Survival Instinct (Instinct Series)

by Janie Crouch

Someone was on the floor of the porch, obviously wounded, trying to get themselves away from the fire. Both he and Kassler jumped out of the car and ran to the porch.

  Nadine.

  But she was the only one.

  “Nadine.” Shane crouched beside her. “Where is Chloe? Is she inside?”

  He and Kassler both grabbed her, lifting her and pulling her further away from the burning building. She cried out as soon as they touched her, obviously injured in multiple places. Shane stared into the fire. There was no way anyone could still be alive inside.

  “I don’t know,” Nadine croaked. “I don’t think so. I didn’t see her when I crawled out.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes,” she whispered, before falling against Kassler.

  Shane nodded at the man and he carried Nadine over to the car. They needed more answers, but Nadine was obviously in bad shape.

  And while Shane was more than happy that she wasn’t in the burning building, where the hell was Chloe? He studied the flames a few more moments before turning back to the car.

  “I’ll call for fire and ambulance, you see if you can find anything.” Kassler already had his phone in his hand one arm still around Nadine who had begun crying softly.

  Shane quickly walked around the perimeter calling for Chloe. If she had gotten out of the cabin would she have gone into the woods? Maybe only if she was hurt and confused. Did Noah take her somewhere else?

  It didn’t take him long to realize there was no one around. He ran back to the car.

  “Emergency is on the way,” Kassler said. “Sheriff is about five minutes out.”

  Shane knelt down in front of Nadine. She was holding her wrist that had obviously been broken. Her face badly bruised, nose and possibly cheek broken also. Her legs were burned and he knew she had to be in immense pain.

  He touched her gently on the side of her head, stroking a piece of hair.

  “It was Noah,” she whispered.

  Shane nodded. “Did he take her and leave you here?”

  “I have this thing I could do with my wrist. I was able to get out of the handcuffs and tried to fight him so we could get away.” She started crying again. “He was too strong. He hit me. He kicked me.”

  Shane stroked her hair again. “You survived. That’s all that matters.”

  “I passed out after he kicked me in the face. I think I heard gunshots, but I don’t know. I’m not sure. When I came to everything was burning. I looked for Chloe but she wasn’t in her chair. So I crawled out.”

  “You did the right thing.”

  “I didn’t see her in her chair, but what if she was somewhere else? What if she was still in that building?”

  “She wasn’t. You know Chloe, she wasn’t in that building when it burned. She wouldn’t give up the fight like that.”

  He prayed to God that he was telling her the truth. Nadine seemed to latch onto his words, tears spilling on to her cheeks. Shane reached over and kissed her gently on the forehead. “We’ll find her.”

  Kassler look at her reassuringly. “I’ll get someone on the team to find Travis and have him meet you at the hospital.”

  Within thirty minutes the entire area was chaos. The fire department arrived and quickly got the blaze under control. Once it had burned through the accelerants, it didn’t have much left to burn. Nadine was taken away in the ambulance immediately, pain beginning to truly overwhelm her.

  Shane was glad she wasn’t there when a firefighter radioed out from inside the building that they’d found a body.

  Sheriff Linenberger met Shane’s eyes. Shane pulled his ice more tightly around him. That damn well was not Chloe’s body in there.

  But the next few minutes were the longest of his entire life. When the firefighter finally radioed out that the body was male Shane finally felt like he could breathe again.

  Once the building was safe to access, Sheriff Linenberger and Shane entered the cabin to see if they could ID the body. The face wasn’t completely burned and it didn’t take Shane long to realize it was indeed Noah.

  “Look at this,” The sheriff pointed to Noah’s chest. “Three rounds. He didn’t die in this fire. Someone shot him.”

  “What the hell?” Noah had been shot? Shane stood and looked around. “Okay, let’s say there was a struggle and Chloe was able to get the gun from Noah and shoot him.”

  “Then where is she?” The sheriff finished for him.

  “Exactly. Because there’s no way in hell she would’ve left Nadine in a burning building.”

