by Aimée Thurlo
“Like coming after me?”
“It was my last chance,” Steve said. “I called in sick and waited in a van outside until just before your usual break time. I sneaked in through the back exit and was hiding behind the cola machine when you came in. The rest, well, you went out like a light once I was able to get that ether-soaked towel over your mouth and nose.”
“You’ve done all this for what—money, revenge, politics?”
“No, this was never about money or any of that other crap.” He ran a hand through his hair and paced back and forth, continuing to take quick, furtive glances out the window. “The reason I couldn’t come to you has nothing to do with me getting caught. They kidnapped my wife, and unless I deliver what they want, they’ll kill Sue. I have until midnight tonight to give them those files.”
She swallowed hard. Now things were finally starting to make some sense. “Who has her? Do you have any idea?” she pressed.
“No, that’s why I’m stuck playing this game. I told them that I had the data, then after you got my flash drive I had to call them back and explain what had happened. They gave me more time, but warned me not to tell you what was going on. Now if I can’t produce another flash drive with the stuff by tonight, Sue’s dead.” His voice cracked and he rubbed a hand over his face, wiping away errant tears.
“Why haven’t you called the police?”
“That’s the first thing they told me not to do—and they’re watching me, Lori. They know when I get to the office, what I do there, when I leave work, what I do afterward. If I got anyone else involved, they threatened to do things to Sue....” He swallowed hard. “That’s why I nearly panicked when an officer showed up at my door fifteen minutes ago asking about you.”
“What did you say to him?”
“I told him I hadn’t seen you, and got rid of him fast.”
“The police will return. Then what will you do?”
“I’ll do anything to get my wife back, but I’m not out to hurt you, Lori,” he said. “Just to show you that I’m telling the truth, I’m going to cut you loose. But don’t run. Sue’s life is on the line and they’re outside somewhere, watching. Do you understand?” He brought out a pocketknife and started to work on the cords behind her back.
She nodded. “Steve, we’ve got to get help. You’re clearly no match for the people you’re up against.”
“Give me the flash drive and I’ll take care of the rest.”
Lori swallowed hard. Steve was on the brittle edge, and when she told him what she’d done with that drive, things were bound to get a lot worse.
Playing for time, she stood and took off the wig she’d been wearing. It was tugging at her scalp and making it hard for her to think. “Let me call my friend,” Lori pleaded in a soft voice. “He can help us. His brother is a security expert and his other brother has his own detective agency. They’re not the police.”
He shook his head. “If anyone shows up here unexpectedly, I have no idea what they’ll do to Sue. I won’t take a chance with her life. Having you here is risky enough.”
Lori swallowed hard. “Are they outside right now?” Seeing him nod, she added, “Show me.”
“No. Stay away from the windows. Let’s go into the hall to talk. Nobody can see us from the outside.”
DANIEL HEARD A KNOCK AT HIS front door. “That’s Paul. I’ll let him in,” he told Gene.
A moment later Paul and Dan walked over and joined Gene, who was busy working at one of the computers.
“What’s going on?” Paul asked.
“I’ve got a lead,” Gene said, never taking his eyes off the screen. “I think I know who Lori’s kidnapper is. Whoever came in through the back door had to have known the access code on the lock. I spoke to Miranda, Lori’s friend at the DMV, and she gave me the names of the two employees who were absent today. One’s the department supervisor, Jerry Esteban, who’s supposedly on vacation, and then there’s Steve Farmer, who called in sick. Farmer is about the same size as Harrington and has the right shape. I think he’s our man, but the only problem is that Farmer has no motive that I can see.”
“Let the police handle this. They’re trained—you’re not. If they haven’t been to interview Farmer yet, they will,” Paul said.
Gene shook his head. “Unless they see some sign of Lori at Farmer’s place they can’t do a thing. To get a search warrant they’ll need probable cause. They’ll just move on to the next thing on their list, finding and questioning Jerry Esteban, and that’ll take hours, considering he’s abroad on vacation,” Gene said, then continued in a hard voice. “I’m not playing by the rules on this. I’m going to Farmer’s home right now to check things out for myself.”
