Page 13

Thirteen

Cadee hit the brakes, stopped at the stop sign on the way back to the base from Emma’s house. The chicken noodle soup had hit the spot. And the popcorn. And Ava’s cuddle.

“Swirly, swirly, pretty swirly skirt,” Cadee sang. Then she laughed at herself as she looked both ways and continued toward the base in the light of the literal midnight sun. It was sunshiny at midnight.

Man, that kids’ song was stuck in her brain. Well, at least that new Princess and the Pea movie had made Ava’s day. As had her brand-new swirly Princess and the Pea pajamas. Now, the suspense movie she and Emma had watched after Ava’s bedtime—that was a movie she’d…

What was that sound?

The weird sound droned on. Her engine? Shoot. She loved her red Kia, but she didn’t randomly have money to fix the engine. Maybe Vince and Hammer would help her do it herself.

If only she had her phone. She pulled over, left the engine running, and flicked the button to open her hood. She took her flashlight out of the glove box, then got out of the car and peered in. Oh, it was just the fan belt, flipping around, almost split in half.

The hit came from behind, crashing through her skull, slamming her to the ground. She screamed even as someone grabbed her from behind, pushed her into the trunk of a car. She kicked out, fighting him, managed to get a foot in his gut, but he had a syringe.

It landed in her thigh, a sting that bled in coldness. No!

He slammed the trunk shut, and she fought the blackness.

Lost.

“Smile, Cadee. You’re on Candid Camera .”

Nick’s voice woke her up. She started to open her eyes…yeah, no. Her head hurt . She didn’t have to touch it to feel the lump. How long had she been asleep?

Oh, she hated this man.

She could still feel the effects of whatever drug he’d used, but she lay still. His steps echoed as he entered, and he stepped her direction.

“Get up.” He nudged her with his toe, and she kicked hard at his shin, hoping he’d fall and she could run off.

But he fell over the top of her, grunted, popped up. He kicked her in the kidney. “I said get up.”

Cadee pushed herself up, trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness.

Wherever this was, she was in a pole barn. A filthy one. Four walls and a door. She huffed. What a great amount of knowledge that was.

Nick chuckled. “Let’s start again. Smile.”

He stepped back and pulled out a burner phone, took a couple of pictures.

She wrapped her arms around her knees, dropped her face to not let him have any more pictures.

“Come on, Cadee, these pictures are just going to invite your buddy Vince to meet us here at the shooting range.”

The shooting range? God, help me . “Thought he was your buddy, that you were both people fighting for justice.”

Nick grabbed her by the collar, dragged her up to her feet.

She was dizzy, nearly fell, but she locked her legs, refusing to fall. She stood for a moment…then he shoved her toward the far wall.

“Stay there. Don’t move. We’re just going to wait here until Vince shows up to rescue you.”

Oh God . She was a lure. She wanted to vomit. She dropped to her knees.

“My head…”

Nick grabbed her ponytail and yanked her head back, whispering into her ear. “You will not be rescued if Vince doesn’t receive these pictures. Stand up, Cadee dear.”

She would never draw a teammate into this trap.

No. She wouldn’t draw the man she loved into this wolf’s lair.

The man she’d never stopped loving.

What do I do, God?

Her hair wrapped tightly in his fist, Nick pulled her up against the wall.

God, You helped me last time. Help me now .

“If you move, I will shoot you.”

Nick’s laugh filled the pole barn as he stuck his gun in his waistband and stood back in the doorway. He lifted up his phone, snapped three pictures. Four.

Humming, Nick slid the phone into his pocket. Then he wiped the gun with the hem of his shirt and set it down on the chair just inside the door.

He threw a rope around the truss closest to the door and worked with it, pulled it tight into a noose. Her belly curdled.

He was going to hang her.

Her knees started to collapse.

He dropped a dirty, bright orange face mask under the chair. Like it had been left in a hurry.

Weird.

“You’re with the militia?” she asked.

He threw back his head and laughed, spun on his heels. “Have fun, Cadee,” he said cheerfully as he closed the door.

Snaps of a padlock locking the door jolted her brain into action. Light bled around the edges of the door, but there were no windows, no obvious way out.

She glanced at the gun. Why had he left it behind? She stood up on the chair to pull the noose down from the truss, but it was too tight. She jumped down.

