by Jenna Brandt
Erica let out a chuckle. “Well, I do love to shop.”
“And you’ve been saving up for a new car now for a while. You can just go buy your dream car without having to worry about how to afford it. You could buy the whole dealership if you wanted,” Lindsay pointed out.
“I don’t know, Lindsay. It seems so odd to take money from a man I never knew. If I keep it, what does that even mean?”
“I’m not sure, but I know if we pray about it, God can help you figure that out. He’ll help you make the right decision.”
Lindsay reached out and took Erica’s hands in her own. The friends spent the next several minutes praying about Erica’s situation. Afterward, Lindsay walked her friend to the door.
“I know I don’t have to say this, but please don’t tell anyone until I’m ready,” Erica implored. “I want to make my decision without anyone else interfering.”
“I understand. I promise, not a word about it will slip past my lips until you say it’s okay.”
“Thanks, Lindsay,” Erica said, leaning over and hugging her friend. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
As Erica drove the short distance to her apartment, she wondered what she was going to do. The word “billionaire” kept rolling around in her head, taunting her to make the decision to keep it. If she did, she would have to make sure she didn’t let it change her. Too many people who came into money became different people. She didn’t want that to happen to her.
One thing was certain, her life was never going to be the same again now that her father had re-entered her life, even if it was post-mortem.
Seven
Fatigue from the long night was wearing on Zach. They had been out on the mountain in the cold night air for several hours. The thought of leaving the young child lost out in the woods didn’t set well with either Zach or Aiden. They kept pushing through, hoping to find the boy alive and well, hiding somewhere. Both officers knew the longer the search continued, the worse the odds were of finding him alive.
The officers took a break in a clearing near the edge of Meadows Ridge. They gave both of their dogs water and a snack while they discussed the new search area while drinking water as well. It was important to keep hydrated and fueled for the search; they wouldn’t do the missing boy any good if they ended up having to quit because they didn’t maintain their own health.
“You think we’re going to find him?” Zach asked with concern. “With these high winds and rain, we’re going to lose any trace of him before long.”
“I know, which means we can’t afford long breaks,” Aiden stated, pushing off the rock before packing up the supplies. “I haven’t lost a kid yet, and I don’t want tonight to be the first time.”
Zach pressed his lips together and closed his eyes, trying to block out the one and only time he didn’t make it in time to save a child. He had only been on the search and rescue team three months, and it had nearly broken him. If it hadn’t been for his old partner, Brad Stockton, he would have quit that night. Brad, however, had convinced him that he could save the next one. When Zach did, it helped a little, but it never erased the loss of the first one.
Why did he have to think about Brad of all things? He avoided it at all costs, not liking the dark place it took him to. Zach realized he couldn’t help it because the loss of that little girl and Brad’s death were forever linked in his mind. He had barely recovered from the little girl’s death when Brad fell off that cliff three months later. Zach had almost called it quits again, the double loss almost too much to bear. The letter Brad left him forced Zach to stay and watch over Cooper and the Stocktons, though he could only do it from a distance, the pain never went away from the loss. It’s also why he hardened his heart, not letting anyone or anything get close enough to hurt him like that again.
“You ready?” Aiden asked.
Zach nodded. “Let’s go.”
They continued up the hill, both commenting on the fact they were surprised the eight-year-old boy would be able to get this far on his own.
A half hour later, the dogs started barking from up the way. As Zach and Aiden caught up with them, an old abandoned cabin came into view, poking out from the woods. The dogs were pacing back and forth, making it clear they wanted to continue searching inside.
“You both think he’s in there?” Aiden inquired.
The dogs barked in unison, looking up at Aiden with eyes that pled their case.
“If both Harley and Cooper are reacting that way, it’s a safe bet there’s something in there connected to the missing kid. We need to check it out and figure out what’s brought them here.”
Zach pressed his radio button, then said, “Dispatch, this is K-9 1. We have a possible location for the missing boy. We are three clicks north of Meadow’s Ridge. Cooper and Harley have lead us to an abandoned structure which they’ve marked as the possible location of the boy.”
“Copy that, K-9 1, keep us informed of the situation,” Deanna’s voice said over the radio.
“You ready to send in Cooper and Harley?” Aiden asked, pulling out his flashlight to get ready to enter after them.
Zach nodded. “But let me go through the door first. We have no idea what’s in there and I feel better with you pulling up the rear,” Zach stated, not wanting to admit to Aiden the real reason he wanted to go first. Every decision he made was in an effort to keep from losing a partner again. Even when he was training Aiden, he gave him the illusion of control, when in all actuality, Zach always kept a firm rein on the situation without Aiden knowing. If it meant taking a bullet to keep it from happening, Zach could make peace with that.
“Have it your way, Zach. Always got to be show-boating, even when there’s no one around to watch.”
The sarcastic statement stung, though Zach hid his reaction. Aiden’s opinion proved that Zach did a good job at putting on a cavalier façade. He used his nonchalant attitude to keep people at arm’s length, not wanting to get hurt again.
