LITMIR.BIZ

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private jet. In fact, Eddie Mason said he saw them getting into their uncle’s car.”

      Langston would never pick up the boys at school without letting her know, much less fly them to Dallas. But maybe he’d tried to get in touch with her and kept getting a busy signal. Maybe he’d left a message and she hadn’t gotten it. Maybe…

      Rachel was staring at her, probably thinking she was a very incompetent mother not to know where her sons were. “I’ll give Langston a call.”

      Rachel nodded. “I’m sure you’ll find this is all just some kind of miscommunication. It frequently happens when everyone is stressed.”

      Becky nodded as Rachel walked away, no doubt in a hurry to pick up her own toddler daughter from day care. Becky’s pulse rate was climbing steadily as she picked up her phone and punched in Langston’s private number. She’d about given up hope of his answering when she heard his hello.

      “Where are you, Langston?”

      “In the office. Why? What’s up?”

      “It’s the boys. Are they with you?”

      “No, why would you think they were?”

      “I’m at the church to pick them up from pageant practice, but they’re not here.”

      “Maybe they caught a ride home with someone else.”

      “No, I just talked to Rachel Evans. She said they never showed up.”

      “Maybe they forgot about practice and got on the school bus.”

      “If they had, they would have been home before I left to pick them up. Rachel Evans said that some of the boys at practice mentioned that you were flying David and Derrick to Dallas.”

      “No. I had a message from David asking me to fly them up there, but I only got it about twenty minutes ago. I was in a meeting all day.”

      The apprehension took full hold now, and Becky started shaking so hard she could barely hold on to the phone. “If you didn’t pick them up, who did?”

      “Not mother. She’s still here at the office. Did you talk to Bart and Matt—or even Zach?”

      “No, but they never pick up the boys unless I ask them to. I’m scared, Langston.”

      “Try to stay calm, Becky. I’m sure they’re fine and this is all a harmless mix-up. Call the ranch. See if they’re there.”

      “And if they’re not?”

      “Then call Zach. Have him meet you at the church, and don’t do anything until he gets there. In the meantime, let me know if you hear anything.”

      Hot tears welled in the back of Becky’s eyes, but she willed them to stay there.

      Becky called the big house first, just in case the boys had caught a ride back to the ranch. Juanita was the only one there, and just as Becky had feared, the boys weren’t home. She hung up quickly and then punched in Zach’s number. He was a deputy now, he’d know what to do. He didn’t pick up, but she left a frantic message for him to return her call at once.

      Her phone rang again, the jangle of it crackling along her frazzled nerves. This time it was Nick. He was the last person she wanted to talk to now. Still, she took the call.

      “Becky, it’s Nick,” he said, identifying himself as if she wouldn’t recognize his voice after a decade of marriage. “Where are the boys?”

      She heard the panic in his voice and knew he’d heard. “Did Langston call you?”

      “I haven’t talked to Langston, but this is very important, Becky. Do you know where the boys are? Are they with you?”

      Her blood turned to ice. “What’s going on, Nick?”

      “Are the boys with you?” he asked again with new urgency in his voice.

      “No. I’m at the church. I came to pick them up after their practice for the Christmas pageant, but they’re not here. They never showed up.”

      Nick let loose with a string of muttered curses. “Are you by yourself?”

      “Yes, but if you have anything to say, just…”

      “I got a phone call a few minutes ago. It was from a man claiming he has the boys with him.”

      “Who?”

      “I don’t know. All he said was that he’d call back and that I’d best be ready to deal. I think they’ve been abducted.”

      No. Her sons couldn’t be kidnapped. This couldn’t be happening. She couldn’t think, couldn’t function. Couldn’t breathe.

      “We have to find them, Nick.”

      “We will. Just don’t fall apart on me, Becky. We can’t make any mistakes.”

      But she was falling apart, more with every agonizing heartbeat. “They’ll be afraid. He might…” God, she couldn’t let her mind go there or she’d never get through this. “We have to get them back at once. If it takes every penny either of us has, I don’t care. I just want David and Derrick back.”

      “I’m leaving the hospital now. I’ll meet you at Jack’s Bluff as soon as I can get there.”

      “Langston can fly up and get you.”

      “I can get a chartered flight even quicker. Now go home and stay there in case the man calls you.”

      She swallowed hard. “I’ll call Zach.”

      “I don’t want the sheriff’s department in on this, Becky. Not them or any other law enforcement agency, at least until after we talk.”

      “Don’t be ridiculous, Nick. Zach can put out an AMBER Alert and have everyone in the state looking for this madman. And for the record, you don’t get to call all the shots, even if it is your fault they’re missing.”

      “Don’t start with the blame, Becky, not now.” His voice broke. He was hurting and probably as scared as she was.

      But this was his fault. He was the one in the news, his name and face all over the TV and every newspaper in the state. And it was him the abductor had called for a ransom.

      “The caller said that if we go to the cops, he’ll…”

      Nick stopped, leaving the sentence unfinished, though the meaning was crystal clear even in Becky’s traumatized mind. Nausea hit with a vengeance. She dropped the phone, stepped out of the car and threw up in the parking lot. Weak and unnerved, she finally leaned against the car and gulped in a steadying breath of brisk air.

      She would find out who took the twins, and whatever it took, she’d get them back. And heaven help Nick Ridgely if he got in her way.

      NICK SHIFTED again, trying to find a way to get comfortable in the four-man helicopter he’d hired to fly him directly to the ranch’s helipad. Pain shot through his neck and shoulders with each vibration, but no matter how bad it got, he wouldn’t go back on the pain meds. He needed his mind perfectly clear to deal with the situation.

      Becky had been quick to hurl the blame at him for the twins’ abduction. He couldn’t fault her for that. She’d always been determined to protect David and Derrick from the notoriety his career had brought him. She wanted them to have a normal life with solid values. She wanted them safe from the kind of sick person who had them now.

      According to the attending physician who’d protested his leaving the hospital, his career could be over. Strapped with the fears of the moment, even that seemed inconsequential.

      The pilot landed the helicopter approximately one hundred yards from the big house. Nick grabbed his quickly packed duffel bag, thanked the pilot and jumped out. He walked quickly, breaking into a jog as he neared the house.

      He’d come by helicopter before. Then the boys

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