Silence in the Dark

by Patricia Bradley

  “Leigh is the ER doctor on duty today. She said all three of us can talk to him as long as everything stays stable.”

  They followed Ben back through the doors. “Is he hurt?” Angel asked.

  “Concussion where the men hit him over the head. He said there were two of them.” They turned a corner, and Joel was in the room at the end of the corridor.

  They entered the room, and Danny spoke to Ben’s wife as she wrote on Joel’s chart. She nodded and said, “Five minutes, gentlemen.”

  “Why did you take them out of the hospital?” Angel leaned toward Joel, his voice rising with each word.

  Danny pulled him back as the heart monitor jumped over a hundred. “Not now. Let Ben question him, then we can ask anything he misses.”

  Angel shook his hand off. “I want to know where my girl is.”

  Joel rolled his lips in. “I don’t know. I’d tell you if I did.”

  “Tell me again what happened,” Ben said. “Why did you leave with them?”

  Joel refused to look at either Danny or Angel but kept his eyes on Ben. “I heard the gunshots and thought the gunman might be after Bailey or Maria, and when I found them in hiding, it . . . it just seemed like the thing to do. Get them away from the danger. I didn’t know the gunmen would come after us.”

  “Can you describe them? Or their vehicle?”

  “Shorter than me. They wore ski masks, and the only skin I saw was around their eyes. Almost black eyes, tanned skin, and they spoke with a Mexican accent. They were in a blue van.”

  Danny’s hands curled into fists. “What did they say?”

  Joel dropped his gaze to the bed.

  Angel grabbed him by the shirt. “Answer him!”

  “They want ten million dollars for Maria.” He spat the words out, then sank into the bed.

  “Ten million?” Angel’s mouth slackened.

  Danny’s breath hitched. “What about Bailey?”

  Joel refused to look at him. Finally he spoke. “I’m pretty sure they’ll keep her alive to take care of Maria.”

  Danny’s knees almost buckled. Then he’d have to find her before the ransom was paid. “Where do they expect you to come up with that kind of money?”

  “I . . . I have an insurance policy on Maria that will pay in case of kidnapping.” Joel licked his lips. “Anyone with money in Mexico has a policy. I even have one on me. But we have to pay the money up front.”

  “Did they indicate how they’ll contact you?” Ben asked.

  “I had to give them my cell phone number. They said they would call tonight.”

  Leigh stuck her head in the doorway. “Time’s up. He’s going to have an MRI to make sure there are no blood clots. You can go with him, Ben.” She eyed Danny and Angel. “But not you two.”

  “Can we wait here in his room?” Angel asked. “He is my brother-in-law.”

  “All right, just don’t get in the way.”

  Angel paced the small room after they left. “I don’t have the ten million dollars up front.”

  “Why does Joel have insurance on Maria?”

  He paused in his pacing. “Because kidnapping is so prevalent in the world, particularly Mexico and South America. I’ve even heard of a family who was express kidnapped.”

  “What do you mean, express kidnapped?”

  “This family was held in their home while the father was driven to an ATM and forced to withdraw money. He was left unconscious on the side of the road, but his family was all right. He survived. Others are not so lucky, even if the ransom is paid.” He took out his wallet and extracted a card.

  “What are you doing?”

  Angel sighed. “Calling my uncle. I don’t know anyone else who might have five million dollars lying around.”

  “But I thought it was ten million.”

  “The cartel always asks for more than they get. Then the negotiations begin.” Angel dialed the number on the card. “Edward, Maria has been kidnapped and the asking price is ten million.” He listened, then spoke again. “At the hospital. In the emergency room with Joel. Call me when you get here, and I’ll come out and get you.”

  Danny leaned against the wall. Angel and Joel were talking about ransom for Maria. Why didn’t the cartel want a ransom for Bailey?

  Angel checked his watch for the hundredth time. Three hours after leaving the hospital with Joel, and the kidnappers had not contacted his brother-in-law. What were they waiting for?

