by Dani Pettrey
“I turn over the trigger so he can remotely kick in the code changes I’ve programmed into the pumps.”
“And then?” Maybe if he said it out loud he’d realize the devastation his actions would cause.
“Then he gives me Meg in exchange.”
“You really believe he’ll just let you both go?”
“It’s the only hope I have.”
“So none of this had anything to do with the Fabergé egg,” Kayden said more to herself than to him.
“The Fabergé egg?” Frank frowned. “I haven’t thought about that in years. How’d you know about that? And why’d you think any of this had anything to do with that?”
“Because rumor was you hid the egg worth millions along the Iditarod trail and Henry Watts just got released from jail.”
“Watts knows better.”
“Meaning?”
“He knows I returned the egg to Bartholomew’s place later that night. But none of that has any bearing on Meg . . . unless Henry wants revenge for my testifying against him.” Panic swelled in his voice. “Is Henry connected to the men who have Meg?”
“No.”
His shoulders dropped in visible relief. “That’s good.”
“Why?” What was so upsetting about the possibility of Henry Watts being involved?
“Because Henry Watts would kill Meg just out of spite.” Frank’s dogs pawed the ground—antsy like their master. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m due in Nome.”
“If you hand over the trigger to Keller, we’ll be looking at the worst chemical spill in Alaskan history,” Kayden said.
“And if I don’t, they’ll kill my girl.”
“Please,” Jake pleaded. “Let’s find another way.”
“There is no other way. You failed to rescue Meg, and now I have no choice.”
“You always have a choice,” Kayden said.
“And I’m choosing the one that protects my girl. I already lost her mother. I can’t lose her too.” He gave his dogs a signal, and they took off in a flash, mushing up along the hillside past Jake.
He’d never seen anyone keep a sled upright on such a steep incline.
Frank mushed over the narrow bridge and stopped on the far side. “Sorry,” he yelled, “but Meg’s my choice.”
Jake rushed for the bridge, Kayden following at a close clip.
“Don’t come any closer,” Frank screamed, his dogs howling.
Jake heeded his warning, stopping Kayden just shy of the bridge. “What did you do, Frank?”
“Made good time. Got here early and did what I had to before rigging that pump.” He gestured back to the station on the other side of the trees. “Now, I won’t tell you again. Get back.”
A snowmobile roared behind them.
Frank shook his head grimly. “He’s never far behind. This was meant for him, not you. Now! Move!”
As the snowmobile burst past them, Jake grabbed Kayden’s hand and yanked her away from the bridge, running as far and as fast as he could until an explosion knocked them to the ice-packed earth.
Landon’s phone rang as they approached the outskirts of Nome.
Reef squeezed Kirra’s hand. Maybe someone had spotted the SUV.
“What?” Landon said, his gaze shifting to Piper, then back to the road. “When? All right. Thanks for the call.”
“What is it?” Kirra asked, a tremble quivering in her voice.
“A member of the Iditarod air force searching for Frank spotted an explosion out by the Elim pump station. He called it in to Iditarod SAR headquarters, and Ben forwarded it on to Nome SAR, as they’re the closest responders to Elim, and my friend there in turn called me.”
Reef swallowed hard.
“Elim?” Kirra said. “Isn’t that where Jake and Kayden were headed?”
Reef closed his eyes as nausea rumbled through his gut.
Please, Father, let Kayden and Jake be okay. The thought of losing someone else he loved was devastating.
“I’m afraid so,” Landon said, reaching for Piper’s hand.
They tried reaching them via Jake’s satellite phone but had no luck. They only got static.
“We need to get out there,” Piper said. “Now.”
Reef looked at Kirra, knowing she was torn. She wanted to help his family, but hers was still very much in danger.
“Here’s what we’ll do,” Landon said. “We’ll drop in at local SAR headquarters. Piper and I will find a pilot to take us out to Elim while you, Cole, and Kirra continue the search here.”
“Are you sure?” Kirra said. She turned to Reef. “Your family is only out here because of me.”
He silently prayed for wisdom, and God filled him with assurance to stick with Landon’s suggestion.
“I’m positive.”
Her eyes welled with gratitude. “Thank you.”
Nome SAR headquarters was situated in the fire station. Once there, it didn’t take long for Piper and Landon to coordinate a flight out. Working SAR provided the McKennas with wide-reaching contacts that came in particularly handy in these situations.
As they were getting ready to split up, Kevin Hoffman rounded the corner.
“Kevin,” Kirra said, “what are you doing here?”
“After we released Sam Matthews, he caught a flight headed out here.”
“Sam Matthews is in Nome?”
Hoffman nodded.
“Any idea where?”
“I asked a local cop friend, Dave Carter, to keep an eye on him. So far he’s made a couple stops, including the post office and the general store.”
“Any idea why those places?”
“I think he’s trying to make sure no one is following him, but Dave’s good. If we’re lucky, we’ll get a call anytime.”
“We’ve also got everyone keeping an eye out for a black Tahoe that Keller left Solomon in—with Meg,” Reef added.
“That’s great,” Kevin said. “You found her?”
