“Was she...?” Cassie looked devastated.
Eddie shook his head. “No. She’s an amazing kid. She didn’t use. But she was afraid and was very brave to come to me and tell me.” He’d keep reminding them that ultimately she’d done the best thing by going to authorities.
But Montana still looked confused and pained. “When did she talk to you? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Eddie cleared his throat and shifted. Discussing their fallout in front of Tank and Cassie was uncomfortable. They must already feel the tension in the air—or maybe their own worry was overshadowing it. “She told me yesterday,” he said. “Before I dropped her off at the resort to meet you.”
Their gazes met and held for a long beat before Montana nodded. “Well, can you help? Do you think Lance’s father could have...done something? Does he know police are looking for him? Would he know Kaia might have seen him?”
“He shouldn’t suspect Kaia of anything, so I’m not sure he’s the guy, but he’s definitely our first suspect,” Eddie said. He turned to Montana and kept his voice as steady and unemotional as possible. “We’re going to need to talk to Lance.”
* * *
THE FEAR COURSING through her outweighed the awkwardness of the situation as Lance joined them in the police station office two hours later. Montana’s fear and annoyance level with him that it had taken three phone calls and a text to even get him to respond and then it had taken him so long to get there had skyrocketed to an unhealthy level. “What took you so long?” she asked as he entered.
“I was in a meeting.”
Her eyes widened, and her arm instinctively flung out to her side in time to hold Tank back from advancing on the guy and tearing him apart. They’d all been going crazy with worry. “I told you this was an emergency.”
Lance’s look suggested this was an emergency for her. Not him. And she wasn’t sure if he was being selfish or vindictive over the fact that she’d ended things. He couldn’t possibly be that petty, which meant he was thoughtless.
“I am sorry,” he said. “Any update on Kaia?” he asked as he sat next to her at Eddie’s desk. He reached for her hand, and Montana moved it away.
If Eddie noticed either gesture, he didn’t show it.
He’d looked tired and stressed when she’d first entered the station, and it had taken all her strength not to hug him, kiss him, ask him if they could rewind back to before her parents showed up and things got complicated, but her focus right now was on Kaia and only Kaia. There would be plenty of time to talk once Kaia was home. Safe.
Captain Clarkson had joined them, but the older man let Eddie take the lead. He sat back in a chair, studying Lance with the intensity of a human lie detector, and Montana was so grateful that the station was taking this seriously.
“No—not yet.” Eddie said, leaning forward. “I need to ask you some questions.”
Lance sat straighter. “Of course. I’m not sure what I can do, but if it can help Kaia...” he said, but Montana detected an edge in his voice.
“Kaia said she saw your dad dealing drugs at the summer camp.”
Straight-shooting Eddie hit his mark when Lance looked completely caught off guard. “What?” He uncrossed and recrossed his leg over the other knee, trying to look relaxed, but she could tell he was anything but. “Was she sure it was my father?”
“Yes,” Montana said. “She described him perfectly to Eddie yesterday, right before seeing him with you at the resort.” Talk about timing. If Kaia hadn’t seen him, would they have been able to put two and two together? The idea that they might not have leads about where she could be right now made her shiver.
“Is your father selling this new performance-enhancing drug, Mystic Rush, here in Wild River?” Eddie asked.
“I don’t know anything about what my father is doing. I don’t have a relationship with him.” Lance’s tone was cold. Unfeeling. Shut down.
He knew something. Montana could tell. He hadn’t said he hadn’t heard about the drug or that his father couldn’t possibly be involved. She wanted to shake the truth out of him, and from the corner of her eye, she saw Tank and Cassie struggling not to strangle him as well. Their kid was missing, and he was clearly lying.
“Except to argue with him at a high-end resort?” Eddie asked.
Man, he was so incredible right now. Authoritative. In command. He was such an amazing cop, but right now the stakes were also personal. In so many ways.
“Look, I wasn’t expecting to see him there. He caught me off guard, and we argued.” Lance ran a hand over his bleached-blond hair and sighed. “I didn’t know I was being called in for questioning.”
“What did your father want?” Eddie wasn’t letting up. If Montana didn’t already love him, she’d be falling hard and fast for him now.
“What he always wants. To be my manager again,” Lance said.
“So, you know nothing about his involvement with the drugs?”
Lance hesitated.
Eddie sat forward, and Captain Clarkson stood and leaned against the desk.
“Lance, Kaia could be in trouble. If you know anything...please,” Montana begged.
Tank moved closer, taking a more aggressive approach as he laid a hand on Lance’s shoulder, and Montana wasn’t sure which appealed to Lance’s sensitivity, but he sighed, before saying, “Yes, fine, okay. I know of his involvement with selling these drugs. It was one of the reasons I fired him years ago. I wanted no part in it.”
“You never took the drugs yourself?” Eddie asked.
“Once. But only in training. They worked. Too well. And I’m not an idiot. I’ve worked my ass off to get where I am in the sport. I’m not about to throw it all away because my father thinks I’m slipping, that my talent and skill are waning.” The bitterness in his voice was something Montana had never heard before, so off-brand for his laid-back snowboarder persona.
