Taken

by Debra Lee

  If only she had remembered sooner, Mary silently wished. Carol harbored the same jealous feelings her nana’s friend had toward her baby girl, Mary’s mother.

  Only difference, Mary’s grandmother had the good sense to do something about it before it went too far. The way it had with Carol. And Mary blamed herself for not seeing it. She hadn’t wanted to see or believe. But now she had. Carol would have to become a memory from her past like Vera had become to Sadie Johnson.

  One day Mary would tell her story to Jena. If Jena should be blessed with a baby and a best friend she will have been forewarned of what could happen. Jena will not make Mary’s mistake. Mary won’t let her.

  But for now, Mary had to concentrate on getting Jena back. Until she could correct the terrible mistake she had made she had to play along with Carol. Agree with everything she said. They needed only each other.

  ***

  Betty called a friend to drive her and the baby home from the hospital. The priest and doctor had long since left her to cope with the loss of Jim after he was stricken with a second heart attack, a fatal one.

  It was the middle of the night when she arrived home. She busied herself with heating a bottle for the baby before putting her down in the bassinet Jim had brought down from the attic that day after she was left with them.

  Betty turned up the thermostat and returned to the corner of the living room where the baby was sleeping. She stared down at her. Now that Jim was gone she felt so alone, except when she looked at her. The little angel left on their doorstep.

  Betty wondered if Teddy had gotten the message she left on her answering machine. She hoped she hadn’t. Then again, there was that slim possibility Jim had been mistaken about whose voice he heard that night on the phone. Now Betty hoped he was.

  Losing Jim and the baby all at once would be too much to bear. She reached into the bassinet and pulled the covers further up on the baby and turned back around cranking the thermostat higher before heading into the kitchen to set out the turkey.

  It was almost Thanksgiving and Betty was determined to prepare the usual feast for the day. Friends would be dropping in to offer their condolences and would need to be fed. Perhaps by then she will have heard from Teddy and know if she had a future she could look forward to.

  ***

  Reilly had a police escort as he drove at top speed to try and get close to the area where Carol’s car was last spotted. Kelly was buckled up in the seat next to him and holding on for dear life. He expected them to slide off the highway at any moment with the slippery road conditions and high rate of speed Reilly pushed the 4-wheel drive vehicle to do.

  The radio dispatcher signaled to them and Kelly grabbed the speaker off its hook and held it to his mouth when he pressed in the talk button. “Kelly here.”

  “A trooper has her in sight. She’s a mile ahead of you.”

  “Ten four,” Kelly signaled off with and barely had the speaker back on its hook when he was thrown back into his seat from the sudden increase in speed.

  “Damn it, Jackson, you’re gonna kill us both.”

  “Just hold on. Nobody’s dying here yet.”

  “What’s your plan once we catch up to Sanders?”

  “Follow her.”

  “I still think we ought to bring the authorities in New York in on this.” Kelly knew the minute he said it that it was a mistake. It meant Reilly taking his eyes off the road to give him a dirty look. “Forget I said it. But don’t forget we don’t know what the situation’s gonna be when we get wherever we’re goin’. We might not be able to just waltz right in and get the kid. Hell, we don’t even know where she is?”

  “What do you think I’m tailing Carol for?”

  Kelly chuckled. “It ain’t Sanders you’re after. So you gonna marry the Murray woman when this is all over or what?”

  The question came out of nowhere and took Reilly completely by surprise. But it didn’t stump him. He’d marry Mary in a minute if she’d have him. And if he didn’t screw this up and got Jena and Mary safely home, she might be willing. At least to listen to him tell her he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her and Jena.

  If he was lucky she might even believe him when he confessed to missing Jena too these last weeks. If not, he’d just have to show her because Reilly couldn’t wait to hold the little darling in his arms again or watch her tiny mouth lift with a smile the way it did when he talked to her.

