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She frowned. Where was he? Could something have gone wrong so soon? “Jake, are you there?”
“Yes, I’m here. I hear the boat, too. How far away is it?”
“About fifty yards.” She kept her gaze riveted on the dark boat scuttling toward them. Its stealthy approach seemed very menacing in the dark of night.
“How many people are in the boat?”
“It’s hard to tell. It’s running without lights. I can see the silhouette of one man.”
“Okay, stand by.”
“Be careful, Jake, whatever you do. Your life is worth more than this case.”
She was frozen with apprehension while the boat crept toward the dock. The pilot blended into the darkness like an apparition. Had Jake been right? Was this a new fall guy? Or was it someone more sinister?
The motor shut off, and the boat glided up to the dock. This was where she’d helped out last night, but this time, Jake wouldn’t be dealing with an innocent kid like Tad. She felt a strong need to run outside and help, but knowing she could ruin everything kept her at her post.
“Jake, he’s out of the boat and heading your way.”
“Thanks, Sunshine,” Jake whispered back. “Now, let’s maintain radio silence. And remember, don’t get any bright ideas about coming out here to help me. If things look bad, call the cops.”
She waited breathlessly for some sound to tell her Jake had the upper hand, but there was only silence. She bit her lip, knowing she couldn’t call out to him for fear of giving him away. She kept her eyes glued to the telescope and listened hard.
“I’ve got him, Sunshine,” Jake stated. “I’ll bring him up to the cabin.”
A sound came from behind her.
She turned. From the corner of her eye, she caught a dark figure, a whirl of motion in black and gray.
A crash of pain blinded her, knocking her to the floor, and her world went black.
Chapter 5
Jake entered the cabin, the suspect in tow. The first thing he noticed was the utter silence. The second thing was that the place was trashed. Cabinet doors hung open, and drawers turned upside down.
His heart sank as he silently prayed Samantha was hiding safely upstairs. Only five minutes ago, he’d talked to her on the radio. But five minutes could be an excruciatingly long time. Her story of being hunted in the woods had new and horrific meanings.
“Samantha,” Jake yelled.
There was no reply.
He nudged the prisoner toward the dinette. “You better pray she’s still alive, dirtbag.” He pulled a pair of handcuffs out of his back pocket and secured the prisoner to the table leg.
He ran toward the loft. Samantha wouldn’t desert her post voluntarily. He didn’t want to think about what her silence might mean. She'd come to be everything to him in the few short days they’d been together.
He quickly scaled the ladder. Coming to the top, he noted Samantha was gone. The loft was torn apart. Dresser drawers were emptied and dumped on the floor, the contents strewn everywhere, and his laptop was missing. Was this a robbery gone wrong?
The answer didn’t matter because Samantha was missing.
The aroma of coffee broke through his despair. He glanced at the thermos, but it was closed. So, where did the scent come from anyway? Then he noticed a puddle of spilled coffee on the floor near the window by the corner of the bed.
He stepped forward to investigate, and froze. Samantha lay crumpled like a rag doll on the floor beside the bed. It looked like someone had tucked her back there, hoping she’d go unnoticed.
“Good God.” He hurried to her side. As he reached for her, he made a silent vow to kill the bastard who had dared to touch her.
He brushed the hair away from her face. She was out cold, but she was alive. His gut twisted as blood trickled from a nasty gash on the side of her head.
“I’m so sorry, Sunshine.” He swallowed the lump in his throat. He should never have left her alone. He’d thought it would be the safest place for her. All the action was supposed to occur at the boathouse. His miscalculation could cost her.
