Perilous Pursuit

by Kathleen Tailer

  The entire shack seemed to rattle as the first visitor kicked in the door and barreled through the door frame.

  Jake brought the lamp down hard on the man’s head as he entered, and the man crumpled as glass shards scattered across the floor. Taylor was right behind the fallen man, however, and his eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Jake wielding the broken lamp. Jake still had a large piece of the lamp base in his hand, and he threw it at Taylor as he stepped over the body and moved back, looking for anything else that could be used to slow Taylor down. There was an old metal fishing gear box on the counter, and Jake grabbed it and threw it, as well. Taylor deflected the blow and continued his charge. He grabbed Jake in a football-style tackle and struck him in the chest, and the two men backed up and hit the wall hard from the force of the blow. Jake put his fists together and brought them down forcefully on Taylor’s back. Releasing him, the man staggered and then took a step back. Jake followed with an uppercut to the man’s jaw, but Taylor didn’t go down, despite the blood that was now dripping from his bottom lip. Instead, he straightened and rolled his shoulders as if loosening up for a boxing match. He wiped his bloody mouth against his sleeve and smiled.

  “That the best you can do, Officer? I thought those federal boys taught you how to fight better than that. You punch like my ten-year-old sister.”

  Jake ignored the jibe, his stance ready. When Taylor swung at his head, he deflected the blow with his left arm and hit the fugitive hard with his right. He felt the man’s nose break under the force of the blow.

  Taylor staggered and fell back against the floor when Jake caught him again in the stomach with a quick one-two punch.

  That should keep you down, Jake thought silently, but to his surprise, Taylor rolled and was on his feet again in a matter of moments, standing near the open doorway to the shack. The blood from his nose was dripping down onto the front of his shirt, but the man barely seemed to notice it.

  “Come on, Deputy. Let’s go again,” Taylor taunted, motioning with his hands.

  Jake was tired. The fight had sapped what little strength he had managed to regain, and his head was beginning to pound again. He blinked and gritted his teeth, willing himself to stay standing. At this point, he wasn’t so sure he could beat Bryson Taylor, but he had to try. He had to protect Mackenzie. If he couldn’t stop him now, one or both of them might just end up on a slab in the morgue. Suddenly Jake heard a loud thunk. Slowly, the light left Taylor’s eyes and the man fell forward, first to his knees and then all the way to the ground. Standing behind him was Mackenzie, holding a tote bag that she had just swung at Taylor’s head with all her might. She had a fearful yet satisfied look on her face.

  Jake stepped forward and checked Taylor, first finding his pulse and then searching for any weapons. The man was alive but out cold, and would have a serious headache when he came to. Jake glanced back up at Mackenzie. “Welcome back.” He pulled his own gun, which the man had stolen from him earlier, from Taylor’s belt and slipped it into the back waistband of his jeans. “Perfect timing, by the way. Whatcha got in that bag? Bricks?”

  Mackenzie raised an eyebrow. “Canned soup and tuna. I think that guy’s head just dented the cans.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised. Remind me never to cross you again. You’re a bit scary.” He grinned and then moved to the first man that he’d hit with the lamp. He searched him for weapons, finding another pistol that he slipped into the front waistband of his jeans. He also pocketed the man’s car keys. Neither man had a cell phone on him. “Were you able to find help?”

  “No. I found another cabin down the road a bit, but it was basically empty inside except for the food. I left a note with my contact info so I could pay the people back. I don’t want you arresting me for theft or anything.”

  Jake smiled. There were probably few people in the world who would have gone to the trouble to make sure the owners were compensated for a few dollars’ worth of groceries. He liked the fact that Mackenzie was honest, even in these desperate circumstances.

