“It looks like it.”
“Collect them,” Peter ordered. “I want someone who loved that woman to have her things. This is just … undignified.”
“There’s something else,” Rodrigo said, the heavy tone of his voice causing Peter to swivel in his direction. “I think he was using this house as kind of a getaway – you know, a man cave – while he was living with Heidi.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Follow me.” Rodrigo led Peter into a small office and pointed toward a wall, causing Peter to suck in a breath when he caught sight of the photographs tacked there. Every single one of them was of Mandy … and most looked to be taken when she thought she was alone. There had to be at least a hundred different photos taken at various points throughout the past few years.
“Unbelievable,” Peter muttered, shaking his head. “He’s been watching her for a very long time. I’m pretty sure that’s her old apartment.”
“He had a telephoto lens, too,” Sven said. “He was sitting in a tree or something behind her property to take these. She clearly had no idea anyone was watching her in the pool.”
“And look,” Rodrigo said, pointing. “In every photo that James appeared, this guy either blackened James out or put his own head on James’ body.”
Sven snorted. “That’s wishful thinking.”
“That’s part of the delusion,” Peter corrected. “We cannot take these photographs. I want to document what he did here, though. I want to be able to look at this stuff more closely when I get the chance. Take photographs of every inch of this house.”
“What about Heidi’s things?” Sven pressed. “Do you still want us to take them? That could be evidence.”
“If you find photo books, take them,” Peter ordered. “Leave the rest. I don’t want to risk the remaining photos, though. Mandy should have them … or at least be able to get them to Heidi’s family.”
“We’ll do it right now.”
“WE’RE in position,” Jake said, holding the walkie-talkie to his ear and listening for a response.
“We just heard from Peter,” Grady replied. “Mandy wasn’t at the Eastpointe house but they found a lot of other things. He didn’t go into great detail.”
“We can talk about that once we have Mandy,” Jake said. “Are you ready to move?”
“James is ready to come out of his skin,” Grady said. “We’re ready to move.”
“Okay, we’re going radio silent unless there’s an emergency,” Jake said. “We don’t want Clint to overhear us once we get close to the house. We don’t want to tip him off.”
“We’re doing the same,” Grady said. “If someone catches sight of her … .”
“I understand,” Jake said. “The first thing to do is secure Mandy. We’ll worry about the rest once we have her in our possession.”
“Protect her,” James croaked. “Don’t let Clint hurt her.”
“I have no intention of letting Clint Miller do another thing to her,” Jake said. “We’re moving.”
MANDY whined as she hit the ground, rolling to her side as she cradled her bleeding foot. She had to use the balls of her feet as leverage once she hit a certain part of the window. In the process, a large shard of glass became wedged in the soft padding of her foot. It bled profusely, leaving a pool of dark liquid behind.
“Well, this is just great,” Mandy muttered. “How am I supposed to run into the woods now? Crap!”
Tears leaked out of her eyes as she leaned against the house. She was going to have to pull out the glass. It would be painful. Above and beyond that, though, she had nothing to bind it with and there was no way she would be able to walk on it. She was stuck.
That’s when she caught sight of two furtive figures detaching from the thick woods and moving toward the house. She recognized Jake and Finn – both of them carrying weapons – right away. She opened her mouth to yell and then thought better of it. If Clint was near, if he’d returned – and he was due to do that soon – he might get to her first.
Instead of yelling out, Mandy groped around the ground until she came up with a rock. Finn and Jake were focused on something she couldn’t see. She imagined it to be the back door, but she could be sure. She lobbed the rock at Jake even though she wanted to yell for help.
Jake widened his eyes when the rock landed on the path in front of him, turning his head swiftly to the side of the house and locking gazes with Mandy. He was dumbfounded when he saw her, although he didn’t miss the blood on her foot or the way her face twisted.
“Holy crap,” Finn muttered. “What happened?”
