Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense March 2021--Box Set 2 of 2

by Dana Mentink

  Not after what his mother had done to him. His trust factor was low when it came to women. Especially after one he’d been interested in tried to discredit him and damage his reputation.

  He fastened Gabe’s seat belt, steering his thoughts from the beautiful redheaded officer. “Let’s go.” He rushed around the cruiser and shook Doyle’s hand. “Appreciate your help.”

  “Anytime. Stay safe.” The superintendent waited for him to get into the driver seat and start the engine before he returned to the safety of the station.

  Layke peered at Gabe. “You ready, sport?”

  He nodded.

  Layke backed the cruiser out from the station’s parking lot. The snow had subsided to occasional fat flakes, but the road conditions hadn’t improved and they fishtailed after pulling onto the highway. He straightened the vehicle and gained control as his cell phone rang. Corporal Elias Bakker’s number appeared on the Suburban’s dashboard.

  Layke hit the talk button. “Corporal, what’s up?”

  “Constable Jackson, I know you’re on your way here, but I need to warn you.”

  Layke steeled his jaw and glanced at Gabe. The boy seemed interested only in staring at the buttons on the console.

  “About what, Corporal Bakker?”

  “We’ve been watching the dark web. There’s chatter about a ransom to catch a boy being moved from the Beaver Creek border. Watch your back.”

  He looked in the rearview mirror. No tail. “Thanks for the—”

  A snowmobile lurched onto the highway at high speed, cutting them off.

  Layke strengthened his grip on the wheel. Had the assailant hidden in the shadows?

  CHAPTER THREE

  Hannah jerked back as the snowmobile driver pulled in front of them. The passenger turned and pointed a machine gun in their direction. Hannah yelled, “Gun! Get down!” She pushed Gabe forward in an attempt to protect him from the impending danger. Her motherly instinct took over and all she could think about was the safety of the boy in the front seat. Lord, keep us safe. Her breaths came in shallow bursts as her heart thudded in anticipation of a crash. She knew police officers were trained in emergency driving tactics, but her fight-or-flight response took over and she clutched the armrest with her free hand.

  Layke swerved the wheel and the Suburban spun before he regained control and headed in the opposite direction.

  The snowmobile followed in pursuit, its headlight bouncing behind them. It veered right, revved its engine, and jumped into the field.

  “Gabe and Hannah, stay down,” Layke said.

  “Constable! You still there?” The corporal’s voice boomed through the Bluetooth speaker. “Layke, talk to me.”

  “Send your officers to our location on the AlCan Highway,” Layke said. “We’re under attack. Assailants on a snowmobile.”

  “Word got out faster than anticipated. Constables are en route.” The call disappeared from the dashboard.

  Hannah peeked out the window to find the snowmobile’s location. It raced alongside them at even speed. She pounded the back of the seat. “Faster. They’re trying to cut us off again.”

  The Suburban swerved, then sped up in an attempt to outrun the beast beside them.

  “How can I lose him? Is there another road to take?” Layke asked.

  “Not really, there’s only—”

  Gunfire cracked the windshield.

  Gabe screamed.

  “Stay down, sport!” Layke once again slowed and yanked the wheel right. They fishtailed and swung around in the opposite direction, back toward Beaver Creek.

  The assailants turned to follow.

  Flashing lights approached in the distance. Two cruisers headed toward them.

  The snowmobile turned and sped across the field, disappearing into the night. They gave up the chase.

  For now.

  Even in the darkened vehicle, Hannah noted Layke’s tightened jaw. They were all now targets, and she knew the danger would be relentless if this gang wanted Gabe back. They would definitely try again. Who were they and why the interest in Gabe?

  Layke slowed and pulled to the side of the road.

  The constables stopped and jumped out of their vehicles.

  Layke lowered the window. “Thank you for getting here quickly. They took off in that direction.” He pointed. “I’m sure they’re long gone now.”

