MISSION: REUNITE MOTHER AND SON

Single mother Penny Potter has spent months in hiding to keep her toddler from his father, a rogue FBI agent turned fugitive. But he’s determined to flee the country with the child, and she can’t dodge him forever. When he corners Penny in the Montana wilderness and gets away with their son, she’s forced to trust his brother, handsome FBI K-9 agent Zeke Morrow. And Zeke must decide where his loyalty lies: with his sibling or the woman he wasn’t supposed to fall for. As the bullets fly and family ties are tested, Penny and Zeke will fight to save the boy who brought them together.

“I’m taking my son, Penny. None of you can stop me,” Jake said.

Her son’s father—the FBI’s most wanted right now—fired another round of shots, causing Zeke to rush toward Penny and push her down, his body shielding hers.

“Why did you let him go?” Penny screamed at Zeke. She struggled to get up. But Zeke was still blocking her, protecting her. Then she stared into his chocolate eyes.

Something swift and sizzling moved between them in a flash of emotion.

“I had to for now,” Zeke replied as he placed his hands on either side of her shoulders and shot up. Helping her to her feet, he added, “I know my brother. He’d shoot you and Cheetah or he’d ambush us later. He wants you dead so he can take my nephew.”

“Your nephew?”

“Yes,” he replied, defiance in his eyes. “Kevin is your son—and my nephew. I have to get to him before Jake does.”

* * *

CLASSIFIED K-9 UNIT:

These lawmen solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners

Guardian—Terri Reed, April 2017

Sheriff—Laura Scott, May 2017

Special Agent—Valerie Hansen, June 2017

Bounty Hunter—Lynette Eason, July 2017

Bodyguard—Shirlee McCoy, August 2017

Tracker—Lenora Worth, September 2017

Classified K-9 Unit Christmas—Terri Reed and Lenora Worth, December 2017

Dear Reader,

I hope this story kept you on the edge of your seat. It sure kept me that way when I was writing it. My heart hurt for Zeke and Penny. Forced together by tragedy and danger, they found hope and a way around all the obstacles in their way. It was painful to put a child in such a situation but sadly, we know this can sometimes happen, so little Kevin now has a good home with a wonderful man to be his daddy!

I hope this story enlightened and entertained you. If you’ve ever had bad times in your life, know that God is there and He watches over all of us. He certainly guided me through this story.

Until next time, may the angels watch over you. Always.

With over seventy books published and millions in print, LENORA WORTH writes award-winning romance and romantic suspense. Three of her books finaled in the ACFW Carol Awards, and her Love Inspired Suspense novel Body of Evidence became a New York Times bestseller. Her novella in Mistletoe Kisses made her a USA TODAY bestselling author. Lenora goes on adventures with her retired husband, Don, and enjoys reading, baking and shopping...especially shoe shopping.

Tracker

Lenora Worth

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MILLS & BOON

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Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

—Psalms 8:2

To the other authors in this series who always help me, brainstorm with me and laugh with me—Terri Reed, Valerie Hansen, Lynette Eason, Laura Scott and Shirlee McCoy. I love working with all of you! And to my editor, Emily Rodmell, for putting up with me!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

ONE

“I’m not leaving without my son.”

He pressed the gun against her spine, the cold muzzle chilling against her thin shirt. Late-afternoon sunshine shot over the Elk Basin, giving the vast Montana sky a pastoral rendering. But right now, that sky looked ominous.

She didn’t want to die here.

Penny Potter twisted around and tried to break free from the man who’d come crashing out of the woods and tackled her just seconds before. Heaving a shuddering breath, she screamed at her former boyfriend, “Jake, there is no way I’m letting you take Kevin out of the country! I told you last time, neither of us is going with you.”

Jake Morrow’s blue eyes matched the sky, but the bitter flash of anger seared Penny’s heart. “Yeah, but you took my boy and ran away.”

Apprehension and fear gnawed at her, but Penny tried to stay calm. She had to keep her head and get back to Kevin before her ex found him. “I can’t leave the country with you. I’m not going to put Kevin through that. They’re all looking for you, Jake. Just go and leave us alone.”

“You might not be willing to come with me,” Jake said, his actions filled with a wild recklessness that made her shiver in spite of the late summer heat. “But my son sure is not staying behind. You’re going to take me to him. Now! Or you’ll never see him again.”

* * *

Special Agent Zeke Morrow moved silently through the underbrush, his K-9 partner, an Australian shepherd named Cheetah, taking the lead as they canvassed yet another grid of rocky hills and tall ponderosa pines. He’d checked in with several of the other members of the FBI Classified K-9 Unit who were scouring a ridge on the other side of the woods. Nothing yet. No sign of Jake Morrow.

“Where are you, Jake?” he asked in a low whisper, his gaze scanning every shift of leaves and every snap of twigs. He had to keep going in spite of the deep-boned fatigue that threatened to weigh him down.

Could his half brother, Jake, really be somewhere inside this vast wilderness? After picking up a tip that the former agent, now wanted by the FBI for turning corrupt and joining forces with the infamous Dupree crime syndicate, had been spotted buying supplies and ammunition at a truck stop a few miles from here, Zeke had talked to several of the residents who lived along the edge of the wilderness preserve. One of them, a young science teacher who’d been on a hike, had seen someone matching Jake’s description going into the Elk Basin early this morning.

“And there was another man with him but he took off in a big black van,” the nervous fellow had stated. “Don’t mention my name, okay? Those two looked loaded for bear.”

The other guy had been described as short in stature with long, stringy hair and wearing glasses. Sounded a lot like Gunther Caprice, a wanted criminal who’d managed to fly under the radar since the Dupree family business had started to unravel. He’d probably dropped Jake off here and was hiding out somewhere. But what were they doing here of all places?

Unless this was another one of his brother’s ruses to fool all of them. Or...perhaps this was the big break they’d all been waiting for.

Zeke’s gut told him that his half brother was indeed somewhere in these woods. But that still didn’t explain why Jake had decided to come back to Montana when he knew he was a wanted man. What possible motive could he have?

Jake, who’d once been a valuable member of the elite FBI Classified K-9 Unit, had gone off the deep end after joining up with the notorious Dupree crime family. Fellow agent Ian Slade had fallen in love with the only crime-free member of the Dupree clan. Esme Dupree was willing to testify against her brother, Reginald, but she’d left the witness protection program because she feared for her life. Ian grudgingly became her protector after a trek through the Florida Everglades, where eventually her older sister, Violetta, shot and killed Angus Dupree in order to save Esme’s life. But now Ian and Esme had gone into hiding in another country until Jake was found and Reginald Dupree was brought to justice. Couldn’t happen soon enough for Zeke. The whole team had been playing a game of cat and mouse with Jake all spring and summer.

Almost six months of searching for his armed and dangerous half brother had brought Zeke back to Montana a couple of days ago. Reports kept coming in—sightings of the rogue agent near the Elk Basin and in other areas close to Billings. Was he trying to get back to headquarters? Or was Jake just messing with the entire team?

I have to find him and try to reason with him, take him in alive.

Zeke stopped and gave Cheetah some water, patted him and checked the dog’s protective FBI vest. “Good boy. You’re doing great. Show me where to go next, okay?”

Cheetah would do his job. The medium-sized dog had a sweet temperament, but he was trained in search and rescue and could turn serious with one command. His K-9 partner never quit, so Zeke wouldn’t, either.

