High Stakes Gamble (13 page)

She smiled tremulously and then pushed him away. “Yeah, yeah!” No way could she talk herself out of this, nor did she want to. Right now, they needed to get their child home safe and sound. “Quit grinning like an idiot and help me up. We need to get this finished.” The sound of babies crying in the distance revved up her impatience to get Lily back safely into her arms.

Kai winced when he stood which made guilt kick in for Aurora. He’d grabbed her out of the direct path of danger. The crazy hero had most likely saved her life.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Kai figured he’d aged ten years in the time it took for him to see Aurora running into the path of the ambulance until he got to her. Dear Lord the woman was fearless. Of course he didn’t blame her. His heart felt crushed hearing Lily calling for them in the background also.

Measuring the distance, he glanced to where one side of the back of the trailer gaped like a black cave.

Son of a gun! Aurora took off again, running straight toward danger. Blood pumping madly, urgency overriding sense, he followed, hauled her from behind and forced her to take cover against the open police car door.

“Quit going solo. We need to work together, form a plan if we intend to get that badass.”

Ham had edged his way over to where they were concealed and he snuck up to join then. “He’s gotten to the cab. If he drives away there will be a chase and who knows what could happen?”

Sure enough they heard the Peterbilt’s engine roar to life and saw stinking black smoke pouring out of his exhaust. Kai grabbed Aurora and pushed her to Ham. “Hold onto her.” Then he ran faster than he’d ever moved in his life. Thank God his legs still worked.

Adrenalin kicking in, strengthening his muscles, he grabbed a hold of the swinging back door and held on for dear life. When the driver twisted the wheel, the door swung closed and he lifted his legs and went with the motion. At the last minute he let go, ending up in the blackness of the trailer.

Screams intermingled with baby’s cries made him move his butt. He saw a flash of color in the dark that drew his eyes. Various bodies huddled together were in the opposite corner. “Get as far back as you can and stay down.” He yelled the words at the same time as he maneuvered his way out of the box and swung up and over onto the roof.

The driver had wheeled the vehicle around to where he could force the blocking, rolled van off the road to clear a getaway path. Kai knew if the dipshit managed a way through, there would be hell to pay.

The sides of the highway were flat and unfenced but a lot of traffic had been held up. Searing pain from his shoulder screamed its fury but just visualizing the potential destruction pushed him on.

Running along the roof on the crazy battering ram, it took all Kai’s efforts to stay upright. He had to keep moving. Just a few more seconds… then he’d be able to jump from the box to the cab.

Praying steadily, throwing in a few cuss words he couldn’t help, he used the handy bars to keep from plummeting under the spinning wheels. Crazy son-of-a-bitch had punched the gas and the truck sounded like it was internally hemorrhaging.

Seconds later, he aimed his body for the driver’s step and grabbed the large mirror as a handhold. “Hey there, how’s it going?” True to his warped sense of humor, he couldn’t shut the sarcasm off.

Shocking the hell out of the Asian asshole, he shoved his gun through the open window, pushed the muzzle into the driver’s left arm and pulled the trigger.

Quick as a wink, he shot another bullet into the foot on the gas pedal and the truck’s forward momentum slowed instantly, gears grinding noisily. Not taking his eye off the cussing, drooling crybaby, Kai leaned in and grabbed the rifle. He slammed the butt of it into the guy’s head before he threw it out behind him.

With care, Kai stuck his heated gun in the back of his jeans and wrenched open the door on the now lopsided truck. By then, Ham had joined him and took over hauling the weeping fugitive into custody.

Kai bent over, hands on his knees and breathed a huge sigh of relief. The nightmare was finally over.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Aurora disappear into the back of the trailer. He limped over to join her. All he wanted at this moment was to welcome his baby girl and see her nestled safe in her mother’s arms.

A small group of very young females, straggling, dirty, bleeding and in shock had climbed out of the gaping door. Two were supporting another who could barely stand—her beaten body too weak. Another two carried protesting babies, their hungry, frightened wails heartbreaking. The teens were all weeping, some so shocked their vacant stares were even more worrisome.

