The Christmas Rescue (13 page)

Because they're out on the water? At the drop-off point?

If so, it was lousy planning on their part.

Rafe pulled into the Pelican Point parking area. Charlie's boat was moored at the dock, thankfully. Kayla clutched the notebook to her chest as they hurried down the pier.

“Charlie?” Rafe shouted as he jumped from the dock into the stern of the boat. “If you don't come out, I'm coming down.”

“I told you to leave me alone!” The old man came up from below deck, holding a baseball bat in his hand and staring with undisguised hostility.

“You told me to look in the mirror,” Rafe reminded him. “I did. I understand now that someone from inside the coast guard might be involved. But that's not important now. What is important is that whoever killed Schroeder has kidnapped a five-year-old girl.”

“My daughter,” Kayla added in a trembling voice.

Charlie looked at Kayla's tear-stained face and grunted something that might have been an acknowledgment or an apology. “So? What more do you want from me?”

Rafe reached into his wallet and pulled out a photograph of Evan that he'd taken on the first day he'd met the man. “I need to know if this is the guy who killed Schroeder?”

Charlie squinted at the photograph and slowly shook
his head. “No. The coastie I've seen is always driving that big ole fancy boat of his.”

“Yancy?” Rafe stared at Charlie in shock. “Are you telling me the man in the expensive yacht is someone within the coast guard?”

“I've seen him wearing the uniform,” Charlie confirmed. “But his name ain't Yancy.”

He already knew they were using fake names. So maybe Yancy was former coast guard? That would explain a lot, considering the coast guard didn't pay well enough for a crew member to afford a yacht the size of Yancy's.

“So Yancy, or whatever his real name is, might be a former member of the coast guard. Or he still has connections within the coast guard. And he must be getting his money from the criminal relocation business.” Rafe pulled out Kayla's sketch of Landrum. “But this isn't Yancy?”

“Nope. I've seen that guy with Schroeder once or twice, but he's not the coastie,” Charlie grudgingly admitted.

Rafe was somewhat relieved to know Evan wasn't involved. He still wasn't sure how Kayla's location had been found, but it was possible Yancy had coast guard connections. “Thanks, that's exactly what I needed to know.” He glanced over at Kayla. “Come on, we need to find my boss.”

“We only have five and a half hours,” Kayla murmured, glancing anxiously at her watch.

“I know. We'll have a plan soon, I promise.” He helped Kayla off Charlie's boat and they made their way back to his jeep. Thankfully, the ride to the substation in Green Bay wasn't far.

Kayla continued poring over the notebook. “Rafe? I think I found something.”

“What?” He pulled into the parking lot and glanced over. His eyes widened in surprise. “Is that a map?”

She nodded. “The map is of Lake Heron at the point where it connects to Lake Michigan. He describes a small island, off the Canadian coast, not far from the Manitoulin Islands.”

Rafe's pulse kicked up a notch. “Let me see,” he said, drawing the notebook out of her hands. Sure enough, Kayla found the location of the drop-off point. A thrill of anticipation shot through him. This was the hand-off spot, the place where the smuggled criminals were taken to get their new identities.

In his estimation, the island was a hundred and fifty nautical miles from Green Bay. Nearly five hours by boat. Leaving plenty of time to dock and then get to the drop-off point on Dover and Barley in Green Bay.

“Good work, Kayla. I think this is exactly where they're holding Brianna and Clyde.”

B
rianna was on the island. Somehow, the knowledge gave Kayla a thrill of hope. They'd get her back. Surely, they'd get Brianna back safe and sound. Kayla stared at the speck on the map, trying to imagine her daughter right now, curled up with Clyde who'd protect her, as she half listened to Rafe reporting the conversation they'd just had with Charlie to his boss.

“So Evan likely isn't involved,” Luke murmured. “That's good.”

“Yes, sir. However, we don't really know if anyone else from within the coast guard might be working against us, so I'd rather not use normal communication channels.”

