“We don’t know.” Grady paused, then added, “We haven’t found anything on Randy, but Curtis Handover posted something on social media that leads me to believe he is upset with Nelson Derringer about his half brother’s death.”
“Okay, I can see why you’d want both of them checked out,” Griff agreed. “The local police didn’t mention them?”
“Nope. And while I don’t know why Curtis Handover, Randy Morton, or anyone else for that matter would try to kidnap Lucy now, it certainly does feel like revenge is the driving motivation behind this. That and money,” he added.
Lauren believed the reverse was true. That the goal was more about the money, with the revenge angle being an added bonus.
“I think you can trust Agent Braun,” Griff was saying. “I’ll reach out to him while you get Lauren and her daughter someplace safe.”
“Understood. We’ll talk later.” Grady disconnected from the line. “I feel bad I didn’t consider they could track us via the internet.”
“It’s okay.” She had never thought of it either. She stood and headed into the living room. “Get your coat, Lucy. We need to go for anther ride.”
“No, I’m watching my show,” Lucy said without tearing her gaze from the television. One of the many reasons why Lauren didn’t like allowing so much screen time.
“Now, Lucy.” Grady’s stern tone caught her daughter’s attention. Lucy frowned at Grady, then scrambled off the sofa to reach for her coat. Lauren swallowed her annoyance at how her daughter listened to Grady better than to her, her own mother.
“Let me grab the groceries.” Lauren moved into the kitchen. “I don’t want to waste them.”
“Yeah, I’ll help.” Grady quickly filled one of the grocery bags they’d just emptied. “We’ll leave the computer behind.”
Packing their things didn’t take long. Lauren thought they would make it out of there when she saw a dark car driving up to the log cabin. She grabbed Grady’s arm, squeezing tightly. “I think they’re here.”
“I see them.” He eyed the rental, but the only way out of the cabin would take them past the black SUV with tinted windows. “Follow me, we’re going around back on foot.”
On foot? She wanted to argue, but there wasn’t time to waste. She turned toward Lucy, and whispered, “Come this way.”
Lucy’s eyes widened in fear, but she nodded and followed her lead. Leaving everything behind, they went back inside the cabin, then headed out the back door. The small woods didn’t extend very far, and beyond them, there was nothing but open farmer’s fields.
She tripped over a tree root, her mind spinning. If they kept going, the bad guys would see them! Unless they could somehow get to the outbuildings in time.
Sending up a silent prayer, she quickened her pace. When Lucy dragged behind, Grady abruptly turned and picked her daughter up into his arms. He lengthened his stride, heading between the trees and into the farmer’s field.
The snow wasn’t as deep as she anticipated, yet it still felt as if they were moving at a snail’s pace. She kept glancing over her shoulder, expecting to see the black SUV coming straight toward them. The car might just make it across the rutted farmer’s field.
She set her jaw and jogged to keep up with Grady. If he could make good time carrying Lucy, then she’d find a way to keep up as well.
After what seemed like eons, they reached the first outbuilding. Grady set Lucy on her feet, then shoved the massive door aside. She had to blink her eyes to adjust to the dim interior of what appeared to be an equipment storage shed.
Grady headed for an old beat-up truck. She was about to follow when she saw the distinct wing of a small airplane.
The farmer owned a small plane? She headed toward the bird, wondering if it was usable. Grady was already poking around under the truck’s hood.
“This is in bad shape,” he said, more to himself than to her. “We might want to just head up to the house to see if anyone inside can call for help.”
“Hang on.” She opened the door of the plane that she assumed was used as a crop duster. Either to spread fertilizer or to kill pests, she wasn’t entirely sure. She climbed up and examined the cockpit.
“Grady? Someone is coming,” Lucy said, her voice panicked.
“I see the black SUV, Lucy. Stay back from the door.” Grady’s voice sounded strained. “Lauren, we need to get up to the farmhouse right away.”
“The men in the car are armed.” She couldn’t stand the thought of the farmer and his family being hurt in the scuffle. Especially since they were far enough out of town that it would take the police a long time to get there. “We can take the plane.”
“I hate to break it to you, but the army didn’t teach me how to fly a plane,” Grady said. “They taught me to shoot a gun.”
“I have a pilot’s license.” She started the motor and was impressed the engine started right up. Despite the condition of the truck, the farmer obviously kept the plane in good repair. This was their best chance to escape. She didn’t like taking something that didn’t belong to her, but she wasn’t about to let that stop her from saving her daughter.
If this worked, they’d be long gone before the gunmen could find them again.
