Fair Catch (31 page)

Ellie nodded her head, but couldn’t speak.

“The FBI is sending an agent over who specializes in missing children.” He made it sound so reassuring like they had it under control. Inside, she felt herself coming apart, and there was nothing she could do.

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed before she felt Nick’s arms around her. It was dark outside, and the thought of her little boy being alone in the dark was more than she could bear. “Please, God, please,” she repeated over and over.

* * *

Nick felt helpless as he watched Ellie rock back and forth, praying out loud. Her beautiful face was devoid of any makeup, her eyes puffy and red from the steady stream of tears leaking out of the corners of her eyes. The house was swarming with police officers, their voices loud and chaotic as they devised a plan to find Cade.

Officer Todd, one of the men Nick had hired for off-duty protection, motioned for Nick to come over to him. Nick stood up, hating to leave Ellie. Betsy and Owen moved in and sat by her so Nick could talk to the police officer.

“Mr. Coulter, can I ask you a few questions?”

“Sure.” Nick’s eyes flickered back over to Ellie. She was on the phone, talking with her brothers. Her mother had caught a non-stop flight from London to Denver, but the flight was a little over nine hours. Hopefully her brothers could get here before that. Her father had been with a group of students in Scotland and was frantically trying to get a flight out the following day.

Nick wished his own parents could be here with them, but they had driven to his sister’s house a few hours away to stay with their kids while they vacationed in Hawaii.

“Mr. Coulter?”

Nick snapped his gaze back to the officer. “Sorry, and please call me Nick.”

“Okay, Nick.” The officer pulled out a notepad and pen and looked him in the eye. “In the past few months can you recall if there have ever been any threatening emails sent to you?”

The question hit him hard. Was this his fault? Had some crazy fan took Ellie’s son because of him? “Not that I’m aware of,” he answered honestly. “Most of my fan mail comes through the email, and I have several assistants who read it. If there is anything that seems alarming, my manager has a security team that takes care of it.”

“So there haven’t been any cryptic or hostile messages, especially after you and Ms. Garrett became engaged?”

Nick thought hard and couldn’t come up with anything recent. Over the years, there were always a few fans who took their devotion too far, but nothing lately. “No. From what I can remember, it was more generic stuff like
I can’t believe you’re getting married
.” He rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. “If there had been anything threatening, I would’ve heard about it.”

The officer looked around him and then leaned in, speaking in a low tone. “I want you know that Mr. Garrett is convinced this happened because of you and your notoriety.”

Thomas was true to form by blaming him. Nick met the police officer’s gaze. “I would never intentionally endanger Cade or Ellie, but if it’s related to me in any way, I’ll do what I can to help.”

The rest of the night was a blur. Nick didn’t sleep, and overnight, Ellie’s house became the command post. An Amber Alert had been issued for Cade, and once again, the quiet cul-de-sac swarmed with news reporters, police cars and volunteers.

Thankfully, a few hours ago, Ellie had finally fallen asleep with the help of medication. Betsy convinced her that Cade would need his mother to be healthy when he came home.

Nick paced back and forth, wanting to be out there actively searching for Cade. He paused in front of the window, watching with relief as dawn changed the dark sky to a light pink. He felt better knowing the sun would be shining today. He didn’t like thinking about Cade being lost in the dark.

About the same time the special team with blood hounds arrived from Denver, Ellie’s two brothers and mother arrived. Nick stood back and watched as Betsy and Owen greeted the family. He felt out of place and wondered if they blamed him for Cade’s disappearance as well.

Betsy motioned for Nick to come over. Three sets of eyes were on him as he approached the grim-faced group. Mrs. Ferguson looked like an older version of her daughter with short hair. Despite the situation, she offered him a soft smile and pulled Nick in for a hug. “This is a terrible way to meet my new son-in-law, but I’m grateful Ellie has you.”

Nick’s eyes burned as he wrapped his arms around the petite woman. “Me too. I wish I could do more.”

She stepped back and introduced Nick to her sons. The two men were both nearly as tall as he was. They looked very similar with light brown hair and blue eyes. Weston and Nathan each shook his hand, their expressions solemn. Then Weston put his arm around his mother. “Mom, let’s go in Dad’s office to have a family prayer.”

