Texas Hunt (14 page)

“He's a good horse,” Brody said. “Or at least he will be when I finish doctoring him up and training him.”

“What's his story?”

“The usual. His owner saw potential and kicked up his training routine at eighteen months old,” Brody said.

“Which isn't uncommon,” Dylan added.

“Nope. Didn't work out so well for this guy, though. His knees are a mess and he won't ever race,” Brody said.

“How'd he end up at your place?” Ryan asked.

“Owner felt horrible for the colt. Wants him to have a chance to go to a ranch or be someone's personal horse, so he asked around and was referred to my rehab ranch.”

A second chance sounded pretty good to Ryan about now. His first thought was Lisa. His second was his mother. Why did she pop into his thoughts? Must've been the recent conversation he'd had with Lisa. But it didn't matter. He had no idea how to reach his mother, and if he was being honest, he wasn't real sure he ever wanted to see the woman again.

The drive to the warehouse didn't take much more than half an hour. The closer they'd gotten, the bumpier the roads. Dylan's jaw clenched tighter, too.

“Did you see anything when you were there before?” Ryan asked.

“No. I had a canvas bag on my head the entire time we were outside the building. I remember it being dark, but that was mainly because it was the middle of the night. There wasn't any other light source around, which was one of the signs I was somewhere on the outskirts of town. I remember waking up bound to some kind of wooden table and then looking up to see a single bulb hanging from a socket.” He paused as he clenched his back teeth. “There were these plastic-looking panels on the ceiling and I remember thinking that if it was light outside, sun would stream through the half wall of windows.”

Ryan nodded as he thanked his friend again for everything he was doing for Lisa and her family. Facing the warehouse couldn't be easy.

Dylan stared out the front window onto the winding road lit up by the beams in front of them. “All I could think at the time was that the place would be good for torturing people. And how much I needed to walk out of there alive if I ever wanted to see Maribel again. Later, I thought that it might be easy to hide people there, too.”

“They could be doing any number of illegal activities in such a remote location,” Ryan agreed. Not the least of which was storing chemicals required to make a bomb.

“Looking back, I remember a distinct smell. At the time, I wrote it off as being an old building.” Dylan maintained focus on the road ahead. He instructed Brody on making a few turns before saying, “We'll need to cut the lights and walk soon.”

“Say the word and it's done,” Brody said.

The road became bumpier as they traveled along the clay path. A mile or so later, Dylan gave the signal to stop.

Brody pulled off the road and parked.

“I brought one of these for each of us,” Brody said, and then located three backpacks from the backseat. “Let's see what's in here.” Dylan held his up.

“A knife for starters. We could spend hours debating which one is best, but I like a six-to eight-inch blade with a serrated edge on the back side for sawing,” Brody said. “There's also a signal mirror and gloves. There again, I like something light that gives a good grip while protecting my skin.”

“With the added benefit of us not leaving behind any fingerprints,” Ryan added.

“To that end, there are hair nets, too,” Brody said.

“Great, we'll be rockin' the lunch-lady look,” Dylan teased.

“Afraid so.” Brody laughed. “I didn't say we'd be pretty, but we won't leave anything behind, either. Dylan's the only one we want identified with the scene.”

“Good point,” Ryan agreed. That way, Dylan could direct the sheriff to the site where he'd been held captive and there'd be evidence to prove his story.

“I brought headgear with reflective strips on the back,” Brody continued, securing his on his head. “We all have cells, which we're going to want to silence, but I also brought a light source and a map of the area in case we get separated. Let's grab those and circle the spot where the truck is.”

Ryan did. He pulled up their location on his phone's GPS, and then circled the corresponding spot on the printed map.

“I didn't figure we'd be out here long enough to need insect repellant,” Brody said, folding his own map and securing it in his pack.

“I have to admit it. When you told me you'd pack for us, I was hesitant. We all have different ideas of what we think we might need on a mission,” Dylan said with a chuckle. “But you did a good job.”

Brody and Dylan had served in different branches of the military, and that meant each one thought the other wasn't doing it right in pretty much every situation, Ryan thought with a laugh. He was basically Switzerland. Working the land had taught him how to survive if he was ever stranded. Hunting had taught him what he needed to know about using a gun. He'd fine-tuned his ability to point, shoot and hit a target.

Ryan tucked the gun in the waistband of his jeans and then he secured his hair net.

