by Sommer Smith
“That’s it.” Lauren gasped the words out loud, which she didn’t realize until Grayson looked at her in surprise.
“What’s it?” Grayson turned his attention back to the road.
“I don’t think Lily was early. It was a misdiagnosis.” The confidence and strength in her voice sounded so different from the timidity of the moment before.
“A misdiagnosis?” He looked perplexed.
“Well...no, maybe not that, exactly. But they recorded the wrong due date. It was intended to throw everyone off. If whoever was trying to kidnap her thought the baby wasn’t due until much later, it would give Lily’s mother time to escape with her before he realized the baby had been born. She expected the baby to be in danger all along.”
“But someone failed to inform the hospital staff that the due date was a ruse.” Grayson raised an eyebrow. “That meant the baby was kept for observation and Savannah couldn’t leave with her.”
“That’s exactly what happened. I think she had an on-call obstetrician for delivery.” Lauren thought carefully.
“That would have ruined their plan.” He rubbed a forefinger against his lower lip.
“So Lily’s mother probably had a good relationship with Dr. Worman, her OB. Maybe we can use that information to help us find her.” Lauren reached for her phone before remembering she didn’t have it.
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t have a phone to call to find out her OB’s number from Dr. Covington.” She glared at him.
“Oh. That.” He just stared ahead.
“I can’t help you if you’re going to be obstinate,” she muttered.
“Well, you can use mine. Or you can call when we get to the safe house.” He just shrugged.
“Any idea when that might be?” They had been driving for hours. She wanted to demand answers but didn’t think that would get her anywhere with Grayson Thorpe.
“Still awaiting orders.” He checked his phone for any messages before handing it to her.
“So, you’re just driving. Driving southwest until someone tells you where to go.” She couldn’t fathom doing something like that with no plan in mind whatsoever.
“That’s what I was told to do.” He seemed unperturbed by the fact.
She sighed. He wasn’t going to tell her anything.
“We’re trying to get lost anyway.” He just shrugged. “What’s the big deal?”
“Well, it just doesn’t make sense.” She crossed her arms and shook her head. Obstinate man.
She turned away from him, settled into the seat and tried to pretend to sleep.
* * *
Lauren wasn’t fooling anyone.
Grayson hadn’t meant to argue with her, but now that he had, she wasn’t going to forget it anytime soon. It was obvious she intended to feign sleep to avoid him because she couldn’t physically get away from him.
She had no idea how it had panicked him when that man had accosted her and Lily outside the restaurant. He felt he had let her down, that he should have been more prepared for an attack. Lauren had handled it well. She hadn’t complained since they’d left the hospital, and he had a feeling she was accustomed to taking care of herself.
When the man had knocked her down and she had rolled sideways and curled herself into a ball to take the full brunt of the impact and protect the baby, he had known she was a special kind of woman. He hadn’t even noticed the scrape along her high cheekbone until later as she gently coaxed the bottle into the baby’s tiny mouth.
Lily had been so upset by her ordeal that she hadn’t even wanted to take the bottle at first, but with the expertise born of years of practice, Lauren had eventually convinced her to drink. He kept remembering Lauren’s soft urging, thinking how right she looked with the child, like a natural mother.
It was a mind trick, of course. She was a NICU nurse. She was an expert with newborns. And he was an expert at bachelorhood, which was how it would stay. He had learned that he was better off alone after almost getting his whole team killed because of a woman. His current feelings were nothing but the result of being thrown together like this.
Grayson turned his thoughts in another direction. It would take a huge amount of concentration, but he had to figure out where they might have taken Lily’s mother. He needed to talk to Savannah to find out who was after Lily and why. He had received a text from his supervisor just before the attack at the restaurant. He was sending them toward Texas. But he didn’t know where, exactly, so he didn’t want to say so to Lauren.
If Grayson wasn’t mistaken, Lily’s mother had family or friends in Texas. He knew his supervisor felt Savannah Reid was the key to capturing Arnie Romine, whether he was behind the kidnapping attempts or not. It was all one big, complicated case.
The files had indicated that Savannah had known nothing about Romine, or even who he really was, when they’d first met. Grayson suspected Romine had known all about Savannah and had planned an elaborate scheme to use her somehow. But—trite as it sounded—he seemed to have fallen in love with her along the way. Grayson wasn’t sure about that, but it was the general belief. Maybe Romine was just a fantastic actor. Love was just an illusion most of the time anyway. An illusion that could get you into trouble.
He tried to accept the idea of true love. Really, he did. He went to church. He prayed. He knew about real love. But romantic love between a man and a woman was hard for him to believe in. He had seen too many cases of love gone wrong, one half of the relationship caring more than the other, and so on. He just didn’t think he wanted any part of that.
The back of his neck began to itch, chasing all thoughts of romance from his mind. Looking over at Lauren, he realized she had actually gone to sleep, her delicate features relaxed and soft. At least her stubbornness was good for something. She needed to rest.
