The Christmas Rescue

by Laura Scott

  A barking whine reached her ears and she nearly wept in relief. They’d found Brianna and Clyde. Her baby was inside the cabin. So close.

  She desperately wanted to go to her daughter.

  Rafe glanced back at Luke and gave a short nod. She knew their plan was to create some sort of diversion to draw the guards away from the cabin doorway. What sounded so simple in the boat now seemed completely overwhelming. How could their plan possibly work?

  The very distant sound of a boat motor made Rafe stiffen beside her. He shot a horrified glance at Luke, and his commanding officer immediately turned and headed back in the direction of the narrow beach to check the source of the boat.

  Rafe gave her hand a squeeze and stayed where he was. After what seemed like forever, Luke returned, holding up the universal hand signal for “okay.” Kayla could only assume the boat motor belonged to one of the boat patrols they’d feared.

  Rafe nodded and Luke shot off the flare. The guards were too far away to hear the soft poofing sound, but when the light burst in the sky, the guards immediately broke off their low-pitched conversation.

  “Stay and guard the bait,” the heavier-set guy said as he broke away from the cabin, and came toward them. Hidden as they were between the branches of the trees, Rafe and Luke waited for him to get past, before they crept after them, moving silently, two Guardians against one kidnapper.

  As much as she feared for Rafe’s safety, she also couldn’t tear her gaze from the cabin where she was certain her daughter was being held.

  There was only one guard and now he paced nervously about six feet in front of the door. She clutched the flare gun in her sweaty palm and crept out around the tree. Pointing at a spot behind the remaining guard’s head, angled away from the cabin, she shot off the flare.

  When the light flashed in the sky, the guard instinctively took off in that direction, leaving the doorway to the cabin unprotected.

  Kayla knew it was an impossible situation, but logic didn’t matter. Every cell in her body demanded she protect her daughter. She’d willingly trade her life for Brianna’s if necessary.

  She ran, heading straight for the cabin door. Her heart thundered in her ears and her chest burned as she braced herself for the worst.

  Capture. Or being shot.

  She refused to let fear keep her from reaching her daughter.

  Brianna, hang in there. I’m coming.

  FOURTEEN

  The interior of the cabin was dim but she quickly spotted Brianna lying on a cot in the farthest corner of the room. Clyde’s leash was tied in a knot to the bedpost. When he saw her come in, he jumped up from the floor, barking like a fool, his whole body wagging in welcome as he recognized her.

  She winced, knowing her attempt to sneak inside to get Brianna was obviously ruined, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. Ignoring Clyde for the moment, Kayla flew to her daughter’s side.

  “Bree? Everything’s fine. Mommy’s here,” she whispered, dropping the flare gun and stroking a hand over Brianna’s tangled hair spread out over the bare mattress. But Brianna didn’t move. Belatedly, she realized her daughter wasn’t responding. Panic surged, choking her.

  Was she too late? No, she forced herself to think rationally as Brianna’s skin felt warm to the touch. She took a deep breath and gently felt for her daughter’s pulse, hardly able to concentrate over the roaring in her ears as she feared the worst.

  The reassuring beat of Brianna’s heart finally made its way through the internal terror and she relaxed, closing her eyes.

  Thank You, Lord. Thank You for sparing Brianna’s life.

  She slumped against Brianna, burying her face against her daughter’s hair for a moment before pulling herself upright. Okay, she needed to assess her options. The idea that Brianna had been drugged made her feel sick, but she took solace in noting how Brianna still wore the same clothes she was wearing earlier that day including her pink winter jacket, and appeared otherwise unharmed.

  Maybe being drugged and oblivious to what was going on around her wasn’t such a bad thing. She didn’t want to consider how this entire event may have permanently traumatized her daughter.

  She glanced around helplessly, feeling very alone without Rafe. She needed to get Brianna out of here. Now. There wasn’t a moment to lose.

  Please God, help me. Give me strength.

  The door to the cabin flew open with a crash and she jumped around, her heart leaping into her throat. She swiftly scooped the flare gun off the bed, stuffing it beneath the waistband of her jeans in the small of her back, hoping her waist-length jacket was long enough to hide the weapon.

