“You know what I want.” There was no noise to indicate Rory was struggling in the background. If she was conscious she would’ve made a noise.
I was not giving him anything unless I had proof Rory was okay. “How do I know she’s not dead already?” Calvin indicated he wanted me to keep Vance on the line. “I am not doing anything unless I know that she’s okay.”
Abe was texting on his phone. Calvin was also busy on his. I knew they were calling in help. And I needed all the help I could get. Wherever Vance was, Rory was. And I would do what I needed to do to get her back.
Vance was silent for a moment. “She’s indisposed at the moment. There's a cabin on the north side of the resort property. You will bring the signed deed and contract there in two hours. If you don’t bring it, I will kill her.”
Then the phone went dead.
I frowned at Calvin. “You remember the Cypress Cabin.”
It was one of the oldest buildings in Cypress Cliffs. We used to hang out there as teens. Whoever had originally owned the land had built the cabin and nothing else. It used to be a great alternative to the make-out spot on the other side of the switchbacks.
“The one on the resort property?” Calvin lifted a brow at me. “Is it still standing?”
“It’s apparently where he’s got her.”
Abe stepped forward. “Tex says, according to the ranch cameras Vance left here about forty-five minutes ago. He’s tracking him via satellite footage. He’s in a car travelling south on the Argent property.”
It took me a moment to put all the pieces together. “He’s not there yet? And he estimates it will take us about two hours to get there.”
It wasn’t as stupid as it sounded. Vance didn’t know the roads as well as Calvin and I did. The fact that he took it slower was probably the smartest thing about the situation. The stupid part was thinking we needed the same amount of time.
Once again Abe spoke. “Hope Salinger will be here in a little over an hour, she’ll have back-up.”
“Why do we need back-up?” Surely, we could all just rush the man and get Rory out of there. “We don’t have time to wait.”
Calvin stood alongside me once more. “Yes, we do. Vance is desperate, but also fucking stupid. He will kill her if he is cornered and thinks he can get away with it.”
“So, what’s the solution? He is going to feel more cornered with more back-up.”
My friend nodded. “No doubt. But he will absolutely know he cannot get away with it. Besides, if something happens and Vance ends up dead, the number one suspect will be the man who stands to lose everything. This way you will have witnesses.”
“Witnesses won’t fucking stop me.” If the opportunity to rip the asshole’s head from his body arose, I would gladly take it.
“Rafe, focus on Rory.” Calvin’s hand on my shoulder acted like a touchstone. It kept me from crawling out of my skin. “We’ll have back-up. Rory will be safe.”
Abe moved his glare between Calvin and me. “And we will make sure her brother never finds out about it. But this all depends on keeping things as quiet as possible.”
“The last part we cannot guarantee on our own.” Calvin added, almost pleading with me to see reason. “He has no idea how well we actually know the land. He is at a complete disadvantage. The fact he doesn’t have back-up means he was told to sort this out or he would be without a job. Or worse. That is probably why he resorted to kidnapping.”
I knew he was right. If anything went wrong, Rory’s brother would find out where she was, and he would hunt her down. I wouldn’t think twice about leaving the ranch and going on the run with her. But if we had the resources to avoid the situation, then we needed to take it.
“Who is Hope Salinger?”
Whoever she was, both Abe and Calvin knew her.
Calvin scratched the back of his neck. “Former Army rescue pilot. I never had the pleasure of meeting her, but I heard she rescued an operative in Russia at the height of the war there. Drove in and out undetected.”
“And she'll be here in an hour?” I tried not to think about everything that could happen in an hour. “I feel like I’m wasting time waiting for her.”
By the timethe swish of helicopter blades echoed overhead, the tent was completely empty except for Calvin, Abe, and myself. Allie and her mother and sister-in-law had gone up to the main house to wait for Rory. Alabama had mentioned Rory would want a friendly face or two once she was at home instead of the scary faces of the men who’d rescued her.
It took a few minutes for the helicopter to land and I stepped outside just as two men I’d never seen before climbed out. One was older, maybe late forties. And the second man was probably our age.
“The older man is Daniel Salinger.” Calvin spoke next to me. “He’s Hope’s husband. Total fucking badass from what I hear. Was Navy Special forces before they became SEALs, then went to the Agency. Apparently, his interrogation skills are taught in every branch of the military and law enforcement. I didn't expect him to be back in the field.”
“Good evening, gentlemen.” Daniel walked up to us and held out his hand. “I’m Dan. My wife is the one manning the bird. I’m here because there was no way her and Bowzer were going to have all the fun without me.”
