Chapter Thirteen

Lio

I blanched at Abe's ashen appearance because he'd been fine a minute ago. Okay. Maybe fine was a stretch. Alex was missing, and we weren't any closer to finding him, but Abe's color had been normal, maybe a little flushed with irritation. I barely recognized this washed-out version of the man I loved and braced for terrible news. Abe's lips trembled, and I thought he was on the verge of tears until I realized he was trying to speak.

I rushed forward and gripped his hands, then cringed when I realized they felt like popsicles. I massaged his flesh to stimulate blood flow, just as Abe had done for me during a training mission that had gone awry decades ago. We'd been stranded overnight in less-than-ideal circumstances and had needed to pull ourselves together to survive. The excursion had been the catalyst that had moved us from reluctant training partners to best friends, which was precisely why our instructor had instigated the entire setup. We'd been on pace to kill one another or cause massive casualties to our team if we didn't get our shit together. Our isolation from the rest of our group hadn't been due to a mission failure. Our entire unit had been in on it from the jump—literally. They'd placed bets on which one of us would come out alive. No one had chosen both of us, and we'd repeatedly made them pay for their mistake. I just hoped whoever had Alex made a similar miscalculation.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I think I know who took Alex," Abe replied, his voice sounding rusty and unused.

Alyssa rushed over and gripped Abe's biceps. "Who took him? Where is he?"

Abe's blue eyes glistened with tears as he stared at me. I'm not sure he even heard her, so I repeated the question.

"All my fault," Abe said, then released a soft whimper. "I was careless, and…"

Alyssa shook Abe hard. "Save the self-flagellation for later. Where's our boy?"

Our boy. Even Alyssa knew Alex belonged to Abe just as much as he did to us. "Tell us, baby," I urged.

Abe kept his eyes locked on mine as he repeated his conversation with Amber. I'd felt queasy the moment he'd mentioned Jeremy's name and was ready to puke by the time he'd finished. The agony in Abe's eyes was the only thing keeping me from doubling over and retching.

"That son of a bitch," I snarled as rage renewed my vigor.

"I'm sorry, Lio," Abe said. "I was careless with his feelings, and I—" His voice broke and tears spilled down his face.

Urgency spiked my pulse to an alarming rate, but instinct said I needed to take great care with the moment or risk the future I wanted with Abe. I cupped his face and swiped the tears away with my thumbs. "No," I said firmly. "This isn't your fault. You promised you'd bring Alex home, and you're one step away from keeping your word. Let's go get him."

"We better call Detective Hale and give him the update," Alyssa said. "And Sheriff Gunderson since we suspect Alex is being held in his jurisdiction."

"No," Abe and I said at the same time.

"Not enough time for the bureaucratic debate they will want to have," Abe said, still staring into my eyes. "We can't afford the delays their pissing contests will cause. What was it Rigby said on Saturday night?"

"It's better to beg for forgiveness than ask permission," I replied.

I looked over at Alyssa, expecting the IA deputy chief to protest, but she nodded. "There's no one I trust more than the four of us to get Alex back."

Russ placed his hand on her shoulder. "Let's make a plan and saddle up."

"We need to get out of here before Rigby comes back and thwarts our plans." It probably wasn't cool to use her mantra against her, but at least she'd have plausible deniability if forgiveness wasn't granted. "Let's head over to your place," I told Alyssa. "I can borrow dark clothes from Russ while we put our heads together." They were dressed for a retirement party and could use an outfit change too. Abe already wore dark denim and a black and blue flannel shirt.

Getting out of the police station undetected proved to be more challenging than it sounded, considering so many people had shown up to support us, acts of kindness I wouldn't forget and a reminder that opening myself up to others was sometimes worth the loss of privacy. We piled into Russ's SUV, which was black to aid in stealth and big enough to haul us all home after we got Alex back.

And we would get him back. If Jeremy had wanted to hurt Alex, he would've done it. I was the one he wanted, so the logical conclusion was for me to trade myself for Alex, which turned out to be an unpopular opinion.

"Fuck that," Abe snarled.

"Are you out of your mind?" Alyssa asked.

"Not your best idea," Russ quipped. "We need to get eyes inside the cabin without tipping Jeremy off."

Abe looked over at me and smiled. "I know the perfect thing."

"His new drone!" I replied. "It has the night vision setting." I'd questioned the necessity of the feature when Alex had excitedly read off the capabilities when we tested it out last weekend.

