“Oh, God.” Even though the horror of their situation was on her face, she didn’t give in to it. “So, what do we do?”
Gabe thought about it for a moment, praying the fog would clear out of his head. Damn this person. He’d faced plenty of danger before but never when his wife’s and son’s lives were at stake. “This is all a ploy to separate us. Whoever’s doing this won’t let you just walk out of there.”
“I know. For whatever reason, this person wants me dead.”
He finished putting on his clothes, grabbed his gun and started for the car. Leigh was right behind him. He got them on the road, speeding toward Philip’s, before he reached for his phone. “I’ll call someone to go after your brother.”
“But if the kidnapper sees you—”
“That won’t happen.” It couldn’t happen. Gabe would just have to find a way around that.
He called the field office and explained everything so they would send someone to find Philip. It was a huge gamble. Philip might die simply because he wouldn’t be the one to rescue him, but Gabe couldn’t justify leaving Leigh and his son at the mercy of a killer.
“There’s someone who wants to talk to you,” the other agent informed Gabe.
“Who?” His first thought was the kidnapper had called the field office, but it wasn’t the artificial voice he heard on the phone. It was Teresa.
“I listened in on your call to request backup,” she let Gabe know. “I was already on my way out to Philip O’Brien’s house so I could meet with Jinx. I’ll see what I can do to stop this.”
Hell. Couldn’t he even manage to get a secure line to a field office? However, Gabe had too many other things to worry about without being riled about that. “What’d you do—plant another transmitter so you could keep tabs on us?”
“No, but someone planted one in Jinx’s car. I’ve been tracking you since Grand Valley. That’s how I knew where Philip lived. I called Jinx when I realized where you were going, and he drove straight out to check on Philip and the others. When he didn’t call back, I got concerned.”
Gabe didn’t even care if she was telling the truth. “This is none of your business, Teresa. Just stay out of it.”
“Whoever took those hostages might be connected to Dayton’s accomplice. That makes it my business.”
Maybe. But he had priority. Because this was personal.
He hung up, ignoring her rather loudly spoken orders that he would cooperate. If he was wrong about Teresa, if she was truly the person behind the kidnapping, then he’d deal with her soon enough. But if she was just trying to do her job, then maybe she wouldn’t get in the way of him stopping the kidnapper.
“Teresa knows what’s going on?” Leigh asked.
Gabe nodded. “She says she’s on her way to Philip’s.” He gave her the summary of what Teresa had told him.
“I don’t like it.” Leigh checked the magazine in her gun. “She could be lying about a transmitter being in Jinx’s car. You think this is all just a ruse to make us think she’s not the kidnapper?”
“Could be.” He took out more ammunition from the compartment beneath the seat and passed it to her. “But it doesn’t matter who we’re up against. We still have to get onto Philip’s property without being seen.”
“Any idea how?”
“Once we’re near the house, we’ll leave the car,” Gabe told her. “Then we’ll cut through the woods and get to the house from the back.”
“But the kidnapper will probably expect us to do that.”
“Then we’ll be careful.” It was an inadequate postscript, but it was all Gabe could offer her. “We’ll have to split up when we cut through the woods.” He pulled off his watch and passed it to her.
“What’s this for?”
“I can use the clock on the phone to keep track of time. That way, if one of us gets caught, the other will still have a chance to get to the house.”
Leigh only nodded, apparently understanding what had to happen. One of them had to get to Houston in time. And it didn’t matter what the cost. Damn. It was like sending his wife in front of a firing squad. It brought home too many painful memories. He felt as helpless as he had the day someone had kidnapped his sister.
“I’ll take the side by the pond. You take the other,” Gabe continued, trying to push the thoughts of his sister away. He tried to think of all contingencies. “If there’s a trail, don’t follow it. Stay in the brush and keep low. If you can, get to the house from the back or side, and if you make it that far, go in through the window.”
“Okay.” She took a deep breath. “You think this person is someone we know?”
“Could be.”
