by Debby Giusti
“Then this is more about you getting even rather than trying to save Belinda.”
“What?” He didn’t understand her logic.
For all Hannah’s earlier insistence that he needed to rescue the Amish girl, she now seemed totally against him doing just that.
“You’re Amish, Lucas.”
He shook his head. “I’m not.”
“Isn’t it what you want for your life?”
“I was wrong.”
“No, you weren’t, but now you think the person who killed your partner is suddenly involved and that gives you a reason to throw away your future. Is it that pride we talked about? Or is it the desire to avenge her death that you’ve grappled with all this time?”
He felt betrayed. “Evildoers need to be stopped.”
“Stopped and brought to justice, but not stopped dead in their tracks.”
“What are you insinuating, Hannah?”
“You’re going back in hopes of finding the man who killed your partner or was in some way responsible for your partner’s death. Her name was Olivia, right? When she died, did your dreams of a life together die, as well?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t I? I can see it in your eyes, Lucas. It’s why you were a broken man when you came here.”
“I was broken because of taking a bullet to my leg,” he insisted. “ I told you Fannie nursed me back to health.”
“And Fannie told you to forget the past and live a new life, to let go of the world and embrace the Amish way.”
“That’s what I’ve tried to do.”
“But you failed, Lucas, because of the need for revenge that’s hardened your heart.”
“It’s called justice, Hannah.”
The sheriff’s laptop was open on the desk. She tapped Lucas’s name into the search-engine bar and quickly read the headers that appeared on the screen. “The Savannah paper seems to have a number of articles with you in the title. Let’s look at this one.” She clicked on the link.
“Hannah, you’re being irrational.”
“Am I?” The news article appeared on the screen.
“‘Sergeant Lucas Grant is thought to be involved...his partner was implicated...marked bills were found in Officer Olivia Parker’s apartment,’” Hannah read aloud, catching the high points of the piece. “‘An unnamed source claims Parker may have been involved in a criminal activity, involving bribery and money laundering. Her partner, Sergeant Lucas Grant, denies the allegations.’”
Hannah glanced at Lucas and then back at the monitor as she continued to read. “‘Another source stated that Sergeant Lucas Grant might be involved in the corruption, as well. He turned in his badge and is on medical leave. The spokesperson claims there is speculation that his career in law enforcement is over and that he, too, will be indicted if their investigation goes to court.’”
She looked up and glared at him. “I keep making the same mistake.”
“What do you mean?” He stepped closer.
“I keep getting involved with the wrong type of men.”
Calvin rapped on the open door. “Sorry to interrupt you, folks, but Joseph needs help at the store. Is anyone available?”
“I’ll go,” Hannah volunteered.
“No, wait.” Lucas grabbed her arm. “We need to talk this out.”
“You’ve already made up your mind, Lucas.” She hurried from the room.
Lucas started to follow but Fannie stopped him in the hallway. “Calvin will protect her. She’ll be safe, but I don’t think you will be. I know what you’re planning. It’s not wise. As much as I want to see Belinda saved, this is a line you should not cross.”
“I can’t sit by when someone is in danger. These men need to be apprehended.”
“You’re one person, Lucas. You cannot take them all down. I know you, and I can read your heart. You have not changed since Savannah. You’re still intent on stopping the people who killed your partner.”
“I’m intent on saving a young woman held captive.”
* * *
Lucas left the inn and ran toward the mechanic’s shed, where he grabbed the keys to Hannah’s car. He climbed behind the wheel, started the engine and pulled onto the roadway. As he neared the Amish Store, Joseph came running out. His cheek was bruised and his lip bloodied. Calvin stumbled to the doorway, holding his head.
Lucas sprang from the car. “What happened?”
“A man. He knocked Calvin out and grabbed Hannah. He said he recognized her even in her Amish clothing. He said if Miriam could not be found, he would have to make do with her.”
“Where did he take her?”
“I do not know,” the boy said. “But he drove away in a delivery truck.”
“Get medical help for Calvin and tell the sheriff that I’m going to the lodge.”
Lucas accelerated out of the yard and turned right. He’d take the narrow back road. If Daisy could pull the buggy around the mountain, Hannah’s car could handle the rough terrain, as well.
He thought of Olivia dead on the pavement because he had arrived too late. He had to find Hannah. He had to find her in time.
SIXTEEN
Lucas drove like a madman up the hill and turned onto the shortcut that rounded the mountain and led to the lodge.
“Lord, help me,” he prayed aloud. “I need to find Hannah.”
His heart beat against his chest and sent a ripple of fear to weave along his spine.
He couldn’t live if something happened to Hannah. “Please, Lord.”
As he neared the spot where the path intersected with the main road, Lucas flipped off the headlights. He turned right onto a narrow trail that wove through a wooded area. After backing into a small clearing surrounded by trees, he cut the engine and stepped from the car.
Pausing for a moment, he listened for any sound that could alert him to Hannah’s whereabouts before making his way, carefully and quietly, through the undergrowth. Drawing close to the resort, he stopped and stared for a long moment to study the stone building, the kitchen doorway and the cottages in the distance.
