Eric said, “And then?”
“One day I went to get more and I realized nearly two-thirds of what we’d originally taken was gone. That was when I stopped. I saved it, until Alan came to me about his medical bills.”
Hailey opened her mouth to say something, but her phone rang. She turned away to answer it, and Eric looked at Charles. The man’s attention was on him, like he was trying to figure out who Eric was and why he was here with Hailey.
“Are you her boyfriend?”
“I’m not sure that’s any business of yours.”
Charles’s lip curled. “We have a child together.”
“I’m aware of that.” Eric folded his arms. “And you might have a role in each other’s lives, but that doesn’t mean you get a say in what Hailey does with her personal time.”
Charles uttered some choice words and came at Eric like he was looking for a fight.
“Don’t.”
It shouldn’t have pleased Eric to have so much power over Charles, especially when the man was barely holding himself upright. He’d never abused his position before, but Charles didn’t know that. Eric needed to get a handle on his anger before his protective side got him in trouble.
Charles looked down his nose despite the fact Eric was taller. “So you’re going to swoop in and be her hero?”
Gone was the guilt and shame of what Charles had done. It was like the man didn’t even remember their conversation from only minutes ago. Now his face held all the obstinacy of a rich man in a position of power who thought he was the only one who had a say over Hailey’s life. Like no one else should be allowed near her.
Eric was going to have to get through a lot of hoops if he pursued Hailey for real. Which made him wonder how many men over the years had shown an interest in Hailey and been warned away or scared off by her ex-husband?
Good thing Eric’s determination was strong enough to go head-to-head with Charles’s pride.
Eric said, “What is or isn’t between Hailey and I isn’t any business of yours.”
A gleam flashed in Charles’s eyes. “So you’re not together.”
Not yet. Then again, maybe being goaded into competing for Hailey’s affection wasn’t the best motive for telling her how he felt. Eric shook his head. “It’s seriously none of your business.”
“What—” It was the shake in Hailey’s voice that made Eric whip his head around to look at her.
Hailey’s eyes were hard. “I want proof of life.”
TWENTY-THREE
“Mom?” Kerry’s voice shook like she was crying.
Hailey gripped the phone. “Baby, what’s—”
“I told you I had my eyes on her. Now I have your daughter.” It was Farrell. “Bring me my jewels or I’ll kill her.”
“What?” Hailey’s stomach dropped. Kerry was supposed to be with Jonah. What was she doing with Farrell? Why hadn’t her team leader kept her daughter safe like he’d said he would?
Eric was suddenly beside her, squeezing her shoulder. She looked up and saw the question in his eyes, but her mouth wouldn’t work.
“You have one hour to get the jewels and meet me at the church on Pine and Fortnam. Come alone. No tagalongs, no other cops, no funny stuff. Now get me my jewels.”
“And if I don’t have them?”
“You’d better pray you find them, or the kid is dead.”
The line went silent.
Hailey wanted to throw the phone. Before Eric could say anything, she told him what Farrell had said.
Charles whimpered, and both of them turned to him. “He has my daughter?”
Hailey strode over to her ex-husband. “Are there any jewels left that you know of?”
“You’re going to get her back?”
Hailey looked at the ceiling and then back at Charles. “Of course I’m going to get her back. What do you think? But I have to give Farrell something or he’ll kill her, Charles. He’s going to murder my daughter because of your stupid actions.”
Charles sputtered. “It’s not…I don’t…”
“This isn’t getting us anywhere.” Eric came to stand alongside both of them.
“Eric is right.” Hailey kept her eyes on Charles. “If we don’t give Farrell something, Kerry will be dead.”
Charles’s face bled of color, leaving it a pasty gray she’d only seen when he’d had a stomach bug.
Eric folded his arms. “What about your wife?”
Hailey shot Eric a glance. Now who was wasting time?
Charles shook his head. “What about her?”
“Does she have any jewelry? At least something we can use as a decoy?”
Hailey didn’t think much of Eric’s idea. “What do you mean ‘we’? He said come alone.”
Eric waved away her concern. “I’m not letting you go alone.”
Hailey said, “But you have to take Charles in, and find out what happened to Jonah.”
“Well then, there’s no time to waste.”
“She gets like that when she’s freaked out,” Charles said. “The more scared she is, the more she talks.”
“I do not.”
Eric looked at her with warmth and compassion.
Hailey couldn’t let herself accept it, not now. “Are we all just going to stand here while Farrell has my daughter?”
Eric turned to Charles. “Where’s your safe?”
The two men left the room and Hailey heard the beeping of a keypad. She’d seen the jewelry Beth-Ann wore enough to know where a chunk of the original jewelry money had gone.
Charles must’ve had a hard time going out of his way to fence the pieces for cash. Hailey wondered how she could have missed it. But then she’d been seriously distracted by her new baby, and hadn’t thought much of Charles’s absences. In truth, she hadn’t wanted to be around anyone back then.
The thought of Charles having been involved made her sick. Though not as sick as she felt knowing Farrell had Kerry in his clutches. She called Jonah, wanting to know what had happened. The phone rang and then went to voice mail. Her hand shook, and she dropped her phone.