  Inactivity grew the dread filling Angel’s mind as he leaned against the wall in Kate’s living room. The sheriff had decided they would wait for the call at the bed-and-breakfast. Angel glanced at Joel, who sat in a wingback chair with his eyes closed. Solana rested upstairs. He hoped Maria was not as weak as Solana—that would be something else to worry about.

  Behind him, a tech monitored the machine that everyone hoped would locate where the call originated from when it came in. Ben had called in his friend, FBI agent Eric Raines, and the living room looked like a command center. Angel almost welcomed the call that was sure to come.

  But what if it didn’t? What if the kidnappers knew the FBI had been called in and . . . He couldn’t go there.

  “What’s taking so long for them to call?” Danny said.

  It was obvious he felt the same pressure Angel did.

  “They are stretching your nerves,” Edward replied. “They want to make you more willing to pay their asking price.”

  Danny stopped pacing. “I don’t understand what you mean by ‘asking price.’”

  “The kidnappers expect to negotiate,” Eric said. The FBI agent shook his head. “In Mexico it’s become nothing more than a business transaction with negotiators who are trained in mediating these situations.”

  “No one goes to the police?”

  Angel snorted. “Very often the police are in on the kidnapping.”

  “And even if they’re not, families fear the Federals might bungle the rescue effort,” Joel said, speaking for the first time.

  Not something Angel wanted to consider. The room froze as Joel’s phone rang.

  “Be sure to tell the person you’re not paying until you talk to both of them,” Ben said.

  Joel waited until the tech indicated he should answer. “Hello?”

  “I see you brought in the FBI. That will cost you.” A man’s voice, slightly accented, filled the quiet room. Angel leaned forward. He’d hoped he might recognize the voice, but he should have known better.

  “What did you expect,” Joel said. The tech held up a note. Not a cell phone. Then he made a rolling motion with his finger for Joel to keep the conversation going. “You left me on the side of the road, and someone called the cops.”

  “Fifteen million now. In hundreds. I’ll call back with the drop-off location.”

  “It takes time to get that much money together.”

  “You have until eight o’clock in the morning. Be ready then.”

  “Wait! I’m not paying anything until I know Maria and Bailey are safe. I want to talk to them.”

  Silence filled the room, broken only by the clock chiming in the hallway.

  The tech swore. “He hung up.”

  “Did you get the location of the call?” Eric demanded.

  “Can you get it that fast?” Danny asked.

  “In the digital age, it’s almost immediate unless it’s a throwaway cell phone.” Eric turned to the tech. “Location?”

  “Yeah, he used a public phone. I’m getting the location now. It’s at a Walmart here in Logan Point.”

  “Aw, great. There’s at least five hundred people there right now,” Ben said as he dialed his phone. “Maggie, dispatch deputies to the pay phone at Walmart. I’ll be there in five minutes.” He listened. “I don’t know—didn’t even know there was one there. Tell whoever gets there first to ask the manager the location of the phone.”

  Danny turned to the FBI agent. “Do you think he’ll call back?”

  “I’m sure he will. We have to ho
ld out to talk to the hostages.” He looked at Joel and Edward. “Did either of you recognize the voice?”

  Edward shook his head. “It did not seem disguised, either.”

  “It wasn’t the man who hit me,” Joel said. “He had a stronger accent.”

  “How about the money,” Angel said. “When will it be delivered?”

  Joel shifted his eyes away from him. Angel turned to Edward. “It is being delivered?”

  Why, God? Bailey moved from her cramped position on the bed. In the pitch-dark it was hard to judge time passing, but she’d spent what seemed like hours asking God to help them.

  Ask and it will be given to you.

  How many times did she have to ask? What had her prayers gotten her so far? Guilt swept over her. The men had removed the blindfold. And she had one hand free. Yeah, but the other one was handcuffed to the head of the metal frame, and the room was pitch-black. She peered into the blackness, not even able to see her free hand.

  It was impossible to tell what kind of room they were in. She’d heard cars coming and going, so they weren’t out in the middle of nowhere. The room smelled musty, like old cigarette smoke, but there was another scent . . . not exactly fishy, but . . . damp was the only word that came to mind.

