Chapter 20
20
L ights shone from the windows of the ranch style house. Heath kept his gun ready in his hand and stepped lightly across the lawn and up the ancient porch steps, his body attuned to every single sound. His mouth was dry, and he fought the urge to burst through the door, guns blazing.
Sadie and Owen surrounded the front door while the FBI agents rounded the back of the house. Tommy stood in the cover of the trees as backup.
Heath checked the rusty handle, but it wouldn’t budge. “Locked,” he mouthed.
Owen dipped his chin then lifted his pointer finger, adding a second then third, signaling time to move.
Heath raised his boot and kicked the worn wood near the old handle. The barrier shuddered under the pressure. He kicked again, sending it flying open. “Sheriff’s department!”
He hurried inside, Owen and Sadie right behind him. The shouts of the FBI agents at the back of the house reached his ears.
Two men sat on a couch in the dingy living room watching the television. Discarded trash littered the stained carpet. One man jumped up, hands raised in the hair, while the other reached for a gun on the end table.
“Don’t even think about it,” Owen yelled. “Hands up!”
“We’ve got these two,” Sadie said. “Look for the kids.”
With his gun trained in front of him, Heath ignored the shuffling noises from the direction where Agent Tinsdale had entered and ran down the hallway. Three closed doors lined the hall. He reached the first and shoved opened the door to find a dirty bathroom with moldy tile and a stand-up shower that looked like no one had ever cleaned it. Fighting the urge to cover his nose with his elbow to block out the stench, he cleared the space then rushed to the second room.
A king-sized mattress sat on the floor in the middle of the room. The walls were painted a deep purple, matching the comforter and throw pillows. He checked the closet.
Empty.
As much as he hated the idea of kids being held captive in such a shithole, his gut sank at not finding Davey and Avery. He stalked back out to the hall and crossed to the last option. He swept open the door. The second bedroom was empty except a clutter of stacked boxes and old blankets heaped in a corner. A shade covered the lone window, blocking out even a hint of light from the moon.
His heart dropped all the way to the thin carpet. Unshed tears of frustration and disappointment stung his eyes. His shoulders sagged and he sucked in a shuddering breath.
“Kids in the basement!”
He heard Owen’s booming voice and spun toward the door when a tiny whimper rang in his ears. He stilled his entire body, straining to hear more.
Another whimper followed by a soft cry turned him toward the closet. He stormed across the small room in four long strides and found a lock on the outside of the door. His pulse thundered in his ears, muffling the voices on his communicator as his fellow lawmen called out directives and shouted their locations. With his focus squarely on the closet, he slid the lock out of place and opened the door.
Davey and Avery huddled together in the corner. Davey wrapped his little arms around Avery, her face buried in the crook of Davey’s neck. Tears streamed over Davey’s chubby cheeks. He shielded his eyes with his forearm, as if playing a horrible game of hide and seek.
A rush of gratitude washed through him, and he dropped to his knees. Happiness swelled his chest, squeezing the air from his lungs. “Hey guys, it’s me. It’s Heath.”
A squeal erupted from Avery, and she lunged at Heath. Her arms wrapped tightly around Heath’s neck. Her body trembled against his.
He smoothed a hand over her back. “It’s okay. I’ve got you. Are you hurt?”
“Daddy hit me,” Davey said. “He grabbed me and told me if I wasn’t good, he’d hit Avery too so then I was quiet.”
The little boys’ trembling voice boiled his blood. “He won’t hurt you anymore. I won’t let him.”
“I want Mama.” Davey sniffled and jutted up his chin as if bravely trying to reign in his emotions.
“Me, too,” Avery cried.
“I’m going to take you to your mom, but first we need to make sure it’s safe to leave this room. Give me one second, okay?”
When they both nodded, he pushed the button on his communicator. He shifted so he faced the door and kept his weapon steady. “I found Davey and Avery in one of the bedrooms. Is it safe to take them to the cruiser?”
“House is cleared.” Sadie’s voice came through loud and clear. “FBI has the two men from the living room and a woman was down with the kids. All cuffed and ready for transport. Six children in the basement. We’re working on bringing them up to the kitchen. Medics on the way for initial evaluations. Do Avery and Davey need seen?”
Avery wrapped herself tighter around him. “No nurse. Just want Mama.”
“Give me a second,” he said to Sadie then hugged Avery tight. “Can I take a look at you?” He wasn’t a medic, but he had enough first aid training to know if the kids needed immediate attention or could be reunited with their mother first.
“You can check me.” Davey stared at him with wide, scared eyes. “Then we can leave, right?”
“Right.”
Avery loosened her grip and scooted to stand next to Davey. Darkness kept them in shadows but there was no mistaking the tear-stained cheeks.
He gave them both a quick assessment, relieved to find them both unharmed. But that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be any scars. The trauma they experienced was monumental but soon they would start the long journey toward healing—and he’d help any way he could.
He activated his communicator again. “They can be looked at further later. We need to get these kids out of here.”
“Tinsdale will transport the individuals that don’t need to go to the hospital to the shelter. You’re clear to take Davey and Avery to the station. Use the door we came through.”
