He waited until the two got into the backseat, and then he turned and hurried back toward the cabin.
Finally, it was almost over. Two bad guys were in custody and his young hostage was safe. Considering how it all could have gone wrong, the actual takedown had been surprisingly easy and rather anticlimactic, not that he was complaining. Before he reached the cabin, he pulled his phone from his pocket and connected to Hendrick.
“We got them,” he said once the tech appeared.
“And Sadie?” Hendrick asked.
“Safe and in my car.”
“Thank God. Then my naked dance with torches burning and the sacrifice of a corn dog worked,” Hendrick said with a wicked grin.
“You’ve always hated corn dogs,” Evan replied.
“Okay, so that was an easy sacrifice,” Hendrick replied.
Evan laughed, and it felt so good to finally reach this point and be able to laugh. “I just wanted you to know that this part of the ordeal is over.” His smile faded. “But we still need to identify the person who aided and abetted these criminals.”
Hendrick nodded. “You don’t believe Earl Winslow is your man?”
Evan hesitated. “I can’t be positive, but my gut is telling me he isn’t the insider. I’ve got to go. We’ve still got a lot to finish up here.”
“I’ll keep digging into backgrounds, and I’ll talk to you later.”
Evan returned to the cabin where the two fugitives were not only handcuffed but also had their ankles bound, making it impossible for them to run.
The officers had rounded up a total of three automatic long guns and two handguns. Along with the weapons was enough ammunition to ward off a small army. Thank God they had been taken down without incident.
Chief McCabe smiled at Evan. “If you want to take off, I can assure you my men will process the scene and send you all the reports and evidence we collect.”
“Thanks, and I really appreciate your cooperation in working with us on this,” Evan replied. “It’s been a pleasure.”
“Glad we could help,” Chief McCabe replied, and the two men shook hands. “We’ll make sure these two are transferred successfully into Chief Cummings’s custody. They have far more serious charges to face in that jurisdiction than in ours.”
Evan remained for another thirty minutes or so and then returned to the car where Annalise and Sadie waited. “How are you doing?” he asked when he was behind the steering wheel.
“We’re good,” Annalise said. “I’ve been telling her how smart she was in helping us find her.”
“Sadie, you’ve been amazing,” Evan said. “You asked me if Miss Annalise had eaten, but you didn’t tell me if you had eaten.”
“Gretchen made me some macaroni and cheese, but the macaroni was really crunchy and it wasn’t very good,” Sadie replied.
“How about when we see a fast-food place on the way home we stop and get you a big cheeseburger and fries,” Evan said.
“That would be awesome,” Sadie replied. “And maybe a chocolate shake?”
Annalise laughed. “You got it.”
Once they were on the road home, the two passengers in the back fell asleep. Evan found himself glancing in his rearview mirror and gazing at Annalise.
Without the pressure of the fugitives now burning in his brain, his emotions where Annalise was concerned came to the surface.
He was still in love with her. He realized now he’d never stopped loving her. She had surprised him with her strength throughout this ordeal. He wasn’t sure if she wanted another chance with him or not, but more important he wasn’t sure he would ever trust her with his heart again.
Chapter Twelve
It was just after midnight when Evan finally pulled into Annalise’s driveway. They had gotten Sadie a fast-food child’s meal on the way home, and her resident attendant was now with her at the hospital where she would be thoroughly checked out before returning to her room at the school.
Annalise knew her time with Evan was drawing to an end. With Sadie found, Evan had no reason to stay in town. Whatever was left of the investigation could be handled in Knoxville.
“I’m so glad that Sadie seems to be okay mentally and the whole ordeal didn’t break her spirit,” she said once they were in her living room.
“Thank goodness. She’s definitely a special girl,” Evan replied.
“She is,” Annalise agreed. She cast him a surreptitious gaze and wondered if he was thinking about another special little girl named Maria. “Are you tired?”
“I am, but at the moment I’m waiting for the last of my adrenaline to burn off.”
“Surely you aren’t planning on packing up and leaving here this late tonight,” she said.
“Actually I was hoping I could avail myself of your hospitality and spend one more night here, then head out sometime tomorrow,” he replied. “In fact I’m thinking about that bed in the guest room.”
She smiled at him. “It’s all yours. I’d say you’ve more than earned it.”
They engaged in small talk about the case as they lounged on the sofa. “I’m sure you’re ready to get back to your own life,” he said.
“Almost.” She would probably not have another chance to talk to him about her feelings. The time was now, before he packed up and left her house. “Evan, I’m still in love with you.”
Her words hung in the air. He stared at her for a long moment and then looked down at the coffee table. “Annalise,” he protested softly, “isn’t it better to just leave things alone between us?”
“No, it’s not.” She gazed at him and her heart began to pound with every emotion from anxiety to love. “I want another chance with you, Evan. I’ve never stopped loving you, and having this time with you only confirms to me that you’re the only man I want in my life.”
He frowned and his eyes darkened. “You walked away from me easily enough three years ago. In fact, as I remember, you sent me a text to tell me goodbye...a text for God’s sake.”
