Chapter Twenty-Seven
AS SOON AS Cam climbed through the window opening, he scooped up Julio and clutched him in his arms. “Buddy, do you trust me?”
The boy nodded.
“I’m going to carry you out of here, okay? You were drugged, and your balance isn’t great right now. I don’t want you to fall and hurt yourself.”
“Okay. But when I feel better, can I walk?”
“If you can walk a straight line, we’ll talk about it, all right?”
He nodded.
“One more thing, bud.”
“What?”
“I want you to rest your head on my shoulder and close your eyes.”
“Why?”
“To get to you, we had to fight off a lot of men. You’ll have enough bad dreams without adding the sight of those men, too.”
“I know what injured men look like. Eddie comes in late at night sometimes, all bloody and stuff. I can close my eyes, I guess.” He leaned close so his mouth was against Cam’s ear. “Don’t tell anybody, but I’m tired.”
“It’s a side effect of the drug the men gave you. You will be back to normal soon.”
“Okay.” Julio rested his head against Cam’s shoulder and heaved an enormous sigh. In seconds, he was totally relaxed in Cam’s arms and breathing heavy against his ear.
He grinned. Exactly what he wanted to hear. Good thing that he’d met Julio before now. He didn’t know if the kid would put that much trust in a total stranger.
Spencer checked Julio’s blood pressure, heart rate, and airway. After a couple of minutes, Spencer looked at Cam and signaled that the kid was all right.
Thank God.
“Where to next, sir?” Dario asked.
“Back to the SUVs. We need to get Julio to the hospital.” Cam turned to Levi. “Find out where the chopper took Caleb, and we’ll take the boy there.”
Relief filled Levi’s eyes. “Thanks,” Levi murmured as he pulled out his phone and shot off a text message. When he finished, the deputy asked, “Is there anything I can do to help you?”
“Yeah. Contact your friend Zane and ask if he’s come up with anything. Also find out if he minds giving me his cell phone number for the duration of this mission. Afterward, I can delete the contact information or keep it, whichever he prefers.”
The men continued through the woods, following the same trail but in reverse. About a third of the way to their destination, Levi said, “Zane has something. Let me take the boy while you talk to him.”
Cam shook his head. “I don’t want him upset if he should wake up in someone else’s arms.”
Levi tapped his earpiece. “Z, join our loop.”
A moment later, Zane’s voice came through the earpiece. “Keep my number in your contact list, Sims. I found the vehicle you’re interested in.”
His heart zoomed into rocket speed. “Where?”
“Highway 20. The vehicle is moving at a fast clip.”
“Where are they now?”
“They just passed the exit that leads to Otter Creek. Do you want me to notify the authorities and have them pulled over?”
“No. The Collector will run and go to ground if law enforcement tries to stop him. I don’t want him to assume that I’m responsible for the cops on his tail. I’ll take care of the notification. I know just who to call.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Stay on the vehicle in which Sedona is riding. Did you get a license plate number?”
“Sure did.” Zane rattled it off. “Any special instructions?”
“Yeah. If you see Sedona, I want to know about it. If they change direction, I want to know about it.”
“Got it. When you find someone to follow that vehicle, let me know. I’ll send you and your friend real-time updates as I get them.”
“I owe you a ton of favors, Zane. Thank you, my friend.”
“No problem. Call me if you need anything else. Murphy out.”
The one thing he needed above all else was Sedona, and Zane couldn’t get her for him. That would be up to Cam and his friends.
He tapped in a number he knew by heart and waited for his friend to answer.
“Stevens.”
“It’s Cam. I need a favor, Finn.”
“Name it.”
He explained in rapid-fire military style what was going on and the help he needed. “Can you help, or do you have a recommendation for someone you trust with your life?”
“And pass something this much fun on to someone else? Forget that. I’m leaving right now. Where am I going?”
“Thanks, man. I owe you.”
“I’ll add it to the long list of favors you already owe me. Now, where am I going?”
Cam told his friend the general area. “Check your phone in a couple of minutes and leave it on. I have a friend who will send real-time updates on the SUV’s position.”
“Do I want to know how this friend is getting the information?”
He smiled. “Nope. Just take it as a gift.”
Finn groaned. “This information was obtained illegally?”
“Don’t know and don’t care. My woman’s life is at stake. I would burn the world down to have her back in my arms again. Not having a warrant is nothing.”
“If I lose my job over this, I’m coming to live with you.”
“Fine with me. We can train you to do search and rescue.”
“Sold. I’ll hold you to that, Cam.”
“Deal.” He ended the call and tapped on the message he’d received from Zane.
Nausea hit Cam like a ton of bricks when he saw how far away Sedona was from him.
They had to move faster. If the SUV drove into an area without traffic cameras, he would waste precious time picking up the trail again.
Anything could happen to Sedona while he was hunting for her. “Pick up the pace, Levi.”
“What type of vehicle is The Collector driving?” Levi asked.
“Late-model black SUV.”
Levi shook his head. “That’s a common vehicle in this part of the state.”
“Yep. Lucky for us that Zane also got the plate number.”
“That solves one of our problems.” Levi inclined his head toward Julio. “What are we going to do about him? We can’t take him on an operation. This is too dangerous for a child, especially since he was a target until thirty minutes ago.”
Cam rested his hand protectively over the back of the boy’s head. “I know.”
“Then what’s your solution?”
“You already know we’re dropping him off at the same hospital where Caleb has been taken. One of your brothers can monitor him while he’s being treated.”
“That isn’t what I’m talking about, and you know it,” Levi snapped.
“What happens to the boy after he’s released?
We can’t just pat him on the head and send him home with his mom.
Eddie’s still missing, and the enemy knows about the safe house, the Ramirez home, and the Rocking M.
Do you have suggestions for the next safe house? ”
Cam came to a sudden stop and stared at his coworker. “Now who needs to get out of his own head?”
Levi sighed and dragged a hand down his face. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“You’re entitled. I’m sorry that Caleb’s injury happened on my watch. We’re all concerned about him.”
“Still, you’re right. I’m stuck in my head this time. I’ll do better. You have permission to nag me into better behavior until this op is finished.”
“Copy that, sir.”
“Then let’s get going. We’ve got a criminal to catch, a friend to save, and a surly teenager to rescue, whether or not he deserves it.”
The men started off again, jogging this time.
Five minutes later, they reached the SUVs.
After a quick search with Levi’s electronic signal detector and a visual inspection, they removed two GPS trackers from each vehicle and left them near where the vehicles were parked.
Hopefully, the trackers remaining in the same location would fool Simpson and his cronies for a little while longer.
A heartbeat later, the silence of the night shattered with an ear-splitting explosion.
Cam stared at the glow of light from the burning building.
His heart squeezed until he thought it would burst in his chest. He could think of only two explanations for the detonation, and neither one boded well for Sedona.
Simpson could have planned to detonate the bombs and kill Cam and his team anyway, or he knew they had escaped and broken his demand for cooperation.
When his phone signaled an incoming message, Cam grabbed it and glanced at the screen.
I warned you, Sims. Now you’ll never see your woman again.
Ice water ran through Cam’s veins. What had he done?