His heart kicked again when he read the message.
Two breaths later, he was on the phone with the 911 operator, relaying the information, referencing the Amber Alert.
“Sir, I’m gonna need more information before—”
“Ma’am, with all due respect, I’ve got a Navy SEAL currently positioned outside that house, and if your officers don’t get here ASAP, I’ve got the feelin’ he’s not gonna wait around for this woman to do harm to that kid. So, it’d be in everyone’s best interest if you’d send someone. Now.”
There was hesitation on the other end of the line before the woman confirmed there was a patrol car en route to their position and that they should absolutely not approach the house on their own.
He assured the woman he understood, but also that he couldn’t make any promises, then he disconnected the call and prayed they wouldn’t consider this a prank.
His next call was to JJ, who answered on the first ring.
“Where are you?” she demanded by way of greeting.
“Sitting on the house,” he said, his voice a rushed whisper, though he wasn’t even sure why. No one was around to hear him. Clearing his throat and ensuring his voice was steady, he asked her the same question.
“I’m at Travis’s.”
“Is he with you?”
“Actually, no.” She choked on a laugh. “I’m standin’ on the front porch, Reese. I was all gung-ho to get here, then wondered what the hell I was gonna say to them if y’all didn’t call.”
Though he was tempted to give her shit for not trusting them, he considered the levity of the situation, decided against it.
“Knock on his door, JJ,” he demanded, “and put me on speaker.”
He heard a muted rapping of knuckles on wood as well as her labored breathing. Evidently she was anxious. That or she’d run from wherever she’d come from.
“Hi,” she greeted, clearly talking to whoever answered the door. “My name’s JJ … err … Jessie James.” She exhaled heavily. “I’m a friend of Brantley and Reese.”
“Put me on speaker,” Reese insisted, repositioning the rearview mirror so he could scope the street behind him.
“Okay, okay.” There was a rustle, followed by, “All right. You’re on speaker.”
“Who is this?” the male voice questioned.
“It’s Reese, Travis.” Before he could launch into details about what was going on, he saw a police cruiser turn down the street. “JJ, I want you to give him a heads-up of what’s goin’ on while I talk to these nice policemen.”
With the phone to his ear, Reese got out of the car and waved the officers down. He waited patiently for the men to exit their vehicle, not wanting to appear aggressive in any way. These guys had enough to deal with. The last thing they needed was a six-foot-five-inch man coming at them.
“Hi,” he greeted, keeping his tone pleasant. “My name’s Reese Tavoularis. I called 911.”
Both men sized him up quickly before searching their immediate surroundings. “You said you’ve located a kidnapped child?”
“Yes, sir. Taken by the woman who’s rentin’ that house.” He nodded over his right shoulder, in the direction of the house Brantley was currently staked out at. “My … friend … he’s over there. Based on his observation, there’s a small girl, who we believe to be the one we’re looking for, handcuffed to a bed.”
He was pretty sure the handcuffed to a bed was what had them straightening. Probably didn’t matter to them if it was Kate or not, that was enough of a concern for them to be paying the homeowner a visit.
“Do you own this house?” the one closest to him asked.
“If I did, would I be standin’ out here waitin’ for you?” he huffed, then realized they didn’t deserve his frustration. “No, I don’t. From what we can tell, it’s being rented by Marie Aronda. She’s a person of interest in a kidnapping case.”
“You’re not from here, huh?”
Reese smirked. “Texas.”
“You said your friend’s over there?”
“Yeah. Brantley Walker. Navy SEAL. He believes that’s his niece inside,” he said, figuring the same last names would sustain that little lie.
The guy nodded while the other officer said, “Sir, we’re gonna need you to stay here.”
“Of course.” Reese had no problem staying back. Last thing he wanted to do was get in the way and he suspected Brantley was already keeping an eye on the back door in the event Juliet Prince opted to rabbit.
When the officer strolled toward the house, Reese turned his attention back to the call.
“Reese Tavoularis, you better tell me somethin’ right now,” Travis bellowed.
There wasn’t much to tell, but he relayed the details, knowing that Travis had already heard what he’d told the police. He could imagine the fury on Travis’s face at the thought of his daughter shackled to a bed frame. He only hoped Kylie wasn’t listening in. He didn’t want Kate’s mother terrified about what was going on. She’d already been through enough.