  “Of course I plan to marry her,” he finally answered Kelly. “Plan to adopt Jena too. Maybe even convince Mary you’d make a dandy Godfather.”

  He took his eyes off the road again to look Kelly’s way with a crooked smile. “What do you say to that old boy?”

  Kelly was too choked up to say a thing. Being ask to be someone’s Godfather was a huge honor for a man who had never taken the time for a family of his own and had regretted it too.

  Chapter Thirty Five

  They traveled down the slippery tree-lined road and once again Mary gave it her best not to say anything. She didn’t want to upset Carol now that she’d let on they were getting close to their destination.

  “Jim and Betty’s place is just up ahead. A bit out of the way, but that’s good. Least they won’t have to worry about Jena running out into traffic when she gets bigger.”

  Even if Mary wanted to she would not have been able to speak. Hearing Carol talk about Jena as if her future was definitely decided knocked the wind out of her.

  Then she saw the light up ahead. A huge nightlight lit up the area around the front of the darkened farmhouse, or almost dark.

  Mary thought she saw a faint light coming from a room downstairs.

  “You won’t be an Indian giver about the promise you made will you?” Carol asked as she brought the car to a stop and tilted her head toward Mary.

  Never before in Mary’s life had she needed to be so in control of her emotions. And she was. Otherwise she would’ve jumped out of the car and ran into the house to take Jena into her arms that ached to hold her.

  Instead, Mary’s eyes met Carol’s icy glare. She knew if she looked away Carol would know she had no intention of leaving without Jena.

  “I just need to see she’s all right,” Mary told her without blinking once.

  ***

  Reilly wished there was a full moon to guide the way once he turned off the SUV’s headlights. But there was no moonlight. Only the occasional glitter of snow.

  “Must say, life’s not boring around you, Jackson,” Kelly said, mostly to shake the spooky feeling crawling up his spine.

  Their police escort and radio assistance ended when they left Pennsylvania and crossed the state line into New York. And that was a long time ago.

  It wasn’t that Kelly knew he was out of his jurisdiction, but not knowing exactly where he was is what had him suddenly on the verge of some sort of anxiety attack.

  Spotting the light up ahead gave him slight relief. But as the SUV crawled closer toward the light, the eerie sensation returned. Once again he felt it necessary to remind Reilly of what he already knew. “We still don’t know what we’re gonna be facin’ in there. You might want to reconsider gettin’ some backup before we go any further.”

  Reilly was on pins and needles himself and knowing Kelly was made it worse. “And I thought you were this big old tough guy, Kelly.”

  “I’d rather be a smart one. And anybody with half a brain knows we’re just askin’ for trouble goin’ in there before doin’ a little surveillance work.”

  Kelly had made a good point. It wouldn’t be wise to rush the place no matter how badly Reilly wanted to see for himself Mary and Jena were safe. Someone could be toting a gun inside the farmhouse.

  Reilly brought the vehicle to a stop out of reach of the outside light.

  ***

  Mary couldn’t restrain herself much longer. She had listened to Betty and Carol exchange greetings with hugs. She managed a nervous hello when Carol introduced her as her best friend. But now, she had to
see her baby.

  “Please, where’s Jena?”

  Betty gave Mary a puzzled look before saying, “Jena?”

  “My baby.”

  Betty glared at Carol for confirmation.

  “The kid’s not mine, Betty.”

  Mary had moved deeper into the foyer, far enough that off to her right she spotted the bassinet in the corner of the living room.

  There was no stopping her from moving toward it. She wanted to run but was held back from doing so by the spine tingling sensation of fear that Jena would not be there.

  As she inched her way into the room she vaguely heard Carol explaining things to Betty Thomas. But Mary was too preoccupied to concentrate on what her exact words were.

  Then her eyes were on her. At first she could only stare at the sleeping baby. Her daughter had grown at least an inch and added a few pounds to her weight. But there was no mistake the baby was Jena.