“Maybe Frank or Teresa. Or maybe even Jinx?”
He didn’t think it was Jinx, but Gabe couldn’t rule out the other two. After all, someone had spent the past two days trying to kill them. “I won’t ask you to change your mind about him, but Jinx is on our side, Leigh. I’d stake my life on that.”
“Well, that’s exactly what you’re doing, isn’t it? You’re staking your life. Mine. And your son’s.”
Yes. He was. Gabe turned off the main highway and headed up the country road that would take him to Philip’s house. Maybe it was the thoughts of his sister or perhaps the memory of Dayton’s attempt to kill Leigh, but Gabe felt that tingle in the back of his head. It was a warning that something beyond the obvious wasn’t right.
Hell.
He hoped he was right about Jinx. But hope suddenly didn’t seem enough. Not nearly enough. He couldn’t risk Leigh’s and Houston’s lives on hope.
“Don’t trust anyone but me,” he amended. “All right?”
She made a sound of contemplation. And then agreement. Leigh lay her gun on the seat and strapped on his watch. “What if we don’t make it to the house on time?”
“If time is running out, I’ll go in no matter what.” Gabe stopped the car near a spot of heavy brush and stepped out.
Leigh got out also and looked at him over the hood. She swallowed hard. “In case I don’t make it back—”
“Don’t.”
But she ignored him. “No, this is too important. If I don’t make it back, let Houston know I love him. Okay?”
“Okay.” The word nearly didn’t make it out of his throat. There wasn’t time for reassurance or even for a proper goodbye. Each second counted. Gabe had already started to sprint up the road when he heard Leigh call out to him.
“And Gabe? Just for the record—I love you, too.”
She didn’t give him time to respond. Not that there was time. She lifted a hand in farewell and disappeared into the thick woods.
Chapter Nineteen
Leigh shoved away the low limbs of a hackberry tree and ducked underneath to run deeper into the woods. She’d left Gabe just minutes earlier. Six minutes, to be precise.
It felt more like a lifetime.
Streaky sunlight pierced through the thick overhead branches, so she could see where she was running. Barely. She’d already stumbled a few times. Thankfully, she had on a pair of sneakers she’d gotten from her house. If not, the flip-flops would have certainly slowed her down.
All around her were the smells of rotting leaves, mold and earthworms. It was Texas-hot, and sweat snaked its way down her face and back. Thankfully, she wasn’t in physical pain. Her ankle was past the hurting stage. Now, it was just numb.
Things certainly weren’t looking good. She had no real plan for Houston’s rescue. Her son’s abductor, however, probably had a well-thought-out scheme, one that no doubt included her death. And maybe Gabe’s, too. But her own life meant nothing if she couldn’t save them.
There were nineteen minutes left of the time the kidnapper had allotted her. At the pace she was running, she would probably make it to the house with twelve minutes to spare. Twelve very valuable minutes. It would give her time to consider her options and decide what to do. And she did have options, few that they were.
Of course, all scenario
s were dangerous and could potentially end the same way—a deadly shoot-out with her child caught in the middle. Still, they existed, and that’s what she had to concentrate on. Walking straight into the gunman’s waiting arms was one way. She might get off a shot before he or she did.
Might.
And if not, then Gabe was her backup plan. She would gladly sacrifice herself if it’d give Gabe time to get to Houston.
She crossed a grassy hill and stopped at a gully not too far from the house. Because it hadn’t rained recently, it was little more than a wide dusty ditch that made a beeline toward the barn. Using the thick cedars for cover, she peeked at the house, hoping to get a glimpse of her son.
Nothing.
The place looked deserted, and much too quiet.
The woods weren’t quiet though. Overhead, some blue jays squawked. The wind agitated the leaves and branches. Her heart seemed to make the most noise of all—it pounded in her ears and throat.
Leigh moved closer, staying behind the trees for cover. The low, rumbling growl, however, stopped her in her tracks.
“Not now,” she whispered. “Please don’t let it be Philip’s dog.”
