No Way Out

by Susan Sleeman

He glared at her, but the anger disappeared quickly and he smiled. “Not for nothing. You’ll see. With Todd out of your life, you need a man to take care of you. I can be that man.”

  She didn’t need any man. Except Cole. She forced the thought away. “So was Todd involved in all of this?”

  “No. He couldn’t see the beauty of our operation. He was too chicken to take a risk and make enough money to properly take care of you and the twins. It was just one more area where he failed you.”

  Her stomach churned in revulsion. “So you killed him.”

  He fixed a hard stare on her. “He threatened to report us. He had to be eliminated.”

  Eliminated. What a way to talk about another human being. How could she ever have thought Nolan was a good man?

  She was thoroughly revolted and wanted to tell him so, but his razor-sharp glare told her to bite her tongue before he acted rashly. She looked out the window, watching miles of deserted beach fly by before he turned into a pricey beachfront neighborhood where homes sat far apart for privacy. He slowed and swung into the driveway of one of the rental properties she managed.

  “What are we doing here?”

  “Oh, right, you don’t know how helpful your little career has been to me.” He shifted into Park. “I’ve used your properties on and off for years to distribute my meth. It’s worked out well. No one has suspected a thing.”

  “How could you use me like that and think I might fall in love with you?” She held up her hand. “Don’t bother answering. There’s nothing you could say to defend your actions.”

  “I wasn’t using you, Alyssa. This is just business. A business that can secure our future together if you’d let go of this high-and-mighty act.” He put a hand on her arm, but she jerked free.

  His logic was as full of holes as her heart. She’d once trusted him. Shared her hopes and dreams. Her failures and successes. And all that time he was using her for his own gain. She was such a bad judge of men.

  When she and her children got out of here, she’d have to do a lot of soul-searching. She may not need a man in her life, but time spent with Cole showed her she still wanted a companion to share the trials and tribulations of life.

  First, though, she had to survive this one.

  * * *

  “I got the DNA back on the cigarette,” Kat announced over the speaker on Cole’s phone.

  “Speak up, Kat. It’s hard to make out what you’re saying.”

  “Sorry,” she said louder. “We’re in the car. We have a match for the DNA. He’s a known drug dealer.”

  “Who is he?” Cole’s adrenaline started to pump and he glanced from Dani to Derrick, both sitting across the dining table from him with their laptops open.

  “Name is Lenard Gaddy,” Kat went on. “He’s a Pacific Bay resident. Served time for distribution of meth. He’s also a suspect in a double homicide a few years ago.”

  Dani let out a low whistle, her fingers flying over her keyboard. “Name’s not common. I should be able to track him down pretty easily.”

  “I have a last known address so that should help.” Kat rattled off the address, and Cole jotted it down on a notepad.

  “You just get this info or have you had a chance to research him?” Dani asked, still typing.

  “I called the minute I got his particulars. Figured between you and Derrick we’d get the information faster.”

  “Glad you recognize my superiority in computer research,” Dani said, laughing.

  Kat snorted. “Puh-lease.”

  Cole liked seeing their good humor, but they had to focus to get the twins back alive. “Dani and Derrick, see what you can find on Gaddy. I’ll ask Alyssa if she knows anything about him.”

  “You’re welcome.” Kat’s sarcasm came through the phone loud and clear.

  “Sorry, Kit Kat.” Cole stood. “You know I appreciate your help.”

  “Still doesn’t hurt to hear it,” she said, but her tone was lighthearted. “I’ve got a call in to my contacts at the Portland Police Bureau. I’ll let you know if they have anything to add on Gaddy.”

  They quickly said their goodbyes, but Dani and Derrick didn’t look up from their computers before Cole took off for the bedroom.

  He stopped outside Alyssa’s room and knocked on the door. He hated to wake her if she’d managed to fall asleep, but this lead was too good not to get her input.

  She didn’t answer so he knocked again. “Alyssa,” he said. “I need to talk to you.”

