Nowhere to Turn

by Lynette Eason

  After each person petitioned God for safety, protection, wisdom, and supernatural protection for Simon, they ended the prayer with a unanimous “Amen.”

  Dani wouldn’t say she felt peace when they were done, but she felt stronger, ready to face whatever was coming and deal with it head-on. She was ready to get her son back and didn’t care what she had to do to accomplish that. Having God in her corner brought comfort.

  “Ready to go?”

  “Yes, please.”

  “I’m going to be right with you every step of the way.”

  “Do you think they’ll be watching?”

  “I have no way of knowing. Probably. We’ve left your cell phone on. Whoever it was that called has your number, and if he’s FBI, he’ll be tracking it.”

  She pulled in a deep breath. “Good.”

  Adam narrowed his eyes at her. “Good? Why? You’re not thinking of doing anything stupid, are you?”

  “Of course not. I just want my son.”

  “We tried to trace the number that called you, but it was encrypted, no way to track it.”

  She nodded. “I’m not surprised.”

  “Your phone, however, is traceable.”

  “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

  He gave her a slight smile. “Yes.”

  “With the intention of being able to track me if you needed to or were you planning on setting some kind of trap?”

  “No trap. I just wanted to be able to keep up with you should the need arise.”

  They climbed into the SUV and Adam took the wheel. Isaac and David followed behind. Adam drove to the bank and pulled into the parking lot.

  Dani shoved open the passenger door and waited for Adam to come around. He looked her in the eye. “Are you sure you can do this?”

  “I can do anything if it means getting Simon back.”

  “He could have been bluffing. He might be waiting for you in the bank. Keep your eyes open.”

  “I will.”

  “All right then.” He took her hand and helped her from the vehicle. She made a beeline for the glass doors. Adam kept pace with her, covering her from behind. “I think you’re safe for the moment.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because whoever wants those plates doesn’t want you dead.”

  “But as soon as I give them what they want, they’ll no longer have a use for me, will they?”

  “True.”

  “And Simon? Would they kill a child?” She coughed on the knot that formed in her throat.

  “I don’t know, Dani.”

  “They would, wouldn’t they?”

  “Right now, Simon’s still alive. Let’s figure out how to keep him that way.”

  “Yes. Let’s do that.”

  She took a deep breath and stepped inside the warmth of the bank, praying the cold pit of terror wouldn’t take over and render her incapable of saving her son.

  Joe lowered the binoculars. “They’re in the bank. Text Dani the message.”

  Butterfly sat beside him. Simon lay on the backseat. The kid was so weak with whatever virus he had, Joe hadn’t bothered to tie him up. And gagging him would only cause him to asphyxiate on his own vomit. He just hoped the kid didn’t puke in the car. That would really put him in a bad mood.

  Butterfly took his phone and texted Dani.

  We’re watching u. We have Simon. Get out of the bank alone. Any dumb moves and your kid dies.

  Joe held the gun against Simon’s temple and Butterfly snapped the picture while the kid trembled, eyes wide, face pale.

  Once Butterfly had hit Send, Joe lowered the gun.

  Butterfly opened the door. “I’ve got something to do. I’ll meet you at the warehouse.”

  “Where are you going? I might need help with the kid.”

  Butterfly glanced in the backseat. “I think you can handle it.” She slammed the door and walked across the street to the Sassafrass Boutique. A known place to acquire high-quality drugs. Joe gritted his teeth. He’d thought she’d kicked that habit.

  He sighed and settled in for the wait.

  Dani glanced at her phone when it vibrated. The text message notification zipped across her screen. She’d look at it in a minute. Right now, Adam was leading her to an official-looking bank representative.

  The woman looked up and smiled. “How may I help you?”

  Adam took the lead and she checked her phone. She held back her cry with effort. Adam was saying, “We’re here to retrieve the contents of a safe-deposit box.”

  “Certainly. I’m Heather Gillespie and I’m happy to help you. May I have your ID and key?”

