by K. J. Dahlen
“I wish I knew,” Sebastian commented as he looked at the huge expansion of river ahead of him. They had been passing swampland and river islands all day. For all they knew, Tucker could be on one of those islands right now. Jesse had been searching as far as he could see around them but it would have been easy enough to hide a boat if you really wanted to. They had to hope that he was still making his way north to Hannibal.
“What do you think of our chances? Of finding him and Wyatt I mean?” Jesse asked.
Sebastian thought about that for a moment, and then nodded. “Actually, I think we made the right decision about traveling by river. We have the element of surprise on our side and in this sort of game, we need every advantage we can get. Besides, he doesn’t know we followed him by river, he won’t be looking for us until he gets to Hannibal.”
Jesse nodded.
Sebastian looked out at the river again and couldn’t help but think about Wyatt. He wondered if he was all right or if he was scared. If nothing else, Sebastian knew that Wyatt was aware of the fact that he was on his way.
“What do you think will happen once we get to Hannibal?” Jesse asked. His intentions of getting his cousin the help he needed were looking more and more like they would never happen, but he needed to hear Sebastian actually say the words.
Sebastian took a sip of his beer. “What do you what me to say? The man is a killer, cousin or not. I’ll do everything I can to bring him in alive, but I hope you understand that I can’t let him go.”
“I didn’t expect you would, let him go I mean. I was just wondering whether you would shoot him on sight.”
Sebastian shook his head. “I’ll bring him in and let the courts decide how to punish him. I’m a cop and its part of my job.” Sebastian leaned toward Jesse. “But know this, as a husband and a father I’d like to see him pay, personally, for what he’s done to my family.”
Jesse nodded. “You aren’t alone in that regard. The families of the seven other women he’s murdered all want justice too.” Jesse said it in a way that reminded Sebastian that other people had been hurt by Tucker’s actions as well.
Sebastian looked at the river and didn’t say anything as he got the boat underway again. He’d forgotten for a moment about Tucker’s other activities. All he’d been able to think about was his own family. He could feel the sands of time running out. The longer Wyatt was alone with Tucker the less Sebastian liked it. He looked over at Jesse and saw that he’d taken up his position with the binoculars. They were up far enough for Tucker to feel safe.
The sun was getting low in the sky when they rounded yet another bend in the river. The marker claimed Helena was only a few more miles up. Sebastian checked the gas tank and prayed they would make it that far. River traffic had picked up a bit and they were seeing more small settlements along the river banks.
Sebastian saw a gas and tackle stop ahead and as he pulled up to the dock,
Jesse jumped out and tied the boat off. Jesse had donned a fishing hat and a pair of sunglasses as wasn’t trying to make contact with anyone as he started pumping the fuel.
About mid-afternoon they’d come upon another houseboat and the owners greeted Jesse like a long lost friend. Again, Jesse had to pretend to be Tucker and fool the people Tucker knew as friends. It had been decided that to avoid that happening too much, Jesse had to stay below to avoid too much contact with people on the river.
As Sebastian jumped off the boat and ventured inside the shop, something caught Jesse’s attention. Off to the side of the boat something was bobbing in the water. It was a boy’s red baseball cap. Jesse snatched up the cap and looked it over, he found a name written in black marker. The name is Wyatt Sandstone. He stood up and looked around the area. The cap hadn’t been in the water all that long. The fabric wasn’t soaked all the way through.
Sebastian came up behind him and wondered what he was looking for. “Did you see something?”
Jesse didn’t take his eyes off the river but handed Sebastian the hat.
Sebastian took an invisible punch to the chest when he saw the hat. For a moment, he couldn’t breathe as he stared at the red baseball cap he’d bought for his son’s little league practice. Wyatt had been so proud of the hat.
“Do you see anything yet?” Sebastian growled without taking his eyes off the cap.
“No, but the hat hasn’t been in the water for too long. They must have come through here within the last hour or so.”