Cheetah lifted his snout and sniffed the hot August air. Then the dog tugged at his leash and headed east, back toward the main trail out of the basin.

Zeke followed, the sound of distant voices causing his pulse to rise. Could he finally be on the right track?

* * *

“No!” Penny tried to break away, but Jake grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and jerked her back so hard pain shot through her neck. Praying her son was okay, she tried to stay calm so she could see a way out of this.

Shoving her ahead of him on the rocky path into the thicket, Jake kept one hand in a death grip on her arm. “Let’s go. We’re getting Kevin, and either you both go with me, or I’ll take him and you won’t even have time to regret it.”

“You don’t have to do this,” she pleaded, wondering how Jake had found her. She’d been all over the country, using fake names, constantly changing her appearance and hiding out in dives with her now two-year-old son. Penny hated dragging Kevin from pillar to post and hiding him in secrecy, but she had to protect him from his father. She’d thought since almost six months had passed and no one had found Jake, she’d be safe coming back to Montana. Especially here in the remote wilderness in the Elk Basin, an area she’d loved all of her life.

But then, she’d always underestimated the dangerous man holding her against her will now. Penny had wanted to believe Jake was one of the good guys, but she could tell even before he’d disappeared that he’d changed. She’d heard the rumors and a few cryptic news reports after he’d been presumed kidnapped by a member of the Dupree crime family. But as the months wore on, things had taken a sickening twist.

Now Jake was wanted by the very people who used to trust him and work with him—his own FBI team. Their work was classified, but she knew they’d searched her former house and probably taken some pictures she’d left there so they could easily identify her and Kevin. They were most likely searching for her, too. She’d taken off long before they showed up, and she’d had to leave several other temporary locations.

All because she’d been trying to get away from Jake.

Her ex was in deep trouble and from what she could glean, it had something to do with the criminal syndicate that his former unit had tried to infiltrate several months ago. Jake had gone missing once the dust had settled on that botched mission. She’d heard they’d captured Reginald Dupree that day, but his uncle Angus Dupree had escaped and taken Jake hostage. Angus was dead now, or so she’d heard. All she knew was Jake was a wanted man, according to the few news reports she’d heard.

The reports had also implicated Jake as a willing accomplice. He’d betrayed his unit for money and power. And yet here he stood, holding a gun on her in a desperate attempt to get out of the country. With their son. That would happen over her dead body.

“Jake, let me go. You can’t take a toddler on the run. Let us be and...maybe one day I can send you pictures or...find a way for you two to reunite.”

“No,” he barked. “No, Penny. I lost my father. I won’t let that happen to my son.”

Her heart sank. Jake was in a mindset where he refused to listen to reason. “I understand,” she said, not giving up but giving in for now.

It was too late for Jake to do anything but run. He would kill her and take their son. He wouldn’t give up without a fight, but neither would she.

* * *

Zeke’s phone buzzed. “What’s the status, Agent Morrow?”

Max West, the Special Agent in Charge, checking on him again.

“Cheetah’s picked up something, sir. I heard voices on the other side of one of the main trails heading east. Headed that way now.”

“I’ll send some backup. We got nothing here.”

After ending the call, Zeke put his phone away and listened. There. Again. Shouts into the still, dry air. A woman’s scream.

Cheetah growled low and alerted. Zeke’s heart pumped new energy into his tired body. They hurried through the scrub brush and outcroppings, but he couldn’t decide if he was relieved or if this dread burdening his soul would overtake him.

Help me make the right decisions, Lord.

* * *

Jake clamped a sweaty hand over her mouth. “That was a big mistake,” he said, his tone full of rage. “But I doubt anyone heard you. You’re so predictable, Penny, hanging around out in the woods with people trying to have a wilderness adventure. I’ve been watching you for days, getting a handle on your routine. No one will ever find you out here.” He dropped his hand. “But if you scream again, you’ll regret it.”

He was right.

Penny blinked away tears of frustration and looked around frantically at the deserted trail. No one in sight. She’d finished guiding a wilderness tour over an hour ago and watched the busload of about twenty people head out in the other direction. Tired and hot and not as alert as she should have been, she’d started hiking the couple of miles toward home, her mind on seeing Kevin. Jake had waylaid her near the small town of Iris Rock, where her son was safe inside the Wild Iris Inn with the owner, Claire Crayton.

Claire knew what to do. Penny had explained when she first moved into the boardinghouse that her ex-boyfriend might show up and try to cause trouble. Under no circumstance was the older woman to allow Kevin to go with anyone except Penny. Claire had nodded toward the shotgun she kept behind the check-in counter and promised her she’d take care of Kevin, no matter what.

Now Penny wished she’d warned Claire that the father of her child might be armed and dangerous and wanted by the law. But she’d never dreamed Jake would hold a gun on her or threaten her life.

Please, God, keep Kevin safe.

Penny entreated that simple prayer over and over while she looked around for a way to escape. Since she’d been a trained guide for years, she knew this basin better than most. She knew the nooks and crannies, the hills, valleys and meadows and all the streams and waterfalls; knew the animals and the seasons. If she could make it across the trailhead to the open meadow, she’d be able to hide in the tall grass and inch her way toward the foothills.

“Don’t even think about it, sweetheart,” Jake said, his breath hissing like a snake against her neck. “You’re smart and I have no doubt that you can survive out here. But it would be stupid to try and outrun me.”

Penny glanced at the semiautomatic handgun he pressed into her ribs as a reminder, her heart pumping adrenaline while she thought of her sweet little boy. Kevin had his daddy’s dark blond hair and deep blue eyes.

“What happened to you, Jake?” she asked, stalling but also wanting some answers. “Why would you risk everything and ruin your career? I’ve heard rumors—”

“Later,” he snarled. “I’m not going to explain all of that right now. Besides, what do you care? You ran out on me.”

Pushing her forward, his anger shimmering from every pore, he checked both ways along the path into the woods.

He wasn’t going to talk, and he was too wired to tolerate her feeble attempts to save herself. Penny cast a desperate glance over the vast open country between the surrounding hills, the August heat burning her. Her only chance was to try to run as fast as she possibly could. She waited for Jake to loosen his grip on her arm before she broke free and plowed through the brush, only to stumble on a jutting rock and fall face-first into the dry bramble.

He caught up with her and jerked her back up. “Nice try.” Stroking a gentle finger against her cheekbone, he said, “Now you’re bleeding. Next time, things might get even worse.”

* * *

Zeke followed the sound of voices, Cheetah taking him back into the woods. A woman. A scream. Even if this didn’t involve Jake, someone could be in trouble. Not many people hung around here this late unless they were camping or had gotten lost on one of the many trails. The sun would be setting in about an hour. Needing to think this through, he halted Cheetah to get his bearings and hurriedly checked the map coordinates on his phone. They were about two miles from the small town of Iris Rock.

The town where Penny Potter used to rent a house.

Penny had been Jake’s girlfriend and she was now the mother of his child. But she was so off the radar, no one had been able to find her. Could Jake have come back here looking for her and his son, one last time? While that didn’t make much sense, Zeke’s gut burned with the sure knowledge that someone was in trouble up ahead.

“Let’s go,” he said to Cheetah. The animal took off in an eager run, straight toward those echoing voices.

Then Zeke heard something else off in the distance. The hum of a vehicle hitting ruts in the dirt. Hopefully, his backup had arrived.

