by Connie Queen
He worked his jaw and his face turned a shade darker. “Don’t you think you should’ve told me what you were up to? Maybe the attacks could’ve been avoided altogether.”
Defensiveness crawled all over her. “If Hal learned I was alive, I wouldn’t be for long. Nor my family. He’ll stop at nothing.” The more she talked, the more her heart raced and the louder her voice got. “Even you said you didn’t think there was merit in the charges against him. Why? Because he gave money to good causes? Well, I’ve got news for you—Hal is guilty. I have an uphill battle. Lori knew of his crimes and it got her killed.”
“You were a deputy with the US Marshals. They would’ve put Alcott in jail.”
“Really? You’d be willing to bet the life of your family on it? We both know Hal has that charisma that has everyone eating out of the palm of his hand. I had to have proof in hand before I went to the authorities. My family’s lives are at stake—” Her voice cracked. She hated herself for not being able to rein in her emotions, and she cleared her throat. “My mom is ill. I can’t take the chance of them being in danger. I’d rather my family believe I’m dead.”
“That almost happened, Kylie.” He held his head in his hands. “If I’d only known who you were... Are. Melody Garner. Unbelievable.”
She wasn’t sure what he meant. How familiar was Luke with her? By the curling of his lip, she thought better of asking him right now. He needed time to process.
“The US Marshals have a leak.”
Her head snapped up. She knew it was possible, but she still didn’t want to believe it. The fact that Luke came to that conclusion so fast startled her.
“Don’t get mad. You know I’m right.” Luke glared. “If Alcott, or anyone else, found where the witnesses were being housed, it had to be an inside job.”
“Or we were followed. Or Lori Coffey told someone. There’s no way one of my coworkers put me in danger.” But deep down, no matter how painful the thought, Kylie knew betrayal was a possibility. If Hal’s money and charisma could convince a whole town—who was she kidding, he could convince the whole nation—of his innocence, then why not a member of the US Marshals?
But who? US Deputy Marshal Chase Barclay came to mind. He’d been the rookie in the department and he’d worked with Kylie on the Coffey-family detail before he was pulled from the case to work on something else. He’d been the youngest on the team without deep roots to the department, but as Kylie remembered the deputy, she couldn’t believe him guilty, either. He’d been proud to be a US Marshal. She couldn’t believe he’d be a part of a plot to kill a mom, two kids and a fellow US Marshal—her.
Luke shook his head.
Tension tighter than a sweater two sizes too small wedged between them as they trekked to the truck. Silence, except for their footsteps in the tall grass, amplified the rift, as his long strides put distance between them. Fine. He’d asked if she was law enforcement. What was she supposed to do? Lie?
She climbed in the passenger’s side and buckled up. “What about the ATV? I can drop you off.”
He stripped off his Western shirt and tossed it to the back floorboard. The once-white T-shirt clung to his torso, showing a muscular chest and biceps. He threw the truck in Reverse and backed up. In a cool voice, he said, “The keys are gone. Me and my dad will pick it up later.”
She blinked. What had she asked? Oh, the ATV. Right. She had to get a grip. They’d been getting along so well that she’d even started to believe... Never mind how she’d begun to think there may’ve been a spark of something more. As handsome as she found the Ranger, obviously, trust was an issue. “Luke, I’m sorry.” Her fingers touched his arm. To her relief, he didn’t pull away. “I had no intention of using you or your family. Hal Alcott is behind these attacks. I’ve got to have solid evidence before I come out of undercover.”
He shook his head and pulled his arm away from her touch. “You’re not even undercover. More like rogue undercover.”
“Okay. You’re right.” She threw her arms in the air. “Technically, I don’t work for the US Marshals anymore.”
“Do you have access to their files?” One eyebrow lifted.
“No. But I recovered most of the documents I’d saved on my computer and iPad.” She hung on to the dashboard as he made the turn toward his parents’ place. “I didn’t try to access the US Marshals website for fear it’d leave a trail back to me.”