  With a shaky hand, Dani handed over the items. Mrs. Gillespie scanned the picture and looked Dani over twice. “That’s a pretty drastic change.”

  Dani gave a self-conscious laugh. “I know. It was a spur-of-the moment thing. I’m letting it grow back out.”

  Mrs. Gillespie clicked a few strokes on the computer keyboard. “Glad to have you back in, Mrs. Harding.” She stood. “Follow me.”

  Dani gaped at Adam. “I’ve never been here,” she whispered.

  “Kurt was FBI, Dani, he could do a lot of things. Getting a safe-deposit box in your name probably wasn’t real hard.” He glanced at the woman walking at a jaunty pace just ahead of them. “Getting a fake ID and someone to impersonate you wouldn’t be any big deal.”

  “I can’t believe Kurt. This is just insane.”

  “Sounds like Kurt might have just had a little insane in him.”

  Her mind on the message, Dani gave an absent nod and stopped when Mrs. Gillespie pulled open a large steel door. She stared at the screen of her phone, the text message sending her heart into overdrive.

  “You all right?” Adam asked.

  “Yes, just hoping they’ll call.” It wasn’t a lie. She desperately wanted to see her son safe.

  “Right this way.” Mrs. Gillespie led them to box number 421 and inserted her key. She motioned to Dani. “Mrs. Harding?”

  Dani placed the key into the hole and twisted. Mrs. Gillespie removed the box and carried it to the room at the far end where they would be able to have privacy in case anyone else came in. “Take as much time as you need, Mrs. Harding.” She turned and left them.

  “Do you want me to open it?” Adam asked.

  “No.” She tried to steady her trembling fingers and couldn’t quite get them to cooperate. The text message played over and over in her mind. She felt Adam’s hands on her shoulders and turned to look him in the eye.

  “You can do this,” he said. “You’re a strong woman, Dani. You’ve come a long way. You’re a great mom and your son needs you.”

  She nodded. “You’re right. You’re very right about the fact that he needs me.” She lifted the lid and blinked. “It’s another box.”

  Adam pulled it out and set it on the table. While his attention was on the box, she texted,

  ?

  A simple question mark, but whoever was on the other side of the conversation would understand.

  The immediate reply told Dani it had been ready to send before she even asked the question.

  Bring everything. Pull the fire alarm in the hall and go out the door on ur left. A taxi will be waiting. Get in. He knows the address.

  Adam looked up. “It’s got a lock that can only be opened with the right sequence of numbers.”

  “Then how do I know I’ve got the plates?”

  “We’ll take it back to the office and I’ll bust it open.”

  “Right. Okay. Here, will you put it in the bag?”

  “Sure.”

  As he did, she checked her phone again. “I just want this to be over. I want to hold my baby in my arms again.”

  “You will. Let’s go.” He took the bag and she placed a hand over his.

  “I want it.”

  “It’s kind of heavy.”

  “Not as heavy as my heart. Let me have it please.”

  He passed it to her with a quizzical
look. “All right.”

  She pressed the bag with the box to her chest and wrapped both arms around it. Should she tell him about the message? “Adam—”

  “Yes?”

  A picture of the gun against Simon’s temple flashed across her mind. “Nothing. Let’s go.”

  He led the way.

  Dani followed behind, looking for the fire alarm. As she walked beside him, she glanced side to side, searching, her brain spinning. Tell him, her fear whispered. Agony scorched her. She couldn’t.

  The red-and-white box on the wall was just ahead. She moved closer to the wall until her shoulder almost brushed it.

  Almost there.

  Three more steps.

  And pull.

  33

  The alarm startled the woman in front of him so much, she stumbled. Adam grabbed her, steadied her. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes, I am. Thank you.” She patted her hair back into place. Adam turned to check on Dani.

  Only she wasn’t there. “Dani!” He spun in a one-eighty. Two doors. One to the left, one to the right. “Which way out of the building?” he yelled over the screech of the alarm.

