Looking for Lainey

by Kristen Middleton

  “Do you really think you can do it?” Lainey asked, surprised.

  “Yeah. I watched Tara drive the car. It didn’t look so hard.”

  Lainey’s heart began to race. “We should do it now. This is probably our last chance.”

  “I know.” He took a deep breath. “I just hope he doesn’t start shooting at us.”

  “Tara said we were worth a lot of money, remember? I don’t think he will.”

  “But, you don’t know for sure.”

  “No,” she said softly.

  “What’s he doing now?” Sammy said, squinting toward Mitch.

  Lainey looked at him. Mitch had the car’s trunk open and was digging around as if looking for something.

  “Keep an eye on him,” Sammy said.

  “Okay.”

  Lainey watched as Mitch walked back over to Tara and picked her up. He carried her back over to the trunk of the car and set her inside. Meanwhile, Sammy quickly slid through the two front seats and settled into the driver’s spot. He put one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the shifter. Releasing a shaky breath, Sammy slid the lever to the ‘D’ and stepped on the gas.

  “You did it!” she cried as the truck began to move.

  Noticing what was happening, Mitch whipped around, a shocked expression on his face. He quickly began racing toward them.

  “Faster!” cried Lainey.

  Sammy pressed harder on the gas and the truck sped up. The tires kicked up snow, covering Mitch as he tried catching up to them.

  “You’re doing it!” Lainey cried, turning her head to look out the back window. She saw Mitch fall and then get back up again, his face red with anger when he realized they were getting away.

  “Yeah, but… we’re going the wrong way,” Sammy said glumly.

  He was right. The truck was heading back toward the farm. The last place they wanted to be.

  Chapter 32

  Carissa

  AS THEY WERE sitting down to eat, Dustin received a phone call from Jeremy. He excused himself and stepped out of the kitchen. When he returned shortly after, it was obvious that he had some important news.

  “What is it?” Carissa asked.

  “Well, Jeremy was able to verify that Mike was indeed in Madison the last twenty-four hours. In fact, earlier today, he had lunch at a restaurant called ‘Bear Creek Tavern’,” Dustin said.

  Tom gave him a curious look. “How did he find that out?”

  “Like I said before, Jeremy worked for the government and still has connections there. I’m sure he was able to track the information by Mike’s credit card usage,” Dustin said.

  “Makes sense. What about Friday evening when Lainey went missing?” Tom asked. “When he was supposed to be in Colorado?”

  “Apparently, that checks out as well. So,” he looked at Beth. “You were right about one thing. He’s been exactly where he said he was.”

  Relieved, Beth’s eyes filled with tears. She smiled. “I knew that he was innocent.”

  Dustin stared at her for a few seconds and then sighed. “There is something else, however. We should probably talk in the other room, Beth.”

  She looked startled. “Something else? About Mike?”

  Dustin nodded.

  Beth looked at Carissa and Tom. She shrugged. “Hell, I have nothing to hide from anyone and how bad can it be compared to everything else? Just, spit it out.”

  Dustin hesitated. “Jeremy actually spoke to the manager of the hotel. Apparently, he remembers Mike very well, because they struck up a conversation about art. Anyway, to make a long story short, he recalls that Mike wasn’t the only one staying in his room.”

  “I’m sure Mitch was with him. They usually travel together,” Beth said, not looking too concerned.

  Dustin’s eyes went to Carissa’s for a brief second and then back to Beth’s. “I’m sorry, Beth. The manager assumed that he was staying with his wife. That’s how he introduced her, at least.”

  Beth’s face turned red. She scowled. “Her?”

  Dustin nodded.

  “Does Mike have an assistant?” Carissa asked with a sour feeling in her stomach. “I feel like that’s who this woman might be. Someone who works with him.”

  “Yes. Her name is Gloria. I haven’t met her. She doesn’t usually travel with him, though. Mitch does. I guess it’s possible he took her with him this time. But, why would he tell the manager his assistant was his wife?” Beth replied, dumbfounded.

