by Debra Webb
“Mrs. Camp?”
Victoria rose, her heart thundering madly as she met the doctor’s gaze. “Yes?”
“You may see your husband now.”
Thank God.
As Victoria moved toward the door that separated the lobby from the E.R., the doctor explained, “Mr. Camp does have a concussion so we’re going to keep him here for a couple of days given his other injuries.” The doctor smiled. “But he’s going to be fine. In fact, I may need your help in convincing him to stay put. He’s rather stubborn.”
The good doctor didn’t know the half of it. Victoria gave him a reassuring smile. “He’ll stay as long as you feel is necessary, Doctor.”
He paused at a door in the long corridor. “I’ll give the two of you some privacy.”
Victoria thanked him and entered the room. She suspected the doctor wanted no part in the debate that would follow. No worries. There would be no debate. She had made her decision and Lucas was not going to sway her.
Her heart melted and her lips spread into a smile when she caught sight of her husband on the examining table, a print cotton gown his only attire. His forehead was bandaged, covering the nasty gash. His right arm was in a sling and his left leg sported a walking cast. But he looked like heaven on earth to Victoria. He was alive, with no injury from which he couldn’t recover.
“I suppose it could be worse,” she announced as she crossed to his bedside.
He smiled through the pain. She wondered if they had given him any pain medication. The nurse had said it was necessary to wait until after the CT scan for any pain meds.
“I told you I’d be fine.”
Victoria had cried copious tears when they’d found him. She wouldn’t cry now. She was far too irritated, mostly at herself, and she intended to reveal no weakness. “You knew better than to follow a mark without backup or at least informing someone of your whereabouts. You’ve done this work far too long to be so careless.”
“Correct on all counts, my dear.”
The irritation gave way to those softer emotions she had attempted to conceal. “You scared me to death, Lucas.”
He took her hand in his and held it tenderly. “I am more sorry about that than you can know.” He winked to hide the emotion shining in his own eyes, but she saw it. “Quite frankly, I scared myself.”
“Never again.” She shook her head firmly.
He started to nod then winced. “Whatever you say, darling.”
Victoria couldn’t restrain herself any longer. She leaned down and kissed him squarely on the mouth. He caressed her cheek and smiled beneath her onslaught.
“I love you, Victoria.”
She blinked back those confounding tears. “I was so afraid I’d lost you.”
He squeezed her hand. “You gave me the strength to climb out of that ravine. I knew you would be worried. I wasn’t about to let you down.”
She managed a wobbling smile. “Very well. I suppose all is forgiven, under the circumstances.”
“Good. Let’s get out of here. We need to help Laney and Hayden find Buddy.”
“All our resources are focused on the search.” She tucked the sheet around him. “You and I are staying here for a day or two.”
When he started to argue, she reminded him, “‘Whatever you say, darling.’”
Lucas surrendered.
She had known he would.
Lucas Camp was a man of his word.
Chapter Twenty
Granger, 1:18 p.m.
Laney froze.
The scream echoed over and over in her head.
“Buddy.” His name whispered from her lips.
“Call the police and then Simon,” Joel called back at her as he rushed toward the house. “He’s not that far behind us.”
But they were all too late. Her son was screaming. The screams from her dreams echoed in her brain. Swelled and twisted with the sound of her son’s scream.
Laney stared at the house.
This was the place…the screaming place…where the darkness waited. The place of nightmares and the smell of blood and terror.
Laney couldn’t breathe. Tears crowded her eyes, her throat.
“Mommy!”
“Buddy,” she murmured.
He was here… . And he needed her.
Laney snapped into action. She ran toward the sound of Buddy’s scream, her trembling fingers fumbling with the phone.
A gunshot blasted the air. She jerked to a halt. “Buddy! Where are you, baby?”
Nothing. She started running again. She cleared the back of the house, stalled in the yard and turned all the way around. Where was he? Where was Joel? “Mommy’s here! Buddy!”
The police! Call the police! Laney hit the necessary buttons.
The dispatcher’s voice sounded scratchy, as if the reception was bad. “Nine-one-one, what is the nature of your emergency?”
“Someone took my son.” Laney’s body shook. Her throat tried to close. “I heard him scream! Gunshots. I need help!”
Another gun blast pierced the air.
“Please! Help us!” she cried.
“Give me your address, ma’am.”
The address! What was the address? Laney shook herself, took a breath, then gave the address.
“Stay on the line, ma’am, we—”
Laney couldn’t wait. She shoved the phone into her pocket and rushed into the woods calling her son’s name.
* * *
JOEL CUT THROUGH THE TREES. Another shot whizzed past his head. He ducked.
Up ahead, a male figure with dark hair and wearing a white T-shirt zigzagged through the trees. Weeden.
Joel couldn’t get a clear visual on Weeden. Was he carrying Buddy?
Joel lunged forward, keeping low. He cut through the brush and trees making way too much noise. There was no help for it; he couldn’t slow down.
If he could get a clear shot…
He stalled.
Nothing moved.
No sound.
Joel forced his heart rate to slow. He listened beyond the sound of his own pounding heart.
