Chapter 10
After seeing Dmitry, Adam drove back to the ranch and showed his brothers the map Dmitry had drawn.
“I know that cabin. I hunt in that area. I drive by it every year. It’s one of the nicer cabins out there,” said Fred. “It’s a bit of a drive and the road is mostly ruts so the going is slow and hard.”
Adam slammed his hand on the table. “I don’t care about that.
I’ll go as fast as I can. Dmitry said the road will eventually go to Oak Creek.
If Ricard gets to Denver, it will be nearly impossible to track him regardless of any tracking skills we may have.
But when I find him…and I will find him,” he stopped and took a deep breath.
“He’ll be sorry he ever crossed the Sullivan brothers. ”
All six of them agreed.
Adam slapped his hand on the table again. Benjamin placed his hand on top of Adam’s and so it went until Gabriel’s hand was on top of the pile. “One for all.”
“Yes!” Resounded around the table.
“We’ll find her,” said Christopher. “And we’ll make him pay, Brother. He won’t escape our wrath.”
Adam put a hand on Christopher’s shoulder and squeezed. “I want you to check out all the rental car companies. I want to know where he rented his car from. That’s where they will be going before they get on a plane.”
“I can do that. Give me a few minutes. This won’t take long.” Christopher stood and left the room.
“I’m going to check the cabin. Whether they are there or not, I’ll be returning here.”
“Call and let us know what you find,” said Benjamin.
“Will do.” Adam took the route to Dmitry’s cabin.
Once he reached the cabin, he was immediately disappointed.
No vehicle. No one was there. He checked inside, and the place was a disaster.
They’d obviously spent all the time they’d been missing in the cabin.
Someone must have warned him that they were coming.
The only person it could have been was Dmitry. Adam would deal with him later.
Adam raced outside and called Benjamin. “They aren’t here. I’ll be back shortly then we will all head to Denver.”
He raced back to the ranch. All his brothers were gathered in his father’s office.
“I checked the rental car companies. He used Hertz. He’s driving a black Ford Expedition,” said Christopher.
Letting out a breath, Adam clapped Christopher on the back. “You’re a pretty smart man when you want to be. Let’s go.”
“Wait,” said Christopher. “We might not have to go to Denver. I checked the traffic cams while I was waiting for the rental car search. I saw what I’m sure was that vehicle go into Steamboat and head out toward the ski areas. I think going to Denver would be a wild goose chase.”
Adam stared at his younger brother. “What do you propose?
“I think we find out where Dmitry has another property in that area. That is where we’re likely to find Ricard.”
“What about him heading to Denver?” asked Benjamin.
“If Christopher thinks we should check out the private lodges, then I agree we should. It seems to be the more tangible lead,” said Everett. “And if it turns out to be a wild goose chase, we’ll still have time to track him to Hertz in Denver.”
“Let’s hurry. I want to catch him before he reaches his destination,” said Adam.
“We will. It will take him longer to get to Steamboat than it will take us,” said Daniel.
“That’s right,” said Gabriel. “We should be able to cut him off or at the very least, get behind him.”
“Let’s go.” Adam walked out the door to his truck.
Ricard managed to beat them to Steamboat. His driver, Viktor, must have floored it all the way to have that happen.
Adam managed to catch up with him.
When the Expedition reached town, the vehicle headed straight west into the mountains. Any cabins up there would be hard to find without a map unless a person was familiar with the area. How would Ricard know about them?
Adam followed him but at a distance, keeping two to three cars between them. That wouldn’t work on the dirt and gravel roads in the forests but it would as long as he stayed in town.
Ricard headed toward the ski areas.
Adam’s stomach tightened more the farther west Ricard’s vehicle drove.
The roads narrowed quickly to just barely the width for two cars, and then only if one of the cars drove in the ditch next to the road.
The road twisted higher into the mountains toward a smattering of expensive vacation homes and private ski chalets hidden among the pines.
Snow still clung to the shadows beneath the trees. Even though spring had reached the valley below it still had a ways to go before reaching where they were..
Ricard seemed to know exactly where he was going.
That meant he had help or perhaps another safe house waiting.
Neither possibility sat well with Adam. He gripped the steering wheel harder as the Expedition ahead disappeared briefly around another sharp curve.
Every second Millie remained with that man was another second too long.
Ahead, Ricard turned suddenly onto a private gravel driveway marked with an old, battered sign that read NO TRESPASSING.
Adam drove past the road without slowing, his pulse pounding.
He counted slowly under his breath before continuing another quarter mile up the road.
Then he made a U-turn and pulled into the shade beneath a stand of aspens and grabbed his phone.
“I found him,” he told Benjamin. “Private road west of the ski resort. Texting coordinates now.”
“Wait for us,” Benjamin ordered.
Adam stared through the windshield toward the hidden road. “I’ll try.”
Benjamin cursed.
They both knew that patience was not in Adam’s wheelhouse.
“Adam, if you move in too fast you could do more harm than good. You know this, so wait for us. We’re leaving the ranch now. We’ll twenty minutes to reach you. I’ll have a plan to get Millie out, I promise. Just wa—"
Adam ended the call.
Inside the Expedition, Millie watched the dark forest roll past her window and tried not to panic.
Ricard’s moods had become more unstable during the drive from the cabin.
One minute he was silent, the next he was muttering in Russian beneath his breath.
He seemed to forget that she was Russian, too, and understood what he said.
One thing she did know when she saw it was fear. Sergey’s warning must have finally begun to sink in. Her father would not tolerate this humiliation forever. Especially not once law enforcement became involved and she was certain that Adam would have contacted the Routt County sheriff.
She smiled. Her father would be enraged…with Ricard. However, this knowledge brought with it fear. Ricard was cornered now and more dangerous than ever, which made him unpredictable…and that scared her more than anything.
The building they finally reached was far larger than the hunting lodge.
This one was a luxury ski house perched against the mountainside with massive windows and a wide stone patio overlooking the valley below.
Expensive. Isolated. Perfect for hiding.
Ricard shoved her toward the front door while Viktor carried in the bags from the Expedition.
“You will stay quiet,” Ricard warned softly near her ear. “If Sullivan followed us, people will die tonight.”
Despite the fear clawing through her chest, Millie lifted her chin. “If Adam followed us, you should be afraid…very afraid.”
For the first time since taking her, Ricard looked uncertain.
Adam waited exactly seventeen minutes before headlights appeared behind him.
All six of his brothers arrived within seconds of each other along with two security SUVs.
Adam quickly explained the situation while they all gathered around the hood of Benjamin’s Ford F-350 truck, studying the map of the area on his phone.
“There are only two ways off this mountain,” Fred said grimly. “The road we all took here and a service trail behind the property. If he panics, and he will, he’ll use the trail.”
“Then we block both,” Gabriel said.
Adam checked the magazine of his weapon with steady hands.
His brothers exchanged glances but wisely said nothing. There was something frightening at how calm he’d become,” thought Daniel.
“No mistakes,” Adam said quietly. “Millie comes first. Nothing else matters.”
Christopher rested a hand briefly on Adam’s shoulder before moving back toward his vehicle. “We’ll get her home tonight.”
Adam looked toward the dark mountain rising ahead. Somewhere up there Millie was waiting. Pregnant with his child. Terrified and alone.
“Tonight we bring my wife home,” said Adam softly.