“Not alone, you’re not,” Daniel said in a stony voice.
“You’ve got that right,” Paul said.
Gene glanced at his brothers. “Okay, you can help, but once we find whoever has Lori, he’s mine.”
Gene leaned back and showed them the information he had on-screen. “Here’s what I’ve got so far on Steve Farmer—address, wife’s name, relatives, background, etc.”
“Did either of you try to track Lori’s cell phone GPS and maybe confirm her location?” Paul asked.
“Yeah, I did that, while Gene was working on this computer, but I had no luck,” Dan said. “My guess is that Farmer pulled the battery from her phone.”
Gene looked up at Dan quickly. “Lori’s got antitheft tracking software installed in her laptop, remember? She showed us the CD software case after the break-in at her house,” he said. “Is it possible for you to track that? She carries the laptop to work in her tote bag, and that disappeared along with her.”
“I remember the brand.” Dan considered it for a moment, then nodded. “I’ve done work with the security people connected to that software company. Since I’ve already got Lori’s full name and address, it may be possible for me to get the location of her laptop,” Dan said. “Step back and give me some room. I need to work around some normal procedures.”
It took several minutes and a software download, but eventually the screen shifted, becoming an elaborate map, then its focus narrowed twice. “Lori Baker’s laptop computer is at 424 Oak Street,” Dan said.
“That’s Farmer’s home address,” Gene said. “Let’s go.”
“No, we can’t go bursting in there without a plan,” Paul said.
“Getting Lori back safely is what really counts now,” Dan said. “I know you like going through channels, Paul, but if we call the police, and they actually buy into this, it’ll still take them an hour to assemble a team and make their move.”
“We can’t afford delays,” Gene said. “Farmer is unpredictable.”
“What has Lori told you about that guy?” Paul asked Gene.
“Nothing, but I’m certain that if he’d caused her any problems, she would have said so.”
Daniel switched screens, typed in a password and entered an encrypted site. “Farmer’s got no criminal record whatsoever—not even a parking ticket. He’s married and squeaky clean.”
“Then what’s he doing with Lori’s laptop computer? Let’s go pay him a visit,” Gene said.
“Wait,” Paul said, pushing Gene back down into the chair. “Pull up the house on Google, Dan, and let’s see the layout there.”
Chapter Nineteen
Twenty minutes later, they approached Farmer’s home. Gene nodded to Daniel, who, like him, was wearing a tan uniform work shirt and a phony photo ID tag around his neck.
Paul, at the wheel of the van and wearing a white shirt and tie, spoke as they passed Steve’s residence. “That’s the place. If he’s home, his van must be in the garage.”
“The curtains are closed, but I saw a light on inside,” Gene said. “A bedroom or maybe the kitchen.”
Daniel handed Gene a white hard hat that matched the one he was putting on. “The gas company headgear is blue, but these will have to do.”
The hard hat felt a little big to Ge
ne, but there was no time to do any adjusting and he wouldn’t need it for long. The handheld radio was far more critical, and he checked the unit on his belt again.
Paul slowed, made the turn at the end of the block, then stopped at the alley that separated the backyards of the eight houses on the block. He steadied the big basket of flowers on the seat beside him. “Okay, this is it, guys. I’ll circle back around and pull into the Farmer driveway close to the garage, blocking the way. Once you’re in position, give me the go-ahead call and I’ll deliver these flowers. Listen in and when you hear me say ‘Johnson,’ make your entry one way or the other.”
“Copy that,” Daniel said as he opened the side door of the van and jumped out. Gene followed, carrying two shovels, part of their cover. Paul drove off immediately as they began their walk down the alley.
As they reached the back gate, Gene felt his stomach tighten. Knowing Lori was in danger was eating him up inside. He’d wasted so much time. Despite the iron grip he’d always had on his emotions, he’d fallen head over heels in love with Lori, and there was no turning back.
