Hunter asked, “What can you tell us about Brian?”
Pastor Hackett’s brows lowered slightly, and he replied, “Well, he’s fairly new to our church and does not serve in an official capacity, although I suppose for the summer he’s almost like an intern.”
“Did he come with references? A background check?”
Shaking his head slowly, Pastor Hackett said, “He did come with references, and I called two of them. I didn’t do a background check. I know that’s something that a lot of churches are doing, but I just haven’t started checking up on the people who want to offer their services to God.”
Colt kept a poker face while Hunter visibly startled. “You do listen to the news, right? There are a lot of people who are working with children in churches who should never be.”
Eyes wide, Pastor Hackett asked, “Oh, my…is that what this is about?”
Holding up his hand toward the pastor while shooting Hunter a glare, Colt said, “No. We have an ongoing investigation, and we’re gathering information. But no, that is not what this is about.”
Shoulders slumping in obvious relief, the pastor said, “Thank God.”
“What else can you tell us about Brian?” Colt prodded.
“He’s incredibly enthusiastic and has run the whole program,” Pastor Hackett said, seemingly more relaxed. “Obviously, I’m here. I enjoy having the youth in our church, and it gives us an opportunity to grow our membership. As you know, many people are leaving some of the traditional churches, preferring more independent churches that are not mired down in the politics that can occur with a national denomination. I feel like we’ve been able to reach many of the youth in this county who might not otherwise have come to church.”
“Is he working as a paid employee of the church?” Colt asked.
Shaking his head, Pastor Hackett replied, “No. There is a small stipend for helping run the camp, but he’s not paid a salary.” The pastor shifted in his seat, and said, “I understand about ongoing investigations, and I’m sure there are things you can’t tell me, but you have to realize your line of questioning is giving me concern.”
Colt weighed how much to say, then decided to give the pastor a little bit of information. “I’m sure you’ve read in the news that we have had a string of robberies in the county. They seem to be drug-related, and we are simply following a line of investigation that they could be perpetrated by young people. Right now, we’re looking at any particular gatherings of young people where we might be able to get some information.”
Nodding, Pastor Hackett said, “Well, I’m sure Brian would be more than happy to talk to you.”
“One more thing,” Colt said. “How much do you know about Billy Neiman and John Roster?”
Pastor Hackett’s affable face changed, and he sighed heavily. “As I told you, I was very excited when Brian wanted to encourage a middle school and high school program for the summer. Some of our high school youth work part-time jobs, but many of them don’t. I’ve got nothing against those two young men, but I’ve had to talk to them several times about the way they speak to others. I wouldn’t go so far as to say they are bullies, but certainly, they have had some bullying tactics.”
“Have you talked to Brian about your concerns?” Hunter asked.
Continuing to nod, Pastor Hackett said, “Yes, I have. He seems to think that by befriending the boys, they’ll learn by example.” Sighing heavily again with his shoulders slumping, he said, “I hope so.”
The three men stood, the officers thanking him and then the pastor encouraged them to go into the sanctuary where he knew Brian was working on an activity for the next camp day.
As they left, he said, “Be sure to tell Trevon hello for me.”
Colt looked at him, and the pastor explained, “He’s one of our regular members.”
Colt and Hunter walked out of the brick building and headed toward the larger industrial building that housed the sanctuary.
“Did you know Trevon went to this church?” Hunter asked.
Shaking his head, Colt said, “No. He didn’t mention anything. Of course, where a man chooses to worship is not my concern, but it’s strange he didn’t mention it, considering I asked him to do some investigation.”
Walking into the sanctuary, they found Brian with his poster boards spread out and a paintbrush in his hand. He looked up and smiled and said, “Sheriff, nice to see you.”
Colt introduced Hunter and said, “We were just talking to Pastor Hackett and would like to ask you a few questions in regards to an ongoing investigation.”
Brian nodded, his smile firmly in place. “Well, I’m not sure how I can help, but I’d be more than willing to try.”
