Page 54 of Clara's Secure Hideaway

He hurried inside, Owen and Sadie right behind him. The shouts of the FBI agents at the back of the house reached his ears.

Two men sat on a couch in the dingy living room watching the television. Discarded trash littered the stained carpet. One man jumped up, hands raised in the hair, while the other reached for a gun on the end table.

“Don’t even think about it,” Owen yelled. “Hands up!”

“We’ve got these two,” Sadie said. “Look for the kids.”

With his gun trained in front of him, Heath ignored the shuffling noises from the direction where Agent Tinsdale had entered and ran down the hallway. Three closed doors lined the hall. He reached the first and shoved opened the door to find a dirty bathroom with moldy tile and a stand-up shower that looked like no one had ever cleaned it. Fighting the urge to cover his nose with his elbow to block out the stench, he cleared the space then rushed to the second room.

A king-sized mattress sat on the floor in the middle of the room. The walls were painted a deep purple, matching the comforter and throw pillows. He checked the closet.

Empty.

As much as he hated the idea of kids being held captive in such a shithole, his gut sank at not finding Davey and Avery. He stalked back out to the hall and crossed to the last option. He swept open the door. The second bedroom was empty except a clutter of stacked boxes and old blankets heaped in a corner. A shade covered the lone window, blocking out even a hint of light from the moon.

His heart dropped all the way to the thin carpet. Unshed tears of frustration and disappointment stung his eyes. His shoulders sagged and he sucked in a shuddering breath.

“Kids in the basement!”

He heard Owen’s booming voice and spun toward the door when a tiny whimper rang in his ears. He stilled his entire body, straining to hear more.

Another whimper followed by a soft cry turned him toward the closet. He stormed across the small room in four long strides and found a lock on the outside of the door. His pulse thundered in his ears, muffling the voices on his communicator as his fellow lawmen called out directives and shouted their locations. With his focus squarely on the closet, he slid the lock out of place and opened the door.

Davey and Avery huddled together in the corner. Davey wrapped his little arms around Avery, her face buried in the crook of Davey’s neck. Tears streamed over Davey’s chubby cheeks. He shielded his eyes with his forearm, as if playing a horrible game of hide and seek.

A rush of gratitude washed through him, and he dropped to his knees. Happiness swelled his chest, squeezing the air from his lungs. “Hey guys, it’s me. It’s Heath.”

A squeal erupted from Avery, and she lunged at Heath. Her arms wrapped tightly around Heath’s neck. Her body trembled against his.

He smoothed a hand over her back. “It’s okay. I’ve got you. Are you hurt?”

“Daddy hit me,” Davey said. “He grabbed me and told me if I wasn’t good, he’d hit Avery too so then I was quiet.”

The little boys’ trembling voice boiled his blood. “He won’t hurt you anymore. I won’t let him.”

“I want Mama.” Davey sniffled and jutted up his chin as if bravely trying to reign in his emotions.

“Me, too,” Avery cried.

“I’m going to take you to your mom, but first we need to make sure it’s safe to leave this room. Give me one second, okay?”

When they both nodded, he pushed the button on his communicator. He shifted so he faced the door and kept his weapon steady. “I found Davey and Avery in one of the bedrooms. Is it safe to take them to the cruiser?”

“House is cleared.” Sadie’s voice came through loud and clear. “FBI has the two men from the living room and a woman was down with the kids. All cuffed and ready for transport. Six children in the basement. We’re working on bringing them up to the kitchen. Medics on the way for initial evaluations. Do Avery and Davey need seen?”

Avery wrapped herself tighter around him. “No nurse. Just want Mama.”

“Give me a second,” he said to Sadie then hugged Avery tight. “Can I take a look at you?” He wasn’t a medic, but he had enough first aid training to know if the kids needed immediate attention or could be reunited with their mother first.

“You can check me.” Davey stared at him with wide, scared eyes. “Then we can leave, right?”

“Right.”

Avery loosened her grip and scooted to stand next to Davey. Darkness kept them in shadows but there was no mistaking the tear-stained cheeks.

He gave them both a quick assessment, relieved to find them both unharmed. But that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be any scars. The trauma they experienced was monumental but soon they would start the long journey toward healing—and he’d help any way he could.

He activated his communicator again. “They can be looked at further later. We need to get these kids out of here.”

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