Intercepted

Nora’s nightmares began to be less intense after returning home. Being in the safety of her own home helped. There were the occasional times she would wake up in a sweat screaming. Even though her dreams were beginning to get better, her sleep was restless. With Dot, Gage, and the Lord’s help, Nora was eventually able to sleep peacefully again.

Several weeks had gone by when she received a text from Anthony.

Anthony: Hi! How’s it going?

Me: Okay. How are you?

Anthony: Fine.

Me: How’s your arm healing?

Anthony: I get the cast off this Monday. Me: That’s great! 🙂

Anthony: Yeah. 🙂

Anthony: But that’s not why I’m contacting you. Are you busy this evening?

Me: I don’t have plans yet.

Anthony: May I call you later?

Me: Sure.

Nora set the phone down with her brows drawn. What could Anthony want to talk about? He obviously didn’t want to talk about Mexico. Which was fine with her, but what else was there to talk about?

As Nora was getting ready for bed, she couldn’t stop smiling. She sank under the covers and called Dot.

“Hi, Nora.”

“Hi,” she couldn’t hold the excitement out of her voice.

“What’s going on?” Dot asked curiously.

“I just got off the phone with Anthony.”

“Anthony?” she said through a yawn. “You called him, or did he call you?”

“He called me!”

Dot had been stretched out on her couch, but at this news, she sat up, fully awake. “What did he want?”

“He said he wants to get to know me better if that was okay with me!”

“Really?” Dot nearly squealed.

“Yeah!”

“What did you tell him? You said ‘Yes,’ right?” Nora said sensibly, “I asked to pray about it.”

“You what?”

“I told him I wanted to pray and seek the Lord’s will before making such a big decision.”

“Very wise,” she agreed. “Did you give him a time when you would tell him your answer?”

“Three days.”

“I want to be the second person to know.”

“Second?” Nora wasn’t sure what her friend was meaning.

“Yeah, after you tell Anthony.”

“Oh, right!” She laughed nervously. “Okay.” The two friends chatted excitedly for a few minutes. Then Nora yawned and said, “Well, I’m going to try to get some sleep now.”

Dot sobered. “Call me if you start having a bad dream or need me for anything.”

Nora was thankful for her friend’s support. “I will. Thank you.”

---

Three Months Later

Anthony and Nora had decided it was time for her to visit him. She packed her bags, and Gage drove her to the airport.

In San Diego, Rosalyn met Nora at the baggage claim. The two women hugged. “Nora, it’s good to see you!”

“Same here.” She stepped away and glanced over where the passengers’ luggage was gliding by on the conveyor belt. “Oh! That’s mine!” Nora exclaimed and quickly went to retrieve the bag. She came back smiling.

“Ready?” Rosalyn asked.

“Yeah.” Nora slung her purse straps onto her shoulder.

“I thought we’d get lunch at a little restaurant downtown before going home.” Nora fell into step with Rosalyn.

“Sounds good. Peanuts on the plane don’t do a thing for me.”

Rosalyn nodded as she looked over at Nora. “I’m the same way.”

They were engulfed in the sweltering heat as they exited the airport. “It’s hot!” Nora commented as she stepped from the curb.

“Welcome to California.” She chuckled. “We tend to stay indoors when it gets so warm. Or we take the boat out.”

“You have a boat?” Nora said, with some surprise.

“Yes. Actually, I think Cory and Anthony are planning to go to the lake this Saturday. Anthony thought it would be a good outing for the four of us – kind of like a double date.”

“I’d love it! Getting into the water sounds very tempting at the moment.”

Rosalyn pulled the keys from her purse. “Yes, it does,” she agreed.

---

The afternoon following Nora’s arrival in San Diego, she went to pay Greg Nelson and Grant Rourke a visit. She tapped on the open door that led to their office. Grant was sitting at his desk, reading a file.

Grant didn’t finish reading the last part of the sentence but looked up to see who his visitor was. His face lit up in pleasure. “Nora!” “Hi,” she said in a friendly manner.

“What brings you here?” he inquired.

“I was in town, and I wanted to stop by.” Nora held out a plate of cookies. “And I thought you might appreciate more of these.”

“You better believe it!” Grant replied wholeheartedly.

“You’ll have to share with Greg though.” Her eyes held a twinkle.

Grant smiled, but then furrowed his brow as his mood sobered. “Greg doesn’t work here anymore.” At Nora’s puzzled look, he explained, “He’s making a career change.”

“What’s he doing?” she asked, tipping her head to the side slightly.

“He’s wanting to work at a drug rehabilitation center, but in order to do that, he has to get a degree.” Grant glanced at his watch. “Greg has a break between 2:30 and 2:45. I can give you his number and directions to the college if you’d like to visit him.”

“Yes, please,” was Nora’s quick reply.

After Grant gave her a sticky-note with the address, he said, “Let me get a plate to put some of these on, and you can give the rest to Greg.”

Nora stood by the decorative outdoor water fountain and watched the mass of students heading to and from their classes. The buildings formed a square, and the fountain stood in the center. Her eyes searched for the former DEA agent. She wasn’t kept waiting for long.

Greg strode across the way as he walked toward the girl he had rescued. He had been surprised, but pleased, to have received a call from her. His smile widened when Greg noticed she had brought another plate of cookies for him.

“Hello,” Greg greeted.

“There you are!” She couldn’t contain her delighted expression. “I hope you don’t mind my popping by.”

“Not at all!” he was quick to assure her. “I’m glad you did.”

“I remembered your partner – I should say, former partner – saying that you didn’t get cookies often, so I took the liberty of bringing these to you.”

Greg accepted the offered plate holding the cookies. “Thank you.”

“I hope you like chocolate chip.” Nora bit her lip in apprehension.

“My favorite.” His smile touched his eyes.

“It’s a little something to say thank you,” she said, shrugging her shoulders.

Greg’s voice sounded gruff with emotion as he replied, “I was glad to do it.”

She scanned her surroundings. “I wasn’t expecting to find you at a university.”

“Yeah, well, I decided to change my occupation for personal reasons.” Greg cleared his throat. “The circumstances I found you in were similar to what happened to my sister. It’s believed that she discovered a drug lab. We’ll never know for sure what happened…” His voice trailed off. Greg cleared his throat and went on to say, “When I saw you, it was close to home. I knew I couldn’t leave you out there.”

“Your sister made it through, too?” her eyes softened.

Greg swallowed. “No. That’s the main reason why I didn’t give up on searching for you.”

“I’m so sorry,” Nora said sympathetically, as she laid a hand on his arm.

“I would never want to go through it again, but the Lord has taught me much through it.” He looked off into the distance, then shook himself mentally. “Anyway, that’s why I wanted to help you.”

“I’m very grateful to you and to God for your diligence.”

His eyes met hers. “You are very welcome.”

---

The breeze felt heavenly in the stifling heat. The sun reflected off of the surface of the lake. The body of water looked so inviting.

Rosalyn, Cory, Anthony, and Nora were finishing a picnic lunch under a stand of eucalyptus trees. The shade provided by the trees was greatly appreciated.

Nora stuffed her trash into the picnic basket then stood.

Anthony saw Nora begin to walk away from the picnic area. She rubbed her hands over her arms. Thinking this might be the only chance he would get to talk to her before Nora left, Anthony followed and quickly tried to catch up with her. The sand made its way between his toes as he ran.

“Nora!”

She stopped and turned as she waited. “Yes?” “Do you mind if I join you?” Anthony asked.

“No. I’d enjoy the company.” Nora smiled up at him, but the dark circles under her eyes showed him how tired she was, and the way she held her shoulders gave her an air of weariness.

She resumed her slow pace. There was much Anthony wanted to say to her, but he decided to wait a few minutes more.

Nora broke the silence after a few moments. “Do you struggle with what happened in Mexico?” she asked softly.

“How do you mean?” he inquired with concern.

Nora stopped and faced Anthony. He saw tears pooling in her eyes. “Even though I know I’m safe and don’t have to worry about being kidnapped again, I still don’t feel completely safe. I-” Her chin quivered. “I feel vulnerable.”

Anthony wrapped his arms around her. He met her worried gaze as he assured her that she didn’t need to allow those fears to smother her. “I’m truly sorry you had to go through such a traumatic experience. If I could have prevented it, I would have.”

She shivered, not from the breeze coming off the lake, but from memories. Being in the embrace of Anthony’s arms felt good and brought comfort to her troubled heart. “I don’t wish to go through it again, but there was a reason why it happened. If we hadn’t been taken, Juan may never have come to know the Lord Jesus.” Nora looked out over the lake.

Anthony imagined she was as disturbed as the waters beside them were. “Still, I can’t seem to get over

my fear. Why can’t I shake the fear?”

He asked gently, “Do you dream?”

Nodding her head, she answered, “Yes, sometimes. When I do, I relive it over and over, sometimes several times a night. Often, I try not to sleep until exhaustion takes over because I don’t want to experience it again.”

Anthony shifted his arms around her, squinting into the sun as he watched an eagle sweep down and scooped up a fish, then caught her eyes with his own. “I’m sure you pray about it.”

“All the time, but I can’t seem to shake the feelings. I’m so tired.” She sighed, laying her head on his shoulder. “I know I’m blowing everything out of proportion, but I can’t seem to help it.”

He tipped her chin up, so she would look into his eyes. “What you went through was very scary. I admire you for how you held up in there.” A tear ran down her cheek and he reached to wipe it away gently with his thumb.

Her eyes held a question. “May I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Why did you come looking for me? Why didn’t you leave it to the police?”

Anthony released a whoosh of air. He let his eyes reveal a little of his deep feelings for her – not too much, in case she couldn’t handle it. “Something held me back from returning home. I couldn’t place it then, but I knew I couldn’t leave without finding you first.”

“But why?”

He dug a toe into the sand before meeting her blue eyes. “I didn’t bother to figure out why I felt like I did, but since then, I have.”

“What are you saying?” Nora barely breathed.

“Nora, I – I love you.” He noticed her eyes soften at his declaration, and she ducked her head. When she lifted her eyes to his again, Anthony saw they were bright with a sheen of tears. He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Do you think you could come to care for me in that way?”

Nora wasn’t sure how to respond to Anthony’s profession of love. She wouldn’t deny that she had felt something special about him when they first met, but how was she to tell him without exclaiming her joy and throwing herself into his arms?

Anthony stood there, hope shining in his eyes. A smile pulled at her lips as a laugh came rippling out, and she took his hands to hold in her own. Nora felt his warm fingers wrap around hers. “Anthony Goldburg, I knew there was something special about you the first time I saw you.” She slowly leaned towards him so that their foreheads met. “I love you, too.”

Nora was brushing her hair when she heard a knock on her door. She jumped, then froze. Her nerves were on edge from the past days. Holding the brush, Nora put her cheek against the door.

“Who is it?”

“Gage,” came his deep resonating voice.

She moved to slip the chain and unbolt the door. Nora greeted her brother with a tired smile. “Good morning.”

“How did you sleep?” Gage stepped into the room, hiding a package behind his back.

“As well as could be expected.” She moved back to the mirror to finish her hair. “Not all of the dreams were pleasant, but I expected that. Did you sleep well?”

“Much better since I knew where you were,” he replied.

Nora twisted her hair and coiled it into a bun. “I don’t think we’ll forget the last week anytime soon.” She slipped several hair pins around the coils. “I’m thankful to be out of all that.”

“So am I,” her brother readily concurred. “Are you almost ready to go down for breakfast?”