  “So, could Noah have had a partner?”

  “Sheriff, we’ve got gun casings over here by the door,” one of the firefighters said.

  Shane looked at the sheriff. “So Noah was shot by someone entering the cabin. That doesn’t sound like a partner.”

  The sheriff stood. “No, it sure doesn’t.”

  Shane looked around. “But if it’s not a partner, then what does that mean? A second stalker? Random maniac who just happened to be at the right place at the right time?” Shane shook his head. “If Noah was the stalker who has been writing these notes and causing all the problems on the set, yet Noah is dead, then who has Chloe?”

  And why the hell did Shane feel like Chloe was in more danger now even though the stalker was lying dead at his feet?

  “I’m going to get some dogs up here, see if they can catch her scent. We’ll also get a search party going. Maybe she’s injured and confused, wandering in the woods.”

  Shane hoped so. “Yeah, good idea.”

  “There’s a lot of people around here who know Chloe and like her. They’ll want to help. If she’s out here, we’ll find her.”

  Shane nodded and walked from the cabin into the darkness outside. Things were settling down, the firetruck was packing its gear. Shane turned slowly in a full circle. There was nothing around here but trees and wilderness. Chloe would’ve had to be pretty severely injured to have left the cabin on her own, particularly leaving Nadine behind.

  She wouldn’t have done that. Not if she had any other choice.

  The sheriff could set up his search and rescue team. Shane was glad that so many people wanted to help. But that didn’t change what his gut told him. Chloe wasn’t wandering around lost and injured in the woods.

  She was in danger of the worst possible kind.

  “I’m sorry, Shane, I just don’t remember anything else.”

  Shane smiled encouragingly at Nadine. Given what she had been through just a few hours ago—a dislocated wrist to get out of handcuffs, two cracked ribs and a broken nose from kicks, and second degree burns down her legs—it was amazing she was up for talking at all.

  “I was unconscious, I guess, when the second person arrived. I don’t remember anyone getting shot or Chloe leaving.”

  “That’s completely understandable. Sheriff Linenberger has people out in the woods right now searching for her, in case she was hurt and wandered off, or something like that.”

  “I just want them to find her,” Nadine whispered. “If I had just been able to knock Noah out, none of this would’ve happened.”

  Shane touched Nadine’s shoulder from where he sat in the chair by her hospital bed. “Noah had the tactical advantage. He was bigger, stronger, hadn’t been in an accident, and wasn’t confused. Taking him even without a dislocated wrist would’ve been difficult. Your injury made it just about impossible.”

  “You’ve got to find her, Shane. I know you guys had a fight, and she’s not very good at sharing her feelings, but…”

  Shane squeezed her shoulder lightly. “I will find her, don’t doubt that. Or think I’m scared away by her. I’m not scared by anything about her.”

  Except losing her.

  “She acts so tough. Always moves so fast. But it’s because she’s afraid of standing still. Because deep inside she just wants someone, someone who’s not me or her sisters, to love her for who she is. To not be afraid.”

  Shane stood. “I can keep up
with Chloe Jeffries. I cool her down and she heats me up – pretty damn perfect if you ask me.”

  “Good.” Nadine’s eyes were already drooping closed.

  “Is Travis on his way?”

  Her eyes opened back up. “No. I lost my phone and all my contact info was inside it.” She gave a sad laugh. “Pretty pathetic when you don’t even know your boyfriend’s number, just have it programmed in your phone.”

  Shane smiled. “I’ll make sure one of the security team finds him and sends him over.”

  Nadine nodded. “Also, inside my desk is an old-fashioned address book. The contact info for Chloe’s sisters—Adrienne and Paige—is in there. Somebody needs to call them. They’ll want to be here. Adrienne may even be able to help, if it’s needed. She has abilities also.”

  “I’ve heard about those. I’ll call her sisters myself.”

  Shane left to let Nadine sleep. A call to the sheriff on his way back to the set only confirmed what Shane had already suspected: there was no sign of Chloe out in the woods.

