Mother's Love

by Kirsty Dallas

  “I do.” I wrote down the address, my writing barely recognizable. “Thank you,” I breathed.

  “You’re welcome.” Dale paused for a moment. “I’m sorry all this happened to you. I would never have believed Stephan or Alison were capable of something like this. They were obviously desperate, and I feel somewhat responsible for that.”

  “They made their own choices. They know the difference between right and wrong. This is on them, not on you or your family.”

  “I hope you get your boy back,” Dale said with a sincerity that brought tears to my eyes.

  “We will. Thank you.” I pressed the button on the phone that disconnected the call.

  “Who was that?” Bomber’s voice startled me, dragging my gaze from the piece of paper before me. Emily was standing quietly at his side.

  I lifted the paper with shaky fingers and held it out. “That was Dale Remone. This is the address for the cabin.”

  Bomber’s eyes widened as he stepped forward and took the address from me. Reaching for his phone, which was stuffed in his back pocket, he dialed and raised it to his ear. “Come on, Boss, answer your fucking phone,” he grumbled after a short while, pacing from one side of the dining room to the other. Finally he hung up and dialed again. After a few frustrating moments, he spoke. “Braiden, you and Dillon are obviously busy, but I need to speak to you now. Call me right back, man.” He hung up and became intensely focused on his cell phone once more. He glanced at me and then Em. “I’ll call Sergeant Maitland.” Bomber moved away, sliding the back porch door open and carefully closing it behind him. Impatience screamed at me to move, to take action, and I couldn’t ignore it. I was going to get my boy back. I grabbed the keys to Dillon’s SUV off the key-hook by the kitchen entrance and headed for the garage.

  “Annie?” Emily asked in a small tentative voice.

  “I need to go get him, Em. I know the address, and Dillon’s SUV has that fancy GPS thingy. The boys will be right behind me, anyway.” I pulled open the door.

  “Annie!” Emily’s voice was more determined this time, and a small hand on my arm stopped me. “Here,” she pressed a key into my palm. “Dillon carries a gun in a safe under the front passenger seat. This will open the safe.”

  I squeezed her hand gratefully and quickly climbed into the SUV before Bomber realized what I was doing. I backed out of the garage and watched Emily’s solemn gaze staring out from one bright window at the front of the house. As I backed the car into the street, I didn’t dare stop, knowing Bomber would be hot on my tail. I put the car in drive and pressed my foot hard on the accelerator. I had never had a driver’s license, but I had learned how to drive; my father had taught me. It had been a while, though, and the urgent response from the vehicle gave me a fright. I backed off slightly, and soon found a familiar rhythm. I found the art of driving familiar, kind of like riding a bike . . . or driving a car, I thought with a shrug. When I finally reached the turn off for the Black Ridge Mountain Range, I somehow figured out how to key the address I had memorized into the GPS. The monotone female voice directed me to turn right onto the winding road that would take me up the mountain. I didn’t hesitate. The instinct every mother possessed to protect their child forced me to go to my son. I needed to find him and make up for failing to protect him when he was taken. I needed to make everything right. I just needed Eli.