“I’m certain it would. What about my sister? Do you know anything about her case that I don’t?”
Did his tone have to be so brusque? She’d known he wouldn’t be happy to learn he’d been deceived, but she hadn’t expected the darts to her heart. “No, I don’t think so. We’re on the same side. I’m on your team.”
The clenching of his jaw told her what he thought of her.
“What’s the plan?” She had to try again. “I don’t want to be fighting at your folks’.” At his silence, she said, “I heard you on the phone. Was that Jax? Are you planning on telling him?”
Luke’s incredulous expression at her question angered her. “Really? I asked you not to tell. You said you wouldn’t unless it was something illegal,” she said.
“I talked with someone in the office who is going to call the hospitals to see if anyone comes in with a gunshot wound. I need time to think this through.” He turned down the road to his parents’ house. “Were you ever a nanny?”
“I’ve been a nanny or babysitter the last couple of years. And I had lots of practice watching my nieces and nephews.”
He turned into his parents’ drive. “Let me guess. Being a nanny is a great way to get into people’s homes.”
Before she could answer, Kylie’s gaze caught Dottie pacing back and forth in the driveway, and she was rubbing her arms and glancing around nervously. Kylie touched his arm. “Luke.”
He brought the truck to a stop and slung open his door. “What’s wrong, Mom? Where are the kids?”
“They’re gone,” she cried.
TEN
It felt like someone had hit Luke in the gut. “What do you mean, ‘gone’?”
His mom’s red and swollen eyes told him she’d been crying. Her shattered expression just about did him in. Nothing shook his mom. “I tried to call you. Two men took the babies.”
“How long ago?”
“Nine or ten minutes, I think.”
Too far of a lead to catch them without knowing what direction they were headed. Luke put his hands on her shoulders to steady her. “Have you called 911?”
Her lip quivered, and she nodded. “The police are on their way.”
Luke looked around. “Where’s Dad?”
“In the bathroom. He was bleeding a little.” His mom squeezed Luke’s arms like she was hanging on for dear life. “Sam said he wasn’t hurt too bad. They tied him with zip ties. You know your father—he fought them with all his might. I heard the commotion and ran to get my gun.”
“Come on. Let’s get you inside.” Kylie’s calm voice didn’t match her pale complexion.
Luke stepped back, releasing his grip from his mom to make room for Kylie to walk her in.
“Mrs. Dryden, how many abductors were there?” Kylie asked as soon as they were in the house.
“Oh, my.” His mom’s hand went to her mouth. “I’m not certain. At least two.”
His nanny continued to extract information. “What did they look like?”
“Let me think.” She wrung her hands. “White, medium-sized. Both were wearing toboggans.”
“Toboggans?” Luke asked.
His mom nodded. “With the eyes cut out.”
“Ski masks, Mom.”
“Yes, that’s it.” She trembled. “I’m sorry, I’m not thinking clearly.”
Kylie kept getting information. “Dottie, what were they driving?”
“Some kind of SUV, I think.
It all happened so fast I didn’t get a good look.”
“That’s all right. Can you tell us exactly what happened?” Kylie spoke quietly, but also with authority. Luke didn’t mind his nanny taking over because she was able to keep his mom calm while extracting the information quickly. With every pore in his body overflowing with anxiety, Luke realized his mom wouldn’t respond as well to him or his impatience.
“I was trying to find Braden’s shoes so I could take them outside to play. I put Zoe’s on, but Braden had taken his off. I heard Sam’s yell, followed by a crash. I looked out the window. A masked man hit Sam over the head with the metal bar used to prop the barn door open. Oh, Luke—” She turned to him. “I’m so sorry. I grabbed both kids and ran for our bedroom to get the gun, but one of the men busted through the door. He grabbed Zoe from me, and I fought him for Braden, but I was afraid he’d get hurt,” she cried. “I let Braden go.”
Luke drew a deep breath. “It’s okay, Mom. That’s what you should’ve done. This is not your fault.”
“Yes, it is. I grabbed the gun but was afraid to shoot. What if I hit one of the kids?”
