by Diana Palmer
Julie grabbed her bag and rushed out the door behind her boss, her pulse racing. Normally they wouldn’t be involved in a routine robbery case, but since Will’s photo had popped up, they had to look at every instance.
By the time they reached the convenience store, two police cars were on the scene, an ambulance was pulling away and spectators had gathered outside.
They jumped out, introduced themselves to the officer in charge, and listened while he filled them in. “Two teenage boys, both wearing black hooded sweatshirts, held up the owner at the gunpoint. Escaped with around five hundred in cash.”
Julie watched the ambulance racing away. “Was anyone hurt?”
The officer shrugged. “Nothing serious, but one of the customers tried to play hero and the oldest kid hit him with the butt of the gun.”
Julie’s chest clenched. If that was Will, then he’d just added assault and battery to the charges against him. The felony charges were racking up.
“Is the man going to be all right?” Chief Hurt asked.
“Yeah,” the officer said. “Paramedics took him in for observation.”
“Can we talk to the clerk?” Julie asked.
“Sure. We already have officers canvassing the area for witnesses now.”
“Good work,” Chief Hurt said. “Let me know whatever you find.”
They bypassed a couple of kids huddled next to their mother, obviously scared to death, then spotted the clerk talking to another officer as they entered.
“What happened?” Chief Hurt asked.
“Two kids, seemed suspicious, nervous when they came in,” the officer said, referring to his notes. “They waited until they thought all the customers had left then pulled a gun and asked for cash.”
“How about the man in the ambulance?” Julie asked.
“He was in the john,” the clerk said. “Came out and saw what was happening and tried to take the boy with the gun out.”
Julie grimaced. The teen would probably claim he was defending himself. But he’d still be charged.
Agent Hurt gestured toward the camera. “Did you record it on film?”
The man nodded, then the officer led them to the camera and flipped it back for them to watch. Julie grimaced as the images spieled onto the screen. Just like the other robberies, the boys had tried to hide their faces, but one angle caught the boy with the gun and it was the same boy in the other photos.
“Did they say anything?” Chief Hurt asked the clerk. “Call each other by name?”
The clerk rubbed a shaky hand over his chin. “Yeah, now that you mention it. The younger kid seemed scared, called the other boy Kyle.”
Kyle? Julie gritted her teeth. Either they were wrong about this teen being Will or he was using another name.
Her cell phone buzzed, and she checked the number. Brody.
She nudged Chief Hurt. “Excuse me, I’ll be right back.” Her finger itching to answer the call, she stepped aside.
“Julie, it’s Brody.” His voice resonated with worry. “I just saw the news report about that other robbery. Was it Will?”
Julie clenched the phone. “It is the same two teenagers in the other robbery,” she said. “But I told you we can’t be sure until we get DNA.”
“I know that,” he said. “But I saw the picture on TV.”
Julie hissed. This couldn’t be good.
“Brody, we’re at the scene interviewing the cashier now. She said the younger boy called the other one Kyle, not Will.”
A tense second passed. “So, he could have assumed another name?”
“Yes. It’s not uncommon for kidnappers to do that to their victims.” She hesitated. “I just wanted to warn you.”
“Warn me what?” Brody asked. “That whoever kidnapped him may have made him change his name?”
“Yes,” Julie said. “There’s no telling what Will has been through in the past seven years. When you see him, you have to remember that.”
She shuddered at the thought as a dozen different scenarios raced through her head. None of which she wanted to share with Brody.
* * *
BRODY’S LUNGS tightened as he realized the implications of what she’d said. Even if this was Will, he might not want to come home.
Hell, Will might not remember him at all.
“I’ve seen the stories about other abductions,” Brody said. “Where some kidnappers brainwash their captives, force them to forget their pasts. And in some cases, the kidnapper actually made them believe they were someone else.”
Her throat clogged with emotions. “That’s true,” Julie said. “So just be prepared.”
No…Brody didn’t believe it. Will would remember him. And he’d want to come back home.
“You asked for my help before,” Brody said. “Just tell me what you need, Julie. I’ll do whatever it takes to bring Will in.”
It was the only way to find out the truth about what had happened and save his little brother.
But would Will come with him when he did?
* * *
KYLE USHERED RJ into the old house. But as soon as he stepped inside, Father grabbed him and gave him a hard knock across the face. He staggered back, tasting blood, then his father cursed as he lunged for him again.
“You stupid little jerk, your face is all over TV.”
Kyle’s stomach lurched as he remembered what had happened to the last kid who’d gotten caught.
They had all paid for it.
And the boy—he’d ended up dead.
Of course his father had told him the boy had run off.
But he’d lied.
Kyle had seen Father bury him in the backyard that night. He’d seen another grave there, too. He didn’t know who was in it.
But Father would bury him back there, too, if he didn’t behave.
CHAPTER FOUR
Brody had never been to the TBI office, and was surprised at the interesting architecture and modern touches in the building’s design.