  *

  I had never been up into the mountain range. The road twisted and coiled around the mountain like a snake, and the higher I got the more narrow the road seemed to get. Thankfully it wasn’t winter; otherwise, the asphalt would be coated in a slick, deadly glaze of ice. As it was, I was driving so slowly I felt like a hesitant old grandma behind the wheel. I was thankful it was nighttime and couldn’t see the sheer drop-off that peeked out of the thick forest pines every now and again. I had passed through the wealthy vacation homes that sat in the forest like towering rural mansions. Every now and again I had caught lights twinkling from a window, suggesting people were tucked away safely inside. I had felt a little more comfortable knowing I wasn’t completely alone in the mountains, but the upscale cabins and wider roads were far behind me. Now, in the inky blackness of the mountain range, the crushing darkness felt almost claustrophobic, and I felt far too alone. The GPS in Dillon’s car had stopped working about twenty minutes ago, and I assumed it was no longer able to connect to a satellite. I had a fair idea where I was going, though, the mountain range drive was easy to follow with few turn offs. At the last direction given by the GPS, I had fifteen more miles to reach my destination. The road no longer seemed to twist and coil, and I figured I must have reached the peak and was now driving through the abyss of empty wilderness that sat atop the Black Ridge Mountain Range. I had been carefully watching the odometer tick over for the last fifteen miles, and as it clicked down to the last mile, I slowed the SUV to a crawl and eventually pulled off to the side of the road. The key to the safe sat in a small compartment in the center console, but I couldn’t bring myself to open it and take the gun. I wasn’t fond of weapons and didn’t think I would even know what to do with it, anyway. Climbing from the car, I stood on the dark, silent road. The wind was crisp and cold, slamming into my body with a sharp bite. I suddenly wished I had grabbed a jacket. Ignoring the discomfort, I stepped away from the car. The door was slightly ajar allowing the dull interior light to penetrate the impossible darkness. I turned in a full circle on the spot, looking around for a sign of life, perhaps a distant light that might tell of a cabin amongst the tall pines which were sparser now at the top of the mountains. I had been driving for what seemed like forever, and I had hoped Bomber or Dillon would have caught up to me by now. I walked along the road, my ears straining for sounds, looking around my surroundings carefully. I noticed a weathered looking gate set back off the road. I glanced at the SUV and figured no one would steal it from up here; I left it where it was, with the light on, to help Dillon find me. I stepped off the broken asphalt and the crunch of dry leaves and dirt under my feet was the only sound. I easily climbed over the fence and followed the overgrown path. I couldn’t see much around me; it was too dark. I wished I had a flashlight, but then again, I didn’t want to give away my approach, which made me think of the sound my footsteps were making. I moved to the side of the path and walked on the grassier patches, hoping to muffle any noise. Soon I came to an opening in the forest which allowed light from the moon to fill the area, illuminating a small, yet well-kept cabin. I stopped and crouched behind a tree, hoping that, if this was the right place, no one had seen my approach. Since Stephan was in custody, I assumed Alison would be alone with Eli, but just in case there was someone with her, I needed to be careful and quiet. I wanted to find Eli and sneak him silently out of the cabin with his abductors being none the wiser. If I could just get close enough to peek through the windows, I could check if he was inside. If he was, I could concentrate on sneaking him out, perhaps through a window or back door.

  The cabin was small, barely big enough to house more than two rooms. It appeared sturdy, though, not old and rundown like Dale Remone had suggested. Perhaps Stephan and Alison had been working on the property. It made me wonder if this was the place they had been sneaking off to whenever they claimed to take their romantic weekends away. The porch sat facing what I assumed was a spectacular view of the valley and mountains below. In the dark of night, I couldn’t really tell. Biting my lip until I was sure I had drawn blood, I decided to move closer. The place appeared empty, quiet. Maybe it was the wrong place. I went to stand and a strong hand around my waist and mouth caused me to scream out and fight back. My heart was thumping so hard and loud I thought it might break through my chest.

  “Shhhh. Annie, it’s me. You need to be quiet, Sunshine, or you’ll wake the natives.” I stilled instantly, breathing hard as I grappled for calm. Dillon pulled me against his hard chest. “Now, we are going to talk about you running off like Lara Croft when we get home, but for now, I need you to be quiet, really, really
quiet.” He slowly released my hand, and I spun around to hug him.

  “You scared the shit out of me,” I whispered in his ear.

  “Yeah, well, payback’s a bitch ’cause you scared the shit out of me, too.” He took a long, deep breath. “Did you just curse?” I don’t know how he did it, but at time like this, he still found a way to make me smile. A heavy hand on my shoulder made me jump. “It’s okay. It’s Braiden. Bomber’s here, too, but he’s made his way around to the other side of the cabin.” I reluctantly pulled away from Dillon’s warm embrace. I reached for Braiden’s hand, which was still on my shoulder, and gave it a gentle squeeze. I could barely make out his dark features in the depths of night and surrounding trees. Both he and Dillon had black on their faces which I assumed was to help make them invisible. “Put this on,” murmured Dillon, handing me a jacket. It was warm and smelled just like him. Pulling it on, I crouched down by Braiden, and Dillon joined us.

  “Bomber’s in position,” said Braiden, his voice no more than a whisper on the wind.

  Dillon took my face in his hands and physically turned me to face him. “You’re going to stay right here and not move until I come for you,” he gently commanded.