Sebastian looked up and down the river as far as he could see. “This is a big place. He could be just about anywhere.”
Jesse untied the lines holding the boat to the jetty. “We could park somewhere and have a look around.”
Sebastian nodded. “But let’s do it right. I don’t want Tucker to find us before we find him. Right now, he thinks he’s safe and I want him to go right on thinking that. We can’t afford any mistakes. I want my son back alive.”
Jesse nodded and got on the boat.
Sebastian started the engine and pulled it off the main channel. From where they sat, they could see just about every boat in the area.
* * * *
At that very moment, Tucker Briggs, his victim, and six year old Wyatt was parked for the night just down from where Sebastian and Jesse were staying. Tucker had half hidden the boat, as a safety precaution, and an old habit of his. He had left Wyatt and Kelly in the sound proof room, also a safety measure. Evening on the river was his time to reflect.
Tonight he was thinking about what he was going to do with the kid he had locked up.
He had called his good buddy Jasper Wiley when he hit the area and they were supposed to get together later tonight. Tucker had just come up on deck when he got a head’s up from Jasper. Tucker smiled as he watched his buddy climb aboard the boat.
Jasper Wiley was a river rat. He lived and worked on the river. He knew every bend and curve within a hundred miles. He always said the river was like a woman, always changing and never very forgiving. His tall lean body was tan all year around and as he climbed aboard Tucker’s boat, he had a bit of gossip to tell.
“Hey, good buddy, I hear you got woman trouble.” Jasper smiled at Tucker.
Tucker frowned. “I got what?”
Jasper laughed out loud. “I ran into old Bert on the CB today. He said to tell you to take good care of your boy. He also said that your cousin was by his place yesterday. He said he looked so much like you it nearly gave the old man a heart attack.”
Tucker’s frown turned into a scowl. “He said he ran into my cousin yesterday?”
Jasper nodded. Sitting a brown paper bag on the table he opened it, reached in and grabbed out a couple of beers. Throwing one to Tucker, Jasper settled into a deck chair.
Tucker caught the cold brew and began looking around the marina. If Jesse was at Bert’s place yesterday, he could very well be this far by now.
“Damn,” he exclaimed as he finally caught sight of the boat that Sebastian and Jesse were on. He watched as they continued to look over each and every boat in the area. It was only by luck that they hadn’t seen him yet.
Jasper looked at his friend in concern. “What’s wrong?”
Tucker stepped back from view. His mind was busy thinking about how he was going to escape. He wasn’t ready for the showdown with Sebastian and Jesse yet. “Where’s your boat?” Tucker asked Jasper.
“Why? What’s wrong with this boat?” Jasper asked in confusion.
“There isn’t anything wrong with this boat,” Tucker told him. “But I need to get out of here right now and if I take this boat out on the water ,I’m going to be found, and that is something I don’t want to happen. At least not yet.”
Jasper shook his head. “I don’t understand.”
Tucker smiled. “My cousin and I are playing a game. I have something he wants to get back.” Tucker leaned over the table and pointed to where Jesse and Sebastian were parked. “That’s my cousin’s boat. If I hang around here, he’s going to find me and
I don’t want him to. Not yet anyway.”
Jasper smiled slyly. “Do you need me to run a little interference, maybe get him to follow me for a day or so?”
Tucker shook his head. “No, he’d find you and probably arrest you. Just loan me your boat, wait a day or so and meet me in Hannibal. We’ll switch boats then.”
Jasper’s smile faded. “What the hell would he arrest me for? Is he a cop?”
Tucker grinned. “No but the guy with him is. Jesse is FBI.”
Jasper paled. “FBI? Are you sure you’re not in trouble? I don’t want any part of any trouble.”
Tucker laughed. “My Granddad set the whole game thing up. He wanted the two of us boys to compete in a race. The rules were that we both had to leave New Orleans at the same time,” Tucker lied. “Whichever of us beat the other to his farm in Hannibal first would get the lion’s share of his estate. I thought I was ahead of Jesse but he caught up. Just once I’d like to beat him at something.”