The inside looked spotless, with office spaces on various floors. But even though the building was sleekly designed, an ugliness permeated the rooms.
Bulletin boards were clogged with photos of various ongoing cases. Most of the agents wore dark suits and even darker expressions that made him wonder why Julie chose to stay in this world.
As a teenager, she’d loved animals and had worked on a ranch during the summers, grooming and exercising horses, and giving riding lessons to children. She’d also trailed after the local veterinarian and had talked about attending vet school.
But sometime after they’d parted she’d changed her mind.
It had to do with Will, he realized as the receptionist led him into the conference room where Julie sat with two other agents, both of whom were studying a wall of mug shots of young boys. The sight made his skin crawl.
And made him realize what he’d done to Julie by blaming her for his brother’s disappearance. Heaping that guilt on her had been unfair, but she’d obviously used it to inspire her to work in law enforcement just as he’d used his own guilt to inspire the BBL.
“Special Agent Whitehead,” the receptionist said. “Mr. Bloodworth is here.”
Julie glanced up, her face drawn, and emotions clogged his throat. God, he’d been wrong to lash out at her. To lay guilt on her for his wrongdoing.
She should have been taking care of animals, living on the ranch, not here in this world of constant misery and crime.
“Come in, Brody,” Julie said, gesturing for him to take the chair beside her. “We’re discussing the case.”
So his brother was just a case to them. But not to Julie. Now he saw the pain in her eyes. Pain he had put there by his own anger and guilt.
“This is S
ection Chief Hurt and Special Agent Cord,” Julie said, indicating the two men.
“Do you have something new on my brother?” Brody asked after they shook hands.
“We have a theory.” Chief Hurt pointed to the photos of the other missing boys. Brody took a visual sweep and counted a total of ten.
“You think these missing boys may have been abducted by the same person who kidnapped Will?” Brody asked.
“We don’t know, but it’s possible. We have agents reviewing each of the boys’ cases and talking with their families. The disappearances started about twenty years ago.”
“Which means some of the children would be young men in their early twenties now,” Julie interjected. “That is, if they’re still alive.”
Brody’s blood ran cold. “You think he keeps them for a while, then kills them?”
Julie shrugged. “At this point we can’t say. But the fact that this boy Kyle, if he is Will, is still alive, gives us hope that some of the victims are still alive, as well.”
“How could this guy get away with this crime for twenty years?” Brody asked.
“It’s possible that the kidnapper keeps his victims locked up most of the time. He lives off the grid, maintains a low profile, possibly holds a menial job, if he has one, so he doesn’t raise suspicion.”
Brody tried not to think about where the man kept the boys. Or what he might do to them in the dark.
“But I don’t understand.” Brody scrubbed a hand over his chin. “Those teenagers walked into that convenience store on their own. Why don’t they tell someone what’s going on and ask for help?”
Julie exchanged concerned looks with the other agents.
“Look, don’t hold back,” Brody said. “I can handle the truth. All I want is a chance to try and get my brother back.”
“There are different possibilities,” Julie said. “Sometimes victims fall prey to Stockholm syndrome.”
“Other times the kidnapper has threatened the victim, his family, or a loved one. The kidnapper keeps him isolated and terrorizes his victim, even abuses him or her. When he feels like he has total control, that he has successfully brainwashed the victim, he may give him the chance to prove himself by taking him out in public.”
“If this unsub, unknown subject, is now in his forties, he may not be employed anymore. Either he’s out of work for health reasons or he came close to getting caught or noticed, and he had to lay low. That may be the reason he’s forcing the older kids to bring in money by stealing,” Agent Cord said.
Brody noticed the little boy Hank’s photo on the wall. “You think that child was taken by him, too?”
Julie bit her lip. “We’re not certain, but it’s possible. Each of these children disappeared from a public venue like a carnival, public park, county fair, a rodeo—” She paused and met his gaze. “He may work at one of these venues. He’s friendly, fits in, doesn’t look like a criminal. That’s how he gets close to the kids.”
“So you can track him down that way?” Brody asked.
“That’s what we’re working on,” Chief Hurt said.
Dammit, they needed to work faster.
Julie stood then went to the board and gestured toward a map with pushpins stuck in various areas. “The convenience store robberies over the past few months also coincide with areas where children went missing, which also makes us believe they’re connected. Hopefully if we find this gang of robbers, it will lead us to other missing children.”
“How can I help?” Brody asked. “Do you want me to go on TV and make a plea for Will to come forward?”
“No,” Julie said, her eyes darkening with worry. “That might endanger Will and Tray, the boy with him. We don’t want to tip this guy off that we’re getting close to uncovering his identity.”
“Are you getting close?” Brody asked, his patience on thin ice.
Julie tensed, one hand worrying her jacket buttons. “We think so,” Julie said. “In fact, we’ve narrowed down stores we suspect may be targeted next and are placing undercover officers on surveillance duty to monitor them.”
