“You’re a monster.”The woman’s sobs came with long gasping breaths.
“That’s what they all say.”
THIRTY-SEVEN
To avoid the engine noise of the Beast, Kane drove at an agonizingly slow speed until he found a suitable place to leave the trucks. They climbed out and pulled on the Kevlar vests, grabbed a few items from the back of the truck, and leaving Emily inside the vehicle to notify everyone, waded through thick snowfall toward the forest. He’d formed a plan along the way; they would scatter through the forest and come out around the back of the boathouse. The building had an opening at both ends: one end allowing a boat to be unloaded and the another giving access to the boat ramp into the lake. Over one hundred years old, the building had belonged to an old settler who built fishing boats. The local council maintained it for its historical relevance. Cutting a path through the freezing drifts, Kane led the way into the forest and into the trees with Jenna close behind. Although snow piled high on the branches of the pine trees, the density of the forest protected the forest floor and made the way through easy. The fine dusting of snow beneath their boots muffled their footsteps on the crisp dead pine needles. He didn’t need to know Carter’s and Styles’ positions.His orders had been to surround the boathouse and he trusted their judgment implicitly. To his right, he just made out Raven and Ben, but only by the dog’s eyes reflecting green in the moonlight.
From the boathouse the sound of struggling, screams, and thumps came toward them through the night. Against all odds, Isla fought for her life. Kane ran faster, bursting into the back of the boathouse weapon drawn but couldn’t get a clear shot of the man grappling with the woman. Behind him, Jenna ran to his side. She indicated she intended to go around to the front of the boathouse to help the woman and sunk into the frozen white scenery before he had time to stop her. He raised his voice. “Sheriff’s department. Get on your knees, with your hands on top of your head. Now!”
The man, dressed in all black and wearing a balaclava, rolled out of sight under the ancient boat, suspended in a cradle. A woman, her hair flying out behind her, dragged something from around her neck and threw it away before running full pelt out the back of the boathouse, down the ramp, and through the drifts and onto the frozen lake. Behind her, ran Jenna bounding through the thick snow, calling out for the woman to run her way to safety. Kane scanned the area. The boat offered the only protection from anyone with a weapon. A shadow moved on his right as Raven appeared out of the forest and took up position opposite him. The man, hiding under the boat, hadn’t moved or uttered a word, but the woman still screamed and ran for her life.
“Sheriff’s department. You’re safe now. Stop running. The lake is beneath you. Stop now.” Jenna’s voice rang out across the lake. “Come this way.”
Kane’s gaze shifted, and his heart almost stopped beating when Jenna followed the woman across the frozen water. Pushing his mind onto detaining the kidnapper, he raised hisvoice again. “Come out with your hands up or we will send a K-9 to drag you out of there.”
“Sure, you will.” A raspy voice came out from under the boat. “And I’ll blow its brains out before it gets here.”
“FBI.” Carter’s voice rang out from the front of the boathouse. “We have you surrounded. Throw out your weapon. You can’t escape. Right now, we’ve got you only for kidnapping. Shoot a police dog and you might as well be shooting a cop.”
The screaming on the lake had stopped, and Kane took out his flashlight and aimed it at the boat. The man shrunk away, his hands out of sight. Did he have a gun? Taking no chances, he sent him a warning and aimed two shots just in front of his head into the boat’s cradle. He didn’t intend to kill him, but he wanted to make the threat real. Trash-talking would get his point across too and hopefully the man would come out before he injured him. “I figure another six inches to the left. What do you say, boys?”
“I can blow his head off his shoulders from here.” Styles’ voice came from the front right-hand side. “I have a clear shot. Although my revolver makes a ton of mess. It’ll spread his brains all over.”
Trying not to smile as the team followed his lead, he nodded to Styles. Figuring that if the man had a weapon, he’d have used it by now, Kane stepped out of cover and took two strides closer to the man. “Last chance. Come out from there and put your hands on your head if you plan on living until morning. I have no power over these FBI guys. They could take you out just for fun.”
“Hold your fire. I’m coming out.” The man crawled out from under the boat on his hands and knees and flattened himself on the ground with his fingers interlaced over the back of his neck.
Keeping his weapon aimed on the man, he waited for Ravenand Styles to go in and pat him down. The two agents dragged him to his feet, took him outside, and secured him with his arms wrapped around a pine tree. Before Kane could ask the kidnapper any questions, Jenna called his name. He turned to look at her. She stood perfectly still in the middle of the snow-covered lake. To her left a few yards away, the woman had dropped to her hands and knees, sobbing violently. He holstered his weapon and walked toward the edge of the lake when Jenna held up her hand.
“The ice is cracking.” Jenna’s face had drained of color. “What should I do?”
Wanting to run to her, Kane walked through the heavy snowdrifts and took in the shattering ice. He’d risk falling in to save her but right now it wasn’t an option. One mistake now and they’d never get her out alive. “Don’t move.”
Kane pulled out his phone and called Emily. “There’s rope in the back of the Beast, grab it and run as fast as you can to the lake. Jenna’s on the ice and it’s cracking. Stick to the forest as much as possible to avoid the deep snow.”
“I’m on my way.”
“Isla.” Carter moved to the edge. “Take deep breaths. Try to stop sobbing. Any movement will make it worse. Can you move toward me and away from the cracks?”
Isla nodded and edged very slowly back toward the boathouse. “Good, keep going, but if you hear cracking, stretch out on the ice to spread your weight. We’ll come and get you.”
Kane stared at him. “How the heck do you plan on doing that? We’ll go right through.”
“She’ll make it.” Carter looked at him. “I’ve fished here and the lake is shallow where she is. Jenna is in the deepest part. The ice will be thinner there.” He shrugged. “I’ll get Isla, you need to help Jenna.”
Walking up and down the edge of the lake, Kane searchedfor a solution, but even if he belly-crawled, his weight would break the fragile surface and he’d lose any chance of rescuing Jenna. He turned to her and his heart sank. “Jenna, can you get down on hands and knees and move away from the cracking?”
“No, I’m surrounded.” She bit her bottom lip. “It’s only a matter of time before it opens up. It’s cracking all around me.”
The next moment, Emily burst from the forest carrying a coil of climbing rope. She dashed to Kane. He made a loop at one end and swung it around his head like a lasso intending to throw it to Jenna.
“Wait!” Raven came up beside him. He took the rope and slipped it over Ben’s head. “Go to Jenna, stealth.”
“Come on, Ben.” Jenna dropped slowly to her hands and knees, holding out one hand to Ben.
Grinding his back teeth, Kane watched helpless as Ben belly-crawled across the frozen lake. As the dog got closer, water seeped around Jenna. “Loop the rope around your waist and hang onto Ben, we’ll haul you both out.”
Kane, Raven, and Styles grabbed hold of the rope and pulled it, moving hand over hand. Jenna and Ben flew across the cracking lake at high speed until they hit the snowy edge. The dog shook himself violently and bounded to Raven. Kane ran to Jenna and gathered her into his arms. She trembled against him, wet through. He stripped off her wet coat, took off his jacket, and wrapped it around her. “Are you hurt?”