  Tears of relief dropped from Mary’s eyes as she carefully reached down for her.

  Jena gave out a slight whimper from the movement. The moment Mary drew her to her chest she began rooting for nourishment.

  Mary’s tears of relief became tears of joy. Jena hadn’t forgotten her. Mary quickly raised her sweater and bra, exposing a nipple, thankful she hadn’t listened to Carol when she had insisted she take a pill or something to dry up her breasts instead of continuing to use the breast pump these last weeks.

  “Jim’s dead,” Carol’s voice hit Mary from behind.

  Mary swallowed hard before turning to face Carol. She could only speculate what the man’s death meant. Would Carol expect Betty to raise Jena alone? Or had she come up with another way of keeping her out of their lives?

  The fear of what would happen next was once again holding Mary prisoner. But she had to be brave. She couldn’t let Carol see. Yet if she looked close enough, Carol would’ve noticed Mary held Jena closer, protecting her from this woman who had become a threatening stranger.

  “Coffee will be ready in just a few minutes,” Betty announced, joining them in the living room.

  “Betty has invited us to stay for Thanksgiving,” Carol said, her eyes refusing to leave Mary’s.

  Mary held Carol’s powerful gaze when she smiled and said, “That’s very nice of you, Mrs. Thomas.”

  Nice had nothing to do with it for Betty. She would do almost anything to keep them from leaving with her baby. She knew she had no right to Jena. But she had every right to care about her and want her to remain.

  “Call me Betty, dear.” Mary nodded accepting. “Now come along. The coffee should be ready. I’ve heated some warm milk for you Mary since you’re nursing the baby.”

  Mary stepped up behind her and followed her into the large country kitchen. Carol had filed in behind Mary, making Mary more on edge not being able to look into her eyes to try and guess what she was thinking.

  Betty poured the coffee and warm milk then settled on the end chair at the table. She smiled as she watched Jena continue to nurse away while Mary sipped her drink.

  She knew she’d have to let Jena go. The feeling of not wanting to was not a stranger to Betty Thomas. She had felt it a dozen times before when a child was placed in her care only to be eventually taken away.

  The way Teddy had been when Jim’s company transferred him to another state. But like all her foster children, Betty had continued to keep in touch through phone calls and letters. Instinct assured her Mary Murray would permit her to do the same with Jena.

  Carol looked away from Mary long enough to gulp down her coffee.

  “Guess you’re ready for a refill,” Betty said and started to get up.

  “No. That hit the spot. What I really need though is a few hours of shuteye.”

  “Well of course you do,” Betty said. “We can talk more in the morning.”

  Mary’s mind raced the minute Carol slid her chair across the linoleum to get up. She had spotted the phone when she followed Betty into the kitchen. Once Carol was asleep she’d have to brave using it. Maybe even make a run for the car.

  Then she remembered Carol had locked up the car and slipped the keys into her jean pocket. She considered confiding in Betty, but could she trust the woman to help her? She seemed like a very nice lady. But then she had thought good things about Carol too and that had gotten her pure misery these past weeks.

  Carol’s voice broke into Mary’s silent conversation with herself. “I’m just gonna run out and get the overnight bag.” She eyed Mary. “Now you be a good girl and stay off Betty’s phone while I’m gone.”

  Carol got a glimpse of Betty’s puzzled look. “Mary has this nasty habit of running up long distance calls. But I’m helping her break it and you need to too.”

  Mary’s teeth were clamped together when she glanced over at Betty, shrugged her shoulders and smiled like she was guilty as charged.

  Chapter Thirty Six

  “What do you suppose Sanders will do with us if she finds us frozen to death out here?” Kelly said as he pulled his coat collar up around his neck.

  Reilly had shut down the motor when he noticed they were getting low on gas. But Kelly had already suggested killing the engine for fear someone inside the house might notice smoke coming from the tailpipe.

