Chapter 44 #2
“You and Grant should be happy that I have the information at all. You’d still be out there chasing your tail, doing absolutely nothing to actually bring her back.”
“Don’t underestimate my brothers or my husband.”
“Thought you got divorced?”
“I’m remarried. Sorry, must have forgotten to mail your invitation. Now tell me where my daughter is.”
“I don’t know.”
“You’re terrible at your job, do you know that?”
“I don’t know where she is, but I do know how to get her back.”
“How?”
“They’re willing to make an exchange. Fallon for you.”
“For me?”
“They believe you know where the relic is. If you agree to be swapped for her and lead them to the relic.”
“Again, I don’t believe anything they say. We have no reason to trust they’d actually go through on their word and return her.”
“They’ll give her to me. I’ll make sure she’s secure before I let you go to them. I’ve got a time and a place for an exchange.”
“They were sure enough that you’d deliver on this that they’ve already told you where and when?”
“They know how you all feel. You wouldn’t leave Fallon out there like that. You know that. I know that. So let’s get this on the road and get her home.”
“What’s your angle in all of this?”
“As the sheriff? Getting a missing girl back home to her family. As a Stockton, being able to show you all that I made some mistakes once, with the best of fucking intentions, to keep my family safe. But it doesn’t mean I won’t be there for you when you need me.”
“Did you know about Creighton and my dad?”
His eyes flash with the question, but he deflects. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. But I don’t think now is the time for trips down memory lane. There’s a timer on this deal, and it’s running out quickly. Are we doing this or not?”
“I want to tell my brothers what’s happening.”
“No.”
“No?”
“That’s part of the deal. No brothers. No security. No family besides me. No other police force either.”
“What’s to say they don’t kill us all on sight? That she isn’t already dead, and this is a trap to lure more of us to our death.”
“There’s nothing to say that.” He’s blunt in his answer. “But I don’t see that we have another choice. So just do your best to behave yourself and follow instructions. I want to get out of this alive every bit as much as you do.”
We wait in an empty parking lot on the outskirts of town that’s far off any of the main roads and completely overgrown with weeds and littered with trash.
I pace as we wait for them to show up, repeating the same two sentences in my head on a loop.
I need my daughter to be okay. I’m fairly certain I’m going to die.
But if I have to die to give Fallon a second chance at life, I will.
I hear the sounds of tires on the gravel scattered down the road that leads to this abandoned lot.
The car comes to a stop, still shrouded in darkness from the tinted windows.
Two men who look like security get out of the car and walk around to the back door.
One opens it, and the other reaches around to hold out his hand for the passenger.
“Fallon,” I breathe out her name the second I see her, my heart pounding in my chest when I see her trying to yank her arm away and cursing at the men who are holding her captive. They remove the zip ties from her hands and push her forward.
“Mom!” she yells once she sees me, and we run toward one another. I wrap my arms around her and squeeze.
“Are you okay, sweetheart? They didn’t hurt you, did they? I’ve been so terrified.”
“No, they just tied me up and wouldn’t let me go. Someone else picked me up last night, and he insisted I go with him on a little detour. It turned into a long detour, and I thought I texted you, but I don’t know.”
“No. No text. Just you not showing up, and Bishop being determined to find you.”
“Is that how you got me released?” She looks around.
“Not quite.” I squeeze her tighter, kissing her temple and refusing to let go. “You’re sure you’re okay? They didn’t hurt you?”
“No. I’m fine. My wrists hurt a little, but that’s it. They told me I was annoying and had a mouth on me.”
I laugh, tears streaming down my cheeks.
“Let’s fucking go, lady.” The one security guard motions for me, his hand extended in impatience.
“You go with your great-uncle Jay. He’s the sheriff, and he’s going to call your father and your uncles for you. He’ll make sure you’re taken care of, okay?”
“What do you mean? Won’t you be there?” Fallon looks at me, bewildered, when the men grab me and pull me away from her.
“I love you, Fallon. Always. You remember that, okay? I love you to bits and pieces, and you’re my girl no matter what.”
“Mom!” she screams and runs toward me, stopping dead in her tracks when one of the security guards points a gun at her. “Don’t go with them! Mom! Please! They’ll kill you. They threatened to kill me!”
“Don’t you fucking point a gun at her!” I scream, struggling to get out of the other guard’s grip so I can tackle him.
“Tell your brat of a child to calm the fuck down,” the guard growls at me.
“Fallon, this was the deal. I have to go with them so you can go with your great-uncle. Please. Go.” I try to rip my arms free again, cursing the man for holding me so tight, and tell him quietly to go fuck himself.
“Settle down.” The guard holding me seems unenthused and unimpressed by my threat.
“Fallon! Go with Jay. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine!” I call after her. It’s a lie. Not least of which, because I don’t know if I can truly trust Uncle Jay. But he’s the best option I have. The only option.
“Mom! I love you!” she calls, tears coming hard and heavy as I look back at her one last time.
“I love you too, baby girl!” I yell back, and then they shove me into the car.
It slams shut behind them, and I practically crawl over the security man’s lap to watch her out the window. Jay takes her and wraps his arms around her shoulders, comforting her as I watch them both disappear from view.
I’m faced with the real possibility that the last time I see my daughter will be with her screaming for me not to leave her.