A noose and a gun to kill her didn’t make much sense. But it was clear why Nick had taken pictures of her—to lure Vince here to save her. Probably so he could kill them both.

Nick wanted her dead and Vince as well. So he could continue to pin all those crimes on a man who was supposed to be his friend?

She squatted down next to the face mask and fingered it, thinking about the militia and how they’d shot at them. Twice. Men who trained and practiced at this shooting range. Yet they’d missed. Both times. They had just been trying to scare them away.

She threaded the face mask through her fingers, unthreaded it. Thanks to this, it would look like they’d set up a murder-suicide scenario.

She tossed aside the face mask, wrapped her arms around her knees, dropped her face to her knees. I’m sorry, Vince.

That talk they’d been going to have later?

That was what she wanted—to bring it all back between them. Their friendship. The joy of their romance that had never gone away, despite all the fighting they had fallen into.

A dim smile crossed her face. Sometimes that rivalry was kind of fun. A challenge.

She loved him.

She hadn’t known he’d been a DEA agent. But she did know something else—especially after he’d landed on top of her in the salmonberries: he was as passionate for justice as he was for rescuing people.

She loved him.

The brightness in his dark eyes.

The sweaty hugs after a workout at Ember training camp.

The way he’d shared his father.

Yeah. She loved him.

God, give Vince and me a chance at that talk later. Please. Just give us a chance. Get me out of here.

A padlock jiggled. Nick checking that she was still locked in. She wrapped her arms back around her knees.

I love Vince, God. Keep him away from this wolf he used to think he could trust. Nick wants to kill him.

And her.

She wanted to cry. Absolutely wouldn’t. She wiped her face.

Suddenly she heard the loud crack of bolt cutters. She stood, ready to fight for her life.

The door flew open, and five men burst in wearing hunting clothes and ball caps, guns hanging from their shoulders.

Militia, of course. The same bright orange face masks as the guys who’d shot at her and Vince after the plane crash. If she remembered right, Landon had had the same one twisted around his neck at the salmon die-off creek they’d fallen into.

And been shot at.

“What are you guys doing?”

“Shut up,” the black-haired guy said as he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out. Her eyes watered a bit in the Alaskan sun.

Two others stood outside the pole barn, holding Nick between them, who was struggling to escape. He saw her and redoubled his efforts.

The black-haired leader popped him on the side of his head. “Stop it. What did you think was going to happen when you got the government interested in us?”

“I’d never…it was just that?—”

“Shut up. You know Viper needs to talk to you.”

One of the guys pulled out duct tape. He taped Nick’s mouth shut, then hers, took Nick’s phone, patted her down for hers. Except she didn’t have it.

The tape guy took a step back and nodded to the guys holding Nick and the man holding her. They pushed her toward some ATVs.

The black-haired guy walked backward, his gun at the ready, and looked from her to Nick, then back to her. “Thanks to you, she knows too much too.”

By the next morning, Vince still hadn’t shaken the feeling that something might be wrong.

He walked over to the mess hall’s coffee area, refilled his mug, then stepped outside to watch for Cadee. He looked out over Copper Mountain, Denali, all the foothill mountains. Denali was still bright with snow, but Copper Mountain, not as high, was a rich green.

Cadee would want him to say something about God being an awesome creator.

Maybe he would.

He flexed his fingers, took a sip of coffee.

She hadn’t come for that talk after her shower last night. She hadn’t even come just for coffee this morning. He loved that woman, and they had a future. He wanted that talk with her. Maybe they could take a walk, somewhere where the rest of the team wouldn’t be.

But that wasn’t what was bothering him.

The hum running through his fingers—it would happen back in his DEA days.

Something was wrong.

“Good morning, Vince.” JoJo waved as she walked past him to go into the mess hall.

“Good morning, JoJo. Hey, is Cadee up yet?”

“Not sure. I haven’t seen her. No one’s in the women’s cabin though. She’s not in the mess hall?”

“Nope. She told us last night she was going to watch movies at her sister’s house. She must have stayed overnight.”

She chuckled. “Hope Ava went to bed and the women got to watch something other than kids’ movies.”

As the door closed behind her, he debated whether texting Cadee would seem pushy. But he wanted to see her, he wanted their talk.

He pulled the phone out of his pocket. Maybe he’d just check it.