  “I’ll scour the area,” Constable Yellowhead said, returning to his vehicle.

  Constable Antoine waved to Hannah. “Officer Morgan, good to see you again. Sorry it’s under bad circumstances.”

  “Yes. Close call.” Hannah rested her hand on Gabe’s shoulder. “You okay, bud?”

  No answer. His silence told Hannah he was not okay.

  Constable Antoine thumped the driver’s door. “Let’s get you to the detachment. You’re sitting ducks out here. Follow me.”

  Moments later, Layke pulled into the detachment’s tiny parking lot. “Stay alert. We can’t take any risks with this heightened threat.” His stark tone personified authority.

  Gabe whimpered.

  “You’re scaring him,” Hannah whispered.

  “Let’s go,” Layke said, ignoring her comment.

  They stepped out of the vehicle and Hannah took Gabe’s hand. “We need to hurry, bud.”

  A gray-haired constable held the door. “Welcome to the Beaver Creek Detachment. Good to see you again, Hannah.” He turned to Layke. “I’m Corporal Bakker. Nice to meet you face-to-face, Constable.”

  Layke nodded. “You too, Corporal. Where can we set up?”

  He gestured down the short hall. “Our lunchroom. It’s tiny but will work. Last door on the right.”

  Hannah stomped the snow off her boots. “Thanks, Elias.”

  A thin older woman wearing a bright orange dress with clunky accessories approached. She grabbed Layke’s hand. “I’m Martha Bakker, the corporal’s wife. I help out here from time to time.”

  Hannah loved to visit and have tea with Martha on occasion. The woman had a style all her own. The residents of Beaver Creek referred to her as the town’s mayor even though she wasn’t. She just knew everything about everyone.

  Martha knelt in front of Gabe. “You can call me Gramma Bakker. All the kids do. You hungry?” She held out a package of Twizzlers.

  Gabe took them. “Thank you.”

  She stood and squeezed his shoulder. “You’re welcome, sweetie. Let’s go to the lunchroom, shall we?” She reached out her hand.

  The boy hesitated and glanced at Hannah.

  “It’s okay, Gabe. We’re right behind you.” It was clear to Hannah that the boy had trust issues, and she couldn’t blame him after what he’d probably been through. She was anxious to find out more.

  Gabe took Martha’s hand and they walked down the hall.

  Layke removed his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. “Any updates, Corporal?”

  Her breath hitched at the sight of the wavy dark-haired constable. She chastised herself for staring even remotely at the handsome man.

  Remember your condition.

  After the recent complications from her annual physical, her doctor diagnosed her with polycystic ovary syndrome and said her chances of bearing children were remote. She couldn’t give a husband a child. Additionally, her trust in men had wavered ever since she’d discovered her college boyfriend, Colt Fredericks, was the serial rapist targeting women in her campus. Even after all these years, her nightmares from his attack proved she needed to guard her heart. Those nights she’d read her Bible until dawn trying to curb the monsters rolling through her brain. Her favorite passage in Psalms spoke about hovering under God’s wings. A place she’d spent many hours.

  But the news from her doctor had shattered her world…once again.

  Could she trust in His wings when sh
e felt betrayed? When she no longer knew her purpose in life? God, help me past this. Show me who I am in You.

  “No new developments on the dark web. Martha has been monitoring it,” Corporal Bakker said, interrupting her thoughts. “Call me Elias, please.”

  “Will do.” Layke pulled his notebook from a pocket. “Shall we find out some information from Gabe?”

  Hannah bit her lip. “Elias, is it okay if Layke and I talk to the boy alone? He’s very nervous and we haven’t built his trust yet. I think too many people will scare him.”

  “Understood. I’ll be in my office if you need me. Send my wife back. I need her to work on our books.” He disappeared into a room to the right.

  Moments later, Layke and Hannah took their coats off in the heated lunchroom. Hannah sat beside Gabe on the couch.