But she had nothing to do with the reason he felt a sudden trip in his adrenaline.
Checking his mirrors, he saw nothing amiss. He kept driving, noting the changing landscape as they passed. He had been lost in thought and now didn’t know for sure exactly where they were, but his pursuers didn’t have any such issues keeping track of where they were. They were nearly impossible to lose. In fact, he expected them to reappear any moment.
The trees had gotten thicker and taller in this area, as well. He knew they had risen in elevation slightly, and tall pines were becoming a regular sight. The cover didn’t do them much good if their pursuers already knew where they were, though. And the way they kept showing up told him that they somehow knew his every move.
He glanced down to check his phone for messages, in case there was more information from headquarters, quickly returning his eyes to the road. It would be nice to have Lauren’s help right about now, but he wouldn’t wake her unless he just had to.
They weren’t far from the interstate. Glancing at the map on the screen of his GPS, he discovered the two roads would intersect soon. It might be a good idea to return to the busier highway for a little while.
Grayson still didn’t know how their pursuers were tracking them, but he felt certain they were just waiting on another chance to attack. Their current surroundings were looking a little too much like a good opportunity to suit him.
Lily made a sweet little baby noise in her sleep and it spurred him into action. He needed to do something soon before it was too late.
He accelerated, pressing his foot down hard on the gas pedal. The less time spent in this shady area, the better, as far as he was concerned.
Lauren shifted a little but didn’t rise. He adjusted the air vents so that she wouldn’t get too chilled. He could turn the temperature up, but he needed to stay alert and keep his blood flowing. He checked his mirrors again. Nothing.
But the neck itches persisted.
Something was about to happen. The anticipation combined with not knowing tormented him.<
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The highway remained empty, both in front and behind them, which had Grayson scanning the tree line. The tall pines had grown thicker on either side of the road and they seemed to be winding up a small mountain or large hill. It was serene. Peaceful. Beautiful.
Too quiet.
His cell rang, loud in the silence, startling him more than it should have.
“Thorpe.” He barked his name into the Bluetooth speaker a little sharper than usual.
“Hey, buddy. I’ve got your orders. Can you verify you’ve received the address in your GPS?”
Cane Mason was one of Grayson’s oldest friends, not just in the Marshals Service, but ever. No way did Grayson believe he hadn’t noticed his sharp tone.
“Yeah. But maybe not at this exact moment.”
“Uh... I know you didn’t answer with someone in pursuit. You would have let it go to voice mail, like always. What’s up?” Cane chuckled.
“Oh, you know. Just that something’s-about-to-happen feeling when you’re alone on a deserted two-lane highway in the middle of nowhere.” Grayson sounded nonchalant, but every marshal knew it was a moment you both lived for and dreaded.
Impending doom.
“Gotcha. So, do I need to just stay on the line or...?” Cane sounded almost envious.
“Unless you have something more pressing to do, I can tell you what’s happened so far while we wait.” He checked the mirrors again and then looked over to ensure Lauren was still asleep.
“Yeah, I’m all caught up on paperwork for the day. I need answers to some questions.” Cane’s voice came through a little rougher than it had before.
“I’m sure you have questions. But sometimes things don’t go exactly as planned.” Grayson sensed his questions had something to do with Grayson’s bringing Lauren along.
Cane was silent for a moment. “So, not a good time. Is there anything I can do?”
“I have it under control at the moment, but thanks.” His words came out more chipper than usual.
But they were still echoing back to him when he rounded the corner and discovered what all the itchy, prickly feels were about.
Three black vans blocked the road.
FOUR
The vans were wedged between a thick stand of trees on one side and a cliff-like drop-off on the other. There was absolutely nowhere for him to go.
“Cane?” Grayson said the name so quietly he almost couldn’t be heard. “I have a problem.”
Even as he said it, he slammed on the brakes. If he had room, stopping in time to turn around would be tough. The antilock brakes caught and slid before catching again. He kept his foot depressed hard on the pedal. The baby started to fuss, and Lauren jerked to attention.
The SUV began to slide to one side and he gripped the wheel, mentally scrolling through every defensive driving maneuver he had ever been taught for what he needed. He couldn’t think of anything that would possibly get him turned around and moving in the opposite direction quickly enough.
“What’s going on?” Lauren was alert but confused.
“Roadblock. Hold on.” He was turning the SUV in a circle, doing his best to block out the baby’s cries. He knew Lauren would take care of Lily as soon as she could, but his blood pressure spiked higher the louder the baby wailed.
He had never had anything throw off his calm like a crying baby. It bothered him, the fact that he was losing his cool. He had been telling the truth when he’d told Lauren he had never been around small children. At first, it was just how it worked out, since he never had the opportunity to be around babies anyway, but the few times he had been around them, he’d felt awkward, inadequate. So he had learned to avoid anyone under the age of two...
He still felt inadequate. Maybe helpless was more like it. Whatever it was, his ego had no use for it.