Sadie didn’t have to say why he should escort the kids through the front. If the other children were in the kitchen, he didn’t want to imagine what condition they’d been found. If he could spare exposing Avery and Davey to even more travesties, he would.
“Okay guys. I just need to do one more thing before we go.” As fast as he wanted to get out of there, he’d promised to let Clara know as soon as the kids were safe. Grabbing his phone, he called her number then waited for her to answer.
The line rang until her voicemail message picked up.
Panic tightened his gut.
“I want to see Mommy.” Tears filled Avery’s eyes, and her words were drawn into little whines.
“I know, honey,” he said. “We’re going to go see her. I promise. Let me just make one more call.”
Before he could redial Clara’s number, a call from the sheriff’s station came through. Relief wound through his tension, and he answered the call. “Clara? Is that you? I have the kids.”
“Deputy Sterling, this is Mike Wells.”
His stomach dropped when he heard his boss’ voice on the line. “Sheriff. What’s going on?”
“I was called to the station. One of our deputy’s was shot and Clara Parson is missing.”
Shock swept through his system and stole his breath. He stared at the cherub-like faces in front of him and struggled not to break down. He’d left Clara’s side and Mitch had found a way to get his hands on her.
Again.
* * *
Clara kept in step with Mitch as he gripped her bicep and dragged her past Silas’ motionless body on the sidewalk and to his truck. She struggled to keep her breath steady and not throw up. She prayed someone would find him before it was too late.
“Come on,” Mitch snapped. “Hurry up.”
She swallowed hard and focused on not tripping over her own feet. Her limbs were shaky, her nerves so tight they might snap. At least once she got into the truck, she’d have her kids back. Then she’d figure out how to get Silas help and escape Mitch.
“Get in the truck.” Mitch’s sneer pulled her attention back to him. He yanked open the passenger door and shoved her inside before rounding the hood and climbing behind the wheel.
She scurried into the vehicle and searched the narrow back seat, both relieved and disappointed not to find her kids. “What did you do with Davey and Avery?”
He snorted. “As soon as those two brats came into the world, that’s all you cared about. Always coddling them and hovering. Giving them all your attention. It was disgusting.”
“So why take them?”
Shrugging, he gripped the wheel and kept his attention fixed straight ahead, as though she wasn’t worth a second look—wasn’t a threat.
Why would he think she was? She’d been his punching bag for so many years. Always tip-toeing around him, careful not to rock the boat too much. But that woman was gone.
“To make you pay,” he said, answering her earlier question. “To hurt you. To show you that I’m still in charge.”
“Did you take them to that house? Leave them in some hellhole with no care as to what happened to them?” Adrenaline and fear shook her voice. She hadn’t heard from Heath before Mitch stormed into the sheriff’s department. She had no idea if he’d found the kids or not.
“I had to put them somewhere, but you and your boyfriend messed that up, too.”
Relief melted her against the seatback. Being trapped with Mitch wasn’t ideal, but if Heath got to Davey and Avery, she only had herself to worry about.
“What’s that look?” Mitch asked, sparing her a glance before focusing back on the road. “You think they’re safe just because Deputy Dipshit found them?”
“Yes,” she said. “He won’t let anything happen to them.”
Mitch laughed. “You thought he’d keep you safe, too, yet here you are. I’ll get my hands on them again. They’re mine. Not some hotshot deputy’s who’s parading around town like he’s protector of the year. He’s not as smart as he thinks he is, and I’ll make sure everyone knows it.”
She shifted to stare out her window and study the landscape as it flew by. Nightfall blanketed the world in shadows. Mitch might have proven cleverer than anyone gave him credit for, but Heath wouldn’t rest until he found her—until they were all safe and together.
But that didn’t mean she couldn’t figure out how to help herself. Mitch was stronger and meaner, but she held a lifetime of anger and resentment inside her.
And she was ready to unleash all of it.
“And how do you plan to do that? You’re the most wanted man in Cooper County. Not only is all the local law enforcement after you, but the FBI wants your head, too. You can’t evade them forever.”
“Who said it would be forever?” The slight curve of one corner of his mouth sent terror to settle in the pit of her stomach. “I just need enough time to make sure nobody has what’s mine, then we’ll all be together. After what I have planned, no one will ever take you from me again.”
Bile shot up the back her throat. She’d hoped he’d leave the kids alone now that he had her, but that would never happen. He’d never allow another man to raise his children, regardless of how he felt about them.
If she wanted to be free of Mitch, he either had to end up locked away for the rest of his life or she’d have to make sure he’d taken his very last breath.
“Here we are.”
The sing-song quality of his voice made her want to scream. She finally stopped the frantic thoughts chugging through her mind like a runaway train and studied her surroundings. Confusion pulled down her brow. “I don’t understand. What are we doing here?”
His grin spread wide. “Home sweet home. Now, I know you. You’ve never been very smart, so just remember I’m not afraid to use this thing.” He wiggled the gun in her face. “If you make one wrong move, I’ll blow your pretty little brains out.”
She swallowed hard, forcing the vomit back down her throat. She needed a plan, and she needed one fast or she’d never make it out of here alive.