by Beth Manz
Jim hissed through clenched teeth as the tape pinched his skin, then he turned to face the sheriff again, pulling his badge from his back pocket and flashing it at the man.
Kendall tipped his hat back on his head, a smile breaking across his face. "Now this is my damn good luck, isn't it?" He turned and whistled shrilly at his deputy, who still stood outside the front of the bank, looking off in the direction Cal's car had gone. The deputy turned at the sound of the whistle and the sheriff signaled for him to join him. "Will," Kendall enthused as his deputy reached him. "We got us a detective from Cascade as a witness!"
"That's great!" Will gushed, reaching out to grasp Jim's hand and pump it vigorously up and down. Dropping Jim's hand, Will looked over at his superior officer. "Claude, maybe he can handle this case for us." Turning back to Jim, he said--somewhat embarrassed, "We've never had a robbery in Deer Creek before, Detective. We're a little over our heads on this one."
"Gentlemen, please," Jim said, holding up his hands to stop their chatter. "I appreciate your situation here and I assure you I'll do everything I can to help you. But our first priority is getting those hostages back safely."
"Hostages?" The sheriff frowned. "I thought there was just the one--little Penny Tanner."
"The little girl... and my partner," Jim corrected.
"Partner?" Kendall raised an eyebrow. "You mean that long-haired kid who walked out with them? The one without a ski mask? He's a cop?"
"Must be undercover," the deputy muttered at the sheriff conspiratorially, nodding his head knowingly as he did so. "Most likely Narcotics."
Jim rolled his eyes heavenward. He didn't have time to explain about Blair, so he decided to let them run with their assumptions. "Yes, that was my partner, Blair Sandburg. You talked to him on the phone--"
"Yeah, right, Blair," the sheriff acknowledged, snapping his fingers. "Unusual name, don't you think?" He eyed his deputy. "Will, you ever hear that name before? Blair?"
The other man shook his head. "Not for a man, no."
"Yeah, me neither."
"Sheriff," Jim ground out, shifting impatiently on his feet.
"Listen, Detective," Kendall said before Jim could continue. "Like Will said, we're in over our heads here. I've called the State Patrol and I'm waiting to hear from them. Right now, I'm just praying those three will let that little girl go. That's about all I can do at this point."
"Penny Tanner will be fine," Jim said with confidence. "My partner will see to that. But you don't understand--they're not going to release Blair."
"How can you be so sure of that?"
Jim took a deep breath, worked hard to keep the anger and impatience he felt from his voice. "In order to gain their trust," he explained slowly, "Blair made them believe he wanted to join up with them. Made them believe he was just like them. As long as they buy his story, he's safe. But the minute they suspect otherwise--"
"Oh, I get your drift there, Detective," Kendall said, holding up a hand to stop Jim's flow of words. "That'd be bad, them finding out about your partner and all. We got an APB out on their car, but... well, until we get that call on Penny, I'm not moving."
"I understand your concern about the little girl and I understand why you wouldn't want to pursue them," Jim said. "But in the meantime at least put up some roadblocks. That's what the state troopers will tell you to do. That way maybe we can stop them before they leave this area with my partner."
Kendall shook his head and folded his arms across his ample chest and stomach. "Detective, the state cops are on their way. And they've told me to sit tight until they get here and keep all the witnesses in one place. And that's what I intend to do. That's all I intend to do." With that, the two men walked away, turning their attention to the other people in the bank.
Jim stared after them for a few seconds, surprised at their attitude. Blinking several times, he shook his head, then paced away, determination pumping through him. There was no way he was just going to sit by and wait for word on Blair. Exiting the bank, he jogged down the block toward his truck, where it was parked in front of the old diner. Unlocking the door, he reached in and pulled his cell phone from under the seat. He punched in the familiar number and held the phone to his ear, silently urging his call to be answered.
There was a brief click as the ringing stopped and the phone on the other end was picked up. "Banks."
"Simon," Jim greeting his captain, relief washing over him. "How fast can you get out to Deer Creek? I think I'm going to need your help."