  The boy stuffed another Twizzler in his mouth.

  Layke sat in a chair opposite them. “Slow down, sport. We’ll get you a real supper after we talk. Can you tell us why you were wandering in the woods without a coat? Where did you come from?”

  The boy dropped his treat as a tremor shook his limbs.

  Hannah pulled the blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around him. “It’s okay, Gabe. You’re safe. You can tell us what happened.”

  Should they press him right now? Maybe he needed more rest.

  “Layke, perhaps we should do this tomorrow after he’s had a good night sleep.” She needed to protect the boy.

  The constable pursed his lips before taking her arm, tugging her off the couch. “We need to get to the bottom of this ring. They have Noel.” Layke’s whispered words spoke urgency.

  “But Gabe is scared.”

  “I know, but he’s safe here.”

  “He doesn’t trust us yet,” Hannah said.

  Layke positioned his fists on his hips. “We need—”

  “I’m okay now.” Gabe had come up behind them.

  Hannah’s heart skipped a beat. The boy made her go to mush. She bent down and hugged him. “You’re so brave, Gabe. Are you sure?” She pulled back.

  He nodded as his brown eyes filled with tears. “I want to help the other boys.”

  Hannah stood and glanced at Layke, catching his gaze. Had he heard it, too?

  Boys? Did that mean the gang didn’t want girls in their operation?

  Layke lifted Gabe up and put him back on the couch. “There were no girls there?”

  He shook his head.

  “Do you know why?” Hannah sat beside him.

  He shrugged.

  Layke squatted in front of him. “Gabe, tell us what you know.”

  Gabe’s eyes widened. “The bad men will kill the boys at the ranch.”

  A chill skittered across Hannah’s arms despite the warmth in the room.

  They needed to find these boys…and fast.

  * * *

  Layke blinked, his breath catching. Had he heard right? He had to find Noel. Now. Maybe Gabe exaggerated. Boys tended to do that, didn’t they? Layke examined the look on Gabe’s face. The eight-year-old’s expression told him he believed what he said. If that was the case, Layke had to locate the rest of the children and stop this gang before more were abducted. To do that, he needed information.

  He squeezed Gabe’s arm. “It’s gonna be okay. We will protect the others. Can you tell us how the bad men took you?”

  “Me and my friends were at a campout.”

  “Wait,” Layke said. “In the winter?”

  Hannah tilted her head. “Happens all the time here. You can stay warm when you know what you’re doing.”

  “In the snow?”

  “Yes, it acts as insulation if you do it correctly.”

  Something he may have learned as a child if his mother had let him join a boy’s club. However, she refused to let him have friends and made him stay outside in the cold for hours on end so she could have her boyfriends over. It was then his disdain for winter had erupted. However, he had learned by the age of six not to argue with his mother or she’d teach him a lesson by beating him. Her blows still haunted him today. Why was he thinking so much about his mother lately? He shrugged off his childhood thoughts and focused on Gabe. “How many of your friends went?”

  “Three.”

  “Your parents were okay with that?”

  Gabe averted his gaze but not before Layke caught the sadness in his wet eyes. This boy had a story to tell.

  “I don’t have a mommy or daddy. I live at the Frontier Group Home.”

  Hannah sighed as her shoulders slumped. She fiddled with the bag of licorice.

  It was clear to Layke she’d grown attached to this boy. Already. Or was it something else that had her agitated? “Were your buddies from there, too?”

  “Yes,” Gabe said.

  Hannah grabbed his hand. “How long have you lived there?”

  “Not sure. Sister Daphne told me I was left on the doorstep of a different group home when I was a baby. They moved me to Frontier after no one wanted me.”

  She winced and stared at her hands, twiddling the ring on her right finger. “Do you know anything about your parents?”

  Layke noted Hannah’s reaction to the news of Gabe being an orphan. What had caused that subtle change in her demeanor?

  “They didn’t love me enough to keep me,” the boy said.

