13. TEN
TEN
C aitlin shifted uncomfortably as she glanced between Isabelle coloring and the window and back, like she had been since Jordan told her that Derrick was bringing his family. Had she really not outgrown her high school fear of females? She had always hung around the guys…mostly Jordan. They had been inseparable since the fifth grade, but that came with hanging out with all of his friends.
Guys made sense to her. They were crude and rambunctious, but there wasn’t the catty behind-the-back talking that girls had. Guys told each other face-to-face exactly how they felt, without beating around the bush or making another of their friends tell that friend and all the nonsense she saw go around the circle of girls in school.
“Relax,” Jordan said. “You’ll like Chasity.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “She has a baby,” he teased.
Her heart lurched. She loved babies, always had, but her heart ached at the truth of what babies meant to her now. The truth choked in her throat. She’d have to tell him eventually…and probably should sooner rather than later, especially after all they had been through. They didn’t need another obstacle to overcome…if the one they already had was beatable.
“Jordan…I have to tell you about…Isabelle’s birth.” She searched his eyes.
“If you’re mad that I wasn’t there—”
She shook her head. “I mean, I wanted you there. I cried for you…but that’s not what I need to tell you.”
Jordan sat next to her. “You know, these serious conversations are really starting to get old.” As he rolled his eyes, he smiled gently, taking her hand. “You can tell me anything. I want to hear it.”
“Well, her birth was very difficult. I ended up having to have an emergency c-section, but even that didn’t go as planned.” She blew out a breath, glancing at her daughter through blurry eyes. “It’s a miracle she’s here…she was born so early.”
Jordan gripped her hand tighter. “I should have been there with you.”
“Selfishly, I wanted you there…but maybe it was for the best you weren’t…it was a scary time. They were unsure if either of us would make it.”
“I would have never forgiven myself,” Jordan said the words between clenched teeth. “It will not happen again.”
She shook her head. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you…it can’t happen again.”
“I won’t let it. We will get the best doctors and…”
“Jordan,” she said, pulling his hands to make him look her in the eyes. “I can’t get pregnant again.”
He blinked, then searched her eyes. “I see.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she didn’t let go of his hands to wipe at them. “Do you? It means that I stole the only chance you had of seeing your child grow in me, be born, smile for the first time, talk for the first time, walk for the first time.” She sucked in a sob, gripping his hands as if her life depended upon them to keep her from the abyss that wanted to swallow her. “My fear did that. I was so horribly weak.”
Jordan swallowed, but he didn’t speak. His eyes glistened, but no tear released. He just stared at her, his eyes somewhat vacant, until they turned toward their daughter.
“She’s such a miracle,” he said.
“She is,” she said, sniffing and blowing out a shaky breath.
“You shouldn’t have gone through that alone.”
“I…I had my parents…but who I wanted was you…it’s my fault. I didn’t even give you a chance. I was so scared you would have pushed me away, made me leave, abandoned us both…so I left before you had the chance. I’m a coward.”
“You’ve never been a coward, Caity. You’re the most courageous woman I’ve ever known.” He squeezed her hand and scooted back, swiping a hand through his hair.
“Not with my heart…give me a mountain to careen down any day…but my heart…” She shook her head. “I’m still scared. How can you ever forgive me?”
The sound of a car pulling up the driveway had them both looking out the window. Buster stretched and click-clacked his way to the door, not even letting out a half-hearted bark. Jordan handed her a tissue and stood up, shaking out his arms. “From now on, let’s not have serious conversations before company.” He chuckled, rolling his shoulders. “Do you want to, uh, freshen up before they come in?”
She wiped at her eyes. “I’m sure I look a mess.” Her heart pounded with the realization that he hadn’t responded to her question…and the fear within her increased. She glanced at Isabelle, still quietly coloring.
“I got her. You go. We’ll be here when you’re ready to face them, but Caity, you will like Chasity. You two have more in common than you know.”
Caitlin nodded, then snuck into the hall as the doorbell rang.
“Who there?” Isabelle asked as Caitlin rounded the corner and Jordan’s soothing words filtered to her as she closed herself in the bathroom.
Once composed and eyes not so red and puffy, she emerged, finding the group in the living room. Derrick’s daughter played horses with Isabelle on the rug, Chasity held their baby in her arms, smiling down at him. The men were nowhere to be seen.
Chasity looked up as Caitlin froze. “Oh, hi, you must be Caitlin. I’m Chasity.” Chasity stood, untangling one arm from the cute bundle in her arm to squeeze Caitlin’s hand. “The guys went outside, away from little ears. I’m sure you could join them…or you could sit with us. I know you’ve been through a lot, and those men get so serious. Sometimes it's nice to get lost in the innocence of children.”
