The Baby Assignment

by Christy Barritt

  Tanner clicked on a few more links. He saved the most promising houses that fit their criteria as far as distance and seclusion were considered.

  “I think we should start making some phone calls,” Tanner said. “Let’s see which of these are available to rent. That should eliminate some options as they can’t lease a house that’s already occupied. And this isn’t exactly tourist season around here.”

  “It’s better than sitting around doing nothing,” Macy said.

  Tanner had bought her a disposable phone as well. They divided up the list and began making phone calls. After more than a dozen of them, Macy’s eyes lit with excitement.

  “I think I may have found a possibility.”

  Twenty

  Macy pointed to one of the listings on the computer screen. “The owner of this rental said the house has been reserved indefinitely by a nice little family who arrived last week.”

  “What’s the address?” Excitement pounded through Tanner. Could this be it? He could only hope.

  Macy told him, and he pulled up the location on the satellite. The property was definitely secluded, surrounded by miles of nothing but woods. There was a large house in the center of the property, and a lake rested beside it. This would cost a pretty penny to rent, but Robin would have the money to pay for it most likely.

  “I think this is our best chance,” Tanner said, still staring at the screen. “We need to check it out.”

  Macy jumped to her feet, looking like she was ready to go. “Great. Maybe we can finally find Addie. Maybe she’s there.”

  Tanner bit down, hating to break the news to her. “You should stay here, Macy.”

  She shook her head, a fire lighting in her eyes. “Take me with you. Please. I can’t wait here not doing anything. I can help you find her.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Tanner frowned, not liking the thought of Macy potentially putting herself in the line of fire.

  Macy stepped closer to him and lowered her voice. “It is a good idea. If Addie’s there she’ll need someone to take care of her. I can be that person.”

  She was convincing. Very convincing. Tanner’s throat went dry as he looked into her gaze, and he felt his resolve crumbling.

  “This could turn ugly.” A million worst-case scenarios flipped through his mind. All of them ended with Macy either hurt or dead. The thought caused his gut to clench before a sickening feeling pooled there.

  “Please, Tanner.” Macy’s eyes pleaded with him. She wasn’t going to drop this. She felt that strongly about it.

  Tanner stared at her a moment, good sense colliding with compassion. He knew how hard it would be for Macy to wait here, not knowing what was happening out there. It would drive her mad as she sat wondering if Addie was okay.

  Finally, he nodded and stood. “Okay. You can come. Just promise me that you’ll listen to me. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

  “I’ll listen. I promise.” Gratitude filled her gaze.

  He closed the space between them and pulled her into a long hug, unable to resist her. He was so thankful that despite the circumstances, God had reunited them. But he didn’t want to lose her again.

  He prayed he didn’t regret this. Please, Lord...watch over us.

  He wished he didn’t have to let her go.

  “We’ve got to go,” he said, stepping back and planting a quick kiss on her lips. Thoughts of Addie dropped like a rock into his mind. He had to find that little girl. Every moment counted.

  Macy straightened. Somewhere in the depths of her gaze, he saw a soldier emerging out of the peace-loving psychologist. “Of course. Let’s go.”

  * * *

  A few minutes later, Tanner and Macy were heading toward the lake house. Devin was going to meet them close to the location, and Tanner had called Saul to tell him what was going on. He hoped he didn’t regret that. Other officers were on standby in case this panned out.

  Macy seemed especially quiet beside him. Who wouldn’t be in this situation? Things could turn ugly fast. But if they could get Addie back, then the risk would all be worth it. That child didn’t deserve to be a pawn in this kind of game. She deserved a loving family who would dote on her and protect her and shower her with love.

  He glanced at his GPS to verify their location before pulling to the side of the road. They were a good quarter mile away from the house. This was just where they needed to stop. He found a service road where the sedan would be hidden by trees. In case anyone suspicious drove past, their car would be concealed.

  “We go on foot from here,” Tanner said, putting the car in Park and turning toward Macy. He still had a lot of reservations about her being here, but he knew he couldn’t talk her out of it.

  “What about Devin?” Macy asked, running her palms over her jeans.

  “He should be here any moment.”

  She pressed her lips together, a pensive expression on her face and her breathing too shallow. “I hope this goes well, Tanner.”

  He squeezed her hand, wanting to both reassure her and tell her to stay in the car where she’d be safe. “Me, too.”

  “Whatever happens, I want you to know how happy I am that we reconnected. I’m so sorry about the way things ended five years ago.” Her voice sounded raspy with emotion.

  He cupped her cheek, gently stroking his thumb across her skin. “I am, too, Macy, on both counts. We’re going to get through this. And, when it’s over, I want to see where we go.”

  A smile stretched across Macy’s face. “I’d like that. A lot.”

  Tires crunched on the gravel behind them. Tanner glanced in the rearview mirror and saw that Devin was here.

  They climbed out and met him. He was dressed in tactical gear and looked ready to go. He’d brought bullet-proof vests for Tanner and Macy as well.

  “You two ready?” he asked.