  I would have argued, but I was cold, scared, and completely out of my element. The need to protect my son was a driving force, but I knew when to take a step back and allow the experts to finish the job. I nodded and Dillon’s warm hands left my face. Then he and Braiden quite literally disappeared into the forest. I tried to look for them, listen for them, but I saw and heard nothing. When a light inside the cabin flicked on, my breath caught in my throat. The muffled voice I heard from my hiding place in the trees brought a whimper from my lips.

  “I’m thirsty.” Eli, my baby boy, my son. The voice I had missed so much it left an empty void in my heart. He had only been gone a handful of days, but it felt like years. I had never gone a day without seeing him, and I was desperate to have him back in my arms again. Just the sound of his voice forced me to my feet, and before I knew it, I was moving towards the cabin. I had forgotten about the soldiers around me. I thought of nothing except that sweet voice I had missed so much. All I wanted was my son, everything else paled in comparison. A hard body suddenly grabbed me and pressed me into the side of the cabin, and once again, a hand covered my mouth. The exterior of the cabin was rough and hard against my skin, yet the body pressed up against mine was careful not to push me to the point of pain. I didn’t panic this time, but I knew right away the scent wasn’t Dillon’s. My eyes flickered up to catch Braiden’s dark, deadly gaze. He pressed a finger over his lips, signaling me to be quiet. I nodded, and he removed his hand. Reaching to this thigh, he quietly pulled out a gun. He pressed his other hand against my chest, holding me in place.

  “Don’t move,” he growled, pressing a little harder to make his point.

  “He’s in there. I heard him,” I breathed.

  Braiden nodded and put some space between us. His gaze left mine and nodded toward a figure standing at the front door.

  “Go back to bed, damn it! If I have to tell you one more time, I will fucking lock you in there!” yelled the familiar voice of Alison. It wasn’t her sweet, calm, caring voice I was accustomed to, though. It was almost frantic, much like the harried sound of Phillip’s voice when he had been trapped in a manic episode. Before I had a chance to say another word, Dillon stood back and kicked down the front door.

  “Freeze!” he yelled. Then his voice went eerily calm. “Alison, you need to put that gun down, you’re surrounded.”

  There was the sound of breaking glass from somewhere else inside and then the distinctive sound of Eli shouting. I couldn’t be still; it was simply impossible. I ducked under Braiden’s arm and ran for the front door with a cursing Braiden hot on my heels. The sight that greeted me brought a long groan from my throat.

  “Nooooo!” I screamed. Alison had a shot gun pointed at Eli’s head, the panicked look in her eyes like that of a startled deer. And Eli, the look on his face . . . I would have nightmares about those scared brown eyes for the rest of my days.

  Chapter 22

  Dillon

  What a clusterfuck. Annie had moved too early, forcing our hand. Stephan had quickly given up the address to their prepper style cabin in the mountains, and Braiden and I had left ahead of Sergeant Maitland and his team. It was meant to be a clean and efficient joint mission to retrieve Eli and separate him from what Stephan described as a manic and desperate Alison. Instead, the police were still ten minutes out and our clean mission had turned into a messy stand-off at the O.K. Corral. Eli was clearly terrified, though appeared unharmed. He was no longer wearing the clothes he had on when he disappeared, he was now wearing pajamas. I noticed the dampness at the front of his pants, but it was Alison who held my undivided attention. She was completely spooked, her eyes wide with crazy fear while holding a gun to Eli’s head. It was not a good combination. I didn’t have time to placate Annie’s fears. I could hear her quietly sobbing behind me, but I trusted Braiden would have a handle on it. I lifted my gun and pointed it towards the ceiling, then crouched down a little lower in an effort to look less intimidating. Bomber was behind Alison, but I couldn’t risk him grabbing her and the gun accidentally going off and hitting Eli or any one of us. I gave a quick shake of my head to tell him to stay back, and like the good soldier he was, he did.

  “Alison, it’s over. At this time, all you’re up for is kidnapping. You’ll do time and you’ll get out. Eli appears unharmed, and as long as he stays that way, this will end as well as can be expected. If you hurt him, you’ll go away for a long time. You might never set foot outside a prison again. Think, Alison, you are a smart woman. This doesn’t have to end badly.” Alison grabbed the back of Eli’s pajamas, which were unfamiliar to me, and pulled him back so the muzzle of the rifle was hard against his head. Eli didn’t cry out, but his tears cut like a fucking knife. “Come on, Alison, you wanted to be a mom so bad. You know a mom would never treat her baby like this. Eli is scared out of his wits. A momma protects her baby, and she’d do anything to protect him, even give him up if that’s what it takes.” That seemed to get Alison’s attention, but it didn’t help settle her rattled composure.

