Someone snatched his cousin’s wife and son. FBI agent Luke Falcon is searching for a kidnapper and sorting out the crime. He’s afraid it’s the work of a stalker. He’s afraid they’re already dead. And he’ll do anything required to get them back alive . . . but he didn’t plan on falling in love with the only witness.

This stand-alone title is a repackage of what was previously known as True Courage, the fourth book in the Uncommon Heroes series.

KIDNAPPED

By DEE HENDERSON

Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Copyright © 2004 Dee Henderson
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4143-2363-3

Chapter One

One Year Later

Mark Falcon knew success and enjoyed it. As the late afternoon sun came in the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office, it reflected off the architecture awards on the side table, a rainbow painting the wall. His son made the shadow of a barking dog in the blue and purple bands. Mark judged the distance and made a bear appear, which moved in to gobble up the dog.

Benjamin laughed. "Your hands are huge, Dad."

The boy's wonder combined with the name Dad-he had done a few things very right in his life, and marrying Sharon and adopting her son last year were near the top of the list. "Yours will one day be as big." He made the shadow of a tree house. "The tree house blueprints should be done printing. Why don't you go see?"

Benjamin dashed from the office to the open drafting room. Mark followed at a more relaxed pace. Nine now, with a touch of MacGyver in his unquenchable curiosity, his son seemed to be thriving under his attention. Mark was trying to rearrange his life to provide that time, but he had worried about the transition.

He was confident now that keeping the family in Benton, Georgia, an hour and twenty minutes outside Atlanta, had been the right decision. The schools were good, the hospital and medical clinic where Sharon continued to work top-notch, and the town still had open land and woods around it. Mark didn't mind the occasional commute to Atlanta when business required it; the pace in Benton better fit what he wanted for his family.

He watched his son carefully tear the blueprint from the wide printer. "It's perfect."

Mark picked up an empty carrying tube. "I'm glad you like it. We'd better stop by the lumber mill this weekend to order our supplies. By the end of October you'll be inviting your friends over."

"You'll teach me to use the saw?"

"I will. You can even make the trim if you like; we'll finish this tree house right. A good architect always finishes the finer details." He offered Ben a pen and an official label for the blueprint tube. "What do you say we pick up your mom and get dinner? I'm starved."

Sharon tried to keep her last patient appointment to no later than five on Wednesday nights so they could have a family night. The last couple of weeks their dates had been hot dogs from a street vendor and rented in-line skates at the park. For a practical doctor, Sharon didn't always act much older than her son.

"Can we invite Aunt Carol?"

"If she's free." Mark had a soft spot in his heart with Caroline's name on it. She had introduced him to Sharon. "Call her and see."

They ended up at the mall after eating at the pizza buffet. It was Benjamin's idea of the perfect evening and Mark would agree. He walked with his wife window-shopping while Caroline and Benjamin invaded stores to compare toys and laugh at silly things like fish wind chimes and talking doorbells.

He paused with Sharon at the upper floor courtyard, waiting for Benjamin and Caroline to catch up, and couldn't resist leaning over to kiss his wife. A year since their honeymoon and she could still make him forget his name.

Mark reluctantly ended the kiss. "Tell me you don't have early rounds tomorrow."

She smiled slowly. "Nine o'clock."

Mark rubbed his thumb on Sharon's shoulder blade, appreciating the answer, and even more the promise in her smile. A guy didn't deserve to be this happy. He couldn't resist reaching up to touch her face and trace her smile and the perfect little dimple next to it. "I'll take the morning off and drive you in to work, then take Benjamin to school." His words were simple enough, but the huskiness in his voice conveyed a return promise for tonight. He hoped Benjamin would find a book and volunteer to turn in early with his Snoopy desk light on. It was time to go home. Mark slid his hand down to grasp Sharon's, looked around, and didn't see Benjamin.

"He's across the way at the pet store scoping out the puppies," Caroline offered. She was leaning against the railing overlooking the lower level, her attention focused across the walkway at his son.

The faint blush coloring her cheek and the back of her neck made Mark squeeze Sharon's hand, move to the railing, and lean forward to see Caroline's expression. "Sorry."

She smiled even as her blush deepened. "Don't be." Caroline watched Sharon join Benjamin at the pet store window and laugh with him as one of the puppies rose to plant his feet on the glass. "My sister deserves to be happy."

"So do you."

"I am happy."

"Hmm." Mark thought she was, to the extent she didn't know what she was missing in life. "Would you like a date next week? I know a nice guy who's interested."

"You know I'm seeing Luke."

"My cousin could use some competition. He's cancelled on you too often due to work."

"He's been busy."

"No disrespect to Luke, but he's had a year to get his priorities sorted out. Work followed him to the wedding, and it's still following him. I'd say that's enough time to reevaluate things. Besides, you would really like this guy, Caroline. Let me at least introduce you."

"Is he an architect or in construction?"

"He owns a furniture business."

She turned to rest her back against the railing. "He sounds more interesting than your financial adviser."

"Who thought you were adorable and was crushed when you politely declined a second date. Come on. You'll enjoy yourself. You ought to take me up on an introduction at least once a year."

She answered his verbal nudge with a smile. "Next week-" She shook her head. "Sorry, school extracurricular events are just getting started, and I'll be tied up with registration and scheduling."

"And the following week you'll be busy grading papers."

"What can I say? A fifth-grade teacher's time is in high demand." She patted his arm. "I'm comfortable being single and still looking. Marriage is work."

"But the compensation is high." How Caroline ended up shy when her sister was an extrovert was a mystery, but he thought it rather a nice one. He was going to help her find a relationship that worked; he had set his mind on it. She was just going to take someone special. He thought it was Luke, but that wasn't coming to pass as he'd hoped, much to his disappointment. Mark leaned down to pick up the new package resting near her feet. "I see Benjamin found his kite."

"It will need a lot of string and running room to launch it."

"Those are the best kind." He slipped the receipt in his billfold, then tugged out the money to repay Caroline, and tucked it along with an extra twenty in the side pocket of her purse. "Go to a movie on me."

"Thanks, Mark."

"You're welcome, and please rub off on your nephew a bit more. I had to tug the fact he wanted a kite out of him." He added the sack to those he carried. Benjamin was just beginning to accept that it was okay to ask him for something. "He's frugal to the point of making me feel like the kid and he the adult."

"He'll grow out of it by the time he gets a driver's license and wants to borrow the car and twenty bucks."

"I hope so. Ben's making me feel guilty about being rich. It's been a while since that emotion was around."

Caroline laughed and he smiled back. She had long ago given him the gift of liking him regardless of what he owned.

He remembered what...