Page 34 of Captive at Rescue Ridge

How doI know my friend is still alive

He is

Who is this

Nothing.

The phone went silent.

Annalee glanced up at Travis.

He held up a hand. “It’s okay. They weren’t expecting to hear from you, and they’re coming up with a game plan.”

She nodded. It was impossible not to stare at the screen. A watched pot still boils, eventually.

And then it came.

This is Owen,not Archer

Same deal applies

Annalee didn’t needto look to Travis for her response.

Proveit’s him

She tiltedthe device so Travis could see and waited for his approval before hitting send. His nod came immediately.

Three dots appeared. And then disappeared. This happened a couple of times before a text came through.

A picture of Owen with today’s timestamp popped on the screen. Annalee suppressed a gasp. His hands and ankles were bound, tied to some kind of wood beam. Electrical tape covered his mouth. There was hay on the ground.

“I think I know where this is,” Archer said after studying the photo for a few seconds.

“It’s out on the property, right?” Hudson asked.

Archer nodded. “We haven’t used that barn in a long time, to my knowledge.”

“Because it’s small and used to be for Henry and his family.” Hudson glanced up at Annalee. “He used to be a trainer who lived on the property. Beaumont set up a double-wide out there, saying it would be easier to keep an eye on his trainer. Keep an eye on a man’s family, and you’ll see everything you need to know about him.”

Beaumont had kept his children in fear. Annalee had seen it firsthand. Fear had turned into hate once the Sturgess children had reached a certain age, and now he was gone. Instead of a feeling of loss, she sensed they were more hopeful now.

Archer was already at his feet, standing. “Let’s roll.”

“Hold on.” Travis’s warning didn’t appear to have much impact on any of the family members, except maybe Beau. “We can’t go running in, guns blazing.”

“I wouldn’t do that.” Archer’s face twisted. “However, we know the area, and we can encircle the building without making a sound.” He glanced around the room. “No one here would risk Owen and Becca’s lives. You know that, right?” It was more a statement than a question.

Travis’s phone buzzed. He picked it up, glanced at the screen, then frowned. “Still no luck with putting a trace on the texts, except to say they’ve been bouncing off a cell tower in the next town over.”

“Those texts are coming from Sturgess property,” Archer said. “I guarantee it.”

“I agree with my brother,” Hudson said, offering reinforcement.

Beau chimed in next. “Same here.” He caught Archer’s gaze. “I would walk through fire for any one of my siblings if they asked me to.”

A hint of respect passed behind Archer’s eyes.

Under normal circumstances, the moment happening between brothers would bring tears to her eyes. Right now, though, finding her mother and Owen was all she could focus on.

---