“I have no idea,” Jake admitted, scurrying toward Mandy. “I think she’s hurt, though. I … .” Jake didn’t get the chance to finish because the unmistakable sound of gunfire rocked the quiet forest and drowned out the rest of what he was going to say.
Jake and Finn ducked their heads even as part of the cottage’s trim – close to where they stood – exploded into a hundred small bits. Jake remained determined as he bent his head lower, using his body to cover Mandy’s when he reached her.
“It’s Clint,” Mandy gasped, groaning as Jake pushed her flat on the ground and completely sheltered her body with his. “He’s crazy.”
“We know,” Jake said. “We figured it out. You’re safe.”
Another gunshot echoed against the trees, causing Mandy to arch an eyebrow. “Do you call this safe?”
“Shh,” Finn admonished, his eyes alert as they scanned the tree line. “Where is he?”
“Where is James?” Mandy asked, her voice cracking.
“He’s here.”
“Clint will kill him,” Mandy said.
“I promise that won’t happen,” Jake said. “Now … lay still.”
JAMES and Grady ducked behind a large tree in front of the cabin the second they heard the gunshots. Despite his fatigue, James was focused as he stared at the trees behind them.
“He’s out there.”
“Oh, really?” Grady was beside himself. “I never would’ve guessed that … what with the flying bullets and all.”
James ignored him. “He must’ve been gone or something,” he said. “I think he came in after us. That’s how he saw us.”
“Well, that doesn’t exactly make me feel better,” Grady said. “Do you think Mandy is with him?”
“I don’t know.” James thought his heart was going to burst from his chest. “I don’t know what to do.”
“We have to follow him,” Grady said. “She’s probably in the basement, but if she’s not and we lose him … .”
“I’ll lose her forever,” James finished. “I know that. I … there!” James stood when a hint of movement drew his attention to the east. He recognized Clint as he fled into the trees. He looked to be alone, his only companion the rifle he carried, but that didn’t mean Mandy wasn’t in whatever vehicle he used to travel to the location. “I’m going after him. You search the house.”
“I’m going with you,” Grady argued, breaking into a run and refusing to let his brother shake him. “You’re not going anywhere alone.”
“Mandy needs you!”
“Mandy has Finn and Jake,” Grady snapped. “You need me.”
“I can’t believe you,” James muttered, putting his head down as he ran. That’s when the walkie-talkie on his hip crackled.
“I’ve got Mandy!” Jake’s voice was plaintive and it caused James to slow. “She’s here. I’ve got her behind the cabin.”
James glanced back at the trees. He could hear Clint crashing through the underbrush as he tried to escape. He knew he was running out of time if he wanted to follow. He also knew his wife was in the other direction.
It wasn’t a choice. Not really, anyway. James abandoned his pursuit of Clint and booked back toward the cabin, flying around the side of the house and pulling up short when he saw Jake stretched out on the ground as Finn kept guard. It was only after taking another two steps that James saw the familiar blond hea
d under Jake’s arm.
“You’re smothering me,” Mandy complained. “Did I mention I’m in pain?”
“Mandy?” James’ voice was raspy, causing Jake and the blonde to snap their heads in his direction. Jake immediately climbed off the woman when he realized the situation had changed. “Baby?”
Mandy rolled to a sitting position, tears streaming down her cheeks when she caught sight of her husband. “James!”
James fell to his knees and grabbed her, clutching her to his chest as he openly sobbed. “Oh, baby. I thought I lost you.”
16
Sixteen
“Baby, baby, baby.”
James couldn’t stop his himself from smothering Mandy against his chest. He had her back. He wasn’t sure if he truly believed that was possible until touching her. Now that he had her, he vowed he would never let her go.
“James, be careful,” Jake chided. “Her foot is bleeding like crazy.”
The words poked through the clouds muddling James’ mind and he finally pulled back long enough to stare at Mandy’s wound. “Oh, man. That’s deep.”
“It is deep,” Grady agreed, furrowing his brow. “We need to get her to the hospital. If we try pulling it out, she’s going to lose more blood.”