Jasper nodded. “I know the feeling. My older brother practically walks on water as far as the rest of the family thinks. I have the black boat moored over beyond those trees.” Jasper pointed away from where Jesse and Sebastian were.
Tucker smiled. The game just got a little more interesting. “Do you think you could distract them while I make my get away?”
Jasper nodded and slipped over the side of the boat. Tucker went below and unlocked the door to the sound proof room. He gathered a few things together and grabbed Wyatt. Glancing over at the closet where he had Kelly locked up, he smirked. Maybe he would leave her behind for Jesse to find. He would be grateful for that little concession anyway, even if it wouldn’t make any difference to Sebastian.
Hustling the boy off the boat and over to Jasper’s boat took little effort, and when he looked back to where Jesse and Sebastian’s boat was, he saw that Jasper had done what he asked. Jesse and Sebastian were looking in the wrong direction.
Tucker started the black boat’s engine and carefully maneuvered it out onto the river. He pulled away from the area and moored it downstream about five miles. Checking the area carefully he set the anchor. Peeking in on Wyatt, he noted the boy was still tied up. He knew the boy was too afraid of him to try anything, so Tucker felt safe in leaving him alone for a while. He wanted to go back and see what Jesse and Sebastian were up to. They caught him off guard today and Tucker didn’t like to be caught off guard.
Using the dingy, he made his way back to Helena and began looking around the marina. When he spotted their boat, he sat in the dingy and watched them for a while. They seemed to be settling in for the night.
Tucker knew he should be as far away from them as possible but he also knew the harbor was full of his friends and they would protect him if the need arose. All the people on the river protected one another from people coming out from the city. This way their way of life and most of them wouldn’t have it any other way. He was surprised that Jesse and Sebastian had come on the river after him. He knew it was Jesse’s idea and his plan had almost worked.
* * * *
Jesse shifted in his chair on the deck of the houseboat. He had an uneasy feeling that something was going on. What, he didn’t know, but something was niggling the hairs on the back of his neck and he knew he should be a little more alert. He looked out on the river and at first, he didn’t notice the little dingy parked not too far away from him. Then something splashed in the water and Jesse looked a little harder.
Out in the middle of the channel as plain as day sat his cousin Tucker. Jesse had to be sure so he got up and reached for the binoculars sitting on the consol. Raising them to his eyes, he focused on the little dingy. Catching his breath in a hiss, he watched as Tucker gave him a royal salute.
Jesse dropped the binoculars from his eyes and handed them to Sebastian. “Look out toward the middle of the river and tell me that you see him too,” Jesse told him.
Sebastian frowned and brought the glasses to his eyes. “Damn, he’s there. I can’t believe it. The fucker is just sitting there.”
“So much for the element of surprise being on our side,” Jesse said.
“Why is he just sitting there?” Sebastian asked, not taking his eyes off the dingy or the man inside it.
“I think he’s telling us that our being here isn’t going to bother him too much. He knows we can’t go after him in the dark,” Jesse suggested. “For now, he has the advantage.”
“Where is my gun?” Sebastian muttered.
“It wouldn’t do you much good anyway,” Jesse stated.
Sebastian dropped the binoculars and glared at Jesse. “Why the hell not?”
“Because even if you hit him, you’d lose the only chance you have of finding your son. In case you haven’t noticed, the boy isn’t with him.” Jesse pointed out.
Sebastian grumbled and brought the binoculars back to his eyes and watched Tucker for a minute or two. “What I’d like to know is how he knew we were here.”
“That doesn’t matter anymore. He knows and now, it’s a race to see who will win.”
They both heard the dingy motor start up and within minutes, Tucker was gone.
Chapter Nine
Sebastian was more than disappointed. He’d been within reaching distance and there had been nothing he could have done. Sebastian was getting more than tired of playing Tucker’s game.