“So you know…”
“Derrick tells me everything,” she said with a wink. “They start opening up a lot more once the babies come.”
“Yeah,” Caitlin said, glancing from Isabelle to the deck, where she now saw the guys bent over the railing and talking in earnest. “They do look pretty serious.”
“They get like that when the ones they love are in danger.” Chasity smiled a knowing smile. “Sit. I know how long they can hash out details, and your input won’t change their cowboy go-get-em plans, anyway.”
Caitlin sat, keeping her eyes averted from the baby as much as possible.
“Derrick told me you like babies…you want to hold him?”
“I, uh, thank you, but I’m…” Caitlin glanced at the tiny hand clasped around his mama’s finger. “He really did tell you everything.”
“Well, the man-version, at least.” She smiled. “We women know there’s always more to the story.”
“Isn’t that the truth,” she said, feeling her shoulders relax slightly. One of the guys slammed a hand down on the railing, making Caitlin jump and peer out the window.
“Have you started seeing things in the shadows yet?” Chasity asked, taking her eyes off her son and searching Caitlin’s.
“What?”
“Well, that fear…first you start jumping at all the sounds from a slam of someone’s hand to the creak of a house. Then, it’s the shadows…they seem to take on shapes and move.” Chasity shivered. “It will pass with time.”
Caitlin peered closer at the woman, remembering something that Jordan had said about Chasity’s past. “You talk like you know.”
“I do.” She raised her eyebrow. “Jordan didn’t tell you?”
“He said something…but we’ve been a bit inundated with, well, a lot of things.” Her eyes fell on her daughter.
“Of course, you guys had a lot to catch up on.” Chasity rested a gentle hand on Caitlin. “You don’t have to tell me. I know a mom will do whatever she feels is best to keep their child safe. I see that in your eyes.”
“Thanks,” Caitlin said, shifting her position.
“And yes, I understand. I was almost murdered.” She whispered the word so the girls didn’t hear.
Caitlin’s head snapped up to meet her eyes, and the woman shrugged.
“Sounds crazy, huh?” Chasity sighed, holding her son closer and breathing in his sweet baby scent. “Obviously, I survived, but then I was stalked…for so long. So, you see, I understand that fear.”
“Wow…that’s intense.” Caitlin rubbed her hands on her pants. “I can’t even imagine what that’s like…I mean. You seem so normal.”
Chasity giggled. “Sometimes I feel normal, other times…” She shrugged. “At times like that, talking to my friend Megan helps.”
Caitlin chewed on her lip as she put the picture together. “Wait, wasn’t Megan dealing with a stalker, too?”
“Yeah, weird, huh, and now you.”
“Well, my situation is different. It’s not a stalker, someone is after my…” She clamped her lips shut and widened her eyes.
Chasity leaned forward. “It’s okay. Derrick tells me everything, remember?”
Caitlin nodded.
“Every situation is different, but I think I understand more than your average gal.” Chasity reached over and squeezed her hand. “And I’m here if you ever need to talk. Maybe you, Megan, and I can form a survivor club.” She laughed again.
“You might be onto something there,” Caitlin said, though the idea of hanging out with other women…for fun felt foreign.
A knock on the front door drew both of their gazes to it as a bodyguard came barreling through. Douglas stood there looking at them a moment while his eyes adjusted. “Miller’s on his way in. Mind if I use the…” He nodded toward the hallway where the bathroom was.
“Of course not, thank you, Douglas,” Caitlin said, freeing the man to escape down the hall, his neck reddening as he did.
“Though I didn’t have a paid entourage like you,” Chasity said.
“Well, it’s nice to have from some aspects…and others…”
“I get it. It was hard enough having Derrick and Jordan hovering over me. I can’t imagine actual bodyguards.”
“It’s different,” Caitlin said, shrugging off the unease she always felt when things that mentioned her dad’s line of work or money made it into conversations. “I better let Jordan know Miller’s on his way.”
One knock on the window and the guys came in, Buster trotting at their heels to circle in front of the woodstove before plopping into a heap.
“Hey, Derrick,” she said, barely meeting his eyes, knowing the distrust she would find in them.
“You already met my wife?” he asked, pulling her aside and bending in closer at her nod. “She’s amazing, isn’t she?” A spark of his old self popped through, and her heart lightened.
“She is. I’m happy for you.”
“Thank you,” Derrick said, his gaze pulling from hers to rest on his wife’s. “She’s very loyal.”
The words bit, as intended, and she wrapped her arms around herself.
“He’s my best friend,” he said, almost as an apology.
