1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Caleb

M y ass can't get up faster off the desk chair, as I bolt for the door, trying to follow Mr. Higgins, knowing full well that he is the reason. "What, what do you mean Peg is gone?" I say to Laney, my voice firm, jolting.

Laney is hysterical. She's gasping for air, out of breath. Like she's running to something. "Mrs. Quinn went inside to get her a glass of milk, and when she came back outside, Peg was gone."

I cover the phone, as I speak quickly to my assistant, sitting at the desk, looking as alarmed as I presume I do. "I want you to call downstairs to security. Tell them not to let Mr. Higgins leave the building."

Vivian nods as I scurry past her, running for the elevator. "Okay, I've got eyes on the building, Laney. I'm pretty sure I know who's behind this."

"That strange email we both got last night?"

"Exactly. He was just here, the bastard. He claims he knew Gretchen." I explain, reminding Laney, my fiancé, about the woman whose child we just took into our care. Gretchen died recently, leaving me with her only daughter, Peg. I'd been caring for her and the bairn for the last three years, but that's a long story, one that I won't get into right now.

"He knew Gretchen?" Laney says, horrified.

I try to get her to keep her bearings. "Now, Laney, this lad could be full of shit, for all we know. Let's not believe a word he says until we know who the bastard is."

"Jesus." She sighs. "You're right. We both know what kind of people are out there, Caleb. But this is sinking to an all-time low, taking our child."

I love it how she says that. Laney has known Peg for such a short time, but she adores her, as I do. Even with Laney carrying our own baby, she still loves Peg just as much. It makes my heart melt. "You know as well as I do, Laney, that crooks are slick. And we can't trust a soul. Even our own eyes. This could be an inside job."

Eyes, meaning spies under both my family and Laney's family's employ, who watch both our friends and our enemies, clients, potential clients, family, and frankly, it's because of these people that Laney and I met. But in this case, one would hope that it's just one of ours that will find our bairn, not that he had anything to do with her disappearance. We can't be sure though, until we know. It wouldn't be the first time we caught an imposter under our roof. "God, she's a child, Caleb! If any of our people have anything to do with this, as far as I'm concerned, they're all fired."

"Agreed. But in the meantime, I'm going to see if I can tail this asshole and find out if he knows anything about the conspicuously timed disappearance of little Peg, just as he happened to be meeting with me."

The elevator doors close, and I feel like a caged lion, as I pace inside the vessel, eager for the lights on the board to change, as we descend floors. "I swear to you, Laney, when I find the bastard that did this, you can be sure as hell that he'll pay, and I'm not feeling very shy about it right now."

"Take a number, Caleb. I love Peg as much as you do, and I'll be the first to watch the bastard fry in jail."

The elevator door opens, and I fly out of there, looking in both directions, hoping that I'll see Wesley Higgins trying to skulk his way past security. But when I see two of our security guys on the radio, and no Wesley, I feel like the point is moot. "Did you see where he went?" I ask the taller one of the two.

"He'd already pulled out when we got word from Vivian, I'm afraid."

"Bastard. Which way was he headed?"

He tells me. "He was driving a blue sedan, a cheap shit Hyundai."

Red flag number one goes up. "Fancy that. A billionaire driving a puddle jumper."

Tall guy nods his agreement. "That would have been my first clue. You want me to go after him?"

"No, that's okay, lad. I've got a couple of people that'll get on his tail quick enough." I say swiftly, and then I get back on the phone to Laney, telling her to hold the line while I get on the phone with one of my guys. It quickly becomes a game of cat and mouse, as I hop in my truck, and hunt down Mr. Higgins, or Wesley. Vivian calls me, telling me that she's tried to contact him, but there is no answer on his phone. "Yeah, big shocker there."

"Have you let the family know?" I ask Laney, as I click back on to her.

"Aye, of course. Mama was on the horn before I could even blink. Everyone is on task at my parent's place."

"I'll let my mama and da know straight away as well." I tell her as I place her on a brief hold again.

"Da, I've got some bad news." I open with, as da picks up his personal cell phone.

"Vivian has already called me, son. That lass deserves a raise."

"I'll get on that as soon as the opportunity presents itself." I tell him and mean it.

"Not to worry, son. I've got all hands on deck here. We'll find her, as God is my witness."

