The Christmas Rescue

by Laura Scott

  “Noooo,” Leiland howled as the full force of the flare hit him in the chest. His jacket burst into flames and he stumbled backward and fell, hitting the ground with an awkward thud, the gun in his hand going off one last time.

  Time seemed to stand still as Leiland desperately rolled on the hard, cold ground, in a meager attempt to put out the fire. The man’s agonized howls echoed horribly in the night.

  Rafe forced himself to ignore Leiland. With one enemy down, he glanced over at Yarborough who’d thrown himself out of the way of the flare, but was now struggling to regain his balance, pointing his gun directly at Rafe even as he shot desperate glances to where Leiland lie motionless on the ground.

  Rafe braced himself for the hit he knew was coming. Luke struggled to get up onto his feet, but with his handcuffed hands, there wouldn’t be much his commanding officer could do to help. Rafe pointed the flare gun at Yarborough and squeezed the trigger, but nothing happened.

  There were only two flares and they’d both been spent.

  In that moment, hopelessness washed over him. There was nothing more he could do except to try and protect Kayla and Brianna.

  “Get down,” he shouted, pushing Kayla back into the heavy branches of the evergreen tree. He crouched in front of her, knowing his mere flesh and blood wouldn’t be enough of a determent against a bullet.

  Clyde yelped, backing away from Leiland, whose jacket was still smoldering as he lay inert. In the past few minutes, the man had stopped screaming and Rafe suspected Leiland was dying if he wasn’t already dead. Clyde must have thought so, too, because he ignored Leiland to run in circles in front of Yarborough, barking like a mad dog, but didn’t attack. Instead he tried to bite the second criminal, as he had Leiland.

  Clyde was smart, but not that smart. He knew Leiland was an enemy but wasn’t sure about Kevin Yarborough.

  “Drop it,” Yarborough said, eyeing the flare gun Rafe still clutched in his hand suspiciously. The fear in Yarborough’s gaze convinced Rafe that the other man didn’t know for sure if the second flare was present or not. The knowledge gave him a glimmer of hope.

  “No. Give it up, Yarborough. It’s over. Drop your weapon,” he said sternly, bluffing with every bit of acting ability he possessed. When Kevin hesitated, he pushed a little more. “Go ahead, then. You might be able to shoot me, but I’ll still get off a shot, too, and going up in flames isn’t a pleasant way to die.”

  Clearly, the possibility of ending up like Leiland had given Yarborough reason to pause, especially with Leiland’s body clear evidence of the horrific outcome. Yarborough stood uncertainly, obviously torn, especially, Rafe sensed, without anyone around to take charge of the situation, telling him what to do. Yarborough was a follower, not a leader.

  No wonder he hadn’t made it in the coast guard.

  Rafe held his breath, hoping, praying there was a way out of this. He edged out toward Yarborough, advancing slowly.

  “Stay back,” Yarborough said again, but his tone wasn’t nearly as convincing.

  Rafe tensed when he heard a shout. What in the world?

  Evan Marshall, his missing partner, burst up the path, his expression fiercely intent as he held a pointed gun.

  Rafe froze, his heart thundering in his chest.

  Was Evan there to help? Or had greed turned him to a life of crime?

  FIFTEEN

  “Drop your weapon,” Evan said harshly. For a long second, Rafe honestly didn’t know who his partner was talking to, him or Yarborough.

  But when Yarborough spun around to face Evan in surprise, Evan leveled the gun at the crook. “I said drop it,” he repeated in a warning tone. “Or I’ll shoot.”

  Yarborough dropped his gun and then lifted his hands over his head in the universal gesture of surrender. Luke finally managed to find his footing and stepped forward to kick the gun well out of reach.

  Rafe dropped his useless flare gun, his shoulders sagging with an overwhelming sense of relief. Thankfully, his fears over his young partner were unfounded. Evan wasn’t one of the bad guys.

  “Where have you been Marshall?” Luke demanded testily, staring at Evan in shock as his partner quickly tied Yarborough’s arms behind his back. The annoyed question told Rafe that his commanding officer had resigned himself to believing Evan was either dead or working against them. “You haven’t been in contact for over twenty-four hours.”