“Yes,” Kirra said wearily. “But Keller triggered an explosion and got away with Meg in the chaos.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll find them.”
She looked at Reef, clutching his hand. “I know we will.”
They’d do this together. It seemed insane to be thinking so long term when, as Kirra had pointed out, they technically hadn’t even been on a first date. But after what they had been through, had come through together, with the Lord’s strength, they were so far beyond first dates.
The thought of not being with her for the rest of his life terrified him far more than any thought of commitment did. He prayed she felt the same. They could take things as slowly as she wanted. Just as long as they were taking the journey together—side by side.
Jake lifted his head once the explosion settled.
Tendrils of smoke rose in vapor-like streams above where the bridge had stood moments earlier—its planks now bobbing in the water, spread out across the narrow inlet. Frank and his team were nowhere to be seen.
He loosened his death grip on Kayden, brushing her hair gently back from her face and examining her for injuries. “You okay, baby?” Other than some snow matted in her hair, she looked untouched.
“I’m good.” She tugged his jacket, pulling him back to her, and laid a kiss on him that had his knees wobbling, and he wasn’t even standing.
She released him with a satisfied smile on her face.
“Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?” The lady kept him spiraling, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Can’t a girl kiss her man?” She stood and pulled her gun from her side holster. “Now, we better see what happened to our snowmobile friend.”
A kiss and a gun. The woman was an intoxicating mix of feminine strength and sensual appeal—the heady kiss still rattled his bones.
He stared at Kayden—her taste still on his lips—in awe of how deeply he loved her. “Hold up.” He tugged her into his arms.
She smiled. “Another kiss first?”
Her brows arched, her pink snow-kissed nose crinkling.
He lowered to one knee and dropped the ring from the pouch onto his flattened palm.
Her almond eyes widened. “What are you doing?”
He cleared his throat. “Asking you to do me the honor of being my wife.”
Love welled in her eyes, her smile, and the surprised blush caressing her cheeks. “Now?”
“We could have died right here, just moments ago. So, yes, now. I can’t wait another second to make you mine forever.”
Tears, actual tears, welled in her eyes. “In that case.” She dropped to the ground in front of him and looked him straight in the eyes. “Yes. Jake Westin Cavanaugh. I’d love to be your wife.”
He slid the ring on her finger, kissing her with all the love in his heart.
“I love you,” he whispered against her mouth.
“I love you too,” she whispered back. But then she jumped up. “Now, let’s go get our man.”
He chuckled. “And that’s exactly why I love you.”
“Any word?” Kirra asked as Reef reentered the fire-station bay.
His downcast expression said it all.
“How could they just disappear? Nome’s not that big.”
Cole hurried in from the chief’s office. “Our luck may just have changed. The Tahoe was spotted out by an old cannery warehouse on the southwest side of town.”
Jake and Kayden approached the unconscious man splayed out on the snow, his snowmobile a dozen feet away and on its side.
Jake searched him, finding a high-frequency radio. “This could come in handy.” Their satellite phone had ceased working after the explosion. He slipped the radio inside his jacket pocket.
“What do we do with him?” Kayden asked.
“Let me right his snowmobile—see if it still works. If so, I’ll tie him up and throw him across the front. He may have some useful information when he comes to.”
Jake and Kayden righted the snowmobile and thankfully found it still in working order. They tied up the man, and Jake loaded him onto the front of the snowmobile seat, climbing on behind him but keeping careful control over the machine. Kayden slid on the rear—their skis across her lap. He hated having her teetering on the edge, but she seemed perfectly comfortable with it—which should have come as no surprise. Using the snowmobile, even if he had to take it slow, would allow them to reach her plane so much faster, and bring their new baggage along.
A mile or so into the ride, the man’s radio garbled. “Bruce, we need an ETA on Frank.”
Jake stopped the snowmobile and looked at Kayden. He had no idea what Bruce sounded like.
Keeping the snowmobile idling, and trying to mask his voice with added static and garble, he responded, “Soon.”
“Good. We’re in place at the warehouse.”
“Okay.”
“Come around the rear. We don’t want to draw too much attention. We’ve already got extra baggage.”
Them too? “Oh?”
“We had to detonate the train ahead of time. The girl’s cousin and friends were closing in.”
Jake squeezed his eyes shut. Kayden now joined in with static of her own. “And . . . ?”
“We got away but had to bring the girl along. At least this will be over soon.”
Jake quickly switched frequencies and patched in to Nome’s SAR headquarters, having them patch him on through to Landon.
“Grainger,” Landon answered.
“It’s Jake.”
“Oh, thank you, God. We heard there was an explosion. Are you all right?”
“Yes. We’re both fine, and we’re headed into Nome.”
“Okay, we’ll turn around.”
“Turn around? What, were you headed out here?”
“Yeah, with Piper. We got word of the explosion. So what happened?”
“Frank blew a bridge to cut off us and the man following him.”
“Smart. He wanted to force anyone chasing him to have to go the long way around the inlet.”
“You got it. On the plus side, we have the man who was herding Frank with us—unconscious.”
“Great. We’ll take care of him when you get back to Nome. Where is Frank headed now?”