  “He’s mine now. I’m going to take care of him,” she said almost hysterically. Annie choked back a sob but kept blessedly quiet.

  “You know he’s not yours, Alison. He’s Annie’s. She carried him in her womb, gave birth to him. She’s a good mom, and she loves Eli very much. Stephan told us about the hysterectomy. We know how badly you want to be a momma, but if you want to prove to the one person who counts . . .” I pointed a finger upwards. “If you want to prove to Him that you will make a good momma, you gotta let Eli go.” Alison was crying now.

  “I just wanted a baby,” she sobbed.

  “I know, but not like this. You know this isn’t right.” She shook with her sobbing, and I feared the gun would inadvertently go off. “Just point the gun away from Eli. You don’t want anything to happen to him by accident.” Her sobbing eased, and she looked from the gun to Eli. Then a glazed look overtook her features, and she began shaking her head almost manically.

  “They won’t let me have a baby now. I told Stephan we should take Shelly. She was mine, I carried her, but he said no. He said everyone would know. It had to be a stranger!” Her movements were beginning to get out of control, her body shaking with manic fury. “I gave them a baby, and they took away my ability to have another!” she screamed.

  “That’s nobody’s fault, Alison. That’s fate, and sometimes it sucks, and it isn’t fucking fair at all, but this,” I pointed to Eli, “this is not fate. This is you doing something you will live to regret.”

  Her body stilled as she looked at Eli. “No,” she said in a whispered voice that was far too calm for the hysteria she was just consumed with. “This is fate, too.”

  I saw it as if in slow motion. The rifle rose to be cushioned into her shoulder, and she pointed it r
ight at Eli. Braiden didn’t hesitate as he fired his weapon from somewhere behind me, which left my ears ringing. A single red dot was left in Alison’s forehead, and a trickle of blood oozed from the wound. I lunged forward to pull Eli away from Alison as she fell in an unnatural heap to the floor. Bomber skidded to a halt beside her, kicking the rifle away before checking for a pulse. Annie grabbed Eli from my arms and squeezed him tightly, tears falling freely as she held her son like she might never let him go.

  “I’m here, Bean. Momma’s here. It’s okay,” she repeated like a mantra.

  “Get them outside,” murmured Braiden with that eerily unruffled composure. He had just put a bullet in a woman’s head, and he didn’t look the slightest bit perturbed. I knew he would battle with the death at a later date, more blood on his hands. But for Eli, for the protection of any innocent life in fact, I knew he would do it all over again. While Bomber and Braiden checked the rest of the cabin, I steered Annie and Eli outside. Sitting down on the porch steps, I pulled Annie into my lap, and in her lap sat Eli. I hugged the both of them and sighed. They were both alive, though clearly in shock, but otherwise unharmed, and now I could focus on keeping them and protecting them or the rest of our natural lives.

  We didn’t have to wait too much longer before the place was swarming with police. I stood beside Sergeant Maitland and watched on as a cover was placed over Alison’s immobile body. Braiden looked calm and collected as he retold the evening’s events to an officer. Bomber, on the other hand, looked a little pale, his gaze constantly drifting back to Alison’s lifeless form. When his gaze caught mine, though, he pressed his shoulders back and gave me a nod as if to silently express he was okay. I had moved Annie and Eli to the back of my SUV, which Braiden had driven down the dark, overgrown driveway. I wanted to go to them, but I needed to make sure my team and I were cleared by local law enforcement first. The scene around me was sedate and somber as all the official boxes were ticked. This scene, a cabin in the wilderness, another death, it was all too reminiscent of nightmares that tried to constantly creep back into my mind. First Ella, when her stepfather tried to murder her. Then Rebecca’s attack, which led us into the forests surrounding Claymont where we were introduced to William and Jonas Levier, the sadistic and cruel men who excelled in human trafficking and prostitution. Lastly, it was Jonas Levier’s abduction of Emily that filled our minds with horrors we could never erase . . . and now Eli. My hands shook with a combination of rage and fear, and I shoved them deep into my pockets to hide the tell-tale sign that I was hanging on by a thread. I needed to get Annie and Eli home, away from this chaos and horror.