Page 41 of Captive at Rescue Ridge

“Might be a trap,” Travis said before swinging around and shining his flashlight inside the dark building.

More grunts came, louder this time.

It sure as hell sounded like someone was inside with their mouth gagged. His mind snapped to Owen. Had to be. The noises were male, primal.

Travis cursed.

Hudson came bolting across the yard.

“Stay here,” was all Travis said before going inside.

“Like hell,” Archer said. Travis had picked up a shadow whether he liked it or not.

“Stay back.” This wasn’t a request based on Travis’s tone. His demand fell on deaf ears.

Archer saw someone in the corner of the room, arms and legs bound. “We’re here, Owen.”

He bolted toward his brother while Travis swung his flashlight slowly around the room, lighting up dark corners.

Archer dropped to his knees in front of his brother. They made eye contact. In that moment, he realized Owen was going to be okay.

“This is going to hurt,” he said before ripping the tape off his brother’s mouth.

Owen issued a sharp grunt. “Bastard jumped me.”

“Where’s Becca?”

“I don’t know,” Owen said.

Archer pulled out a key and immediately began using the makeshift tool to rip the tape binding his brother’s wrists together. Owen shook them like he was trying to get blood circulating again. Next, Archer freed his brother’s ankles.

“Where did it happen?” Archer asked as he heard Travis yell, “Clear.”

Hudson came bolting in before Owen could answer. “Annalee is gone.”

“What the hell?” Disbelief punched Archer.

“I left her with Beau while I went to investigate a noise,” Hudson said, heaving for air. “Bastard led me away before circling back and smacking Beau on the head with a rock the size of a raccoon. At least, that’s what I pieced together. Beau is unconscious. I should get back to him before someone comes back or an animal gets to him. But I had to come tell you that Annalee disappeared.”

Archer released a string of curses under his breath. There was no sign of Annalee’s mother in the barn. Beau had been knocked out. Annalee must have been taken. It was the only thing that made sense. She wouldn’t purposely hurt Beau by surprising him with a small boulder to the head.

“Any idea which way they took her?”

Hudson shook his head as he backed up a couple of steps. “I gotta get back.”

“Yes, of course, go.”

“Go with him,” Owen said, rubbing his wrists and stretching out his legs now that they were free. “I’m good.”

Travis motioned toward Owen. “I got him. I’ll make certain he gets out of here in one piece.”

Leaving was one of the hardest things Archer could do. Owen was fine. He had Travis. Still. It was like cutting off an appendage.

“How many are there?” Archer asked his brother as he got to his feet.

“Two, based on voices,” he said. “I got jumped, and then they put something over my head for most of the time. They stayed out of view once we got here.”

That meant Owen wouldn’t be able to pick his assailants out of a lineup.

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