by Sharon Dunn
He heard Lacey scream.
“Shut her up before that farmer gets here.”
With his cheek pressed against the carpet, he saw feet moving toward where Lacey lay. His eyelids were as heavy as lead. He fought to remain alert. The darkness closed in on him.
* * *
Lacey tried to crawl away as Bug Eyes lunged toward her. He placed his hand over her mouth and slid out of view behind the seat. Up front, the driver rolled down the window. “Hey there.”
There was a pause and then an unfamiliar voice spoke up. “Is everything okay here?” That must be the farmer she’d seen driving toward them. His voice was filled with suspicion.
“Oh, sure. I’m just a little lost. I’m not from around here...trying to get to town.”
“Weren’t you with some other people?”
“They’re laying down in the back. We’ve been driving for hours. That’s why we were out in that field. I’m sure you saw us there. We just needed to stretch our legs is all. We didn’t mean to trespass.”
Lacey twisted from side to side, trying to escape. She reached her free hand up to claw at the man’s fingers. If she could just get his hand off her mouth, she’d be able to cry out. The man pressed even harder against her mouth.
Again, there was hesitation before the farmer said anything. “You sure everything is all right?”
“Oh sure, if you could just point me toward the nearest town.”
“Stageline is just up the road a piece.”
“Thanks.”
Lacey heard the window close. The driver shifted into Reverse. Bug Eyes released his hold on her and jerked her around. He removed a winter scarf from around his neck and used it as a gag.
He put his face very close to hers. “Just in case you get any ideas.”
Before taking his place in the front seat, he tied up Jude, as well.
After a few minutes, the driver spoke up as he glanced in his rearview mirror. “Would you look at that. That stupid farmer is following us.”
“What kind of do-gooder citizen is he?” Bug Eyes said.
“Well, I guess we got to go into Stageline or he’s going to report us. I was hungry anyway,” Broad Shoulders said. “What are we supposed to do with those two?”
“We could shoot them now and dispose of the bodies later.”
Lacey’s heart beat faster at the suggestion. Sweat trickled down her back. She pressed her head against the back of the driver’s seat.
“I can’t risk being caught in a car with two bodies. Mr. Do-gooder Farmer already thinks we’re up to something. He can identify this vehicle. He’s probably written down the license number. He knows what I look like. I’m not going back to prison. That was not the deal I made.”
“We need to have a plan here,” Bug Eyes said. “First thing, we shake Farmer Joe. Do you think he’ll give up once he sees we’re turning into town?”
“I don’t like being in the van with these two. This is way more than I bargained for. I was supposed to be out of the country by now. This whole thing is a mess. Get on the phone to the boss,” Broad Shoulders said.
Lacey listened while Bug Eyes told the man on the other end of the line what was going on. “Look, we’re being followed. This is way more than we signed up for. Way more than we agreed to. Okay fine, soon as we throw this guy off, they’re your problem. You need to get over here to this town... Stageline.” He turned the phone off.
The van picked up speed as it turned onto what must have been a paved road.
“Do you suppose that farmer has already phoned in to the law?” The driver sounded nervous.
“Could be,” the passenger said.
A tiny bit of hope blossomed for Lacey. The sheriff in Garnet knew what was going on. She didn’t know if Stageline was big enough to have any law enforcement. If a call came in, maybe the sheriff in Garnet would put two and two together and know where to look for them.
“All he has to go on at this point is his own suspicions. He’s probably following us to see if he can find a reason to report us.”
“I say we can’t take any chances,” Bug Eyes said.
The men drove on in silence. Several times Bug Eyes turned in the passenger seat to check on her and Jude, who had not stirred from being unconscious yet. He raised his gun in her direction to let her know she dared not try anything.
The van slowed down. They must have been within the town limits.
“Put that gun away,” the driver said. “I don’t want anyone seeing you with it through the window.”
“So what do we do now?”
“We told that farmer we were going to find a bite to eat, so let’s do that.” The turn signal beat out a droning rhythm. When she lifted her head, she could see some houses and a gas station.
The passenger twisted in his seat. The gun was in his lap. His face was red with rage. “Get back down.”
The two men were clearly on edge.
“I suppose it’s too much to hope for a drive-through in a town this size,” Broad Shoulders said.
“Over there.” The passenger pointed through the window. “You can get us some food to go. I’ll wait here and watch these two.”
“Is that farmer still following us?”
“He’s parked. Watching us from across the street.”
“Suppose he’s not going to give up until he sees at least one of us go inside,” the driver said. “Watch her close. I don’t want any chance that she can draw someone’s attention.”
Bug Eyes crawled back and put his face very close to hers. “Don’t try anything.”
“I’ll order something quick. I want to ditch these guys,” Broad Shoulders said. “This is the end of the line for me. I need to get out of the country before this whole thing blows up. Once I got that kid off the mountain that was supposed to be the end of my job.”
Broad Shoulders left the car. She wiggled snakelike across the carpet. She could just lift her head above the console between the seats.
“Hey, get down,” the man in the passenger seat said.