She fought against the instinct to run, and at the same time, she tried not to make any sudden moves. Leigh turned slowly in the direction of the sound. It was just as she feared. The dog inched his way toward her.
The animal’s oil-black eyes immediately connected with hers. He growled again. She had no time to waste on this, and she couldn’t very well fire a warning shot to get him to move away. To save her son, she had to get past that dog. And one way or another, she would.
“Sit!” she whispered.
The dog tilted his head, silently quizzing her. He still had his teeth bared though, so she repeated her command. This time he relaxed his jaw and sat.
Leigh quickly tried to level her breathing. She couldn’t risk hyperventilation, nor could she risk being late. She checked the watch—time was running out.
A sliver of motion caught her eye. Whatever it was, it disappeared behind the remains of an old stone fence that meandered through the woods. If it was the kidnapper, then he or she couldn’t have moved that fast with a child in tow. Especially not an active child like Houston.
So, where was her son?
In the house, maybe. But the kidnapper wouldn’t have gotten too far away from the hostages. The person wouldn’t have wanted to take a chance on losing a bargaining chip. That meant her son was probably close by. But where? And if he was close, then why hadn’t she heard him?
Leigh quickly pushed that question aside. She already had too much to deal with without adding that.
“Leigh?” someone called out. The voice was hardly more than a whisper.
It was Jinx. Jinx. What in the name of God was he doing out here? The kidnapper wouldn’t have just let him go.
Unless he was the kidnapper.
Every muscle in her body went stiff. “Where are you?” she risked asking.
“Over here.”
He’d moved. His voice came farther from the right that time. Leigh moved, too. Toward him. It was a risk, since he might very well be the person who wanted her dead, but it would be more of risk to her son if she didn’t face the kidnapper head-on.
“Houston’s out here…somewhere,” she heard Jinx say.
She’d figured that out already. Piles of leaves crunched with each step she took, and their sound probably gave away her position. There was nothing she could do about it. She only hoped it would work both ways, and that Jinx wouldn’t be able to backtrack and sneak up on her.
“Teresa’s here too somewhere,” Jinx added.
Leigh had no time to react to that news. The birds suddenly became too quiet. She dropped to her stomach and listened. When she heard the snap of a twig, she rolled over and came up on one knee, prepared to fire.
Nothing.
However, she heard something else. A swishing sound. Someone shooting a gun rigged with a silencer. But who was the shooter, and what were they shooting at?
She didn’t like the answer that came to her.
“Please, not Houston or Gabe,” she said to herself.
But it wasn’t helplessness that she felt. Anger slammed through her, quickly replacing the fear. Raising her gun into the air, Leigh fired and yelled. The sound she made was nothing coherent, just something to divert attention from her husband and her son. She had no idea if it’d work, but she lowered her weapon to eye level again.
And waited.
She wasn’t sure how much time passed. Probably mere seconds. She didn’t dare let down her guard to check the watch Gabe had given her.
“Stay down, Leigh,” Gabe shouted.
She almost panicked at the sound of his voice. God, she prayed he wasn’t out in the open.
The bushes behind her rattled. Leigh reeled toward them just as a rock thudded to the ground only yards away. She spun back to her original position, cursing the fact that she couldn’t cover all sides at once.
She saw someone race behind a tree. A man. She kept her attention on the spot where she’d seen him disappear, and soon he stepped out again. At first, Leigh thought she was seeing things, but she recognized the rusty-red hair and pencil-slim build. It was Frank Templeton. He had a piece of rope dangling from his left wrist. Had he been taken captive and managed to escape?
Hurried footsteps suddenly seemed to be all around her, so Leigh forced her gaze from Frank. She decided to hold position where she was.
As if obeying some silent command, the dog suddenly sprang to his feet, bolted in front of Leigh and disappeared into the brush. She didn’t know whether to be relieved or not. Maybe the animal would attack the person who’d kidnapped Houston.
