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In the barn she flipped on the lights, grabbed a bridle and strode down the aisle to Blaze’s stall. As she slid open the door, the gentle gelding lifted his head from the hay to give her a curious look.
“I know it’s late, buddy, but this won’t take long. I’m even going to let you head home on your own. How about that?”
After bridling him, she led him out the front door of the barn to the corral. She loaded the rifle and slid the box of remaining cartridges down the front of her shirt, where they were held securely by the belt at her waist. Then she climbed up several fence rails and stepped over onto his broad back.
He tossed his head and pivoted away, anxious at the change in routine, but she rested a hand against his neck until he calmed down. Then she retrieved the rifle and reined him toward the western pasture fence.
There was no livestock in this field—not until next month when the cattle would be rotated to fresh pasture. At the gate, she leaned down and unchained it, letting it swing wide open. Then she urged Blaze into a lope.
Crickets chirped a never-ending symphony in the moonlight. Above, shadowy forms swooped through the night air after insects. Moonlight lit the way in tones of pewter and charcoal.
Anxious thoughts spun through her even as the rhythmic three-beat movement of the horse surged beneath her, his warm hide comforting as a favorite easy chair. The long grasses muffled the sound of his hooves against the earth until it seemed as if they were sailing over a soft and silver sea.
But somewhere out in the darkness, Alex was afraid, maybe hurt. Katie was terrified. She urged Blaze on as her anxiety grew. Please, Lord—help me do the right thing. And please keep Zach and the children safe.
* * * *
ZACH PACED THROUGH the nearly suffocating confines of the small house, willing the phone to ring. The tap was in place. He’d tested the hidden wire, then discarded his earpiece once Haley confirmed good reception from his position a half mile away.
Now they could only wait.
Had Alvarez spooked? Had he seen Haley pull up at the sheriff’s office and guessed at the guy’s reason for coming to town?
With luck, he hadn’t. The lives of two children depended on it.
At a soft sound outside he drew his gun, then released the safety as he moved to the window of his darkened bedroom and pulled back the curtain a few inches.
Nothing moved out in the yard. His SUV was parked at the end of the sidewalk, ready to roll.
All he needed was a destination, and the operation could begin.
Five minutes to midnight.
Four.
Reaching down, he checked for the tenth time the ankle holster and the Glock it held. The deputy had missed it in his excitement at finally having the chance to arrest him after all these years.
Zach hadn’t had the heart to point that out in front of the others, back at the sheriff’s office.
Before he headed back to Dallas, though, he would need to have a talk with Robinson. The guy’s strong-arm tactics were going to get him in deep trouble someday. And failure to find a hidden weapon could get him killed.
Two minutes after midnight.
Five minutes.
Six.
Zach swore, trying not to think about what had gone wrong. He’s got a slow watch. Forgot to check the clock. “Call me,” Zach muttered. “I’m here and I’m ready. Pick up the phone and call.”
When the phone did ring, he pounced on it like prey and gripped the receiver for another ring. Then he took a deep breath and lifted it. “Zach here.”
The voice was soft, faintly accented. “Drive nine miles east. There’s a dirt road leading up into the hills. Stop at three point five miles and get out of your car, nice and slow. One fast move and one of these kids dies, got it? Anyone else shows up, and they are both dead, and so are you.” Click.
He’d been on countless cases. Life and death could become a way of life, and over the years he’d become hardened to what he had to do.
But never had the lives of two young kids been on the line. Never his little niece Katie, with her trusting eyes and delighted laughter, and the way she smelled so sweet and innocent after her nightly bath.
Zach opened his eyes and realized he still held the receiver in his hand. He put it down, then spoke loud enough for the wire.
