by Sharon Sala
The kidnapper let loose with a long string of curses, promising every dire consequence to every member of East’s family for the next fifty years.
East’s laugh was short and bitter. “Jeff was my only family member, you stupid son of a bitch. There’s no one left you can hurt.”
“There’s you,” the kidnapper snarled.
“Come and get me,” East said, and hung up.
The phone rang again within seconds.
“What?” East snapped.
It was as if East was talking to an entirely different man. The fury—the rage—the incoherence was completely gone from the kidnapper’s voice.
“This is all a misunderstanding,” he said. “Your son is ill, but he’s being doctored as we speak. He has not been harmed, now give me what I want.”
“And if I do, when will you give me my son?”
“Well now,” the man chuckled. “That’s a little different. I’ve decided that he’s a pretty good nest egg for me. I’ll give you your son back, when I take Jonah down. I’ll call you within a week or so for new information, and I promise you another call to your son will be forthcoming. What do you say?”
Aware that he’d played out this hand, East blurted out the information that Jonah had given him. Seconds later, a dial tone buzzed in his ear.
He disconnected, then tossed the phone aside and strode out of the RV without saying a word.
Ally followed, catching up with him at the edge of a cluster of trees. East was pale and shaking, but when she looked at his face, she saw it was rage and not fear that was holding him hostage.
She grabbed him by the forearms, making him face her—making him listen.
“Whatever he said, it doesn’t matter. Turn loose of that anger and help me. I’ve got the location of the call. I’ve even got the number of the cell phone from where it was made. We can find Jeff. We can do it.”
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, she was still there—waiting. A calm came over him then and he knew before this went any further, she had to know what her presence meant to him.
“Come here,” he said, and held out his hand, pulling her to a nearby bench where they sat.
Ally waited, unable to imagine what he must be feeling. When he palmed her hand between the breadth of his own, she looked up at him and smiled.
He leaned forward until their foreheads were touching. He kissed her cheek, then her lips. As always, the tentative blend of woman and innocence left him weak.
“The day Jeff was kidnapped was the worst and the best day of my life. I was afraid and confused, uncertain of where to start, and then I turned around and you were there. ‘We’ll find him,’ you said, and at that moment, I knew it was true. Ever since the day you came into my life, I’ve been fighting an emotion I will no longer deny. I am in love with you, sweetheart…deeply and without reservation, and I am going to love you forever, whether it matters to you or not.”
“Oh, East,” Ally whispered, then stood up and stepped between his legs, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his head to her breasts. “I love you, too.”
He held her there, with his cheek against the beat of her heart and knew a peace like he’d never known before.
For Ally, the last of her misgivings about herself disappeared. Safe in the assurance of East Kirby’s love, she had become a confident and loving woman. Together, they could do anything—and they needed to find his son to make their family complete.
“How do you want to approach this?” Ally said.
“Geographically speaking, exactly where did the call originate?”
“The Bitterroots,” she said, and then sat down on his knee as they began to make plans.
East frowned. Those mountains were desolate and unpopulated. There was no way they could come in without warning. “How close did we get?”
“I’m guessing it’s about a mile radius in which we’ll have to search,” Ally replied.
“We’ll fly the area. There’s bound to be buildings of some sort that are visible from the air.”
“We’ll need a pilot and a—”
“I’m certified to fly just about anything shy of a jumbo jet,” East said.
“I am impressed.”
He gave her a lopsided smile. “And you should be,” he teased. “I am an impressive kind of guy.” Then he lifted her off his lap and stood. “Let’s get cracking. I can’t get rid of the feeling that Jeff’s life hinges on how quickly we can find him.”
Chapter 14
The next day they were in the air at daybreak, heading north. They’d been flying a little over two hours, and for Ally, the two-seater plane they were in was like skimming the heavens in a toy. Ally was scanning the aerial map in her lap, searching for landmarks when she suddenly tapped East’s arm and then motioned for him to look down.
“Anywhere within this area. Look for rooftops. A road. Anything that indicates inhabitation.”
He nodded and began to bank, taking the plane into a circle. At first they saw nothing below but the mountains, scrub brush and a vast endless canyon with a thin ribbon of reddish-brown water threaded through it. It wasn’t until he began a second sweep through the area that a flash of sunlight on something below caught his eye. Unwilling to fly lower, he motioned for Ally to use her binoculars. She could see a series of rooftops, a couple of vehicles, and what appeared to be a singletrack road leading into the area. After one quick look, she checked the coordinates on the map in her lap, then looked again.
“That’s got to be it,” she said. “There’s nothing else out here, and these are the coordinates from which the call was made.”
He glanced at the fuel gauge, then at his watch. “There’s no place to land a plane like this. We’ll need a chopper.”
“And I have an idea that might make our retrieval easier,” Ally added.
He nodded, looking down at the area one last time. Hang in there, son. I’ll be back. Then he nosed the plane south.
