Collision Force (20 page)

The little redheaded kid was standing about ten feet away in the doorway of another room.
Damn.
Oh well, the kid was what—two? Not like he would be able to tell the cops anything. Carlo plastered a smile on his face and gripped his gun tighter.

She looked him up and down but said nothing. The girl was stunning up close. Not short, not tall—about five and a half feet, mahogany hair hanging loose about her shoulders, big, expressive brown eyes. High cheekbones, creamy olive skin. Italian. Exquisitely expensive.

Her age wouldn’t matter. Carlo would have no trouble selling her. Maybe he could sample the goods first. Quality control and all that. Unless she was a virgin—they always went for more. But he could still play a little.

Carlo cleared his throat. “Is the man of the house at home?”

Her brow furrowed and she shook her head, hair swishing with the movement. “No, um… Is there something you need?”

“You.”

He grabbed her arm and spun her, slamming her against his chest and sliding one arm around her waist, pressing his gun into her side.

The tiny boy stood frozen in the doorway, his blue eyes wide. “Bad man!” He pointed at Carlo. “Gun!”

How the fuck did he know what a gun was?

“Ethan, run! Run now,” the girl urged.

Carlo jarred her against his chest and she struggled. She stomped on his foot.

“Fuck! Stop fighting me right now, or I’ll pop the kid.”

The girl froze in his arms. “Ethan, please run!”

 Carlo followed as the little boy’s eyes darted to a panel on the wall of the foyer, and the plush wingback chair underneath it. An alarm? No fucking way the kid knew how to— He rushed to the chair.

Raising his gun, he trained it on the toddler. The girl screamed and Carlo clamped his hand down on her mouth, cupping her jaw to prevent any biting ideas. Her sharp intake of breath gave him a little satisfaction.

* * * *

“MacLaren.”

Andi looked over her shoulder from the computer and rubbed her eyes.

Cole, who’d been bent over staring at the screen as well, straightened and they turned collectively.

Lieutenant Nick Wells had an odd expression on his face as he approached her cubicle. “Andi, you need to go home. Now.”

Cole shot her a look, jaw clenched. Something was wrong. He sensed it, too.

“Tell me.” She had to restrain herself from reaching for Cole’s hand. Dammit, she was a cop. She didn’t need comfort. Digging for professionalism, she stood and squared her shoulders.

Nick hedged, shifting back and forth on his feet. In full uniform, his navy tie swayed. Andi met his dark eyes.

“Just head home. Ricketts and Crowley are on their way.”

“Dammit, Nick. Tell me what I’m walking into.” Shit, her voice wavered. Cole took a step towards her, but didn’t touch her. Still, his closeness helped.

“Your alarm went off. Your son pressed the panic button. The company dispatcher couldn’t make much out, other than ‘gun’ and ‘bad man’. Dispatch got guys on the way in less than three min—”

Andi sprinted down the hall, away from Nick and Cole. It was either that or pass out.
Ethan. Bella.
Her heart dropped to her stomach.

“Andi, wait!”

She didn’t pause with Cole’s shout. She just headed around the corner and out of the building. Wrenching the door open to the Challenger didn’t get her far. Cole’s hand on her upper arm yanked her to a stop, preventing her from climbing inside.

“Stop. Take a deep breath. It’s gonna be okay.”

Cole pulled her into his arms and she didn’t fight him, despite their very public location. The strength of his muscles, his body, his arms around her grounded her. He caressed her cheek, guiding her face up. “Take a breath,” he repeated, his steel eyes soft as he cupped her face. “I’ll drive.”

Andi nodded. She couldn’t manage a sentence. Worry burned her from the inside out, ate at her heart, her stomach. Cole pressed a quick kiss to her lips and helped her into the passenger seat before slipping behind the wheel in seconds.

When she didn’t belt up, he reached across her body to do it for her, but she grabbed his wrist. “I got it. Just get us home.”

He nodded, his full lips a hard line, and eyes narrowed as he faced forward. So, he was worried too. Andi swallowed hard.

The drive to her house was only nine minutes, but it felt more like an hour in her head. Two cruisers were in the driveway and one was in front of the house on the street. The siren of a fourth was cut off mid wail as it pulled up. Pete’s truck was there, too. He wasn’t allowed to come back to work for a few weeks, but still had his radio. No shocker he’d been listening.