“I didn’t mean to hurt him…and I definitely don’t mean to hurt him now.”
“So, you aren’t leaving once all this is done?” Derrick met her gaze squarely now.
“That’s up to him,” Caitlin said, glancing at Jordan, who lay on the ground with the girls.
Derrick took her by the shoulders. “You don’t put this on him. Are you going to fight to stay here in his life, to be what he needs you to be, to be what your daughter needs you to be?”
Her heart ached that he even thought he needed to ask those questions. “My daughter has always come first…and Jordan.” She swallowed, then thrust her jaw out and stared him right in the eyes. “He’s mine, and I will fight for him.”
Derrick searched her eyes a moment longer, then dropped the grip on her shoulder. “That’s what I needed to know.” He gave a curt nod and walked away.
The emotions whirled up inside her at her admittance, at the truth that lived behind her words, and with everything going on…the tears were so close to the surface. She hesitated only a moment, then took off toward the hall.
“Caitlin, you okay?” Jordan pushed to a sitting position.
She spun at the entrance to the hallway. “Yeah,” she choked out, pushing a smile to her face, “Just, uh, got to…” She pointed down the hall, unable to finish and fled.
“What did you say to her, man?” Jordan’s words followed her as she continued to the bathroom, but the door was locked, and she remembered Douglas.
She chastised herself for her weakness as she fled to Jordan’s room, outside the sliding glass door, and onto the deck, around the corner until she plopped on the stairs, hidden from eyes inside.
A moment later she swore she saw a shadow move, and Chasity’s words haunted her. She blinked repeatedly, trying to clear the tears so she could see straight, swearing the shadow continued to move. A scream escaped her lips as a cold hand slipped over her mouth, blocking the sound from reaching the men inside.
The hand stank of tobacco and tasted bitter. She tore at it, kicking and fighting, and the man holding her grunted when she made contact.
“Get ahold of her, idiot.” The shadow turned into a man, and the man held a gun pointed at her, stilling her body, all except her pounding heart. “There you go. Do what we say…and we may not have to hurt you.”
“What about the little girl?” the man holding her asked as he jerked Caitlin to her feet.
Caitlin’s body went limp, fearing for her daughter.
“Leave her. Kids are more trouble, and she’s all we need.”
Caitlin sucked in a breath, as much as she could, sending a silent prayer of gratitude. Isabelle would be safe. Her daddy would make sure she had everything she needed…even if….even if she didn’t make it out of this.
An uneasy feeling crawled up Jordan’s spine, nagging at him ever since Caitlin went down the hall. Buster sat at the slider, panting and whining. “You were just out, boy.” He pulled his attention off the dog, doing his best to focus on what Miller was saying about needing to fortify the perimeter.
“So there are three places they most likely will try to come in,” Miller said, pointing at a satellite map of Jordan’s property.
“Where’d you get this?” Jordan looked curiously at the map. He hadn’t seen his property layout like this since he and Caitlin bought it years ago. He glanced down the hall, wishing he could show it to her now. Douglas came out of the hall, and seeing him there threw his thoughts into a whirlwind.
“Where were you?” Jordan asked, cutting whatever Miller was saying off.
“Just, uh, using the privy, man.” The guy’s face reddened.
“Where’s Caitlin?” Jordan strode towards him.
“I…I don’t know. I hadn’t seen her since I went in. The doorknob wiggled awhile ago, but…” the guy shrugged.
“Maybe she went to the master?” Derrick stood up, keeping his voice cool, but the hairs rose on the back of Jordan’s neck as he saw his friend flip off the safety strap that held his gun in place.
That was all the encouragement Jordan needed. He raced down the hall. “Caitlin?” As he entered his room, he called louder. “Caitlin!” The bathroom was empty. The only thing that looked disturbed were the shades pulled back on the slider door.
Derrick followed his gaze. “Was that locked?”
“Yeah.” Jordan reached over, seeing the crack between the door and the jamb right away. “Maybe she went for a walk.”
“That’d be stupid,” Miller announced as he pushed through them and outside.
Jordan attempted to push past him as he shouted Caitlin’s name again, but Miller held out a staying arm, and dropped into a squat. He pulled out his radio. “Peters, any sign of perps or vehicles?”
“Heard a vehicle tear down a side road, but nothing here, sir.”
“Side road…” Jordan’s eyes met Derrick’s. “The fire road.”
Jordan jumped over Miller and ran through the forest to his fence line next to the fire road, ignoring the scuff marks and heel drags in the forest duff, not wanting to believe it. “Caitlin!!!”
