“So, let’s talk about a plan,” Evan said.
For the next forty-five minutes, Evan and Chief McCabe talked about the cabin’s location, the best way to approach it and who would do what when they got there.
By the time they left the police station, dusk had fallen, casting the area in deep, purplish shadows. Adrenaline pumped through Evan as he got back into the car where Annalise waited.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“It’s all a go.” He started the engine, then waited for his men and the chief’s team to load up. They had specific equipment in their vehicle that would hopefully make the takedown easier.
“McCabe seems to have a good team to work with us,” he said. “They all seem bright and more than capable, and they’re used to taking down people in cabins in this area.”
“I just can’t wait until this is all over,” Annalise replied.
It took twenty minutes before everyone was ready to pull out of the police station parking lot. They would coordinate again a mile from the Owl’s Nest cabins.
They had no idea how much firepower the two fugitives had in the cabin. It would be imperative for the agents to use the element of surprise to their advantage.
Evan drove approximately three miles on a road that was little more than an overgrown trail. How in the hell had the fugitives found this place? It was definitely off the beaten path. Maybe the insider had told them to come to these cabins, knowing they were isolated.
Tree limbs brushed against the side of his car, and what was left of the sunlight was being usurped by both the woods and the encroaching darkness.
Thankfully Annalise remained quiet, allowing him to concentrate on the plan. He stopped his car and the others parked just behind him.
“I don’t want you leaving this car for any reason,” he said to Annalise. “According to Chief McCabe, the cabin is about a mile up the road.” He reached out and touched her cheek. “I need to know you’re safe.” He pulled his hand back.
“I’ll be here waiting for you and Sadie to return,” she said softly.
He nodded and then got out of the car. It was cooler here, but he scarcely felt the chill in the air as he clipped his radio to his collar and tuned to the frequency they would all be using.
Chief McCabe opened his trunk, which contained not only a battering ram, but also flash-bang grenades and additional guns and ammo. The men loaded up.
“We want to go in fast and forcefully,” Evan said. “But I want everyone to remember that there’s a little girl who is their hostage. Whatever we do, we need to get her out of there safe and sound.”
“Once we have the fugitives under arrest, I’ll make arrangements with Chief Cummings to transfer them into his custody, but first we need to get them in handcuffs,” Chief McCabe said.
“And that’s why we’re here,” Evan replied, eager to get this done and over with. The fact that within minutes this could all be over was exhilarating. The thought that within minutes it could all go terribly wrong also flashed in his head.
“Shall we coordinate our watches?” Davis asked.
Evan’s blood cooled and his nerves settled down, the way they always did before going into battle. Finally they were all ready to go. They moved through the woods like silent, stealthy shadows.
Chief McCabe was not only in contact with all members of the team, but also with Charlie in the owner’s cabin. Thankfully the cabins were all some distance away from each other, and Charlie assured them that he wouldn’t get in their way.
When the small cabin where Jacob and Gretchen were holed up came into view, Evan halted just behind a large tree. Some of the others found similar hiding places while a few of them circled around to the back of the cabin.
A red Ford Escort was parked out front, and while Evan was eager to find out who it belonged to, his first priority was getting Gretchen and Jacob arrested and Sadie out of there.
This was it. This was the culmination of all the hard work of dozens of agents. They were either going to get it right, or they’d completely screw it up and somehow the fugitives would escape once again.
They couldn’t let that happen. They had to control the scene. He had to control it. If he somehow lost control of things, then another little girl might die.
The curtains were drawn in the cabin’s windows. Charlie had said the cabin the fugitives occupied consisted of a small living room–kitchenette area and a bedroom and a bath.
Evan gripped his gun more firmly. He mentally counted down from three, and when he reached one, he whispered into his radio. “Move in, let’s move in.”
He watched as the two men manning the battering ram took their position at the front door. He and Davis moved to stand just behind them while the rest of the men surrounded the cabin, ready to go into the two windows on the back side.
Thankfully the front door didn’t look that solid. It was old and weathered and should be breached fairly easy. The minute it was possible, Davis and Evan would sweep in and hopefully this all would go down without a single shot fired.
“On the count of three,” he now said into the radio. “One...two...three.”
Boom. They hit the door with tremendous force, cracking it right down the middle. Davis and Evan swept in. “Get on the floor, get down on the floor. Facedown and hands on the back of your heads,” Evan yelled.
At the same time, the sound of breaking windows came from the back, and within seconds Nick and one of McCabe’s men flew into the living room.
The couple cursed. They were seated at the table, but seeing they were outgunned and outmanned, they did as Evan asked and got on the floor.
“This was all his idea,” Gretchen said. “He told me he’d kill
