Chapter One
"I used a camera to shoot Shawn. Next time it might be a gun." Larry's voice rang in Hope's ears and she could see his face clearly in the red balloon. Where was Shawn? Was he all right? She felt herself stiffening in Bo's arms as her instincts told her no.
***
BANG! Larry jumped out of his hiding place and fired the gun. He heard Belle Black's scream as she ran into the room.
Shawn Brady had crumpled to the floor, the bullet having entered his chest. Perfect. Now to get rid of the witness.
Belle didn't seem to care that Larry was pointing a gun right in her face. She ran to her boyfriend and pulled him into her arms, screaming his name.
Larry wondered if killing this girl would be for the best. She would remember this moment for the rest of her life. She would be able to tell Bo and Hope of this moment: the moment when Larry Welch took his revenge on them and killed their son. What to do?
***
Hope tried to catch her breath as she fell into Bo's arms in the hotel lobby. Her hand went instantly to her chest. Others in the lobby stared in wonder.
"Hope? Are you okay? What's wrong?" Bo led her to a chair.
"Shawn!" was all Hope managed to squeak out.
"We just talked to him, he's fine."
Hope shook her head adamantly. "No, call him again."
"He's with Belle, they're having a romantic afternoon at the cabin."
"CALL HIM!" Hope demanded, her voice urgent."
"Hope-,"
"Fine, I will." Hope grabbed Bo's cell phone and quickly dialed Shawn's cell. No answer. "DAMNIT!"
"He probably turned it off, Hope."
"No, something is wrong. DO NOT argue with me!"
Bo sighed. He hadn't refuted her the first time, because when it came to their children, Hope's instincts were stellar. But they had talked to Shawn. He was fine. There was no danger to him at the Horton Cabin. Or was there? Maybe something or someone was there that Shawn hadn't known about when they talked to him. Bo didn't think so. But he wasn't willing to risk being wrong.
Meanwhile, Hope had called Belle's cell phone and got no answer. "We're going to the cabin!" she told Bo.
Bo wasted no time arguing with her. He grabbed their coats and they raced out of the hotel.
***
"DAMNIT people, DRIVE!" Bo yelled at the cars in front of him. In the seat next to him, Hope was practically hyperventilating. That worried Bo. If Shawn were fine, Hope certainly would have realized it by now. A sinking feeling rose in Bo's stomach. Shawn was not okay. He knew it as surely as Hope did.
***
Belle stared at Larry's gun, pointed directly in her face. She wished he would leave so she could call for help. She'd pressed her scarf into Shawn's wound, hoping to stop the bleeding but now the scarf was completely blood-soaked and the bullet wound was still bleeding. Shawn's pulse was barely there and there were a few minutes here and there where Belle would have sworn he wasn't breathing.
"Hold on," she cried, even though he was unconscious and she didn't know if he could hear her. "Just hold on!"
Larry glared at Belle. Belle wondered what he was thinking. He seemed to be pondering his next move. What if he took her hostage? Then no one would be able to call for help for Shawn. By the time anyone realized anything was wrong, it would be too late for him. If he didn't get help soon, he would die.
"Give me your phone," Larry ordered finally. Belle just looked at him. "DO IT NOW!" Belle handed him her phone and felt more tears flooding her eyes. "Your boyfriend's, too." Belle grabbed Shawn's phone and gave it to Larry.
"Stay there," he continued. "Don't leave this spot until you know that I'm gone or I'll kill you, too." With both cell phones in tow, Larry ran from the cabin.
Belle looked around, even though the tears blurred her vision. No cell phones, no regular phones. Just a transmitter Shawn always brought to the cabin so he could reach his dad in case of an emergency. Should she leave Shawn to get it?
YES. The answer came immediately. She didn't have time to waste, she had to call for help now.
Belle figured Larry had at least left the cabin and she remembered where Shawn had sent the transmitter when they first arrived at the cabin. She kissed Shawn's forehead as she gently set his head down on the ground. "Don't you go anywhere!" she told him. "Stay with me all right?"
Belle raced to the transmitter and screamed Bo's name.
**
Belle's scream through the transmitter Bo had came at a bad time. He jumped in reaction and almost lost control of the car at a red light. Hope quickly grabbed the transmitter. Belle was sobbing too hard for clear words but Bo and Hope both understood that Shawn had been hurt seriously. Bo told her how to switch channels so she could get help coming. Meanwhile, Hope was on Bo's cell phone calling 911. Bo started cursing all the other drivers on the road. They both prayed there were not too late.
