by Connie Queen
Hail.
He stopped at the corner of the porch, out of sight from the window. Where were the kidnappers? Surely, they were watching for Kylie to arrive with the money.
Water gushed from the porch’s tin roof, and he moved farther under cover.
“Do you see anyone?” Kylie said in his earpiece.
He whispered, “No.” Was this a trick? Were they luring Kylie close enough to the house to see if she brought someone with her?
Luke stepped up the rickety steps, hoping the rotten wood didn’t collapse.
Through his earpiece he heard static and then Kylie mumbled, “I’m in place under a tree for protection.”
Lightning struck again, followed by a clap of thunder.
A child screamed. That was Zoe.
“Wanna go home,” Braden yelled.
Every one of Luke’s muscles tensed. The urge to barge into the trailer, grab the twins and get them out of this condemned place was overwhelming. But he had to rein in his emotions and be smart.
“Shut up and lay back down,” a male’s voice boomed. “Get those two brats quiet!”
“Don’t shout at the kids,” another male answered in a familiar high-pitched tone. “They’re scared of the storm, and your screaming doesn’t help.”
“That babysitter should be here soon with the other half of the money. If she doesn’t show...”
“She still has ten minutes and the storm will probably make her late.”
Luke glimpsed through the misted windowpanes. Someone was lying on a green couch, but only the jean-clad legs could be seen. The hail had stopped but rain continued to pour, drowning out any noise he might make. Two men were all that could be seen. There could be someone in the back rooms, though.
Zoe and Braden sat on the floor in front of the man on the couch. Their faces were red and tearstained. Luke’s fist tightened. What kind of monster kidnapped two precious kids?
Crash.
The earth shook and trembled.
Luke whispered into the mic, “The twins are here.” He instinctively glanced over his shoulder. He didn’t see Kylie, but she would know to stay under cover. When he turned back around, a man’s face was plastered against the window. Luke jerked back.
“Hey!”
Being detected left Luke no choice. He kicked in the hollow door, hitting the man before he had time to react. Luke stuck his gun in the man’s gut. “Get your hands up.”
Caught by surprise, the hefty guy didn’t have a weapon. He shoved past Luke and sprinted out the door.
“Unca Luke!”
He glimpsed the kids as his gaze locked onto Tommy. His brother-in-law, pale and with a bloody towel on his shoulder, was sprawled on the couch. “You’re behind all this?” Luke shouted. He pointed. “Stay here.”
Luke flew out the door only to come to an abrupt stop.
The man had Kylie in a choke hold, her eyes wide with fear.
“Drop the weapon,” the man shouted. “So help me, I will kill her.”
* * *
The man pressed his wet belly into Kylie’s back, his hairy arm choking her as her hands clawed at him. Only now she recognized the kidnapper. He was Michael Malone aka Barry Goodlow. She tried to breathe. Luke stood frozen on the porch step, gun drawn, his gaze deadly serious.
“Drop it now,” Goodlow screamed into her ear.
She detected Luke’s indecision. He wanted to take the vile man out, but then his eyes connected with hers. Kylie couldn’t allow Luke to throw down his weapon and be at this man’s mercy to save her.
She lunged forward, using her hip as leverage. But Goodlow’s arm dug into her throat, causing her to gag and cough. He held her up, squeezing the life out of her even though she’d gone limp. “I swear, I’ll break your neck. Now stand up.”
Gasping for air, she tried to get her feet on the ground, but he continued to hold her up in the air. “I...can’t.” Her feet kicked and struggled to find footing.
Roughly, Goodlow wrangled her back to the mud. She had to fight him. Her gun was in the mud a couple of feet away from where he’d grabbed her.
Luke dropped his gun.
“Good boy,” the man taunted. “Kick it away.”
Luke’s boot sent the gun flying into the mud. “Let her go.”
“I’ll take the money first.”
“It’s in the case,” Luke shouted.
“Where is it?” His fingers dug into her wrist as he shoved her head toward the ground.
