Apprehended (Amber Alert Series Book 3)

by Sara Schoen

  Every day he would come back with a paper, yell, and scream about how this shouldn't have happened, and then watch the news. He would be angry from the moment he came back home to the moment he left the next morning. He was upset that for almost two years he had gotten away with taking girls, and none of them had kicked up so much trouble that it was constantly over the nightly news, but now, everyone was looking for him. He felt watched in town, mostly because eyes were on everyone. They started to suspect everyone around them, not believing that someone in their area could be doing this, but wanting to find the man before he could strike again. He was quick to become angry and defensive when he came home because he had to hide it all day long, so I had to be on the top of my game.

  I had made a few mistakes, such as dropping dinner on the floor by accident, not having dinner prepared right when he came home, and sleeping in later than I was supposed to. Those would have been small issues to most people, but the stress was affecting Alec, and he took it out on me. Of course, the bruises would heal, but I wouldn't be able to forget the sting of his hand against my skin.

  The next few days, I made sure that I was perfect. I knew the stories about Steve Bennett and remembered enough of the man that I could act how I needed. While Alec hadn't been as personal with me as Steve had been with his girls, I knew that Alec was after the perfect wife, and for me to be perfectly obedient as he thought Steve had raised me to be.

  In his mind, what would make a better wife, than someone that was raised by Steve Bennett? Even if I didn’t give into everything that he wanted me to.

  For now, I just had to play along with that idea because it was the only thing that would save me. I'd die here, if I wasn't careful, and didn't follow his orders. Alec needed control, and while he wasn't as forceful about it as Steve had been; he would do anything to hold on to it, even kill.

  Alec had gotten into the habit of leaving the news on while we were having dinner. It was supposed to be silent, so if he spoke then I would have to answer and have a discussion with him. The case had his mind on other things than the fantasy he wanted to live out so badly though. They had a lead, and Alec had been fearful when they made the announcement. He raced from the kitchen table straight into the den to watch the television, and I couldn’t help but follow.

  "Have you found anything about the missing agent?" A reporter asked over the television, instantly gaining both Alec's and my attention.

  "Not yet, but we think that we have found a suspect that knows something, but may not think it's important," Kate stated, trying to maintain control over what she said and what the public knew. I knew that they had to keep it vague, but I was hoping that she would say something, anything, that would tell me they were coming. "We continue to ask people to call in and tell us everything they know, or tell us about someone that may know something, and may not see it as valuable information. All information for this case is valuable."

  I heard Alec chuckle and begin to mock Kate, saying that they would never catch him. He was cocky, but even that would run out if they got closer. He was still terrified, he had to keep his confidence up or he’d have nothing. He said that no one would come forward with information after having Kate discuss the information provided from callers on the news. They would all be too scared now because they didn’t want it announced, and he was right.

  It was a risk to ask others to come forward, no one in the area wanted to believe that someone they knew could kidnap and possibly kill a girl. They probably knew that he was going to be watching the news, and so they were asking others to report if they thought anyone had information. It would pass suspicion onto those people, but the neighbors wouldn't even realize that if their tip worked out they had helped catch the man.

  Whether this tactic was to spook him, to make him mess up, or to prevent a witch hunt, I wasn't sure. She had to watch what she said though, because if she said the wrong thing, it could insight a panic. Once people found out that there was a kidnapper among them, they would start pointing fingers at everyone, and it would only slow the police down. It would take manpower and resources away from finding the real man responsible, finding Alec and saving the girls. If she wasn't careful, those girls would be dead before they found us, and it would be all my fault.

  "What about the girls, where are they? Have any bodies been found?"

  "We have reason to believe that they are with the agent that was taken. No other bodies have been found, and so we believe that they are all still with him," Kate stated. She was about to continue talking, when the camera panned away from her as a police car rolled up to the station.

  A black car rolled up in front of the police station, a few feet from where Kate was talking. She tried to get everyone's attention back on her, but they were lost. The car door was forced open, and a pair of feet quickly swung out once the car was fully shut off. The reporters and bystanders moved toward the car as Callum got out and glanced around. He looked annoyed, and rather tired as he looked at the people around him.

  He shook his head as he moved to the back door of the car. He didn't look in the camera as he pulled opened the door, and reached in to grab someone from the back of the car. He yanked the person from the seat and sent them stumbling into the sights of the cameras, reporters, and bystanders, but made sure to cover his face from everyone.

  I didn't think much of it, but Alec had suddenly fallen silent. The laughter, and mockery that he made of the broadcast had halted. His full focus was on the dark figure that was being pulled out of the vehicle. His eyes were tight slits as he tried to zero in on the figure's face. It could be someone that he hadn't anticipated being caught, and it could mean the end of this.

  I tried to hide the excitement in my breath as Callum pushed the figure closer to one of the cameras. Alec got up from the table, trying to get a closer look, but Callum kept the man well hidden from the cameras. If this man knew Alec, he could lead them straight to the girls and me, but if he couldn’t then it would spell disaster for us. The girls were getting weaker by the day. I was risking more and more going down there to give them the meager amounts of food and water that I was able to give them. They each got about two cups of water a day if they shared it evenly. Then I had to worry about if Alec thought they were getting too close, or that they were starting to find people that connected back to Alec, he could take the chance and run.