His beautiful love appeared next holding Lily—except the baby hung limp and unmoving. The shock on Aurora’s face made him swallow twice to clear the moans of grief so he could speak. “Ahh…” He couldn’t speak. Words wouldn’t squeeze through a throat clogged with tears. His legs began to let him down.

“Kai don’t!” Aurora screamed. “It’s not Lily.” She clutched the lifeless child to her breast and swayed back and forth, and then she fell to her knees. In a voice thick with agony, she whispered. “God help us, Lily isn’t here.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Later that evening, after an emergency meeting for all staff, Cory ranted for those in his office who felt the same anger and disappointment revealed on his expressive face. No one minded his deafening tone. “I can’t believe that after all the time we’ve spent on this case, we’ve got zilch, nada—zero.”

Ham kicked in sarcastically. “But don’t forget, Boss: we helped the Feds look good! That outta count for something.”

“Fuck them! Let ‘em do their own work.”

Aurora spoke up. “Yeah, well just so you know, they got Min Chang to give up what she’d gathered on her brothers and there’s enough there to put them away for a good long time.” Aurora had to add in her two cents. Somehow, it had made things a little better for her so maybe it would soothe the savage males.

Kai sauntered into the room, a new bandage peeking out of the opened top buttons on his torn and bloody, blue plaid shirt. “I’ve rounded up the troops and told them to pass out the word. Lily’s still missing and we need to get organized.” He leaned his hip against Cory’s desk and turned to Aurora.

“Did you call Big Mike? I couldn’t find his number.”

She looked at him and noticed new pain lines on his unsmiling face. “I called in every marker I could think of.” She pushed her hair to the back and forced herself to let it go and not pull it out by the roots. Every normal sensation of foreboding had become heightened now. It wasn’t possible to shove it back anymore.

Trepidation grew in her gut; she didn’t know how she could last another minute without visiting the bathroom once again to hurl. Leaning forward in her chair, she held her face in hands and hoped no one else saw them trembling.

Ham cleared his throat and then added, “I put Lily’s photograph out over every media outlet I could think of. Plus, her kidnapping is on all the radio stations. We’ve alerted law enforcement agencies so they’ll all start investigations in their areas. Everyone is talking about our precious little angel.”

Kai slapped his hands on his knees adding, “And all the crazies will be calling in with wild stories from alien abduction to psychics who’ve had some kind of weird epiphany. A story like this just stirs them up.”

Cory piped up. “Whatever! Follow up on every one of them. We know that the woman who took Lily most likely still has her. Since she apparently didn’t work for the Chang-Lee’s, it’s reasonable to assume that she has other reasons for wanting the child—maybe personal ones.”

Ham added. “Considering all the media flashing Lily’s photo everywhere, this chick must be smart enough to pass under the radar.”

Aurora knew that many of the missing children who disappeared without a trace were probably taken by ordinary individuals. They got away with their crime because of that very ordinariness.

Her memories of the female to whom she’d handed over her child had no discerning characteristics that she remembered—at least nothing that had tweaked her cop instincts.

In fact, it was the complete opposite. When leaving her mom’s arms, Lily had started to fuss. But the other woman had soothed her perfectly and she’d settled right down. All Aurora could figure was she must have sensed security.

The annoyingly mild hum she’d had in her head since earlier when she’d realized Lily wasn’t among the babies found in the trailer, continued. Concentrating as hard as she could didn’t help. The hint her mind tried to convey wouldn’t break loose. Ever since she’d realized Lily hadn’t been kidnapped by the Chang-Lee gang, the aggravation had haunted her.

A sob broke loose and all heads turned in her direction. She covered her mouth but it was too late. The pity she read drove the hidden tears to show themselves.

“Aurora you’re exhausted and no good to me in this shape—you too, Kai. You take Aurora home, and if you have to force a sleeping pill into her, you have my permission.” Cory’s voice held no give. “The rest of us will work the phones through the night and if anything pops we’ll call you. Debbie’s left Eric with a friend and she’ll be coming in to take your place. In the meantime, there’s nothing you can do that we can’t.”

“
Sleeping pills?! What the hell? No way I’m leaving.” Aurora spit the words through tight lips.

