Never Surrender

by Stacy Claflin

  Pit Bull: Soon!

  The Dentist: Now, is more like it.

  One Eye: We’ve all done OUR parts. Now it’s your turn.

  Pit Bull: Need me to do it? I will.

  Five Fingers: Enough! All of you need to shut up. I’m logging off now. You know I do more than any of you.

  Eagle Wings: You can’t do that to us! We need answers.

  Five Fingers: I’ll give you answers when I’m ready. I don’t have anything more right now.

  Pit Bull: If I don’t hear anything, I’m taking his kid myself.

  Five Fingers: Don’t you dare.

  Pit Bull: Watch me.

  Five Fingers: Not if you want to get paid.

  Pit Bull: You’ll pay all of us. You can’t afford not to. We all have things on you. On each other.

  Five Fingers: How dare you threaten me?

  Eagle Wings: I’m with Pit Bull. You need to do this.

  One Eye: They’re right.

  The Dentist: I’m with them. I need another payment. It’s been too long.

  Chops: What do you say, Fingers?

  Five Fingers stepped away from the computer. He paced, muttering under his breath. It wouldn’t do to have them turning on him.

  Had to get them under control. Fast.

  Chops: Well?

  Five Fingers: I’ll be in touch.

  Pit Bull: If I have to get the blogger’s kid, you’re going to regret it big time.

  Five Fingers: Don't do anything until I give the word. I’m your only link to the buyers—and therefore your payments. Remember that.

  With that, he logged out and turned off his computer.

  The insolence was too much.

  But at the same time, they were all in agreement against him.

  He had no other choice but to take one of Detective Mercer’s kids.

  Soon.

  Chapter 13

  Nick checked his phone, hoping for an update from Alex. But he hadn’t heard from his friend since he left their house the night before. Now he was at a restaurant having lunch with his wife, kids, parents, and in-laws.

  Genevieve leaned over. “Are you okay?”

  He tucked the device into a pocket. “I was checking to see if Alex had gotten back to me.”

  She gave him a reassuring smile. “Call him after we leave. He could be on the phone with Zoey.”

  “Hopefully.”

  Nick turned his attention back to his half-eaten food and laughed at a story his dad had told at least a hundred times over the years.

  The server arrived and asked if they were ready for dessert.

  Nick said no, but the kids wanted some.

  “Please, Dad?” Hanna squeezed her hands together and pleaded with her eyes. Though she was now in middle school, Nick still saw the little girl she once was and couldn’t say no.

  “Sure. How often do we all get together for a meal?”

  “Not often enough.” His mom beamed.

  Ava seemed distracted, and not even by her phone.

  He nudged his oldest. “Do you want dessert?”

  She snapped her attention back to him. “Yeah, sure. I’ll have whatever the special is.”

  The kids and a few of the adults ordered, and the server left. Ava was still looking away from the group, seemingly lost in her own world. It was odd, given how chatty she usually was. His oldest loved to share her opinions with anyone who would listen—and her grandparents were ones who loved to hear her thoughts.

  He leaned over. “Are you feeling okay?”

  “Huh?” She turned to him. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  “You seem like you’re on another planet.”

  “Dad.” She rolled her eyes.

  “You can talk to me about anything.”

  “I know.”

  He drew a deep breath. Having a conversation with a brick wall would be easier. “I can tell something’s bothering you. If it’s something at school, just tell me so I won’t keep worrying.”

  Ava groaned. “You’re going to make a bigger deal out of this than it needs to be.”

  “What else are dads for?” He chuckled.

  “Stop.”

  “What’s the problem?”

  “See that guy over there?” She nodded toward the far wall.

  “Which one?”

  “Mr. Out-Of-Control Eyebrows.”

  It took him a moment. “The guy in the black coat?”

  “Who else?”

  “What about him?”

  “He’s creeping me out big time.” Ava shuddered.

  Nick studied him. Aside from needing to trim all the hair on his head, he couldn’t figure out what was bothering his daughter. “Was he doing something?”

  She met his gaze. “Yeah. He keeps staring at me.”

  “Staring at you?”

  “Yeah. Obviously, he’s not now, but he was. I had to stare back to get him to stop.”

  Nick pushed back his chair. “I’m going to speak with him.”

  “What? No!” Ava grabbed his arm. “Don’t.”

  “Why not? He’s making you uncomfortable. You should be able to enjoy your meal.”

  “Forget I said anything.” She sighed dramatically. “It’s like I said, you’re making a bigger deal out of this than it needs to be.”

  Nick scooted his chair back in. “Fine, but I’m going to keep an eye on him. If he looks this way again, I’m going over there.”

  “You’re so embarrassing.” But she looked pleased, not that she’d ever own up to appreciating his efforts.

  Genevieve put her hand on his arm. “Is everything okay with Ava?”

  “There’s a man who keeps looking at her.”

  “Who?” Genevieve looked around.

  Nick pointed him out.

  Her eyes narrowed.

  “What?” Nick demanded.

  “It looks like he’s wearing a trench coat.”

  His stomach knotted.

