Love Inspired Suspense September 2015 #2 (53 page)

“Yes,” Clive and Shay said in unison.

Shay looked back down at the laptop. “Forty-five minutes to get there.”

“Let's move.” Max walked out of the kitchen and went on the most important mission of his life.

* * *

Sydney heard the front door open and close multiple times. Then Tom walked into the bathroom.

“Time to get up,” he barked at her.

“Where are we going?”

Tom didn't say anything as he unlocked her handcuffs. She rubbed her left wrist.

As he guided her into the living room, she came face to face with her worst nightmare.

“If it isn't my favorite ex-girlfriend.”

Rick stood there smiling. But it wasn't a friendly one. Every nerve in her body tingled, and her chest tightened so badly she could barely take in a shallow breath.

“Tom, you can leave us now. I'm good.” Even the sound of his voice sent chills up her spine.

“Are you sure?” Tom asked.

She pleaded with Tom using her eyes, but he looked away.

“Yeah, get out of here. You did your part. Lucas wants to talk to you about the next steps. So you should call him ASAP.” Rick turned his attention back to her.

Despite how she felt, she forced herself to stand up straight and look him in the eyes. She refused to show him her fear.

“You've become a thorn in my side for a while now, Sydney. Before I thought you were harmless, but little did I know that you were going to become the state's star witness against Kevin Diaz.”

“That trial is over,” she replied. “He was acquitted.”

Rick took a step closer to her, but she held her ground.

“Yeah, because you choked. Guess I was right about your little hobby after all.”

That was a direct verbal hit. He knew how to belittle her. But she merely let it fuel her resolve. She raised her chin and met his eyes squarely. “What's your play here, Rick? Why even bother with me? Don't you have much more pressing East River business to deal with?”

“You've embarrassed me, Sydney. I can't let that go unpunished.”

“What do you want from me?”

“You. Plain and simple. Come back to me. Play the part I will need you to play. You'd have to quit working for the cops, but I'd provide whatever you needed. I'm in a much different financial position than I was years ago.”

Was he crazy? Maybe. “Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?” Her voice went up an octave in surprise.

“I know you've got something going on with that marshal. Leave him and come back to me. I'll spare your life.”

Yeah, right. Until he got mad and beat her again. No way. But the longer she could keep him talking the more chances she would give herself to escape. “I don't understand why you'd want me again.”

“I see a different person now than you used to be. You grew a backbone. At first I had planned to seek my revenge and move on. But now I find myself thinking about different options.” He took a breath. “But make no mistake, if I can't have you, then nobody will.”

“Is that why you sent someone to shoot me at the park and at the safe house?”

“The orders were to kill the marshal. Not you.”

She couldn't help but laugh. “Your men need to learn the difference between a man and a woman, then. Because on the trail, I was jogging alone when the shot went off.”

“That was Tom's doing. He acted without thinking. He never should have allowed that guy to take the shot.”

“How is he involved in all of this, anyway?”

Rick blew out a breath. “Tom has been up to his eyeballs in this for years, Sydney.”

“Years?”

“Yes. I've known him since I first joined East River.”

“And now you're working directly with the leader, Lucas Jones?”

He walked over to her and ran his hand down her cheek. “Aren't you inquisitive?”

She tried not to shake when he touched her. He'd always been like this. One minute gentle and seemingly rational. The next minute on a rampage. “If you want me to come back to you, I'm just trying to figure out where everything stands.”

He nodded. “Yes, I've been working with Lucas very closely. I took the fall for his little brother in that robbery charge, and he owes me. So he brought me into the leadership. I'm making more money than I've ever seen in my life.”

“And Kevin Diaz is involved with Lucas and East River, right?”

His eyes widened for a second as his face reddened in anger. “Wouldn't you like to know?” He took a step toward her. Then his cell phone rang, and he walked over to the kitchen counter to pick it up.

It only took her a millisecond to make the decision. She bolted for the front door. And ran.

FOURTEEN

S
ydney ran as fast as she could out the front door, down the steps and toward the woods that surrounded the farmhouse. She had to run for the woods because she'd be a sitting duck on the open dirt road.

“Sydney!” Rick's angry voice roared behind her.

But the good news was it didn't sound as though he was that close to her. And she definitely wasn't taking the chance to turn around and look. No, she pressed forward, running faster than she ever had. She prayed that with each step she was putting more distance between her and the man who almost destroyed her life multiple times.

The woods got more dense the farther she ran. Branches scraped her face and arms, but she didn't slow down. Couldn't. Wouldn't.

Soon the brush got so thick it took a lot of strength just to push the heavy branches back and make her way through it. Finally, she stole a glance behind her. She couldn't see anyone. Just the thick woods. It was much darker now because of the tree cover.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, she looked around to try to get a lay of the land. But everything looked the same. She needed to find something that was large enough to provide her with some cover.

Right now trees were her best option, but maybe if she ventured farther there would be some shelter where she could hide.

She could try to outrun him, but eventually he would catch up. She'd be better off to fortify herself and wait, then catch him off guard and fight him. Or, even better, maybe help would come soon. She could only pray for that.

