Mistletoe Reunion Threat

by Virginia Vaughan

Their Ken was an imposter and now they had no idea who the man they were searching for really was.

  * * *

  Garrett paced in front of Vince’s desk as Vince spoke with the commander of the precinct in Philadelphia where Ken had supposedly worked for twenty-six years. His face was pale when he hung up and Garrett knew his worst suspicions were confirmed.

  Vince checked the computer. “The prints the DA’s office has on file for Ken are faked, but we lifted prints from the conference room. We recovered a set that wasn’t on file so we ran them through other databases including the military database and got a hit.” He pulled up Ken’s photo on the big screen. “His real name is Paul Rollins, a former army sniper.”

  Garrett’s heart sank. He glanced at Josh and knew his friend was thinking the same thing he was. A former army sniper would be well versed in weaponry and extremely dangerous. He scanned through Rollins’s file. “His mother’s name was Kathryn Rollins.” He looked at them. “That was Ashlynn’s foster mother, the woman that nearly killed her when she was young. Her testimony helped send Kathryn to prison where she was murdered.”

  “So this is all about revenge,” Josh said. “He’s getting back at her because she had his mother sent to prison.”

  Garrett’s blood boiled at the realization. His family was in danger all because someone wanted revenge on a girl who’d been beaten and tortured. But he had to keep his calm if he hoped to bring her and Jacob home safely.

  “I’m going to call him,” Garrett said, pulling out his phone. “He wiped the computer clean and made sure I didn’t see him at the office, so he may assume we don’t know he’s the one behind all this. I’ll call him to see if he’s heard anything and we’ll try to get a trace on his phone.”

  “You tried earlier and it went straight to voicemail. He’s probably got it turned off,” Josh stated.

  Garrett shrugged. “I have to keep trying. What do I have to lose?”

  Vince nodded. “I’ll set up the trace.”

  A few minutes later, Garrett placed the call. It sickened him to speak to Ken like nothing was wrong, but he knew he had to hold his tongue if they hoped to track him.

  Ken answered on the third ring. “Garrett, I heard about Ashlynn. Any news?” he asked, his voice kind and full of concern.

  “No,” Garrett told him. “Have you heard anything?”

  “I’m afraid all I’ve hit are dead ends,” Ken said. “I’ll keep searching, but so far I’ve turned up nothing that could help us find her.”

  Vince gave him a thumbs-up, indicating that they were able to track Ken’s cell phone. Garrett noted it was downtown. “Well, keep me informed,” he said. But then he couldn’t stop himself from issuing a warning. “If anything happens to her, I won’t stop until whoever is responsible pays.” He hoped the warning rang through. He didn’t want Ken to know they were on to him, but he also wanted him to be on alert that Garrett was coming for whoever had taken Ashlynn.

  Ken was silent for a moment and Garrett wondered if he’d hung up. Then he said sympathetically, “You really love her, don’t you?”

  He couldn’t stop the emotion that crept into his voice. “Very much. And I won’t stop until I find her. That’s a promise.”

  Ken clicked off and Garrett instinctively knew he’d shown his hand. But Vince was already barking orders to mobilize the task force.

  “We’re headed downtown to the old Royal Hotel,” he said. “It’s been abandoned for years but there are always squatters. He must be holed up there.” Vince patted his back. “Don’t worry. We’ll get him.”

  Garrett knew it would take Vince time to organize the task force...time Ashlynn and Jacob might not have. He glanced at Josh, who nodded, obviously understanding that, too. He motioned to Garrett to follow him then went outside to his car and opened the trunk. It was loaded down with enough weapons and gear to equip a small army.

  “I’ll phone Levi on the way and tell him to meet us there.”

  Josh slammed the trunk closed and they both got into his car.

  He had no doubt he was going to get Ken. His days of freedom were now limited. Garrett only hoped Ken hadn’t yet harmed Ashlynn or Jacob.