  “There.” She pointed. “Where did she go? Why did she run out that door?”

  “I don’t know.” He bolted through the door and stopped, looked one way, then the next. He got on his phone.

  David answered.

  “I lost Dani.”

  “You what?”

  Adam winced. “The fire alarm went off and she disappeared in the chaos.”

  “Does she have the contents of the safe-deposit box?”

  “Yes.”

  David sighed. “They got to her.”

  Adam wanted to pound his head against a wall. “It was too easy. I should have suspected something when she wanted to hold the box.”

  “She decided to go out on her own.”

  “The only reason she would do that is if they threatened Simon.”

  “How would they get ahold of her?”

  “The phone I gave her. The guy has that number.” He sighed. “I let her keep the phone and answer it to give her a sense of control. She needed it.”

  “And now he’s contacted her without you knowing it.”

  “It looks like it.” Adam ran toward the end of the street, looked one way, then the next. No sign of Dani. He never would have thought she had it in her to go off on her own.

  “Do we have that number?”

  “Yes. I’ve got it.”

  “I’ll get a trace on it. The first thing he’ll do is take her phone, though.”

  “I know. Do it anyway.” He blew out a breath. “Where would he take them?”

  “I don’t know. We don’t even know who has her.”

  Adam’s heart constricted. “I know.” His phone beeped with an incoming call. “I’ve got to take this. I’ll get back to you. Let me know if you get anything on the phones.”

  “Will do.”

  Adam switched lines and headed for the front of the bank where Isaac would be waiting on him. “Hello?”

  “Ralph Thorn here.”

  “Hi, Ralph, I’m kind of busy at the moment.”

  “You’re not too busy for this.”

  “What do you have?” He climbed into the passenger seat and switched his phone to speaker so Isaac could hear.

  “I hand delivered that video to one of our lab technicians. I trust him implicitly. He’s my son-in-law.”

  “And?”

  “He managed to ID the man next to the door on the left.”

  “Who is it?”

  “Special Agent Joseph Duncan.”

  Shocked, Adam looked at Isaac. “Go toward East Main,” he said. “See if you can spot her.” To Ralph, he said, “Stuart Harding’s partner?”

  “Yeah. I decided to chance it and took the video to the Special Agent in Charge. He was … well, let’s just say outraged is putting it mildly. I’ve never seen him so furious. And embarrassed that these guys are a part of his team. He vouched for Kurt’s promotion. Word is filtering down that he didn’t follow up on some previous complaints about Kurt and now his own job is on the line.”

  “Is it really going to matter?”

  “In the long run? Probably not. He’ll clean house, but he’ll still be a part of OPR’s investigation. Too many people know what’s happened now. The only thing he can do now is be aggressive and work hard to arrest everyone involved and hope that’ll count in the long run.”

  “That’s good to hear, but this thing may go higher than those in that video.”

  “I know that. I’ve still got a copy.”

  “And I sent a copy to the governor early this morning,” Adam said. “I don’t know if she’s seen it yet.”

  Silence. “That was probably a wise thing to do.”

  “I guess we’ll see. Right now, Dani is missing.”

  “Missing?” Ralph’s voice sharpened. “You’ve lost her as well as Simon?”

  “Unfortunately, Dani decided to take matters into her own hands. She pulled the fire alarm at the bank and bolted out of a side door. They must have had a car waiting for her. I need access to the security video footage. And if I give you a number, can you get me the content of the text messages?”

  A sigh. “I need both phone numbers. I’ll have to get a subpoena.”

  “Dani and Simon don’t have much time. At the very least, Simon’s a missing child. I would think this would qualify as exigent circumstances. We should be able to get the information we need from the wireless carrier immediately. They’ll accept the subpoena later, so put a rush on it, will you?”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  Adam gave him the numbers even while his eyes roamed the streets for Dani’s familiar face and form. He probed each car they passed.