  Time slipped by and he felt as if a countdown clock ticked away in his head.

  “Alyssa,” he said, louder this time.

  When she failed to answer, he twisted the knob and found the door locked. He pounded on the door one more time with all his strength. If she was in there she had to hear him.

  Panic rising, he shouted, “I’m coming in.” He kicked the door. The wood fractured as the lock gave way. The door crashed into the wall and ricocheted back, slamming into his shoulder.

  Ignoring the stinging pain, he rushed into the room and found it empty. A bolt of fear shot through his heart and he charged into the adjoining bathroom. No sign of Alyssa. His breath seemed to solidify in his throat.

  “Where are you?” he said, back in her bedroom looking for any sign of her whereabouts.

  Derrick joined him, his eyes going wide at the sight of the damaged door.

  “Alyssa’s missing,” Cole said.

  “There’s her cell.” Derrick pointed at the dresser.

  Cole ran to it. “She wouldn’t leave the house without her phone.”

  “Maybe she’s in the kids’ room,” Derrick suggested.

  Phone in hand, Cole was out of the room and across the hall in a flash, but the bedroom was empty, too. He unlocked her cell. “She got a text and then made a call about fifteen minutes ago. Neither number is assigned to a contact name.”

  “So it’s not someone who calls her often.”

  “Dani can track the number.” Running down the hall, he thumbed to the text message.

  I have the twins. They’re safe for now, but if you tell anyone about this message, they won’t be. Call me at this number.

  “It has to be Saunders.” Cole barreled into the family room. “Alyssa’s gone. I think she’s gone to meet Saunders to save her kids.” He held out the phone for Dani to see the text and number.

  She clicked open a file on her computer. “Not Saunders’s cell or home number, which isn’t surprising. He knows enough to use an untraceable phone.” She navigated to a reverse phone look-up page. “It’s a prepaid cell.”

  Cole stifled a curse. “So how are we going to find her?”

  “Maybe Gaddy will lead us to Saunders.” Dani slid her computer to face Cole. “I managed to find Gaddy’s phone info and hacked his account.” Dani opened a map program and tapped her screen. “His GPS places him here. Interestingly enough, the property is a rental managed by Alyssa.”

  “This could be where Saunders has taken the kids and Alyssa.” Cole turned for the door, but Derrick grabbed his arm. “Rushing in is a fool’s game. Better to make a plan first.”

  Derrick was right. They were on the way to confront a killer. A killer who had the woman and children who were coming to mean a lot to him, and he wouldn’t do anything to risk their lives. But he couldn’t help thinking that every second they waited was another second in which he could lose the family he’d started to love.

  SIXTEEN

  Coming face-to-face with the man in Dani’s photo, Alyssa shivered. He had a long, narrow, pockmarked face and full lips that turned down at the corners. His eyes were dark, almost black, and focused on Nolan. She shuddered in revulsion, and he turned to meet her gaze, his eyes suddenly filling with a prurient interest that left her nauseous.

  Ho
w could Nolan leave Brianna and Riley with this creep?

  “Take a hike, Gaddy,” Nolan said to the guy. For a moment it seemed as if he might argue, then Nolan pointed his gun in Gaddy’s direction. With a glare that sent fear into Alyssa’s heart, Gaddy grabbed a worn jacket from the sofa and left. Nolan shoved his gun into his holster and locked the door before crossing to her.

  “How could you leave the kids with him?” She let all of her fury loose by pounding on his chest.

  He grabbed her wrists in an iron hold, pinching and bruising the skin. “Relax, sweetheart. I made sure they were asleep before I left and threatened him with his life if he touched them.”

  “I want to see them.” She tried to pull her hands free, but his fingers held tight.

  “No problem.” He let go of one wrist but held fast to the other, dragging her down the hall to a bedroom. He gently opened the door. Her precious babies slept cuddled together in a large bed. She took a step toward them, but Nolan jerked her to a stop.

