Gabby caught the desperation in the man’s voice. Mia whimpered in his arms. So close and yet she couldn’t go to her without risking her daughter’s life. Maldin was panicked. She could see it in his eyes. They couldn’t count on the police to get here in time, which meant they needed to find a way to stop him before someone got hurt.
She grabbed onto Liam’s coat. “We’ve got to get her out of here,” she whispered.
“We will.” He grabbed her hand, his focus trained on the man standing in front of them with a gun. “Silas Maldin... That’s your name, isn’t it?”
“How do you know that?”
“We saw Thatcher up at the cabin.”
Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the cold temperatures. “Thatcher told me to wait here, then never showed up.”
“Thatcher never should have done that, but this is over. I want you to give Mia to her mother, because if you hurt her, you’re going to be in a lot more trouble and I don’t think either of us wants to see that happen. The police are already here and will be at your door any second now.”
Mia was crying harder now, her cheeks flushed red as she squirmed in the man’s arms. Gabby’s fingers pinched Liam’s arm.
“Please let me have her. She’s hungry and tired.”
“I don’t want her to get hurt. I don’t want anyone to get hurt, but in order for that to happen, you’re going to have to do what I say.”
“Then tell me what you want,” Liam said.
“A way out of here. We never meant to hurt that man. The money they offered us was good, but we never meant to hurt anyone. Instead things got out of control. That man was shot in self-defense.”
While you were burglarizing his home.
She bit back the sharp response on the tip of her tongue. Angering him further wasn’t the answer, but what was? He wasn’t going to take responsibility for what he’d done. In his eyes, he was the victim.
“That might be true, but we don’t want that to happen again.” Liam’s voice was calm and steady. “Not only have you killed a man, you’ve kidnapped Mia.”
“That was only for leverage. We never would have hurt her.”
“Then let me help you find a way to put an end to this. I’ll help you deal with the police, but give us the baby.”
He shook his head. “I can’t go back to prison.”
“You can make a deal with the DA for a lesser sentence. Who hired you, for starters?”
Shadows breached the window, turning the man’s attention to the front of the room.
“Who’s out there?” he asked.
“I’m guessing the officers who’ve been looking for Mia.”
“Tell them to get back or someone’s going to get hurt.”
Liam held up his hands. “I’ve got their direct number. I’ll tell them.”
Gabby studied Liam’s expression for a moment while he talked with the police, then looked back at Mia. She was so close. A dozen steps away and crying, and yet there was nothing she could do.
We’re so close to this being over, God, but I feel so hopeless.
Liam hung up his phone. “The officers are moving back, but we need to find a way to end this without anyone getting hurt.”
Maldin leaned against the yellowed walls, trying to get Mia to stop crying. “Can you make her stop?”
“Just let me take her. Please.”
“I can’t do that. She’s my leverage.”
Liam squeezed Gabby’s elbow, then took a step forward. “Let’s figure a way out of this together. It is correct someone hired you, right?”
“Yes, but Thatcher never told me who. Told me it would make sure I didn’t get into trouble if things went wrong. The less I knew the better. But now... I just know that I need to get out of here.”
“Here’s what I know,” Liam said. “If you run, you’re only going to make things worse. But if you end this now—give Mia back to her mom and give yourself up—you’ll have more of a chance of making a deal. I promise.”
“Forget it. One way or the other, I’m going to walk out of here free.”
“Where do you want to go?” Liam asked.
“It doesn’t matter, but here’s my deal. I need unmarked cash. Enough to get me somewhere I can’t be traced.”
Mia continued to fuss, and Gabby could tell by Maldin’s expression that he was getting irritated. Despite Liam’s calming voice, she felt her own anxiety growing. Because at this point, was whatever he said going to be enough?
Gabby drew in a deep breath. “She’s hungry. There’s a vending machine around the corner. Let me get something for her. It will calm her down. Please...”
Liam pulled a dollar out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Let her go get something. I’ll stay here with you.”
