Daddy to the Rescue

by Susan Kearney

  The plan was simple. Sara was to wait until Garth contacted her and then do whatever he said. Slowly. Her goal, to delay him, would allow Kirk and Web to catch up to her. They’d taken an airboat into the swamp and would hike to meet her. Since they could only motor within five miles of her position without giving away their location by the sound of their engines, she had to delay Garth long enough for them to reach her. However, Kirk and Web planned to remain hidden until she had Abby back in her arms or until the last possible moment that she still had a chance to get her baby back.

  So far, she’d been on the ground five minutes and the last hum of the chopper’s rotors was long gone. She hadn’t seen anything resembling a man or machine. However, frogs croaked and whooping cranes perched in the trees. She was grateful for the waterproof boots she wore as she spied tiny bubbles in the mushy ground under her feet.

  Sara checked her watch. Logan had told her that it could take the men as much as an hour to reach her. As she looked around, she realized his estimate might have been optimistic. Canals wound their way between clumps of high grasses and marsh, making walking in a straight line impossible. The hot, dank air filled with the smell of rotting logs made her long for the crisp air of the Rocky Mountains. There, at least, they’d all been together, and she couldn’t help wondering if they would ever be together again.

  Even though she knew that every precious second of delay was good, the nerve-racking wait made her uneasy. A turtle sunning itself on a log plopped into the water, drawing her attention to the surrounding area. Was Garth hiding behind the next clump of bushes, waiting to attack? He could steal the legal documents and hard drive, then shoot her, believing he could get away with murder. She told herself he would want to verify that the program worked before he attempted to kill her, and a test would take some time. He’d already made the mistake of assuming he had the program once, after he’d crashed her plane on the mountain. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.

  When her cell phone rang, she waited the requisite two rings before answering. “Yes?”

  “Turn around,” the mechanized voice commanded.

  He must be close enough to be watching her. Despite the sunny Florida heat, a chill scampered down her spine.

  If Garth could see her, she might be able to spot him with the binoculars, but she didn’t dare search. Instead, she did as directed and turned, slowly, deliberately stopping at 160 degrees instead of a complete 180. “Okay?”

  “Keep turning.”

  She overturned, winced at the curse in her ear and then fortified herself with the notion that she wanted him to believe her a complete klutz while away from her computer.

  “Look up.”

  “What am I looking for?” she asked.

  And then she saw a light puff of smoke that dissipated all too quickly. Immediately she recognized the brilliance of his plan. He hadn’t steered her by voice over the phone or even issued coordinates for her GPS. Unless someone stood in her exact line of sight, they wouldn’t be able to spot his signal very easily, if at all. And the place he’d indicated, an island surrounded by a large body of water, would allow him to see if anyone followed.

  Damn. Damn. Damn.

  “Did you see my signal?”

  She wanted to say no, to stall, but didn’t quite dare. Garth might have stood in her exact spot to gauge whether she would have a clear view of the signal. And if she lied and he caught her lying, he could take out his anger on the baby.

  “Yeah, I see it.” So she came up with another way to stall. “I might be able to get there from here, but I can’t walk on water.”

  “Listen to me very carefully. Your baby’s life depends on your obeying me exactly.”

  At his threat, ice coated her veins, making her hands and feet go numb. Sara had never concentrated so hard in her entire life.

  “Look behind the bushes to your right and don’t say a word except to tell me that you’ve found the object hidden there.”

  Sara walked to the bushes and peered through the thicket. A canoe with a paddle awaited her. She’d always known Garth had a brilliant mind but she hadn’t known he could be so devious.

  Once she got inside that boat, Pepper would lose her scent and it would be almost impossible for Kirk and Web to approach the island without being seen. And she didn’t trust the tracking device that Logan had inserted into her long-sleeved shirt to work if the canoe tipped and she got wet. She wanted to leave a more physical type of marker for Kirk and Web to follow, but had to be careful. Garth was probably still watching her.

  Sara strode to the side of the canoe. She started to push the boat into the water and deliberately rocked it. She fell onto her butt. While she was down, she quickly drew an arrow sign in the mud with her finger, hiding the action with her body as much as possible.

  Then she stood, shoved the canoe into the water and paddled toward where she’d seen the smoke. She paddled awkwardly, slowly and took frequent rests, even lifting the canteen to her lips and pretending to drink when she didn’t yet need fluids. She had to stall for time and pray that Kirk would somehow catch up with her. And if he didn’t, she had to find a way to save Abby.

  KIRK HADN’T BEEN PLEASED when Logan insisted that Web accompany him. But he hadn’t argued, knowing that a discussion would waste precious time. He just decided he wouldn’t slow down, and if Web fell behind, that would be his problem.

  But Web kept up the harsh pace with a resilience that told Kirk the man was in excellent shape. They were jogging through a marsh with soggy footing, with packs on their backs that weighed upwards of forty pounds. Sweat poured from their bodies, and they drank from their canteens on the run to replace body fluids. The only time they stopped was when Kirk gave Pepper water.

  While the dog drank, Web pulled out the electronic tracker. He stared at the scope and frowned. “We’ve got a problem.”