East sat cross-legged on the floor of the RV, listening to the tape Ally was playing for him. Even though he’d watched her doing it, he was stunned at the authenticity of the piece.
“So, what do you think?” she asked.
“I think it’s genius. Play it again, will you?”
She hit Rewind, then Play, listening along with East to the kidnapper’s voice.
“I’m tired of playing games with you. You messed up. I’m sending my people to retrieve my package. Have it ready and don’t disappoint me again.”
“Of course, this all hinges on our theory that the people holding Jeff did not expect him to fade out on them or they would never have given him the phone,” East said. “It also follows that the kidnapper had to be ticked at them, too, because it messed up his plans with me.”
“I agree,” Ally said. “You’re sure it was Jeff’s voice that you heard?”
East nodded, eyeing her with renewed respect. “You’re damn good at what you do, aren’t you, Ally?”
“Without tooting my own horn too loudly, I’ll say yes.”
“Before, I would have said our chances of rescuing Jeff without a small army were slim to none, but this could be the key to getting in and out of there without force.”
She grinned. “That and a woman with attitude.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it stands to reason that a woman who would work for this kidnapper is not going to be on any debutante list. And since you’re the pilot, I will be the one ostensibly sent on retrieval detail.”
A quick frown furrowed across East’s forehead. “Now wait a minute, you don’t think I’m going to sit in the background while you—”
“I don’t think it, I know it,” she said. “You’re too emotionally involved in this to stay cool. Besides, the less show of force, the less the men holding Jeff will suspect.”
East shook his head. “I don’t like it. There are too many unknowns.”
“That’s what the assault rifle
s are for…changing people’s minds. Now let’s call Jonah.”
A few minutes later, after going through the same procedure as always, Ally’s cell phone rang. She answered.
“This is Corbin.”
“Good evening, Alicia, I trust all is well?”
“Yes, sir, going quite nicely, sir. We need some supplies.”
“Name them.”
“An unmarked chopper, preferably a Bell Jet Ranger, two assault rifles and ammunition, camouflage gear for two, size ten women’s and a man’s extra large. Shoe sizes eight for me, twelve for East. Oh…and just for effect, why don’t you throw in a gun and holster for me, something big, ugly and deadly.”
“That’s quite a list, young lady. Are you sure you’ve been all that good this year.”
Ally’s eyes widened in surprise. To hear Jonah joking about being Santa Claus, even briefly, was not in the context with which she normally dealt.
“Yes, sir, I believe that I have,” she said.
He chuckled softly, then his demeanor changed. “What’s going down?”
“We have reason to believe we’ve located some associates, although we have no way of knowing if the target will be present.”
“This is good. Do you require any backup?”
Ally glanced at East. “Not at the present, although as you know, I’m not the primary on this, sir.”
“Right. Let me talk to East.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll put him on.” She handed the phone to East.
“This is Kirby.”
“What’s going down?”
“We’ve located what we believe to be known associates, and while we have no identity on your target, there is the possibility that he could be among them.”
“Do what you need to do,” Jonah said.
East thought of Jeff. “Yes, sir. Never doubt that is exactly what I’m doing.”
“Where and when do you want the deliveries?” Jonah asked.
East gave him the time and coordinates.
“It’s done,” Jonah said. “And good luck.”
“Thank you, sir. We’re going to need it.”
He disconnected, then handed the phone to Ally for safekeeping.
“Hopefully, the next time we talk to Jonah, it will be with good news,” Ally said.
East shook his head. “I doubt it. Not when he learns I’ve been deceiving him.”
Ally frowned. “It’s not deception in the true sense of the word. These people are associated with the man who’s trying to ruin Jonah. Locating them will give Jonah new information. Who knows where it will go from there?”
East shrugged. “It won’t be how he perceives it, but I can’t let anything matter but getting my son out alive.” He got to his feet and began to pace. “Waiting for daylight is going to be hell.”
Ally put her hand on his shoulder, then cupped the side of his face.
“I have an idea,” she said softly.
“What?”
“After dinner, I know a good way to burn off some energy.”
East sighed and then smiled, thinking of that wonderful book that she’d read.
“Yeah, I could go for that,” he said, and gave her a quick hug. “What sounds good to eat?”
“Oh, I don’t care,” she said. “It’s what comes afterward that really matters.”
East grunted as Ally body-slammed him onto his butt and drove to the basket with a look of glee on her face. All he could do was watch in dismay at the perfection of her layup. The basketball went through the net in a near-silent swish and she thrust her hands skyward as she laughed and turned.
“That’s game!” she crowed. “I win.”
“You cheated,” he muttered, as she helped him to his feet.
“I did no such thing,” she said. “I even offered to spot you four points but you refused.”
“I didn’t want to take unfair advantage of you, since I’m almost a foot taller. How was I to know you were a hustler?”
“I do not hustle,” she said haughtily, and retrieved her ball before striding to a nearby bench to get her towel and bottle of water.
