“I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine,” Peter argued. “You’re hanging on by a tenuous thread. Have you looked at your brother’s face? He’s terrified for you as much as Mandy.
“Now, I understand that you want Mandy back and we are going to get her,” he continued. “You need to be on top of your game when we come up with a location, though. You owe your wife your best effort when it comes to a rescue.”
“He’s right, James,” Louis said, appearing in the doorway. He spoke before James could muster an argument to the contrary. “Mandy is out there waiting for you, but you’ll never forgive yourself if exhaustion causes you to make a mistake.”
“I won’t sleep in that bed without her,” James said, his voice cracking. “I can’t.”
“Then don’t sleep in the bed,” Peter instructed. “You probably won’t let yourself sleep anyway, but you need to rest. Go upstairs to the couch on the landing. Close your eyes. We will come to you as soon as we find a location. I promise.”
“But … no.” James shook his head. His eyes were so red they practically glowed. “I have to be here. I need to find her.”
“You put together a team of highly-skilled men,” Peter countered. “I’ve done the same thing. It’s time to let them do their jobs. You cannot take the weight of the world onto your shoulders and expect to stand forever. You need rest.”
“Please, James,” Louis prodded. “It would kill Mandy to see you like this. You know that. Even when we find her, you’re going to go without sleep to take care of her.”
“Yes, if we thought you were a doting mess before, I think you’re ready to take it to new levels,” Grady said. “If you want to give her everything she’s going to need, you have to get your head on straight. You need rest to do that.”
“Fine,” James forced out. “I’ll go upstairs and rest on the couch. I won’t sleep, though.”
“We’ll take what we can get,” Peter said. “I have another avenue I want to track down with Maverick while you do that … just in case the property deeds come up empty or take too long.”
“What’s that?” Grady asked, genuinely curious.
“I happen to know the truck that moved his stuff was Harmon & Sons Movers,” Peter replied. “The neighbors told me. They can’t tell me where they were moving that furniture by law, but I’m guessing their computer system isn’t exactly secure.”
“Ooh, nice,” Grady said, smiling. “We’re getting close, James. You have to rest. It will be soon. I know it.”
“I’ll rest,” James muttered, snagging the shark stuffed animal from the couch and cradling it. “I won’t like it, though.”
“Somehow I already knew that,” Grady said dryly.
“I want my baby now,” James said. “I … need her.”
“We’re going to get her,” Peter said. “You need to be sharp when the time comes, though. You look very far from sharp at the present moment. Now … go. If I have to wrestle you down and drug you, you’re not going to like it. I will rescue Mandy without you if it comes to it. Don’t make me go that route.”
James was dumbfounded. He worked his jaw for a moment, and then curtly nodded. “I’m going. Don’t you dare leave this house without me.”
“Don’t make me leave this house without you,” Peter shot back. “Rest … or we will leave you.”
MANDY was used to pretending to be weak and sick when she wanted to play certain games with James. It was usually a round of dirty doctor that got rather kinky. She was obviously hoping for a different outcome with Clint, but she knew exactly what buttons to push to get him to do what she wanted.
“How are you feeling?” Clint asked, his voice plaintive as he hit the bottom of the stairs. “Are you better?”
“I’m pretty sure I’m getting worse,” Mandy said, her voice barely a whisper. “It hurts to hold up my head … and see … I can’t even lift my arm.” Mandy held her right arm out and let it flop to the floor.
“I don’t know what to do,” Clint admitted. “I’m not supposed to leave this house. That was the plan I came up with. I can’t go back on it now.”
“It’s okay, Clint,” Mandy said. “I understand I’m dying. I’ve made my peace with it. Your safety is obviously more important.” Mandy wanted to throw up rather than say the words, but she was desperate to get Clint out of the house. She needed to get out of the basement, and to do that he couldn’t be hovering. She didn’t relish the idea of wandering around in the woods, but this was Michigan, not some frozen tundra. Civilization couldn’t be too far away.
“You’re not going to die,” Clint snapped. “I looked anemia up on the internet and found that certain cases are mild.”
“I don’t have one of those cases, Clint,” Mandy said, pressing her hand to her brow and briefly worrying she was taking it a step too far. “I have one of the severe cases. I need medication.”
Clint bit his lip, clearly uncertain. “I can get to town and back in less than an hour, but I can’t leave you here.”
Mandy pursed her lips. “You could take me with you,” she suggested. “I could lay down in the back seat of your car and not let anyone see me. How would that be?”
“I don’t think I can risk that either,” Clint said, rubbing the back of his head as he turned in a circle. “I guess I can leave you here, but it’s not as if I can get prescription medication over the counter. What am I supposed to do?”
Mandy had no problem embellishing the lie. “If you get several bottles of the strongest iron pills available, I can mix my own dosage,” she said. “They have to be the female version of the pills, though.”
Clint furrowed his brow. “I didn’t know they had female iron.”
“It’s a secret because women have to take it … you know … during that time of the month,” Mandy said, internally crowing when Clint’s face turned a mottled shade of red. Men always reacted that way when a woman’s cycle became the focal point of a conversation. “It’s one of those secrets we can never tell. I trust you, though.”
