by Iris Abbott
She jumped up from the bed and ran to the closet. She crammed as many clothes as she could fit into her suitcase. She would worry about the rest of her things later. She grabbed her suitcase and ran down the stairs. She’d call Abigail to let her know she’d gotten her memory back and have her friend check on her in the morning. Right now she needed to get out of this house and back to her own apartment. She knew Abigail had been keeping an eye on her apartment. She just needed to get away and be on her own. She would deal with everything else later if her memory was still intact when she woke in the morning.
****
Kyle frowned when he and Sarah arrived home for the evening. Caroline’s car was nowhere to be seen. And he knew she knew better than to wonder out on her own. It was just too dangerous. His gut clenched at the thought of anything bad happening to Caroline. Ever since she’d moved in with them she was always home waiting for them with dinner on the table. He’d gotten use to it. If he were truthful it had nothing to do with the food. He enjoyed coming home to Caroline everyday.
They walked into the house and the total silence was like a slap in the face. Deep in his gut he knew Caroline was gone. He rushed up the stairs and into the guest bedroom that Caroline had insisted on staying in because she wanted to set a good example for Sarah. He saw the open hatbox and the scattered objects as soon as he walked into the room. He knew the box had been bothering Caroline. She must have finally opened it today while she was home alone. Whatever had been inside must have spooked her and sent her running.
He righted the upside down hatbox and froze. A pregnancy test? That didn’t make any sense was Caroline pregnant and scared to tell him? They’d made love for the first time three months before. He’d used a condom at her insistence, but everyone knew condoms weren’t one hundred percent effective. The folder caught his attention. He opened it and noticed the date. It was over four years old. He recognized the name of the hospital. It was the one nearest his Atlanta office. He noted Caroline’s name as the patient being treated. He scanned down the page and felt the blood drain from his face. Caroline had suffered a miscarriage shortly after they had broken up.
He thought back to the last time he’d seen her before they met again in Florida. He remembered her persistence in trying to speak to him after he’d ruthlessly cut her from his life. Then he remembered how pale she’d been when she’d ran out of his office. He double-checked the date. The miscarriage had occurred that same day.
“Damn it! I should have listened to what she was trying to tell me.” The guilt weighting down on him was oppressive and nearly crushed him. He dropped to the bed and sightlessly stared at the papers in his hand.
“What’s wrong dad?” Sarah came rushing into the room when she heard her dad’s harsh exclamation. “Where is Caroline?”
His daughter’s voice snapped him out of the trance. “He looked at the open closet door and the remaining clothes hanging haphazardly on their hangers. Her suitcase was gone. He didn’t have to look any further to know she was gone as well.
His gut clenched as the reality of the cold bitter truth bore down on him. She was out there alone without protection and it was his fault. He had to find her and fix this fast, before it was too late. “She’s not here, but I need to find her and fast! I need you to stay here while I look for her.” He gave her a hard glare that showed he meant business. “I mean it Sarah! As far as we know both of you are still in danger from the kidnappers and I can’t look for her the way I need to if I’m worried about you too.”
“Okay,” the teen answered in a quiet voice. She didn’t have to be an adult to know that something was really wrong. “Just find Caroline and bring her home. Please.”
“I plan to,” Kyle promised. He brushed past his daughter and ran down the stairs. He stopped only long enough to make sure all the doors were locked and to rearm the alarm. Then he briskly walked into the garage and to his car. He started the engine and sat there staring blankly out the windshield. He couldn’t believe he and Caroline had made a baby together and he’d never known about it. He’d sworn after his divorce and bitter custody battle for Sarah that he’d never marry or have another child. He should feel anger at the thought of an unplanned pregnancy instead all he felt was a deep and mind numbing loss. He might not have been happy about the pregnancy at first, but deep down he knew he would have come to love the baby just as he loved Caroline.
That realization jolted him from his thoughts and back to reality. He did love Caroline. And he wasn’t about to lose her now! She had feelings for him too, he knew she did. When she couldn’t remember all the heartache he’d caused and the past wasn’t standing between them she had let herself feel again. The past few weeks they’d spent together proved that. She’d been warm and welcoming just like the Caroline he’d known in Georgia. He had to make her see that their time together had been important to him too. He wasn’t the same man he’d been four years ago. He was ready to love again and he loved Caroline. Now he just had to make sure she understood that!
****
Caroline thanked God for about the third time in as many minutes that she’d made Kyle have her car delivered to his house. She fumbled around her purse until she felt her cell phone. She knew it wasn’t the best idea to talk on her phone while she was driving, but she had to make this call. She also needed to put as much space as fast as she could between her and Kyle. That meant talking while driving.
Caroline slowed to a crawl and then came to a complete stop at the intersection. She had enough time to scroll down her contact list to find the cell phone number for Cole Duncan. Lucky for her he was friends with Abigail. Lucky for Caroline, Abigail had thought to program his number into her phone just in case she needed it! She pushed the send button and waited. A car beeped behind her and she realized she was holding up traffic. She looked both ways and eased across the intersection. The line on the other end was still ringing. After the fifth ring Cole’s voice came over the line asking the caller to please leave a message at the beep.