“I’m curious as to the interest you had in running this camp, considering it’s not a paid position.”
Brian’s eyes widened at the question but said, “I grew up in Southwest Virginia in a very rural, depressed county, similar to this. The church was really important to me growing up because I have to say that my home life was not great. After high school, I had a job at a YMCA where I was able to work with young people and discovered that I really liked it. I came to the Eastern Shore with a friend one time for a fishing trip and fell in love with the area. I have an application in at the YMCA in Accawmacke, but they don’t anticipate having a position for me until the fall when they have someone transferring.” Shrugging, he said, “I met Pastor Hackett, really liked this church, and thought that maybe during the summer I could work with the youth here.”
Nodding, Colt said, “We’re investigating some crimes in the area that we suspect might be perpetrated by young people. What can you tell us about Billy Neiman and John Roster?”
Unlike Pastor Hackett’s sigh of resignation at the sound of those two names, Brian appeared to brighten. “I know that they can be very off-putting, and I do have to watch them when they’re talking to the younger ones. But they’re the kind of youth I feel like I can make a difference with. Neither comes from a good home, and both have built-in anger issues. But I truly feel like by befriending them and being a mentor to them, I can make a difference in their lives.”
“What kind of difference are you hoping to make?” Hunter asked.
“The kind where they can have goals that lead them out of the poverty they been brought up in.”
Colt asked, “What kind of goals?”
Brian’s face scrunched in thought as he said, “Nothing that you probably haven’t heard before, but perhaps they haven’t. Things like short-term goals leading to long-term goals. Deciding that they want to have a life that’s different than the one they were brought up in. The kind of life where people don’t look down on them just because they’re poor. But I want them to have a work ethic to know that if they work hard, they can move ahead.”
After talking for several more minutes, they took their leave of Brian and walked back out to the SUV. Climbing inside, Hunter said, “I’ve got to tell you, I don’t know what to think about him.”
“I know what you mean,” Colt agreed. “Brian’s words match up, but they can be interpreted in different ways. He could either be of great benefit to those young men, or he’s leading them toward financial goals with illegal activities.”
27
Jack had enjoyed the science experiments that Tad had them work on that day, but thoughts of Colby continued to run through his mind. His friend had not come to camp, and it was the first day that he had missed it. As the other students left, Jack dragged his feet, knowing that his mom was going to be a few minutes late picking him up.
“Jack, what’s got you looking so down in the dumps?” Tad asked, walking over to him.
Looking up at the young teacher, he smiled and shrugged. “Just got a lot on my mind, I guess.”
Sitting on the stool next to Jack, Tad asked, “Anything I can help with?”
Shaking his head at first, he then asked, “Do you know where Colby is today?”
“He was here first thing this m
orning but said he didn’t feel good. His mom was at work and couldn’t come pick him up, so I had Billy take him home.”
“Billy?”
“Yes, he’s already eighteen and a good driver.” Hurrying to add, Tad said, “I got permission from his mom first.”
Jack was quiet for a moment, and Tad asked, “I take it you don’t care for Billy?”
“I just don’t like him very much,” Jack admitted. “Yesterday, I even overheard he and Johnny saying mean stuff to Colby.”
Eyes wide, Tad gasped and said, “Mean stuff? Like what?”
“Oh, you know, just bully stuff. Like they always do.”
Shaking his head, Tad looked off into the distance and said, “I’m sure that must have been upsetting.”
“Colby didn’t want me to say anything, but I can’t just sit back and let something happen to a friend of mine. I want to stay after him until he lets me know what’s going on.”
Nodding, Tad said, “I think that makes you a good friend. Tell you what, I’ll call Colby in just a few minutes once you’re picked up and make sure that he’s okay. I’ll also let him know that he can talk to me anytime he needs to.”
“Thanks, Mr. Jamieson,” Jack said. Waving goodbye, he walked down the hall to the main front doors of the school to wait for his mom.