  Even in the dim light of the sun slipping behind the horizon, Rafe could see his partner flush, his jaw tight. “They hit me on the head and tied me up and left me on Yancy’s, or rather, Yarborough’s yacht. It took me a while to get free. I overheard their kidnapping plan, though, and figured I needed to get here as soon as possible.”

  “Your timing was perfect,” Rafe said, meeting Evan’s gaze gratefully. “I’m not sure we could have gotten out of this without you. My flare gun was empty. We were trying to get by on a bluff and a prayer.”

  Evan flushed again and grimaced. “Thanks, but I blew it by getting caught,” he acknowledged, owning up to his mistake. “I’m sorry, sir,” he said to Luke, his expression full of chagrin. “But you’ll be glad to know I did make radio contact with the crew and they’re on their way.” Evan looked as if he would do anything, including standing on his head and spinning like a top, in order to get back into his boss’s good graces.

  Rafe didn’t want to mention how lucky Evan was that he hadn’t been killed outright, suspecting Evan had already figured that out on his own. He couldn’t help feeling a twinge of guilt at doubting his partner in the first place. Obviously, he owed Evan an apology.

  “Since I’m standing here in cuffs, there’s not much I can say. Help me out of these things,” Luke said, lifting his bound wrists. “And we’ll call it even.”

  A wide grin split Evan’s face as he dug for a handcuff key. “Yes, sir!”

  “A bluff?” Yarborough suddenly bellowed. “The flare gun was empty? I should have shot you.”

  Rafe raised a brow at their captive crook. “But you didn’t.”

  “No, but I placed a tracer on your jeep,” Yarborough said smugly. “That’s how we tracked you to the motel.”

  Rafe’s jaw tightened with anger. His jeep? That meant this was his fault. Brianna’s kidnapping was his fault.

  He heard a small sob and spun quickly, Yarborough forgotten. He stared down at Kayla sitting between the branches of the evergreen tree, cradling Brianna in her arms, silent tears streaking down her cheeks.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked in alarm as he went over to kneel beside her. “Are you hurt? Is Brianna hurt?”

  Kayla shook her head and sniffed loudly. “Nothing’s wrong,” she managed in a shaky tone. “I’m happy. We almost died, but now we’re safe. It’s over. I can’t believe it’s really over.”

  “Yes,” he murmured, pulling her into his arms, as close as he could with Brianna between them. “I’m so sorry, Kayla. You’re safe now. It’s finally over.”

  “We owe it to God for saving us,” Kayla said, gazing up at him. His heart stumbled in his chest as he humbly realized he’d accomplished his original mission. Kayla had come through this experience with a renewed faith.

  “You’re right, we do.” He took a deep breath and then spoke quietly, praying out loud. “Thank you, Lord, for giving us the strength and the courage to face and conquer our enemies. Thank you for keeping us safe in your care. Amen.”

  “Amen,” Kayla echoed in a low voice.

  Kayla could have stayed in Rafe’s warm embrace forever, but of course they needed to get off the island, so when he pulled away, she reluctantly let him go.

  “We need to get back to the boat before it’s too dark to see,” he murmured.

  She forced a smile. “I know.”

  “Sir, you’re wounded!” Evan exclaimed.

  “What?” Rafe’s head snapped up and he immediately crossed over to his commanding officer’s side. “What do you mean wounded? When? What happened?”

  Luke grimaced and
reached down to gently explore the injury on his lower leg where the bottom of his uniform slacks were darkly soaked in blood. “I was hit by one of Leiland’s wild shots, but I think it’s only a flesh wound.”

  “We’ll need to get you back to the boat,” Rafe said thoughtfully as he crouched to examine the wound. “There’s a first aid kit there.”

  “Use my scarf,” Kayla offered. She unwound the long knitted fabric from around her neck and tossed it to Rafe. He took the scarf and bound it around Luke’s lower leg, in hopes of slowing the bleeding.

  “Can you walk?” Evan asked doubtfully.

  “I’m fine,” Luke snapped, as if determined to minimize his injury. “Let’s get moving before anything else happens.”

  Kayla was happy to comply, more than ready to see the last of this island. As beautiful as it was, she couldn’t ignore the violence that had taken place there.