Cory rose to tower over her. “None of your bullshit, Rory. You two have been on the job long enough. You’re done! If you don’t care about yourself, look at our hero here. He’s a mess. Now get outta here—both of you before I lock you up for obstructing justice.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Outside the precinct, Kai opened the passenger door for Aurora and worried when she didn’t protest, probably because she didn’t have the strength. He then went around to the driver’s side and slipped in next to her. “My hotel or your place?”

Weakness painted its picture on her pale face as she answered, her lips hardly moving. “My place. If anyone phones, they might use my home line and I don’t want to miss any calls.”

Kai knew what she referred to but figured that since they hadn’t had a ransom call yet, none would be forthcoming. But then Aurora hadn’t been home since Lily disappeared.

Driving faster than he normally would, they arrived before he could really get twisted over the tortuous thoughts bombarding him.

After he parked in her spot, he guided a silent Aurora to her front door and picked up the keys she dropped after pulling them from her pocket.

Once inside he hit the light switch and guided her toward the living room area. Before they went more than a few steps, her doorbell rang and a man’s voice could be heard calling her name.

Aurora wheeled around and rushed to open the door. “Jeff!”

A very distinguished good-looker scooped her into his arms and came very close to getting himself an extended stay in the hospital, courtesy of a very envious Kai.

A toxic jealousy he could chew began to weave its way throughout Kai’s body. The muscles in his stomach tightened into a fist that punched at his tolerance. He stopped the movement to reach behind for his weapon and instead clenched his fists. So this was his rival, the man no one wanted to talk about.

“I just heard on the news and flew back immediately, Aurora. I’m so gol-darn sorry, Pet.”

Gol-darn…? What a pussy!
Kai backed away and crossed his arms, his back stiff and his thoughts dangerous.

Aurora burrowed in. Her words were hardly discernible. “Everyone believed Lily had been kidnapped by a member of a notorious Chinese gang. We got him, but he didn’t have her.”

Aurora’s voice sounded husky and so sad that it broke Kai’s heart. He tore his gaze from her and perused the other man. The putz’s shoes alone could cover the cost of all the clothes he wore, plus the numerous blue shirts in his closet that his mom insisted on buying for various presents.

Judging by his appearance, this dude had money and a lot of it. A mean streak surfaced and Kai pictured his fist connecting with the unlined cheeks on the other man’s face. He could already feel the satisfaction until Jeffie turned his way and… and winked.
Fuck!

Then the dude extended his hand. “You must be Kai, Lily’s daddy. I’m a good friend of the girls, Jeff Waters.”

At first Kai wanted to pretend not to see the gesture but it didn’t sit well with his conscience to be a jerk. He shook Jeff’s hand, tightening his grip unnecessarily.

Aurora took a few steps back and she looked lighter, happier, less tired. “Jeff, I knew you would come.”

Jeff, not acknowledging Kai’s force, used the same crushed hand to push Aurora’s hair back over her shoulders in an affectionate way and said, “Of course I came. She’s my godchild. And you’re my pal. What can I do? Anything… you know that, right?”

“I do. But it’s all being looked after. We have every officer on her trail; every possible procedure has been set in place.”

Kai wasn’t sure if he liked that Aurora still held onto Waters’ hand; but if his being there would make things any easier for Aurora, he’d swallow the gathering bile and put up with it—and a whole lot more. He didn’t have to like it, but then there was a lot of stuff going on in his life right now he didn’t like.

When her phone interrupted, she moved off to the kitchen to answer it, leaving him alone with the guy.

Waters waved him toward the sofa as if he owned the place and Kai gritted his teeth and let him take the lead. As soon as they were out of Aurora’s sight, the prick turned on him.

“You asshole! Where the hell have you been? That girl needed you a long time ago. I outta shove your head up your ass for treating her so shabby.”

Okay, now Jeffie was cruisin’… “It’s a long story. And my friend, you don’t deserve a personal report.”

“You’re right. But Aurora does. So for your sake, I hope your defense cuts it. Otherwise you’ll answer to me. She’s my friend and no one messes with the people I care about without learning a lesson.”

Smug bastard! Kai noted that he’d called her a friend, not his

girlfriend or woman. Tension that had tied up his guts started to unravel. He took in a huge breath and relaxed tightened muscles.