“Definitely.” She patted her hair, making sure it would stay in place. Nora looked down at her dress, which was ripped at a few of the seams and soiled. “Unfortunately, I don’t have anything better to wear.”

“Actually,” Gage brought the box out from behind his back, “I got jeans and a tee shirt from the gift shop for you.”

Nora gave her brother an adoring smile as she accepted the gift. “Thank you, Gage.”

When she stepped from the bathroom a few minutes later wearing her new outfit, Gage thanked the Lord that he had found his sister in the Mexican wilderness.

When they got to the restaurant, they searched the dining room for Anthony. Gage pointed to a table near the back of the room. “There he is.”

“It looks like someone is with him.” Nora stayed by her brother’s side. As they neared the table she recognized the man with Anthony. Nora stiffened, pulling on Gage’s arm.

“What’s wrong?” He placed his hand protectively over hers.

“I’m not going over there,” she whispered adamantly. Nora’s eyes were large and filled with fear as she shook her head, feeling a jolt of terror in her chest. Her knees felt weak.

At that moment, Anthony noticed the brother and sister and stood with a welcoming smile. Why would he be smiling when he was sharing a table with the man who helped kidnap them? José also stood but stayed standing by the table as he watched her.

Anthony came over to join them. “Nora, he’s not one of Rodriguez’s men,” he said gently. “He’s DEA and was undercover in the drug organization. His name isn’t José, but Juan Martinez. You have nothing to fear.”

Nora started shaking, and she crossed her arms, squeezing them. “Are you sure?”

“Remember Greg Nelson?” At Nora’s nod, he continued, “Greg knows Juan. He’s completely harmless.”

“Are you ready to go over there?” Gage put his arm around her and rubbed her arm.

She gave a tentative nod. “I guess.” Nora stepped forward, and her brother kept his arm around her.

“Señorita, I came to see that you are well.” Juan wisely stayed where he was as the threesome approached him. “Forgive my part in not helping you escape sooner.”

“I hold nothing against you,” Nora told him. “Please, forgive my reaction a moment ago.”

Juan’s eyes softened. “It is understandable. You have been through much.”

Anthony pulled out a chair. “Won’t you be seated?”

Nora accepted the chair. “Thank you.”

Juan didn’t stay long after finishing his meal. He said he had some paperwork to finish up from the case he had been working on.

Nora watched the door close behind Juan. “I’m so frazzled; I’m not sure what to do next. Where do we go from here?”

“I figure we need to get your luggage from the mission. I talked to Dot. She said your work is holding your place until you return.” Gage lifted a glass of orange juice to his lips.

“That’s a relief,” she said.

Her brother wrinkled his brow. “May I suggest waiting a few days before going back to work? You’ve gone through a lot to hit the ground running when we get back home.”

“A rest would do me good, I think,” Nora agreed. She chose two slices of pineapple from the bowl of fruit in the middle of the table. “I would like to stop by the DEA office in San Diego.”

Anthony’s ears perked up. “In that case, you can meet my sister and her husband.”

Gage’s eyes held a twinkle as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Set up dinner plans for the day after tomorrow, and we can meet them then.”

Nora nodded in agreement as she munched on her fruit.

---

Nora saw Kate Landers come running out of the house as Gage parked the truck. Not waiting for him to turn the engine off, Nora opened the door and jumped down. She ran around the front of the truck and into Kate’s embrace. The two women hugged for several minutes while they let the tears have their way. They had become close while working together.

Both Gage and Anthony came to stand by Nora.

When Ethan came over, Nora stepped back, smiling through her tears. “Hi, Ethan.”

“Hello.” He looked over at Anthony and Gage.

“This is my brother, Gage,” Nora introduced the men. “He came down to help find me.” The men exchanged greetings.

Ethan eyed Anthony’s arm and face. “How’d you get that broken arm?”

Anthony slid his gaze over to Nora. “It’s a long story. The short of it is, I took a beating from one of Nora’s captors.”

“I’m sorry for that.”

“I’ll heal.”

“We were relieved when we heard you had been found,” Ethan said, turning to Nora.

“Anthony told me you searched for me for hours.” She pressed her hand to her lips, trying to control her

emotions. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Nora scanned the yard where several children were running and playing. “I see the children got here safely.”

“Yes,” Kate said. “They could have used transportation, though.”

Turning to Kate, Nora gave her a puzzled look. “What do you mean?”

“You were right in the identification of the truck you saw in town; only it had been hijacked several miles down the road.”

“That’s awful!” she replied.

“Yes. Well, everything has turned out alright.” She linked her arm with Nora’s. “The children are here, and you have been found.”

“The Lord is good.”

“Nora,” Anthony began, “I haven’t told you yet, but because of all that we went through, Juan is interested in learning more about God.”

“That’s wonderful!” She looked at Kate. “That might be why all of this happened right there.”

“I hate to have to cut this short,” Gage said, “but we need to get Nora and Anthony’s things if we’re going to get to the airport in time to catch our flight back to the states.”

“I’ll help you.” Kate tugged on Nora’s arm.

“We’ll be just a minute,” Nora said over her shoulder.

The flight to San Diego was uneventful. They arrived in the afternoon, and Nora declared the evening and dinner with Anthony’s family was wonderful.

That night she went to bed with a smile on her face.

---

In the wee hours of the morning, Gage was awakened by screams coming from the adjoining bedroom. He threw the covers back and barged into Nora’s bedroom. She was curled up in a fetal position, crying in her sleep. When he reached his sister, she was shaking uncontrollably.

Gage lifted her and leaned her against himself. “Nora.” He rubbed her hair back from her face. “Nora, wake up. Wake up!”

Her eyes flew open, and she began pushing him away. “No! Get away from me!”

“Nora! It’s me, Gage.” His chest constricted when he saw the fear in her panic-stricken eyes. She continued to struggle. “Sis, don’t be afraid. You’re safe.”

When she realized the man with her was her brother, Nora stopped fighting and clung to him.

“Gage!” she sobbed.

“Shh…” He soothed. “You’re safe.”

“I’m so scared.”

“It’s okay, Nora,” he encouraged as he tightened his arms around her. “It’s okay.”

Still shaking, Nora cried out a heartfelt prayer. It was a little while before Gage felt her settle down and relax against him in sleep. Not wanting to wake her, he sat there, continuing to hold her. Gage spent the time praying for his sister’s healing from the harsh experiences she had endured.

The next morning, Gage drove Nora to the DEA office building. They got directions for Greg and Grant’s office and headed that way.

One of the men, Nora wasn’t sure which since she had been in a daze the last time they had met, was sitting at a desk talking on the phone. He motioned them in and quickly got off the phone. “What a pleasant surprise!”

Nora took a step closer, holding a covered plate. “I came to thank you and your partner for not giving up looking for me.” She offered the plate of warm cookies she had made with Rosalyn earlier in the day.

Anthony’s sister had taken a liking to her and had offered Nora the use of her kitchen when she had expressed her desire to do something for the men who had found her. “I made these as a small token of my gratitude.”

Both Greg and Grant eyed the plate of cookies.

Greg could see by the condensation on the plastic covering that they were still warm from the oven. His mouth watered. “Thank you. It isn’t every day we get a plate of homemade cookies for appreciation.”

“Yeah, really.” Grant came to stand beside Greg.

“I’m grateful to both of you for your persistence and determination.”

Grant looked down and scuffed his shoe on the floor. “It’s Nelson you’ve got to thank for that. I was about ready to hand over jurisdiction of the case to the local LEO’s.” He glanced back up to see the girl’s reaction.

Nora’s eyes softened, and her voice caught when she said, “I’m glad you didn’t.”

Gage gripped his sister’s elbow, thinking how close he had been to losing her.

Greg lifted his head, leveling a gentle gaze on hers. “So am I.”

That night, Nora was exhausted as she dragged herself from her seat on the airplane that had landed at the SeaTac airport moments before. She let Gage take her carry-on. She grabbed her bags as they were about to pass at the baggage claim.

“Here, let me take that,” Gage told her as he reached for the luggage.

“Thank you.” Nora gratefully handed it over, and her brother held onto her things, holding both handles in one hand.

Feeling dead on her feet and in a daze, Nora followed her brother out of the airport. The noise was deafening as a 777 passenger jet flew in to land. All Nora wanted to do was to curl up and sleep for about a week. Her poor body had taken a beating on this trip. She had left the states feeling energized and excited but came back feeling much older and more sober.

As they entered an elevator that would take them to the car garage, Nora asked, “Who’s picking us up?”

Gage tried to hold back a smile as he said casually, “A friend.”

The door dinged open, and the sound seemed to echo, bouncing off of the concrete ceiling and floor. Brother and sister paused for a car to go by, then crossed to get to the parking area.

“There we are.” Gage pointed to a car several spaces down.

Nora looked ahead and saw a girl running towards her with outstretched arms. “Dot!” she squealed and hurried to meet her.

The next moment the friends embraced each other.

“Oh, it’s so good to see you!” Dot’s voice was shaky.

Hugging her friend tighter, Nora said, “It’s so good to see you!”

They backed away as Dot said, “Everyone was so worried when you were missing.”

“I’m okay now. Thanks to Anthony, I was able to get out of there, mostly unscathed.” She touched her face where she had received one of the punches intended for Anthony.

“Do you have the keys?” Gage asked Dot.

She handed them over to him, not ready to leave Nora just yet. Dot turned back to her. “When I had to come back, Anthony kept me updated about what was going on down there.”

“I don’t know what would have happened to me if he hadn’t shown up,” Nora told her.

“Are you two ready? I’ve got our bags in the trunk and the car running.” Gage broke their reverie.

“Coming,” Nora called.

---

Greg leaned a shoulder against the door jamb of the task room, watching Anne gather her things. “I see you can’t get out of here fast enough.”

Anne whirled around, her eyes large. “Oh, you scared me! I wasn’t expecting anyone.” “Obviously.” His eyes smiled.

“How was the mission?” she asked, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

“We got Rodriguez and found the girl.” He couldn’t keep a little note of pride from the words.

She grimaced. “Was she hurt badly?”

“No.” His voice hardened, “Thankfully, they didn’t use any drugs on her.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” she sighed. Anne slipped a laptop into its computer bag, then stepped back to study him. “Something about you has changed. What is it?”

He shrugged, but the casual gesture wasn’t lost on Anne. She saw the pain flicker across Greg’s eyes. “I’m learning to accept Cassie’s death. If what those verses you had me read the other night are true, and I put my faith in Jesus, then I can have the hope of seeing her one day.”

“Don’t give up,” Anne encouraged. “You are on the right path, but remember, this isn’t about Cassie. This is about you finding redemption and peace through Jesus. Learn to honor Him with your life.”

She’d been found. Relief rolled off Greg as he plopped into his office chair. The report had come over the radio moments before saying Nora had driven off the road where the car couldn’t be seen.

Greg stood and grabbed his keys. He had to make sure she was okay.

“Where are you going?” Grant asked. “It’s almost midnight.”

Greg glanced at the clock on the wall.

“You’re going to see her, aren’t you?”

“What’s wrong with that?” Greg slipped one arm into his suit jacket as he eyed his partner. “They were taking her to the clinic. It’s not like I’ll be waking her up

in the middle of the night.”

Grant reached for his jacket. “Let’s go.”

Greg smiled and led the way out of the office.

