“Mommy needs you to do something for her.”
Amy nodded again. She felt like such a baby around her mom. Uh, Lilly. And Lilly usually treated her like a baby. Even called her a baby. She never knew how to act with her.
“I need you to find me something so I can get myself untied. And I need you to go get that gun from Ben and bring it here to Mommy. But don’t tell him you’re gonna get it. Just grab it.”
“But guns are bad. Daddy says.”
“Well, your daddy isn’t here right now.” Her mom’s voice scared her. She sounded tinny, like she was talking through a tunnel. She didn’t sound as angry as usual. “And right now, Mommy really needs you to get that gun,” she continued.
“Why?”
“Because if that man gets it first, he’s gonna shoot us both. Or he’s gonna take you and run away where you’ll never see Mommy or even Jake again.”
• • •
Jake followed Winona to the front of the cabin, admiring her stealthy moves. The rain had stopped, but misty gray veiled the earth. Fear smelled like doused fire in his throat, the taste of rain like salted mold in his chest.
Trees swathed them on all sides. Made it easier to take cover from anyone who might be watching from the cabin. He felt reassured to see all the lights on. The rain kept it dark enough that it would be hard for a person inside to spot them until they made it out of the clearing.
Winona moved, stopped, listened. Her tennis shoes burrowed in the mud, but it didn’t slow her down. Her gun was cocked and ready, but not shaky and set to shoot at anything that moved. She was calm, controlled. He was lucky to have her on his side.
Dampness clung to him. His shirt and jeans seemed to stick to his body. He didn’t know how the police handled things like this all the time when all he wanted to do was get these clammy clothes off.
A twig snapped. Winona whirled, spotted a small animal, and continued her trek to the cabin mantled in household lights.
She moved around all angles of the cabin, peering in windows. Fear lanced him. He almost dropped his weapon and ran to Amy when he spotted her carrying a gun.
“Oh my God.” He was just about to run to the porch, prepared to burst through the door, when Winona’s palm to his chest halted him.
“Shh,” she whispered. “You can’t just go barging in.”
“The fuck I can’t.”
A burly man stepped forward toward Amy. She pointed the gun at the man and he stopped.
Jake’s world toppled. He fought the urge to go to her, clenching his gun in his hand as if that would keep him grounded. Amy, his Amy, was in danger and he was only steps away from saving her.
• • •
Winona treaded carefully up the steps and quietly opened the door. She’d seen three people: a man, Lillian, and Amy, so she knew where they were in relation to the rooms. But someone else could be lurking and waiting for them.
She tiptoed to the doorway of the room the three were in, mud tracking through the house with every step. She stopped Jake from running in and accidentally getting shot.
Amy held a pistol way too heavy for her. Her arms shook as she pointed it at a man who stood next to Lillian, who was zip-tied to the bathtub rail. A package of zip-ties was strewn across the floor.
“Untie her,” Amy demanded. Her face held a bravado that said she would not give in.
Jake pushed past Winona and stopped at the entrance to the bathroom. Winona pointed her pistol at the unnamed man.
“Amy? It’s Jake. You’re safe now. Carefully lower the gun to your feet, babe.”
“Jake?”
“Yes. Winona is here, too. No one is going to hurt you.”
Amy’s lips trembled and she blinked slowly. “Mommy promised me I could go see my daddy. But then Ben said my daddy was in heaven and that’s the only way I could see him. And then Ben tied my mommy up to the bathtub like a policeman would do. But he’s no policeman, I don’t think. And those aren’t the handcuffs police use, are they? Where’s my daddy?”
“Don’t move,” Winona said as the man shifted as if about to lunge for Amy and the gun. “Hold your hands up, and stay still.”
He halted and glared at them.
“Amy, come here,” Jake demanded.
Amy wandered forward, still holding the gun. Jake reached out and took the gun. Checking the safety, he removed the magazine.
Winona didn’t allow herself to breathe a sigh of relief. Not yet. “Who else is here?”
