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  Ken cleared his throat and asked cautiously, “Did you tell Beverly that Jesse and I are coming?”

  Sam fiddled with a strand of her hair that escaped her ponytail to think of the situation with a potential to explode. “Well,” she took a breath before finishing, “no.”

  Jesse chuckled. “This will be interesting since she threatened to have Ken and I arrested the next time we came near her.”

  “Or,” Ken added, “shoot us on sight if that didn’t keep us away.”

  “Does she have any weapons in the house that you know of?” Jesse asked, and when she didn’t hear a chuckle to accompany the question, she knew he was serious and maybe even a bit worried.

  Sam’s breath caught at the impact of what he’d asked. “Yes.” With a heavy sigh, she had to disarm her friend as soon as they arrived, or things could turn ugly.

  7

  Why had he pushed to come on this op? Being out of action, he didn’t know what the hell he could do. Sure, the desire to rescue Adam’s son took precedence, but the statement he’d overheard from Sam filled him with dread. Since she spoke with Beverly at the time, he could only imagine she was referring to him and Jesse. It didn’t take a genius to figure that out. But shit, ten years was a long time to find them accountable for an ambush that no one could have predicted. Sure, he’d expected that from Beverly because she still blamed them, but what of Sam? They’d started rebuilding their friendship, and they had an obvious connection, an attraction even. His only hope was that she’d just repeated what Beverly had said to her. Any other possibility simply didn’t sit right.

  By the time the plane landed in Georgia, darkness had set in, and the team had an information overflow from Devon about Beverly. Unfortunately, none of it looked promising to providing intel on Cody’s location. However, they’d follow up each lead and ask questions until they found something usable.

  His men split up into pairs, with Franks and Cowboy disappearing in one direction while Stone and Doc went in another, all dropping most of their gear in the waiting SUVs instead of fully donning it so as not to alarm whomever they questioned. He, Jesse, and Sam, however, loaded up in full gear in case they encountered something at their destination and headed directly to Beverly’s house to question her and search for clues.

  Each time Sam put on her gear, his gut churned with worry. Not a typical worrier, he knew his feelings for her led his need to protect. While he’d tried to keep her from other ops or took an overprotective stance while on them, this was different. Beverly was her friend so he couldn’t argue with her involvement in the attempt to bring the boy home. No. They would bring him home no matter what it took.

  When they arrived at Beverly’s single-story brick home, Sam asked them to wait near the SUV until she told Beverly they’d traveled with her. He’d loved Adam—Beverly’s husband—like a brother, and his heart had suffered when he’d lost him and Lance on a covert op. They’d been true friends. He’d never warmed up to Beverly, probably because she’d been standoffish. After Adam died, she’d turned into a raving lunatic. He and Jesse, and the rest of the Ranger team, held to taking care of their own, and Beverly was their own. She, however, hated the sight of them. He only hoped that by seeing them again, it wouldn’t trigger something in her that delayed Cody’s rescue.

  While they waited, he and Jesse exited the SUV and leaned against it, surveying the area around them, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. Although they didn’t know the neighborhood, some things, like a vehicle watching the house, were common out-of-place things. Yet, they found nothing that caught their eye.

  “What’d you think?” Jesse asked.

  “You mean if she’ll shoot us?”

  “Among other things.”

  Now might be the right time to mention that possibility, but Ken needed to learn more, so he’d be on extra alert. He couldn’t wrap his head around the woman thinking such a thing. “Yeah, something doesn’t seem right.”

  “That’s an understatement,” Jesse agreed.

  “I hope she’ll work with us. For Cody’s sake.” He couldn’t imagine any parent not, but if Beverly still held a grudge against the two of them and couldn’t see beyond it, they’d have to allow the team to work it. Which, if that was what they had to do, he’d order it, and the two of them would work in the background at another location. Maybe another Ranger’s nearby home.

  “While Sam didn’t say it, I’m worried Beverly could hide answers to the investigation with the two of us here.”