“Okay … um … where would I find that?”
“It’s in the aisle with the feminine hygiene products,” Mandy replied, not missing a beat. “Get as many bottles as you can. We’re going to need them over the next few months.”
“I can’t do that!” Clint was mortified. “If people see me in the tampon aisle … .”
Then they’ll think you’re a freaking woman, Mandy said silently. “If you don’t want to help me, that’s fine. I would rather die than make you uncomfortable.”
The words had the desired effect on Clint. “No. I’ll save you. That’s my job as your husband.”
Mandy fought the urge to roll her eyes. “You have to hurry.”
“Okay,” Clint said. “I’m going to have to tie you to the chair again, though.”
“If you do that, the danger of blood clots increases,” Mandy said.
“But … you might try and escape while I’m gone,” Clint whined.
“I would never do that,” Mandy said, shaking her head. “I love this place. Sure, it needs to be cleaned, but we can tackle that as soon as I’m feeling better.”
Clint didn’t look convinced. “I’m going to have to lock the upstairs door.”
“That’s fine,” Mandy said, pressing her cheek against the seat of the chair. “Just … hurry, Clint. I feel myself fading away.”
Mandy remained still when Clint pressed a kiss to her forehead. Even though her stomach turned at the contact, she remained immobile.
“I’ll be right back,” Clint said, rushing toward the stairs. He tripped over the first one but caught himself, causing Mandy to lament the fact that he didn’t fall face first and kill himself. That would’ve solved all of her problems. “I’m going to save you!”
Mandy remained immobile even after the door slammed. She heard Clint lock the door and kept her face on the chair even as she muttered the word “putz.” She watched the small window in the reflection of a metal bowl, a
nd sure enough, Clint peeked his head inside to spy on her a few minutes later. He still wasn’t sure if she was faking. She had to make this her best performance ever. So, instead of hopping to her feet and figuring a way out of the basement, she laid her body down on the filthy floor and pretended that her very life was draining out of her.
Mandy waited for what felt like forever, and when she heard a vehicle engine roar to life and pull out of the driveway, she waited another five minutes before getting to her feet. She had one hour to get out of the cabin. Now it was really time to get her mind working.
“WE HAVE two options,” Maverick said, his face grave as he studied the men around James’ kitchen table. “I have two possible pieces of property.”
“We’ll hit them at the same time,” Peter said. “I’ll send my men to the one that seems less likely while you guys hit the other. I know you would like to take both, James, but if Clint figures out we’re moving he might grab Mandy and run. We have to be smart about this.”
“I know that,” James said. “I understand.” He hadn’t slept a wink, but he remained on the couch for an hour staring at the ceiling. He felt more refreshed, but just barely. “As long as we find her, I don’t care who gets to her first. I just want her away from that … animal.”
“Well, that’s going to happen soon,” Peter said. “What have you got?”
“Clint’s biological father left him a house in Eastpointe,” Maverick replied. “It’s a real hole. It has a basement, though. That’s one of the possibilities.”
“I don’t know,” James said. “It’s risky holding someone in a community like Eastpointe. The houses are ridiculously close together.”
“Then you’re really going to love the other option,” Maverick said. “Clint’s stepfather owned a cabin up in New Baltimore. It’s surrounded by woods and has its own boat dock and everything. Technically it belongs to Clint’s mother, but from what I can tell, Clint pays all of the bills.”
“That’s it,” James said. “That’s where he has her.”
“You should know that the furniture he moved from Heidi’s house was delivered to the Eastpointe home,” Maverick said.
James opened his mouth, his earlier conviction taking a hit. “I still think it’s the cabin. He needs to keep her isolated.”
“Okay then,” Peter said, bobbing his head. “I will take my men to the Eastpointe house. We will wait until you’re in position at the New Baltimore home before moving. I think it’s better to hit both places simultaneously.”
James swallowed hard and nodded. “If you find her before I do, tell her I love her.”
“She knows that.”
“Tell her.”
“I will have her on the phone with you in seconds,” Peter said. “The most important thing is getting her back.”
“Then let’s do it,” James said. “I want my baby back right now.”
15
Fifteen
Peter stood between Rodrigo and Sven and surveyed the nondescript Eastpointe bungalow. It looked empty. That didn’t necessarily mean anything.
Under normal circumstances, Peter would leave his men to handle a job of this magnitude. The stakes were too high this time.
“Are the men in position at the back of the house?”
Sven nodded. “I don’t think she’s here.”
“I don’t think she’s here either,” Peter admitted. “I think she’s at the cabin.”
“Maybe we should send more men out there as backup,” Sven suggested. “James looks … not good.”
“James is not going to look good again until he has his wife,” Peter said. “We cannot fix that. He’s not alone. He has his brothers and Jake with him. They will get Mandy back.”
“What are you expecting to find here?” Sven asked, genuinely curious.
“I have no idea,” Peter replied. “I’m hoping we find answers. Clint wanted people to believe he was coming to this house for a reason. I’m hoping we will find documentation of some sort … perhaps proof that he killed Heidi … so we can lock him up.”
