“Are you hungry?” Jordan asked Aiden as they walked back into the living room. He was standing at the big window, gazing out over the hills. The sun had set and the warm spring evening was washed in the deepening blue of the encroaching night. Aiden could see the lights from the town and here and there, the warm yellow glow from neighboring homes as people enjoyed their supper hour.
“I could eat something.” He came up behind her as she stood facing the open refrigerator door. She felt the little thrill in her soul as he put a hand on each of her hips and kissed the back of her neck. “I could eat you,” he whispered. “That’s all I need.”
Jordan laughed. “That’s for dessert. How about a steak? I can fire up the grill, and we can eat out on the deck. It’s a beautiful evening.”
“Sounds good to me,” said Aiden. “I can do the man thing and grill the steaks.”
“Good, then you get the grill going. I’ll make a salad and some potato wedges.”
They had a delicious and intimate meal. Jordan set the table with candles and opened a bottle of red wine. They ate slowly and laughed together softly as they enjoyed the peace and contentment that had settled over them.
Later, as they cleared dishes, Aiden noticed how easily they worked together. They had developed a natural familiarity that was testimony to their love. They went to bed early, slipping naked under the fragrant sheets of Jordan’s bed. Aiden wrapped his arms around her, and they lay quietly, face to face, for some time, each listening to the other breathe. Finally, Jordan let her hand slip down his hip, over his muscled groin. He groaned contentedly as he felt the fire flare up between them.
This time their lovemaking was slower and more deliberate. The frantic, almost egocentric passion gave way to a need to discover each other, to understand who this person they so loved was. To Aiden, it felt as though he was seeing Jordan for the first time and that she was more beautiful than ever. Her large blue eyes were more luminous. Her ample alabaster breasts, flushed pink with desire, seemed softer. The heat from her body was more seductive, all because he was learning who this woman was. He could read her now. He trusted his soul to her.
Jordan gasped as Aiden’s hand move down her belly, tickling her navel, skimming the surface of her skin as he sought the hot, wet place between her legs. She opened her thighs to allow him in. Aiden bent his head to that tender place between her thighs. The scent of her was intoxicating. He caressed her with his lips until she was writhing. He brought himself up and knelt between her legs, pushing into her all at once, seeking the hot vortex of her. In that moment, he wanted to possess all of her. He would have all of her that there was to have.
Jordan groaned and moved against his hips as he thrust into her again and again. They clasped each other as they would have clasped a life preserver in a flood, riding their own waves until their desire broke over them, drenching them both in a torrent of physical rapture, swirling their souls together as though they were froth on the tips of those waves of desire.
Aiden collapsed on her, trying to get as close as he could. He felt her relax under him, felt her hands resting so softly on his back. He rolled gently from her, careful to keep her cradled against him. He whispered in her ear, “I love you, Jordan. I love you.”
Her head rested over his heart, and she kissed him there. “I love you, too, Aiden,” she whispered back, just before they drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Fifteen
AIDEN WAS WAKENED sometime later by an odd, sharp cry. It was like nothing he had ever heard. Panicked, he pulled himself up out of his sleep, fighting his way up through the layers of unconsciousness until he could open his eyes. The room was softly illuminated with moonlight. He saw Jordan pulling on a robe and rushing out the door. Then he heard a ghastly, strangled shriek.
Aiden vaulted out of bed and across the hallway, into Grace’s room. Jordan was hysterical, throwing the bedding out of the crib.
“What is it!” he shouted.
Jordan wheeled, her eyes wide and frantic, the veins in her neck and forehead swelled and throbbing. She spoke in gasps of air. “Grace!” she gasped. “Grace! She’s gone. Somebody’s taken her!”
The room began to whirl. Aiden gripped the door jamb to steady himself. He turned, ran back into the bedroom, picked up his phone, and punched 9-1-1 with shaking fingers.
“Nine-one-one dispatch. What is your emergency?”
“There’s been a kidnapping. Send the police immediately!”
“What is the location, sir?”