The front of the building was hot, the summer sun beaming down directly, sending heat waves rising from the asphalt. Jack walked over toward the side, where some trees cast a bit of shade. As he turned the corner of the building, he heard voices and instinctively stayed in the shadows.
He could see Colby standing near a black pickup truck with Billy leaning over him. Even from a distance, he could see Colby’s pale face, shaking his head back and forth. Billy’s face held anger, and just as Jack was about to go into the building to get help, he heard a door from the side open and Mr. Jamieson call out, “Get going! Get him out of here!”
The door slammed shut, and Jack tried to make sense of what he was hearing and seeing. If Mr. Jamieson was supposed to check on Colby, why was he yelling at Billy to get him out of there?
“Get in the Goddamn truck!” Billy yelled. Jack watched John Roster climb out of the passenger door of the pickup truck, grab Colby’s arm and drag him around, forcing Colby up into the truck. Billy and John stood to the side, seeming to be in deep discussion.
Still staying within the shadows of the building, Jack moved closer, his hand in his pocket on his cell phone. As he came up onto the side of the truck, he could see an old tarp in the back. Uncertainty filled him, but he knew he could not let Colby down. What would Colt do? He knew the answer to that… Colt would jump into action, ready to save the day.
Without giving the situation any more thought, he scrambled into the bed of the pickup truck, covered himself with the tarp, then called his mom, just as Billy and John got back into the truck.
Carrie was close to the middle school, having left the diner late when one of the seasonal servers had not come into work on time. That was one of the reasons that Joe and Mavis employed her, BettyJo, and Brenda full-time, even paying them extra so they could afford healthcare. Seasonal help was a necessity but often unreliable with some of the people they hired.
Her phone rang, and she saw that it was from Jack. Connecting, she answered, “Hey, sweetie. I’m on my way, almost there.”
“Mom!”
His voice sounded excited but muffled. “Jack? I can barely hear you.”
“Mom, listen! I’m in the back of the truck because Billy was forcing Colby into it.”
Not understanding what he was talking about, she said, “Jack, slow down. I don’t know what you’re trying to tell me. Can’t it wait till I get there?”
“No, Mom! Billy Neiman was forcing Colby to get into his truck, and Mr. Jamieson told him to. He was threatening him! I climbed into the back of the truck because I don’t want them to get away!”
Still trying to figure out what Jack was telling her, her heart began to pound as she realized whatever was happening, her son was upset. “Jack, are you telling me you’re in the back of a moving pickup truck?”
“Yes, Mom, I’m hiding.”
“Where are you?”
“I don’t know. We just pulled out of the middle school parking lot and turned to the right.”
“Okay, Jack, I’m going to call Colt, but first, tell me exactly what happened.”
Jack said, “I talked to Colt last night about Colby being threatened by Billy Newman. I don’t know what’s going on, but something’s not right. Then today, I saw Billy and John grab Colby and force him into the pickup truck. Then I heard Mr. Jamieson yell for them to take him away. I didn’t have time to call, and I didn’t want them to get away, so I jumped into the back of the pickup truck, and I’m hiding under a tarp.”
“What does the truck look like?”
He rattled off the license number and said, “It’s a black Ford pickup truck. It looks kind of new.”
“Jack, you stay hidden and stay low. I’m calling Colt right now and then I’ll call you back.”
Disconnecting, she had made it to the middle school parking lot and quickly turned around before turning back to the right. Hitting speed dial for Colt’s number, she prayed he would pick up.
“Hey, babe—”
“Jack is in trouble. I need your help!”
“I’m putting you on speaker. What’s going on?”
“He said something was going on with Colby and Billy Newman. I don’t know what’s happening, but he said Billy was forcing Colby to get into his truck and they drove off.”
