by Joan Davis
Lela had woken a few times. Her fever had broken and her stomach was no longer bothering her, but Honor made sure she took the next round of antibiotics, and got her to eat a small amount of soup. Her questions about Gabriel were harder to handle. The only thing Honor could think to tell her was that Gabriel had to take an unexpected trip and he would be home as soon as possible. She could only pray that Lela would never have to know the truth. When she fell asleep again, they moved her into the bedroom she usually stayed in when she visited Sam and Risa. Honor stayed with her for most of the night in case she awakened, but for the most part, Honor was up and down. Around two in the morning she gave up and decided just to get up. She showered and dressed in a comfortable pair of jeans and a black sweatshirt before quietly leaving the bedroom.
As she scraped her hair back in a messy pony tail, she found Risa in her studio curled up on her plush little sofa with a steaming cup of cocoa.
“Want some?” Risa asked, moving as if to get up.
Honor waved her back down. “I’m good, just restless and trying to keep myself from falling apart,” she said with a wry smile. Every minute that passed was another heartbeat of fear for Gabriel’s safety.
Risa leaned forward and gathered Honor in a one arm hug. “He’s okay. I know it,” she whispered.
Nodding, Honor hugged her back, too choked up to speak. She finally cleared her throat and sat back with a sigh. “Thanks, I needed that.”
“Me too,” Risa said, a little teary herself.
Looking around the studio, Honor still marveled at the talent her friend possessed. She was able to create scenes of fantasy and beauty from nothing. The walls were lined with framed paintings of mystical creatures and fantasy worlds. It was extraordinary. Honor suddenly wished she could create a fantasy world where she and Gabriel were safe together, with Lela by their side. Feeling ridiculous, she turned to speak to Risa when she noticed a familiar child-sized doll sitting on a small chair. Her frilly antique clothing seemed somehow out of place in the dream-like setting of the studio. “That’s the doll that Lela likes to play with when she’s here, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, that’s Marisol. Sam has relegated her to my studio,” Risa giggled. “He has a thing about dolls staring at him non-stop. He told me he saw a scary movie about killer dolls when he was a kid. Anyway, no matter where I’ve put her in the house she always mysteriously returns to my studio,” she said with a humorous eye-roll.
Honor shook her head and smiled over the irony of a man like Sam Knight being freaked out by a doll. She and Risa continued to talk quietly until Sam appeared at the studio door.
“We have something. Can you both come into my office? I don’t want Lela overhearing anything, in case she wakes up. Mik is going to wait in the living room in case she does,” Sam said, as he moved back to let them both pass by him. They headed towards his office.
“What’s going on?” Honor asked, as she entered Sam’s office and saw Conner packing a Kevlar vest in a duffle bag. Her heart slammed against her chest. “Did you find Gabriel? Is he hurt?”
“We aren’t sure. The information we have isn’t solid. We have word from the Sheriff’s office that several vehicles pulled in around the back side of Sam’s Construction Offices. Obviously, there shouldn’t be anyone there at this time. The Sheriff said they’ve seen lights and movement in the garage area. Mik and I are going to take some men and check it out.”
Tension stretched Honor’s nerves raw. “I know that garage like the back of my hand. I will be able to tell you anything you need to know about the place,” she said, already wondering if she was dressed warmly enough.
Conner threw a look at Sam before he said, “Honor, you’re not coming with us. You need to stay with Lela.”
“But I can help,” Honor stated, feeling shut out.
“Honor, Conner designed the security for my entire office site. We have security cameras and they are being monitored remotely. We haven’t caught sight of Dunn or Gabriel yet, but we’ve identified some of his men. Let Conner and Mik do their jobs,” Sam said quietly, as Risa moved into his arms for comfort.
“The last thing Gabriel said to me was to make sure you and Lela were safe,” Conner added.
Wanting to argue, but knowing it was futile, Honor said, “How long will it take before we’ll know something? If you haven’t seen Gabriel or Dunn, it could be a trap, right?”
Nodding, Conner said, “The Sheriff’s men and my people are slowly moving in to surround the place. No matter what, they won’t get away.”