  Where are you, God?

  Never will I leave you . . .

  Between what happened to Elena and the situation she and Maria were in, Bailey was having a little trouble with that verse right now. She sucked in a deep breath. Time to do something.

  Beside her Maria stirred. The child had slept for a couple of hours at least. “I’m thirsty,” she murmured.

  With her free hand, she smoothed Maria’s hair. “I know.”

  “Can I have a drink of water?”

  Surely the men would give her that. “Hey!” she yelled, trying to get their attention.

  Bailey didn’t know anyplace could be so dark. There must be blackout curtains on the windows. Or they were in the middle of the woods where there was no light. No, she hadn’t walked that far from the car. And the surface had been rocky, like gravel. Why didn’t they answer? “Hey!” she called again.

  Silence.

  “Anybody here?” Had they gone off and left them? She nudged Maria. “I’m going to move, so don’t be scared. Maybe there’s a light I can turn on.” She felt the air beside her and bumped her hand on a corner of something. A table, maybe? She moved her hand over the top. Nothing there. She tried standing up, and the handcuffs cut into her wrist. “Ow!”

  “Miss Bailey, I’m scared.”

  “It’s okay,” she said. “I pinched my arm.” At least the handcuffs allowed for some slack. “Do you think you can get off the bed?”

  “Huh-uh. I mean, no, ma’am.”

  “What if I hold your hand?” Bailey bent over the bed, searching for Maria. A slight rustling, then they connected. Maria’s small fingers were warm in her palm. Please don’t let her fever come back. She had to find a way out of this room. “Come on, Maria.”

  The bed creaked, and she felt Maria slide down beside her to the floor. “Listen to me, honey. It’s dark, but we’re going to see if we can find a lamp in here. Okay?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “You’re so brave.” Please, God, help us here. “Hold on to my hand and walk around. See if you can feel a table or a lamp.”

  Bailey stretched as far as the handcuffs would allow as Maria inched away from her.

  “I’m scared. What if those men come back?”

  Then we deal with it. But she couldn’t tell Maria that. “God’s going to help us.”

  “Will he really?”

  “Yes.” She willed herself to believe her words. She repeated it with more conviction.

  Maria moved again, stretching Bailey’s arm. Suddenly, the child dropped her hand. “Where are you?” Bailey asked. “What are you doing?”

  “God whispered and told me to go farther.”

  Bailey held her breath. The child had more faith than she did.

  “Miss Bailey, I found—”

  Light flooded the area, and Bailey blinked against the brightness until she could see Maria standing in the corner of the room, a wide grin on her face. “Good job, sweetheart.”

  “I did it!”

  “Yes, you did. I’m proud of you.” She swept her gaze around the small room. A metal door near Maria. Another door on the other side of the bed. Wood paneling. Built-in dresser. Rustic and very dated. She’d been right—they were in a motel room, but which motel? “Can you look out the window and tell me what you see?”

  Maria moved the curtain, and Bailey’s heart sank. They’d been blacked out.

  “I can’t see anything.”

  “That’s okay. Look around for a notepad or something with writing on it.” She didn’t know why it was so important to her to know where they were. Who would she tell? She scanned the room, looking for anything that would help them escape. A bathroom. The dresser. The bed and lamp. That was it.

  A motor purred to a stop, and doors slammed.

  “Turn the lamp off, and come to the bed. Quickly.” At least with the windows blacked out, the men couldn’t tell they had a light on.

  Bailey swept her gaze around the room once more before the room went dark. She squinted at a small photo on the wall before the picture disappeared in the dark. Seconds later Maria wrapped her arms around Bailey’s legs, and she helped the child onto the bed. “Let’s pretend we’re asleep.”

  A lock clicked, and a sliver of light slid into the room when the door opened.

  “Here are hamburgers and fries for you to eat.”

