Sheltered by the Soldier Page 7

  “Hey...” Liam walked up beside her. “Are you okay? My family can get a bit rambunctious, which can be overwhelming if you’re not used to it.”

  “It’s not them. Really. And I’m the one who’s sorry.” She wiped away a tear and forced a smile. “I shouldn’t have run out like that but hearing you all talking about Will... It all just dragged up a lot of memories I thought I was finally coming to peace with.”

  “I never meant to be insensitive.” He grabbed a blanket from one of the chairs and set it around her shoulders. “None of us did.”

  “You’re not. I promise.”

  She caught his profile in the soft light, surprised at how quickly he’d become an anchor in her life. He’d always been there for her, but from afar. Now he was here, with her. A place of calm and refuge in the middle of the storm. Something she’d been looking for without even knowing it was what she needed.

  She lowered her gaze. “And you were right about something.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I’ve spent so much time taking care of Mia and myself on my own I’ve forgotten what it’s like to have someone take care of me. You and your family have been amazing. I’m so grateful. Really. I want you to know that.”

  “Family’s nice, and something I know I’ve taken for granted as well. Because you’re not the only stubborn one in the bunch. After my accident, I hated having people help me with things I felt like I should be able to do. I fought and fought until one day I realized I needed those around me if I was going to make it. And that was okay.”

  She turned her attention back to the night sky. “It’s a beautiful and clear tonight.”

  “Hard to believe there’s a storm that’s supposed to come through in a few hours. They’re predicting snow by morning.”

  “I love the snow. My dad taught me to ski. It’s funny, though, because now he’s the one who wants to flee to Florida at the first sign of snow.”

  “Have you told them what’s going on?”

  She shook her head. “I need to, I know, but they worry about me. It took me weeks of convincing for them not to give up their winter in Florida. They’re planning to be back in a few weeks for Christmas, but I guess I felt the need to prove I could do it on my own.”

  “You have nothing to prove. Nothing at all.”

  She turned back to him and caught his gaze. Her heart was racing, and her palms were sweating, but this time it wasn’t from the anxiety of the situation. He was next to her, calming her fears, making her feel safe again. Making her feel as if she weren’t alone anymore.

  A noise at the end of the porch jerked her back to reality.

  “Did you hear that?” she asked.

  “Hear what?”

  “I don’t know. It sounded like there’s something at the end of the house. If they’re here...”

  “We get quite a few wild animals that pass this way, but stay here. I’ll go check it out.”

  She stood on the edge of the porch, the hairs on the back of her neck raised, from fear as much as from the cold. And added to that was the confusion of what she’d just felt with Liam next to her. But she couldn’t go there. No matter how much she longed to feel safe again. Whatever feelings she thought she had weren’t for the right reason. And she wouldn’t do that to him. And on top of that she couldn’t get involved with another soldier.

  There was only one thing she needed to focus on right now and that was keeping Mia safe and finding a way to end this. Because as much as she trusted Liam, until the men who were behind this were in prison, she wasn’t going to be able to stop searching for an answer to what was going on. Anything else was simply a distraction.

  Another noise shifted her attention back toward the other side of the porch.

  “It’s just me,” Liam said.

  She frowned. “I can’t shake this jumpiness. Did you find something?”

  “No. There were no signs of anything out there.”

  It had probably been nothing more than a fox or raccoon that she’d heard. She was letting her imagination run wild.

  “You’re going to think I’m completely paranoid.”

  “After all that’s happened?” He let out a low laugh. “Hardly. Don’t worry about it. I’d always rather be safe than sorry. Why don’t we go back in? It’s late, and you never got that nap. I know you’re exhausted.”

  She stifled a yawn and nodded. “Maybe I’m more tired than I thought.” She rested her hand on his arm for a moment. “Liam...thank you. For everything.”

  Her stomach flipped like she was eighteen again and a boy had just paid her a compliment. She had to ignore whatever was going on between them. Liam had been Will’s best friend, and this was simply her feeling vulnerable. Nothing more. As soon as they found out the truth, she’d go back to her own life and he’d go back to his.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Yes. I think I’ll head to bed like you suggested. I know Mia needs to go to sleep as well.”

  He smiled down at her. “We’ll all feel better in the morning. Trust me.”

  * * *

  Gabby woke with a start. Sweat beaded off her forehead and her pillow was damp. She’d had a nightmare. Like the ones she’d had after Will had died. They left her feeling like the walls of her room were closing in around her, as if it were happening all over again. She grabbed her cell phone from the bedside table and checked the time. It was only three in the morning.

  She pulled back the sheets and crossed the room to check on Mia. Moonlight filtered through the window’s sheer curtain. Her daughter’s tiny fingers were wrapped around her giraffe, a hint of a smile on her face. Perfect. Peaceful. That was how Gabby needed to keep things for her.

  She dropped the intercom receiver in the pocket of her robe, then headed toward the kitchen. What did the Bible say about having the faith of a child? Mia was completely reliant on her for all of her needs. When was the last time Gabby had come to God with the faith of a child, giving up control and trusting in His promises?