A text popped up on his screen.

Emma: Hey, Vince. It’s Emma. Have you seen Cadee? She always texts me when she gets back to the base after one of our movie nights. I called and texted several times. But she didn’t respond to me last night or this morning. I’m a touch worried.

He thumbed one back.

Vince: Hey, Emma. I’ll let you know as soon as I find out, but I’m assuming everything is all okay.

He added a winkie face emoticon to reassure her and Ava. Cadee had never shown up last night? That meant wherever she was, she could be in big trouble.

But he was more than a touch worried. Way more than a touch.

He popped his head back into the mess hall. Most of his team sat eating or drinking coffee. He walked over to the group. “Anyone see Cadee last night? This morning? Emma’s looking for her.”

They all shook their heads. Jade looked at her phone, shook her head again.

“Join us,” he heard one of them say. But his thoughts were starting to gel. Emma didn’t know where she was. JoJo had said everyone was out of the women’s cabin. And none of the rest of the team had seen her either. He knew himself that the men’s cabin was empty too. The married couples’ cabin was locked up.

His phone buzzed, and he glanced at it. He’d normally just hit delete on a text from “Anonymous,” but his fingers hummed. Maybe the text below Emma’s was actually from Cadee for some reason. He clicked on it.

His stomach dropped to his feet.

Pictures of Cadee…injured. In some small building he didn’t recognize. A pole barn with a high, narrow window, so not much light. Trusses. Nothing more than a storage room. One door. One chair where Cadee sat, her eyes looking bleary. She had to have been drugged.

And the message with it sent chills.

Anonymous: With me. Now. Chulitna River Shooting Range. Don’t bring anyone if you want her alive.

That had been sent a half hour ago.

He exploded out of the mess hall, the door slamming behind him. He sprinted over to the men’s cabin. His breaths raked his chest.

He grabbed his go bag, then he ran to his SUV.

But the entire team had run out to the lot. Skye and JoJo sat on his fender, Logan leaned up against the driver’s side door.

“Blocking me from leaving?” he rumbled. “Cadee is in trouble.”

Jade nodded. “What’s going on? She’s our team member too. You looked pretty freaked out when you took off.”

“I got a text. Someone has grabbed her—but I have to go alone .” He shoved his phone at her.

She took it, and he could tell when she saw what he had seen. She paled. “I see.” She looked at the pictures for a minute as she decided what to do. “Hey, everyone, Cadee is injured. Pretty badly as far as we can see. She’s at the Chulitna shooting range. We’re going to back up Vince, even though the message—of course—says for him to show up alone.”

Logan’s set jaw, JoJo’s furrowed eyebrows…

Skye held up her phone from her position on the fender. “I already texted Rio. He’s on the way with Jared Jensen.”

“The trooper,” Vince growled.

“You ought to respond to this text while we wait for them—and we will be waiting for them.”

She met his gaze, unwavering.

“You’re going to get her killed.”

“No, we won’t.” Her jaw tightened. “We’ll stay out of sight, but we’re a team, Vince. You know that. We’re in.” She slapped his phone back into his hand.

He looked around at his team. These people he cared about, relied on, were here to help him find Cadee. Like Jade had said.

“Thanks for having Cadee’s back, everyone,” he said.

“And yours,” Skye added with a sideways grin.

His throat clogged up, so he just nodded his head. He confirmed that he was on his way and hit Send.

Sirens mourned in the distance, and dust flew up behind Rio’s station wagon as it pulled in.

Rio and Jared jumped out, jogged over.

Jade put her hand on Vince’s shoulder. “They’re here to help us,” she said softly.

Rio ran up. “What’s going on?”

“Vince got a text from someone who has Cadee,” said Skye.

“Let me see.” Rio held out his hand. Vince handed the phone over.

Rio studied it with Jared looking over his shoulder.

“Militia,” Jared said. “This looks like the pole barn at Chulitna River Shooting Range. We’ve had our eyes on it for a couple months, gathering info, because a couple people working there seem to be leaning heavily toward the militia.”

Vince was surprised at the growl in his voice. “I’m certain it’s Nick Atwood. The With me in the message…just like him when we worked together.”

Rio thumped him on the shoulder. “Nick, militia, whatever. We will unravel that. Later.”