  Ferociously, Kayla planted herself protectively between the armed man in the doorway and Brianna lying on the cot. The burly guard strode inside before slamming the door behind him. She couldn’t help but flinch as the harsh sound reverberated through the room. She faced him bravely, grimly vowing he’d have to go through her in order to touch her daughter.

  “Put your hands where I can see them,” he ordered. She noticed he was blinking rapidly as if partially blinded from light of the flare outside. “Don’t move.”

  She lifted her hands—palms facing forward, trying to calm the raging beast before her. Surely he wasn’t all bad. There had to be some humanity in him somewhere. “Please, I’m not armed. I only wanted to protect my daughter. Let her go,” she begged. “It’s me you want. I had the evidence, not her.”

  “Shut up!” he shouted. The way his gaze jerked around the room, she could tell he couldn’t quite focus on her, maybe because her dark clothing helped her to blend into the surroundings. The cabin was pretty bare, a small table and two chairs in one corner near a wood-burning stove, and a small sink and counter along the other wall. She dragged her attention back to the man blocking her path.

  “You can’t escape,” he growled as if sensing what she was thinking. “There’s no way out.”

  Since she had no intention of going anywhere without Brianna, she ignored his threat. Still, fear was bitter on her tongue as she understood the gravity of her situation. Not that she regretted coming in to find Brianna, because she knew she’d do it again if necessary. But there was no denying her chances of escaping the man with a gun were very low.

  Dear God, protect us. Guide me and give me strength.

  Suddenly, she understood she needed to keep him talking. Rafe and Luke were out there and they’d already taken care of one guard. Surely they’d realize she was inside the cabin with Brianna. Between the two men they could handle this guy without a problem.

  “You’re friend isn’t coming back,” she said, striving for a matter of fact tone. “You might want to consider saving yourself. I’m sure the others aren’t willing to risk their lives to come back for you.”

  “Shut up,” he said again, but with less emphasis and she sensed her words had given him pause. He scowled at her and the slightest movement behind his head caught her eye and she held her breath as she realized the door behind him was slowly opening.

  Another guard?

  Or Rafe and Luke?

  Please God, keep Rafe and Luke safe.

  “Is the money they’re paying you really worth dying for?” she asked, hoping to distract the guard from whoever was coming in behind him, praying the person was either Rafe or Luke coming to find her. “Because you need to know the island is surrounded by the coast guard. You can’t win.”

  “Yeah, right,” he sneered. “We’re smarter than the coasties, any day. We found you stashed in that pathetic motel, didn’t we?”

  “Maybe. But how do you think I managed to find my daughter?” she asked logically. “Believe me, I didn’t come alone.”

  For a moment he stared at her, and then his features twisted into a heavy scowl. “Why you little…” The guard took a menacing step forward and she eased back toward Brianna.

  In that moment, the door opened and Rafe came in, lifting his arm high and smashing his gun on the back of the guard’s head.

&nb
sp; The guard let out a low groan and then collapsed, his big body hitting the floor with a solid thunk. She could only stare in shocked surprise, before gratitude flooded her.

  Thank You, Lord. Thank You for protecting us.

  Rafe quickly hauled the guard away from the doorway and used rope from his pack to bind the guard’s arms and legs so he couldn’t escape. When he finished, he glanced at her, faint accusation in his gaze.

  “I can’t believe you took off like that,” he muttered grimly.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, knowing she deserved his anger. “I just had to come in to be with Brianna.”

  “You took ten years off my life,” Rafe chided. But then he crossed over to embrace her in a huge hug that ended all too soon. “Brianna?” he asked, releasing her and kneeling beside the cot. “Is she okay?”

  She swallowed hard and crouched beside him. “I’m pretty sure she’s been drugged.”