* * *

“We’ll keep walking,” Jake explained. “I have someone coming with a vehicle full of supplies to pick us up just over that north ridge. We’ll have our son and we can leave tonight. I have plenty of money hidden away, baby. We can go somewhere warm and tropical, a place where they will never find us. I’ll take care of both of you.” His husky whispers sent a cold chill down her spine. “I’ve missed you so much.”

Now he was trying to sweet-talk her? Penny closed her eyes and swallowed back the painful knot lodged inside her throat. Resolve and revulsion overtook any sympathy she might have once had for him. She was strong now, strong in her newfound faith and strong in her love for her child. “I’m not going anywhere with you, Jake, and neither is Kevin.”

“He’s my son.”

The words held a threat.

She had to make a move.

Penny practiced self-defense on a regular basis since her job required her to be out in the middle of nowhere with strangers following her around and wild animals approaching unexpectedly. But could she take down a six-foot-three-inch muscular man? A deranged, desperate fugitive who didn’t have anything to lose?

Except the one person he loved in the world. His son.

Her heart swelled when she thought about Kevin. So innocent and precious. He’d never know his father. But if she didn’t make a move, he’d never have his mother, either.

“Quit stalling, Penny,” Jake said, his voice as hard and dry as the surrounding countryside. She stared at the flat, brown land leading to the distant woods and hills and spotted a lone scarlet-colored fairy trumpet. The pretty flower beckoned her. It had survived the hot summer. She would, too.

Lord, help me in my time of need. Give me the strength to do what I need to do.

With a grunt and all the energy she could muster, she whirled and elbowed Jake in the ribs, one booted foot latching against his left calf so she could trip him. Still in motion, she jabbed at his eyes with two fingers, surprising him.

He put a hand to his face and went down with a groan, giving her just enough time to slip out of his grip and slam her heavy backpack against his head.

Clutching the bag against her as protection, she spun away from his crumbled body and took off toward the forest about fifty yards across the meadow. If she could make it to the tree line, she could hide up in the hills until nightfall. Or longer if necessary. But she couldn’t hide. She had to call the boardinghouse and warn Claire before Jake got to Kevin.

But right now she had to outrun the man she once loved. Her heart hammering in her chest, she pushed with all her might and took off, her hiking boots kicking up dust.

Thinking she’d made it, Penny glanced back when she was about ten yards from the thick stand of ponderosa pines and aspens leading to another trail. Jake stumbled toward her, his gun raised.

He wasn’t going to let her live.

TWO

A gunshot echoed through the meadow just beyond the woods.

Zeke started running.

“Search,” he commanded, letting Cheetah’s leash go. The dog took off toward the area where they’d heard the shots, Zeke jogging behind him. Cheetah must have picked up some kind of scent that he recognized. But had it come from the same vicinity as that gunshot?

The showdown that Zeke had been waiting for for close to six months could be about to happen. And none too soon. Roaming all over the country trying to track down leads, desperately trying to rescue his older half brother, only to discover that the man he’d always worshipped had turned traitor, had taken its toll on him and the entire team. He’d even taken a bullet recently and still had the sore spot on his upper left arm to prove it. Thanks to his brother, he’d have a nice scar as a permanent reminder.

But nothing was going to stop Zeke from trying to track down Jake. Maybe he could at least keep him alive and in prison instead of dead and gone. If Jake was willing to give them vital information that could finish off the last dregs of the Dupree syndicate, maybe they could work out a plea bargain at least.

“Find him, Cheetah,” Zeke said, the urgency of their situation driving him on.

Cheetah had Jake’s scent from an old T-shirt they’d found in his locker back at headquarters in Billings, but they’d also confirmed the blood on a shirt they’d found in a cabin in Texas belonged to his brother, too. That, along with a watch Zeke had given him when Jake had first become an FBI agent. Zeke asked to be on the case and he’d followed the tips all over the country, hoping to end this thing. Now it could all end right here in Montana.

Zeke had images of his brawny half brother serving as a dedicated FBI Classified K-9 agent, now turned outright criminal, to spur him on. Yet, despite everything, he didn’t want to accept that Jake was all bad. He had called Zeke not long ago and told him he was in too deep now. Just another reminder of how confusing things had become.

Hot and exhausted, both he and Cheetah hurried out of the thicket. Cheetah’s low growl and urgent trot told Zeke he’d probably find his brother.

But had Jake been shot?

When they made it out into the open, Zeke sucked in a sharp breath. He couldn’t believe what he was witnessing.

Jake had a woman held at gunpoint.

A woman who looked familiar based on the pictures he’d seen. And scared. She was bleeding, her left cheekbone bruised and swollen. Her gaze slammed into Zeke’s and he felt a jolt of adrenaline rushing over him.

Penny Potter? It had to be her.

Zeke didn’t hesitate. He needed to end this now.

“Drop the weapon,” he ordered, his assault rifle aimed at Jake and the woman. Penny was the mother of Jake’s young son, Kevin. Her golden-brown hair and slim, athletic figure sure fit the description. Her hair was shorter and heavily streaked with lighter shades of blond, but he remembered her face from some old photos they’d found when they’d searched her last known address in Colorado. The K-9 team had been looking for her since late spring but she’d managed to elude them, too. Zeke never imagined he’d find her here again and with Jake holding her hostage.

“It’s over, Jake,” he called, his gaze trained on his brother. “Don’t make it any harder.”

Jake didn’t even flinch. Shoving the gun closer to the woman’s stomach, he shouted, “Hello there, bro. Long time, no see.” Then he shook his head and chuckled. “They had to send you, right?” Jake’s dark blue gaze slid over Zeke’s tactical uniform with disdain. “All geared up and loaded down to come after me. Poetic justice and so much irony, don’t you think?”

Zeke advanced a little closer. Cheetah was silent but waiting for his command with a controlled tremor. “Jake, Cheetah can take you down but I don’t want to force that. Put the weapon down and let the woman go. We can find a way to help you. Maybe work out a plea bargain or something.”

He almost added a please, but Jake used to tease him about being weak-kneed and impulsive. Zeke couldn’t show any weakness now, and he wasn’t about to make any impulsive decisions. A woman’s life depended on it. And the life of her child, too, if he was guessing right on her identity.

Jake shook his head and jammed the gun against the woman’s ribs so hard, she cried out. But she quickly recovered, a determined grit in her expression. “It’s not over until I have my son safely out of this country,” he informed them. “I need to get Kevin. I’ll be out of everyone’s hair soon.”

“You can’t do that,” Zeke said. “You don’t want to take your son away from his mother.”

Jake’s gaze scanned the woods and trails. “What’s left for me to do except leave? The Dupree family is shattered and their lieutenants are scattered to the wind. I’m on my own and...there’s really no other way. I just want my son, so I’m going to get him. Now.”

He gripped Penny’s arm and pushed her forward.

“I can’t let you go,” Zeke said, wondering if he’d have the courage to shoot his own half brother. Jake’s desperate statement only made things worse. Turning his attention to the frightened woman, he asked, “Penny, are you okay?”

She gasped and nodded, her eyes filling with both relief and dread. Zeke could see the resolve in her gaze, too.

“She’s fine,” Jake gritted out, anger echoing in each word. “Turn around, Zeke. Let me get to my boy. I won’t hurt her, I promise.” Then he added, “And I don’t want to shoot you again.”

