He landed a punch on Dawson’s nose and it exploded with blood. The man once again swiped at Ben with his knife. This time, Ben disarmed him, but the man twisted his legs with Ben’s and they both fell. Ben’s face was in the water and Dawson was on top. Ben might be the better fighter, but Dawson was heavier—and all he had to do to win this was to keep Ben pinned down until he drowned.
But then, the next moment, bewilderingly, Ben suddenly found he was free. He rolled out of the water, coughing and choking.
Brighton stood over Dawson. “I’ll give it to you. Let him live. Let us go.”
Ben glanced at Chasey, the same confusion Ben felt obvious on her face.
“What are you talking about Brighton?” she asked.
“Never mind her, boy,” Dawson said. “Give it to me. Now.”
“Fine,” Brighton replied. “Hurry.” Without more clarification, he sloshed through the water.
Ben caught up to him, wanting to demand an explanation, but when he got to the mouth of the cave, he saw something that made him freeze in shock.
A boat, out on this crazy water. The coast guard!
He stepped forward and waved both arms. He saw a signal flash in return, showing that they’d spotted him. He turned back to Dawson, Chasey and Brighton.
Dawson had scrambled forward and had spotted the coast guard vessel, as well. With a muttered curse, he stepped closer to Chasey, brandishing another knife, and spewing a stream of threats, trying to force Brighton to turn over whatever it was that he had before the cavalry arrived and took him back into federal custody.
With a quick look at Brighton, Ben rushed Dawson, relieved when Brighton did his part and grabbed one of his uncle’s arms. Ben was able to secure the other and disarm the man.
Dawson was still fighting them with everything he had, but Chasey, not about to be outdone, stepped up and popped her uncle right in the nose, hard enough that they could all hear the crack.
With Dawson stunned still for a moment by pain and surprise, Ben was finally able to pull both arms behind his back and use the plastic zip ties on his wrists, the same as he’d done with the others.
“Bradley!” he heard someone yelling from the shoreline. “Bradley, are you there?”
Stepping out onto the ledge of the cave, Ben spotted the two agents who had come to the island with him.
“In here!” he yelled, waving his arm to get their attention. “I’ve got something for you.”
* * *
The men were more than happy to take Dawson into custody. Once they had him, and Ben was certain that the threat was over, he turned his attention on Chasey. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms, but she was holding on to Brighton—and he was letting her, which meant this moment was one he didn’t feel he could interrupt.
“I think I figured it out,” Chasey said, startling him. “I think I know what Uncle Theo wanted from Brighton. It’s something he hid on the boat.” She glanced at her brother.
He pressed a finger against his temple. “It’s in here first.”
“What it is?” After what Chasey had told him earlier, Ben wondered if maybe it had to do with Brighton’s computer skills.
“Bitcoin. He has the information on a USB drive and he hid that on the boat,” Chasey said.
Ah. Ben nodded. Now he thought he’d figured it out. Theo Dawson had hidden a substantial amount of his money through the use of cryptocurrency, which required many passwords. Without those passwords, no one could get at the money. He wasn’t after Brighton’s computer skills. He was after Brighton’s memory. Theo’d been hiding all the information in Brighton’s head so the feds couldn’t find and seize it. But he’d needed to get Brighton back to pay for his big escape and his new life.
Ben had to admit, it was brilliant on Dawson’s part. Maybe he would have pulled it all off if the hurricane hadn’t prevented him from leaving before Ben could get here and thwart his plans.
Once the coast guard vessel had arrived with the cavalry, everyone returned to the plantation structure where the FBI special agents guarded Dawson and his men until they could all safely be transported to the mainland.
Ben found Chasey wrapped in a blanket and staring out the window as she watched the storm. He sat next to her in the window nook.
“You mind if I join you?”
She smiled, but he wasn’t sure it reached her eyes. “Please.”
He sat extra close to her, glad to feel her warmth, hoping that she appreciated his, too.
“Until this storm has passed,” she said, “I won’t feel like any of it is truly over.”
He took her hand in his and she didn’t resist. He watched the rain bash the window and in the corner of his eye, saw her lift her gaze to study him.
“I haven’t thanked you yet,” she said. “You came here for us, in spite of all of the danger. You kept on fighting and you saved us.”
“I don’t know that I can take the credit. Seems like Brighton was the man with the plan.”
She turned to him, pulling her hand away. “Brighton couldn’t have done anything if you hadn’t been here with us.”
She placed her palms against his cheeks, surprising him. Tears welled in her eyes. “What next, Ben? Where do I go from here? Where do we go from here?”
The “we” she was asking about could have been her and Brighton, but he sensed that her question had to do with her and him, and these feelings between them that wouldn’t go away.
He wrapped his hands around hers. “I think it’s time for some honesty. For me to be honest with myself and with you.”
“Honesty is always good.” Light shivered in her hazel eyes.