  There were signs of multiple vehicles coming to and from the cabin, but given all the fire and rescue personnel who had been around, there was no way to know who or when.

  A dead end.

  Frustration and fear were scratching at Shane. Hanging on to the ice was becoming more and more difficult.

  He drove back to the studio and parked by the creative team’s trailer. Chloe’s face floated in front of his mind and all he could picture was her pinched, hurt look yesterday morning as they fought. As he’d implied that he would be spending his time with Alexandra willingly.

  Shane slammed his hands against the steering wheel.

  “Ah, the Avalanche thaweth. Looks like Zac was right and we’re going to have to open a Linear Tactical satellite office in North Carolina.”

  Shane turned to the familiar voice speaking to him through the window and felt his first glimpse of hope since they’d found Nadine at the burning building.

  Wyatt Highfield.

  Wyatt stepped back so Shane could get out of the car.

  “What are you doing here?” Wyatt should be in Cheyenne working with Zac and the others at Linear Tactical.

  “Zac sent me as soon as we got the report about Chloe. Perks of having a company jet on standby.”

  Shane reached out to shake the other man’s hand – a man he’d fought with side by side in battle, who had unparalleled abilities when it came to combat and tactical awareness – then pulled him in for a back-slapping hug.

  “I’m glad you’re here. The security team is good, but…”

  “But it’s not the same.”

  Shane nodded. He didn’t have to explain any more to Wyatt. The other man understood the relief that came with having someone at your back who you knew. A brother. There were very few people Shane would want there more than Wyatt.

  “So, you lost your girl. Are you sure she didn’t just decide to find someone with a better personality?”

  Shane cringed. After their conversation yesterday, Shane couldn’t blame Chloe if she had.

  Wyatt chuckled. “I meant it as a joke.”

  “The last things we said to each other, Wyatt.” Shane scrubbed his hand across his face. “Not exactly ugly, but cold.”

  Wyatt slapped him on the back. “So we get her back so you can be sure to make up for your idiocy.”

  Shane led the other man into the trailer. He would gladly spend the next few weeks groveling—although he was sure Chloe wouldn’t want it—if it meant she was back safely.

  “It looks like someone else has Chloe,” Shane explained to Wyatt. “Killed the original stalker and took Chloe. But hell if I know who.”

  “Was this Noah guy working with a partner? Maybe someone who wants money? Chloe’s got to be worth quite a bit. Maybe a ransom demand is coming.”

  It had been over six hours since they’d found Nadine in the burning building. Receiving a ransom demand wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities.

  Shane rubbed his eyes again. “I guess taking Chloe for money is better than a nutcase having her in his clutches for no other reason than to do her harm. Although neither are good options.”

  “A kidnapper with a ransom demand just wants to get paid. Even if this unknown guy has nothing to do with the stalker, and just took her as a crime of opportunity, he’ll still want money.”

  Shane looked around The Pit. This was Chloe’s sacred creative space. He could almost feel her presence here. “If money will get her back, I will find a way to pay it.”

  “If this becomes a K and R case, Linear is equipped to help handle that. Zac will get the entire team out here. You know that. He won’t hesitate with a Kidnap and Rescue.”

  Shane nodded. Yes, he did know that. Because these men were his brothers in every way except blood.

  “I’ve got to call Chloe’s sisters.”

  “Already done. Zac called Adrienne as soon as he heard what was going on. I’m sure she and Paige are already on their way. Adrienne might be a big help, the way she is able to read stuff.” Wyatt looked sideways at Shane. “You did know about the weird stuff, right? All three of the Jeffries sisters?”

  “Yeah, I know. And yes, it’s weird. And yes, I’m okay with it. Like I told Chloe, I’ve seen weird stuff all over the world. I’m not going to start second-guessing the human body’s true capabilities now.”

  “I hear that.”

  “I’ve got to find Nadine’s boyfriend’s number. Travis Oakley. She needs him at the hospital with her.” Shane pointed to Nadine’s desk that Wyatt was standing next to. “Look in those drawers and see if you can find an address book. She lost his number when she lost her phone.”