“We think this is the facility I was taken to.” Dylan pointed to a spot on the map that would be half an hour's hike at best. “I encountered three men who worked for Alcorn.”

“With his resources he could afford an army of men watching the place. You have any intel about others?” Ryan asked.

“My technology guy hasn't been able to watch for long. I just found the place. Under normal circumstances, I'd watch and wait,” Dylan said.

“There's too much at stake now and it's only a matter of time before they figure out a way to get to us,” Ryan agreed.

“Bombing the funeral home was a bold move,” Dylan said.

“Beckett's got it in for her. We all know he's the one behind this, especially after his visit. But he's smart enough not to get caught,” Ryan hissed.

“Did the deputy ever say whether or not they had any suspects?” Dylan asked.

“None yet. Said they couldn't imagine who would do such a thing and especially at such an inappropriate time,” Ryan said. “Can't say that I have a lot of confidence in them given the fact that Alcorn's been under their nose for how many years now and look what he's managed to get away with.” He shouldered his pack. “We helped them find him before and they lost him after that.”

“You think the sheriff's in on this?” Dylan asked.

Brody nodded. “Rebecca seems to think so. At the very least she believes he's looked the other way a few times.”

“And you?” Ryan asked Brody.

“I got questions.” Brody paused. “Like how do you let someone involved in kidnapping kids live right under your nose and not have the first clue?”

“Either he's being bribed to look the other way and has no idea or he's in on it,” Ryan said.

“Maybe he's looking at his pension thinking he needs more when he retires, so he looks the other way for some of Alcorn's business dealings,” Brody said.

“What I can't figure out is why now? If I'm Beckett, do I really want more attention on me and my family right now?” Ryan asked.

“Other than the fact that she could come forward and damage their name even more.” Brody scratched his chin. “Public opinion has been split as to whether or not people believe Charles Alcorn capable of such an act. Lisa comes forward and brings charges against Beckett and people start thinking where there's smoke, there's fire.”

“That was my first thought, too. And that's most likely the reason,” Ryan said.

Dylan, who had been quietly contemplating the discussion so far, leaned forward. “She's a loose end.”

That thought scared Ryan the most. “Meaning they won't stop until they've tied it off.”

“Did you think there was any chance they'd stop?” Dylan asked calmly, his low voice carrying anger.

“Not really. I'd hoped we could end this without putting someone in a body bag. With their money, I doubt that's possible. They can reach her even from jail. It won't be enough.”

“She could go into a program, take her sister and Grayson with her and disappear,” Dylan said. “I had to consider all of Samantha's options when she was a target.”

Ryan mumbled something that sounded like agreement, but the truth was that he couldn't think about never seeing Lisa again. It did all kinds of messed-up things to his emotions. Instead, he looked to Brody and then to Dylan. “Ready to do this?”

Chapter Fifteen

Dylan nodded at the same time as Brody, giving a thumbs up. Dylan took the lead once outside the truck while Brody and Ryan fell in step next to each other.

The walk through the thinly wooded area became easier as Ryan's eyes adjusted to the darkness. He'd first focused almost solely on the reflector on the back of Dylan's headband but now could see fairly well as he mentally prepared for a few scenarios that they might be walking into.

First, someone could be there guarding the place, making it impossible to get what they needed. It would be a whole lot easier if no one was there. They'd be able to walk right in and check it out without raising an eyebrow or alerting anyone to the fact that they knew the location of the warehouse.

After taking Dylan there, they might've cleared it of anything that could be incriminating. So this mission could be a colossal waste of time.

Feeling that he was leaving Lisa vulnerable didn't sit well with Ryan, either. He had to remind himself that she was fine and safe and that she'd be at Dylan's house sleeping, just as he'd left her, when he got back.

Dylan stopped. His fisted hand came up, so Brody and Ryan followed suit. Then he crouched low. Ryan was beside him in a second.

Being back to this place must bring up bad feelings for him. Dylan and Brody had personal reasons for wanting the Mason Ridge Abductor put behind bars. Both of their lives and future wives had been affected by that jerk. Both had a stake in ensuring the right person was caught and put behind bars.

A man like Alcorn would be able to twist the legal system in his favor. And his son had grown up with the same entitlement. Ryan would see to it that Beckett paid for his crimes against Lisa. One way or the other, the score would be settled.

