Absentminded Angel(Divine Creek Ranch 20)(97)

Presley Ann’s eyes were teary and her hand was over her mouth as Ace shut off the headlights and pulled up at the office of what his dad would’ve referred to as a “no-tell-motel.” Weeds grew through the cracks in the old asphalt and outside the rooms, the flower beds, if they could be called that, were overrun with weeds and wild cactus.

A large gray commercial van with a landscaper’s logo on the side was parked next to a four door truck in the lot, the only other vehicle an older model sedan parked two spaces down. Ace stayed behind the wheel with the engine still running but Kemp popped open his door and quietly closed it, while speaking into an ear piece. He walked behind their vehicle and into the office of the motel, as if he were checking in.

“I can’t look,” Presley Ann murmured, putting her hands over her eyes, but just as quickly parting her fingers. “What’s happening?”

Ace murmured something into his phone and then said, “We’re waiting for Hank’s men to get in position in case they attempt to flee through a back window. Once they’re set, they’ll try to get them to open the door and surrender peacefully.”

Presley Ann closed her eyes and started whispering softly into her hands. He stroked her shoulders comfortingly as Kendry released his seat belt and sat forward, eyes trained on the scene.

Ace lifted his hand to his ear. “We have movement in that room two doors down from the perp’s. Do we have eyes on them? Okay, good.”

The motel rooms were dark as Kemp moved at a leisurely pace down the concrete walk outside the long row of bedraggled motel rooms. Jared noticed the drape flicker back and forth in the window of the room closest to them.

Ace said, “Someone be ready to secure the guests in that other room. We don’t need them getting in the crosshairs if this goes south.”

Presley Ann squeezed his hands so hard Jared could feel her delicate bones. She was pale and unblinking as she watched the scene. A guy in a loose stocking cap and an oversized hoodie slipped around the building from the back, his hands in his pockets. Moving along the wall, he stopped as soon as he was within reach of the room closest to them. He looked back at Ace and nodded.

Ace looked back at her and said, “They’re ready. Kemp just told me he heard a baby crying as he walked past the other room. Shouldn’t be too long now.”

Hank had his hand on his firearm as he approached the door and called out to them. Through the glass and metal of the SUV it was impossible to hear him. Completely serious, he knocked again, and spoke sharply, unsnapping his holster and freeing his weapon in case he needed it.

The light came on in the motel room and a brief conversation must’ve happened between Hank and the occupants because a few seconds later the room door cracked open. The woman came out first, a red faced squalling Whit held tightly in her arms as if she was shielding herself with him.

Presley Ann whimpered as she struggled with the seatbelt release button. “Whit, there’s Whit. I need to go to him.”

“Easy, Presley Ann,” Ace said, holding up a staying hand. “Let them bring him to you.”

Hank nodded at Kemp and he walked up to the woman, who was followed out of the motel room by her husband. His hands were in the air, showing he was unarmed. Kemp reached out for the baby cautiously, attempting to gently extract Whit from her grasp. The woman was speaking rapidly, looking as if she was approaching hysterics. She held tight to the baby, who just squalled even louder, the sound reaching them and heightening Presley Ann’s anxiety.

“Please don’t hurt him,” she whispered.

“Kemp won’t let any harm come to him, sweetie,” Ace said and then spoke into his phone.

The woman burst into tears and then finally released Whit to Kemp, who enfolded the baby in his arms and turned his back to them, placing himself between Whit’s kidnappers and any harm that might come to him.

Presley Ann went limp against Jared and he held her to his chest as she began shuddering and crying. Deputies rushed out to handle the captors and then suddenly all hell broke loose.

The window on the motel room two doors down suddenly burst outward, glass flying everywhere, as a man burst through it and landed in the overgrown weed beds.

“You’re not taking us alive!”

“What the hell!” Ace said as he jumped out of the driver’s seat, grabbing his weapon from the console. “Do not leave this vehicle, and if shots are fired get down on the floorboards!” The door slammed and the locks slid home.

“Whit!” Presley Ann screamed. They watched in shock as another man barreled through the broken window and landed on top of the first one, causing him to scream and thrash around.