Hailey bent over and sucked in air. She needed her daughter back, safe in her arms. She couldn’t believe Jonah would let her go with Farrell without something serious happening. Was he dead?
She squeezed her eyes shut and prayed. She hated that it had to come to this before she admitted she needed help, but she’d been stubborn.
A warm hand touched her back. She grabbed her phone and straightened. Eric left his palm there, and rubbed his firm hand up and down her spine just like he’d done at the office. Once again, Hailey’s tension eased just enough for her to re-group.
“I’m okay.”
Eric frowned. “I wouldn’t be.”
Hailey studied his face. He looked as worried as she felt, which might not be good if one of them needed to be emotionally clearheaded. “We don’t have much time to get across town.”
Eric touched her cheek, and then slid his hand back so his fingers were in her hair. Hailey’s ponytail had fallen out hours ago, and she figured the rain had made her hair a ball of frizz. Eric didn’t seem to care. He looked like he wanted to reassure her that he was going to take care of everything, but wasn’t able to promise her that.
He touched his lips to hers, much the same as he’d done in his apartment. But this time she was prepared for the rush of warmth and the feeling of comfort. Just when Hailey was going to pull back and tell him they needed to leave, he saved her the trouble.
“We should go now.”
She nodded. Charles stood just behind Eric, his hands now uncuffed and holding a lumpy velvet bag. She headed for the window and the men followed behind. Hailey thought she heard Charles mutter, “I knew you were her boyfriend,” but she couldn’t be sure.
When this was over, things were going to go back to normal. Kerry would be safe, and Hailey would no longer need anyone else in her life. Eric was nice enough to help her now, given this was a stressful situat
ion, but that didn’t mean anything was going to come of it. It was just him being comforting.
Eric drove the boat through town once again. Night had fallen while they were in Charles’s house, and she wondered if Kerry still had her coat. Was her daughter dry and warm? Hailey was going to get her away from Farrell, whatever the cost, but there were some things she couldn’t protect Kerry from.
After what seemed like forever they finally reached the church. Hailey hadn’t attended services in weeks. She offered God an apology, hoping He didn’t mind her being brief, and then tacked on a quick request for Kerry to be safe. It wasn’t ideal, but she could rectify that later.
Eric climbed out of the boat, took the bag of jewels from Charles and handed it to her. “I’ll take the back door and only step in if you need me, okay?”
Hailey nodded, and Eric pointed at Charles. “You stay here.”
“Yes, sir.”
Hailey didn’t look back at her ex-husband. He was going to be belligerent even if it cost them everything.
She kept her focus on Eric. “Stay safe.”
“You, too.”
Hailey sucked in a breath, drew her weapon and walked into the church. Kerry was sitting in the front row of chairs. She jerked around and saw Hailey. “Mom!”
Farrell was nowhere to be seen.
“Kerry, let’s go!”
Kerry’s face fell. “Mom, look out—”
She turned in time to see Farrell rush at her, but he was coming too fast. Too fast for her to get a shot off. Hailey swung the gun and caught Farrell in the temple.
“Go, Kerry!”
He didn’t stop, but barreled into her at full speed. They hit the floor, and for a second Hailey couldn’t breathe. She squirmed and tried to hit him, but he slammed her gun hand against the tile floor again and again.
Hailey cried out. Where was Eric? She couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. She wanted to throw up, but all she could do was ignore the screaming pain in her hand and keep fighting him.
She wasn’t a scared young woman with a new baby anymore. She was a federal agent with a gun and a partner. “You’re under arrest, Farrell!”
He laughed. “Nice try.”
The gun fell from her hand and slid across the floor. She grabbed Farrell to keep him from getting it, and hit him with her left hand instead. The pain in her right hand was blinding—surely all the bones were broken.
Farrell’s face was awash with rage as he grappled with her, now trying to get a grip on her neck. She didn’t know how long she was going to last before the pain made her lose consciousness.
It figured her partner would let her down at a time like this. Hailey should have known Eric wasn’t any more trustworthy than any of the other men in her life.
If she was going to get her and Kerry out of this, she was going to have to do it herself.
*
Eric finally got over the mass of debris bunched against the side of the church. The dam had been at overflowing all day. He wouldn’t be surprised if it failed completely and the whole town ended up underwater. It would take weeks, if not months, and millions of dollars, to get everything back to normal. An event like this was catastrophic, especially to small towns like this one.
So many people would be distraught if generations of history were destroyed by the water. Eric couldn’t imagine what it felt like to have that kind of a connection to a place, but could admit—at least to himself—that he wouldn’t mind having it with Hailey and Kerry. Even if it was here in this town.
The back door was in sight when gunshots rang out. It flew open and Kerry ran out, tripped and fell face-first into the water.
Eric waded through the knee-deep river that was rising fast to get to her. Kerry lay facedown. He lifted her out, water draining off her face as she spluttered and coughed.
“You okay?”
Her eyes were wide and bright. She was in shock. “Mom.”
Eric lifted her by the elbows and set her beside the door, out of sight. He had no way to get her safe or dry, not without leaving his partner. “Stay here.”
