by Nancy Mehl
“Sure. Do we know what time she went missing?”
Sarah nodded. “Right after she left work at three o’clock in the afternoon on Friday.”
“She’s been gone four days?”
Sarah acknowledged the look on the lieutenant’s ebony face. “I know. Usually when someone’s gone this long, we’re searching for a body. But the guy who ordered her kidnapping isn’t the one holding her. It’s possible he hasn’t ordered her execution yet, Lieutenant.”
“All right. Let’s take a look. But if we’re going to be working together, why don’t you call me Tally?”
She smiled. “So long as you call me Sarah.”
“You’ve got a deal.”
Sarah got up and pulled another chair up to her desk. Tally joined her in front of her computer monitor. “Here’s the video from the coffee shop.” Sarah checked the notes written by the coffee shop owner. “I guess this was recorded just as she was leaving.”
They watched as a young woman with dark hair walked toward the front door. She waved good-bye to her coworkers and headed to the left. That was it. Not much to go on.
“Does anyone walk out after her?” Tally asked.
“Not for several minutes, and it’s a couple. They went the other way.”
“Okay. Let’s see the other videos.”
“At around the same time?”
Tally nodded.
Sarah clicked on the first one. “This is from a security camera down the street. They’ve been having break-ins so they started recording the sidewalk outside their store. You can see Susan walk by there. She’s alone.”
They watched her stride past, and then Sarah turned the video off. “This is the last one. A traffic camera down the street at the intersection.”
Although the coffee shop was halfway down the block, Sarah and Tally could see Susan walk out the door of the shop and head toward the intersection. At the end of the block, she turned left and disappeared from sight.
“I checked for cameras on that street, but there weren’t any pointed in the right direction.”
“Do you mind if I go over these again?” Tally asked.
“Of course not,” Sarah said. “Do you want some coffee?”
“Sure.”
Sarah left her office and went to the kitchen to get two cups of coffee. After pouring them, she realized she hadn’t asked Tally what he took in his coffee. She stuffed some packets of sugar, artificial sweetener, and creamer in her pocket just in case he didn’t like his coffee black.
She was almost back to her office when she saw Tally step out into the hallway, obviously looking for her.
“I found something,” he said as she approached.
“Already?” Surprised, she followed him back to her desk, where she put down the steaming cups. She pulled all the extras out of her pocket and dropped them onto the desktop.
“I take it black, thanks,” Tally said, reaching for the cup nearest him and taking a sip.
Sarah slipped into the chair next to him. “So what did you see?”
He clicked on the video from the coffee shop. “See this green truck that drives past Susan?” He pointed at a truck that headed down the street a few minutes before Valerie’s sister left.
“Yeah, I see it.”
“Now look at the day before she disappeared.” Tally backed up the tape and showed her the feed from the camera pointed toward the front door. The entire front of the coffee shop was glass, making it easier to see the street. “There’s a green truck parked in front of the shop.”
“Can we see into the cab?”
He shook his head. “The windows are tinted. Always a bad sign.”
“Okay, but maybe the driver likes this coffee shop.”
“I rewound to the moment he first pulls up. Then I fast-forwarded to when he left. No one ever got out of the truck. Now, here’s the video from the traffic cam.”
Sarah watched as the truck they’d seen earlier drove past the shop. Then Susan walked out of the coffee shop. When she reached the end of the block and turned the corner, moving out of camera range, the same green truck drove slowly down the street again and turned after her.
“I think you’ve found the kidnappers,” Sarah said. “Good work.”
“We need to enlarge the license plate, get the number,” Tally said, “and then locate an address.”
Sarah picked up her phone and began to type furiously on her keyboard. “Bobby, I’m sending you a video. At three-thirteen on Friday, a green truck drives down the street and turns left. I need you to get that license number and run the plates. This is the highest priority, Bobby. Get back to me right away.”
Sarah turned to Tally. “You and I need to assemble a team immediately.”