  Thank You for this sweet girl, God.

  The words came automatically in the form of a prayer. She’d avoided praying for so long after her loss, and yet she’d missed that relationship she knew she needed. Liam was right. She had to find a way not to feel ashamed to ask for help and depend on others.

  She grabbed a glass from the cupboard, filled it with water from the fridge, then took a sip. There was no way she should be hungry, but the plate of cookies sat on the counter and she took one.

  Something crackled on the intercom. She reached for the receiver and caught someone’s faint whisper. Panic swept through her as she dropped her glass into the sink and it shattered. She ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time and screamed as she stepped inside the room.

  The bedroom window was open, the curtains floating in the breeze. Mia’s crib was empty.

  * * *

  Liam heard a scream, then someone banging on his door. He glanced at the clock as he fought to pull himself out of the fog of sleep. It was just past three o’clock. The door opened, letting light from the hallway pour into the room. Gabby stood at the foot of his bed.

  “Liam...hurry, please. It’s Mia. Someone’s taken her.”

  It only took a second for what Gabby said to register.

  “Wait a minute... How’s that possible?” He grabbed his cell phone from the side of the bed and headed out of the room with her, not fully awake.

  “I went downstairs, heard something on the baby monitor and when I came back she was gone.”

  He ran into the room where Gabby and Mia had been sleeping. The window had been forced open, bringing a cold draft into the room.

  “How long?”

  “A minute at the most.”

  “Which means they couldn’t have gotten far.”

  “That’s not all.” Gabby grabbed his
sleeve and handed him something. “They left a note. I’ve got twenty-four hours to give them the evidence, or I won’t see Mia again.”

  “That’s not going to happen.”

  His parents appeared in the doorway. “What’s going on?”

  He headed back down the hallway, shouting out instructions to call Caden and the ranch hands to the house as he dialed Griffin’s number.

  “Mia’s gone,” he said as soon as Griffin answered.

  “What—”

  “I don’t have any answers yet, but we need to get a search team together and put out an AMBER Alert. I figure they’ve only got a couple minutes lead, so I’ve called in Caden and the ranch hands.”

  “Did you see who it was?”

  “No, but this has to be connected.”

  “I’m on my way now.”

  “What do you want us to do?” his mom said as soon as he’d hung up the phone.

  “We’re going to need extra warm layers, flashlights and the radios. The temperature’s already started dropping.”

  He headed outside as Caden and the three ranch hands arrived.

  “I checked the barn on the way here,” Caden said, following him to the side of the house where the men had to have accessed Gabby’s bedroom. “Two of the horses are gone.”

  “Did you see any tracks?”

  “There were some heading toward town, but they got lost in the tire tracks.”

  Liam’s frustration grew. “It’s supposed to start snowing soon, but right now the ground is still hard. Tracking them in the dark isn’t going to be easy.”

  “If they’re moving by horse, there are only a couple options out of here,” Caden said.

  “Agreed. We need to split up.” Liam nodded at his brother. “Take one of the ranch hands and head toward town. Have the other two saddle up a horse for me, then head toward Wayward Creek and scout out the immediate terrain. I’ll head up the mountain on the off chance they went that direction.”

  “By yourself?” Caden asked.

  “I’ll be fine. I think Dad should stay here with Mom and Gabby.”

  Caden nodded. “I have to agree with that.”

  “I’m coming with you.”

  Liam glanced up at the edge of the porch where Gabby stood. “I need you to stay here with my mom and dad. Keep the coffee hot and be our communication center. It’s cold out and there’s a storm scheduled to hit in the next couple hours. I don’t want you out there.”

  She marched down the stairs.

  He let out a huff of air, knowing what she was thinking. Temperatures were dropping, and Mia was out there with a couple of abductors who could care less about what happened to her. They would find her, but he didn’t want Gabby caught in the crosshairs as well.

  “Gabby—”

  She stepped in front of him, already bundled up. “I’m going with you.”

  “Forget it.”

  “Please. You can’t make me stay here in this house without doing something, and there’s no time to argue. Every minute we spend here is another minute they’re ahead.”

  He hesitated, but if he were honest with himself, he knew he’d do the same thing if he were in her place.

  “Do you ride?” he asked.

  “Since I was ten. I can keep up.”

  He pulled on his boots and layered up, including the wool cap and gloves his mom handed him, hurrying as fast as he could. They’d been watching. He was sure of that now. And he’d thought it was some wild animal.

  But heaping himself with guilt wasn’t going to help him find Mia. They needed to get out there. Now.

  He passed out the radios to everyone.

  “How are we going to find them in the dark?” Gabby asked, pulling her wool cap down over her ears.

  “It will be slower going, but they have their own disadvantages that will slow them down as well.”

  Like Mia.

  His dad handed Gabby a pair of gloves. “Part of Liam’s military training was combat tracking and counter tracking. He knows what he’s doing.”

