by Becca Van
“Lunch will be around one,” Misha answered. “And the only thing you need to bring is yourself.”
Jasmine nodded and started to eat again.
Clay heard the door to the sheriff’s department open with a beep. He rose and hurried out to the front desk.
“My daughter’s missing,” the woman sobbed. “We were picnicking near the southwest end of the Buffalo Bill Reservoir. My husband’s still there searching for her.”
“Do you have pictures of her, ma’am?” Clay asked.
“Yes.” She swiped a finger over the phone in her hand and showed it to him.
“How old is she and how long has she been gone?”
“She’s only ten,” she cried. “She’s a good girl and never wanders off. She’s been gone for nearly an hour.”
The hair on the back of Clay’s neck stood on end. His gut was churning and he knew they had to act fast. When he turned toward the office, he was glad he didn’t have to yell for Spence, Dawson, and Kent. They were standing close behind him and so was Jasmine.
He turned to face the woman again. “What’s your daughter’s name?”
“Sharon. Sharon Everett. I’m Sissy.”
Clay glanced over his shoulder. “Call Cooper and Tanner. They’re closer than we are. I want everyone searching for this girl.” Clay moved closer to Spence. “Get a copy of that photo and send the picture out to the others.”
Spence nodded and dug into his pocket before pulling out the keys to his truck. “Give these to Misha so she can get home.”
Clay took the keys and headed back to the lunchroom. “Baby, something’s come up. Can I ask you to clean up here and then drive yourself back to the ranch?”
“Clay, you don’t need to ask.”
Clay glanced at the table and saw that Misha was already in the process of cleaning up. “You heard?”
Misha nodded. “The poor woman was nearly hysterical. Do you need me to lock up the office when I head out?”
“No,” Clay answered. “Cheryl will be back from lunch any time now.”
Misha stepped closer, wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. “Find her, Clay.”
“We will, baby.” He kissed her on the lips and headed out.
* * * *
Misha smiled and waved at Cheryl as she left the Cody Sheriff’s department and headed toward Spence’s truck. She was excited about driving something so big but also a little nervous since her car was only about half the size, but she would be careful and make sure she didn’t put a mark on Spence’s pride and joy. She was going to have to be extra cautious with the cast on her arm, but she was looking forward to the experience and wasn’t about to let the cumbersome plaster hamper her enjoyment.
She’d never really understood why some men were so attached to what they drove, but it didn’t bother her. She thought it was cute how Spence and Clay made sure they washed their trucks every week.
After checking her mirrors and the road, she backed out of the parking lot and headed toward the ranch, all the while praying that her guys and their friends found the missing girl. She was only halfway to her destination when she saw a car parked on the verge of the road with its hazard lights on. Normally, Misha wouldn’t stop to give a hand, but when she saw the driver was half in and half out of the passenger door, she knew something was seriously wrong.
She couldn’t see the man’s face but he looked as if he’d passed out, or maybe he’d had a heart attack or stroke. His legs were hanging out the door and he was slumped across the seats.
Since she wouldn’t be able to reach him from the driver’s side of the car to check his pulse, she walked to the passenger side and peered in the window. A shiver of apprehension ran up her spine when she saw there was a piece of cloth over his face but she couldn’t very well leave him here if he was hurt. After glancing about to see if there was anyone else close by and not seeing anyone, she opened the passenger door and reached for the cloth.
He moved so fast she didn’t even have time to scream. His hand locked around her wrist in a hard, cruel grip and he pulled her off her feet and into the car as he simultaneously sat up. She screamed when she saw the grotesque clown mask covering his face but the scream died in her throat when something stabbed her in the neck. Instantaneously, she began to feel woozy and her eyes grew heavy. She tried to keep her eyes open but she was fighting a losing battle.
His hands gripped her, moving her into the passenger seat, and she heard the seatbelt lock into place after it was pulled over her body. She tried to get her mind to work with her body and reached for the door handle so she could escape, but whatever drug he’d injected into her was working way too fast, and she slumped over as she passed out.