  Tom let out a ragged breath. “Think about it Beth. Why would a man fell the need to be dishonest about who he sharing his room with if he’s not doing something wrong?”

  She looked at him, her face stricken. “No. He wouldn’t cheat on me,” she said firmly. “Mike isn’t like that. There has to be a logical explanation. Maybe the manager misunderstood?”

  “I suppose it’s possible. Since he’ll be home soon, you can ask him about it. Just remember, the good news. He wasn’t the kidnapper,” Dustin replied.

  “You thought he was?” Tom asked, unaware of their prior conversation.

  “No. But, Carissa and Dustin thought it might be a good idea to check him out,” Beth said, staring off into space.

  “Good thing they did. I mean, seriously. What an asshole,” said Tom, looking disgusted. “If he is cheating, which seems pretty evident, it’s at the worst possible time, too.”

  Carissa didn’t think any time was good but she had to agree, Beth had enough on her plate and this would only make things worse. She felt horrible for her. Tom, on the other hand, was secretly elated about the news. She just knew it. He definitely wanted his wife back and this would probably make it easier for him. She still didn’t know what she thought of the man, but he loved Beth and she needed someone supportive by her side. Not someone hiding secrets.

  “I know this looks bad on his part, but… we’re newly engaged. Why would Mike cheat on me? Wouldn’t it be easier to just call the wedding off?” she said, her voice breaking.

  Nobody said anything.

  Clearly upset, Beth stood up. “I… I just can’t handle this right now. I’m going to lay down for a while. When Mike gets here, please don’t say anything.”

  The three nodded and then watched as she left the kitchen.

  “Should I go to her?” Tom asked, looking across the table at Carissa.

  “Not yet,” she replied, leaning back in the chair. “Let her have some time to take it all in. After she speaks to Mike, that’s when she’ll need you the most.”

  “So, you think he’ll come clean?” Dustin asked.

  “No, but something tells me things aren’t going to be the same for them after this,” Carissa replied softly.

  Chapter 33

  Mitch

  STANDING BACK UP, Mitch brushed the snow off of his jeans, shocked that the little shits had gotten away in his truck. Grabbing his phone, he called Kurt and explained what had happened.

  “Wow, they’re are resourceful. Don’t worry. I’ll get ‘em,” Kurt replied and hung up.

  Putting his phone back into his jacket, Mitch jogged back toward the farm, seeing the taillights ahead of him. He wasn’t concerned about the kids getting away’ he was more worried about them damaging his truck. He’d just purchased it the month before and was meticulous about all of his vehicles. He already had a couple of scratches from the gravel road, which drove him nuts. Now, he’d be lucky if that’s all it ended up with. Especially the way the boy was driving.

  “Damn kids,” he muttered.

  Mitch could see Kurt approaching from the opposite direction and he slowed to a walk, watching what would happen.

  Suddenly, the truck veered off the road and into the long patch of unfarmed flatland. He realized that the kids were attempting to turn around and knew that if anyone else were driving, it would be doable, even in the mud. But, it was obvious that Sammy didn’t know what he was doing or how to put the truck into four-wheel drive, so they quickly became stuck.

  Smiling, he wat
ched as Kurt stopped his vehicle and got out. As he began walking through the snow toward the truck, it somehow became dislodged and within seconds, the kids appeared to be on the move once again.

  Mitch stared in wonder as the truck began to circle around and head back toward him. It was obvious that he’d underestimated Sammy. The eleven-year-old kid was a lot smarter than he’d anticipated.

  Chapter 34

  Sammy

  SAMMY ALMOST PANICKED when they became stuck in the field, but then he recalled a time, last winter, when his father had driven into a blizzard. They’d been sliding all over the road until he’d put their SUV into four-wheel-drive. Immediately, the vehicle had become more manageable. Sammy had asked him about it and his dad had explained that he’d changed it from two-wheel-drive to four, because it gave the SUV more traction when needed. He remembered his father had switched something over on the dashboard. Luckily, Sammy found a knob with a two and a couple of fours. What confused him was that one four had an arrow pointing up beside it, and the other had one going down. He decided to try the one with the arrow going down, and thankfully it worked.