  Layke wrote the group home’s and Sister Daphne’s names down. He would call her later for more details. Again, his own past lurked in the background. Different than Gabe’s, but there were times he had wished to be somewhere other than with his mother. Had she ever loved him? She couldn’t have, with all the lies she told.

  “That can’t be true, Gabe,” Hannah said. “I also lived at a group home when I was younger. One day you will be adopted like me.”

  The boy’s eyes brightened. “You were? Did your new family love you?”

  Hannah stared at the floor.

  She was stalling. Why?

  She looked up and cupped Gabe’s chin with her hand. “After we got used to living together, they did. Your new family will love you very much.”

  His lip quivered.

  “I promise.” She rubbed his cheek. “Tell us about the other boys.”

  Smart girl. Divert his attention to something else.

  “They’re my best buds in the whole wide world. We do everything together. Fish, skip rocks, build forts.”

  Finally, children who weren’t glued to their computers. He respected kids who played outside and used their imaginations.

  Layke swallowed the thickening in his throat. Gabe’s story had affected him more than he’d realized. “How many were at the campout?”

  “All my buds, plus other boys.”

  “From the group home?” Hannah asked.

  “No. I didn’t know them.”

  Layke wrote a note. “Tell us what happened.”

  “We were singing songs in front of the fire, making s’mores. Then three men circled us. They pointed guns at the leaders from our home and told them not to move or they’d shoot.” He stopped.

  Layke squeezed his shoulder. “It’s okay. They can’t get you here. What did they do?”

  Gabe bit into another Twizzler before continuing. “They grabbed some of us and said we were coming with them. Our leader jumped up to stop them, and one man hit him in the head with his gun.” Big tears spilled down his cheeks and he sniffed.

  Hannah gasped and pulled the boy into her arms. “That must have been scary for you to see. I’m so sorry.” She turned to Layke. “We need to give him a break.”

  He bit the inside of his cheek. Her mothering slowed them down. He needed answers. A thought crossed his mind and he jumped up. “I have to make a call. Let’s take five minutes.”

  Layke stepped into the hall and punched a number
into his cell phone.

  “Hi, Layke. Do you have news?” His half brother’s weakened voice revealed his worry.

  “I might have a lead, and need to ask you a question, Murray.”

  “Shoot.”

  “When you said Noel was kidnapped from a winter retreat, was it only for boys?”

  “Yes, boys from our church.”

  Same MO as Gabe. Boys taken from a winter camping trip. They targeted them when they were away from their homes. Why? Easy access? Same gang? “Do you know how many were taken?”

  “Four.”

  “Can you text me the parents’ names and numbers?”

  “Will do. Layke, find my boy.”

  “I will. I promise.” How could he say that? He’d just broken a rule he always held. Never promise anything to a victim’s family.

  “Layke, Noel is autistic and doesn’t do well when he’s out of his comfort zone.”

  Wait—what? He slumped against the wall. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

  “I thought I had.”

  “No. Don’t autistic children have challenges with social interaction? Why did you send him on a retreat?”

  A sigh sounded on the other end of the call. “I wanted to try and help him make friends. Natalie didn’t want to send him, but I insisted.” His voice quivered. “It’s all my fault.”

  Layke clamped his eyes shut as he pictured Murray’s pain. He had to help his half brother. He opened his eyes and straightened his posture. “I will do everything in my power to find him fast.”

  Another promise.

  Stop breaking your rules, Layke.

  He said his goodbyes and told Murray he’d keep him up to speed. As much as he could, of course. He walked back into the lunchroom and stopped short.

  Hannah rocked Gabe as she sang to him. A red curl escaped from her ponytail and bounced forward. Her love of children was evident.

  He cleared his throat and stepped forward. “We need to continue.”

  She stopped singing and narrowed her eyes.

  Obviously he had irritated her, but he pushed it from his mind. “Sorry. We need to find out more answers.”