Chapter 26
Lights glowed from the lighthouse, spilling onto the pristine sand. Burke scanned the area. Mounds of sand. Moonlight glistening on the water rolling in and out on frothy waves. Pure solitude.
And no sign of Abby’s team. Unless the cargo van on the side of the road belonged to them.
One way to find out. He slammed on the brakes and skidded into place behind the van, his tires spitting sand.
He fought the urge to make a fast dash from his cruiser to Abby. Shaw had most likely stashed her in the lighthouse with lights burning through the windows. He forced himself to cool down, pick up his radio, and call in the van’s plates.
He waited for dispatch to respond to his request, his legs and hands jittery as each second passed. Each of his heartbeats stabbed like a hammer blow, fast, hard, relentless.
He was ready to jump out of his skin. Finally his radio squawked. He listened carefully, then bolted from the vehicle. The plates had come back as a rental. So not the team. Likely belonged to Shaw. Likely the person who’d abducted Abby.
He fixed his focus ahead. Nothing to hide behind, just an open beach between him and the lighthouse. On the bright side, he could go straight to the building. A slower evasive route wouldn’t help in this situation.
He charged down the bank toward the structure.
I’m almost there, sweetheart. Almost. Hang in there.
He slowed as he approached the open doorway. Drawing his sidearm, he glanced inside. One big room. Empty. Not totally. A crumpled body lay on the far side next to a cardboard box.
His legs threatened to give in.
From the doorway, he took a good look at the figure. No. Not Abby. Too big to be her.
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
He approached the body. Shaw! It was Shaw with a bullet wound to the chest.
Someone had killed him, but who? More importantly, if he were dead, who had Abby?
Voices drifted up from a stairwell on the other side of the room. He silently made his way over. Listened.
Abby was talking. Asking for help in getting Estelle Lemoine’s passport cleared so she could leave for Paris today.
Stunned, he took a step back. Estelle was alive, and Abby was trying to help her.
A creak of the floorboards sounded behind him.
He spun. Lifted his weapon. Aimed. Prepared to shoot.
Gabe stepped into the room.
Burke let out a long breath. Crossing the room, he held a finger to his mouth to warn Gabe to be quiet. “Keep it down. I’m not sure if Abby’s in trouble yet, but she’s in the basement.”
Gabe jerked a thumb at the body. “That Shaw over there?”
Burke nodded. “It was probably his blood on the antique shop door, not Abby’s. She’s talking to someone about helping Estelle Lemoine get back to France tonight.”
Gabe blinked hard. “Estelle? So she’s not dead.”
“Apparently not. I’m wondering if she killed Shaw and brought Abby here. Sounds like Estelle is having a problem with her passport and isn’t able to leave the country.”
“And she’s making Abby fix the problem. Probably at gunpoint.”
“Probably,” Burke whispered. “Which means we need to figure out a way to get down there without alerting Estelle. Or entice her upstairs before she hurts Abby.”
Gabe nodded. “I circled the building when I got here. No outside egress from the basement. Only one way in and out. A perfect place to take a hostage.”
“Then either we storm the basement or entice Estelle out.”
“We could wait for the team. They’re on the way. We could storm the place in numbers.”
Burke shook his head. “I don’t think numbers will help. This is a more delicate operation. Somehow we need to get eyes down there to see exactly what’s happening.”
“I have a flexible camera in my car. We should be able to snake it down the steps without Estelle noticing it.”
“Get it and call the team while you’re out there. Tell them what’s going on and ask them to hang back until we signal.”
Without a word, Gabe took off, silently making his way to the door and outside.
One one thousand. Two one thousand, Burke mentally counted to keep from pacing. Three one thousand. Four one thousand. Five one thousand…
Finally, Gabe returned, the camera in his grip.
“I’ll take it.” Burke held out his hand for the black snake-like device.
Gabe held back. “She’s my teammate. I can do it.”
“I know you can do it,” Burke replied, doing his best to keep his voice down. “You’re a temporary deputy. If Estelle suddenly needs to be taken out, it would be better for a regular deputy to take the shot.”
Gabe sighed in resignation and passed the camera to Burke, then held out his phone to him. “The camera app is on here.”
Burke took the phone and plugged the camera into it. The app opened, and Burke moved the lens around, the screen displaying the room.
“Perfect. It works.” He looked up at Gabe. “I need you at the stairs for backup.”
His sharp nod gave Burke a measure of relief.
They traveled across the room, creeping side-by-side. At the stairwell, Burke dropped to his knees. Flattened out on his belly. He signaled for Gabe to stand by and be ready to head down the stairs if needed.
