Remember Me (Men of Honor Series Book 1)

by Lara Van Hulzen

  “I know.”

  “I know it has for you too. I will be praying the truth comes out for you two. I have a feeling it would free you both from all this pain.”

  “Thanks, Mike. I hope so.” Ben laid his head against the back of the bench. “Keep an eye on her for me, okay? I promise I’ll clean up this mess soon.”

  “You got it. Take care of yourself, Ben.”

  “You too.”

  Ben ended the call. Unbelievable. Tess had given him another shot, at least a cracked window of opportunity and he blew it. And without even knowing it. He threw the phone across the back of the boat. It banged against the hull and bounced to the ground. He had to get out of this once and for all.

  ***

  Tess sat down at the nurses’ station and rubbed her eyes. Normally glad when a long work shift was almost over, tonight she dreaded going home. When she’d fallen into bed the night before, sleep had eluded her, thoughts of Ben and Sophia together constantly invading her vision. Tears welled up again, threatening to fall. She swiped at her eyes. No. No more.

  “You okay, honey?”

  So lost in her own thoughts, Tess hadn’t heard Gwen come up beside her.

  “I’ll be fine.” She took the tissue Gwen offered and blew her nose.

  “Hmmm. That implies you aren’t fine right now. You want to talk about it?”

  “I don’t know. Talking about it only makes me cry more. And I’m done crying.” Tess tossed the wad of tissue into the wastebasket.

  “Things not going so well with your lumberjack?”

  “He’s not exactly my lumberjack anymore. I’m not sure he ever was.”

  “Oh, he was, honey. He was.” She moved around the desk and grabbed a stack of files. “I saw the way he looked at you.”

  Tess saw the way Ben looked at her too. And she missed it. Oh, how she missed it. But she also saw the way he looked at Sophia, and the memory caused her gut to coil.

  “I’m not one to dole out advice all the time, Tess. But I’m going to give you some anyway. I was married for thirty-five years before my Jerry went to heaven, and let me tell you something. Forgiveness goes a long way.” She winked and walked down the hall.

  Tess sighed. Gwen was right. Forgiveness does go a long way. But were any of Ben’s actions forgivable? She shook her head. Every thought intertwined with another inside her mind. Ben left before their wedding but never told her why. He said it wasn’t because of Sophia but didn’t explain where he went or why he left. He didn’t really explain anything that night Tess found the picture on his phone. He basically just asked him to trust that he loved her. But how could she do that?

  “Hey, Tess.”

  “Hi, Corey. What’s up?” Tess shooed away the thoughts that buzzed like flies around her head and focused on her coworker.

  “My daughter is doing a fund-raiser for school selling chocolate bars. I’m trying to help her out a bit by seeing if anyone at work wants some. They’re two dollars each. You in?”

  Tess thought of Corey’s cherub-faced kindergartener and smiled. “If there’s chocolate involved, you don’t have to ask me twice.”

  She dug in her purse and found her wallet. Snagging two one-dollar bills from it, she passed them to Corey.

  “Milk chocolate or dark?”

  “Hmmm, decisions, decisions. I’ll take dark.”

  “Sounds good.” Corey handed her the candy bar. “And thanks.”

  “Anytime.”

  Corey turned away and down the hall. Tess plopped the candy bar in her purse for later. As she went to fold up her wallet, the corner of Ben’s photograph stuck out. The one she took of him during the Habitat for Humanity project. His dimpled face smiled at her from the picture.

  The truth was, Ben had explained nothing. Given her no reason to believe him or forgive him. Without a second thought, she crumpled the photo and tossed it in the trash on top of her wads of tear-filled tissues from the day.

  It was time. Time to move forward. Time to stop thinking about Ben every waking moment and dreaming of him every night. That’s what her head said anyway. She hoped her heart would soon follow.

  ***

  After much prodding from Gwen, Tess finally left work. Going home was unavoidable. Facing an empty house hadn’t bothered her before, but without Ben there, it was hollow. Lifeless.

  She needed to stop this. Constant focus on Ben wasn’t going to help her get over him. Sleep deprivation wasn’t helping either. As she walked to her car, she dug for her keys. Dead on her feet, she prayed pure exhaustion would help her sleep.

  The sun had set, causing the overhead lights in the parking lot to turn on. They always cast an eerie glow, motivating Tess to move as quickly as possible to her car. She reached the driver’s-side door and still hadn’t found her keys.

  Ugh! She really needed a smaller purse. With one hand deep down in the pit of her bag, she tried to text Emma with the other. They had another dress fitting the next day and Tess had forgotten to tell Emma she had to work and would be late.

  Her hand grasped the flip-flop keychain at the bottom of her purse.