  “Ready as we’ll ever be,” Macy said, pulling the vest on and adjusting it.

  “Let’s head out,” Tanner said.

  They started their trek through the dark woods. As they traversed through the woodland, Tanner helped Macy over the uneven ground. Finally, they reached the edge of the woods.

  In the distance, Tanner saw a house on a lake. The lights were on, and there was one car outside.

  Was that Robin and Sam’s?

  And how exactly were these people planning on claiming this inheritance? Tanner wondered. To do so would require coming forward with Addie, which would lead to their arrest. What exactly did they have up their sleeve?

  Tanner didn’t like any of this. Robin and Sam were both conniving and resourceful—and that made for a deadly combination.

  Careful to remain hidden, he held up his binoculars. He could see people moving inside. Sam. That was Sam, along with the man they’d seen at the barn after the car chase.

  That most likely meant that Addie was in there, too.

  “What do you see?” Devin asked.

  “Movement.” Tanner watched as Sam stepped outside, walking to a SUV with a suitcase in his hand. Of course they’d had to get a new vehicle since their sedan had been crushed by the train. It was obvious that money was no object to them.

  “It appears they’re packing up to leave,” Tanner muttered.

  “Are you sure?” Macy asked. “The owner said they were here indefinitely.”

  Tanner frowned. “Something may have spooked them or someone tipped them off.”

  “Saul?” Devin asked. “Isn’t he the only other person you’ve told?”

  Tanner shook his head. “I don’t want to believe that he’s our mole. Besides, there are other officers on standby at this point. I hope we don’t regret asking them to come as a safety net. But there is one thing I know—if we’re going to make a move, we’ve got to do it soon.”

  “So what’s our next play?” Devi
n asked.

  Tanner narrowed his eyes with thought. “We have to approach this carefully. We don’t want Addie to be harmed. It looks like there are two men. Deborah’s probably there with the baby. We’ve got to go in and take the two men out first. And we’ve got to be precise and stealthy. Otherwise, we’re going to miss this opportunity.”

  * * *

  As Devin and Tanner made their way toward the house, Macy lingered behind some underbrush that tickled her ankles and her arms. She tried to remain out of sight, just as she’d promised.

  Dear Lord, please protect them. Protect Addie. Help us get out of this whole and healthy and safe.

  As she waited, she tried to trust that Tanner and Devin knew what they were doing. Of course they did. They had law enforcement experience. But still her stomach churned. So much could go wrong.

  She squinted to see them, but she couldn’t from this angle.

  She let out a sigh.

  This wasn’t going to work. She wanted to see what was going on. She needed to see.

  Making a quick decision, Macy moved deeper into the woods and followed the perimeter of the property. She needed to find a better view, while still remaining out of sight.

  She paused halfway around the lake and ducked behind a tree to check out the area.

  To her surprise, she saw a second, smaller house nestled out of the way by the lake. Trees covered the top of it so that the building hadn’t been visible on the satellite feeds she and Tanner looked at.

  Why wasn’t this listed on the rental advertisement?

  It was probably the owner’s house, she realized. It wasn’t entirely unusual. Some property owners liked to keep an eye on their rental investments.

  Could someone else be staying here instead of at the big house? And, if so, was it the owner or someone else—someone connected with this investigation?

  This location seemed even more secluded and safe than the big house. If someone discovered the other hiding spot, this property would allow whoever was staying here the chance to still escape.

  If Macy’s theory was correct then these people had thought of everything.

  Macy needed to get a little closer to confirm her idea. If she was right, she needed to warn Tanner and Devin.

  Carefully, she made her way across the thick landscape until she reached the edge of the foliage. Then she ducked down again, waiting to see if anyone appeared.

  The lights were on. There was a vehicle parked behind the house. The trunk was open, as if someone was preparing to leave. Just like at the other house.

  Macy held her breath, watching and waiting.

  Finally, a figure appeared in one of the windows.

  It was Robin, Macy realized. As before, she wasn’t wearing the neat wig, but she sported short blond hair. And she was holding a baby in her arms. A crying baby.

  Addie.

  Macy’s heart rate surged. Tanner and Devin didn’t know about this location. And she couldn’t call them to let them know. She couldn’t even text them for fear that the buzzing of the phone might alert someone to their presence. She couldn’t risk it.

  What should she do? She’d promised to remain in the woods and out of sight. But she couldn’t let Robin get away.

  She watched another moment. There didn’t appear to be anyone else in the house with Robin other than Addie. Macy wasn’t a fighter, not a physical one at least. But could she take Robin down if she had to?

  Making a quick decision, Macy darted toward the house. She didn’t stop until she reached the outside wall. Her heart hammered frantically as she pressed herself into the smooth wood siding.

  What was she doing?

  It didn’t matter now. She had come this far. She had to see this through.

  She dragged in some ragged breaths and tried to formulate the next step of this plan. But that was the problem—she didn’t have a plan.

  Her fingers dug into the side of the house, and she paused as a voice drifted out through the window.

