“Your girlfriend will be the only person who can come with you,” the man said. “We will hand the child to her, allow her to leave, and then you’ll turn yourselves over to us. No weapons. No more games. Or we will kill everyone you have ever loved before we finally get you, Jack.”
His words sent a chill through my body. How anyone could harm a baby was beyond me, I didn’t understand it. We were dealing with someone truly evil and sadistic, and I didn’t trust him one little bit.
“Is that clear, Jack?”
Graham nodded his head.
“Yes, it’s clear. We’ll be there.”
“Good. I look forward to the exchange.”
The line went dead.
No one in the room so much as breathed for a solid minute. But as soon as Jack put his phone away, Graham went to work.
“Teddy, can you get access to wires?”
“Of course I can, but it might require me talking to some people in the department,” he told us. “They’re gonna ask what I’m using them for.”
Graham nodded. “Do you have folks you trust in the department?”
“I do.”
“Reach out to them. But tell them to keep this under wraps. Do you think they’ll do that?”
Teddy pondered for a moment but nodded. “I think there’s a few of them that trust me enough to do what needs to be done, yes.”
“Good. We can use all the help we can get,” Graham said. Even though he sounded confident, the words themselves filled me with dread.
Jack’s phone buzzed again. “Got the details. The address is two hours from here, and he’s giving us three hours to get there.”
“We better get moving then,” Graham said. “We only have an hour.”
Jack pulled me aside. The place was filled with people, well beyond capacity, but he took me into the tiny, cramped bathroom and shut the door.
“I know he said you could come, Cassie, but—”
“No buts, Jack. He said he’d hand me our son. I’m going.”
“Cassie, I can’t lose you.”
“And I can’t lose Owen. I’m doing this, Jack. I have to. We have to do everything he says if we want to get our son back.”
Jack closed his eyes and leaned forward. We rested our heads together. I sensed he was on the verge of tears, but he held them back. He was a strong man, but I knew he was struggling as much as I was with all of this.
We were in this together.
“I just worry it’s a trap.”
“It might be, but not doing as he said risks Owen’s life. I’m not willing to do that.” A lump formed in my throat, but I held myself together. For my son’s sake. Nothing would break me as much as losing him. It would literally destroy me.
So for him, I had to be strong.
Jack stroked my hair but no longer argued with me. He kissed me and said, “I love you, Cassie. You’re the strongest woman I know.”
I kept my lips pressed to his for a moment longer before answering. “I love you too, Jack. And no matter what, we’ll be with our son again.”
* * *
We took two vehicles to the meeting location. Theoretically, I would be driving Teddy’s car back with my son. Jack and I rode in the car, with Elijah joining us. Just in case we got ambushed, I supposed.
The ride was mostly quiet. I couldn’t bring myself to talk about anything but Owen’s rescue, and we’d already been over the plan countless times already. I stared out the window at the passing landscape, counting down the minutes until I would be reunited with my son.
I was emotionally exhausted but too anxious to sleep. I wished I could sleep. At least the time wouldn’t move so slowly if I could take a nap. But every time my eyes closed, I saw the image of the masked man dropping from the patio with my baby in his arms.
Jack reached over from the driver’s side and held my hand, squeezing it as if he could read my mind. I’m sure he had a lot of the same thoughts and fears. We were in this together, and I knew he loved Owen as much as I did.
I also knew we would both do whatever it took to save him. If we failed, well, it was over for us too, surely. That would mean things would be too bad, and there would be no escape. But that part scared me the least out of all this. Because leaving the location without my son was scarier than anything those men could do to me.
I understood exactly why Jack had tried to sacrifice himself for us. I would gladly do the same if it meant Owen could grow up healthy and happy.
“We’re almost there,” Elijah said from the back seat. “Make a left here on this dirt road and drive to the end of it.”
Jack didn’t even make a sound to acknowledge Elijah’s words. He simply followed the directions to a tee.
The trees overhanging the road blocked out all the sunlight. It was a cloudy day, so it felt almost like dusk even though I had no idea what time of day it was. I wasn’t looking at clocks; I didn’t want to know how much time had passed. How long Owen had been in the clutches of evil. I couldn’t tell you what time it was or how long we’d been on the road without looking at the GPS. It had felt like an eternity since I lost my son, and each passing minute felt like a year or more.
The wheels of the car hit the gravel, and Jack slowed down as the road narrowed. Graham and the others were in the truck following us. I glanced back to make sure they were still there, and they’d made the turn with us.
There had been very little traffic on the road leading here. The last town was miles and miles away. We were practically in the middle of nowhere, which was easy to do in many of these mountainous areas.
I longed for the familiarity of Liberty. I kept imagining what life would be like when it got back to normal - if it ever got back to normal. I pictured taking Owen out for breakfast at Felicity’s diner before heading to the park across the street. In my ideal world, Jack would be by my side. Maybe we would have another child at some point - a little brother or sister for Owen.
All of that felt so far away, though. We drove down the unfamiliar road, and I was forced to face the reality of the situation. We might never get to have that experience in Liberty. I might never be back in Liberty again.
Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them away. I had to keep reminding myself to hold it together. For Owen’s sake, I told myself.
The road ended abruptly. The only thing in front of us were trees as far as I could tell.
Elijah read from the directions we were given. “There’s a building about half a mile from the road. We're going there.”
I removed my seat belt with a sigh.
Jack looked at me. “Are you sure you want to do this? We have backup. They can make sure Owen is safe, and you can drive away right now.”
“You’re delusional if you think I’m not going with you. I’m getting my son,” I said defiantly.
I knew that look on Jack’s face. He understood it was a lost cause to continue arguing with me. It would be a waste of time - and we had very little of that left. Preparing for the trip took longer than we’d thought. We were in a bit of a time crunch, and the clock was ticking down.
The three of us got out of the car, and I stood there for a moment, waiting for the others to park behind us. I stared into the woods. My son was out there, in a building somewhere, and I was going to hold him again. I would have him in my arms shortly.
Graham and Samuel took the lead, while Jack and I walked side-by-side behind them. He held onto my hand as we walked, and even though he was holding it together, I knew he was scared. Not for himself. No, neither one of us was scared for ourselves. But there was more at stake than just our lives now.
The others followed us.
There was no talking, nothing. Only the sound of the earth crunching beneath our feet. I stared at the path, which really wasn’t much of a path anyway. There had been foot traffic here, that was clear. Broken branches and less brush than the surrounding areas, but still fairly dense and difficult to walk through.
It would be worth it, though.
Graham stopped ahead of us, and the rest of us did as well. We listened, and I heard footsteps coming toward us. My heart jumped into my throat, and I leaned into Jack, holding onto his arm now, not just his hand. I knew the time was coming when I was supposed to leave him to whatever fate was awaiting him - and I wasn’t sure I was ready for that.
We’d said goodbye far too many times already for my liking. But this would most likely be the last time.
I could hardly see over Graham and Samuel, but I could see between them. At least three men stood in our path. All of them large men - almost as large as the ones surrounding me. They wore black masks covering their faces, everything but their eyes. Their hair was covered too. There were no discerning features, nothing that would give away their identities.
“Where’s the mother?” the man in front asked.
I tried to squeeze past Graham and Samuel, but they continued to block my way.
“Where’s the baby first?” Graham asked.
In the distance, I heard a soft cry, and I knew right away that my son was close. I pushed even harder at Graham and Samuel, but they weren’t budging. I tried to walk around them, but Jack grabbed my arm. He stopped me, and I glared at him for doing so.
“I need to get to him. He needs me,” I said.
“Soon.”
The men parted, and another masked man stepped forward. I nearly fell to my knees in relief as I stared at my son nestled in the man’s arms. I was relieved but not completely. My son was alive and well, but he was still in the arms of a stranger.
“Let her through. We’ll pass the child to her but understand that you’re surrounded in these woods. One wrong move and everyone here will be killed. Including the baby. Do you understand?”
“Yes, just give me my son,” I cried out.
Graham and Jack nodded. The others did as well.
Reluctantly, Samuel and Graham parted, and I stepped forward. Jack held my hand for as long as he could before finally, we had to break free. I glanced back at him and mouthed, “I love you,” fearing this might be the end for him.
I walked over to the man holding Owen, and I prepared for the worst. It seemed too easy. But he handed me my little boy. I had almost forgotten just how tiny he was until he was in my arms, and I held him close to me, inhaling his scent and cherishing his soft skin against my face.
“Cassie, you need to go,” Graham said softly from behind me.
The leader said, “You will walk the way you came, get into your vehicle, and drive away. Do not get any other ideas, do you hear me?”
I nodded, even though I couldn’t really focus. Owen fussed in my arms, letting out a cry. My feet felt heavy, but I managed to put one foot in front of the other. I walked past Jack, and he kissed Owen’s forehead and whispered, “I love you,” to both of us.
I leaned in to kiss him as well but used the opportunity to whisper words against his lips. “Get back to us, Jack.”
He didn’t say anything, but the leader cleared his throat, pulling our attention back to him. “You need to go now.” His voice was chilling, and every hair on my body stood on end. I couldn’t hesitate a second longer.
“Go, Cassie. Protect our son.”
As much as it killed me to do so, I had to walk away from Jack. I had to leave the man I loved behind to protect our son.
I hurried along the path, my legs feeling like they weren’t working properly. I was shaking but trying not to cry - I didn't want to upset Owen any more than he already was. He was still crying in my arms. I imagined he was hungry in addition to being scared. I needed to get him to safety so I could feed him, comfort him, and take care of him.
“I’m never going to let anything happen to you again,” I whispered as I stumbled along the path.
I was so focused on my footing, making sure I didn’t trip, that I didn’t notice the movement in front of me at first. But out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of something, or rather, someone moving in the bushes.
I knew people were there, watching us. That’s what we were told. I talked to myself, reminding me to keep it together for our son’s sake. We were almost to the car at the end of the road. In the distance, I heard a gunshot, and my heart nearly exploded.