The three family members started for the office. Nick didn’t know if he was invited or not. Mrs. Ferguson turned around and took him by the hand. “Come on, son. We need everyone to be together.”

Nick’s throat tightened at the invitation. “Thanks,” he said, his voice rough with emotion as he followed her inside the office. Nick knelt down next to Mrs. Ferguson, his knees pressing into the hard floor and his head bent as Nathan offered the first prayer. Then, one by one, they all took turns petitioning the Lord to protect Cade and bring him safely home. Nick was the last one to offer the prayer. As he prayed, a pervasive feeling of warmth and comfort filled his soul. He didn’t know where Cade was, but he did know God was in control and that they needed to trust Him.

* * *

Ellie paused at the bottom of the stairs, clutching the railing as her eyes swept over the active room filled with police officers and a few FBI agents. She swayed slightly as she drew in a stuttering breath. So this nightmare was real. Her little boy had really been taken from her.

She stepped into the family room and saw Nick talking to a woman that looked like… “
Mom
?” she said softly.

Her mother lifted her eyes and gave her a watery smile. The two of them moved across the room, meeting each other halfway. Ellie starting crying again as she fell into her mother’s arms. “Oh, sweetheart,” her mother crooned, holding Ellie close.

“He’s gone, Mom,” Ellie said, her body shaking as the sobs wrenched from her body. “Somebody took my baby.”

Ellie finally pulled back, wiping her hand across her face. That’s when she noticed her brothers standing behind her mother. “Wes? Nate?”

She flew into the middle of them, each of them wrapping an arm around her, holding her close.

“We’re going to find him, Ellie,” Weston said, pressing a kiss into her hair.

She looked up at her brother with hope in her eyes. “Do you promise?”

“Yes,” he and Nathan both said in unison.

The conviction in their voices sparked the first bit of hope she’d felt since Cade had vanished. “Thank you for coming.”

She stepped back and twisted around, looking for Nick. He stood by her mother, looking as terrible as she felt. Needing to be near him, she practically ran him over as she launched herself into his open arms.

“I’m so sorry, Ellie. I should’ve been here.” His voice broke and his chest heaved with grief as he held her in a tight embrace. “I’m so sorry.”

A commotion in the entryway made Ellie’s body go rigid. She stepped out of Nick’s arms to see a group of men circle a police officer who had just come in through the front door. Their voices were low, but she sensed an underlying intensity that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

The agent in charge broke away and walked purposely toward them. Ellie clutched Nick’s hand tighter. What had they found? Nausea gripped her stomach when a horrible thought entered her mind. Had they found Cade’s body?

“What…is it?” She could tell her voice sounded hysterical. “Did you find him?”

“No, ma’am,” Agent Carter said, stopping in front of her. “The special team from Denver with the blood hounds picked up your son’s scent as far as the jogging trail.” He held a plastic baggie containing a white piece of paper and an envelope. “One of the officers found a ransom note tacked to the trunk of the tree next to the parking lot.”

Ellie’s knees started to buckle. Nick’s arm snaked around her waist to keep her from falling. “I think she needs to sit down,” Nick said, guiding her toward the couch.

Her heart pounded against her chest as she sank onto the couch with Nick and her mother flanking her. A ransom note was better than some of the other scenarios Ellie had been trying not to dwell on.

Once everyone was seated, Agent Carter went over the kidnapper’s demands. The note said Cade was safe and would be returned as soon as the five-hundred-thousand dollar ransom was paid. The agent shifted in his seat, his gaze still on Nick and Ellie. “The abductor states he wants the money transferred to a secure account, demanding the funds be wired within forty-eight hours. After that, he will give us the location of Cade.”

The agent handed the baggie to another officer. “We’re running forensics on the note. We’re hoping our perpetrator licked the envelope to seal it. That way, we will have his DNA, and with any luck, it will match DNA already in our database. The note was printed from a computer so there is probably no way to determine where it originated. But we will still do what we can.”

Agent Carter addressed everyone. “We don’t usually encourage families to pay the ransom, but this case is the exception. The kidnapper hasn’t left any room for negotiations. I’m afraid the ransom note is our only connection.”

