Chapter 13
13
N ot having cell service was a problem, but Doug wasn’t going to let that stop him from getting inside that cabin. He was armed and so was Maya. More importantly, they had the element of surprise.
Granted, he couldn’t feel his fingers or toes, so shooting accurately may be problematic. But they were too close to head back now.
Turning his attention back to the bedroom window, he tried to get Emily’s attention. Unfortunately, it was rather dark inside the room, and she was intensely focused on her patient. From what he could see, Emily had towels and a damp cloth. She appeared to be cleaning the upper right portion of the guy’s chest. A wound of some sort, he guessed. He couldn’t hear anything and sensed he wouldn’t be able to distract Emily until she was finished.
She still wore her scrubs from work, which was slightly reassuring. There were no obvious signs that she’d been sexually assaulted. The way she was caring for the guy on the bed indicated her main purpose was to provide nursing services.
Until her expertise was no longer needed. After that, he knew all bets were off. Steve Beldon had been brutally murdered in a scene that had been staged to look like a suicide.
He had no illusions these men wouldn’t hesitate to take Emily out of the picture in much the same way.
Doug took a quick moment to thank God for watching over his half sister. Then he turned toward Maya. “We need to know how many perps are inside.”
She nodded and gestured to the side of the house. He nearly groaned when he realized there were two large patio doors, extending from floor to ceiling. No way of getting past them undetected. “Keep an eye on Emily,” she whispered. “I’ll see who else is inside.”
“You stay here.” He didn’t want Maya in any more danger than she already was. While grateful to have found Emily, he was the one who needed to take the risks moving forward. She’d done more than her fair share.
Without giving her time to argue, he ducked low and shuffled his way down along the side of the house. An orange glow of light flickered through the patio doors.
The living room.
Chances were high that the bad guys were sitting close to the fire while Emily tended to their wounded cohort in crime. He drew a deep breath, then edged closer to peek into the room.
Two men with their backs to the doors were sitting with their booted feet propped up on the coffee table, looking as if they didn’t have a care in the world. Clearly, they were not expecting to be found. He was glad he’d pushed the issue of checking on them now rather than waiting until the following day.
The guy closest to him was Hispanic, exactly as the Wild Bill clerk had described. Possibly Manuel Cartega, although he couldn’t say with certainty without seeing his face. Cartega had a handgun tucked into his waistband.
The other perp had dirty-blond hair. Presumably Blaine, but in truth, it didn’t matter one way or the other. He was with Cartega while Emily was in the other room. That made the blond man guilty by association. He backed away, assuming Blaine was armed as well. With at least a handgun, but maybe a rifle too.
This was Blaine’s grandparents’ hunting cabin after all.
Knowing there could be a third man, he tried to figure out how to check the other side of the house. Going past the patio doors wasn’t an option. He’d have a better chance going past the large window facing the front.
It took him several minutes to get in place. When he reached the bay window, he crouched low so that his head wouldn’t clear the window frame and duckwalked—no easy feat while wearing snowshoes—until he reached the other side.
Another bedroom, but it was empty. Where was the kitchen? He returned to the front door and the bay window. He crept up to the house and looked inside. From this angle, he could see the Hispanic man’s profile. The guy looked like Cartega, although the facial hair made him look older than Doug remembered. He still couldn’t see the blond guy very well, but behind the two men, he could make out a small kitchen.
There was a pan on the stove and some open cans of what was likely soup on the counter. Other than signs that someone had eaten, the kitchen appeared to be empty. It wouldn’t surprise him if these yahoos forced Emily to cook for them as well as providing nursing care to the injured man.
Battling a stab of anger, he turned to continue checking the rest of the house. As he moved from window to window, thankful not to see anyone else inside, he formulated a plan of attack.
The only way to get Emily out of there safely was to create a diversion. He needed to draw at least one of the perps outside. With either Blaine or Cartega out of commission, he stood a better chance of overpowering the second man.
