She was lying awkwardly, face down in the sand near where a blanket and beach toys were scattered. Duke was tied to the stairs that led down to the beach, barking frantically. The sound was desperate, panicked, nothing like the dog’s usual happy greeting.
That’s when Gabe realized something was very, very wrong.
He dropped the picnic basket and dashed forward, ignoring the sharp pain that shot through his injured leg with every pounding step. Adrenaline overrode everything. Years of Marine training kicked in automatically. Assess the situation. Secure the injured. Locateany threats.
He reached Jane and dropped to his knees beside her, sand flying up around him. Carefully, he turned her over, supporting her head and neck in case of spinal injury. Blood matted her auburn hair near her temple, a dark stain against her pale skin. Someone had hit her. Hard.
His fingers went to her neck, searching for a pulse. Relief flooded through him when he felt the steady beat beneath his fingertips.Alive. She was alive.
Gabe pulled the blanket from the discarded picnic basket and gently positioned Jane on it, keeping her head elevated slightly. Then he pulled his phone from his pocket and turned to scan the beach, looking for the girls.
They weren’t there.
Trinity. Maddy. Gone. He shouted, “Trinity, Maddy!” Nothing.
His heart started to pound, combat-ready adrenaline flooding his system. He ran to where Duke was tied to the stair railing, the dog’s barking reaching a fever pitch as Gabe approached. He freed the Great Dane with shaking hands, and Duke immediately bolted back to Jane, whining and licking her face, trying to wake her.
Gabe’s fingers flew across his phone screen, dialing 911. His hands were shaking, but his voice came out steady when the operator answered.
“911, what’s your emergency?”
“I need an ambulance. There is an unconscious woman with a head injury. We’re at the beach access behind the Christmas Innon Anastasia Island.” He gave the specific location, his military training making him precise even as panic threatened to overwhelm him. “And I can’t find my kid and her friend. Two twelve-year-old girls. They were here, and I can’t find them.”
“Sir, do you think the children have been kidnapped?” The operator’s voice was professional, calm, launching into procedure questions.
The questions felt stupid, meaningless, when his daughter was missing. When Trinity was somewhere out there, possibly in danger. Panic rose in his chest like a tide threatening to pull him under.
But years of training kicked in. Gabe had been in life-or-death situations before. He knew how to function under pressure. He forced himself to breathe, to compartmentalize, to push the fear into a box he could deal with later.
“I don’t know what happened,” Gabe said, his voice becoming calmer, more controlled. “The woman who was with them is unconscious. I’m going to call my mother to come stay with the injured woman so I can search the beach. Her name is Jane Christmas.”
“Sir, I need you to stay on the line?—”
“Just ensure the ambulance is on the way. I gave you the location. I need to find my daughter.” He hung up before the operator could protest.
His next call was to his mother. Holly answered on thesecond ring.
“Hey, sweetheart,” Holly’s cheerful voice seemed to add fuel to the flames of suppressed panic burning through him.
“Mom, I need you and Jack at the beach access behind the inn.Now.” Gabe’s voice was hard, leaving no room for questions. “Jane’s hurt, and Trinity and Maddy are… are missing. Bring Jack. Hurry. I need to search for the kids.”
He heard the sharp intake of breath, heard the shock in his mother’s voice, but Holly didn’t waste time with questions. That was Holly. Always reliable in a crisis.
“We’re coming. Two minutes,” his mother assured him.
The line went dead, and Gabe turned back to Jane. She was stirring, her hand going to her head with a groan. Her eyes fluttered open, confusion clouding them at first. Then clarity slammed into her expression, and he saw the exact moment she remembered.
She tried to sit up too fast, swaying dangerously. Gabe reached out to steady her, but she pushed past his hands, trying to stand.
“Where’s Maddy and Trinity?” Her voice was frantic, wild with fear. “Did that evil man take them? Did he?—”
Gabe grabbed her shoulders, keeping her from running down the beach in her panicked state. “Jane. Jane, look at me.” He made his voice firm but gentle. “I need you to breathe. An ambulance is coming. You have a bad gash on your head that needs to be attended to.” His eyes held hers. “My mother and Jack are on the way. But I need you to tell me what happened.”
Jane’s hands were shaking as she touched her head, wincing at the pain. “I... we were playing. Building a sandcastle. Duke was...” She looked around wildly, and seemed relieved to see the dog nearby. “A man approached us. He said he was Maddy’s father. That he wanted to talk to her.” Tears started streaming down her face, mixing with the blood from her head wound. “I said no. Told the girls to stay behind me. But he grabbed Maddy. Trinity tried to stop him. She grabbed onto Maddy’s arm and wouldn’t let go. He shoved Trinity. Hard. She fell.” Jane’s voice broke. “I tried to stop him. I got between him and the girls. He hit me. I don’t... I don’t remember anything after that.”
The sound of running feet made them both turn. Holly and Jack were sprinting across the sand, Holly’s face pale with terror, Jack’s expression grim and determined.
“Gabe, what’s going on?” Holly called out as they approached. Then she saw Jane sitting on the blanket, blood on her face, Gabe’s expression. “Where’s Trinity?”