  Now they were on their way again and Sammy knew that he had to get as far away from the kidnappers as he could, but back to the road, before they reached the woods.

  “It’s so bumpy!” Lainey said, as they drove through the field, both of them bouncing around in the cab.

  “I know but at least they’re not coming after us.”

  “It looks like they’re just watching,” Lainey told him while looking out the back of the truck. Mitch had caught up to Kurt and both were just standing there.

  “Maybe they know they could get stuck like we did. I don’t know if they have four-wheel-drive.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Something that helps you get unstuck,” he said, not really knowing why himself. He remembered his dad talking about axles and torque. The explanation had gone over his head.

  “Oh.”

  When they finally made it back to the dirt road, Sammy noticed Kurt’s car heading toward them again. With his heart hammering in his chest, he pushed harder on the gas.

  “I’m scared,” Lainey said, looking back.

  He was frightened too, especially with Kurt’s car barreling toward them. But, they weren’t caught yet and he was going to try everything he could to get them out of there. Not only did Tara need their help, but there was no way he was going to let them sell him or Lainey to a bunch of pervs.

  Chapter 35

  Kurt

  “CAN YOU BELIEVE these kids?” Kurt said angrily when Mitch got into the car.

  “All I know is that if they reach the main road and someone spots them, we’re finished,” Mitch muttered.

  “Man, Tara has never even driven a vehicle in her life but she’s doing one hell of a job,” Kurt continued, admiring her ingenuity. As bad as the situation was, he still couldn’t help but feel proud of her. Of course, after this, Yury would probably shoot her. The thought didn’t bring him any happiness or relief, however. He held a soft spot in his heart for her. Always would.

  Mitch grunted. “Tara? She’s not the one driving.”

  Kurt looked at him, surprised. “What? What do you mean?”

  He shrugged. “She’s dead. I had to kill her.”

  “Why?”

  “Why? Because she attacked me,” he snapped. “And, obviously, it needed to be done. Look at all of the shit she caused us.”

  Kurt swallowed the lump in his throat. “So, where did you leave her?”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ve taken care of the body.”

  Kurt wanted to ask him where, but they had more important things to worry about. Like the truck in front of them. He still couldn’t believe that a kid was driving it.

  “Anyway, this is your fault, you know. Maybe if you hadn’t given her so much free reign, this might not have happened.”

  “No. It was Dina’s fault,” Kurt muttered. “She antagonized Tara so much that-”

  “Oh, bullshit!” Mitch hollered. “Tara was a prisoner and you treated like a member of the family. You should have sent her away a long time ago. But, you and your sick fantasies are what got us into this mess in the first place. Do you realize how close we are to getting arrested? If these kids escape, the entire operation is at risk.”

  “Just calm down. We’ll get them,” Kurt said, trying to keep his cool. Although they were childhood friends, that didn’t give Mitch the right to insult him. Besides, Kurt had made him a lot of money by bringing him into the business. It had been a risky move, but Mitch had always been cold and calculating, so it had worked out. But that didn’t give him the right to be an asshole.

  “We’d better. Get in front of them!”

  Kurt punched the accelerator down. They sped up and he maneuvered the car until they were side-by-side. He looked up and saw Lainey staring down at him, a terrified look on her face.

  “Get around them!” Mitch ordered.

  He tried but then the kid accelerated and they were behind him again.

  MITCH GROWLED IN irritation. Kurt obviously didn’t know what the hell he was doing.

  Kurt sped up again until he was next to the truck once more. This time, he jerked the steering wheel to the left, and rammed the vehicle into the truck’s fender.

  “What the hell?” hollered Mitch in disbelief.

  Sammy, being inexperienced, lost control and the truck veered off the road. It spun out and flipped onto its side, the sound of crunching metal and shattering glass echoing like an explosion in the cold, dark night.