  She knelt and tried to lift Brianna off the ground, groaning a bit as the aftermath of her adrenaline rush made her muscles quiver like wet noodles. “Rafe? I need help, I can’t lift Brianna.”

  “I’ll get her,” Rafe assured, striding over. His adrenaline must still be surging through his system as he effortlessly lifted Brianna in his strong arms. “You’ll have to get Clyde, though.”

  The dog had calmed down now that the danger was over, and had come over to stand beside Kayla and Brianna. She reached for the spaniel, knowing she owed Clyde a debt of gratitude for the part he played in helping them to fight against Leiland.

  “You’re going to get lots of doggy treats when we get back home,” she promised, pressing a kiss on the top of his soft fur. “Every day for the rest of the year.”

  Clyde licked her cheek, making her laugh.

  They were a ragged bunch as they slowly marched toward the narrow opening between the rocks where they’d left their rubber raft. Luke limped noticeably but stoically refused help. Rafe carried Brianna, leaving Evan to keep his gun trained on Yarborough’s back during the trek.

  It took a bit of maneuvering to get them all settled into the small rubber raft. Between Rafe and Evan rowing hard, they made it back to the coast guard boat in record time.

  Safe on the boat, Rafe placed Brianna on the galley table, on top of a pile of life jacket cushions. Kayla set Clyde down and went over to help examine Luke’s injury.

  “It’s in an awkward spot,” Luke muttered darkly as she unwound her long scarf from his lower leg. “I can’t get a good look at it.”

  There were lights mounted on the boat which helped her see the length of the wound. Luke had been right. There was a long ragged gash in his leg, but nothing worse. She did her best to wash the area with soap and water, and then used the antibiotic ointment and dressings in the first aid kit to cover the still oozing wound. “This will have to do until we can get you real medical help,” she told him.

  “It’s fine,” he said with a grunt. “Thanks.”

  Kayla finished binding his wound with gauze, and then taped the edges snugly. “Actually, I’m the one who needs to thank you, Luke. I’m sorry for not obeying your orders. And I hope you weren’t captured because of me.”

  Rafe glanced up and came over to join the conversation. “So what did happen?” he asked Luke with a frown. “I thought for sure you’d be just minutes behind me.”

  Luke’s mouth thinned with self-reproach. “It wasn’t anyone’s fault but mine. I made sure the guy in the patrol boat wasn’t Evan or anyone else from my crew, but I wasn’t expecting Yarborough and Leiland to come out from behind the trees on the path back to the cabin. The guards must have given a signal of distress or missed a check-in for them to figure out we breached the island. I walked right into their trap.”

  “The flares might have tipped our hand,” Rafe murmured. “We knew that was a risk of creating a diversion.”

  Kayla knew her flare likely hadn’t helped matters. “I’m sorry,” she said again. “It’s my fault. I just couldn’t stand being away from my daughter for another minute.”

  Rafe reached out to gently squeeze her shoulder, reassuringly.

  Luke stared at her for a long moment, before shaking his head. “I can’t blame you, Kayla. If my daughter had been in there, I probably would have done the same thing. All that matters now is that we made it out of there safely.”

  “Amen,” Rafe agreed.

  Kayla smiled tremulously, grateful he wasn’t angry with her. “Thank you for saving my daughter, sir.”

  “I think you managed to contribute,” Rafe said dryly. “Giving me your flare gun was pure genius.”

  Her smile faltered as she remembered Leiland’s horrible death. She didn’t think she could ever look at a flare gun again. “Clyde deserves way more credit than me.”

  “He’s a good guard dog,” Luke agreed before levering himself to his feet and hobbling toward the small wheel house, taking over the controls from Evan. “I’ll take over now. Let’s finish cleaning up this mess,” he said.

  “Aye-aye, sir,” Evan agreed enthusiastically.

  Kayla went down into the small galley to Brianna. She huddled next to her daughter, relieved to note Brianna was finally beginning to stir. She had no idea how much medication they’d given her, and suspected the effects of the drug would linger for a while yet, but at least Brianna was showing signs of coming around. Clyde stayed right near Brianna’s side, as if determined to be there when Brianna awoke.

  She glanced up when Rafe came to sit beside her. “It’s nothing short of a miracle that no one was badly hurt through all this,” she murmured. “Other than Luke, we all made it out relatively unscathed.”