“Walking away from you was the most difficult decision I’ve ever made in my life,” she replied. “And I sent you a goodbye text because I knew if I tried to say goodbye to you in person, I wouldn’t leave you.”
She leaned toward him. “Evan, I told you that I was unhappy a million times. I told you that you were being too controlling and I was losing my sense of self. I complained that you ran our relationship like one of your hostage negotiations.”
He remained silent, his eyes dark and shuttered, and still she continued. “Evan, I didn’t want to take that job so far away from you, but I’d reached the point where I wasn’t even sure you would care if I left you or not. Each time I tried to talk to you, you were so emotionless and you’d withdraw from me. I didn’t want Evan the calm and skillful negotiator in my life. I needed Evan the man to give me a reason to stay... Tell me to stay now, Evan. Tell me you are willing to give me another chance.”
A nerve pulsed in his strong jawline. “What makes you think it would work between us now?”
The question made hope leap into her heart. “Because I know more about you now, because I understand you better and I’m a stronger person than I was three years ago. We can make it this time, Evan. Please give me...give us a second chance.”
She saw a softness in his eyes, and she grabbed his hand with hers. “I’ve thought about you every single day that passed. I... I kept hoping you would call me.”
He jerked his hand from hers and stood up. “Call you? Do you have any idea how much you wrecked me? Annalise, I believed in you...in us...and if I couldn’t trust you, then who could I trust? If I was too controlling, then we should have talked about it, but you just gave up on us. I don’t remember you trying too hard to tell me what you were feeling at the time.”
She saw his pain in the depths of his eyes...felt it emanating from him. “I wasn’t stro
ng enough, Evan. I admit I was weak, and it was difficult for me to talk to you about these sensitive subjects, but I can’t go back and do things differently.” She got up from the sofa, as well. “All we have is the future, and I know we can get this right.”
He raised a hand and rubbed the back of his neck as he broke eye contact with her. “I’m afraid, Annalise,” he finally said softly. “I’m afraid to give you my heart again, and then if you get unsure you just send me a text and walk away. Now I’m exhausted and I really need to get some sleep.”
Without saying another word, he turned and walked down the hallway toward the guest room. She watched him until he disappeared from her sight, and then she collapsed back on the sofa as tears burned at her eyes.
She’d hoped...she’d so desperately wanted... But apparently it didn’t matter what she wanted because he wasn’t willing to try again. She felt so much better prepared to have a relationship with him now. She had been weak before when it came to confronting him about her feelings. She’d not only been unfair to him, but also to herself by not being strong enough to talk to him about the important things in their relationship.
Maybe in the morning she’d have a chance to talk with him one more time before he left her house. Maybe once he was better rested his heart would open to her again. A tiny flicker of hope filled her heart.
They were both exhausted tonight. It had not been a good time for her to talk to him about all this. She should have waited until they both had gotten plenty of sleep and the crime situation was truly behind them.
With renewed hope still burning in her heart, she swiped the tears from her eyes and got up from the sofa. She was exhausted, as well. There had been far too little sleep in the past forty-eight hours.
She went into her bedroom and changed from her jeans and T-shirt into a black nightshirt. She hadn’t realized just how exhausted she was until her familiar mattress seemed to embrace her. The minute she closed her eyes she was asleep and dreaming of being in Evan’s arms once again.
* * *
AS EXHAUSTED AS Evan was, he couldn’t stop the thoughts that kept sleep at bay. Hearing that Annalise still loved him had filled him with a tremendous joy until old memories of hurt and loss had intruded.
Was he willing to put his heart on the line with her once again? There was no question that she wasn’t the same woman she’d been when they’d been together. She was better. There was a confidence, a strength that flowed from her eyes that he found sexy as hell.
Had he been controlling in their previous relationship? Probably. He’d controlled her in an effort to keep her safe, to make sure she didn’t wind up in an alley with a knife to her throat.
He frowned and blinked at that thought. It was the first time he realized how those moments in an alley when he’d been eight years old had affected him his entire life. He’d had no control when Maria had been stolen away. Was it possible he’d been trying to get that control back through his relationship with Annalise, a woman he had deeply loved?
He finally fell into a deep sleep. The ringing of a video call suddenly awakened him. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand and realized he’d been asleep for only about an hour. Why would Hendrick be calling him now? Did he have some information about the insider?
He turned on the lamp on the nightstand and grabbed his phone. “This better be good,” he said with a grin at his friend.
Hendrick didn’t return the smile. “Evan, Jacob has escaped from the jail in Pearson.”
Shock electrified Evan, and for a moment he was sure he’d misunderstood what Hendrick had said. “What?” Evan swung his legs over the side of the bed. “When?”
“About thirty minutes ago.”
“How did this happen?” Evan asked, still stunned by the news. He stood and grabbed a pair of his black slacks and pulled them on.
“The transfer of the prisoners was made successfully by two of Chief McCabe’s men. Jacob was locked in a cell by himself, and thirty minutes later somehow he just walked out.”
