minutes, Cade had safely disassembled the bomb. He got to his feet. “This could be a long night if those clowns left many of these.”
He prayed that wasn’t the case. Simon needed to find Zoe. “You want to stay with Ethan? He can follow the trail while you keep an eye out for more IEDs.”
His friend nodded.
Simon returned to the rest of Bravo. “Watch where you step. Barone brought friends and one of them left an IED behind.”
“Terrific.” Trent scowled. “Spread out and be alert.”
Trotting back to his original position, he signaled for Ethan to proceed. Three more times, the police chief held up a fist and Cade had to dismantle more bombs. The volume made Simon worry that there might be more they didn’t see. The cattle, ranch hands, or one of the kids might stumble upon one accidentally. He vowed to have a bomb-sniffing dog search the area before he allowed anyone in this part of the spread.
Three miles from the main house, Ethan came to a sudden stop and signaled the team behind him to scatter before taking shelter himself.
From behind the shelter of a large rock formation, Simon watched as a man dressed in black camouflage walked into view carrying an M5. When his path took him into a patch of moonlight, Simon spotted his sidearm and a Ka-Bar strapped to his thigh. One of Barone’s men.
Five feet from Simon’s position, the thug stopped and scanned the area, a frown forming. Had he seen movement from Bravo or Ethan? No way. If Simon didn’t know where his teammates and Ethan had taken shelter, he wouldn’t be able to spot them.
A moment later, the silence of the night was broken by the crackle of a radio. Though the volume was low, sounds carried long distances at night.
“Ashton, report,” snapped a disembodied voice.
A scowl from the thug. “Nothing yet,” he growled.
“You sure?”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t like it. The woman’s boyfriend is out there somewhere. I’ve seen them together. Murray is gone over her. He won’t wait until daylight. Stay alert.”
“Yeah, copy that.” Ashton shoved the radio back into his pants pocket, cursing.
Simon glanced at Trent who was in his line of sight and received a nod of agreement.
The thug glanced around the area one more time, then pivoted to return the way he’d come.
Keeping to the shadows, Simon circled around to the right to another stand of trees and waited for Ashton to pass his position. When he did, Simon slipped behind him and tackled him.
The man fought like a cornered wildcat. Simon had been trained in the same hand-to-hand combat techniques in the military, then added more training with Fortress. His teammates had taught him several skills learned from their various military backgrounds. Within two minutes, Ashton was moaning on the ground, restrained and stripped of weapons and his radio.
Simon and Liam frog-marched him to a tree stump a few feet away and shoved him down. “Let’s talk, Ashton,” Simon said, arms folded.
The thug sneered. “Got nothing to say except you need to let me go if you want your woman to survive the hour.”
Trent snorted. “It’s not smart to remind Simon that you and your buddies have his girlfriend. He holds grudges and enjoys dishing out punishment.”
“You don’t scare me.”
The gaze shifting from one member of Bravo to the other said he was lying. Simon took out his own Ka-Bar and pretended to examine the blade. “You should rethink that.”
Ashton swallowed hard, his gaze locked on the knife. “What do you want?”
“Zoe. Where is she?”
The man remained mute.
Liam, who stood behind the thug, glanced at Trent, eyebrow raised.
Bravo’s team leader turned to Ethan and Cade. “Keep going. Make sure we don’t have any more surprises waiting for us while we take care of Ashton.”
After the two men left, Trent nodded at Liam. The sniper clamped a hand over Ashton’s mouth and pressed hard on a pressure point on the thug’s shoulder. Immediately, the man gave a muffled scream, sweat beading on his brow as he fought against the zip ties securing his wrists behind his back and struggling to free himself from Liam’s hold. He failed. At Trent’s signal, Liam eased off although he retained his controlling hold on the man.
“Where is Zoe?” Simon snapped. “My friend can keep this up all night. I’ll warn you, though, the pain will only continue to get worse if you refuse to answer my questions.”
“You don’t understand. He’ll kill me.”