Buster ran ahead of him, racing with his nose to the ground. They made it to the fence line, and Jordan grabbed the wooden boards that someone had pulled off and slammed them to the ground before he ducked through the opening that whoever had taken the love of his life had made. “Caitlin!” He screamed at the empty road and tire tracks left in the dirt.
Derrick’s sheriff's SUV sped around the corner, kicking up a cloud of dust, spinning again and stopping right before him. “Get in,” Derrick yelled. “They’re headed toward town.”
“Go home, boy!” Jordan shouted to Buster, who turned and ran for the house.
Miller yanked open the door, shoving Jordan inside and climbing in next to him. “Step on it,” he called out, then got on his radio, issuing orders to the others.
“Tell Chasity to watch over Isabelle,” Jordan said in a panic. “What if she’s next?”
Miller shook his head. “If they wanted the little girl, they would have waited until they could grab them both. She’d only slow them down.”
Derrick handed Jordan his phone before placing his hand back on the steering wheel and squealing the tires as they hit the main road. “It’s calling her.”
“What’s going on, Derrick?” Chasity’s panicked voice came over the line.
“It’s Jordan. They took her…they took her.” Jordan wept, then swiped a hand down his face.
“Go get her back. I’ve got Isabelle. We’ll be fine.” Her voice became slightly muffled, but he heard her instruct Kami to let Buster in and lock the doors. “We’ll be safe. Just go get her back.”
“Thank you,” Jordan said, his heart tearing as he thought of Isabelle there, scared without her mommy or her daddy. “Give my girl hugs. Tell her it’s going to be all right.”
“Of course it will be. We’ll keep her busy and happy. You need to focus…and keep my husband safe.”
“I will,” Jordan said, ending the call and handing the phone back over to Derrick.
“What I wouldn’t give to have Armstrong right now.” Derrick pulled out his radio. “Dispatch, we have a 10-65 and are currently in pursuit of an unknown vehicle. Probably a dark SUV holding one female hostage, late twenties, slight build. Possibly heading toward town. Send all units and call in New Hope and surrounding units. Code 3.”
“On it, sir. Tony’s on his way and re-routing all other units there now.” Bertie’s static voice came over the radio.
“What are the chances…I mean, they could be past Hope Lake now…” Jordan turned to Miller. “Where would they take her?”
Miller’s jaw worked, the veins in his head popping out. “Back to the city, I’d guess. We won’t let them get that far. Can’t this thing go any faster?”
Derrick floored his patrol car, sirens wailing, and the world whirred past. Each moment seemed to take forever as they raced toward town.
“Possible sighting at Gus’s.” The radio crackled.
“Gus’s? That the gas station?” Miller asked.
“Yeah, you don’t think it could be them?” Jordan asked, hope filling his voice.
“If they’re professionals, then they messed up pretty bad…and they’ll wish for death rather than what their boss would have in store for them.”
Caitlin’s mind rushed with thoughts, envisioning herself flying out of the car while they turned, but the man holding a gun on her watched with a smirk as if he read her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut, reaching out to steady herself as the car swung around a corner.
A ding came from the console. “What in the…, you dimwit. You didn’t fill up the tank?” The driver swore under his breath.
“That’s not my responsibility. You’re the driver. Besides, it was supposed to be a scouting mission. You’re the one that grabbed the girl.”
The driver swore again, slamming a hand against the wheel with a strangled yell. “This won’t even get us to the next town over. We’re running on fumes.”
“You’ll have to stop at that two-pump station.”
“In the middle of town?” The driver slammed his fist into the door, roaring with frustration. “You are the stupidest, idiotic…” He continued the insults as he drove into town. He pulled up to the pumps, turning back to them. “You keep quiet or your brains will ruin my leather seats.”
Caitlin gulped, but the moment he let go of her gaze she scanned the small gas station, looking for familiar faces. The side windows were dark. No one could see through them, but the windshield…
Mrs. Manning passed by, eyeing the driver pumping the gas, then the car. She gasped when she saw Caitlin through the window, waving broadly.
“Don’t even think about it,” the man behind her muttered, shoving the barrel of the gun against her ribs.
“Is that you, Caitlin?” Mrs. Manning came closer, leaning over to look through the window, her voice muffled by the car. “It is you! Well, goodness dear, what’s it been? Four years? I thought I saw you the other day.”
“Lady, move away from the vehicle.” The driver’s angry voice didn’t faze Mrs. Manning, nor him waving her away.
“Oh, but that’s my friend in there. I haven’t seen her in ages. You must be the father of that cute little girl of hers, aren’t you? Well, I’m Mrs. Manning and—”
“Lady, I don’t want no trouble,” the angry man said, and fear rippled through Caitlin.
