Caleb
My blood runs cold as I stare at the phone in my hand, Hawthorne’s voice still echoing in my ears. “Bring everything you found in that cave to the old lumber storage facility off County Road 27. Come alone. You have until noon. After that, she dies.”
The call disconnected before I could respond, leaving me frozen in place on Jake’s porch. For a moment, I can’t breathe, can’t think—the reality of Lana being taken hits me like physical pain. Then training kicks in, pushing through the panic.
“Declan!” I shout, already moving back toward the house. “Sergeant Miller!”
They meet me at the door, alarm clear on their faces. “What happened?” Declan asks, instantly alert to the tension in my body.
“Hawthorne has Lana,” I say, the words burning in my throat. “She went into town this morning. He grabbed her.”
Sergeant Miller immediately reaches for his radio. “When did she leave? Do we know exactly where she was taken from?”
“Kori says she left about an hour ago,” I reply, fighting to keep my voice steady. “Said she needed to pick up some personal items from the pharmacy.”
“And you let her go alone?” Declan asks, his tone sharp with disbelief.
“I didn’t know she was going,” I snap back, guilt and fear making my voice harsher than intended. “She didn’t tell me.”
Before our argument can escalate, Kane joins us, his expression grim. “We can track her phone if it’s still on.”
“Do it,” I order, already mentally cataloging what weapons I’ll need. “Hawthorne wants the documents and gold in exchange for her. We have until noon.”
Sergeant Miller shakes his head. “We don’t negotiate with kidnappers, even if they’re mayors.”
“I’m not asking you to negotiate,” I reply coldly. “I’m telling you what’s happening. I’m going to get her back.”
“Not alone,” Declan says firmly. “We do this by the book. Full team of armed men.”
I want to argue, but I know he’s right. Going in hot with nothing but rage and fear guiding me is exactly what Hawthorne wants. It would be walking into a trap.
“Fine,” I concede. “But we move now. We’re not waiting until noon.”
Within minutes, a plan forms. The RCMP will establish a perimeter around the lumber storage facility, while Declan’s team and I will handle the direct approach. Kane confirms that Lana’s phone is still active, placing her exactly where Hawthorne said she’d be.
As we gear up, Julia approaches me, her usual exuberance replaced by fierce determination. “I’m coming too.”
“Absolutely not,” I reply, checking the magazine in my sidearm.
“I know that facility,” she insists. “My uncle worked there for years. There’s a back entrance through the old loading bay that doesn’t show up on any current blueprints.”
I hesitate, weighing the risk against the potential advantage. “You stay with the perimeter team. You guide them to the entrance, but you don’t go in. Understood?”
She nods solemnly. “Understood.”
Twenty minutes later, we’re in position. The lumber storage facility sits isolated among pine trees, its weathered exterior belying the danger within. Through binoculars, I can make out two guards at the main entrance—Pinecrest police officers.
“Three heat signatures inside the main storage area,” reports one of the RCMP tactical officers, studying a thermal imaging screen. “One seated, two standing. Likely the hostage and her captors.”
I adjust my armored vest and double-check my weapon. “Remember, Lana’s safety is the priority. We go in fast and quiet.”
Declan positions his men around the building while Julia leads a small team to the hidden rear entrance. I’ll be going in with the primary assault team through a side door, timed to coincide with a distraction at the front.
“Radio check,” Sergeant Miller says through my earpiece. “All teams report.”
One by one, the teams confirm readiness. My heart pounds in my chest, but my hands are steady. I’ve done this before in far worse conditions. The difference is that I’ve never had someone I care about—someone I might love—on the line.
“Execute in three...two...one...”