  Rafe’s jaw tightened as he gave a short nod. “Okay, I’ll take her.” Rafe lifted Brianna effortlessly into his arms. She wanted to protest, but knew he was stronger and could handle Brianna’s limp weight far more easily than she could. “We have to get out of here. These two guards have been taken care of, but there are others, at least one for sure. Luke was watching the patrol boat but he should be here, soon. Can you carry the dog?”

  “Yes, of course.” Kayla bent over Clyde, yanking on the leash tied to the cot. It didn’t give. For a moment she considered struggling to untie the knot, but then quickly unhooked his collar, freeing him. Without the collar she couldn’t use rope as a leash so she gathered the cocker spaniel into her arms and followed Rafe outside.

  As they left the cabin, a cautious hope filled her heart. They had rescued Brianna and Clyde from the two armed guards and helped even out the odds at the same time.

  So far, so good.

  With God’s help and guidance, maybe they would be able to escape the island after all.

  Rafe stayed close to the evergreen trees as he headed down the path back in the direction of where they’d left the boat, near the narrow opening along the rocky shore. The temperature had dropped several degrees as the sun slid behind the horizon. There was still some light to see, but he sensed it wouldn’t last long. He moved as swiftly as he dared, every sense on heightened alert.

  As glad as he was to have found Kayla and Brianna, he couldn’t get rid of the nagging feeling that something was wrong. There were too many guards here on the island, especially since the kidnappers were planning to pick up the evidence in Green Bay. Was this a trap?

  He’d left Luke near the coast and the rubber raft, so he could get a look at the man driving the patrol boat to make sure it wasn’t Evan having gone over to the other side. Luke was supposed to come after him once that was done, and the patrol boat had already been approaching, so he’d expected Luke to meet up with him at the cabin. And if not at the cabin, along the path for sure.

  But there was no sign of his commanding officer.

  Had something happened?

  They shouldn’t have split up.

  Clutching Brianna against his chest, he slowed his pace, listening hard for any indication that someone else might be approaching. Every nerve in his body jangled with warning. He could hear Kayla’s breathing behind him as she struggled to move quietly yet quickly.

  The nagging feeling wouldn’t leave him alone. They were almost a hundred yards from the cabin when he came around a particularly large tree. He stopped abruptly in his tracks, causing Kayla to stumble against him.

  Three men stood blocking the way just twenty feet in front of them.

  His gut clenched as he saw how Giles Leiland and Kevin Yarborough both had guns pointed directly at him and Kayla. Unfortunately, a handcuffed Luke was also sandwiched between them.

  “Don’t move,” Leiland warned as Rafe briefly considered his options. “No one, not even a Guardian, can outrun a bullet.”

  Rafe heard Kayla make a soft sound of distress, and he couldn’t blame her. He didn’t like the odds much himself. They were seriously outnumbered, now that Luke had been captured. He locked gazes with his commanding officer, and Luke’s grim expression warned him that help might not be on the way. He couldn’t tell by his boss’s dark look if the man driving the patrol boat was Evan or not.

  He didn’t know what had happened, or how Luke had been captured but his heart sank to the pit of his stomach as he silently acknowledged there was a distinct possibility they may not get out of this alive.

  Dear Lord, protect us from evil. Keep us safe in thy care.

  He firmly believed the Lord was watching over them and took heart that they weren’t beaten yet. Kayla came up to stand beside him and he scowled and shook his head. “Get behind me,” he muttered.

  “No,” she said softly. He wanted to argue but at that moment, Clyde began barking furiously, struggling against Kayla’s grip as if he were a huge guard dog instead of a friendly cocker spaniel.

  “Shut that mutt up!” Leiland shouted, clearly uncomfortable with the dog’s obvious aversion toward him. “I told that idiot guard to kill that thing.”

  “Easy, Clyde,” Kayla said, tightening her grip on the dog, but Clyde ignored her. Rafe remembered Kayla once mentioning how Clyde didn’t like her odd guest, Gregory Landrum. The way the dog continued to growl and bark at Leiland, he could see why Leiland was getting nervous.

  “Drop your gun, DeSilva,” Leiland ordered harshly. “Now.”