He’d fight for her, maybe even bleed for her, but to hold on to Lori he’d need to show her how he felt. Then the next move would be up to her. He’d accept her gratitude for the help he’d given her, but he wouldn’t use that to bind her. He wanted her heart—nothing less.
Gene unfastened the catch and opened the gate, and Dan followed him in. While Dan brought the yellow Taser out of its holster and thumbed the button on his radio, Gene continued to inch along the wall, careful to stay out of sight. When they reached the back door, they stopped and waited, listening for Paul’s signal.
Gene heard a doorbell, then silence followed for about thirty seconds. After that, heavy footsteps came from somewhere inside the house.
“Hello, I have a delivery for Mrs. Johnson.”
Hearing the signal, Gene kicked the back door just below the knob as hard as he could. The force hurled it open and Gene rushed in, Daniel right behind him.
As Gene stormed into the living room, Steve Farmer, trying to evade Paul, ran straight toward him. Gene tackled him to the floor, then brought his fist back.
“No!” Lori yelled, stepping into view from the hall. “It’s not his fault. You need to hear him out.”
Cursing, Gene hauled Farmer up.
“He’s not the bad guy in all this,” Lori said quickly. “His wife’s been kidnapped, and he’s been trying to save her. We’ve got to help Steve or she’ll die.”
AS THEY TOOK SEATS AROUND the living room, Gene finally saw the cut-up rope sections on the sofa that Steve had used to tie Lori up.
He jumped to his feet. “You tied her up?” he bellowed, moving for Steve.
Lori grabbed Gene’s arm and held him back. “It’s not important now. Someone’s life is at stake.”
“No, it is too late,” Steve said, tears forming in his eyes and his voice cracking. “I’m sure they either saw or heard you guys bursting in here. Sue’s as good as dead.”
“No, don’t assume that,” Lori said quickly. “The guys broke in through the back, so maybe the kidnappers didn’t see them. Don’t give up hope,” Lori said and quickly explained what Steve had done and why.
“How sure are you that they’re watching you?” Paul asked, going to the window and peering out through a small gap in the curtains. “I didn’t see anyone when I drove around the block or pulled up, and nobody was sitting in any of the cars parked in or around the driveways on this street.”
“They always seem to know where I’m at. They have to have someone keeping an eye on me. I often see a green pickup—a Ford 150—so maybe that’s them.”
“I’ll drive off in the van, then park in the alley and have a look around,” Paul said. “If anyone’s watching the house, I’ll spot them.”
“Be careful,” Daniel said.
As Paul walked out, Lori looked at Gene, and the tender emotions mirrored in his steady gaze took her breath away. Today, she’d seen the bear unleashed, but this other side of Gene just drew her to him even more.
“They’re out there,” Steve repeated dully.
“We’ll know soon enough,” Gene growled at him. While Daniel watched Steve, Gene took Lori’s hand and led her into the hall.
As soon as they were out of view, Gene pulled her into his arms. Covering her mouth with his, he forced her lips open and drank her in with the desperation of a man long denied.
When he eased his hold at long last, her legs nearly buckled. Her entire body was throbbing with need and awareness. “Wow,” she managed in a shaky voice. “Whatever happened to the slow-moving man I’ve come to know? First, you charge into the room, and now…that kiss…well, wow!”
“A man has only so much restraint.... After that, all bets are off.”
She bit her bottom lip and smiled slowly. “I like this side of you very much,” she whispered.
He brought her against him once again, kissing her with a force that rocked everything she’d thought she’d known about him.
“I can’t get enough of you,” he said, his breath hot on her lips.
She steadied herself by leaning against him, but before she could say or do anything, Paul came into the hall, having returned through the back.
“Okay, you two, save it for later. We’ve got a problem.”
Feeling guilty, Lori immediately moved away from Gene and focused. Steve Farmer and his wife needed their help now. This was no time for distractions of any kind.
As she and Gene joined the others in the living room, Lori saw Steve sunken down in the sofa, his eyes hollow and empty. He looked completely defeated.
