Appalachian Abduction

“Right. Okay, I’m investigating a missing girl and have reason to believe she’s being held in the Falling Rock community.”

His brow furrowed. “Why? Give me details.”

“How can I be sure you’re trustworthy? Well, not necessarily you,” she amended. “But what about your boss and coworkers? Any of them could compromise—”

“I trust the sheriff explicitly,” he ground out. “Harlan Sampson is as honest as they come, and I’m not saying that because he’s my brother-in-law. I’ve known him all my life. We’ve been friends since third grade.”

“That’s fine for you, but it doesn’t assure me. Far as my research shows, the previous sheriff is doing time for twenty years of covering up moonshine and murders.”

“And Harlan has been working for over a year now to clean up the force,” James said with a scowl.

“Are you sure he’s finished? Most criminals don’t work in a vacuum.”

“Two officers were fired. That’s out of an office with a dozen employees. I have complete faith in the ones remaining.”

“But you’ve only worked with them six months.” She’d done a cursory background search on every officer.

He shot her a glance, eyes widened in surprise. “You’ve done your homework,” he noted, driving away from the downtown area and starting the drive up a winding mountain road.

“I know you’ve done a couple tours in Afghanistan. Army Special Forces.”

“You seem to have me at a disadvantage,” he said coolly. “I know nothing about you. Yet.”

“No doubt you’ll check the gun paperwork and confirm my story. I’d do the same in your position.”

“So why did you break into my cabin? Couldn’t you survey the Falling Rock area more directly?”

Typical cop. A rookie one, no less. “That’s the difference between working undercover versus running routine patrols and answering callouts. Direct isn’t best in my line of work. I picked your cabin because it’s within walking distance of where I can get a behind-the-scenes view of most of the Falling Rock houses.”

“What do you expect to find? Are you hoping by some miracle that the missing girl is going to step outside? I don’t foresee that happening.”

Charlotte squirmed. Put that way, it did sound like a lame plan. But then, he didn’t know all the particulars. He didn’t know that she was investigating a ring, and as such, she hoped to observe vehicles pulling into backyards to hide the drivers’ comings and goings. Even license plate numbers would provide worthwhile leads to pursue. So let him think she was foolish. The less she revealed, the less interference and lower possibility of word getting back to the traffickers that she was closing in on their operation.

“Don’t make this hard,” James warned. “Either voluntarily give us the information so we can help find this missing girl, or drag your feet until we force the information out of your supervisors. Your choice.”

Damn it. If he contacted Atlanta, she’d be ordered—again—to stop searching. And that was the best-case scenario. Worst case, it was entirely possible she’d lose her job. But she’d weighed the risks from the start, and the decision had been easy. Jenny was her best friend’s daughter. If she didn’t try her best, how could she live with that knowledge? How would she be able to face her best friend for the rest of her days? She couldn’t.

“If I tell you more, can we keep it between us?”

“No way. I can’t keep this secret from Harlan and the others. Like you said, I’m pretty new here. Everyone else will have more experience. Don’t you want the full resources the sheriff’s office can provide?”

Hell, yeah. No question. Charlotte gazed out the passenger window, where shadows already lengthened with a hint of the coming twilight. To his credit, James didn’t press her as she weighed the pros and cons of telling him everything. But it wasn’t much of a choice, really. She had a bum leg now, and she’d been seen by the bodyguards who were obviously protecting the traffickers.

“I do need your help,” she admitted. “But if you go to the sheriff, he’ll contact my boss for verification of my story, and then all hell will break loose.”

James’s eyes narrowed. “If you’re on the up-and-up, what’s the problem?”

“I’ve been suspended.” There, she’d said it. Six years of exemplary service, and now she was in the hot seat. James would think she was a total screwup.

He pulled into the cabin’s driveway, shut off the engine and faced her, arms folded. “Why?”

She jerked her head from his piercing gaze and stared down at her folded hands. “Because I won’t give up on this case. That’s why. The official charge against me is insubordination.”

“Go on,” he urged at the beat of silence between them.