"Wait," Abe said. "Is it at your house?"

"No, it's at ours," Alyssa said.

We swung by their house long enough for the three of us to change and grab the drone, flashlights, and weapons.

"Whoa," Alyssa said when Russ punched a code into the safe. "We can't go in like vigilantes."

I took the rifle Russ handed me and faced my ex-wife. "I'm not taking a slingshot to a gunfight. We already know Jeremy has at least one rifle, but he'll have knives and other hunting gear if he's in survivalist mode."

Russ turned to face his wife. "I'll go to prison for the rest of my life if it means Alex is safe. You'll come to visit me, right?"

Alyssa held Russ's gaze for a few moments. "Every chance I get." She held out her hand, and Russ passed her a gun too. Alyssa met my gaze and said, "Fuck the rules. But just this once."

We decided Abe would fly the drone since he'd been the one to read the manual so he could teach Alex how to operate it. I downloaded the app to my phone on the drive to Trophy Lake so the rest of us could watch the feed. We spent the rest of the trip discussing where to park so we could hike to the cabin and the best place to launch the drone, considering its capabilities and the pitfalls and benefits of the wooded surroundings. Our options were to draw Jeremy out to us or go in to confront him. We wouldn't know the best choice until we saw where Alex was and assessed which option was safest for him.

Silence fell over the SUV like a heavy blanket when a sign announced we'd entered the Trophy Lake region. Abe placed his hand on my knee and squeezed, and I laid mine on top. My nerves had acted like persistent little assholes, needling me and casting doubt, until Abe directed Russ where to park. This was the biggest mission of my life, and failure wasn't an option. It was go time.

Abe knew the woods surrounding Trophy Lake like the back of his hand, and we easily navigated the thick trees and quickly covered a lot of ground. Leaves crunched beneath our feet, unseen critters skittered in the dark, and an owl hooted above us. A lone coyote cried in the night, sending a chill down my spine. Things got even creepier when we turned off our flashlights on the outskirts of the residential area. The community was already on alert due to previous break-ins and potential trespasser sightings. The last thing we needed was to trigger any of the security systems Abe had recommended they install. We stuck closer to the lake and the shoreline, which would've put us at a disadvantage if not for the heavy cloud cover shielding the moon.

Abe stopped as soon as we reentered the thick copse of trees. "We go in completely dark and quiet from here on out. I know the perfect spot to launch the drone. We'll look around, then retreat back here to finalize our plan."

He didn't wait for confirmation. Abe set a slow but deliberate pace, clinging to the shadows. He stopped and kneeled when it was time to launch the drone. The rest of us crouched down beside him. Abe turned on the drone, and we verified the feed was working on my phone before he launched it into the air, carefully navigating through the trees and the clearing. The rear of the cabin came into view, and since there were lights on, Abe turned off the night vision feature. We could easily see Jeremy pacing in the living room. Alyssa and Russ crowded in on both sides so they could see the video on my phone. Abe moved the drone left and right, trying to see more of the room, and that's when I realized a kitchen chair was missing. I didn't try to get Abe's attention because he had a display screen on the controller in his hand. We couldn't see into the far corners on either side, but it wouldn't have been logical to tuck Alex away in either place. The television was in one corner, and a large hutch sat in the other.

Abe guided the drone to the right past the bathroom window, which was dark, and around the corner. He paused at the window for the spare bedroom, where light spilled through a narrow gap in the curtains. Abe hovered the aircraft, and an image of Alex appeared on my phone. He was bound to the missing kitchen chair with duct tape. Alyssa released a soft gasp, and I squeezed her knee to reassure her. Alex had a slight bruise on his forehead but otherwise looked okay. His brow was furrowed and his eyes narrowed as he stared off into space. Abe shifted the drone slightly to the right, giving us a better view of Alex's profile. He flew a little higher, changing the angle, which allowed us to see our son furiously working to free his hands from the duct tape. It was an odd moment for pride to surge through me, but it did. Alyssa sniffled, and Russ moved to comfort her silently.

Abe moved the drone past the two bedrooms and around the corner. He flew the aircraft high enough to avoid the flood lights with motion sensors and to stay out of Jeremy's line of sight. The man paced furiously, his lips moving so fast I couldn't discern what he might be saying. He had a wicked-looking knife strapped to his thigh, but his rifle wasn't in sight. A bruise was forming under his left eye courtesy of Alex fighting back. Jeremy's face and hair looked wet, so he'd either just gotten out of the shower or was sweating profusely. Option two seemed more realistic, but neither mattered except that it would make him slippery when I finished what my son had started.