"I used a camera to shoot Shawn. Next time it might be a gun." Larry's voice rang in Hope's ears and she could see his face clearly in the red balloon. Where was Shawn? Was he all right? She felt herself stiffening in Bo's arms as her instincts told her no.
***
BANG! Larry jumped out of his hiding place and fired the gun. He heard Belle Black's scream as she ran into the room.
Shawn Brady had crumpled to the floor, the bullet having entered his chest. Perfect. Now to get rid of the witness.
Belle didn't seem to care that Larry was pointing a gun right in her face. She ran to her boyfriend and pulled him into her arms, screaming his name.
Larry wondered if killing this girl would be for the best. She would remember this moment for the rest of her life. She would be able to tell Bo and Hope of this moment: the moment when Larry Welch took his revenge on them and killed their son. What to do?
***
Hope tried to catch her breath as she fell into Bo's arms in the hotel lobby. Her hand went instantly to her chest. Others in the lobby stared in wonder.
"Hope? Are you okay? What's wrong?" Bo led her to a chair.
"Shawn!" was all Hope managed to squeak out.
"We just talked to him, he's fine."
Hope shook her head adamantly. "No, call him again."
"He's with Belle, they're having a romantic afternoon at the cabin."
"CALL HIM!" Hope demanded, her voice urgent."
"Hope-,"
"Fine, I will." Hope grabbed Bo's cell phone and quickly dialed Shawn's cell. No answer. "DAMNIT!"
"He probably turned it off, Hope."
"No, something is wrong. DO NOT argue with me!"
Bo sighed. He hadn't refuted her the first time, because when it came to their children, Hope's instincts were stellar. But they had talked to Shawn. He was fine. There was no danger to him at the Horton Cabin. Or was there? Maybe something or someone was there that Shawn hadn't known about when they talked to him. Bo didn't think so. But he wasn't willing to risk being wrong.
Meanwhile, Hope had called Belle's cell phone and got no answer. "We're going to the cabin!" she told Bo.
Bo wasted no time arguing with her. He grabbed their coats and they raced out of the hotel.
***
"DAMNIT people, DRIVE!" Bo yelled at the cars in front of him. In the seat next to him, Hope was practically hyperventilating. That worried Bo. If Shawn were fine, Hope certainly would have realized it by now. A sinking feeling rose in Bo's stomach. Shawn was not okay. He knew it as surely as Hope did.
***
Belle stared at Larry's gun, pointed directly in her face. She wished he would leave so she could call for help. She'd pressed her scarf into Shawn's wound, hoping to stop the bleeding but now the scarf was completely blood-soaked and the bullet wound was still bleeding. Shawn's pulse was barely there and there were a few minutes here and there where Belle would have sworn he wasn't breathing.
"Hold on," she cried, even though he was unconscious and she didn't know if he could hear her. "Just hold on!"
Larry glared at Belle. Belle wondered what he was thinking. He seemed to be pondering his next move. What if he took her hostage? Then no one would be able to call for help for Shawn. By the time anyone realized anything was wrong, it would be too late for him. If he didn't get help soon, he would die.
"Give me your phone," Larry ordered finally. Belle just looked at him. "DO IT NOW!" Belle handed him her phone and felt more tears flooding her eyes. "Your boyfriend's, too." Belle grabbed Shawn's phone and gave it to Larry.
"Stay there," he continued. "Don't leave this spot until you know that I'm gone or I'll kill you, too." With both cell phones in tow, Larry ran from the cabin.
Belle looked around, even though the tears blurred her vision. No cell phones, no regular phones. Just a transmitter Shawn always brought to the cabin so he could reach his dad in case of an emergency. Should she leave Shawn to get it?
YES. The answer came immediately. She didn't have time to waste, she had to call for help now.
Belle figured Larry had at least left the cabin and she remembered where Shawn had sent the transmitter when they first arrived at the cabin. She kissed Shawn's forehead as she gently set his head down on the ground. "Don't you go anywhere!" she told him. "Stay with me all right?"
Belle raced to the transmitter and screamed Bo's name.
**
Belle's scream through the transmitter Bo had came at a bad time. He jumped in reaction and almost lost control of the car at a red light. Hope quickly grabbed the transmitter. Belle was sobbing too hard for clear words but Bo and Hope both understood that Shawn had been hurt seriously. Bo told her how to switch channels so she could get help coming. Meanwhile, Hope was on Bo's cell phone calling 911. Bo started cursing all the other drivers on the road. They both prayed there were not too late.