by Sharon Sala
Jud got out of the car, went around to the passenger side and opened the door. When he started to take his daughter’s arm, he remembered her warning and stopped.
“You have to get out now. I’ll get your bag.”
Jordan grabbed two unopened bottles of water and then got out, tossed her long dark hair with a flip of her head, and stared into their faces without taking a step beyond the hood of the car.
The others saw her defiance, but it wasn’t the first time a Sprite had resisted, and they thought nothing of it.
Aaron Walters was the man in white, but in Fourth Dimension, he was the Seraphim, and addressed as that, or Master.
He felt omnipotent, and purposefully sent psychic waves of energy toward the girl as a means of calming her while he waited for Archangel Jud to approach and present his donation.
Jud got Jordan’s bag. “Follow me,” he whispered.
“No,” Jordan said.
Jud set the bag beside her and approached the Seraphim alone.
“Master...I present my daughter, Jordan Bien, as the needed donation to claim my bride.”
“She does not show obedience,” Aaron said.
“I have not seen her in some years. It is her mother’s fault. She has taught her to hate me.”
Aaron’s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing as he gestured toward two of the men to bring her closer.
Jordan saw them coming and tightened her grip around the full bottles of water. When the first one reached for her, she swung her fist and hit him on the side of the face, the weight of the bottle still in her hand. He staggered backward and grabbed his face.
When the other man leaped at her, she sidestepped him and did the same with her other fist, hitting him square in the nose. The man screamed out in pain as blood spurted. He bent over, clutching his face.
“Nobody touches me!” Jordan said and walked forward, past the men, past her father, and straight up to the bottom of the steps upon which the Seraphim was standing, still holding both bottles of water. “I am here against my will. I will die before I’ll submit to any of you, so kill me now, or let me be.”
Jud moaned. He couldn’t bear to see her murdered before his eyes.
But the Seraphim held up a hand, and the men stepped back.
“So, Jordan Bien, you have spirit.”
Jordan said nothing.
And that was when Aaron realized he couldn’t read what she was thinking. His eyes narrowed. He’d never had this happen before. Was she like them? Was she blocking? If so, then she was more valuable than the others, but of what use would she be if she defied them? He’d have to meditate to get answers. They obviously could not put her with the other girls, or they might wind up with a rebellion on their hands.
“Take her to the old dormitory. She does not share quarters with the other Sprites. She is a bad influence,” he said.
Three men came forward.
“Someone get my bag,” Jordan said, as if ordering a bellhop in a fancy hotel.
They surrounded her and marched her toward an older building a short distance away, and once she was inside, the man carrying her bag threw it onto the nearest bed.
“The bathroom is in there. Food will be brought to you here. You will not be allowed to eat with the others,” he said.
Jordan lifted her chin in defiance. “I will need a pillow and bed linens to make up my bed. I will also need soap, towels and washcloths for my bath.”
He blinked, and then they left without answering.
Jordan heard the door lock, but she didn’t cry. They’d be back. They didn’t know what to make of her yet, but as long as she kept them unsure of what to do with her, she was somewhat safe. But it was the biggest bluff she’d ever run. Her heart was racing. She’d never been this afraid in her life. Yes, her level of defiance startled them. She didn’t know how long this would last, but she’d raise hell for as long as they would tolerate it. They couldn’t turn her loose or take her back. And if no man wanted to mess with her, she didn’t trust Jud to save her life. She had to be aware at all times of a chance to escape. She didn’t know where she was, but she knew Shawnee Gap was at the end of the only road they’d come up on, and she knew what the people here were all thinking. Except for her mother knowing who took her, it was the only edge she had.
“Please, God, help Mama find me,” she said, willing herself not to cry.
Four
Tara kept calling the number she had for Jud’s phone, but he never answered. She was scared, angry and confused. She didn’t sleep all night, and she knew when she got up the next morning that she couldn’t function at her job when she was in this state. Since the shared custody in their divorce was still valid, she knew the police wouldn’t help. She needed to talk to her partners directly. Maybe one of them would have an idea of what she needed to do next.
She put on another pot of coffee and then showered and dressed. Sick to her stomach from a night of nothing but coffee, she made a piece of toast, then filled her to-go cup and headed to the offices downtown, eating as she drove.
She raced into the lobby, so far removed from the perfectly dressed and coiffed lawyer she presented to the public that the receptionist almost challenged her, then recognized her at the last minute.
“Tara? What’s wrong?”
“Is Mr. Richter in?” Tara asked.
“He just arrived. He and Eric are talking about a case.”
“I need help. I’ll talk to both of them,” Tara said.
“I’ll tell him you’re on the way,” she said as Tara barreled through the door separating the lobby from the bank of offices.
* * *
Toby Richter was the eldest son of Harmon Richter, who’d founded the law firm thirty years ago, and being the eldest, he was now the head of the firm, even though his two younger brothers were also partners here. He was licking the sugar off his fingers from the cruller he’d just eaten when the receptionist buzzed in.
“What is it, Milly? I told you I didn’t want to be disturbed.”
