Chapter 14
14
A rcher raised his fist and stopped. This part of the property was overrun with scrub brush and weeds. The back window of the trailer near the kitchen had been busted. It looked like some kid had thrown a rock at it. He could only imagine what the inside must look and smell like. It was a shame to waste this part of the land. He made a mental note to discuss possibilities with his siblings. The talk could wait until after his brother’s safe return.
The barn consisted of two stalls and a storage pantry. From this distance, roughly twenty-five to thirty feet out, he could see the sliding door was slightly open. It wasn’t by much, not more than a crack.
The sun was out, but the barn was dark.
Would the bastard have left Owen and Becca alone? Was there more than one person involved? This felt like a two-person operation at a minimum. One person couldn’t pull off attacking Owen, and then somehow transporting him to this location. Owen was too heavy to carry unless the suspect was a former Mr. Universe-level bodybuilder. His twin wouldn’t go anywhere without a fight, if conscious. Carrying him as dead weight would be easy.
Was there some type of vehicle stashed nearby?
Travis came up beside Archer. The others came around to the right, stopping roughly ten feet away. Annalee hadn’t made eye contact with Archer since he’d requested to split up. The request hadn’t been personal. He would be distracted by her if she was in his group. It came down to being practical and surviving while keeping her safe. In Hudson’s group, she would be close enough for Archer to make a surprise move if needed but far away enough for him to focus without checking on her every two seconds. Split attention could mean certain death. He wouldn’t risk her life.
Or, at least, that had been the idea.
Instead of being laser-focused, he’d thought about where she was and how she was doing the entire walk. Keeping her at arm’s length emotionally was a good idea; physically, it didn’t work. Either way, she took up a lot of space in his head.
With her in sight, he could exhale again.
A dark thought struck. Since she no longer had the evidence in her possession, the bastard might not hesitate to fire directly at her.
She wasn’t a witness. She had no idea who the suspect was.
Would that mean anything to someone who had already killed?
He cursed the fact she wouldn’t stay back at the sheriff’s office or the main house where she would’ve been safe. With her mother’s life on the line, Annalee wouldn’t consider anything but being right here alongside him.
Archer had to see this through, as well. He couldn’t let Owen take another hit in his place.
“What now?” He mouthed the words to Travis, hoping his brother-in-law could read lips.
“We watch and wait,” Travis said, mouthing the words just like Archer had.
It was a smart move even though Archer wanted nothing more than to storm the damn building and get his brother back.
Travis brought his right hand up and used his index finger to draw an imaginary circle. Got it. Archer nodded. He turned and drew a circle, then forked his fingers and pointed at his eyes to indicate they would encircle the site and watch rather than enter. Hudson immediately acknowledged with a nod They were to gather intel but not engage.
If there was a getaway vehicle, Archer wanted to be the first to make certain the damn thing wouldn’t run. He couldn’t have the bastard escape when they were this close. Annalee wouldn’t be safe, and neither would her mother if the suspect made it out of there in anything but handcuffs.
With Travis by Archer’s side, it wouldn’t take long.
He checked his cell to see if there was coverage on this part of the property but got a weak bar. Still, it was enough. It made sense the trainer would request a spot that had cell phone access. Archer’s suspicion this was the location where Owen was being held against his will grew.
They had enough bars to send texts. From everything he knew about cell towers and phones, which admittedly wasn’t much, signals could be scrambled to make it look like it bounced off a nearby tower. Considering the sheer amount of information on the internet, it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how to move a signal. Archer didn’t care for being online or staring at a computer screen more than he had to in order to accomplish his work. He much preferred to be outside, on the land, or working with the horses. Hell, mucking a stall was better than sitting on his backside, staring at a device like a zombie. Still, he knew enough that he believed the kidnapper could manage to hide his location.
He and Travis headed to the left while Hudson and company moved in the opposite direction. They had numbers on their side. Travis was armed and a trained shooter. One-on-one, Archer had no doubt in his ability to fight. A rifle was no match for a fist. Archer would lose against a bullet. No contest.
However, the person would have to be experienced at shooting under pressure in order to hit a target. Once adrenaline kicked in, hands shook. The trees would make it even more difficult to get off a clean shot. Those factors helped even out the odds.
No matter which angle he took as he cut through the trees without making a sound, he couldn’t get a look at what was going on inside the barn. Someone was going to have to get closer. He would volunteer.
Once they circled all the way around, Travis reached down to retrieve something from his ankle. Metal glinted. Archer realized a second later that Travis was wearing an ankle holster. Travis handed over the weapon. In barely more than a whisper, he asked, “Will you consent to being my deputy and my backup?”
“Yes, sir,” he said quietly.
“Archer Sturgess, I hereby deputize you.” Travis handed over the backup weapon. “I trust you know how to use that.”
“I do,” Archer said. He risked a glance over at Annalee, who was staring at her phone with an intensity that told him something was horribly wrong.
She came over two seconds later, keeping her gaze focused on Travis. And then she tilted the screen.
What are you doing
RUN!
Archer’s gaze shifted toward the barn as the fear all hell was about to break loose nailed him.
