Read Online Ransom by Terri Reed - Free Book Online Page B

late.

FOUR
    L iz struggled against the hands dragging her into the barracks. The bag holding the necklace flew from her grip to land several feet away. Panic beat a desperate drum inside her chest and she let out a howl, and then another, but the wooden walls absorbed her screams. She jabbed and kicked at her assailant.
    In her ear she could hear Blake’s assurances he was coming to rescue her. But would he arrive in time? Would her attacker kill her and make off with the jewels before Blake could reach her?
    Breath-stealing panic rose like a choking tide. She didn’t want to die. What would happen to Jillian? Who would fight for her life if Liz were dead?
    A line of scripture flashed through her mind—“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
    Please, Lord, give me strength .
    With renewed determination, she used the heel of her boot to stomp hard on her captor’s instep.
    A deep male voice swore and shoved her toward the back wall. She stumbled, catching herself on the edge of a wooden-frame cot. Light from the many windows revealed a long room with a row of similar cots lining one wall and a bench table where a man dressed in period garb was seated hunched over a plate of food. Not a man, but a mannequin, she realized. The barracks were festooned to look like they would have in the 1800s. A fireplace that had once burned with flame was dark and cold. Leaning against the side of the fireplace was a black fire iron. She raced to pick it up to use as a weapon and whirled around to face her attacker.
    Recognition made her jaw drop. “Travis?”
    He looked disheveled in wrinkled corduroy pants and a dress shirt beneath a wool coat. Several days growth of stubble shadowed his jaw. His bloodshot gaze watched her warily. “It’s me. I’m sorry I scared you. Put that down.”
    â€œNo way.” She hadn’t trusted him before this debacle; she certainly didn’t trust him now. Her attention zeroed in on the bag containing her mother’s box and the necklace where it had landed in the far corner behind Travis before her gaze skittered back to her brother-in-law. “Where’s Jillian? Is she at the hotel like Santini promised?”
    Travis shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. I don’t know where she is. He separated us.” His voice quivered. “I was told to come here, retrieve the necklace and then he’d contact me.”
    â€œFigures.” Blake was right that Santini would lie. She was so naive to think a criminal would keep his word.
    â€œBut I wanted you to know I’m doing everything I can to rescue her,” Travis assured her. “You have to trust me.”
    Again, another man telling her she had to trust him without giving her any reason to. Unbelievable.
    The door to the barracks burst open, and Blake barreled inside with his gun drawn, his gaze sweeping over them. He slammed the door closed behind him. Liz didn’t hesitate to take advantage of the distraction. She leaped over the next cot and grabbed the bag with the diamond necklace from the floor.
    Though Blake kept his gun trained on Travis, he darted an anxious look toward her. “Are you okay?”
    â€œYes.” She clutched the bag to her chest. “This is Travis, my no-good, rotten brother-in-law.”
    Travis’s wide eyes swung from Blake to her. “You called the police?” He groaned, a lamenting sound that pummeled Liz. “If Santini finds out—” Travis bent forward, putting his hands on his knees. His breathing turned ragged “—she’s as good as dead.”
    Liz gritted her teeth against the slicing pain of his words. She’d placed her trust in Blake and his team. She needed to hold on to the hope that there was still a chance of rescuing Jillian before it was too late.
    Blake stalked forward. “Where’s Santini?”
    Travis jerked upright and backed up. “I don’t know.