“Mrs. Dryden,” Kylie said, “Luke’s right. That’s the same thing I would’ve done. You couldn’t take the chance of hitting one of the kids.”
A slight knock, and then Jax O’Neill strode in. He looked around the room, taking in the scene. “The door was open.”
Sirens wailed in the distance.
“What’s going on?” Jax glanced at Luke’s wet clothes. “And what happened to you? Take a swim?”
“Pretty much. You’re just in time, O’Neill. The twins have been kidnapped.” Luke heard something behind him and turned to see his dad standing in the doorway holding a shotgun, blood smeared on his neck. Anguish and anger were written on his face. “What are you doing, Dad?”
“Going to get my grandkids back.”
Dottie hurried to his side. “You’re bleeding.” She lightly touched this neck. “Wait, the blood’s coming from your head. That’s a big cut.”
His dad pulled away. “I’m fine. Head wounds bleed a lot.”
“Dad, you need to get that checked out. I’ll go get the kids. But you know how these things work. You’re better off developing a plan than running off with a gun.”
Kylie hurried to the kitchen and came back with a damp rag. Without a word, she dabbed his dad’s neck.
He didn’t fight her. “While you stand here talking, Braden and Zoe are getting farther away. They’ve been gone, what? Twenty? Thirty minutes now?”
Luke couldn’t do this. Couldn’t argue. He never should’ve gone out this morning and left the kids alone with his parents. The twins needed more protection. But his dad was right—standing here wasn’t going to bring back Zoe and Braden.
“Luke and I will find your grandkids,” Jax offered.
“Sam, get in my SUV. I’m taking you to the emergency room,” his mom pleaded, her face wrinkled up in concern. “Luke and Jax, please bring my grandbabies home.”
“Rocky Creek Police Department,” Officer White shouted from the open front door as he strode into the room. “Dryden, can you tell me what happened?”
He gave the local officer a quick rundown while Jax listened in. Before he was through filling him in, Kylie let in the paramedics and pointed to his dad. “That man needs to be checked out.”
Luke overheard as Jax asked his dad, “Did you see what they’re driving?”
“A green minivan. Older model,” Sam answered. “Dodge, maybe.”
“I saw a green Caravan two nights ago,” Kylie said from across the room.
Luke hurried over to his nanny, leaving the officer standing alone. “Where?”
“Two nights ago, when I left your place. The van pulled out behind me. I watched him in my rearview mirror, but when I turned, the van kept going down the highway. I figured it was just some man, maybe with kids, on the road.”
“You should’ve told me.”
Jax nudged his shoulder. “Come on, buddy. If the van kept going there was no need to call you.”
“I got the license plate.” She rhymed off the plate number.
“Okay. Good job, Kylie. Call that in.” Luke followed his dad while the paramedics loaded him into the ambulance.
“I don’t need to go to the hospital.” His dad sat in the open door, but his ghost-white face and his sweat-drenched body said he needed medical attention.
“Dad, please.” Luke’s world unraveled as he put his hand on his dad’s shoulder. For the first time in Luke’s life, his dad appeared frail. He couldn’t do this. Megan. The twins. “Go get checked out. We’ll find Braden and Zoe. Can you tell us anything about the kidnappers? Mom said she saw two men wearing ski masks.”
“Two? There were three.” He rubbed his head. “One guy stayed in the van.”
“Did you recognize any of them?” With his mom being scared out of her wits and his dad getting hit in the head, they weren’t thinking clearly.
“No. The little twerps. If they hadn’t caught me by surprise.” His dad raised his fist.
Luke patted his shoulder again. “It’s okay, Dad.”
He shook his head. “You know, now that I think about it, one sounded familiar.”
“Who did he sound like?”
“I don’t know.” His dad frowned. “When the man hit me with the metal bar, the other one yelled for him to stop. I can’t place him.”
“Let me know if you figure out whose voice.”
