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"I love you both so much," I told them, my voice thick with emotion. "Stay strong, and know that I'm doing everything I can to be with you again."
Amy nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. "We love you too, Mitch. More than anything."
With a final wave to baby Ava, I ended the call, and the screen went dark. At that moment, the emptiness of the room felt almost unbearable. But as I looked over at Downing, I saw a glimmer of something in his eyes when he asked, "I didn't mean to eavesdrop but is Amy's father, Giuseppe Russo?"
"Yes, and I'm sure he's been burning up my phone."
"While you were out, I collected everyone's phones and put them in my car safe, so I wouldn't know. But if that's Giuseppe Russo, I think he’s…” Downing shook his head.
"Who is he?"
"The Russo family has deep ties to organized crime. They operate in Colorado and Nevada, and I'm pretty sure they have connections around here, too — the horse tracks. I believe Antonio Russo is the kingpin of the operation. He's in Vegas.”
"I don't think it's the same family. Amy's family owns a boutique that sells skiing equipment in Vail," I shook my head. "And anyway, if you know all this stuff, why are they still operating?"
Downing smirked as he walked away, "You fellas got a lot to learn!"
ChapterSixteen
Amy
With Ava nestled securelyin the baby carrier backpack, I adjusted the straps and gripped my walking stick, ready to embark on this little adventure. The sun cast its warm golden rays through the trees, dappling the forest floor with spots of light. The gentle rustling of leaves above and the sweet scent of nature filled the air, setting the scene for a perfect day for a picnic.
Last night's whispered conversation with Mitch over the FBI's trusty iPad had left me with a thrilling revelation that the Rosedale girls were nearby, tucked away in their own secluded cottages. It was an unexpected but welcome surprise, given the isolation the FBI had imposed upon us. Agent Ramirez reluctantly gave her approval for me to meet them, understanding my need to reconnect with familiar faces in these challenging times.
The trail opened up to a lovely clearing, where the sunlight sparkled on the placid surface of Lake Susan like a thousand tiny diamonds. The breathtaking view stopped me in my tracks, and I paused for a moment to savor the beauty before me. Lush greenery framed the lake, creating a scene that seemed ripped straight from the pages of a romance novel—or a creepy thriller. I wasn't sure which.
As I neared the lake, I spotted my friends gathered around a picnic table. Instead of their usual laughter, I was met by a few hushed sounds of children playing hide-and-go-seek around the shelter and between the picnic tables. On a ridge not far away, I spotted a black sedan. A male agent was outside leaning against the hood, binoculars in hand, keeping watch over us.
"Look, here comes Amy!" Ariel called out, her smile as infectious as ever.
"Amy! I bet you never dreamed in a thousand years we would be meeting like this!" Meagan said, hugging me.
"You were brave to hike out in the woods by yourself. We had a ride." Sicily rolled her eyes and shot a thumb over her shoulder toward the car on the ridge.
"Got snacks!" Amber announced, opening her pack and pointing to the ice chest on the picnic table filled with drinks and fixings for a picnic. "Government issue. Not bad, considering."
"I'll get a bottle of water... Oh, by the way, where's Courtney? Or wasn't she a part of this?" I asked.
"Shhh," Ariel held her finger to her lips. "Okay, here's the scoop!" We huddled closer and listened as Ariel faced the lake, away from the agent with the binoculars. "Remember, loose lips sink ships. Sound familiar, Meagan?"
Meagan groaned, facing away, "Don't remind me!"
"Well, I think that's part of the point. But first things first. Guy quickly texted me before the dragnet caught up with Jonathan and me, and they took our phones away," Ariel explained. "They didn't include Mom. She was allowed to stay at the guest house. She's got to be a nervous wreck."
"But where's Courtney?" Sicily whispered.
"Courtney and Brad got away. Guy figures the FBI really didn't know who all was involved, so Courtney and Brad hid until everyone else was evacuated from the Rosedale office."
"Where do you think they went?" Amber asked.
Ariel shrugged, “Who knows, honestly. I just hope they're okay. But hey, we've got a lot of stuff to talk about, and we don't have a lot of time. I don't even know when we need to get back to our cabins. Your cabin, Amy, must be pretty far away, while the rest of us are right next to each other. It looks like we're in some kind of national forest or something. Anyway, I digress. Here's what I'm thinking. We should all write down everything we remember about our own experiences. I mean, we all agree that this whole crazy case has gone on way too long, right? Even with the FBI involved in your kidnapping, Amy, nobody's been caught yet."
"Yes, and the person that was following Mitch and me on the beach was out of jail in one day," I added.
"So, we don't have anything to write on," Meagan remarked.
"Thankfully, I grabbed a writing tablet from my desk before I left, so I brought it with me and some pens." Ariel dug into her backpack and distributed a pen and some paper to each of us.