There was only one other vehicle in the parking lot and it was parked at the other end. She slipped out of view. It seemed there was no way to get anyone’s attention and no way to escape the vehicle.
With her bound hands, she reached out and touched Jude’s head, brushing the lock of golden-brown hair out of his eyes. Though she could see his pulse throbbing on the side of his neck, it concerned her that he had been out for so long.
She scooted a little closer to him, knowing they both did not have long to live.
NINETEEN
Jude awoke to the sound of Bug Eyes and Broad Shoulders talking. The tension in the van was palpable. Lacey sat with her hands tied. She smiled at him when he opened his eyes.
“I think that highway patrol car is following us,” Broad Shoulders said. “There is no way we can pull off and get rid of these guys.”
“There hasn’t been any place for him to turn off. It’s miles of straight road. Maybe he’s just headed in the same direction as us.”
Broad Shoulders sped up. “Wrong. His lights are flashing.”
Bug Eyes glanced in the side-view mirror. “We can’t be caught with these guys. This was supposed to be an easy job.”
“I don’t like this. I’m not going back to prison.” Broad Shoulders accelerated even more and then took a tight turn. “This is way more than I signed up for. We’re not that far from where the boss is. I say we shake this guy and make those two in the back his problem.”
“Okay, if that is what you want to do,” Bug Eyes said. He noticed that Jude was awake. He aimed the gun at him. “I’m watching you.”
Jude caught a glimpse of a sign that said they were in Stageline. Broad Shoulders took several sharp turns, weaving through city and residential streets. He drove for another ten minutes.
Br
oad Shoulders checked his rearview mirror. His shoulders relaxed. “Good, looks like we lost our friendly law enforcement.”
The van climbed a long winding hill and came to a stop. Jude lifted his chin. He could just see a garage door and a large cabin. A car that looked a lot like the one that had dropped Bug Eyes off was parked outside.
Bug Eyes opened his door and disappeared, then returned a moment later. Broad Shoulders rolled down the window.
“He’s not happy about seeing us. But he says bring them in. Hide the van in the garage just in case that cop gets eager again and starts to search this neighborhood.”
Lacey and Jude were pulled out of the van. “Put them in different rooms so they don’t get any ideas,” Broad Shoulders said. Lacey’s eyes filled with fear as they were both brought into the kitchen and then she was taken to another room. He was shoved in the room next to the kitchen. The man they referred to as the boss had yet to make an appearance.
The curtains were drawn in the room where he’d been tossed, and the lights were out. His hands were tied in front of him. Though his head hurt from the blow he’d received, he pushed himself into a sitting position. He wondered where they’d taken Lacey.
He waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. He was in the rec room of some sort of cabin. The heads of animals were mounted on the walls. He had been placed on a couch. There was a shelf with games and books and a big fireplace that took up most of the wall. There were no personal items anywhere and the decor, from the leather couch to the cow skin rug and the stuffed animal heads, suggested a Western theme. He speculated that he might be in a vacation rental.
He could hear an argument taking place in the next room. Broad Shoulders yelling about how he had already done the job he was paid to do. Jude heard stomping and a door slamming. A vehicle started up and peeled away.
He rose to his feet. His legs were stiff and numb. He pulled aside a curtain and stared out into darkness. Off in the distance, he saw the twinkling lights of several other houses. A car whizzed by, headed down the hill. That must be Broad Shoulders leaving. Even farther away was a cluster of lights that suggested a small town. Again, he wondered what had happened to Lacey. He tried to open the window thinking he might crawl out. He pulled the latch forward but with his hands bound was unable to lift the window.
Voices in the next room drew his attention. He stumbled across the wood floor. When he tried the doorknob, it was locked. He pressed his ear close to the door. This time whoever was talking must be right outside the door. He could hear them more clearly.
“We can’t do away with them here. It doesn’t matter that I didn’t rent this place under my name. My DNA is all over this place. There can be no link between me and their deaths because all of that will point the finger at me being involved with Maria’s kidnapping.”
Jude slid down to the floor. He knew that voice. George Ignatius. His words confirmed what Lacey had speculated about.
“Okay, so we move them and dispose of them,” said a second voice that belonged to Bug Eyes.
“They’ve seen too much. If law enforcement is out looking for them, we have to hurry,” George said. “Reed took my car. You’re going to have to take the van. Get rid of the bodies and get rid of the van. I’ll make arrangements for you to be picked up.”
Reed must be Broad Shoulders.
There was a moment’s hesitation before Bug Eyes responded. “So all the risk is still on me. No way.”
“I’ll make it worth your while.”
“There is not enough money in the world at this point.”
“Fine, I’ll help you,” said George.
“And double my fee,” said Bug Eyes.
“I don’t have much choice at this point,” said George.
One of them stomped across the floorboards coming closer. Jude darted back to the couch. The door swung open. George Ignatius stepped into the room and stalked over to where Jude sat.
Muscular and over six feet tall, George was an imposing figure with his jet-black hair and angular features. “You must have heard the conversation.”
