Page 43 of Desperation

She looked at her watch, calculating the time. “Over an hour ago. Maybe closer to two.”

“Fuck,” I roared and dashed to my truck.

“Wait,” she called, but I ignored her. I had to get to Hannah. They would take her and Jameson.Or worse.

No, I wouldn’t let myself consider it. I was going to get to her. But I would need backup. I wouldn’t go in alone this time.

I dialed Mark’s number and tapped the screen, switching it over to speakerphone.

“Hello,” he answered in his usual jovial tone.

“They know where she is. They’re going after her.”

“What!”

“Drake and his father are headed to the cabin. They left over an hour ago according to Hank’s girlfriend. I’m heading up there.”

“Shit.”

“I have to get to her. They’ll take her. If they get ahold of her...” I swallowed thickly, unwilling to imagine the horrors she’d face if they beat me to her. “But I don’t know if I can make it to her before they do.”

“Can you reach her on the sat phone?”

“No, it’s turned off.” It stayed off if I wasn’t making a call, and I had to be in just the right spot inside the cabin for it to work. “Damnit!” I slammed my hand into the steering wheel.

“I’m on my way. I’ll be right behind you.” I heard the beep of a car being unlocked then an engine coming to life. “I’ve got a few calls to make. We may need backup. I won’t take any chances.”

I sped the whole way there, trying to make up for lost time. It wouldn’t be enough. They would still beat me there, but I was hot on their heels.

I tried calling the sat phone a few times even though I knew it was useless. I still had to try, though.

Assuming they were working alone, Mark and I had a good chance of fighting them off. I didn’t think Drake would involve any of his biker buddies, but I didn’t want to underestimate him. It could get us all killed.

My phone rang when I was thirty minutes out and Mark’s name popped up on my screen. “We need to meet at the end of the road and go the rest of the way on foot. I have a plan. ATF is en route, but we can’t wait on them.”

“ATF?” I’d contacted the local police on the way, but I had no idea why we’d need the other agency. Although they would probably be more helpful than the person dispatch had put me through to. They hadn’t seemed nearly as concerned as they should have been. I’d yelled at the officer on the phone that this wasn’t a joke, and they needed to send somebody out there. They claimed no crime had been committed butassuredme they’d send someone to “check it out.” At this point, I was worried they’d end up putting Hannah in more danger rather than help her.

“We haven’t had a chance to talk lately. There’s a lot that’s happened the last couple days you don’t know about.”

“Tell me.”

“My contact at the ATF told me an informant has implicated your uncle and cousin in illegal weapons sales and trafficking. They’re also claiming the MC is working as drug mules for the cartels, and the sheriff knows about it.”

I let out a low curse. I knew Drake was involved with the MC, and they conducted some shady business, but I never imagined he'd get tangled up in something like this. And my uncle… He was supposed to uphold the law, not shit all over it.

“How did you convince them to come out here on such short notice? Why would they even get involved in this?”

“For one, they want Hank, and this gives them an excuse to bring him in without ruffling too many feathers. No one likes to arrest a fellow law enforcement officer without having a rock-solid reason. Secondly, Sexton owes me. I’ve saved his ass more times than I can count, so when I called him, I shamelessly reminded him of that and cashed in the favor he’s owed me for years. Besides, their field office is only about an hour and a half from the cabin, so they shouldn’t be far behind us.”

Mark laid out his plan for me while we still had cell service. There was a tunnel on the edge of the property that led to a secret passage inside the cabin. I would sneak inside that way, and Mark would approach the house from the outside. Charlie, whom Mark had recruited for the mission, was our third. She would be waiting on the other end of the tunnel. If all went according to plan, I’d get Hannah and Jameson out through that tunnel and away from the house, while Mark and I neutralized Drake and the sheriff.

A drive that normally took three hours took just over two.When I reached the end of the gravel road, I fought the urge to drive right up to the cabin and bust down the door. Charlie was on board. She wanted to go in guns blazing, but Mark’s plan made more sense. The woman I loved was in there with her child, and we needed to ensure their safety.

That realization hit me square in the chest, stealing my breath for a moment and making my head spin.

I was in love with Hannah. There was no time to delve deeper into that discovery since Mark’s car skidded to a stop next to me. In the next breath, our plan was put into motion.

Chapter Thirty-Two

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