“To meet up with Keller.”
“At the warehouse?” Landon asked.
“Yeah. You know about the warehouse?”
“Keller’s vehicle was spotted approaching the abandoned cannery out on Frasier’s Pass. How’d you know about the warehouse?”
“Keller just radioed our downed man. And he gave me the scoop.”
“He have any idea it was you talking?”
“No. I left the snowmobile idling and used my hand to muffle it, and Kayden added in some great static.”
“Great. We’ll turn around and head straight for the warehouse.”
“What about Reef and Kirra? Do they know?”
“Yes. They’re already on the way to the warehouse.”
36
Reef held Kirra’s hand as they entered the warehouse. It was large and still filled with cannery equipment—the cold temperatures the majority of the year preserving the equipment in fairly good condition.
They entered through one of the side doors, bringing them into the central section of the warehouse.
Kneeling behind a production belt, bat in hand—it was the only weapon they had handy at the fire station, besides an axe—Reef scanned the space, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the dimness. He looked to the rafters overhead and then to the open sliding doors across the way.
Joseph Keller stood in the center of the open space with a gun to Meg’s head, as a man he assumed was Jason Keller paced impatiently.
A man entered through the rear.
Jason turned. “Bruce?”
“Try Sam.”
“Sam? What are you doing here?” Jason leveled his gun on him. “I ought to kill you for talking.”
“I’ve got some questions I want answered. Starting with what happened to Belinda?”
“Seriously? You expect me to answer your trivial questions?”
“I think I deserve that much.”
“Deserve?” Jason scowled. “What do you know about deserving? I oughta give you what you deserve.”
Announced by the barking of dogs, Frank’s team pulled up at the side doors. He commanded his dogs to stay as he walked inside.
“We’ll continue this conversation later, Sammie boy,” Jason said, turning from Sam to Frank. “Frank, glad you could join us.”
Frank surveyed the surroundings, his eyes filling with tears as his gaze fastened on his daughter bound and gagged. “Hey, pumpkin. It’s going to be all right.”
“Well, that all depends on you,” Jason said. “You have the remote trigger?”
“I do.”
“Then hand it over.”
“Not until you release Meg.”
Jason waggled a finger. “That’s not how this works.”
“I want her first,” Frank reiterated.
Reef looked at Kirra, fearing her uncle would get Meg killed if he pushed too hard.
“Fine,” Jason said with an eerie smile. “How about this? I shoot you both and then take the trigger off your cold, dead body.”
“That’d be interesting,” Frank said. “Since you need a password to make the trigger work.”
“What’s he talking about, Jay?” Joseph asked, his gaze frantically switching between the two.
“Shut up, Joe. I’ll handle this.” He turned back to Frank. “What are you talking about?”
“Password’s only up here.” Frank tapped his head. “You release Meg or the trigger is useless.”
“You’re bluffing. No way you’re willing to chance your daughter’s life like that.”
Reef slipped from Kirra’s side. “Stay put,” he whispered.
She nodded.
“Please,” Frank said, “I’m not a fool. I give you the trigger and the password and you kill us both.”
“I don’t capitulate to demands.” Jason glanced at Joseph and then Meg. “Shoot her.”
Reef crept behind boxes and crates, trying to get as close to Joseph and Meg as possible without being seen. Joseph pressed his gun against Meg’s temple.
Meg whimpered, her eyes fastened on her dad, tears streaming from her panicked eyes down over the duct tape covering her mouth.
“Wait!” Frank hollered.
Joseph eased his gun back.
“Down, Meg,” Reef yelled as he sprang from cover.
Shaking, Meg dropped to her knees as Joseph swung around in Reef’s direction, just in time for Reef to whack him across the face with the bat.
Joseph fell backward to the ground with a thud.
Looking around, Reef saw Jason aiming his gun in Reef’s direction. “You’re dead.”
Reef ducked as he spotted Cole approaching Jason from behind.
Jason spun around, shooting.
Cole dropped to the ground, clasping his side.
“No!”
Jason rushed past Reef, his gaze fastened on—
Reef turned to look and found Kirra kneeling at Meg’s side. He’d asked her to stay put.
Jason yanked her up to her feet, gesturing for Sam to take hold of Meg. He kicked Joe’s gun over to him, and Sam did as instructed. After all that, how could he obey the crazy man?
Kirra struggled as Jason dragged her back toward the wall, his gun waving across the warehouse as he tried to figure out how many people were present. “Enough. This is between me and Frank.”
Frank stood paralyzed in the center of the room, his hands held up in surrender as Sam kept the gun pointed at Meg’s head.
Reef moved for Kirra.
Jason tightened his hold on her. “No closer or she dies.”
“Then you will never get access to the pump codes,” Frank said.
“Yes, I will.” He shot Frank.
Frank dropped to his knees, clutching his shoulder as Meg cried and Kirra screamed.
“Oh, quit your sobbing,” Jason said, striding to stand over Frank. “I only shot him in the shoulder. I need the password, Frank.” Blood oozed down Frank’s arm. “Next will be your knees.”
Reef scrambled to Cole’s side, his gaze still fixed on Jason and Kirra.