“Do you think he has Lainey?” she asked, her face pale.
“It’s a very good possibility, but he’s definitely not the person on the Walmart video,” Dustin said. “Popov is twice that man’s size and very muscular
“Well, I’ve never heard the name before,” Beth replied and then grabbed her phone again. She pulled up Mike’s phone number and gave it to him.
“And where is he supposed to be now?” Dustin asked, scribbling the number down.
“On his way back,” she replied, looking at the time. “From Madison. He should be here in about an hour.”
“Okay. Let me get this information to Jeremy and we’ll see if he can verify that Mike really was in Colorado, the day Lainey disappeared, and if he’s used his credit card anywhere in Wisconsin the last couple of days.” Dustin took out his cell phone and began dialing.
Beth looked at Carissa, a tortured expression on her face. “If he’s involved, I just don’t know if I’ll be able to handle it.”
“You will. Your daughter needs you to,” she replied softly.
Chapter 26
Lainey
AFTER TARA LEFT, Lainey and Sammy heard Kurt calling out for them.
“Children! We know you’re inside. You’d better get your asses out here before someone else gets hurt!”
His voice grew closer and Lainey began to whimper in fear.
“Shush,” whispered Sammy, also frightened. “They’ll hear you.”
She put her hand over her mouth and closed her eyes, expecting that any minute, the closet door would open up and Kurt would find them.
“Yury! They’re outside!” hollered Kurt suddenly.
Lainey didn’t understand exactly what was happening, but she could hear Kurt’s footsteps as he raced down the hallway and farther away.
“Who is outside?” whispered Lainey, confused.
“I don’t know. Maybe he saw Tara?” he replied.
“He said ‘they’. Not ‘her’,” Lainey replied.
He didn’t reply.
“What if it’s the cops?”
Sammy sighed. “I doubt it.”
They waited, both confused and unsure of where Tara had run off to and what to do. Suddenly, the closet door opened quickly, startling both of them.
It was Tara.
“Come on. Let’s go,” she whispered, moving items out of the way so they could get out.
Relieved, Lainey pushed the clothes away and stepped forward. “Is it safe? Are the cops here?”
“No. I wish. Gary and Yury think we’ve left, though,” she replied.
“Then, shouldn’t we stay?” Sammy asked.
“No, because when they realize we haven’t left, they’ll be back. Let’s go,” she said.
Lainey didn’t want to leave the safety of the closet but was too terrified of them finding her. “Okay.”
“I’m not leaving,” whispered Sammy stubbornly. “I mean, where are we supposed to go? And, what about Edgar and Wilma?”
“They’re both dead,” Tara replied grimly.
Lainey gasped.
Sammy’s eyes widened. “Then… they’re going to kill us, too, aren’t they?” he said, his voice cracking.
“You’re young and worth more to them alive. I’ve already disobeyed them once before,” said Tara. “Yury will kill me this time.”
Lainey’s eyes filled with tears at the thought of Tara dying. “Don’t say that,” she whispered. “I don’t want them to hurt you.”
Staring at her, a determined look crossed Tara’s face. She gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. We’re all going to get out of this alive. I’ll do whatever it takes. Okay?”
Lainey nodded.
“I still think we should stay hidden up here,” Sammy said in a grumpy voice.
“The next time they show up, they’ll search the entire house, including this closet. I have an idea. We need to find one of Edgar or Wilma’s cell phones. We’ll call the cops and hide in the woods until help arrives. It shouldn’t take them too long to get here.”
“But, aren’t they in the woods looking for us?” Sammy asked.
“Let me go and take a peak outside,” she said, stepping out of the closet again. “Stay here.”
Lainey and Sammy looked at each other.
“I can’t believe they killed the old couple,” Lainey said. “They were so nice.”
He nodded.
Tara re-entered the closet. “I don’t see Kurt’s car out there anymore. They must be heading back toward the road again, thinking we did, too. We need to do something now, while we still can.”
