Laura needed a plan. And a weapon. Her dad. Seth. Pretty much anything. And everything.
“Well, Mrs. Donovan, I won’t say it’s been fun. But I’ll certainly remember you and all your spunk.”
That compliment made Laura’s skin crawl. He was going to get up, leave, and then they were going to die. The situation was unbearable. Laura was more afraid of watching her daughter be hurt than she was of dying. That’s just how bad life had become. Death was the preferable outcome.
No. That was not true. She was her father’s daughter. She was her Holy Father’s daughter. She was a mom. Laura was smart and capable and more than willing to fight for her child’s future. She needed to come up with a plan. Which was exactly where this crazy internal monologue started.
Stall. She needed to figure out how to stay alive as long as possible. If there was any way at all that Seth was alive, he would come for them. Laura knew in the depths of her being that Seth would bring help. If he was alive.
If he wasn’t alive. Well, then she needed to just try to stay living, and keep Abby alive and unhurt, for as long as possible. Maybe something would happen in the future to give them a fighting chance. So they needed a future.
The plan was to stall.
Now that she had a plan, Laura needed to figure out to how to execute it. And quickly, because Mahoney was getting ready to leave.
“Mr. Mahoney.” It was the first time she had addressed him as anything formally. For a few extra minutes of life, she would be respectful toward this man. With her words at least, if not in her heart. “You’re making a mistake. I can help you.”
Mahoney moved to get up out of his chair, so Laura began to talk faster. “You’re going to need me to get inside that safe-deposit box.”
Mahoney smiled, fully standing. It was not a nice smile. “I have a copy of your husband’s death certificate. I have a copy of your identification. And I have a woman who looks like she could be your twin. I don’t need you at all.”
“You’re wrong,” she said.
Mahoney settled back down into his chair, and some of the tension left Laura’s muscles. Sitting was good. Sitting meant listening which meant taking up more time which meant stalling. The plan was to hold things up, and Laura intended to work that plan until something better popped into her brain. Please, God, give me something better. Help me to think my way out of this situation.
Mahoney’s eyes were narrowed and he looked like he doubted her words. Well, she doubted them, too. But it was all she had.
“What makes you say that?”
“I found a letter from my husband warning me that the box was very important. I called the bank and told them to make sure not to let anyone but me inside. There’s no way your woman looks enough like me to pass careful scrutiny.” That was a lie. All of it. Laura hoped she was convincing.
“We’ve been monitoring your phone, Mrs. Donovan. You did not call the bank. In fact, you told Joshua’s former secretary that you didn’t know what bank the key was from.”
Laura told herself to stay calm. Steady. And hopefully very convincing. “I found an envelope with a bank name on it the next day. I went back to town to make a call. My cell phone was dead, so I used Mr. Miller’s phone at the general store.”
Laura had gone back into town the very next day because her generator had died. She’d purchased the necessary part to fix it at the general store. But she had not made any phone calls.
Mahoney opened his briefcase and pulled out a large cell phone with a long antenna, probably a satellite phone. He made a call. “Yeah. Give me the rundown on what Laura Donovan did the day after she called the firm about that safe-deposit key.”
Laura saw spots in her vision and forced herself to take a breath. She was thankful she had kept her lie close to the truth. The report Mahoney was hearing should match what she said. Should.
“Got it.” Mahoney did not sound happy. He pushed a button on the phone, presumably disconnecting the call. Then he looked at her and his eyes were blazing. “Okay. Let’s say you’re telling the truth.”
He bought it. “Take me with you. I’ll get you the papers if you’ll leave us alone after that.” He wouldn’t. Laura knew whatever he told her would be a lie. But it would buy them some time and that was good enough right now.
“And why didn’t you mention any of this before?”
Laura’s shame was not faked at all this time. “You told me that all you wanted was the key. You said if I gave it to you, that you would leave. That no one would get hurt. I believed you.” Like a fool. She had given the man the thing he wanted without a second thought. He’d had a gun and he’d had her daughter and she had just caved. She was determined to be smarter this time.
Mahoney didn’t say anything. He just stared at her for a long moment. Then he was back on his phone. “Yeah. I need to know about the phone calls made from that general store the second day that Laura Donovan went down there. From the owner’s phone, too.” Mahoney looked at Laura. “Last name Miller. Specifically, any banks that were called.”
Laura forced her face to remain confident. Why had she been so specific? And how quickly would Mahoney get the information and know she was lying?
Mahoney ended the call and leaned back in his chair. “We shouldn’t have to wait too long. I don’t think I believe you, but it never hurts to check. I’ve had men working since last week to track down the bank. That should be easier now that I have the key.” Mahoney pulled out the gold key Laura had given him days ago. He waved it in front of her face before putting it back in his jacket’s inside pocket. “I’m still thinking it will be best for all if you and your daughter die in a tragic accident and are quickly forgotten.”