“Let me talk to her so she’ll go away.” She pleaded with the man with the gun.
“I don’t know…”
“Please, she’s relentless. She won’t leave without hearing from me, and I don’t want her to get hurt. I won’t say anything.” She looked frantically from where she saw the driver’s hand going to his gun and Mrs. Manning who knocked on the tinted window.
“Caitlin Myers. Now come on. I was your Sunday school teacher twenty years ago. I knew you before you could tie your shoelaces. Open this door.”
“Please,” Caitlin begged.
“What’s going on, Martha?” Henry from the mechanic’s shop next door came over.
“Oh, Henry. I’m so glad you’re here. Caitlin Myers is in this car. Don’t you want to say hi? It’s been four years since she disappeared.” Mrs. Manning knocked on the window, holding her hands around her eyes to peer in.
The other door opened. “Get rid of them or they die.” The door slammed, and the guy with the gun rolled down the window, licking his lips.
“There you are, dear. How are you doing? Oh my, you look a fright. Everything all right?” Mrs. Manning stuck her head in the car. “Oh, who’s this? And where’s that cute little girl I saw you with?”
“Oh, she’s with Jordan,” Caitlin smiled, willing her lips to stop trembling. “It’s good to see you, Mrs. Manning and Henry. I wish I could talk more, but we’re in a hurry.”
“Who are your friends, dear? They look very city to me. I didn’t think you were one to run off to the city.” She looked over at Henry. “What do you think, Henry?”
“Oh, not me. Never did I think that of sweet Caitlin. Hi, honey.”
“What’s this?” Mr. O’Neil from the hardware store came over.
“Oh, look, O’Neil, look who’s come back,” Mrs. Manning said, smiling broadly, but Caitlin saw the woman's hand clenching tight to her purse.
The gun jammed hard into Caitlin’s ribs, making her gasp. “I’m sorry, we really have to go. I’ll stop by next time I’m in town…in fact, why don’t you go see my little girl at Jordan’s house? He’d love to know you saw me.” The gun dug in deeper, bruising her bone.
“You all right, dear? You look to be in pain.” Mrs. Manning said, sticking her hand in and feeling her forehead.
“That’s why we need to leave. They’re taking me into New Hope to the hospital. Please…please let us leave now.”
The driver slammed the gas door and got into the car with a growl, but by now it felt like half the town had surrounded the car, all talking and saying hello to Caitlin. “What’s going on? Make them leave!” the driver growled, one hand on the gun under his jacket.
The man shoving the gun into her ribs licked his lips again and panted.
Caitlin’s head spun, not knowing what to do. “Please, I don’t want anyone to get hurt,” she whispered to the men, before turning back to the crowd, begging them to leave.
Between the heads in the crowd, she caught a glimpse of Derrick’s cruiser sliding into town, lights flashing but siren off. A moment later, her door opened and Henry wrapped his arms around her.
“It’s so good to see you, honey. You simply must come over and say hello to Betsy. She would never forgive me.”
“Stop it right there!” The man that had the gun shoved into her ribs wrapped his arm around her throat and pointed the gun at the crowd.
“Forget it, man. We’ve been made. Throw her out. We gotta go!” The driver punched the gas, ripping Caitlin from the man’s arms as she fell into Henry.
Derrick screeched to a stop in front of the SUV and his deputy pulled in behind them, blocking their exit. Henry’s arms encircled her, and the crowd surrounded her as they fled from the gas station.
Jordan flung himself out of Derrick’s patrol car, his feet landing on the slippery, gas covered cement, but he never stopped running. He didn’t care about the men in the dark SUV yelling threats. All he cared about was the girl the crowd had enveloped like a protective flock of hens.
“Caitlin!” he yelled, weaving his way through the mob until he pulled her into his arms.
In the background, he heard threats and a couple of shots fired, but he couldn’t even look. He buried his head into his wife, weeping, holding her close.
“I’ve got you, I’ve got you.”
She clung to him, her body trembling. “Isabelle,” she murmured.
“She’s safe with Chasity. You’re safe. You’re safe.” He kissed her head, her forehead, her salty cheeks, and finally her lips before pulling her closer against his chest.
A man cleared his throat and Jordan blinked, realizing that they were being watched like a soap opera. “Thank you. All of you. I am so grateful to all of you.”
Mrs. Manning clucked. “You think we’d let someone take that girl away from us again? Uh-uh…not gonna happen in our town.”
“That’s right,” the crowd agreed, a soft murmur going through the group in a wave.
“We protect our own,” Henry said.
Jordan dropped his head to Caitlin’s, each breathing in each other’s air, gratitude filling him. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again.”