Chapter 26
MAGGIE - THIRTY MINUTES EARLIER
The media room was a spectacle of sensory overload with flashing lights and K-Pop beats. On the massive screen, a group of teenagers were colorful monsters with glow sticks, and though I knew the plot by heart, I had no idea where in the movie we were.
Connor was sprawled out on the carpet with his head on the beanbag, tossing popcorn into his mouth.
Jaycee had her head on his stomach, completely mesmerized by what was happening on the screen.
I sat on the chair, my phone clutched in my hand waiting for Hayden to get home, and Theo to call and say Fred was no longer a threat.
“Mom. Look.” Jaycee pointed at the screen. “Wumi has purple hair. Just like my one unicorn.”
I smiled at her, making sure to hide the tension I felt. Tension I could not really explain. “That’s so cool, baby.”
Connor raised a brow at me and I knew I hadn’t fooled him.
The truth was I had nothing to stress about.
Theo had forwarded me the message that said Hayden would be home soon.
Yeah, I was a little worried about the Theo-Fred confrontation.
But he was surrounded by people who were highly trained and they would make sure my man came home to me.
I was just about to let out a heavy sigh when my phone rang and everything went on alert again. The sound cut through the room like a scream. Connor jumped, spilling popcorn.
I looked down at the screen.
Unknown number.
Maybe Theo was calling me from his burner. I hit the green button without delay.
“Theo?”
“Hello, Maggie.”
The voice wasn’t Theo’s, but it was familiar. It wasn’t smooth like chocolate. More like oil.
“Fred.” My voice was barely more than a whisper.
Connor sat up straight, his eyes going wide. He reached for the remote, and muted the TV. Jaycee tried to protest but Connor put his finger in front of his lips. It was cute how she tried to copy him.
“Did you think you could keep him from me?” Fred’s voice was light and conversational. We could be discussing the weather or the pick up schedules. “Did you think Snow’s money and his fancy house and armored cars could stop a father from reclaiming his son?”
I stood up, legs shaking so bad I needed to hold on to the backs of one of the chairs. “Where are you? If you hurt him—”
“I don’t want to hurt him, Maggie. He’s my boy, my own flesh and blood. I just want my family back.” He paused and I heard a muffled sound in the background. Then a sob. “Say hi to Mommy, Hayden.”
“Mom!” The terror in his little voice was unmistakable. He hiccuped, but I could tell he was trying to be brave. “Mom, the truck hit us. Zoe… Zoe tried to stop them but she’s not moving.”
The line muffled again, like maybe a hand clamped over the phone.
“He’s fine.” Fred’s voice hardened. “The girl, well she got in the way. She’s alive though. For now.”
My world tilted. Not that the man took Hayden, that was almost expected at this point. But he had the nerve to take Zoe, as well. She was a child who had chosen to step into the line of fire to protect my son. To protect her family.
Cold fury settled in me, and my words were hard and gritty. I stepped out of the media room, not wanting Jaycee to hear the conversation. “What do you want?”
“It's simple.” He kept that deceptive calm that was beginning to grate my nerves. “I want what’s mine. I want you. I’m at the old drive-in theatre off route nine.
You know the one. Come alone. No cops and no Snow, I know what he is.
If I see a Salinger Security truck, or a single cop car, I will finish what I started with the girl and I’ll take the boy where you will never find him. ”
“Fred please—” I had no doubt he would make good on his threat.
“Twenty minutes, Maggie. Or the family reunion is cancelled.”
The line went dead and my mind started to race. I wasn’t stupid. I knew better than to go anywhere on my own. But Theo and the Salingers had that case they were working on. One they thought Fred was a part of. He needed to focus. My first call was to Tiffany.
She picked up on the first ring. “Hey, bitch.”
“He’s got Hayden and Zoe.” Those were the only things I knew to say.
“I’ll be there in five minutes.” The line went dead.
That was the beauty of our friendship. She didn’t need me to explain anything. Next, I called Ryder. He definitely would not approve of what I was about to do, but I need him to stay with Connor and Jaycee.
He took a little longer to pick up. “Maggie. Hi. What’s up?”
“Can you come over here, please. It’s kind of an emergency.” I didn’t want to give him too much detail over the phone.
“Sure.” His voice was hesitant, but he would come because I called.
In the few minutes it took the two of them to arrive I let security know they were coming before jogging back down to the media room.
The look on Connor’s face told me he knew something was wrong. “Don’t hide things from me.”