Unless the wounded perp grabbed Emily to use her as a human shield. He winced, trying not to go down that path.
Heading back to the SUV wasn’t an option. It would take too long, and he was growing colder by the minute. He was sure Maya was freezing too.
No, they were going to get this done. Right here, right now.
He turned to make his way back to where he’d left Maya watching over Emily. He had to duck below the bay window again, then went back to meet with Maya who was still outside the injured man’s bedroom. He was about to say something when he heard a thumping sound.
He froze, his heart lodged in his throat. Had one of the perps seen him? Were they right now heading out to investigate?
Maya cocked her head and pointed at the bedroom window. He frowned, not getting it, until he edged closer to look inside.
Now he understood. The thumping sound was the man who’d been in the bed. Emily had her arm around the guy’s waist, helping him walk presumably to the bathroom, but he hadn’t gotten far. He was slumped against the wall, Emily holding him upright with all her strength. After a long minute, the man pushed away from the wall and continued shuffling back toward the bed.
He nodded at Maya, then gestured for her to come away from the window. Zion was sticking close to Maya’s side as if sensing the danger. He knew the K9 was very much in tune to Maya’s emotions. The dog had alerted him to Maya’s injury last evening.
Maya hesitated, tilting her head to the bedroom window, but he gestured again. There was no point in standing there any longer. Emily was too preoccupied with her patient, and they had to move quickly.
“I only saw two men,” he said when they were back behind the garage. “A Hispanic who is likely Cartega and a blond guy I assume is Blaine. They’re both armed, and I’m sure there are other weapons inside.”
“Blaine is blond, so I’m sure he’s involved in this up to his eyeballs.” Maya glanced toward the bedroom window, then back at him. “If we can get Emily’s attention, she can help us with the diversion.”
“No. I’d rather have her stay in the bedroom well out of the line of fire. We need a distraction.” He glanced around the area. With the thickening layer of snow covering everything in sight, he searched for something he could use as a diversion. Looking for a rock to throw was laughable. Maybe a tree branch?
“I think we should break into the garage,” Maya whispered. “I’m sure we’ll find something inside to use as a diversion.”
She was so smart he wanted to kiss her. He settled for nodding and taking the lead to head around the garage to the side door they’d passed earlier. The door was locked, but he jabbed his elbow against the window to break the glass. Thankfully, the tinkling sound was muffled by the snow.
Moments later, they were inside. The interior was dark, ambient light only coming from the broken window in the door. He nearly tripped over his snowshoes, they weren’t helpful for walking on concrete, and bumped into the SUV. Leaning against the car, he removed his gloves so he could unbuckle the snowshoes.
A small light flicked on, and he was surprised to see Maya had a flashlight. Well, he wasn’t really surprised as she seemed to think of everything. More so than he had. He could take lessons from this woman and still be two steps behind when it came to dealing with an emergency.
“Thanks,” he said, wishing the garage was heated. When his boots were free from the snowshoes, he knelt beside Maya to take care of removing hers. His fingers were cold and stiff, so he blew on them to warm them.
They would be in deep trouble if he was unable to fire his weapon.
“What’s the plan?” She knelt to care for her dog. Zion shook her body, sending snow and water everywhere. Maya blinked, wiped at her eyes, then examined her K9’s paws. The booties were covered with snow, making them look twice as large. He felt bad for putting her and the dog in harm’s way.
The sooner he could take care of these kidnappers, the better.
He glanced around the interior of the garage. The SUV took up one bay, and a snow machine sat in the other. He knew they hadn’t brought Emily here on the sled, so that one must belong to Blaine’s grandfather.
He sighed, weighing his options. “My plan is rather rudimentary. I’ll slam something at the front of the house, drawing the two men to the front door. At least one of them will step outside where I can take care of him. You’ll need to cover the back patio doors in case one of them tries to rabbit out that way.” He noticed a wall with various tools hanging off the wall and gestured toward them. “One of those should do the trick.”