  “I also found something that you’re going to appreciate,” she said with a smile. She pulled out the Tylenol from her tote bag and offered Jake two pills and the water bottle. He downed the pills immediately, immensely grateful. She was honest and thoughtful—both good traits. He paused a moment to take her measure. Her skin was slick with sweat and her hair was mussed, but the flush in her cheeks made her even prettier, and her light blue eyes were concerned and caring. “Thanks. My head is really hurting.” He handed her back the water bottle and slowly sank back down to a sitting position on the cot. The adrenaline rush was over, and his body was now protesting his exertion. He had done way too much too soon, even though he hadn’t had a choice. “Do you remember seeing any plastic zip ties when you were searching this shack?”

  Mackenzie squinted as if going through the contents of the cabin in her mind’s eye. “No, but there is a huge amount of fishing line in one of these drawers, and I have the rope I found earlier with the mosquito netting. Will those help?”

  Jake shrugged. “Couldn’t hurt.” He waited for her to get the supplies since she knew exactly where to look. Then he used both to tie up the hands and feet of the two criminals as he didn’t have any handcuffs. He used quite a bit of fishing line on each man to guarantee they were secured. “You know, what I didn’t find was a cell phone. Neither guy had one. It sure would have made our lives easier if we could have just called for help.”

  Mackenzie shrugged. “At least you got the car keys. That will save us from walking in this heat.” She wiped her brow. “Believe me when I tell you it’s hot out there.”

  Jake nodded. “I don’t doubt it. Florida in July is no picnic, even though it’s getting late.” He glanced out the window. “We don’t have too much sunlight left out there.” He walked to the doorway, looked at the car and then returned. “Now that I’ve got these guys in custody, I don’t want to just leave them here. But I don’t think I have enough energy to drag them out to the car, and they’re way too big for you. Deadweight is incredibly heavy.” He reached down to grab Taylor under the arms and tried to drag him out of the shack, but even with Mackenzie’s help, it was too much for him, and he felt the blood rushing in his ears. His injuries and the fighting had just taken too much out of him. Despite all of their movements, both men were still unconscious, so Jake tested the binding around their hands to make sure they were still secure.

  “Yep, they’re staying here. We’ll send help for them once we get safely back into town.” Jack took a look at the second man’s features as he double-checked his bindings, but he didn’t recognize him. He moved the man’s face in Mackenzie’s direction so she could see him.

  “Do you know this guy?”

  Mackenzie shook her head. “I don’t know his name, but he was the one with Taylor when they brought us out here before.”

  Suddenly, they turned quickly toward the door as a new sound surprised them.

  Someone was coming. They heard the putter of a car engine, and their eyes met.

  “Now what?” Mackenzie asked, her eyes rounding.

  “Outside and behind the car, just in case,” Jake said quickly. He grabbed her hand and pulled her outside, and they both crouched behind the green sedan. They could hear the car getting closer, and Jake let go of Mackenzie and moved to the front fender so he could get a better look at the road. As he watched, a silver SUV slowly pulled up beside the green sedan and parked. Jake saw Derek Lager get out of the car and start walking toward the shack, followed by a petite brunette woman and another man wearing a baseball cap with the Miami Dolphins logo. He didn’t recognize the other two, but Lager he would know anywhere, despite the sloppy-looking goatee that Lager had grown or the shaggy hair that now covered his collar. He was surprised that the man was personally involved in this situation, but he would have time to connect the dots once he got everyone in custody.

 
Jake turned and motioned for Mackenzie to stay down. He then turned back to the new arrivals. He knew he only had a few moments before they realized that their companions were out cold and trussed up like Thanksgiving turkeys. He rose slightly, using the car as a shield, and pointed his gun. “Freeze, Lager!”

  Lager raised an eyebrow as he noticed Jake and his gun. He gave a smile and turned slightly. “Why, hello there, Deputy. What are you doing out here in this neck of the woods?”

  “Your friends brought me out here, Lager, but I have to say, their Southern hospitality leaves a lot to be desired.”

  “I believe I’d have to agree with you if I knew who you were talking about, but I don’t have any friends that would do such a thing.” He took a step closer. “You look rather the worse for wear.”

  Jake shrugged. “Just a little bump on the head.” He shifted his eyes between the three people, keeping a watch for any sudden movements. So far, the man in the hat and the woman had done nothing but stare at him. “Why don’t you three reach out and put your hands on the SUV for me.”

