Page 100 of Spencer

CHAPTER 31

Tex immediately forwardedthe next call he received to both Tabitha and Spencer’s phones.

There was nothing ambiguous about it. The Ghillie person simply gave GPS coordinates, with a warning to be there as soon as possible without the police, because the clock was ticking.

The clock was ticking…

What could that mean? A finite window to get Sheila safe?

Luckily, the entire Sothard clan knew the spot that had been indicated. They assured her it wouldn’t take long to get there. It was off-the-beaten-path, which would bode well for them working a stake-out. They speculated that Tabitha’s adversary had scoured the internet for the perfect location that wasn’t a tourist destination.

Tabitha didn’t have time to think about the whys and wherefores of any of that until she was in the SUV and on her way. Spencer—until they got to where they were headed—was partially tucked under a tarp in the back. She began picking his brains.

“Why do you think he’s setting time restraints?” she asked, her hands shaking on the wheel.

“To make you nervous,” he told her in a calm voice. “Try to keep your mind off worse case scenarios. It’ll only make you overthink things.”

“Well, it’s working. My brain is all over the place.” She’d conjured all kinds of possible perils. “Maybe he left Sheila someplace that he’s set on fire, and she has a very short duration before she’ll be overcome. Maybe there’s a cliff by the shore, and a rope that is slowly unraveling that will drop her, bound, into the sea.”

“Breathe, Tabbi. Breathe,” Spencer reminded her, clearly sensing her distress. “Remember, we’ll have the upper hand. The coordinates are for a remote stretch of rocky shoreline; a place my brothers and I used to hang out. There’s nothing to burn there and no steep drop-offs. Just a desolate stretch of ocean where there’s a bunch of boulder outcroppings and not much else. I promise.”

Tabitha heaved out what she hoped sounded like a normal breath, but a new jeopardy came to mind. “Then… Maybe he’s got her tied up in an inflatable boat and the air is slowly leaking out.”

Once again, Spencer attempted to soothe her. “We’ll take care of whatever we find, Tabbi. And he won’t see us. I promise. We’re all highly trained. You’re not in this alone, like Ghillie thinks you are. My brothers arealreadytaking a fast route which will put them within a quarter mile north of where we’re headed. They’ll hike in quietly. They’ll probably beat us there. They’ll set up, then help us determine our course of action.

He continued. “I’ll stay hidden, but I’ll be close to you. So if you’re in distress, I’m only a few steps away. I’m not letting anything happen to you or Sheila, Tabbi. That’s a promise.”

Tabitha could hear the raw grit in Spencer’s voice.

Yes, Spencer and his brothers would do everything it took to keep them safe, but the focusshouldbe on Sheila. What was she facing right now, and could they guarantee that she’d be okay?

“We’ll get Sheila,” Spencer reiterated with confidence, seemingly reading her mind again. “There are eight of us, remember? There’s only one of him. I’ll put my highly trained family members over this washed-out asshole, any day.”

Part of Tabitha knew that was true; that if this really was Ghillie, he’d been out of the military scene for years, but during his service, he’d shown his true colors. He was a misogynist, through and through, which would fuel his anger and strength. And as to that strength, Ghillie was physically imposing…or at least he had been.

Tabitha knew the old Ghillie, a pumping-iron addict, wouldn’t go down without a fight. She’d told everyone this, so they could be prepared.

“It’s almost time to hide,” Tabitha finally told Spencer as she approached her turn-off.

She took a slow right onto a decrepit looking dirt road which was pitted with holes and nearly impassible due to the tall sea-grasses and overhanging trees that had encroached on the drive over time.

“You’ve been here?” Tabbi asked Spencer. “It’s kind of…abandoned looking.”

“Locals know about this place, but it’s not used very much. Especially when it’s not a weekend, and the area kids aren’t out of school yet. Me and my brothers would walk here during out free time and play or snorkel because it was so private. We?—"

“He’s been here,” Tabitha cut Spencer off, making sure not to move her lips too much in case Ghillie was watching. “A lot of the branches on the sides of the road have been snapped recently.” She could tell, because the hanging leaves were still vibrantly green.

“Good. It’s not a ploy, then,” Spencer responded, his voice muffled from where he had just pulled the tarp over his head, and now lay, fully covered. “Tell me as soon as you reach the shoreline. It shouldn’t be long.”

“I see a clearing in the trees up ahead,” she apprised. “Another minute and I should be where he indicated.”

Tabitha kept her eyes trained on the surrounding area, hoping to catch sight of her nemesis.

There was no movement.

Tabitha’s throat tightened as she spotted something. That couldn’t be…?

Nausea threatened her equilibrium. “There’s a pile of something on the beach. It might be…?”

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