“Take care of him how?” She’d removed her face mask so he could see her frowning. “You can’t just shoot first and ask questions later.”
He could, but that wouldn’t be legal or ethical. Seeing Emily in person as she cared for the injured man had dulled his anger to a certain point. Although he still didn’t know for sure what she’d suffered during the past thirty-plus hours or so. “I hope to catch him off guard long enough to disarm him. When I make my move, you’ll need to attract the second guy’s attention.”
Her gaze was skeptical. “Maybe I should try to draw Blaine out. He knows me and may cooperate.”
“No.” His tone was hard and unyielding. “You don’t know the man Blaine is now. Cartega is ruthless. He could easily kill you without blinking an eye.” The more he thought about his plan, the worse it sounded. “I’m hoping Cartega will be the one to come out and investigate my diversion. But if your ex takes the lead, I want you to make some noise to draw attention to the back, then get far away from the house.” Out of gun range , he thought grimly.
She shot him an exasperated glance, then stood. Zion stood beside her like a silent sentinel. The dog rarely barked, a rather curious trait for a dog. Yet maybe that had been part of Zion’s training.
Crossing to the wall of tools, he considered his options. He picked up a hammer, considered the torque wrench, then noticed a jack stand lying on the floor. Spying the crowbar next to it, he picked that up. It was lighter than the torque wrench, making it easier to swing as a weapon. He glanced at Maya. “What would you like? The crowbar or the torque wrench?”
Her brows lifted. “Crowbar.”
“Here you go.” He handed it to her, then placed the hammer in his pocket. His goal wasn’t to break the window, but to make thumping sounds that would draw the men out of the house.
He turned to face Maya. “Are you ready?”
Her gaze was solemn as she nodded. “Yes. We only fire in self-defense, and the goal is to keep Emily safe.”
“Agree.” He moved closer. “And I want you and Zion to be safe, too, okay? Let me do the hard work.”
“I’m not helpless,” she said, annoyed. “I know how to protect myself.”
Logically, he knew she was right. But he couldn’t bear the thought of her being hurt or worse. He reached for her hand, tugged her close, and kissed her. Her lips were cool but instantly warmed beneath his. For a long moment, they held each other close. Zion bumped her nose against him, making him smile.
Then he broke off from their kiss and took a step back. As much as he’d rather spend time with Maya, it was time to get to work.
But once Emily was safe, he wanted to see Maya again. Just the two of them. Alone.
Well, maybe with Zion too. But without the threat of danger looming over them.
He pulled his face mask up over his nose and mouth, drew his gloves on, and headed toward the garage door. He purposefully left the snowshoes behind. The trek to the front door would be difficult, but from there, he’d need to be agile. To move quickly in order to take whichever perp came to the front door.
This was it. As he stepped back out into the blizzard, he prayed.
Please Lord Jesus, keep Maya, Zion and Emily safe in Your care!
* * *
Shaken by Doug’s potent kiss—she’d momentarily forgotten they were in the garage of Blaine’s grandparents’ cabin—Maya pulled her protective gear into place.
“Come, Zion.” She held the crowbar in one hand and followed him out into the snow. The wind was stronger now, whistling between the trees. The tracks they’d made earlier were full now, leaving just the slightest indentations behind.
Walking in the deep snow without the snowshoes wasn’t easy, her foot sank to mid-shin with every step, yet she understood the need to leave them behind. Hopefully, they would be inside the cabin sooner rather than later.
Zion stayed at her side as she made her way around to the rear patio doors. She took a quick moment to peer into the bedroom window. Thankfully, Emily was still inside the room with her patient. They appeared to be talking, and she wondered if Emily was trying to convince the injured man to let her go.
Hopefully, Emily would stay put once Doug put his plan into action. She had her weapon but couldn’t use it while wearing gloves. Doug had the same issue. The armed perps had the advantage of being inside a warm dwelling.