Might as well do what he could to help his confidence, though, so he wheeled the SUV with no time to spare and gunned it in the other direction. Just as he knew they would, all three vans gave chase. They sped closer, trying to close off his avenue of escape. This situation was all too familiar.
Lauren was singing to the baby, but it was having no effect on Lily’s cries.
“Just let her cry. I’ll get us out of here.”
Lauren winced at the baby’s piercing screams. “Okay. I just thought it would help you concentrate if I could quiet her.”
He was that obvious, huh? “It’ll be okay.”
She nodded. Her attention was drawn to the black van pulling up alongside as they cruised along a wide, flat stretch of road. Another van advanced on the driver’s side as a third van closed in on their rear bumper.
“Cute, guys. Real cute. But I don’t think so.” Grayson floored it, and the SUV shot forward and away from the vans. Just in time, a semi topped the hill from the opposite direction, scattering the vans into a line behind him.
He flashed his lights at the semi and the truck driver slowed as Grayson checked in with Cane. “You still there, buddy?”
“I’m sending backup to your location. Just stay smart and hold tight.” Cane sounded distracted, clearly taking care of the details even as he spoke.
“You’re the best, bro.” He nodded at Lauren. “You can jump back there with the baby now, but make it fast.” She wasted no time scrambling into the back seat.
As the semi passed, he gunned it once more, fully expecting the three vans to try again. “Hold on tight, Lauren. I’m going to be taking some of these turns as fast as I can to try to get rid of these guys long enough for help to get here.”
The vans accelerated, also, but the SUV was more powerful, putting some distance between them.
Lauren was soothing the baby as best she could, but it looked as though her nerves were fraying. Lily had quieted a little, but still emitted some pitiful cries here and there. He might have to stop sooner than he’d planned just to calm them all.
“Cane?” Grayson knew his buddy was still on the line, even though he had gone silent, probably listening in.
“Here, bro.” Cane’s calm reassured Grayson that he was about to get help.
“Can you tell me how far we are from the destination?” He didn’t like the weariness in his voice.
“Farther than you’d like, I’m sure. Let me ping your location and calculate it.” The line went silent for a moment. “Looks like about four and a half hours.”
Grayson bit back an ugly reply. “All right. I’m going to need to stop before then.”
The SUV was blanketed in quiet before Cane’s voice came through the Bluetooth speaker system once more. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. We just all need out of this vehicle for a little bit. Traveling with a baby is...different.” He couldn’t say it was difficult with Lauren listening in. His ego was already taking a hit at his inability to take care of the baby.
“Oh, I’m sure that’s an understatement.” Cane laughed. “It looks like there is a town up ahead that should be safe enough for you to stop and take a stretch, as long as we can lose your tails.”
“I see blue lights just ahead now.” Relief filled Grayson as the three black vans slowed their advance. “Thanks, Cane.”
“Not a problem. Stop in Barnesdale if you can. It looks to be a safe bet. If you need me, just call.”
Grayson made a sound of agreement and Cane disconnected. The vans had dropped way back by the time the flashing lights reached Grayson’s SUV. He waved at the troopers and kept driving, watching in his rearview mirror as they passed the semi and headed for his chasers. The vans turned off in different directions, but the troopers followed. He knew they probably wouldn’t discover much if they caught up with his pursuers, but at least they would keep the bad guys busy for a while.
Grayson checked his GPS to see that Cane had sent the info to take them to the town of Barnesdale. As soon as they got there, he pulled i
nto a kid-friendly restaurant and followed the females inside. When Lauren and Lily were situated and safe, he called Cane back to get his orders.
When Cane gave him the location of the safe house, Grayson didn’t say anything, just grunted. Cane read him like only a longtime friend could.
“You aren’t happy to be going back to Oklahoma? You know it’s one of the safest places in the country.” Cane chuckled. “Mostly because there isn’t much going on there.”
“Yeah. I mean, that much is true. At least tell me it’s a long way from that last hideout we had to endure. If I run into those busybodies from the last town in Oklahoma, I might have to quit my job.” Grayson grumbled the words, hoping Lauren didn’t hear. He definitely didn’t want to run into anyone who might know Rebecca.
Cane laughed again. He didn’t know the whole story. Grayson had gone to great lengths to make sure no one knew all the embarrassing details. “No worries. You’ll be on the other side of the state. But I can’t promise there won’t be more sweet old ladies looking out for your welfare.”
The local church ladies in the last Oklahoma town had been so determined to see him happily matched that they had almost ruined the whole mission. Cane thought it was a hilarious joke. Grayson was glad his friend didn’t know the church ladies’ matchmaking scheme had played right into Rebecca’s hands. “Not funny, bro.”
“If it helps, it’s near a lake. Up in the hills.” Cane had at least stopped laughing.
“Fantastic. ’Cause hiding out beside a lake with a baby, watching other people wakeboard and ride Jet Skis, sounds like an awesome time.” Grayson infused fake cheer into his sarcasm.