  With a sigh, Ken silently agreed. It was too late to change their decision for him and Jesse to be on the case. It seemed vital they were here, leading and setting up a command post. “I’m thinking we’ll let Sam take the lead in questioning. Once we figure out Beverly’s mindset, we can jump in when needed. Otherwise….” Ken shrugged.

  Jesse nodded. “I was thinking the same thing.”

  Waiting for clearance to enter Beverly’s home, his mind continued turning things over. It still baffled him why this particular kidnapping happened. He had an inkling that Beverly either wasn’t telling them the truth or was holding back. There had to be something they were missing. Knowing Beverly didn’t want them near her or her son—as she’d strongly stated years ago—he could understand her hesitancy to work with them but not Sam. She’d called on Sam without the presumption they’d come with her. No matter who she expected to ride to the rescue, her son’s life hung in the balance. They had no idea what ordeal he might be facing, and they needed every bit of information to bring him home.

  Ken turned to Jesse, his heartbeat quickening. He should tell Jesse what he’d overheard. But, only hearing one side of the conversation might have Sam’s loyalty questioned without the true meaning of the words. Of course, “kill” was not something to be misunderstood. But there were too many unanswered questions.

  Instead, he asked, “Are you taking the lead?” He had mixed feelings about which one of them should be in the role, but, dammit, he wanted to lead. He needed to do it. He’d had too many times sitting on the sidelines; inactivity had nearly killed him. Not physically, but in spirit. Each time the team went out with Grits, he’d envisioned every possible scenario—both good and bad. When they couldn’t receive regular updates, he’d about gone nuts. Leading this team was who he was, and he kicked himself for almost walking away from it. Without it, he felt like his identity had been stripped and he’d been beaten with a baseball bat.

  Jesse gave him an emotionless expression. Every member of the team had mastered the ability to display the blankness since it was instrumental in interviews. It sucked when one member used it against the other though. Jesse raised an eyebrow in question. “You’re the field team leader. You make the call.”

  Damn, he appreciated that Jesse, being the head of HIS, didn’t automatically take command from him or Grits. Their boss believed in the continuity of the team, and now teams. He had to decide which held more importance—his pride or the op. It took a moment before he realized he could have both without compromising the op. Nodding, he voiced his decision. “I’ll take the lead for the investigation, but once the team hits the field, it’s you since I can’t be there.”

  “I can evaluate Franks for you if you want.”

  Ken had wanted to do that. He’d had Franks do parts, but leading a full op from start to finish without him or Grits hadn’t happened. He couldn’t wait and knew Jesse would be a good resource. “Thanks.”

  “You know you can be there. You just have to decide.”

  “It could compromise the safety of the team.” He knew what Jesse meant but had mixed feelings about taking that position. In one instance, he could protect Sam, and in the other, he could hold her back if trouble arose. He had too many hard decisions to make today and all revolving around an op that tightened his gut into knots.

  “Like always, as a sniper, Sugar would position herself far enough away fr
om the hands-on action. Plus, you’re almost back to full potential. I’d even say you could go in the field if you could run for longer distances without weakening.”

  Ken didn’t want to sit back on this rescue, so he agreed to the latter part, but with Sam pushing him away after the kiss, she might not appreciate him acting as her spotter. It meant the two of them—alone.

  With a tight nod, he requested, “I’d like it if you evaluated Franks leading on ground.”

  “Done.”

  Movement at the house grabbed their attention, and Ken reached for each of his sidearms. Seeing Sam, he released them. He whistled while Jesse shook his head when Sam exited carrying a rifle—not her own—a handgun—not the one on her thigh—and a shotgun. “I’d rather not leave temptation for her.”

  Which Ken deciphered as Beverly hadn’t released her grudge against them. He reached out and accepted the weapons. “I’ll put them with ours.” Sam removing the weapons told him they’d decided correctly not to take their rifles inside with them. They wouldn’t go unarmed as they each had one or more holstered handguns on their body. He opened the case that held their weapons and added the two to it. Then, he closed the weapons locker and secured it in the SUV before turning back to Sam. “Do we have a green light?”