Burke unrolled the camera coil with practiced precision, hands steady despite the adrenaline surging through his body. Silently, he fed the end into the narrow gap where the stairwell met the ceiling below.
His phone screen flickered, then lit up.
Abby!
She sat on the cold floor, knees drawn tightly up to her chest, clutching a phone to her ear like a lifeline. Her lips moved as she talked on the phone, but her wide, terrified eyes were locked on Estelle.
The older woman stood motionless, a handgun trained on Abby. She didn’t speak. Didn’t need to. Not when her posture was as lethal as the gun she held. She watched Abby the way a lion watched an injured deer—patient, certain, already tasting the end.
Abby lowered the phone. “My teammate said he can get your passport cleared. He’ll do his best to fix the problem tonight, but he can’t promise he’ll make it on time.”
Estelle planted her feet wide. “You better convince this guy to come through for me or I’ll take you both out.”
Abby arched an eyebrow, her posture suddenly defensive. “You’re going to kill us no matter what we do. You can’t let us live. Not when we both know you’re alive.”
“So what?” Estelle laughed. “You’ll still do what you need to do. You have to. You want to stay alive as long as you can. You especially. Foolishly hoping someone rescues you. Face facts. No one knows where you are. No one is coming for you.”
Burke fought the urge to call out, “Hold on, sweetheart. I’m here for you.” He bit his tongue instead.
Abby remained motionless, Estelle’s comment seeming not to bother her.
“Then the only thing to do is wait for your teammate to succeed in his task.” Estelle marched to Abby and held out her hand. “Phone.”
Abby slapped it on her palm. In a split second, she lurched up and went for Estelle’s gun. They clashed. Struggled.
A shot rang.
“No-o-o-o!” Burke cried out and waved Gabe on.
Sidearm in hand, he charged past Burke and down the steps while Burke got to his feet and bolted after his partner.
In the basement, Estelle and Abby were struggling over the gun. Gabe clamped his hands on Estelle’s shoulders and ripped her free as if she were a rag doll.
Burke raced to Abby, trying to ignore the blood on the floor. He dropped down in front of her and scanned her body for obvious injury. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Estelle took the bullet.”
Burke glanced over his shoulder.
Moaning, Estelle was stretched out on the floor, already handcuffed. Gabe leaned over her, applying pressure to a wound on her leg.
“Ouch!” she complained. “Not so rough. I’m not one of those peasant girls you’re used to dealing with.”
Gabe rolled his eyes. “Her Royal Highness isn’t going to die from this, but we should call 911.”
Burke turned his attention back to Abby and took out his phone. “You’re sure you’re all right?”
She nodded. “A bit shaken up, but no injuries thanks to you and Gabe.”
Dispatch came on the line. He gave his badge number along with the details. The dispatcher promised an ambulance was on the way.
He stowed his phone. “Ambulance will be here soon.”
“Thanks.” Gabe looked up from his first aid duties. “I’m certain I can keep her alive until then.” He laughed.
Burke chuckled. He’d actually come to appreciate this guy’s humor in the face of difficult situations, but right now all he could think about was Abby.
He took her hands. They were trembling and icy cold, sending waves of anger rushing through him.
Not only anger for her discomfort, but anger for the way she’d been treated.
Anger for not being there to stop her abduction before it happened. Anger for failing her.
“What is it?” She leaned closer, looking deep into his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
He didn’t want to tell her, but if they were going to have a future together, he needed to let her in. “I failed you,” he choked out. “If I’d stayed in Seaside Harbor with you, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“I don’t see how you could’ve stopped it. If you’d been here, it would’ve happened to both of us. If so, we might not have been rescued.”
“Hey, I resemble that.” Gabe laughed. “I was the one doing the rescuing.”
“Because I told you to move in,” Burke fired back, but ended with a grin.
“You doubt I could’ve done this myself, Mr. Big Shot detective?” Gabe lifted his chin in a playful challenge.
Burke laughed, thankful they could be lighthearted to help ease Abby’s tension, but she didn’t smile. He sat on the cold concrete beside her and drew her close to him.
She rested her head on his chest, her body shaking. His anger grew, but he swallowed it. The last thing she needed was to see him lose control.
She suddenly sat up. “Call Hayden. Tell him where we are, and that I’m okay.”
Burke held up a hand to ease her stress. “Don’t worry. He already knows you’re here. He’s the one who found this location, and he’s waiting down the road with the rest of the team.”