Fifteen minutes later, Honor watched as two large SUV’s carrying Conner, Mik and several security agents disappeared down the block.
“They know what they’re doing, Honor. If Gabriel is there, they’ll get him out safe,” Sam declared.
Honor nodded and followed Sam back into the house. She excused herself for a moment and ducked into her and Lela’s room. She went into the bathroom, shut the door and turned on the shower full-blast. Lowering herself on to the toilet lid, she tried not to make any noise as the tears fell.
*****
About thirty minutes later, Honor made sure Lela was still sleeping before she made her way back to the living room. She found it empty, but heard Sam and Risa’s quiet murmurs coming from his office. Not wanting to talk, she walked to the French doors and looked out at the beautiful lake and the thick stand of trees at its borders. How long would it take before they heard anything? Sighing, she absently watched as two men from the security detail made their circuit around the back of the property.
Her looked down and remove her phone from her pocket when she felt it vibrate. Looking at the screen, relief and grateful tears flooded her system when she saw Gabriel’s name on the caller ID. She answered with a smile, “Gabriel?”
“So sorry to disappoint you, my dear Ms. Weston, but this is not your lover, Gabriel. He is otherwise occupied and is unable to come to the phone.”
Pain-clenching horror coursed through Honor’s body, as the voice she had hoped never to hear again came through the phone. She spun around, fearing that he was somehow there with her, but she was alone. Then, dread filled her as she realized Maximus Dunn had Gabriel’s phone. Oh God, no!
“Come, Ms. Weston, surely you can say something to me after all this time? I have thought of you often over the years. I have always regretted your loss.”
Closing her eyes, and trying to control her need to scream, Honor asked, “What do you want?”
“Oh, I want a lot of things, Ms. Weston. I want to leave this country. I want what has been taken from me. . .”
“What about what you’ve taken from others, you bastard?” Honor felt anger erupt inside, despite her fear.
There was a moment of silence before Maximus Dunn’s voice whipped through the phone, like a striking snake. “You mean like your lover? Would you like me to return Mr. Ryan to you?”
“You’re lying. You don’t have Gabriel,” Honor said, praying she was correct.
“Really, Ms. Weston, I don’t make idle threats. He had a little accident with his truck, my men just happened to be there to lend a hand.”
Honor’s legs gave out, and she slumped to the floor beside the couch. “Don’t hurt him,” she whispered.
“Unfortunately, he is already hurt, but I can promise not to make it worse for him, as long as you do as I say.”
“What do you want?” Honor asked through clenched teeth. If he had Gabriel, what were Conner and Mik headed into? Did Dunn know she was at Sam’s? Could they get to Lela?”
“Why you, Ms. Weston, and darling little Lela, of course. I miss her. She has such a sweet way about her, don’t you think? She’s a very valuable asset, and Mr. Ryan ruined that for me.”
“You had his sister murdered, you bastard,” Honor gasped.
“Yes, well that was an unfortunate turn of events. She intruded in a private conversation and I was left with little choice. Nevertheless, as of today, with your assistance, I will have a way to reco
up a small amount of my lost revenue. I think it’s a fair trade. You two lovely, young ladies for your lover’s life?”
Trying to remain in control, Honor made herself think. What would Gabriel do? He would try to draw Dunn out to find out more information. “How do I know you would let Gabriel live if I do what you want?”
“Really, Ms. Weston, do you have a choice?”
Desperate to buy some time to think, Honor said, “If you really have Gabriel, let me speak to him.”
“I would, Ms. Weston, but he is in no shape to speak just now, but let me see what I can do,” Dunn said. There was silence for a moment before a bellow of rage and pain came across the phone.
Tears streamed down Honor’s face. She knew it was Gabriel, despite the almost animalistic sound that she heard through the phone.
“How was that, Ms. Weston? Good enough, or do you need more convincing?”
Choking on unshed tears, Honor said, “I’ll come to wherever you want, but you can’t have Lela. Just leave her out of this. She’s just a little girl.”
“You will bring the child, or as I said, Mr. Ryan will die. It is your choice. It’s very simple isn’t it?”