  His mom squeezed Gabby’s shoulder. “And Caden’s a former army ranger. If anyone can find her, my boys can.”

  Liam caught her gaze. “She’s right. We will find her. There are only two ways out of here that would make any sense in the dark. The main road that leads to town and a well-worn trail that heads southeast through the forest. The terrain is more difficult, but definitely passable when there’s no snow on the ground.”

  “What can I do?” his mom asked.

  He turned and kissed his mom on the forehead. “Once they’re done saddling the horses, have the ranch hands search the vicinity and see if they can pick up anything we miss. And have a big pot of coffee waiting when we get back.”

  He hurried to the barn with Gabby. Griffin and one of the ranch hands were already in the truck and heading out.

  He quickly checked around the outside of the structure before heading inside. “Caden was right. There are horse tracks leading east toward town, but these guys are smart and will try to throw us off.”

  He quickly secured a saddle scabbard for his rifle on the side of the horse. The cold was already biting, but he couldn’t worry about that now.

  “You’re riding out armed?” she asked.

  “I have no plans of giving them any more advantages than they already have.”

  “It just never seems to end.” She stood beside the second horse while the ranch hand got it ready for her. “This nightmare.”

  “I know you’re scared, but we’re going to find Mia. We’re only a few minutes behind them and my brothers and I know this land better than anyone. They also have the disadvantage of it being dark. The four of us used to spend every minute we could exploring the ranch.”

  “But if they’re trained soldiers as well—”

  “We’re going to find her.”

  He mounted his horse, praying at the same time that everything he was telling her was true. He couldn’t even imagine how terrified she must be. But they were going to find the little girl. They had to.

  “I know you don’t know the terrain but keep up the best you can,” he said, praying he wouldn’t regret his decision to let her come. “We’re going to have to move fast.”

  They headed south on the path, silence hovering between them. When he’d spent time training how to track the enemy, he never imagined having to track his best friend’s daughter. But this was no different. If they were out there, he would find them. Which meant not only did he need to be aware of everything going on around him—any footprints, disturbed soil, trampled grass—he also needed to get into the head of the kidnappers. Figure out what their plan was.

  If he were them, this is how he would have left. The easiest way out of here might be the road leading to town, but it also would be the riskiest and the easiest to get caught.

  He glanced at Gabby, impressed with how she was keeping up. As much as he wasn’t happy about risking her coming, he knew she was strong. He wasn’t sure she saw it in herself, but he did. She’d managed to stay calm tonight. She hadn’t gone into hysterics. Instead, she’d demanded to be a part of the search. Maybe she’d break down when this was all over, but for now she’d managed to find the inner strength that enabled her to cope.

  “I’m pretty sure they went this way,” he said. “There are two sets of hoofprints.”

  “Where does this path go?”

  “It’s a pass that leads toward Mountain Springs.”

  “And between here and there?”

  “Nothing more than the forest, and a cabin a friend of mine owns.”

  He didn’t want to tell her that the path would be covered in snow in the next few hours, making it harder to pass. And there were other things that bothered him since they’d left. He could out-track anyone he knew. The army had ensured that with
his training. But if they were right about who had been hired, he was sure they’d come with their own set of skills. And they had to have equipment as well. The tracking device they’d used on Gabby’s car wasn’t something they could have picked up just anywhere.

  He wasn’t sure how they’d done it, but they must have planted another to find out exactly where Mia would be sleeping, and the exact moment Gabby would be gone. He was pretty sure they’d come through the window and not one of the other doors. It had been a plan well thought out and executed. Which was exactly what had Liam nervous. They weren’t dealing with amateurs. Thatcher might have a shady past, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t well trained.

  He heard something snap, then stopped, raising his hand for Gabby to be quiet.

  Liam jumped down off his horse and listened for something out of place. He turned back around, staring out into the night toward where they’d come from. He heard it again—a subtle crunch.

  Someone was behind them.

  “Liam...”

  “We’re definitely on the trail of someone, but that’s not all. We’re also being tracked.”

  He scanned the darkness, trying to figure out what he’d missed. He’d been tracking two people. Where had the third come from? Or maybe that wasn’t what was happening at all. Had one of the men looped around, trying to box them in? He searched the wooded forest, but the only thing he could see was tree limbs moving in the wind. The only light was from the moonlight, but as soon as the storm clouds came in, they wouldn’t even have that.

  He grabbed for his rifle from the scabbard, but it was too late. A gunshot ripped across the night. Gabby’s horse bolted, throwing her to the ground.

  SEVEN

  Darkness closed in around her followed by an eruption of stars as Gabby hit the hard ground. Her mind fought to focus as she waited for the sound of another gunshot. Someone was out there. Close enough to fire shots at them. And Mia... She had to be with them, which terrified Gabby. She listened for the sounds of Mia crying, but all she could hear was the rush of wind around her. If Mia was somewhere nearby, she had to get up and find her.