“Okay. Fine,” Sammy said, still pouting.
“Wait.” Tara looked through the hangers. She grabbed a green flannel shirt and a white sweater. “Here,” she said, handing them out. “Put these on. At least you’ll be a little warmer.”
Lainey pulled the sweater over her pajamas while Sammy put on the flannel shirt. Meanwhile, Tara rushed over to the old couple’s dresser. She opened up several drawers until she found the one she needed.
“Put these on,” Tara said, tossing the children dry, warm socks.
“More socks?” said Sammy.
“It’s all we have. I doubt you can fit into Edgar’s or Wilma’s shoes,” said Tara.
They sat down on the carpeting and quickly did what she asked. Afterward, the three crept out of the bedroom and down the staircase with Tara holding the flashlight. At the bottom of the steps they found Wilma and Edgar, motionless. Even in the darkness, they could see that there was blood everywhere, including the walls; it looked like something out of a horror movie.
“Gnarly,” Sammy mumbled, his face turning greenish white. He grimaced. “I think I’m going to get sick.”
Horrified, and feeling pretty ill herself, Lainey quickly looked away from the dead bodies. “Those poor people,” she moaned.
“I know. Come on,” Tara said, holding out her hand with a sad expression. “Just, try not to look at them.”
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Lainey grabbed Tara’s hand and stepped around the old couple. Shuddering, Sammy quickly followed.
When they reached the living room, Tara peeked outside and sighed. “Their car is still gone,” she whispered.
“What now?” Sammy asked, looking relieved.
Tara turned around. “Look for a cell phone. Didn’t Wilma say she thought Edgar’s was in the kitchen?”
Sammy nodded. “Yeah, but she also mentioned it was probably dead.”
“True, but they must have a charger somewhere. Let’s go,” she replied.
TARA LED THEM into the kitchen, where they looked around in the dark, too frightened to use the flashlight. Instead of the cell phone, however, they found a set of car keys dangling on a hook.
“Okay, new plan,” Tara said, grabbing them. “I think these are the keys to the vehicle I saw parked out back. It might be our way out of here.”
“What if they see us?” Sammy asked.
Tara was silent for a few seconds and then said, “I’ll drive without the headlights on. Come on.”
They snuck through the kitchen’s sliding glass door and went outside, to the back of the house where there was an old, yellow Chrysler parked. Lainey slid into the back and Sammy got in front with Tara.
“Will it even start?” Sammy asked, rubbing his damp feet.
“Let’s hope so. Look in the glove box for a phone, will yah?” Tara said.
“Okay,” he replied, opening it up.
Holding her breath, Tara stuck the key into the ignition. When the engine turned over, she let out a sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness,” Sammy said.
Tara looked around, worried that the sound of the car starting would attract attention. Although Kurt’s car was gone, she was still on edge. One of them could have stayed back, looking for them.
“Hey, I found her phone,” said Sammy, holding it up. “It’s dead, though.”
“Try to find a charger,” Tara said
, looking around the dashboard at the controls. She bit her lower lip. “Damnit.”
“What is it?” Sammy asked, looking up from the cell phone.
“Uh, nothing,” she replied.
He frowned. “Haven’t you ever driven before?”
“No.” Tara tried shifting the car into DRIVE, but the lever wouldn’t budge. “Obviously, I didn’t get out much.”
“Yeah, I suppose not. Um, I think you have to put your foot on one of those pedals while you do that,” said Sammy, pointing downward.
“Okay.” Tara pressed on the brake, shifted into DRIVE, and then moved her foot to the gas pedal. They lurched forward until she stomped on the brake. “Sorry,” she said, looking back at Lainey, who’d tumbled down to the floor-boards. “You okay?”
“Yes,” Lainey replied, crawling back up onto the seat.
“You’d better put your seatbelt on,” Tara said. She glanced over at Sammy. “Put yours on, too, Sammy.”