After a quick scan of the entire property, Abe steered the drone back to us. We rose to our feet and headed back to the designated rendezvous spot.

"Do you want to draw him out or go in?" Abe asked. "I like our odds either way."

"I didn't see a gun, but we're confident he has one," Russ said. "It's most likely by the front door, so I think we're better off drawing him outside. He'll pick up the gun and come looking for the trouble. Let's get him farther away from Alex."

"I agree," I said. "Use the drone to trip the floodlight on the front corner of the cabin. Jeremy might assume it's an animal once or twice but multiple times would get him to come out and investigate."

"But what if he gets Alex and uses him as a shield?" Alyssa asked.

"I'd agree if Alex wasn't bound to a chair," Abe replied. "That's a lot of tape to cut through. Sure, he's got the knife, but when they got back inside, he'd have to resecure him. Alex has already proven he's a fighter, so he might be willing to go through the hassle once but not more than that."

"So we get Jeremy outside, then what?" Russ asked.

"I'll trip the security light with the drone to draw him out," Abe said. "One of you tosses a pebble or something at the metal trash cans at the side of the house. Jeremy will ease around to check it out. While he does, the other two come around from the opposite corner ready to disarm and restrain Jeremy. Whoever throws the rock will come out of the shadows and run inside to release Alex. I'll land the drone as soon as the action starts to provide backup for whoever needs it."

"I'll create the diversion," Alyssa said. "Lio and Russ can ambush him when he comes around the corner."

Russ and I bumped fists.

"Let's do this," Abe said.

We silently crept back toward the cabin. Abe stopped at his launch site, and the four of us exchanged hugs before Russ and I went left and Alyssa went right. My heart pounded so hard I was sure Jeremy would be able to hear it inside the cabin, but we reached the corner of the structure without incident. The drone crept through the night, sounding like nothing more than a giant insect. The front corner lights turned on, flooding the front yard with light. I caught myself holding my breath, thinking even that was too much but forced myself to exhale softly through my nose.

Time seemed to crawl as we waited for Jeremy to move or the light to shut off when no further motion was detected. The front yard went dark again, and I caught the soft buzzing of the drone a minute later. Once again, the lawn lit up like the Fourth of July. It was probably my imagination, but something arced through me, an awareness that said this time would be different. I forced myself to stay calm and limber as I listened. Please let this work. Please let this work. The front door swung open and crashed against the cabin wall. Thank you!

The distinct sound of a rock clinking against metal rang in the air. Nice job, Lyss. If a kidnapper didn't know better, they might think it was raccoons going for dinner instead of furious parents lurking outside. A moment later, feet crunched on gravel. The sound grew softer as Jeremy moved toward where he'd heard the noise. I glanced around the corner, then motioned for Russ to come with me. We slipped along the front of the house as quietly as possible.

Jeremy mumbled something as the crunching gravel got louder. Fuck! He was already coming back, and we weren't in position yet. I nearly jumped out of my skin when another rock hit the trash can with a loud bang . Alyssa must've positioned herself so she could keep an eye on Jeremy as Russ and I approached. Her distraction worked because Jeremy reversed course, muttering as he went. Seconds later, loud twang s echoed through the night as Jeremy repeatedly hit or kicked the trash cans. The noise masked our movements and allowed us to haul ass. I hoped Abe had captured Jeremy's outburst on the video feed, though I knew he'd be careful not to give us away.

Jeremy finally stopped bashing the trash cans and headed back our way. My body started to tense, but that would slow me down. I exhaled a soft breath and visualized how I wanted the scene to play out. Then I brought the butt of my rifle up to the height of his face. When he rounded the corner, I bashed it against his nose with a sickening crunch.

Jeremy immediately dropped his rifle, brought both hands up to cover his gushing nose, and yelled, "Fuck!" Between the wet nose and the muffled sound, Jeremy sounded more like a Muppet than a kidnapper. His brown eyes registered surprise until they locked on me and widened in alarm. And that's when I moved in for the kill, lowering my shoulder and taking him to the ground. I straddled Jeremy and started pounding him with my fists, punching him anywhere his hands weren't blocking.