  “You’ve seen enough.” He hauled her back down the hallway and dropped her onto a worn flowery sofa. He stood looking down on her, his face a mass of confusion. “Don’t you know how much I love your kids? I’d never do anything to hurt them.” He dropped onto the sofa next to her and took her hands. “Marry me, Alyssa. I have enough money put away to last for years. We can run away together and be the family I’ve always dreamed of.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  “But we have to. Don’t you see?” He squeezed her hands. “A few men who wouldn’t follow directions had to be silenced. I thought I’d covered my tracks, but the Astoria police chief is a former homicide detective, and he tracked me down on one of the cases. He’s buddies with my dad and he’d been able to cover up my involvement until you and your PI got all nosy. The chief knew it was only a matter of time before you uncovered the evidence. He wasn’t about to go to jail for obstruction, so he won’t protect me anymore. That means I have to get out of town tonight, and I’m not leaving without you.”

  “I’d never go anywhere with a man like you.” She jerked her hands free and ran for the hallway. If she could get to the kids, she could grab them and flee.

  She heard Nolan’s feet pounding on the tile floor behind her. She ran faster, panting like she had the other night when his men had chased her. She strained ahead to reach for the doorknob to the kids’ bedroom. Her fingers touched the cool metal.

  Just an inch more.

  A hand shot out behind her and grabbed her hair. He jerked her back.

  She swallowed her cry of pain so she wouldn’t wake the twins, but a sob slipped out.

  He turned her to face him, his eyes crazed and completely strange. “We are going away tonight, and we are getting married. Brianna and Riley will be mine. Got that?”

  He jerked her hair again, wrenching her head back then pulling her closer until she was face-to-face with him. His sour breath fanned over her face and his eyes glazed over in that weird stare again.

  He drew his gun and pressed the cold barrel against her temple. His eyes bore into hers, sending a chill down her spine. She looked away, but before she did, she saw he’d lost his sanity and she knew without a doubt if she didn’t go along with his demands, he would kill her and her children.

  Help me, Father. Please help me get away from Nolan and safely reunite me with my children.

  * * *

  Cole stood in the kitchen watching Saunders manhandle Alyssa. The man had clearly gone over the edge. Saunders kept his gun at her forehead and hauled her into a small living room, where he sat next to her on the sofa.

  Fear as Cole had never known it raced through his body. He wanted to jump Saunders now, but with the gun pressed to Alyssa’s head, Cole couldn’t risk it. He could do only one thing. Pray.

  Father, please. If You’ve ever heard me, hear me now. Keep Alyssa and the twins safe.

  He slowly eased backward, wishing they’d arrived here before Saunders had drawn his gun. Freeing Alyssa now would be more difficult, but with Saunders facing away from the hallway, they could rescue the twins without being seen.

  Cole slipped out the door and felt relief at seeing Derrick and Dani standing at the ready. He ignored the worried looks of his siblings and told them what he’d observed inside. “Alyssa would want us to make sure the kids are safe before doing anything else. So we get them out first.”

  “Agreed,” Derrick said and Dani nodded.

  “Okay, Dani, I need you in the car. Derrick by the back door. I’ll go in, get the kids one at a time and hand them off to you, Derrick. You take them to the car.” He fixed his eyes on Dani. “When you have both of them, you take off.”

  “I’m not leaving you two behind. Plus it’d be faster if we all go in—we can get them together and then leave together.”

  Cole shook his head. “We’d risk all of us being captured that way. Better there’s only one person inside at a time in case things go south.”

  Dani frowned.

  “It’s the best plan to ensure their safety,” Derrick added.

  “After the kids are gone,” Cole went on and faced Derrick, “I’ll need you to create a diversion out front so I can jump Saunders without Alyssa getting hurt.”

  “Ringing the doorbell should bring Saunders to the door.”

  “Good. But you’ll need to keep his attention to give me enough time to get Alyssa out of there.”

  “I can do that.” Derrick grinned.

  “So we have a plan?” Cole glanced at Dani, her brow still furrowed. “The kids need you, Dani. They know you and trust you.”

