Gone in a Flash (3 page)

Connor led the way down the hall to the nearest freezer according to the blueprints. “Do you know how many freezers are on this ship?”

“Too many to search?”

“All the restaurants, not just the main dining room, have a whole slew of them.”

“At least Officer Ponder seems to believe me.”

“He certainly seems to be doing his best to be cooperative.”

They reached the kitchen door. “Here we are.” Connor swiped the key and pushed open the door. They showed their badges and were granted entry into the kitchen.

Samantha pointed. “I’ll start here.”

“I’ve got this one.” Connor noticed the safety locks. “At least you won’t get locked in.”

“Good to know.”

Connor stepped inside the first freezer. Rows and rows of meat stared back at him. He couldn’t imagine the planning it took to feed five thousand people for a week. And he didn’t have time to think about it.

For the next four hours, he and Samantha searched one freezer after another, only to come up empty-handed.

Night fell and Connor and Samantha made their way back to the security offices. Mitch Ponder met them. “Find anything?”

“Nothing.” Connor could hear the disgust in his own voice.

“Us either.” Officer Ponder shook his head. “I’m afraid this is a fruitless endeavor. We simply don’t have the manpower for this and I can’t take up any more of my staff’s time looking for a man who may or may not be dead.”

Connor sighed. “Let’s call it a night. We can pick back up in the morning.”

“I’m afraid not. I’m going to ask for my key back now, please.”

Connor and Samantha handed it over.

Back in the room Samantha grabbed Andy up for a hug. “Did you have a good supper?”

“Yep. I had chicken.”

“Of course you did.” Connor exchanged an amused look with Samantha. That was just about all he ever ate.

“How about you, Jenna? This couldn’t have been a great first day of cruising for you, having to babysit the whole time.”

Jenna shrugged and smiled. “It was fine. I actually enjoyed hanging out with Andy. I told him everything he’ll ever need to know about how to treat a girl right.”

Connor felt his heart break for his daughter.

Even though she was an adult now, she was still his little girl.

And even though he was well aware that most of the time it took two to make or break a relationship, he still wanted to punch Bradley in the face.

Jenna said, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’m going to go take a walk, look at the stars, watch the moon, do a little praying . . .” She shrugged. “See you guys a little later.”

“Sure.” Connor paused and frowned. “Hey, watch your back, will you? You can identify the man who tried to snatch Andy.”

Jenna walked over and stood on tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek. “I’ll be fine, Dad. I need some breathing space.”

“I’ll go with you.”

She shot him an amused look. “That’s not me getting some breathing room. I’ll be safe. I’ll stay with the crowd.”

“I really don’t think it’s a good—”

“See you later.”

Jenna left and Connor turned to Samantha. “I’m worried about letting her go around without me, but I guess I can’t do anything about that, can I?”

Samantha sighed. “No, she’s a grown woman now. Her daddy can’t be tagging along behind and we don’t know for sure she’s a target.”

He grimaced, but didn’t disagree. “After that incident today, I feel like I should keep an eye on her. And she might be a target. She saw who tried to grab Andy.”

“I know.”

“Think she’d kill me if I followed her?”

Sam shrugged. “It’s either you or me.”

Connor was out the door in a flash.

Samantha watched Andy run his truck along the swirling pattern of the comforter. “I love you, Andy.”

He grinned up at her. “I love you too, Mommy.”

Her heart expanded. He was a later-in-life baby, born when she was nearing forty. But even now, she wondered how she had gone through the first part of her life without him. Grinning, she leaned over and tickled his belly until they were both breathless with laughter.

A noise from upstairs distracted her, made her pause. She looked up, her nerves suddenly on edge. No one should be up there.

Connor and Jenna were gone. It was just her and Andy in the suite.

So why was she hearing noises upstairs in the loft where the master bedroom was?

Mentally, she ran through the layout of the suite, wondering how someone could get upstairs without her knowing about it.

The balcony.

The sliding door to the bedroom might not have been locked. She just didn’t know.

Another sliding scrape sounded.

Like a drawer being opened.

Did the person not know she and Andy were down here? How could he not have heard their laughter?

Pulling Andy to her, she snatched his truck from the bed and hurried to the door.

“Mommy? Whatcha doing?”

“We’re going to go find Daddy.”

She twisted the knob and pulled. Nothing happened. Sam yanked again, her blood pounding furiously through her veins.

He’d jammed the door.

She raced back to the phone in the room Jenna and Andy shared. Picking it up, she held it to her ear and pressed zero.

Only to realize she had no dial tone.

Real fear surged swift and hard.

And her cell phone was in her suitcase. Upstairs. Where the noise was coming from.

Thinking fast, she moved to the bathroom, opened it and stepped inside. She shut the door behind her. “Andy, I don’t want to scare you, but I need you to stay in the bathroom while Mommy takes care of something.”

“No, don’t want to.” His little brows drew together over the bridge of his nose.

“Please, honey. There’s a bad man in our room. I need to make him go away. Okay?”

Now his brows shot up. “A bad man?”

“Yes, now I need you to hide in the bathroom so he doesn’t hurt you.”

“The man from the pool?” His lower lip jutted and fear filled his eyes.