  “I’ll need some time,” Ralph said. “I’ll call you if and when I have something.”

  “Any idea where we can find Joe Duncan?”

  “We’re looking for him now. If you find him first, let me know, will you?”

  “Right.”

  Adam let out a breath. “Okay. We’re running out of time, Ralph.”

  “Yes. You are.”

  Adam looked at Isaac. “Go back to the bank. I want a look at the surveillance video.” His next call was to the governor to request her cooperation and ability to expedite everything.

  Dani sat in the back of the car and held Simon’s head on her lap, stroking his flushed cheek. His eyes had flown wide when he’d seen her and he’d started crying. She’d grabbed him and held him close even while her heart stuttered in fear, not only with the danger they were in from Joe, but from the fact that he looked really ill. “He’s sick, Joe. He needs a doctor.”

  Joe snorted. “Nobody needs a doctor. I’ve given him some medicine.”

  “What did you give him?” she cried.

  “Calm down. It was just some ibuprofen. He said his stomach hurt.”

  Miraculously, Simon was now asleep, leaning against her. At least she hoped it was sleep and not that he’d passed out. “Why are you doing this?”

  “Money.”

  Dani tried to settle on what to say. There was no way she was going to give him some speech about the sanctity of human life. She knew her words would fall on deaf ears. More deaf than Simon would ever be.

  So now it was up to her to get them out of this. “So what are you going to do with us now?”

  “We’re going back to my office—er, my other office—and I will decide what to do with you then.”

  “You’re going to kill us, aren’t you?” she whispered.

  He glanced in the rearview mirror at her and she read the truth in his eyes.

  Dani cleared her throat. “Okay, so then you won’t mind telling me what this is all about.”

  “Like I said, money.”

  “Whose money?”

  “Kurt’s. He wrote a new will and left everything to me. The will is in the safe-deposit box. The plates should be there too. I’ve alre
ady got a buyer for them.”

  “So this isn’t about the murder of Trennan Eisenberg?”

  “Yes. Actually it is. Trennan was the one who acquired the plates. He’d been paid well. Then he decided to extort more money in order to hand them over. I didn’t like the idea too much and neither did my partners.”

  “So you killed him?”

  “Only after he told us where the plates were. He knew he was going to die anyway. He gave up the plates so we’d leave his wife and kids alone.”

  “And you really left them alone?”

  “Yeah. She was clueless.”

  Dani barked a laugh. “So was I.”

  “No, you were spending the counterfeit money, you saw the murder. You were far from clueless.”

  He had a point. “So why did Kurt have the plates?”

  “He got them from Trennan. When he got back, he put them in his safe and ordered the man’s execution.”

  “Which Ryan Blanchard carried out.”

  “Yes.”

  Dani trembled hard at the complete lack of emotion in Joe’s voice. “Kurt moved them, though. The plates weren’t in the safe.”

  “So I found out when I broke into your house and opened the safe. Stuart said you’d cleaned it out the day you decided to run.” A muscle jumped in his jaw. “Guess you didn’t put the stuff back.”

  “I didn’t.” They rode in silence a few more miles.

  Adam watched the security video. “Rewind it.” Mrs. Gillespie complied. “Zoom in on Dani’s phone, will you?”

  “Of course.” She did.

  Adam glanced at Isaac. “See how she’s holding the phone? It’s aimed toward the camera. She left the phone face up on purpose.”

  “So we could see the messages.”

  “She got in a taxi. Let’s see the outside footage.”

  Mrs. Gillespie clicked a few more keys and maneuvered to the camera that would show the door Dani exited.

  “Back it up to the time she ran out the door.”

  She did.

  “There,” Adam pointed. “She’s going out the door and getting in the cab. She’s gone within seconds.”

  Isaac let out a sigh. “She may not even be alive at this point.”

  Adam couldn’t speak for a few seconds. He finally found his voice. “We’re going to go on the assumption that they’re alive and waiting for us to come rescue them.”