Page 18 of Landon

“I have a resort security camera on the edge of their property to the west,” Sadie reported. “Can’t get a visual on the jungle side, but I can see the kids. The boy was at the edge of the water and the girl was putting on her shoes. Horticia packed up their beach towels. She keeps looking to the east… whether she hears something, sees something, or knows something is about to happen, only she can tell.”

He felt a hand on his arm and turned to see Noel standing nearby. Her face was pinched tight. With his free arm, he reached down and slid her hand into his. The simple touch was meant to offer comfort, but he found the warmth traveled uphis arm. Shaking his head, he looked away from her worried face and continued. “I need everything you can get to me as soon as it comes in. The police will show up, but with the storm approaching, we can’t expect much from them.”

“Already on it,” Todd said. “You’ll get what we have.”

“I’m sending Cole down. He might not beat the storm, but he’ll get to Florida and then to Jamaica as soon as possible,” Logan said. “Devil and Frazier will be with him.”

“Good. I don’t want to waste time running through the jungle on a wild chase that won’t get me to the kids. I need to know who on the inside set this up.”

He heard Noel's gasp but gripped her hand tighter. He didn’t need her to give away anything she was overhearing, so he pulled her a little closer. To anyone on the inside, they would look like two people who were simply standing together overlooking the area toward the beach.

He noticed the beach was hidden from the house by the lush foliage planted along the path leading to the sand. “Who would want to orchestrate a kidnapping?”

Again, Noel’s body tightened, but she made no effort to move away. Against his typical protocol, Landon switched the call to speaker. “I have you on speaker now, and Noel Lennox is with me. We’re the only ones listening.”

She turned her wide-eyed gaze up to him but remained quiet.

“Okay,” Todd said. “We know Pamela. She’s out for money and probably wouldn’t stop at a charade of having someone take the kids just to get more out of Stan?—”

“No.”

He glanced down to see Noel still staring up at him. She shook her head. “It’s not Pamela.”

“What makes you say that?”

“She’s… distraught. It’s real. I don’t think… she’s not faking that emotion,” Noel explained.

“She brought her boyfriend here, and we have no idea what he’s up to.”

She pressed her lips thinly together and twisted her head to gaze toward the blue waters beyond the tree line. Nodding her head in jerks, she sighed. “Agreed, but I still don’t think she perpetrated the kidnapping of her kids, even for show. They would be traumatized.”

“You’ve dealt with moms who have done worse.”

She looked back at him, her gaze pulling him in. “I know. I can only tell you what I think of this situation.” Lowering her voice, she said, “I just don’t think it was Pamela.”

“What about the others?” he asked, surprised that the words left his lips.

“I don’t know… I don’t know enough about them to form an opinion,” she replied. Her face scrunched as though the words hurt to admit.

“Checking out everything we can,” Sadie cut in. “I’ll send it to you.”

“Heading to the beach,” he replied before disconnecting. His words were as much for Noel as for the Keepers.

He let go of her hand and said, “Stay here and see what you can find out. I’m heading to the beach before the police come. I want to check the prints in the sand before anyone comes who might destroy the evidence.”

“Are you going after them?”

He shook his head. “Not half-cocked. They could be anywhere, and we need the intel to make a plan. The goal is to get the kids back safely and quickly. Not run around aimlessly.”

She nodded with her gaze still pinned on him. And even though their bodies were no longer touching, he could still feel her palm resting against his. Clearing his throat, he turned and jogged down toward the beach.

9

Noel walked back into the house. Sucking in a deep breath before letting it out slowly, she calmed her tumultuous thoughts. Then she walked directly to Pamela. The woman was clutching her chest, tears streaming down her cheeks. Pamela wasn’t paying attention to Roger, who was still in the kitchen and being attended to by Horticia. Mike paced the floor, his phone pressed to his ear, but she couldn’t hear what he said. She assumed he was talking to the Fugates.

Blowing out another cleansing breath, she placed her hand on Pamela’s shoulder as she sat beside her. “Pamela, we’re going to find Tad and Penny?—”

Pamela wailed again, and Noel tried a different tactic. She shook the crying woman’s shoulder. “Pamela, I know you’re upset, but you must realize how this looks.”

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