46
It was now or never. Jamie had to make her move to get Andrew out of the house. She prepared her body and her mind to snatch Andrew and go. She mapped the scene out, the interior of the house, the escape, the run for the SUV, her path down the road. A quick prayer and she was ready. As her hand reached for the door, voices came from the front of the house. She shrank back desperately looking for a hiding place.
The two men cursed their luck in not finding her. Worry filled their tones. Obviously, they were afraid of the man in charge.
She ran to the end of the porch. Climbing on the railing, she hopped off. As she landed in the dirt, a pain ran up her leg. Her hand flew to her mouth to keep from moaning. She rolled under a bush next to the foundation as the men stomped up the steps.
Another minute and they would have seen her.
“Hey, Scott. We couldn’t find her.”
A pause.
“You came back here without her?” The man’s voice was rich with disdain. “If she makes it to town, we’re done. She’s somewhere out there in those woods. Find her. And when you do call me.” The door slammed as the men entered the house and the voices became indistinguishable.
His words sent a chill right down Jamie’s spine. This man would kill anyone who got in his way. And Jamie was very much in his way.
I am with you, always…
Her breathing evened out. Her heart calmed. I trust you, God. You’ve kept me safe before, and I know you will again. She held her breath and squeezed closer to the bush her ankle still throbbing. She scanned the area for a better hiding place. There was space between the ground and the porch. Flattening, she scooted underneath. Once she was in, she fluffed up the bush to make it look normal again.
Finally, the back door slammed and the men stormed off with loud complaints.
Jamie crawled from beneath the porch. The pain in her ankle made her grimace, but she was able to walk. You are with me, God. Taking a deep breath, she went up the steps. She peered into the window careful to stay out of view.
The kitchen was empty. The cell phone was still sitting on the counter, its battery beside it. Without the battery, the police couldn’t trace the phone’s built-in GPS.
She hesitated. It would tip them off that she’d been in the house if she took the phone. But a phone—a connection to the outside. It was worth the risk. She scooped up both items.
Jamie unlocked the pantry door and opened it.
Andrew was huddled in the corner whimpering. He looked up at her.
She put a finger to her mouth.
He choked on his sob, his eyes wet with tears.
Jamie admired the boy, so brave, working so hard to do as she’d asked. For all he’d been through, Andrew was tough and resilient. He’d be OK once Jamie got him back to Zink.
He held his hands out, but as she leaned down voices filtered in from the porch. With no time to panic she slid into the pantry and closed the door.
“You need to be quiet. I promised to keep you safe and I will.” She wiped the tears off the boy’s face. “Stay behind me.”
An arm wrapped around her leg.
She shoved the battery in the phone with trembling fingers, and then scrolled through the menu to the last call. It had been to Michael Zinkleman. And Michael was with Enrique.
Pressing the recall button she slipped the device into her pocket.
Enrique would figure it out.
****
Enrique paced around the room.
Michael Zinkleman’s phone rang.
Being the only FBI agent in the room, Michael looked at him.
“Hold on a minute.” Enrique moved to the door and yelled out to the tech guy. “We’ve got another incoming call. Are you ready?”
“Go ahead.”
He turned back to Michael and nodded.
Michael hit the button. “Hello.”
No response.
“Hello.”
Again no one answered. His gaze moved to Enrique. “Should I hang up?”
“No, as long as the connection is open, they can trace it.” He moved closer to the speaker the phone was attached to. He could hear muffled voices in the background but couldn’t make out what they were saying. Had the kidnappers accidentally pocket-dialed?
GPS tracking hadn’t been able to ping the phone’s location before. But maybe they could if the line stayed open long enough.
Enrique looked at Michael. “Better not say anything. If they dialed inadvertently or if whoever’s on the other side of that phone can’t talk. The last thing we need to do is call attention to the connection.”
“Sounds right.” Suzanne nodded.
A few moments later, the tech guy came in. “We got a location in Arizona near the Huachuca Mountains. Agents are on their way, but it’ll take a while.”
“Great.” Thank you, God. Keep them safe. “Do you have a specific location?”
He gave Enrique the address. “There’s no reason to go. It will be over before you can even get there.”
“I hope you’re right, but I’m still going. The woman I love is there.”
Suzanne was by his side. “Me, too. My child is there and I’m going.”
Michael Zinkleman stood up. “Me, too.”
Bob Nelson walked into the room. “That’s not happening, Michael. You still have a warrant out for your arrest, and besides, you have to be here if any more calls come in.”
“I can be anywhere when they call me—they have no idea if I am here or there. I’m going.”
Nelson shook his head. “Even though I’m starting to believe your innocence, you’re not off the hook yet. You’re not going anywhere.” He turned to Enrique and Suzanne. “You two can go. I’ll have a plane waiting for you at the airport.”
Suzanne moved to be beside Michael. “We’ll bring Andrew home.” Her arms went around him. “To us.”
47
The voices grew louder.
Jamie’s heart pounded. Sweat trickled down her back.