“1020 Stage Coach Road. The Fitzgerald residence. Hurry!”
“Your name?”
“Aiden Stewart. Look, can you just hurry up!”
“Who has been kidnapped, sir?”
“Please, send somebody now!”
“Sir, who is missing?”
“Jordan Fitzgerald’s little daughter! She’s been abducted! Please, hurry!”
“We’re sending someone now. Please stay on the phone until they arrive, sir.” Aiden glanced at the phone and purposely terminated the call. He ran back into Grace’s room. Jordan was on the floor, her face in her hands.
“It’s my fault!” she sobbed. “It’s my fault! I opened the window when I put her to bed!”
Aiden reached down and brought Jordan to her feet. “I’m getting dressed,” he said. “It just happened. I’m going to look for her. Wait here. Police are coming.”
Jordan nodded automatically, and Aiden raced across the hallway. As he threw on his T-shirt and jeans, he heard the door slam and knew Jordan had taken off anyway. Quickly, he slipped on his sneakers and ran out into the night.
He could see Jordan at the far end of the yard, where the lawn was bordered by the woods. He was not familiar enough with his surroundings, but Jordan was. He ran and caught up with her.
“Did you hear a car?” Aiden’s voice echoed in Jordan’s head.
“What?…No, no, I didn’t.” Her teeth were chattering with fear and shock.
“Where are we? What’s beyond those woods?”
“I don’t know if anybody came this way. I don’t know why I ran out here. Aiden, I don’t know what to do!”
“What’s on the other side of those woods?” he repeated, putting his arm around her.
“There’s just a narrow strip of woods between here and River Street, the next street over.”
“I’m going in there. I might still find something.”
“You’ll stay right here,” said a quiet voice behind them. They both turned. John Giamo stood there, his young deputy, Tim Cully, in tow.
“John!” sobbed Jordan when she saw him. “John! Somebody’s taken Grace!” She slumped into Aiden, and he held her with both arms.
“State police are already on River Street, Jordan. Can we go into the house? I need to ask you questions right away. We have to act fast. Cully, you scan the perimeter here and then go through those woods until you’re on River Street. Check with State Police. See what they’ve found.”
The deputy nodded and jogged off toward the wood line.
“Let’s go inside,” Giamo repeated gently. He led the way, and Aiden followed, holding Jordan.
The police chief sat down at the kitchen table. Aiden pulled out the chair across from him and guided Jordan, who clutched her robe around her, into it. Then he pulled out a chair for himself and sat beside her. Giamo took a recorder out of his pocket and set it on the table.
“Clark’s Corner Police Chief John Giamo. Interview with Jordan Fitzgerald. May eighteenth, two thirty a.m.,” he said. “We’re taping this, Jordan.”
Jordan nodded, glad to have the police chief there, ready to help. She’d always respected him; now she was relieved to have him by her side.
“When did you find her missing, Jordan?” asked Giamo.
“About half an hour ago. I—I heard her cry! I heard her cry! John, what if she’s hurt? What will I do if she’s hurt?”
Jordan’s tears roll down her face. Aiden scooted his chair closer to her, his
arm across her shoulders. She leaned into him, finding comfort in having him with her.
“Shhh, Jordan. We’ll find her. We’ve got cops all over the place as we speak. You reported it right away.” Giamo reached out and put a large hand over Jordan’s small fist, resting clenched on the table top. Jordan nodded. She gave a shuddering sigh and wiped her eyes. Suddenly, she began to shake all over.
“Jordan, are you all right?” Aiden asked. Jordan nodded again, but her teeth were chattering. She couldn’t seem to control the shaking.
Giamo looked concerned. “Look, why don’t you just try to relax a minute. I’m going to get a call in to Cully and see if he’s found anything.” Giamo reached for his pager, and at that moment, a voice came crackling through.
“John, it’s Becky. Call in, please.” Jordan recognized the voice of Becky Dearborne, the local dispatcher and police department secretary. Becky knew everything of any importance that was happening in the town, day or night.