Not all days were as rewarding as today had been. Rodriguez was behind bars, and the girl was found alive. Just finding the girl made it a good day. Arresting Rodriguez and his underlings was the icing on the cake. Thank you, Jesus.

Greg parked the SUV in the clinic parking lot. The partners found Nora and her companions in the reception room. The brother and friend were standing off to the side talking while Nora was signing the last few papers.

When the door opened, Gage and Anthony glanced in their direction. Greg took off his black cap with DEA embroidered on it in gold lettering.

As Grant and Greg approached the little group, Gage held out his hand and heartily shook Greg’s hand, then Grant’s. “I can’t thank you enough for all you did to find Nora.”

“I’m just glad we did,” Greg replied warmly.

“You don’t know how thankful I am.”

“I have an idea,” Greg said. “I had a sister who went missing and has been declared dead.”

Gage let his pain be seen. “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, me too.” He cleared his throat. How could he be so unprofessional? This was close to home. That was the only answer. “Anyway, we wanted to see for ourselves that she made it back all right.”

Gage turned to look at his sister, who was coming his way. “She’s sore, but nothing that won’t pass.” He slung an arm around Nora’s shoulders. “These are the agents who led the search to find you.”

Tears of thankfulness gathered in Nora’s eyes as she threw her arms around Grant, then Greg. “Thank you.

Oh, thank you so much. You saved my life.”

Greg released her and backed away. “I’m glad we could help.”

“We won’t keep you, just wanted to see for ourselves that you got back,” Grant said.

“We appreciate it,” Gage said. “Nora, let’s get you a wholesome meal and a bed.”

She leaned against him. “Sounds heavenly.”

---

After getting back to the motel, Anthony called Dot. “Hey, Dot, it’s Anthony.”

“Have you found Nora?” The girl sounded beside herself.

“Yes.”

“Is she okay?”

“She’ll be fine. She’s sore, but the doctor says she’s healthy as can be.” Anthony sat on the bed and ran a hand through his dark hair.

“Oh, praise the Lord.” Relief dripped from the words, but he could hear she was near to tears. Dot took a deep breath. “Where did you find her?”

“She was being held by a drug lord named Guillermo Rodriguez. She witnessed something that made her a target. So, they grabbed her.”

At Dot’s gasp, Anthony was quick to reassure her, “For the most part, she was safe. We didn’t know it, but there was an undercover agent among the mix. He was already devising a plan to get her out.”

“How did she get away?”

“It’s a long story, but I’ll give you the short version. I made a deal with Rodriguez. I told him I would stay in Nora’s place if he would let her go. Rodriguez let her go, but shortly afterwards, the compound was raided by the DEA, and I was also freed.” Anthony shifted his broken arm and gingerly touched his aching ribs. The black eye didn’t feel much better. “Dot, I need to go. It’s been a long day, and it’s late. I just wanted to let you know that Nora’s okay, and there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Okay. Thanks for calling.”

“You’re welcome. Have a goodnight.”

“You, too.”

---

Leaning his good forearm on the balcony railing, Anthony patted the metal support nervously. He heard a door open and shut and turned to see Gage walking in his direction.

Anthony cleared his throat as Nora’s brother came closer. “May I talk to you about something?”

Gage stopped in his tracks. “What about?”

“Nora.”

“What about Nora?” His voice lowered as he moved to join Anthony.

“Is there anyone special in her life?”

“I don’t believe so.”

Anthony blew out a breath. “I’d like to get to know her more.”

“I’m assuming not as general friends.”

Holding Gage’s steady gaze, Anthony replied, “Friends at first, but eventually, I would hope for it to grow into something more as we get to know each other better.”

Gage looked at Anthony for a moment without speaking. “You’ve already proven you would do anything for her by walking into that hornets’ nest of a compound to save her.” Nora’s brother’s expression changed to one of pensive assessment as he studied him, measuring him.

Anthony held his breath, unsure of what kind of reaction Gage was about to give him. Though his statement moments ago sounded encouraging.

Gage nodded as his thoughts came to their conclusion. “Okay.” He nodded, obviously satisfied with his evaluation. “I would ask that you give her a couple of weeks to get back into her routine and take things slowly for her sake. She just came through some traumatic stuff. Not to mention your ordeal as well.”

“I will.” Anthony expelled a lungful of air. A smile wreathed his face. “Thank you.”

The next morning, Anthony was sitting in the motel restaurant when he saw Juan enter and scan the restaurant, obviously looking for someone.

When Juan saw Anthony, he crossed the room to his table.

“Good morning, Señor.”

“Good morning.” Anthony motioned to a chair. “Won’t you join me?”

“Thank you.”

A waitress came over and took Juan’s order.

“You were quite busy yesterday,” Anthony commented.

The agent smiled. “Those are the good days.” He took a sip of steaming coffee. “Speaking of yesterday, how is the señorita this morning?”

“I haven’t seen her yet. So, I don’t know.”

Juan cleared his throat. “Señor, that night when we first met, you told me about Jesus. I could not understand why or how someone could or would give their life for me. By your actions in giving your freedom away for the señorita, you showed me what Jesus did for me in coming to die in my place.”

Anthony smiled. “If what we went through has helped you understand, then I am grateful we were able to have a part in that.”

“I read the booklet you gave me, and I would like to find out more about God.”

“I have a few extra Bibles in my suitcase. You may have one if you like.”

“I would. Gracias, Señor.”

“Now, I have one question for you.” Anthony sat back in his chair. “I called in to the police dispatch when I followed you to Rodriguez’s compound. When I gave the dispatcher the license plate number, she acted very odd and said there was nothing she could do to help, then hung up on me. What was going on?”

Juan smiled knowingly. “The jeep I was driving is a DEA vehicle that was assigned to me while I was undercover. The police have orders not to interfere with a DEA agent while undercover if at all possible unless it blows my cover to do so.”

“I see.” Anthony leaned forward as he began to eat his breakfast. He studied the man across the table. “What would you have done to help Nora if I hadn’t come along?”

“I was working on a plan to help her escape and make it look like someone had tied the ropes too loosely.” Juan shrugged his shoulders. “The hope was Rodriguez would blame the mistake on incompetence. I honestly don’t know if the plan would have worked or not.”

“At least she’s out of there now.”

“Agreed.”

Nora left the car lights on in case a passerby might see them and stop to help. She knew the chances of her being spotted were slim to none, but one could always hope.

Curling up on the backseat of the car, Nora tried to relax. It was much more comfortable than the concrete floor where she had spent the last few nights.

The cold desert air seeped through the doors. It was completely dark now. If it hadn’t been for the car’s lights, Nora wouldn’t have been able to see her hand in front of her face for the blackness.

Though she was slightly uncomfortable in the cool air, Nora fell asleep quickly. The last days had been hard, both physically and emotionally.

Before she had fallen asleep, Nora’s thoughts took her back to Anthony.

How was he holding up? How badly was he hurt from the beating Rodriguez had given him? Surely, he had suffered several broken ribs. She tried to force the images away of Gordo dealing Anthony’s weak body blow after blow. She shook her head to dispel the images.

Nora prayed Rodriguez wouldn’t see the need to give Anthony another beating. How could Anthony expect her to go without giving him a second thought while he was forced to stay behind?

She realized she would always think of him, but it would be with a heart full of gratitude for his willing sacrifice. With these thoughts, she drifted off to sleep.

---

An unusual sound woke Nora. What was that?

Something was illuminating the front passenger seat.

Anthony’s phone!

Someone was calling in!

In her hurry, Nora struggled to sit up and reach between the seats. Before Nora could get to it, the ring tone quieted and the phone darkened. The spark of hope died before it had a chance to ignite into a flame.

Nora sat back on the seat, still holding the phone, and sighed. It was then she noticed the headlights had turned off. The car battery must have died.

The next moment the phone light came back on and began to ring again. A familiar number came up on the display.

“Gage!” A burst of joy filled her heart. Nora pushed the talk button, but as soon as she did, the call was dropped. Despair threatened to engulf her. She looked down at the phone and drew her brows together in thought.

Why would Gage be calling Anthony’s phone? Nora’s eyes widened. Or the more relevant question, how had he gotten Anthony’s phone number?

There wasn’t any way Gage or Anthony knew each other. As far as she knew, neither man knew the other even existed!

Was it possible that Anthony had escaped, Gage had come down to look for her, and in doing so, their paths had crossed? Nora couldn’t believe it, but how else was she to explain it?

It was then Nora had to face the harsh reality that she might never know.

When Nora heard her brother’s voice and saw his handsome face, she thought she had been dreaming. After realizing Gage had really come for her, all of her emotions came crashing down.

A dam had broken, and her tears fell. Relief, thankfulness, the shock of actually having been found, and exhaustion, all threatened to overwhelm her.

Gage’s arms felt good around her. For the first time in days, she felt safe.

“You’re shaking.” Gage pulled back to look into her drawn face. “Have you had anything to eat lately?”

“I had a granola bar a few hours ago.” Nora rested her head on his shoulder.

“I have something in the truck you can eat.” He started to pick her up and climbed out of the car when she grabbed his shoulders, digging her fingers into him.

“Anthony!” she exclaimed frantically. “Anthony is still there!”

Anthony’s heart warmed, knowing Nora cared enough to be worried about him. He ducked his head into the car. “I’m here, Nora! I’m okay.”

Nora whipped her head as she heard his voice. “But how – ?”

“I’ll explain later. Right now, we need to get you out of here.”

Gage lifted her into his arms and out of the car. “Let’s go.”

The helicopter had landed on the road, and one of the men, who had climbed down the hill, tucked a blanket around Nora. The warmth felt luscious.

As Gage carried Nora, Anthony stayed close by to lend him a helping hand with his balance as they made their way up the rocky hill.

Knowing everything was okay; all Nora wanted to do was sleep.

Gage looked down at his sister. “Nora, don’t fall asleep yet. We have to get you checked out at the medical clinic.”

---

The lights were bright and threatened to turn Nora’s headache into a migraine. She lifted a hand to her aching head. Her body felt stiff.

Gage was standing off to the side, hat in hand, as the doctor gave Nora a thorough checkup.

The doctor wiped a soothing cream over Nora’s sore face. “You got quite a welt, Señorita. Do you have pain anywhere else?”

“I hurt all over.” Her voice was rough sounding.

“Where do you hurt?”

“I’m just sore,” Nora clarified. “I know nothing is broken. It’s more muscle pain than anything else.”

He gave her an assessing look. “Alright. I’ll give you something for pain.” He jotted something down on his clipboard. “You don’t have any broken bones, and from what I can tell from the x-rays, you are perfectly healthy, except for the concussion. I suggest you take a few days to rest. You have been under a lot of stress.”

“You don’t have to tell me,” Nora replied.

He offered his hand as she hopped down from the table. “There you are, Señorita. Get this prescription filled.”

“Thank you.” She accepted the slip of paper.

“If you’ll excuse me, I have another patient,” he said and left the room.

Gage stepped forward. “You all right?”

“Give me a minute.” Nora sank into a chair by the door.

“Anthony has about gone crazy-”

“Anthony?” she interrupted, her tone rising an octave, as several emotions swarmed within her. “He’s here?”

“He’s been wearing a hole in the carpet out in the lobby with his pacing while waiting to see you.”

Nora couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips as she thought of the man who had appointed himself her hero.

Eyeing his sister’s expression, Gage asked, “Do you mind if I bring him in?”

“Do you have to ask?” she replied.

Gage chuckled and left to bring an end to Anthony’s worries.

