by Aimée Thurlo
Tony glanced at Amanda, a startled look on his face. “What did the woman look like?”
“She had soft-looking auburn hair and shimmering green eyes.”
Tony slowed down slightly and, releasing her hand, reached into his back pocket. He flipped open his wallet and pulled out a photo of a woman holding a baby. “Does she look familiar?”
Amanda stared at the photo, as if transfixed. Although the snapshot was small and showed signs of wear and tear, she immediately recognized the woman and the necklace. “Yes. Is she your wife?”
“The photo is of Lynn and Carmen.”
Amanda nodded slowly. “Of course. I understand now. Lynn never stopped watching over Carmen. No grave could conquer the love she felt for her child.”
Chapter Sixteen
Raymond signaled Tony to pull over to the side as they neared the turnoff that led to the cabin. Raymond parked on the shoulder of the road and walked over to meet them. “I just got word from the Forest Service. They can’t see that cabin from the watchtower, but one of the rangers hiked over to a hill near it and took a look through his binoculars. He spotted a blue Jeep parked a short distance downhill from the front door.
“Ron drives a blue Jeep. Did anyone see Hope?” Amanda asked anxiously.
Raymond shook his head. “The ranger didn’t stick around, but he’s willing to take one of our guys up there. He said that someone with a high powered rifle should be able to take Ron out if he came outside. I’ve sent our best man up, but it’ll be a while before he’s in position.”
Raymond leaned back against the car, a pensive look on his face. “We have another problem right now. We need to draw the suspect out of the cabin, while someone gets a look inside and checks for Hope. It looks like our man doesn’t have any accomplices with him, but we can’t be sure of that. So if the little girl cries out, things might get tricky.”
Amanda stared up at the road. “If the Jeep is parked on a slope, I have an idea,” Amanda said.
“From what the ranger said about the terrain, I think it’s a safe bet,” Raymond said.
“I had my car roll downhill one time when my emergency brake wasn’t quite set and the vehicle slipped out of gear. Something like that would certainly cause Ron to leave the cabin. He would have to run after it and stop his vehicle before it got damaged. He wouldn’t give Hope a second thought under those circumstances. Things have always meant more to him than people.”
Raymond smiled. “Excellent idea. Now we just have to figure out a way to get a man close to his vehicle, unseen.”
“Have two of our guys pick up some fishing equipment and walk by near enough to the cabin for Vila to hear them,” Tony suggested. “Have them be joking back and forth, carrying a six-pack of beer. Something like that is perfectly normal out here. While they’ve got his attention, I’ll sneak up on that Jeep and start it rolling. After our guys have Vila in custody farther downhill, I’ll slip inside the cabin.”
“No. We’ll do it together,” Amanda said flatly. “If there’s another kidnapper inside, someone will have to protect Hope and keep her quiet while you take care of the threat.”
Raymond considered it. “I don’t know about all this. You two are civilians.”
“But I know the child,” Tony said, “and I’ve had training no civilian ever had. More importantly, the longer we wait, the more we risk that the news of Katrina Clark’s death will be leaked to the press. Once Vila hears that, there’s no telling what he’ll do. We have to move now.”
“Let’s do it,” Raymond agreed after a brief pause.
* * *
TONY CREPT TOWARD the cabin, careful to stay behind trees or brush as much as possible. After all these years, he’d finally found his daughter. But she was someone else’s little girl now, and the bond that existed between Amanda and Hope was as real as any claim he had on Carmen.
He shook his head, forcing himself to concentrate on the matter at hand. There would be time for decisions later. Right now, the priority was to get Ron Vila out of that cabin.
As he neared the Jeep, he glanced around carefully and settled low behind a thick bush. One false move now, and he’d blow the entire thing. When he heard Raymond’s men passing on the opposite side of the cabin, clowning around and laughing, Tony ran toward the Jeep in a crouch, reaching it in seconds. He had a slim-jim, a handy tool used by cops to unlock vehicles, but it wasn’t necessary. Ron hadn’t bothered to lock his Jeep, certain it would be safe out here. Tony smiled with satisfaction. After all these years, he’d finally nail this jerk.
Tony slipped the Jeep out of gear and released the emergency brake. The vehicle lurched, and he gave it a shove to keep it rolling. Just to make sure Vila heard it, he slapped the side of the Jeep with his palm loudly, then quickly dived behind cover.
Tony watched Vila emerge. He paused outside the cabin for a second, looking around curiously. Then, seeing his Jeep bouncing downhill, he cursed loudly and sprinted after it. Tony ran up and ducked inside the cabin, gun drawn. He glanced around, but the cabin was still. No sound coming from anywhere.