Amy swiped at tears. “My daddy was supposed to be, but Ben lied.”
“Who else?”
“No one else is here,” Lillian finally spoke, her voice shaky.
“Is that true, Amy?”
Amy nodded. “Yes.”
“And how did you get here?”
“My mommy brought me with Ben.”
“Thank God you got here,” Lillian said. “I thought this man was going to kill us.”
“Oh, shut up, Lillian,” the man now known as Ben said. “Lillian is just as involved in this, if not more so. You’d better keep your gun pointed at her, not me. She’s the one who arranged this whole thing. She’s trying to sell Amy.”
“Yeah? And what are you here for?” Winona asked.
“You can call me a fence. A fencer of people. I have a buyer for Amy and I’m the one who buys her from Lillian.”
Nausea welled in Winona’s throat. Pointing her gun at Lillian wouldn’t help much, considering she was tied to the bathtub rail, so she continued to train her gun on Ben.
“Jake, why don’t you take Amy out to the Jeep now? I’ll meet you there in a bit. And try calling 9-1-1 again.”
“It won’t go through,” Amy said. “We already tried.”
“Okay. Jake, take her out, please.”
Jake, still holding the 9mm she’d given him earlier, took Amy’s hand. “Come on, babe.”
Once they left the room, Ben arched his eyes at her in an aggressive smile. “Now what are you going to do?”
She nodded toward the zip-ties. “I want you to cuff yourself to the rail like you did Lillian.”
Ben chuckled. “Yeah, right.”
“What?” Lillian screeched. She flailed her body. “You can’t do this. He’ll kill me if you leave me here with him. Please, please, take me with you.”
She bashed against the railing, kicking at the porcelain tub. Winona almost felt sorry for her. Almost relented. She was grateful Jake had taken Amy out of the room so she didn’t have to see this.
“Shut up, Lillian. Tie yourself, Ben.”
Ben smirked, but didn’t move.
“Jake,” Winona called, still pointing the pistol at Ben.
Jake rushed back into the room, holding the 9mm she’d given him, but Amy wasn’t with him.
“Where’s Amy?” Winona asked.
“She’s fine. Sitting in the kitchen eating a Popsicle.”
“How do you know no one else is here?”
“I searched the rooms. She heard her mom scream, then you, and she wanted me to come check on her.”
“Do you not care?” Lillian shrieked. “Even for Amy’s sake, do you not care?”
Especially for Amy’s sake, Winona didn’t care. Amy would understand later. Besides, the cops would come soon; Winona would make sure of it. Winona only needed a few minutes to ensure their safety out of the cabin. Then she would leave the rest up to the cops.
“Sorry, but I’m gonna need your help,” she told Jake. “Ben needs to zip-tie himself to the rail next to Lillian. But he isn’t cooperating.”
Jake stepped forward, pointing his gun.
Ben held up his hands. “Fine, fine, I’ll do it.”
“Jake, can you make sure he does a proper job of it?”
“What are you doing?” Jake asked, still aiming his gun at Ben.
“Leaving them tied until the cops can get here.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Jake gripped the steering wheel with everything he had, fueling his raw emotio
n and channeling it into the wheel as he would his bicycle in a race, his legs in a run, or the water in a swim.
Careful. He had to be careful. He wanted to protect Amy and Winona, and part of that protection right now was to keep them safe on the road. He couldn’t speed past the cars or dart between them. The water was heavy, the rain coming down again.
He heard Amy’s soft inhale and glanced in the rearview mirror. Her eyes were wide, shoulders hunched.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Why did we leave Mommy with that bad guy?”
Her words attacked his resolve. Fuck. He had to go back for her. If something happened to Lillian, the only thing Amy would remember was that Uncle Jake had left her with the bad guy.
He glanced at Winona, and she nodded, seeming to know what he was thinking. He slowed the truck, looking for a place to turn around.
He called Garret and in clipped messages, told him he was going back for Lillian. Garret tried to dissuade him. Promised they’d have a helicopter there soon. But Jake knew he had to go. Amy would hate him for the rest of her life if he didn’t go back.
