Tossing her phone had been an impulsive and risky move, but Bailee had seen what Easton’s brothers could do with a little information. If she’d kept it on her, they would have tracked her easily. She had no doubt they would eventually figure out where Easton was being held, just as she did, but she wanted a head start before the cavalry rushed in.
Corinne would call her stupid for coming without backup. Chief Tucker would bench her for making such a sloppy move. But Sabra wanted her alone, and if that meant protecting Easton and those she cared about, she would give the woman what she wanted — for now.
Sabra had to be operating under severe withdrawals or the heavy influence of whatever drugs the gang had her hooked on.The years of abuse had taken a toll on the woman’s mental state. She was unstable enough to believe she had Bailee over a barrel.
The wild card was Clive Melvin. She had no idea what his connection was to the case or to Sabra. Knowing his motivation wasn’t critical to getting Easton out, but she felt it was a key piece to the puzzle that would answer everything.
Bailee crab-walked back a few feet until she could duck behind a tree. Then she felt free to stand. She bounced on her feet slightly, bending her knees to loosen them up. Behind the cover of the massive tree trunk, she pulled a cheap phone from her pocket and noted an hour and twenty minutes had passed since she’d received the text from Sabra.
The image of Easton tied up and hurt was imprinted on her brain, creating a sense of urgency that made it difficult not to be impulsive. Though all she wanted to do was rush inside and get Easton out by any means necessary, she forced herself to remain calm. She had to be smart, calculating, precise.
Once she left the bar, she’d made two quick stops, one to purchase the burner phone a few minutes before the convenience store closed for the evening and one to Gran’s house. She’d changed her bar clothes for something more functional — black cargo pants, black T-shirt, and a gun belt. She may have taken a break from her job, but some habits were hard to break, such as having a tactical bag in her trunk just in case.
Her next step was to trust her memory to lead her to the spot where they were holding Easton. Once she’d gotten over the initial shock of how Easton looked in the photo Sabra texted to her, she’d recognized the background instantly. Those summersspent with Gran and Pops in Fire Creek paid off when she knew exactly where to find Easton.
While the brothers were preoccupied, she’d zoomed in closer on the photo to a spot behind Easton. The mark on the wall had faded over time and would mean nothing to the casual observer, but it triggered a memory she’d otherwise forgotten from the summer just after she turned eighteen.
Pocketing her phone, she looked back at the old building, still solid after years of sitting empty. Once known as Hanson’s Veterinary Clinic, the building had been other things over the years — a pet groomer, a feed and supply store, and then a billiard room until it was shut down for serving alcohol to minors.
She’d been in that billiard room…once. She’d seen the mark left on the wall during a fight. She was fairly certain she was the reason it had shut down, considering how furious Gran and Pops had been when they realized where she’d been.
And now that building served a perfect hideout for Sabra and Melvin. Well hidden by a number of trees covering the property with the closest structures a few miles away in either direction, the building was obscure. Any activity would be easily overlooked by passersby.
Her breach wouldn’t be easy despite all the ways she could cloak her approach. She’d noted a trip wire not far from where she watched — her first indication that the property was booby-trapped. A couple of cameras were temporarily affixed to the building and panned the expanse in front. After completing a careful perimeter sweep, she’d spotted the same security measures in the back, and the feed likely transmitted to amonitor or cell phone. The building’s windows were covered, so she couldn’t peek inside.
She would soon lose the cover of darkness as night would give way to morning, so she had to make a move, but she was flying blind and solo, a risky move and one her training bucked against.
Stealth was her best course of action, and if that failed, she’d sacrifice herself to get Easton to safety. She had no doubt his brothers would show up. If she recognized the building from the obscure picture after spending summers here, men who grew up in Fire Creek would figure it out soon enough. She hoped she bought herself enough time to settle things once and for all before Easton became a casualty of the war she started.