“I don’t trust your promises,” Zeke said. “I’m going to ask you one more time to drop your weapon.”

With an angry grunt, Jake pulled Penny closer. “You need to behave, sweetheart. Because if you try anything, I’ll kill him and come for you. Nod if you understand.”

* * *

Penny nodded, her gaze latching onto the other man while she prayed Jake wouldn’t kill either of them.

Jake kissed her on her temple, the heat of his lips burning her damp skin with a desperate heat. “I told you, I’m not leaving without my son.”

He backed up, using her as a shield, and then pushed her a foot away, behind a towering pine. “Don’t move, Penny. I mean it.”

Confused and frightened, she scraped her knuckles against the rough bark while Jake stalked around the tree, giving her a possible means of escape. She could run now. Just leave them to duke this out. She could get Kevin and go as far away from here as possible. She’d done it before.

But the man who’d come to her rescue caused her to stay. She couldn’t leave him here with Jake. He’d called her by her real name so he obviously recognized her, which could only mean they’d been digging into her past, too. Then Jake had called the man Zeke and bro. What did that mean? He’d never wanted to talk about himself or his family because of the classified nature of his job. None of this made any sense.

But if this man was a friend or a true brother, he hadn’t come here for a family reunion. He was dressed in a bulletproof vest and wore a black cap over his crisp, dark hair that clearly read FBI. His partner was a sleek, fierce warrior. She’d always had a heart for dogs. This one was also marked as FBI.

“Hey, Penny. If you run, I’ll kill him and his loyal partner, okay?” Jake said again, glancing at her with a threatening look. “But since we’re all here together, I guess it would be rude of me not to make the proper introductions.” He held his gun toward where the man called Zeke stood with feet braced apart and his deadly-looking rifle raised.

Before Jake could tell her who he was, the agent said, “Jake, man, don’t do this. We all want to hear your side of the story. Your unit is worried about you.”

This man was from Jake’s unit!

“Who is he?” she asked Jake.

Keeping his eyes on the other man, Jake said, “Well, you always badgered me about my family, and now you get to meet my little brother, Zeke. Not the best of circumstances, but that can’t be helped.”

“You have a brother?” Penny asked, watching the man at the other end of this standoff. Hoping he could figure something out that would save both of them. He certainly looked capable. Muscular and confident, he stood ready for Jake’s next move. But he also held a hint of hope that Jake would give up.

That should reassure her but...she was afraid none of them would get out of this alive.

Jake shook his head, his eyes wild, his gaze darting between her and Zeke. But he kept his pistol trained on the man and the canine. “Actually, he’s only my half brother. We shared the same father but that’s about it. My old man left my mother and me for his new family.”

He said that with such disgust, Zeke flinched but recovered before Jake even noticed. But Penny noticed. Her heart went out to the man standing there, his rifle aimed at Jake. What must he be going through right now?

Two brothers, one good and one bad.

She couldn’t walk away from this. Jake would keep coming. She had to do something now. But which one did she trust?

Jake’s next words confirmed that decision and told her what she had to do. “Now you know Kevin has an uncle, but he’ll never get to meet Uncle Zeke.” Raising the handgun at the same time he grabbed Penny and pinned her in front of him, he said with regret in each word, “I’m going to have to kill you, bro. You know too much.” His grip tightened on Penny. “You both know too much.”

Zeke inched forward, the canine following. “Jake, think about this. Don’t make things worse for yourself. Let her go and you and I can talk.”

“No more talking,” Jake said. Then he held the gun closer and moved it up to Penny’s heart. “Back off or I’ll kill her right now. I’m not playing. I have to get out of here. With Kevin.”

Penny’s gaze slammed into Zeke’s shocked expression. She’d dropped her backpack when Jake had shoved her at the tree, and she couldn’t reach it now. Panic-stricken, she looked around for a weapon. Anything would suffice. Glancing back at Zeke, she tried to send him a silent message. She made a big deal about looking past him as if she saw someone else. Straining forward, she shouted, “Jake, did you see that? I think someone’s in the woods.”

It was enough to cause her ex to lift his head and glance around. He shifted, his hard-edged gaze sweeping the area.

Penny slumped against him again, causing him to shift. She slipped down and grabbed a jagged piece of rock and managed to twist toward Jake, her arm raised as she lifted the stone toward him while his arms went up in the air. She’d been a softball pitcher in high school so she could pretty much aim for any sweet spot far away. But up close, it was too hard. Thinking quickly, she aimed for the weapon in his outstretched hand. The heavy rock made contact enough against the gun for Jake to lose his grip. His gun flipped out into the air and fell a few feet away.

“You shouldn’t have done that, Penny,” he snapped as he shoved her onto her back and slid toward the weapon.

Zeke shouted at her, “Run. Go. Get out of here!”

The canine started barking and snarling.

Then the FBI agent shouted again, “Run!”

Penny grabbed her backpack as she headed into the woods. Her cell phone was inside. She could call the inn and warn Claire.

Gunshots went off. The FBI agent commanded, “Attack!”

Glancing back, she saw Jake roll and then hop up, the gun now aimed at the dog as he ran ahead of the barking canine, shooting to keep him away. But the dog was quick. He nipped at Jake’s booted foot, his teeth sinking deep.

Her ex grunted and let out a string of curses, all the while fighting to get free of Cheetah. But his efforts failed. His pants ripped and he managed to get up and stumble forward, the dog still on his heels.

Penny couldn’t stop to watch.

The whiz of a bullet hit a tree near her. She heard the shots and realized Jake was making good on his word to try to kill her.

She heard more shots and pivoted around. Her crazy ex was now shooting toward the dog.

Zeke began returning fire. The medium-sized dog was becoming more and more aggressive, barking angrily and dancing away from the continuous shots. The animal would gain on Jake again any second now. Penny turned and ducked behind a tree just as the dog leaped into the air and headed toward her assailant.

But Jake took one more shot and disappeared into the woods.

Zeke came hurrying by. “Stay there,” he told her on a rushed breath.

Then Jake shouted from somewhere above her on some rocks, “Call off your partner, Zeke. I have Penny in my sights and I will take out her and the dog. You know I’m a good shot.”

The words echoed out over the woods like an eerie wail. As if to prove he could do it, Jake shot above Penny’s head. She ducked and held her breath.

Then she saw Jake running through the rough terrain in a zigzag pattern. Heard him shout, “I’m taking him, Penny. None of you can stop me.”

He fired another round of shots, causing Zeke to rush toward Penny and push her down, his big body shielding hers.

“Halt,” Zeke called to the canine barking loudly at the rock formation.

Cheetah whirled and stopped.

“Come,” Zeke called again, the reluctance and frustration obvious in his tone.

The obedient dog returned and stood watch, his beautiful heavy fur quivering with awareness.

“Why did you let him go?” Penny shrieked at Zeke while she struggled to get up. But he was still blocking her, protecting her. Then she stared into his chocolate-brown eyes. The anguish she saw there only mirrored what she’d been feeling for the last few months.

Something swift and sizzling arced between them in a flash of emotion.

“I had to for now,” Zeke replied softly as he placed his hands on either side of her shoulders and got up. Helping her to her feet, he added, “I know my brother. He’d shoot you and Cheetah, or he’d ambush us later. He wants you dead so he can take my nephew.”

“Your nephew?”

“Yes,” he replied, defiance in his eyes. “Kevin is my nephew. I have to get to him before Jake does.”