He planned to make it as though she and Abby were never here. Never lived. Tears rushed up behind Laura’s eyes as she realized that she truly would disappear. No one would notice her absence. Or Abby’s. Her family was all dead. Josh had been an only child of only children. His mom passed before Laura met him, and his dad passed their first year of marriage.
And Laura was really, really good at being alone. At not making friends. At pushing the few people who tried far, far away. Really, it was a wonder that Laura had ever met Josh. Known him. Loved him.
If she and her baby died, no one would visit their graves. Laura didn’t even know if they would have graves.
This had been what she wanted. To be left alone. Loving people hurt, especially when they died and left. Her parents. Her dad. Josh. Everyone she loved had left her, and that was okay, because she wanted to be alone. Except she didn’t. Laura didn’t want that kind of life anymore, and she definitely did not want that for her sweet girl.
Laura wanted to attack this man. Her fists were aching with the pressure she was using to squeeze them into tight little balls. Abby was shaking, her head buried into Laura’s shoulder, her arms squeezing Laura’s neck tight. It almost felt like Abby was trying to climb inside Laura’s body and hide there. Laura would let her if she could.
But Laura could not attack this man. She had to keep stalling and have faith. Faith in God. Faith in Seth. That was her mission right now.
Mahoney’s cell phone rang, and he answered it. He was talking in a low voice, and he sounded pleased with whatever he was hearing.
Laura looked out the window, feeling desperation rising like a tsunami wave ready to wipe her out. She blinked hard at the shining reflection she saw.
A shining reflection. Like what had warned Seth about the men earlier. The warning that had allowed them to hide.
Laura knew her mountain, and she really knew her dad’s cabin and the surrounding land. There wasn’t anything out that window that would reflect light. And, since it was dark, there shouldn’t be any light to reflect in the first place.
Maybe it was Mahoney’s men. He had certainly brought enough men and equipment with him.
But maybe it wasn’t.
Something was out in the woods. There was light. And it was reflecting. In a pattern. A very subtle pattern.
Laura looked away. At Mahoney. He was still on his phone, talking quickly and not paying any attention to her. Good.
Laura looked back out the window. That same reflection.
Could it be a clue? A signal? She didn’t know if that thought was blind hope or a reasonable conclusion. Either way, Laura was going to assume it meant something.
Mahoney put his phone back in his pocket and glared at her. “It seems you have a problem with your story, Mrs. Donovan.”
It was a signal. Laura tightened her grip on Abby, and pictured all the ways out of this cabin. All the places she could hide. Something was going to happen. When it did, she would be ready.
“Problem?”
“Yes. There is—”
Her world exploded. Again. There were gunshots. Men yelling. Flashes of light and strange smells.
Laura jerked out of the chair, clutched Abby to her chest and ran. It was pure chaos, but Laura could navigate this cabin blind. If this was her chance, Abby’s chance, she was going for it.
* * *
Seth was actually rocking back and forth on his feet to keep from running in. Joining the fight. The past two days had challenged him in ways that Afghanistan had never managed to do. But this? This standing here useless while others went in and fought to save Laura and Abby—this waiting—might be the greatest challenge yet.
But waiting was best. He was here, but he was in no condition whatsoever to be fighting. The firefighters he’d encountered on his never-ending trip down this mountain had tried to make him go to the hospital. They’d called an ambulance and everything. Seth had thrown a fit he would not be proud of in the morning, refusing. Besides, he knew Laura’s cabin better than any of them. He knew more about these men than they did. Bringing him along for his knowledge was the smart play.
Seth had stood by impatiently while the police arrived. While the necessary manpower was finally assembled. He had waited during that drive up to the outskirts of the cabin. He had waited while the SWAT team had done their reconnaissance. He had waited for them to come back and say whether Laura and Abby were even up here. If he was even in the right place. Then Seth had waited while the police had made their plan. And now? Now he was waiting while the good guys went in and fought the bad guys.
A fight where Laura and Abby would be caught in the middle. Caught in between flying bullets. Breaking glass. Smoke bombs.
Best-case scenario was they were hiding, terrified, waiting to see who won. Worst case involved that boss killing them to cut his losses. Or using them as hostages. Or them getting hit by a stray bullet. Or, or, or. It was too much.
Seth took a step forward. The jolt of pain made him stop. No. This was not about him. This was not about his pride or his ego. He would not be an asset right now. He would be a distraction. A liability. The best thing was for Seth to stand by.
Seth looked down at Duckie in his hands. The stuffed animal he wanted to put back in Abigail’s arms.
Seth was absolutely sick of waiting.
