Page 117 of Turn the Tide
Chapter 12
Marco studied the ATV, tried to figure out how to transport Sarah on it without jostling her knee.
Sarah braced herself against the ATV and prepared to climb on. “Stop stalling, Sanchez. We’re wasting time.” She swallowed hard. “There’s no telling what Marshall may do to Donny.”
Marco nodded. She was right. He put his hands on her waist and helped her aboard, wincing right along with her when she put pressure on that knee.
He met her eyes. “I’ll try to go easy, but it’s not going to be fun. Do you need more ibuprofen?”
“I’ll be fine. Let’s do this.” She fastened the straps on her helmet.
He cupped her cheeks and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “In case I haven’t mentioned it, you’re amazing. You’ve handled this whole situation like a champ, and I’m incredibly impressed.”
Sarah’s eyes filled with tears, surprising him. Thrown by the show of emotion, he switched gears, his voice hard. “I need your word that you’ll do what I say when we get there. I can’t do my job if I’m worried about you, too.” When she looked like she was about to argue, he added, “Donny’s life may depend on it.”
“I am not stupid. I won’t put you or anyone else in danger.” She fixed a determined expression on her face and waited.
Marco sent her one last glance before he swung his leg over the ATV. Part of him wished it hadn’t stopped raining, as the sound would muffle their approach.
He fired up the ATV and slowly headed toward Marshall’s trailer, determined to find a pace that wouldn’t make Sarah scream, but that would get them there quickly.
***
Sarah gripped Marco around the waist and prayed she could hold on until they got there. Her knee throbbed like a steel drum, but she refused to let Marco know. She wouldn’t slow them down any more than she already had. If something happened to Donny because of her…she wasn’t sure she’d be able to forgive herself.
The trailer Marco had mentioned was nowhere in sight when he suddenly pulled to a stop behind a thick stand of trees. Sarah let out a sigh of relief that they’d finally stopped moving.
He slid off the ATV, pulled off the orange poncho, and slipped a FWC ball cap on his head. His FWC T-shirt molded to his chest and reminded Sarah how good he had felt under her palms.Focus, she chided herself.
“Stay here until I come back for you.”
Sarah opened her mouth to argue and then closed it again. She absolutely hated feeling helpless and, worse, useless, but right now, honesty made her admit she was both. She would not let her own feelings of inadequacy keep Marco from doing what he needed to do. She nodded. “Be careful.”
He leaned over and cupped her cheek, pressed a kiss to her forehead “I will. You owe me a dance, remember?”
She folded her arms, a half smile twisting her lips as her heart soared. “I believe you have that backward, Sanchez. You owe me a dance.”
He grinned. “I plan to collect, Princess. Make no mistake.”
Somehow,Princessno longer sounded like the insult it had been in the past. He checked his weapon, nodded to her. “You still have the knife?”
She pulled it out of the sheath and held it up.
“Holler if you need me,” he said, then disappeared into the trees.
Sarah tried to get comfortable on the ATV. She said a prayer for Marco and Donny’s safety and then settled in to wait. And worry.
***
Marco circled around the trees, following the path Freddie and Donny had made toward the dingy, white 1970s-era single-wide mobile home. He eased around and approached from the back, noticed the woodpile had been overturned. Since no vegetation grew around it, he guessed that had happened recently. He stepped closer, bent down, and his heart clenched when he spotted traces of blood.
Gun at his side, he slowly went up the back steps and eased the door open, leading with his gun.
“Figured you’d show up sooner or later, copper,” Freddie snarled.
Marco stepped into the small living room, gun in front of him, squinting into the gloom. The gold drapes were closed, but there was still enough light to see that Freddie held Donny in front of him, his arm wrapped around the boy’s neck, gun to his temple, same as before.
Donny’s eyes were filled with both terror and fury. Marco forced down his own reaction. He had to stay calm, for everyone’s sake. But the lowlife would pay for that.
“Put the gun down, Freddie. It’s over.”
“Oh, hell no. This is not over, not by a long shot. My boy is coming with me.”
They heard the sound of a shotgun being pumped, and then Patty’s voice growled, “Over my dead body.”