She agreed with him there but wasn’t so ready to accept him as Kevin’s uncle. That sounded way too personal right now.

They’d discuss the rest of this later. “You’re going after him even though you just let him slip through your fingers?” she asked, still in shock and worried about her son, still reeling from Zeke’s touch and the way his dark eyes had probed her.

He placed a gentle hand on her elbow and steered her through the woods and underneath the shelter of a giant rock near a pine tree. “Right now, I’m going after Jake.” Then he turned to the canine. “Cheetah, guard.”

Penny looked from the dog now standing in front of her back at Zeke. “Oh, no. I’m not sitting here while my son is in danger.” She tried to move past him.

Zeke held her back down. “Listen, I’m going up ahead to look for my brother, but we’ve got backup in the area. You need to stay here and wait for one of them to arrive, understand? Now, tell me where your son is right now so I can send someone to check on him.”

Penny didn’t hesitate on that. Holding her hand to her sweat-dampened hair, she said, “The Wild Iris Inn on Elk Rock Road. Just inside the town limits. Claire is the owner and she babysits for me. He’s with her. I need to—”

“Stay here,” Zeke commanded. “Cheetah won’t let anyone come near you.”

“And if your partner here gets shot?”

He pulled a handgun out of his shoulder holster. “Do you know how to use a weapon?”

She nodded. “My grandfather taught me.”

“Good. Then you know what to do with this one. You’ve got seventeen rounds. One already in the chamber, safety off. When the magazine is empty, run as fast as you can to the main road.”

With that, he took off. “Hurry,” she called, thinking she’d go where she wanted after he left. “Jake could be at the inn right now. He said he had a van stashed somewhere.”

“Got it,” Zeke responded, already running away.

Penny tried to move but the dog moved with her. Blocking her. Feeling helpless, she searched for one of the trails. The canine gave her a daring eye-to-eye stare. Too good at his job.

Frustration gnawed at her. What more could she do? Feeling lost and so very alone, she prayed, tears falling fast and hard down her face. Please, Lord, help me now.

“Please don’t let it be too late for my son,” she said out loud. The courageous animal standing in front of her looked at her with doleful eyes, as if he understood her prayers.

Penny reached out a hand, wanting to pull her protector close. But Cheetah was trained to do what Zeke told him. He stood straight and on the alert, his eyes never leaving her face.

Then she heard what sounded like a vehicle to the east. The sound echoed over the quiet woods. Crouching, she whispered to Cheetah, “What if Jake’s coming back?”

The dog turned his head toward the sound but still didn’t move. Penny held her breath and listened, her adrenaline spiking. Could she really do it? Could she use this weapon to kill the father of her child?

THREE

Penny stayed crouched behind the rock, her heartbeat pounding against her temples like a jackhammer. A black van pulled up on one of the trails, and a man wielding a gun got out and scanned the woods. Penny tried to make out his face, but he was too far away and the shifting light was too low. Barely breathing, she watched as Cheetah stayed with her and stood so still she thought the dog had turned to stone. The canine emitted a low growl, the dare in that whisper of aggression telling her she was safe with him.

But the man kept coming, slowly, deliberately, as if he knew exactly where she was hiding. Penny decided she wasn’t going to wait around and find out. Lifting the weighty handgun, she checked the safety and put her sights on the man. She hadn’t fired a gun since Jake had taken her to target practice so long ago. Could she shoot another human being?

Taking another long look at him, she tried to memorize details of his description. He wore dark glasses and had longish, stringy blond hair. He wasn’t very tall but he was brawny and in good shape.

The henchman advanced but Cheetah’s growls grew louder, causing the assailant to glance up in shock and pivot back and forth. He started backing away, a definite fear in his eyes.

Penny used that fear to give her courage. Lifting up, she aimed and shot into the air near where the man stood, hoping Zeke would hear and come back. The man took off running. Cheetah’s barks now turned brutal and loud.

The man hopped back in the van and started it up. Penny raised the gun again and shot toward the moving target. She missed but she thought she heard something else over the sound of the dog’s barks.

The cries of a child.

* * *

Zeke followed the trail of broken bramble and loose rocks along the craggy ridge, stopping to take a photo each time he saw drops of blood on the rocks or dirt. Cheetah had at least injured his brother. Probably not a deep bite since Jake had been wearing heavy leather boots, but enough that a crime scene tech could get a sample to back up whatever Penny could tell them. The K-9 team could gather evidence and get it to Billings. They all wanted Jake.

Deciding he couldn’t keep going along blindly, Zeke stopped at the top of the ridge and glanced down through the woods. It was hard to see with the growing dusk but he stilled and waited. Nothing. Jake had to be hiding down there somewhere but until help arrived, he had no choice but to turn around. He didn’t want to leave Penny alone. Pivoting, he heard a crashing noise down below. Could be an animal or it could be his brother on the move again. He hurried to check it out.

The sound of gunshots in the area where he’d left Penny had him running back in that direction instead. When he heard Cheetah’s fierce bark, he knew she was in trouble. Had Jake set up yet another distraction so he could get to Penny?

* * *

After what seemed like hours but had only been a few minutes, Zeke returned, winded, fatigue coloring his eyes.

Rushing up to where she sat against the tree with the gun held tightly against her, tears streaming down her face, he sank onto the ground by her. “Cheetah, sit.” Then he gently cupped Penny’s arms in his hands. “Are you okay?”

She handed Zeke his gun, thankful that he’d come back so quickly. But she was so scared of what she might have done it took her a while to speak. “A black van, big with no windows. A man got out and searched the area. I decided to scare him away so I shot toward him.” With each word, she began to sob in earnest.

Zeke nodded, concern deepening his frown. “Good, that’s good. Did you get a look at him?”

She swallowed, trying desperately to tamp down the fear that assailed her. “Yes. Not too tall. Long, stringy blond hair and glasses. And a really big rifle.” Then she grabbed his shirt. “Zeke, I can’t be sure since it all happened so fast and Cheetah was barking, but I...I think I heard a cry. Inside the van.” The terror took over and she started shaking. “I think I heard a child crying.” Then she fell against him, the sick fear engulfing her, the reality of her fears paralyzing her. “Zeke, I shot at the man and I missed. But I heard a child’s cry.” Pulling away, she stared up at him. “What if my son’s in that van?”

Zeke’s eyes went wide. Lifting her up, he pulled her closer and looked down at her. “We’re going to the inn. We’ll find Kevin.” Then, still holding her near, he took out his phone and reported everything she’d just told him. “Yes, sir. We’ll be there as soon as we can get back to my vehicle.”

He ended the call and turned to her. “Let’s get you back to the inn.”

She tugged at his arm and pointed toward the road. “We need to go after them. They went that way. I...I have to find Kevin.”

She started to go around him and tried to reach for her backpack.

“I’ll get it.” He snatched up the flower-encased bundle, their gazes locking for a brief moment. “Let’s go.”

Zeke pulled her with him across the rocky terrain at a furious trot. “My SAC—special agent in charge—Max West, and another agent are already headed to the Wild Iris, and the whole team is here and scattered throughout the woods. We’ve put out a BOLO on the van and we’ve got Jake’s face plastered all over the news and social media outlets. Max made sure the locals put out an APB.”

“So you didn’t see him anywhere?”

“No,” Zeke said. “But I did find blood on some of the rocks. I gave Max the locations so the crime scene techs can do a sweep of the area.”