Zach pulled out his own flashlight, lifting and pressing the button to turn on the light. He tried the door knob, but as soon as he placed his hand on it, the door creaked open. Zach knocked and announced, “Clear Mountain Police Department, is anyone in here?”
Only silence greeted them in return. Next, Zach gave the command for the dogs to search, with Zach and Aiden coming in after the first area was cleared by the dogs.
They made their way through the small structure. Just as they entered the hall leading to the back of the cabin, the dogs started barking and circling at the end of the hallway.
Muffled sobs could be heard from behind the wall. Zach moved over and inspected the area. “Where is that coming from?” he asked, confused. They could hear the boy but had no idea where he was at.
“I think this used to be the door to another room,” Aiden said, as he pressed his hand along the wall. “But someone went to a lot of trouble to hide it.”
Zach got down on his knees and felt along the edge of the floor trying to find a way to get inside the room. He stood up with frustration and asked, “Do you think there’s another entry point from outside?”
“Possibly, you want me to take Cooper and go check it out?”
Something about the situation was causing Zach’s hair to stand on end. He couldn’t figure out why, but he knew something was definitely off about what was going on. There was no way the boy accidentally stumbled into this room. Not to mention, the boy had to hear them, which meant he was unable to speak or get to them.
“No, I’ll go out back. You keep looking for a way in through here,” Zach directed, knowing the house was secure. He felt better about leaving Aiden inside while he checked out the backside of the cabin.
“What’s gotten into you, Zach? It’s like you don’t want me to be in charge of anything with this search.”
Zach shrugged, trying to maintain his casual demeanor. “What can I say, I want to be the one to find the boy. You know that sort of thing carries a lot of weight down at The Lucky Pe
nny.”
“Of course, it’s about getting a girl for a night rather than saving a little boy’s life. I should have figured,” Aiden said with frustration. “Same old Zach.”
He decided to let the comment go and not correct Aiden. There was no way he wanted to relay his insecurities to his partner. It was better if he thought Zach was superficial rather than afraid for Aiden’s safety.
“Hey just ‘cuz you’re a married man, doesn’t mean I have to act like a prude too.”
“Ugh, just get out of here, Zach, before I go out back so I can get away from you.”
Zach took off through the back door of the cabin and made his way to the side of the house where the noise had been coming from. Sure enough, there was a door, but it was bolted shut with a padlock. The sounds of the crying child could be heard from this side too. What was troubling was that the lock confirmed someone took the boy and locked him inside.
“Dispatch, this is K-9 1. Send immediate backup to this location. We’ve found a locked room where we suspect the child is being held against his will. This is no longer search and rescue, but needs to be upgraded to a kidnapping in progress.”
“Copy that, K-9 1, we are sending all available units to your location. We are updating with a possible kidnapping suspect in the area.”
Before Zach could make a decision what to do next, Harley started barking beside him. He swiveled around to find a large man rushing at him with a knife in his hand.
“You can’t have him. He’s mine,” the man yelled, as he tried to drive the knife into Zach’s chest. Zach dodged the attack, stepping out of the way. The other man was quick though, and struck out again. This time, Zach wasn’t fast enough and the knife grazed the side of his arm near his shoulder.
Zach yelled in pain, causing Harley to attack the other man. His K-9 partner bit into the suspect’s leg and pulled him off of Zach. The man fell to the ground, curling up into a fetal position. Harley pounced on the man, holding him down with her teeth, despite the man’s best effort to get away from her.
“Get this dog off me. Get it off me,” the man yelled from the ground.
“The more you struggle, the tighter her grip is going to be,” Zach explained, pressing his left hand over the wound on his other arm. “You were pretty stupid to attack an officer with a K-9 assisting him.”
“I had to, I had to,” the man mumbled. “Sammy is mine. I’ve watched him for six months now, and I can’t have you taking him away from me.”
Aiden and Cooper came running out of the house and joined the group. Cooper came over and joined Harley, growling at the man who was still mumbling about the boy and their connection.
Aiden turned to his partner, noticed the wound, and asked, “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. It’s just a nick,” Zach said. “Why don’t you secure the suspect before he has another bright idea and tries to get away.”
Aiden went over and gave the command for Harley and Cooper to back off. He reached down and rolled the man onto his stomach, then cuffed him before doing a thorough search. He secured a second knife and set of keys.
“I’m betting one of these opens that lock,” Aiden stated, handing the set of keys over to Zach. “Why don’t you check while I read this guy his rights.”
“I’m betting you’re right,” Zach said, taking the ring of keys and searching through them until he found the one that matched the lock. Once he released it, he opened the door and went inside.
Bunched up in the corner of the dirty, cobweb-filled room, was a little boy. His hands and feet were tied and a piece of cloth was tied around his head, covering his mouth. His eyes were wide with fright as Zach made his way over to the boy.
“It’s okay, Sammy. My name is Zach and I’m a police officer. I’m here to help you,” Zach said, as he untied the boy’s hands and feet, then removed the gag. “How are you doing?”
“I’m scared,” the boy whined. “Is that bad man going to come back?”
Zach shook his head. “No, Sammy, my partner, Aiden, has him in custody. He won’t ever bother you again.”