Charlotte lifted her head. Officer Tedder had been more than patient. He could have arrested her for trespassing, or even decided she was too much trouble and not searched for her after she’d fled. But he’d found her and coaxed her into getting help for her injury. A good man, she decided. Perhaps even a trustworthy one. She’d been burned before, but mostly, her gut and intuition had served her well in a dangerous profession.

“Can we talk somewhere other than here? Sitting in the open in your truck is an invitation for trouble.” Her stomach churned as she remembered the black sedan with tinted windows that had cruised through town.

He countered with a question of his own. “Is this where you run from me again?”

“No running. You can follow me in my truck while I get a motel room, or we can go in your cabin to talk.”

James drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “My cabin. I’ll park my truck behind yours. No casual observer passing by would notice it. Probably safer than you spending the night at the local motel with your vehicle in plain view, anyway.”

“Agreed.”

He drove across the yard and parked behind her rental truck. Charlotte opened her door and eased onto the ground, putting most of her weight on her left leg. If it came down to another chase by land, she was doomed.

They walked across the yard, but try as she might, a low hiss of pain escaped her lips as she started up the porch steps. James placed a hand on her right forearm, and she leaned into his strength, hobbling across the wooden porch.

Damn if it wasn’t heaven to feel his strong muscles taut and solid against her. For the first time since arriving at Lavender Mountain, Charlotte felt safe and protected. Not an emotional luxury she often indulged in with her line of work.

James frowned at the broken door frame as he ushered her inside. “Stay here while I check the cabin,” he murmured, setting down the jug of sassafras tea from Miss Glory.

She nodded, grateful. Ordinarily that kind of take-command attitude by male coworkers annoyed her, but he was the only one around with a gun and two good legs. And he was her best hope for rescuing Jenny.

* * *

“ALL’S CLEAR,” JAMES ANNOUNCED, returning to the den and placing the gun in his holster. “And I closed the back bedroom window you opened earlier this morning. You remember, the one you crawled out to run from me.”

Charlotte nodded, making no apologies, and limped to the couch. Instead of collapsing into an exhausted heap, she settled in primly, back straight and feet crossed at the ankles.

What a striking woman. In the dark shadows, her hair glowed like sun fire and her eyes gleamed with intelligence, determination and...sorry to say, still a trace of wariness. Not that he blamed her for the mistrust. She’d most likely seen the worst of human nature, just as he had in Afghanistan.

He picked up the jug of tea and strode to the kitchen, where he located a glass in the near-empty cabinets. Miss Glory’s tonic was purported to do wonders, and he hoped it lived up to its hype. He added ice to the glass and poured the pale, caramel-colored drink. Charlotte was being damn foolish about treating her injuries, but he couldn’t force her to accept medical attention. A wry smile twitched the edges of his mouth. He imagined Charlotte Helms could be mighty stubborn when it came to changing her mind.

That was okay—he could be as damn stubborn as Charlotte, and he meant to draw out everything from her about this case. The greatest lesson he’d learned in the military was to work with others as a team. It enhanced the chance of success for any mission. He preferred a quiet, solitary life these days, but when it came to his new job, he was all about teamwork.

James returned to the den. “Drink up,” he ordered, handing Charlotte the glass. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

“Where are you going?”

“To get my tool kit.”

And his tablet, because he wasn’t letting this woman out of sight again. While she slept tonight, he’d double-check her story. Insomnia came in handy every now and then.

James scanned the yard and then strode to his truck, retrieving the toolbox, the tablet, a box of crackers and a cooler packed with water bottles. Another thing the military had taught him was to be prepared. The water and crackers would satisfy their basic needs for the evening, but he longingly recalled the smell of fried chicken and mashed potatoes at the Dixie Diner. Tomorrow he’d go back and eat his fill at the lunch buffet.

Inside, Charlotte sipped tea and raised a brow. “Quite an armful. You must have been a Boy Scout.”

“Lucky for you. What did Miss Glory whisper to you back at the shop?”

She blinked at the sudden question. “I couldn’t understand what she muttered. Her Southern accent’s pretty strong.”

Again, he suspected she wasn’t truthful, but in this instance, it didn’t matter. Not in the grand scheme of things. He let it go. “What do you think of Miss Glory’s tea?”

“Has a licorice taste. I like it. Either that, or I’m really thirsty. You believe in this stuff?”