While she waited for Gage to come back with Anthony, Nora rested her elbow on the armrest and laid her head in her palm.

A few moments passed, and Gage came back with Anthony in tow.

Nora lifted her head to see the look Anthony gave her was one of utmost concern.

A smile bloomed across Nora’s face as she sprang from the chair and launched herself into Anthony’s arms.

Anthony winced and drew in a sharp breath from the pressure on his ribs. Thankfully, he had understood Nora’s intentions and had gotten his injured arm out of the way as she catapulted from the chair.

Her hug gentled, and she stepped back. Two tears tracked down her cheek, and Anthony lifted a finger to wipe them away. “What’s this?” He wiped the warm moisture on his fingers onto his pants leg. “Now isn’t a time to be sad.” Anthony wrapped his good arm around her shoulders. “Everything’s all right.”

Nora touched the arm boasting the cast and sling. “I’m sorry you were hurt.” She met his eyes, tears still swimming in their depth. “You didn’t have to do what you did.”

“No,” he placed his hand lightly over hers, which still lay on his hurt arm, “but I would do it all over again.”

She gave him a puzzled look.

A throat being cleared broke the reunion. Nora shot a look at her brother.

Gage said. “Let’s get you settled for the night.” He held out his hand.

Before accepting Gage’s hand, Nora turned back to Anthony. “Thank you,” she lightly traced the edge of his black-eye, “for everything.”

Grant whirled his chair around to face Greg. “I just received word that Nora has not been seen in any of the towns within a fifty-mile radius.”

“It’s like she’s vanished.” Greg rubbed his chin in thought. He stood in front of a map of the area. “Where could she have gone?”

“Greg, it’s ten o’clock. We’ve done our job. Now let’s let the local authorities do theirs. Besides, her brother is here now.”

Greg turned on Grant. “What can he do? He doesn’t have the resources at his fingertips that we have. I’m not leaving a helpless girl in the Mexican wilderness to some horrible fate! She needs us.”

“Fine.” Grant gazed at the floor then back up at his partner. “Let’s get a chopper up to look for her. We should at least be able to find the car. Once we get that, then we will have a place to start looking for her on the ground.”

“Let’s hope we can find that much.”

Greg’s phone started ringing and he answered, “It’s Nelson.”

“Hi Greg, it’s Anne.”

“Anne, what can I do for you?” He furrowed his brow in confusion. Why would she be calling at this time of night?

“I was going over the security camera videos again to make sure I hadn’t missed anything. Did you know the male hostage had a cell phone in there with him?” “No,” he replied quizzically.

“Well, he did. Before the girl left, he slipped it to her,” she told him. “She’s still missing, right?”

“Yeah, but we aren’t giving up.”

“I thought if she still has it, you can triangulate her position by the phone’s GPS.”

“Good thinking. Thanks for the heads up,” Greg said.

“What’s up?” Grant inquired, as Greg ended the call.

“We’ve got a GPS signal to find.”

Greg went to find Rita. She was sitting at her desk, holding a cup of coffee. “Rita, I need you to do something for me.”

Her dark eyes met his silvery blue ones with a question. “Anything, Señor.”

“Run a trace on a cell phone belonging to an Anthony Goldburg of San Diego, California, U.S.A. I want the GPS location.”

“I’ll do that now.”

“Thanks, Rita.”

The door to the bullpen was pushed open, and Greg looked to see who had entered. “Rita. Tell me you have good news.”

She flashed a smile. “If what you are wanting is a GPS location, then yes, I have good news.” Rita handed Greg a paper with the information written down. “The signal is coming from out in the middle of the desert.”

“That’s what I was expecting,” he replied. Studying the paper, Greg said, “He was right.” He reached for the radio to contact the men in the chopper.

After talking with the pilot, Greg called Gage. “You were right; she went in the direction you said. We found out Anthony had given a cell phone to Nora before she was released. We were able to pick up a GPS signal from it. She’s forty miles out on Highway Veinte. The chopper is headed in that direction now. It’s about fifteen minutes out.”

“I’m about five miles away,” Gage informed him. His foot hit the accelerator. “I’ll let you know if I see anything.”

“Did they find her?” Anthony asked, hopefully.

“She’s about fifteen minutes away, but we’re going to make it in ten.” Gage’s jaw was tense as he checked the odometer. His eyes flicked over to the dial to the left. The orange needle climbed higher as his foot pressed harder on the accelerator. “Greg found her by the GPS on your phone.”

Anthony let out a sigh of relief. “At this moment, I am thankful for advanced technology.”

“As am I.” His hands shook in anticipation of finding his little sister. Sure, Nora was a grown woman, but in his mind, she was still his kid sister. “What puzzles me is that Nelson said this area has already been searched. If that’s the case, why didn’t they find her?” A bad feeling began to gnaw at his stomach. “Something must be wrong.”

Gage slowed the truck to a stop at the bend in a curve. The road was straight from that point on for a couple of miles. There wasn’t a car in sight.

“She’s not here.” Tears could be heard in Gage’s voice.

Anthony opened the door and hopped out. Gage did likewise. He hurried to the other side of the truck.

“Start looking for the phone.” Gage once again was searching the ground for clues.

“Gage, over here!” Anthony’s tone was one of alarm.

“What is it?” He hurried over.

“There are tire tracks that go straight down this hill.” Anthony pointed.

“Here comes the chopper.” Gage heard the blades slicing through the air and saw the spotlight coming towards them as it swept the ground.

The metal bird hovered, lighting up a gray car at the bottom of the ravine.

“That’s it!” Anthony wanted to run down the hill, but his injuries held him in check. He felt elation for finally finding the girl who had consumed his thoughts for the last several days. His chest was about to burst from the joy and thankfulness he was feeling.

Anthony, seeing Nora in the back seat, wished he could push past Gage and yank the door open.

It was Gage who reached the vehicle first.

Nora’s brother felt the sting of tears when he saw her curled up in a fetal position. He braced a knee on the seat as he reached out to her. His hands shook as he patted her shoulder, trying to wake her. “Nora.”

She didn’t stir but continued trembling in her sleep.

Gage shook her a little harder. “Nora, wake up!”

Ever so slowly, his sister opened her eyes and drew her brows together. “Gage?” She sounded hopeful, wishful even, but scared.

“Nora. Shh, I’m here. You’re safe now.” Gage pulled her up into a sitting position and wrapped his arms around her, never wanting to release her. She clung to him as if her life depended on it.

“Oh, Gage, I thought you’d never find me!” He felt her warm tears through his shirt. “I was so s-scared!”

“Shh…quiet.” Gage rubbed her back, attempting to warm her chilled body. “I’m here now. You’re safe.” “I wanted you to come so badly,” she sobbed.

“I’m here.” Feelings of relief washed over her as his dear voice reached her ears.

Nora rubbed her face against his chest. “I prayed you’d come.”

It felt like the past was coming back to haunt him. A lone girl, missing, and being held by drug smugglers – Greg felt like punching something.

The image of his little sister’s doll lying near a blood-soaked blanket draped over a stack of hay in an abandoned barn was stamped in his memory. Miniature fingerprints of smeared blood were also found dried on the doll.

It was discovered that the men who had abducted her had been using the dilapidated building for cooking and distributing drugs.

Later, Greg found out that Cassie had decided to explore the barn only to find a drug lab. To protect themselves, the men had kidnapped her. She’d had no idea what she had stumbled upon.

If only they would have just sent her on her way, but no, they were left to assume she had been murdered. All of the evidence pointed to it.

After more than twenty years had passed with nothing to prove otherwise, Greg had to accept the death of his sister.

Greg forced his thoughts to the present as they neared the residential office.

The sweet feeling of victory for arresting Rodriguez was tainted by the apprehension of not knowing how to locate Nora Milton.

Had Rodriguez kept his word and released Nora? Or did he have her hidden away somewhere? Either way, where was she?

Greg spoke his thoughts. “Do we know for sure that Rodriguez let Nora go? Do we know it wasn’t a trick?”

“If Nora was detained, the car would still be where Anthony left it,” Grant pointed out.

“Unless Rodriguez had it moved so we would think she got away,” Greg replied.

“I escorted her out myself,” José answered. “I don’t believe he has her.”

Grant’s phone rang. “Grant Rourke.” He sighed. “All right. Head away from town. See if she passed through any towns that road goes through… Let me know what you find.” He closed the phone. “That was one of the teams looking for Nora. It’s been confirmed; Nora did not go through Baviácora.”

Greg shook his head. He heard Anthony heave a heavy sigh in the back seat.

“They are going to see if she might have gone in the opposite direction,” Grant told them.

“We’ll find her,” Greg was adamant.

Nora wasn’t going to die – not on his watch.

---

Grant pulled into the DEA parking lot.

Anthony followed the agents into the office building, down halls, and finally to what he guessed was a task room.

Greg gestured towards a chair. “Have a seat.”

Daniel, who had been studying the case board, watched the group settle in. Greg turned to him.

“This is Anthony Goldburg, the missing girl’s friend. Anthony, meet FBI Agent Daniel Grisham.”

“Find anything on the girl?” Daniel asked as he rested his hand on his hip after shaking Anthony’s hand.

“Nothing,” Grant answered. “Anthony confirmed that the girl we saw in the video was Nora Milton.”

Greg added. “Juan was the last to see her.”

“Where did Juan go?” Grant asked. “I thought he was coming up.”

“He went home,” Greg said. He nodded towards the board of notes. “Getting back to the girl.”

Daniel sighed and raked his hands through his hair. “As much as I would like to stay and help you find the girl, I need to head back to the states with my team. My part of the investigation is over, and I no longer have business here in Mexico.”

“We understand.” Greg held out his hand to shake Daniel’s. “Thanks for your part in bringing Rodriguez in.”

“My pleasure.” Daniel nodded his head and turned to Grant. “It was good working with you.”

Grant nodded. “Same here.”

“Maybe once you two get stateside we can get together and throw some steaks on the grill.”

“Sounds good,” Greg replied absently, his mind moving back to the case.

Daniel held out his hand to Anthony. “I hope you find your friend.”

Anthony stood to shake the agent’s hand. “Thank you.”

Daniel looked back at the other agents before leaving the room. “I’ll be in touch.”

Taking his seat again, Anthony told Greg, “I don’t know what I could tell you that would help to find Nora.”

“Is this Ms. Milton’s first visit to Mexico?”

“It’s ‘miss’,” a deep voice from the door corrected.

Surprised, Anthony turned to see who had spoken. The movement sent a jolt of pain across his ribs, and he grimaced. The man was tall, broad shouldered, and had light hair. There was no mistaking those blue eyes. This had to be Gage Milton, Nora’s brother.

“It’s Miss Milton,” he repeated.

Anthony stood, offering his hand. “You must be Gage.”

“That’s right.” He shook Anthony’s hand. In his other hand, he held a white Stetson hat with the brim gently turned up.

“These are Agents Greg Nelson and Grant Rourke.” Anthony nodded in the agents’ direction.

“I wish we could have met under different circumstances, Mr. Milton,” Grant said.

Gage clutched the hat in front of himself with both hands. “Have you had any news about my sister?”

“As far as we know, one of our undercover agents is the last person who has seen her,” Greg told him.

He lowered his brow. “I don’t understand. If one of your agents knew where she was, then why is she missing?” “It’s a long story.” Anthony ran a hand over his face.

“A lot happened that you should know.”

Gage gave a quizzical expression. “And you are?” “Anthony Goldburg, a friend of Nora’s.