“I don't like it,” Luke muttered darkly. He let out a heavy sigh. “I don't want to believe any of our men are involved, but I understand your concern. I don't have a good explanation for how they found Kayla's motel. Seems unlikely they could have found her location without inside information.”

“It's possible Yancy managed to convince someone he was part of the crew,” Rafe pointed out. “Someone to be trusted.”

“Maybe. But it's not like we've broadcasted every
move over the radio, either. Only a handful of key people knew that detail. Which means our insider would have to be someone in a trusted position.”

“Well, if Yancy was once in the coast guard, there's no telling who he'd convinced to turn against us.”

“Maybe. Wait a minute.” Luke frowned and began flipping through a stack of papers. “I have it here, somewhere. Here it is,” he said, pulling out a single sheet of paper. “Recent dishonorable discharges. I asked for this report the other day, after Charlie told us to look in the mirror. I wondered if our suspect might have been once on the inside.”

“Only five from the Pacific area and two from the Atlantic area in the last eighteen months,” Rafe said, scanning the brief list from the two main divisions in the coast guard. He turned to the closest computer, dropped into a chair and began hitting keys on the keyboard. “I'll do a quick search on these guys, starting with the two from the Atlantic Area. I'm sure one of them must be Yancy.”

“I've been trying to reach Evan, but no luck.” Luke walked over to the radio system off to the side. “It's not like him to be silent for this long.”

Rafe glanced up at that. “How long?” he asked sharply.

Luke glanced at his watch. “Almost twenty-four hours. I'll try again.”

Kayla wanted to scream with frustration. Why weren't they getting on a boat to drive straight to the island? She wanted to rescue Brianna. There wasn't a moment to waste. Every second counted.

“Why does it matter which one of them is Yancy?” Kayla asked, looking over Rafe's shoulder as he did his
search, barely reining in her impatience. “The important thing is to find Brianna, right?”

Rafe glanced up at her, his expression full of compassion. “We're going to find her, Kayla. I'm sure she's on Eagle Island. But we need to know exactly who we're up against. There may be something in Yancy's background that will help us.”

“Still no answer from Evan,” Luke said a few minutes later. “I think we have to assume the worst. Either Evan has been captured or he's working against us.”

Kayla swallowed hard, unable to ignore Luke's grim expression. If Yancy had hurt or killed Rafe's partner, then there was no telling what he was capable of doing to a young girl and a dog.

For a moment the room spun dizzily. She grabbed the back of Rafe's chair to steady herself.

“Are you all right?” Luke asked with concern.

She swallowed hard and nodded.

“I found him,” Rafe said, his voice ringing with satisfaction. “I'm sure this is Yancy. I haven't seen him up close, but this has to be him.”

“Let me see,” Luke commanded, coming around to peer at the computer screen. “Yes, that's him. Evan sent me a photograph of Yancy yesterday morning. I haven't heard from him since.”

“Yancy's real name is Kevin Yarborough and he was arrested on a charge of embezzlement,” Rafe said, reading the details of the guy's dishonorable discharge. “He did his time and was released fourteen months ago. Actually, both men from the Atlantic Area were released about the same time. The other dishonorable discharge was a guy named Giles Lieland.”

“Gregory Landrum,” Kayla whispered, staring in
horror at the photograph that bloomed on the screen. “That's him. Gregory Landrum.”

Rafe glanced up at her. “Your sketch was right on. We have them, Kayla. Now we know for certain we're dealing with two former Guardians.”

“And maybe a few others,” Luke warned. “We can't know for sure who else might be involved.”

“Schroeder was involved, but they killed him. Since they're asking for the evidence in exchange for Brianna's life, they must have realized Schroeder was building a case against them. That he was going to the authorities.”

“Makes sense,” Luke agreed.