“People who refuse standard medical treatment can hardly complain.”

A surprised chuckle escaped her lips, and her eyes sparkled. “Touché.”

James nearly dropped the supplies in his hand. He’d known she was attractive—that was plain to any fool—but when she smiled? Stunning.

Charlotte’s eyes widened and their teal hue deepened. The space between them grew electric, humming with energy. He swallowed hard and turned away, setting down the supplies and then gripping his hammer like a lifeline. Sexual attraction was the last thing he needed in this sticky situation.

“I don’t have replacement hardware, but I can nail up this door and make do for tonight. That is, if you still want to stay here?”

“You’ll let me stay?” Her voice was husky, and she cleared her throat. “Thank you.”

“For now. Unless your safety becomes compromised. First thing in the morning, we’ll—”

“We? I don’t need you to stay with me.”

“You think I’d leave you alone out here?” He might be reluctant to get involved with people, but he always did the right thing. Or tried to. “As I was saying, at dawn, we’ll get my four-wheeler, and you can show me where you were shot at.”

She slowly nodded. “Like I said, I don’t need your protection, but it’s your cabin, after all. As far as returning to that place, it’s a needle-in-a-haystack possibility, but if we can find those shell casings, it could be important down the road.”

He set to work, quickly repairing the door. Satisfied, he returned to the kitchen with the cooler and put the water bottles in the fridge. The only thing edible in the refrigerator was a jar of peanut butter, and so James set the crackers and peanut butter on the table with two paper plates and a roll of paper towels.

“Dinner’s served,” he announced. “Basic protein and carbs.”

Charlotte took a seat. “I’m used to it. If we want to get really fancy, there are some granola bars and apples and such in my—I mean your—bedroom.”

She started to rise, but he motioned her to stop. “I’ll get them.”

It wasn’t fried chicken, but her contribution would add a little variety to the meal. In the bedroom, a plastic crate against the back wall was stuffed with dried foods. He lifted it, ready to carry it to the kitchen, when he spotted the laptop on her mattress. Stifling a twinge of guilt—there was a missing girl in danger, after all—he hit the space bar, hoping she hadn’t properly shut it down earlier.

The screen lit and filled with images of scantily clad young girls. And by young, he noted that most didn’t even appear to be sixteen years old.

“For the discerning customer,” he read.

James closed the computer, lips curled in disgust. What possible connection did it have to Lavender Mountain? This was no simple kidnapping.

Charlotte’s soft voice drifted down the hallway as he made his way back. “I’m doing everything I can, Tanya. I promise I won’t stop until I find her.” A slight pause, and then, “We’ll get her back. I know it’s killing you, but remember to let me call you. Not the other way around. Okay?”

As if she had eyes in the back of her head, Charlotte spun around, cell phone at her ear, as James entered the room. “Gotta go, hon. Later.”

“Sounds like this case is personal,” he observed, taking a seat across from her. “Who’s Tanya?”

Charlotte laid the phone down and sighed. “Why do I have the feeling you’re going to pry every last detail from me?”

“Because I am,” he said with a grin, spreading peanut butter on a cracker. But his amusement faded at the memory of the computer photos. “Is Tanya the mother of the missing Jenny?”

“Yes. And my best friend.” Charlotte pushed away her plate. “You see why I can’t quit, don’t you? I mean, wouldn’t you do the same for your best friend?”

He flashed back to that night in Bagram when he’d awakened in the barracks and realized the cot beside him was empty. He’d waited, figuring Steve might be in the bathroom, but the minutes had ticked by, and he knew something was wrong. Against orders, he’d sneaked out of the barracks and searched the compound until he’d found Steve—huddled behind the garbage dump, holding a gun next to his head.

It still haunted James. Another minute and his friend would have committed suicide. He’d carefully taken Steve’s gun away and escorted him to the infirmary. To hell with alerting the sergeant first and following protocol for a missing soldier. He’d known in his gut that Steve was in danger. “You’re not the only one with a black mark on your record,” he admitted. “I understand that sometimes—”

A shot rang out.

James froze, his breathing labored. Had he imagined the sound? No, Charlotte’s hands gripped the edges of the table—she’d heard it, too. This was real and in the here-and-now.