I looked back, even though I couldn’t see anything through the brush and the trees. I didn’t stop moving. I couldn’t. I had to keep going.
I turned back around, the road in sight.
I saw another masked man, blocking my path.
I stopped a few feet away from him, not wanting to get any closer.
My breath caught in my throat as I heard footsteps all around me.
I was surrounded.
“Change of plans,” one of the men said. “You’re not going anywhere.”
Jack
I sighed with relief as Cassie disappeared into the woods with our son. The rest of this didn’t matter as long as they were safe. Whatever happened, I was prepared for it. And after looking around, I could tell my brothers were too.
“Search them,” one of the masked men said. “Make sure they don’t have any weapons before we take them to the boss.”
We were surrounded. There was nowhere for us to go, and if we did step out of line, it would put Cassie and Owen in danger.
One of the men stepped up to me and rammed the butt of his gun into my chest. He didn’t have to say anything to make his point clear - if I stepped out of line, he would pull the trigger. Even though I couldn’t see his face, I could see the smile in his eyes. He was enjoying this.
“Boss said we could have some fun with ‘em, right?” one of the other men asked.
“He gave us free rein to do whatever we deemed necessary, as long as he gets to watch them die personally.”
I stared at the man in front of me, my face a blank mask. I wasn’t afraid, so if he expected to see the fear in my eyes, he was dead wrong.
“I think we should make them pay for the trouble they caused.”
The other man motioned for the one standing in front of me to step back. He raised his gun and aimed it at the center of my body. I closed my eyes and prepared for the worst, saying a silent prayer that Cassie and Owen would be fine without me. I had to believe they were safe, that Teddy and Madison would take care of them.
It felt like the entire world stood still as I waited for the gunshot. The sound was deafening as the bullet pierced my shoulder. I fell to my knees, my hand reaching for the wound as blood slipped through my fingertips.
I was no doctor, but I knew I was in shock. It hurt, but not as much as it should have. It was only a matter of time before I’d be overcome with pain or I’d bleed out, one or the other. I opened my eyes and found the men standing over me, laughing.
“Not so tough now, are ya, asshole?” one of them said. “Maybe that’s what we’ll do - limb by limb, so you die a slow and painful death.”
In the distance, I heard more gunshots. I didn’t even look; I didn’t want to see my brothers being picked off one-by-one. I might have only met them, and we’d had our differences through all of this, but at that moment, I felt a loyalty to them. They were my brothers, and they had surrendered themselves to protect my family. I hated that they had to die because of me.
I heard someone call out, “What the fuck is that?”
More gunshots. This time in the distance. In the woods surrounding us. And another sound. A whirring of an engine. I managed to turn my head in time to see the helicopter overhead. Voices called out around us.
“Let’s get this over with.”
“Boss said—”
“The plan has changed. We need to get this over with and get out of here.”
But then I heard another familiar voice. Teddy’s voice spoke over a megaphone from the helicopter. “Stop where you are, drop your weapons. We have you surrounded.”
I stared into the eyes of the man who’d shot me, and I smirked. I watched as reality hit him. He dropped his gun.
“We’re not giving up that
easily,” he growled.
He pulled back his knee and hit me hard in the chin. My jaw clapped together tightly, my teeth clattering as my head was thrown back from the impact. My vision went black either from the impact or from the loss of blood.
One of Teddy’s men, Mike, had the men in front of me at gunpoint now.
“Hold it together, Jack,” I told myself. “It’s almost over.”
Dizziness hit me hard, and I almost fell forward. In the distance, I heard a sound that pulled me back to reality. Cassie’s scream.
I stumbled forward, trying to get to my feet. My right arm was useless as blood continued spewing out of the wound. I used it to the best of my ability but had to rely on my left arm.
“Stay where you’re at,” Mike told me. “Help is on the way.”
I wasn’t about to stay put, not with Cassie screaming somewhere in the woods. What if the men got her? What if they were hurting her or Owen? No, I couldn’t stay put. I had to keep moving.
Graham was next to me, and he saw the look in my eye. He likely heard the scream as well. He grabbed my left arm and helped steady me on my feet. I picked the gun off the ground. Once I was standing upright, I took off toward the sounds of the scream. I heard footsteps behind me, and I knew I wasn’t alone - but I wasn’t sure if it was someone on our side or not. I didn’t care.
All that mattered was getting to her.
My foot hit a rock, and I nearly fell forward. I reached out and grabbed a nearby tree with my right hand, the pain of the gunshot wound ripping through me. I clenched my jaw tightly and kept on running, even as my head was spinning.
I heard Owen’s crying, growing louder and louder. I followed it until I reached them. Cassie still had Owen in her arms, but there was a man with her.
And he had a gun pointed directly at her head.
I aimed the machine gun at the man. “Let her go,” I growled.
“Put your gun down on the count of three, or I’ll shoot,” the man said. “1...2…”
Take a Mountain Man Home for Christmas: A Mountain Man Romance Christmas Collection Page 122