Where they crouched, the building was about fifty yards away. There were no lights on inside or around the building, casting an eerie dark glow to the windows. The place looked abandoned and like something out of a bad horror movie, and everything about being there had Ryan's danger radar on high alert.

The strategy for now would be to wait in order to make sure no one was visiting this place on rounds. There were no vehicles in the parking lot, but that didn't mean there wouldn't be any coming or that no one was inside. Ryan couldn't imagine anyone would be, but no one in his party, including him, was willing to take that chance.

A noise came from behind them and Ryan whirled around, ready to fight in a split second.

All three stilled, waited, listened.

An agonizing full minute later, a deer sprinted through the brush. And that really was the best of possible situations. This area was known for cougars and other dangerous animals, and the last thing they needed was a battle with Mother Nature to draw attention to their location.

Even though there were no vehicles parked, that didn't mean there was no one in the building. Someone could be inside right then, watching, waiting.

There were a number of things this building could be used for. None of them Ryan liked.

Crouched in the brush, he didn't want to think about all the manner of other dangerous wildlife he could be sitting next to at the moment. Aside from the usual varieties of venomous snakes and spiders, north Texas was host to other bigger creatures that could sneak up on them, like coyotes.

Ryan didn't even want to think about all those creepy crawlies slinking around on the ground under the canopy of leaves. He'd rather face something closer to his own size. His body involuntarily shuddered thinking about how much he hated spiders.

* * *

L
ISA
COULDN
'
T
SLEEP
and she didn't want to wake Lori and the baby, so she literally lay staring at the ceiling until she thought her brain might explode.

Nervous energy kept her heart pounding inside her chest. There was no way to contact Ryan or the guys to know if everything was okay. Her mind kept racing through worst-case scenarios.

Lisa canceled the negative thoughts, reminding herself worrying wouldn't do any good. She'd deal with whatever happened, even though not knowing was killing her.

She couldn't even begin to seriously consider the possibility that something could happen to any of them, and especially not Ryan, without pain stabbing her in the chest. She took in a deep breath and regrouped.

Thinking about everything that could go wrong wouldn't do any good. It wouldn't bring the guys back any sooner. And it would only cause Lisa to shred her stomach lining with worry.

“Are you thinking about him?” Lori whispered over Grayson, who lay sleeping soundly between them.

“Yes.” Lisa would be lying if she said otherwise and she didn't want to lie to her sister.

“I miss him, too.”

It was then that Lisa realized Lori was talking about their father and not Ryan. Of course their father would be on Lori's mind. Lisa hadn't forgotten him, either. He was always close to her thoughts and near her heart, and she had a moment of guilt for thinking about anything else.

Then again, she could only allow herself a few moments to think about her father before she had to focus on something else. Missing him was a cavern in her chest.

“You want me to make coffee?” Lisa asked.

“That would be nice.” Lori eased away from Grayson and then positioned pillows on either side of him so he couldn't roll off the bed when she and Lisa moved.

Watching Lori with Grayson filled Lisa's heart with an emotion she couldn't quite put her finger on. It was a mix of love and fulfillment and something else. Longing?

Lisa hadn't given much thought to having children of her own. Her life was full between Lori, Grayson and the kids in her classes who felt like family. There was something magical about watching her kindergarteners successfully complete center activities or experience the joy of reading a book for the first time. The rewards of seeing those little eyes light up when children grasped a concept were as tangible today as they'd been when she first started teaching five years ago.

Lisa believed herself to be a good teacher, but was she mother material?

She let that thought rattle around while she made a fresh pot of coffee.

“You like him, don't you?” Lori padded into the kitchen.

“Yes.” There was no use denying her feelings.

“Maybe when this is all over you two can spend some time together,” Lori offered.

“It's complicated,” Lisa said, handing her sister a mug.

“Yeah? Life's complicated, isn't it?”

“When did you get so philosophical?” Lisa teased.

“Having a baby changes your priorities, I guess.” Lori shrugged and then took a sip.

Lisa motioned toward the kitchen table. She didn't turn on the light and neither did Lori.

“Remember when Dad would take us camping out by Lake Mason?” Lori asked.

“I do. He always said that you had to be made of tough stuff to camp in the summer in Texas,” Lisa said.

“It would be so hot and we had those little plastic fans that squirted water to cool us off,” Lori said with a smile.

“We'd stay up half the night pretending to be explorers in the African jungle,” Lisa remembered.