He drew his weapon and swept down the dim corridor to the sanctuary. He didn’t like leaving Kerry, but his partner needed help.
He was torn between two things. What won out was the fact Hailey and Kerry needed each other. They were both wet and cold, but he could make it so they were at least together.
His heart raced, his palms slick and his stomach roiling at the thought that something might happen to either of them.
Eric cleared the room. He was way too upset for someone who wasn’t supposed to care about Hailey. But he did, he cared deeply. Still, simply because he was attracted to Hailey didn’t mean she needed him.
It was dim and quiet in the corridor, but he heard movement. Was Farrell here, or gone?
Shuffling.
Eric stepped into view. His partner was grappling with Farrell, fighting for her life.
*
Hailey batted his hands away. Someone lifted Farrell up, out of her grasp.
Eric tossed the man to the side like he weighed nothing. The look on his face made her wonder why she didn’t feel a little intimidated by her partner. He was capable of doing serious damage if the occasion called for it.
He paused a minute to haul her to her feet and then didn’t let go of her hand. “Okay?”
Hailey nodded. “Nice timing.”
“Gun?” He had his out.
Hailey cradled her damaged hand against her stomach and looked around. “It slid across the floor somewhere.” Not that the thing would do her much good now. She wouldn’t even be able to hold it.
“Mom?” Kerry stood by the rear door, her face pale. While Farrell shook off his daze, Hailey ran to her daughter and took her in her arms.
“It’s okay, everything’s okay.” Hailey said it as much for her own benefit as for her daughter’s. She turned and put Kerry behind her, searching for a way out.
Farrell was up and rummaging through the bag of jewels. He roared and dumped the bag out. The ruse was up.
Eric stood his ground, aiming his gun at the escapee. “It’s over, Farrell.”
Hailey pushed Kerry toward the front door, walking with her to make sure she got out this time. “Go sit with your father.”
“No.” Kerry spoke over her shoulder. “I don’t want to leave you.”
Hailey shoved her forward with one hand and turned back to Farrell.
“Farrell, stop!”
Eric’s command was ignored. Farrell ran at her again, full speed. Hailey knew if she was going to bring him in, now was the time to do it. There would be no satisfaction in killing the man.
She grabbed the nearest folding chair, hefted the thing up and swung it at Farrell, hitting him in the side of the head. The pain in her hand was blinding.
Farrell flew back with the force of it and landed in the aisle. Eric holstered his weapon, grabbed Farrell’s arms and subdued him.
Hailey turned back to Kerry. “I told you to run.”
She grabbed Kerry’s hand and they went together to the main door through which Hailey had entered. Her gun was nowhere to be seen. But Farrell wasn’t going anywhere for a while, not if Eric had anything to do with it.
She ushered Kerry along in front of her. They had to get to Charles in the boat and get out of there. “You were supposed to be with Jonah.”
“Farrell shot him.” Kerry whimpered. “There was so much blood.”
Images of Jonah bleeding in dirty river water flooded Hailey’s mind. “What happened?”
“We were in Jonah’s car. All the way from the warehouse up to Frank’s bluff was still above the water.”
Hailey nodded. It would be, though possibly not for much longer, which was likely why the county sheriff had ordered total evacuation.
Kerry sniffed. “We were stopped by a downed tree and Jonah got out to see if there was any way around it. Farrell came out of nowhere. He shot Jonah and got in the car.”
Just
like when he’d tried to abduct her, Farrell hadn’t attempted to kill Kerry. He’d needed her in his grasp…for leverage against Hailey. No parent should have to face that reality for their child. The thought stirred rage and disgust in her toward Farrell—even more than she’d felt for him before.
Eric grappled with Farrell, trying to hold him still with nothing to restrain him.
“We’re going to the boat. Maybe there’s rope.”
Eric looked up. “No, wait for—”
Hailey crossed the foyer and flung the main doors open.
Marshal Turner stood on the front step, his face twisted with rage. His gun was pointed straight at Hailey and Kerry. Beyond Turner, Charles was slumped over in the boat.
Please, don’t be dead. Kerry needs you even if you do go to jail.
Hailey tucked her daughter behind her back. “Couldn’t wait for your retirement check?”
Turner snorted. “I always liked you, Shelder. But it’s never worth waiting for something that might not even be there. Not when you can take the payout now.”
Hailey figured what Turner had said was probably the motto of dirty cops everywhere. She might even be inclined to feel sorry for him, if she wasn’t so certain the bullet he shot would go straight through her into Kerry.
Turner looked beyond her, into the church, and hollered, “Farrell!”
TWENTY-FOUR
Hailey turned Kerry aside, giving Turner line of sight to where Eric held Farrell. The escapee was moaning and trying to get up. Water splashed under her boots. She looked down. It was two inches deep and rising.
This whole night was going from bad to worse with no end in sight. Jonah was likely dead. Eric was holding Farrell, which meant it was up to Hailey to get them out of this. Behind her, Hailey heard Kerry quietly pray for help and safety. Her daughter’s wisdom was like the sun bursting through these dark clouds.
Jesus, we need You.
Manhunt Page 15