"Thanks, da."

"And don't you let Laney worry too much, son. It's not good for the bairn." He says.

"Impossible, da. She's beside herself."

"I can imagine. But we'll find Peg before she even realizes what's going on."

"I sure hope so, da. That bairn means everything to me."

"I know she does." He says, as I keep driving northbound, looking for a blue sedan. "This Higgins." Da adds. "What do you know about him?"

"Says he knew Gretchen. Peg's mama. But I wouldn't place any clout on that, da. She told me he was dead. I believe her. She wouldn't have lied to me."

"How do you figure he knew about the bairn?"

"My guess is it's an inside job, da. As much as that turns my stomach. Ever since me and Laney got together, I knew that there would be trouble coming. Especially now that Laney's pregnant, and now that Peg's in our care. More stakes to play with. More opportunities to take advantage and catch us in a moment of weakness. Crooks prey on that sort of shit. You know that as well as I do."

"Aye, son. You're probably right. I've got half a mind to employ only family, but that would be impossible."

A blue sedan comes into view about six cars ahead, but I see that one of my spies is on his tail. "Da, I've got to let you go. I think I see someone up ahead."

"Keep in touch, son."

"Will do."

I click back on to Laney. "Bonnie, I've got to let you go. I see something coming up ahead. I'll call you back as soon as I can."

"That's okay, Caleb. I've got Mandy doing some research for me. She may have something on Higgins."

"Excellent work. Both Vivian and Mandy are getting raises once all this shit is over." My phone beeps. I look at the other line and see that it's an unknown caller. "Da, I've got an unknown caller on the other line."

"Answer it, Caleb."

I put him on hold and click over. "Caleb Harris." I answer tersely.

The voice is welcoming, like an old friend. "Caleb. How are things?"

"Who is this?" I growl.

"Oh. I take it things aren't going so well after all."

Then I recognize the chuckle. "I knew it was you. Higgins. You son of a bitch." He's not in a car, so clearly this is a hired job. "What do you want."

"The fact that you have to ask makes me wonder if I'm going about this all wrong."

"Cut the shit." I blurt. "How much."

"Oh, let's see. For the safe return of a small child, not yet school age, I'd say…hmm…"

"Out with it, asshole." I spit. "Or your body will only be discovered by dental records."

"You don't scare me, Caleb. You and your pretty family. And that whore that you were fucking and supporting. The kid's cute, too."

I speak through my teeth. "If Peg gets one hair on her head hurt, you're going to die a long, fucking painful death, mark my words."

There's that arrogant chuckle again. "Like I said, Caleb. You don't scare me."

"How much are you paying these assholes to kidnap her, huh? I hope it's enough to pay for their coffins, too, shithead, because the whole lot of you are going to hell once I get a hold of you."

He ignores my threats. "Twenty million."

"You get nothing until I get proof that Peg is unharmed."

"I think I'll be the one making the deal here, Caleb."

"It's a standard request, Higgins. If you had any experience with kidnapping, you'd know that."

He sighs. "I'd watch your mouth, partner. And I'll let you talk to her once you bring the money to the designated meeting spot."

"That's not good enough, Wesley. How do I know you don't have her on a plane to some uncharted island, hm? I want to see her."

The blue sedan that was off in the distance has turned off the highway, and is weaving in and out of traffic, almost swerving, as I make the same turn off the freeway. "Oh, yeah, and you can tell your goons that they're following the wrong guy. He's a decoy."

"Yeah, I'm sure." I sneer.

"I'm serious." He chuckles again, making my fist ball up. "Blue Hyundai?" He's fucking laughing at me, like I'm some kind of joke. "Yeah, that's Ned. He's my decoy. I'm somewhere you'll never find me, especially where you're heading, if you were stupid enough to follow Ned."

"Fuck you, asshole. I'm not falling for your shit."

"There's nothing to fall for, Caleb. I'm being straight with you. I tell you what, you get me the twenty million in an hour, and it's like none of this happened." He bargains, making me want to waste him so bad, I can picture myself choking him, watching his face turn purple, his eyes bleed red, until he sputters for air, and then dies right in my fucking hands, so I can spit in his face on his last breath.

"When I find you," I seethe. "I will fucking kill you, man."

