Owen squintedthrough the scope on his rifle. He and Rex were lying in the prone position on top of the Lonestar Security building. It gave them an unfettered view of the highway leading from the rural south side of town to the downtown area. Up here, they could see every vehicle, every passenger, and every pedestrian.
If James truly cared about Halle, he’d find a wayto get her to the wake in Town Square. Or so Owen hoped. The sheriff and his team had put a lot of work into publicizing the fake event at Town Square, keeping the tragedy front and center in the local news.
It was their plan to draw James out of hiding. It was a long shot, but it was all they had. If it didn’t work, Owen might never see his wife again. Ithadto work!
If James came anywhere near the wake with Halle, they would apprehend him. Between the Heart Lake Police Department and Lonestar Security, over fifty uniformed police officers and private security experts were embedded in the perimeter around Town Square. It was something Rock was calling their “cowboy brand of justice.” Though the Feds had given them the green light to run the event, they were mostly eyerolling it.
Owen hunkered over his rifle, knowing there was no guarantee today’s efforts would bring the hoped-for outcome. It still felt good to be doing something again. For the first time since Halle’s disappearance, he tasted hope. He was sick and tired of relying solely on the Feds, especially after finding out about the dirty agent in their midst. The guy was now in custody—not talking like the rest of the detainees.
“You alright?” Rex nudged Owen with his shoulder.
“Not even close, but I will be when I get my wife back.” He and Rex had agreed to speak in terms of “when,” not “if” today. Ryder and Cooper were in Jen’s capable hands in the storm shelter many stories below them. Knowing they were safe was helping Owen stay focused on the mission.
Rex nodded in understanding. “I wouldn’t have much respect for you if you felt any differently than you do.”
“No matter how this turns out,” Owen informed him quietly, “I appreciate everything you’re doing to help myfamily. Everything you’vebeendoing. When this is over, don’t be surprised if Lonestar Security slaps a job offer on the table for you.” Rex’s experience as both a flight instructor and a contract investigator for the FBI amounted to a powerful resume.
“Just keep the faith, bro.” Rex remained behind his scope, eyeing the occupants of a white plumbing truck.
The wake would begin in roughly thirty minutes, and they’d been at their post for more than an hour.
Two more vehicles approached.
“I’ve got the rusty pickup truck,” Rex muttered.
“I’ve got the SUV,” Owen shot back.
A split-second later, Rex relaxed and lifted his head. “Nope.”
Owen squinted through his scope at the approaching navy vehicle. The sun beat down on it, creating a glare on the windshield. The sunlight also picked up a few flecks of something shiny in the paint job. They were concentrated around the windows and doors. Was it silver paint? It was impossible to tell from this far away.
“Might have something,” he announced excitedly. Though he couldn’t see the driver beneath the brim of his Stetson, he was roughly the same size and build as James House. It wasn’t conclusive, but it was enough to keep Owen looking through his scope.
“Wrong color,” Rex noted.
“True, but…” There was no time for Owen to explain, since every second mattered. He picked up his radio and sent an SOS to Luke and Rock. “Navy SUV heading your way. No front license plate. Silver paint flecks around the windows and doors. I think it’s them!”
If he was wrong, he’d gladly take the slap on the wristfor creating an unnecessary traffic stop. It wasn’t as if he had much left to lose.
However, he was suddenly so sure he wasn’t wrong that he sprang to his feet and sprinted for the stairs. The ROAD CLOSED - DETOUR sign his friends were currently shoving onto the road was tucked inside a curve that James House wouldn’t see coming, and Owen didn’t want to miss a single second of the coming showdown.
“Carry on,” he called over his shoulder to Rex.
“Carrying on,” Rex called back cheerfully.
Halle allowedher head to loll back and forth against the seat cushion, mirroring the movement of the vehicle. However, she was constantly peeking at James through partially closed eyelashes.
“Almost past the lake,” he crooned beneath his breath.
She knew it meant he would be driving past the Lonestar Security building in the next few seconds. After that would be a five-to-ten-minute stretch through the downtown district, depending on which route he took and how much traffic he ran into. The wake in Town Square might draw a big enough crowd to slow him down, but she wasn’t holding her breath.
If she didn’t escape in the next few minutes, she might never see her family again. However, she needed to make sure there were witnesses to what she was about to do. Without them, her plan would surely fail.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Without warning, James slammed on the brakes, throwing Halle forward in her seat.
There was no way they’d reached the downtown area yet, but it felt like one of those now-or-never moments.
She used the momentum to her advantage, unclasping her seatbelt with lightning speed. While James was distracted, she slid into the seat directly behind him while grabbing the slack in the cord with both hands. She flipped it over his head. By some miracle, she got it over his Stetson on the first try. Then she slammed herself back in her seat, bracing her feet against the driver’s seat to hold the position.