/
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/
Blair braced himself as Cal brought the car to a skidding stop. Turning to look out the side window, Blair saw that they were parked near a phone booth. He surveyed the rest of the area quickly, taking in the surroundings--they were in a rundown section of what appeared to be a small town, an odd mixture of abandoned, boarded up storefronts and small houses crammed close together on tiny plots of land. Debris littered every yard and parking area.
"All right, Arnie," Cal directed, "Let the girl out. And make it quick."
Arnie did as Cal commanded without commenting, opening his door and exiting quickly. Pulling the seat forward, he leaned down and motioned for Penny to step out.
Penny, seated in the middle of the back seat between Emily and Blair, cowered back, pressing herself against Blair's body.
"Hey, hey," Blair soothed, pulling her close and smiling down at her encouragingly, "It's all right. We're going to let you out here and you can call your mom to come and get you. Okay?"
Penny stared up at Blair, frightened eyes wide and misted with tears. "Okay," she said at last.
"Here, let me get this tape off your wrists." Blair removed his arm from around Penny's shoulders and, smiling at her again, pulled his knife from his pocket. Carefully, he sliced the tape, leaving it on her wrists but pulling them apart. "Okay, Penny, all you have to do is go to that phone booth there. See it?"
She nodded, then looked down at her hands. She fooled with the tape on her wrists, hissing in pain as it pinched her skin.
"Just leave that on for now, honey," he said, gripping her small hands in his. Penny looked up at Blair again. "What I want you to do is go to that phone booth and dial 9-1-1. Just tell the operator who you are. Tell her to contact Sheriff Kendall in Deer Creek. Can you do that?"
"But I don't know where we are," she whispered, looking around. Panicked, she began to cry softly.
"Shhhhh, that's okay. You don't have to know where you are. Just stay on the line with the operator--that way she can trace the call. She'll know exactly where you are. Understand?"
Penny nodded, biting at her lip as tears slipped down her cheeks.
"Good girl," Blair encouraged. "Don't worry, honey. You're gonna be all right."
"Hey! We don't have all day!" Cal complained from the front seat.
Penny flinched back at the harshness in his voice.
"Cal," Emily spoke up, "She's a little girl. Don't be so mean."
Cal's only response was to rev the engine of the big car.
Easing the little girl away from him, Blair helped her step out of the car, then watched as Arnie climbed back into the passenger seat and shut the door. Penny stood beside the car, eyes wide, staring through the window at Blair. He smiled encouragingly and pointed toward the phone booth, then breathed a sigh of relief as Penny turned and ran toward it.
Cal shifted into gear and pushed down on the gas. The big car careened out onto the street, tires squealing. "Oh that's good, Cal," Blair observed sarcastically, "Don't bring any undue attention to us or anything."
"Close your mouth, wise guy! Just because I decided to bring you with us doesn't mean I'm gonna put up with your constant yammering!"
Cal drove through the narrow streets at breakneck speed, then turned onto a two-lane highway that quickly led them into a rural area.
"Now?" Arnie asked petulantly, gesturing toward the ski mask he still wore.
Cal glanced quickly into his
rearview mirror, then nodded tersely. "Yeah, we're far enough away from town now."
Blair watched as the three removed their ski masks. His initial worry over the fact that the trio was going to let him see their faces quickly gave way to surprise--they're just kids! He stared at Cal, then at Arnie, who had turned to smile at him. Cal was obviously the older of the two men, but he couldn't have been more than twenty or twenty-one. Turning, he looked at Emily, returning her warm smile with a weak grin of his own. I'll bet she's not even eighteen.
"So," Blair broke the silence, tearing his gaze away from the young trio and looking out the side window, taking in the wooded countryside, "Where are we going?"
"You'll see when we get there," Cal shot over the seat. "Just shut up and let me drive."
Blair settled back against the seat and stared out at the trees that lined the country road. It was getting dark, and he hoped they'd arrive at their destination while there was still some daylight left. He wanted to at least be able to see some street signs or landmarks. His gaze darted down to his backpack. His cell phone was inside. If he could just get a call out to Jim...give the sentinel his location...
