Page 15 of Coerced

Fair enough.

He was ready.

But since the man’s wife was nearing the end of her pregnancy with their first child, I wanted to be mindful of where Nixon’s head was at. We had a kidnapped child on our hands, and I didn’t doubt it could be messing with his head.

Everybody’s senses were already heightened, and it was safe to say we all had an edge of bitterness about this case.

A little girl had been kidnapped four days ago. Her name was Amelia, she was seven years old, and she was plucked from her lemonade stand in front of her house right in the middle of the day. Evidently, her mom had been outside with her, but she’d gotten distracted by Amelia’s two-year-old brother. Swearing she’d only looked away for not even a minute, when Amelia’s mom turned around, she realized her daughter was gone.

They’d gone to the police.

Two and a half days into it, desperate and exhausted, Amelia’s parents came to Harper Security Ops.

With the information we’d gathered from Amelia’sparents, along with the information the police department had rounded up—we worked with them frequently and they were happy to collaborate—our team of private investigators worked hard on locating Amelia.

They’d done that.

And now it was up to the Harper Security Ops kidnap and ransom team to bring this little girl home. We mobilized and had gotten to this point.

It was a matter of minutes before we’d have this girl rescued. My only hope was that she was still alive and uninjured. I suspected she’d be traumatized by the whole ordeal. Once we confirmed Amelia’s physical safety, we’d do our best to provide her—and her family—with the resources they needed to help her mind heal from it all.

Confident my team was ready, I gave the order. “Let’s move.”

That was it.

That was the moment outside thoughts faded. There was a mission, a target. We had a job to do, and the focus was on getting that job done.

In any situation involving a kidnapping rescue, it was always tense. When a kid was involved, it always raised the stakes. But we were no less confident in our ability to get that positive outcome.

I, along with my team, entered the home and set about our tasks. Their job, cover me and take down any of the perpetrators. My job, get the little girl.

As I moved through the first floor of the house toward the staircase, I was acutely aware of everything happening around me. Every noise, from the grunts and groans from the men being apprehended and the hum of the airconditioning to the silence from the second floor as I climbed the stairs.

Instinct told me this wasn’t going to be smooth sailing. It wasn’t likely this little girl was left alone in a room. She was, if nothing else, being guarded by someone.

Seconds later, I learned I was right, and fortunately, I was prepared.

As I moved along the hallway toward the bedrooms, ready to search each one, I saw the movement of a shadow in the sunlit patch on the carpet. It gave me just enough warning. When a body sprang out in front of me, and an arm came flying toward my face, I went into self-defense mode.

It was like second nature to me. My body moved in all the ways necessary to protect the vital parts while doing what I needed to do incapacitate the guy. Though he put up a heck of a fight, regular drills, training, and real-world experience gave me the advantage.

Even better, by the time I’d knocked the guy out, I heard footsteps behind me and noticed Banks approaching. “I’ve got him,” he declared. “You get the girl.”

I moved on, checking each room, and when I’d made it to the second to last, I stepped inside and found Amelia. She was on the bed, and she looked terrified to see me. I got it. I was just another guy in a house filled with men she didn’t know.

“Hi, Amelia.”

She stared at me. Her face was pale, the circles around her eyes were dark. She looked like she hadn’t slept in days. I wasn’t convinced she’d had much to eat or drink, either. I couldn’t bring myself to feel anything but relief about the fact she was still wearing clothes. I knew thatdidn’t tell the full story and that it was entirely possible something horrific had happened to her, but my mind wouldn’t allow me to think the worst.

Seeing this little girl sitting there, alone and terrified, something moved through me. It was always difficult in situations that involved kids. They were innocent victims that got caught up in situations in a world that was far too harsh for them sometimes.

Though I could have gotten caught up in all the wrongs I wanted to right in the world, Amelia needed better from me. So, I focused my energy and attention where I needed it to be.

“My name is Paxton, and I’m one of the good guys,” I told her, noting a subtle change in her. It was clear she wanted to believe I was being honest, but she didn’t know if she should. “Your mom and dad came to the place I work, and they asked me and some of my friends to help find you. I’d like to take you out of here, so we can call them to come and get you. What do you think about that?”

Amelia hesitated. I understood it, too.

There was nothing that set me apart from the men who’d taken her. I didn’t look like a good guy. I wasn’t wearing a uniform that might indicate to her I was supposed to be trustworthy.