Giamo stood as he took out his cell phone and stopped the recorder. “Excuse me a moment,” he said to Jordan as he called in to the department. “I’m here, Becky. What is it?” He walked into the living room, but they could still hear his conversation. The cold hands of panic clutched tightly around her throat as she visualized her daughter in the hands of a stranger. “You say Caleb’s there? I’ll get down there right away.” He slipped the phone back in its carrier as he rejoined them in the kitchen.
“John, what is it?” Jordan held her hand to her chest, her breathing ragged.
“Becky got a call from Caleb Cochran. There’s a fire at Chat. The building’s on fire.” He paused, and Jordan could see his frustration as he slowly drew his hand down his face. “Dayton reported seeing a man lurking near the building, and he said he thinks the guy may have been holding a child.”
Jordan stood up. “I’m coming with you.”
“You’re not even dressed. Go ahead and get yourself ready.” Giamo was already on his way out the door. “I’ll meet you down there.” He closed the door behind him.
Jordan dashed to the bedroom as the flashing blue lights disappeared down the drive. It took all her energy to shake off the fear that had paralyzed her. She forced herself into her clothes and captured her hair up in a ponytail.
“She’s going to be okay, Jordan,” Aiden said as they rushed out the door to the car. “Grace is going to be okay.”
In spite of the leaden dread that threatened to sabotage any action she tried to take, Jordan’s heart lifted. Somehow, she believed this man. She believed that together, they could do anything, including finding Grace. For the first time, she was feeling the power of real love.
They jumped into the car, and Aiden sped down the road toward Chat. As they approached the building, fear nearly strangled Jordan’s new found hope once again.
The building was engulfed, with flames licking from the windows on the south end, along the far side of the parking lot. The scene was a melee of blue and red flashing lights, police cruisers, and fire trucks from neighboring towns. Jordan could hear men shouting. She felt Aiden’s hand close around hers.
“Where’s Giamo?” he said urgently. “Try to pick him out. We’ve got to know what they’re doing to find Grace and if these two things are related!”
As Jordan strained to identify the figures silhouetted against the flames, a crowd had begun to gather around them. Vernon Gray, in charge of electronics at Chat, was there. So was Dayton Phillips. Jordan saw him wiping at his eyes. Joan Halloran was there, standing beside Mr. Palmer’s oldest son, Dan.
“Jordan! Jordan!” Jordan and Aiden turned toward the voice, trying to peer through the darkness. Ashley was elbowing her way through the crowd. At last she reached them, taking Jordan’s hands in both of hers. “I heard, Jordan! Oh, Jordan!” She embraced her friend, then stepped back and looked at Aiden. “I have some information that might help,” she said.
“What is it?” he asked.
“I think Christopher Fenton is behind this. I did some research.” Ashley held up some papers with a shaking hand. “It’s all a house of cards! Fenton Industries is an empty shell!”
Aiden took the papers and began to go through them. Ashley went on, “The other day when Jordan saw Fenton, it set something off in me. You know how when you know in your gut something’s really wrong. It even kind of scared me. I started looking up things about him, you know, Googling him and stuff. I made some calls to Verizon and Comcast and AT&T. I asked did they know ChatDotCom was up for sale. I pretended I was you, Jordan. I’m sorry. Then I found out that all these big companies thought Fenton had purchased Chat already. I found out that he was negotiating to sell off Chat in three different deals to these companies. And I dug further, into his personal history. Jordan, he’s bad. He was accused of corporate espionage and fired from one corporation. Then he formed his own company, but it wasn’t really a company. He made some small deals, got some cash, and did all the rest with smoke and mirrors. His last deal before he tried to get us was with a company in New York City. I found that they have a lawsuit against him for twenty-five million dollars! When I talked to them, they said the DA thought they had enough evidence to charge him with insider trading and corporate espionage, and they were going to try to bring criminal charges against him! Jordan, he’s a phony, and he can’t sustain the lies any longer. He’s out of money and potential deals, and he’s desperate! That’s why he wanted your job at Chat! I think this has something to do with him.”