  “What?”

  “Garth’s jamming our signals on all frequencies.”

  Sara had told them Garth was smart. Garth had understood right from the beginning that Sara had help from experts and he’d countered with his own expertise. But Garth wouldn’t be counting on a dog finding him—at least, Kirk hoped not.

  “Pepper works on scent and should hone in on Sara once we close within one mile.”

  Since the equipment no longer worked, Web ditched it. There was no point in carrying any more weight than necessary.

  Pepper finished her water and they moved out, Pepper leading the way, followed by Kirk, with Web bringing up the rear. Kirk and Pepper couldn’t run at this crushing pace all day. Not in this heat. Not packing this kind of weight. Kirk was counting on catching up to Sara as soon as possible.

  As they closed in on her, they would have to modify their pace and search for cover, which would slow them even more. They’d have to stay out of sight and remain extremely quiet to avoid detection. But first they had to get there.

  When Web took out a phone and listened to Sara conversing with the enemy, Kirk had to refrain from yanking the phone from the other man’s hands. Not that this would have been an easy task. Web moved with the ease of a highly trained athlete, and he possessed those calloused ridges on his hands that told Kirk he had other skills. Deadly skills. Kirk was glad the man was on their side.

  Web rewarded his patience with information. “Garth just gave her directions to a new location.”

  “Where?”

  “He didn’t say, just sent a smoke signal, instead.”

  “Good. Pepper will smell the smoke, won’t you, girl?”

  Fear for Sara and Abby had Kirk pushing the dog and Web and himself at an exhausting pace. He put out of his mind the possibility of running into an ambush, hoping that Garth would work alone. He tried not to think how easily they could be picked off by a sniper, despite their camouflage gear. He put out of his mind how out of her element Sara was right now.

  She’d done fine in the blizzard; she’d cope with the swamp.

  His main concern was that
if they couldn’t catch up, Sara might end up facing Garth alone. That’s why he’d given her the gun. No doubt Garth thought Sara a computer nerd, which she could use to her advantage.

  Well, she might be a brilliant programmer, but she was so much more. She was a great mother to Abby. And she’d been a good wife to him.

  She was honest and loyal and everything Kirk wanted in a woman. Best of all, she was adaptable. She could think outside the box. And boy, could she think. What other woman could start a fire with a computer and a diaper?

  But now she was walking into danger, risking her life to save her child’s, willing to give up ten years of work and millions of dollars without a second thought in order to rescue their baby. And she needed his help. He had to get there. Soon.

  Pepper whined low in her throat, signaling that the scent might be coming to an end. With all the water surrounding them, Kirk wasn’t surprised. Still, as both men stopped behind Pepper and stared at the water, Kirk’s heart sank.

  Pepper closed in on some bushes, and Kirk read the tracks carefully. A narrow boat had crushed the plants. Sara’s footprint indicated that she’d been here alone. Kirk smiled when he saw her arrow drawn in the mud, but his grin quickly disappeared as he realized she’d headed to the island.

  Web hauled him back into the trees. “I have an inflatable boat in my pack, big enough for two men and a dog, but we can’t help Sara if we’re shot on the way over.”

  “We could swim, but Garth would still spot us.”

  “Not if we swim underwater.”

  Kirk shook his head. “It’ll take at least ten minutes to swim that far. I don’t know about you, but I can’t hold my breath that long. Maybe we could find some reeds to breathe through.”

  Logan had outfitted this mission. “I have two rebreathers and swim goggles in my pack,” said Web.

  Kirk had never used SEAL equipment, but he saw the advantage immediately. A rebreather was a small device that fit into the mouth and drew oxygen out of the water, allowing the men to stay hidden under the surface. The problem was Pepper. Not even Logan could equip the dog to swim completely under the surface.

  “You take care of sorting the gear, I’ll fix up a camouflage for Pepper.” Kirk dumped his pack beside Web, trusting the man’s judgment of what to take with them and what to leave behind. Too much weight would slow them down, yet they wanted to remain prepared when they reached the island.

  In the meantime, Kirk quickly found a thick branch with massive leaves and more branches fanning out the top. Using an ax and his knife, he carved the wood, holding it up to Pepper’s shoulders, whittling it until the branch rested comfortably against her chest.

  Lashing the rope around the branch, he attached his creation to the patient dog. Not the least bit afraid, only curious, Pepper stood still, trusting him completely.

  “We’re going for a swim, girl.”

  Kirk tested his invention out of sight of the island. Pepper could swim completely hidden by the cover of log and branches. Although the drag slowed her, the natural flotation of the wood didn’t pull her down.

  However, he couldn’t say the same for his boots, which filled with water and weighed far too much for him to wear while swimming. Web, wearing nothing by skivvies, met him on the bank as Kirk was removing his boots, his shirt and slacks. In the water, he’d wear boxers and a pack that now contained the bare essentials—a knife, a gun and matches in a dry bag, and a compass.

  Web surveyed Pepper’s camouflage. “Is she okay with that?”

  “Dogs like Pepper are trained to accept all kinds of unusual situations. While I don’t need to stay by her side during our swim, I’d prefer to be there to remove the branch after we reach the island.”