“Hello Cole. This is Caroline Johnson. I thought it might be important to let you know that my memory has returned. I remember that the guys that grabbed me were targeting Sarah to get back at Kyle.” She paused, “I don’t know anymore than that. Also I’m not staying at the Wakefield’s house anymore. I’ll be back at my apartment if you need me to answer any questions.” She left both her contact numbers and finished just as the machine cut her off. Satisfied that Cole would get back to her soon, Caroline closed her phone and continued the drive to her apartment.
Somehow through all the tears she managed to see well enough to make it back to her apartment. Luckily Abigail had been checking on it for her a couple of times a week, so it should be inhabitable. She found the closest parking spot to her apartment and trudged across the parking lot, gravel crunching under her feet. It was too late now, but she wished she’d gotten her memory back sooner. It was already starting to turn dark. And as much as she needed to be alone she was not looking forward to the isolation and darkness of her empty apartment. She really needed to check into getting a pet.
After the experience she’d been through with the attempted kidnapping being alone in a dark parking lot filled her with dread. She clenched her keys in her right hand and walked a little faster to the stairwell leading up to her apartment. She let out a big sigh of relief when she was safely inside with the door closed and locked behind her. She felt a shiver work its way down her body and she couldn’t decide if it was from the chilly January air or the ordeal of remembering everything including the attempted kidnapping, her breakup with Kyle, and the subsequent miscarriage.
She needed a long hot bubble bath. Not only would it warm her up, but it might also help sooth her fraught nerves. She double-checked the front door one more time to make sure it was locked. Then even though it was a second story apartment, she checked the windows too. Everything was still locked up tight. Satisfied that she wasn’t in any danger from the two maniacs still on the loose,
she started the water running in the tub. While it was filling she took off her clothes and pulled her hair back into a lopsided ponytail. She didn’t really care what the impromptu hairstyle looked like. She just wanted to keep it dry.
It was completely dark by the time she was finished with her soak. She was no more relaxed then before she got into the tub, but at least she was warm. She wrapped her body in the thick and comfortable terrycloth bathrobe she’d treated herself to this past Christmas. She went into the living room and turned on the television. Not because she really wanted to watch it, but because she just needed the background noise. After living with Kyle and Sarah for a couple of weeks, her too quiet apartment was making her nervous. She flipped through the channels and gave up. Maybe she would have better luck with music.
She found the remote for her CD player and soon the sounds of classic rock filled her apartment. The noise made her feel less alone and calmed her jagged nerves. She was in the kitchen about to fix a nice warm cup of hot chocolate when a loud banging on the front door caused the mug she was holding to slip through her fingers and shatter on the floor. Her heart was hammering so hard it must have been doing triple time. She began to run to her bedroom at the same time she heard the wood of the doorjamb start to splinter.
She reached the relative safety of her bedroom and slammed the door shut behind her. She turned the lock, but she knew it wouldn’t be enough to keep out whoever was literally busting down her front door. She knew it wasn’t Kyle. He might do a lot of things, but he would never intentionally scare her like that. She tapped her forehead. She had to think and she didn’t have time to waste. Her solid oak dresser grabbed her attention. Luckily it was along the wall right next to her door. She only had to slide it about five feet and it would be directly in front of the door. It might not keep out whoever wanted in her apartment enough to break down the door, but it would slow them down. In the meantime hopefully help would arrive.
She shoved and pushed with all her might until the dresser was blocking the opening to her bedroom. She heard a tremendous crash at about the same time and figured her front door was now hanging by its hinges. Her landlord was going to be angry and it would probably cost her a fortune to replace, but right now she had more important things to worry about. She ran to her purse and fumbled for her cell phone. She ran to the bedside phone and dialed 911. The emergency dispatcher picked up right away.
“911. State your emergency please.”
“Someone just broke down the door to my apartment and I’m trapped in my bedroom!” Caroline gave the 911 operator her address and apartment number. The lady asked her to stay on the line and Caroline agreed. Something heavy flung itself at her bedroom door. “They’re trying to get into my bedroom now!” Caroline screamed into the phone. There was no need to keep her voice down. She was sure whoever it was already knew she was in the apartment. The dispatcher told her to remain calm and to stay on the line, but Caroline was scared. The dresser started to wobble.
Caroline dropped the bedroom extension and picked up her cell phone. She hit send and her phone redialed the last called number. This time the sheriff picked up on the first ring. “Oh thank God! Cole, this is Caroline. I’m back at my apartment and somebody already broke down my front door and now they are trying to get into my bedroom!”
“Call 911,” Cole calmly instructed her. I’m on my way.”
“I already did that. The operator is on the other phone.”
“Good girl. Hang in there. I’ll be there with backup soon.”
It had better be soon Caroline thought as the dresser moved another inch away from the door. Suddenly the movement at her door stopped. She heard angry voices. She knew it might be a ploy to draw her out, but she couldn’t resist moving closer to the door to try and hear what was being said.
“Damn you Wakefield! This is your fault anyway,” Caroline heard a near hysterical male voice snarl. “My life has only gotten worse since you took over my company and ousted me.”
