“Not shutting you out, Zink. I’m keeping you safe, so I can use you when I need to.”
The two of them locked gazes.
Enrique decided to let them work it out. Besides, he had a good feeling about Charlie. He didn’t appear to be overly concerned about his retirement.
Suzanne’s body stance relaxed. “Fine, I’ll do it your way.”
“Good. As soon as the place is secure Chris will bring you in.” He looked at Chris. “But not until you hear from me personally. Got it?”
“Got it, Charlie.”
Charlie turned back to Enrique. “You’ll need a jacket if you’re coming with me.”
“Got an extra one?”
“Need a weapon?”
“I have my personal guns, but if you want me to have something bigger, you’ll need to get me one.”
“Are you certified?”
“Yes, sir. I am.”
“The name is Charlie, not sir.” He motioned to yet another man who ran off to find a jacket.
“So, what’s the plan, Charlie?”
“We’ll start with the outbuildings and move forward to the house.”
“Is that a good idea? They’re probably at the house and we might tip them off if we start with them.”
Charlie nodded. “I know. I’m hoping we can do it quickly and quietly. But if we start at the house and they’re hunkered down in one of the outbuildings they have a better chance of getting away or it turning into a bloody gun battle. It’s a judgment call. I’m not going to argue that with you.”
Enrique’s respect of the man deepened. He hadn’t been defensive and had been honest with his own self-doubt. Enrique understood judgment calls in tough situations.
There was always more than one way to handle a problem. And more than one could work. And there was more than one way for it to go very wrong, too.
48
Jamie, Andrew, and their horse moved through the trees. They were going uphill. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. Time would tell. For now, the trees gave them some cover. And that was definitely a good thing.
Unlike the trees in Ohio, or the pines in Wyoming, these trees were short and scattered about. The types of trees found in desert areas. Not nearly big enough to hide them from pursuers, but better than nothing.
The best thing was to keep moving until they found a house or a town. Of course, there was always the possibility she was moving away from populated areas and into the mountains, but she preferred not to think about that.
****
So far so good.
Enrique followed behind the front line.
Charlie had insisted on it, saying that he was sure Enrique knew what he was doing, but since they hadn’t worked together before it was better this way.
Enrique hadn’t argued the point. He’d have said the same thing if he was in charge. One didn’t know a person’s weaknesses until they’d worked with them for a while. And in law enforcement that could be very dangerous.
They’d made it through three outbuildings and found nothing, but they hadn’t alerted anyone, either. They were getting ready to enter the barn nearest the house. When the lead man gave the motion, the agents went in.
After a few tense moments, an agent appeared and motioned in the next group. Enrique moved forward. The barn was empty.
It looked as if there’d been horses in some of the stalls. Not too long ago by the smell of the fresh manure, but a horse expert he was not.
Charlie motioned for him.
Enrique walked over.
“Looks like they were held in here.” Charlie pointed at ropes on both sides of the stall. “I suppose it could be a coincidence that these ropes look like they were used to tie up someone, but I’m thinking not.”
Enrique stared at the sets of ropes, his heart dropping. He was glad Suzanne wasn’t here to see this. It hurt him so much he couldn’t imagine what it would do to her. “Well, they aren’t here now.”
“No, they aren’t. There’s only one car in the drive and its tires have been flattened. Think that’s your agent’s doing?”
“I’d bet on it.” Enrique smiled for the first time since he’d heard Andrew say Jamie’s name. “She has a tendency to do things like that.”
“Good. Maybe she took another car and is headed into town.” He stopped and stared at the ropes. “Or maybe not. Either way, it’s time to go in.” He nodded towards the ranch home. “Some of the men are going to surround the house—just in case some idiot decides to leave through a window. The rest of us will go in through the door.”
“Sounds good.”
“And you will stay out here until the premises are secure. Got it?”
Enrique nodded.
The men made their way silently around the house and to their positions.
Charlie nodded and the others got in formation. He raised a fist, and then motioned forward.
The agents swarmed the porch, the windows and the doors.
“Clear.”
“Clear.”
“Clear.”
With each declaration, Enrique bit his cheek a bit more. He tasted the blood and prayed it would be the only bloodshed that day. He should never have let Jamie leave. Not that he could have stopped her, but he could have made different choices so she would have stayed.
He’d promised he wouldn’t let the job interfere in their relationship again, but he’d failed. He’d picked the job over her once more. She would never forgive him this time.
Of course, if she wasn’t so stubborn she’d be able to see there was more than one way to get the job done. As far as she was concerned, there was only one right way—her way.
But that didn’t stop him from loving her.
He’d had his second chance and he’d blown it—again. Not that it mattered now. The only thing that mattered was finding Jamie and Andrew alive.
A room by room search showed nothing.
No Andrew. No Jamie.
Charlie motioned to Enrique. “The only thing we found were some bandages and rubbing alcohol on a stand in the living room. Means someone got hurt, but probably not enough to die, since there’s no body.”
“What now?”