Greg hitched a leg on the edge of the desk. “I have a few questions I need Anthony to answer. Then he can get you caught up on the latest developments.”

At Gage’s nod, Greg gave Anthony his attention. He cleared his throat. “Was Miss Milton injured when you last saw her?”

“She was in pain from being tied up. One of the men slapped her face, and when they started beating me, she got between my attacker and I. She intercepted a punch.”

Anthony heard Gage’s draw in a quick breath and glanced in his direction as he continued. “The slap left a welt, but I wasn’t able to see the damage the punch had done because she was taken away shortly after. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s sporting a few bruises.” He looked back to Greg. “Those are the only injuries that I know of.”

Gage started pacing back and forth like a caged lion as he waited for Greg to come to the end of his questions.

Greg leaned forward. “Did Nora give you any indication as to where she would go?”

“No, none,” he replied. “It was impossible for us to talk. Rodriguez and one of his bodyguards were there, and they would have heard every word we said. When she came over to me after my beating, I was only able to give her basic directions as to where the car was.”

Greg asked a few more questions before he was satisfied he had gleaned all the information Anthony could give him.

Both Anthony and Gage exited the DEA building. “Let’s grab dinner while I catch you up on Nora’s activities in the last few days.”

Gage set his hat on his head, then pulled down on the front of the brim. “A quick dinner.” His answer was clipped. “I don’t want to waste any time finding my sister.” He gave Anthony a sideways look. “You’ll have to tell me how you got that black eye and a broken arm.”

“All in due time,” Anthony replied.

The men walked the short distance to where Gage had parked a heavy-duty Dodge Ram truck from the rental company at the airport. The alarm chirped, and Gage caught sight of Anthony’s raised eyebrows at seeing the large truck.

“In case we have to off road it,” he explained.

---

Over plates of nachos, Anthony told Gage how he had followed José to the compound and found Nora but was captured himself, then freed in the raid made by Grant and Greg.

“More than anything, I wanted to get Nora out of that place. I told Rodriguez I would stay as insurance if he would let Nora go. To be honest, I wasn’t sure he would go for it, and Nora had her qualms about leaving me behind.”

A soft smile spread across Gage’s lips as he thought of his sister. “Did you have to talk her into going?”

“Yes.” Anthony lifted the glass of Coca-Cola to his lips. “Rodriguez agreed, and Nora left. I was able to slip her my cell phone and the keys to the car I drove.”

Gage’s ears perked up. “She has a cell phone?”

Anthony pursed his lips. “Yeah, but I don’t know if it held its charge or if it has reception where she is.”

“I didn’t hear you say anything to Nelson about the cell phone. Had you already told him?”

“No.”

“Have you tried calling your phone?” Gage leaned over the table. His eyes were intense with worry for his sister.

“No, I didn’t think of it.” He ran his hand through his hair. “To tell you the truth, I haven’t been feeling that well myself.”

Gage grabbed his phone from the table, close to his drink. Turning the screen on, he brought up the dial pad. “What’s your cell phone number?”

Anthony gave him the number, and Gage held the phone to his ear. Please, Lord, let her answer, Anthony prayed silently.

“The phone went to voicemail.” He called the number again and waited as it rang. “It didn’t go to

voicemail that time, but no one answered.”

“Battery’s probably too low,” Anthony replied.

Gage set the phone back down. “Did you get that broken arm and shiner from the beating Rodriguez gave you?”

“Yeah.” Anthony looked Gage square in the eye. “What I didn’t tell you is that Nora was forced to watch me be beaten. Rodriguez wanted to be sure she wouldn’t talk.”

Gage stiffened. “If Nora gave her word, she would have kept it.”

“I know. She tried to tell Rodriguez that, but, of course, he wasn’t going to believe her.” He picked up a chip covered with cheese and stuck it in his mouth. “What worries me is we have no clue where to start looking. She could be anywhere.”

“I think the best place to start is to go back out to where you left the car.” He picked up the keys to the truck. “Are you ready?”

Anthony shoved another chip in. “You bet.”

The men paid for their meals and crossed the parking lot. Anthony was quiet as he automatically reached for the seat belt, but he had a little more trouble than normal trying to get the belt under his broken arm without jarring it too much.

Gage started the truck with a worried expression. “We have to find her. I can’t stand the thought of her being out there alone.”

“You and me both,” Anthony’s tone was dry.

As they headed out to the hills, Gage eyed Anthony curiously. “So why are you doing so much to help find my sister?”

Anthony rubbed his good hand over the cast, his head bowed. “I got to know her a little during the time we were at the mission. I’m starting to see her as someone special.”

“Someone special as in she’s a special person or someone special to you?” Gage kept his voice even.

“I don’t know. Possibly both… It’s too soon to tell.” He shifted his broken arm. “One thing I can tell you, Nora is very strong. The way she handled herself in there…” Anthony shook his head. “I don’t think many people would be able to handle what she had to go through. Sure she was scared, but she trusted the Lord to bring her through it.”

“She’s quite the girl; I’ll give you that,” Gage gave a wry chuckle as he thought of his spunky sister.

---

Gage heard the truck door slam shut as Anthony came to join him. The gravel shifted under their boots as they scoured the area.

What had gone through Nora’s mind when she got behind the wheel of the car? She would have used common sense and assumed the car was facing the direction Anthony had been driving to get there. With that in mind, she would have turned the car around and gone in the opposite direction.

“You said Nora told you she was blindfolded when she was abducted, right?”

“Yeah.”

He studied the gravel along the side of the pavement. “Which direction was the car facing?” Gage inquired, deep in thought. He bent to pick something up – a hair pin. What were the chances the exact style hair pin Nora used would be lying on the ground where they hoped she had been hours earlier?

“This way,” Anthony answered, pointing down the road in the town’s direction. He saw the object Nora’s brother held, and anguish flickered across his face, his eyes tortured.

“I have to find her. She has to be okay.” Gage brushed at his damp face.

“Lord willing, we will,” Anthony replied. “What way did you say the car was pointing?” Anthony gestured towards the nearest town.

He blew out a sharp breath. “She went the other way.” Gage found the tire tracks at the edge of the road and noticed very precise marks where Nora had made a three-point turn. “Come on!”

Gage forced himself to drive slowly, being careful not to miss any sign which could give away his sister’s whereabouts. His phone started ringing William Tell’s Overture. “This is Gage… That’s impossible. I know she headed away from Baviácora. We found tire tracks where Anthony left the car, heading in the opposite direction it was pointing… I know my sister, and I’m telling you that’s what she did… Then she’s stranded somewhere… Thanks, I appreciate it. I’ll wait to hear from you.”

Nora’s brother gave Anthony a sideways glance. “That was Nelson. Rourke got word that they didn’t find anything on Nora within the fifty mile radius that they covered. They’re sending out a chopper to search. I’m afraid something’s happened, and she can’t call for help.”

“The helicopter will cover more ground than we can in the same amount of time.” Anthony shifted in his seat.

“Let’s hope Nora is somewhere in the area they cover.” Gage checked his side mirror. “Even though I told them she came this way, they are sending the helicopter farther west and will work their way in this direction.”

“I’m sure they have a systematic plan that they are implementing.”

“It’s cold out here,” he commented as he scanned the area around them. “Was there a blanket, coat, or anything else in the car to keep her warm?”

“Not that I know of.”

“She’ll be freezing.” Gage sounded grim.

Anthony wished there was something he could do to help Nora and Gage. How he would love to see their reunion. Would that reunion ever come?

Nora’s hands shook. The realization that she had been given her freedom was sinking in.

Where was she to go? She didn’t know where she was or how to get back to the mission. When the men had grabbed her, she’d promptly been blindfolded and had traveled for hours.

Anthony’s phone. She could use the GPS to find her way back to the mission, or, if she could get in touch with someone, maybe they could tell her how to get there. Nora checked the phone for service. None. Not a single bar. Now what?

Looking back to make sure the road was clear, Nora did a three-point turn. Common sense told her Anthony must have come in the opposite direction from where the car was pointing. Nora glanced down at the gas gauge. Only a quarter of a tank. She hoped a town was nearby.

An hour passed, as did the miles – with no town in sight. The land lay stretched out before her, lonely and desolate. It could have been a mirror as to how she felt.

The gas gauge was nearing the red line. Nora was going to be stranded if she didn’t find a gas station soon.

Doubts began to plague her mind. Did I come the wrong way? Should I turn around? No, if I did that, I’d definitely run out of gas before finding a town… I hope I come across a station soon. What will I do if I run out of gas? What if Rodriguez’s men find me and take me back?

Lord, show me what to do. Please help me. And Lord, please watch over Anthony… Help him to find a way to escape. Don’t let those men hurt him again… I’m trusting You.

Darkness was falling. Still, no town or any semblance of civilization was in sight. The car had been running on fumes for the last several miles. Nora prayed it would limp on to the next town.

She could feel her blood sugar dropping again. Nora stretched out her arm to get the box of granola bars. As she went around a curve, the package slid out of her reach.

Not thinking, she lunged for the box, and in doing so, stomped on the accelerator, sending the car down the incline of a hill.

Screaming, Nora cried, Lord Jesus, help me! She stomped on the brake and stopped the car before hitting a large boulder. Her head slammed into the airbag, then bounced back on the headrest.

Nora brought her hands to her face and fought to steady her breathing.

Throwing the car into reverse, Nora tried to back up. The left rear wheel spun in mid-air. She eased out of the vehicle and found a rock to place under the tire.

Nora climbed in and tried to back up again. The car moved, only to sink down into the sandy soil.

“No, no, no,” she said under her breath. “This cannot be happening.”

Can anything else go wrong? Dare she even ask that question?

“Okay, think,” she told herself.

Nora looked back up the hill to where the road was. She was completely out of sight from the road. If anyone was to come by who could help, they wouldn’t be able to see her.

There was one lifeline. Anthony’s cell phone. She reached for the phone sitting on the console. Nora pushed the button to power it on. The screen stayed dark. She held the button down longer. It started powering on. Nora breathed a sigh of relief.

When it got to the main menu, the battery cell icon in the top right corner was flashing red. Nora touched the phone option. She found the Landers’ number in Anthony’s contacts and pushed call. The screen immediately went black. Please, Lord.

Hoping against hope, Nora powered the phone back on. Maybe there was enough power to send a text. She completed the message, but the device wouldn’t send it.

Nora rested her head against the steering wheel. Why was everything going wrong?

“What’s going to happen to me?” she asked in the darkness.

The sun was dipping behind a butte, brushing streaks of purples and light pinks across the blue sky.

She felt a sob rising. “Oh, how I miss you, Dot. I wish we were sitting in my little house enjoying a pan of brownies over girl talk. Someday, Lord willing, we will do just that.”

Nora was reminded of a verse from Romans. All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

“There’s a reason even in this,” she sighed. “How I would dearly love to know it.”

At that moment, Nora wanted to simply curl up and fall asleep. Too much had happened in such a short amount of time for her body to stay up with. She was bone-weary and exhausted. If she could just start that day at the market over again, how different life would be!

---

Anthony laid as flat on the floor as possible, pushing himself against the wall as he attempted to shield himself from stray bullets that might come his way. Something big was going down. His arm and ribs throbbed from the beating he had received. Anthony could feel his eye swelling. He prayed Nora had had enough time to get out of the area before the shooting started.

Lord, what’s going on? Please don’t let any harm come to Nora in all of this.