  "Who is this?" A reporter asked over the chaos of voices that had risen. "Is he linked with the kidnappings?"

  Alec continued to lean forward, trying to get a look at the figure as Callum moved past the reporters. He never did.

  Callum moved past the reporters and cameras, he didn't answer them, he didn't look at them, he didn’t even breath in their direction. It was as if they didn't exist, or he was above them and didn't feel the need to bother with them. That is, until one of them got in his face. She stopped right in front of him, before he made it to the steps to the police headquarters, and now she had all eyes on her, including Callum's.

  "Can you answer a few questions for 19-News?" She questioned with a friendly smile. Of course, she didn't know that a friendly smile wouldn't win over Callum. Once he was focused, there was nothing to get him out of that mind set.

  "Move," Callum demanded. "I don't have time for questions. I have to find these girls, and you're currently in my way of doing that."

  There was a moment of silence before some bystanders grew angry with the reporter. They were screaming to let Callum go and to ask her question to someone else. There were parents waiting for their daughters, families waiting to hear from them, and reporters, at this moment, were slowing that process down.

  "Just one," she pushed awkwardly, suddenly unhappy with her choice to step in front of Callum.

  Callum nodded, hoping to wrap this up so he could move on with his day probably. This was an inconvenience to him, and he wanted to leave. I watched as he shifted his weight in a way that reminded me of meeting him the first time. I knew that he had groaned, an
d only agreed so that she would move at the end of her one question. I watched his facial features as he waited for her question. He was biting the inside of his cheek, he was nervous and anxious. He wanted to finish this, he wanted to be out of the spotlight, and he wanted to leave it up to Kate. Kate would be able to explain the case, what was happening, and everything that had changed. She was the one to go to for the case, not Callum.

  That's probably why the question caught him, and me, off guard because it had nothing to do with the case.

  "Is it true that you and the missing agent were romantically involved?"

  I felt my jaw drop, and my eyes widen in shock as her words met my ears. I knew I wasn't breathing, my chest was tight and unmoving, my lungs were begging for me to take a breath. I was desperately awaiting his answer, as was Alec. I could feel his eyes shooting between the television and me. I could feel the anger and animosity that he suddenly had toward Callum, and myself. He wanted to hear the answer as much as I did. If Callum wasn't careful, then I would be nursing another bruise tomorrow, maybe something much worse.

  Callum's face changed, his annoyance had vanished and was quickly replaced with shock, and the reminiscence of red racing across his face. "Excuse me?"

  "I asked if you and the agent who was taken were dating," the reporter repeated, holding her recorder closer to him, waiting for the answer.

  There were a few more moments of pause before Callum recomposed himself enough to answer. "I don't have those kinds of relationships with people on my team," he answered smartly. "You've had your one question, now move so I can get this man inside and interrogate him." He nodded his head toward the reporter and gestured for her to move.

  "But was this agent a part of your team?" the reporter asked as Callum walked past her. This time he didn't answer. "Wasn't she in another department of the FBI? She was put on this team because of her experience with cases like this, correct?"

  He ignored her and the stream of questions that erupted from the crowd about our possible relationship. I was stunned by the stream of queries on my position at FBI, my belonging on Callum's team, and since I wasn't technically an official part of his team we could be dating, but Callum didn't bother answering them. He kept walking, he didn't stop until he got to the door, and he led the man into the building. The cameras quickly flashed back to Kate, but she called an end to the meeting, and rushed off with the others to find out who the man was. Hopefully, he would help them find us.

  "I wouldn't hold your breath," Alec stated, pulling me out of my thoughts on the inquiries that Callum had just faced. "They took the decoy. He knows nothing, but with everything I've planted on him there's no way he will get out anytime soon. That leaves me plenty of time to ask about the question that reporter asked which had you and the agent so tense," Alec stated, turning to me to allow me to show the anger in his eyes.

  Chapter 20

  Alec had left earlier than usual this morning, so I took the time to gather more food and water for the girls. I hadn't been able to see them the last few days since Alec had stayed home for a few days after the news broadcast. They arrested the decoy he had set up to take the fall for him, but he still felt the need to be out of sight for a few days. I was hoping he wouldn’t have too much time off with sick days, but his excuses worked unfortunately and he was out of work for two days. He spent a majority of the time watching the news, and asking me about Callum.

  He wanted to know the answer that Callum had skated around with the reporter, but he was mostly worried about his decoy. While the framed man knew nothing about what was going on or where we were, Alec wanted to make sure he took the fall. Alec had planned to use him, and planted evidence for the police to follow, but now Alec was worried about them finding some possible connection to him. He was worried about video cameras, if they searched the house too thoroughly, they would surely find evidence that the man was framed. Little did the police know, they were playing right into his plan, and there would be no way to find him before he moved us; if he moved us.

