by RJ Gray
"Nice going with the plain-clothed officer," he said, almost as if reading her mind. "I didn't kill him; I'm not that stupid. I did knock him out, though. He's in your garage, tied up. Now, here is what we are going to do. You are going to get on a pair of shoes, and you are going to get in your car. I'm going to get in the back seat so I am not seen. Then, you are going to drive out of the garage and head south toward the San Isabel forest."
"You don't want to do this," Addie said. "There is an entire team of people working on this. They will know you took me."
"Yes, I do, Addie. You see, when you don't show up to court on Monday, there will be no reason for me not to get Lindsey. There's no evidence I've been here or done anything wrong. I have been very careful. If there was evidence, your friend, Ben, would have arrested me already. God knows he has been snooping into everything I do."
Addie blanched, she couldn't help it. He knew everything.
"I'm smart, Addie. Smarter than you gave me credit for. Did you happen to come across my Master's degree in forensic science when you were digging into my past? No? Oh, that's right. That is under my former name."
"Your former name?"
"Yes. My former name. I changed my name after high school. You haven't found my juvenile record because it is under a different name. I set up an alert. Every time someone tries to search for my juvenile record, I get an email. When your detective friend decided to look me up last week, I knew. I've known all about your investigation, Addie girl. I've bided my time until the right moment to show my hand."
"They will find you. Evidence or no evidence."
"Maybe. Maybe not. By the time they find you girls, I will be long gone with Lindsey. Enough talking. Move!" He shoved the gun harshly into Addie's back. Slowly, she rose to her feet. She followed his directions as her brain tried to concoct another plan of action.
Brad's blood was on fire. He had to restrain himself from charging in and breaking every bone in Whitehall's body. He had trusted Ben and the police force, but he also knew that the civilian police force was limited and didn't have the training that the Marine Corps had given the special forces group he had led. He had hidden in Addie's closet after receiving the text that she was on her way home. Now, he stood five feet away from the monster holding a gun to his girlfriend's head. He listened to the conversation, waiting for his chance.
"What will you do to me? We won't get far. Ben will know that I've left, he has someone watching the house."
"I know he does. You're going to call him and let him know that you have changed your mind about this little sting and that you are headed to Annie's house. Tell him you're scared. Tell him you don't think I'm going to come, after all."
"But what are you going to do with me? People are going to miss me!"
"No one is going to miss you, Addie. You don't have anyone to miss you. You scared off Brad. Your parents are dead, and you were never adopted; no one wanted you enough to do so. You have no family. All you have is Annie, and she has no one but her grandparents. There isn't anyone who loves you enough to care. Don't worry, you won't be lonely with us. Now, get moving!" He raised the gun and nudged her with it. Brad was doing everything he had been trained to do not to give up his position, not to let the enemy know he was there, but this was harder than any combat he had faced. The woman he loved was in imminent danger. He continued to wait for his opportunity. Addie got up and walked to the front hallway closet, where Brad had been hiding moments before, and got out her tennis shoes. She put them on and grabbed a sweatshirt.
"What do you need that for?" Whitehall asked. "It's eighty degrees out."
"It gets cold in the mountains at night," Addie said.
"It won't be cold where we are going."
"Are you going to kill me?" Addie asked baldly. Brad was surprised at her audacity even in the face of danger.
"I'm not planning on it," Whitehall said. "I have a lot of things I want to do to your body, but killing it isn't one of them. Get moving!" He nudged her with the gun again. Addie walked toward the garage, putting a foot between her and Whitehall. As they walked by the hallway, Brad lunged. He tackled Whitehall, and the gun flew from his hand. Addie screamed as the men wrestled around on the floor.
Whitehall desperately flailed, trying to get to the gun. He wouldn't have the upper hand physically on Brad.
"Get the gun!" Brad shouted to Addie as he wrestled around on the ground with Whitehall. Addie snatched up the gun just as Brad's fist came slamming into Whitehall's face.