* * * *
“That was too fucking easy.” Spence frowned as he watched mother and daughter hugging each other.
“Yes, it was,” Clay agreed. “You didn’t spot the dog?”
“No,” Spence replied. “Neither did any of the others.”
“Clay, I think I just found our injured animal.” Tanner walked over with an iPod in his hand. He hit the play button and the sound of a dog in pain emanated from the speakers.
“Why the fuck would someone do something like this?” Spence asked. The knot of dread in his gut grew bigger and bigger.
“This had to be—”
“A diversion,” Spence and Clay growled at the same time.
Spence grabbed his cell phone from his belt and called Misha. Her phone rang but went to voice mail. He called the ranch house phone but the same thing happened. He dialed the office. “Cheryl, Spence. Is Misha still there?”
“What? How fucking long?” Spence’s heart flipped in his chest when he heard Cheryl’s reply. “If she turns up, call me right away.”
“Tell me,” Clay demanded.
“She left the office half an hour ago.”
“Fuck!” Clay turned to talk to his men and Jasmine. “Misha’s gone missing. We need to find her. Now!”
They all ran to their vehicles. Clay had the car moving before Spence had even closed his door.
“We have to find her, Clay.”
“We will,” Clay replied through clenched teeth.
Spence gripped the handle above the door so hard his knuckles hurt. Fear had his heart racing and his body trembling, but he knew he couldn’t let the anxiety take him over. He needed to push all emotion aside so he could think and react like the trained elite soldier he was.
“Fuck!” Spence stared at his truck abandoned on the side of the road. The driver’s door was wide open. As soon as Clay stopped the car, he jumped out and ran to his truck. His breath hitched in his lungs when he saw that Misha’s purse was on the front passenger seat. Clay ran around the truck, grabbed the purse, and dumped the contents out onto the seat. Her cell phone wasn’t there, which meant she had to have it on her.
Clay and Spence didn’t acknowledge the others as they crowded around.
Spence unlocked his phone and touched the app he and Clay had that could track her down and started it. He glanced at the red dot and pointed northeast. “They’re heading toward Ralston.”
“I’ll call the Ralston Sheriff’s Department,” Dawson yelled as Spence and Clay ran back to their car.
“Who besides Smith would want to hurt our woman?” Spence asked, his brain whirling in circles. The moment Clay’s gaze met his, Spence felt sick to his stomach. There was only one other possibility and it scared the fuck out of him.
* * * *
Misha surfaced but kept her eyes closed and her breathing deep. She had no idea how long she’d been out cold, but her gut was telling her it hadn’t been long. She was so scared she felt sick, or maybe the nausea roiling in her stomach was because of the drug she’d been injected with. She knew who had her, and though she was terrified, she was also angry. This sick fucker had killed her best friend. The image of Janice’s broken body lying on the cold hard ground she’d seen only a couple of hours ago filled her mind and fill
ed her with such rage, it pushed the fear aside.
She lifted her lashes slightly to stare at her abductor and had to quell the shiver that raced up her spine and over her skin. When the car slowed, she glanced sideways out the window and saw a sign that read W Coulter Ave. The car turned right and not long after they hit a dirt road. They stopped a few minutes later on the edge of Iron Creek.
His hand grabbed a hunk of her hair and she was pulled from the car. He dropped her onto the ground, but still Misha played possum. The jig was up when he dropped down over her, straddling her hips, and setting all his weight on top of her. When she stared into those cold lifeless eyes, she saw her own death and prayed that her men would find her before it was too late.
* * * *
“They’ve stopped.”
“Where?” Clay snapped out.
Spence picked up the radio handset. “They’ve stopped at Iron Creek.”