  “We’ve got to get back to Oklahoma,” Robin said. “As soon as we get the money, then Addie can have an unfortunate accident. We don’t need her slowing us down. Her incessant crying is driving me mad. I wish I could get rid of her now.”

  Macy’s heart lodged in her throat. How could someone be that heartless? She couldn’t let them get away from here with Addie. Even if Macy had to sacrifice herself. She would do whatever necessary to insure the child’s safety.

  “Let me go get our stuff,” Robin said. “We need to get out of here before they find us. We’ll lay low at a new location for a while until this blows over, and then use the cover story we came up with.”

  Macy had to go solo on this, and that was against everything she wanted to do. She’d never wanted to be the hero. But that was the position she was in now.

  “I’m going to put the baby down and grab my stuff,” Robin said. “Come over here. Now.”

  This was Macy’s chance. She peered in the window, though barely. She couldn’t risk being seen.

  There was Addie!

  She sat in a portable playpen, tears streaming down her face. That poor baby. She needed her medicine. Her ears must be making her miserable—not to mention the emotional trauma of all this.

  Macy stepped out farther, determined to get a better look. As she did, she caught a glimpse of Robin disappearing into a back hallway.

  It was now or never.

  Macy darted toward the door. She held her breath as she grabbed the handle. Please let this be unlocked! She twisted it and, to her surprise, it turned.

  She could hardly breathe as she nudged the door open. She slipped inside the house. As she did, Addie cried harder.

  Macy froze.

  “Stop crying,” Robin yelled from the other room. “You can sense I don’t like you, can’t you? I’ll get this over with as soon as I can, you little brat.”

  Anger burned inside Macy. Robin had no right to be around a precious child like Addie. In fact, she should be behind bars where she’d never be able to hurt anyone again.

  “I can’t get everything done with you in my arms,” Robin said. “You stay in the playpen. And for the sake of all that’s good in this world, please stop crying.”

  Macy swooped in, afraid she was going to miss her chance. She grabbed Addie and whispered softly in her ear. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

  Addie quieted almost immediately. She looked up at Macy and grabbed at her hair. Her sweet baby scent drifted up to her, momentarily calming Macy’s racing heart. Then she whimpered, as if her relief was short lived, and let out some small cries again.

  “We’ve got to get out here,” Macy whispered.

  With tension stretched across each of her muscles, she started toward the door. That had been easy. A little too easy.

  She had to make a run for it.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” someone said behind her.

  Macy froze before slowly turning around. Robin stood in the living room, her entire body poised as if ready to pounce. Hatred gleamed in her eyes as she stared at Macy.

  “I should have known you’d find me,” Robin said. “You seem like the stubborn type.”

  “I don’t want any trouble,” Macy said, taking a step away from the crazy woman in front of her. “I just want to make sure Addie is okay.”

  “I’ll make sure she’s okay,” Robin growled, pacing closer. “And I’ll make sure I’m okay in the process.”

  “You can have the money. We can work something out. This situation isn’t good for Addie, though. You know that.” She had to somehow get through to Robin.

  Addie’s cries became louder at the sound of Robin’s voice and Macy pulled her closer, desperate to calm the child down. The sound was only adding to Robin’s agitation.

  The good news was that the woman didn’t appear to h
ave a gun. At least she and Macy were on equal ground at the moment.

  “You were supposed to die,” Robin continued, bitterness dripping from her gaze.

  Macy held Addie closer. “I must have survived for a reason.”

  She snorted and raised her hands. “Think what you want. Give me Addie back.”

  “I can’t do that.”

  “You don’t have much of a choice. My guys are headed this way. You might as well make this easier for yourself.”

  She didn’t know about Tanner or Devin yet, Macy realized. At least they had that to their advantage.

  “I’m not giving Addie to you.” Macy’s gaze wandered her surroundings, looking for something to defend herself with. There was so little here, though.

  Until she saw the fireplace. Then an idea hit her.

  “Just give me the baby,” Robin said, stretching out her arms even farther.

  “Over my dead body.” As Macy said the words, Addie sniffled.

  “That’s ridiculous. Give me the baby.” Robin reached for her again.

  In one quick movement, Macy reached down and grabbed a handful of ashes. She flung them at Robin’s face.

  Robin reached for her eyes, screeching with pain and fury. Macy knew she had to seize this opportunity. She darted outside, her heart hammering out of control with every step. So many things could still go wrong.

  Dear Lord, watch out for us. Please.

  Robin’s moans and curses came from inside the house. Macy had to get Addie as far away as possible before the woman got a second wind.

  She made a beeline toward the woods. Her arms clasped Addie, and she prayed that she’d have steady footing on the uneven landscape.

  What were Tanner and Devin doing? If she called for their help, would she only end up getting them killed? Exposing them?

  It didn’t matter right now. Right now, she had to run. Her lungs burned as she continued to sprint toward the trees in the distance.

  Just a little farther, and the forest would offer some protection.

  As soon as she darted behind the trees, she heard a footstep in the distance.