Page 74 of Operation: Return

That suitcase held her money and everything they had. With no way to return to Rock Point, she would have nothing but the clothes on her back. She prayed, cringed, and let go of the suitcase. She heard it hit the sidewalk but didn’t turn to see what had happened.

“Why are you running from me? Isn’t that what you always do, Erica?”

He knewhername? She pressed forward and dared looked back. He was walking now and keeping up far too well.

“You’ll learn soon enough that running doesn’t help you. It only makes things worse.”

She was so close to the corner now, but what then? She would turn the corner and another long street would lay before her. If she could make it to the gas station, there might be people there, but she couldn’t stay forever.

But she could ask to make a call. Cole would come for her. And if he wouldn’t come for her, he’d come for Pete. Why did her fear continually put her in situations she couldn’t foresee? Friendless. Nowhere to turn. No job. No hope.

What do you mean, no hope?

While the question had been in her own voice, it was right. She should never lose hope. The man reached her and grabbed her arm, tugging her to a stop.

“Pete, run!”

He took off toward the glaring light of the gas station. She prayed he would make it.

“Smart move. I didn’t want to babysit again anyway.” He whipped her around, pulling her arm up behind her back and tugging her gun from her waistband. Instantly, she was trapped. She either had to move forward as he pushed or risk breaking her arm.

“You aren’t even who we wanted, but you’ll do for now.” His hot breath moistened her ear.

She could fight, argue that they’d never get what they want, but that would only make him angrier. She closed her eyes against the tears that would blur her vision and make any chance of escape impossible.

Hope. She couldn’t lose hope.

A truck turned down the street and big, bright lights blinding her. She squinted and stumbled against her attacker. If her captor had any worries about being seen, he didn’t bother with hurrying. As the truck reached them, it yanked over and she recognized the driver through the open window. “Cole!”

He lifted his gun and aimed at her captor and she ducked her head as far as she could.

“I earned the designation of sniper. Let her go or we’ll test my experience on your head.”

* * *

Cole’s heartraced and he willed the man to listen and let Erica go. He’d seen Pete racing toward the police officer. That had been his cue to find Erica. Pete was safe. That much he knew, but he couldn’t stand to lose Erica. Not now. Not to this. They had too much to work through to let her go.

The man chuckled. “You so much as move that finger and I’ll put a bullet in her spine.” He shoved something into her back. “Tell him, Erica. How it feels to have a .38 pressed into your spine.”

Erica closed her eyes but said nothing. He could see her hair shaking, the only indication she was terrified. Cole slowly got out of his truck and held up his gun. If this guy was going to play that way, he’d have to free Erica the hard way and pray the cop was able to come quickly.

“No. Cole. Go get Pete. Make sure he’s okay.” Erica’s voice was soft and strained.

“He’s with the police officer on the other end of the next block. He did exactly as you told him.”

“Aw, isn’t this just so sweet.” The man shoved her forward. “But we don’t have time for catching up.”

Erica looked Cole in the eye and firmed her jaw. She was about to do something, but he couldn’t tell what.

“Put your gun down on the sidewalk and kick it over here. Hands where I can see them,” the kidnapper ordered.

Cole watched Erica and kept both hands out as he crouched and put the gun on the sidewalk. “I’m not kicking my gun and risking shooting one of us. One in three isn’t good odds when it comes to bullet wounds.” He wanted to distract the kidnapper long enough for him to focus on Cole, not Erica, so she could do whatever she’d planned.

Erica slumped forward as if she’d fainted and the sudden change in weight made her kidnapper hurry to keep hold of her. His gun hand was now wrapped around her waist while his other was trapped between them. She slammed her head back, connecting with his nose. The sickening crunch was almost worse than the man’s scream.

He released Erica but recovered quickly and lunged for Cole’s gun. Cole blocked him with a roundhouse and was rewarded with the barrel of the pistol to his face as his opponent raised it. With fractions of a second to think about what to do, Cole pulled his spare from his waistband and aimed, thankful he chose a double action and didn’t need to worry about cocking it.

“All you Wayside fools think you can stop us? Scarlet holds too many secrets for us to ever let her go.”