The Senator's Choice (29 page)

Matthews withdrew his hand and exited the vehicle. He rambled down the embankment and took up a position behind a larger boulder at the water
’
s edge. And he waited.

“I
’
m in position,” Matthews said. “Will someone please tell me what
’
s going on?”

“You
’
ll be able to see for yourself in about three seconds if my estimations are correct,”
Shepherd said.

***

WITH NIMBLE NAVIGATION, Hammond guided their raft down Sanders Fork. The current
’
s increasing pace and plethora of rocks create a significant challenge. Ahead, the white water churned and sputtered, almost taunting them. Due to their altercation with Dave, they fell behind and had lost sight of Luke as his raft turned around the bend.

“I see him,” Jones said over his com link. “He
’
s in the water. I
’
m going after him.”

“Can someone please tell me what
’
s going on?” Matthews said.

“Luke
’
s in the water, but we don
’
t have eyes on him,” Hammond said. “We
’
re coming up on their location once we clear this bend.”

Then another gunshot ripped through the mountainside.

***

LUKE BOBBED IN THE RIVER, fighting against a current that seemed determined to keep him away from the shore. The rocks and boulders in the water appeared as though they were flying at him. Water sprayed his face, blurring his vision. He didn
’
t have time to plot a course — he could only react to the imminent danger that seemed relentless.

He heard a gunshot. His attempts to glimpse along the shoreline or behind him at the boat carrying Bill and Sam were met with punishing collisions with the rocks in midstream.

Then another gunshot.

This time, he looked up and caught a peek of a body in a wetsuit collapsing into the river a few yards ahead of him. It drifted into his path and there was no way he could avoid crashing into it.

Luke looked down at the body. It was Nick Jones.

Jones appeared to be alive, though bleeding profusely. With all the water, Luke couldn
’
t tell where the bleeding was coming from. He tried to hold Jones
’
head up above the water, but the rapids created a challenge he couldn
’
t meet. He refused to let go, but Luke rammed into a boulder, jarring Jones loose.

He wanted to scream, to save his friend who
’
d risked everything to rescue him. But he couldn
’
t. He needed to save his breath for the task at hand — survival.

As he weaved and bobbed his way along, he caught a view of peaceful water up ahead.

If I can just make it about a hundred more yards …

His thought was cut short as someone reached down and yanked him out of the water. He turned his head to see Bill grinning at him. With pride, Bill motioned to the makeshift patch he
’
d applied to the boat
’
s side
— right before he punched Luke in the face and made his world go dark.

CHAPTER 48

SETH MATTHEWS WATCHED the scene unfold in front of him. He wanted to turn it off or look away. Jones
’
lifeless body floating in the river. Two of the kidnappers managed to snatch Luke from the water and had tossed him into the center of the raft while they ripped through the rapids like it was familiar territory. And behind them, Hammond and Zellers were struggling to keep up. But now was not the time to close his eyes and cringe in fear — now was the time to see with clear eyes what needed to be done to save Luke.

Guess this is why we have backup plans.

He smiled to himself at the thought and began to formulate a plan of attack. It needed to be executed flawlessly.

He peered around the boulder once more to make sure the raft was on the same trajectory. It was.

Matthews counted down.

Five, four, three, two, go!

He scrambled to the top of the boulder and leapt down onto the front of the raft, jarring both men and knocking them off balance. He stabilized his own footing before pulling out both guns and pointing them at Sam and Bill.

“Not another move,” Matthews said.

Bill had also pulled out his gun and trained it on Luke, who was still lying on the bottom of the boat.

“Not so fast, old man,”
Bill said.
“It seems like you
’
ve got a problem now.”

Matthews glanced over Bill
’
s shoulder and could tell that Hammond and Zellers were still wrestling with the rapids. But it wouldn
’
t be long before they cleared them. He needed to stall.

“I think you
’
ve got the real problem since you
’
re either not getting out alive — or not getting a dime for your feeble efforts to kidnap Senator Daniels
’
son,” Matthews said.

“We
’
ve more than accomplished our job. The vote happened twenty minutes ago.”

“Then let the kid live and we
’
ll call it a day.”

Bill laughed.
“Can
’
t do that. He
’
s seen my face. And unfortunately, so have you.”

Matthews peered past Bill to see Hammond and Zellers easing into the smooth waters. “I can keep my mouth shut.”

“I
’
d rather shut it—”

Bill stopped short as he collapsed when Luke rammed an oar right between his legs. Matthews didn
’
t flinch, firing two shots into Bill
’
s chest. Sam didn
’
t move, while Luke clambered to his feet.

Bill, still clutching his gun, started to move again.

Matthews reacted by putting a bullet in his head, but not before he got off another shot — one that struck Luke and sent him overboard and into the water.