  Wyatt begin to look.

  Shane walked over to Travis’s desk. Where was he? Surely he would not be helping with the sheriff’s search and rescue team without checking in with Nadine first. The desk was in perfect order, unlike Chloe’s that tended to be a cluttered mess. Just like the woman.

  Shane didn’t see a note or anything that suggested where the man might be.

  “Travis Oakley. Got it, complete with a little heart next to his name where she wrote it. Adorbs.”

  Wyatt read out the number to Shane and Shane typed it into his phone.

  “Adorbs?” He asked as he waited for it to ring.

  His friend, six foot three and two hundred pounds of muscle, just shrugged. “Adorable. All the cool kids say it.”

  Shane just shook his head as the phone began to ring, frowning as he heard a buzzing sound coming from inside Travis’ desk drawer. His phone was in his desk?

  Shane opened the drawer and saw that the phone was there, and it was his own number calling. He disconnected the call.

  “Now it seems to me that that can’t be good,” Wyatt said. “Most people don’t go off without their cell phone. Specifically don’t place it in a drawer.”

  Had the kidnapper taken Travis also? Shane was racking his brain trying to figure out exactly what this new development meant when he saw the paper. A very benign looking piece of printer paper that nobody else would even think twice about. The words and sentences written on it were neat and nonthreatening.

  Mine.

  We’ll be together.

  You will make me whole.

  Shane couldn’t say anything, just stood staring at the paper.

  “Westman, what is it?” Wyatt moved to stand next to Shane to see what he was staring at so hard. “Besides being some pretty corny one-liners, what is this?”

  Shane couldn’t believe it. Couldn’t believe that it was Travis’ thoughts that had been torturing Chloe all this time.

  “Travis Oakley is the one who has Chloe. And there won’t be a ransom notice. He’s been in her head all along, and he plans to keep her for himself. Forever.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Shane and Wyatt were running out the door towards the car almost before Shane finished the sentence. Travis had a house just outside town and Wyatt called and got the
address from the security team while Shane called Sheriff Linenberger to let him know what they had discovered, thankful that Linenberger believed him without him having to go into too much detail. Shane was the first to admit the story was weird.

  The sheriff was going to meet them at Travis’ house, but hell if Shane would wait for him to get there before he stormed in. They could arrest him for breaking and entering later. Not to mention a bunch of cop cars squealing up might cause Travis to do something reckless. Shane wasn’t going to risk Chloe’s life.

  He parked just outside the line of sight of Travis’ small craftsman style house and he and Wyatt got out and were on the move.

  “Guy is Caucasian, thirty-five years old, sandy blond hair, medium height and build. Weird scars from a lightning strike on his arms.”

  Wyatt nodded. “I’ll knock on the front door. He doesn’t know me. That will at least let us know if he’s there.”

  Shane nodded. “I’ll go around to the back. But if there’s a way in, I’m taking it. If for some reason I got this completely wrong, I’ll beg for forgiveness later.”

  Weapons drawn they separated, Wyatt heading for the front door, Shane sneaking around to the back. Shane took a moment to look into the side window of Travis’ small house. He saw no sign of anyone inside.

  Shane made his way around to the back door, checking those windows also. Still nothing. He tried the door knob and it was locked. Shane didn’t even hesitate to put his shoulder heavily into the door, the older wood of the framing giving way easily. He kept his weapon drawn as he quickly searched through the house, Wyatt doing his part by knocking on the door the entire time.

  It didn’t take Shane long to confirm no one was there. He moved to the front door and let Wyatt in.

  “Anything?” Wyatt asked.

  “Nothing. Nobody’s here.” Shane could feel frustration pulling at him again. If Travis didn’t have her here, the possibilities of where he could’ve taken her were endless.

  And did he even have her at all? Hell, maybe Chloe had told Travis about the Conversation Hearts voice in her mind. Maybe he had just written it down for some much less nefarious purpose.