"She didn't scare me away, asshole!"
Whitehall was out for the count. Brad stood up and stepped away before he continued his assault and killed him. It literally took every ounce of self-control he possessed not to murder him with his bare hands. It was less than a second later, when the front door of her house shattered. Ben kicked in the wooden frame and rushed in the room with his weapon drawn.
"Give me the gun, baby," Brad said, walking over to where Addie stood.
She was trembling and staring at the gun in her hands as if she was holding a snake. Her eyes were wide, beads of perspiration dotted her hairline above her forehead. Her skin was void of all color. Brad worried that she might go into shock. Addie didn't answer or even look up. The click of the handcuffs drew Brad's attention to Ben. After handcuffing the still unconscious Whitehall, he radioed in for an ambulance before joining Brad by Addie's side.
"Addie," Ben said gently as he pulled on a pair of gloves. "I need you to hand me the gun." When Addie still didn't answer, Ben put a hand on her shoulder. "Addisyn!" He used a much firmer tone.
Brad was starting to worry.
"Huh?" Addie looked up at the two men, confusion crossing her features.
"The gun, sweetheart. Give Ben the gun now," Brad said.
"Oh." Addie handed the gun over to Ben, who quickly put it into an evidence bag.
"Are you all right?" Brad asked gently
"I'm fine," she answered. "I'm fine."
She sounded like she was trying to convince herself, but she sure as hell wasn't convincing Brad. He pulled her to him and wrapped her in his strong arms. The ambulance showed up for the officer Whitehall had knocked out. Another came, seconds later, for Whitehall, and Ben handcuffed him to the stretcher, sending two of his guys with him.
"I am so sorry, Addie," Ben said. "I had no idea he had put cameras in front of your house, as well. I failed you."
"No, you didn't, Ben. It isn't your fault." The neighbors had all spilled out onto the street to see what was going on and were gawking at them.
"I'm going to take her home," Brad said.
"I need to get her statement, first."
"It can wait," Brad insisted.
"No, it can't."
"It's okay," Addie said, stepping between them. "I can give you a statement, but can we do it somewhere other than here? Your office, maybe?"
"My house," Brad said. "I am taking her home. You can talk to her there."
"Okay," Ben agreed. Brad recognized that Ben knew him well enough to know when to not argue. "But, don't talk about it on the way home, deal?"
"Fine," Brad snapped out. Brad escorted Addie to the car, reached over and put her seatbelt on for her.
"I'm okay," Addie said.
He kissed her on the cheek and moved to get in the driver's side.
They drove to Brad's in silence. Brad was fuming. He wanted to do so much more than knock Whitehall unconscious; he wanted to kill him. He was angry that Addie was placed in that situation. He never should have allowed them to go through with the plan. He was angry with Ben for not keeping her safe. He was shaking with the fury that was overcoming him. He kept looking at Addie; putting eyes on her was the only way he trusted that she was really all right. When he saw her with a gun pressed up against her neck…the images that flashed through his mind were nearly his undoing. Brad unlocked his front door and flipped the Keurig on. He had a feeling it was going to be a long night. A minute later, Ben was there, and they were a
ll drinking coffee on his couch.
"He said 'us'," Addie nearly shouted out of the blue. "Whitehall said us! She's still alive!" The revelation had her jumping up from her place next to Brad and spilling her coffee all over herself. Brad quickly went into the kitchen to grab a towel before returning to her side. He didn't know how long it would be before he let her out of arm's reach, let alone his sight, again.
"What?" Ben asked, trying to follow Addie's sudden outburst.
"When he was talking about taking me to the San Isabel National Forest, he mentioned me not being lonely with, 'us'. The only person he could have been talking about is his wife, right? Lindsey isn't in the forest."
"Maybe he meant after Monday, since he thought he was getting her back?" Brad suggested.
"No! He meant now! We have to go to the forest! I'll get my shoes on!"