“I don’t want to go to a hospital,” Mandy complained. “I want to go home.”
“You’re going to the hospital,” James said, regaining a modicum of rational thought. “That needs to be stitched up and I want you checked out by a professional.”
“But … .”
“No, baby,” James said, his voice cracking. “Please don’t make a thing out of this.”
“He’s honestly going to fall apart,” Grady said. “Don’t push him. He hasn’t slept in days.”
“How come?” Mandy was annoyed and worried at the same time. “Why haven’t you slept?”
“I’m not sleeping without you, wife,” James said, slipping his arms under her legs and hoisting her up so he could carry her. “Never again.”
“Oh, you’re so stubborn,” Mandy muttered, although she rested her forehead against his stubbled chin. “You look like hell, by the way.”
“You’ve never been more beautiful,” James choked out.
“Oh, man,” Mandy muttered. “I just want to get out of here. Can we please get out of here?”
“We’re going,” James said.
“We’ll all go back to the vehicles and get you guys out of here,” Jake said. “Finn and I will call the police and remain behind until they get here.”
“That’s a good idea,” Grady said. “Once I get them settled at the hospital, I’ll come back.”
“Let’s just play it by ear,” Jake said. He wasn’t convinced James’ emotional upheaval was behind them. “They might need you more.”
“What happened to Clint?” Mandy asked, her eyes wide as James moved around the cabin. “Did he get away?”
“We were following him until Jake called and said he had you,” Grady replied. “Getting you back was our first priority.”
“But … he’ll run.”
“He won’t be able to run far enough,” Grady said. “We’ll find him.”
“And then we’ll end him,” James gritted out.
BY THE time Grady, James, and Mandy made it to the hospital, James was even more of a mess than before. Getting Mandy back was a relief. Now that his adrenaline was flagging, though, his exhaustion was taking over and his mind couldn’t fully function.
When the nurses scurried over to put Mandy on a gurney, James refused to let her go.
“James, knock it off,” Grady warned, grabbing his brother’s arm and pulling him away when he tried to reclaim his wife. “They need to help her, for crying out loud.”
The head nurse, her nametag reading “Jenny,” raised an eyebrow as she regarded James. “He doesn’t look so good.”
“She’s been missing for more than thirty-six hours now,” Grady said. “She was kidnapped. We just got her back. He hasn’t slept in all of that time.”
“I think he’s worse off than me,” Mandy said, laying back on the gurney. “My foot really hurts and my eyesight is getting a little fuzzy.”
“When was the last time you ate?” Jenny asked, flashing a light in Mandy’s eyes.
“What day is it? I ate breakfast the day he took me. That was yesterday, right?”
“She wasn’t eating much before then, though,” Grady pointed out. “This is a whole big thing and the police will be here soon. Just … she watched a friend die and was in mourning. She barely ate the three days prior to being taken.”
“And you haven’t had anything since then?” Jenny asked.
Mandy shook her head, her eyelids heavy. “I didn’t want to eat anything in case he drugged me again.”
“Drugged you? Do you know what he drugged you with?”
“I have no idea,” Mandy answered. “He came up behind me in the storage room. He had a syringe full of something. I was out for a long time.”
“And you’ve lost a lot of blood,” Jenny said. “Okay. We’re going to get you through this. We’re taking you into a treatment room right now.”
“I’m going with her,” James said, grabbing Mandy’s hand as the orderlies pushed the gurney toward the bowels of the hospital. “I’m staying with her.”
“No offense, sir, but you look like you need some treatment of your own,” Jenny said. She didn’t slow the gurney’s pace, but her gaze was pointed when it landed on James. “We can treat you in an adjoining room, if that helps.”
“I’m not leaving her.” James was adamant. “You’ll have to kill me first.”
Jenny sighed. “I can see this is a troubled situation,” she said. “I’m going to let you stay with her – but only because she’s my priority. Once we have her settled, I’m going after you.”