Tony moved toward a closed door in the back, kicked it open, and entered in a crouch. The room was empty. He turned around to continue his search and saw Amanda at the window, trying to force up the sash.
“You were supposed to wait,” he whispered harshly. “I would have called you on the radio in another minute or two.”
“So sue me,” she said, crawling inside. “Where’s Hope?”
“She’s not in this room.”
Suddenly, they heard a hollow scraping noise against the wall. Tony turned around, pistol ready, but Amanda grabbed his arm. “No!”
Hope crawled out from under the bed and launched herself into Amanda’s arms, sobbing. “Mommy, I don’t want to stay here. Take me with you.”
“Shh, Peanut. Who else is here?”
“Just Daddy. He hates me, Mommy!”
“Your daddy doesn’t hate you, Peanut. Believe me.” She glanced at Tony as she said it.
He lowered his weapon and placed a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “Nobody hates you, sweetheart. If only you knew just how much you are loved.”
Hope buried herself deeper into Amanda’s arms, recoiling from his touch. Sorrow knifed at his gut. He’d entertained dreams of taking Hope with him, but what had just happened proved to him without a doubt how foolish the idea had been. His Carmen was lost forever. Hope belonged to Amanda.
Tony watched them both for a few moments. Maybe this was the best thing that could have happened. A little girl needed a mother, and no one could ever love his daughter more than Amanda did.
He walked out of the cabin, leaving them alone, and met Raymond outside. Ron Vila had been handcuffed and stood to one side, another agent beside him.
“Everything okay here?” Raymond asked.
Tony nodded, then walked over and stood face-to-face with the man who’d taken his daughter three long years ago. The pain of irrecoverable loss burned through him. He reached out and grabbed Ron by the collar, pulling him out of the agent’s grasp. “I could kill you for what you’ve stolen from me.”
At that moment, Hope and Amanda stepped out of the cabin. Hope saw Tony and ran up to him. She tugged at his pant leg, pulling him away from Ron.
“No, Tony. He’s mean. He’ll hurt you!”
Tony released Ron instantly, then bent down and touched his daughter’s face in a light caress. “He won’t hurt anyone ever again, sweetheart.”
“Come home with Mommy and me. I want to go home!”
He saw a tear roll down Amanda’s face and something stung at his own eyes, but he told himself it was just glare from the sun. “I’ll take you back home right now, sweetheart. You and your mommy you will be safe there from now on.”
* * *
HOURS LATER, TONY SAT with Amanda and Hope in the child’s bedroom. The little girl had finally fallen asleep, nestled between them.
He could hardly bring himself to leave, but he
knew the time had come. With each minute he stayed, it only became harder. Tony stood up slowly, then bent down to kiss his child goodbye.
“You’re not taking her, are you?” Amanda asked gently.
“No. She’s yours. I failed her once and forfeited my claim on her.” He gazed down at Hope, love shining in his eyes. “You know, I spent years dreaming of the day when I’d finally find my daughter. But I never thought I’d walk out of her life without even telling her who I was.”
“Tony, she has a right to know you’re her father.”
“So she can say goodbye to me?” He shook his head. “It’s time for me to step out of both your lives. I love you, Amanda, but I don’t know if you would ever believe that my feelings for you are separate from my wish that we all become a family. Without that leap of faith, that trust that perhaps I don’t merit, I can’t stay. I don’t want you to live every day wondering if I’ll change my mind and take Hope away.” Tony started to leave, but then turned back to pull Amanda into his arms one last time. “Goodbye, my love,” he whispered, then took her mouth in a hungry, soul-searing kiss.
Amanda staggered as he released her, her knees nearly buckling. Before she could catch her breath, he was out the door. She went after him, but as she reached the porch, Hope suddenly ran past her.
“Tony, don’t go!” Hope launched herself into his arms as he turned.
Tony held his daughter tightly. “I thought you were asleep,” he said, his voice thick.
“Don’t you love us anymore?”
“Yes, but I can’t—” Unable to tell his daughter he wouldn’t return, he looked at Amanda for help.
Amanda smiled gently. “Hope needs you and so do I. We’d both like for you to stay. Permanently.”
Tony held Amanda’s gaze, and for one breathless moment, he could barely speak. He glanced down at his daughter. “Looks like I’m already home. Come on. I’ll tuck you into bed.”
“Me, too?” Amanda teased.
Tony smiled at Amanda, loving promises shining like fire in his eyes. Scooping his daughter up in one arm, and wrapping the other around his future wife, he brought them all back home.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-8385-5
Fatal Charm
Copyright © 1995 by Aimée Thurlo
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