Beau didn’t know what to do. He eyed the open window, the rain whipping the light drapes into the room, the wind making him shiver. “Gonna ruin the floor, all that rain,” he said. He waved the pistol at her. “Go close the window.”

Katie closed the window, taking her time. She tried to look through the thick rain, but didn’t see any movement, any shadow of a little boy. Where was Sam?

She turned, hoping he couldn’t see the satisfaction in her eyes. Sam was out of it, at least for now. It was just between the two of them and he was rattled. Just let him get a bit closer.

Beau walked quickly to the door and motioned with the pistol for her to come to him.

“May I suggest that you slink out of here while you still can, Beau? Or better yet, why don’t you drop that gun and let me take you to my nice warm facilities?”

“Shut up, you infernal woman. What we’re going to do is get that cute little girl. Maybe we can negotiate a trade.”

Her heart nearly stopped. “No, take me and leave the little girl alone, do you hear me, Beau? Leave her alone or I’ll kill you so slow and so hard you’ll scream so loud even the Devil won’t want you.”

But Beau just laughed, pushed her in front of him until he himself shoved open Keely’s bedroom door. “Come on out, kid! I’ve got your mama!”

There wasn’t a sound.

Beau flipped the light switch.

Both of them looked at the lump beneath the bedcovers. Katie’s heart nearly dropped to her knees, but then she saw something wasn’t right here. Keely had ears as sharp as a dog’s. Why was she just lying there? Beau waved Katie to the far side of the room, walked to the bed, and poked the lump with the muzzle of his gun.

“Come on out, little girl. Your uncle Beau’s gonna take you for a nice long ride.”

8

The lump didn’t move. Beau poked his gun harder.

“Not again.” He jerked back the covers. There was a pillow molded in the shape of a person, a very little person, underneath the covers.

Both Sam and Keely were gone.

Katie was nearly giddy. “Looks like my kid’s pretty smart, doesn’t it, Beau?” Thank the good Lord for Katie’s favorite climbing tree.

“I hate this job,” Beau said. “All right, the little kids aren’t dummies. It’s you and me now, Sheriff, and we’re heading outside. When we’re clear of this place, I’m going to whump your ass.”

“Okay,” she said, so relieved she thought she’d choke on it, “since you put it so nicely.”

Where was the FBI?

At that instant, Katie could swear she heard the soft purr of a car motor. She looked at Beau out of the corner of her eyes, realized he hadn’t heard a thing.

The rain had picked up again and battered sideways in through the open window Beau had smashed in the living room.

Beau didn’t look happy. “You’re walking too slow. Move! This is your fault, you bitch! The slower you walk, the more I’m going to hurt you.”

He shoved her hard, and then, because he wasn’t stupid, he took a quick step back.

“Go! To the front door, now!”

You want a hostage, Beau? That’s just fine with me, you bozo.

She walked swiftly to the front door, slid free the dead bolt, and opened it.

She saw a flashlight beam aiming toward her, then a hand quickly covered it. Someone was close.

She wanted to shout that Beau was right behind her with a gun at her back, but she kept her mouth shut. Anyone watching would see him soon enough.

Beau shoved the gun against her back. “Go, move! Get those arms up, clasp your hands behind your neck. Get out there!”

She put her hands behind her neck, walked through the open front door, and stopped on the front porch. The overhang didn’t help much since the wind was slapping the rain sideways. Katie shouted, “You out there, Clancy?”

Not a sound, just another flicker of a flashlight whipping around, cutting through the thick rain, its vague beam a ghostly light. She thought she heard men’s voices, low and whispering. Was Agent Savich here? Or had Wade gotten worried and come over? Whoever it was, she hoped they had a good view of her and Beau.

Beau shouted, “Clancy, drive the van up next to the front porch! If you FBI geeks are out there, stay back or the sheriff’s dead. You got that?”

There was no answer, just the wind, rumbling through the trees at the sides of her house.

“You hear me, Clancy? We’re taking her with us. Then we’ll see about the boy.”

A man’s voice came out of the night, off to her right. “In that case, Mr. Jones, why don’t you just consider us observers. Do whatever you want to do.”