It felt like hours had passed before the shooting stopped. The silence was eerie. His ears strained for any noise that would give him a clue as to what had taken place.

Someone barged through the door, making Anthony jump. Pain shot all over his body. As his pain came back down to where it was more manageable, Anthony squinted his eyes to see who had come into the room, but all he could see was a silhouette of a man with the sunshine streaming in around him.

José stepped into the room.

Anthony groaned weakly. “What’s going on?”

“Everything is fine. Help is coming.”

José backed out of the room when Greg came in. “He needs medical attention.”

Greg looked down at the broken man before him. “Anthony, I am Greg Nelson, special agent with the DEA. We’ll get you help as soon as we get done here.” His chest heaved from exertion. “We know a girl was also being held. Do you know what happened to her?” “Rodriguez let her go.” Every breath was torture.

Grant narrowed his eyes. “Why did he do that?”

“I offered to- to stay as insurance so he would free her. Rodriguez said if she talked, he’d kill me.”

“And he let her go?”

Anthony was too weak to fight against the darkness that was trying to consume him. “Yesss.” And he was out. With the blackness came relief.

---

The ride to the medical clinic was excruciating. Anthony felt every bump, turn, and jar.

Baviácora, the town where he would receive medical attention, wasn’t large enough for a hospital, so he would have to be checked out at the local clinic.

Anthony was rolled into an exam room where he waited for a doctor.

After a short wait, the poking and prodding began. His ribs ached, and his arm was throbbing. Anthony’s right eye had completely swollen shut. Never had he felt so much pain.

The diagnosis was a broken arm and several ribs. The doctor set the bone and wrapped the arm in a hard cast. A nurse wrapped his ribs to stabilize them while they healed.

As the doctor’s visit was coming to an end, Greg walked into the room with José following close behind.

Anthony gave the second man a leery look.

José held a hand up. “It’s okay. I’m not a gun or drug trafficker. I’m DEA.”

Anthony gave Greg an incredulous look. “What?”

“You know him as José, but his real name is Juan Martinez. He went deep undercover and infiltrated Rodriguez’s organization,” he explained.

“Uh-huh,” Anthony replied dubiously.

Greg didn’t hesitate. “Anyway, how do you feel?” “Like I was run over by a truck.” Anthony winced. “What’s on your mind? I doubt you came here for my company.”

Greg smiled. “You’re right. I’m here to find out where the girl is. We can’t find any trace of her or the car you described.”

Anthony furrowed his brow. “I find her only to lose her again,” he mumbled under his breath.

“Excuse me?” Greg said.

“Never mind.” He shook his head. “You can’t find anything on her?”

“No.” Pulling out a pad from his shirt pocket, he queried, “Is her name indeed Nora Milton?” “Yes, it is.”

“Besides being held by Rodriguez, do you have any connection with Nora?”

“We were both volunteers at the same mission,” Anthony told him.

“Where does she live?”

“Washington state.”

Greg quirked an eyebrow. “You don’t know this girl well?”

“No.” Anthony then explained, “Volunteers came from all over the states.” He shrugged, then caught himself, regretting the movement. “She’s from Washington. I’m from California.”

“I see.” The agent shifted his stance.

“If I could use a phone, I can call a friend who would know her address,” he offered.

“That would be helpful.” Greg nodded. He turned to the doctor. “Are we done here?”

“Si, Señor.”

Greg gave his attention back to Anthony. “Would you mind coming with us to the residential office?”

“If it will help find Nora.” He slid off the cold, metal exam table.

The doctor handed him a file. “Give this to the receptionist.”

Taking the papers, Anthony headed out of the exam room. “Thank you.”

Anthony finished at the clinic and followed the DEA agents outside. As they approached the car Greg was leading him to, Anthony saw that someone was sitting in the driver’s seat.

“Anthony, meet my partner, Grant Rourke,” Greg made the introductions, as they opened the car doors.

“Grant, this is Anthony.”

Grant nodded his greeting. “How’re the ribs?”

“Sore.” Anthony gingerly climbed into the car.

Grant dropped Greg off at the restaurant where they picked up the Aston Martin and returned it to the rental company. Then they made their way to the DEA residential office.

Greg handed him a cell phone. “Call your friend.”

Not having Dot’s number memorized, Anthony was about to dial Don Mesch when he remembered the paper she had given him. Relieved it was still tucked in his shirt pocket all this time, Anthony pulled the note out and unfolded it. Hoping Dot would answer, he dialed the number.

“Hello, this is Dot.”

“Dot, this is Anthony.”

“Tell me you have good news!” Dot sounded desperate.

“Yes and no.” He felt exhaustion taking hold of him, and he rubbed his forehead.

“What do you mean?” Her voice was bleak.

“I’ll spare you the details, but I found her in a drug lord’s compound.” Anthony ignored Dot’s exclamations as he continued. “Evidently, she witnessed something illegal. Long story short, I was able to get her out of there, but I had to stay behind. She used the car I drove out there to get away. I was freed, but by that time she was already gone, and now we can’t find her.”

“Oh, that’s awful! I mean, I’m glad you both got away. But it’s terrible that Nora’s missing.”

“The DEA has gotten involved, and they’re needing information I don’t have.”

Dot readily gave the agents what they needed.

“Okay, thanks. I should go.”

“Anthony,” she said before he could hang up.

“Yeah?”

“You should know Nora’s brother flew down to Mexico this morning. When we hadn’t heard anything of her whereabouts, he became restless and decided to search for her himself.”

“What’s his name?” Anthony grabbed a pen from the console in front of him.

“Gage.”

Anthony wrote the name on the paper with Dot’s number. “Do you have his phone number?”

He wrote each number down as she said them.

Anthony repeated them back to her.

“That’s it.”

“I need to go,” he said.

“Thanks for calling,” Dot said. “If you can, keep me updated, please.”

“I’ll do my best. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Anthony flipped the phone shut. Greg looked at him expectantly. “She’s from Rochester, Washington.” He told him the details the agents needed and finished with, “She said her brother flew down here this morning to look for her.”

“Better get in touch with him, too. Have him meet us at the office.”

Anthony made the call, introduced himself, and asked Gage to meet them at the DEA office.

Greg moved stealthily from rock to rock, being careful not to put the lookout in the tall wooden tower on guard. His attention was captured when he thought he saw a familiar form pacing back and forth in front of the gate at the entrance to the compound.

“Oh, no,” he groaned.

“What is it?” Even in a whisper, Grant sounded alarmed in Greg’s ear.

“I know the guard at the fence. He’s not one of them.” He placed his hand over his ear. “Attention all operatives, the guard at the front gate is not one of Rodriguez’s men. Don’t fire on said guard. Repeat, do not fire on guard at the front gate.”

Greg motioned for Grant to move in. Greg’s partner nodded.

Greg placed a tense hand on the large rock in front of him and crouched, ready for action. “Shelby, we are in position.”

“Copy that.” Shelby scanned the computer screen one more time. “All operatives, stand by for countdown to strike. Three… two… one… execute!”

Greg ran for the fence. The helicopter cleared the high rocks behind them, and they felt the rush of wind as it passed overhead. It hovered inside the fence, and the FBI and DEA team members jumped into the compound before the chopper banked and turned back.

Repetitive gunshots began to ring out as Rodriguez’s men realized what was happening. Bullets hit the ground, spraying up dust around the targets’ feet as they took cover.

The men who jumped from the helicopter found cover in the blind spots and held the guards’ attention while Greg and the rest of his team cut their way through the fencing.

“We’re going for Rodriguez!” Greg said over the earpiece. He pointed towards the building by the pool. Grant nodded his understanding. They crossed the space between them and the large structure, covering each other as they went.

Greg pressed his shoulder to the wall and stretched from his kneeling position to see through the window. He caught Grant’s attention and pointed to Rodriguez slinking out of sight in the house.

They crouched down near the pool. “What are you thinking?” Grant asked his partner.

“We go in.” Greg leaned back against the house trying to stay low. “Shelby?”

“Here.”

“Check the live feed. Keep your eyes peeled and tell us if you see anyone who needs help.”

“Got it.”

Grant looked to Greg. “Ready?”

“You bet.”

When they stood, the glass windows above them shattered, showering them with broken shards of glass. Someone had discovered them. Both Greg and Grant crouched down and returned fire.

Greg ducked his head, barely dodging a bullet that hit the wall behind him as Grant shot the one who had fired at his partner. One more down.

A flash of movement caught Grant’s attention, and he turned in time to see one of Rodriguez’s lieutenants running for a tan jeep parked beside a long white building.

Grant caught Greg’s attention. “We can’t let him get away!”

“I’ll cover you!”

More gunshots were heard from within the house. A bullet whizzed by Grant’s ear.

Scanning the area around him, Grant surveyed his surroundings while he waited for his partner to give him the go ahead to jump the man in the jeep.

“Go!” his partner yelled.

Zigzagging as he ran, Grant crossed the compound as the jeep began to move. He shot a glance around to assess what route the jeep could take. Several yards ahead was a ramp it would undoubtedly pass by.

Grant took off. If he could get to it in time, he could jump into the jeep with the lieutenant and overpower him.

Grant timed it so he landed in the seat behind Filipo. Before Filipo could react, Grant wrapped his arm around the other man’s neck, putting a headlock on him.

The jeep stopped abruptly, as Filipo fought to get free. The man was strong and stood as he flipped Grant over the windshield onto the hood of the jeep. Grant rolled off and landed on the ground, smacking his shoulder against the hard earth.

Shelby caught Greg’s attention, “Greg, Grant’s in trouble.”

Greg, who was still pinned near the swimming pool, shot a look in that direction. When he saw Filipo about to drive away, he aimed and shot the back tire on the jeep. “That’ll slow him down. I can’t get over there. I’m pinned down.” Greg saw Grant jump up and grab the man as he tried to leave the jeep.

“Greg, someone is coming out of the house,” Shelby alerted him.

Greg looked toward the end of the house. He saw an unarmed Rodriguez slip out of the house and run behind another building. His anger was beginning to smolder. “You are not getting away that easily!” He ground his teeth in concentration.

A bullet whizzed by his ear, and he winced as he ducked. How could he get over there? Greg turned in the direction where the shot had come from. The shooter looked over the brick facade of the rooftop he was using as a vantage point. Greg took aim. The sniper took one second too long to take cover.

Greg jumped up and ran after Rodriguez. “Shelby, where did he go?”

“Between the buildings in front of you, then take a left.” Shelby’s eyes followed the man she had seen leaving the building. He left the area covered by that camera, and she looked at a different screen. It took a moment to find his exact location in the new monitor, this time facing the camera, not running away from it. “Nelson, he just went through a door that’s coming up on your left.”

Greg started to round the corner when he heard Shelby warn, “He’s coming back out!” Her warning came too late, and the swinging door struck Greg square in the face as Rodriguez fled the building.

Falling back against the ground, Greg pressed the back of his hand to his nose. He was going to get a huge welt on his forehead, and he was aware of the familiar feeling of a broken nose.

Greg set his jaw and glared at the back of the man disappearing around the corner of the building. He jumped up and followed in hot pursuit. As he gained on the bigger man, Greg noticed Rodriguez now held a gun. Greg figured he must have gotten it from the building he had exited moments before.

Rodriguez turned as he heard the pounding of footsteps approach. Greg was no more than ten feet behind him. The drug lord paused to take aim, but Greg bent his head as he dodged the bullet.