Clay nodded and pressed down harder on the gas pedal. They were only about ten minutes out, but whoever had Misha had a head start. Spence prayed they would get to her in time. Spence breathed in and out evenly and deeply, pushing all his emotion down deep. He pulled his gun from his gun belt, ejected the clip, and checked that it was full before slamming it back in. If he got his hands on the fucker who had taken Misha and she had one hair out of place, he was a dead man. He didn’t care that he was a sheriff and was supposed to uphold the law. He had no qualms about killing that fucker.
* * * *
Misha didn’t bother to try and get him off of her because she knew she wouldn’t succeed and would only end up exhausted. She was going to have to wait till the last minute before she made her move.
The asshole on top of her reached behind his back and when he brought his hand back to the front, she saw the flash of light gleaming from the metal blade. Adrenaline surged, causing her heart to race and her breathing to escalate, but she used that to her advantage. It didn’t matter that her hands were tied tightly together with rope, nor that the rope was cutting into her skin, or that she was bleeding. All that mattered was that she survived. She hoped since the cast was thick she would be able to get her hands free if she tugged hard enough.
When she saw the blade coming toward her, she made a split second decision. It was either try to deflect the knife or try and hurt him. She opted for the latter option. She swung her bound hands up as hard as she could, aiming for his nose. He roared with rage and she screamed with agony. The knife penetrated her side between her ribs, taking the breath from her lungs. Tears streamed down her face and her vision waivered as blackness encroached. When she was able to take another breath, her awareness returned. She felt something warm drip onto her arm.
“No!” he roared before his fist slammed into the side of her face. “Fucking bitch.” He wiped at the blood flowing from his nose, dislodging the mask on his face slightly.
This time she reacted faster when she saw the knife coming toward her and twisted the upper half of her body to the side. Instead of the blade going into her chest where it had been aimed, it entered her shoulder.
“I will have you. Don’t think I won’t come back for you.” Her attacker used a low raspy tone and Misha knew he was trying to disguise his voice. It sounded familiar but she couldn’t work out where she’d heard it before. Plus, she was in agony and her mind was foggy, dealing with the shock of pain.
His weight left her and Misha pictured Clay and Spence in her mind. She could feel her body getting heavier and heavier and hoped that she wouldn’t feel any more pain when she passed out, because she knew she was about to die.
* * * *
“There,” Spence shouted when he saw Misha on the ground near the edge of the creek.
Clay skidded to a stop, not caring about the noise of his siren blaring. He only cared about Misha. He was out of the car and on his knees seconds later.
Tears burned his eyes and trickled down his cheeks when he saw all the blood covering her. His chest ached with grief and he wanted to roar out his pain, but he lowered his head instead.
He wanted to lift her into his arms and hold her one last time, but he just couldn’t make himself move. Agony coursed through his body as well as guilt for not protecting the love of his life.
“Call the paramedics,” Spence shouted.
The numbness which began to encompass Clay’s heart disappeared when he saw that Spence had his finger on the pulse point in Misha’s neck.
“She’s alive, Clay. Get your shit together, we need to slow this bleeding.”
Clay clasped her hand, and when he felt how warm her skin was, he moved into action. He ripped his shirt off, wadded it up, and pressed it down hard against her shoulder. Spence did the same to the wound in her side.
It felt as if hours had passed before the paramedics arrived, but he knew it couldn’t have been that long. As soon as they had Misha on a gurney and in the back of the ambulance, it raced away.
“I’m driving,” Spence said as they raced back to the car. Clay tossed him the keys without a word. As they sped to the hospital, Clay prayed like he’d never prayed before.
Chapter Seventeen
Misha knew as soon as she surfaced and heard the beeps she was in the hospital. She might have been hurting, but she was alive. When she felt her hand being lifted and then soft warm lips kiss the back of it, she forced her eyes open and turned her head, meeting Clay’s loving gaze.
“Clay.” She cleared her croaky throat and licked her dry lips.
“Thank God, you’re awake, sweetheart. We were so damn scared we were going to lose you.”
