He paused for a moment, glanced back at the house and prayed he wasn’t making a big mistake.

  * * *

  Ella had finally fallen asleep, and Bree stepped into the family room to watch a movie with her mother and Deputy Broom. She really needed the distraction. Clint had been gone all day, and she was worried for his safety. Sure, he’d texted her with regular updates, and she appreciated knowing he was okay—for that moment anyway—but he and Shawn were out ruffling feathers and anything could happen. Even another shooting ambush.

  And she just plain missed him. Once this was all over, how in the world was she going to adjust to being without him again?

  She sighed, garnering her mother’s attention. She forced out a smile and thought about her mother’s earlier advice to let go of her worry. But how, by trusting God? Sure, that sounded easy, but Clint put his life on the line way too often for Bree to find that peace her mother mentioned.

  Bree stifled another sigh and swung her focus back to the movie. An hour passed, and her anxiety hadn’t eased. She couldn’t sit any longer. “I’m going to check on Ella.”

  She headed down the hallway and slipped inside the room. She closed the door behind her and leaned back to take a cleansing breath. Her gaze went to the heavy drapes she’d closed earlier. Now open, they fluttered in the breeze.

  Wait, what? They had the air-conditioning running so she knew the window was closed. Clint even checked to be sure it was locked while they waited for Deputy Broom to arrive.

  Her heart dropped, and she raced to the crib.

  Ella was gone.

  No! Oh, no.

  A note lay on the mattress. Bree grabbed it.

  I have Ella. Come to the barn alone. Tell anyone and I’ll kill the baby.

  All strength left Bree’s legs, and she dropped to the floor. Panic flooded in and instinct had her reaching for her phone to call Clint. She patted her pocket. Empty. She’d left it in the living room.

  So what? Even if she had it, she couldn’t call anyone without risking Ella’s life. She had to obey the note. For Ella’s sake.

  Bree climbed to her feet and held on to the bed post for support. She glanced around the room to locate a weapon of any sort to take with her but she found nothing. Just as well. The killer would probably take it from her anyway.

  The killer. A killer waited for her.

  She gulped in air and blew it out. Walked to the open window. Swung a leg over the sill.

  She paused for a moment to lift her eyes to the sky peppered with stars.

  Father, please help me do the right thing to save Ella.

  * * *

  Clint and Shawn had wasted the entire afternoon and early evening waiting for Kier to return to the docks, but as soon as he’d caught sight of Clint, he’d headed back out on the lake.

  Fine. If Kier wanted it that way, Clint would figure out another way to talk to him. He marched down the dock, Shawn hurrying to keep up. Near the office, Clint spotted the young woman who’d told them about Jason’s argument. Clint rushed toward her as she pulled things out of a locker and put them in a box. He stepped up to her. She held up a hand before he could speak.

  “No need to ask,” she said. “I’ll tell you. Jason argued with Isaac Ellison.”

  Isaac. So they’d been right.

  She crossed her arms. “The jerk got me fired. Since the police got a warrant for his boat, and since I was seen talking to you, he claims I told them about the fight.” She shook her head. “I was so careful not to say anything, and I still got fired. Unbelievable. Totally unbelievable.”

  “I’ll make sure Dennis Green knows you had nothing to do with getting that warrant,” Clint said.

  “Ellison is the one you have to convince. He’s a big shot around here. As long as he’s mad, I won’t be getting my job back.”

  “Then I’ll make sure he calls Green.”

  “Thank you,” she said and turned back to cleaning out her locker.

  Eager to confront Isaac, Clint jogged down the dock to his truck. Clint revved the engine and Shawn dug out his phone.

  “This late in the day we’re better off going to Isaac’s house,” Shawn said. “I’ll put his address in my GPS.”

  Clint followed the GPS directions and was pulling into Isaac’s driveway when Shawn’s phone rang. Clint killed the engine and waited for Shawn to finish his call.

  He soon shoved the phone into his pocket. “The paint doesn’t match Isaac’s boat and his wet suits are intact and not of the same brand as the fabric collected.”

