Page 100 of Rescued Faith

“No sign of them either.” Tony rubbed his hands together. “Now, what exactly is the plan?”

“Where are the Nobles?” Jude asked.

Olivia pointed through the trees. “In the barn. Zack was able to get a visual, and we confirmed it when we arrived with the drone. They have Cindy and Adam in the middle of the barn. Hands are bound. They’re sitting on hay bales. Oh, and they have a bomb strapped to the boy’s chest. Six men are in there guarding them.”

“So we can’t go in guns blazing. We need another tactic.” Jude looked over at the barn as if studying it.

“We need to convince them to take the bomb off the boy.” Penny paced between the pine tree trunks. “I can do it.”

Bryce bristled. “Go in there? Alone? Are you nuts?”

“It could work,” Jude said.

“Aw, come on. Tony? This is crazy, right?” Bryce asked him.

“I dunno, Crawford. I think it’s our best shot.”

“Think about it. As far as they know, I broke Emma out and brought her to Sosa. They might believe me if I tell them I turned. That I’m working with Sosa now. And I’ve got the most experience with explosives. I can disarm that vest. Once I get that bomb off Adam, you guys can storm the castle.”

“It’s too dangerous.” That brooding look on Bryce’s face said he wasn’t convinced. And she understood. But they were running out of time.

She tugged Bryce a few steps away from the others.

“Look. I know you’re scared?—”

“For good reason!” he hissed. “I’m not a little scared. I’mterrifiedof something happening to you.”

“Yeah, a little like how I felt when I got that picture of you from Sosa. I almost fell apart.”

“Then you get it. How am I supposed to let you do this? You’ll be walking into the enemy camp. Alone.”

“But I won’t be alone.”

Bryce stilled. “What do you mean?”

“I mean…I know I’m not alone. I get it now.” She looked up through the branches at the stars for a moment. “I know God is with me, Bryce. Just like you’ve been trying to tell me. Like my sister has been praying for me. I know He’s here.” She laid her hand over her heart.

“You believe that?” Bryce’s voice was so soft she almost didn’t hear. He reached for her hands, and she easily slid them into his.

“I do. And you are here too. You guys will be right outside the barn, ready to help if I need it. I’m depending on you. But you know this is our best shot at saving that kid and his mom. It’s a risk we have to take.”

He tugged her close and laid a whisper-soft kiss on her temple. “I hate it when you’re right.”

She chuckled. “I know. And I know how hard it is to see me walk into a dangerous situation. But I think we both better get used to that. It’s the kind of lives we live. The jobs we have. And I know you. You wouldn’t want it any other way.”

“Maybe.”

She framed his face with her hands. “Maybe?”

“All I know is I want a life with you.”

“Good, then let’s get on with it.” She kissed his bruised cheek, and they walked back to the others hand in hand.

Once everyone was in place—Tony and Olivia by the back entrance of the barn, Jude and Bryce crouched by the tractor outside the front doors—Penny knocked on the main entrance and walked in.

Bobby Prescot jumped to his feet along with three other men and Moira. “What are you doing here?”

The other three men and Mo trained their weapons on Penny.

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