Page 58 of The Cowboy's Unlikely Love

Chapter Fifteen

Colt grabbed his Glockand his shotgun from the back seat of his truck as he ended the call, an urgent summons from Agent Hamill. It was just after ten in the morning, and the lumber store had phoned and said that Gantry had just driven the van into the loading bay from the back alley.

“What’s happened?” Taylor said, her voice shaking.

Colt told her. “Come on, I’ll drop you at the police station, and then I’m meeting Hamill near the lumberyard.”

“I want to come with you!” Taylor said as she climbed into the truck. Colt didn’t answer as they roared out of the parking lot of the cafe where they’d just eaten a late breakfast. He glanced at her, the truck’s big tires squealing as he took a corner too fast. “It’s dangerous. I don’t know what’s going to happen. At the station, you can keep current on everything that’s happening. Please, Taylor, don’t argue.”

The desperate, pleading look in her eyes almost made him change his mind. But, no, he couldn’t worry about her safety and search for JJ too. “I’ll try to keep you in the loop, honey.”

She bit her lip as her eyes filled with tears. “You’re right. I’d just be in the way—a distraction—and you don’t need that. Oh God, Colt, just find him.”

He parked in front of the police station and reached for her hand. “Don’t you worry about a thing. I’m not coming home without our boy.”

She let out a sob and threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you, Colt. Call me, please, and be safe.” Without a backward look, she jumped out of the truck and strode into the police station.

He gunned the engine, whipping into the lane of traffic and heading toward the lumber yard. Moments later, he slowed and pulled into a parking space less than a block away, spotting Hamill’s big black SUV a few cars down. The agent waved him over, and Colt climbed into the passenger-side middle seat.

Hamill gestured to the man in the front. “This is Assistant Chief Greg Hanson, and Sergeant Randy Jamison is there next to you.”

Colt nodded. “Nice to meet you both.”

“And in the far back are Sergeant Tyree Smith and Patrol Officer Ed Samuelson,” Hamill continued.

“Hi there,” Colt said and tipped his hat.

Hamill pulled out into traffic and made his way to a back street that ran behind the lumberyard, pulling into a driveway and parking unobtrusively where he could see the alley exit.

“The idea is to follow the van back to where they’re holding the baby. I’ve called the chopper in, but it’ll be a while before it can get here. I’d like an aerial view of the van in case we lose them on the ground.”

Hamill called the store and found that the van was still there. “I’d like to know how these guys got into town without us noticing,” Hanson said.

“I’d like to figure that out as well,” Hamill said.

“I’m just glad we caught them this time,” Colt said grimly.

Less than fifteen minutes later, the van appeared, leaving the alley. They watched as it drove slowly past them. Giving it plenty of lead, Hamill backed out of the driveway and began to follow.

Once out of town, Hamill stayed back as the van turned onto the forest roads, traveling mile after mile. Twenty-five minutes into the chase, the van turned off onto an old logging road. Hamill almost missed the change in direction and had to turn around and go back. The road didn’t appear to have been maintained in years.

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