  “I don’t care what the forensics say,” Clint said. “Isaac is still our best suspect.”

  Shawn’s eyes narrowed. “Forensics don’t lie.”

  “Isaac could have gotten rid of the wet suit and repainted his boat.”

  “True.”

  “And if he isn’t our guy, then why did he burn those documents right after Bree and I questioned him? And what about the argument with Jason? We can’t discount that. We still need to talk to him.” Clint grabbed his door handle and was out of the truck in a flash.

  He strode up the driveway without waiting for Shawn, but heard him jogging to catch up. Clint’s phone rang, and he saw Pete’s icon on the screen. Now wasn’t the time to talk ranch business.

  Clint let the call go to voice mail and pressed his finger on the doorbell, holding it down until Isaac opened the door. Clint pushed past the man and into the living room so fast Isaac couldn’t possibly stop him.

  “What were you burning on your boat?” Clint asked. “And before you say it’s none of my business, I’ve made it my business, and I’m not leaving here until you answer me.”

  Isaac crossed his arms. “Then I’ll call the police.”

  “Go ahead,” Shawn said as he came to stand by Clint. “Now that the forensic reports for the boats are back, law enforcement will be on your doorstep in no time.”

  Clint appreciated Shawn’s bluff, but Isaac glared at them. “I didn’t do anything wrong so the forensics can’t prove I did.”

  “Are you sure of that?” Shawn asked.

  Isaac’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t respond.

  “We all know you argued with Jason, and we read your last email to him. Couple that with the forensics and...” Clint let his words fall off to imply a connection that hadn’t been made.

  “Fine,” Isaac snapped. “I’ve been on Jason’s boat so I suppose you could have found something that ties to me, but I didn’t kill him. We just argued.”

  Clint wanted to raise a fist in victory, but he held back. “Tell us about the argument.”

  Isaac scowled. “Jason questioned my decision when I denied benefits for an experimental treatment. I was burning original documents for that case when you caught me.”

  “Why burn them?” Clint asked.

  Isaac hesitated, but Clint glared at him until his shoulders sagged. “I forged Jason’s signature on the claim. With you poking around, I was afraid it would come out.”

  Interesting. “Why did you forge his signature?”

  “The treatment was within our guidelines and I could have allowed it.” Isaac clamped a hand on the back of his neck. “But I was up for a promotion and wanted to make myself look good by keeping our claim costs low. The treatment was expensive so if I approved it, I would have lost out on the promotion.”

  “You put your career over this person’s life?” Clint asked.

  “That wasn’t the plan. Once I got my promotion, I planned to reverse the denial, but the woman died before I could.”

  “And Jason discovered what you did,” Shawn said.

  Isaac nodded. “Abe Geary, the woman’s husband, called Jason to complain. I assigned a special code to the denial so if the insured called for any reason, Jason would see the code and forward the call to me. But no. Jason had to be a bleeding heart like always and talked to the man himself, getting all the details and then promising to investigate. That’s when Jason found the forged document. He threatened to expose me if I didn’t come clean.”

  Isaac started pacing. “He gave me the weekend to fix it, but he died that same night so I decided I could leave the denial in Jason’s name and move on. When you showed up, I knew I had to burn the evidence.”

  “Seems like a good motive for murder,” Clint said.

  Isaac blanched. “I may have falsified a claim, but I’m no killer. You need to find the right guy so I don’t get jammed up for murder.” His eyes lit up. “Hey, what about the husband, Geary? He threatened to kill Jason—in front of witnesses! He marched into the office and went all Rambo on Jason. He’s a former marine, I think. Scared us all.”

  Marine? The .338 Lapua was initially designed for the Marines.

  “And of course, you didn’t tell Geary that you were the one who denied the claim,” Shawn said.

  “Are you kidding?” Isaac’s voice shot up. “Tell a guy who could rip your arms off that you were the guy to blame for what happened to his wife? No way.”