  * * *

  A heavy weight pressed on her head as Ashlynn regained consciousness. She struggled to remember what had happened to her but her memory was a fog. She tried to move her hand only to find it bound. That realization cleared her head instantly.

  She pulled at her hands, then at the binding on her feet. She was tied up. She struggled to sit up and look around. She was in a room that looked abandoned, like an old house that had been left in ruins. Junk was piled in one corner, rolls of carpet lay on the floor and garbage littered the room. She looked up and realized the ceiling was also falling down in places.

  She struggled to recall what had happened and remembered her discovery about Ken and his grabbing her and drugging her. She also remembered he wasn’t who he’d claimed to be. Ken Barrett was a fake identity he’d used to get close to her. He was actually the son of Kathryn Rollins.

  She heard movement and realized it was birds flying through holes in the ceiling. Then she heard another faint sound that grabbed her attention—the sound of a child crying. She strained to listen closer and heard the soft sounds again. Realization pulsed through her. It was Jacob! She was certain that was his cry.

  She pulled at the bonds, more determined than ever to get free. She had to reach her son. She finagled the ties around her hands. When she was finally free she saw they were red and raw. But the pain didn’t matter nearly as much as reaching Jacob. She loosened the ties on her feet and tossed them aside then rushed out of the room, her gait unsteady, obviously from the drugs Ken had given her. She held onto the wall and pushed open a heavy wooden door.

  They were inside an old hotel. The floors were missing in several places and the walls seemed to bow, looking like they might fall at any moment. On one side of the massive lobby was what used to be the check-in desk but there were now holes in the counter and graffiti covered everything that was still standing.

  In the center of the room was a large staircase that she could tell had once been impressive and an obvious focal point of the hotel. It was easy to imagine the giant structure in its heyday and it briefly saddened her to see it in such ruin, but she had other more pressing concerns than worrying about the sad state of some old hotel. She had to find her son.

  She screamed and nearly fell when a flock of birds fluttered around her then flew up to the ceiling. She grabbed the banister to steady herself, but the old structure creaked under the pressure of her weight so she regained her balance quickly. There were no doubt many critters making this place their home and probably more than a few squatters, as well, if Ken hadn’t already cleared the hotel of them. As the sounds of the birds faded away, she heard the cry again coming from upstairs.

  Jacob!

  It had to be him.

  She rushed up the stairs, the pain in her head a second thought. She used the rickety banister only when she needed to and prayed it didn’t give out on her. The sound of crying grew louder as she reached the top. It echoed through the empty halls and she realized it was coming from even farther up. She followed the stairs up several more flights, chasing the sound of the cries she knew had to belong to Jacob.

  On the eleventh floor, she rushed into the hallway and checked every room. Toward the end of the long hall she noticed a door that looked new and sturdy and definitely out of place. The sound grew louder as she neared it. Her heart nearly burst from her chest when she saw her son sitting on a blanket on the floor in the middle of the room. His face was red from crying and anger burned through her. Why had they left him to cry this way? And why wasn’t someone watching him?

  She rushed into the room and scooped him up in her arms, her heart soaring to have him close to her again and to k
now that he was safe. Thank You, Lord, her heart cried, even as tears of relief and happiness spilled from her eyes. Jacob put his arms around her neck and snuggled his face into her. She patted his back and smoothed his hair, her hands unable to get enough of him, just to feel him in her arms again.

  “My, my, what a joyous family reunion.”

  Ashlynn froze when she heard the voice and the ice in it. She turned and saw Ken standing in the open doorway, his gun drawn and pointed at her. Behind him stood a petite, dark-haired woman she didn’t recognize. Barbara, no doubt.

  Ashlynn pulled Jacob even tighter against her and backed away from them. “There was never an FBI agent you wanted us to meet with, was there? You used that to lure us to the office. What do you want with us?” she demanded. “Why are you doing this?”

  “You know why, Ashlynn.”

  “It’s because I helped send your mother to jail? I was a child, Ken, and she beat me so badly I nearly died.”