  The odor of onions and meat turned Bailey’s stomach. She raised up, peering at the dark figure. “Maria had food poisoning. A hamburger will make her throw up.”

  “Then she will do without.”

  “Please, can you get her chicken noodle soup or gelatin? The child needs something in her stomach. And she needs water.”

  With a grunt, he closed the door behind him, then in a minute it opened again. He gave Maria the water, then disappeared back into the other room.

  “Are you thirsty?” Bailey asked Maria.

  “Mm-huh.”

  “Can you get the bottle cap off?” She feared Maria becoming dehydrated.

  “You do it.”

  She thrust the bottle in Bailey’s hand.

  She broke the seal and let Maria drink first. When Maria finished, Bailey took a sip.

  Maria climbed back into bed. “Would you tell me a story?”

  Bailey stroked her back. “What story would you like for me to tell you?”

  “The one about the eagle and the chickens.”

  “I don’t believe I know that one. Why don’t you tell it to me.”

  “Okay. Then you’ll tell me one?”

  “Yes.”

  “Once upon a time, there was an eagle’s nest high in the—”

  “What did you say, Maria?”

  “I said there was an eagle’s nest. Is something wrong?”

  “No. I’m sorry I interrupted you. Tell me your story.” Her mind whirled as it all came together . . . Eagle’s nest. The photo had been of an eagle. The dated furniture, the wood paneling, the dampness . . . they were at the Eagle’s Nest Motel.

  27

  Ow!” Bailey groaned as the handcuffs dug into her wrist.

  “Miss Bailey, what’s wrong?” Maria’s voice sounded weak.

  “Everything is fine,” she said, trying to comfort Maria. Like anything would ever be fine again. She really needed to get some food in the child. Bailey sucked her finger where she’d pricked it with the safety pin from Maria’s overalls. With darkness their constant companion, she had to do something or fall prey to despair. Her attempts to pick the lock on the handcuffs had netted her nothing but sore fingers from missing the keyhole and sticking herself.

  “Can we go home?”

  “Not yet, honey. But they’re going to let us go soon.”

  Her knowledge of kidnappin
g was limited to television shows, but wasn’t that what usually happened? The families paid the ransom, and the victims were released. She refused to let her mind go to the stories she’d heard about the victim being killed . . . or the fact that Maria could give a general description of the men.

  What were the odds of two sisters being the victims of kidnappers almost three years apart, anyway? Even two totally different types of kidnapping. Robyn’s kidnapper had been crazy and didn’t demand a ransom, unlike the men who held her and Maria. She felt for the keyhole in the cuffs again, hating the dark.

  The only time she’d experienced dark like this was on a moonless night on the lake, and she’d been safe with Danny. Her heart ached for him. He must be going crazy, probably blaming himself. And her mother and daddy. What were they going through?

  She had to get her thoughts away from home. Think about those TV programs. Sometimes the victims escaped . . . Wait. She pulled her bottom lip through her teeth. Didn’t the families of the person kidnapped always demand to talk to the victim? To make sure they were still alive before they paid the ransom?

  Bailey had lain awake all night, trying to come up with some way to let Danny know where they were, and now she had it. Danny and Angel would insist on talking to her before they paid any ransom money. When that happened, she wanted to be ready.

  The door flew open. She blinked against the bright light that flooded the room and caught a glimpse of the man keeping them captive. An old man? No, he wore some sort of mask and cowboy outfit. Even so, he couldn’t hide how tall he was.

  “Hold this and look up.” He thrust a newspaper into her hands.

  She stared at the paper. The kidnappers were going to use it to prove they were still alive. There would be no phone call. She tried to push the paper away, and he stepped closer, towering over them. “Do as I say, or the child will suffer.”

  “No! Don’t hurt her.” She tried to shield Maria with her body. “I’ll do what you say, just leave her alone.”

  With a sinking heart, she held the paper up, and a flash of light blinded her as he took their picture. Seconds later, he was gone and they were plunged into darkness again. She yanked on the handcuff, and pain shot up her arm. They were stuck here, and it’d take a miracle to get them out.