  Clint glared at Isaac. He was unscrupulous. Beyond caring and unethical. Unfortunately, Clint believed his story was true. He wasn’t a killer. They needed to quit wasting time with him and find this crazed soldier before he got to Bree.

  TEN

  Bree stood at the end of a very large rifle held by a hulking stranger. His eyes, black as the night, stared down the barrel at her and his index finger rested on the trigger. She held her breath and resisted closing her eyes, knowing the gesture would only reveal her fear.

  “You wouldn’t let it go, would you?” His deep voice rumbled through the barn lit only by a security light from outside.

  She didn’t respond as she feared she’d make him angrier.

  “You don’t know how much I want to pull this trigger. Here, now. Boom. You’re toast. But it’d only bring the deputy inside running. Can’t have that, so we’re going for a little walk and you get to live a few minutes more.” His finger drifted away from the trigger.

  She released her breath and pulled in another.

  He jerked his head toward the back door. “Grab the kid. We’re leaving.”

  She gladly rushed to Ella who was wrapped in her blanket and sleeping in a makeshift crib made of straw bales. The guy had taken care to ensure Ella’s safety, and Bree hoped it meant he didn’t plan to harm the baby. Bree scooped her into her arms and inhaled her sweet baby scent for comfort.

  “Out the back door, now,” the guy demanded.

  Bree stepped into the night, and he shoved the rifle into her back, pushing her forward. She glanced around, searching for a way out of this mess. She saw Frosty saddled by the door, which struck her as strange. Clint wasn’t even home to ride him, so why would the horse be saddled?

  For a moment, she imagined jumping on Frosty’s back and galloping away, but she couldn’t possibly mount the horse and escape with Ella in her arms before the creep shot her and Ella fell to the ground.

  Bree continued searching, but the moon slipped under heavy clouds, making it harder for her to see. And sadly, harder for anyone to spot them.

  “Take the horse’s reins,” he demanded.

  “Who are you anyway?” She moved closer to Frosty.

  “The man who’s going to stop you from exposing me,” he snapped. “I’m not going away for taking care of a lying, money-grubbing man and his wife.”

  “You can’t be talking about Jason. He was as honest as the day is long.”

  “Hah! Fat lot you know. He denied my wife’s medical treatment just so his crooked insurance company could make more money.”

  “Jason wouldn’t do that. He’d only deny a claim if it was a legitimate denial.”

  “Tell that to my wife, buried six feet under.” He shoved the rifle harder, and Bree nearly stumbled. “Now shut up and keep walking.”

  She obeyed numbly, knowing that when they got to wherever he was taking her, he’d surely end her life. And then what would happen to Ella? Or Clint? He’d been investigating right alongside her. Once she was out of the way, would he be this man’s next target?

  * * *

  Back in his truck, Clint’s phone rang. He glanced at caller ID to see Bree’s name. Perfect. He could warn her and the deputy to keep an eye out for Geary.

  “It’s Bree and Ella.” Marie’s frantic tone shot through the phone. “I went to check on them. The bedroom window was jimmied and they’re missing.”

  Geary. At the thought of the tough soldier abducting Bree and baby Ella, Clint’s heart constricted. “I’m on my way. Don’t go outside for any reason.”

  Clint disconnected and updated Shawn. “Use the drive time to find anything you can about Geary. Maybe it’ll help us figure out where he’s taken them.”

  “I’m sorry, man. I hate that Bree and the baby are missing.” Shawn dug out his phone. “But we’ll find them.”

  “I know that, but will we be in time?” Just saying the words sent acid rising up Clint’s throat. He swallowed hard and got them on the highway where he pushed the pedal harder. His ancient truck shuddered from exertion, but he didn’t let up, not even when Shawn finished his call.

  “Geary’s got priors for aggravated assault and deadly conduct.”

  Clint glanced at Shawn. “I’m not familiar with deadly conduct.”