  Web eyed him. “Think you can make it there alone?”

  “Sure. Why?”

  “We’ve got a major problem.”

  Kirk hadn’t spent much time with Web, but the man wasn’t prone to talking, much less to exaggerating. When he said they had a major problem, Kirk’s pulse sped up.

  “What’s up?”

  “I scouted what I could of the island with high-powered binoculars. I didn’t see Sara or her canoe. But I did spy an airboat for Garth to make a quick getaway. I need to prevent his escape. You go after Sara.”

  “Got it.” Kirk accepted the rebreather and stepped into the water beside Pepper. He pointed to the island and spoke to her. “We go there.” After he was sure Pepper understood, he ducked under the surface, appreciating the cool temperature and glad he could rely on the dog’s sense of direction.

  The water was dark, and even through his goggles he saw nothing but blackness.

  SARA PULLED THE CANOE onto the island’s bank. She longed to turn around and search for Kirk, but didn’t give in to the weakness. The last thing she wanted to do was alert Garth that Kirk and Web were on the way. Remembering to stall for every precious second, she lifted the canteen to her lips and allowed the water to cool her parched throat.

  Carefully and deliberately she screwed the cap back on, then reattached the canteen to her belt. Now what?

  Garth hadn’t given her any further directions since the one telephone call. Surveying the bank, she realized that this cleared area was pretty much the only spot on which she could have landed. So if Garth had left her any kind of message it should be in sight. But she saw nothing. No note tacked to a tree. No notebook propped up on a pile of logs.

  “Place the satchel with the documents and the program on the ground by your feet.”

  When Garth called out to her from a hidden location, she jumped. But the program and rights of ownership were the only bargaining chip she had to get Abby back. Sara didn’t move, except to raise her chin and straighten her spine.

  “I want to see my daughter.”

  Garth fired a shot at Sara’s feet. “You are in no position to bargain.”

  Sara ignored the bullet, braced her feet wider and bluffed, stalling for time. “I have no reason to give you the documents if you cannot produce my child.”

  “I should just shoot you.”

  “But you won’t. Not until you see the program run,” she called out, turning slightly so she could scan the water behind her with a sideways glance. She saw no boat, no bubbles—only a clump of grasses floating her way. “I won’t enter the password to turn on the system unless you bring me my daughter.”

  “You could always make another baby, Sara.”

  “I’m partial to this one.” She had to stay strong and pay attention. She didn’t want to give Garth any cause to flee or to harm her or the baby. She swung the satchel off her shoulder and let the strap rest in her hand. “You want my program. Well, here it is. Bring me my child and let’s get this over with. I don’t like swamps and mosquitoes. I much prefer my nice clean office with screens and air-conditioning.”

  Keep talking. Distract him.

  Not for one moment did she want him to notice that the suspicious clump of grasses was floating toward them much too rapidly.

  “You know, Garth, if I’d known you wanted my work so badly, I would have considered selling it to you.”

  Finally, she spied the man dropping to his feet from his perch in a tree. He strode toward her, a rifle resting in the crook of his arm.

  There was no sign of Abby, and despair chilled her heart.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Kirk pulled himself onto the bank, making as little noise as possible. The swim had taken longer than he’d anticipated, since he’d had to change his direction after he spied Garth in the clearing with Sara. There was no sign of Abby.

  Kirk unhooked Pepper from the branches lashed to her. She immediately shook off the water droplets, but Garth was shouting so loudly he didn’t seem to notice.

  Kirk took out an article of clothing Abby had recently worn and thrust it toward Pepper’s nose. She sniffed and her ears perked up. “Find Abby, girl.”

  From the clearing, Garth’s tone rose in volume. “Don’t play me for a fool, woman.” />
  “Would you please calm down.” Sara sounded like the voice of reason, but somewhat stressed out. “You’re making me nervous. When I get nervous, I make mistakes.”

  Kirk took out his weapon and headed straight toward the woman he loved and the man threatening his family. After the long helicopter ride, a run through the woods and his swim, he was finally close enough to see Sara. She was sitting on the ground with the laptop, concentrating on her typing. Garth aimed the rifle at her head.

  Kirk wouldn’t have hesitated to shoot the man if he knew the baby’s location. He kept hoping that Garth would live up to his end of the bargain, but Kirk had a bad feeling in his gut. And Sara had told him that if he could only save her or the baby, he was to save Abby.

  What a horrible choice to make. Although he’d agreed to her demand to make her happy, Kirk prayed he never had to make that kind of agonizing decision. He intended to go home with both of his girls.

  With Sara between Kirk and Garth, her back to him, he had difficulty seeing exactly what she was doing. However, there could be no mistaking when Sara handed the laptop to Garth.

  “You’ve got what you wanted—now where is my child?”

  Garth motioned to her satchel with his gun. “What’s the password?”

  Her back still to Kirk, she told him. “It’ll take two minutes to process and open.”

  Garth stared at the screen, waiting. Kirk held very still, unwilling to alert Garth to his presence. He kept hoping Sara would convince the man to tell her where he was keeping their daughter.