“Where?” Honor choked out.
“Very good, Ms. Weston. I do love when people are agreeable. I also love people with good taste. You have chosen a lovely home for yourself. A little sparse for my taste, but it has beautiful wood floors, so much character and very unique. Just like you, I think. I would love a tour, if we have time. You must hurry though. I need to be leaving soon. I will see you in thirty minutes.”
“You’re in my home?” Honor froze. Her stomach turned. He was holding Gabriel prisoner in her house. He was so close. She couldn’t let Maximus Dunn take him away from her. There was no question that she would do anything it took to keep that from happening.
“Oh dear, I know it’s the height of rudeness to show up unannounced. My arrival was supposed to be a surprise for you. It was such a disappointment to find that you and Lela were not here to greet me. Regardless, I decided this would be a perfect meeting place. Don’t you recognize the brilliance of my decision? No one would believe I would dare take this kind of risk. Please don’t be late, Ms. Weston. I’m eagerly awaiting your arrival.”
“Wait! I’m being watched. I don’t know if I can avoid the guards here. I need more time,” Honor begged.
“You are a smart woman, figure it out. Thirty minutes is more than enough time, Ms. Weston. Don’t force my hand. You will not appreciate the consequences. Oh, and if anyone else decides to join our little get together, I will make sure Mr. Ryan dies in a most horrible fashion. Goodbye for now, Ms. Weston.”
“No . . .,” but the line went dead. Honor’s body shook with fear. Her tortured mind spun with the horrible choices facing her. But she knew she really had no choice. None. She pulled herself up and headed for the room where Lela slept.
*****
Gabriel decided that pain was a funny thing. It sharpened the senses and made everything seem crystal clear. As awareness slowly returned, he tried once again to catalog his injuries. He lay still, his breathing shallow, but steady. With each beat of his heart, he felt the slow sluggish path that his blood was taking as it came down the side of his face. He couldn’t see it, but he knew it was blood. He realized that he must have a head wound of some sort. Those always bled a lot, whether they were serious, or not. His face felt swollen, especially around his eyes and the left side of his face. A burning sensation continued to radiate from his shoulder down to his wrist. Though his wounds were painful, none of them felt life-threatening. Still, not my best day, Gabriel thought with wry humor.
He turned his head slightly to study the man assigned to guard him. Almost a stereotype, the man was a thick-necked thug with more fire power than brains. He stood by the door of Honor’s bedroom. The man had barely moved an inch since they had dumped him on the bed and walked out. Gabriel kept up the pretense that he was unconscious, but he continued to listen and wait for the first opportunity to strike out.
He froze as the bedroom door opened and Dunn walked inside. Without a word, he walked over and slammed his fist into Gabriel’s shoulder. Not expecting the attack, Gabriel screamed like a stuck pig. He fought nausea and the blackness that threatened to take him over again. The pain gave way to fear, and then rage, when he heard Dunn speak into a cell phone. He was speaking to Honor, and she must have asked for proof of life. Damn it to hell. Gabriel knew what the bastard was doing. He was drawing Honor out into the open and using him as bait. Gabriel couldn’t let him take her- he’d die first. Dunn left the room before he could hear any more than a few words of the conversation, but it was enough for him to know that Honor had agreed to come to the house, to Dunn.
His shoulder burned like a hot poker was slowly turning inside it, but he’d had worse. He moaned, playing his injuries up for the guard. The last thing he needed was for them to perceive him as any kind of threat. Dunn had made a serious mistake in assuming that he wasn’t dangerous enough to bother tying up. Gabriel’s temples still pounded, but it felt like the head wound had stopped bleeding so profusely. Still, he was hoping it looked gory enough to add credibility to his feigned state of helplessness. Dunn’s men had just dumped Gabriel on the bed and left a single guard in the room with him. Gabriel planned to take full advantage of that second mistake the first chance he got.
Luckily, they had left all of Gabriel’s clothing in place when they dumped him. He could feel the press of the knife, resting inside his right boot. which the bastards had missed. Mistake number three. He just needed a moment of distraction to make his move.