The thought of Blaine and Cartega pulling their weapon and firing at her and Doug was sobering. This plan could easily go sideways. She glanced at her K9. Zion’s fluffy coat was covered with snow again, so she felt certain they wouldn’t see or aim at her dog.
At least Cartega wouldn’t. Blaine knew her well enough to realize that hurting her dog was the worst thing he could do. She considered sending Zion back to the garage, then decided it was better to have her partner nearby. Besides, as well trained as Zion was, she knew the husky would come running to protect her once things started happening.
And that may distract her from her mission. No, it was better to keep the dog close.
Maya pressed her back up against the side of the house and peered around the edge. The glow of the fire made her yearn to get closer; she was so cold her body was shivering. That was a good sign, but it wouldn’t take long for hypothermia to set in.
She saw Blaine and Cartega relaxing in their respective chairs, boots up on the coffee table. Apparently, they hadn’t moved in the time she and Doug had gone to the garage and back. She held the crowbar ready in case one of them decided to come out the back.
For several long seconds, nothing happened. Then she heard the distinctive thump as Doug slammed the hammer against the wall.
Both men straightened in their seats, turning to face the front window. When Maya realized she was holding her breath, she forced herself to breathe. After another long moment, the two men relaxed, apparently assuming the thudding noise was snow falling off the roof or taking down a tree branch.
Then Doug hit the side of the house again. Despite the wind and swirling snow, she was able to hear the sound. Again, the two men glanced at each other, then Cartega pulled his feet off the table and stood.
She could see Blaine telling him something, likely attempting to convince him the sound was nothing to worry about. A reluctant smile tugged at the corner of her mouth at how well Doug’s plan was working. She steeled herself to take action, watching as Cartega went to the picture window overlooking the front yard.
Come on, open the door, she thought. Open the door and step outside.
He didn’t. After peering through the window for ten seconds, he turned to say something to Blaine.
Now what? Should she make noise back here? Waiting was torture, and she tried to think like Doug.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The three bangs came close together, sounding as if he were kicking his foot against the front door.
Her breath caught in her throat as Cartega pulled his weapon from his waistband and reached for the door handle. She lifted her crowbar, wrapping her gloved hands around the base, waiting for the right time.
As if viewing a movie in slow motion, she watched as Cartega pulled the door open and took a step forward leading with his weapon. When she caught a blur of movement that resulted in Cartega going down, she took a quick step back, her foot slipping in the snow. By sheer force of will, she managed to stay upright and slam the crowbar against the wall with all her might.
The patio door abruptly slid open. Her awkward position of leaning against the side of the house put her at a disadvantage. Yet she brought the crowbar back, aiming for Blaine’s midsection, fearing she’d kill him if she struck him in the head.
Zion growled low in her throat, lunging forward and grabbing Blaine’s leg with her teeth.
“What the—” His curse was cut off when the dog bit down hard. “Oww!”
Maya brought the crowbar up again, ramming the metal bar into his gut. With Zion holding on to his leg, her thrust sent him reeling. Zion eventually let go, backing away but keeping her blue gaze on Blaine. Maybe it was her imagination, but the dog looked satisfied with the role she’d played in this tussle.
Shouldering her way through the opening of the patio door, she followed Blaine. The warmth was a blessing, but there was no time to appreciate it. Somehow, she’d managed to hang onto the crowbar. Blaine let out a howl and pulled his weapon. Before he could turn the muzzle toward her, she swung the metal rod, bringing it down on his wrist. He cried out in pain, curse words tumbling from his lips.
The gun clattered to the floor. She kicked it with her boot, sending it skittering across the wooden floor.
Right toward the injured man, who stood in the hallway off to the side of the kitchen next to Emily. He stopped the gun with his foot and their eyes met. His were an icy blue color, much like Zion’s.
Before she could say a word, Blaine launched himself at her. She took his weight with a muffled oomph, and they both tumbled backward. The back of her head slammed into the patio door, near the area that was already injured.