The boy nodded, rubbing his hands where the ropes used to be. “Thank you,” he said, pushing the tears from his eyes.
Several other officers showed up and helped secure the scene while the suspect was taken down to the local jail by one of the other units. The medics from the ambulance checked Zach out before taking the boy to the hospital. His parents would meet Sammy there.
Zach rotated his shoulder, grimacing as he said, “Man, that’s going to hurt tomorrow.”
“You’re lucky all it’s going to leave is a nasty scar,” Aiden pointed out.
“Just one more battle scar for the ladies,” Zach jested. “They eat that stuff up.”
“It’s not funny, Zach,” Aiden stated with a scowl. “That was a real close call.”
Zach sobered up really quickly, and realized he almost did take a “bullet” for Aiden, or rather a knife wound. He was grateful that it hadn’t ended worse. “You’re right, Aiden, I was lucky.”
“You don’t always have to put on an act for everyone, Zach. I know that must have scared you. I know it would have if it had been me.” Then patting Zach on the back, Aiden added, “And for the record, it wasn’t luck. I pray for us before every shift, and I believe God protected you tonight.”
Zach thought about that for a moment, wondering if Aiden’s God really had kept him from dying tonight.
“You know, the offer still stands for you to come to church with me. I’m going this Sunday; you should come with me,” Aiden offered.
“Maybe some other time, Aiden, but I’m hoping this new incident will get me some action with the ladies this weekend.”
A sad look crossed Aiden’s face as he said, “You never know what the future might hold, Zach. You shouldn’t take for granted you’ll have another time. Besides, when that man attacked you, wasn’t there a moment when your life flashed before your eyes and you wondered if it was worth it all? What does your life consist of really, Zach? A long string of one-night stands and drunken nights at a bar. I mean, you’re great at your job, but you don’t have anything else in your life. Doesn’t that get lonely?”
If it was anyone else saying this to him, Zach would have been furious. Somehow though, Aiden was able to get away with it. Perhaps, it was all their time alone together on the job, or the fact, despite Zach’s best effort, Aiden was as close to family as he had ever gotten.
Zach sat down at the back of one of the police SUVs, as he slowly responded, “There was a moment when that man attacked me that caused me to wonder what I was living for. I always thought being a cop was enough, but in that moment, it didn’t feel like it.” That was only part of the truth. What he hadn’t told Aiden was that lately, he felt like he was drifting aimlessly around. He had purpose when he was at work, but when he wasn’t doing his job, Zach felt empty, like he was missing something.
“Exactly, Zach, I think part of you is afraid that if you go to church, you have to give up who you are. The truth is, God made you the way you are. He likes the funny, outgoing, crazy guy that is Zach. He doesn’t want to take that away from you. He just wants to give you more; more to live for and the chance to be more. I really hope you’ll think about going to church with me.”
Usually, Zach would reject his offer with an off-handed comment, but for some reason, the idea didn’t seem as off-putting as normal. Instead of saying no automatically, he decided to let the idea mull around in his head. Who knows, maybe church was exactly what Zach needed.
Eight
Erica made her way into Clear Mountain Assembly, grateful to spend the day in worship and fellowship. Today was her Sunday off from working with the junior high kids, and though she enjoyed it tremendously, she could use the break.
A week had passed and she was still as confused as ever about what to do about her sudden inheritance. The one thing she did know, the money could help a lot of people. Since she had access to it, the first
thing she wanted to do was donate to her home church.
Quietly, she made her way over to the sealed box at the back of the church and slipped in her offering. As soon as the envelope slipped from her hand, a warmth filled her heart. It felt amazing to be able to be so generous and bless the church she loved. She knew Pastor Steve and the church board would make the right decisions when it came to using the money.
“What are you doing back here all by yourself?” she heard Deanna’s voice boom from behind her. “Why don’t you come with me and get a seat.”
Erica jumped a bit, then turned to face her friend. “Oh, just dropping something off. Where’s your boyfriend?”
Deanna gave a lopsided grin to her friend as she shrugged. “Oh, he’s around here somewhere. Probably hanging out with Aiden and Connor.” Deanna had recently started dating Ted Hendricks, another officer with the Clear Mountain Police Department. Deanna was smitten and professed she knew he was the right guy for her because he was the only unmarried officer who didn’t hit on her at the substation. The fact that she had to pursue him made it clear he didn’t see her like a conquest.
“We should probably go grab seats. Lindsay said she would save us a spot,” Erica stated.
“Hayley and Brooke are probably with her. I was running late this morning. Wanted to look my best for Ted,” Deanna said, patting her red hair.
“You did a fantastic job,” Erica said with a smile. “You’re a knockout in that blue dress.”
“Thanks, I guess I picked the right one then.”
The friends made their way inside the sanctuary where all of their friends were waiting, including Deanna’s new boyfriend. A giant grin formed on the blond man’s face as she approached. He held out his hand to her and said, “I couldn’t wait to see you. I’m so glad you’re here.”
The group of friends greeted each other, giving hugs and high fives alike. Just as they sat down, Erica was taken aback when she saw a surprising figure making his way towards them.