“I know, sir, and I’m sorry, but Tara Bien is on her way to your office. Something is wrong, and she said she needs your help.”
Eric Prince heard enough of Milly’s message to be concerned. He had the office next to Tara, and admired her work ethic and the sharp wit she exhibited in the courtroom. So when the knock came at the door, he turned to look.
Tara burst into the office wearing blue jeans, tennis shoes and a rumpled cotton shirt. Her hair was a mess and wadded up into a bun on top of her head, and her eyes were so red and swollen she looked like she’d been crying for hours.
Toby took one glance at the haunted look on her face, the dark circles beneath her eyes, and jumped to his feet.
“Tara! What’s wrong?”
“My daughter was abducted by my ex while I was in court yesterday. We share custody, but I haven’t seen him in two years. He just showed up out of the blue and talked Jordan into spending the night at his hotel. If she hadn’t sent me a text telling me what was happening, I still wouldn’t know where she was. There’s nothing on my security cameras to even indicate he was there, and he’s not registered in any hotel anywhere in the surrounding area.”
“Wait! What? So did you call him?”
Tara sank down into a chair and started to cry.
“All night. He never answered.”
“Your daughter isn’t answering, either?” Toby said.
“I found her phone hidden beneath a pillow on her bed. She texted me from it, and all I can guess is that he hid it from her when they left so she couldn’t contact me. I already know the police won’t help because of the shared custody settlement in our divorce papers. And there’s something I’ve learned that’s even more frightening. I found out from one of Jud’s old friends that the last time he saw him was at a gathering for psychics.” Tara sighed a
t the look on their faces. “It’s just something he can do. He was never into it much, but finding this out and then having Jordan go missing is horrifying on a whole other level for me, because Jordan has inherited some of her father’s abilities.”
“Have you checked out the people behind the gathering he went to?” Eric asked.
“All I know is that the group was called Fourth Dimension.”
“That might be bordering on cult behavior,” Toby said.
“I know, and I don’t know what to do,” Tara said and then covered her face.
“Tara, I’m so sorry,” Eric said.
“Do you have any idea where he’s been living?” Toby asked.
“No,” Tara wailed. “He dropped off the face of the earth, and now this.”
“My first instinct is to get a really good private investigator on this. Someone like Charlie Dodge.”
Tara grabbed a handful of tissues from the box on Toby’s desk and began wiping her eyes.
“Yes, I’ve already sent him an email, but I haven’t heard back. I don’t even know if he’ll take the case.”
Eric leaned forward. “My brother-in-law is a special agent with the FBI. He’s headquartered at the office here in Dallas. I can talk to him...see if he has any suggestions.”
“I’ll take any and all help,” Tara said. “I’m just so scared. I feel like the bottom fell out of my world, and that’s the other reason why I’m here. I am in no way able to deal with clients right now. I don’t have another court case pending, and am requesting leave. I’m so sorry to put—”
“We’ll handle it,” Toby said. “Just go home. If Dodge doesn’t take the case, find someone like him. Get an investigator on this before the trail gets too cold.”
Tara stood. “Thank you. Thank you for the help and the advice, and Eric, let me know if your brother-in-law has any advice for me, too.”
“We’re having dinner with him and his wife tonight. I will do that,” Eric said.
Tara left the offices with more hope than she’d come in with. At least now she had a direction. She got back in her car, then sat long enough to check and see if she’d gotten a response from her email to Charlie Dodge, but there was nothing. Now she had a call to make to Bronte Middle School. She had to let the principal know what had happened, too. Because the last bell had just rung for class, and Jordan was going to be late for school.
* * *
Tara’s plight was on Eric Prince’s mind all day. He talked to his wife, Mona, about it while they were getting ready to go out to dinner.
“I told Tara I’d ask Hank if he had any advice for her,” he said.
Mona nodded. “Good idea. Hank works on a lot of kidnapping and serial killer cases. He should have some suggestions that might help her.”
“That’s what I thought” Eric said.
A couple of hours later, Hank Raines and his wife, Barb, were sharing appetizers with Eric and Mona, when Eric brought up the subject, explaining the details as he went.
Hank listened, more than sympathetic to the situation. He and Barb had kids, and he couldn’t imagine anything worse than having one of them go missing.
“The private investigator angle is good, and your boss was on target suggesting Charlie Dodge. He’s one of the best I’ve ever heard of. I’d like to meet him sometime. Tell her to try to find out where her ex went when he disappeared. That might be the best starting point.”
“She may already have one good starting point,” Eric said. “She claims her husband is psychic, and one of his friends told her that he might be mixed up with a group called Fourth Dimension.”
Hank sat up a little straighter. “Fourth Dimension?”
Eric nodded. “Have you heard of it?” he asked.
“I’ve heard of it,” Hank said. “But I don’t know anything about it. I’ll dig around a bit and see what I can find out for you, okay?”
“Thanks,” Eric said. “And my apologies to the ladies for bringing such a disturbing element into our evening out.”
