35

She turned towards Carter as they drove down the narrow streets. “How in the world did you get here so fast? I called you in Palm Beach.”

His hands clenched the steering wheel. “I wasn’t in Palm Beach, I was on a police boat headed to the yacht. As soon as I discovered you weren’t in the hotel, I knew you’d found out where Jamie was working. I found the letter with the address. You left it at my house. I grabbed the first plane possible because I…I knew God wanted me to get out here to help you.”

“I can’t believe you’re here.” She touched his arm.

“I wasn’t going to let anything happen to you.” His gaze met hers. His held a promise for the future.

She looked away. Her emotions were in overdrive and she couldn’t focus on the future. Her only concern was to find Layla.

****

Carter flipped his phone shut, his expression grim. “They still can’t find the man on the yacht. But there are so many hiding places it could take hours to find him.”

“He’s not there. I’m telling you, he got away. The man is pure evil. I looked into his eyes.” She shuddered. “We’ve got to get to Layla before her father does. If Raymond gets Layla, Maria will never see her daughter again.”

They arrived at a benign-looking house.

Patti pointed to it. “That’s the address.”

It didn’t have a picket fence, but it certainly could pass for the American dream. It was a simple blue house surrounded by a well-manicured lawn. It definitely didn’t look like a house where terrorists lived.

Carter pulled into the drive.

“You stay here,” he told Patti, but she was already out of the car.

Carter jogged to the front door and rang the doorbell.

Patti watched from the drive as he rang it again and again. No answer.

Please God. Let them be here.

Carter ran back down the steps. “I’m going to check the backyard.”

Patti ran to keep up with him. As they rounded the house, the backyard came into view. She breathed a sigh of relief.

Two little girls played on a swing set.

“Layla,” Patti yelled.

A beautiful, dark-skinned little girl looked up from the swing set.

The resemblance to Sabrina was eerie. If she’d had any doubt that Joseph Hamed was Sabrina’s father, it was gone.

Patti ran to her. “Layla, your mommy sent me to get you. She wants to see you.”

The girl smiled. It was the exact same smile as Sabrina. “I want my mommy.”

Patti reached out her arms. “I know you do, sweetheart. Come with me and I’ll take you to her.”

Layla slipped off the swing and walked towards Patti.

A woman came rushing to them. She had long black hair, olive-colored skin, and wore a simple dress that fell to her ankles. Her black eyes were filled with concern as she looked at these strangers who had invaded her backyard.

“No, Layla, you can’t go with her,” her voice was calm, but firm.

Layla stopped moving. She looked back and forth between Patti and the other woman, her confusion evident on her face. “She’s going to take me to Mommy. I want to see my mommy.”

The woman started towards Layla, but stopped as Carter pulled out his gun and flashed his badge.

Still, she didn’t give up. “Layla, what did your mommy teach you about going with a stranger?”

The little girl frowned at the woman and then looked back at Patti.

Patti could tell Layla was torn.

She obviously was missing her mother and wanted to go to Patti, but wasn’t sure if she should.

Carter walked up behind Patti and slipped something in her hand.

She looked down. It was his badge. She knew just what to say. She showed it to the little girl. “Layla, I’m not a stranger. I’m the police. Didn’t your mommy teach you that it was OK to go with the police?”

The girl nodded and took a step towards Patti, but then suddenly yelled, “There’s Daddy.” She changed direction and ran.

Patti lunged for the little girl, but it was too late.

Raymond bent down and picked up his daughter.

His black eyes gleamed with triumph and fanaticism as he stood back up and looked at Patti and Carter.

Carter moved in front of Patti with gun drawn.

The other little girl was crying.

Layla’s babysitter’s head moved back and forth between the men holding guns. She gathered her own daughter into her arms, fearful and protective.

Patti breathed a sigh of relief and focused her attention back on the men.

Carter moved in front of Patti. “Let her go, Hammond. You don’t want your daughter to get hurt.”

“She’s not going to get hurt. We are leaving and you aren’t going to stop us.” The man was heartless.

Layla was sobbing and burrowing into her father’s shoulders.

Carter couldn’t shoot him without putting Layla in jeopardy.

The poor little girl must be terrified.

God, please keep her safe.

Raymond began backing up.

He’s going to take her. She’ll never see her mommy again.

Carter matched Raymond’s retreat step for step.

Patti followed, praying. Do something, God. Don’t let this happen.

The answer to her prayer came charging at Raymond.

A German Shepherd appeared out of nowhere and ran directly across the yard. The dog jumped on his back without warning.

Raymond fell forward.

Patti ran past Carter and grabbed Layla as he turned to fight off the dog.

Raymond shot at the dog. The dog yelped and let go. Blood poured from its shoulder as it dropped to the ground, whining.

Raymond turned back, enraged, and rushed towards Patti and Layla with gun drawn.

She heard the cock of the hammer, and then the shot. A surprised look crossed Raymond’s face, and then he crumpled to the ground.

Patti fell to her knees to shield Layla.

Carter raced towards her and then his arms were around her and Layla, holding them, caressing their faces, as if he needed to touch them to make sure they were alive.

“Thank you, God. Thank you, God.” He looked at Patti.

Layla sobbed.

“You’re OK, sweetheart. You’re OK.”

Patti closed her eyes and savored the feeling of safety.

He whispered in her ear. “He’s dead. He can’t hurt anybody anymore.”

Sirens squealed and a moment later the yard filled with men and women wearing FBI jackets.

Marcus yelled orders and took control of the situation.

Two officers were tending the dog, who was now wrapped in some kind of bandage. A patch on their arms said K-9.

A woman agent lifted the sobbing Layla, cuddling her. The little girl reached out for her babysitter, who was still holding her own daughter close. Both women came together, hugging the crying children between them, until their sobs subsided.

Patti sank into Carter’s waiting arms once more.

She shifted just enough so that she could see Raymond on the ground, dead.

Patti looked back at Carter. “Jamie’s dead. He told me he killed her. He told me.” As she said the last words, the tears she had been holding back gave way.

Carter held her tight.

“He kil…killed Jamie. He admitted it.” Patti sobbed. She’d never see her sister, her twin, again. Never be able to ask for forgiveness.

“I know.” Carter kept his arms around Patti as she sobbed.

When the storm subsided, she looked up at Carter. “You know?”

Carter’s gaze met hers. “They found Jamie.”

“Where? What happened? I need to see her.”

“Some tourists found her...her body in the Everglades.”

She gasped, then closed her eyes. Give me strength, God. I trust you. I know you are here with me now. “They know it is Jamie for sure?”

He shook his head.

“Maybe, it’s not her? They could be wrong.”

“The general description matches Jamie.” Carter grimaced and shook his head. “Patti, you don’t need the details. Just remember—”

“I do. I do need the details. Now tell me.”

His hand brushed her hair out of her eyes and he moved closer. “They don’t have a positive ID yet, they need your DNA to be sure.”

She swallowed hard. The Everglades. General description fit, but couldn’t make a positive ID.

Her stomach heaved as she understood the implications of his words.

Carter’s hand was on her back, comforting and safe.

She looked up at him. “Take me to my sister.”