Ellie’s brothers started asking questions. “How do we know he’ll tell us where Cade is once we transfer the money?” Nathan asked.

“We don’t—.”

Weston cut in. “Isn’t there some way of tracking down this account number?”

The agent gave him a brief nod. “Yes. Even if it’s an off-shore bank account, we can track where the money has gone.”

“I thought that’s why they use that kind of an account, so it won’t be traceable?” Nathan questioned.

“A lot of things changed after nine-eleven. Foreign officials will cooperate, especially in the case of child abduction. Also, you need to know that nothing on the Internet is totally secure. The cyber security models keep changing constantly to maintain protection, but believe me when I say there are hackers that can crack anything.” He smiled briefly “Fortunately, we have access to some of the best hackers out there.”

Ellie felt a glimmer of hope. Her son was still alive. But how was she supposed to come up with that kind of cash? “I’ll find a way to get the money—“

Nick cut her off. “Don’t worry about it, Ellie. I can get the money.” He looked over at the agent. “Just tell me what to do.”

Agent Carter nodded his head. “I’ll have one of my men let you know what needs to be done.” He stood up and knelt down in front of Ellie. “Ms. Garrett, I don’t want to give you false hope, but when a child is abducted, we usually don’t have a ransom note or anything else to go on.” He took a hold of her hand. “Having the note at least gives us some idea of the kidnapper’s motivation. I promise to do all that I can to bring your son safely home.”

She squeezed the agent’s hand. “Thank you.”

* * *

As the night approached, Nick could sense Ellie’s rising panic. She refused to take anymore of the anti-anxiety medication, claiming it made her too foggy. She also wanted to be alert and awake when Thomas arrived. He was due at any moment. His pending arrival had everyone on edge.

Nick’s gaze followed her as she paced back and forth, her arms wrapped around her middle. He wanted to comfort her, but Ellie didn’t want to talk to anyone, including him. Her father had also called to say the only flight he could get on would be in the morning, which had upset her further.

Finally, Weston pulled her to the side. “El, you need to calm down.”

“I am calm,” she snapped.

Her brother put his arm around her and spoke softly, “Honey, let’s have a family prayer before Thomas gets here.”

Her eyes flitted to Nick, and he nodded his head in agreement.

She sucked in a big breath and let it out slowly. “Okay.”

They filed into the office and once again knelt down to petition the Lord for a blessing. Pastor Stewart offered the prayer, and closed with a promise that the Lord was mindful of Ellie and would give her the strength to endure until she was reunited with her son. Nick felt God’s power in the room, and something inside made him believe the reunion would take place in this lifetime, and not the next. The peaceful Spirit seemed to calm everyone, including Ellie.

Tears shimmered in her eyes as she stood up and gave Owen a hug. “Thank you.” She turned and hugged each of her brothers, her mother and Betsy.

When she wrapped her arms around Nick’s chest, he held on tight. “It’s going to be okay,” he whispered. Her grip tightened, and Nick prayed he was right.

A few minutes after the prayer, Thomas arrived. The beautiful, peaceful spirit vanished as soon as he opened his mouth.

Thomas swore, looking directly at Nick. “What is
he
doing here?”

Chapter Twenty-Five

The
muscles in Nick’s shoulders tensed, his pulse pounding in his ears as the blood rushed to his head. The last thing he wanted to deal with was a jealous ex-husband.

Weston put a restraining hand on Nick’s arm. “Keep a cool head, my sister needs you here.”

Nick balled his hands into a fist and looked at Weston. “Okay.”

Agent Carter intervened by stepping in front of Thomas. After introducing himself, he offered Thomas a chair so he could give him the latest updates.

Ellie stepped beside Nick and slid her palm down his arm, her fingers curling around his clenched fist. Nick’s hand relaxed, his fingers twining with hers. “I love you,” she whispered.

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I love you too.”

Thomas’s eyes flickered over to them, his mouth pulled into a tight grimace. Nick felt the hate emanating from him. When the agent mentioned the ransom, Thomas became irate. “I don’t have that kind of money! Coulter needs to pay for this!” He pointed a finger at Nick. “This is all his fault.”