“Is there a camera in the jail?”
“Apparently there’s only one camera, and it hasn’t been functional for about a month or so.”
“What kind of rundown facility is Chief Cummings running?” Evan yanked on a shirt. “Did anyone see where he went when he just walked out? Did he get into a waiting car or was he on foot?”
“Right now I have no more information other than he’s out.”
“What about Gretchen?”
“She’s still behind bars,” Hendrick replied.
Evan’s frustration shot through the roof. Damn it, they’d all done their jobs and gotten the two behind bars. Jacob was a dangerous man, and now he was out on the streets once again and who knew what he might do.
“Does anyone have any idea where he might be headed?”
“Maybe back to his compound. As you know, the men stationed there were pulled off when you got the two into custody.”
Evan cursed once again. “I’ll call Chief Cummings and find out exactly what’s going on and what he’s doing to get Jacob back into custody.”
“I know he sent out an alert. That’s how I found out about it. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help from this end,” Hendrick said.
“Will do.” Evan disconnected the phone.
He quickly grabbed his socks and shoes. He couldn’t believe this was happening. Jacob would be more dangerous than ever now, and who knew what resources he might be able to tap into now that he was out and on the run.
When he had his shoes on, he called Chief Cummings, who answered on the first ring. “You heard,” he said.
“Just now,” Evan replied. “I wanted to check to make sure you have somebody stationed at the compound so Jacob can’t go back there.”
“Already done, and there will be a full investigation into exactly what happened at the jail.”
Evan wanted to rail at the man about his department and all the epic fails, but he didn’t. In the end it wouldn’t solve anything, and at the moment he still needed to work with these local officials to get the fugitive back into custody.
“Did anyone see him walk out of the building? Is there anyone who can tell us whether he left on foot or had a vehicle waiting for him?” he asked.
“So far we haven’t found a witness. I was in the station with just a skeleton crew, but I’ll be investigating the situation. He had no access to a phone while he was in custody so I’m guessing he’s on foot. I have dozens of patrolmen looking for him as we speak.”
“You’ll keep me updated?” Evan asked.
“Of course,” Chief Cummings replied.
At least Nick, Davis and Daniel hadn’t left town yet. His next phone call was to Davis. “Unpack your bags, we’re not out of here yet.” He explained the situation and told him to update the other two agents and then wait for further instructions.
They needed to find Jacob quickly and get him off the streets before he managed to kill somebody else. Who knew what kind of resources he could get to with a simple phone call to one of his followers? Most of them would do anything to help their leader.
He put his holster back on and then opened his bedroom door, surprised to see the living room lights on. Apparently Annalise hadn’t been able to sleep.
He thought he heard a deep male voice. Was she listening to the television? He stepped into the hallway and pulled his gun, the hackles on the back of his neck standing up.
Gripping his gun firmly, he slowly walked down the hall and stepped into the living room. He swallowed a gasp. Annalise stood before him, her face radiating sheer terror. Jacob stood behind her, one arm wrapped around her waist, the other pointing a gun at her head.
“Ah, the man we were just coming to find,” Jacob said with a smile. “Put your gun down.”
“Why are you here, Jacob? What do you want?” Evan asked
, his heart beating an unsteady rhythm. He did not obey Jacob’s command. There was no way in hell he was going to put down his weapon.
In a million years he couldn’t have foreseen Jacob coming here. How did the man even know where Annalise lived? How had he gotten here? He had assumed Jacob would want to get as far away from town as possible.
The utter terror shining from Annalise’s eyes made a red hot rage well up inside him. He tamped it down. He had to keep his cool in this situation, and drew in several breaths in an effort to regulate his racing heartbeat.
This wasn’t like facing a frightened Phil who he had assumed wasn’t likely to use his gun. Jacob had already proven that he could kill in cold blood.
“Put your gun down,” Jacob repeated, and yanked Annalise closer to him. She gasped, and tears began to run down her cheeks.
“I can’t do that,” Evan replied. “Just tell me why you’re here. What is it you want from me?”
“I want you to bring me Sadie.”
Evan looked at him in surprise. Did Jacob really believe he could still get the little girl to break into the banking system and steal a bunch of money? Was he so far out of touch with reality that he truly believed he could still follow through on his scheme?
“You need to let Annalise go before you and I can have a serious talk,” Evan replied.
Jacob caressed her cheek with the barrel of the gun and then brought it back up to the side of her head. “I’m not letting her go until I get Sadie.”
Evan wanted to rip the man’s throat out for what he was doing to Annalise. “Don’t you get it, man? We all know what your intentions were, and it’s over. All your men are either dead or in jail.”
“It’s not over,” Jacob screamed. “All I need is that kid, and then when she does what I want, I’ll leave the country. I’ll be someplace where nobody can ever touch me.”
“Even if I bring Sadie here, it’s still all over,” Evan replied. “You’ll never be able to board a plane. Officers all over the country will be looking for you.”
48 Hour Lockdown (Tactical Crime Division Book 1) Page 17