  “In Texas, if you engage in any type of conduct that you know, or should know, will place someone else at risk of suffering serious bodily injury, you can be charged with deadly conduct. Geary pulled a weapon on a guy after he sideswiped Geary’s truck.” Shawn paused for a minute. “And he used a Kivaari semi-auto takedown rifle.”

  Clint had read about the pricey new rifle that broke down into a backpack-sized package. “Chambered for a .338 Lapua Magnum and a perfect way to bring power to the game and not be seen with a rifle.”

  “Exactly. It means we’re dealing with a guy who knows how to kill. I should request backup at the ranch.”

  “Not yet,” Clint warned. “I want to assess the situation in stealth mode before sending some rookie in to botch the job and make things worse for Bree.”

  “Good point.”

  Searching for any lead, Clint ran through everything they’d learned that day. “Pete! I got a call from him when I was going into Isaac’s house. I thought it was ranch business but might be something else. Grab my phone and see if he left a message.”

  Shawn took the phone from the console. “He did.”

  “Pete hates to leave messages so it’s gotta be important.” Clint gave Shawn the voice mail password, and he started playing the recording.

  “This here’s Pete Allgood,” Pete said. “Some fool cut the fence on the north side of the property. I fixed it, but on the way back, I found me some ATV tracks that led to a fresh campsite by the ridge. Looks like we might have a squatter.”

  “Or a killer,” Clint mumbled.

  “You think Geary’s the camper?” Shane stowed Clint’s phone.

  “Yes,” Clint replied, and as a vision of the location flashed before his eyes, his gut cramped hard. “And he might be planning to use the ridge’s steep drop off to end Bree’s life.”

  * * *

  The gunman shoved Bree forward, and she stumbled into a small camp consisting of a tiny tent and fire ring. Maybe this guy wasn’t going to kill her after all. Maybe he was going to hold her here for some reason.

  “Loop the reins over the branch and put the baby in the tent,” he commanded.

  Bree hated to leave Ella, but with a rifle to her back she had no choice. She secured Frosty before going to the tent. She kissed Ella’s cheek and cuddled her close. “Don’t worry, precious. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”

  She settled Ella on a sleeping bag then backed out and faced the man. “Don’t you think I should know your name?”

  “Why not. Abe Geary, husband of Alicia, who died because your friend denied her claim.”

  Bree’s gut said something was wrong with his story, but arguing would only increase his burning anger. “I get that you blame Jason, but why kill Laura, too?”

  “Was the only way I could take him out and make it look like an accident. Now enough with the questions. Get on the horse.”

  “The horse? Why?”

  “Simple, really. I’ll spook him, and he’ll take off with you in the saddle. Just to the east is a ridge with a nice drop-off. You’ll go over the edge, and unlike a gunshot, even if you scream, you won’t alert the deputy back at the ranch house.”

  He gestured at Frosty. “Mount up.”

  Bree took slow steps toward the horse. Fear climbed up and threatened to swamp her as she searched for a way out. Her brain was a jumbled mess of thoughts, but a sudden vision of Clint riding in to the save her and Ella overpowered them.

  Father, please, if Mom’s right and You sent Clint to protect me, get him here before it’s too late.

  * * *

  Clint galloped through the dark, trusting Trident to safely take him to the squatter’s camp. Clint had hoped to bring Shawn along to apprehend Geary, but with Frosty missing Clint had no other horse for Shawn to ride, and they couldn’t risk Geary hearing the ATV engine.

  As it was, Clint now approached the camp and had to slow to a trot and hope Trident didn’t give him away.

  Clint raised night vision binoculars and caught sight of Bree climbing up on Frosty. Clint sighed out his relief over seeing Bree still alive. Her arms were empty, though. Where was Ella? Was she safe?

  A man—Geary, Clint assumed—pointed his rifle at her. Was Geary planning to scare Frosty into bolting?

  Frosty didn’t startle easily, but a gunshot would send him running. Clint quickly calculated the ridge was about one hundred yards to the east. Frosty could easily get up steam in that distance and go barreling over the edge.