Chapter Nineteen
Ava was loading the twins into the minivan when Reed strode up to her husband, his expression grim. More bad news? It was beginning to come faster than she could process it. She quickly closed the van door so Colt and Brianna couldn’t hear what their uncle was about to say.
“Amy and Mike are missing.”
Reed’s flat tone belied the seriousness of the words he spoke. The color that drained from Logan’s face matched the rest of the men. They were all taken aback by the news, but Ava was shocked at how numb she was becoming when hearing about the evil that Wade wrought over the planet. Perhaps it was a coping mechanism, but it was like she was standing outside her body and watching the whole scene as if it was a bad television show and she needed to change the channel. If she gave into all the emotions inside of her she might not be able to do all the things she needed to.
So she’d just shut them down.
“They were watching the perimeter while we packed,” Logan said, his gaze running over the assembled group. “When was the last time you saw or heard from them?”
Jared stepped forward. “I was watching the east and Amy the west. It was all good until about ten minutes ago. She didn’t answer on the radio, so I called Reed to take a look in case she’d been hurt.”
Nodding to Griffin beside him, Reed pointed out to the tree line. “Then I couldn’t get Mike on the phone, either. We looked for them but all we found was this.”
Amy’s badge.
“Fuck,” Logan spat out. “Wade playing more of his games.”
“He couldn’t have gotten far,” Jared said. “We have to go after him.”
“We have to get to the airfield,” Griffin argued. “Tanner and Seth are meeting us there along with Evan. Then we can go after Bryson. There are only a few roads out of here. He’s finally tipped his hand. We’ve got him.”
Everyone was looking at Logan to make the call but instead Jason spoke up.
“The women and children need to get to their flight,” he said, stepping into the center of the group. “That has to be our priority. They’re going to need our protection on the drive to the airfield.”
Rubbing his chin, Logan nodded in agreement. “You’re right, and let’s be sharp. If Wade is around, he may not be done playing pranks. He might be waiting for us on the road.”
Logan and Reed rode in the van with Ava, Kaylee, and the twins while Griffin took his place in front with Jason and Jared in the rear. This time the drive was quite different, though. No darkness, no worrying about stealth. The sun was up and there was no hiding. This trip would be taken at maximum speed. The sooner they were on the plane, the better.
Kaylee leaned close to Ava. “I can’t believe that Evan knows someone with a private plane. He’s rubbing elbows with millionaires down there in Florida.”
Ava chuckled. “It’s Steve’s plane.”
Steve was their mutual friend who wrote thrillers. They’d all hung out together at a book convention years ago and drank way too much tequila. An outsider looking at Steve would think that he was a vagrant by the way he dressed and rarely combed his hair, but he was simply a little eccentric.
“Steve? Wow, I didn’t realize he’d sold that many books.”
“Family money,” Ava replied promptly. “His parents are loaded. Like the jet set kind of loaded. He needn’t work another day in his life. He just loves writing.”
“Remind me to send him some candy as a thank you.”
And Steve loved sugar. Any form. The man had a seriously wicked sweet tooth.
“We both will.”
The rest of the journey passed uneventfully and as they grew closer to the airfield Ava could see a small jet out of the window preparing to land. They’d timed it perfectly.
“Looks like Evan and Josie made it right on time,” Logan said, giving Ava an encouraging smile. This separation wasn’t easy for either of them, but it had come to the point where it was better for her and the twins to be out of his way. He couldn’t worry about them and do his job at the same time. But leaving him was still hard. Somehow, she felt better when he was close at hand. She had a great deal of waiting and wondering ahead of her. Luckily, Kaylee would be right there with her. This had to be difficult for her, too. “The jet stopped in Denver to fuel up so they’re ready to just get you guys on board and turn around. Kids, are you excited to see Uncle Evan and Aunt Josie?”
“Mickey Mouse,” Brianna called out with a grin, raising her arms triumphantly in the air. “I wanna go see Mickey.”
“I want to go to the beach,” Colt said, his own face lit up with glee.
Ava’s heart lurched in her chest at her children’s infectious happiness. They’d taken to all of this like the troopers they were. They had to know something was up, but they’d dealt with it by concentrating on the positive side of the situation.
Disney and the beach. It was a pretty terrific combination.
“We’ll see about Disney and the beach,” Ava said, using her best mommy tone. According to Logan, they’d be safe as kittens down there so they could move about as they pleased. “I better see some excellent behavior from you two.”
“I think they’ll both be eating their vegetables at dinner tonight,” Kaylee said with a smile. “They’re highly motivated.”
“It’s the only way. They’re great negotiators. They have a future in used car sales.”
