I cleared my throat, surprised at how steady myvoice sounded. “We have less than 8 hours before the worst of the storm hits in Ontario, 2 hours here. If we leave now, we can reach the mansion in 7 hours. But we’re going to need more than just guns and bravado—we need an actual plan. We need a way in, and we need to know the layout.”
Mikhail nodded, already dialing another number. “I can get blueprints—give me ten minutes.”
“And if the roads are blocked?” Rory asked, skepticism clear across his face. “How do we get there?”
“We fly,” Jake said, and for a moment I thought he was joking. But he wasn’t. “We charter a helicopter. If the storm holds, they won’t be expecting air traffic, and we can drop in close to the estate.”
Declan was already halfway down the hall, phone to his ear, calling in favors and burning through contacts at a speed that would have made our father, Tomas MacGallan, weep with pride. Kane was at the whiteboard, drawing possible entry points on a rough sketch of the mansion’s perimeter. Everyone moved with the unspoken understanding that time, once again, was not on our side.
I looked at the map, then at the red dot passing at the border of Alberta and Saskatchewan, and made a silent vow to Nora, wherever she was: I was coming for her. There was no blizzard in the world, no fortress or army of ex-KGB mercenaries that could keep me away.
Mikhail finished his call and looked up, his eyes meeting mine. “He’ll wait out the blizzard,” he said. “And then he’ll move her—probably to Europe, if not directly to Russia. Once he makes that jump, it becomes exponentially harder to find her.”
Chapter 24
Ella
“We need to go now,” I said, pushing myself to my feet. “Every minute counts.”
Jake nodded, his face set with determination. “Declan’s arranging transport. We leave in twenty.”
I hurried home to grab some warm clothes and my purse.
Scout greeted me at the door. Tears filled my eyes as he looked around me. When Nora didn’t appear, he let out a soft whimper. I dropped to my knees and hugged him fiercely. “I know, sweetheart, I’m going to get her and bring her home.”
Lana came from the kitchen, a tea towel in her hands. “I’ll keep an eye on him for you,” she said. She looked towards the sofa, where Caleb sat with his leg propped up on the coffee table. “He can help.”
I nodded and thanked them both before heading to my bedroom to pack. My hands shook as I stuffeditems into a small backpack, my mind racing with images of my daughter in that monster’s clutches.
When I was done, I thanked them again, gave Scout another hug, and then headed off. When I walked through the door of Jake’s house, Mikhail was studying blueprints of the mansion while Jake checked weapons with Rory and Kane. The efficiency with which they worked spoke of years of experience I knew nothing about.
“Transportations arranged,” Declan announced, striding into the room. “But we can’t fly directly to Milton. Storm’s already too bad there. We’re heading home first— the caretakers are clearing the airstrip for landing. From there, we’ll coordinate the final approach once the weather clears enough.”
∞∞∞
Twenty minutes later, we were boarding a private jet at the small local airport. I’d never flown private before, and under any other circumstances, I might have been impressed by the luxury. Now, all I could think about was closing the distance between Nora and me.
Jake sat beside me as the jet taxied down the runway, his hand finding mine. “We’re going to get her back,” he said, his voice low and fierce.
I nodded, unable to speak past the knot in mythroat. Mikhail sat across from us, his face a mask of cold determination as he studied satellite images of his father’s compound on a tablet.
The four-hour flight seemed endless. I alternated between staring at the tracker app showing Nora’s location and closing my eyes, trying to will myself not to fall apart. Not yet. Not when she needed me to be strong.
We were lucky when we began our descent. The storm had stopped, but more, much more snow was in the forecast. I looked out the window at the sprawling property below. Even through the gathering storm clouds, I could see that the MacGallan estate was massive—a main house that looked more like a small castle, surrounded by snow-covered grounds, outbuildings, and what appeared to be a small man-made lake, all set amid a forest.
“That’s... your home?” I asked Declan, who had taken the seat beside me, when Jake moved to speak with Connor, Kane, and Mia.
He followed my gaze and nodded. “One of them. We have another in Pearl Lake.”
The jet touched down on a private runway, which I learned later was the actual driveway, and vehicles were already waiting to take us to the main house. As we drove through the estate gates, the sheer scale of wealth on display became even more apparent. The drive from where we landed to the house waslonger than my drive to the lodge at Wolfcreek.
“Your security team is already briefed,” Declan said to Mikhail. “They’ll meet us at the house.”
I barely registered their words, too stunned by what I was seeing. The main house appeared ahead, a sprawling mansion of stone and glass that looked like it belonged on the cover of some architect magazine. Security cameras were positioned at every angle so no one could hide.
I stepped out of the car, momentarily breathless despite my worry. The front doors were already opening, and a middle-aged woman with greying auburn hair hurried down the steps with a Doberman by her side that made a beeline for Rory.
“Everything’s ready,” she said, stepping aside to allow us entry. “Radley set up a command center in the east wing. The storm is slow going right now, but it’s getting worse. It’s over Chatham Kent right now and is headed this way. Should arrive in a couple of hours.”