There were cops everywhere, on her lawn, front porch and driveway. Her fellow detectives would likely show up next. Everyone must have answered when they’d heard the call go out.

Why had she left the handheld on her desk on minute volume?

She was out of the car before Cole had it fully stopped, and Andi ignored his shout to wait. Composure was gone. The strong police detective was gone. She was all mother, and nothing would keep her from her son.

Sprinting up the three steps to her front porch, she dashed into the open front door. Pete was talking to one of the uniformed officers, Nina Ricketts.

Why the hell wasn’t Pete with Ethan?

“Andi, wait.” Pete stepped towards her, hand up. As his grip landed on her upper arm, she yanked away from the worry in his green eyes.

Gaze darting over the scene—her house, yard, porch, even her foyer—her blood ran cold. Her co-workers were organising a search grid.

“We’ll find them.” His words were tight, sling hanging around his neck, unused as usual, and he had both hands on his lean hips. He looked tired, and was dressed much too casually for work, in denim shorts and a plain grey T-shirt.

“Find them?” Her words cracked.

Get it together, Andi, you’re a frickin’ cop.

Then Cole was there, hovering in the doorway. Silent, assessing. Her eyes shot to him and back to Pete. Her partner settled both hands on her shoulders and squeezed. “I know you taught Ethan how to use the alarm panel, but if he could, where would he go from there?”

“Ethan, alone?” Again her words were strained. She forced them out through the pain in her chest.

“It’s likely Bella is gone.” Pete’s tone was even, police-like. His manner was as hers should have been. She clung to that sentiment and took a deep breath.

“Where have you looked for him?” Cole asked, stepping forward.

“Officer Crowley is in charge of the search outside. We’re going to handle the house. Now.” Pete stared at Cole. Some sort of non-verbal communication passed between her partner and her FBI agent.

Cole nodded.

Ordering herself to calm the hell down, Andi reached for the detached police professional she was and failed, mostly. A missing child always got her right in the chest, but that feeling was nothing compared to now. This was
her kid
they were talking about. She shifted on her feet and looked at Pete, then Cole.

“Let’s go.” The determination in Cole’s voice put her even more in check. She
would
find Ethan…and Bella. And they would both be fine. There was no other option.

They split up and called his name. The longer they failed to locate him, the more ‘not here’s that were called out, the more Andi’s legs shook, gut tightened, heart threatened to exit her chest. Her eyes burned, but she ignored it and pushed through. Her baby was lost.

Logical places yielded nothing.

Then she heard a male voice outside call, “MacLaren!”

Pete beat her to the door and outside. Cole was on his heels, both broad backs blocking her view as they ran down the porch steps and around to her back yard.

“Over here,” Officer Shannon Crowley hollered from Natalie and Bella’s backyard.

Her partner hopped the four foot chain-link fence and crouched by the blue baby swimming pool that was upside down on Natalie’s covered patio.

“Squirt, it’s Uncle Pete,” he said.

A flash of red curls, and her son was in her partner’s arms. The empty plastic mould rocked as he slipped out from under it.

Cole ran through the open gate, Andi on his heels.

Face buried in her partner’s neck, Ethan repeated, “My Bells,” over and over.

She hurried to them, ignoring Cole, who bee-lined for Shannon. The officer was talking into his radio, no doubt letting dispatch and everyone listening know they’d found Ethan.

Wide blue eyes locked onto hers as she reached Pete and her son. Andi’s heart plummeted. He was so scared.

“Mama!”

She practically ripped him from her partner’s arms and held him as close as she could. Small arms shot around her neck and she tugged him closer. He buried his face against her neck, his tears wetting her skin and the collar of her shirt. Rubbing his back, she whispered reassurances until he quieted. Ethan lifted his head and met her gaze. Andi wiped the tears from his cheeks.

“Bell Bell, Mama. The bad man took my Bells.”

Andi’s stomach somersaulted with her three-year-old’s confirmation that the teen was indeed gone.

Kidnapped. Innocent, sweet Bella.

“Someone call Natalie.” Her voice cracked, her chest ached. So close. What if Ethan had been hurt? Taken? Shot?

“I’m gonna kill that bastard,” Cole spat.

“Cole,” Ethan exclaimed before Andi or Pete could answer.