Okay, here it goes. Ben was taking a big risk here. But Chasey was so worth it.
“I love my job, I love saving and protecting people,” he said. “But there’s nothing I’ve regretted more than walking away from you last year. I made the wrong choice, Chasey. Um, Kelly.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I...I love you.”
Without another word, he took her in his arms and kissed her thoroughly. Chasey responded eagerly, driving away the last of his fear and regret. When he released her, she was breathless.
“Well?” he asked.
“You want me to be honest?”
“Always.”
Tears welled in her beautiful eyes. “I love you, too. I don’t think I ever stopped, but I knew you were married to your job. That’s always going to stand in the way, isn’t it, Ben?”
“Not anymore. I want to be married to you. Will you marry me?”
Her face twisted in confusion. “Yes, Ben. Oh yes. But...how can we make it work?”
He smiled. “I’ll find a position with local law enforcement wherever you end up. I want to make this work. So what do you say?”
“I wouldn’t go back into WITSEC?”
“It’s your choice. I could go in with you, or you could become Kelly Bradley and trust in the protection of a big law enforcement family instead of the protection of a new identity. I don’t think you have to worry about your uncle anymore. Now that the Bitcoin secret is out of the bag, the feds will be able to lock down the last of his assets and he won’t have the means to hire henchmen anymore.”
Brighton suddenly appeared in front of them. “Say yes...Kelly. We...we can be family. Ben, too.”
“Of course.” Brighton was definitely included in this decision and family. Ben hugged Chasey and Brighton to him. “I love my family so much,” Ben said.
* * *
If you enjoyed this story in Elizabeth Goddard’s Mount Shasta Secrets miniseries, be sure to pick up these previous titles:
Deadly Evidence
Covert Cover-Up
Taken in the Night
Available now from Love Inspired Suspense!
; Keep reading for an excerpt from Kidnap Threat by Anne Galbraith.
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for reading High Stakes Escape! I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Stories that take the characters on the run are certainly fun adventures to write and usually take me to places I hadn’t planned. For example, I hadn’t planned for Rolf to show up and, to me, he’s like that person that God places in your life to encourage you at just the right time. He’s the perfect example that even in the most extreme circumstances, God is always there with us. Sometimes we don’t have to look any further than the people in our lives.
On that topic... I definitely planned for Chasey’s brother, Brighton, to make an appearance. His character is an amazing and unique person partially originating from my own amazing and unique child. There are no words to describe how precious my son is to me and how dearly I love him. I thank God for him every day.
I pray that you can see and feel God working in your life and that you especially appreciate and pray for the people with whom He has surrounded you.
I love to hear from my readers. If you’d like to find out more about my books or to learn ways to connect with me, please visit my web site at ElizabethGoddard.com.
Many Blessings,
Elizabeth
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Kidnap Threat
by Anne Galbraith
ONE
Alice Benoit froze at the sound of glass shattering.
Her hands stilled on the cardboard box in front of her. There was a lot to clear out before she listed the house, and her neighbor Kristen had volunteered to help with her packing. In the back of her mind, she’d recognized the sound of tires on the driveway and had been waiting for a knock on the door. But Kristen would have waited to be let in. She wouldn’t break a window.
Alice tried to reason the sound away. No one would break into her home. She was an ordinary person, and this was an ordinary morning. It couldn’t really be anything bad. It must be an accident, a stone dislodged from...from... Her brain was flailing for an explanation.
Another part of her went straight to panic mode. Run! Hide! it shouted.
She was alone in the house. A widow of almost two years, she had been on her own since her son left on a university-sponsored expedition to the Antarctic six months ago. She lived in a rural area and always kept her doors locked when she was home. She’d married a cop when she was twenty, and for twenty-five years, he’d drilled safety habits into their daily routines.
She heard a male voice, one she didn’t recognize, swearing. “You sure she’s home?”
“Yeah, her car’s in the garage.”
The hair on her arms stood up. This was no accident.
Alice had no idea why anyone would be looking for her, but that didn’t matter now. If these men had good intentions, they’d have knocked on the door, not broken in. She could hear more glass falling on the tile floor of the entrance, and she guessed the intruders were clearing out the remaining glass they’d broken to open the door. She had seconds.
Flight or fight? She had nothing here to fight with, but there was nowhere to run. She was trapped here on the second floor with only one set of stairs. Suddenly, she knew what to do. She had to get across the landing.
She tiptoed quickly to the door of the office. She peered around the doorframe into the hallway. No one was at the foot of the stairs. Yet. She heard the front door hit the wall. They’d entered the house without caution or fear.
The only safe place was in the master bedroom. She had to risk it. She took a breath and darted silently across the hall, breathing a prayer.
She made it through the doorway. Her heart slammed in her chest, and she shoved her hand against it, afraid it might be loud enough to betray her. She slid with her back against the wall, careful step by careful step, until she got to the closet. She listened for noise coming from the main floor and heard footsteps moving around. How long until they came upstairs?