She struggled to stay on her feet. The money was hidden under a bush not far from where she dropped her gun. Think. Once he had the money, there’d be nothing stopping him from killing them all. Ignoring the pain of his grip, she reached for the case, water running down her face.
Please, God, get us out of this.
She grasped the thick plastic handle and in one smooth move swung it with all her might at the man’s head. Goodlow must’ve been ready, for he ducked and shoved down on her shoulder, knocking her to the ground. She shrieked in pain. The case slipped from her fingers and fell into the puddle.
A muddy boot kicked her in the thigh. Pain shot through her, making her want to vomit. There was no backing out now. Her adrenaline was on fire, making her delirious. She couldn’t stop. He’d shoot them both. She had nothing to lose. Crawling through the muck, she reached for her Glock, but the man beat her to it.
At the sound of a gun clicking, she knew she was dead.
“Oomph.”
Luke tackled the man, and her gun went flying. She didn’t see where her Glock landed. The rain stopped and thunder rumbled in the distance. Kylie grabbed the case and clawed her way through the slippery sludge to her feet.
She sprinted for the porch.
Bang!
She dodged to the left, behind a tree, trying to see who’d fired. Luke and Goodlow stared at the back door.
A shirtless man Kylie recognized from pictures as Tommy, the twins’ dad, stood in the doorway, a rifle pointed at Barry Goodlow.
“Stop, Barry,” Tommy called.
Barry turned and ran into the woods behind them. Tommy fired once. A tree limb several feet to the right of the man fell to the ground.
“Are you all right?” Luke headed her way.
“Fine.” She leaned into the tree, water still falling from its leaves. Her heart drummed in her ears.
“Unca Luke? Ky-ee.” Kylie turned to see the twins on the porch. Luke and Kylie headed their way.
“Zoe, Braden.” Kylie held out her hands. Zoe went to her, tears streaming down her face. She clutched the little girl to her chest. As she held Zoe tight, relief oozed from her very being. The kids were alive.
Luke swept Braden into his arms and gave him a kiss on top of his head.
Tommy dropped the rifle to his side and sagged against the door frame.
“Everybody inside.” Luke stepped out of the way as they went through the door.
He glanced at Kylie. “Where’s your gun?”
“I dropped it. I’ll go get it.”
“No.” Luke held up his palm and then put down Braden. “Bring the kids inside and take the money with you.”
Kylie went inside, creating a soggy mess on the floor. Not that she cared about tracking up the place. Trash and clothes were piled high in the corners. A strong musty smell meant either the roof leaked or the trailer had been shut up for a long time. The thought of the twins being here made her stomach roil. The urge to disinfect was almost unbearable.
Luke came inside and handed Kylie her gun.
“Thank you. Have you talked with Jax?”
He scrubbed Braden on the head as he passed. “I just tried to call him, but no answer and voice mail didn’t pick up. Have you tried on your phone?”
She grimaced and pulled her cell phone from her back pocket. Water ran
to the floor as she held it out. “That’s two in one day.”
“Okay. We’ll try again later on my phone. Jax should be on his way.”
Tommy leaned against the wall like he was afraid to move.
“Come on. Let’s get you off your feet.” Luke helped Tommy to the couch, and then he took a step back and folded his arms across his chest. “You’ve got some explaining to do.”
TWELVE
Still in disbelief, Luke stared across the cluttered room as his brother-in-law fumbled to put the towel back on his shoulder.
“I messed up,” Tommy grumbled.
“Have you seen a doctor?”
Pain was etched across his pale and sweaty face. For a man who had driven sports cars and lived on a golf course, Tommy painted a different picture sprawled out on the grimy couch in a run-down trailer that smelled of mice feces. Tommy shook his head. “Haven’t had time.”
“Is the bullet still in your shoulder?” Irritation bit at Luke, but he didn’t cherish seeing Tommy in agony even if he had abandoned his sister. The low-down man was the twins’ only living parent.
