Kaylie will think I stood her up.
He had bigger things to worry about, but his thoughts kept straying to Kaylie, concerned with her feelings.
I need to focus on getting out of here.
He knew they wouldn’t let him leave alive.
Earlier, Chip had been the first one to spot him on the ranch. Cade had parked in the dark and casually walked in the shadows to the shed, determined to prove to himself that the dynamite hadn’t disappeared. It had to be somewhere in that shed. What he hadn’t expected to find was Chip and one of his buddies, Rob, going through the supplies in the shed. They’d looked up in surprise as Cade came around a corner. Playing it cool, he’d greeted the men, planning to come up with some story about searching for his backup tool belt. Instead Chip drew a gun.
Cade’s words had dried up in his mouth as he stared at the end of the barrel.
“Scared, smart boy?” Chip had sneered. “The boss man told everyone to keep an eye out for you. He’s pissed as all hell that you ratted us out to the police and feds.”
“I—I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Cade had stuttered as icy fear threaded through his limbs. He slowly raised his hands, praying Chip wouldn’t shoot.
“We know about your girlfriend,” Chip stated. “We know she’s the niece of that FBI agent who harassed us the other day.”
“I haven’t told her anything! I don’t have anything to tell her!” Cade said earnestly, using his gaze to plead with the two men. Chip’s finger was on the trigger of the pistol, and the look in his eyes was just left of crazy.
He wants to shoot me. Just to enjoy it.
“Tell it to the boss,” said Chip. He directed Rob to tie Cade’s hands behind his back, and then Chip poked him in the ribs with the gun as they walked through the dark to the mess hall. Cade couldn’t see the ground and stumbled several times, hoping Chip didn’t accidentally trip and shoot him through the heart.
They made it to the mess hall, where some sort of meeting had just taken place. About forty men milled around, looking ready to wrap up their night until Cade had been pushed through the front door. Every face turned in his direction. After a moment of surprise, a small cheer went up from the crowd. Cries of “You got him!” and “Fuck that bastard!” met his ears.
His knees turned to water at the frenzied looks on their faces. Angry, bitter eyes glittered at him. Cade blinked. These were his fellow workers and acquaintances. Men who made a living with their hands and embraced an honest day’s labor. They dressed like him in boots and Wranglers. Men he’d never dreamed would turn on him.
Seeing their hate and anger rocked him to his core. It was a mob.
Is this what happened to Joshua Pence?
Tom McDonald emerged from behind the group, and Cade’s gaze latched on to his face in hope. His boss had told him how much he admired his work; Cade had seen the respect in his eyes. He’ll straighten this out. But McDonald’s current expression was of a subdued rage. Cade couldn’t look away as the man stepped closer through the crowd, his huge bulk driving men to step aside to make room.
He stopped in front of Cade.
The room had gone quiet. Eager faces looked from Tom to him and back again, repressed energy bubbling under their surfaces, thirsting for blood.
Cade tried to swallow, but his dry throat wouldn’t follow directions. On either side of him, Chip and Rob each gripped one of his arms, presenting him to their leader. Chip’s fingers dug into the underside of his upper arm, and Cade wondered if he could feel his sweat.
“What brings you here so late on your day off, Cade?”
Cade couldn’t speak.
“Snooping for the FBI?”
He vehemently shook his head. “No,” he croaked. “I’ve never talked to the FBI.”
Mutters of “Bullshit” filled the room. Boots shuffled, men adjusted their stances. Eyes continued to stare at him, their heat boring into his skull.
McDonald tilted his head the slightest bit. “You told the FBI about us. You pretended not to know that agent who was here the other day when you’re dating her niece!”
Louder mutters.
“You managed to fool Chip and Mitch. Mitch even stuck up for you.”
Cade met Mitch’s gaze over Tom’s shoulder. Mitch looked at him with dead eyes. “I’d never met her before that day. Seriously.” He spoke directly to Mitch. The one man he wanted to convince. It was suddenly important to him that Mitch know he hadn’t stuck his neck out in vain.
McDonald shook his head. “Too late. I’m disappointed in you, Cade. I had high hopes that you could join us one day. You showed a lot of promise, but you let a woman lead you around by the dick.”
Cade spotted Owen Kilpatrick standing next to Mitch. His face was blank, his arms crossed over his chest, his stance stating he was as angry as the rest of the men.
“Who knows you’re here?” Tom asked.
“I told Kaylie I was coming here. I’m supposed to be at her house by seven.” At least his voice sounded normal.
“You’re not going to make your date,” Chip taunted.
McDonald held up a hand to silence Chip. “I don’t believe you,” he said to Cade. “You’re just saying that.”
“Check my phone,” Cade stated. They need to think someone will come looking for me. “You’ll see I called her in the last hour.”
Rob pulled the phone out of his pocket and pressed it against Cade’s right thumb to unlock the screen. He poked around for a few seconds. “He’s right. There’s a call to her.”
McDonald pressed his lips together as he regarded Cade. “We’ll settle his fate later. Put him in the pantry. Tie his feet too.”
Rob knocked Cade’s feet out from under him, and he fell to the floor, catching his weight on his left shoulder and knocking the breath out of his lungs. The group of men pressed closer, and scuffed boots moved threateningly close to his face. His feet were lifted; someone produced a rope and bound his ankles together.
That’s when the kicking started. Boot tips to his face, chest, and back. Cade rolled to his side and tried to bring his head to his knees, protecting his chest and belly. He vomited the soda, and the blows continued until McDonald ordered them to stop.
They’d dragged him into a small room off the kitchen and slammed the door. He heard McDonald order someone to clean up the mess.
Cade slowed his breaths, inhaling as gently as possible to stop his ribs from sending lightning jolts of pain to his brain. He searched for something optimistic about his situation.
I’m not dead.
Kaylie knows where I am. But would she tell anyone? Or would she go to bed upset that he’d blown off their dinner?
If it had been one of his buddies he’d told, he’d probably wait a week before mentioning he hadn’t heard from Cade lately. And didn’t a person need to be missing for two days before the police took any action?
I’m not dead.