Hannah had mentioned a more secluded cottage nestled to the right at the edge of the woods. He moved through the underbrush until the small lodging came into view. A light shone in the front bay window as well as a window at the side of the cottage, no doubt where Hannah had seen the girl’s face.
The main structure of the lodge sat dark and foreboding with only a few rooms lit on the first floor. In contrast, the landscaped walkways had recessed lighting tucked in the shrubbery and along the paths, painting the grounds in a surreal glow. How could an area so lovely harbor anything as evil as human trafficking?
Though eager to find Hannah, Lucas also knew going in blind would be a mistake.
His gut tightened. What if she wasn’t there? Suppose the man in the blue hoodie had taken her someplace else? What if they were on the highway headed for Atlanta or Savannah? Lucas’s hand fisted and he touched the weapon strapped to his hip.
Headlights appeared on the main mountain road. He moved closer to the edge of the tree line to get a better view of the road and felt a sense of relief when a beige delivery truck pulled into sight. The guy in flannel had taken the longer route through Willkommen, which allowed Lucas to arrive first.
The truck pulled into the drive. A guard waved the vehicle on. The truck skirted the kitchen and turned onto the side road that led to the small cottage.
The front door of the cottage opened. A man, dressed in the black slacks and gray jacket uniform of the security team, stepped onto the porch. He waited until the truck braked to a stop before he hurried to the driver’s side of the vehicle.
The guy in flannel climbed from the truck, rounded to the rear and op
ened the door. He and the other man peered into the darkened interior.
Lucas stepped closer. A twig snapped underfoot. Both men turned to stare in his direction. Lucas held his breath and chastised himself for his stupidity. In his haste, he had made a mistake that could prove deadly.
As the men watched, an armadillo scurried out of the wooded area and raced across the path. The guy in flannel laughed before they both turned back to the van.
Lucas’s heart pounded when he saw what they pulled from the rear. Hannah bound and gagged. She struggled against their hold. Her bonnet was gone and her hair had pulled free from her bun.
His pulse raced and he wanted to rush forward to save her. Before he stepped from the shadows, something caught his eye on the distant path. Two security agents walked toward the lodge, oblivious to what was happening at the cottage.
The guy in flannel untied the rope binding her legs and then shoved Hannah up the stairs of the porch. She tripped and fell. The sound of her knees hitting the steps ripped through Lucas’s heart.
Her kidnapper jerked her upright and pushed her toward the door. She stumbled inside. The guard, who had been inside earlier, followed her into the cottage.
The flannel guy returned to the delivery truck, started the engine and drove around the far side of the lodge. The sound of the engine faded in the distance.
Lucas scanned the property, searching for any sign of security. Seeing no one, he approached the cottage, flattened his back against the wood siding and inched his way toward the window. Curtains covered the panes, but a slit between the panels provided a tiny view into the room.
A voice sounded, moving toward the window. Lucas ducked just as the curtain was pulled back. Huddled only inches below the window, he held his breath.
The voice became more muffled.
Lucas waited until he heard nothing and then, ever so slightly, raised his head and peered over the edge of the windowsill.
His heart stopped.
He saw Belinda Lapp on a bed. Her hair was disheveled, but from the rise and fall of her shoulders, she appeared to be breathing evenly. Hopefully she was unharmed.
The door to the bedroom opened and Hannah appeared. Her mouth was gagged and her wrists bound.
Her eyes widened ever so slightly. Had she seen him?
She struggled against the guard’s hold. He raised his hand and slapped her face.
Lucas felt the blow to his heart as if he had been the one struck. If only it could have been directed at him instead of Hannah.
The guard shoved her onto a straight-back chair and retied the rope around her ankles. He raised his voice. Lucas couldn’t make out the words, but from the harsh tone, the guard’s displeasure was evident. A door inside the cottage slammed.
Minutes later the front door opened. Lucas peered around the corner and watched the guard jog to the lodge.
Lucas had to move quickly, but before he could move, two more security guys appeared on the path.
Were they heading to the lodge? Or coming for Hannah?
* * *
Hannah’s heart beat so hard she thought it would surely beat out of her chest. Although terrified by the guards and the man in flannel who had brought her here, she was even more unsettled by the face at the window.
Had it been Lucas or a figment of her imagination?
Tears filled her eyes. She blinked them away. She couldn’t cry now. She had to remain focused on what was happening around her.
The Amish girl lay on the bed. Asleep or drugged, Hannah wasn’t sure.
Keeping her feet together, she raised her legs and kicked the mattress once and then struck the bed again and again. The exertion made her breathless. She struggled to pull enough air into her lungs. Frustrated, she bit into the gag, wishing she could rip it in two and be rid of the hateful restraint.
The cloth slipped ever so slightly. Using her chin and shoulder, she tugged at the fabric until her lips were free. Opening her mouth, she pulled in a deep breath, filling her lungs with sweet air.
