Read Online Desperate Rescue by Barbara Phinney - Free Book Online Page B

wouldn’t you not want to go back and risk being kidnapped again?”
    Kaylee fell silent. Eli watched her swallow, knowing the police officer had backed her into a corner. A tear slipped down her cheek.
    Before he could speak in her defense, she said, “Besides the fact that they’re victims themselves, I decided to help Eli because I didn’t want him to go through what I did when I lost Trisha. But believe me. It wasn’t an easy decision.”
    The officer’s expression softened slightly. “But if you knew Noah was so dangerous, why risk confronting him again?”
    Kaylee cast her gaze downward. Cold dread washed over Eli. Yes, Noah hadn’t just threatened to kill Trisha, should Kaylee escape. He’d threatened her, too. She’d risked so much returning there. Her life and, as she’d admitted to him, her beliefs and, yes, her personal freedom.
    All because Eli had convinced her. And maybe she was, like him, relying also on God for help.
    Eli wanted to drag Kaylee out of there, right that minute. Take her someplace safe. He snapped his head toward the officer. “Do you know where Noah is now? He’s taken them back to northern Florida, hasn’t he?”
    The officer grilled him with a hard stare that matched Eli’s tone. “Why do you say that?”
    “Educated guess.” He leaned forward. “All I want is to talk to my sister. Cut me some slack here, please.”
    The men looked at each other.
    Encouraged by the hesitation, Eli plowed on. “Don’t protect Noah. Not after he set those explosives.”
    The older officer spoke. “They stopped for gas near the house. One of the children mentioned to the attendant where they were headed, who said they could go a bit farther and see some great theme parks, but the kid had never heard of any of them. That’s how come the attendant remembered them.”
    Eli blinked, his breath locking itself in his lungs as he digested the police officer’s words. The boy who’d filled his tank knew where they’d gone?
    Wait. He knew his brother. Noah wasn’t heading south for the winter. Maybe the rest, but not him.
    Beside him, Kaylee let out a long breath. A premature breath, but now wasn’t the time to tell her so.
    “I still don’t understand why Noah would blow up his own home,” one of the officers said. “He could toy with you doing something less risky to himself.”
    Eli stood, slowly, his mind whirring. With what the police had just said, it wouldn’t be hard to find Phoebe.
    No longer a cold trail. He’d missed Phoebe this time, but—
    All eyes in the room fell on him. Cold dread began to trickle down his back. “He threatened to kill Kaylee. And he wants me to stop searching for our sister because I’m the closest thing to a threat to him. Booby-trapping his own home could kill two birds with one stone.”
    And, Eli thought grimly, Noah wouldn’t give up.

SIX
    N o one spoke. Eli waited, hearing only Kaylee beside him, as she let out another thankful sigh. Relief because she believed Noah was gone.
    Eli knew he wasn’t, but he had no proof. And what about Phoebe? It wouldn’t be hard to find her. The trail was no longer cold. A few phone calls and his investigator could easily learn where she was headed.
    Except, what about Kaylee?
    “Why do you say that?” the policeman asked. “Do you have any proof he wants you both dead?”
    “Nothing, except his threats.”
    With a hint of skepticism, the officer turned to Kaylee. “What do you think?”
    She moistened her lips. “It’s over. And I’d just like to go home.”
    Across the table from them, the officer gathered up his pen and paper. “I’ll need an address from each of you, should we need to ask more questions.”
    “Of course.”
    The addresses given, they were allowed to leave. Outside, the evening had turned crisp, with sharp chips of bright stars overhead and the feeling of frost slicing through him. When they reached his car, he offered another short prayer of thanks that it hadn’t been