So he had realized what was happening in his own limited little way. “Maybe. I need to find out. Now stay in here. Promise?”

“Stay with me.” His little fingers grasped her hand.

She gently pulled from his grasp. “I want to, but I need to make him go away, then I’ll give you a big hug and we’ll get some ice cream.” She pressed the truck into his hands. “Now hold on to this and I’ll be right back.”

Maybe it was the promise of ice cream or maybe he caught the desperation in her voice, but he didn’t argue or beg her to stay. The lost look on his face nearly killed her.

She couldn’t spend any more time reassuring her son. She had to see what was going on.

Opening the door, she stepped out. With one last look at her frightened son’s face, she shut the door.

Connor followed Jenna to the pool area. It had taken a few minutes to figure out where she’d gone, but he’d finally tracked her down. She’d stopped for a milkshake at one of the restaurants and then wandered through a few shops.

Aimless wandering that told him she really wasn’t taking in anything. Her thoughts were deep and she was distracted, not watching her back like he’d warned.

Satisfaction filled him. He’d made the right choice.

Finally, Jenna stopped at the pizza place and snagged some cheese pizza. She grabbed a table in the corner, placing her back to the wall. A pang hit him as he realized she followed his example on that score. Or maybe she’d just remembered what he said about watching her back.

Connor glanced at the crowd. No one looked out of place or particularly menacing.

He started to relax a fraction, when a young man about Jenna’s age approached her table. He said something, she smiled and Connor growled.

But the young man sat and Jenna offered him a slice of her pizza.

He would have to have that “don’t talk to strangers” talk with her once again.

Grudgingly he admitted the fellow looked like any other normal red-blooded male who would be attracted to a girl who looked like Jenna. But Connor wasn’t letting his guard down. Or taking his eyes off the people around his daughter.

While the two got to know each other, Connor again scanned the crowd and stopped when his gaze landed on a guy dressed in jeans and a short-sleeved polo shirt. A baseball cap hid his eyes, but Connor honed in on him.

Because he’d seen the same guy at the restaurant where Jenna got her milkshake.

Coincidence?

Possibly.

Or was he watching Jenna?

Samantha strained to hear where the intruder might be in the spacious suite. There weren’t that many good hiding places, but all he needed was one.

Silence reigned.

Had he left the same way he’d entered? But why jam the door?

So she’d have to find another way out.

Swallowing hard, she said a quick prayer. She was more afraid for Andy than for herself. Would her little boy stay in the bathroom?

She didn’t want to wait to find out. She had to get this guy out of here. Breathing more prayers, she moved toward the stairs. Would she meet him coming down as she went up? The thought sent more fear zipping through her. What she would give for her Glock right now! Or even her cell phone.

With her son’s safety in the forefront of her mind, she steadied herself and moved toward the steps, stopping to listen every few paces.

Sam listened. Nothing. Then had a thought.

The downstairs balcony. She could slip through the doors and up the outside stairs to the upper room.

As quietly as possible, she crossed the room and slid the balcony door open. Shutting it silently behind her, she gripped the rail and planted her foot on the first step. One by one, she made her way up the stairs. Her heart thudded in her chest, her training helping her keep calm in spite of her fear about Andy being discovered. How long would the three-year-old stay in the bathroom?

Not long, she felt sure.

At the top of the steps, she stayed to the side of the doors that led into the master suite. A shadow passed in front of the door and she jerked back.

Blood rushing in her ears, she waited a few seconds, then peeked around the edge.

“Mommy! Mommy! Where are you? Did you get him?”

Her stomach bottomed out and terror flooded her. “Andy,” she whispered. “Oh no.”

The shadow jerked. And spun for the stairs that would take him down to her son.

Jenna watched the face of the young man seated opposite her. He was nice, but he wasn’t Bradley. She still wasn’t sure what had gone wrong with them, but he’d declared he’d needed some space to pray about their relationship. Okay, she got that. And she’d tried to pray too, but all she could do was envision smacking Bradley upside the head with the hopes it would knock some sense into him.

She sighed.

“Where are you?”

Jenna jerked, saw the guy who’d introduced himself as Drake Walker staring at her with a small smile on his face. “Sorry?”

“I’ve been talking a mile a minute. When I asked you what you thought, you were still zoned out. Am I that boring?”

Jenna groaned, embarrassment clawing at her. “I’m sorry. I’m just . . . I’m . . .”

“What’s his name?”

Her shoulders wilted. “Bradley.”

“He’s a lucky guy.”

Jenna grimaced. “Well, he used to think so.”

“Want to take a walk? Find someplace a little more quiet to talk?”

She pushed aside her mostly uneaten pizza. “Sure.”

Connor watched Jenna and the young man stand. She looked sad, but grateful for the company. She was still thinking about Bradley. Good. Maybe that would put off the guy she was with.

What Connor found most interesting was the fact that the other man in the baseball cap also stood to follow.

Connor decided he didn’t like the way this was looking. Keeping a fair distance, he followed behind the three, wondering what the man was up to.

Jenna and her escort turned to head up the steps. Their shadow followed. Connor’s uneasiness morphed into a raging fear when the man reached around to the small of his back and wrapped his fingers around the butt of a gun.