Page 27 of Be Courageous

Members of the rescue party scowled at each other, clearly disbelieving Grayson’s story. It was Fitz who made the decision. “Let’s get Grayson back to the hotel. Charlotte, you take him and Faith. The rest of us will join up with you momentarily.”

In other words, they were going to descend on Brian Sutton, regardless of Grayson’s insistence.

Grayson wasn’t stupid. With a glance at the armed special operators, he caught Fitz’s eye. “Iwon’tpress charges! Iwon’ttestify against him. He’s just a lonely man who misses his kid.”

Faith caught a glimpse of Jerry in her son as he dashed away his tears and clung to his serious, adult expression.

“What happened to him wasn’t fair. He didn’t hurt me.” He turned his pleading hazel eyes on her. “We’re not pressing charges. Promise me, Mom. He’ll go back to jail for years. He doesn’t deserve that. He’s suffered enough.”

Faith waffled. On the one hand, she wanted Sutton to pay for the terror he had put Grayson through and for her own misery these last three days. On the other, Grayson was clearly serious about this. He’d obviously gotten to know his captor on a personal level and talked him into letting him go. “But he stole you away from your home, honey. We thought you were dead!”

Grayson swallowed. “What about Tommy?”

Faith stared at her son while thinking about the innocent boy, killed in error. Jerry had been so distraught knowing what had happened to him.

“You get to have me back,” Grayson pointed out, “but Brian never gets Tommy back, let alone the ten years he spent in prison. Dad didn’t want that for him. I know he didn’t.”

Faith searched herself and realized that was true. But the mother in her wanted to hold Sutton accountable. He couldn’t just go around grabbing kids off the street and tying them up, for heaven’s sake! “It’s not that simple, Grayson?—”

“Yes, it is!” He cut her off. “What is it you’ve always taught me? When someone hurts you, you turn the other cheek. So, that’s what I’m doing!”

The righteous light blazing in Grayson’s eyes finally penetrated Faith’s resistance, forcing her to ask herself,What would Jesus do?

The answer, as much as she didn’t want to accept it, was to go along with Grayson. Squelching her desire for justice, Faith faced Fitz and said in no uncertain terms, “You can talk to Sutton if you want to, but we’re not pressing charges.”

While the other special agents scoffed at her decision—especially the two SOGs, who clearly couldn’t wait to take the kidnapper into custody—Fitz frowned and divided a thoughtful look between her and Grayson.

“As you wish.” His calm tone conveyed absolute authority. “He will not be charged with child abduction.”

Faith could tell that Sutton would at least get a talking to. Or perhaps the state would seek to arrest him for violating the terms of his probation, like crossing the state line without permission.

But Grayson had taken Fitz at his word. To Faith’s surprise, her son released her. She watched with widening eyes as he took a step toward Fitz and extended his hand.

“Thanks for finding me, Fitz. We’ll see you around, okay?”

With a stunned, somewhat humbled look, Fitz accepted Grayson’s handshake, then clasped his other hand over Grayson’s to indicate how much this meant to him.

Tears sprang into Faith’s eyes. It couldn’t be more obvious that Grayson was saying he would welcome Fitz back into their lives.

“Rest up.” Fitz pumped Grayson’s hand one last time, then nodded at Charlotte, gesturing for her to take Faith and Grayson to her car.

As Faith slipped into the back seat with Grayson, it finally sank into her that all was well. So much agony and uncertainty resolved in the twinkling of an eye. God wassogood to her!

Soon, Grayson would provide more details. But, for now, she was content to buckle herself back into the center of the seat so she could sit right next to him and hold his grubby hand.

“I love you so much, Grayson.” She caught his eye. “You’re the best combination of me and your father.”

A beat of silence passed as Charlotte started up the car and pulled them away from the knot of lawmen talking things over.

“Dad was with me most of the time.”

Faith nodded, pleased but not at all surprised to hear it. “You felt him with you?”

“He talked to me. He was, like, inside my head but also all around me. I know he felt bad about what happened to Tommy.”

Faith squeezed Grayson’s hand. “Yes, he felt terrible. It upset him for years.”

Grayson’s eyes filled with tears, and he turned averted his face to keep her from seeing them. A mile down the road, he wiped his cheeks and faced forward again.

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