We had him. Penny wished they could have stopped Jake but everything happened so fast. She prayed Kevin was safe, prayed she’d been imagining those wails. She had shot toward that van but thankfully, she’d missed.

Dear God, please, please. I couldn’t bear it if my child were kidnapped. She wished this was just a horrible nightmare. Each step seemed like an eternity and each time she glanced back, she expected Jake to be trailing them.

Then she halted and gasped. “I remember something Jake said earlier.”

“What?” Zeke queried, swiping at buzzing bugs.

“He said he had a van waiting. ‘We’ll have Kevin.’ Then he went on talking about how we’d leave together.”

Realization filled Zeke’s eyes. “That does make it sound like Kevin would already be in the van.”

She bobbed her head. “Yes, yes. I think I heard my baby crying.” Putting her hands to her mouth, she tried to take another breath. “Zeke, what if Jake holding me here was all a distraction so that man could get to Kevin? And now...he could be hurt or—”

Zeke let out a frustrated sigh and took her into his arms. “Penny, think. Where did the shot land?”

She closed her eyes. “It hit a few feet in front of the van, thankfully.”

“So if Kevin was in the van, he’d probably be in the back, maybe in a crib or a seat, or you could have heard something else.” Softening his tone, he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Don’t think the worst until we can get to the inn, okay?”

She glanced up at him, wanting to believe him. “Okay. Hurry anyway. We need to find out.”

Zeke started going over things, his voice calm while her heart screamed in agony. “We know someone else was with Jake. I have an eyewitness for that. And they were in a black van. Then you probably saw the same van. The locals and the FBI are searching for it right now.”

“That person could have Kevin already and they could be leaving right now. Can you check? Talk to your person?”

Zeke took out his phone again and made the call. “Yes, sir. Tell them to hurry.” Then he turned to her. “We’ve got people at the inn. We’ll hear soon.”

Penny felt sick, her knees weak. “Hurry, Zeke. Please. We’re wasting time. He went west on the main road.”

He urged her forward. “We can’t get anywhere without my vehicle.”

When they reached a clearing, Zeke scanned the entire area and watched his canine for any signs of a scent. The dog sniffed the air and the ground and looked toward where they’d been before.

“I’ll get you there,” he promised her, his eyes as dark as the tree bark. “I can’t let you out of my sight now.”

She nodded, glad he’d moved quickly. “I need to call Claire.”

He guided her to the SUV and came around to the driver’s side.

Before she could dig for her cell phone, Zeke pulled the official-looking sleek black phone out of his pocket. “Make the call.”

Penny dialed the number to the inn and waited. “She’s not answering. Something’s wrong.”

Zeke took the phone back and pressed on the gas pedal. “We’ll be there in five minutes. In the meantime, we’ve got people already going over the area where I found you with Jake. They’re searching for the van and they might find something we missed.”

Penny nodded and listened while he spoke to someone about the location. She was still shaking and the blast of cold air coming from the vehicle’s air-conditioning made her shiver even more. Interrupting his conversation, she said, “I think we should have tried to find the van. I can identify it. Should we turn around?”

Zeke noticed her discomfort and hit the button to turn down the airflow. After discussing the situation with his superior again, he dropped his cell phone into a cup holder between them. “I have to protect you and Kevin. He’ll keep coming for you. I’m to get you to the inn first. It’s too dangerous to go chasing after that vehicle.”

Frustration roared through Penny. “I was right there! I should have killed that man and looked inside myself.”

Zeke reached over and gripped her arm. “Listen to me, Penny. In situations like this, it’s always best if the parents stay out of the way and let us do our jobs. My team is one of the best. You need to take a breath and trust us.”

“I know,” she said, wondering how she’d ever find her next breath. “I know.” She couldn’t voice the terror ripping her apart. What if it’s too late? What then?

Zeke zoomed the sleek SUV around curves and along dirt roads and watched the rearview mirror. Cheetah stayed in the back in a roomy kennel. She felt safe with these two, but Penny couldn’t relax until she knew Kevin was safe.

When they got to the Wild Iris and saw a local police officer standing with two FBI agents holding canines on leashes, her heart sank. “I have to find my baby,” she cried, hopping out of the vehicle before Zeke could turn off the motor.

She ran toward the big, two-story house, every cell in her body on overload. “Kevin? Kevin, Mommy’s here.”

An officer stopped her at the wide stained glass front door. “Ma’am, you can’t go in there.”

“She’s with me,” Zeke said, showing the officer his ID. “Her two-year-old son could be in danger.”

“He’s gone,” Rex Harmon said when Penny rushed inside, shaking his head. Rex, an avid hiker, had a room across from hers. “That man—he had a gun and he took the little boy.”

“No!” Penny put a hand to her mouth and moaned, a sick feeling pooling inside her stomach. “No...”

“What did he look like?” Zeke asked, pulling out a picture of his half brother. “Is this him?”

“Nah,” the older man said. “This thug was short and muscular with long, greasy blond hair and funky eyeglasses. He got into a beat-up old black van.”

Zeke’s eyes flared with awareness, his gaze hitting on Penny. She grabbed onto a chair, her worst nightmares coming to the surface. The same man she’d seen in the woods. Kevin had been right there, inside that van. She could have saved him.

“Do you know that man?” she asked Zeke, each word a struggle, each beat of her pulse a condemnation.

He nodded. “Possibly. But we’ll figure that out later.”

“Was this man in the van?” Penny demanded, her finger jabbing at the picture of Jake.

“No,” Rex said, sympathy in his eyes. “He was alone but he overpowered Miss Claire and hit her on the head. I heard her scream and I saw him with the boy. Miss Claire was hurt but she got to her shotgun. Only he had a gun, too, and he pointed it at the kid when we both ordered him to stop. Miss Claire dropped her gun and the man got in the van with your son and left.” He glanced from the officers to Penny. “I tried to get a license plate but it was all rusted out.” He gave Penny an apologetic look and waved a hand at all the officers swarming around. “I was about to call you when they showed up.”

Penny’s stomach twisted and recoiled. A cold sweat crept up and down her spine. She sank down on the stairs and pushed at her hair. “Is Miss Claire okay?”

“She’s fine,” Rex said. “She’s in her room with a female officer. The EMTs looked her over but she won’t go to the hospital.”

Penny stood, dizziness overcoming her. Zeke reached out to her and guided her to a chair. “I’ll find him. I promise. You stay here while I go and check on your babysitter.”

He asked Rex to bring her some water. The front door swung open and another man wearing an FBI vest entered, along with another canine. She’d seen them outside and heard Zeke introduce him as Special Agent in Charge Max West. He had short, spiked blond hair and blue eyes that seemed to stare everyone down, but like Zeke, he seemed confident and born to be in charge. She also noticed a jagged scar on his left cheek.

That only reminded her of how dangerous this situation had become. Jake had sent someone to kidnap her son and now he was at their mercy. That man could have killed Claire and Rex, too.

She watched, impatient and numb, while FBI agents and K-9 dogs filled the inn, their presence a sharp contrast to the dainty furnishings and heirloom antiques placed all around the Victorian-style mansion turned boardinghouse.

Max West gathered all of them around and explained what would transpire next. Roadblocks, an Amber Alert, all train and bus stations made aware, all flights out of nearby airports monitored. And all agents out on the hunt.