Around midnight, something woke a dozing Sebastian. It was the ring of his cell phone. He was trying unsuccessfully to get some kind of rest for his weary body. He grabbed up the phone and when he whispered hello, he heard it.
“Daddy, are you there?” Wyatt’s voice was trembling and unsure, but it was the sweetest thing Sebastian had heard in days.
“Wyatt, thank god. Are you okay?” Sebastian spoke softly so as not to scare the voice on the phone away. He sat up on the edge of the bed. Tears of joy and relief burned his eyes.
“Yeah, I’m okay. Where are you?” Wyatt asked.
There was silence on the phone for a moment, and then another voice came over the line. “Yeah, Daddy, where are you?”
Sebastian’s relief hardened into rage as the sound of the other voice. “I’m right behind you jerk.”
Tucker Briggs laughed. “That’s what you think.” The call was abruptly cut off.
Sebastian reached over and snapped on the light on the bedside table.
Jesse groaned from the bed next to his as the light came on. Propping himself up on one elbow, he looked at Sebastian. “What’s going on?”
“Your cousin just called.” Sebastian growled at him.
Jesse sat up in bed. “How did he get your phone number?”
“He had Wyatt dial it.” Sebastian stood up and pulled his pants on. Grabbing his phone, he left the room.
Jesse joined him a few minutes later. He sat down quietly in one of the deck chairs and waited for Sebastian to speak.
“What is he up to now?” Sebastian asked.
Jesse reached inside his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. He usually didn’t smoke but the stress of the last few days had gotten to him. He waited until the cigarette was lit before he answered, “Tucker is playing mind games with you.”
“What?” Sebastian whirled around and stared at Jesse. “How do you know that?”
Jesse nodded. “Because that’s what Tucker does. He’s very good at them too. As a kid, he could manipulate people into doing things any way he wanted. He knew just which buttons to push. He knows that Wyatt is your button.”
“Wyatt is my son, not a button.” Sebastian growled.
Jesse nodded. “But to get to you, he’ll give you just a taste of your son then he’ll snatch him back. Tonight was that taste. Tucker will call you back but he won’t let you talk to Wyatt again, not until it suits his purpose.”
Sebastian was beginning to understand and he didn’t like it. “I wonder what he meant.”
“Meant by what?” Jesse asked as he flipped the cigarette over the side of the boat.
&nb
sp; “When I told Wyatt that I was right behind him, Tucker said that’s what I thought.”
“Damn.” Jesse swore.
Sebastian turned to look at him.
Jesse had a frown on his face. “That means he got ahead of us in the last few hours. After he left in the dingy, he must have pulled out. ”
Sebastian glanced at his watch. It was only two a.m. They had several hours until daylight. He looked north. At the moment the river looked serene, its gentle lapping, hid a host of secrets. Tucker knew those secrets and Sebastian didn’t. For the moment, Tucker had the advantage, but if he thought for a second that Sebastian was giving up, he didn’t know him very well.
“Do you want to try and follow him?” Jesse asked.
Sebastian shook his head. “He knows this river too well and we don’t. We have to wait for daylight, and he knows it.”
Jesse stood up. “I’m sorry. I wish there was something I could do.”
“Go get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. One of us needs to be alert.”
Jesse looked at Sebastian. “You need some rest too.”
He nodded. “I know, but I just can’t sleep right now. I’ll stay up here for a while.”
When he was alone, Sebastian had time to think. He sat down in the chair Jesse had vacated and stared out at the river. The serenity surrounding him calmed his raging soul but did little to quiet his thoughts.
About an hour later, his phone rang again. By that time, Sebastian had calmed down enough to regain his composure and he knew what was coming. He answered the call, “Hello.”
Tucker’s voice came over the line. “Isn’t the river peaceful tonight?”
“You know, I think I know why you travel this way. It is peaceful. Not like being stuck in the middle of the city, with all the noise and constant interruptions.”
“Yeah, out on the river, you can hear yourself think.” He hesitated, and then said, “You surprised me.”