  “I still don’t like leaving a man behind.”

  Cole got that. You never left a team member behind, but in this case, the lives of two children were at stake. “Can’t be helped if we want to ensure the twins’ safety. So we’re good to go?”

  Derrick nodded and Dani gave a clipped nod also. Cole waited for her to climb into his car, then he slipped inside the house. He heard Alyssa trying to calm Saunders down. Her soothing tone made Cole even angrier. If he’d protected her properly, she wouldn’t be in a room with a killer much less be swallowing her fear to coo at him this way.

  Cole felt like he might explode. He took a step in her direction, but a flashback of her bent over her children, her face alight with love for them, stopped him and he went down the dark hallway.

  He opened the door Alyssa had tried to reach. He spotted the twins, and relief flooded through his body. Riley slept near the wall, Brianna near the edge of the bed. He slowly scooped her into his arms, careful not to wake her. He took slow measured steps down the hall to keep from jostling her, but her soft curls still moved with his steps. Outside, he gently settled her in Derrick’s arms, but not before taking a long look at her peaceful face.

  Cole wanted to smooth the hair from her eyes, but he didn’t want to risk waking her. His heart constricted. Dani was right. He’d fallen in love, all right. He’d fallen for Alyssa and her kids—hook, line and sinker. All three of them had slipped into his heart and opened it, giving him a capacity for love he thought he’d never feel again.

  “Okay?” Derrick asked, snapping Cole back to the mission.

  “Get her to the car.” Cole headed back inside, picked up Riley and hurried back down the hallway. Riley would be so mad when he found out he’d failed to protect and rescue Brianna. Cole would have a talk with the little man and help him realize he couldn’t take care of her every moment of the day. No one could do that, least of all a young child.

  So why was he trying to do the same thing? Trying to protect everyone he loved all the time was just as futile. His steps faltered for a moment before he caught his rhythm again and hurried out the door. He transferred Riley to Derrick’s arms. “I’m going back in to assess the situation. I’ll come out to update you before
we proceed.”

  Derrick nodded and Cole drew his weapon before moving through the house again. Saunders and Alyssa still sat on the sofa, their backs to him. Saunders held his weapon in his hand, but instead of pressing it to her head, his arm rested along the back of the sofa.

  Could Cole get to Alyssa faster than Saunders could shoot her? Probably. But not before Sanders snaked his arm around her throat and took her hostage again. Their plan of surprise was still the best plan.

  Cole slipped outside again. Dani pulled his car from the curb and Derrick stood nearby watching her leave. Relief over the twins’ safety lightened his heart. When Derrick turned, Cole gave his brother a thumbs-up, telling him to head to the front door. Derrick moved up the sidewalk, and Cole returned to his position in the hallway.

  Gun at the ready, Cole waited. The doorbell rang and Saunders responded by putting his gun to Alyssa’s head just as Cole had known he’d try to do if Cole had jumped him before.

  “Is that really necessary?” Alyssa said with a calm that impressed Cole. “It’s probably that salesman we saw on the way in.”

  “What salesman?”

  “Didn’t you see him? He was carrying a black case.” Cole couldn’t help but smile in appreciation. Alyssa was so amazing, instinctively helping him and Derrick in their plan.

  Saunders riveted his attention on her. He seemed to be trying to figure out if she was lying. He suddenly got up and dragged her by the wrist to the door. He pushed Alyssa against the wall behind him and approached the window in the door with caution. Cole moved closer and hoped Saunders would release Alyssa.

  Saunders quickly glanced through the window, then flattened his body against the wall. Cole recognized the defensive maneuver. Saunders was afraid someone was going to open fire.

  They stood there. Time ticking by.

  The house was cold, but Cole felt perspiration trickle down his back. He thought about taking a shot at Saunders, but Cole wanted to end this situation without anyone getting hurt.

  Saunders slowly moved to the window. Took a longer look and then flattened himself against the wall again. He repeated the pattern again and again, each glance out the window longer and longer until he stood staring outside.