Page 22 of Stalked at Rescue Ridge

After waiting silently for minutes that ticked on, Kade moved to the barn. The building itself was old and abandoned. Wood siding had splintered and yielded to the harsh elements.

The creaky door threatened to give him away as he opened it enough to slip inside. It was pitch black. Kade’s eyes had adjusted to the night a long time ago, but the moon provided some light out there, unlike in here.

He swiped in front of his face in case of cobwebs. Spiders gave him the willies. He moved left, slowly and methodically, checking one corner and then the next. On the third, he touched a leg. The ankle he found was feminine. Whoever she was, she didn’t budge. And then it struck him who this might be.

Bree.

Was she alive? Kade located her wrist—which was far too cold—and, thankfully, found a pulse. There was no way Bree would come to a place like this of her own free will, let alone abandon her vehicle and personal belongings. The fact that she wasn’t moving even after he’d touched her sent his thoughts spinning. What had made the noises?

He swept the area, checking the final corner until he knew for certain no one else was inside the barn. Senses heightened, he moved back to where she lay in the third corner. Taking out his phone and shining the flashlight on her was a risk, but he needed to see what he was dealing with before he moved her. If she was injured, he could do serious damage.

He cupped his hand over the screen and dimmed the light on his phone. Bree was curled on her side, arms and legs limp. He watched her chest for signs of breathing, relieved when he saw it move in a steady rhythm. He touched her stomach, praying for movement.

“Bree,” he whispered, not wanting to scare the life out of her if she stirred. She was dressed in jeans, a flannel shirt, and socks—no boots, which was odd for her. Then again, nothing about this situation was right.

Kade moved the light to her face, ignoring the inappropriate attraction stirring in his chest at seeing her again. Seeing her like this was a shock to his system. Hannah had said Bree had been missing for hours. Thank heaven she was still alive.

There were bruises on her face. Cuts. A knot tightened in his gut at the thought of someone knowingly doing this to her.

“Wake up, sweetheart,” he said in a low voice.

When Bree didn’t so much as bat those pretty eyelashes, the knot tightened another notch. Dried blood was caked on her neck. The person who’d done this to her would have the upper hand if Kade were caught unaware. The twisted sonofabitch could show at any second. This wasn’t the time to regret leaving his shotgun locked in his truck back at the pond. Moving her was a risk he had to take.

Kade hit 911 on his keypad and the speaker button, then tucked it inside his jean jacket pocket. Scooping Bree up, she was dead weight in his arms.

The dispatcher’s voice came on almost immediately.

“Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?” He recognized the voice as Holly Corden’s.

“I found Bree Kyndall in a deserted barn near the Hollow. She’s breathing but unconscious. Physically, she seems fine. Legs and arms are in order. She’s been doped, maybe. She’s not responding to my voice, and I’m currently carrying her, running through the cornfield toward my vehicle, which is parked at the mouth of the path to the pond out at the Hollow.”

“Confirming this is Kade Sturgess on the line.” Holly’s voice was all-business.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Okay, good.” Even through the jeans pocket, he could hear her typing. “I’m sending emergency personnel your way, Kade. I’m alerting the sheriff’s office right now.”

“Get ’em here fast.” It wasn’t a good sign that Bree didn’t so much as stir while he jostled her around. He didn’t have time to be gentle and still book it out of there.

“Can you stay where you are?” Holly asked.

“Once I get to my vehicle. I don’t know who did this to her, but he might still be in the area. I’m sure he planned to come back for her.” Kade wasn’t breaking a sweat. His training kicked in, and he was used to carrying heavier soldiers plus eighty pounds of gear. He was vulnerable while she occupied his arms and his only weapon was inside the truck.

“Can you stay on the line with me, Kade?”

“I’m here. At my truck.” He reached his truck on the passenger side and managed to retrieve his keys from his pocket. He clicked the key fob to unlock the door. A few seconds later, he tucked Bree inside. He crawled over her and slammed the door shut, immediately locking them both inside. He started the engine to get some heat going. “She’s cold.”Too cold.

“Are you inside your vehicle?” Bluetooth picked up, and Holly’s voice boomed through the speakers.

“Yes.”

“Do you hear sirens yet?”

Kade strained to listen. It took a few seconds, but he heard them. “Yes.” He grabbed the fleece blanket he always kept tucked behind the seat and unfolded it before covering her. He checked her pulse again. It was weak, at best.

“Do you see lights, Kade?”

Swirls of light brightened the night sky. “Right on time. Thank you, Holly.”

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