Chapter 12
12
TAD
Tad stared at his trembling hands, fists clenched tightly in his lap. The shaking had started the moment those men pointed a gun at him and Penny on the beach, and it hadn’t stopped since. His chest tightened with a mix of emotions—surprise, anger, but mostly a bone-deep fear that gnawed at his insides.
Who were they? What did they want? His mind raced with questions, each more terrifying than the last. Was Horticia hurt after she rushed forward to help? What would Mom do when Horticia told her? His thoughts shifted to his dad, the solid rock in his life. Dad would know what to do. He always did. If anyone could fix this, it was him. Maybe he was already on his way, rallying help to charge into Jamaica and rescue them. He thought of the trip to Jamaica when Mom said they were going to Florida. Why did Mom bring us for a weekend when a storm was coming anyway?
A sharp tug on his arm snapped him back to the present, the man yanking him forward through the dense jungle. Tad stumbled, branches and leaves smacking his face as they pushed deeper into the undergrowth. Every instinct screamed at him to fight, to resist, but his eyes kept darting to Penny. They had her, too. “Leave her alone!” he’d shouted, his voice cracking with desperation.
The men had only laughed, their grips tightening as they dragged Penny along. Tad was only twelve, but working on the ranch with his dad had made him strong for his age. He’d been proud of his growing muscles, the lean strength he’d built helping out after school and on weekends. But now, in the grip of these men, he felt small and powerless. The cold barrel of a gun pointed at Penny reminded him that strength alone wasn’t enough to protect her.
The jungle seemed to close in around them, the oppressive heat mingling with the rising storm. Every time Tad tried to glance at Penny, the man holding him yanked his arm harder, forcing him to stumble forward. His heart ached, not knowing if she was okay, but he couldn’t risk making things worse for her.
At last, they emerged in a small clearing where an old, battered Jeep waited. Tad’s heart sank further when they shoved him and Penny into the back seat. He didn’t want to be separated from her, so a sliver of relief slid through him when they stayed together. One of the men squeezed into the seat beside them, forcing Tad to shift closer to Penny. He instinctively moved his body between her and the man, a small barrier but one he hoped would make her feel safer.
Another man climbed into the driver’s seat while the one with the gun twisted around from the front passenger seat, the weapon still aimed at them. Penny whimpered softly beside him, and Tad quickly reached for her hand, squeezing it tight.
The Jeep lurched forward, bouncing along the uneven road. Tad’s mind raced again. If it were just him, he might have tried to jump out and run into the jungle, losing himself in the dense foliage until he could find his way back. But he couldn’t leave Penny. Not alone, not vulnerable.
Dad’s words echoed in his head, a steady reminder of what it meant to be strong—not just in body, but in heart. Women can take care of themselves, but a good man will always protect them when they can.
Tad didn’t feel like much of a man, but as he held Penny’s trembling hand, he swore he’d do whatever it took to keep her safe.
After driving over bumpy, potholed dirt roads, they finally stopped outside a group of abandoned, crumbling buildings. The man with the gun simply ordered, “Get out.”
The driver opened Penny’s door, and she hesitated. Tad watched the man start to lean forward, and he quickly nudged his sister. “I’ll go first.” He climbed over her and was immediately hit with the wind whipping around. Turning, he grabbed her cold hands and steadied her as he gently pulled her out of the vehicle. The wind whipped her hair about her tearstained face. He wrapped his arm around her and followed the driver.
“Stay right with me,” he whispered. They were marched into the house, which appeared to be only one room. A door on the far side opened to a small toilet.
“Get upstairs,” someone ordered.
Tad reached down and held Penny’s hand as they walked together to the bottom of the narrow staircase. The space didn’t allow them to walk side by side, but he held her hand as he nudged her to go up first. He tried to keep himself between her and the men. At the top was only one door, and through it, a small, bare room. The window was covered with wood, and the man behind him with the gun laughed.
“Stay here. We’ll make a call for money, and we see how much you’re worth, yeah?”
The door slammed before Tad could say anything, and he realized that if they called their mother, she wouldn’t have the money to pay.
Penny’s thoughts must have followed the same line of thinking. “Tad? Mom can’t pay,” she whispered, her body shaking.
“Mom will call Dad, and he’ll take care of everything.”
“But how long will it take?—”
“Dad can wire the money or something. He’ll make sure it’ll happen.”
Tad glanced around the dimly lit room, the only light filtering through the narrow slats of a wooden shutter. The shadows shifted ominously, but his eyes locked onto the faint glow. He moved toward the window, his heart thudding with a mix of hope and fear. Peering through the tiny gap, he could barely make out the outlines of the jungle beyond. The sky had darkened to a murky gray, signaling the storm's approach.
His breath hitched as he noticed what appeared to be a rooftop adjacent to their makeshift prison. Excitement flared briefly—could this be their way out? He gripped the wooden slats tightly and shook them, but the frame didn’t budge. His hope dimmed as his eyes adjusted to the shadows. Several pieces of wood nailed from the outside held the shutters firmly in place. Any attempt to force them open would be loud—too loud.
Tad swallowed hard, his hands trembling as he pushed against the window again. The rattling noise it made was sharp and intrusive in the otherwise silent room. He froze, heart pounding. If the kidnappers heard him trying to escape, they might retaliate—maybe even hurt Penny. His stomach twisted at the thought.
Turning, he saw Penny huddled in the corner, her small frame trembling. Tears streaked down her cheeks as she struggled to wipe them away. The sight of her like that—scared and vulnerable—broke something inside him. Tad clenched his fists, feeling the helplessness claw at his resolve. He wanted to get her out of there, but the fear of making things worse paralyzed him.
Gritting his teeth, he crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. She leaned into him, her tiny body shaking against his. Tad pressed a kiss to her forehead, his voice soft but firm. “We’re gonna get out of this, Penny.”
Her wide, tear-filled eyes lifted to his. “How do you know?” she whispered, her voice quivering with fear. “What makes you so sure?”
Tad drew in a shaky breath, trying to project a confidence he didn’t quite feel. He thought back to all the action movies and cop shows he’d watched, hoping he could sound convincing. “We’re just leverage to them—a way to get money. They won’t hurt us. If they do, it ruins their plans. They’ll keep us here until they get what they want, and then they’ll let us go.”
Penny sniffled, her voice barely audible. “We haven’t seen their faces.”
“That’s a good thing,” Tad reassured her, his tone firm. “It means they know we can’t identify them. That’s why they’ll let us go. We’re safer this way.”
He helped her down to the floor, gently guiding her to sit with her back against the wall. Then he settled beside her, making sure his body was between her and the door. His heart hammered in his chest, the weight of responsibility pressing heavily on his small shoulders. He wasn’t naive—he knew he couldn’t stop a bullet. But if those men came back, if they tried to hurt Penny, he would do whatever it took to protect her. He would stand between her and danger even if it meant sacrificing everything.
Tad squeezed her hand, his jaw set with determination. “I won’t let them hurt you,” he whispered, more to himself than to her. “Not while I’m here.”