I dipped my eyes to my daughter who was still engrossed in her movie. As calmly as I could, I let Connor know what was happening. “Zoe and Hayden are with Fred. I am going to go pick them up.”
“Maggie.” Connor’s growl could rival his brother’s. “I don’t think you should go alone.”
I shook my head. “I’m not. Tiff’s gonna come with me. I hope. Ryder will stay here with you.”
Before he could argue, Tiff was calling from the front door.
“Mags, where are you?”
I stepped out of the media room with my finger to my lips, Connor hot on my heels.
I frowned at Tiff. “Will you stop that racket? I’m trying to keep Jaycee calm.”
Connor moved from behind me and rushed to Tiffany, folding her in a hug.
Tiffany patted his back. “Don’t worry little bro, we’ll get her back.”
“Oh, God.” Connor rolled his eyes as he stepped away from Tiffany. “Not you too, Tee. It could be dangerous.”
Before any of us could argue, we heard Ryder’s truck come to a screeching halt. He stepped through the front door with Ethan at his side. “What’s going on?”
I gave Connor a pleading look. “Please can you take Ethan and keep an eye on Jaycee in the media room?”
Connor nodded even though he did not look happy.
As soon as the door to the media room was closed once more, I spoke. “Fred just called and he has Hayden and Zoe.”
Tiffany’s face turned a frightening shade of crimson. “That motherfucking, asshole sucking, piece of shit.”
“Tiff, he said she tried to fight. Hayden said she’s not moving.” There was no way to sugar coat it for her. “He wants me to come alone. And I don’t want to. But with the guys busy, I need to go. I’ll understand if you cannot come with me.”
“Fuck.” Ryder’s roar echoed off the walls, as he pulled out his phone. “You’re right you cannot go alone. I’ll get hold of Theo.”
Oh God, no. “Ryder, stop. He said I had to come alone. I’m risking a lot taking Tiffany.”
“Maggie, let me be clear.” Ryder’s voice had turned to granite.
I suspected under different circumstances, Shiloh quite enjoyed that tone.
“Either, I call him now or the moment you get in the car. Or, I will go with you and we can determine what’s happening before I call him.
But we are unarmed and Fred’s a lunatic. We need backup.”
I rested my hands on my hips. “Who’s going to watch the kids?”
“First.” His eye roll was worthy of any of the teenagers I lived with. “Connor is perfectly capable of babysitting. Second, this place is crawling with security guards. There’s a reason they chose to target Hayden on his way home.”
He had a point. And it would be good to have another person as backup. “Fine. But we only call him once we’re there. They’re on an important mission.”
Ryder was right, but part of me was hoping that if I just did what Fred said I could get both kids out with as little damage as possible.
“I’m driving.” Tiffany walked around Ryder’s truck to her own car. “Let’s go.”
Tiffany peeled out of the driveway. “Where am I going?”
“The old drive-in theatre.” My voice was shaking. I’d never done anything like this before. “He gave me twenty minutes.”
As Tiffany pulled onto the main road, she narrowed her eyes at me. “Plenty of time.”
Her knuckles were white against the steering wheel.
She wasn’t what anyone would describe as a careful driver and I found myself gripping the door handle until my hand ached.
We were all silent for a good few minutes.
Not peace, but tension, and each car we passed could be a potential threat. How did Theo do this? How did Shiloh?
Ryder leaned between the two front seats. “The raid at that warehouse was a distraction. They wanted Theo, actually the whole of Salinger Security, out of the way.”
“I agree.” Tiffany nodded from the driver’s seat.
“I’ve seen it happen before. And Salinger Security is not immune to distraction when their target is personal.
He wanted everyone out of the way because he knew he didn’t stand a chance.
Let Ryder call them Mags. I’ve read enough novels to know we’re headed into too stupid to live territory. ”
I nodded at the man in the back seat. “Just explain everything. Tell them they cannot be seen.”
Once again, he pulled his phone from his pocket, pressed a few buttons on the screen and held it to his ear.
I knew by the look of relief on his face that the call had connected.
“Theo.” Ryder’s voice cracked a little. “The camp transport.”
He listened, his breathing getting sharper and sharper as he listened to what Theo said. “They took Hayden and Zoe.” Another few beats and I wanted to tell him to put the phone on speaker. “No. We’re on our way there now.”
We didn’t need the phone on speaker for what followed. Theo and everyone around him shouted at once.
“What?”