"You know what, Blair?" Emily's voice penetrated his thoughts. "In a few weeks, Cal, Arnie and I plan to drive across the border into Canada and find a nice place to start over. Cal says that once we get to Canada, we'll be 'home free'!" She flashed a warm smile at him. "You could come with us, if you wanted to."
"Yeah, man," Arnie chimed in from the front seat, "That's a great idea. You're quick on your feet. We could use someone who's quick on his feet."
Blair gave Arnie a wan smile, then glanced over at Cal. His hands were locked around the steering wheel, his jaw set grimly. Oh yeah, Blair thought to himself, I can see Cal's really buying into the beauty of that idea!
"Canada, huh?" he said softly, shifting his attention back to Arnie who was still watching him, waiting for a reaction to his suggestion. "We'll have to see, okay?"
"What do you think, Cal?" Arnie asked, turning to face his friend. "Wouldn't it be great to bring Blair along when we go to Canada?"
"Not especially," Cal said, his gaze darting to the rearview mirror, locking momentarily on Blair. "But even though I don't like the idea, we don't have much of a choice--we have to take him with us. He's seen our faces."
"Cal!" Emily giggled, "Stop that! We can trust Blair."
"Sure we can, Em," her brother drawled, the disbelief evident in his voice. "Doesn't matter if I trust you or not, hotshot," he continued, directing his words to Sandburg. "You're staying with us until we cross that border. Then, if you want to go, fine. You can go. But until then, you stay with us."
Blair closed his eyes and leaned his head against the back of the seat. He took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly, purposely. Cal's talk about having to take him to Canada wasn't fooling him for a minute. This guy wants me gone.
/
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/
Blair sat up straighter in his seat as Cal turned down a long, narrow lane and switched the car lights off. Slowly, the car crept forward, Cal looking around him cautiously as he navigated the deserted street. He drove another quarter mile or so, then turned into a driveway and stopped in front of a double-car garage.
Blair strained his eyes, trying to see the house they had pulled up to, trying to locate a number--something he could use to direct Jim to where they were. Nothing. All he could tell was that the ranch-style home was fairly large. Blair took in the shuttered windows, the absence of exterior lights. It was deserted, as were the other houses they had passed. It appeared that the entire area consisted of summer cottages that had obviously been closed up for the winter.
As he looked around him, Cal slipped from the car and moved toward the garage. He slipped into a side door, then within a few seconds, Cal was pushing the door open from the inside. Finished, he ran back and slid behind the wheel. Putting the car into gear, he slowly inched forward into the darkened garage.
"Where are we?" Blair asked after Cal had turned the car off and gone back to close the door behind him. Arnie and Emily were gathering things up, getting ready to go into the house.
"Were at one of the summer homes near the lake," Emily answered him sweetly. "The owners are gone for the winter, and Cal says we can stay here for a few weeks and no one will ever know."
"Yeah," Arnie chimed in. "It's gonna be cool, like camping out."
"Camping out?" Blair asked.
"Yep. No electricity, no phone. Cool, huh?"
"Oh, yeah," Blair sighed without enthusiasm, stepping out of the car behind Arnie. "Cool."
Cal pulled a flashlight from beneath the car seat, then ushered them all into the house through a door that led into the kitchen. Guiding their way through the darkened house, Cal directed them into the living room. "Light some candles, will you, Em?"
As the room was slowly illuminated by candles Emily was lighting, Cal walked up to Blair and sneered at him. "See? You didn't think I had a plan." His hand swept across the expansive room. "Had it planned all along. We have everything we need for the next couple of weeks. All we have to do is lie low and let the cops chase their tails." He laughed. "They can block every road in the county if they want. We're not going anywhere."
"I don't get it," Blair responded. "We won't be safe here. The cops will do a house to house search."
Cal snorted. "Do you have any idea how many cottages and summers homes there are in this county? It would take half the National Guard to search all these homes. Besides, they're gonna think we headed for the border."