Matthews whipped Sam with the butt of his gun, sending the third kidnapper to the bottom of the boat, now stained with Bill
’
s blood.

Matthews then dove into the water after Luke. He heard the raft zip away along with the sound of another boat approaching.

Searching through the murky water, Matthews grasped for anything that felt like Luke. Nothing but rocks and boulders.

“Luke!” he screamed as he came up for air. “Luke!”

CHAPTER 49

SENATOR DANIELS DIDN
’
T WAIT around to gloat to the press and remind everyone that he helped pass a bill that would create jobs and jumpstart a lagging economy in the Midwest and Northeast. He rushed out a back exit and made his way to his car. There was only one thing he wanted to do at the moment —
confront Sarah.

Fifteen minutes later, he stood outside her Washington condo, banging on the door.

“Sarah! I know you
’
re in there. Better open up or I
’
m coming in.
”

Nothing.

Daniels leaned back and put the full force of his weight into the door, splintering the edge of the door as it swung open.

He stormed into her home. “Sarah! You need to talk to me right now!”

As he weaved through the condo, he strode right toward the most likely place she
’
d be: her bedroom.

Several months ago, she showed him the panic room she
’
d installed in her bedroom in case anyone ever attacked her. He never dreamed he
’
d be the first one to force her to use it.

He grabbed the door handle to her room. It was locked.

Daniels kicked it open, just in time to see her scurry across the room for the panic room. He lunged toward her and grabbed her heel.

“Where do you think you
’
re going?” he growled.

“Jeffrey, I know what you
’
re thinking, but you have to trust me.”

“Trust is something I
’
m running low on at the moment.”

“I never wanted to do this, Jeffrey. Believe me. How I feel about you is real. This was an assignment at first but—”

He rubbed his face with his hands. “An assignment? I was an assignment?”

“Yes, but it
’
s not like that.”

“Not like what?”

“It
’
s hard to explain.”

“Better start explaining. I
’
ve got plenty of time — along with the police on their way over here.”

Her eyes widened. “
No, Jeffrey! You can’
t involve the police. Not right now. You have no idea how dangerous these men are.”

“
Start talking
— and if you convince me, I
’
ll call them off.”

“My real name is Alicia Crawford and a few years ago, I went to work for this investment group here on Capitol Hill. After we started dating, some recruiter from one of the subsidiaries came to me and asked me if I
’
d be interested in a special assignment — which was you. I refused at first — until they showed me surveillance pictures of my entire family. If I didn
’
t comply, they were going to kill everyone.” She started to cry. “I didn
’
t have a choice.” She looked up at him, her cheeks stained with tears.

“I wish I could say I believe you.”

She grabbed his arms and looked up at him. “I swear it
’s true. You’
ve gotta believe me. And if they think anything is wrong, they
’
ll kill me.
”

“Why didn
’
t you go to the police?”

“I can
’
t. You don
’
t understand how powerful these people are. They can get to anyone, just like they got to me to get to you. They
’
re ruthless and won
’
t stop at anything.”

“They were never going to let Luke live, were they?”

She shook her head and bit her lip.

Daniels punched the wall. “Why me? This is ridiculous.”

“Look, we can talk about this later, but if they suspect something is up, they
’
re going to kill me. I
’
m supposed to meet them out back in a few minutes.”

“I
’
m not sure that
’
s a good idea, Sarah
—
Alicia.
”

“Trust me. I
’
ve gotta go.
”

They heard the sound of a door creaking open and footsteps crunching on the splintered wood.

Her eyes bulged as he turned toward Daniels. “They
’
re here.”

CHAPTER 50

SETH MATTHEWS STARTED to panic. He couldn
’
t find Luke
— and he couldn
’
t let him die. Jeffrey Daniels didn
’
t deserve such a cruel fate. It
’
s why he didn
’
t stop searching.

Hammond and Zellers finally reached him in their raft. Zellers jumped onto the shore and tied their raft to a tree.

“Need a hand?” Zellers asked as he waded into the water next to Matthews.

“We
’
ve gotta find him,” Matthews said before he took a deep breath and dove underwater for a few moments. Zellers joined him.

They both resurfaced at the same time.

“Hammond is working on Jones,” Zellers said. We scooped him out of the river a little ways back when he got lodged behind a rock.”

“Is he gonna make it?” Matthews asked.

“I think so, but he won
’
t be very happy about it if we don
’
t find Luke.
”

Another deep breath and both men continued their search.

Nothing.

When they both came up again, they heard another voice shouting across the riverbank. They turned and saw Shepherd, who was jumping up and down.

“Luke
’
s right here,” he said as he pointed toward a boulder in midstream. “Hurry!”