“Buddy!”
Laney.
A blast echoed in the air.
Was the son of a bitch shooting at her?
Joel rushed from his hiding place, making all the noise he could, to draw Weeden’s attention.
A blast thundered and a bullet hit the tree to his right.
Joel hit the ground. As he lay there, he listened.
Where was that bastard?
Where was Laney?
“Buddy! It’s Mommy!”
The voice came from his left.
Joel scrambled up and moved forward and to the right, once again making all the noise he could.
Another shot…hit the ground beside him. Way too close.
Weeden was close.
A flurry of movement drew Joel’s attention to his right. He eased between the trees, careful of every step.
He caught a glimpse of dark hair.
Weeden.
Joel moved closer.
“Mommy!”
Buddy.
Joel turned just as the blast echoed. He jerked with the impact, felt the burn of the bullet low on his left side…
He pivoted, used the nearest tree for cover. He touched his side with his free hand. Warm blood oozed between his fingers. Damn it.
He had to protect Buddy and Laney. He couldn’t let this guy get close to them.
Adrenaline fired through him, and he ignored the pain and rushed forward. Something white flashed between the trees to his left. The T-shirt. The bastard was headed toward the sound of Laney’s voice… . Toward Buddy.
Joel charged in that direction.
He spotted Weeden, running…ten yards ahead.
Joel aimed. The bastard darted left. Joel couldn’t get the shot without firing into the brush. But Buddy could be in there.
He moved in a dead run parallel with Weeden’s path, but suddenly Weeden turned and Joel ducked fo
r cover.
A shot echoed. Bark flew off the tree just above his head. Weeden was shooting to kill.
Fury lashed through Joel. He couldn’t throw out any cover shots without looking first. Laney or Buddy could be out there anywhere.
Joel eased from behind the tree, scanned the area around him and moved forward.
“Buddy!” Laney cried.
Joel turned toward the sound of her voice. She was too close.
Another gun blast echoed.
Hot metal tore through his left shoulder and Joel snapped back with the impact.
Weeden darted through the trees.
Fighting through the burn, Joel leveled a bead on him and fired.
Weeden went down.
Relief rushed through Joel, helping him to ignore the pain.
His left arm hanging limply at his side, Joel ran toward the position where Weeden had fallen.
He stopped, studied the ground.
There was blood…but no Weeden.
Joel took stock of the woods around him as he followed the blood trail. The bastard couldn’t have gotten far.
A wave of weakness washed over Joel.
He grunted with the pain of lifting his left hand high enough to press his palm over the hole in his side. Sweat poured down his face.
He listened for movement. No sound. No screams… No Laney calling for her son.
He couldn’t risk calling out to her or to Buddy.
The ground moved under his feet.
Hold it together.
He had to find this crazy SOB.
Wood snapped behind him.
Joel froze, swayed, then steadied himself to turn—
Something solid slammed into the back of his skull.
He went down.
The sky and trees spun wildly.
Weeden stared down at him, the barrel of his weapon aimed at Joel’s face.
“Stop!”
The scream sucked Joel into the darkness.
* * *
“BUDDY!” LANEY RUSHED through the woods. She stumbled. She had to find her baby!
Where was Joel?
The gunshots had stopped… . But where was her baby?
She called his name again.
Dear God, please let me find my baby!
Run! Find him! She stumbled again, caught herself and kept going.
“Buddy!”
Where were the monsters who had her baby?
“Joel?”
She cleared the tree line and found herself staring at the back of the old house. A rusty creaking noise floated across the air as the wind shifted one of the old swings.
Wait… She should be going the other way—into the woods. She wasn’t supposed to come back to the house. Was she? She hadn’t heard Buddy’s voice anymore. Where was he?
In the woods. She had to go back in there.
Her baby was in the woods with those awful people. She’d heard someone scream “stop.” Not Buddy or Joel.
She turned back to the woods and cried out her son’s name. They were in there somewhere.
Why didn’t Buddy or Joel answer her?
“Mommy!”
Buddy burst from the woods.
A sound escaped Laney’s throat as she hurried to meet him.
She scooped him up and hugged him close, tears blurring her vision. He sobbed against her shoulder, his little body trembling.
“It’s okay, baby. Mommy’s got you now.”
Her breath was trapped in her lungs. Those people were still out there. She had to get Buddy to safety. She needed to find Joel.
Laney’s gaze cleared. She turned to run and something in the trees—right where Buddy had come from the woods—caught her attention.
The woman… Gray hair cropped to her chin. A pink dress.
She stared at Laney. Laney stared back. She couldn’t move.
Was she coming after Buddy again? Laney told herself to run, but she felt paralyzed.
They just kept staring at each other.
Laney had no idea how many seconds passed but the woman suddenly turned away and disappeared into the woods.
Clare Barker…her mother.
More seconds elapsed before Laney could move.
Where was Joel?
Was Weeden still out there? There had been no more gunshots, but could she risk Buddy’s safety by running into the woods to look for Joel?
She had to do something. Buddy started to shift around in her arms but his sobbing had eased.