  Lager looked as if he might be considering following Jake’s directions, but a groan from inside the cabin drew his attention. He motioned with his head. “Who’ve you got in there?”

  “The friends of yours I mentioned. One’s named Bryson Taylor. Not sure of the other guy’s name, but maybe you can enlighten me. Neither one of them are too happy right about now. I think they both got a small bump on the head.”

  Lager shook his head again. “Yeah, well, sorry, but I don’t know those guys. It’s too bad you’re having such a rough time of it, though.”

  Jake was losing patience with the conversation. He raised himself up a little bit. “Hands on the SUV, Lager. You and your friends. Now.”

  Suddenly, the man in the hat pulled a pistol from his back waistband and fired at Jake. The shot went wild, but Jake’s return shot hit the man in the shoulder. All three of the criminals dove for cover and disappeared behind the SUV, and Jake heard the wounded man groan.

  “Lager, I didn’t want it to go this way, but you’re making it hard on yourself. Why don’t you and your friends throw out your guns before someone else gets hurt?”

  “Actually, Officer,” Lager answered in his thick country drawl that mirrored Jake’s Southern accent, “I believe we have you outnumbered. If you had any help out here, you wouldn’t be hiding behind that car. I’m also sorry to say, you don’t look all that well. Why don’t you throw out your gun, and I promise not to kill you. If I’m feelin’ charitable, I might even drop you off at the closest hospital before we go on our merry way.”

  “Murder isn’t your game, Lager. I know you better than that. And killing a law enforcement officer in Florida carries the death penalty. Give yourself up peacefully and nobody else will get shot. You know I’m pretty good with a pistol.” Jake turned and motioned for Mackenzie to stay down, go into the woods and get away from the car. The situation was quickly deteriorating, and he knew that the man in the hat, the woman and Lager could all be coming around both ends of the car at any moment for an ambush. He wasn’t sure, but he imagined that all three were packing guns. He wanted to get Mackenzie out of the line of fire in case Lager decided to shoot his way out of this situation. He would have played this whole scenario differently if he had been by himself, but his first priority right now had to be keeping Mackenzie safe. She had already gotten much more than she had bargained for by being kidnapped. Now that he finally had her out of their clutches, he wanted to make sure she stayed that way. Their eyes met, and she nodded at him. Grabbing the tote bag at her feet, she crouched low and retreated into the woods. Jake called out again to cover the sound of her retreat.

  “Come on, Lager. The clock is ticking. There’s still time to end this now before anyone else gets hurt. Throw out your guns, and we’ll talk about this.” When Lager didn’t answer, Jake knew instinctively that he was about to be attacked. He kept his gun ready and quickly followed the path Mackenzie had taken into the nearby stand of pines, thankful that she had retreated and was no longer in sight. Bullets followed him almost immediately, and one narrowly missed his head, sending bark flying from a nearby longleaf pine. Jake dove behind a fallen log and returned fire, catching sight of all three aggressors, who had rounded the green sedan with guns drawn just as he was entering the forest. His first shot caught the Dolphins fan in the knee, and the man screamed out in pain and fell to the ground. Lager and the woman, however, were able to take cover again behind the green sedan before his bullets could find their mark. He fired again. One bullet hit the sedan’s engine and the other hit the top of the right front tire. The wheel instantly sank and tipped the car to the right. Lager returned fire, and a bullet hit the tree behind Jake; another shook the bush on his right.

  Jake leaned his forehead against his hand for a moment and said a quick prayer of thanks. His head was still throbbing from the noise of the weapons and all the physical activity, but he and Mackenzie were both alive and relatively unscathed. There was a lot to be thankful for. He raised his head again and scanned the area.