* * *

Max had never driven so fast in his life.

“Two minutes out,” Elena said from the passenger seat. “We're about to hit all dirt roads.”

“This is the middle of nowhere,” Max said, checking his rearview where he saw Clive and Shay following right behind him. He held the wheel tightly, trying to keep his nerves in check. All that mattered to him was rescuing Sydney. He wasn't able to fathom moving on in life without her. She was his rock. “I still can't believe Tom would do this.”

“Maybe they're blackmailing him. Or maybe he got tired of a government salary and decided to go to the dark side.”

“Tom was one of the people who suggested I'd be a great marshal. Looking back on it, he was probably trying to get rid of me.”

“That's totally possible.” She paused. “This turn on your left is it.”

He swung the car down the street which was another dirt road. Nothing was in sight except trees on each side and then a big pasture up ahead.

“Keep driving. About a mile more.”

“I'll stop about a quarter mile out so we can make our approach on foot. Who knows what we're about to walk into.”

“We should be prepared for just about anything,” she said.

But he wasn't prepared for another car to come barreling down the street right at them.

“That's Tom's car,” Max said. “Hold on.” Max jerked the wheel, putting his car directly in the path of Tom's. He braced for impact and told Elena to do the same. His side of the car would take the brunt of the hit if Tom didn't stop.

The sound of squealing breaks filled the air, until finally Tom's car came to a stop just inches from his own. Pulling his gun, he jumped out of the car and approached Tom's car from the driver's side, as Elena did the same from the passenger side. Tom slowly opened the door with his gun in hand.

“Drop the gun, Tom. It's over.”

It was two against one and Tom knew it. Yeah, he could get off one shot, but then he'd be killed the next moment. Unless Tom wanted to die, he would drop his weapon.

Slowly, as he exited the car, he placed his gun on the ground.

“Where's Sydney?” Max asked.

“She's at a farmhouse down the way.”

“Is Ward with her?”

“Yes.”

“Elena, deal with him, I'm going to the farmhouse.” He heard the sound of the other car behind him. But he wasn't going to waste another second. Not when Sydney was alone with that man. “Tell Clive and Shay to come after me.”

He jumped in the car and floored it, dirt flying everywhere.
Please, dear Lord, don't let him have hurt her
. That's all he could think about until the farmhouse was in sight.

Then he slammed on the brakes, checked his gun and started running toward the house. Yes, it would've been more pragmatic to wait for backup, but every second counted right now. Besides, he knew the two agents were literally right behind him.

He bounded up the steps and opened the door, which was unlocked.

“Sydney!” he yelled.

No one replied as he went room to room clearing the house. As soon as he finished each room check, he walked back into the living room and saw Clive and Shay coming in.

“No one's here,” Max said.

“Maybe she made a run for it,” Clive said.

“Those woods are really thick.” Shay pulled out his phone and showed the two of them the aerial view. “Her tracking chip isn't providing a strong enough signal to provide an exact location.”

“We have to look for her,” Max said. “Because if she did get away, I'm sure that Ward is out there trying to track her down, too.”

Clive nodded. “This is a dead-end road. Only one way out. And there's still a black truck parked out front.”

“I assume that's Ward's truck,” Max replied.

“Okay, then, let's split up and search the woods,” Shay said.

“Do we get cell service way out here?” Max asked.

“Yes, a weak signal,” Shay said. “But I can't say what will happen when we get deep in the woods with all the tree cover.”

They divided up the search quadrant the best they could with the technology they had. Max didn't want to wait another second. He jogged off into the woods.

He had to find her. He wouldn't even consider the alternative. The good news was that it looked as though she had gotten away from Ward. But the bad news was that Ward had a head start on him and would likely be really angry about Sydney's evasion.

As he got farther into the woods, the foliage got thicker. As he pushed through the branches, he winced at the pain from his gunshot wound but kept moving. The thought of Sydney having to go through that alone only powered him forward. That and his renewed faith. A faith that she helped guide him toward.

With each step he took deeper into the woods, his determination grew. With all of his heart and soul he wanted a life with Sydney. He only regretted that he hadn't fully told her how he felt. With every fiber of his being, he hoped to have that opportunity. Because if he did get it, he promised himself he wouldn't mess it up.

* * *

Sydney had finally calmed down and willed herself to take slow deep breaths. Hiding low on the ground behind two big trees, she felt somewhat fortified. Obviously, she lacked a gun, which would've been the best defense. But at least if she stayed here, she'd be able to hear anyone approaching and would have the element of surprise on her side.

She wondered if Max had figured out yet what was happening. She didn't want to die like this. It wasn't because she was afraid of dying. It was that she was afraid of missing the chance to have a life with Max. A life she'd thought she could never have until now. Yeah, they had their differences, but they'd grown so much together. She'd come to realize how strong she had become.

To see him transform in front of her had been amazing. God's fingerprints were all over their relationship. And she was so thankful for that. She was willing to fight for him, and to fight to protect herself.

The woman she'd been when she'd met Rick Ward was completely foreign to her. At least she'd moved past the shame and embarrassment of it all.