• • •
The trail was easier this time around. Since they hadn’t made it to the main road, driving up, then back down, Jake knew which potholes to avoid. He drove right up to the cabin this time, and parked.
“You stay here with Amy while I go get her,” Winona said, wasting no time as she opened the door and dashed to the house in the pouring rain.
He sat. Watching. Waiting. He felt guilty for letting Winona go in, but he felt better about being the one to stay with Amy. He swore he saw headlights cutting through the trees and wondered if someone was supposed to meet Ben here later.
Winona came out, holding Lillian practically by the scruff of her neck. Lillian, her shorts way too short and shirt way too tight, stumbled in the mud. Zip-ties secured her wrists behind her back, and Jake wondered if it was a bit much. He didn’t want to scare Amy any more than necessary.
When a large 4x4 truck lumbered upon them, Jake laid on his horn in hopes Winona would pick up some speed.
“Fuck,” he exclaimed, then “Sorry, babe,” as he glanced in the mirror at Amy.
Winona opened the door, pushed Lillian in, and clambered to the back. “Drive,” she said.
“Who is that, Lillian?” Jake asked as he cut around the truckload of men who still hadn’t figured out who the Jeep belonged to.
“I don’t know.”
“Who is it?”
“Probably the men who work with Ben.”
“And what are they doing here?”
“Coming for Amy.”
• • •
The rain fell in sheets. They bumped and bounced as the Jeep attacked the muddy road. Hitting a patch of water, they slid through mud. Jake righted the wheel and kept going. He steadied his hands, tight but loose, mustering every ounce of control he had into driving.
The headlights behind them lumbered closer. Lillian sobbed beside him. Winona held Amy in the backseat, Amy’s head on her chest. He gritted his teeth, concentrating. He heard the buzz of the helicopter around them, but there was no way they could see them through this cover of trees.
As the headlights behind him closed in, he knew he’d have to pick up speed.
The road rose and dipped. The wipers whished across the windshield. Every now and again, a pinprick of the helicopter’s spotlight would stage their way. He debated turning off his headlights. Having them on was like a beacon for the bad guys to follow. But having them off was paving his way to hell.
He turned on the main county road, thankful he’d made it this far. The helicopter flew above them now, but there wasn’t a place to land in this patch of forest and he doubted they’d fire at the truck behind them even though Winona had been texting Garret the details.
Garret was up in that helicopter. They’d managed to communicate at least that much. Text messages went through, albeit slowly, but they didn’t have enough signal to call.
They made it past the dirt road and onto pavement, so the road was no longer muddy, only slick. Water splashed on the tires, the sound creating a wake of fear in Jake’s heart. He barely knew where they were, but the slice of the moon and the helicopter’s lights kept him grounded.
“Winona, untie Lillian.”
“What?”
“She needs her hands free. Just in case.”
“Okay.” She leaned to the front and struggled with the zip-ties on Lillian’s wrists. It took some work with a knife, but Winona managed to get her untied. “I will kill you if you do anything stupid,” she mumbled in Lillian’s ear, low enough Amy couldn’t hear, but Jake did. Leaning back, she told Lillian, “Buckle yourself.”
“Will you try calling Garret again?” Jake asked Winona. Now that they were out of the wooded forest, they might get a signal. And he felt he needed to communicate with Garret on what to do next. Where to meet. They still weren’t sure if Garret and his team knew that the men behind them were out for blood.
“Garret!” Winona screamed into the phone.
The road dipped again, and in a split second Jake noticed the water gushing over. It lifted the Jeep, hijacking his control.
They floated into a raging creek. Over the bridge, sinking and dipping as water splashed up and around them.
Lillian screamed. Amy followed suit.
“It’s okay. It’s okay. Calm down. We’ll make it out of this. But we have to remain calm.”
Amy quieted. Lillian whimpered. Winona didn’t say a word.
“Take off your seat belts.”