“What are you doing?” Emily cried out in horror.
Maya didn’t have time to glance at her because Blaine’s hands were closing around her throat. She brought her knee up into his groin, but the padded snowsuit she wore minimized the impact.
She tried to bring the crowbar up but couldn’t. Blaine let out another howl, making her realize Zion had grabbed his leg again.
His fingers loosened around her throat, providing the opening she needed. Dropping the crowbar, she wrestled her hands up between his arms to break his grip.
Then Blaine was suddenly pulled away from her. Zion still had a hold of his leg, and he went down, hitting the floor with a loud thud. From where she was slumped against the patio door, she could see how Blaine’s head bounced off the floor. Not that she felt much pity for him. “Release,” she croaked. “Zion, release!”
Zion let Blaine go and backed away, still growling. Thankfully, Blaine didn’t move, appearing to be out cold.
A flash of hot anger darkened Doug’s eyes as he whirled toward the injured man standing beside Emily. He was holding on to the wall and bending over to pick up the gun, but he was a moment too late.
“Don’t!” Doug barked. He had his weapon in hand and was pointing it directly at the wounded perp. “Let Emily go.”
The wounded man froze, then slowly lifted his hands palms forward. Then he went a step further and kicked the gun down the hall behind him.
“Doug!” Emily rushed forward as if to throw herself into his arms, but then stopped when her brother held out his hand. His gaze appeared locked on the only perp standing, and Maya feared he might just finish him off.
“Stay back,” Doug said harshly.
“Over here, Emily,” she said, her throat sore from being gripped by Blaine. She pulled her gloves off and fished in her pocket for her weapon. “Stand over here.”
“Who are you?” Emily asked in confusion.
Apparently, being covered from head to toe had made it difficult for Emily to recognize her. She pulled the face mask away. “Maya Sullivan, Kendra’s sister.” Despite the warmth of the fire, she was still shivering. Cold air streamed through the open front and patio doors. Her fingers trembled so badly she doubted she’d be able to shoot if needed. Thankfully, she didn’t think that would be necessary. “Do me a favor and close the patio door.”
“Maya!” Emily looked relieved to see her. The younger woman quickly closed the patio door, then stepped over Blaine to get to the front door.
Blaine abruptly grabbed Emily’s foot, stopping her.
“No!” Maya lunged forward, stomping hard on Blaine’s stomach, bringing the muzzle of her gun up to his face. “Let her go!”
Blaine did so, his eyes wide. Then he smirked. “You wouldn’t shoot me.”
“Don’t bet on that.” She stepped back, still holding her weapon in a two-handed grip. At this range, she couldn’t miss.
She hoped.
“Emily, we need rope to tie him up,” Doug said calmly. He glanced at her, nodded with appreciation, then added, “See what you can find.”
“O-okay.” Emily crossed to the kitchen, this time making sure to give Blaine and the injured perp a wide berth. “But how did you get here?”
“Long story,” Doug said tersely. “For now, we need to get these two men secured. Then I’ll go out to get Cartega. I don’t think I killed him, but the cold might do the job for me if I don’t get out there soon.”
“Will this work?” Emily held up a ball of twine.
“Yes.” Doug eyed Blaine. “Roll onto your stomach and put your hands behind your back. Don’t give me a reason to shoot.”
Blaine’s expression was sullen, but seeing Maya’s gun, he slowly rolled over onto his stomach. Emily bent over to secure the twine around his wrists.
“Tighten that binding,” Maya said.
Emily didn’t look happy but did as she was told.
“Now the wounded guy,” Doug said. “Tie his wrists behind his back too.”
“Oh, but he can’t...” Emily stopped at her brother’s searing look. “Okay.”
Before Emily could cross over, the injured man spoke for the first time. “You may want to get out of here, before our associate arrives.”
Their associate? Maya glanced at Doug, then back at the injured man. Was he making that up to scare them?
If not, their nightmare wasn’t over.