The sound of a stick crunching broke her out of her thoughts. She went on high alert. Careful not to make a move, she cast a watchful eye at her surroundings.

Then she heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps getting closer to her location. This was it.

Rick stalked toward her. He hadn't noticed her yet, and she used that to her advantage. Just as he was walking by her, she stuck out her leg—tripping him and causing him to hit the ground with a thud.

Before he could react, she kicked him hard in the ribs and then delivered a second kick to the temple.

But Rick was over six feet and two hundred pounds. Her efforts, while strong, didn't completely take him out.

He yelled foul names at her as he attempted to stand. Before he could get fully to his feet, she delivered yet another kick to the same area of the ribs. Then she thrust the palm of her hand hard up against his nose—and heard a loud crunch of bones. She'd certainly broken his nose.

Blood started to pour down his face. Like a wild animal he charged her. She quickly sidestepped his approach.

But then he circled her and came from behind putting his hands were on her. His grip was so tight she thought he may break her in two.

“You are so stupid,” he spat out. “I gave you a way out. The perfect life. And you rejected me again.” After adding another set of insults, he turned her around to face him.

He wrapped his big hands around her neck and squeezed. “I want you to have to look in my eyes as I kill you.”

His grip was so tight she had no doubt of his intentions. She started to pray, knowing that this could be the end. She tried to stomp her foot on his, but his hands were so strong around her neck she could barely move.

“Drop your hands now or I'll shoot you.” The deep voice rang out in the woods.

Was it Max? Or was she delirious from the loss of blood flow to her brain? When he repeated his command, she knew it was really him. He'd come for her.

But now she feared Rick would kill them both. She knew Rick had a gun, even though the weapon he was using on her right now was his bare hands.

“You don't have the shot,” Rick said with confidence. “You wouldn't take the risk of shooting your worthless girlfriend.”

“Don't try me.”

“Then go ahead and take the shot.”

Sydney braced herself for the gun blast, but it never came.

After a second, Rick laughed. “I knew you didn't have the skill or the backbone to attempt a move like that. So here's how this is going to go down. Sydney is eventually going to die. That is not negotiable. Your only chance of getting out of these woods tonight and having any semblance of a life is if you drop your gun and kick it over to me. Then I'll consider letting you live, but Sydney comes with me. This is your chance to save yourself. Don't give up your life over a woman.”

His grip was still strong around her neck but not as tight as before. She was able to pull in some air and turn slightly to make eye contact with Max. They'd done this before with Davies—communicated without words. Her eyes told him he could make the shot. She just needed to give him a tiny bit of room to work with.

“I'm counting to five and if you don't drop the gun, she'll die right here and now with you watching.” Rick squeezed his hands tighter around her neck. “It's your move, marshal.”

Rick started to count. When he got to five, she used all her strength to drop down low just as the shot rang out. Blood splattered her but Rick's grip completely released from her neck.

Max ran over as Rick fell to the ground. “Are you all right?” he asked her.

“Uh, I think so.” She started to shake as she looked down and saw Rick covered with blood from a gunshot wound to the head.

“I didn't want to kill him, but I had to aim high to make sure I wouldn't hit you. I'm sorry, Syd.” He bent down and checked for a pulse. He shook his head. “He's gone.”

“You just saved my life.” Her voice was hoarse from being choked. She touched her hand to her neck and it was tender.

“He hurt you. I'm so sorry I couldn't get here faster.” He wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Is it really over?”

“Yes, it is, Syd. You're safe now. Rick can never hurt you again.”

Male voices rang out and were moving closer.

“Over here,” he yelled. “That has to be Clive and Shay.”

“They're here with you?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“How did you find out what was going on?”

“Brian's memory came back. And he remembered hearing Tom's voice multiple times while he was held captive.”

“Oh, wow.” The realization hit her hard. If Brian's memory hadn't returned, she might be dead right now. Quickly she pushed those negative thoughts out of her mind and focused on the positive. Max squeezed her hand. “Where is Tom?”

“Elena has him in custody. He's going to have a lot to answer for. I'm not even sure what all he's done for East River over the years.”

Clive and Shay walked up to them. “Are you two okay?” Clive asked.

“Yes. Rick had Sydney by the throat, but I was able to get off a shot. He's dead and Sydney will need some medical attention.”

“I don't want to go to the hospital,” she said quietly.

“Please, Syd. Just get checked out.”

She nodded reluctantly. With Max looking at her with those caring green eyes, how could she say no?

* * *

Max paced outside the hospital-room door as the doctor examined Sydney. She had insisted she was fine, but he would feel a lot better once a doctor gave him that report. Plus, she needed the physician to remove the tracking device.

Max didn't want to let it show, but that shot he'd taken in the woods was the scariest thing he'd ever done. Yeah, he'd trained for those types of situations, but not with the woman he cared for being held captive.

He truly hadn't wanted to kill Rick, but he'd done the only thing he could to save an innocent woman's life. There was no telling what Rick would've done if Max hadn't acted.

While he waited, he took a few phone calls from the FBI and Marshals. The information was starting to be pieced together because Tom was talking, but it would be a while until they had all the answers.