“Let's go.” Rafe stood, looking as if he wanted to jump into action. “I'm sure they've stashed Brianna and Clyde on Eagle Island. With our cutter we should be able to get there in a few hours.”

“All right,” Luke agreed. “We'll go. But I'm going to request a small backup team, too.”

“I'm coming with you,” Kayla announced.

Luke frowned. “I don't think that's a good idea.”

Kayla glanced helplessly at Rafe. “Please? I need to come with you. Brianna will be scared to death. I need to be there for her. Please?”

She held her breath, waiting for Rafe's response. He wouldn't be so cruel as to keep her away.

Would he?

 

Rafe hesitated, glancing at his commanding officer. It went against his better judgment to allow Kayla to come along, yet he couldn't refuse her request. Especially since there was a possessive part of him that didn't want to let her out of his sight. She'd be safer with him, rather than staying in Green Bay all alone. “I think she
could be of some use when we do find the child and the dog, sir.”

Luke scowled. “Doesn't matter, she's a civilian.”

Rafe took a deep breath. “I can't just leave her here, sir. And what about the drop? If we don't meet the kidnappers' demand in Green Bay at the designated time, they'll know something is up. I don't want Kayla involved in the drop without me being there with her.”

“Maybe you're right. We can't do this alone. I'll ask the local authorities to take over the Green Bay meeting,” Luke agreed thoughtfully. He reached for the phone. “I'm sure they have a police woman who can do the drop in Kayla's place.”

“Might be better for the shore police to act as a backup to us as well,” Rafe pointed out. “That way we wouldn't have to worry about a potential leak on the inside.”

“All right,” Luke agreed grudgingly. He glared at Kayla. “I don't like it. If you come along, you're doing so at your own risk.”

“I know,” Kayla said eagerly, determined not to be a burden. “I won't be a problem, I promise.”

Rafe knew allowing Kayla to come along was totally against proper procedure, but the case had taken a strange twist with former Guardians involved. They couldn't even use their own crew for backup without knowing if any crewmen might have been compromised.

“I'll take full responsibility for her, sir,” he said.

His boss raised a brow. “You'll stake your career on it?”

“Absolutely,” he agreed, without the slightest hesitation. And he meant it.

Finding Brianna was his first priority. Nothing else mattered.

 

Kayla was relieved when Rafe's boss reluctantly allowed her to come along. There was a moment of panic when she wondered what would happen if they didn't find Brianna on the island but then she shoved the doubt aside. She trusted Rafe. And the island was the logical place for the kidnappers to have taken Brianna and Clyde.

Rafe insisted she take Dramamine to take to ward off potential motion sickness, and she didn't argue, unwilling to give him any reason to regret his decision. Now that they had a definitive plan, things moved quickly and within twenty minutes, they were on board the coast guard cutter, pulling away from the dock.

Luke ordered one of his most trusted petty officers to take control of the boat, but demanded radio silence. Petty Officer Phillip Durham looked at the commanding officer like he was crazy, but did as he was told.

She couldn't stay below in the cramped quarters. Up on deck, the wind whipped painfully around her.

The boat raced across the choppy lake water, heading due north. Despite the frigid air blowing across her face, Kayla stood at the rail, bundled in her coat her long scarf wrapped around her face, staring blindly out at the horizon waiting for Eagle Island to appear.

“Kayla, it's too cold to stand out here,” Rafe murmured as he came up beside her. “Come down below. It's going to be a while before you can see anything.”

She was freezing, but she couldn't drag herself away. She wanted to find Brianna alive and safe on the island so badly. And if her daughter had suffered physically or emotionally at the hands of her kidnappers, she wasn't sure how she'd cope.

In that moment, she realized she couldn't do this
alone. “I'm so scared,” she admitted huskily. “Rafe, will you pray with me?”

“Of course I will.” When he wrapped his arm securely around her shoulders and bowed his head so that it was close to hers, she leaned against him, gratefully. “Heavenly Father, please show us Your will. Give us Your strength and Your guidance as we face those with evil in their hearts. And please, Lord, keep Brianna safe in Your care. Amen.”