“I think so. Feels like it’s on fire.” Tommy laid his head against the back of the couch and closed his eyes. “But I think it’s getting infected.”
Kylie moved across the room with Zoe still on her hip and placed the back of her hand against Tommy’s forehead. “He’s burning up. He needs medical attention.”
“I know,” Tommy mumbled. “It’s not looking good.”
Luke asked, “Why would you hurt your own kids?”
His brother-in-law’s face scrunched into a field of wrinkles as he pushed back into the cushion. “You don’t understand. I didn’t intend to hurt them. I may not be a saint, but I’d never hurt my own kids.” He switched positions, evidently trying to ease the pain. “I tried to save them. Honest. Guess I can’t even do that right.”
Tried to save them? Was the man telling the truth? Luke needed to know exactly what happened. “Talk to me. Why’d you disappear? Why’d you leave Megan?”
“I wanted to protect her.” Tommy’s usual confident tone was no more than a harrowing whisper now.
“What?” Luke’s anger could easily boil over. Rein it in, Dryden. “Protect her? You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Come on, Braden.” Kylie held out her hand. “Let’s see if there’s anything to eat.” She took the kids into the connecting kitchen, out of earshot, although still in view.
Tommy’s head dropped to his chest as he glanced up. At least he had the sense to look ashamed. “I’m in trouble big-time. I don’t know what to do.”
“Start from the beginning.” The setting sun attempted to break through the clouds, casting long shadows across the room. Luke wanted the twins out of here before dark. At least, Jax should be here soon.
“I stole money. A lot of it.”
“How much?” Luke had known even though Tommy was a successful real-estate agent, the new cars and the house had cost too much.
Tommy stared up at the ceiling and his chin quivered. “One and a half million.”
“What?” Luke rubbed his forehead. “No wonder someone wants you dead. Who did you steal the money from?”
“Hal Alcott. I thought he was going to be indicted on money-laundering charges and would go to prison. He’d been filtering drug money through his real-estate business for years and that lady was supposed to testify against him. I didn’t believe he’d find out who took the money.”
He and Kylie exchanged glances. Even though Kylie had warned him about the businessman, Luke still hadn’t quite believed Alcott was capable of such crime. “Did Alcott kill Megan?”
“Yes, he had one of his men kill her. Hal didn’t learn it was me who took the money until about six months ago. He demanded his money be returned, but I had already spent over six hundred thousand. I never dreamed he’d kill Megan. I promise. I’m so sorry. You’ve got to believe me. I never meant for everything to get out of control. I was scared, and I’ve been hiding out at this trailer. I didn’t even go to my wife’s funeral...” His voice cracked. Tears ran down his face.
“Get a grip, Tommy.” Luke glanced over at the twins as they clung to Kylie’s wet jeans. Did the man even realize he was scaring his own kids? “Do you have any proof he killed my sister?”
He nodded. “He sent me a video of her tied up and sitting in a car. You can’t see Hal, but it’s his voice.”
Luke’s chest constricted and his fists tightened.
Tommy lowered his voice. “Then Hal sent someone to abduct the kids at the zoo. I couldn’t let ’em kill Zoe and Braden, too.” He had dark circles under his eyes, and his hollow checks deepened as he drew a ragged breath and tried to stand. “I need to get out of here. Hal will send someone to kill me. Protect the kids. With me injured...”
“You need to turn yourself in. It’s the only way we can protect you.”
“Protect me?” Tommy snorted. “Nothing can save me now. That’s why I took the kids. I’m sorry for scaring you and your parents. You’re good people, but I didn’t trust you to keep them safe. The twins would’ve gotten used to me again with time. I know you’re a Texas Ranger and Sam used to be a state trooper, but the kids would’ve never been safe with Hal after them. That’s why I was taking them to Mexico.”
“Mexico?” Luke held back his anger. He needed to know the players. “How are Fisher and Goodlow involved?”