There was nothing muffled about the next shot. It blistered through the woods with an ear-piercing blast and came right at her. It clipped a small branch less than an inch from her head.
The next shot sliced across her arm and grazed her skin. Leigh dropped. Rolled to her stomach. And raised her gun to defend herself.
A FLURRY OF ACTIVITY was all around him. Gabe tore through the brush toward Leigh, who was still on the ground. He glanced at her for only a split second before he turned toward the direction of the shots and aimed.
“Are you all right?” he whispered.
“Yes. You?”
He nodded without taking his attention off their surroundings. He was well past being furious. How dare someone, anyone, take a shot at Leigh. Now, if he could just figure out who’d done such a stupid thing, then he would pulverize them. Unfortunately, time wasn’t on his side. He had about eight minutes to figure it all out.
That eight minutes came sooner than he planned.
He saw Jinx emerge from a pocket of bushes about twenty yards ahead. Jinx apparently saw him too because he started toward them. His friend was armed, a sleek black pistol gripped in his hand. If this was a man Gabe shouldn’t trust, then he needed to do something about it right away.
But what?
“Is Leigh all right?” Jinx called out.
Gabe didn’t answer immediately. “No, she’s not breathing.”
The lie had barely left his mouth when Gabe heard the rustle behind them. Footsteps. Slow. Cautious. He hauled Leigh off the ground and spun her around so they were back to back, the same stance they’d used when they escaped the clinic. This time, however, he didn’t order her to shoot to kill. He couldn’t. He couldn’t risk shooting their son.
It seemed the footsteps converged toward them at the same pace as Jinx’s. Gabe knew they wouldn’t have to wait long. Whatever would happen, would happen soon.
In front of Jinx, a flock of doves sputtered into the air and darted in all directions. Barking, the dog bolted forward to chase them. From his right, Gabe heard yet another person approach.
Teresa Walters.
He’d already seen Frank, so that meant all the players were in place. Knowing that, Gabe decided what he had to do.
“Get down
, Leigh!” Gabe shouted.
Catching her arm with his elbow, he pushed her back to the ground and turned. The moment he saw the figure and where the person had the weapon aimed, Gabe fired.
“Oh, God.” With her gun still ready, Leigh came up on her knee and aimed in the direction where Gabe had shot. Jinx raced to her side and did the same.
Frank stumbled forward just as his gun fired into the ground. With a bright red stain quickly spreading over his shoulder, he fell. He wasn’t dead though.
And he had his gun aimed right at Leigh.
Grimacing, Frank went to fire again, but Gabe stopped him. He didn’t want the man dead—yet—but he definitely intended to stop him. Gabe sent a bullet into Frank’s right wrist. The second shot propelled the gun from his hand.
“I wouldn’t if I were you,” Gabe warned when Frank reached for his gun. He aimed right at Frank’s head.
Jinx quickly retrieved the gun that Frank had dropped and restrained him.
“Where’s Houston?” Leigh asked.
“I saw him. He’s fine,” Jinx assured her.
She nodded, obviously accepting his answer and turned to Gabe. “How did you know it was Frank?”
“He was the one person who shouldn’t have been out here.”
With all the worry about Leigh and Houston, it’d taken Gabe a while to figure that out. Jinx had already been on the scene, and Gabe had spoken to Teresa himself. That left Frank. There was no logical explanation as to why he would be in the woods behind Philip’s house.
Fire flashed through her eyes, and Leigh whirled toward Frank. “Why did you do this?”
He actually smiled at her. “Because you knew where the storage facility was.”
“I didn’t.” She shook her head and repeated it softly. “I had no idea. I only saw one word in the address—Texas.”
“But I couldn’t take that chance, could I? I knew you would eventually figure it out. I did, even though it took me nearly two years to check out every potential storage facility in the Dallas area.”
Dallas. That was the piece of the address that Leigh hadn’t seen but Frank obviously had. That explained why the weapons hadn’t shown up any sooner. It’d taken him that long just to locate them.
A Man Worth Remembering Page 17