  Mitch braced his hand on the glove compartment as the car fish-tailed. They swerved into the ditch and at the last minute, Kurt avoided a line of pine trees on the side of the road. When they finally came to a halt, Mitch jumped out of the car, still in shock at what had just happened. He ran over to his truck, furious that it was now a total wreck.

  He’s buying me a new truck, he vowed to himself angrily.

  “They okay?” Kurt asked, jogging over.

  Mitch peered down into the cab and saw that both kids were terrified and crying. Fortunately, the windshield and passenger side window hadn’t shattered, unlike the driver’s. Still, there was broken glass fragments on the flannel shirt Sammy was wearing. He didn’t think any of them were protruding out and there didn’t seem to be any blood. “Looks like it. I can’t tell if they’re injured, though.”

  “They’re alive at least,” Kurt said.

  “Yeah. We’re just lucky the airbag didn’t go off,” Mitch said, struggling to pull the door open. “Dammit, it’s locked.” He knocked on the passenger window. “Hey, unlock the door!”

  Sammy stared at him with terrified eyes but didn’t move.

  “Unlock it!” repeated Mitch.

  The boy reach over and did what he was told.

  Mitch opened it and grabbed Sammy, who he noticed, despite the broken glass, had only a couple of minor cuts on his left cheek. He pulled the boy out of the vehicle and handed him to Kurt, grateful that he was small for his age.

  “Try not to lose him again,” he said sharply.

  Struggling to hold Sammy, Kurt gave him a dirty look and then carried the boy back over to the car.

  Mitch opened the back cab door and reached inside for Lainey.

  “No!” she cried, crouching as far away from him as she could.

  “Don’t start this again,” Mitch growled, his patience spent. “You kids have caused enough trouble tonight. I’m about ready to end your miserable lives. So, come here or I’ll shoot you like I did to Tara.”

  Terrified, Lainey let Mitch pull her out.

  He carried her over to the car and placed her into the backseat with Sammy. When both children were safely inside, Mitch slammed the door shut and turned to face Kurt.

  “You’ve got to be the biggest dumb-shit I’ve ever met in my entire life!” he yelled, unable to contain his rage any longer.

  Flinching, Kurt took a step back. “What’s
your problem?” He waved at the car. “We got the kids back!”

  Mitch grunted. “Yeah, and what about my truck, asshole?”

  Kurt opened his mouth and then closed it.

  “Exactly. You’ve got nothing to say because you’re a brain-dead dipshit. I mean seriously, how am I supposed to explain this to the police?”

  Kurt glanced toward the woods. “Just… just tell them that something ran out in front of you. A dog or a bear or something.”

  Mitch laughed coldly and began to pace. “I can’t be anywhere near this area with dead bodies up the road, you idiot.”

  “How about we just have it towed?”

  He stopped walking and pointed into the distance, toward the dead famer’s place. “My vehicle is near a damn crime scene. You don’t think the tow truck driver will see the news and not put two-and-two together?”

  Kurt shrugged and then scratched his head. “You could always report your truck stolen.”

  “I guess that’s what I’m going to have to do,” he replied angrily and then headed back toward the truck.

  “Whatcha doing?” Kurt called out.

  “Just get in the car. I’ve got to make sure the kids didn’t leave anything behind. Hopefully, we can get your car out of the damn ditch,” he grumbled, not looking back.

  “It’s all wheel drive. We should be fine.”

  “Right,” he mumbled.

  Mitch stormed back over to the truck and looked inside. He couldn’t believe the night he was having, and all because Kurt was a bumbling moron. As much as he enjoyed the payouts from his organization, Mitch knew that it was only a matter of time before his screw-ups landed Kurt in prison. And he wasn’t about to be brought down with him. It was time to cut his losses before shit really hit the fan.

  Chapter 36

  Carissa

  IT WAS TEN-FORTY-FIVE when Beth’s fiancé, Mike, walked through her front door. Carissa’s first impression was that he seemed like a genuinely likeable guy.