“Then you better pray we get to him first.”
Trent tilted his head. “I don’t think he believes us.” He flicked a glance at Liam who covered Ashton’s mouth and shifted to another pressure point. The response was immediate. More violent thrashing and louder screaming. By the time Trent signaled Liam to ease off, tears were streaming down Ashton’s face.
“Where is my woman?” Simon growled. “And don’t bother to lie to me. I’ll know.”
“Cabin,” the man said, shuddering with relief.
“Which one? There are three in this area.” He had a good idea which one, but he didn’t want to waste time going to the wrong cabin. Every minute counted. The more time they had to form a plan, the better. He had to see for himself if Zoe was all right. Not knowing was driving him crazy.
“East of here about two clicks. It’s a big one.”
Old man Walters’ cabin. That place was empty except when the large Walters clan came to visit. Simon turned to Trent. “Tell the others to hold position.”
With a nod, Bravo’s leader activated his comm system.
“How many people does Barone have, Ashton?”
“Twelve,” he muttered. “Too many to take on a small unit of wannabe mercenaries. We could have handled it without the others.”
“My feelings are hurt,” Liam said.
Matt rolled his eyes. “Wannabe mercenaries? If we’re not the real deal, how did we capture you?”
Ashton scowled.
“Are Barone’s people mercenaries, military, what?” Simon asked.
“Half are former military. The other half are civilians. Family members.”
“Civvies mess up everything.”
“You got that right.” Disgust filled the thug’s voice. “Barone’s family doesn’t know how to take orders. They argue with him all the time. I was glad to go out on patrol just to get away from the bickering.”
“What are they fighting over?” Trent asked.
“Who gets the girl when Murray is dead, who collects the bounty, and who takes power and restarts the family business.”
“How will Barone play this?”
A head shake. “I don’t know.”
Liam adjusted his hold.
Ashton jumped. “I don’t know,” he insisted. “Barone won’t tell anybody his plan. He’s a paranoid jerk who doesn’t trust anyone.”
“What else do you know?”
“After you’re dead, he’ll kill your girl, then go after the rest of the men involved in that business in Alabama.”
Exactly what
he’d thought. Bravo couldn’t afford to let Barone slip away. If they did, the rest of Bravo and their families were the next targets.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Zoe rubbed the zip ties restraining her wrists against the metal bracket of the bed frame. She didn’t know if she was making much headway, but she felt more play in the restraints.
As she worked, Zoe listened to the argument raging in the living room on the first floor. Although she was on the second level of the log cabin, almost every word drifted up the stairs.
She grimaced at the creative ways the jerks were coming up with to make her pay for associating with Simon. According to the Barone clan, she was tainted goods now. That left the other men who acted like they were military. They didn’t mind getting their hands dirty with her.
The thought of one or more of them touching her made Zoe want to barf. It also spurred her to work faster to free her wrists. At this rate, she’d be lucky if she made progress with the plastic before one of the men returned to stare and taunt her again.
A short time later, Zoe heard heavy male footsteps on the stairs. Great. Which one was coming this time? The man with curly black hair or the straw-colored blond with the crooked nose? She shuddered. Either one made her uncomfortable. Something in their eyes caused her pulse to race and her stomach to churn.
Curly and Blondie were the embodiment of evil. They liked to hurt people. Given what she knew of the Barone cousins, Zoe wasn’t surprised that they had gathered people like these two men to go after Bravo.
She kept sawing at the plastic around her wrists until a shadow appeared on the corridor wall. Blondie strode into the room farther than the earlier times he’d checked on her.
“Miss me?” he murmured, gaze drifting over her body.
Zoe fought a shudder. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he affected her. “Like a bad rash.”
His eyes narrowed. “You don’t want to make me angry.”
“Barone won’t like it if his leverage is mishandled.” At least she prayed that was true. She needed to stay alive because Simon was coming. Zoe felt that truth to her bones. He wouldn’t give up until she was back in his arms.