  They exchanged a worried glance. The recently abducted kids had all been taken by men in long coats.

  Genevieve wiped food from Megan’s face then scooted closer and whispered, “We need to call this in.”

  Nick clenched his jaw and looked back over at the man. He didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but he had to do something. “I’m going to call into the precinct. Better safe than sorry.”

  She nodded before turning her attention back to the man.

  Ava glared at him. “Dad, what are you doing?”

  “I’m just going to make a call. Don’t worry, I won’t embarrass you.”

  “You aren’t going to confront that guy, are you?”

  Nick shook his head. “No, you don’t have to worry about that.”

  “Such a relief.”

  The server arrived with the desserts, and Nick took advantage of everyone’s distraction to go outside and make his call. The wind nearly knocked him over, so he stood under the overhang, as far from the door as possible. Too many people were coming and going, and he didn't want anyone overhearing his conversation.

  He reached Sergeant Wu, who said he’d let the feds know about the suspicious man in the restaurant.

  They’d send someone out, and probably nothing would come of it, but at least he was doing something. He could never be too careful when it involved his kids.

  Just as he was reaching for the door to go back in, his phone rang.

  He answered without looking at the caller. “That was quick.”

  “What?” asked Alex.

  “Oh, I thought it was Wu calling me back.”

  “About what? Something new on the case?”

  “No. There’s a guy in a trench coat watching Ava.”

  “What?” Alex exclaimed. “Her too?”

  “What do you mean by too?”

  “After I got home last night, Damon and Ariana told me about a man in a trench coat following them yesterday. He showed up almost everywhere they went all day.”

  Nick’s heart sped up. “Could it be the same gu
y?”

  “Did you get a picture?” Alex asked.

  “No, but I can. He’s just inside the restaurant.”

  “I’ve got some pics Damon took. I’ll text them over.”

  A moment later, they came through.

  Nick nearly dropped the phone.

  It was the same person.

  “Is it him?” Alex asked.

  “Yes.” Nick gritted his teeth.

  “He’s at the same restaurant as you? Right now?”

  “Yes. Someone from the force is on their way.”

  “I’m on my way, too.”

  Nick drew in a deep breath. “Stay with Ariana. I’ll pass along your photos. Or did you already give them to the precinct?”

  “I did.”

  “Good. We’re going to find out what he’s up to once and for all.”

  “Let me know what happens.”

  “Will do.” He ended the call.

  Nick braced himself before entering the restaurant and marching toward his table.

  The man was gone, and his table had already been cleared.

  Nick was sure Bushy Eyebrows had paid cash, but he showed the waitress his badge and asked if the man had paid with a card.

  He hadn’t.

  Chapter 14

  Alex fumbled around the nightstand, trying to find his phone so he could turn off the alarm. Somehow, it was already Monday morning. Though he could get away with taking the day off because of everything going on, he needed the distraction of going in to work. Plus, now he had personal reasons for wanting to be involved with the case.

  After finally finding the phone, he turned off the alarm, rolled over, and stared bleakly at the empty half of the bed. How had it been three mornings already? It simultaneously felt like both forever and no time had passed since morning number one.

  Yesterday, Ariana had agreed to stay home in order to avoid seeing the stalker. Damon came over, and they spent most of the day doing homework since they hadn’t gotten much done the day before. Alex had kept looking out front for anyone in a trench coat but never saw anyone.

  Because the person had been watching Nick’s family.

  What would happen today? It was likely the man would show up at or near the high school, since he’d been interested in both Ariana and Ava. It had to have something to do with the police force—Nick and Alex were the common denominator. Sure, the girls were friends, but only because of their dads.

  Nobody else’s kids had seen the man, or at least no sightings had been reported. The topic was sure to come up today on the job.

  Alex forced himself up, every inch of his body aching from the stress of the weekend. It was tempting to call in and sleep the day away. He might even be fighting something off at this point, given how he’d wreaked havoc on his system.

  But no, he would go in. If he needed to leave early, then so be it. It was time he carried on with his life. Regardless of what happened with Zoey, he needed his income. Maybe more than before.

  In the shower, he turned the water on extra-hot to relax his muscles. He didn’t feel much better after, but caffeine might help. And if it didn’t, there was always ibuprofen.

  The light was on under Ariana’s door. Good. That meant she, too, was carrying on as usual. It was Monday, and life wasn’t going to wait around for them to feel better.

  He made extra coffee, figuring she might want some rather than a smoothie, and he checked his blog for comments. The trolls had been out in full force over the weekend, and he’d spent two or three hours dealing with those. There were only a few new stray comments. All they had to do was use a new fake email address after he’d banned the previous ones from commenting. They were relentless.

  “Morning, Dad.” Ari smiled as she entered the kitchen, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

  He got up and gave her a hug. “How did you sleep, sweetheart?”

  She yawned. “I kept waking from bad dreams.”

  “I’m sorry. Do you want coffee?”

  “That sounds great. Thanks.”

  They made small talk over a quick breakfast before she got a text. “I gotta go. Damon’s here.”