“Oh, he’s never going to see a jail cell,” Rodrigo said. “James Hardy will kill him first.”
“I hope that’s not the case,” Peter said. “Mandy has been through enough. James going on trial – even if killing Clint is justified – might be too much for her to bear. It would be better if we captured Clint and put him in jail.”
“He deserves to die,” Sven said. “The blonde is chatty and talks a mile a minute – and she’s got that weird shark fetish – but to take her the way he did … . He deserves to die.”
“I don’t disagree,” Peter said, his voice calm. “Mandy and James shouldn’t have to deal with the fallout, though. It’s better for everyone if Clint is taken alive.”
“He’s not here, though,” Rodrigo pointed out. “I’m almost certain of it.”
“That doesn’t mean answers aren’t here,” Peter said. “Once we clear the house, we will begin our search. I want every single piece of paper in this abode looked at. I want to see what this heathen has been up to.”
“You’ve got it,” Sven said, drawing his gun from the holster on his hip. “Stay here until we’re sure the house is clear.”
“This isn’t my first rodeo,” Peter said, smiling. “I want to make it the best ride ever, though. Take the house.”
“We’re on it.”
“WHAT do you think?”
The Hardys took two vehicles to the New Baltimore property, opting to hide their vehicles in the brush off to the side of the road before approaching the cabin. It was small. It looked to be only two rooms at best. There were several glass block windows along the ground, too, which seemed to indicate a basement. James was sure that’s where Clint stashed Mandy.
“It looks quiet,” James said. “There’s no vehicle here. What if … what if he moved her?”
“We won’t know until we search the house,” Grady said. “Maybe you should wait here and let us do that.”
James shot Grady an incredulous look. “Really?”
“I knew you wouldn’t go for it and yet I had to ask,” Grady said. “Okay, we have to approach this smartly. We’re in the trees and if Clint is in there, I have to think he hasn’t sighted us yet.”
“I think we should go at the house from the front and the back at the same time,” Jake suggested. “Finn and I can go around back. It should only take a few minutes. We’ll stay in the trees and then radio when we’re in position.”
“I think we should move now,” James argued. “I don’t want to wait.”
“What you want and what’s best for Mandy are two entirely different things,” Grady said, opting not to mince words. “We might only have one shot at this. Do you want to screw it up?”
“No.”
“Then I’m taking charge of this one,” Grady said.
James balked. “She’s my wife!”
“And I love her, too,” Grady said. “I love you, even though you’ve been a total monster for the past two days. I want her with you just as much as you do.”
“That’s not possible,” James muttered, annoyed. “My heart hurts.”
“And we’re about to fix that,” Grady said. “We’re waiting until Jake and Finn are in position. It will only take a few minutes and it makes us so much stronger to do it that way. Do you understand?”
James nodded, resigned.
“Good,” Grady said, bobbing his head. “Get moving.”
“I’ll radio the second we get there,” Jake said, his eyes plaintive as they locked with James’ sad orbs. “We’re about to get her back.”
“God, I hope so,” James said. “I can’t take much more of this.”
“None of us can.”
MANDY was frustrated. After spending thirty minutes trying to open the basement door she was forced to give up. While the rest of the house was old, Clint bought an expensive metal door so he could use the basement as a cell. He was clearly planning ahead when building her prison.
After swearing under her breath for a few minutes – and kicking the door for good measure – Mandy moved her attention to the window. It was small, but she hadn’t eaten in days and she wasn’t big to begin with. She could fit. It would be tight, but she had no doubt she could do it.
Mandy scanned the basement for something to use in her effort to break the glass. Clint did a good job of cleaning out potential weapons, but he forgot the chairs. Mandy kicked over the nearest one and slammed her bare foot into it until she managed to break off a leg. Running into the woods without shoes wasn’t something she was keen to do, but it was better than the alternative.
Mandy pushed the other chair over to a spot underneath the window and climbed up, gripping the chair leg as tightly as possible and then shielding her face as she slammed the jagged piece of wood into the glass. The window held up for the first blow, but Mandy was determined. Her second blow was even harder, and when the two items made contact, the glass shattered into a million pieces.
Mandy rested her hands on the window sill, grimacing as something poked into her hand. The glass shards were everywhere. She was going to cut herself up getting out. That was still better than risking Clint’s return, Mandy rationalized. She bit the inside of her cheek as she hoisted herself up and slipped her head through the window.
She was halfway out. Now she just needed to wriggle the rest of the way free.
“NO one is living here.”
Sven’s face was grim when Peter met him at the front door of the Eastpointe home.
“Have you found anything?”
“Yeah, we’ve found stuff,” Rodrigo said grimly. “This guy is sick.”
“I already knew that,” Peter said. “What have you found?”
“We’ve found several things,” Sven replied, gesturing around the living room. “All of the furniture taken from Heidi’s home is just stacked here and in the garage.”
“I figured as much.”
“We also found a lot of Heidi’s personal items in a fire pit behind the house,” Rodrigo said. “He was burning them … including photographs.”
“Oh, he is horrible,” Peter groused, shaking his head. “Are any of her items left?”
Deadly Payback (Hardy Brothers Security Book 22) Page 12