"No!" both men shouted in unison.
"We have to! We have to save her! She's there! I just know it."
"Addie, you aren't a police officer. It's dark, and the forest is dense. I will send some men up to look into it," Ben said.
"Sorry, Ben, but your men aren't the best at doing their jobs!" Addie said.
"That isn't fair, Addie," Ben replied.
"Well, she has a point," Brad said. "But, Addie, even the best trained men sometimes make mistakes and have the enemy get a jump on them."
"I want to go!" Addie said. "Right now! There's a kidnapped woman out there!"
"Out of the question," Brad said.
"I agree with Brad." Both men were shaking their heads at her. She had lost her mind if she thought he was going to allow her to go off into the woods.
"You aren't the boss of me!" Addie said to Ben. Brad watched his coffee covered girlfriend cross her arms across her chest before stomping her feet at his best friend. He wanted to laugh at the spectacle she was making of herself, but he knew he had to step in and take charge before she flew off the handle. He stood back up and grabbed her arm firmly with his, turned her slightly and brought his hand down firmly on her bottom twice. He made sure the swats were enough to get her attention.
"You are not going into the woods tonight, Addie," Brad said. "Ben will make the calls and get his men out there to find her." Brad noticed the blush climbing up Addie's face and knew she was embarrassed about getting swatted in front of Ben.
"When?" she asked as Brad guided her back to the couch to sit down between the two men.
"Tomorrow," Ben promised
"That isn't good enough! There's a kidnapped woman being held hostage up there! You have to do it tonight, or I'm going to find her, myself, no matter what you two say!" Brad sighed. His little volcano was about to blow her top. He reached over and pinched her inner thigh, hard.
"You will do no such thing. I'll tie you to the bed to keep your little butt in this house."
"Okay, okay!" Ben said, picking up his phone. "Transfer me to the forest ranger station at San Isabel." Ben asked the ranger if he had come across anything strange in the woods or if he had seen a storage container brought out in that general direction. One of the rangers had seen exactly what he had described, out on private property that backed into the forest. Ben called over to the state police department and asked for a patrol to check it out. He was finishing up taking Addie's statement when his phone rang. He answered it.
"Thank you," he said and then turned to Addie. "They found her. She's okay. She's bruised up pretty good, looks like her jaw might be broken, but she's okay." To Ben and Brad's astonishment, Addie started sobbing.
"She's okay?" she asked through her tears.
"She's okay," Ben reassured her, and Addie cried harder.
"Addie girl, this is a good thing. Why are you crying?" Brad asked.
"Lindsey," she said between sobs. "All I can think about is Lindsey." Ben and Brad exchanged knowing glances. Addie was one of the most selfless people either of them had ever met.
"I love you, Addie girl," Brad said, kissing her forehead. Brad held the woman he loved in a tight embrace, brushing her hair back from her face and kissing her gently. He would make sure she was never in danger again. His heart couldn't handle it.
Chapter 14
The trial had taken entirely too long to happen. Addie had been on edge for weeks. Brad and Addie had gotten very comfortable in their roles in the relationship during that time. When Addie started to allow the anxiety to affect her behavior, Brad immediately recognized what was going on and asked Addie if she would like a spanking to help her before she earned one. She had readily agreed…and agreed…and agreed. After a couple days and recognizing the benefits, she asked Brad if he would spank her every night until the trial. Sometimes, the spankings were gentle and loving. Other times, they were punishing and harsh. The type of spanking directly correlated to how anxious Addie was that day and how she behaved due to the anxiety. The spankings had ranged from just a couple of swats over his knee to long sessions involving implements. They had helped Addie feel centered. Being on the receiving end of a spanking allowed her to let go of some of the control, some of the gut filling anxiety that was building up, and to focus on something else, anything else. It was a great distraction. That was why, an hour before court, she asked Brad for another spanking. It wasn't just any spanking, either. She needed the belt.