  If Reilly wouldn’t have been so cold he’d laugh. Instead he blew breath into his palms and rubbed them together. “My guess is she’ll dump our bodies somewhere they’ll never be found.”

  Silence on Kelly’s end. He had a feeling Reilly was right. In his mind Sanders was a woman without morals or a conscious. So was she a cold blooded killer too? That only stumped him for as long as it took to remember she paid young women to get rid of their unborn babies.

  “I’m gonna go have a closer look,” Kelly said.

  “Wait a minute.”

  Kelly tried to focus through the snow splattered windshield to see what had grabbed Jackson’s attention. He spotted Sanders leaving the house and heading for her car. She was alone.

  “We could have some trouble here,” Kelly warned.

  He knew if Carol got into her car and fired it up they could kiss this surveillance stuff goodbye. As far as Kelly could see there was only one road out of the place and the SUV was sitting in the middle of it.

  “What should I do?” Reilly asked.

  “Wait and see what she’s up to.”

  Reilly’s fingertips continued to grip the key in the ignition while he waited and watched like Kelly suggested.

  ***

  Carol had this uneasy feeling when she left the house, leaving Mary out of sight and close to a phone. She wanted to believe she could trust her to keep her promise. But she couldn’t forget how she had struggled these last weeks without that kid around. How she had practically lived and breathed for the day Jena was back with her.

  Then again wouldn’t she suffer the same sleepless nights and days of longing if it were Carol who had vanished from her life? Probably more Carol wanted to believe. The two of them had a history of years of friendship. So how could Mary care more about that little creature who she’d only known weeks?

  She couldn’t, Carol decided. The decision made her feel an immense amount of relief until she reached into the back seat of her car for the overnight bag she’d hastily thrown odds and ends into before leaving home.

  Through the rear window she got a glimpse of something shiny on the road. When she steadied her eyes she knew it was the chrome on a vehicle. Someone was parked up on the road watching.

  A gush of adrenaline washed through her.

  You have to stay calm, she ordered herself. Think, was the second command. Had Mary called someone, the police? No, not enough time had passed for that.

  So who was parked up there? She grabbed the handle on the overnight bag and backed out of the car, pretending she hadn’t seen anything but sensed she was being watched.

  Whoever was up there, had to have followed them. Had the police from home caught onto her? Had they been watching and waiting for h
er to make a move that would lead them to the missing kid? Had Mary known too? Was she working with them all along?

  Carol felt her chest tighten as she headed toward the house, walking normally when she wanted to run.

  When she came through the door, Carol heard Mary and Betty talking in the living room. She braced herself against the door and took several deep breaths. She had to remain calm. But when she heard the baby cry a rush of anger torpedoed through her.

  It was that little brat’s fault this was happening. If it weren’t for her Carol would have Mary all to herself like before.

  There was more crying then, with the sound of Mary cooing to the kid. Carol couldn’t take anymore.

  Chapter Thirty Seven

  “Looks like Sanders is plannin’ to stay a while,” Kelly said after watching Carol return to the house with the small piece of luggage.

  “Don’t think anybody’s goin’ anywhere in this stuff.” Reilly had made reference to the snow that turned to freezing rain as it hit the windshield.

  “A good time to see if I can get a look inside the house,” Kelly said and reached up and unscrewed the miniature light bulb in the ceiling so it wouldn’t come on when he opened his door to step out.

  Reilly started to get out on his side until Kelly’s words stopped him. “You better stay here in case we need to make a quick exit.”

  Unlikely, Reilly thought considering the slippery condition outside. But he decided to appease Kelly for the moment. He watched Kelly slip and slide as he set out on foot toward the house. Reilly saw he was careful to keep out of the area lit up by the outside light before he opened the door next to him.

  ***

  “The sofa bed will do just fine,” Mary said as Betty finished tucking the sheet under the corner of the mattress.

  When Betty straightened she saw Carol standing in the archway. A wild look in her eyes as she glared at Mary and the baby cradled in her arms.