“I will. I forgot to mention, I did manage to break the zip tie and get my gun out of my ankle holster. I fired a shot as they ran for the vehicle, but I don’t think I hit anyone.”
The paramedics waited to leave, and Luke made sure his dad was loaded with his mom beside him before he returned inside.
When Luke walked through the door, Jax said, “The police put a BOLO on the minivan and search points at all major intersections. They also called neighboring Parker County Sheriff’s Department who agreed to keep a lookout. I talked to Lieutenant Adcock to update him on the situation.” Jax acted all businesslike, which had a calming effect on Luke’s nerves. “Adcock wants to take you off the case.”
“What? No.” Luke looked heavenward. “I know the case better than anyone.”
“I defended you. He agreed to let you stay on after I convinced him you were acting professionally. But, Dryden, even the best lawmen struggle to not let their emotions take over when it hits this close to home.” Jax poked him in the temple. “Keep your head in the game.”
Luke couldn’t stand still any longer, adrenaline and fear making him feel like a thousand ants were crawling all over him. The clock showed it was ten minutes after one. The kids had been gone over forty minutes. They could be all the way in Dallas by now. Or crossed the Red River into Oklahoma. Or a thousand places in between.
Kylie walked out of his parents’ bedroom.
“What were you doing in there?” Luke asked.
“Checking to see if the abductors left anything behind, like a ransom note.”
“You didn’t touch anything?” The question came from Officer White. “Forensics need to go over the room.”
“No, sir. I know better than to touch a crime scene.” Kylie gave a crisp nod. “There wasn’t a note, or anything left behind that I could see.”
Jax turned his gaze to Luke. “Who do you think took the kids? Who had something to gain?”
“I’m not certain.” He glanced at Kylie. Hal Alcott was the first name to enter his mind, probably because he was one of a short list of suspects. “Alcott should be at his opening at Homes with a Heart. Can we send someone to check him out?”
“You think Hal Alcott is a suspect? No way.” Officer White’s sharp tone echoed in the room. “He’s one of the most generous people I know. My daughter and son-in-law just bought one of his homes
. They got a good deal.” He nodded. “A real good deal.”
Luke drew a deep breath. “I’m sure you’re right. Would you mind checking him out? Find out if he’s been there all morning.”
“I’d be glad to. Don’t know how Mr. Alcott even got on your radar.” The officer narrowed his gaze at Luke.
Alcott, no doubt, would have an airtight alibi. If he was involved, he’d be the man behind the scenes calling the shots. The businessman wasn’t stupid, Luke would give him that.
After the officer left the home, Luke watched Kylie walk into the kitchen and pull out a bottle of water from the refrigerator.
Jax turned to Luke, one eyebrow arched. “Head in the game.”
Luke didn’t have to ask what that meant. But what would Jax say if he knew his nanny was really US Deputy Marshal Melody Garner? Keeping that bit of information from his team is exactly what could get him pulled off this case.
Head in the game. “The money.”
“What?” Jax asked.
Driving up to learn his niece and nephew had been kidnapped, he’d totally forgotten about the discovery. He started for his truck. “We found a case of money at the quarry.”
Jax and Kylie followed on his heels, not saying a word. Luke retrieved the case, set it on his tailgate and flipped it open.
His partner rifled through the packets of hundred-dollar bills and let out a whistle. “There’s got to be several hundred thousand dollars in there. There’s your motive for Megan’s murder. But what does this have to do with the abduction of Zoe and Braden?”
“Don’t know.” Luke sighed. “Payoff money. Bribery. Blackmail. Stolen. Your guess is as good as mine.”
“Can you get some of the serial numbers from the money to the department to see if they’ve been flagged?”
Luke took a pack of hundreds from the case. “I’m on it.” He turned to Kylie. “Come on.”
She grabbed the case and followed him into the house, where he laid out the bills on the kitchen table. Using his cell, he snapped pics of the bills in groups of nine.
Kylie glanced at the clock, then quickly helped him line up the money for each shot. She gathered them back up when he was through with each batch. Her hands shook with each move.