Nobody complained about the jab of knees and elbows or the sweaty stench rising from their filthy bodies. It was an emergency extraction. They were fortunate to be alive, and their most immediate goal was to stay that way.
At the sheriff’s direction,they headed for the old post office building on the other side of the lake that housed Lonestar Security. When they reached the parking garage, Rock poked his head out from beneath the tarp. The gate guard recognized him and waved them into the garage.
As soon as Jensen parked, Rock took charge and led their group inside the building to the elevators. Using a special key, he took their elevator to an unmarked lower level. They exited into a storm shelter Owen had only visited once during his new-hire orientation.
“Welcome to the bunker!” Rock gave them a quick tour. “We’re standing in the lounge.” He gestured at the scattering of sofas and recliners. “The kitchen in front of us is fully stocked. The hallway to our right leads to the guest rooms. It’s not the Hilton, but the sheets on the beds are clean, and the showers are hot. There’s a storage closet in the hallway with travel-sized toiletries and a donation bin of clothing. Help yourselves to whatever you need. We’ll reconvene for our next powwow after everyone cleans up.”
Nobody argued, not even Owen. His world was in shambles. His wife was missing. His home was a smoldering ruin. His flocks of chickens were scattered across the countryside, ripe for targeting by hawks and foxes.
Jen took charge of the boys. Before they disappeared down the hallway, Owen heard Cooper ask in a trembly voice, “Aunt Jen, when are we gonna get our mom back?”
Owen started to follow them, but Rock pulled him aside. “It’s always darkest before the dawn. You know that.”
Owen’s shoulders sagged. “I just need to find Halle.” It was his only priority right now.
“We will.” The confidence in Rock’s voice buoyed Owen’s spirits a little. “Lonestar Security has your back. So does the Heart Lake Police Department.” Then he did something unexpected. He bowed his head and prayed for Owen and everyone else who was taking shelter in the “bunker.”
When they raised their heads, they were still filthy and in desperate need of showers, but one thing had changed. Owen felt like continuing the fight.
As agreed,the men reconvened in the lounge after their showers, while Jen herded the boys into the kitchen. Theyperched on barstools, looking adorable in their mix-and-match shorts and t-shirts from the donation bin. Ryder was soon blowing chocolate milk bubbles through a straw. Cooper had an entire box of animal crackers lined up for battle against the “monster chickens.” Rex stood on the other side of the bar, “galloping” a cookie elephant into the lineup to Cooper’s delight.
Owen was relieved to see his sons faring as well as they were. Children were often more resilient than adults gave them credit for. He moved their way to kiss the tops of their heads, which were damp from yet another bath.
He kissed Jen’s cheek next. “Thank you for everything.” She was snuggled in a white bathrobe with her feet stuffed into a pair of fluffy slippers. He caught Rex’s eye. “You, too.”
Rex nodded to acknowledge his words, while keeping Cooper entertained with the antics of his cookie elephant.
Jen rolled her eyes. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. There’s never a dull moment with the Tolliver men.” Though her voice was light, she looked worried. “What I wouldn’t give for a dull moment right now!”
Jensen and Kenny were on the other side of the kitchen unwrapping frozen pizzas and popping them onto trays. They had the double ovens preheating.
“Big bonus checks are coming for the Carters,” Owen announced as he pulled a bottle of chilled tea from the fridge.
“What?” Jensen waggled his bushy eyebrows at him. “Oh, you thought we were gonna share these pizzas with the rest of you guys, eh?”
“Yes, please!” Ryder waved a hand excitedly in the air. “I’m so hungry I could eat a whole pizza by myself.”
Cooper’s hand shot upward. “I could eattenwhole pizzas!”
Owen spread his hands innocently. “How can you say no to that?”
“I can’t, and you know it.” Jensen grinned as the ovens beeped to signal they were ready. “How about I keep baking pizzas until we fill them up?”
“Thanks, man. You and Kenny both.” Owen uncapped his bottle of tea and returned to the lounge with it. Another deputy had arrived, and all four Lonestar Security partners were present. Josh Hawling and Decker Kingston—both former bull riders—were the original owners who’d launched the company. Retired Sheriff Gil Remington and attorney Dave Phillips had come on board later.
“Well, folks, there’s bad news and more bad news.” Gil was a tall, auburn-haired man with plenty of frost at the temples. “It took a little pushing, but Luke finally got the Feds to admit one of the agents they sent to Owen’s house had been compromised.”
“You think?” Owen sputtered.
Gil nodded, grimacing. “It explains their botched sting operation. It also explains why the same agent volunteered to visit Garrett Farm and help with the investigation. After discovering y’all had survived their attack, he came to finish the job.”
“What’s the other bad news?” Owen prodded when the retired sheriff fell silent.
Gil gestured at Luke to take it from there. The scarred sheriff of Heart Lake rose from the sofa to address their group. “The rogue agent saw the security footage of James House abducting your wife, which means the smugglers know what vehicle he’s driving.”
“Only if he hasn’t ditched it yet,” Owen pointed out. “Any luck yet with the APB on it?”
“Nope, but we have roadblocks and checkpoints set up,the whole enchilada,” Luke assured. “Here’s the bottom line. We need to locate James House before they do. Since they got away with their cargo, he may be our last shot at bringing down the smugglers, which,” he sent Owen a wry look, “is secondary only to finding Halle and bringing her home.”