Addie wondered if anyone could see the blush lighting up her face as she thought about what had just occurred. They had been at Brad's house, and Addie had just gotten out of the shower. The carefully chosen clothes for court were hanging up in the bathroom. She stared at them and felt the telltale signs of a panic attack starting in the bottom of her gut. With a towel around her still wet and naked body, she walked into the kitchen where Brad was. The shaking wasn't from the cold of the air hitting her damp body but from a deep need.
Brad was already dressed for the day, and Addie walked right up to him and started to unbutton his pants. She looked into his eyes as she did so and not at the belt she was trying to get loose. Finally, through trembling hands, she had it unbuckled. With a hard yank, she had it out of the loops. Folding it in half, she held it out to Brad. He took it, and Addie saw him searching her face.
"Please." The one word request was all it took. Firmly taking her arm, he walked her to the living room chair and pushed her over it. The towel was quickly forgotten on the floor as his hand came down on her bare, cold and wet butt. Without saying a word, he warmed her up with his hands before he brought the belt down. The pain did what Addie needed it to do. It bit through her defenses and sent shots of relief into her belly, releasing the knotted ball of anxiety, stress and fear that rested there.
It was as if Brad could read her mind and knew exactly what she needed. Pure domination, transferring the splintering pieces of her to him to put back together. She needed to feel his ownership, to know he had her and would hold her up. It was a craving. He must have known, for after the belt fell to the floor, he immediately mounted her from behind, driving his hard, throbbing cock into her soaking wet pussy. After her ass was on fire and her pussy was filled with his claiming, her shaking stopped. Only Brad could do that for her.
He had taken protector stance from the second they walked into the courtroom. Other than when she was on the stand, Brad was touching her. Addie was amazed at how in tune with her body he was. He rubbed her back when she started to feel overwhelmed with sadness, and he squeezed, firmly and sometimes painfully, when she started to say or do something inappropriate for the setting. She noticed how he gave her the look on more than one occasion.
It had been a tough go in the beginning. Mr. Whitehall originally made bail and immediately started to harass and stalk Addie. It only took Jeremiah ten minutes to find the device he had somehow managed to install in Addie's car. Luckily, the judge was quick to have him rearrested for violation of the protective order that Addie had taken out when she had found out he was being released. Whitehall had sat his ass in jail awaiting trial since.
The day of reckoning had finally come. B
rad had administered a hard spanking to Addie that morning, at her request. She squirmed a bit in her chair, remembering how the belt had bit into her tender thighs. Addie looked at Brad and felt his silent strength osmosed into her. It was as if having him by her side made her stronger. Addie was growing to love the person she was around Brad. The confidence he gave her just by smiling reassuringly at her, the way he nudged her out of her comfort zone to challenge her into growth, and his ability to stroke the embers of passion inside of her into a roaring fire had brought Addie a knew perspective of self. She was very aware of all of this as she sat beside him in the courtroom.
Both sides had allowed Lindsey to be interviewed via camera in a separate room. Their questions had been submitted to a child counselor, who then had an open dialogue with her, making sure to ask everything that had been requested. Addie was proud of Lindsey's resolve throughout the questioning. The girl had simply bloomed since her mother was rescued. She hadn't returned home right away. There was a transition period while her mother, Susan, healed physically and began the journey to emotional healing. That part of the healing process would be a longer one, but Susan was in counseling, and they now temporarily lived with her parents.
Whitehall's list of charges took up several sheets of paper. He faced attempted murder, attempted vehicular manslaughter, first degree kidnapping, assault, aggravated sexual assault and false imprisonment charges for what he did to Susan. He had been charged with stalking under Vonnie's Law, breaking and entering and aggravated false imprisonment for his crimes against Addie. There were a few other charges thrown in for good measure, but the district attorney assured Addie that even if he was only found guilty on half of the crimes he committed against the women, along with the use of the loaded handgun and the assault on the police officer, he would be sentenced to a minimum of fifty years in prison.