He didn’t know this creek. He only knew they’d have to get out of the Jeep to get out of this alive. But getting out of the Jeep presented its own danger. And getting out of the Jeep before it sank, or before it spun them through a torpedo of water.
Amy could swim, but in this gushing water …
Shit. They had no choice. Panic ensued as the water rose higher, churning around them and through the Jeep.
“We’ve got to get out of here. Find a branch, a rock, the shore. Something. But don’t try to swim against the current.”
The water yanked at the Jeep, the doors, the rag top, and he knew before long they’d be going through the spin cycle. “Winona, can you get Amy?”
“Yes, of course. Let’s go.”
Lillian panicked as Jake was about to rush out, and he knew he couldn’t leave her. “Shit, Lillian. Come on.” He reached for her hand, but the Jeep sank and churned. The top was split wide open. In the insistent churning, it was hard to maintain control. Lillian hadn’t unbuckled, so he reached over and did it for her. The water took her away. He swam with it.
He bobbed up and down. Heard the roaring of the water, the mangling of metal as the Jeep hit the rocks. They’d made it out just in time. He scanned the area for Amy and Winona, and saw both heads bobbing up and down.
He searched for Lillian. The water gushed into a cavernous well, but once it spilled over into a dam-like gush, it widened and calmed. No longer gushing. Winona and Amy waved their hands to the helicopter and made their way to shore. Jake only caught glimpses as the searchlight swept across the river, flashing against the water, sometimes blinding him.
He caught sight of Lillian far on the other side. The bushy side, where trees and brush swaddled the land and where she had no hope of swimming to shore. Hanging onto a branch, her head dipped and lowered into the water.
Why did you leave Mommy with that bad guy? The words would haunt him for the rest of his life if something happened to Lillian.
He swam and swam and swam toward her, his triathlon training kicking into high gear. He dodged debris and watched as debris floated closer to her. He pushed it away and went under, swimming faster. The earth-laden water, full of mud and muck and debris, filled his nostrils.
He knew no matter what, Amy was safe. She was on shore, the helicopter parked on shore with its lights flickering across the area. The bad guys couldn’t hurt her now. Not with Garret and his
feds around.
He’d saved Amy, but he’d lost her in the process. Because no matter how evil and twisted her mother, she was still Amy’s mother. And if he’d just taken her with them in the first place, none of this would have happened.
He reached Lillian and tried to tell her everything would be okay, but she panicked and fought, taking him under with her.
Water filled his lungs. He broke the surface and coughed. He pulled her up with him. She choked and sobbed, but continued thrashing. The water was cold, but Jake hadn’t had time to focus on the cold. The patter of the rain hit against the water. He quivered from the inside out.
“Lillian! Geez, calm down. You’re going to kill us.”
She thrashed around and took him under again. Water bubbled as her lungs filled, and he yanked her upward.
“Lillian!” he screamed again. And because he knew he’d never be able to save her this way, he knocked her over the head.
Everything he’d trained for came to a head at this exact moment. His training, his triathlons, giving up alcohol. This was the reason for it all. He never would have made it from one side of the shore to the other in these conditions if not for his training. He probably should never have tried.
His lungs burned. His eyes strained. The cold, drizzly rain fell like little bugs zapping his skin.
EMS grabbed Lillian as soon as they made it to shore. Jake slumped. Someone wrapped him in a blanket. Amy ran to him, crying. He didn’t have the energy to pick her up, so he sat down and pulled her into his lap, rocking with her as they hugged. He noticed she didn’t even go check on her mother.
He glanced at Winona. Her eyes were wide and full of something that looked like relief. Maybe something else? He couldn’t be sure.
Garret approached and handed him a warm cup of coffee. “Jake, we need to have EMS check you over.”
Exhaustion funneled into heaviness, like a weeklong bout with drugs and alcohol. His ears rang, but he heard the water gush and roar. He drank the coffee. His muscles quivered, his body weak. His wet clothes stuck like a bandage to his skin. He smelled mud and grass and earth, and something like smoke. The dewy wet weather intensified the smells.
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