Annalee didn’t know what to make of the warning. The only thought she could allow was that her mother had broken free and was escaping. Becca must have realized Annalee was about to blow it for her by storming the barn to rescue her.
“Get behind a tree and stay down,” Archer said to her.
Travis immediately nodded in agreement.
“I—”
“Please,” he begged. She didn’t dare look into those eyes for fear her resolve would melt, and all those feelings would come charging back. “I have to get Owen.”
He was right. Whether her mother was on her way to safety or not didn’t mean Owen was. No way would she step in between Archer and that barn if Owen was still inside.
“Go,” she said before stepping behind the largest trunk she could find.
Archer hesitated.
“We’ll take care of her,” Hudson promised his brother. This was the closest she’d come to having a family look out for her. Walking away was going to be hell. The only way she would be able to do it without making a fool out of herself would be to rip the Band-Aid off once this was over.
She would give her statement, grab her mother, and get the hell back to Austin. Becca could stay with Annalee while her mother got back on her feet. Annalee wouldn’t mind having company after this ordeal.
Archer was staring at her. She didn’t need to look directly at him to know. She could feel his gaze on her, always could. The man had a physical presence that could fill an entire room by just entering it.
As she kept her gaze fixed on the ground, he must have given up after a few quiet moments that seemed to stretch on for minutes. A chill swept over her the second he stepped away.
At least she could look up now.
Panic gripped her. First off, her mother’s warning—and it had to be from her—freaked her out. Should she stay rooted to the spot? Or should they all move and get out of sight? How had her mother secured the phone?
Annalee swept the area, searching for a sign her mother was out there and on the move. Would she come to Annalee? Could she?
Run. Becca’s message had been clear.
Beau moved beside Annalee, positioning himself behind a tree.
“I don’t see her,” she whispered as Travis led the way to the barn door. Was her mother peeking at Annalee from in between a crack? And why tell her to run? Was the suspect onto them? Had he caught sight of them in the woods? Gone back to talk to his partner? Had Annalee’s mother managed to grab the cell when no one was looking? Did that mean she wasn’t bound and gagged like Owen in the picture?
More questions assaulted her. Had her mother gained the bastard’s trust? Was she free to walk around?
Why wouldn’t she untie Owen and set him free if that was the case?
The answer came quickly. Becca must not have been able to. Her mother had gotten involved with creeps and lowlifes, but she wouldn’t sit back and watch one of those bastards harm an innocent person, would she? Maybe. If her life depended on it. Or if Annalee’s life depended on it. Would the bastards have threatened to harm Annalee if Becca made a wrong move?
The woman clearly wanted to protect her daughter. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have risked everything by sending the text. Annalee could only hope her mother hadn’t put herself in worse danger out of a sense of misguided protectiveness. Annalee had all the protection she needed to stay safe. Who did her mother have?
The answer came quickly. Me.
Panic gripped her as she watched Travis and Archer zigzag their way toward the barn door. In theory, a few more feet and they’d be knocking at the door. In practice, Travis would be with the property owners who gave consent to enter. He had a flashlight along with his weapon, both out in front of him. He was ready to shoot.
Travis positioned himself behind a massive oak that stood a few feet from the barn, thinking better of barging in. Archer was right behind the sheriff.
“This is the sheriff. Come outside with your hands where I can see them.” Travis’s demand came in the form of an authoritative voice.
Would it work?
“I repeat, I’m an officer of the law, and I’m commanding you to come outside with hands high, where I can see them at all times.” The second barked order netted the same result as the first.
Annalee had to suppress the urge to respond to her mother’s text. Would it make a sound? Give Becca away? She wished like anything she could call and hear her mother’s voice again. Be reassured that everything was going to be okay. Calm the rising panic—panic that caused bile to burn the back of her throat—and go back to their lives.
The last part sounded more like punishment after being with Archer. He’d been clear. He didn’t want to be anywhere near her. Did he finally blame her for this mess? She wouldn’t blame him if he couldn’t get over the past.
The voice of reason kicked in, asking how many more times did he have to reassure her that none of this was her fault before she would believe him?
If she believed that, she might end up believing life ended like fairy tales with happily ever afters. She’d learned at a young age not to believe in any of that nonsense. Life was hard. It kicked. It punched. It made her want to scream.
Except when she was with Archer.
For reasons she couldn’t explain, he had a way of calming her in ways she hadn’t known she needed. Annalee had believed she was complete without a relationship. She’d never bought into the BS that she needed another person to feel whole. However, being with Archer was something else, something better. It was like puzzle pieces that fit together to form this beautiful new picture. He made her want to rise up to be her best self.
And foolheartedly as it might have been, she had a sense that he felt the same. Her heart wanted to argue that he hadn’t had relationships with other people all these years because he still held space in his heart for her.
Even if it was true, Archer would never forgive her.
Would he?
Annalee saw a flash of yellow come from around the back of the barn. Yellow was Becca’s favorite color. She wore it most of the time, saying it reminded her sunnier days were ahead.
Had her mother escaped?
Annalee intended to find out.