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A deafening explosion rocked the mountainside. Carter was moving before the dust settled, weapon drawn. Down the sloping passage revealed, then halted at a heavy steel door. Beck signaled the all-clear.
Carter yanked it open, gun poised, Deputy Cooper and the agents right behind him. A dimly lit elevator shaft dropped into darkness. His jaw clenched. No going back now. Let’s finish this.
They crowded into the elevator, weapons aimed steadily at the doors as it descended. When it shuddered to a stop, Carter's fiercest battle instincts surged through him. Time to confront the monsters on their home turf.
The elevator doors slid open to reveal two burly guards, caught momentarily off guard. Before they could react, Carter and the agents swarmed them, disarming and cuffing them efficiently.
With the guards subdued, they advanced down a dim concrete corridor lined with heavy doors. Carter’s pulse raced, and his senses were on hyper-alert for any sign of Daphne.
They cleared room after room, all filled with terrified young girls in various states of illness and malnutrition. Deputy Cooper radioed for medical teams as Carter pressed on.
Rounding a corner, he heard a familiar voice rising in anger. Daphne! He burst through the door, gun leveled at the last person he expected to see—a man he had grown up with and who he had deemed as a friend—the well-loved and respected Senator Doug Howell, interrogating a handcuffed Daphne.
“Step away from her,” Carter ordered in a deadly calm voice. Howell spun, shock registering on his face.
“You shouldn’t have come, Sheriff,” he sneered. “You’ll never touch me. I own this county, and you won’t leave this compound alive.” He smirked evilly. “Neither of you!”
“Newsflash, you motherfucker,” Carter sneered as his control snapped. “Everyone outside of this room has already been taken into custody. You are about to join them!” He launched himself at Howell, slamming him against the wall. They grappled violently until Carter landed a punch that flung the senator against the wall and rendered him unconscious.
“Did the bastard hurt you, love?” He raced to uncuff Daphne, who fell into his arms, sobbing.
“I knew you’d find me,” she cried. Carter held her tight, flooded with relief.
“It’s over now. I've got you,” he soothed. Howell's crumpled form lay a few feet away. The hard hit as Carter had smashed his head into the wall had brought the trafficker’s empire to crumble at last. Senator or not, for him and whoever else was involved, justice would be served.
Daphne glanced at the passed-out man as Carter led her outside. “I guess we owe McCarthy an apology.”
“I’m not discounting anyone, McCarthy included, until after Howell has been properly interrogated. Mark my words, like any criminal, he will act true to form and sing like a canary, offering everyone else on a platter, as long as he can cut a deal for himself.”
“I sincerely hope neither you nor the FBI will fall for that kind of crap! He deserves to be castrated and locked up bleeding for what he had put all these poor young girls through.” Tears filled her eyes. “Did you see them? The condition some of them are in.” She covered her face in obvious distress. “Oh God, Carter, there are so many of them!”
“I know, love, but we will take good care of them, I promise. I will ensure there’s a program and support groups with the relevant professionals to monitor and guide them through a recuperation process.”
“That’s good, my love, and I would like to participate in the program. They all need to be treated with love and care.” She leaned into him. “Promise me this won’t happen again. No grown man should be allowed to misuse his position of power to fill his pockets on the back of destroying so many innocent lives.”
“I can’t promise that, Daphne. This kind of thing is as old as time, and the longer it continues, the more clever and deceptive they become. What I am going to do is keep watching and doing my best to keep our community safe.”
Carter tightened his arms around her and held her against him for long moments. The kiss he gave her was drenched in love and admiration.
“Come. Let’s go home, love. It’s been a long day.”
Chapter Seventeen
Two weeks later, Carter’s Mountain lodge in the Powerhouse Mountain range...
“Yoo-hoo! Anyone home?” Daphne’s voice echoed through the two-story great room as she entered Carter’s rustic yet luxurious mountain lodge. Like every time she set foot inside, the space immediately enveloped her in warmth and comfort.
Soaring pine log beams supported the cathedral ceiling. A massive stone fireplace anchored one wall, flanked by overstuffed leather couches and Native American patterned blankets. Antler chandeliers cast a cozy glow over the space.
To one side, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the sweeping valley vista, the jagged mountain peaks framing the view. The walls were adorned with framed topographic maps, vintage ski posters, and black-and-white nature photography.
Daphne wandered through to the chef’s kitchen, admiring the huge farmhouse sink, commercial-grade appliances, and enormous island with barstools lined up around the granite counter.
She wandered upstairs into the lofted master suite that featured a log bed piled high with fluffy pillows and Pendleton wool blankets. The spa-like bath contained both a walk-in shower and a deep soaking tub.
“Hmm, can’t wait to soak in there again tonight,” she cooed. It had become her most favorite room in the house.
French doors opened onto a wide balcony with an outdoor fireplace. She and Carter had spent evenings out here stargazing, wrapped in thick blankets with Carter’s arms around her.