Using that momentum to his advantage, Greg turned the duck into a series of flips, heading slightly toward Rodriguez’s left.

The unexpected maneuver bewildered Rodriguez long enough that he couldn’t get a good shot at the moving target.

As Greg came abreast with his opponent, still parallel to the ground, his legs struck the back of Rodriguez’s, forcing his knees to buckle.

Greg seized the moment as Rodriguez fell, and with one hand grabbed the other man’s wrist, grasping the gun with his other.

Shelby watched as the two fought for control over the weapon. Rodriguez rolled, knocking the wind out of Greg’s lungs as the heavier man’s full weight came down on him. Greg’s face was in the dirt as he tried to maneuver out of his opponent’s control. The pressure on his face was nearly unbearable. Rodriguez wrenched Greg’s arm behind his back, but Greg’s wasn’t about to let out the cry of pain he felt rising.

Suddenly, a shot rang out, and Shelby saw the video go black. She picked up the phone and pressed the hold button. “Anne, what just happened to the feed on camera 4D?”

“We’re still connected to it, but it isn’t displaying anymore,” Anne replied quickly. “I think it must have been hit by a stray bullet.”

Shelby ran her finger down the list of cameras while still giving her attention to the activity in the compound.

“Cameras 6B and 7A are turned off, but together they should be able to make up for camera 4D. I’ll activate them, and…” she held that last word for a moment as she glanced at another screen, her eyes widened.

“Anne, get me a connection to cameras number 6B and 7A.” Shelby could hear the clicking of Anne’s mouse and keyboard before she put her phone back on mute.

“Agent Rourke, hold your position,” Connor heard Shelby’s voice alert Grant before she directed him, “Agent Connor, east guard tower.”

Connor turned his attention to where Shelby had indicated. A sniper was setting a high-powered rifle on the railing and placed his eye in front of the scope to aim, ready to take out Agent Rourke as soon as he moved into a better position for a hit. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t know that his back was wide open to Connor on the ground. Conner aimed and squeezed the trigger. He didn’t take time to congratulate himself on the perfect shot he’d made.

Shelby came back over the earpiece, “Rourke, you’re clear to move.” She picked up the phone again. “Talk to me, Anne.”

“It worked.” The new video popped up on Shelby’s screen.

“I see the feed. Thanks.”

---

Holding the lieutenant by the chain of his cuffs, Grant backed up to the cover of the jeep with one knee making a light impression in the dusty ground.

Glancing over the jeep, Grant caught sight of Agent Garret wrestling with one of the guards on the ground beside the pool. As he started to look away, the guard drew a long knife from a pouch on his belt and raised his arm in the air.

“Rourke, assist Agent Garret,” the words nearly flew out of Shelby’s mouth, but before Grant could react, the guard brought the knife down with all his strength.

Grant cuffed the man he had apprehended to the jeep and rushed in the guard’s direction. The guard was standing up, preparing to run for cover. To Grant’s surprise, Garret turned and stuck his leg out to trip the guard, who turned back on Garret with a vengeance. The two rolled in a tussle and stopped to teeter at the edge of the pool before tumbling in.

The pool wasn’t very deep, but the guard had a grip on Garret’s shoulder and a hand on his head, holding him under the water’s surface. As Grant lunged toward the men in the pool, he noticed blood coloring the area surrounding the wounded FBI Agent.

Catching the guard by surprise, Grant pulled him off of Agent Garret and landed a solid punch to his jaw. The guard faltered, giving Grant enough time to slap cuffs on him.

Agent Garret emerged from the water and slung his head back and forth for a second before assisting Grant in pulling the guard out of the pool.

Grant glanced at Garret and noticed he had been wounded in the left arm.

Dripping wet, Grant shoved the cuffed man toward Agent Garret who took charge of him. “Shelby, where is Greg?”

“He is in the south-east corner of the compound, three buildings in. He’s attempting to apprehend Rodriguez.”

“Tell me how to get to him.”

Out maneuvering Rodriguez despite his pain, Greg was able to get behind him and put a headlock on the man. This time he wasn’t about to let go. Rodriguez struggled, but Greg’s grip was firm.

“Where’s the girl?” Greg’s breath came in gasps, being winded from the fight, and adrenaline pumping through his veins.

“There’s no girl,” came the muffled reply. He tried to pry Greg’s arm from around his neck.

“Don’t lie to me,” Greg growled. “We know you have a girl here.”

Shelby came across the earpiece, “Greg, I don’t see the girl anymore, but the man is still there.”

Greg tried not to panic. “What did you do with the girl?”

“Not- here,” his prisoner insisted. Then, before Greg could react, Rodriguez clasped his hands behind Greg’s elbows, leaned forward, bending his knees, and straightened his legs to flip the agent, slamming Greg’s back into the hard, packed dirt.

The drug lord seized the window of time for his escape and took off towards the back of the compound where there were fewer people around – meaning less chance of his being caught.

As Grant was carefully making his way over to his partner, Shelby’s voice said in his ear, “Grant, Rodriguez got away from Greg. He’s about two buildings over from where you are. Keep going as you are, then make a left.

He’s gone into another unit.”

“Do you have cameras in there?” Grant wanted to know, breathing hard from the intensity of the moment. “One.”

“Get me in there,” he ordered.

“Round the building you’re passing now. There’s a door all the way at the other end that you’re going to take,” she calmly fed him the needed information.

As his fingers grasped the door handle, Shelby told him, “Once inside, there will be a door to your right. If there isn’t an exit or another room, he’ll be in there. I’m sorry, but there isn’t a video camera in that area.”

Grant nodded, knowing Shelby could see him, and not wanting to tip off Rodriguez of his presence. He tightened his hold on his third-generation Glock, then pushed the door open.

The room he entered was empty, except for a stack of boxes and a plastic folding table. Treading softly across the room, Grant’s senses were on high alert.

A shuffling noise came from behind the closed door that Shelby had told him Rodriguez had gone through.

Grant kicked the door in and dashed to the side, prepared for bullets to fly. Instead of bullets, a flying knife scarcely missed his face and was embedded in one of the boxes stacked behind him.

Ducking, Grant squeezed off a shot, hitting Rodriguez high on his shoulder. The man let out a cry of pain and fell to his knees on the floor.

Dashing across the room, Grant reached for his cuffs. He grabbed Rodriguez’s arms and brought them behind the man’s back before pulling him to a standing position.

As he made his way through the maze of buildings, Grant spotted Greg approaching him.

Grant saw pain in the lines of his partner’s face. “Hey, partner, you all right?”

“I’ll live.” Greg’s smile was more of a grimace.

Grant smirked.

While Grant had been busy apprehending

Rodriguez, the reports of gunfire had slowly waned until all was quiet. Greg put his hand to his earpiece. “Status report.”

Each of the team members identified themselves as they gave their number and cleared themselves.

Grant was the last to report in. “Sam 52. We are clear.”

Greg and Grant’s eyes met. The compound was contained, and Guillermo Rodriguez was finally in their custody.

Greg looked up from the open Book. His face portrayed the anguish in his heart. He read the words once again in a whisper, “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.”

Laying the Bible down on the table, Greg laid back on the bed and let out a frustrated groan. “God, why does this have to be so hard? I confess I hate the men who killed my sister. I wish them dead. And from reading Your Word, I know my heart is immersed in hatred for those men.” He gave a resigned sigh. “Please, take away my hatred and teach me to forgive them. I do want to do what’s right in Your eyes.”

Early the next morning, the phone woke Greg. “Greg Nelson.”

“Greg, it’s Anne.” She sounded tired. “I’ve finished recording the video from all the terminals and am ready whenever you are.”

“That’s great. I didn’t find out until late last night, but we won’t be making the raid until later this afternoon,” he told her. “I was going to call you this morning, but you beat me to it.”

“That’s fine.” It sounded like she stifled a yawn.

“Were you up all night?” Greg asked.

“I was up late,” Anne told him.

He ran his hand over his face. “Get some rest before this afternoon.”

“Planning on it. I’ll wait to hear from you.”

“Right.”

His phone beeped as he was about to push the end button on his phone. Grant was calling.

“It’s Greg.”

“We got a judge to sign the warrant. We go as planned.”

“That’s great! I’ll meet you in the cafeteria in 30?” Greg asked.

“Sounds good,” Grant agreed.

Hanging up, he laid the phone on the nightstand. Greg folded his arms behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. Today was the day another infamous drug lord would bite the dust.

Greg slipped the teddy bear necklace from his shirt pocket and touched it to his lips. His jaw muscles tightened as his eyes squeezed shut, and he clutched the necklace in his large hand. “This one’s for you, sis.”

---

The clicking of Anne’s keyboard paused as the phone rang and she picked up. “This is Anne.”

“Anne, this is Agent Shelby Collins. Agent Grisham said you have completed recording the feed we’ll be using in the raid.”

“I have.”

Shelby pulled the pen from behind her ear. “Daniel hasn’t given me any details on what you’ve been doing. Care to give me a run-down as to what you’ve been working on?”

“I’m going to loop the recorded video so Rodriguez’s security can’t see the team’s movements. Would you like me to walk you through how I have it set up?”

“Please.”

Anne went on to explain how she had the system set up so the security wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the recorded feed from the real-time video. She finished with, “I have everything ready for you to control, but there’s one thing that concerns me.”

“What’s that?” Shelby inquired as she sat back in her chair.

“I’ve already accessed the system once, making it look like an upgrade. If the security guys see that there is another upgrade so soon when you are trying to get in, they might become suspicious.”

Shelby raised an eyebrow in understanding. “You’ve thought this through. I’m assuming you also have a solution.”

“I do. You remote into my computer here, then we won’t have to enter into Rodriguez’s system a second time.”

“Perfect. You’re working at the DEA office, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll send you a link and provide you with a password

to enter into the window that comes up. By doing that, I’ll control your computer from here.”

In a few minutes, Anne’s screen popped up on Shelby’s monitor, and she started familiarizing herself with the many video feeds.

“Also, I have a layout of the compound here and marked the location and coverage of each camera for you.”

Shelby clicked on another window and a list appeared. “I assume these are the names for the cameras.”

“That would be correct,” Anne replied.

“Do you have a list of cameras that are online and one’s that are not in use?”

“The last three cameras that are listed are, at present, not online.”

Scrolling down to the end of the list, Shelby drew her brows together. “There are a few in a separate list that are grayed out. Are they for an old system?”

“I’ve concluded that they stopped using them because they aren’t completely compatible with my system. They would only be overlapping areas already covered by other cameras, anyway. They’ve been temporarily disabled.”

“Okay,” Shelby said thoughtfully, as she glanced back and forth between the screen and her map. “When this thing is going down later, I would like for you to be available at a moment’s notice in case there are any glitches that might come up.”

“Anything I can do to help,” Anne returned.

“I think the easiest way would be for you to already have a phone connection with me. If anything comes up, I could handle it, but I’ll be busy with the command center. If it works for you, I’ll give you a call beforehand and you can leave your phone on mute. That way you can hear when I need your assistance.”

“That’s fine.” Anne agreed. “One other thing, I have been studying the layout of the compound and each of the camera’s placements. I found several blind spots.”

“Good eye,” Shelby sounded impressed. “I’ll also study each of the camera’s angles with the diagram of the compound and figure out exactly where those blind spots are. They could make all the difference as to where we place our guys.”

“That’s all I have. Is there anything else you need?”

“No, I think we’re done here. I’ll catch up with you later. Nice work, Sherril.”