  She nodded, but he noticed her clenched jaw.

  Uh-oh. “Is she going to work with us?” Frustration at the time spent waiting gripped him, and he wanted to go inside and shake the woman until she realized how her action left her son in danger.

  On an exhale, Sam responded, “Yeah. Although don’t expect her to be nice.”

  Ken figured that to be an understatement. “We don’t need nice. We need cooperation.”

  “Listen, while she’s agreed to allow you—HIS—to help, I think it’d be better if I question her. I think she’d open up more.”

  He and Jesse turned to each other, and both had small quirks at the corner of their lips.

  Sam apparently caught this exchange. “What?”

  Turning back to her, Ken nodded. “We already discussed that and think it’s the right way to go. But I need you to consult with us throughout in case we have more questions.”

  Solemnly, Sam nodded. “I can do that. Let’s get in there and see what we can do to find Cody.”

  Jesse took a step forward. “Let’s go save this boy.”

  With a narrowing of her eyes, she responded, “Let me go in first.” Then she whirled around and took the lead.

  Stepping into the house behind Sam, Ken first noticed the photos of Adam alone or of him and his wife with and without her pregnant belly displayed prominently in the main area. It’d been close to ten years; he’d have hoped she’d moved on somewhat for the sake of her boy. He wondered what impact this had on the kid. On the one hand, the boy knew what his father looked like, but what the hell was she telling her child about Adam?

  After some finagling from Sam and a trip to the kitchen cabinet for a bag of chocolate donuts—what the hell was that about?—Beverly sat at the small breakfast table in a nook that opened to the kitchen. While Sam sat down at the table and opened the bag of donuts, giving one to Beverly and taking one herself, he and Jesse looked at each other and raised a brow at the interrogation food.

  Instead of questioning the why of it, he and Jesse remained stoic and sipped on bottled water Sam had offered. They ignored the freshly brewed coffee, not wanting a stimulant that crashed in their system, plus who knew if she’d poison it. Okay, he knew that wouldn’t happen, especially if she drank from the same pot. All he knew was that if her look when they’d walked in the door could’ve killed, Sam would’ve been digging their graves.

  While Sam worked to soothe Beverly, Jesse slipped off to investigate the home. Ken held the note left behind—an odd one since there’d been no ransom request—at the corner with a tissue in the tips of his fingers, even though he was sure Beverly’s prints compromised what might’ve been there. Still, they’d expedite it to the lab. Even though Sam wasn’t asking kidnapping questions yet, he remained close to listen. It was amazing what crumbs could be found, and that must’ve been Sam’s intent.

  Jesse hadn’t returned when Sam began asking their standard questions. He had to hand it to her, she knew what to ask and how to handle Beverly, who kept giving sideways glances at him and searching glances, probably seeking Jesse’s location.

  Most of what she’d answered gave them nothing new to work with. While unspoken, the question as to whether she could’ve done harm to her son had been there. It was statistically the likely cause. Heck, several cases had made national news. He couldn’t stomach the thought of her hurting the boy.

  Ken didn’t get that gnawing feeling that she had something to do with Cody’s abduction. Right now though, he didn’t trust all that Beverly told them.

  Sam reached over and covered Beverly’s perfectly manicured hand on the table. “You already told me some basics over the phone that will help us, but I need you to tell me about the note.” Her soft voice held a soothing quality while it also took a no-nonsense effect.

  With her free hand, Beverly wiped her nose with a much-used tissue. She sniffed before responding. “I found it on the table when I got home.”

  Some instinct wanted him to walk over and wring the woman’s neck for leaving the child home alone to take care of himself. Hell, for ten minutes while she popped to the mailbox or something, but for six hours or so! She deserved to have her kid taken away. Not by abductors but by a loving family. Every little boy and girl deserved that, but the world was a cruel place. Not a day went by when he wasn’t thankful his parents had provided a loving home.