“Do you know where he is?” Eddie asked.
Lance’s jaw tightened. “I know where they make the drugs. It’s on the other side of the lake near the summer camp. But I don’t know the exact location.”
Eddie was already on the move as though he knew exactly what Lance was talking about. Montana wondered how much more Kaia had confessed to and confided in Eddie. The thought both made her chest tighten and her heart hurt. Eddie had connected with Kaia, enough that her little girl had gone to Eddie with this, instead of her parents. She understood. Eddie was the definition of good and right, and hell, Montana had even gotten ahead of herself, envisioning him in their lives someday. “I’ll put in the official word, and Tank, can you get the search and rescue for assistance? If their operation is in the woods, we could use the backup.”
Tank was already dialing the station.
“Look, my father is a lot of things, but he’s not a kidnapper. I don’t think he’d do something to Kaia.”
Montana swung toward him. “You don’t think? That’s not good enough. My daughter could be in danger right now.”
Tank looked close to knocking Lance out, and no one would blame him if he did.
“I hope you’re right,” Eddie told him. “But either way, we’re headed out there.”
Montana’s gaze met Cassie’s, and the double mama-bear stare would make anyone who messed with their daughter afraid.
* * *
EDDIE DIDN’T NEED any Mystic Rush to have his blood pumping and adrenaline coursing through his veins as they approached the area of the woods where the drug operation was taking place. He leaned on his crutches as he directed the members of his team to surround the small cabin where Ralph Baker and his crew allegedly were. Snow was falling in small flakes all around them, and smoke from a woodstove belched into the air on the chilled evening. The windows were boarded up, and there was only one door leading in and out.
A drug lab disguised as a hunting cabin—across the la
ke from a kids’ summer camp.
Tank approached, his body literally vibrating. “What do you want us to do?”
The fact that the man hadn’t already charged the door and murdered Ralph Baker was a surprise, but Tank was deferring to Eddie’s lead. They all were. Even Captain Clarkson seemed okay with letting him lead this rescue-and-bust mission. Unfortunately, this was as far as he could go. The rest was up to the team.
“Um, you’ll have to ask your guys to pull back. This could get dangerous, and they are unarmed. They’ve done their job getting us in here.” The Wild River Search and Rescue team had provided the transportation and designed the safest, fastest route to the cabin. Eddie tapped Tank’s arm. “If Kaia is in there, we will get her out safely,” he said.
Tank looked reluctant to retreat, but common sense got the better of the guy’s emotion as he backed down and signaled Reed and the rest of the S&R team to retreat.
Within seconds, Eddie’s team of officers had the cabin surrounded, and Eddie took a deep breath. Now or never.
He hoped they weren’t too late. If Kaia was in there, if that man had hurt her...
He raised his hand to signal the team, and they moved in. Within seconds, the cabin door was kicked in, and Ralph Baker and two of his associates were surrounded by armed officers, forced to surrender.
Eddie entered the cabin and looked around. Drugs were boiling on an old woodstove, and an assembly line for cooling, shaping and packaging was set up on the counters. A gun sat on the table, the same brand and make as the one that had been used in the shooting.
Shit. This guy wasn’t just pushing drugs in the athletic community—he was a hell of lot more dangerous. And the attack on Lance’s life was obviously connected to this drug case. If the man was capable of shooting at his own son...
“Kaia!” Eddie couldn’t see her anywhere inside the cabin. He searched the bathroom and the small bedroom, but she wasn’t inside. Maybe she wasn’t there... Maybe Lance had been right.
But then he saw her unicorn key chain with her name on it lying on the cabin floor. The one that used to hang from her backpack.
His heart rate spiked as he picked it up and hurried back outside, grabbing Ralph Baker by the collar of his jacket. “Where’s Kaia?”
“Who?” the old man asked as he was being handcuffed. His long hair fell into his face, and his eyes were red and bloodshot, pupils dilated. He reeked of smoke and bad breath.
Eddie held up the key chain. “The little girl. Kaia. We know she was here.”
Seeing it, Tank stepped forward, his long stride full of intimidation. “Where is my daughter? I’m only going to ask once.”
Ralph looked at Eddie for protection, but Eddie just looked away. For once maybe he wouldn’t play so close to the rule book. “Look, that kid is an animal. She was on her way to the police station when we picked her up. Threatened to turn us in, claimed she knew all about the drugs. I recognized her from the camp and then with my son...”
“Where is she?” Eddie demanded.
“I don’t know... The minute we got here, she bit me and took off,” he said, showing his bandaged right hand. “I sent one of my guys out after her, but he couldn’t find her.”
Damn, Kaia was a beast. She’d been coming to the station to report Ralph Baker and had told him so. She’d even gotten away from the man herself. Such a brave kid. Something that felt a whole hell of a lot like pride mixed with relief in Eddie’s chest. “Which guy?” he asked.
Ralph nodded to a shorter, younger guy being held. They’d question him further about which direction Kaia had headed in and where he’d lost track of her.
Tank hesitated a second longer, hovering above the guy. Ralph tucked his head into his shoulders, preparing for a punch, but Tank moved away, radioing his team. “She’s out here in the woods.”