*****
Honor pulled into the driveway of her home and parked next to her little red truck. She was on automatic pilot. She knew if she hesitated, even for a second, she wouldn’t be able to go through with it. Opening the door to the SUV, she went around and opened the passenger side door and gathered the blanket-covered Lela into her arms. She cradled the child against her body and made her way to the front door, pausing when it opened. Shock nearly took her to her knees when Fergus Sinclair’s deadly eyes met her gaze. He moved back to allow her to enter. Clutching Lela closer, Honor entered her house and got the second and third shocks to her system. Detective Joseph Lane stood next to Maximus Dunn.
“Ms. Weston, how very impressive. It only took you twenty-five minutes, but then you’ve always been very resourceful, haven’t you?”
Ignoring his words, Honor stared from Fergus to Detective Lane. “You bastards,” she hissed, angry that she had ignored her intuition about both men. If only she had told someone about her suspicions of either of these men, things might have been different. She wanted to scream with rage.
“Oh, you didn’t know Joseph and his colleague worked for me?” Dunn asked mockingly.
Honor finally turned to gaze at her nightmare. Time had not been kind to him. He appeared ragged. His skin was ruddy and his hair was thinning and lacked the glossy sheen it previously had. His once pristine clothing was showing signs of constant wear. He seemed a bit pathetic, but Honor knew better than to assume his outward appearance meant weakness. She knew exactly how calculating and merciless Dunn could be.
“Don’t flatter yourself, I’ve always known that Lane was your puppet. He made sure I knew that if I ever admitted that I knew who you were, I’d end up dead. Just like the other little girl. Now where is Gabriel?” she demanded. Glancing around the room, she saw three other men, all armed, but no Gabriel.
“Now that is interesting news. Joseph never mentioned any of this to me. I look forward to hearing more. I have to say, you are still high spirited, and still very beautiful, Ms. Weston. I’m so pleased to see I was right. When I chose that design for your face, I knew it would be alluring, but now it’s almost magnetic. Yes, you will still fetch a nice price for me,” Dunn speculated with satisfaction.
“Shut up, you bastard. Where is Gabriel?”
“Touché. All in due time, Ms. Weston,” he sai
d. “First, I would like to get reacquainted with the beautiful Lela. It has been such a long time since I’ve had a chance to visit with her.”
When he motioned for Fergus to take Lela, Honor clutched the tiny body closer and shook her head. “No, stay away from me you fucking freak. Lela stays with me. I did what you said. I came here, now let me see Gabriel.”
Dunn looked at the detective with raised brows. “Apparently, Ms. Weston is full of surprises today. It seems, Joseph, that she has an aversion to your Mr. Sinclair. Why don’t you have him relieve Smith and have Smith check the outside for any unwelcome visitors.” When Fergus excited the room Dunn turned back to Honor. “Now, again, Ms. Weston, hand over the child.”
Shaking her head, Honor repeated, “Lela stays with me. You said if I came, you would release Gabriel. Take me to him.”
Stepping forward, Maximus Dunn’s gaze turned deadly. “You think to make demands of me, you little bitch? I could have killed you a thousand times over, and yet I let you live. Where is your gratitude? You should be on your knees, begging me for whatever scrap of mercy I might be willing give you. Instead, you show nothing but disrespect. How unfortunate, Ms. Weston. I was so hoping you would be of at least a small value to me, however, it appears you will be nothing but a liability. Such a disappointment. Take the child!” Dunn barked out the command, and before Honor could stop him, the man closest to her grabbed Lela and jerked her out of her arms.
Frowning, the man tore the blanket away and found nothing but a large doll. He dropped poor Marisol, and she lay twisted on the floor. Dunn stared at the doll and slowly raised his lethal gaze to Honor. “You’ve made a very serious mistake.”
Honor knew she was about to die, but it was worth seeing the look of impotent rage on Maximus Dunn’s face. “Did you honestly think I would allow you anywhere near Lela or any other child, you maggot? You putrid piece of shit. You may kill me, but your end is coming. And I hope it’s slow and painful, you bastard.” Her voice was loud and full of vengeance.