  He’d been blessed with two wonderful parents who loved him no matter the grief he gave them. Since his father passed, his mother’s greatest wish was for him to marry and give her grandchildren. He choked up a bit thinking about his father. How he wished he’d at least given him grandchildren.

  A new resolution set inside him. He may not have been able to give those things to his father, but he could give them to his mother who held the same hopes. An image of Sam flashed into his mind.

  If only he’d asked her out before Lance had instead of pushing her away. He’d been a fool, but he’d realized it too late. The Ranger team had an unwritten rule that you didn’t encroach on another man’s woman. He’d heeded that rule, but the more he’d been around her, the more he’d fallen in love.

  Refocusing, he paid close attention to Beverly’s expression and eyes while she answered the next questions.

  “Show me where on the table you found it?”

  Beverly pointed to a spot closest to the open kitchen area.

  “Were any chairs out of place?”

  Stopping her sniffing, Beverly appeared to consider the question. If there had been, they might get a usable print to also send to the lab. Unfortunately, she shook her head. “No. I don’t think so.”

  “That’s okay, Bev. Let’s focus on the note again. Tell me what you did when you found it.”

  “I—I—picked it up and read it. Then—” She moved her hand as if mimicking the motions she’d completed. “At first, I didn’t understand. I mean, just those couple of words confused me. When it dawned on me what it might mean, I dropped it and ran through the house looking for Cody.”

  “What’d you do when you couldn’t find him?”

  She looked at Sam for the first time since they’d begun the note discussion and Beverly had almost seemed in a trance. “I called his friends’ parents. None of them had seen him.”

  The tears flowed once again. He couldn’t blame her. In no way could he imagine what she must feel, but dammit, he needed to understand her answers.

  “Okay, what next?”

  Jesse sidled up to him and briskly shook his head before focusing on the two women. That meant nothing useful. He wanted to sigh but didn’t want himself to feel that
resigned. He hoped the men positioned outside found something that might make a difference.

  “Where have you been?” Beverly shot at Jesse, completely ignoring Sam trying to turn her attention back.

  “Investigating.” Jesse took a sip of the water bottle he’d picked back up as if nothing in the world seemed amiss.

  “I didn’t give you permission to walk about my house.” Beverly half stood before Sam halted her with a hand on her arm and that soothing voice.

  “Bev, he’s just doing what I would’ve done.”

  She turned to Sam. “I don’t want them walking around.”

  “Sit down. They have to do that in order to help us locate where Cody is being held. You want that, don’t you?”

  Looking as if she were in a daze, Beverly nodded and sat, although she turned her gaze to him and Jesse.

  “Okay, Bev, tell me what you did after you found out Cody was really missing.”

  “I called you,” Beverly stated, as if it were a no-brainer.

  He wondered how long Sam’s patience would last. They’d found out absolutely nothing except the woman was a negligent mother. She said she had no friends—although Sam needed to challenge that, asking about her lunch dates. As far as she’d admitted, she dated no one and had no ex. While she went out a great deal, she didn’t frequent the same places on a regular basis. She wasn’t aware of any stalkers. As far as she knew, no one wanted to harm her or her son. While Adam had left a nice insurance policy, they had no real money to their name. No neon signs on hers or Adam’s parents’ sides. And the list of dead-ends continued.

  His nerves and muscled tightened. Every minute counted and this crap of no clues was taking too much time away from searching for Cody. When Jesse opened the door to Franks and Cowboy, Ken silently hoped they’d found something. Even a nugget of gossip would be better than what they had to date.

  Motioned over by a nod of Franks’s head, Ken set down the water bottle and gave Sam a short nod. The newly arrived agents pulled Ken and Jesse as far from Sam and Beverly as possible to keep them in sight but also keep them from overhearing.