“I need to see the money,” Franco said. “The girl’s with me. I’m leaving the kid in the house.”
Beau felt a trickle of relief. “That’s good. Now you’re being smart.” At least the baby would be safe. Unfortunately, the money was in the bag on the floor of the chopper. The guy would have to board the aircraft to see it.
“Ready or not, here we come.” Franco’s voice held an odd lightness, almost a note of excitement. Then the line went dead.
The front door opened and a man with shaggy black hair stepped out on the porch, Missy in front of him, his arm clamped around her neck. A gun was pressed into the side of her head. In the moonlight, her face was as white as the sweater she was wearing. Her eyes were wild and tears streamed down her cheeks.
Guilt swamped him. She was just a kid. The mother of a newborn baby.
He felt Cassidy’s presence beside him. She reached for his hand, laced her fingers with his. The warmth of her touch centered him, gave him a moment’s peace. He squeezed her fingers, then he let go and started walking.
* * *
Cassidy’s heart nearly stopped beating when Beau stepped out of the shadows, his hands in the air. Positioned behind a tree, she drew her weapon and went into a shooting stance, her gun aimed at the hostage taker.
“I’m Reese,” Beau said, walking into the moonlight where Franco could see him as he approached the house. A few feet away, Chief Warren quietly cursed. Cassidy’s palms went damp. She tightened her hold on the pistol.
“I’ll get the money out of the chopper,” Beau said, “show you it’s all there. But you can’t leave till you let the girl go.”
“Fuck you, Reese. I’m taking her with me. She’s going of her own free will. Right, baby?”
Missy made a strangled sound in her throat, and Cassidy’s chest clamped down. She kept her gun pointed at Franco, but she was too far away to risk any sort of shot.
Franco kept walking, forcing the girl in front of him as a shield, his arm still locked around her neck, gun pressed to her temple. “Stay back or I shoot her.”
Hands held high, Beau froze where he stood. “The helicopter will have to land before you get to the border. It can only travel a little over four hundred miles without refueling. Piedras Negras and Nuevo Laredo are the closest Mexican towns. They’re five hundred miles away.”
Franco paused. “I don’t believe you. You think I’m a fool? We’re leaving and you better not try to stop us.”
“Let the girl go and I’ll arrange for you to refuel in San Antonio. No cops. The pilot will land and refuel and you’ll be on your way.”
“She’s my insurance policy. She’s going.” Franco glanced around. He was still a good distance from the helicopter in the park across the street.
Franco started walking. As he stepped off the curb, a string of vehicle headlights appeared. Two sheriff’s SUVs and a SWAT Bearcat careened around the corner, sirens blaring, roared down the road toward them, and slammed to a halt. Deputies in full tactical gear streamed out from the vehicles.
“I told you no police!” Franco screamed. Panic had him turning, swinging his big black semiautomatic pistol toward the deputies, firing off a string of bullets. Then the gun swung back toward Missy.
Cassidy watched in horror, too far away to make theshot, and the deputies were not in position. Franco was going to kill Missy and there was nothing anyone could do.
A rifle shot sounded, the roar echoing into the darkness. Franco’s head exploded in a rush of blood and bits of skull, and his lifeless body crumpled to the ground, the gun flying out of his hand as he hit the pavement. Missy started screaming, the sound a high, eerie wail of horror.
Beau raced toward her and the girl flew into his arms. She was covered with blood and hysterical. Cassidy ran toward the house.
“You’re okay, Missy,” Beau said, hugging her close, trying to calm her. “You’re okay.”
“My baby! I want my baby!”
“I’ll get her!” Cassidy ran into the dwelling, but Evie wasn’t in the living room. She ran for the bedroom, spotted the baby in her pink bassinet, waving her tiny arms and gurgling softly. Cassidy’s heart clenched. She blinked back tears as she picked up the infant and cradled the baby in her arms.
“It’s all right, sweetheart. You and your mama are safe.” She loved babies, could imagine the beautiful babies she and Beau could make, felt a wave of sadness that it was never going to happen.
By the time she carried the infant outside, Josie was there, shouting for her daughter and crying. The café was close enough to hear the sirens. Apparently she figured she had waited long enough.
Beau handed the hysterical girl over to her mother and Missy began to sob in Josie’s arms. Spotting Cassidy approaching with her infant daughter, Missy gave a soft cry and reached for her baby girl.
“Evie’s fine,” Cassidy said. “You’re both okay.”
“Evie . . .” Missy sobbed, carefully cuddling the infant in the crook of her arm. “My sweet little baby.” Tears randown her cheeks. She looked up at Beau. “I knew you’d come. You saved us. You’ve both been so good to us.”