  A shudder raced down my spine at the thought. Alec said that we may have to move, and I knew the chances of anyone finding us if we moved went down to almost nothing. He wasn't going to bother moving if none of the witnesses they had collected amounted to anything. There would be no need if there was no suspicion on him, but if the police started looking toward him, we would move. That meant I had to stall, I had to find some way to make him wait, all while hoping Callum could find us before Alec saw what I was doing.

  I sighed heavily before heading toward the stairs to see the girls. I knew they would have a lot questions, but I just didn't have many answers for them. I was sure that they could sense the growing tension in the house. Even though they didn't stay upstairs with us, they could certainly hear when Alec came home, when the doors slammed, and he started to yell and complain about the police. The sound of him rummaging and destroying dishes in the house, stomping around, and screaming must terrify them. They would know something was going on, but not exactly what.

  I would just have to find a way to avoid saying that Alec was going to kill them if we needed to move. He didn’t know that I was keeping them alive, they would be dead by now if I wasn’t giving them water and food, but he wouldn't have risked taking all the girls with us anyway. He only wanted me, and because now he had me they had out lived their purpose, but if he took me then they would die before anyone could come to help them. The only way they were getting out of this house was in a body bag.

  That’s why he sealed them in the basement when I agreed to come with him because if they left here alive, they could tell their story to the police. Alec wasn't going to leave a witnesses, especially one that could tell officers who they were, what happened to them, and identify him if he was ever caught.

  For a man like Alec, the best witness was a dead one.

  "Jessi?" I heard a voice croak out as I opened the door and slowly made my way down the stairs.

  I had barely made it halfway down the stairs before they realized who was coming. They were most likely terrified when they heard the door open, but they had to wait until I turned on the lights to see who was coming. Down here they lived in fear that Alec would come back. He had left them down here to die, and if he found them alive, then we would all be dead. I knew what would happen if we didn’t make it out of here, so I was determined to have at least some of us make it out.

  There would be pressure to change laws—that wouldn't help anyone—into effect. There would be curfews, dating laws, and other rules that were made to protect children all over again. Audrey and I had grown up with them, and to be honest, once they were gone I couldn't have been happier. While it's a difficult subject, my father would fight alongside Audrey saying that these laws were made the same way after a school shooting. They were made by fear.

  The laws prevented law-abiding citizens from obtaining and carrying guns, but were the men that did the atrocities law abiding in the first place? No, but the laws made people feel safer, and they didn't want to lose that sense of security.

  They didn't look at it from the point of view of the girls that were taken. The girls knew that nothing would have stopped the person that took them. Most times these individuals were determined to get the person they were after. Nothing would stop them, they were going to take them no matter what, and no law would have prevented it.

  Now we were looking at another Anna Cowles occurrence. If Alec wasn't stopped, more laws could be made, and that would only stop law-abiding citizens from doing these awful deeds. While some individuals felt more protected by those laws, they were actually more vulnerable because the men that kidnap and kill the girls to get rid of the evidence aren't law-abiding. They don't care about the laws made to protect citizens, because to them laws were made to be broken.

  No one would see it like that though. Not until it was too late anyway, at least not the ones that controlled whether the laws were put into effect or not. They would have to do something afte
r the events becoming a nationwide topic. They would make the laws and even though some would see an issue, most would turn a blind eye, but those laws would only cause more trouble.

  "Jessi, what's going on up there?" I heard Tegan ask pulling me out of my thoughts.

  I took a deep breath to calm my nerves before I flipped the light switch and caused all the girls to moan at the sudden light.

  They shielded their eyes, and turned away from the light as they tried to adjust their eyes. I glanced at them, skinny, pale, and sickly looking from undernourishment and the treatment they must have endured down here. I noticed that one of the girls was out cold, but still alive from the slow rise and fall of her chest. She wasn't going to make it much longer, and the others wouldn't be too far behind. Even with the food and water I provided, I knew that it was only a matter of time before they lost the will to survive. I had to give them something to fight for.

  The only thing I had to tell them was the truth.

  "The police have pulled in a suspect for the kidnappings," I stated as I handed the bread around. I watched as shock passed along their faces as they made sure each person got a slice of bread. There were a few moments of them glancing around hopefully at each other. Smiles spread across their faces, and for the first time since I met them there was hope in their eyes.

  "Is it Alec? Are they going to find us?"

  "No," I said, instantly watching the hope in their eyes vanish. I took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to erupt. The girls looked heartbroken, and it was only going to get worse. "It wasn't Alec they took in. It's a decoy he set up for the police to follow. It could lead them to us, but it will take a little while longer."

  There was a moment of silence as the girls took in that information. Two broke down in tears; crumbled to the ground and onto the mattresses that had been provided for them. The other one looked so stunned that she couldn't decide whether to cry or to bang her head against a wall. I couldn't blame them though, they had their chance of survival slip through their fingers and there was nothing they could do to have it come back. There was nothing I could do, but I should have seen where the conversation was going to go when Tegan spoke up again.