The women quickly assured him it was fine, but it wasn’t lost on either man that their wives were glad to move on to something more pleasant and lighthearted.
The evening ended on a good note, and Hank was nodding in all the right places as Barb chatted about the food, but he was already thinking about Fourth Dimension, and would be checking in with the deputy director when he got to work tomorrow.
* * *
Tara had prayed more in the last twenty-four hours than she had in her entire life. It was the morning of the second day of Jordan’s disappearance and her phone was still silent. No returning phone call from Jud. No check-in from Jordan.
She hadn’t heard back from Dodge, either, and was debating with herself about calling the agency. It was just after 8:00 a.m., and she was pouring herself a cup of coffee when her phone rang. When she saw caller ID, her heart skipped a beat. Finally!
“Hello, this Tara.”
“Tara, this is Wyrick from Dodge Security and Investigations, calling on behalf of Mr. Dodge. He has agreed to take your case. We have a ten o’clock opening this morning. You said in your email that you could come at a moment’s notice. Is this too soon?”
Tara was shaking. “No, no, it’s not. Oh my God, thank you. I’ll be there.”
“I’ll text you the address of our new offices. Bring pictures of your ex-husband and a recent one of your daughter. Also, please bring the phone you said she left behind. Does she have a laptop?” Wyrick asked.
“Yes, she does. Do you want me to bring it, too?” Tara asked.
“Yes, please. We’ll see you soon.”
Tara was overwhelmed with relief. Someone was finally going to help her. She left her coffee on the counter and ran upstairs to get dressed, then began gathering up everything she’d been asked to bring.
After checking her phone to make sure she had the directions, she loaded everything up in her car, entered the address into OnStar and drove away. It felt good to have forward momentum now, but she was so scared for her daughter’s welfare that every moment she spent in traffic felt like a delay in getting her daughter home. She knew Charlie Dodge by reputation only, although she’d been in court when he’d testified at hearings before, and right now he was her only hope.
A short while later, she arrived at the office building, parking with ten minutes to spare. She gathered up her things and ran into the building, then rode the elevator up to the sixth floor. It was five minutes to ten when she entered the offices of Dodge Security and Investigations.
When the woman sitting behind the desk looked up at her and then stood, Tara knew this must be Wyrick, the formidable assistant.
“Mrs. Bien?” Wyrick asked as she circled the desk.
“Yes. Please call me Tara.”
Wyrick nodded. “Please have a seat. Mr. Dodge is on a phone call, but it shouldn’t be much longer. May I get you a coffee?”
Tara thought about the coffee she’d left sitting on the counter.
“Yes, thank you, and black, please.”
Wyrick stepped into the butler’s pantry, got a coffee and a napkin, then set it on the small table beside Tara’s chair. She paused, eyeing the woman’s obvious exhaustion and pale skin, and felt instant empathy, but she said nothing as she went back to her desk.
A couple of minutes later, she glanced at the PBX on her desk. Charlie had ended his call, so she buzzed him.
“Yes?”
“Tara Bien is here,” she said.
“Show her in,” Charlie said.
Wyrick stood. “Mr. Dodge will see you now. Do you need a refill on your coffee?”
“No, but thank you,” Tara said, following Wyrick through a short hall and then into the office.
Charlie was immediately on his feet, and when he gave Wyrick a look, she knew what he meant.
�
��I know. Hold all your calls,” she said.
“Just put them on voice mail for a bit. I want you to sit in on this interview,” Charlie said.
Wyrick nodded and came back a few moments later with an ink pen, a notepad and a recorder.
Charlie seated Tara before he sat back down.
Wyrick was at a table at the end of his desk.
“Now, Mrs. Bien, I understand your daughter left with your ex-husband under mysterious circumstances, and you haven’t seen or heard from them since.”
“Please call me Tara, and yes, she’s been gone for two days now, and with no word from either of them.”
“Did you call the police?” Charlie asked.
She shook her head. “No. I’m a lawyer. I already know their answer. After our divorce, Jud and I shared joint custody and that was never changed, so they won’t consider her as having been abducted.”
“Then what makes this visit so different from any other one?” Charlie asked.
“Because there haven’t been any visits since Jud disappeared over two years ago. We haven’t seen or heard from him, then he just appears at a time when he knew I would be in court and on a day when Jordan stayed home sick from school. I wouldn’t have even known he was the one responsible for her absence, except Jordan sent me a text right before she left.”
“Maybe your daughter has been in touch with him and you just didn’t know it,” Charlie suggested.
“No. She was devastated when he disappeared. They were very close, and for him to just dump her like that broke her heart,” Tara said. “Oh, when I got home and then found her phone had been left behind, it worried me. Then I discovered my security system had been disabled, so I started it back up again, only to find out it had stopped at the point Della, my housekeeper, left the house and nothing had recorded after that. Jud set up that system, so he knew what to do to erase any signs of his presence. If it hadn’t been for Jordan sending me that text, I would think this was a stranger abduction.”
Charlie was beginning to get a sense of how detailed this man had been in his abduction. So far, he hadn’t missed a thing.