Andrew’s arms tightened around her leg. He was terrified.
“Where’s that stupid woman?” The man’s voice was rough with anger.
“We still can’t find her.”
These were different voices than before. There were more of them. More hunting. More to escape from.
“What’s wrong with you people? It’s one woman wandering around the woods. She’ll lead the cops right to us. She couldn’t have gotten that far on foot. You two take the car and look for her on the road. The others go in the woods. And don’t come back without her.”
“What about the kid?”
“What about him? As soon as they transfer the money, I’ll take care of him. And when you find that woman, you do the same, and then bring the body back here. We’ll fly them somewhere they won’t ever be found.”
Andrew’s arm squeezed her leg tighter. He wasn’t too young to understand the conversation. This little boy’s innocence was being stolen right here, right now. On her watch. She cringed at the thought. They had to escape.
The kitchen quieted.
A moment later, a vehicle started up. Which one? If they’d chosen the one with the flat tires, they’d know she’d circled back to the house. It would only be a matter of time before they found her hiding in the kitchen pantry.
She had to get Andrew out of here. She opened the door an inch.
The kitchen was empty.
But the man was somewhere in the house. He had to be. She didn’t think he’d leave his asset unguarded. He’d made that mistake once, and he wouldn’t do it again.
She sifted through her options. Sneak out? Not a good option considering she had no idea where she was and at least four men were out there searching for them. And her ankle still throbbed.
A thought flashed to her mind. Patti had told her how she and Maria hidden in plain sight on the yacht as killers searched for them.
What if Jamie stayed nearby?
They wouldn’t be expecting that. As s
oon as they discovered Andrew missing, they would assume she came back. And they’d think she and Andrew were hiking their way to safety through the trees. Maybe they wouldn’t bother to check out the barn.
“We have to be really quiet now.” She told the little boy. “We want them to think we ran away.”
His little head nodded in understanding, and his expression was filled with trust.
Jamie prayed that she was worth his trust. She opened the pantry door.
She slipped the phone from her pocket and pulled out its battery, and then placed the items back on the counter just the way she’d found them.
They moved through the kitchen and out the door.
Outside was complete darkness. No moon or stars. Thank you, God. The darkness would hide them.
When she reached the bottom of the steps, she put Andrew down, but held onto his hand.
Inch by inch, they made their way back to the barn.
Her ankle throbbed.
A door slammed behind them.
“Hurry, we have to get in the barn before he sees us.” She tightened her grasp on Andrew.
Footsteps pounded. He must have seen them.
“Run, get in the barn.”
Jamie pulled out the pellet gun and aimed it at the shadow. As he neared, she pulled the trigger.
He moaned and fell to the ground.
She took off for the barn trying to ignore the pain in her ankle. “Andrew, where are you?”
“Back here, Jamie.” His little voice trembled.
She limped to the back of the barn.
She found him squeezed in between two bales of straw. On top of one of the bales was an open switchblade. She slid it into her pocket.
A hand grabbed her from behind.
She whirled towards it, hand raised to strike. But another hand imprisoned her from the other side. She struggled. “Run, Andrew. Run.”
He darted from his hiding place between the bales and ran past her.
One man let go of her to follow Andrew.
She kicked at the man holding her, but he threw her to the ground.
Her head slammed into the cement floor. Stars floated. She breathed deep, fighting to stay conscious. She moved to her knees, and then stood. Her ankle gave way, and she landed on one knee.
“Good position. Don’t move.”
Too tired to fight, Jamie nodded.
“I should just shoot you now and be done with you. You are more trouble than you’re worth.”
Jamie glared at him, her heart pounding.
Moments later, another man walked in carrying a screaming Andrew.
Jamie’s heart broke. She’d failed. Again.
48
With God all things are possible. With God all things are possible.
Jamie whispered the mantra again. No way was she giving up. She was determined to get Andrew home. Her hands were tied behind her back. Her feet were tied together, and then looped through the open slats at the top of the gate in the stall.
Andrew was sitting across from her, tied up and not able to move, either. Tears ran down his face.
“Andy, it’s OK. We’ll get out of here.”
“No, we won’t.”
“Do you believe in God?”
He nodded.
“Good. You pray, and I’ll pray, too. God will give me direction on what I can do.”
The men hadn’t bothered to check for weapons. The knife was still in her pocket. She scooted towards the stall door allowing the rope to grow lax. She wiggled her hands down her backside. At the same time, she moved her butt upwards. Years of stretching exercises were finally paying off. Sweat trickled down her back as her hands journeyed down the backs of her legs.
Andrew’s gaze was glued on her maneuverings.
She was scrunched up like an accordion, but her hands were nearing her feet. Only a few more inches. Finally, her hands slipped over her feet to the front of her body. The rope was in the way, but her hands were up enough to reach her pocket. No, not quite able to reach. She scrunched her feet up. That gave her a few more precious inches of rope.
Her fingers grasped the knife in her pocket. Thank you, God. Using the knife, she sawed through the binding.
The rope fell away.