Buoyed by her success, she kicked the bed again and wiggled her hands back and forth in the hope of releasing the rope that bound her wrists. The coarse hemp dug into her flesh, but she ignored the pain.
She scooted to the edge of the chair for better leverage and slowly raised herself to a standing position, then hopped forward and dropped onto the bed.
Using her bound hands, Hannah gripped Belinda’s arm and jerked. The girl’s eyes blinked open.
Relieved, Hannah leaned closer. “I’m from the inn. You’ve got to wake up. We have to get away.”
The girl moaned.
Not to be daunted, Hannah jostled her again. “Open your eyes, Belinda. We’re in danger and have to escape.”
The girl blinked, appearing dazed. She stared at Hannah for a long moment then tried to sit up. “Save...save me,” she whispered.
“I will, but I need your help.” Hannah held out her hands. “Undo the rope.”
The girl pulled herself up and grimaced as she fumbled with the restraint. “It is knotted so tightly.”
“Maybe there’s something in the bathroom.” Hannah pointed to the adjoining bath.
Holding on to the bed frame, Belinda struggled to her feet and stumbled forward while Hannah lifted up a silent prayer.
The girl returned to the bed carrying a small plastic case. “I found a nail file and scissors.”
Which wouldn’t hold up against the thick rope. Hannah’s spirits fell, but she held out her hands nonetheless.
Belinda didn’t try to cut the sturdy hemp. Instead she snipped at each individual thread. Amazed, Hannah watched as, little by little, the rope frayed. She tugged against the remaining strands that eventually broke free.
Hannah rubbed her wrists and then undid her legs.
“We have to hurry,” she told Belinda.
The outside door opened and footsteps sounded in the main room of the cottage.
The girl gripped Hannah’s arm. “He’s come back.”
Before Hannah could respond, the knob turned and the door opened.
* * *
Lucas hadn’t expected the look of terror on Hannah’s face when he opened the bedroom door.
“Oh, Lucas.” She collapsed into his arms. “We thought you were the guard.”
“Are you all right?”
She nodded. “Belinda helped me break free of the ropes binding my wrists and legs.”
He looked at the girl’s dilated pupils. She had been drugged, but the effects appeared to be wearing off.
“We need to leave the cabin now.” He squeezed Hannah’s hand before he opened the bedroom door. “Follow me.”
They hurriedly crossed the living room. Lucas opened the front door ever so slightly and peered outside. Seeing no one, he motioned the women forward.
He kept his eyes on the surrounding area and then followed the women down the porch steps and into the woods.
“The car is parked through there.” He pointed to the clearing.
The sound of an engine caused them to turn.
Just as before, a delivery truck braked to a stop in front of the cottage. A man stepped to the pavement. He was dressed in a windbreaker and jeans, and wore a Braves baseball cap over his short-cropped hair. He rounded the truck, opened a side door and jerked a woman onto the pavement. She gasped as he forced her up the steps to the porch. The guy stopped and turned to study the landscape before he shoved her into the cottage.
“The woman—” Hannah grabbed Lucas’s arm. “I didn’t see her face, but she has blond hair. What if it’s Sarah?”
SEVENTEEN
Hannah couldn’t take her eyes off the cottage in the hope of catching another glimpse of the blonde woman.
Lucas gently gripped her
shoulders and turned her around. “Whether it’s Sarah or not, you and Belinda have to get away.”
“I can’t leave now.”
“Think about Belinda’s safety. Drive her to the inn and get help. I’ll stay here and see what happens.”
“What about Deputy Gainz? Wasn’t he supposed to be doing surveillance?”
Lucas sighed. “He’s probably still in Willkommen.”
He pulled the car keys from his pocket and shoved them into her hand. “Go. Now.”
She took the keys and then watched as another truck arrived, stopped at the guardhouse and drove to the cottage.
A man climbed from the truck and limped toward the porch. His phone rang. He stopped to dig it from his pocket and raised it to his ear. “Yeah?”
“It’s one of the men from Savannah,” Lucas said, his voice low and menacing.
“One of the men who killed your partner?”
He nodded. “I recognize him by the way he walks.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure.” He motioned Hannah toward the car. “You need to get going before someone sees you.”
“What about you?”
“I’m going back, Hannah. He needs to be stopped.”
“You can’t. There are too many of them and only one of you. Plus, you think vengeance is sweet. You want to kill him for what he did to Olivia. Only that won’t get you anywhere. You’ll be outnumbered and captured yourself.”
She stared at him, trying to read his thoughts. “It won’t help Olivia, either.”
“But it’ll help me, Hannah. It’ll help me get over the guilt I’ve carried for too long and the deep need I have to pay back the injustice done to a woman who didn’t deserve to die.”
“One injustice doesn’t warrant another one. You’re hoping to be Amish, but you’re not there, and you won’t be after this. If you kill that man, you’ll be tied up with court hearings. You could end up in jail or, at the very least, you would be pulled back into the world of law enforcement.”