  “I know.” Rafe took her hand in his and stared at their interwoven fingers for a long moment, before hesitantly meeting her gaze. “I need to know the truth, Kayla. Do you resent me for putting your daughter in danger?” he asked quietly.

  She considered his question very seriously for a minute, before shaking her head. “No, Rafe, I don’t resent you. At first, maybe, but deep down I knew Brianna’s kidnapping wasn’t your fault. Bill Schroeder was the one who made the decision to hide those photographs in my house. If he’d gotten out of the criminal activity earlier, or had simply taken the evidence to the police, none of this would have happened.”

  Rafe still looked troubled. “I wanted to let you know, there’s no evidence Jeremy was involved,” he said slowly. “From the dates and timelines in Schroeder’s notebook, we know the criminal activity started right around your husband’s death. I hate to say this, but there’s a good chance Jeremy might have been murdered.”

  She swallowed hard at his words, knowing they might be true, but the usual despair that she normally felt when thinking about Jeremy seemed to have vanished. She missed him, but she didn’t grieve for him the same way she had. “I know, but truthfully that doesn’t matter one way or the other. Yarborough will go to jail, and that’s what matters.”

  “You’re taking the news better than I thought you would,” Rafe admitted.

  She tried to help him understand. “Finding God has helped me a lot, Rafe. At first when Jeremy was gone I was angry at him for leaving me when I needed him the most. Selfish on my part, but that’s all I could think about. Now I’ve come to understand, he’s in a much better place.”

  Rafe’s smile was strained. “Yes, he is. Just like my family is as well. I know what you mean about being angry. Except I’ve been mad at myself for not planning ahead and for getting us caught in the snowstorm when Angela and our son Josué died.”

  Kayla felt tears gather in her eyes as she thought about Rafe’s loss. Losing Jeremy had been awful but she didn’t know if she’d have recovered if she’d lost Brianna. To think he’d gone on after losing his wife and son was staggering.

  Her heart squeezed in her chest as she looked at him. How could Rafe ever think she resented him? Her feelings were quite the opposite.

  She was very much afraid she loved him.

  And while the knowledge should have filled her with joy,
being on the coast guard boat with him like this, surrounded by the evidence of his career, only reinforced what she already knew. Rafe’s job would consist of his being gone for long stretches of time. Days and nights.

  Leaving her and Brianna home alone.

  Just like Jeremy had done.

  And worse, he’d be in danger. More danger than Jeremy had ever faced. Not just from the weather, but from armed men. Crooks who wanted to kill him.

  Despair filled her heart. How could she face life if she lost Rafe, too?

  Very simply, she couldn’t.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?” Rafe asked, squeezing her hand gently dragging her attention from her depressing thoughts.

  She forced herself to meet his gaze. “Nothing,” she whispered, although she was sure the truth was reflected in her eyes.

  “Kayla, once you’ve had a chance to recover from all this, I’d like to see you again,” Rafe said.

  She bit her lip and looked away. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” she whispered, even though her heart was aching.

  “Why not?” Rafe asked, refusing to be put off. “I can’t believe your feelings toward me have changed. Surely you can’t deny there’s something special between us.”

  She wanted to deny what he was saying, but she couldn’t lie. “I care about you, Rafe. But sometimes, caring about someone isn’t enough.”

  There was a moment of silence. “What do you mean?” Rafe asked, his gaze perplexed. “I’m not sure I understand.”

  She took a deep breath and let it out, slowly. “I loved my husband, but over the months he was gone at sea, I began to resent him for being gone so much. Brianna’s first severe asthma attack happened while Jeremy was out on the lake. I was left to deal with her being sick and in the hospital, all alone. I think I made our marriage worse, constantly harping on how much he was gone.”

  “I know how awful that must have been for you, Kayla, but surely now you realize that bad things can happen even when you’re not alone. Those moments when Yarborough held his gun on me, I feared he would kill me, and then kill you and Brianna, too.” His voice was rough, and she was surprised to realize the depth of his fear. “I should know, Kayla. My wife and son died in my arms. I was right there with them, but in the end, it didn’t matter. God had called them home, but left me here on earth all alone.”