47

The voices grew louder.

Jamie’s heart pounded. Sweat trickled down her back.

Andrew’s arms tightened around her leg. He was terrified.

“Where’s that stupid woman?” The man’s voice was rough with anger.

“We still can’t find her.”

These were different voices than before. There were more of them. More hunting. More to escape from.

“What’s wrong with you people? It’s one woman wandering around the woods. She’ll lead the cops right to us. She couldn’t have gotten that far on foot. You two take the car and look for her on the road. The others go in the woods. And don’t come back without her.”

“What about the kid?”

“What about him? As soon as they transfer the money, I’ll take care of him. And when you find that woman, you do the same, and then bring the body back here. We’ll fly them somewhere they won’t ever be found.”

Andrew’s arm squeezed her leg tighter. He wasn’t too young to understand the conversation. This little boy’s innocence was being stolen right here, right now. On her watch. She cringed at the thought. They had to escape.

The kitchen quieted.

A moment later, a vehicle started up. Which one? If they’d chosen the one with the flat tires, they’d know she’d circled back to the house. It would only be a matter of time before they found her hiding in the kitchen pantry.

She had to get Andrew out of here. She opened the door an inch.

The kitchen was empty.

But the man was somewhere in the house. He had to be. She didn’t think he’d leave his asset unguarded. He’d made that mistake once, and he wouldn’t do it again.

She sifted through her options. Sneak out? Not a good option considering she had no idea where she was and at least four men were out there searching for them. And her ankle still throbbed.

A thought flashed to her mind. Patti had told her how she and Maria hidden in plain sight on the yacht as killers searched for them.

What if Jamie stayed nearby?

They wouldn’t be expecting that. As soon as they discovered Andrew missing, they would assume she came back. And they’d think she and Andrew were hiking their way to safety through the trees. Maybe they wouldn’t bother to check out the barn.

“We have to be really quiet now.” She told the little boy. “We want them to think we ran away.”

His little head nodded in understanding, and his expression was filled with trust.

Jamie prayed that she was worth his trust. She opened the pantry door.

She slipped the phone from her pocket and pulled out its battery, and then placed the items back on the counter just the way she’d found them.

They moved through the kitchen and out the door.

Outside was complete darkness. No moon or stars. Thank you, God. The darkness would hide them.

When she reached the bottom of the steps, she put Andrew down, but held onto his hand.

Inch by inch, they made their way back to the barn.

Her ankle throbbed.

A door slammed behind them.

“Hurry, we have to get in the barn before he sees us.” She tightened her grasp on Andrew.

Footsteps pounded. He must have seen them.

“Run, get in the barn.”

Jamie pulled out the pellet gun and aimed it at the shadow. As he neared, she pulled the trigger.

He moaned and fell to the ground.

She took off for the barn trying to ignore the pain in her ankle. “Andrew, where are you?”

“Back here, Jamie.” His little voice trembled.

She limped to the back of the barn.

She found him squeezed in between two bales of straw. On top of one of the bales was an open switchblade. She slid it into her pocket.

A hand grabbed her from behind.

She whirled towards it, hand raised to strike. But another hand imprisoned her from the other side. She struggled. “Run, Andrew. Run.”

He darted from his hiding place between the bales and ran past her.

One man let go of her to follow Andrew.

She kicked at the man holding her, but he threw her to the ground.

Her head slammed into the cement floor. Stars floated. She breathed deep, fighting to stay conscious. She moved to her knees, and then stood. Her ankle gave way, and she landed on one knee.

“Good position. Don’t move.”

Too tired to fight, Jamie nodded.

“I should just shoot you now and be done with you. You are more trouble than you’re worth.”

Jamie glared at him, her heart pounding.

Moments later, another man walked in carrying a screaming Andrew.

Jamie’s heart broke. She’d failed. Again.