Ashley stopped to take a breath. Aiden took the papers from Jordan. “This is all tied together somehow,” Aiden said. “I’m taking this to Giamo. We’ve got to find out what they know about Grace.”
“They won’t let you across the bridge, Aiden,” Ashley said.
“Oh yes, they will,” said Aiden determinedly, but just as he started to cross, a man came toward them from the other side. The light from the fire illuminated him from behind: John Giamo.
“John!” cried Jordan running forward. “Have you found anything?”
Giamo took her hand. He was a father, too, after all. “We have a situation here, Jordan. I want you to listen to me carefully.”
Jordan reeled. She gripped Aiden’s arm and fought the nausea that overwhelmed her. “What is it?” Her mouth was so dry she could barely get the words out. Her heart pounded and fluttered at the same time. She felt faint and struggled to regain her composure.
“The fire is in the southwest corner of the building. I just talked to Caleb. He’s directing efforts by the firemen to keep it contained there, but it’s an old building. Caleb said there’s the danger of it going up the inside walls. The sprinklers have gone off throughout the building, so that’s a help. There’s about thirty firemen there now. Now here’s the problem: We did confirm that there’s man in there. A couple of firemen saw him run up one of the staircases after they broke through the wall of the outer office. Jordan, one of the men thought he heard a child crying.”
Jordan cried out and clapped her hands to her mouth. “No! No!” Ashley and Aiden supported her between them. “It’s Grace!”
“And I’m sure the man is Christopher Fenton, Chief,” said Aiden, handing him the papers that Ashley had brought. “Here’s his motive.”
“Fenton? You mean the guy who was trying to buy Chat?” Giamo took the papers.
“Yes,” answered Aiden. “He’s flat broke. It was all a sham. He was trying to negotiate a sale before anybody found out. I think he’s unstable. He must have snapped.”
Another fire truck arrived. Six or eight fully-outfitted men jumped out, dragging hoses behind them.
“Chief Giamo?” Ashley spoke up quietly. “Did you see Kyle? It’s—it’s his first fire.”
Giamo managed a small smile. “He’s sticking close to Caleb. Don’t worry, Ashley. Caleb will take care of him.” He turned again to Jordan. “Caleb is trying to divide his men. Some will contain the fire. The rest will fan out and try to find whoever’s in there. Jordan, we’re
doing the best we can. I can’t go in, and I can’t let my men go in. Caleb’s in charge now until that fire is under control.”
Jordan nodded. Her knees were weak and she felt sick to her stomach. Giamo’s radio went off.
“Giamo,” he barked.
“John, it’s Caleb,” came the crackly voice. Jordan could hear it clearly. They all held their breaths. “We’ve got this guy up on the second floor. The baby’s with him. I saw her. She seems unharmed, but I don’t see them now. The fire’s gone up the outside of the annex, and I’m afraid it’s reached the third floor and it might cave. I’m going in to get them out.”
“Careful,” warned Giamo. “He may be armed.”
Suddenly, a voice called out from the distance. “Stewart! Stewart!” Aiden looked around wildly, as did Giamo and Jordan. It was hard to see, hard to tell in the night air where the sound was coming from.
Then Jordan screamed, “Grace!” and, breaking away from the group, she ran onto the bridge.
“Jordan, stop!” commanded Giamo, but it did no good. Aiden started after her, with Giamo right on his heels.
Jordan had stopped at the far end of the bridge. The hot air, stirred up by the fire, was whipping her hair across her face. She was looking up as Aiden caught up with her and followed her gaze. The windows of the building had shattered under the heat of the fire. Flames flashed and jumped inside the structure, casting an eerie half-glow out onto the canal. Unidentifiable shadows loomed against the side of the building and danced crazily in frenetic patterns. Jordan strained her eyes, and her chest constricted with fear. There, on the old fire escape that hung out over the canal, stood Christopher Fenton. He clutched Grace like a ragdoll under one arm.
Jordan shrieked. “Please! Please, let my baby go! Please bring her back!” She turned to the police chief, now beside her. “John, do something! Do something!”
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