I didn't notice Alyssa sprinting past me to get to Alex, but I heard her yell, "Don't let things go too far, Russ."

"You son of a bitch," I snarled. "I'm going to kill you." Because right then, I wasn't a police chief who'd sworn to uphold the law; I was a father who'd survived the scariest night of his life.

Abe was the one who finally pulled me off Jeremy while Russ moved in with a pair of handcuffs. He rolled Jeremy to his stomach and secured his hands before removing the knife strapped to Jeremy's thigh. Russ patted him down but didn't find any additional weapons.

"It's over," Abe said, holding me in his arms as I panted through my adrenaline rush. My fists were bloody and sore, but none of that mattered. Abe kissed me hard and quick. "It's over. Let's go see our boy."

"Go," Russ said as he removed his cell phone. "I'm going to call this in."

Abe and I ran inside the house and headed to the bedroom where Alyssa was sawing through the duct tape binding Alex's torso to the chair. She'd already freed his arms, and he rubbed the angry welts on his wrists. I turned to go back outside to kick Jeremy's ass some more, but Abe stopped me.

"He's going to get what he has coming to him. You're needed right here."

I turned to Alex and saw the tears streaking down his face. I dropped to my knees, pulled out a pocketknife, and started hacking at the tape around his calves. We had him free and in our arms quickly.

"I tried to fight him off," Alex sobbed.

"We know, baby," Alyssa said. "You're so brave."

"We're so proud of you," I added.

"Your dad beat the shit out of the guy," Abe said, "and I captured most of it with the drone before I worried he might kill him."

I cupped Alex's face. "It would've been worth it to have you home safe." I gently brushed my fingers over the small goose egg on his forehead. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Alex said. "I knew you'd save me. I have the most badass parents and stepdads."

The sound of police sirens reached our huddle, and we pulled away.

"Time to face the music," I said, though I didn't have a single regret. I swung by the bathroom long enough to wash Jeremy's blood off my hands, then the four of us went outside to wait for the cavalry. I smiled as Russ and my son embraced affectionately.

"Stepdads, huh?" Abe said as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

"Told you," I said.

Abe pressed a kiss to my temple. "I'm a lucky man."

He wasn't singing the same tune when Gunderson and Hale ripped us a new one, and Abe seemed to shrink a few inches when Rigby arrived.

"May I have a moment with my officers and their cohorts?" Rigby asked briskly.

"By all means," Gunderson said. Hale didn't look like he would budge until Gunderson mentioned taking Jeremy into custody since the arrest had happened in his county. Hale stiffened and started blustering about the crime occurring in his jurisdiction. Gunderson winked at me and headed toward the cabin, knowing Hale would follow.

Rigby kept her gaze on the retreating men as she yelled, "I'm furious with the four of you. What the hell were you thinking pulling a stunt like this?" Once Gunderson and Hale were out of earshot, she leaned closer and whispered, "And how dare you go on this mission without me."

Abe threw his head back and laughed until I elbowed him. We were supposed to be getting our asses handed to us, and he was ruining the farce.

"Plausible deniability, Commish," I said softly. "Is now the time to beg for forgiveness?"

She snorted and rolled her eyes. "Get out of here and take Alex with you. I'll deal with the two of you on Monday because I don't want to see you until then."

"Are we suspended, Commish?" Alyssa asked.

"That's what your official records will say but consider it a bonus vacation with your family."

I figured Gunderson and Hale would do their best to disrupt our time off, but I'd worry about it when the time came.

I wrapped my arm around Alex's shoulder and reached for Abe's hand. "Let's go home."

We took two steps down the driveway and remembered we'd left the SUV parked at a trailhead almost a mile away.

"I don't suppose you could give us a lift to our SUV?" I asked Rigby.

She sighed heavily. "Oh, now you want my help. Very well. It's not like I want to hear those two arguing over jurisdiction." She smiled over at Abe and said, "I'm not sure if you've heard, but Chatham County could use some new leadership. I think a man with a proven record of straightening out troubled departments would be a perfect fit. Know anyone who fits that criteria?"

"Damn," Abe said, "has my campaign manager started hounding you now?"

We all laughed as we piled into Rigby's SUV. We knew the fallout from our stunt wouldn't be a picnic in the park, but I couldn't find a fuck to give when Alex rested his head against my shoulder. I looked over at Abe, whose eyes twinkled in the weak moonlight.

"Thank you," I mouthed.