“Discovering new lands. Watching out for lions,” Lori added. “Looking back, don't you think it's kind of weird that neither one of us dreamed about being mothers?”

“I guess losing ours so early had an impact.”

“Do you think about her?” Lori asked, her tone serious.

“Not as much as I should.” Lisa paused. “Keeping an eye on you and Dad became a full-time job after she died.”

“Thank you for that, by the way,” Lori said.

“For what? We both did our fair share of watching over Dad.”

“I wasn't talking about that. I was thinking about the way you've always taken care of me,” Lori said.

“You would've done the same.”

“Maybe. Who knows? You were a great big sis.”

“If that was true, I would've been able to keep us together all the time,” Lisa said. “How many times were we split up to live with relatives?”

“I didn't mind.”

“Really?”

“I always knew you'd find me. I never worried about that because I had you,” Lori said.

“Mom would be so proud of you with Grayson.” Lisa needed to change the subject before the flood of tears released.

“If I'm a good mother to Grayson, it's because you showed me how to be,” Lori said emphatically. “I don't mean any disrespect to our mother. I'm sure she was amazing. But you're the one who taught me how care for someone, how to put other people first.”

Tears fell no matter how much Lisa tried to suppress them.

“But I wonder who takes care of you.”

“Having you and Grayson is enough,” Lisa said.

“You need more than just the two of us. I know you love your job, the kids, and I have no doubt about how much you love me and Grayson. But you need more than that. I love Grayson with all my heart, but I hope to go on a date someday, maybe meet someone who'll be a father to my son as well as a good husband to me. Someone who isn't freaked out at the thought of fatherhood and steps up for me and Grayson.”

“I want that for the both of you, too,” Lisa said.

“And what about for yourself?” Lori asked. “Do you ever think about sharing your life with someone else?”

“Honestly?”

Lori nodded.

“I've been too busy to think about it,” Lisa said.

“Or maybe you just won't give yourself the time to,” Lori countered.

Was that true? Maybe her sister had a point. For so many years Lisa had worried about making sure her baby sister was okay. And yet she was uncomfortable allowing anyone to care for her, even when she was hurt and couldn't care for herself. Frustration was written all over Ryan's face every time she forced him to sit instead of help her with something.

“I guess our upbringing taught me that if I wanted something done right I had to do it myself. I stopped relying on others,” Lisa said, sipping her coffee.

“It's not a bad thing to be independent,” Lori said sympathetically.

“It's hard for me to depend on anyone else, to give up that power.”

“It's just that I think so many people have let you down that you've forgotten that you
can
count on people.”

Lisa thought about what her sister was saying, the truth in her words.

“When did you get to be so wise?” she asked.

“Believe me, you stay awake all night with a baby enough and you'll start contemplating the meaning of life, too.” Lori laughed. She took another sip of coffee and then set her mug down. “It's different with Ryan.”

“Is it?” Lisa asked, wondering if she'd ever be able to let her guard down enough to allow herself to truly rely on anyone else. Life lessons like the ones she'd learned didn't wipe away so easily on the blackboard of her psyche.

“He's a good guy.”

“That much I know,” Lisa responded. “I'm sure you thought Jessie was decent or you never would've gone out with him in the first place.”

“Yeah, and I knew him for all of three months before I got pregnant. How much can you really know anyone in that short a time?” Lori said, twisting her mouth into a funny half smile. “Don't say I should've waited to get to know him better. I think I've already figured that one out the hard way. He was just so handsome and mysterious when he rolled through town to visit his cousin. I think I wanted something different than what I'd known my whole life, someone different than the guys in town. Boy, did I learn that something different isn't always something better!”

“So true.” Lisa was still trying to sort out her feelings for Ryan, especially since they'd made love earlier, but she knew exactly what kind of person he was. It seemed that that should make her feelings for him easier to understand. When this was all over, maybe she could take some time to think about what he really meant to her. She didn't have to be back to school for a couple of weeks.

A dark thought hit her. Beckett would make sure she never returned to school or a normal life again.

For the first time, Lisa considered moving out of state. She could teach anywhere. Maybe even change her name?

No. That wouldn't work.

Not with Lori and Grayson here in Mason Ridge.

And a little piece of her heart didn't want to think about leaving Ryan, either.

“Everything is happening so fast. It's hard to know what to think anymore,” Lori said.

“I was just thinking the same thing,” Lisa replied. They were talking about different things, but the essential truth was the same. Life would never be the same.