“Okay, babe, I’m on it—”
“That’s not all, Colt! Jack told me he didn’t want Colby to be alone, so he climbed into the back of Billy’s pickup truck and is hiding under a tarp. Colt, they’re driving down the road and Jack’s in the back of the truck!” As she said the words, the gravity of the situation finally hit in her heart pounded in fear.
“Fuck! We’re on our way, I’m calling it in.”
“He said that they just left the middle school and turned right, so they must be going south on Highway Thirteen,” she added, before giving him the license number of Billy’s truck that Jack had given to her. “I was on my way to pick him up, so I’m trying to find them now.”
“Carrie, just stop and let us handle it.”
“No fucking way. You do what you’ve got to do, but my child could be in danger. I’ve got to call him back.” Heart racing, Carrie pressed her luck and sped down the road, her eyes scanning for a big black pickup truck. Unfortunately, in rural areas, there were lots of big black pickup trucks, even though the road was not overly crowded.
Dialing Jack again, her heart leaped when he answered. “Baby, are you okay?”
“Yeah, Mom. I’m fine. I’m beginning to think that I didn’t think this through all the way. I don’t know what I’ll do when we get somewhere, but honestly, Mom, I couldn’t let Colby hang out there by himself.”
“Colt is on his way, and he’s called it in. Do you think you’re still on Highway Thirteen?”
“Yeah. We haven’t turned off anywhere yet. Oh, wait a minute, he’s slowing down. We’re turning, Mom. We’re turning to the right again. Let me see if I can tell where we are.”
“Jack, stay down. Please, stay down.”
At first, all she could hear was rustling and then after a moment, he said, “Mom, I peeked up. We turned at the gas station that Joe always complains has the prices too high. The Gas and More.”
“Okay, now stay down. I’m calling that into Colt.”
Wishing she had two phones and more than two hands, she knew she was breaking laws trying to call and drive at the same time. Not giving Colt a chance to answer, as soon as the phone connected, she said, “Colt—”
“Carrie, you’ve got Hunter. I’m putting you on speaker.”
“Jack said that they just turned right by the Gas and More.”
“Carrie, I’ve got you in my sight. I want you t
o pull off at the gas station and let me pass you. I’ve got other units responding, and I don’t want you in the middle of this.”
She agreed, but only because she did not want to do anything to hinder Colt getting to Jack. Seeing the Sheriff’s SUV in her rearview mirror, she flipped on her blinker and pulled off at the Gas and More, watching as Colt and Hunter turned on the street right next to it.
She hesitated, uncertain what to do. Two more sheriff’s vehicles turned and followed Colt, and she waited, anxiously, surprised after a moment that two more came as well. Dialing Jack, her breath was shallow as she waited for him to answer, but the call went to voicemail.
28
The pickup truck came to a stop, and Jack lay still, listening. His heart was pounding, and he wondered, not for the first time, about the choice he had made to climb into the back of the truck. Before he had a chance to ponder the situation further, he heard a door open, and Billy said, “The old lady’s gone. Found that out at the church. She’s off visiting somebody for a few days.”
Jack could hear sniffling and wondered if it came from Colby. His suspicion was verified when he heard Colby’s shaky voice say, “I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to be here.”
“Well, you’re here, so suck it up,” John retorted.
Jack heard multiple footsteps walk away from the truck and leaned up, ever so slightly, peeking out from underneath the tarp to see that the truck was parked outside a single house on a small road. Billy and Johnny were moving toward the front door, each with their hands around Colby’s upper arms, dragging him forward. Billy pulled something from his pocket, jammed it into the doorframe, and with a quick pop, the front door swung open.
Gasping, he realized he was watching a robbery taking place…just like at George’s house! Billy disappeared inside, still dragging Colby along with him, while John turned and leaned his back against the front of the house. With his arms crossed in front of him, John kept watch.
Darn! He’s watching so I can’t get out! Pulling out his phone, he sent a text to both Colt and his mom. At yellow house. Number fourteen. Billy took Colby inside.
Our Time (Baytown Boys Book 11) Page 21