  Alex rose. “There will be extra officers at the school, but even so, keep an eye out for that man in the trench coat. If you see him, let one of the officers know. If you can’t find one, text me immediately.”

  “I know, Dad.” She kissed his cheek before running outside.

  Alex watched her climb into the car. He continued staring after her until Damon’s car was out of sight.

  The house was empty again. It left a hollowness inside of him.

  He wasted no time grabbing his things then heading to work. Focusing on taking down kidnappers and upholding the law around town was his priority. He didn’t know what he’d do if he was in accounting or some other office job—it would be impossible to focus on a day like today. But there was almost always something new and exciting in his line of work.

  The precinct was buzzing with activity when he arrived. He recognized several agents from previous cases. No Crawford yet, but that was only a matter of time—if he wasn’t already in a conference room with some of the feds.

  Alex said good morning to Nick, who was typing furiously at his desk.

  Nick glanced up, still tapping his keyboard. “I was wondering if you’d be here today.”

  “It’s my shift.”

  His friend gave him a knowing look before glancing back at the screen and continuing to pound on the keyboard. “We both know there are other variables. How are you holding up?”

  “Tired, but I suppose that’s to be expected.”

  Nick nodded. “Make sure you’re taking care of yourself, or you’ll get sick.”

  “Probably.” He needed to learn to make those smoothies Zoey was always throwing together. It couldn’t be that hard—just dump in a bunch of vegetables into the blender and press a button. “Any news on the cases?”

  Nick kept his attention on his computer screen. “No, but we heard the feds in Alabama are closing in on another ringleader. There can’t be many left now.”

  “No news on Trench Coat?”

  That pulled Nick from the screen. “No. He ditched the restaurant before any officers got there. Facial recognition software from your pictures didn’t yield a match.”

  “It’s almost like he has inside information.” Alex collapsed onto the chair across from his friend. “Johnston is at the high school, right?”

  “Yes. We have extra security at all the schools. Everyone is on the lookout for him.”

  “Good.” Alex tried to ignore his still-aching body. “Ariana’s going to let them know if she sees him again.”

  “So is Ava. They’ll be fine. Our kids are smart.”

  “But they’re still teenagers whose brains aren’t fully developed. I got the feeling Ariana would’ve preferred I didn’t know about the stalker. If it weren’t for Damon taking the pictures, I probably wouldn’t know.”

  Nick gave him a knowing look. “I had to pry the information out of Ava, as well. But now they know the same person was watching both of them, so it’s not just in their imagination. They’ll say something if they see him again.”

  “That’s what I hope.” Alex forced himself up and trudged to his desk, unable to ignore the aches and pains. He dug ibuprofen from his desk and swallowed two with what was left of his coffee.

  He checked the new files in his inbox, which had more than tripled in size since Friday. The paperwork was never-ending. He flipped through the stack, organizing them by importance.

  Someone cleared his throat next to him. It was Chief Crawford.

  Alex tried to hide his displeasure. “Chief.”

  He leaned against the desk. “How are you enjoying being detective?”

  “I couldn’t be happier.” He held back a yawn.

  “Didn’t see you here all weekend.”

  Alex resisted the urge to call him Captain Obvious. “I was dealing with some family issues. The captain didn�
��t tell you?”

  “Of course he did. Are you able to focus on your workload today?”

  “Yes.”

  “But you’re holding up okay?”

  “I’m fine, sir.” Alex studied his superior, trying to figure out his angle.

  “Good. We need everyone in tip-top shape. If you need to take a leave, it would be understandable.”

  Alex lifted a brow. “Like I said, I’m fine.”

  “If you aren’t, speak up. Don’t feel like you have to be a hero.”

  “I don’t.”

  “Good.” Crawford held his gaze for a moment before marching away.

  Alex rubbed his temples and tried to make sense of the interaction. It was almost as if the chief was trying to get rid of him—suggesting Alex take time off wasn’t due to his caring nature.

  There was always a hidden motive behind everything he did. Crawford had gotten close with higher-ups to look good and try to advance his career even further. The chief would happily take a position as mayor or with the feds. He’d be ready to snap at the first available opportunity.

  And now he was talking to Alex, who he’d personally helped advance to detective quicker than most.

  The question was, why? And should Alex be worried?

  He still believed Crawford could be the mole.

  Chapter 15

  Ariana glanced out the classroom window again. She was paying more attention to things outside than anything the teacher said. So far, she hadn’t seen anyone in a trench coat all day. Even that kid who’d worn one at the movie theater on Saturday wore a leather flight jacket today.

  She’d found Ava before school and asked her about the guy she’d seen. After showing her the pictures Damon took, Ava confirmed it was the same man.

  The thought had sent a chill down Ari’s spine, and the look in Ava’s eyes showed she felt similar.

  Out in the hall, Lieutenant Johnston paced, occasionally glancing into the classroom. If anyone else noticed him, nobody said anything. Probably because of the abductions over the weekend. It was just par for the course—a nearby abduction meant more police at school. Basically, just another day.

  The teacher droned on and on. He may as well have been speaking a foreign language for as well as Ariana was following along. Hopefully getting notes from one of the other kids would be good enough.