He pulled the strap over his chest and buckled the seatbelt.
“I suppose I should back this thing up before we crash into the house,” Tara mused.
“Yeah. I was going to say…” Sammy replied with a smirk.
TARA’S HEART POUNDED madly in her chest as they drove away from the farmhouse. She couldn’t believe that after all this time, she might actually truly be… free.
Her thoughts went back to when she’d first met Kurt, which had been online and in a gaming chatroom. At the time, she’d lived in North Dakota, with her mother and siblings. He’d lied and told her that he was twelve. He’d acted the part perfectly, even showing her his online profile, which had been fake. After about a month of chatting and playing online games together, Kurt mentioned that he was going to be in town, visiting relatives, and had asked to meet up at a nearby park. The naïve fool she’d been, Tara had agreed, without doubt or hesitation; that’s when her life took a horrible turn. Forced into a van by Kurt and his group, which she’d never seen coming, Tara had been an easy victim.
From that day forward, her life became a living nightmare. Not only did Kurt sexually abuse her but he took nude pictures of Tara to sell on the web. If that wasn’t bad enough, he developed some kind of sick, twisted love for her, which ended up working for and against Tara. Because of this, she wasn’t sold, like most of their victims, but kept a captive and eventually given special treatment, for being complacent. In other words, Tara found a way to mentally block out the horrible things taking place while they happened. She would go to her special place until Kurt was finished and try to pretend that it never happened. Eventually, as she grew older and became more womanly, his interest in Tara waned until he no longer touched her at all. That’s when she was forced into assisting with the younger children.
Tara pictured the seven-year-old girl she’d tried escaping with soon after. It was the time Yury had beaten her, making sure she never tried pulling the stunt again. That had been three years ago. Now, here she was again, only this time… things were looking up. At least, she hoped. As far as the old couple, Tara felt sick about their deaths. She had to believe that saving Lainey and Sammy would somehow be worth it in the end.
“Where did Yury and Kurt go?” Lainey suddenly asked from the backseat.
“I really don’t know,” Tara replied, searching for their headlights in the distance. “Hopefully back to the farm.”
“Or maybe they’re waiting for us somewhere ahead,” said Sammy.
“Let’s hope not,” she mumbled.
Chapter 27
Hawk
HE MET UP with Kurt and Yury on the dirt road. Hawk rolled down his window. “See any sign of them?” he asked.
“Yeah, we tracked them down to a neighboring farmhouse but they escaped again,” Kurt replied angrily. “I think they could be in the woods somewhere.”
Hawk swore.
“That’s not even the worst part,” Kurt said. “We had to shoot the meddling old couple who lived there. They saw the kids and tried to help them.”
“Yes. The shit has hit the fan. We need to find these brats and move before someone discovers the bodies,” Yury said, leaning around Kurt to look at him.
Kurt took out a cigarette and lit the end. “Exactly. The last thing we need is for the cops to come snooping around at our farmhouse and you know they will.”
“Of course they will, you idiot,” added Yury, looking disgusted. “Even if we clean up the mess, we still have to move the operation now.”
Kurt frowned.
“The kids can’t get too far,” Hawk said, looking out into the darkness. It was cold, wet, and there wasn’t another house around for least a couple of miles. He tapped his thumbs on the steering wheel. “I’ll head back toward the main road again and veer back.”
“Bring me back to farmhouse,” Yury said. “I need pack up some things while you two look for runaways.”
“Okay,” Kurt replied.
Hawk rolled up his window and drove slowly toward the main road, his eyes scouring the line of trees surrounding him. When he reached the main frontage road, he turned the truck around and drove back the way he’d come. Although he tried to remain calm, his mind was spinning. He knew that if Lainey made it to the police, and squealed, he’d have to skip town. Fortunately, he’d been smart and had stowed away some emergency cash. There was also the offshore account he had which couldn’t be traced back to him. He had a good chunk of money there, too. Good thing he’d been smart enough to plan ahead for something like this. Still, the idea of running and leaving everything behind was annoying.
