Page 152 of Always Be an Us

I send a silent thank you skyward but stay on alert as I sneak closer to the car. The back door doesn't open, and I have to creep around to the driver's side, which thankfully pops open with minimal sound.

My daughter's fearful eyes meet mine as I unlock the rest of the car with the side button.

Relief beating through me, I hold my finger up to my mouth for quiet although it isn't necessary. They gagged her and cable-tied her hands behind her back. I suppress a surge of anger, and shut the door loosely, before going back around to her side and opening the backdoor finally.

She must have been leaning against the door because she instantly falls into my arms.

I only take a second to hold her close, breathing her in before I pull back.

I rip the gag from her mouth and she whispers, "Daddy."

The despairing sound breaks my heart.

Her face is tear-streaked and I caress her hair.

"It's okay. I'm here."

Tears start rolling down her cheeks but I don't take time to savor the rescue. Instead, I say, "Remember that thing you used to do with your elbows that freaked your mother out?"

She takes a second then nods.

"I need you to do that now."

She cocks her head and then catches my intent with a clipped nod. She instantly starts moving around, so she can swing her tied hands from the back underneath her legs to the front.

I never thought my daughter's double-jointedness would come in handy at a time like this.

"Stay low," I instruct as she does it, while I keep an eye out.

When it's done, I say, "Good girl. Now, what you're going to do next is that you're going to get the hell out of here. Go down the hill carefully so you don't trip. Stay on the rocky path and keep going down until you see my car. Get in and lock yourself there."

I reach into my pocket and pull out my keys and then my cell phone, pressing them into her hands. "Monty should be down by the time you get there. The second you get service, call him. Tell him to come get you."

"Aren't you coming with me, daddy?" she whispers.

I smile and shake my head. "Not immediately, but I’ll be right behind you." I have to stay here, so I can slow them down in case they come out looking for Amelia. She still has a long way to treck and I need to distract them so she can escape safely.

"Just go straight, okay? Be brave." The sky grumbles again and I hope against hope that my daughter makes it out before the storm. "And remember that I love you, so much."

"I love you too daddy."

"Good. Now go."

She hesitates and throws herself into my arms so I can hug her tightly. And then she turns and dashes down the hill, giving me one final look as she goes.

When she's out of sight, I turn back to the lodge. No one has come out yet, which strikes me as odd.

I creep closer so I can hear voices.

An unfamiliar one says, "Let's just call him and ask for the pearls back."

"Does this man know about our business?"

"Of course not," Rick says. "Look, gentlemen, it doesn't have to be like this. Just let me get you the pearls you paid for alright?"

"We're no longer satisfied with that. We want to know where you're getting them and we're not leaving here until you tell us."

The man's voice is threatening, and I think I hear the sound of a cocked gun. Damn. I'm just realizing that I may have misread and underestimated this situation.

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