Free Taken by Janet MacDonald

out of Caleb’s hand.
    “Shh,” she said, and both he and Kaiden stared at her. “Gregory is giving a live statement.”
    They both turned and watched the television as Trites stood in front of a dozen different microphones. He was with three men who looked a lot like they could be Feds.
    The man had a black eye and a bandage on his forehead. It looked as if someone had roughened him up pretty good. The press bombarded the Feds with questions about a ransom, proof of life and how and when the kidnappers had contacted the family, and the Feds answered them very vaguely. When Mr. Trites got up to the podium, he had tears in his eyes as he made a plea to the kidnapper to return his beloved niece. To give him back the only family he had left. Trites explained he’d cared for Katarina since she was twelve and was like a daughter to him.
    Caleb’s blood ran cold. He hadn’t known Trites was her uncle. The man wasn’t only willing to kidnap her and have her killed, but he was going to sexually assault her as well. He turned and stared at Kitty. His heart ached at what her life must have been like. What Gregory might have already done to her.
    “Well, are we going or staying?” Kaiden asked.
    To Caleb’s surprise, Kitty grabbed her suitcase and turned and looked at him.
    “Let’s go,” she said, her eyes steely-colored and determined.
    “I still haven’t slept and neither has Kitty. Kaiden you’re gonna have to drive.” He tossed his brother the keys to the car.
    “All right. Kitty you get into the back with Caleb. Cuff yourself to her just in case. Take the pillow and blankets and cover up with them,” Kaiden ordered just before they exited the motel room.
    Kitty grabbed the pillows under one arm and struggled with her suitcase. Caleb took the bag and looked at her softly.
    “I’ll take this. You bring the pillows and blanket,” he said, wondering if this change of heart in Kitty was a ploy or not. A feeling of hope filled him as he looked into her pretty eyes.
    “Thank you, Caleb,” she said and smiled.
    After piling into the car, he and Kitty curled up in the backseat with the pillows and blanket as his brother sped away into the early morning light. The warmth of her body close to his and the smell of her hair had him smiling as he drifted off. His arms were wrapped protectively around the small frame of her as they slept.
     
    * * * *
     
    Two days had passed and the brothers took turns driving. They only stopped long enough to eat and get gas. Kitty wasn’t sure what they would do once they reached the Mexican border. It had her a little nervous. Her image had been all over the news, and there was no way they could cross legally. Caleb drove and had just entered Galveston, Texas. It was someplace she’d always wanted to go, but not quite under these circumstances.
    “Head for the port. There’s a ship called Morning Glory waiting for us at pier twelve.”
    “He’s here?’ Caleb sounded surprised.
    “Yeah, so are a few of his friends,” Kaiden said, and Caleb became very quiet.
    Kitty sat in the backseat, her hands cuffed to the door. Kaiden still didn’t trust her not to run. Both men, in fact, had become even more watchful of her and as they pulled into the marina. She saw them tensing up.
    “Why are we here?” she asked.
    “This is our trip out of the country, hon,” Kaiden said, looking at her from the front seat.
    “Stay with her…I’ll go talk to him,” Caleb told his brother as they parked in the dark nearly deserted parking lot.
    She watched Caleb as he headed for a large cigar boat where she saw four men stop him, frisk him and then two escorted him inside.
    “Who is this and where are we going on a boat?” she asked Kaiden.
    “You ask too many questions.”
    “Kaiden, please…” She stopped as he turned and looked at her. His gaze locked on hers and she felt cowed by the glare.
    Just last night as she’d slept in the backseat, she’d awoken to the two brothers