“A few of the men will stay back and search for any sort of paper trail or evidence. The rest of us will do a foot search of the area. You got any ideas? You know the agent.”
“Well, she’s not actually an agent. Jamie’s a consultant. And one of the reasons is because she really doesn’t like rules.”
Charlie’s flinty eyes glared at him. “So that means she could do anything.”
“That’s what it means.”
“Well, I’ll deny I ever said it out loud, but in some situations that can be a good thing.”
“That’s what I’m learning, sir. I…uh, mean, Charlie.”
Charlie walked away.
****
Jamie’s horse was not as cooperative as she hoped. After the initial burst of energy, the horse regressed to one speed—slow. That wasn’t good when there were guys with guns chasing them.
She couldn’t hear them, but they had to be out there. Andrew was their ticket to getting their money back, and she could identify them. The thugs wouldn’t just let them disappear.
They’d been travelling by horseback for a few hours. The sun was up making them and the horse hot and sweaty. By the intensity of the heat and the look of the terrain, Jamie guessed they were in a desert area, maybe Arizona or New Mexico.
Andrew tugged on the back of her shirt. “I’m thirsty, Jamie.”
They were in the midst of trees and going up a mountain side. There should be water somewhere. The trees were different looking than the ones in Ohio or Wyoming. They looked more like bushes than trees. They were short and sparse, not allowing for good hiding places. And the cacti made her think harsher desert was nearby and finding a creek or stream would be even more remote.
“OK, keep looking for a stream or a river. Then we can get a drink. If you see
it let me know.”
“OK, Jamie.” He leaned back against her.
“I know you must be tired, sweetie. Why don’t you close your eyes and see if you can take a nap?”
“No, I have to help find the water. I’m not a baby. I can help.”
“I know you’re not. You have been so brave through all of this, Andrew.” She paused for a moment. “Your Mommy and Daddy will be so proud of you.”
“My mommy? Do you know my mommy?”
“I do. She loves you and misses you so much.”
“I miss her, too, but Daddy said we hafta stay away to keep her safe. Is she safe now?”
“As far as I know she is.” She didn’t believe in lying to children. “I saw her last week, and she was fine.”
“That’s good.” He leaned back against her.
Soon his breathing slowed and evened out. He’d fallen asleep. Although his arms relaxed some, he still held on to her, grasping for comfort even in sleep. Jamie patted one of his little hands at her hips. “Keep him safe, God…keep both of us safe, please…”
I am with you always…
They continued to climb up the hillside. The trees were replaced with more rocks, making their travel more treacherous and slow.
The horse lost his footing and slipped.
Jamie brought the animal to a stop.
He needed to rest.
So did she and Andrew.
In the silence, she heard voices—too faint to make out the words, but loud enough to know they were back there.
Her heart rate ramped up. How could she evade the captors and get Andrew back to safety, back to his mother?
50
Enrique felt useless. He’d been left to his own devices as the others took pictures, gathered evidence and bagged it. He stood outside watching the sun peek over the horizon as the day brightened.
Jamie was out there somewhere. And if anyone could keep Andrew safe, it was Jamie. Still, he wished she were standing right here with him safe and sound.
Suzanne showed up with her appointed guard, Chris.
Chris left her with Enrique and went to the house to check in with his boss.
Zink looked exhausted, her eyes red.
“I’m sorry, Zink. They aren’t here now, but it looks as if they had been.”
“So I heard,” Zink replied. “What’s going on now?’
“They’re searching the area and looking for evidence in the house.”
“Looks like the lead about Michael’s secretary is going to pay off.”
“Really?”
“She quit a week after Michael disappeared with the excuse that the whole thing was too traumatic for her to deal with. Then she wandered around Mexico and other resort areas for more than a year. And just recently, she bought a small place in Hawaii.”
“Hawaii? That was a mistake.”
“Apparently so. Extradition may not have been easy with Mexico, but Hawaii is a different story. Anyway, they are about to pick her up, and it will only be a matter of time until they get the real story from her.”
“So, what’s that mean for you and Michael?”
“I have no idea. But it’s good to know he didn’t betray me in the way I believed he had. Still, I have a lot of anger and resentment, but I’ll let God work that out. Right now all I want is my son back.”
“Have you been in the barn, yet?”
She shook her head.
“Come on, I’ll show you.” Enrique remembered the ropes too late, but when they got to the stall the ropes were gone. He recalled an agent had come inside the barn to bag evidence.
Zink wandered around the barn saying nothing. Finally, she walked back to him. “It looks as if there are two horses missing. I’m guessing one for Jamie and Andrew, and one for whoever is chasing them.”
“You think they’re on horseback?” Enrique asked.
“Well, why else would the horses be missing?”
“Maybe, but a car is missing, as well.” Enrique reminded her.
“What’s the likelihood that Jamie took off in a car?” Zink was practical. “Jamie’s unconventional. She’s on horseback.”
“We can’t count on that.”
“Yes, actually, we can.” Zink held up a small diamond stud earring. “She was wearing this the last time I saw her. I found it by the barn door when the sun shone on it.”