Maldin hesitated, then nodded. “Don’t do anything stupid. Get her something and come straight back.”
“I will. I promise.”
“And don’t talk to anyone out there. Because if you do, you won’t see either of them again.” He glanced at his watch. “You’ve got ninety seconds starting now.”
Gabby slipped out of the room, praying her legs wouldn’t give way as she followed the sign and turned down a narrow hallway. Paint was chipping off the walls as if the place hadn’t been repaired for years. But she barely saw anything. Griffin and his men were here somewhere, but clearly following the instructions to stay out of the way.
She slid the dollar into the vending machine, then pushed the button for a bag of cheese crackers, feeling the weight of the situation pressing against her chest like a vise. It might not be something she typically bought for Mia, but at least it should calm her down.
She jumped as ice clanked in the machine next to her, dumping a batch of frozen cubes.
Griffin stepped up next to her. “Did he let you go?”
“He gave me ninety seconds to buy something for Mia to eat,” she said. “But I have to go back.”
“Which gives me about thirty seconds. What’s going on in there?”
“He’s alone but motivated by fear. He wants out of this but is afraid of going back to prison. He wants cash to drive out of here.”
“Where is he standing?”
“Toward the back of the room. He’s got a handgun...a Glock...and he’s holding Mia.”
“Which definitely limits our options. We’ve got a SWAT team lined up. Try to get him to let you take Mia. Then get him by the window if you can, though with the three of you inside we won’t take any unnecessary risks.”
She caught Griffin’s gaze and realized what he was saying. But as much as she didn’t want anyone to get killed—including Maldin—she knew she’d fight to save her daughter.
“As a last resort only, I promise.”
She nodded before heading back to the room, carrying the crackers and her hands held up. Mia was still fussing in Maldin’s arms, her eyes red from crying. “Can I take her? Please? It’s the only way she’ll stop fussing.”
He hesitated, then handed her to Gabby. Mia lunged into her arms, then nestled her head on her mom’s shoulder still sobbing. “Hey, my sweet girl. How are you doing? Mama missed you so much.”
Mia pulled back and looked up at her, big tears running down her cheeks. Gabby opened the cheese crackers and gave her one.
“Sit down over there, because this isn’t over.” Maldin paced the worn carpet in front of her but away from the window. “I still need a way out of here.”
Gabby glanced at Liam. It was clear Maldin had no clear plan and was simply winging it, but she also knew it wasn’t going to take much for him to explode.
“Thank you,” Liam said. “You made the right decision letting her go back to her mother.”
“Maybe, but here’s the plan,” Maldin said. “I want you to call the police again. Tell them I want ten thousand dollars cash and a car. I’ll take the two of them with me to make sure I’m not tailed. If my instructions are followed, I’ll leave them somewhere safe. But that means no one comes after us. No cops.”
“That can’t happen, Maldin.” Liam took a step forward. “But I’ll make a deal with you.”
“What kind of deal?”
“I’ll go with you. I’ll leave with you and guarantee that no cops follow you. I’ll take you somewhere safe where you can disappear.”
“There are roadblocks. I saw it on the news.”
“I’ll get you past them. I’ll be your hostage. But let them go.”
Gabby tried to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. “Liam, no—”
He signaled her to be quiet. “I’ll go with you, but that means you let Gabby and her daughter go. They don’t need to be involved in this any longer.”
The man glanced at the window. “No games?”
“No games.”
Gabby pulled Mia closer against her chest and sat down on the edge of the bed. There had to be another option. One that didn’t involve either of them leaving with the man. Once he got wherever it was he wanted to go, he wouldn’t need any of them. It was too big of a risk.
“Liam, you can’t go with him.”
“I want this over as much as you do. Trust me.” He turned back to Maldin. “My brother’s a deputy in Timber Falls. I can have him arrange your demands.”
“Call him, but put it on speaker phone.”