Joel could be injured. She had to find him.
With a big breath, Laney held on tight to her son and rushed back into the woods. “Joel!”
The wail of sirens stalled her. Thank God. She turned and ran as fast as she could toward the front yard.
The third police car skidded to a halt in front of the house as she rounded the corner. Her knees went weak with relief but she kept going.
“We have to find Joel,” she shouted to the first officer out of his car. “He’s out there… .”
“Calm down, ma’am, and tell us what happened.”
Laney’s mind abruptly cleared. There was no time to waste. “A man and woman kidnapped my son. We found them here. The man is armed. My…friend rushed into the woods after him. There were gunshots. He may be hurt.” She broke down then. “You have to find him.”
Buddy started to wail. She tried to comfort him but her tears only made him cry harder.
The other officers had already fanned out across the yard but they weren’t moving fast enough.
“They have to hurry,” she urged. “He could be hurt. The other man had a gun. There were a lot of gunshots.” Joel should have come out of the woods by now. He was hurt. Laney knew it. She just knew it. “You have to do something!” she shouted at the officer.
“Ma’am,” the officer said calmly, “are you or the child injured?”
She shook her head. What was he waiting for? He needed to find Joel.
“You and your son get in the car where you’ll be safe and we’ll find your friend.”
He didn’t get it. “Joel is out there and he needs help. He would be back here by now if not.” She was repeating herself but no one was listening. The renewed burn of tears glazed her eyes.
A dark SUV roared to a stop on the road.
Three men emerged. The officer rested his hand on his weapon as if unsure of what would happen next.
“Laney, are you and Buddy all right?”
It was Simon Ruhl.
She rushed to him. “Joel is still out there. There were a lot of gunshots.” Her knees went weak again.
Simon turned to one of the other men. “Take care of Ms. Seagers and her son.” To the other, he said, “Let’s go.”
Feeling helpless, Laney watched as Simon and the other man, along with the officer who’d been trying to calm her, rushed across the yard.
Please, please, let Joel be okay.
Buddy drew back to look at her. His face was drawn in a frown and his eyes were red from crying. “That bad man tried to take me away.”
“Did he hurt you, baby?” A new fear trembled through Laney. She prayed they hadn’t hurt him in any way. Dear God, she had only just thought of that. What kind of monsters were these people?
Buddy shook his head resolutely. “They didn’t hurt me. But I wanted to go home so I got away.”
She managed a shaky smile. “What a strong boy you are. You found your way back to Mommy.”
This time when he shook his head, his eyes were big. “No, no, Mommy. I couldn’t find you. I was lost in the trees. The grandma lady brought me to you.”
Laney stilled. She moistened her lips. The memory of the woman staring at her from the edge of the woods flashed in Laney’s brain. “Are you sure, baby? Weren’t she and the bad man trying to take you away from Mommy?”
“Nope. It was the bad man with the stubby thing.” He patted his upper arm. “He took me from Terry. When I woke up I was with the grandma lady.”
So Weeden kidn
apped Buddy and took him to Clare. He had killed Terry to get to Buddy. The impact of that realization abruptly penetrated the layers of fear that had been swaddling her brain. Terry was dead. No matter how miserable he had made Laney he hadn’t deserved to be murdered. Agony swelled in her chest.
“The grandma lady helped me find you.” Buddy laid his head on Laney’s shoulder. “She’s nice.”
Laney hugged him so tight he squirmed. Thank God he was safe. Her baby just didn’t understand that the woman was not nice. He had no idea.
The man from the Colby Agency standing beside Laney was saying something. She turned to him but he was on his cell phone. She didn’t even know his name.
Why hadn’t they found Joel yet?
She opened her mouth to demand that this man watch Buddy while she went to search for Joel. After all, there was no need for both of them to be standing here. But he spoke first.
“They’ve found Hayden. EMS will be here any second. They were notified as soon as the Granger police were on the scene.”
What did that mean? “How badly is he hurt?”
“I’m sorry, ma’am, I can’t answer that.”
Laney tilted Buddy’s chin up. “Mommy needs to go help Mr. Joel so I need you to stay with this gentleman until I get back.”
“Ma’am, it would be best for you to stay here.”
Buddy clung to her. She couldn’t leave him like that and she couldn’t risk taking him back into those woods. There was no way to know where Clare and Weeden were at this point. Laney’s heart twisted in agony, She prayed Joel wasn’t hurt too badly.
Just when she thought her heart would be crushed with worry, four men, two of them uniformed officers, rounded the corner of the house carrying Joel between them.
Laney rushed to meet them, her heart thundering. “How is he?”
“He’s unconscious,” Simon answered. “We can’t assess the full extent of his injuries but he’s breathing and his pulse is strong.”
As they reached the front yard, the ambulance arrived.
Laney stayed back while the paramedics did their work. Joel’s face was ashen. His shirt was bloody around one shoulder and along his side. He didn’t move. Didn’t open his eyes. She struggled not to cry. She didn’t want to upset Buddy any further but she was scared to death. There was so much blood.
Finally, they loaded Joel onto a gurney and headed for the ambulance.