When she was free, she moved to Andrew and started cutting his bonds. “I told you the prayer would work.”
He nodded with a smile. “Thanks, God.”
“I’ll second that.”
When he was free, she lifted him up. “Ever been on a horse?”
“Daddy took me riding horsies.”
“Great.” After finding the tack, she saddled up one of the horses. It had been many years since she’d been on one, but this gelding seemed gentle enough. He hadn’t fussed as she put on his saddle. Lifting Andrew up, she waited for him to swing a foot over it. She led the horse to the back of the barn. The horse whinnied.
“What’s going on in there?”
No time to waste and no time to figure out which way to go. She put her foot in the stirrup and into position. She leaned down to the horse. “Come on, boy. We can do this.” She urged the horse forward.
He surged to the front of the barn.
Their guard stepped in the middle of the barn doorway.
Jamie pulled a rein and the horse swerved. She kicked the horse’s side and urged it to go faster.
The man screamed something unintelligible.
Gunfire popped as the horse thundered into the darkness.
49
Jamie snapped the reins and the horse sped up to a gallop.
Risking a look back, the lights in the house had come on and men were running out. Gunfire flashed in the darkness.
As she approached the end of the drive, she considered which way to go. She had no idea where they were. Civilization could be over the next rise…or fifty miles away. If she took the road, they’d be caught. The horse couldn’t outrun a car or a gun. She spurred the horse across the road and into the trees.
****
Enrique waited for Suzanne to disembark from the plane.
“Hopefully, the situation’s been contained and they have them in custody,” Suzanne said.
“Not to be a pessimist, but I doubt it. We would have heard something.”
“You’re right.”
A man approached them. “Agent Rodriquez?”
Enrique held out a hand. “And you are?”
“Agent Langdon. I’m here to take you to the staging area.”
“Staging area? Haven’t they gone in, yet?”
“They’re waiting for daylight.” He pointed at the lightening sky. “Almost time.”
“This is Officer Suzanne Zinkleman. Her son is the kidnapped vic…child.” Enrique introduced them.
Langdon’s face flushed red. “Oh, I’m so sorry, ma’am. It must be tough.”
“Tough doesn’t begin to describe it. Torture. That’s the only word I can use,” Suzanne said.
“I can’t even imagine, ma’am, sir. But we’re doing everything we can to find him.”
“I’m sure you will.” Her voice sounded tired, defeated.
Enrique patted her arm to comfort her. “Jamie’s tough. She’ll keep Andrew safe.”
“I wish they would have let Michael come with us. I know it’s crazy after all he did. But he makes me feel safe when he’s around.”
Enrique felt a tingle of something…would Jamie ever come to trust him that way? The knowledge of loving and being loved?
When they got to the staging area, Enrique walked up to the man who was obviously in charge. “I’m Agent Rodriquez from the Florida Department.”
The man looked to be past fifty, but he stood tall, his shoulders back, his chin up. Gray hair and a few extra pounds. Enrique assessed him at being close to retirement.
That could mean one of two things.
It could mean the man knew what he was doing with all that experience. Or it could mean that he’d grown cautious as his retirement grew closer.
Mentally, he acknowledged he knew nothing of the sort and that it was in God’s hands. Still, the commanding presence of the man in charge was impressive.
“Long way from home,” the man said.
“That’s for sure.”
“I thought Andrew was from Ohio.”
“He is, but…” He didn’t have time for the long version. They needed to get moving. “He is, but that doesn’t matter at the moment. This is Officer Suzanne Zinkleman, Andrew’s mother.”
The man’s gray eyes turned dark. “I wasn’t told you were coming. I can’t have you interfering. It would only put your boy in more danger than he’s already in.”
“I have no intention of doing that, but I’m here if you need me.” Suzanne answered.
“I can assure you that Officer Zinkleman has the utmost professionalism.”
The man looked at her as if assessing Enrique’s words. He offered a slight smile. “No offense intended, but you’re still the boy’s mother.”
“No offense taken. And you’re right. But I can promise I won’t do anything to put my son in harm’s way.”
“And neither will I. By the way, I’m Charlie Donaldson. I’m the man in charge.”
“OK, Man-In-Charge, what’s happening?” Suzanne asked.
“You can call me Charlie. We’re not all that formal around here.”
“OK, then, Charlie it is. You can call me Zink.”
“The target is down the road. From what we can tell, it’s a ranch house with several barns and outbuildings. It’s owned by Martha and John Winters. But the Winters retired a few years ago and moved to California to be closer to their daughter.”
“So, the house is supposedly empty?” Enrique asked.
Charlie Donaldson shook his head. “They’ve been renting the house out to a Mark Underwood and his wife, Donna. Quiet tenants who pay their rent six months in advance and always on time.”
“What did you find out about them?”
“Nothing. Which makes me mighty suspicious.” Charlie looked at his watch and motioned towards a younger man. “Chris, get Zink a cup of coffee and keep them company. Almost time to move in.”
“You can’t shut me out.” Zink protested.
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