He should have never agreed to Lainey.
Hawk thought about Beth and how furious she’d be. How shocked and hurt when she found out he’d been involved. Oddly enough, he felt no remorse or empathy toward the situation. Feelings were more of an enigma to him than anything. His family would be shocked if they knew what went on in his head. Or what didn’t. The only thing that gave him any kind of pleasure was the thrill of kidnapping and cold, hard cash. Hell, if the price was right, he’d even consider selling Mason. Part of him would enjoy it, especially when having to face the police. He loved games and the best kind were risky and dangerous. He’d always been the cat, but admittedly, being the mouse sounded a little provocative. The thought gave him goosebumps.
Maybe I should toss the police a few bread crumbs, he thought in amusement.
Of course, in the end, they wouldn’t catch him. Even if they realized he was involved. Which was why he knew that he wouldn’t offer the police any clues. It would be a waste of time and he couldn’t afford to have his buyers behind bars. He loved the setup they had. They offered him everything he craved - high risk and a shitload of money. It gave him a high. Almost like Heroin. And, once the thrill flickered out - and it always did once a job was finished - he craved more. More danger. More risk. Which was why, even though he was frustrated the children had escaped, he was also buzzing with excitement. He almost hoped that Kurt didn’t find the kids. He wanted to be the one to track them down. Needed to be the one.
Chapter 28
Tara
“DO WE GET to go home now?” asked Lainey.
“Not yet. We’re going to the police station,” Tara replied, knowing that it would be too dangerous to try and take them home right away. Kurt and Yury could have someone stationed there, waiting. Tara knew how much money was on the line and they wouldn’t just walk away without trying to somehow intercept Lainey and Sammy.
“By the way, did you find a charger for the phone?” she asked Sammy as the car crept further down the private road.
“No,” he said.
“That’s okay,” she replied. “At least we have the car.”
Oddly enough, Tara was a little apprehensive of what might happen at the police station. She didn’t know where she’d go afterward or who would take care of her. Probably Juvie or Foster Care. She doubted her mother would want her back. From what Kurt had said, she hadn’t put in any effort to try and find her.
Tara thought about her mom, Carol, and her younger sister and brother, Annie and Sean. Carol had been a single mother, working two jobs trying to support everyone. When she hadn’t been working, or running them around, she’d been taking online college courses. Always busy, Carol hadn’t objected to Tara’s internet usage. In fact, she’d seemed relieved that Tara had something to keep her occupied. The thought that she hadn’t put any effort into finding her hurt.
“I can’t wait to go home,” said Lainey as they drove back to the fork-in-the-road. “I need to tell my mother about-”
“Tara!” hollered Sammy, pointing toward the farmhouse they’d escaped from. “There they are!”
Sure enough, Kurt and Yury were almost at the farmhouse, their taillights glowing in the dark. Frightened, she quickly took a right and headed in the opposite direction
“Did they see us?” she asked Sammy, keeping her attention on the road in front of them.
“I… I don’t know,” he replied, looking back over his shoulder. “I can’t tell.”
Fear slithered under her skin, making her break out into a cold sweat. She knew Kurt or Yury would see them soon enough. Tara needed to get as much distance between them as possible, before they saw her retreating taillights.
“Hold on, you guys,” she said, pressing harder on the gas.
The gravel road was icier than ever and with her inexperienced driving, they almost ended up in the ditch. Trying to remain calm, she slowed down, glancing occasionally in the rearview mirror. Fortunately, Kurt’s taillights seemed to be getting farther away.
Tara let out the breath she’d been holding “Maybe they didn’t notice us.”
“They’re getting farther away,” said Lainey, also looking out the rear window.
She checked again. The lights were all but disappeared now, the distance between them growing wider.
Looking for Lainey Page 12