Penny put her head in her hands and prayed. Helplessness weighed her down, a sense of doom and despair causing her to catch her breath. Why, oh, why, had she come back to Montana?

Law enforcement set up electronic equipment on every available spot and stomped over the braided rugs and slammed the stained glass doors, moving, while she sat there, frozen in a nightmare. She had to do something, anything, to find her little boy.

Agent West came over to her and asked her several rapid-fire questions about Jake. Did he say where he was headed? What did he look like? What kind of weapons was he carrying? Did he mention an accomplice?

He explained to her that they were aware she’d been on the run and why. They knew she’d been in a chalet in Colorado earlier in the summer. Had Jake come after her there?

Penny nodded and answered all the questions, anger warring with fear and regret. “I came back here because...I wanted my son to be here, close to where I grew up. I thought I was safe.”

“Did you come here hoping Jake would find you? Did he arrange to meet you out in the Basin area?”

“No.”

Fury roiled through her. Did they actually think she’d wanted this? That she wanted to be sitting here, paralyzed with fear, wondering if her son was alive or dead?

Finally, Penny lifted her head and said, “He planned to go live on a tropical island, and he said he has a lot of money stashed somewhere but I don’t know where. He wants my son, not me. I didn’t want him around Kevin, and I sure don’t want him taking my son away from me. The man tried to kill me. Why are you questioning me when you should be out there searching for Kevin?”

Max West gave her a stern but sympathetic stare. “We’re doing everything we can to help us find your son, Penny. We’ve taken prints on everyone who works here or is staying here, and we have officers going door-to-door around this area to see if we can find any leads or get any eyewitnesses. Don’t go anywhere.”

“I know who took my son,” she said, her voice rising. “Why aren’t you listening to me? I was an eyewitness. Up close. So close, I feared for my life. Go and find my son before it’s too late.”

Zeke pulled Max aside and said something into his ear. The other man shot a frown at her. Did he know what she was afraid of, what was tearing through her racing mind?

Zeke came over and bent down in front of her. “It’s highly unlikely that they’d hurt Kevin, Penny. You have to keep telling yourself that. Jake wants him, so he would order them not to harm him.”

Closing her eyes to the shattering nerves breaking apart piece by piece throughout her core, she said, “Sure. And while I’m at it, I’ll keep telling myself that Jake doesn’t have him in that van headed to another getaway car or to the airport.”

Zeke stared at her for a brief moment but one of the other agents called him. “I’ll be right back.” Then he whirled around. “And, Penny, don’t go anywhere, understand? That would only make this worse.”

Penny didn’t believe it could get much worse but if they didn’t do something soon, she would sneak out to her Jeep and do whatever she had to do to find Kevin. And she’d take Claire’s shotgun with her.

FOUR

Fifteen minutes passed and Penny didn’t think she could take another moment of waiting. Here she sat, wringing her hands, the sound of people talking around her drowned out by the emptiness clamoring inside her heart. “Kevin,” she whispered, closing her eyes. “Kevin.”

“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.”

She opened her eyes to find Claire Crayton gingerly stepping down the stairs, a bright red bump shining on her forehead. Claire had been so kind to Penny when she’d pulled up in the parking lot a month ago, on her last ounce of gasoline, Kevin crying in his car seat. Claire had booked them a room immediately and offered to babysit anytime Penny needed her.

“I tried to stop him but he hit me hard with his gun and I went down like a rock. Grabbed my gun but...he held the child and...” The older woman’s eyes watered and her voice wobbled to a halt. “He took our precious boy. It’s my fault, too.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Penny said, standing to wrap her hands around Claire’s plump, comforting shoulders, her own eyes wet with tears, her own bruises and scratches burning from the salt. “It’s my fault. I knew his daddy was dangerous, but I never dreamed he’d send a henchman to kidnap my son.”

Then she started sobbing against Claire’s plaid shirt, the scent of rose water and cinnamon cookies overtaking her. “I want him back, Claire. I want my little boy back.”

A strong hand touched her on the arm.

Zeke.

His dark eyes held the same despair that raged through her, raw and jagged and burning. He placed her back in the nearby chair and kneeled in front of her again, his eyes on her. “Listen, we’ve got people out looking already, and we’ve put out an Amber Alert. But I need you to take me to the room where Kevin sleeps, okay? Cheetah can pick up his scent. It hasn’t been that long, so if I hurry I can locate him.”

“Did the others search his room?”

“Yes, but they were looking for clues regarding the kidnapper. They’re searching for him while others are searching for Kevin. Both of them, really. I want to focus more on Kevin since Cheetah is trained in search and rescue.” Touching a hand to her arm, he leaned in. “I promise I’m going to do everything in my power to bring Kevin back to you.”

“I’m going with you to search,” she said, standing and hurrying up the stairs, her heart beating just as fast as her hiking boots.

Zeke took off after her. “No.”

“Yes.” She stopped on the second-floor landing and turned at the first door on the left. “This is our room. I have the bedroom and he sleeps here in the living room in this crib.”

Pointing to a large mahogany baby bed full of blankets and sheets decked out in a cowboy design, she walked over and picked up a stuffed brown horse, tears streaming down her face. Holding it close before she handed it to Zeke, anguish cutting through her, she said, “I’m going with you. Do you understand?”

Zeke let out a sigh, compassion in his dark eyes, and leaned down so Cheetah could get a good sniff of the worn horse. The canine lifted his snout, his ears perking up. “Yes, I understand. And since I need to keep you alive, I will go along with it. But Penny, you have to stay out of the way, okay?”

“Okay.” She wiped away tears and lifted her head, staring at him with a dangerous resolve in her heart. After grabbing some baby supplies and shoving them into a diaper bag, she turned to him. “Let’s go.”

* * *

Zeke’s head pounded with fatigue and tension ten times worse than foot soldiers stomping on his brain, but he followed Cheetah through the house and out to the SUV. Penny had insisted on gathering up some things for Kevin, including the little stuffed horse she’d clung to while the techs went over her room. Cheetah had hopefully picked up the kidnapper’s scent, too, since the man had been in the house.

Zeke had to make this right.

The situation here was under control so he needed to be out there looking. The Wild Iris had become ground zero to set up operations to find Kevin and Jake. Locals and FBI alike scoured the grounds and had laptops out on top of their vehicles, searching with maps and following leads on tips. They’d had calls about sightings of three different vans in three different areas, but none of them had panned out. This could take all night. Max had assigned Nina Atkins, the petite blonde rookie who’d recently joined the team, to stay at the inn along with a couple of other agents and two locals. Nina and her K-9 partner, Sam, a cadaver-detection-trained Rottweiler, were to watch over Claire and the staff and residents. Whoever took Kevin wouldn’t like leaving behind witnesses.

Claire and her crew went to work on bringing them food and drinks and offered whatever else they needed in the way of comfort. Rex answered the phone and explained the situation to the few other boarders who’d drifted in from work or travels and directed traffic to the restrooms and the coffeepot.

Vehicles kept coming and going. But no sightings had brought any substantial information, and they’d had no word on any solid leads even though the local citizens were being vigilant about helping. No one liked to hear of a child being kidnapped. Zeke couldn’t let Penny see his own anxiety, but the dread pooling inside his stomach made that last cup of coffee he’d downed turn sour.

Jake was a master at setting up distractions and false scenarios. It had been one of his best assets as an agent. He’d certainly proved that today but not in a good way. Worried, Zeke knew his brother could charm just about anyone into doing his bidding.