Liam placed the call, then held up his cell. “Griffin... I’ve made a deal with Maldin. He’s going to let Gabby and Mia go, and in exchange, I’m going to drive him out of here. He’s also demanding ten grand.”
“Ten grand? That will take time to get together.”
“You’ve got thirty minutes,” Maldin said. “Pull all cops back at least three blocks and leave the money and something for lunch outside my door. If you follow me or try to do anything, I will kill your brother.”
Thirty minutes later, Gabby felt her lungs constrict as she watched Maldin walk Liam out of the hotel room. The man stood behind Liam so there wasn’t the possibility of the sniper taking him down from his position. Which meant there was no way out of this for Liam. Everything that had happened over the past couple days pressed in around Gabby. Mia was safe, and for that she was grateful, but this was far from over.
Griffin stepped into the room. “Are you both okay?”
“Yes, but you can’t let Liam drive away with that guy. There has to be another way.”
“I’m not sure we have a choice. When you’re driven by fear, you don’t make logical decisions. If we interfere at this point, someone’s going to get hurt. And that someone’s going to be Liam.”
“Yes, but you can’t just let him leave. Is there a way to track him?”
“We’re counting on it. We’ll be able to keep tabs on where they go through the GPS on the car and possibly through their cell phones as well. I’ve got a tech already working on it. And in the meantime, Liam’s trained to handle situations like this. He’s going to be okay.”
Except he couldn’t promise her that.
“And you think that will be enough to ensure Liam’s safety?” Mia started fussing again. Gabby handed her another cracker. Liam had traded himself for her and her daughter. She owed him their lives. There had to be something she could do to help.
“Everything we could find about Maldin—which wasn’t much—shows that he has a temper and is impulsive. So as much as I hate the call Liam made, there weren’t many options. I don’t think it would have taken much to set him off.”
“But what happens when he’s done with Liam? If he gets to where he thinks he’s safe, then Liam is no longer insurance but a liability.”
“We’re following protocol as much as possible, but things don’t always play out the way we want them to. In a sense, Liam has become the negotiator, the setting has just changed. But Liam can handle this. He took the man seriously, showed empathy and gave him an option—”
“An option that could cost Liam his life.”
Griffin sat down next to her. “I know this is hard, Gabby, but Liam knew what he was doing, and I can promise you, he doesn’t want you to feel guilty for the situation he’s in. None of this is your fault.”
“None of this would have happened if I hadn’t come to him.”
“What do you think would have happened if you’d faced those men alone? You did the right thing, because no matter what you think, he feels responsible for you. And that kind of responsibility isn’t something Liam takes lightly.”
“But what if he’s killed?”
“I have no plans of taking any chances with my brother’s life. Which is the one reason I let them walk out of here without any physical force involved.”
“He saved my daughter, but if anything happens to him... I just need to do something.”
“I am going to need your help. I know you’re exhausted, but we need to take a full statement on everything that’s happened while it’s fresh on your mind, then we’ll get you and Mia out to the ranch where my parents are waiting. And in the meantime, I promise to keep you updated on what’s going on.” He stood up and signaled to one of the other officers. “We’ll get him back.”
She nodded. “I’ll do everything I can to help, but what do you think Maldin plans to do?”
“Hopefully, as soon as they’re far enough away that Maldin feels it’s safe to disappear, he’ll let my brother go.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
Mia started fussing again. Gabby needed to get her to bed. And Mia wasn’t the only one exhausted.
“Liam can handle a situation like this, Gabby. He’s trained and he’s smart.”
“I know, it’s just...” She pressed her lips together, unable to sort through the pile of emotions fluttering to the surface. She could taste the metallic flavor of blood where she’d bitten her lip. She grabbed Mia’s giraffe and gave it to her. Right now, she needed to focus on her daughter, tell the detectives anything that might help put an end to all of this and let the authorities do their job.
But what if that wasn’t enough to bring Liam back safely?
“We’ll try to keep it short, so you can get her to bed.”
“What will you do?”
“Make sure we keep our tail on him, for starters.”