“What’s happened?” she asked quickly.
“When I walked to the van I saw a green Ford pickup with two men inside parked across the street, half a block down. It wasn’t there when we arrived, so it hasn’t been there for long. I backed out into the street, and a second later, they casually drove off in the opposite direction,” Paul said. “I waited until they were out of sight, then parked in the alley. They won’t be able to see me from the street now.”
“Doesn’t matter. They’ll kill her—if they haven’t already,” Steve whispered.
“You’re not seeing things in the right light,” Paul said. “What they saw was a flower delivery man, and they drove off before I could get a look. They didn’t want anyone in the neighborhood to be able to give the cops a description of them.”
“What if they took off because they thought you were a cop?” Steve asked.
Paul shook his head. “A cop wouldn’t have left your house so soon and alone, then allow them to drive off without going after them.”
Steve nodded at last. “If you’re right, then maybe Sue still has a chance,” he said, then looked at Lori. “You’ve got to give me that flash drive.”
She took a deep breath, wishing with all her heart that she could have avoided telling him the truth. “Steve, I’m really sorry, but when I couldn’t get the flash drive to load up my files, I assumed it was corrupted. I threw it out, and trash pickup was the day before yesterday.”
“What?” He jumped to his feet and stepped toward her. Gene instantly blocked his way.
“Sit down,” he snapped, grabbing Steve’s arm firmly.
Steve took a step back, then seemed to crumple into the chair. “I can’t do this anymore. I’m going out there to find them. If they’re going to kill Sue, they might as well put a bullet in me, too.”
“Don’t think like that,” Lori said. “You’re not in this alone anymore. What we have to do now is find a way to turn the tables on them.” She was scared, but she also felt a terrible sense of responsibility for what was happening to Steve and what might happen to Sue. Logically, she knew it hadn’t been her fault. She’d had no idea what was going on.
Yet when she looked at Steve now, all she could feel was sympathy. She couldn’t just sit back and hope everything would somehow turn out okay.
“Let’s start with what we kn
ow,” Lori said. “They’ve got you under surveillance, but it’s not around-the-clock, so it’s possible that they still don’t realize what’s really going on. Let’s find out for sure.”
“What do you have in mind?” Despite Steve’s weary voice, he was now sitting up a little straighter.
“We need the kidnappers to come out of hiding and I think I know a way to do that,” she said. “Steve and I will leave in the van,” Lori said, then looked at Steve. “It’s in the garage, right?”
He nodded. “It was the only way I could get you into the house without my neighbors seeing.”
“When you pull out this time, Steve, I’ll be sitting beside you, like I’m being coerced and have been convinced to cooperate. If they’re back again and watching, they’ll pick up on us,” Lori said.
“You and Steve alone? No way,” Gene said.
“Then come with us. Ride in the back and be sure to keep your head down,” she said.
Paul shook his head. “Slow down, guys. No one’s going anywhere yet. Give me a chance to get a few things together.” He met Steve’s gaze. “You’ll be wearing an ankle bracelet, so if you bolt and decide to go on solo, we’ll find you,” he said, his eyes drilling holes into him.
“After Paul returns with the gear, he and I will follow Steve’s van but stay well back,” Daniel said. “If you pick up a tail, we’ll let you know. From that point on, the objective will be to find out where they’re hiding Sue.”
Lori saw the trapped look on Steve’s face. “This will buy us some time,” she said. “If the kidnappers call, tell them that I’m taking you to where I left the flash drive. It’ll work, you’ll see.”
Daniel looked at Paul. “The next move’s yours, bro. Go get what we need. Make sure you come back with more flowers, too, as if you made a mistake on your first trip, just in case they’re back, watching.”
“Do you really think this will work?” Steve asked Lori, his tone hopeful for the first time.
“We’ll get her back, Steve,” she said. “We’re all on your side.”
Paul was gone for forty minutes and time seemed to drag, turning each second into a small eternity. With every passing moment, Steve’s panic grew.