Then after about five minutes of that the uninjured man began making excuses. “We weren’t gonna do anything. That girl come along of her own—you can even ask her! If you’d a just said something, we’d a been on our way. We got no cause to make trouble anywhere...”

Maggie, still holding her father’s shotgun, snorted. “They used her father’s credit card in the store.”

“She shot me! I’m dying,” the wounded man cried.

“He’s not bleeding enough to be dying. And he’s not bleeding in the right places to be dying,” Maggie said.

Cal rose from his job of binding the men. He was glistening with sweat and he was barely dressed; he must have just pulled on his jeans after his shower. Their weapons were tossed outside. One was bound facedown and the injured man was bound sitting up, leaning against the wall. He had splatters of blood on him but nothing serious. Maggie was not about to give him a checkup.

“I’ll be fine if you want to grab a shirt,” she told Cal.

“I’m not leaving you here. In fact, I’d rather you give me that gun now.”

“I know what I’m doing,” she said. “I know how to use it.”

“I got that message, honey,” he said, pulling it gently from her hands. “I don’t want you to use it too much, that’s all. Why don’t you go check on the girl. Sully and I will take over now.”

“Thanks,” she said, relinquishing the weapon. “I’m worried about her. Will you two be all right?”

“I got it,” Sully said, picking up the man’s rifle and checking to see that it was loaded. “Go ahead.”

When she walked in the back door Chelsea jumped off her stool at the counter and ran to her, throwing her arms around her.

“Honey, honey, it’s going to be okay. The police are on their way.”

“My mom and dad?” she asked through her sobs.

“I’m sure they’ll be notified and either come here or meet you at the hospital or police station. Are you hurt in any way, honey?”

She shook her head against Maggie’s shoulder, crying.

“Do you want me to take you over to the house? Do you want something to eat or drink?”

She leaned back and shook her head. “I just want my mom and dad,” she said.

Maggie pulled her toward the kitchen. “How’d you end up with those two, honey?”

“They tricked me. One of them was crying for help right by the stream where I was filling my water bottle, and when I looked one of them dragged me down the hill with a hand over my mouth. I couldn’t even scream. I lost my whole pack!” She started to tremble and sob again, clinging to Maggie.

“One of them used your dad’s credit card,” Maggie said.

“It was in my pocket,” she said. “I’ve had it in my pocket since we were here. I used it to pay for stuff here. It was an extra—my mom had hers. My dad said hold on to it, keep it safe.”

“When I saw that card, I knew you had been kidnapped,” Maggie said. “So—it did the trick.”

“Did you really shoot that man in the...you know?”

“Nah,” Maggie said. “I just shot him where I thought I could stop him and do the least damage. He’s fine, they’re just pellets. They hurt and sting, but he’ll live. He’ll need a few stitches and that’s all. He’s going to jail.”

Finally, the sound of distant sirens. A helicopter neared. A few minutes later there were cops everywhere, though Sully had called Stan to tell him Maggie had rescued the girl and that Chelsea was safe. Along with law enforcement they got fire and rescue and, as could be predicted, they made a mess of things with their big trucks and heavy equipment.