“Well, I don’t know if that’s hers, but it looks like the ones she wears.”
“If she got one of the horses she’d be smart enough to stay off the roads. She’d know they would be looking for her.” Zink was firm. “We’ll ask Charlie if we can ride after them.”
“That means she’s up in that wilderness.” Enrique nodded towards the ridge outside.
“And it’s rugged and dangerous according to the web search I did while I was waiting.”
“I’m going after them.”
“So am I.” Suzanne said. “The one good thing is there’s lots of area up there. It’ll be as hard for them to find her as it is for us. I can ride a horse. Can you? “
“I’m going to learn.”
51
Jamie, Andrew, and the horse she’d named Slow Poke moved through the trees in a zigzag fashion. She hoped that would throw the pursuers off their tracks.
“Andrew, I want to get off and try to hide some of our tracks. Can you hold on to the reins tight so you don’t fall off?”
“OK.”
She jumped down. When she landed a sharp pain travelled from her ankle and up to her knee. She gritted her teeth and ignored the pain. Using the knife she still had, she cut off a branch from the tree. She hobbled back a few hundred yards and began to brush away their tracks—like she’d seen the cowboys do in the old western movies.
She stopped for a second to marvel.
Where she’d obliterated the signs of their journey looked just like the sand around it. How about that, something on TV that was actually truth.
She hopped back on the horse. Urging the beast forward for several yards, she jumped off and repeated the process. After doing this several times it wouldn’t be so easy to follow their tracks now.
Her behind and legs ached, a testament to the fact she hadn’t been on a horse in years. As they crested the top of the hill, her heart sank.
A lot less trees and a lot more desert brush.
But then her eye caught a silvery glimmer in the distance. Water?
She hoped so. Her throat was parched, and she wasn’t the only one who needed water. The horse and Andrew did, as well, although the little boy hadn’t complained at all. She said nothing about the water, giving Andrew the chance to find it. The more in control he felt, the less traumatized he’d be.
“Hey, Jamie.” Andrew tugged on her shirt. “I think I see water over there.” He pointed to their right.
“I think you’re right. Let’s go check it out.” She smiled and prodded Slow Poke off in that direction.
As they neared the area trees became more plentiful, enough to hide them for a while. When they reached the small stream, she slid Andrew off the horse. “Don’t drink it yet.”
“But I’m thirsty.”
“I know, but let me check it out first.” Using the western movies as her resource once again, she checked the area for dead animals. None around. She could only hope that meant the water was safe to drink. Finally, she turned to him. “Let’s let the horse drink first, and then we’ll take our turn.” She grabbed the horse’s reins and led it to the stream.
Slow Poke had no problem with the water. He lapped it up.
Jamie leaned down and tasted it. Cool and fresh. It might have been the best water she’d ever tasted. “OK, your turn, little cowboy.”
Andrew leaned down and scooped up water. After a few sips, he looked up at her. “Tastes OK to me.”
After everyone’s thirst was satisfied, they found a place to lean against trees. Her eyes closed. God give me wisdom. I don’t know what to do.
“Are you sleeping, Jam
ie?”
Sleep sounded like a wonderful idea. “No, sweetie. I was praying. I think I know what I need to do, but it could be scary for you.”
“Why?”
She stared into his violet-blue eyes. He’d been so brave, but he was still a little boy. A little boy who wouldn’t be able to protect himself from predators—human or animals.
“I think I should leave you here.”
“No.” He threw himself in her arms. “I don’t want you to leave me. I want to go with you.”
“That’s what I want, too, but I’m not sure it’s the safest thing for you. If you stay here, you’ll have water and shade. It’s getting hotter and I don’t know when we’ll find any more water. I’ve got to find some help for us.” She didn’t add that the bad guys were searching for them and the horse. They would follow the horse. And that would keep him safer.
“But I’m not thirsty anymore.”
“But you will be soon. I think we’re in the desert and it will get hotter as the day goes on.” Jamie wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince, Andrew or herself.
His body trembled and he cried, choking little sobs that broke her heart.
God, he’s only four years old, what do I do? The desert, he’ll die in this heat, children can’t take it, please help me…
I am with you always…
Andrew quieted.
Finally, she spoke. “Let’s think about it for a while as we rest. I’m going to drink some more water, now.”
He released her, and she crawled to the edge of the stream.
He did the same.
Slow Poke apparently decided more water was a good idea, too.
Sitting cross-legged by the stream, Jamie looked over at Andrew. “Well, what do you think we should do?”
“I’m a big boy. I guess I can stay here while you go find help.”
She pulled out the pellet gun. “I’ll give you this. It’s not a real gun, it’s called a pellet gun—kind of a like a BB gun. But it will scare off any snakes or animals that might come around.”
His eyes widened. “Really? I get the gun?”
Hiding her smile, she nodded. “You do, but it’s only for protection. Don’t use it unless you have to. Promise?”
“I promise, Jamie.”
She gave him her most serious and solemn mother glare. “Do you mean that, Andrew? This is very, very important.”
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