“I can’t wait,” James grumbled.
A doctor bustled into the treatment room moments after the orderlies shifted Mandy from the gurney to a bigger bed. Mandy’s eyes widened when she saw Jenny readying a big needle, but she lacked the energy to fight whatever was about to come.
“I’m Dr. Spitzer,” the man announced. “I understand we have a hero here.” He smiled kindly at Mandy. “We’re going to fix you right up, young lady. I promise.”
“I want to go home,” Mandy whimpered.
“Baby, I promise I’m going to take you home the second this nice doctor says I can,” James said. “You have to let them treat you, though.”
“You do indeed,” Spitzer agreed. “You’re dehydrated. You’ve lost a lot of blood. I’m guessing your electrolytes are all out of whack. We also have to get the glass out of your foot, clean it, and stitch you up.”
“Great,” Mandy deadpanned. “You have five minutes and then I’m going home.”
Spitzer chuckled despite the surreal situation. “You’re fiery. I guess that’s why you came out of this situation as well as you did, huh?”
Mandy shrugged. “I just knew I wanted to get back home.”
“To him?” Spitzer asked, jerking his thumb in James’ direction.
Mandy nodded. “He’s not so bad. I think he’s had it rougher than me over the past few days, though.”
“Don’t worry about me, baby,” James ordered. “Worry about yourself.”
“No, don’t worry about anything,” Spitzer corrected. “You’re going to be fine. We’re going to take good care of you. In fact, we’re going to knock you out while we’re taking care of your foot. I think the rest will do you good.”
Mandy balked and immediately started shaking her head. “I don’t want to be knocked out.”
“You have to be,” Spitzer said, refusing to back down. “Your foot is in bad shape and it’s going to take special work. We can’t have you thrashing about. It will be better for everyone if we sedate you.”
“No.” Mandy bit her lip. “James, don’t let them knock me out. I don’t care how much it hurts.”
James was caught. �
��Baby … .”
“Mr. Hardy, we have to do what’s best for your wife,” Spitzer said. “I know you’ve been through a terrible ordeal, but I will remove you from this room if you continue to be a detriment to her treatment.”
Mandy was terrified … and desperate. She didn’t want to go to sleep in case her rescue was nothing more than a dream and her hopes would be crushed when she woke up. “Please.”
“Don’t knock her out,” James said, giving in. He extended his hand to stop the nurse. “She doesn’t want it.”
“Mr. Hardy, I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” Spitzer said. “I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to wait in the lobby.”
“I’m not leaving her,” James growled, bracing his hands against the bed. He sounded like a wounded animal.
Grady glanced between James and the doctor. He knew without a doubt that things were about to get out of hand. He grabbed Jenny’s arm and took the syringe she held. “What’s in this?”
“It’s a sedative,” Jenny replied. “I swear it won’t hurt her. She’ll sleep for hours and wake up feeling so much better.”
“Uh-huh. Will it hurt my brother?”
“No, but we can’t administer medication to him against his will,” Jenny said. “We’re going to have to call security for him.”
“Don’t do that,” Grady pleaded. “It will kill him. Just … let me handle this.”
“Handle what?”
Grady didn’t answer, instead moving into the space behind James and licking his lips. James was so focused on the doctor, he didn’t realize what Grady was doing until his brother already had a grip on his arm.
“What the hell?” James fought to jerk away from Grady, but he was weak and his reflexes were dulled.
“I am so sorry,” Grady said, plunging the needle into James’ shoulder and releasing the sedative into his brother’s system. “They’re going to take you away from her, though. You can’t see it. You’re too far gone.”
Mandy whimpered when she saw James collapse on the bed. “Grady!”
“Knock her out,” Grady ordered. “I promise this is going to be okay, Mandy. You guys are going to feel so much better in a few hours. I’ll be watching the whole time. Clint won’t get you here. I promise.”
Deadly Payback (Hardy Brothers Security Book 22) Page 13