Chapter 38
Thirty-Eight
A djusting his seat on the fallen tree he’d perched on, Tad Gaultier fanned himself with the fern frond he’d plucked from a nearby plant. He wished the marshals would have set him up in a car to watch Max’s property. Then he’d have air conditioning blowing in his face. The Costa Rican jungle was stifling without a breeze blowing. And where he was sitting, there was little air movement.
The phone they’d given him buzzed in his pocket. Taking it out, he saw Marchand’s number on the screen.
Tad sighed. He didn’t want to talk to the marshal. Nothing new had happened since he called last. They should know that. They had eyes on him. But they still called to get an update on what he could see from his position.
He wanted to help. That’s why he’d come here, why he’d agreed to this plan. The last thing he wanted was to put his family in danger. But it irked him that they wouldn’t just let him sit here and stare at the driveway. What did they expect him to see? A car invisible to everyone except him?
“What?” he answered.
“I just got a call from Sam. One of your daughters took off. Apparently, she doesn’t like not being allowed to leave and go to the beach.”
Tad’s heart skipped, then started up double-time. “Jesus. It was Emily, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. They have her on surveillance, leaving out one of the rear doors. She headed into the jungle and down the hill toward the beach. You’re probably the closest of anyone. Start walking southeast along the road until you get to the side of the house. She’ll have to cross to get to the water.”
Immediately, Tad was on his feet. Leaving his cover, he jogged down the edge of the road.
“We’ve pulled everyone in to look for her. If you see her, call me back.”
“Will do.” Tad hung up. With both hands free now, he ran faster.
Nearing the side of the property, he slowed and looked up the hill through the trees.
How would they possibly find her in all that?
If she went in a straight line, she’d eventually come out to the road. But if she didn’t, she could end up completely turned around and lost in the jungle.
From above, he could hear male voices shouting her name.
He added his to the mix.
“Emily!”
Jogging now, he scanned the trees. A curse slid past his lips as he stared at the dense foliage. It was like looking into quicksand. The jungle absorbed light. He couldn’t see past a couple of feet.
With a quick glance up and down the road, he crossed the street and plunged into the trees, hoping that being immersed in it would help.
“Emily! Sweetie, it’s—” He paused, swallowing back the word daddy. “It’s Mommy’s friend, Tad.”
He stopped to listen, scanning the forest. When nothing moved except some birds, he pushed in further, calling her name again.
Thirty feet up the hill, he glanced back at the road, which was now mostly out of view.
Maybe he should go back and watch the street, like Marchand said. The likelihood of him finding her was about as great as finding a needle in a haystack.
He turned around and started back down, glancing back and continuing to call her name.
A muffled, high-pitched shout of surprise stopped him in his tracks.
“Emily?”
Tad turned around again, running across and up toward the sound.
Rustling to his left drew his attention.
He saw a flash of blonde.
“Emily?” Hurrying over, he saw her sitting behind a log.
Relief flooded his veins, making him lightheaded. “Oh, thank God.” Rounding the log, he squatted beside her. “Sweetie, are you all right? Why didn’t you answer me?”
She looked up, a fierce pout on her face. “I wanted to surfs.” She crossed her arms and glared.
Tad’s eyes widened. She’d become far more independent and fearless in the time he’d been gone. He remembered her being strong-willed and a bit of a daredevil, but it still surprised him how determined she was to get to the beach.
“I heard. How about we go home and talk to your mom about it?”
“She said no.”
He touched her knee, unable to help himself. “Did she give you a reason?”
“She said it’s not safes.”
“So, why did you go, then? Your mommy wouldn’t lie to you.”
“Daddy Max left. He’d stay if it wasn’t safes.”
Tad’s heart clenched. He knew he’d screwed up, that it was his fault that he’d never hear the girls call him that again, but it still hurt.
“Come on.” He stood up and held out a hand. “Let’s get you home. Your mommy is very worried.”
With a huff, she took his hand, knowing she’d lost her battle to get to the beach.
Tad glanced up the hill, then down, debating which way to go. It would probably be easier to go back to the road, then walk along the berm to the driveway, than to fight their way back up through the jungle.
Decision made, he scooped her into his arms, knowing it would be easier to carry her down the hill. She wasn’t much taller than a lot of the vegetation.
“So, you wanted to surf, huh?”
She nodded.
“Whose surfboard were you going to use?”
“I use a boog-board.”
“A boogie board?”
Again, she nodded.
“Ah, I see. Where did you plan to get one of those?”
“They has them at the beach.”
“Oh. That makes sense, I guess.” He said a silent prayer she hadn’t made it down there. Tad had little doubt his resourceful daughter would find exactly what she wanted and go running into the ocean. He knew she could swim; he’d seen her. But swimming in the pool and swimming in the sea were two different things.
They emerged from the jungle, and he turned right. “I need to call the others. Let them know you’re safe.” Tad shifted her to his other side and reached into his pocket for his phone.
“Mommy’s gonna be mad.” Em’s voice was soft, and she dipped her head.
“Maybe at first. Mostly, she’ll be relieved you’re safe.” He dialed Marchand.
The sound of an engine revving had him glancing over his shoulder as the phone rang in his ear. A beat-up gray truck barreled toward them.
Tad stepped further off the road.
“Marchand.”
The marshal’s voice sounded in his ear, but Tad didn’t respond. He couldn’t. The face glaring at him through the windshield of the truck sent ice through his veins.
The pickup rocked to a halt just feet away, and the driver’s door flew open.
Berry stepped out, a handgun clutched in his fist and pointed right at Tad. “Hang up the phone.”
“Gaultier? Hey, you there?”
Marchand’s voice quieted as Tad lowered the phone. He pretended to hang up, then shoved the device back in his pocket.
“There’s no need for that, Fred. Put the gun away.”
“Call it insurance. Get in the truck.” Fred motioned to the passenger side.
“Let me take Emily back to her mother first.”
“So you can sic her brute of a boyfriend on me? I don’t think so.” A mirthless smile flashed across his face. “Call the girl insurance too.” As quickly as it appeared, the smile disappeared. “Get in.”
Emily clutched Tad’s neck. “He’s a bad man.”
“He is. But we need to do what he says for now, okay? I won’t let him hurt you.”
She hugged him a little tighter and nodded.
Tad walked forward, giving in to the only option he had. He got in the truck.