The doors to the closet were closed, blocking the safety inside. As she reached out a hand, she heard a crash from downstairs. She flinched and forced herself to turn her back to the doorway, leaving her exposed and vulnerable. She had to get the closet door open. If she could just do it quietly...
She braced one hand on the sliding door and pushed it back gently. It stuck, snagging on something. She glanced back at the empty doorway and then pushed a little harder. With a jolt, it slid all the way open and rapped the far side. She paused again.
There was silence on the main floor. Had they heard her?
She slipped into the closet. This side was empty. Henry’s clothes had always hung here, and she’d packed those up months ago. She slid the door back into place behind her and reached for the clasp on the side of the closet.
The hiding place was the result of a mistake Henry made when he’d renovated the upstairs. He hadn’t measured the distances correctly, and there was a gap between the two closets. At first, she’d expected him to tear down one side and fix it, but he was a cop. He’d seen this as a possible safety asset, a hidey-hole.
The space was tight for storage, and Alice had been frustrated with him. But not now. Now, it could possibly save her. If she could just swing it open quietly...quietly and quickly.
She could hear footsteps coming up the stairs. Her hand was shaking as she brushed it over the wall. There, there it is. The catch was not readily noticeable, but she found it and swung the half door forward.
It wasn’t the whole height or width of the wall, but it was enough for Alice to fit through. It had been years since anyone had been in here, but she didn’t have time to check what the interior was like now. There would be dust, but hopefully that would be the worst of it. She had barely closed the hidden door again and shut herself into darkness when she heard someone enter the bedroom.
She hadn’t had time to latch the hidey-hole door, so she crouched in the dark space, hanging onto the metal tab to hold the hidden door shut.
The sound of footsteps came closer, and someone slid the closet door back with enough force to make the frame reverberate.
The silence stretched forever, and Alice stopped breathing. Then the closet door slammed closed again. She heard drawers being thrown open and things falling on the floor. Then the footsteps crossed the hall. Alice slowly let out a long breath. She felt for the latch and used her fingers to mute the tiny click when it locked into place.
Neither the latch nor the door was designed to withstand any force, but having the latch closed still made her feel better. Safer. Her heart rate dropped. She slowly relaxed her crouch, so that she was sitting on the floor, staring at nothing. She was safe, temporarily.
Only temporarily, though. She needed help. Kristen was due to arrive soon. Alice had to warn her and make sure she didn’t walk into this, whatever this was. Her phone was in her back pocket. She pulled it out, carefully muted the sound and started texting.
With the intruders upstairs, so close that she could hear them moving around in the next room, she didn’t dare risk a call to 911. But she sent a text message to Kristen, her closest neighbor, to warn her and ask her to get help.
Intruders in house. Call 911 ASAP. Stay away!
She considered the text for a moment and then added, Not joking.
She hit Send and pressed the screen against her chest, afraid the light might show through a crack if anyone looked in the closet again.
There was a slight vibration from the phone. She tensed, worried that minor sound might have revealed her refuge. She could hear the intruders in the office across the hall. She pulled the phone just far enough away to see the screen.
; Hope not a joke. Called police. They’re on the way.
Thank You, Lord, she prayed silently and waited, trying to tell by the muted noises if the intruders were returning for a more thorough search.
They were in the bedroom across the hall now. The voices were so close she almost jumped. They were on the other side of the wall that suddenly felt very flimsy.
“I thought you said she was here.”
“I told you, the car is here. Where else would she be?”
“Maybe she left with someone else.”
“There’s a purse. Check that. She wouldn’t have gone without her purse.”
Alice grimaced. Her purse was there, with her wallet, all her ID, her bank and credit cards...
She heard the contents of her purse being dumped out. Her panic leaped to anger. What right did they have to go through her stuff? Adrenaline was pumping so loudly through her body she thought they might hear it.
There was a moment of silence, and then more swearing. She heard footsteps pound down the stairs. She tried to sense any vibrations from beyond the closet or to hear what was going on downstairs, but she didn’t dare open the half door in case they’d returned silently, thinking they could trick her out of her hiding place.
She was prepared to stay here for a long time.
Her phone vibrated again.
Sirens just went by. You okay?
Alice’s whole body went limp with relief as she texted, Yes.
Finally, she heard voices she recognized calling her name. She unlatched and pushed open the half door, scrambling stiffly out of the closet and into the bedroom.
It was a mess. The men, at least two, had managed to create a lot of havoc in a short time.
“I’m safe,” she called as she bypassed the chaos and left the relative security of the bedroom. Two officers she recognized were at the foot of the stairs, looking relieved to see her on the landing in one piece. Toby and Dale. They were young, but they’d known Henry, and Alice had met them many times. They’d attended Henry’s funeral.
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