Chapter 44
Lainie knew help was on the way, and that they would want an update.
She had left Charlie hanging. But she dare not risk a phone call until she knew exactly what was happening.
She tiptoed to the bedroom door. There was a lot of noise on the other side of the door, and for a time, she simply listened.
She could hear things being moved, glass breaking.
Then a male voice demanded, “Where is it?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Archie said. “I’ve got nothing to hide. If I knew I’d tell you.”
She heard what sounded like a slap.
“H-h-hitting me won’t g-g-get you answers.” Archie only stuttered when stressed.
More ransacking going on, glass breaking. There was more than one person in the house with Archie. Lainie had to count on at least two and not be surprised. Where were the boys?
“I’m out of patience,” the first voice said. “It’s here somewhere and you’d better tell me, or it will go bad for you and those kids.”
He threatened her nephews.
Lainie found herself out of patience.
She opened the bedroom door and hurried down the hallway, gun up. When she stepped into the living room she saw Archie on his knees, blood streaming from his nose. A man stood in front of him, a man Lainie recognized from the photo she’d just been shown: Tom Thornton.
Gun still up, Lainie said, “Get away from him.”
Ben opened the gate and he and Sara slipped into the neighbors’ yard. The wood fence was not a huge barrier, and they both scaled it and were in the Jensens’ yard in short order.
“The window for the master bedroom is around the corner.” Sara kept her voice low and pointed.
“Let’s move up there.” Ben drew his weapon and they both eased along the side of the house to the corner.
Ben peered around the corner. He could see the window and a neatly manicured backyard.
No people but sounds of glass breaking and things thumping from somewhere inside the house. The blinds were tightly closed.
He turned to Sara. “Wait here. I’m going to try and open the window. Cover me.”
She nodded.
Ben had to step on some plants to get close to the window, and he hoped the Jensens didn’t mind.
Once next to the window, he listened and heard nothing.
He holstered his gun and pulled a pocketknife from his pocket to pry the screen off.
Once it was free from the window frame, he set it on the ground under the window.
Carefully he pushed up the window, expecting it to protest and be difficult. Thankfully, he was wrong. The window opened easily. Pushing the blinds up, he peered inside the room. Something was on the bed. He sucked in a breath and squinted.
Two children were on the bed, both bound and gagged. He had to get in.
He carefully stepped back to Sara.
He filled her in on the situation, whispering. “They are bound and gagged. Let your sergeant know that I am going to try and get them.”
“Lainie’s nephews. You sure that’s wise?”
“I think it’s the only way to save them.”
Sara chewed on her bottom lip, moved away from the house back to the fence. She climbed over, then she keyed her mike and let the sergeant know.
Ben didn’t wait to hear his objections. He feared that it would make a lot of noise when he slid under the blinds, but he had no choice. The boys were clearly in danger.
He pushed himself up and in, realizing he’d be an easy target at first. The boys squirmed, and he was certain that he’d scared them. He pushed his body in, landed on his hands, then scooted the rest of the way inside.
Standing as quickly as he could, Ben put a finger to his lips, trying to put the boys at ease and quiet their frightened murmurs. He heard voices in the other room. Someone was searching for something. He couldn’t pause to listen. Two pairs of frightened eyes stared up at him from the bed.
He scooped one off the bed and shoved him out the window. Sara was there and ready to take him. Ben was glad she’d come. To her credit, she didn’t hesitate. She holstered her weapon and took him. It appeared to Ben that the boy knew her because his body relaxed as Sara took him.
Ben held up his finger to indicate that he would return for the next one. She nodded and disappeared around the corner with the boy.
Ben retrieved the second boy, and by the time he shoved him out the window, Sara was back. With the boys gone, Ben stared at the bedroom door. What should his next move be?
Eyes wide, the man jerked toward Lainie. Over his shoulder she could see the other man staring at her from the kitchen.
Lainie’s gun was up and on target.
Thornton threw his hands up. “Whoa, whoa! Don’t get excited.”
“Excited? You’ve ransacked the house and you’re beating up my brother. You need to step away from him now. Archie, move away.”
He scrambled away from the man and toward Lainie.
“And if you think I won’t shoot at the slightest provocation, you’re wrong. You, come out of the kitchen.”
“You might want to put your gun down,” the man in the kitchen said. He disappeared momentarily and then appeared around the corner with his gun drawn, pointed right at Archie.
Lainie didn’t hesitate. Like shooting a target at the range, she pulled the trigger twice, hitting the man center of mass and he crumpled in the hallway. His gun fired into the floor before it fell from his hand. He grunted in pain.
Though half deaf from the sound of gunfire, Lainie brought her gun around quickly as Thornton reached toward his waistband. “You’re dead if you draw that weapon. I’m not playing.”
Surprise and fear sparked on the man’s face. He brought his hands up and said nothing.
“Where are the boys, Archie?”
“The bedroom—”
There was the whoop of a siren from outside, and a voice came over the PA. “This is the Long Beach Police Department. Exit the house with your hands up.”
Lainie didn’t take her eyes off the big guy to grab her phone. She needed him unarmed. “You heard that. Backup is here. And your friend likely needs help. With your left hand, take your gun out and drop it on the floor. When he does that, Archie, pick it up and then get the other gun.”
The man slowly complied, and once Archie had possession of both guns, Lainie retrieved her phone from her pocket and called Charlie to explain the situation.
“I’m sending my brother to the front door, and he’ll let everyone in. Let me know when you’ve advised them. We also need medics. In here, a bad guy is down.”
In a few minutes, Charlie let her know that everyone had been notified.
“Give me the guns, Archie, and then answer the door.”
Her brother wiped his nose on his sleeve and did as she asked. Lainie didn’t relax until two uniformed officers entered and handcuffed Thornton. As soon as the officers entered, Archie ran toward a back bedroom.
Then he came running back. “The boys are gone!”
“What?” Her adrenaline ramped up at warp speed.
“Relax,” one of the uniformed officers said. “We got them out.”
“We?”
“Yeah, Sara can explain.”
Just then Sara walked through the front door. “When we hadn’t heard from you, we did some reconnaissance, snuck into the back, saw the kids tied up on the bed, and got them out to protect them.”
Relief flooded Lainie. “Where are they now?”
“Outside getting checked by medics. They are scared but seem okay.”
The prisoner was taken out of the house at the same time two medics came in to deal with the man Lainie had shot.
“You did that, Sara? Thanks.”
“It was me and that FBI agent, Ben. He was great.”