Tally smiled and nodded.
E.J. had only seconds to react when he heard someone at the door. He started to put his hand into his pocket so he could pull out the scissors when he realized how ridiculous that was. He had no chance against several armed men with only with a small pair of scissors. He pulled his hand back just before the door swung open and a man they hadn’t seen before walked into the room. He had slicked-back dark hair and a deep scar across his cheek. He also had a gun in his hand. The man who’d treated Casey’s gunshot was right behind him.
The first man’s face was scrunched together in a tight scowl as he pointed his gun right at them. “How do you do? I’m Ben Mattan. Sorry I missed you earlier. Good thing I had someone in the area who was able to bring us together.” His smile reminded E.J. of a baby with gas. “It pays to have operatives all over the country.”
He walked over to Casey. “You look a little pale, my dear. Seems one of my friends injured you.” He turned around to sneer at the man who’d helped Casey earlier. “I told you patching her up was a waste of time, Ace.” Mattan sighed as he turned back to them. “I’m not sure what we’re going to do with you now. You’ve ruined my original plan, and now we have a dead deputy on our hands. I’m going to have to come up with a way to explain that.” He swung his gun toward E.J. “I may still need you to accompany our witness to D.C. Until I make a final decision, you’ll stay alive.” He made a clicking sound with his tongue and peered closely at Casey. “You’re not that important to me,” he told her, “but I’ll keep you for now. Maybe I can use you to control your boyfriend.”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” Casey said.
Mattan laughed. “You may not think that, but he doesn’t know it, does he?” Mattan waved his gun toward the ceiling. “We have cameras all over. It’s clear this man cares about you. Not sure why. I’ve never found that women are worth very much.”
E.J. could feel rage rise up in him, but with effort he pushed it down. Unless they were being played, they had a friend here. A chance to get out of this alive. He wouldn’t risk that. Still, he found himself saying, “This woman is a thousand times the human being you are.”
As Mattan laughed loudly, E.J. noticed the man’s pupils were dilated. Mattan was higher than a kite. He gestured to the one he’d called Ace. “Bring them both into the warehouse and tie ’em up.”
“Sure, boss,” Ace said.
E.J. could tell Mattan was scared. Drugs were his way of coping. It was clear he was afraid of Al-Saud. Maybe Mattan’s ruined plans had put him in hot water with Daddy. Good. The more frightened he was, the more off-balance he’d become. The more vulnerable. Of course, it could also mean he might grow even more unpredictable. And that could lead to rash decisions. Like killing him and Casey.
Ace motioned toward the door. As Casey and E.J. walked into the large warehouse, E.J. noticed Casey touch her side a couple of times. She was definitely in pain, but she’d never admit it. As they followed Ace, E.J. began to wonder if there really was any way for all of them to get out of this alive.
CHAPTER
THIRTY
Tally and Sarah sat in one of three black SWAT SUVs racing down Highway 55 for Pevely, Missouri. The green truck was registered to a couple named Brady.
Darrell and Mary Sue Brady. Sarah wasn’t sure they should be speeding with lights flashing and sirens blaring, but Tally was convinced it was the smart thing to do.
“They don’t seem like seasoned kidnappers,” he’d told Sarah. “I’m betting these folks are amateurs. I think they’ll freeze when they hear the sirens. I believe it’s our best bet to get Susan back alive.”
Based on what she’d heard about Tally Williams, Sarah decided to do it his way.
As they rushed past traffic on the highway, Sarah was amazed once again by the people who paid little attention to emergency vehicles. Most people pulled over to the side of the road just as they should. But some kept driving as if they couldn’t hear the sirens or see the flashing lights.
Agent Newport flipped on his blinker and took the Pevely exit. The other two SUVs followed him. After several twists and turns, the last one on a dirt road, they finally saw the Bradys’ house. It was set back from the road, with an ugly metal shed about five hundred yards from the main structure.