The van came to a halt and Logan and Reed quickly climbed out along with Griffin and Jared in the other vehicle. All of the men were on high alert, scanning the area but it appeared completely deserted. Just as they’d hoped.
Reed slid open the door of the van as Logan began to unload the luggage in the back. They hadn’t brought much with them. The door to the jet opened and the stairs descended followed by Josie and Evan bounding toward them with their arms outstretched. Both Colt and Brianna ran straight for the aunt and uncle, squealing with delight as only a child can. They launched themselves straight into Evan and Josie chattering about Mickey Mouse, the beach, and cheeseburgers. Ava wasn’t sure what that last part was about but if her two children wanted cheeseburgers for dinner tonight she’d gladly make or buy them.
Hugs all around and Ava couldn’t help the tears that welled up in her eyes at seeing their friends all come to their aid. There was something about this circle of people, so loyal and devoted. They were all risking their lives and poor Evan was still recovering from having his appendix out. His inability to be right in the action was driving him crazy but coming to their rescue with this plane was nothing short of heroic.
Josie hugged Ava again. “Don’t worry about anything. We brought all sorts of games and toys to keep the twins occupied.”
She’d said the magic words. Colt and Brianna’s ears perked up and their eyes widened.
“Games?” Brianna asked.
“Toys?” Colt parroted.
“Absolutely,” Josie replied, rubbing her hands together. “Let’s see…I think we have Uno, Hungry Hippos, Operation, and um…oh yeah, Sorry. We also brought some Legos and a few Barbies, and I think there’s a whole bucket of miniature chocolate bars.”
The truly magical word. Chocolate. Colt and Brianna were dancing around like it was Christmas morning. From the sounds of it, it kind of was. Christmas in July, anyway.
“But only if your mother says it’s okay,” Josie warned. “She’s the boss.”
Ha ha. Wait until Josie had her own kids. She’d be laughing about that statement someday.
Colt pointed to the plane. “Are we really going to be the only ones on the airplane?”
“We really are,” Evan confirmed. “It’s a private plane owned by a friend of mine and your mother’s.”
“Cool,” Colt said, obviously straining at the bit to get on board. “Can we look inside?”
It wouldn’t be a terrible thing for the kids to be onboard when Ava said goodbye to their father.
“Okay, but first give your dad a hug and tell him you love him. We’re not going to see him for a few days.”
Ava’s eyes welled up with more tears as Logan knelt down to hug and kiss the twins. Her husband had hugged the children hundreds of times but today he held them just a second or two longer and her heart almost couldn’t take it. Logan’s own eyes were bright as well and he kept clearing his throat as he told them to behave and listen to their mother. He’d see them soon.
Ava desperately hoped that was true. She was counting on forever with this man. He’d promised it and she was going to hold him to it.
As soon as Logan stood, Colt and Brianna bolted for the small staircase, Josie on their heels to show them around.
“I’ll take good care of them,” Evan promised Logan. “Don’t worry. I’ve got some volunteers down there to help me. Good guys that I trust absolutely. They’ll be fine.”
Logan’s smile had disappeared and his expression had turned somber. “I trust you. This is the right thing to do.”
Evan’s gaze landed on Ava and then Kaylee, who was standing next to Reed. “I’ll give you ladies a few moments to say goodbye. We’ll wait in the jet.”
The other men tried to pretend they weren’t standing there too, looking in any other direction. Ava grabbed the front of Logan’s t-shirt and tugged him closer.
“Be careful out there, cowboy. You have a family to come home to.”
“And Mickey Mouse. Let’s not forget him. When this is over, we’ll have a real vacation.”
Ava didn’t want her husband to think that the kids were happy to leave him.
“They’re just excited. The private plane and the toys and candy. In about an hour they’re going to want to call you because they miss you.”
“I know.” Logan paused as if trying to find the right words. “You’ll be safe. I should have done this at the beginning.”
“I wouldn’t have gone in the beginning.”
“You would have if I said that’s the only way to keep the twins safe.”
True, but she wouldn’t have made it easy on him.
“I’ll miss you,” he said, leaning down to press a kiss against her lips. He wasn’t one for public displays and honestly neither was she. They’d already said goodbye in private before they’d left the safe house. “Be good.”
That made her laugh. “Be good? What do you think I’m going to do? Stay up past my bedtime and eat too much sugar?”
“When you and Kaylee are together, anything can happen. Seriously, I’ll call you when I can.”
They’d already discussed that she couldn’t call him unless it was an emergency. He couldn’t be sneaking up on Wade and have his phone go off.
“I know. We’ll be fine. The kids are going to have fun.”
“So…don’t do anything stupid.”
“That takes in a lot of territory, good girl. Can you be more specific?”