Kayla hesitated a moment and then added her deepest fear, “And if you have chosen to bring Brianna home with You, please give me the strength to face whatever lies ahead. Amen.”

“Amen,” Rafe echoed in a low, husky voice.

In that moment a sense of calm flowed over her. It was like nothing she'd ever experienced before. Suddenly she wasn't afraid.

Because she wasn't alone.

God was with her.

This must be what Rafe had meant when he said he wouldn't have survived the loss of his wife and baby without his faith. This what she'd been missing in her life all along, what she'd been unconsciously searching for over the years since Jeremy's death. She tightened her grip on Rafe. “Thank you,” she murmured.

“For what?” he asked in surprise.

She lifted her head to gaze up into his eyes. “For showing me how wonderful life with God can be. I wasn't happy, but hadn't realized what I was missing, until you showed me the way.”

“Ah, Kayla. Your faith humbles me.” He stared down at her for a moment and she waited breathlessly as he slowly lowered his mouth to hers.

His kiss was warm and tender. She reveled in the
sensation, feeling the effects of his embrace all the way to the depths of her heart and soul.

When he lifted his head, she buried her face against his chest, staggered by the abrupt realization.

She loved him. Loved Chief Petty Officer Rafe DeSilva with a depth that had been missing in her marriage with Jeremy. Not that she hadn't loved her husband, because she had, but this closeness with Rafe was so different.

Because they were also bound together by their love of God.

With God's help, they would find Brianna. She couldn't allow herself to consider the alternative.

 

Rafe stared down at Kayla, more shaken than he cared to admit by the impact of their kiss. He couldn't be in love with her. He wasn't ready for a family.

Brianna. Nothing mattered except finding Brianna. He needed to concentrate on saving Brianna, especially because it was his fault she'd been taken in the first place. He shouldn't have left them alone at the motel. In fact, he couldn't believe Kayla hadn't blamed him.

Instead, she'd kissed him as if she were drowning and he was a buoy.

He needed to focus on the danger that undoubtedly waited ahead.

He never should have agreed to have Kayla come along.

Somehow he managed to convince Kayla to go down below, out of the cold wind. His commanding officer had a topographical map of Eagle Island spread out on the small table in the galley. More than ready to get down to business, he took the seat across from his commanding officer.

“We're going to land on the island, here,” Luke said, indicating a relatively small sandy area between two large rocky sections of shore.

Kayla leaned forward with a frown. “But isn't this beach area, here?” she asked, indicating the northeastern part of the island.

“Yes, and that's the spot the kidnappers are likely using for their access,” Rafe explained. “We'll need to land where we're not expected.”

“There isn't a whole lot of beach on this particular island,” Luke said. “In fact, most of it seems to be covered in trees. I think this is the most logical area for a structure, up against the rocks. And if they have stashed Brianna and Clyde inside, I'm sure there will be men guarding them.”

“I hope they're staying someplace with heat,” Kayla murmured.

Rafe understood her concern. The weather has been mild for December, but a temperature in the high forties was still cold without a source of heat. “I'm sure they have a wood-burning stove or something. We know they're using the island as a staging place, an area to give the escaped criminals new identities and a place to stay for a while until the search dies down.”

“They must have someone working with them from the Canadian border,” Luke said. “Someone who can get into the Canadian ports easily.”

“We'll find everyone involved, eventually,” he said confidently. Many criminals were more than happy to rat out their pals. Especially if they thought cooperating would give them lighter sentences.

He and Luke planned out their approach. Kayla huddled beside him, listening wordlessly as they discussed
strategy as they prepared for their approach. Once they had a plan, he and Luke double-checked their weapons and gear. He and Luke were armed but they needed to be certain Brianna didn't get caught in the crossfire.