They roared into the driveway, gravel flying everywhere. As they approached, the front door swung open, and a tall, skinny man with long hair and a beard came out, a rifle in his hands. He wore torn jeans and a dirty, faded T-shirt. He was shouting something that Sarah couldn’t understand.
Tally opened the car door even before they’d completely stopped. Sarah started to call after him, tell him to get back into the vehicle, but in the end she kept quiet. Instead, she got out, drew her weapon, and took a stance on the other side of the SUV. Tally already had his AK-15 pointed at the guy’s head.
“Put it down, Darrell!” Tally shouted. “Right now. I don’t want to have to shoot you.”
“How’d you find us?” Darrell yelled back. “You shouldna found us.”
“We’ll talk about that later,” Tally said, trying to calm him down. “Right now I need you to put down that rifle.”
Several more agents climbed out of the other SUVs, their weapons drawn. Darrell’s eyes were as big as saucers. He immediately dropped his rifle and stuck his grimy hands up in the air. At the same moment, the door to the large metal shed to their left opened, and a large woman with red frizzy hair ran out, screaming at the top of her lungs. She raised her rifle and fired at them, barely missing one of the agents. The agents returned fire, instantly killing the woman.
Darrell started shrieking, calling out his wife’s name. Sarah ordered two agents to secure him. Then she sent the other agents inside the house while she and Tally ran toward the shed. She prayed silently for Susan. If she was still alive, it would be a miracle.
Casey fought a sharp stab of pain as some man tied her and E.J. up to a couple of metal folding chairs a few feet away from each other. Her hands were bound fairly tight, but at least the line they’d used wasn’t cutting into her skin. Even though she wasn’t seriously injured, she’d discovered that being shot hurt. A lot. She tried to distance herself from the pain. She noticed some old signs on the walls that indicated that the warehouse was once used to ship fishing equipment. That explained what they were using to truss them up. Nylon fishing line.
“Where’s Valerie Bennett?” E.J. asked the man who’d posed as a cop.
“We’re dealing with her,” he responded. “She was ready to tell the FBI about our boss. There are consequences for her actions.”
“If you hurt her, I’ll make you pay,” E.J. said emphatically.
“I don’t think so. You’re not going to be doing anything—except maybe dying.” He laughed and walked away, his two companions following him. The large, muscular ape who didn’t look too smart, and Ace, who’d cleaned and dressed Casey’s wound. The men went into a back room in the large warehouse. The walls were glass halfway up, so she and E.J. were able to watch them.
“What do we do now?” she whispered to E.J. “I want to know where Valerie is. I don’t like that they’ve separated us.”
“I don’t either. She was already traumatized. My guess is they’re threatening her, making sure they can control her. Mattan still wants her to testify. Or maybe I should say it’s probably what his daddy wants.” E.J. took a quick breath and blew it out slowly. “I’m so sorry about this. I was certain we could get help before Mattan’s people found us. I never would have called the police if I knew we were being tracked.”
“It’s not your fault. It was a good plan.” Casey managed a small smile. “We just haven’t had much luck today, have we?”
“Not so far.”
“So you think all these men work for Mattan?”
“Or Ali Al-Saud. I can’t quite figure out who’s in charge.” He caught Casey’s eye and swung his gaze upward, mouthing the word bugs.
Casey’s eyes darted around the room, looking for cameras and listening devices. Sure enough, she spotted several cameras at various spots around the room. But they weren’t close, and even if they were wired for sound, they would have a tough time picking up any conversation kept at low levels. Still, they needed to be careful not to let these people overhear anything they wanted to keep private.
“Mattan acts . . . crazy,” she said in a low voice.
“Drugs,” he said under his breath. “He’s high as a kite.”
“That will only make him more unpredictable and violent.”