Eddie allowed Sanchez to lead Ralph away and turned to Tank. “The main thing is that she got away,” he told him. “Don’t worry, we’ll find her.”
Unfortunately, after hours searching the woods, they still hadn’t.
* * *
WHEN SHE’D APPLIED to the search and rescue team, Montana had never imagined that her first real search would be for her own daughter. Moving slowly through the trees along the lake as the wind and snow picked up that night, she knew this would be her first and last. She loved the thought of helping other people, but if the pounding in her chest and the pulsing through her veins was any indication, this volunteer position was not for her.
Tank had to be going out of his mind as well, but he was acting clearheaded and calm as he led Diva through the trails. The dog could barely contain herself to move slow as she followed Kaia’s scent.
They’d find her. Montana had no doubt that they would. But it was dark and scary in these woods, and sure, Kaia was strong and capable, but she was also still a little girl. Montana’s own time alone in the woods months before had definitely been one of the more terrifying episodes in her life.
But Kaia had only been out there for five hours. She’d been dressed for the frigid temperatures and forecasted snow that day, and a search of the cabin hadn’t come up with any of her belongings, so she had her backpack and everything with her. Unfortunately, the cell reception was nonexistent, so all attempts to call her were futile.
Thank God Eddie had put all of this together so quickly. Montana was already losing her mind. She’d be a complete mess if this search took much longer.
She glanced across the trails toward him now. He’d commandeered one of Baker’s ATVs and was combing through the wider trails. Montana felt a whole hell of a lot safer and more confident with him there. Would her debt of gratitude to Eddie ever stop growing? Her feelings certainly hadn’t. Being away from him the last few days had only solidified how she felt about him.
Diva barked, and Montana’s shoulders sagged with relief. She’d found something.
Two more barks, and then she was leading Tank closer to the water’s edge. There was a small drop-off at this point in the trail, and the light dusting of snow they’d had all evening might make the slope slippery...
They followed Diva through the trees into the small clearing on the other side, and Montana saw her daughter’s bright blue scarf tied around a tree branch, obviously as high as she could climb. Underneath was a shelter made of brush and overgrowth, and the smell of a fire drifted toward her.
Diva was the first one to reach the shelter, but Tank and Montana were close behind. Inside, Kaia was sitting, fully dressed, except for the scarf, with her science textbook on her lap, the dog licking her cheek. Relief on her face, she jumped up and ran to them. “Oh, thank God.”
Tank and Montana both dropped to the ground to hug her.
“It’s okay. You’re safe now,” Montana said.
Tank’s emotions were written all over his face and prevented him from speaking. He just continued to hug Kaia as Diva joined them, dancing excitedly from paw to paw.
“Sorry I worried you,” Kaia said. “I was going to the police. I recognized Lance’s dad from...” Her voice trailed as she grew nervous having to tell them what she’d been hiding.
Tank nodded. “We know what happened. And we’re not upset.”
“Not at all,” Montana reassured. “You were doing the right thing going to Eddie, but know that you can always come to us as well. With anything.”
“Anything,” Tank repeated.
Kaia hugged them both tight again and petted Diva affectionately before going back into the shelter.
“What were you doing in here, anyway?” Montana asked through tears of relief.
“Studying. I have a test tomorrow. I wasn’t sure if you guys would find me this fast, but I wanted to at least be prepared, just in case,” she said, closing the book and putting it in her backpack.
The rest of the team joined them and looks of relief and amusement we
re on everyone’s faces. “We should have known not to be worried,” Reed said, but the obvious relief in his voice revealed he’d been as terrified as everyone else. “Look at you. Cassie should hire you to take groups out for winter camping.”
Montana shook her head. “Not yet, but you definitely have a future at SnowTrek Tours whenever you want it.”
Tank radioed the station where Erika and Cassie were waiting. “We found her,” he said. “Totally fine. In fact, she might want to stay out here for a few days. You should see her setup.” Pride in Tank’s voice echoed exactly how she felt.
“You are truly incredible,” Montana said, hugging Kaia again tight. She was safe. She was okay. But Montana still hadn’t completely relaxed. The idea that someone had tried to abduct her daughter made her blood boil—and it all had to do with Lance and those horrible drugs. “You weren’t scared at all?”
Kaia nodded. “I was at first, but once I got away, I knew they wouldn’t find me here. They’d been planning on packing up their shop and moving it, so I figured they’d be more concerned with getting away. And they don’t know these woods like I do.”
Eddie appeared at the entrance of the shelter, leaning on his crutches, and Kaia nearly knocked him over as she ran to hug him.
Jealousy and a sense of longing radiated through Montana’s core. She wanted to hug Eddie and thank him...and never let him go.
“You did it! You caught the bad guy, right?” Kaia asked him.
“Yeah, kiddo. Thanks to you and your bravery, we caught him,” Eddie said, wrapping an arm around Kaia. His gaze met Montana’s, his expression intense and full of complicated emotions. Ones that matched her own.
If only she knew what to do about them.
A Sweet Alaskan Fall Page 26