He’d obviously gone to a lot of trouble to set things up so that while he was holding Penny and shoving her through the woods, his accomplice, Gunther Caprice, had kidnapped Kevin.

Zeke wished with all his heart he could have hauled his brother in. But even then, Gunther could have been long gone with Kevin. That thought chilled Zeke to his bones.

To make matters worse, Max wasn’t too happy with him right now. Zeke had Jake in his sights and had let him get away. The whole unit probably thought he’d allowed his half brother to escape. He’d get things straight with Max and the others later. Right now, he was worried about the woman trailing behind him. Trying to get a handle of things, he studied her closely. If he was going to protect her and Kevin, he needed to figure out who exactly he was dealing with.

She was pretty in an outdoorsy kind of way. All golden skinned and toned, not an ounce of wasted fat on her. Probably worked out on a daily basis. Her hair was cut in choppy shoulder-length layers that sprouted out like waves of wheat around her triangular face. Her eyes were almond shaped and a crystal clear blue. Not piercing like Max’s, but more of a clear-sky blue that reflected her heart.

And that heart was breaking right now. To be so close to her little boy and realize she’d been so near the vehicle that might have been holding him, not to mention that Kevin was somewhere with a lowlife like Gunther Caprice. No wonder the woman was in shock.

She rushed ahead of him down the stairs with her ever-present backpack and a big diaper bag over one shoulder, a staunch determination in those Montana-blue eyes.

Zeke also let Cheetah smell the baby blanket Penny had given him. Cheetah sniffed the soft wool and lifted his head to sniff the air. Then he headed to the end of the drive and sniffed around before lifting his snout toward the west.

They made it through the maze of officers and staff roaming through the quaint old house and hit the porch steps as if they were in a race against each other.

Opening the SUV’s back door with a remote key, Zeke commanded Cheetah to jump in and turned to find Max West coming his way.

“Going somewhere, Agent Morrow?”

Zeke wasn’t in the mood for orders. He agreed with Penny that the sooner they got out there searching, the better. “Yes, I’m going to find my nephew.”

“Not so sure that’s a good idea,” Max said. “You do know we have people out there already searching, right?”

Zeke didn’t want to be argumentative but he would stand his ground. “Cheetah has the boy’s scent, sir, and you know he’s trained for this. I need to find Kevin while the trail is fresh.” Then he leaned in. “As I told you in my report, I think we’re looking for Gunther Caprice. He fits the description that science teacher gave me earlier and the description Rex gave us. The man saw him drive away from the basin in a black van. And later, Penny saw the same man, same vehicle, just like I told you.”

Caprice used to be third in line with the Dupree clan and had once been chummy with Violetta Dupree—sister to the crime brothers—but he’d fallen on hard times and broke off with them when the FBI had captured Reginald Dupree in a raid close to six months ago. His uncle Angus had gotten away, taking Jake with him, but now Angus was dead. That left a lot of people scattered and scared. Had Gunther joined up with Jake for money or for revenge? Jake had edged him out, after all.

If Jake’s accomplice was in fact Gunther Caprice, they could get a wealth of information out of that man. He’d been missing and wanted for questioning for months and now, suddenly, he was back in the picture. Jake had obviously made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. But Gunther couldn’t be trusted to keep Kevin alive. That lowlife was only out to save his own sorry hide.

Max’s phone buzzed and he held up a hand and took the call, indicating he wasn’t through with this conversation. “Is that right?” He eyed Zeke. “I’ve got an agent about to leave now.” He ended the call and turned to Zeke. “Your timing is perfect. A man and woman on a motorcycle heard the reports and spotted a black van about five miles from here, driving west on Old Fork Road out of town.”

Penny gasped when she heard their conversation from her spot by the passenger door, her gaze slamming into Zeke’s. “That has to be him.”

“I’m on it,” Zeke said. “Cheetah sniffed the spot where the van was parked here and he’s already tracking in that direction.”

“You’ll take backup.” Max motioned to another agent, who hurried over. After explaining the situation to team member Harper Prentiss, who held her German shepherd, Star, on a leash, Max nodded and pinned Penny with a solemn stare. “Miss Potter, you really should stay here and wait—”

“I’m going to find my son,” she said, the resolve in her words and eyes telling Max they couldn’t stop her. “I can’t sit here and wait, and you can’t make me.”

Zeke glanced at Max. “I’d feel better if I can keep an eye on her, sir.”

“Morrow, we have eyes on her now and it’s safer if she stays here—”

“Stop arguing about me,” Penny interjected. “We’re running out of time. I’m going to find Kevin, with or without either of you.”

Max West looked from Zeke to Penny, surprise and a grudging acceptance in his expression. “Well, I won’t feel better but...I’m holding you responsible for her, Zeke.” He lifted a hand. “Go. Do what you have to do and this time if you find Jake, don’t let him get away.”

Zeke nodded and opened the door for Penny, now fully aware that his superior did think he had purposely let his half brother slip through his fingers. And maybe he had. He could have let Cheetah corner Jake or continue to go after him. But his K-9 partner needed to stay with Penny while Jake tried to ascertain which direction Jake might have gone. When he’d found only footprints and bloodstains on those rocks, he knew Jake had been nearby.

Had he made the right call, giving up the chase to run back to Penny? He’d heard enough about Jake lately to understand his brother would kill anyone or anything to get what he wanted. He remembered that dark side of Jake, had seen it come out at the oddest times. Jake would have shot Penny without any remorse. A while back, he’d tied up Harper in a cave in Colorado, and after telling her he was corrupt and he liked having money and power, he’d left her there where she could have died if she hadn’t ordered K-9 Star to chew apart the ropes holding her. Jake had no qualms about killing a canine or a human.

Zeke had to protect the woman Jake had threatened to kill. He’d made the only choice he could, but now he had a second chance to capture his traitorous brother and see justice done.

Penny got in the SUV, a look of relief mixed with the anxiety marring her expression. “Thank you.”

“For what?” he asked gruffly.

“For standing up to your boss.”

“I wasn’t just standing up to him,” Jake replied. “I meant it when I said I plan to protect you. No matter what.”

She shot him a surprised but grateful look. “I appreciate that but right now you need to find my little boy.”

“I’m going to.”

Zeke checked with Max again, hoping for any reports that could help. “I’ve got Cheetah by an open window and we’re heading west, sir. Old Fork Road. We’re on the road now but nothing yet.”

“Stay on it and be careful,” Max replied. “I’ll send backup if you and Harper need it.” Then he added, “Zeke, I know he’s your brother and you want to keep him alive but—”

“I understand,” Zeke bit out. “I know my duty, Max.”

He ended the call and slung his phone into a cup holder.

“I’m surprised they haven’t yanked you off this case,” Penny said. “It must be hard, tracking him down like this.”

“My job,” Zeke retorted, wondering if she wanted to pick a fight.

She didn’t say anything else and he regretted being sharp with her. “It’s not easy but...if I can get to him first I might be able to take him in instead of—”

“Killing him,” she finished. Then she went silent again.

Zeke had to wonder how she felt about that. Did she still love Jake in spite of everything?

Anxious to get this over with, Zeke turned the truck toward the west and started searching for the road they needed. He prayed they’d also find the thug who’d taken Kevin before the man could meet up with Jake Morrow. Because if that happened, he feared they might not ever see Penny’s son again.

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