Caroline was surprised and then worried when she heard the familiar deep tones of Kyle’s voice answer back. “You did this to yourself Murphy. You ran your family business into the ground long before I came along. If I hadn’t taken it over, someone else would have. You’re a weak man. Why else would you target an innocent and defenseless woman and teenager instead of facing me head on?”
“Like you’re any better? You hide behind your cooperate lawyers and faceless nameless corporations whose sole purpose is to make a greedy grab for stock shares so you can raid smaller businesses.”
“I wouldn’t be able to make a greedy grab as you so eloquently put it if the company was well run,” Kyle taunted.
Caroline jammed her fist into her mouth to keep from crying out. What was he trying to accomplish by making the intruder even angrier? Obviously the man was unstable. Why was Kyle feeding his insanity?
“Caroline has nothing to do with my business or the takeover of your former company. Let’s leave her out of this and settle it between ourselves like men,” Kyle offered. “We can go somewhere else and discuss the situation.”
“The situation,” the man sneered, “is that you stole my family business, my birthright, right out from under me.” He banged his large body into Caroline’s bedroom door one more time. “And I’m not going to stop until I get it back!”
She let out a startled cry when the dresser skidded across the floor another couple of inches. Now there was a good-sized gap in the doorway. She could just make out the profile of Kyle standing by the front door and the red mottled angry face of the intruder trying to get to her. He was madly waving a handgun in one hand as he slammed his body against her door.
Her frightened blue eyes collided with the confident whiskey colored eyes of Kyle. This man had to be insane and this was the scariest situation she’d ever faced. It was worse than the attempted kidnapping. She hadn’t seen a gun then. She felt the warmth of Kyle’s eyes seep into her and lend her strength. She knew help was on the way. Maybe if they stalled him long enough, Cole could sneak up on him and catch him in the act of breaking the law. He had broken down her front door and he was armed surely that was a major crime. She recognized the man now and she knew this was definitely the driver of the van during her and Sarah’s attempted kidnapping. Even if they couldn’t link him in any other way to that incident there should be enough charges from tonight to put him away for a long time, if Cole hurried.
The intruder flashed the gun Caroline’s way and Kyle instinctively acted. He threw up his hands in a mock salute of defeat. “I would be willing to open up negotiations,” Kyle offered, “but not here and not in Caroline’s presence.” He was desperate to get that man and his gun away from Caroline.
That’s when Caroline realized that Kyle was trying to draw the crazed man’s attention away from her and totally onto him. She heard footsteps as the man moved away from her bedroom door presumably toward Kyle.
She couldn’t believe he was sacrificing himself for her. He had no way of knowing she’d called the police and Cole and that help was on its way. She ran back to her phone extension. The operator was still on the line. “Please tell the police that the intruder has a gun and that Kyle Wakefield is also in my apartment.” She dropped the phone and ran back to the crack in the door. She had to know what was going on.
Both men had their back to her. Kyle walked out of the apartment first. She saw that he was carrying her school bag in one hand. Before she could even question what he was doing with it pandemonium broke out. Everything happened so fast it was over in a blink of the eye.
Kyle waited until Steve Murphy was far enough away from Caroline not to put her in any danger. He tightened his hold on the heavy tote containing several stacks of papers and a couple of thick textbooks. The tote bag that had been conveniently sitting in the foyer of the apartment and swung! The heavy bag came crashing down on Murphy’s arm.
The gunman cried out in pain and the gun clattered to the floor. They both scrambled
for it and Caroline watched in horrified silence as the gun inched its way across the floor as each man made a grab for it.
Suddenly Cole Duncan and two of his deputies appeared in the doorway with their guns drawn. “Everyone freeze,” Cole ordered.
Kyle immediately stopped moving and held up his hands in a non-threatening manner and hoped like hell that the sheriff recognized him. Steve Murphy who had nothing to lose scrambled the last few inches to the gun.
Caroline felt all the blood leave her face and the edges of her peripheral vision were turning black. She screamed when Murphy turned the gun toward Kyle. That forced the gunman’s attention to her.
Kyle saw red! At that moment the thought of letting Cole and the other lawmen do their job didn’t even cross his mind. He just wanted Caroline safe. Before his former business rival could aim that deadly gun at Caroline, Kyle charged him. He’d been a linebacker in college after all. It may have been a few years, but he still knew how to take a man out of the game.
Caroline stood by helplessly while Kyle charged and then tackled the armed intruder. They both hit the floor with a loud thud. She was relieved to see that Cole and his men moved in immediately to take control of the situation. Caroline forgot all about the anger and resentment she’d been harboring for Kyle over the years. Her one instinct was to be by his side and in his arms. She shoved aside the partially dislodged dresser with a strength she didn’t even know existed. She rushed to Kyle and without a second thought threw herself into his arms. She hugged him as close to her as she was able. “I can’t believe you did that! I was so scared you were gong to be shot.” She pulled away from him far enough so she could poke him in the chest with her finger. Then she used her best teacher voice to scold Kyle. “You better not ever scare me like that again! I almost fainted from the fear. I lived without you for four years and I don’t want to ever have to live without you again.”