Emily walked up and smiled at her brother and Blair. "All done," she said, looking around. "Isn't this a great house, Blair?" she asked, looking up at him. "We're gonna buy a house like this one day."
/
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/
The light from the candles cast a warm, almost soothing glow over the living room. This would be nice, Blair mused, if only the circumstances were different...
"C'mon, Blair," Arnie urged him, pushing a freshly opened bag of corn chips under his nose. "Aren't you hungry?"
Blair gave him a weak smile and gently pushed his hand away, "Um, no thanks, man. I'm not much for junk food."
"Well, excuse us!" Cal spoke up, "If we'd known you were joining us, we'd have been sure to buy something a bit more to your liking." He glared at Blair for a moment, then tipped his beer can, finishing the contents in one large gulp. Setting the empty can on the floor, he looked over at Arnie. "Okay, man, let's pull out the cash, see how much we got."
"All right!" Arnie enthused, pulling the bag of money to him and opening it. Dumping the contents onto the coffee table, he slowly counted through the bills as Cal opened another beer and Emily scooted over next to Arnie, her eyes wide as he began separating the bills into separate denominations. Blair sat quietly, watching the three.
"Oh, man!" Arnie wailed after a few minutes, "That can't be right! Let me count it again."
Cal reached over and impatiently drew the money toward him. "Give that to me!" As he counted, his expression changed--slowly, hope gave way to a dark scowl. Finished, Cal pushed the money back down into the bag, then flung the sack angrily against the wall.
Emily moved over to her brother, put her hand hesitantly against his shoulder. "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?" Cal repeated with a bitter laugh. He shrugged off her hand, stood, and began pacing. "We got a stinking seven grand, that's what's wrong!"
"That's all?" Emily asked, her voice a shocked whisper.
Blair looked over at Cal. "Well, what did you expect to get, man? It's not like they let you into the vault."
"Shut up!" Cal screamed, turning and pointing his finger at Blair. "Just shut up!"
Emily began to cry. "What are we going to do?" she asked, looking up at her brother. "You said we'd get enough to be able to go to Canada and start over. You said we were finally going to have a normal life, a good life."
"That's right," Arnie added. "We can't
start over with that! And we can't risk robbing another bank around here. What are we gonna do?"
Running his hand through his hair, Cal paced to the end of the living room, muttering, "Just let me think. I can't think with all of you whining at me!"
/
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/
Jim sat at an empty desk at the Deer Creek police station, an area map spread out before him. Penny Tanner had been found two hours ago, calling from a phone booth from the next town. Blair was still missing.
A cup of steaming coffee was set down in front of him. He let out a long, tired sigh and looked up at Simon. The captain had arrived about half an hour earlier--the sight of the large man walking through the front doors of the Deer Creek police station had filled Jim with a sense of relief.
Jim wrapped his hands around the mug. "Thank you, sir," he muttered, grateful once again for the captain's presence. He knew Simon was the only other person in the room--perhaps in the entire county--who truly cared about bringing Blair back unharmed. The rest of these bozos are more interested in catching the bank robbers than finding my partner.
"I don't like this, Simon. It's been dark outside for almost an hour and we're still sitting here waiting for these clowns to make a decision about what to do next."
"Just calm down, Jim," Simon soothed, moving over behind the detective and leaning down over his shoulder. He pointed at the map. "What areas do the state cops have blocked off?"
Jim indicated the red marks on the map.
"And we know the suspects haven't penetrated them?" Simon asked.
"That's what I've been told."
With his index finger, Simon traced a large circle on the map. "So they've got to be within this twenty mile radius."
Jim rubbed his forehead. "Yeah, but from what I gather this area is filled with summer cottages. Hundreds of them."
"More like a thousand," Officer Ted Riley, the state patrolman who had been assigned to the case, spoke up. He stood before the desk, his face a mask of contempt. The man was built like a linebacker. Nearly as tall as Simon, he had at least forty pounds on the captain. "There's no way we'll ever be able to search all those places," Riley continued. "So until I have something to go on, right now we stick with the roadblocks and the APB."