“They’ve found us,” she whispered.

Chapter Four

Charlotte reached for her sidearm and felt nothing but bare denim at her hip. Damn. She kept forgetting James had confiscated her gun. Its absence made her feel vulnerable and powerless. First order of business in the morning was to get it back.

But that didn’t help her now.

As if they’d done this together a dozen times before, she and James rose from the table and flattened their bodies against the side wall by the window.

“See anything?” she asked.

“Nothing but shadows.”

“Still think it’s nothing but a shot-happy hunter out there?”

“Getting a little too dark for a regular hunter,” he admitted.

“As opposed to what—an irregular hunter?” she quipped. “Maybe now you’ll believe me when I tell you it’s Jenny’s kidnappers.”

James kept his gaze out the window. “Shooter’s motives don’t matter at the moment.”

“Right. Sorry. So what’s the plan?”

“We wait.”

“That’s it? We wait?”

“And watch.”

To hell with that. “We could get on your four-wheeler and see who’s out there.”

“And what if that shot was meant to draw you out? You’d be a sitting duck. Stop acting like this is your first rodeo.”

He was right. Damn it. This was her least favorite part of the job—stakeouts and waiting for someone else to make their next move.

“There could be more than one, you know. Maybe they’re going to surround the cabin.” Hugging the wall, Charlotte made her way over to the den window on the opposite side of the cabin. “I’ll keep a lookout here.”

Dusk settled on the woods that were wrapped in a gray mist. The outline of her rental truck at the tree line was barely visible. The vehicle was useless to her now that she suspected it had been spotted. If there was time, she’d exchange it for another one tomorrow. Her eyes and ears tingled with focus as she tried to find shifting patterns in the shadows, or the whisper of an out-of-the-ordinary snap of twigs.

“We hear another shot, call for backup,” James commented.

The minutes stretched on in a tense silence, and she shifted all her weight onto her left foot.

“Knee bothering you?” he asked, his gaze still concentrated on the gathering darkness.

How did he know with his back to her? Probably a good cop to be so observant of the slightest shift in details. “Hurts a little,” she admitted.

James stepped away from the window. “Let’s go. If there’s a stalker out there, I believe they’d have made a move by now. No sense standing around all night. We’ll come back at first light and take a look around.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Frankly, she was relieved. Her leg hurt like hell, and there was no way she’d be able to sleep in this cabin again without worrying she’d awaken staring down the barrel of a gun.

“You stay inside while I start the truck.”

“No way. We go together.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but he must have read her determination. “Okay. Anything you need to bring with you?”

She’d almost forgotten. “Yeah, let me grab my stuff. I’ll be quick.”

Charlotte scurried to the bedroom and then stuffed her laptop in the large duffel bag already filled with clothes and toiletries, prepacked necessities in case she’d needed to leave in a hurry. She rushed back down the hall, and a chill draft from the open door blew over her body. A truck engine started outside, and headlights pierced the darkness. How dare he? But the anger was soon replaced by a seed of fear. Was he leaving her alone in this compromised location? An image of a dark alley flashed across her mind—her old partners, Roy and Danny, fading into the shadows as they ran from the drug dealer flashing his small but lethal-looking pistol. She’d run, too, but not as fast. Not near fast enough to outrun a bullet. A quick peek behind her shoulder and she saw the dealer had aimed his gun at her.

She’d turned and faced him then. Better to see the flash of gunfire and take it head-on than be hit in the back while running away.

The drug dealer unexpectedly laughed and dropped his weapon. “Some friends you got there. You ain’t no coward, I give you that.” His arm had lowered to his side. His features had hardened. “Get out of here,” he’d growled. “And don’t ever forget this is my turf.”

She didn’t forget. Not the dealer, nor the partners who’d left her an easy target.

Faster than she’d ever believe possible with a bum leg, Charlotte flew out of the cabin and onto the porch, duffel bag clunking across the wooden floorboards.

The truck engine rumbled in Park. James wasn’t leaving without her. She climbed in the king cab, throwing the bag into the back seat, where it landed next to the gallon jug of sassafras tea he must have grabbed from the fridge.