---

As the chopper sat nearby, with its blades whipping the air, Greg distributed earpieces to the FBI and DEA agents, and they slid the devices into place. Greg almost had to yell to be heard as he continued briefing them, but after the last man had his earpiece in, he could lower his voice to normal. “These are what we will use to maintain communication during the raid. You will all be able to hear what each operator is saying, as well as contacting Shelby back at base.”

“That would be me.”

Daniel smiled slightly as he heard Shelby’s voice over the earpiece.

Greg turned to the map hanging from the exterior of the jeep and ran a finger in a circle over the rough terrain, his unzipped jacket flapping vigorously in the wind from the helicopter blades.

“Here is an aerial of the compound which is two miles due east of where we stand. You will all take up your positions around the compound as previously assigned.” He nodded to his fellow agent. “Daniel.”

Daniel moved to stand on the other side of the map as he continued the instructions. “Shelby has thoroughly examined this entire compound. The positions we have assigned for each of you to enter at are blind spots from the security cameras, but once you get much farther into the compound, you will no longer have that advantage or protection.

“Shelby will know exactly where each of you are at any given time and will coordinate our movements. We move on her direction after she receives Greg’s signal. Any questions?”

When no one said anything, Greg exhaled, “All right.” He tapped the map with his knuckles and turned to look at the men gathered around him. “Let’s do it.”

Daniel jogged toward the open door of the chopper as Conner and Garret followed close behind.

Shelby watched the screen intently. The phone beside her keyboard showed Anne’s number, and the time was counting up by the seconds. She adjusted her headset when she heard Greg say, “Daniel, Grant, and I are on foot and approaching the compound now.” By the unsteady waver in his voice, Shelby concluded that he was running.

“The cameras from the compound don’t show any movement around the perimeter,” she informed them.

“You’re still clear.”

“Shelby, switch over to the recording,” Grant told her.

Anne watched the mouse on her screen move around as Shelby remotely controlled her computer. Typing as she spoke, Shelby said, “Looping the recordings now.” Her fingers paused, and a look of satisfaction passed over her face. “Gentlemen, you are invisible.”

José settled Nora down on the floor. “Go get some water,” he told the guard.

Anthony watched Nora’s shallow breathing and noticed her pale complexion. He balled his hands into fists. She desperately needed food to raise her blood sugar levels.

Gordo returned, and Anthony pulled out his handkerchief. He dipped it in the cool water and dabbed Nora’s face with the damp material.

“Come on, Nora.”

Please, Lord, let her come to. His brow knit together with worry.

In one blessed moment, Nora’s eyelids fluttered open. Her eyes were clouded with confusion then cleared as she realized where she was.

“Anthony,” her voice was weak.

“I’m here.” He grasped her extended hand.

Thank goodness for a familiar face! “Help- me,” was her whispered plea.

His heart squeezed from her broken entreaty. It looked as if just breathing was a monumental effort.

Anthony looked over to José. “Can we get something for her to eat? She hasn’t eaten since yesterday afternoon. That’s why she fainted.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” José stood. He left, leaving Gordo to stand guard.

“José has gone to get some food.” Anthony brushed her tangled hair back from her pale face. “Hang in there.”

Nora’s lids were drooping. “Keep- talking.”

“What do you want me to talk about?” he asked.

“Why w-would you offer t-to stay?” She scrunched her forehead together, then it smoothed out as she relaxed.

“Jesus did the same thing when he died on the cross for us – His bride,” Anthony began to explain. “We are told to walk as He walked. By doing this, in a way, I’m following in His footsteps.”

“You have no obligation to me,” she protested.

“Neither did Jesus,” he pointed out softly, “but he did it anyway.”

José came back carrying a plate. “I found some beans and rice.”

Anthony helped Nora sit up, and José handed her the plate of food.

When she didn’t attempt to eat, Anthony encouraged, “Come on, Nora. You need to eat. You’re going to get worse if you don’t.”

Pleading eyes looked back at him. “I’m so tired.”

He scraped up a forkful of beans and placed it in her hand. Nora lifted the fork to her mouth, her hand shaking from weakness. She gave him a smile. Anthony refilled the fork, and she again lifted it to her lips. They did this a few times before Nora felt strong enough to do it on her own.

Once Nora had eaten, José came up to her. “I’m sorry, Señorita, but I must tie you up again.”

Without saying a word, she nodded, shifting so José could tie her hands behind her back.

“This time I tie you in front,” he said.

Relieved, Nora brought her hands in front of her and lifted them to be tied.

After tying both Nora and Anthony, José and Gordo moved towards the door.

“José,” Nora called. He looked back with a question in his eyes. “Thank you for the food.”

“De nada, Señorita.”

Nora shifted against the wall to face Anthony. “Thank you for helping me through that.” Her grateful eyes met his concerned gaze.

“You’re welcome.” He gave her a slight smile of encouragement.

“It’s been a long time since my blood sugar has been so low. I can normally control it, but under the circumstances…”

He furrowed his brow. “You had me scared there for a minute.”

“I’m sorry about that.” Nora gave a sheepish smile.

He returned the gesture. “Everything’s all right now, and that’s what matters.”

Her tone was serious as she said, “Anthony, we need to talk.”

“Okay,” he said congenially. “What about?”

“The offer of your freedom for mine.”

“What about it?”

Nora wrinkled her forehead. “I can’t go and leave you here.”

“You can, and you will,” Anthony replied. “I won’t allow you to stay in danger any longer than I can help it.”

“Why would you do that?” Her eyes showed her perplexity.

“I told you earlier.”

“I know, but this sacrifice isn’t required of you or necessary.” Nora looked down at her dress.

“I know it’s not required of me, but I do think it is necessary. You’re in danger, and I want to do this for you.”

Anthony saw the anguish flit across her face.

“How can I go and live my life like nothing’s wrong while I leave you to Rodriguez’s mercy or lack thereof?”

“I don’t want you to feel guilty,” he told her. “This is my decision.” Anthony caught her eye. “I know Rodriguez hasn’t agreed to it yet, but if he does, will you, please, allow me to have this honor?”

“Honor?” Her wide eyes showed her surprise. “How can you see this as an honor?”

“There’s no one here to protect you besides me. I want you out of here, and this is a way I can do it peacefully.” If his hands were untied, Anthony would have reached for hers. “I want you to do this.” His tone was earnest.

Nora nodded as she continued to meet his gaze. “All right. I’ll do it, but only because you insist.”

“I’d have it no other way.” Relief rolled off Anthony’s shoulders. Half of this battle was won. Now for Rodriguez’s answer.

The scripture from Proverbs, “The King’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth if whithersoever he will,” ran through Anthony’s mind.

Please, Lord, guide Rodriguez’s heart to let Nora go.

---

Gordo flung the door open and walked in. “The boss, he wants to see you.” He closed the distance between him and Nora. The guard reached out to touch her golden hair. She shrank back from him, making the soft strands slide through his rough fingers.

“Gordo!”

Nora jumped and jerked her head to see José standing in the doorway. “Just untie her.” Kneeling, he began to free Anthony.

Once again, they were led to Rodriguez. He clasped his hands behind his back when he saw Nora and Anthony. His stern gaze met them. “I have made my decision on your proposition. I will free the girl.”

Nora shot a look over at Anthony. The tense lines in his face relaxed with relief at Rodriguez’s answer.

“But before she leaves, she will get a taste of what will happen to her friend if she should break her word.” Rodriguez nodded to Gordo, who grabbed Anthony and shoved him to the ground.

Stepping forward with outstretched hands, Nora desperately cried, “No! I have no intention of breaking my word. Please, whatever you plan to do to him, I beg you, don’t!”

“Just the same, you will see what happens so you have a picture to carry with you as a reminder of what your friend will endure.” His face contorted into rage. “Never will you forget.”

“No!” was Nora’s bloodcurdling scream as they began to beat Anthony. Gordo kicked Anthony’s already sore ribs, then proceeded to deal blows to his face.

Nora moved to fling her body between Anthony’s bloodied body and Gordo to intercept the fists pounding into his body. Anthony tried to push her away but wasn’t able to move her before a fist impacted her face.

José grabbed her by the waist and dragged her away. Nora blocked her ears from hearing the impact of flesh hitting flesh. The whole time she begged for mercy for Anthony, but her pleas went unheeded. Gordo didn’t desist his blows until Rodriguez intervened, and the burly man was breathing heavily.

Running over to where Anthony lay sprawled on the ground, Nora cradled his head in her hands. His pain filled eyes met her tear streaked face. Nora’s eyes took in the sight of his split lip, swelling eye, bruised face, and a bloody, possibly broken, nose. Anthony’s arm was turned at an unnatural angle. She whispered, “I’m so sorry. I never would have agreed to this if I had known they would do this to you.”

Anthony wheezed. “Don’t-” He winced. “Don’t feel guilty.” His brow furrowed in pain. “It’s not- your fault.” “How can I leave you like this?” Her chin quivered.

“Take my keys.” His hand fumbled with his pocket. He felt his phone and grabbed it too. “My car – it’s right on the road.”

José saw Anthony hand Nora a set of keys and a cell phone. He noticed Anthony trying to hide the items by covering them with his hand, and quickly looked away.

When Nora realized what he had given her, her eyes widened and met his serious ones. Pain resonated from his warm, dark eyes. Her heart leaped to her throat.

To not raise Rodriguez’s suspicion, Anthony pulled her head down to his shoulder. He could feel her shaking. Her hair tickled his face. Nora could hear Anthony’s labored breathing on her cheek as he whispered, “If you need it, call for help.”

Nora pulled back. “Thank you.” She slipped the items into her skirt pocket.

Anthony took her hand, his eyes imploring. “Be careful.”

Fresh tears fell on his hand as Nora raised it to her cheek. “I will. I’ll pray for you.”

He raised his head with great effort and urged her away, “Go.”

“I can never thank you enough, Anthony,” Nora sobbed. “I’m deeply indebted to you. May the Lord bless you for your kindness.”

“Get her out of here.” Rodriguez’s harsh tone grated on her ears.

Nora turned her attention to Rodriguez, and her voice broke. “You didn’t have to do that.” As she spoke, she felt someone grasp her arm and pull her to her feet.

“Come, Señorita,” José said. “You can go free.”

Feeling overwhelmed at the gift Anthony had given her, Nora couldn’t leave without saying something more to him. “If God be for us, then who can be against us?”

Anthony nodded. “God be with you.”

José tugged Nora away and continued to hold on to her until they reached the ten-foot barbed wire fence. “If you know what’s good for you, you will leave and never come back.” He motioned up to the guard tower to open the gate, then turned his attention back to her. “Don’t worry about your friend.”

Once Nora was on the other side of the fence and the gate closed behind her, she began to run. She had to get away before Rodriguez changed his mind and Anthony’s suffering was in vain.

Nora followed the narrow gully out to the road. She stopped. Which way had Anthony told her to go?

“Right,” she mumbled breathlessly. Around the bend sat a little gray car.

With shaking hands, Nora stuck the key into the keyhole and pulled the door open. She slid into the seat and tucked in her skirt behind her.

A box of granola bars sat on the passenger seat. Those could last her until she found the nearest town.

Sitting in the car, Nora wiped her eyes. The tears would not be stopped. She was free!

Her heart plummeted when Nora thought of Anthony being forced to stay behind. What would make him want to trade his freedom for hers? Only he and God knew. Nora shook her head. Whatever the reason, she was thankful to him and the Lord.