“I trust you. I trust Liam, but Maldin...he was involved in Casada’s murder and now the stakes are rising. He’s staking everything on getting away no matter how foolish his plan is, and he’ll do anything to ensure he doesn’t go back to prison.” She grabbed Mia’s blanket, then stood up. “There’s something else you need to know. According to Kyle Thatcher, Colonel Peterson is the one who hired them.”
Griffin stopped in the doorway. “What?”
“He’s the one who hired Thatcher and Maldin. The one who’s been behind all of this.”
“Thatcher told you that?”
“Yes.”
“The colonel told us Thatcher had accused him of a number of things, but so far there is no evidence that points to the fact that Thatcher was working for Peterson. In fact, everything we have so far indicates Thatcher and Maldin were working alone.”
Gabby shook her head. “He told us everything in detail. Why would he have made all that up?”
“Clearly, he didn’t want to go to jail. I’m not sure what his plan was, but I’ve seen it dozens of times. People in Thatcher’s situation never take the blame for what they did. They always try to transfer it to someone else.”
Gabby paused. Hadn’t Maldin done the same thing? Pushed the blame for what had happened on to someone else? But Thatcher had been convincing with details and the timeline of what had happened. He knew things that made the colonel’s involvement seem plausible.
“But what if he’s telling the truth?” she asked.
“We will continue to investigate everything that happened, but so far there just isn’t any evidence.”
No evidence of his involvement seemed impossible. Unless Colonel Peterson really was telling the truth.
“Gabby, I promise we’ll get to the bottom of this. But right now, we need to go. I’m concerned about Liam’s safety as much as you are.”
“I know. And I’m sorry. He’s your brother. I know you care. I just feel as if I owe him so much.”
My life. Mia’s life...
Mia’s head lay burrowed in Gabby’s shoulder as she shut her eyes and her breathing deepened. The poor baby was exhausted. They were both exhausted.
“I’m going to drive you back to the ranch,” Griffin said. “I can take your statement from there. Just know we’re doing everything we can to find him.”
“I know.”
Ten minutes later, she held back the tears as she put Mia into the car seat. She slid into the back seat next to the little girl and put on her seat belt. She felt numb and scared. Liam had saved her daughter’s life. Now they just had to make sure they saved his.
Gabby took Mia’s small hand and enclosed it in her own. Liam would be alright. She had to believe that.
She stared out the window, still holding Mia’s hand. The snow had stopped after leaving several inches behind. But she barely noticed the view. What if she never saw Liam again? The thought of something happening to him hurt, but it shouldn’t hurt this much. It shouldn’t feel like her heart was shattering into a thousand pieces. He was just a friend. Someone who’d been close to Will and who had helped her out of obligation. Nothing more. And certainly not someone who’d managed to wedge his way into the recesses of her heart and made her wonder for the first time if loving someone again was even possible.
Was it?
Will had told her once if he didn’t come home from deployment, he wanted her to fall in love again and get remarried. At the time, she’d fiercely rejected the idea and felt it would somehow be unfaithful to her husband. Instead, she’d imagined them growing old together. A houseful of kids. Summer vacations and skiing in the winter. Not losing him like this. But reality was never as nice and neat as a fairytale where the bad guys always lost and the prince and princess always lived happily-ever-after.
But what about second chances? What about picking up the messy baggage and trying to put the pieces together for something new? Was that even possible? Maybe. Eventually. But Liam... She couldn’t fall for him.
Memories surrounded her. Every time Will had left for deployment or for another mission, she’d carried her phone with her everywhere she went, constantly checking to make sure the ringer volume was up and she hadn’t missed a call.
Which was the problem. If she allowed something to happen with Liam, she’d be right back in the same place again. Liam was a soldier, dedicated to his country. That was who he was. Brave, loyal, heroic... It was what she loved about him, but when it came to her heart...that was another story. That wasn’t going to happen again. Couldn’t happen again. Because getting involved emotionally would be disastrous for her heart.