Before E.J. could respond, the garage door opened, and a car drove into the warehouse. When the driver got out, she recognized him right away. Anderson. He rushed up to them, his face twisted with rage, blood on his sleeve where he’d been shot in the arm. He struck E.J. across the face and pulled his gun. Not knowing what else to do, Casey screamed as loud as she could, getting the attention of the men talking in the glass-walled office.
Mattan ran out and shouted, “Put down your gun, Ari! You kill him, I’m gonna have to shoot you. I might still need him.”
It looked as if it took all of Anderson’s self-control to lower his gun. Casey was pretty sure he wanted nothing more than to make E.J. pay for what had happened on the highway. She was relieved to discover Mattan really didn’t want them dead. Not yet anyway.
“He killed everyone. Including Walli.”
“I’m sorry about your brother,” Mattan said, “but the assignment comes first.”
The man they’d known as Anderson stepped away from E.J., whose cut lip was bleeding, and took several steps toward Mattan. “No assignment is worth more than my brother’s life. I have to tell our mother. Are you telling me your plans mean more than the grief my mother will feel?”
“Can you do what you’re told or not?” Mattan asked quietly.
“No. This man dies. Now.” He turned and was walking back toward E.J. when a shot rang out. Anderson fell to the floor. Casey looked over at Mattan. He was slowly putting his gun back in its holster. He pointed at the big man. “Clean this up and get rid of him. You know what to do.”
Casey felt sick to her stomach. Mattan was out of control. She looked over at E.J. The muscles in his face were taut. He was obviously worried too.
She watched as the large man grabbed Anderson by the feet and dragged him out of the room toward the back of the warehouse as if his body were nothing. A scrap of paper. The large man had long dark hair and a muscular build, but the most noticeable thing about him was his complete lack of expression. Like no one was home behind those blank eyes. He reminded Casey of a shark.
The other guy, Ace, came out with a pail and a mop. He cleaned up the blood and then put the equipment away, but blood wasn’t so easily dispatched. CSIs would find traces of blood for a DNA test, and they’d know who Anderson, or Ari, really was. But right now, Casey and E.J. needed to make sure their blood didn’t end up on the floor as well.
Mattan watched over the proceedings. Though his expression was unreadable, a twitch underneath one eye spoke either to nervousness or the effect of the drugs he’d been pumping into his body. Ben Mattan was past caring about anyone except himself. It meant that her and E.J.’s lives were hanging by a thread.
CHAPTER
/> THIRTY-ONE
Once Ace finished cleaning up the mess caused by Mattan’s heartless murder, the men went back into the glass-walled office. Casey turned to E.J. “Wow. That guy is cold.”
“He’s a psychopath. Like his boss. And now he’s so drugged up he’s completely lost it. We’ve got to hope our people find us in time.”
“There were lots of phones taking video and pictures back on the highway,” she said softly. “I’m sure they’re looking for us, but I’m not sure how they’ll ever find us.”
“They’ll find the car in Arbuckle,” he said.
“But will they know we were there?” she whispered.
“Besides the blood you left behind, I gave them some clues. I can’t guarantee it will help, but at least they’ll know where we were before we were brought here. Every little bit helps.”
“What kind of clues?”
“I tossed my dog tags on the ground. That way they won’t have to wait to process your blood to match the car to us. And I wrote the plate number of the police cruiser in the dirt. Hopefully someone noticed it. People remember police cars, and they’re easier to spot on traffic cameras.” He grunted as he tried to find a more comfortable position in the hard metal chair. “I’m hoping the police car they used to drive us here has GPS, but I’m not counting on it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, look at it.”
Casey glanced over at the car. Cranberry Township Police Department. “Right, small town. They might not have GPS tracking.”
“Yeah, but hopefully there’s a laptop inside. I didn’t notice. If there is, and it’s on—”
“They can find us that way.”
He smiled at her. “At least it’s a chance.”
“Hey, it might be all we need.” While she tried to sound positive, she wasn’t sure it would be enough. “Back to my previous question—what do we do now?”
“We wait. And we pray.”