Good girl. It never ceased to make her warm and happy. He knew it, too. How could she be this happy when her heart was breaking all at the same time?
I’m going to see him in a few days. Alive and well. Nothing bad is going to happen. I have to believe that to even begin to get through this day.
“Specifically? Stay alive.” She poked his chest with her finger. “I’ve got plans for you when this is all done.”
“Baby, I have plans for you, too. And I told you before, I don’t plan on getting dead. I underestimated Wade before but I’m not about to do it again. I’ve done nothing but study him and I’ve got his number. I know how he thinks.”
Ava hoped so. Logan was probably the best lawman she’d ever seen – along with his friends – but Wade didn’t play by any rules.
Wrapping her arms around her husband, she hugged him tightly again, breathing in deeply to fill her lungs with his calming scent. One more time.
“I guess it’s time–”
Ava didn’t get to finish her sentence.
Because that’s when the first shot rang out.
* * * *
Logan shoved Ava to the ground, covering her body with his while pulling his gun from his shoulder holster. All the men had their weapons and had instinctively formed a circle around Ava and Kaylee as the bullets flew all around them.
His ears ringing from the sound of gunfire, he didn’t even let himself have a second thought about his next decision. He needed to keep his children safe. They couldn’t be in the middle of a firefight. This was his worst fucking nightmare and a scenario that had kept him awake several nights in a row. Waving to Evan who was now standing in the doorway of the jet, Logan called out to him.
“Go! Get out of here. Go now!”
Evan yelled something but Logan couldn’t hear him. The jet engine’s revved, the staircase folded up, and the door closed as the aircraft began to taxi down the runway. Ava screamed and tried to crawl toward the departing plane, but Logan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back against the side of the van. Her nails raked at the bare flesh of his arms as she kicked and yelled, fighting him so she could chase the aircraft. He held her down until the plane lifted into the blue sky, gracefully gaining altitude and heading far away from the mayhem on the ground.
Tears were streaming down his wife’s cheeks and Logan could only hold her tighter, rocking her as she sobbed.
“My babies, my babies.”
Yes, he was the SOB that had separated her from her babies. But he’d done it to keep them safe. If he’d been able to get Ava on that plane despite the gunfire, he would have put her on it, too. That had been the whole point of this exercise.
At least Colt and Brianna were protected. Safe with Evan and Josie.
“They’re safe, good girl. They’re safe. They’re with our friends and they’d die to protect our children.”
As quick as a whip, Ava turned from being sad to being a hellcat. Pounding on his chest with her fists and kicking at him with her feet.
“You asshole. Why did you do that?” Ava’s voice broke, the words strangled and shaky.
“To keep them safe. You know it was the right thing to do.”
It didn’t mean it was the easy thing. It felt like he’d lost a limb as he’d watched that plane disappear into the clouds and sky. But his children wouldn’t die in a rain of gunfire.
Sniffling, Ava wiped her face on the hem of her shirt. At some point, the shots had ceased and Jared had run over to what they had thought was a deserted building right next to the tarmac, Griffin right behind him. Reed had stayed to protect Kaylee but now they were all cautiously raising their heads.
Jared waved from the top of the building, his voice booming. “Up here. He was up here.”
Was. Did that mean whomever was there was gone now? In the chaos of gunfire and jet engines, Logan hadn’t heard or seen a vehicle but he’d been protecting Ava while the others fired back.
And how was Wade in two places at once? He’d been at the safe house kidnapping Amy and now he was here? Logan was triple sure no one had driven up after them so that only left that Wade had known they were coming here and had laid in wait.
That leak in the marshal service was really pissing Logan off. People could have died today. It was just lucky that no one had been hurt.
Probably. Or had Wade just done this to scare him? More games. A man with a sniper rifle that high up and close should have been able to pick them off one by one without much trouble. He wasn’t that far away and he’d had the element of surprise. The casualty number should be high.
Cursing under his breath, Logan stood and helped Ava to her feet as Reed did the same to Kaylee. The all still had their weapons drawn but it was eerily quiet now. If Wade had been here, he was gone now.
“We walked right into his trap,” Reed said through gritted teeth. “Jesus, I feel stupid. We should have checked the roof of the building.”
“We just wanted to get them on the plane,” Logan said, his arm still tight around his crying wife. She’d forgive him. Eventually. “We didn’t anticipate a sniper.”
Kaylee stepped out from behind Reed, both hands pressed against her side. A large crimson stain was growing on her gray t-shirt.
White as a sheet, she reached out a blood-covered hand toward her husband. “Reed, I–”
She would have crumpled to the ground, but Reed caught her before she hit the pavement.
Kaylee had been shot.