Chapter 29
The barest hint of dawn cast a golden hue over the landscape as the SUV thundered down the highway. Jeb paid no attention to the surroundings as he focused on the time that had passed since Skylar had been kidnapped.
“Turn right at the next intersection.” Leo barked out the instructions to Adam, whose hands were steady on the wheel.
When Carson gave the instructions to meet their pilot, Logan, Adam insisted on driving. Jeb had no problem with Adam’s decision, considering his thoughts swung between rage and fear. Logan’s helicopter would only hold three passengers, and the thought of being left behind was not an option for Jeb or Leo. Another SUV with Dolby and Bennett was right behind them. Landon had arranged for an FBI pilot to arrive to take them, and hopefully, they wouldn’t be far behind.
Adam turned onto the smaller road, and Jeb was glad it was paved, keeping them from having to slow down on a gravel or dirt road.
“You’re almost to the rendezvous point,” Abbie radioed. “Logan’s ETA is two minutes.”
Adam brought the SUV to a screeching halt outside an old, abandoned hangar. As they climbed from the SUV, the whirring helicopter blades could already be heard. Jeb lifted his hand to shield his eyes as he looked upward and watched as it landed. As soon as the runners touched the ground, the three men raced forward while ducking, reaching the helicopter.
Adam climbed into the seat next to Logan, shook his hand, and made the introductions as Leo and Jeb climbed into the two back seats. Logan lifted the aircraft into the air without wasting any time as the Keepers nodded to their comrades from the SUV behind them.
Ian radioed, “The FBI’s helicopter ETA is fifteen minutes.”
Jeb winced, wishing it was closer but thankful he and Leo didn’t have to wait that extra time.
“Do you have the coordinates?” Adam asked.
“Your people have been sending me the intel,” Logan replied. “We’re heading to an abandoned warehouse in Oregon. It seems that both tracers are there, as well as confirmation that the two women are together and alive.”
The air rushed from Jeb”s lungs as he heard Leo mutter, “Thank fuck.”
The two men shared a look, and while Logan would be hard-pressed to define it, he knew their mirrored expressions gave evidence of not just a mission gone fubar but with the added fear concerning the women they loved.
“Do we know who has them?”
Carson replied, “In the helicopter, Natalie hit the radio on her watch. My guess is that she was subdued before that. Skylar managed to get Gerald Butler to talk at the warehouse. Not realizing he was being recorded, we now have the evidence that he was the one orchestrating the black market thefts and Skylar’s kidnapping.”
“Same coordinates?” Logan asked over Carson’s explanation.
“Yes,” Abbie replied in haste. “The signal from the tracers has been lost, but they were at some abandoned warehouses off the Owyhee River in Oregon. Your ETA should be about forty minutes.”
Jeb hated the idea of forty more minutes before he could get to her. That was more than enough time for anything to happen to Skylar. He closed his eyes at the thought of how frightened she would be. He trusted Natalie to take care of her but had no idea if they would be in a situation where she could.
He couldn”t remember feeling so helpless. When some boys bullied her in elementary school, he’d put a stop to it. “You”ll have to answer me if I hear you’ve picked on her again.” They ran away like the little punk-asses they were. After that, they left her alone. That was only the start—anytime she needed him, he stepped up as her protector. His chest depressed as the air left his lungs. Until I fucked up. I was just as punk-ass as those kids.
He could still see the look on her face as they stood facing each other all those years ago. He was so full of righteous indignation and ignored the pain and regret so clearly written on her expression.
The feel of a hand on his arm had his eyelids snap open, and he swung his head to the side to see Leo’s gaze heavy on him.
“Whatever you’re thinking… wherever you just went… let it go.”
Swallowing deeply, he said, “I once acted like a jackass and walked away from her. It was years ago when I first joined the Navy, but still… I fuckin’ walked away.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Leo growled.
Jeb opened his mouth to argue, but Leo wasn’t finished.
“I wasted a lot of years knowing Natalie but not letting myself go there with her. All we can do is move forward. And that’s just what we’re going to do. Move forward… get there… and get our women.”
Letting out a shaky breath, he nodded. Leo returned to looking out his window, and Jeb did the same.
For the rest of the flight, he let Adam coordinate with LSIWC and Logan. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Logan called out, “Approaching the warehouse. I’ll circle high to give us a chance to see what’s there.”
Jeb pressed his face to the window and looked down. The farmland below was mostly brown, and the river was only a thin ribbon running through the area. They were west of Boise, now in Oregon. “I don’t see any movement, but two vehicles are parked on one side where a helicopter sets.” He had no idea if that was a good sign or not.
“Natalie’s and Skylar’s tracers are still in the warehouse,” Abbie radioed.
Jeb knew that wasn’t a guarantee that Skylar would still be there if she were separated from her necklace. I’m getting her a tattoo as soon as I get her back!
“How do you want to play this?” Logan asked.
“Abbie, tell us what you’ve got on the warehouse,” Adam requested.
Jeb knew with her background in geospatial photogrammetry, she could pull up the schematics of the original warehouse blueprints.
“The door on the south side leads into the reception and office area. Beyond that is the main warehouse with the loading dock and doors on the west side, closest to the river and the main road. There is a staircase that is on the east side of the warehouse, near where the offices are?—”
“Staircase?” Jeb asked. “Is there a second floor of offices upstairs?”
“Yes. There are three floors of offices,” Abbie said. “The first two floor offices have windows that overlook the warehouse and have smaller windows overlooking the outside. The third floor has a window that also faces the outside.”
Adam whipped his head around, and the three Keepers shared a look. “Fire escape?” Leo asked.
“Yes.
Logan said, “I’ll land on the flat land to the northeast. There are no windows on that side. We can separate and move around the building.”
“You’re going in with us?” Jeb asked, unable to hide his surprise.
“You need every hand until the rest of your crew gets here. Anyway, I figure I’m the one here who knows how to disable their bird.”
The tightness in Jeb’s chest didn’t ease, but an added layer of gratitude filled him at Logan’s offer. Jeb and the others were unbuckled instantly as the helicopter set down with barely a bump. They alighted as a group, and then, with a plan in place, they separated and moved stealthily toward the warehouse.