She met Spence’s gaze before eying the cup he had in his hand. “Take a few sips, honey, but don’t try and gulp it down. We don’t want you getting sick.”
Misha sipped at the water and nodded when she’d had enough. “How did I get away?”
“I don’t know,” Clay answered. “We’ve been trying to work that out, too, but haven’t come up with any answers.”
“I think he took off when he heard our sirens,” Spence suggested. “He wouldn’t have left you alive if he wasn’t in danger of being caught.”
Clay leaned his elbows on the bed, still holding on to her hand with both of his. “Did you see his face, baby?”
“No, he wore a scary clown mask, but I hurt him. Made him bleed when I tried to smash his nose in. Some of his blood landed on my arm.”
Clay sighed. “I wish we could tell you that we got some of his DNA, but we didn’t. You had so much blood covering you we didn’t stop to think about getting any swabs. We just wanted you to live, baby.”
Misha squeezed his hand when she saw tears in his eyes and knew he was blaming himself for her getting hurt. She glanced over at Spence and saw the same guilt in his eyes.
“None of this was your fault.”
“Yes, it was,” Clay replied in a harsh voice. “That fucker lured us away just like he lured that young girl away from her parents. He used that child to get to you and it worked.”
“Clay, you had no way of knowing it was a setup.” She glanced at Spence. “None of you could have known. He’s sick and would do anything to make another kill. I don’t blame either of you for what happened and you shouldn’t be blaming yourselves, either.”
Clay released her hand, stood, and started to pace. “We still have no idea who this fucker is.”
“You’ll catch him, Clay. I know you will. It might take more time than you want, but in the end, you’ll get him.”
“But how many more women are going to have to die?” Clay asked after he spun back to face her.
“You can’t think like that.” Misha struggled to sit up and winced as pain shot through her shoulder and side. Spence and Clay were at her side seconds later, helping her to get comfortable. “I hurt him, remember. If it’s someone at the resort, he’ll be easy to find. I’m not sure if I broke his nose, but he’s definitely going to have bruises. Call Ken and ask him to keep an eye out, or for someone who calls in sick.”
“I love you, sweetheart.” Spence kissed her softly on the lips and then met Clay’s gaze. “Our girl is so smart and she’s right. We can’t blame ourselves for what was out of our control. We need to use our brains and start thinking like the elite soldiers we are.”
Clay sighed and nodded. “Okay. I love you, baby.” He kissed her lips, her eyes, and her forehead. “I’m just going out into the hallway to call Ken. Call me if you need me.”
Misha nodded, but already her eyes were beginning to close. She was so tired she couldn’t keep them open any longer.
* * * *
It had been four weeks since Misha had been released from the hospital and she’d had the all clear to go back to work but she wasn’t sure she wanted to be so far away from her men. Not that the resort was that far, but after what she’d been through at the hands of a serial killer, she was scared. She’d been plagued with nightmares each and every night, and while she’d talked to a psychiatrist, she still woke up in a cold sweat. If it wasn’t for Spence and Clay soothing and calming her, she was sure she would have gone mad by now, but she wasn’t about to let that bastard beat her.
She’d called Ken and given him her resignation, which he’d accepted graciously even though he didn’t want to lose her, but he’d understood her priorities had changed since the attack.
Misha had applied for a job at a prestigious inn in Cody, which just happened to be right across from the sheriff’s department. She was supposed to start in a week’s time. She’d feel safer being close to her men and would be able to have lunch with them every day if they weren’t called out of the office. Her guys, their friends and colleagues, as well as Jasmine, had searched for the asshole but hadn’t been able to find him. The car he’d used to kidnap her in had been stolen and abandoned miles from Cody. No fingerprints or DNA had been left behind.
If Clay and Spence couldn’t be with her, one of the other men was, and she was appreciative of that, especially since the bastard who’d stabbed her had said he would be back for her. She was under constant guard and felt safer for it.