Vince gritted his teeth. Later . The word he’d used to put off things with Cadee.

“Right now, we have to find Cadee,” Rio said.

“No, me . He doesn’t want law enforcement to show up. Just me.”

“With your DEA training, you know he wouldn’t say that unless he was after you . Midnight Sun will lose both of you.” Rio’s eyebrows rose as he and Vince silently challenged each other.

Vince pursed his lips, crossed his arms across his chest. “I’m going in after Cadee.”

“Vince, you are too close to this?—”

“By myself.”

“You’re not going in alone.”

Vince met Rio’s gaze. “I am. I was DEA. I can handle myself.”

Rio took a breath. “No way.”

Vince made to argue, but Rio held up his hand. “We’ll stay out of sight.”

Oh. But maybe not a terrible idea to have armed backup. “Okay.”

“Let’s go, Jared,” Rio said. He turned to Vince. “We’ll call the troopers’ office. Send them to Chulitna River Shooting Range.”

The men jogged toward the SUV.

Jade yelled, “Excuse me!”

Vince slid his phone into his pocket, stood with them.

Rio stopped, turned around.

“Cadee’s ours,” Jade said.

“Fine. You all stay behind us.”

No response.

He looked at Skye. “I’m serious.” His mouth pursed, accompanied by a shake of his head. “Don’t get in the way.”

She held up her hands. “We’re not cops.”

“Don’t forget that.” He got into his truck.

Logan, Skye, and Jade piled into the back of his truck, and Vince jumped in behind the steering wheel. They took off, leaving dust behind them as they drove to the main road.

Please, God, don’t let Nick hurt her . Apparently, now, he was all about praying.

Why not? What other choice did he have?

About a half mile away from the shooting range, he came up to where Rio and Jared had parked a little way back from the entry.

Vince rolled down his window, and Rio walked up, his eyes widening at the sight of the Midnight Sun team in the back.

“They promised to stay behind us, and they promised they know they’re not cops.”

Rio sighed. “Okay then. Jared and I are going in with you. We’ll get out before you reach the gate.”

He nodded. “Whatever happens, get Cadee out of there.”

Rio’s mouth tightened, but he nodded. He and Jared sprang into the back of the truck.

Vince pulled to a stop just outside the gate under the arch that crossed the driveway. Rio and Jared jumped out, knelt by Vince’s window. “We’ll climb over,” Rio said. “Two pole barns. Right next to each other.”

Vince popped out of his truck, glanced at the SJs waiting in the back. He knelt next to Rio and Jared. “I’ll listen at each, find which one she’s in.”

“I’ll check the office building,” Rio said, “then stash myself on their east side, where I’ll be able to see you.”

“I’ll be behind the bushes along their fence,” Jared said.

Vince nodded. “When I find which pole barn Cadee is in, I’ll go in. Do not deploy until I give you the signal.”

“What signal is that?” Jared asked.

“I don’t know.” Vince looked between the two men. “But if you see Cadee, grab her and run.”

Rio gave him a tight nod. Vince got out, climbed the fence, dropped in, Jared and Rio behind him.

Vince stayed low beside the first pole barn while Rio checked the office and Jared got into place.

He didn’t hear anything. He ran to the second pole barn.

No sound.

She could be unconscious. In either one. But there were footprints just outside the first one. Nick had obviously cleaned his footprints from the concrete pad around it.

He gave a low chuckle when he saw the rest of his team, hunkered down along the fence. So much for obeying Rio.

Please don’t get hurt.

He pointed to the first pole barn, spotted Rio, who nodded.

He walked up to the door, reached his hand to knock.

God, Cadee needs You right now.

I need You.

He knocked. “It’s Vince. I’m here. Ready to do whatever you want.”

Silence.

He put his ear up to the door.

Silence.

He signaled the two men, and they came behind him at the door, so close he could feel their breaths.

He kicked open the door and rushed in with Rio and Jared.

The room was empty except for a chair. A noose. A gun. Nick’s service weapon?

Where was Cadee?

“She’s not here,” Rio said, searching the barn. He came back to Vince. “They’ve moved her.”

“How do we find her?” Jared said. “Maybe Nick has his phone. We could track him from the text you sent.”

Wait. Her tracking ring—the one that Jade had given all the jumpers. “I have an idea.”