  “I wish you had died then,” he hissed. “Because of you, my mother died in prison. Because of you, I grew up without a mother.” He motioned toward Jacob. “Now your son will know the same life.”

  Ashlynn gripped him even tighter. “Please don’t hurt him. He’s just an innocent child.”

  “So was I,” Ken bellowed, then his voice softened. “I was only a teenager, but you took everything from me. I could have just killed you when I grabbed you in your office, but I wanted you to know why this was happening. I wanted you to understand that I, Paul Rollins, was the one who tore your family apart, just as you did mine.”

  He motioned at the woman behind him and she approached Ashlynn, reaching for Jacob.

  Ashlynn backed way. “No, leave him alone! Don’t you know what’s happening?” she asked the woman. “He kidnapped my son and now he’s going to kill me.”

  Barbara didn’t reply but held out her arms for the child.

  Ken was quick with the gun. “Either let her have the kid or I’ll shoot him right here.”

  Ashlynn could see the serious threat in his face and knew it wasn’t idle. He would kill Jacob. “What are you going to do with him?”

  “I’m going to do the same thing to him that you did to me. He’ll end up in foster care. Maybe he’ll be one of the fortunate ones and end up with a good family.” His lips formed a sly grin. “Or maybe he won’t. I guess you’ll never know.” He held the gun up again and pointed it at her. “Now hand him over.”

  God, what should I do? Handing Jacob over to Ken was like giving away a part of herself, but she knew it was better than his killing them both. Jacob might have a chance to live and have a future, even if it was in foster care. Not all foster families were like the Rollins home.

  But the truth was that she had little choice. If she had to choose between her child living or dying, she would choose life for him. She wiped tears from his big, green eyes then kissed his cheek. “Mommy loves you,” she whispered just as Barbara grabbed him.

  Jacob screamed as the woman pulled him from Ashlynn’s arms. He started crying again and reaching for her, tears streaming down his face. Ashlynn struggled to keep back her own emotion but her heart was being ripped from her chest with every scream. She closed her eyes as the woman and Jacob disappeared out the door, but his cries for her continued to echo through the empty building.

  She had no choice in this matter. This was being done without her control and she couldn’t stop it. She couldn’t protect Jacob from the future Ken had planned for him and she wasn’t going to be able to stop Ken from murdering her right here in this hotel.

  Garrett had told her that God didn’t often intervene in man’s sins, but he’d assured her He worked to fix the wrongs caused by evil men. She looked at Ken and knew she was looking into the face of evil. She prayed God could redeem whatever Ken did here today. He might kill her, but God would still be able to restore Jacob’s life. She found herself praying for her son, praying that God would keep His eye on him and give him a better life than Ken had planned for him.

  And Garrett. She hated to think what would happen to him when he discovered he’d been unable to save either her or Jacob. Would he draw back into himself as he’d done after the ambush? Would he spend his life seeking revenge or self-destruction? She hoped not. She prayed he would find a way to grieve, then move on. And maybe God would use him to find Jacob and bring Ken and his girlfriend to justice. Hopefully, he would continue searching and save Jacob from the life Ken had planned for him.

  “What are you going to do to me?” she asked. She knew he planned to kill her. He’d tried many times already. He wouldn’t forfeit this chance.

  “Did you know the city plans to tear this building down? Well, they’re not going to get the chance. There is going to be a terrible fire. When the fire department finds a body, if they do, they’ll just think you’re one of the squatters that calls this place home. Even if they eventually identify you, I’ll be long gone with your son.” He shrugged. “I had hoped Barbara could get me another syringe but she wasn’t able to, so I guess I’ll have to do this the hard way.”

  Fear rippled through her as he lunged at her. He raised his gun and slammed it hard against her head. Pain blinded her for a moment then everything faded away.

  TEN

  Josh pulled up and parked at the curb across the street from the Royal Hotel. Garrett had read about this place and knew the city was planning to level the one-hundred-year-old abandoned building. It had once been grand, but had now stood empty for over thirty years. With the broken windows and accumulated garbage, he could understand why city leaders considered it an eyesore.

