Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense March 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 Dana Mentink (e books free to read TXT) 📖

Moments later, the door eased opened slightly and a blue-eyed CBSA officer peered through the crack. Wiry red hair poked out from under her tuque. “Can you show me some identification?”

He fished out his credentials and held them up. “Can you let me in? It’s freezing out here.” His tone conveyed a mix of annoyance and authority. Probably not a good first impression, but he was losing his patience. Not his best trait.

She scowled and opened the door wider. “Yes, sir!”

He swept by her and brushed the snow off his jacket. “Everyone good?”

He spied the boy huddled in the corner under a mound of blankets, his body shaking. He rushed over and knelt beside him. “Hey, bud. You okay?”

The boy remained silent.

Layke turned to the officer. “You are?”

“Border patrol officer Hannah Morgan.” She pointed to the man on his cell phone. “That’s Superintendent Doyle Walsh. He’s reporting the incident to our superiors.”

Layke stood and pulled out his notebook. “Can you tell me what happened?”

Hannah removed her hat, revealing her disheveled red locks. She tugged at the elastic in her hair and repositioned it. “I was performing a sweep of the area at dusk since the traffic was light when I caught movement at the tree line. Gabe here came through the woods without a coat on.”

No wonder he still shivered. How long had he been out in the cold?

“I rushed over and put my jacket around him,” Hannah continued. “He barely told me what was going on when I saw a man with a gun emerge from the trees, rushing at us. I grabbed Gabe’s hand and we ran toward the building. The man fired some shots that went wide. Thankfully, God protected us.”

God? Hardly. He held his tongue and waited for her to continue.

“My boss heard the shots and came outside. We reached the station and barricaded ourselves in. One of the assailants called us and demanded we release the boy or they’d kill us.”

“Any recognizable voice traits? Accent?”

“None, but I won’t forget it. It was deep and chilling.” She rubbed her arms as if warding off the threat.

“Do you know anything about Gabe?”

“Only that he’s eight.”

“Any signs of how long he was out in the cold?”

“His fingertips are frostbitten. I treated him.”

Gabe held up his bandaged hands.

Layke smiled, pulled up a chair beside the boy and tousled his curls. “Can you tell me why you didn’t have a coat on, Gabe?”

He shrugged. “No time. I ran.”

“From where?”

A fat tear surfaced and the boy looked at Hannah.

She rushed to his side. “It’s okay, Gabe. You can tell Constable Jackson. You’re safe now.”

“They said they’d kill us.”

She rubbed the tear away with her thumb. “Who said that?”

“The bad men.”

Layke had to get this boy to trust him. He pulled out his badge and handed it to him. “See this, Gabe? I’m a police officer and I will keep you safe. I promise.”

Could he?

Hannah reached for the boy’s hand. “We both will.”

The station’s phone rang, its loud ring booming throughout the small room.

The boy startled.

Hannah jumped up and grabbed the receiver. “Beaver Creek Station.” She waited and held it out to Layke. “It’s him again. He wants to talk to you.”

He stood and walked over to the desk. “Constable Jackson here.”

“We know who you are,” the baritone voice growled.

What? Layke tugged at his jacket’s collar in response to the heat from the small room and the unnerving call. How did they know his name?

“Release the boy or your nephew dies.”

Layke stiffened.

Click.

He peered out the window into the night.

The kidnappers were still out there and watching.

Layke’s chest constricted as his pulse thrashed in his head, reminding him of a ticking clock. He needed to solve this case before more innocent children were taken, or worse…

He would not allow one hair on their heads to be harmed.

Even if it was the last thing he did.

CHAPTER TWO

Hannah noted the color drain from Constable Jackson’s face and his body straighten, his crystal blue eyes widening. The person on the other end of the line had him rattled and she knew why. It was the same caller from earlier and the constable’s expression told her they meant business. Whoever they were.

She grabbed his arm. “What is it?”

He dropped the receiver back into its cradle and moved her away from the boy. “They somehow know who I am and they have my nephew. They’re demanding we release Gabe or they’ll kill Noel.” His whispered voice held an urgency to it.

Superintendent Walsh clicked off his cell phone and moved to the group, extending his hand. “Constable, I’m the head of this station. I’ve just learned of your task force. Can you tell us what’s going on?”

The constable grasped Doyle’s hand. “Layke Jackson. Have you heard of the child labor smuggling ring happening in your area?” He kept his voice low.

“Inklings of it. Share with us what you know, Constable.” Doyle removed a notebook from his vest pocket.

“Call me Layke. I’m stationed in Calgary and have been investigating child-smuggling rings occurring across the country.”

A lightbulb moment hit Hannah. That’s where she’d seen his face. His reports, along with his picture, had been shared through interagency channels. She’d read his findings and respected his attention to detail on the subject. His communications held ample information on the rings. “I read your reports, but why are you here in the Yukon when there are many rings in other areas?” She had heard rumblings of some abductions a few months ago but nothing recent. She thought the threat had passed. What had changed?

He shifted his stance and hooked his thumbs into his pant loops. “Honestly? My nephew Noel was kidnapped two days ago.”

Doyle raised a brow. “So it got personal for you.”

“Yes. As soon as my half brother called, I had my leader contact Whitehorse’s superintendent and he then got in touch with the corporal here. They agreed to allow me to lead the task force because of my research.”

“How many rings are there