"That's the thing, Caleb. You'll never find me." He says, oh so casually, almost mocking me. "And if you fuck up, you'll never see the brat ever again, either."

"I will feed your fucking innards to my brother's lizard, you asshole!" I shout into the phone. "You touch one hair on that bairn's body and I'll make sure you suffer every second until your death."

"Price just went up a million, Caleb. What's it going to be." He patronizes.

"Where do you want me to send the money, you asshole." I answer after a beat, in a low, guttural mutter. He gives me his banking information, which I ignore, since there's no way in hell that I'm giving him a red cent. He'll be dead before I give him any of my money. In the background, I'll bet da's got a lead on the asshole in the blue Hyundai, and together with Laney's goons and mine, we'll have Peg back in her little Princess room before she can bat an eyelash.

"Did you get all that, Caleb?" He taunts.

"Yeah, every drop." I lie, still using my guttural voice.

"When I see it, if it's in the next hour, I'll call you back with the pickup location for Peg."

"Why don't you tell me now, you fucking coward."

"Because I'm no fool, Caleb."

"That's where you're wrong, Wesley. You're fucking with the wrong Scot, man, and you're going to find that out real fast."

"Lots of talk from the man with the huge wallet." He clucks his tongue. "But, like I said, mate, you don't scare me."

"Aye. Then you are a fool, Wesley. If you think you've got this licked, you better think again."

"Funny how you say that, yet, you still don't have Peg back."

"And you still don't have the money. But I bet you twelve million fucking dollars that the cops will be at your door before you can count the money." Laney sends me a text message. It says that they caught the man who took Peg on the security camera. He's known to them. She doesn't say more. I'm torn between letting this asshole go, so I can talk to Laney, and keeping him on the line, to find out as much as I can about him.

"So dramatic, Caleb. Are you sending a message to the bank now, or are you wasting my time?"

I decide to dig. "I bet your name isn't even Higgins, is it."

The chuckle that will haunt me until the end of time.

"And you have no ties with Gretchen at all, do you."

He laughs out loud. "Oh, Caleb. You are such a card."

"I'm glad you think I'm so fucking funny, asshole. Why did you bring Gretchen into this, anyway."

"Because I knew that the only way to get under your skin was through the girl."

"Aye. So you didn't know her at all, did you."

"I'll answer that for another two million, Caleb."

"Fuck you. I've seen your sort many times, Wesley. I know your type. You keep taking and taking from people, well, this is one person that isn't going to take this lying down. You will pay dearly for what you've done. You've barked up the wrong goddamn tree this time."

"You're making me sound like a broken record, Caleb. You don't scare me. Not even slightly."

"Fuck you. You think you scare me. I'd like to crush your fucking skull in right now, asshole."

He laughs at me, as I see da's text message. It reads, ‘Do not negotiate.' Which I know is code for the fact that this guy is fucking toast. But I don't let on that I'm one step ahead of him, with the team of people I have by my side, versus the few losers that he's paid very dearly for.

"Yes, I know, Caleb. Frankly, you repeating yourself is boring me, and I don't see the money in my account yet. Are your people still following Ned?" He teases.

I'm off the highway, as we pull off to the side, and I watch two cars force the Hyundai into an alley. Watching closely, I witness my two rented suits sandwich the Hyundai, almost until the vehicles touch, before he finally relents and comes to a stop. I sit in the car, far enough away that I can't be seen. As much as I want to go and plough this guy driving the blue sedan, I know that it's in my best interest not to. I witness my suits pulling the guy from the vehicle, and I wait.

"Yes, they're still following you, you asshole." I say, trying to get a rise out of him.

"Oh, don't be coy, Caleb. You and I both know that it isn't me in that car, now, is it."

"You can't be that far from my office. And I've got suits looking for you, Higgins, so you better watch out." I add, feeling a certain triumph, as I watch my men outnumber his lone guy, two to one. It's not even a competition. The man is a twig by comparison. He raises his hands into the air in surrender, and I see my guys pat him down, discerning that he is unarmed. I shake my head. The son of a bitch sent an unarmed man on a wild goose chase, only to be beaten to a pulp, so we can garner information from him. Higgins is more heartless than I thought.

What happens next, I learn fast, that I don't have the stomach for.