any parking spots.
“Mama, Daddy says he’s almost here,” Brianna said from the backseat. “Daddy, there’s the puppet show!” she squealed.
Charlotte clapped and emitted an ear-piercingly happy shriek in response.
The Rotary Club had put up the usual hot cocoa booth and puppet show to entertain the kids while they waited in line. Scanning the curb for parking spots, Carly turned down a side street. Everyone was here to see Santa today. She stopped at an intersection.
“Mama,” Brianna said. “Daddy wants to know where we are.”
With his official vehicle, Seth could park behind the firehouse.
“Tell him Third Street,” Carly said to her daughter’s reflection in the rearview mirror. She spotted an empty space at the curb and glided the car into it. She eased closer to the bumper of a minivan.
Something tapped on her window. Carly turned, and her heart stopped.
A man pointed a gun though her passenger window. “Get out of the car.”
No. No. No. She couldn’t let anything happen to the children. Terrified, she froze.
“I said get out of the fucking car,” he screamed. From the tight distance, the muzzle of the gun looked huge.
Carly’s heart thudded against her sternum as she shifted into reverse. No matter what happened, she would not leave the children.
“Now!” He shifted his aim to point directly at Brianna.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Seth overheard Carly and Brianna’s conversation as he parked his cruiser behind the firehouse. “I’ll meet you on Third Street.”
“Daddy!” Brianna screamed over the phone. “There’s a man pointing a gun at Mama. He’s getting in the car.”
The call went dead, and Seth’s pulse stuttered. This couldn’t be happening. Rage and fear surged through his veins.
Blaring his horn, Seth backed out of the spot and turned the vehicle around. As he accelerated toward Third Street, he used his radio to call for backup. Then he called Zane at the Solitude PD for help. “I think Carly was carjacked.”
Seth explained in a few sentences as he turned onto Third Street.
Damn it. Where was she?
He put his phone on speaker and used his app to find Carly’s cell. “Zane, she’s headed north on Third Street. She just crossed Oak.”
Seth followed the blinking light on his phone’s display. At the edge of town she turned onto a narrow road that led to a park. After driving through a bend in the road, the dot stopped in a green area by the river. Seth slowed as he made the turn. Woods shielded his car from sight. The road ahead curved, and Carly’s Jeep hadn’t moved on the map. Had she stopped? Was she all right? He parked behind the trees and gave Zane his location.
Drawing his gun, he got out of the vehicle and approached. The Jeep was parked under a big pine. The car door opened and Carly got out. Lifting her hands in the air, she moved away from the vehicle.
A man got out of the passenger seat, his gun aimed at Carly.
Travis White.
Seth’s finger twitched. He wanted to shoot him, but Carly was between them.
Travis was holding Carly’s black purse in his free hand. He dumped the contents on the hood of the Jeep. Fishing though the pile, he shouted, “Where is it?”
“Where is what?” Carly asked.
“The fucking bag. I want Amber’s fucking bag.”
Seth could hear the baby crying through the closed doors of the Jeep. But at least the gun was away from the kids. Seth approached in a crouch. Hiding behind a tree, he waited. All he needed was a clear shot. Then Seth was taking him down. He eased closer, using the underbrush for cover, but it didn’t seem possible to circle around so he’d have an open line between him and Travis. Seth was out of underbrush. The rest of the area was open space.
How fast could he cover the ground between him and Travis? Not faster than a bullet. He’d risk his own life to save his wife in a heartbeat, but what if Travis shot Carly instead? Charging him wasn’t the right move.
“I don’t know,” Carly said.
“Mama, Daddy says he’s almost here,” Brianna said from the backseat. “Daddy, there’s the puppet show!” she squealed.
Charlotte clapped and emitted an ear-piercingly happy shriek in response.
The Rotary Club had put up the usual hot cocoa booth and puppet show to entertain the kids while they waited in line. Scanning the curb for parking spots, Carly turned down a side street. Everyone was here to see Santa today. She stopped at an intersection.
“Mama,” Brianna said. “Daddy wants to know where we are.”
With his official vehicle, Seth could park behind the firehouse.
“Tell him Third Street,” Carly said to her daughter’s reflection in the rearview mirror. She spotted an empty space at the curb and glided the car into it. She eased closer to the bumper of a minivan.
Something tapped on her window. Carly turned, and her heart stopped.
A man pointed a gun though her passenger window. “Get out of the car.”
No. No. No. She couldn’t let anything happen to the children. Terrified, she froze.
“I said get out of the fucking car,” he screamed. From the tight distance, the muzzle of the gun looked huge.
Carly’s heart thudded against her sternum as she shifted into reverse. No matter what happened, she would not leave the children.
“Now!” He shifted his aim to point directly at Brianna.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Seth overheard Carly and Brianna’s conversation as he parked his cruiser behind the firehouse. “I’ll meet you on Third Street.”
“Daddy!” Brianna screamed over the phone. “There’s a man pointing a gun at Mama. He’s getting in the car.”
The call went dead, and Seth’s pulse stuttered. This couldn’t be happening. Rage and fear surged through his veins.
Blaring his horn, Seth backed out of the spot and turned the vehicle around. As he accelerated toward Third Street, he used his radio to call for backup. Then he called Zane at the Solitude PD for help. “I think Carly was carjacked.”
Seth explained in a few sentences as he turned onto Third Street.
Damn it. Where was she?
He put his phone on speaker and used his app to find Carly’s cell. “Zane, she’s headed north on Third Street. She just crossed Oak.”
Seth followed the blinking light on his phone’s display. At the edge of town she turned onto a narrow road that led to a park. After driving through a bend in the road, the dot stopped in a green area by the river. Seth slowed as he made the turn. Woods shielded his car from sight. The road ahead curved, and Carly’s Jeep hadn’t moved on the map. Had she stopped? Was she all right? He parked behind the trees and gave Zane his location.
Drawing his gun, he got out of the vehicle and approached. The Jeep was parked under a big pine. The car door opened and Carly got out. Lifting her hands in the air, she moved away from the vehicle.
A man got out of the passenger seat, his gun aimed at Carly.
Travis White.
Seth’s finger twitched. He wanted to shoot him, but Carly was between them.
Travis was holding Carly’s black purse in his free hand. He dumped the contents on the hood of the Jeep. Fishing though the pile, he shouted, “Where is it?”
“Where is what?” Carly asked.
“The fucking bag. I want Amber’s fucking bag.”
Seth could hear the baby crying through the closed doors of the Jeep. But at least the gun was away from the kids. Seth approached in a crouch. Hiding behind a tree, he waited. All he needed was a clear shot. Then Seth was taking him down. He eased closer, using the underbrush for cover, but it didn’t seem possible to circle around so he’d have an open line between him and Travis. Seth was out of underbrush. The rest of the area was open space.
How fast could he cover the ground between him and Travis? Not faster than a bullet. He’d risk his own life to save his wife in a heartbeat, but what if Travis shot Carly instead? Charging him wasn’t the right move.
“I don’t know,” Carly said.
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