Brody’s heart pounded as he imagined Julie in a car at night watching for a group of robbers to attack a store at gunpoint.
Cold fear knotted his stomach as he realized the danger she was putting herself in.
“Are you working these stakeouts?” he asked.
Julie’s gaze met his. “That’s my job.”
“Then I’m going with you.”
Chief Hurt and Agent Cord mumbled disagreement, but Brody stood his ground. “You have to let me do this. If you catch Will in the act, I may be the only one who can reach him.” He walked over and pointed to the board of boys. “You said yourself that finding him may lead to these other victims. You can’t afford not to let me go.”
* * *
JULIE KNEW Brody was right. But that didn’t mean she had to like it. This case was difficult enough for her—the guilt kept sneaking up on her at the oddest times and had kept her awake the last few nights—but the thought of working alongside Brody made her even more jittery.
Just breathing in the same air as Brody made her want him again.
“You know I’m right,” Brody said in that gruff voice that twisted her insides.
“He has a point,” Chief Hurt said.
Julie fidgeted. “I know, but it could be dangerous.”
Brody glared at her. “It’s not dangerous for you?”
He was practically daring her to admit that she was scared. “It’s my job,” Julie said, knowing Brody was one of those macho cowboys who thought he was tougher and rougher than any woman ever could be.
Agent Cord chuckled. “Hey, how about a truce, you two? The most important thing here is to stop this gang and find out who’s behind it. That is, unless it’s just a group of street thugs led by the older boy Kyle.”
“My brother is not a street thug,” Brody said, obviously irritated. “However he’s involved in this, there’s a story behind it, and it started seven years ago when he was abducted.”
“You still don’t know for certain that he was abducted,” Agent Cord said, raising an eyebrow. “He could have run away.”
“That’s ridiculous, Will would never have done that. He was a happy, well-adjusted kid back then.” Brody’s gaze veered to the wall. “And if the cops had done their jobs, Will could have been saved, and so could these others.”
“That’s not fair, Brody,” Julie cut in, her look tortured.
Chief Hurt threw up his hands. “Casting blame is not helpful.” He pivoted toward Brody, and crossed his arms. “I agree that if the boy with the gun is your brother, then you might be able to reach him. But remember, Brody, you are not an official law officer. You will stay behind the scenes and take orders from Agent Whitehead.”
Julie bit back a smile at the uncomfortable look on Brody’s face. He was accustomed to being in charge. Taking orders from her would probably make him change his mind.
But he cast her a look, his jaw tightening. “I’ll do anything to get my brother back, even if it means taking orders from her.”
Julie frowned, but Chief Hurt took the lead, assigning each of them different territories to cover.
“I have a friend in law enforcement who might be able to assist,” Brody said. “Detective Miles McGregor. He worked the Slasher case a few months ago.”
“Sure, I know him,” Chief Hurt said. “I’ll call him and catch him up to speed.”
The meeting was dismissed, and Julie summoned her professional demeanor, knowing she couldn’t allow herself to feel anything for Brody now.
He was a case, an unfinished one, but one that she needed to close.
And that was all he could ever be.
* * *
“SO HOW do we do this?” Brody ask
ed as he followed Julie through the hall and outside to her dark sedan.
“We pick up coffee, find a place to park, look inconspicuous and wait.”
Brody caught her arm as they made it to the car. “I… Thanks for letting me come along.” He wanted to say so much more. Tell her she didn’t have to put herself in danger to save strangers. That she should be taking care of sick animals, not carrying a gun and putting herself in the line of fire.
But she shrugged off his touch as if she was annoyed to have him along, then climbed in the car and started the engine. By the time he fastened his seat belt she’d pulled into traffic, a thick silence falling between them.
He couldn’t stand the quiet. Couldn’t stand knowing that she rode these streets alone looking for criminals.
That she could get herself killed.
Then he reminded himself that he hadn’t seen her in seven years. She might be involved with someone else now, might even be married.
A quick check to her ring finger though and he didn’t spot a ring.
Julie pulled through a doughnut shop, ordered two coffees and an assortment of doughnuts, then handed him his coffee. For the next two hours, they staked out a convenience store. The conversation was stilted, the air filed with tension every time they watched someone enter the store.
A black teen wearing a hoodie entered, a white kid beside him, and Brody sat up straighter, watching through Julie’s extra set of binoculars as they combed through the store.
“Think they’re canvassing it?” he finally asked.
Julie sighed. “Maybe.”
The boys approached an older man, passed him a few bucks, then the guy bought a six-pack of beer, and carried it outside. The kids bought a bag of chips and pretzels, then met the older guy on the curb and raced off with the beer.
“You going to bust them?” Brody asked.
Julie shook her head. “Not worth it. Besides we can’t draw attention to the fact that we’re here.”
Right. They were waiting for the bigger fish.
Nerves climbed his neck. “How do you do this all the time?” he asked.
“This is not all I do,” she said, her eyes still trained on the store.