  Rafe didn’t want to give up his weapon, but he didn’t see any way around it, so he shifted Brianna in his grasp so he could toss the gun to the ground in front of him.

  “Kick it toward me,” Leiland commanded.

  Rafe gave it a halfhearted kick, the gun landing still a few feet away from the two armed men. Leiland glanced at the dog and then over at Yarborough. “Get his gun,” he said.

  Yarborough came forward and picked up Rafe’s gun, tucking the weapon into his coat pocket before going back to stand beside Luke.

  “Give it up, Leiland. The game is over,” Rafe said, injecting false confidence in his tone. “We have the island surrounded. You’re not going to get away with this.”

  Leiland let out a harsh laugh, but his gaze kept going back to the dog, who continued to growl at him. “Nice bluff, DeSilva, but you’re way off base. I knew you’d come out here and I’m willing to bet you have the evidence I want stashed on your boat. Once I get rid of Schroeder’s stupid photographs and notes, not to mention killing each of you, there will be nothing to stop me.”

  Rafe helplessly glanced at Yarborough who seemed happy enough to defer to Leiland, waiting for orders.

  “I’ll give you the evidence,” Rafe said, trying to reason with him. “Just let the woman and the child go.”

  “No deal. Slowly turn around and walk back toward the cabin,” Leiland instructed. “If you try to run, I won’t hesitate to shoot you in the back. At this point, I have nothing to lose and no reason to keep you alive.”

  Crushing a wave of helplessness, Rafe believed him. The only reason they were still alive now was because the evidence was stashed on the boat. He slowly turned to do as he’d been told. Desperately, he tried to think of a way out of this mess. Clearly, Luke hadn’t had time to get in touch with the local police who were out on the water, waiting for them. There had to be a way to escape, at least long enough to make contact with the Green Bay police.

  Kayla came up behind him, tugging on the back of his jacket. He slowed his pace, wondering if she needed help when he felt her tuck something hard into the center of his back. It took him a moment to figure out what she’d given him.

  The flare gun! Not as good as a regular gun, but certainly better than having no weapon at all.

  He turned to give her a thankful glance full of approval and she tried to smile, but the gesture didn’t quite reach her eyes. The pain in her gaze as she stared at her daughter made him wish he’d listened to Luke and forced her to stay at the motel.

&nbs
p; At least she would have been safe.

  He couldn’t stand the thought that his lack of planning might cause another innocent woman and child to die.

  Lord, please guide me. Take my life if need be, but spare theirs. Please Lord, protect Kayla and Brianna. They deserve to live.

  Rafe felt a strange calmness cloak him after his reverent prayer. Kayla had given him the flare gun. Even with the weapon in his possession, he knew the odds were stacked against him.

  But they also had God on their side. He knew that if he put his faith in God’s hands, the Lord would save them.

  Kayla stumbled over a tree root and almost fell. She stopped, trying to regain her balance without losing her grip on Clyde. Rafe turned, glancing back at her questioningly, silently asking if she was all right.

  “Keep moving!” Leiland shouted from close behind them.

  Clyde reacted instantly to the sound of Leiland’s harsh command, barking loudly and struggling against Kayla’s hold. During his struggles, his head butted sharply up against her chin, with a loud crack. She cried out in pain, loosening her grip.

  That was all Clyde needed to break away. The dog hit the ground and took off straight for Giles Leiland.

  “Get that dog away from me!” Leiland shouted, as he fired several wild shots, thankfully missing the dog.

  This was the break he’d been waiting for. Rafe turned and thrust Brianna into Kayla’s arms, not stopping even when Kayla almost fell to the ground in surprise, unprepared for the weight of her daughter’s limp form.

  “Get down!” Rafe yelled, making eye contact with Luke. Luke knew what he was silently asking and instantly dropped to the ground, making himself as small a target as possible.

  Rafe held his breath and aimed the flare gun directly at Leiland, whose attention was torn between Rafe and the dog who’d latched onto his ankle with a fierce grip. Dear Lord, forgive me, he thought as he pulled the trigger, sending the heat of the flare at the man who he firmly believed intended to kill them.