Ransom. Terri Reed

constricting her throat.

      Before she reached the bottom of the staircase, the burglar grabbed a handful of her hair. With a painful jerk, he brought her to a halt and pushed her face-first against the stairwell wall. Pain exploded in her cheek and radiated through her head. Would he kill her? She squeezed her eyes tight, tensing her body in preparation to fight back and sent up an urgent prayer. God, help me! Help me, please.

      “Where’s the necklace?” her attacker growled in her ear. His hot, stale breath made her gag.

      “What?” Liz struggled to process what was happening. Why had this man broken into her home? What was he talking about? “What necklace?”

      “Come on, Jillian, Travis bragged to me he’d lifted it from Santini’s shipment to give to you. Since Travis is so stupid to not keep his mouth shut, he doesn’t deserve it. And neither does Santini, the pig.” He pressed his weight into her, his knee jamming into her thigh, his elbow crammed into her back at the tender spot below her ribs. “Give it to me or I’ll kill you!”

      His words beat into her, almost paralyzing her with terror. He thought she was Jillian. What would the man do when he realized she wasn’t Jillian but rather her sister? Kill her, then go after Jillian? She couldn’t let that happen. She had to protect her little sister.

      Stark terror spurred her to action. She kicked her heel back hard and connected with his shin, eliciting a grunt. She followed with a backward elbow jab to his sternum just as her godfather, the town sheriff, had taught her when she was in high school.

      The assailant’s hold loosened. She grasped her hair and yanked the clump free from his hand, ignoring the biting pain of strands being ripped from her head. She fled down the remaining stairs into the dark store. He chased after her.

      The street lamp outside provided enough light for her to navigate through the antiques filling every square space of the shop her father had bequeathed to her and her sister.

      She knocked over a short bookcase filled with rare first editions, hoping to slow her attacker for fear he’d catch her before she could escape.

      She made it to the front door and flipped the latch. The door unlocked with a click that was drowned out by her shallow breathing. Opening the door would trigger the silent alarm and send the authorities. With a vicious push, she burst out of the store into the frigid night air, nearly bowling over an older couple walking a big Rottweiler. The dog strained against his leash and barked.

      “Help me, please!” She grasped at the older man’s arm.

      While the couple stood there, mouths agape, she caught a glimpse of the masked man as he barreled out the door onto the sidewalk. He paused for a fraction of a second, his gaze landing on the Rottweiler. He backed up as his gaze jumped to Liz and the elderly couple. With an audible rumble of frustration, he bolted in the opposite direction and disappeared down the darkened street.

      A whoosh of relief gushed through her, followed closely by an invading sense of violation. The man had broken into her home and assaulted her. Why was he searching for the mysterious necklace? Neither she nor her sister owned anything of value. He’d said Travis had lifted it—stolen, he meant. Liz had never thought much of Travis from the moment Jillian had brought him home to meet her.

      “Oh, my,” the gray-haired elderly woman exclaimed. “We should call the police.”

      The older man patted his pockets. “I don’t have my phone with me.”

      “I do,” Liz said just as the jangle of her cell phone in her sweatpants’ pocket startled her. With shaky hands, she fished the device out and glanced at the caller ID.

      Jillian.

      Liz’s heart jumped. An icy rush of dread washed over her. After the harrowing experience of the break-in, Liz’s imagination took flight with all sorts of horrific scenarios.

      She pressed the answer button. “Jillian?”

      “Lizzie, I need you to do something for me.” Jillian’s voice came over the line with a definite quiver.

      Every nerve ending in Liz’s body alerted, ready to do whatever was needed to help her baby sister. “Are you okay?”

      “I need you to bring me Mom’s jewelry box. It’s tucked into the bottom drawer of my dresser.”

      “What’s going on, Jillian? Some man just broke in—”

      “Lizzie, listen to me. I need you to do this.” Jillian’s sharp tone was so out of character. Pleading, wheedling and coaxing was more her style. Something was definitely wrong.

      “Jillian, Travis is mixed—”

      Jillian’s yelp cut Liz off. The sound of a scuffle on the other end of the line terrified her.

      “Jillian!”

      “Listen up,” a deep male voice said into Liz’s ear, sending a shiver of fear down her spine. “If you ever want to see your sister again, alive, you’ll bring the necklace to Fort George by noon Monday. Come alone. No police, or your sister and her no-good husband are dead.”

      Panic revved in her blood. “Who is this? What have you done to my sister?”

      The click of the call disconnecting slammed into Liz. Her mind raced. Her first instinct was to dial 911. To seek help from the authorities. Sheriff Ward had always counseled them to come to him if they were ever in trouble. This certainly counted as trouble.

      No police, the man had said.

      Jillian’s life was in danger. Jillian needed Liz to act on the promise Liz had made to their father on his deathbed.

      Watch over your little sister, Lizzie, girl, he’d said. You’re the level-headed one. She’s going to need you.

      Now more than ever Jillian needed Liz.

      Liz dialed Jillian’s phone, but it went straight to voice mail. What did that mean? Fear clawed up her throat.

      She called the hotel where Jillian and Travis were staying and had the desk clerk ring the honeymoon couple’s room, but there was no answer. Liz forced down her panic, knowing if ever there was a time to be calm and clearheaded, it was now.

      She refused to think the worst. Not yet anyway. She had a deadline to make. Her sister’s life depended on it.

      * * *

      Liz flexed her fingers on the armrests of her seat as the plane dipped with turbulence as it made its approach to her destination. She didn’t like flying, in fact, didn’t enjoy leaving the island at all. She’d gone off to college at her father’s urging, only going as far as Charleston. And that had seemed miles away from the serene island home that Liz loved. She’d returned home for good two years later when Dad had had his heart attack.

      But for her sister’s sake, Liz was heading north to bring the ransom to free her sister.

      Last night, after convincing the sheriff she was okay, she’d spent the rest of the night locked in the downstairs office at the back of the store. She hadn’t wanted to take a chance on the intruder returning to find her even though the sheriff had promised a car would patrol the neighborhood.

      She’d felt so guilty not confiding to him that Jillian had been kidnapped. But she couldn’t risk her sister’s life.

      Staring out the oval plane window, she could see the white world outside as the plane descended toward the runway in Buffalo, New York. She couldn’t appreciate the snowy scenic view with her mind racing ahead with all that she needed to do.

      Anxiousness made her antsy as she filed out of the plane and up the jet bridge along with everyone else. The frigid air seeping in from outside made her glad she’d worn her thick fleece-lined down jacket. Still, the chilly air finding its way through the collar of her coat sent a shudder through her. This was a different kind of cold than she was used to. It was biting, like the air had teeth and wanted to sink into her all the way to the bone.

      As