“Like hell,” East said, as he followed her there, watching as she downed her drink.
Behind them, the dusk-to-dawn streetlights at the municipal park were just coming on and a quartet of young men was approaching the court.
“Thank God,” he muttered. “Reinforcements.”
She turned, eyeing the boys with curiosity. “I thought you were ready to call it quits.”
“I never quit,” he said shortly. “However, it would be rude to hog the only court.”
She laughed. “Admit it. Their arrival saved your butt from having to play me again.”
He grinned, ruefully rubbing his posterior. “No, they arrived too late to save the butt to which you so politely refer, but they did give me a good excuse to take you home.”
Impulsively, Ally threw her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly. Just when he was getting into the act, she withdrew.
“Not that I’m complaining,” East said. “But what was that for?”
“For being a good sport, and for offering to show me your etchings.”
He leaned forward, whispering so they wouldn’t be overheard. “I didn’t say a damn thing about showing you etchings.”
She grinned. “That’s right, you didn’t. However, surely you can find something of interest to show me before the night is through.”
East laughed out loud. “Woman, it’s just possible that you could be the death of me…but if that’s so, then what a way to go.”
Night had come to Ketchum, Idaho, blanketing Baby and her inhabitants in varying degrees of shadows. An assortment of flying insects hammered themselves at the blue-white night-lights of the RV park while traffic sped by on the highway beyond. Inside the psychedelic RV, another kind of frenzy had evolved. One born of love and desperation, and an acceptance that tomorrow, should something go wrong, this could be their last night on earth. And while none of these fears had been voiced, East and Ally knew well the realities of what they were about to do. On this night, making love was their affirmation to each other and to the blessing of still being alive. But long after the passion had subsided and they lay replete and quiet in each other’s arms, it was impossible for either of them to ignore the possibility that Jeff Kirby might already be beyond earthly joys.
“Around this next curve and we’ll be there,” East said, referring to the location he’d given Jonah last night.
Ally nodded, her mind on everything that had yet to be done. The doctored tape of the kidnapper’s demand was in her pocket and a cosmetic bag with a few tricks of the trade lay on the floor beside her feet. Getting into the persona of another person was something she’d done many times now, but never had it seemed as important as it did on this day.
“Hot damn, Jonah came through with a bang,” East muttered.
Ally looked up. There was a nondescript man in the clearing ahead, standing beside a gleaming black chopper. Off to his right was an older model truck with a load of feed in the bed. She suspected his innocent appearance was deceptive.
“Did you suspect that he wouldn’t?” she asked.
“No, but you forget, it’s been ten years since I’ve played this game. Some things fade with time.”
She eyed him carefully, judging his state of mind. He seemed cool, almost indifferent—proper behavior for a man about to go into battle.
“And some things don’t.”
He nodded, unaware that she was referring to him.
After a brief identification, the man left, claiming he needed to feed his cattle, leaving East and Ally alone. She sorted through the duffle bags inside the chopper, tossing East his clothing, then began unbuttoning her own clothes. Soon, her jeans, tennis shoes and shirt had been replaced with camouflage clothing and black combat boots. Oblivious to everything now but her game plan, she reached for the makeup bag.
East was dressed and buckling his belt when he turne
d to check Ally’s progress. He stopped short, stunned by the transformation. Her eyes had been outlined in something dark and thick, her lips a slash of red in a cold, pale face. She’d slicked some kind of gel through her hair, then combed it away from her face in a mannish style and was in the act of fastening a holster. It hung down the side of her right hip, putting the butt of the gun close at hand.
“Ally?”
She turned. “What?”
His face was expressionless. “Just wanted to see if it was you.”
She smiled, and in that moment, he saw the woman he loved, and a feeling of peace settled in.
“Are you ready to make the call?”
She nodded. “Let me get the stuff.”
Shuffling through her gear, she produced East’s cell phone and the tape. Once more, she punched Play, just to make sure that the tape was in the correct position, then gave East a nod.
“Let ’er rip,” he muttered.
Mentally thanking the technology that had allowed her to track and trace those incoming calls, she punched in the number she’d picked up from the Bitterroot area and waited for someone to answer.
Caleb Carpenter was in the middle of his second cup of coffee when his cell phone rang. He frowned and glanced at his watch. He wasn’t expecting any calls, although the fit the boss had thrown yesterday after the fiasco with the hostage had given him a rather sleepless night. He cleared his throat and then answered.
“Hello?”
There was a moment of silence, then a voice came over the line that sent a cold chill up his spine.
“I’m tired of playing games with you. You messed up. I’m sending my people to retrieve my package. Have it ready and don’t disappoint me again.”
“But—”
The line went dead.
He cursed softly and tossed the phone on the desk. This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good at all. He stood abruptly and headed for the door to check on the hostage. Although they’d filled him full of antibiotics last night before they’d put him back in the hole, he couldn’t help but worry. God help them all if the damn kid died.