And then, he wasn’t waiting anymore. The shooting stopped. The area became as bright as day as the lights the police brought with them were turned on. Seth walked forward, taking in the scene.
There were a lot of men in cuffs sitting on the ground. The police were bringing more out of the house. More from behind the house.
And there was Mahoney. He had to be the boss. While all the other men were dressed in black gear, this man was wearing a suit. He did not have the look of a mercenary. No, he had the look of a sleazy businessman.
Seth took another step and made eye contact with the leader of the SWAT team. He nodded and Seth stopped hesitating. He rushed into the cabin as fast as his injured body would allow him.
Laura. Abby.
They weren’t out front. Where were they?
He entered the cabin and ignored the destruction. He didn’t care about broken furniture. No, he only cared about the two people who were hopefully safe inside.
“Laura! Abby! It’s Seth. If you can hear me, come out now. It’s safe.” Seth took in another breath, preparing to yell again. If that didn’t work, he would take this cabin apart and find every hidey-hole Malcolm Grant had put in it. He would find them.
“Abby! Wait!” Seth heard Laura’s cry about a second before Abby came running into the room. She didn’t slow down or pause before throwing herself against Seth’s legs. Laura was right behind her.
Seth’s legs gave out and he was on the floor. Abby crawled up his body, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her wet face against his cheek. He hugged her to his body, pushing Duckie into her hands. Laura leaned over and was suddenly pressed against him, too. Seth didn’t know if she was trying to hug Abby or him, but it didn’t matter. He opened his arms to include her, hugging both of them as hard as he could.
He sent one hand up to cup the back of Laura’s head. He wanted to check them over to see if they were okay. He wanted to hold tight and never let go. He didn’t even know what he wanted. This moment was all feeling.
“Seth, you’re alive.” Laura’s voice was thick and Seth leaned his head back enough to see her face. She was crying. Sobbing. Her entire body was shaking with the force of it.
“Yes. I’m alive, Laura. I’m so sorry I let you down.”
“Let me down? You saved us.” Her voice was muffled because she had moved to press it back against his chest.
“I didn’t save you.”
“You did.” She looked up then, tears still pouring down her face. “I don’t care. I don’t even care. All I care about is that you’re here. You’re alive. Abby is here. She’s alive.”
“And you’re here. Alive.” His own voice was shaky. It had been very, very close. Those statements were not a given. They could have easily all three been dead.
“Yes. We’re alive!” Laura’s sobs were now a laugh. A celebration of triumph.
Laura’s smile fell away. “Did they catch him? Mahoney? Did they catch him?”
“Mahoney? Is that the man in the suit?”
Laura nodded.
“Yeah. They caught him. He is out front, in handcuffs, right now.”
More tears. So many. Too many. “He killed Josh, Seth. It wasn’t some random mugging. He told me. He killed Josh on purpose.”
“What? Why? Did he tell you why?”
Laura pulled away then and Seth felt the cold even though he still had a very clingy Abby in his lap. “Yeah. Mahoney is some drug king. Josh found evidence about him, and Mahoney wants that evidence.”
“That’s what was in the box?”
“Yeah, he realized what Mahoney was, so he gathered some documents that will incriminate Mahoney. That’s what this whole thing has been about. Josh wasn’t a criminal.”
Seth reached out and took Laura’s hand. It wasn’t as good as hugging her, but he would take contact with this woman any way he could get it. “You were right, Laura. Josh was a good and honorable man. Your husband was a hero.”
Laura squeezed his hand. “Thank you. I’m so glad.”
Seth saw the lead officer standing in the cabin’s doorway. He didn’t know how long the man had been there, or how much he had overheard, but Seth appreciated him waiting. At Seth’s look, the man walked in. “Laura, this is Lieutenant McCoy, the head of the local SWAT team. He’s the one who rescued you.”
Laura let go of his hand and stood up. Seth also managed to stand, though it was made more difficult by Abby’s body still clinging.
Lieutenant McCoy reached out and shook Laura’s hand. “It’s real nice to meet you, Mrs. Donovan. And I couldn’t have rescued you if Seth here hadn’t found us and told us what was happening.”
“Well, thank you. Both of you. Thank you very much.”
“Ma’am, you and your daughter are okay? Not hurt?”
Laura reached out and rubbed Abby’s back. “No. Somehow, we’re both okay.”
It wasn’t just some random somehow, though. It was because God had laid His hand over them and protected them. He had seen them through this storm. And He would see them through the next couple of weeks, too.
Seth intended to mention counseling to Laura. Both she and Abby would probably benefit from talking about everything that happened. Finding a sense of safety again. And him, too. Seth wanted to talk to someone. Clear his head. And make sure he learned all the lessons God had taught him the past few days. The past few years, for that matter.