“You tricked me,” she commented. But her words held no bite.

James shifted the truck into Drive. “I don’t know about the big city, but around here, we try and protect women.”

“I’m a cop, not a woman.”

His brow quirked.

“Well, you know what I mean.”

“I’m well aware you’re a woman,” he said drily.

The air was charged with something other than danger this time—the space between them sparked. Charlotte cleared her dry throat. “And a cop,” she insisted. “Don’t forget that part.”

The truck jostled along the dirt driveway. “Uh-huh, right,” he muttered.

“Wait. I’m not thinking clearly.” She dug into her jeans pocket for her keys. “I can drive my own truck and then exchange it for a new one in the morning. Take me back.”

James pulled onto the county road. “We’ll worry about your truck in the morning when we come back. For now, I think it’s best we leave it.”

“Okay, then. I can’t argue against your logic there.” Charlotte stuffed the key in her pocket.

Heat blasted from the vents, and she held her hands up against the warm air.

“Cold?” James asked.

She shrugged. “My hands are always cold.”

“No gloves?”

“Somewhere in my bag. I’ll dig them out later.”

James opened the console and pulled out a pair of black leather gloves. “Here.”

“Thanks, but that’s not nec—”

“Go on. No sense suffering.” He laid them in her lap.

Charlotte slipped on the overlarge gloves. They were lined with fleece and felt comfy and toasty against her skin.

The truck sped through the night, and they were in town in ten minutes. Charlotte rubbed the passenger window, scrubbing away the condensation to peer at the street. “What motel do you recommend?”

“Neither of them. There’s only two.”

He turned the wheel sharply, and the lights of the Dixie Diner blazed in front of her. “Why are we stopping here?” she asked.

“I’m starving. I’ll pick us up a couple plates to go.”

She frowned. He could have got his own meal after he dropped her off, but the rumble in her stomach couldn’t argue with the need for food. Real food. Eating nothing but crackers and apples and granola bars for two days had gotten old. Charlotte followed him in, and her knees went weak at the smell of fried chicken. James ordered a meat-and-three plate for each of them, and her mouth salivated. She couldn’t wait to check into her room, eat and then enjoy a long bath with no fear of intruders.

Back in the truck, James turned sideways in the seat and didn’t start the motor. “This Jenny you’re looking for—was she caught up in some kind of pornography ring?”

“You could say that.”

“How about being a little more specific?”

It might have been framed as a question, but she knew it was a demand. Hell, if he knew this much, he might as well know the rest.

“A human trafficking ring. She’s one of many girls who have been caught in its trap.”

James nodded, but he didn’t say a word as he started the truck and backed out of the parking space. He retraced his route and kept driving until downtown was visible only in the rearview mirror. They were far from anyone, on a lonely backroad where anything could happen.

A small frisson of fear chased down her spine. Stop, just stop, she chided herself. If he were one of the bad guys, he would hardly have stopped for fried chicken before doing her in. Or loaned her his gloves. Still, her hand sought the passenger door handle. “Where are we going?”

“My place.”

“Now, wait a minute,” she protested. “If you think—”

James held up a hand. “I have a spare bedroom. It’s just a precaution.”

She studied him—the hard planes of his face and his aura of calm command. Okay, she would feel safer staying with him. But he could have at least asked before assuming she’d follow along.

“I can’t read you,” she admitted. “Half the time you act like there are other explanations for the shootings, and the other half, you’re extremely cautious.”

“Blame my army training. I imagine all possible scenarios and then prepare for the worst.”

Curiosity sparked to learn more about James. “What was it like in Afghanistan?”

His fingers drummed the dashboard as he considered his answer. “Lot of extremes. Hot during the day, cold at night. Periods of boredom followed by bursts of danger.”

“I understand the boredom–danger thing. Lots of that with undercover work.” Charlotte wondered if the experience had left him scarred. “What did you do in the army?”

“IED patrol.”

She gave a low whistle. The man had put his life on the line with every mission. Lucky for him, he’d returned home in one piece. “Must have been tough. Do the memories ever bother you, now that you’re home?” Charlotte bit her lip. This was none of her business. “Never mind. I have no right to ask. I thank you for your service.”