An idea started to form. A crazy one. It could be just the ticket to get close without detection. Or it could be the stupidest move she’d ever imagined, and she’d concocted her fair share of stupid moves over the years. She took a deep breath. Second guessing herself wasn’t an option at this point. It was time to make her move.
She eased closer to the building, staying cloaked among the trees and brush that added shadows to the darkness. It was a path she’d already taken, so she knew which areas to avoid that would trigger a booby trap. Reaching the massive oak that stood high with limbs stretching over the building, she bent her knees and jumped high enough to reach the lowest limb. She hung there a moment to be sure the limb would hold her weight.
Swinging a bit to give herself momentum, she pulled her legs up and wrapped them around the limb and eased herself on top. Using the trunk to brace herself, she stood on the limb andfixed her gaze on the next one. She had to maneuver onto two different limbs before she could drop onto the roof and hope no one heard her approach.
She hugged the truck as she stretched her leg until her foot touched the next limb. This move was going to be a challenge because the distance was almost too far for her to reach. She closed her eyes against the sudden vision of her falling from the limb and breaking her leg or neck or back as she hit the ground. Now wasn’t the time to chicken out, but she figured indulging in a moment of fear was allowed.
Pushing against the trunk, she propelled her body onto the next limb. Her balance tilted, and she leaned heavily against the tree to brace herself. Once she was steady, she released a long breath, willing her pounding heart to slow down. The rooftop was right in front of her, and she decided to go for it. Bending her knees slightly, she was ready to jump when she heard the sound of hinges squeaking. It took a moment for her to realize the front door to the building had opened.
Seizing her opportunity for any noise she made to be obscured by the front door, she leaped and landed in a crouched position. She froze, listening intently for signs that she had been detected. She didn’t hear footprints approaching, but the tingling along the back of her neck alerted her that someone was close. Her adrenaline spiked, and she eased forward as quietly as she could. Laying on her stomach, she peered as far over the edge of the room as she dared.
Please don’t see me. Please don’t see me.She had no idea where the silent prayer sprang from, but she hoped it was granted. As long as she was undetected, she had the upperhand. Suddenly, a faint shuffling sounded, and her body tensed. Whoever came outside was close. She guessed the person was being cautious, leaving nothing to chance.
Then she saw him. With her close proximity and her eyes adjusting to the darkness, she was able to make out enough of his features to confirm his identity. Clive Melvin scanned the perimeter as if he suspected something was amiss, but he didn’t look up. His guard was up, but she figured if he suspected something was happening, he would anticipate an army, not one person. That could work in her favor.
She’d taken down bigger foes than him. And no way was she going to let him continue to hurt Easton. The urge to take him down and torture him for answers was strong, but the need to rescue Easton took precedence.
Melvin stopped directly underneath her. She pushed into a crouching position, took a deep breath, and lunged with all the strength she could muster. Her body slammed against his shoulders, the force taking them both to the ground. He bucked to toss her off, but she folded her body to roll away. Then she jumped to her feet, whirling around and ready to fight.
Melvin was already up, a gun about the size of a Smith and Wesson aimed at her chest. Making sure her bulletproof vest was in the line of fire, she braced herself for an opening. Adrenaline pumped through her veins. Her eyes narrowed as she sized him up. He lifted a brow as if asking without words what her next move would be.
She knew what she wanted to do. She wanted to tackle him to the ground and slam his head against a rock until he went limp. She wanted to yank that gun from him and put a bullet betweenhis eyes. Instead she raised her hands in a show of surrender. Melvin’s mouth curved into a sneer that made her feel as if she was looking at the devil himself.
“Go ahead. Take your best shot,” she taunted him.
He shifted the barrel up to aim at her unprotected head. She lowered her hands and crossed her arms over her chest. Her responding sneer was full of contempt and was meant to mock him. Getting under his skin could work in her favor.
“We both know you won’t shoot me. That’s not what she wants, and we both know she’s calling all the shots.”