Her son scrambled to get loose, so she set him down and he darted to Cole. Her temporary partner and lover swung him up into his arms and held him close. Andi watched them together. Cole soothed Ethan as she had. The little boy kept nodding his head as her man talked in a low even voice, and Andi bit back a gulp. She could
not
lose it. Her chest tightened, she struggled for breath. Tears hovered, but she shut them down.
Not now
.

Pete shot a comforting arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him for only a moment before stepping away.

She was stronger than that.

“What happened?” Andi asked, a tremble shooting down her spine.

Shannon Crowley cleared his throat. She met his whisky-coloured eyes. “The alarm company told us that he kept saying a bad man had a gun and took his ‘bells’. He kept asking for his mom and Cole. He told the operator that you and Cole had guns, but you were the good guys. After that, I’m guessing he ran. He didn’t stay on the phone with dispatch.”

“Ethan said the bad man rang the doorbell and pointed a gun at him. He said he hurt Bella,” Cole said, striding forward.

Andi bit back a wince.

“Squirt, can you remember, did the bad man have hair like mine, or like Cole’s?” Pete asked.

Necessary as it was, interrogating any child was difficult, but this was
her
kid. Andi’s mind screamed a protest. However, her son answered before she could comment.

“Like Cole’s,” Ethan answered, his face contorted as he remembered. “He walked funny.”

She and Cole exchanged a glance. “Maldonado,” they said at the same time.

“A gun. A big gun, too,” Ethan added, laying his head on Cole’s shoulder.

“Baby, you did so good. You climbed up and pushed the button just like we practised.” She stroked his cheek.

“I telled the lady everything.”

“Good job, Ethan,” Cole said. Her son beamed.

Ethan reached for her, and Andi pulled him from Cole’s arms, propping him on a hip. Pete stepped away, his phone to his ear. His voice was low, calm, as he asked for Bella’s mother. She ignored the guilt and worry as it skittered across her body, squeezing Ethan tighter in her arms.

“Natalie’s coming home,” Pete said, slipping his cell back into his pocket.

How could she tell her close friend and neighbour she’d found her child, when Nat’s was still missing?

“I’ll talk to her,” her partner said, as if he could read her mind.

Andi nodded, voice gone. Pete had always been better at those things than her.

The walk back to the house was filled with dread. Bella…gone. Ethan too close to danger, and Carlo Maldonado on the loose and holding all the cards.

“Detective MacLaren,” Officer Nina Ricketts called from near the front door. “Does there seem to be anything out of place, or missing?”

Andi looked around, taking a few calming breaths. No, everything in the foyer was in order, down to the potted plant she always forgot to water on the table she threw her keys on every day. “Nothing,” she answered.

Ricketts nodded, jotting a few notes on her pocket spiral, her blonde updo bouncing with the movement.

“I didn’t think so,” Pete murmured “But I told her to ask you anyway.”

She set Ethan to his feet, but he didn’t go far, looping his arms above her knee.

“It’s like a smash and grab, so Maldonado,” Cole said.

“Do you think he’ll hurt her?” Pete asked.

“No. He’s needs her in one piece if he plans to sell her.”

Andi swallowed hard. Natalie would never forgive her. She would never forgive herself. How the
hell
had he found out where she lived? And why Bella?

“He’s after me,” Cole answered, as if he’d read her mind. “Leverage. I would bet money on it.”

“So now what?” Andi asked.

“We wait.” His jaw was a hard line.

“No. We need to find her,” she said.

“We won’t have to wait long. He wants me. He’ll contact us.”

“But we don’t—” Andi’s statement was cut off by Bella’s mother’s appearance in the doorway. Her brown eyes—a match for her daughter’s—were bloodshot and her scrubs a mess. She’d rushed right from the hospital.

“Andi?” Natalie’s voice shook. Her friend was all mother, like Andi had been. Nat’s persona of the strong trauma RN was in the background.

Andi rushed forward and pulled Nat into her arms. Her long-time friend trembled from head to foot. She soothed her as best she could, smoothing her short dark hair and whispering to her.

As a mother, she had empathy. The moments before they’d got home, her worry for Ethan had been paramount, only to worsen when they’d failed to locate him right away. She wouldn’t be able to cope without him. But Nat wouldn’t be without Bella for very long. As a cop, Andi
would
get Maldonado.