  He heard muffled voices but couldn’t make out the words. He heard car doors open and close and also saw some movement from between the vehicles. He didn’t have a shot, however, so he pulled himself to his feet and moved about ten feet to his left, using the trees as a shield. Still no shot. He moved again, silently stalking the vehicle and his quarry. Suddenly, he heard the silver SUV engine roar to life and pull away down the road in a plume of dust. He followed the SUV from the cover of the trees and aimed for another shot to disable the vehicle. There wasn’t a shot worth taking, though, so he ended up securing the weapon back in his waistband. He moved cautiously toward the green sedan and the cabin but wasn’t surprised to see that both of his captives had disappeared along with Lager and his friends. Lager had undoubtedly cut their bindings and gotten them both into the SUV before escaping.

  Jake kicked at a nearby tree, his hands on his hips and his mouth in a scowl. He pulled out the clip on his pistol and checked his ammunition. He had three rounds left. He checked the other pistol and found another four rounds. That wasn’t much if Lager decided to come back and try again. He blew out a long breath and raked his fingers through his hair, careful to avoid his injury. At least they were momentarily safe. That was something. But Jake had a very bad feeling that his problems with Derek Lager were just beginning.

  FOURTEEN

  Mackenzie peeked around the tree and could see Jake double-checking the shack for the two men he had tied up with fishing line. A moment later he turned and called out toward the woods.

  “Mackenzie? Come on back. We’re safe now. Lager and company all cleared out.”

  Mackenzie gingerly made her way back to the shack, being much more careful this time to avoid the blackberry brambles and other Florida foliage that she had totally ignored when she had taken refuge in the woods. Her legs felt heavy, as if she had run several miles instead of the hundred yards or so that she had actually gone into the woods. She couldn’t remember ever being so scared in her entire life. Well, okay. Being kidnapped, with Bryson Taylor leering at her, had to be a close second. Today had definitely been a winner in the fear department! She had hoped for some excitement when she had started this project with the US Marshals, but today had been much more than she had bargained for. Not to mention the fact that she had already lost her apartment, her belongings and her editing equipment, and maybe even her camera.

  She reached the shack and noted the missing SUV, but her immediate concern was Jake. Although he had obviously improved since she had left him the first time, she could tell he was really struggling. As if to emphasize the point, she saw him start to sway a little, and he caught himself against the side of the cabin and leaned against the wooden siding.

  “Funny thing, adrenaline,” he said as she approached. “I was feeling a lot better about five minutes ago.”

 
“You mean before those people tried to kill us?” She took his arm and helped him back into the shack and over to the cot. He sat down heavily.

  “You said you wanted to learn about what life’s like for someone serving with the US Marshals.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Are you trying to tell me this is one of your average days?”

  Jake smiled. “No. It’s better than most.”

  Mackenzie couldn’t help herself. She smiled back. Somehow it was hard to remember how scared she had been or how dire their situation was when Jake was sitting there smiling at her and making her feel like everything was going to be okay. She reached into her tote bag and pulled out the soup. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. It’s not gourmet, but how about a little snack before we hit the road? I doubt they’ll be returning anytime soon.”

  “Sounds like a plan. What else did you snag over there?”

  “Tuna, and the absolutely indispensable can opener.”

  “Too bad I’m not in my own kitchen. I could doctor all this up and make it actually taste pretty good.”

  “Doctor it?” Mackenzie asked as she found a pan and opened the cans of soup.

  Jake shrugged. “Cooking is one of my hobbies. I like to eat well, so I learned a few tricks in the kitchen. Adding fresh spices and a little bit of this and that can make a real difference if you’re forced to eat something out of a can.”

  Mackenzie continued working, intrigued. For some reason, being in law enforcement and cooking were two things she had never linked together, and she didn’t remember him liking to spend time in the kitchen. She was beginning to realize there was a lot she didn’t know about Jake. “Back when you were in college, I remember you liked pizza a lot.” She remembered once when Jake and Jonathan had sent her out to pick up a pizza and had disappeared when she returned. She had been heartbroken that they had ditched her once again, and had ended up eating half of the pie, just so they wouldn’t get as much if and when they returned. She blinked away the memory. “I didn’t know you liked to cook.”