“I didn’t have a choice,” Tommy said, his voice squeaking, and he kept talking like Luke hadn’t asked a question. “They would’ve killed Zoe and Braden to get to me. You don’t know what Hal’s capable of. He has a lot of people on his side. Everyone likes him. Businessmen. Politicians. Law enforcement. You wouldn’t know who to trust.”
“Tommy, stop. You’re becoming hysterical. Do Abraham Fisher and Barry Goodlow work for Alcott?”
“No. I paid them to help me get the kids back. I promised them a hundred thousand dollars each when we were safe across the border. I hid part of the money in Zoe and Braden’s room and the other half at the quarry. After your dad shot me at the ranch, they double-crossed me. Said I was a liability. They wanted the money for themselves and don’t care about my kids. They’d shoot me if they thought they could find the money.”
His dad did hit someone. Tommy.
“Luke,” Kylie called from the kitchen as she looked out the window. “We have company.”
He strode over and glanced out the smudged window. A dark car came to a stop in the drive. “Get the kids to the bedroom.”
“We’ll be sitting ducks. The walls are paper-thin and wouldn’t stop a bullet.”
Luke couldn’t protect them if they weren’t beside him. “I need you near me. Use a mattress for protection.”
“Barry is back.” She looked out the window as she gathered the kids in her arms. “Tommy, who is the other guy?”
His brother-in-law leaned over the arm of the couch and stared out a window at the two men getting out of the sedan, assault rifles in hand. “My partners. Abraham and Barry. They want the money.”
Why did anyone in crime ever think another criminal could be trusted? Luke grabbed the case of money. He’d need a bargaining chip if the men decided to rid themselves of all witnesses. “Kylie, get in the bedroom.”
“No. I won’t chance the kids’ safety. I’m taking them out the back door and through the trees. I’ll keep them far away from the gunfire.”
“Stay hidden. I will come for you.” Luke checked his gun and watched out the window until he heard Kylie’s footsteps go down the back steps. He didn’t want her alone.
“Go,” Tommy insisted. He struggled to his feet and snagged the rifle from the corner. “Save my kids. The other half of the money is in a foam ice chest in the shed out back. And Luke, if I don’t get out of this alive, take care of my kids. It’s what Megan wanted.”
Luke didn’t have time to argue and went out the back door to find Kylie.
* * *
Kylie dashed for the cover of the woods. Carrying a child on each hip wasn’t the easiest way to travel, but it was better than making the children walk in the mud. Zoe clung tight and was silent.
“Unca Luke.” Braden held out his hands over her shoulder.
“We’ll see him in a bit. Hang on.” Kylie’s attention focused on getting to safety before they were spotted.
A gunshot went off.
Zoe and Braden both jumped in her arms, but Kylie pulled them even tighter and kept going, heaving for breath.
“Want to go home!” Zoe cried.
“Shh. It’ll be okay. Hang on.” Was that Luke shooting at the men? Or did they shoot Luke? She didn’t take the time to turn around, but raced for cover, careful not to trip on the uneven terrain. Overgrown bushes appeared in front of her and she dodged them. Her muddy running shoe slipped, and she almost went to the ground.
Footsteps sounded behind her. Oh, no. This couldn’t be happening. Setting the kids on their feet, she slid her Glock from the holster and turned in one smooth motion. She aimed.
“Kylie. It’s me. Don’t shoot.”
She jumped at the sound of Luke’s voice and relief flooded her. “What are you doing?” She tucked away her gun and picked up the kids. “You scared me half to death.”
He snagged Braden from her grasp while holding the case. “Getting you out of here.”
“We need to take...these guys down.” She gasped for air. “We’ll...never be free until they’re captured.”
“Did you call Jax again?”
“No time. He was on his way here over thirty minutes a—”
There were three popping sounds, followed by rapid gunfire.
The second round of shots sounded like they’d come from assault rifles.
Zoe cried and crawled higher on Kylie’s shoulder. The toddler shook uncontrollably. “No.”