“I get it.” Jude cleared his throat. “I’m going to die.”
George lifted his chin in a show of dominance. “Do you think I’d be standing here in front of you if that wasn’t the case?”
But it seemed as though George’s goons were losing their enthusiasm.
“Why did you hire me?”
“I had to make it look like I was trying to get Maria back even if the kidnappers threatened to kill her if I got the FBI involved.” George crossed his arms. “I have to say I’m impressed with you. I didn’t think a washed-up cop would get as far as you did.”
The remark was meant to hurt, but it didn’t. He knew he was no longer the guy who had given up on life. Being with Lacey had renewed his faith and his confidence. And all that they had been through and overcome showed him he wasn’t washed-up. “Why kidnap your own daughter?”
“She was never harmed, and she was never afraid.” George’s words sounded defensive as he took a step toward him. “My wife holds the purse strings. Let’s just say there were some big expenses she couldn’t know about.”
Jude could feel the rage toward George growing inside him even as he fought off the rising fear. What kind of evil man would put his own daughter through such a trial just to get money from his wife?
George narrowed his eyes at Jude as he leaned toward him. Even in the dim light, Jude could see the wildness in his eyes. Greed was a funny thing that consumed the hearts of men. “I hadn’t counted on that snowstorm stranding me and delaying the ransom drop-off and Maria’s return.”
“Where are your wife and daughter now?”
“They’re waiting for me back home. I needed to make sure all the loose ends on this thing were wrapped up. They think I’m on a business trip,” George said. “Soon as I get rid of you and that woman, we’ll be one big happy family again.”
Jude swallowed, trying to produce some moisture in his mouth. The rising panic would not own him, not today or any day. Adrenaline pumped through his body. He jumped up and, using his head as a blunt object, slammed into George’s chest.
It was wrong, immoral to do what George had done. A desire for justice gave Jude strength.
The move knocked George off his feet. He fell backward on his behind. Rage over what George had done surged through him. Jude jumped on the older man and pummeled him in the face and stomach with his bound hands.
He knew too that the rage was toward himself for having fallen for George’s deception. Bug Eyes ran into the room and pulled Jude off George.
George rose to his feet, squared his shoulders and brushed his sleeves off. “Get him and the girl loaded up. We’ll get to where there are no witnesses and the bodies won’t be found or connected to this place and then we need to make sure that van is sunk in a lake or set on fire.”
Jude twisted back and forth fighting to break free of the hold that Bug Eyes had on him.
George glared at Bug Eyes. “This wasn’t supposed to go down this way. You shouldn’t have come here.”
“We did the best we could,” Bug Eyes said through gritted teeth. “We didn’t know they’d put up such a fight.”
Jude sensed the tension between the two men.
“We’ll take the back roads where the van isn’t likely to be spotted,” George said. “Let’s go. We need to discuss the best way to get rid of them and get some things together. I don’t want to be linked to this.” He stomped out of the room.
Bug Eyes shoved Jude back in the room. Jude heard the lock on the door click shut as he slumped down on the couch. He was grateful that Lacey was still alive. Where they were keeping her, he didn’t know. Probably somewhere in the house in another locked room.
His head was still throbbing. He had to find some way to get Lacey and him out of here. There were hous
es just down the road. He rose to his feet, heading over to the bookcase that contained games and books. He walked the room looking for some way to cut through the rope that confined his hands.
The rock on the stone fireplace would maybe provide a sharp enough edge to free him. He positioned himself so he could rub the rope back and forth on the corner rock. How much time did he have? Ten minutes? Half an hour?
He had no way of knowing.
He rubbed the rope with a furious intensity. He could hear George and Bug Eyes arguing in the next room. The second man was demanding more money.
Dale and Mr. Wilson were killed by the man they called Reed. He hoped that man would not get away. Jude doubted the man who was still with George would turn him in no matter how mad he was about the situation. Only he and Lacey could tell the story that would put George and his associates behind bars.
He prayed that that secret would not die with him and Lacey. They had to get out of here and tell the sheriff all they knew and all they had seen. Justice would not be served until George Ignatius was behind bars.
* * *
Lacey stared at the ceiling in the bedroom where she’d been locked. She could hear two men downstairs arguing. Her hands were tied in front of her. At least they had taken the gag out of her mouth. She’d been placed in a chair. The curtains were drawn, but she could see through a slit that it was nighttime.
She’d watched them haul Jude away, but she had no idea where he was in the cabin.
She steeled herself and rose to her feet. She walked toward the dresser and pulled open a drawer, which contained a Bible and a brochure about the area. Apparently, they were in one of the guest cabins outside of Stageline. The guest cabins connected with a golf course and indoor swimming facility. She walked into the bathroom. Opening drawers with her hands tied was a bit of a challenge. She found nothing that would help her cut her hands free. The personal items in the shower indicated the bathroom had been used recently. In desperation, she kicked over the garbage can hoping to find a used razor. Nothing but paper. She looked around. The metal frame that surrounded the glass shower door was bent up in one spot. She placed her hands on it and sawed back and forth cutting through the rope.