  As they got out of Josh’s car and moved to the back of the vehicle, a truck pulled in behind them and Levi got out. He looked robust and healthy as he greeted them both, but Garrett still saw the wounded man he’d carried out of the line of fire and remembered the man he’d left behind.

  “Are you sure you’re up for this?” Garrett asked him.

  Levi groaned and rolled his eyes, obviously weary of people asking him that question. “I’m fine.” He batted his chest. “The neurologist gave me a clean bill of health.” He reached for a protective vest from Josh’s trunk and slipped it on. “Now, what are we looking at inside? Multiple shooters?”

  Garrett sighed and put aside his concerns about Levi and concentrated instead on the matter at hand. Vince and the police would be arriving soon, but Garrett was glad his friends were here for backup, too, because he was going into that hotel to find his family with or without the backing of JPD.

  “Probably. I know there was more than one person shooting at us that night at my house. I’m pretty sure I wounded someone. One of Ken’s friends, Meeks, is still sitting in a jail cell and he didn’t have a gunshot wound so I’m assuming Ken has more people helping him. He must have recruited some of his army buddies.”

  Levi grinned and patted his back. “And you’ve got your army buddies helping you. Fair is fair.”

  Josh handed them each a rifle. “We know he took Ashlynn, and we know he’s in there. Ashlynn has to be in there, too, and probably her son, as well.”

  “Anything else I need to know?” Levi asked.

  Garrett nodded. “I’m not coming out of there without my family.”

  Levi didn’t flinch at his words, only checked his weapon and locked eyes with him, his gaze steady and determined. “Then let’s go get them.”

  They walked across the street and entered the hotel one by one, Garrett leading. His gun was raised and his senses on alert as the bright light of the afternoon gave way to the shadowy illumination of the hotel. Some light filtered in from the windows and the holes in the walls and ceiling, but it was very little and what made it through left patches of darkness. He scanned the lobby, noting the garbage and graffiti and junk from outside had filtered in here. But he saw no people. His pulse was
pounding as he stepped gingerly on the floors, sensing Josh and Levi behind him, mimicking his actions.

  Josh moved to his right to check out the registration desk while Levi cleared the downstairs rooms. Each of them gave the all-clear signal so Garrett headed upstairs.

  He was halfway up the staircase when he heard heavy footsteps approaching and the sound of people talking.

  “Have the charges been set?” He recognized Ken’s voice.

  “Yes, we’ve placed them strategically around the hotel. They’re ready to go.”

  “Good, then let’s get out of here.”

  A group of men rounded the corner and saw him a split second before he could retreat or hide. Garrett counted five men in army fatigues. He raised his gun but the man in front was quicker. He pulled his weapon and began firing. One of his bullets grazed Garrett’s shoulder and he tumbled backward, rolling down the staircase. He hit the bottom and heard the floor crack beneath him but it didn’t give under his weight.

  Josh and Levi took cover and fired back. Garrett scrambled to conceal himself, too, as the five men in camo descended the stairs, guns raised and ready to fight. They spread out as they reached the lobby. Garrett glanced up and spotted Ken behind them along with a dark-haired woman who was holding a child. He couldn’t see the child’s face but felt certain it was Jacob. He blew out a steadying breath, readying himself for the firefight. He wasn’t leaving this hotel without Jacob and they weren’t leaving with him.

  The guy in front moved cautiously, scanning the lobby for movement. Garrett jumped out. He rushed at the man and tackled him, knocking the rifle from his hand. He didn’t stay down long, however. The others turned to help him and were confronted by Josh and Levi and the shady room was suddenly filled with the flickering light of gunfire.

  Garrett punched the man with everything he had but finally used the butt of his own gun to take him down. The guy slumped back to the floor and Garrett scanned the lobby for his next target. He saw it when he spotted Ken and the woman taking shelter behind the staircase.