Page 63 of Landon

“You went, too?” Stan asked Noel, his eyes wide.

“I thought being there when Landon rescued them was important.”

Stan winced, pain lacing his face as well as his tone. “Thank you. Jesus, thank you.”

“Goddamn,” Thurston muttered.

Noel twisted her head slightly to catch Landon's eye, and she nodded. Beginning again, he said, “Noel and I made it to where the children were being held. There were a few buildings, two uninhabitable, and I identified the one they were held in. They were upstairs, the three men downstairs." He could see Stan and Thurston barely hanging on, so he pushed past the details. "The men were dealt with quickly and efficiently, and we got to the children. They were frightened but unharmed.”

Stan’s gaze shifted sharply from Landon to Noel, his eyes filled with worry and the need for reassurance. As Noel nodded, his shoulders relaxed, and he seemed to breathe just a little easier.

Landon kept his voice steady yet compassionate. “By then, we were in the storm, but we got back to our vehicle. A mudslide closed off the road leading back to the resort, and as we drove in the other direction, trees fell over the road. My people were able to locate a small shack that may have been used as a barn at one time, but it offered us a respite from the rain and wind. We spent the night there. It may not have been what the kids were used to, but Stan…” He paused, a note of admiration in his voice. “You should be very proud of them.”

Stan appeared to hang on every word.

“Noel talked with them, and again, despite being very frightened, they were also resilient. The four of us chatted, and then the kids fell asleep, and it wasn't long before we also slept. The following morning, we returned to the road but left our vehicle. We hiked down toward the mudslide because that's where my people who'd managed to fly in would meet us. Again, Penny and Tad were troopers during the entire time. They did everything we asked and were excited to get back.”

Silence fell, thick with emotion, as Stan absorbed Landon’s words, a profound gratitude evident in his expression. At last, he nodded, his voice catching slightly as he said, “I can’t express what this means to me, to all of us.” He raised a hand, stopping Landon and Noel before they could respond. “I know you’ll say it was just part of your job. But taking care of my children’s emotional needs, helping them feel safe—that’s above and beyond, and we’ll never forget it.”

“It was my pleasure to be able to help,” Landon said.

Noel leaned forward, her voice gentle. “I feel the same. Your children are wonderful, and I talked with them on the way to their mom’s house, again once we arrived there, and more on the airplane. I feel very comfortable with how they're dealing. I will strongly suggest that they receive counseling because there can be long-term reactions to the trauma, but I can discuss that with Margaret when she joins me.”

“You are right, of course, that we had been in constant contact with your boss, Logan Bishop, and our longtime family attorney, who’s a close friend. And we appreciate the calls you have provided between us and the kids. Again, the two of you have exceeded anything we could expect in such a crisis. What I need to know now is about Pamela. Not just what she knew and when she knew it, but how she responded to the kids when they were brought back.”

Noel looked at Landon, giving him a subtle nod to proceed.

Landon took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. “By the time we arrived, Horticia had informed Pamela that the kids had been taken from the beach, but the local police were stretched thin, focused on preparing for the storm. The storm shifted north, sparing the island the worst, but it created chaos for them all the same. They handed the case over to me quickly.”

Stan and Thurston were listening intently, their eyes pinned on him.

“As Noel said earlier, Pamela was distraught, begging us to find the children. Since neither of us has any previous history with her, I cannot attest to her mental state or her actions. When we returned, she greeted the children and fussed over them but didn’t question them about what happened.” He offered a pointed glare. “Roger was interested in what the kids overheard. Horticia was there but in the background. My people discovered phone contact between Roger and Horticia from the last time Pamela had brought him to the island. Our suspicions were aroused.”

“Are you telling me that their mother’s fuck buddy was the one who had my children kidnapped?” Stan’s face was red and mottled as he roared his fury.

Landon maintained his composure and nodded. “Roger knew that half a million dollars was being brought to the island for Pamela. He convinced Horticia to find someone to participate for a cut of the money. Horticia’s cousins, along with a friend, must have easily agreed and took the children. Roger escaped and is now hunted by the Jamaican police, who have Horticia in custody.”

“He’s still out there?” Thurston asked, his eyes narrowing.

Landon lifted his arms with palms up. “With the tropical storm, the police are doing their best. But if he tries to come back into this country, he’ll be stopped and arrested. Our FBI has been contacted by the Jamaican police as well as my boss.”

“And Pamela?” Stan bit out.

“By this morning, Pamela was… distracted. She’d already attached herself to a new man she’d met… or perhaps someone she knew before. An older gentleman with a resort house nearby. She said goodbye to the kids, knowing there’d be no payoff, no papers to sign. When we left, she was with him.”

Stan’s expression twisted with a mixture of pain and anger. He ran a hand over his face, his jaw tight. “The only good things I ever got from that woman were Penny and Tad. Otherwise, she’s been nothing but a waste.”

Thurston leaned forward, his chest heaving with emotion. “And Mike?” He closed his eyes for a moment and shuddered. “Christ, I can’t believe Mike is gone. He was part of this ranch most of his life. Part of our family for that long.”

Noel glanced over at Landon, her lips pressed together and pleading in her eyes. He nodded and swallowed deeply. “Mike was good for the kids to see when they got back. They were excited, and it was evident he was relieved. He walked outside and a few minutes later had a heart attack. Noel saw him from a window and alerted the rest of us. I worked on him until the ambulance arrived. I received the call from the hospital not too long after that he had died.”

Stan rubbed his hand over his face, his eyes blinking back the gathered moisture. “We’re taking care of everything. His body will be sent to us, and we’re dealing with what needs to be done.”

“The kids were asking about that,” Noel said softly. “I gave them accurate answers without giving too much detail.”

“Thank you,” Stan said, then his shoulders heaved with a great sigh. “Seems like that’s all I say to you, but honest to God, you have my thanks.”

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the study, and Margaret peeked through the doorway. “I wanted to let you know that thekids are downstairs at the table having something to eat. As soon as you're finished, I'd love for you all to join us.”

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