  “Aha! There you are.”

  She pulled out her keys and clicked the unlock button. She hit send on her phone, her text successfully sent to Emma. As she opened the car door, large arms wrapped around her. A hand holding a cloth covered her face. Her phone dropped from her hand and her body slumped against a large chest. She blinked twice and the world went dark.

  ***

  Tess tried to open her eyes. Each lid weighed a ton. A pain shot through her head from the base of her neck all the way to her eyes. Vibration beneath her told her she was in motion, but how? Forcing her eyes open, darkness lingered. The smell of rubber and metal filled her senses. Her shoulders ached. She tried to move her hands, only to discover they were tied behind her back.

  She knew exactly where she was…in the trunk of a car. Her own car? She couldn’t think straight with the pain in her head. The memory of what had happened in the hospital parking lot rocked her awareness back to life. Someone had grabbed her from behind and knocked her out. How was that possible? She hadn’t heard anyone coming. They’d just appeared out of nowhere.

  She tried to move her legs, but her ankles were bound. She wiggled and looked down. Duct tape. Her mouth was covered as well. Panic set in and her heart raced.

  Think, Tess. Think. What would Ben tell you to do?

  Stay calm. That’s what. She took in a few deep breaths, attempting to keep her breathing under control. The stench of rubber from the spare tire invaded her sinuses. The car hit a bump and her entire body bounced up and down, her hip landing on something hard. Tears formed in her eyes, but she blinked them away. Stay focused. Stay calm. That’s what Ben would say.

  Ben.

  She looked around the trunk. Empty. Her attacker made sure nothing could be used as a weapon. Wrenching her shoulder, she patted the back pocket of her scrubs, hoping she’d put her phone in there. She hadn’t. It was all coming back to her now, like a fog lifting in her brain. She’d texted Emma, found her keys, then was attacked.

  Dread pulsed through her veins.

  Please God. Please help me.

  Chapter 18

  Ben took a swig of his coffee and looked out the window. He was perched on a stool at the counter of the Old Town Café.

  “You need a refill?”

  “Sure. Thanks, Fran.” He set down his mug. Fran owned the café along with her husband, Gus. They’d pulled into San Diego in the early ’70s as a young couple in a VW bus, and never left. That same VW bus still sat out back. Gus worked on it in his spare time.

  She poured fresh brew into his mug and smiled. “It’s a bit late for you to be having this much caffeine. You on duty tonight and need to stay awake?”

  The café stayed open until eleven at night and opened at six every morning. Gus and Fran were like Energizer bunnies.

  “Not this time.” He took a sip. The heat stung the back of his throat. Wanting to
clear his head, he’d left the boat earlier and started walking. His stomach led him to Old Town, apparently knowing he needed to wallow in good food. Fran and Gus made the best in town.

  “You seem like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders. You wanna talk about it?”

  Ben shook his head. “Not tonight. Thanks though, Fran.”

  Eating as many meals as he did in the café, it wasn’t a surprise Gus and Fran had become like an aunt and uncle to him. Any other day Ben would be up to spilling his guts to Fran, but not tonight. He was still processing all that had gone wrong. Trying to explain it to someone would only leave him drained and weary.

  “Okay. But we’re here for ya if you need us.” She patted his arm and walked away.

  A young couple came in and sat down in a booth. Holding hands across the table, they stared into each other’s eyes, oblivious to anyone around them. Fran took their order for hot fudge sundaes.

  Ben stared into his coffee. Steam rose from the brown liquid.

  After getting off the phone with Mike, he’d tortured himself by listening to Tess’s voicemail message over and over again. He was given an opportunity to make it right with her, yet it slipped through his fingers like sand through a sieve. If only he’d taken his cell phone with him. If only he’d tried harder to explain the truth to Tess. If only. If only. If only.

  Why did he make the decision to go after Carlos in the midst of grieving for his parents? What a stupid thing to do. It stunk that hindsight was so blatantly clear. He pushed his coffee mug away, his stomach suddenly sour.

  After his parents’ death, his grief caused him to retreat. Become angry. But Tess never gave up on him. He was too blind to see that then. He took her encouragement as nagging and pushed her further away. He honestly believed she would never understand his need to get back at the person who took his parents from him. He also believed revenge was the answer. What a fool.

  His cell phone danced across the counter as it vibrated, pulling him from his thoughts.

  He tapped the answer button. “Yeah.”

  “Wow. You don’t sound good.” Mike’s familiar baritone sounded genuinely concerned.

  “Hey, Mike.” Ben’s heart skipped a beat. Maybe Mike was calling to say Tess would listen to him. Let him explain himself.

  “Ben. I have some bad news. It’s Tess. She’s gone.”

  “What?” He sat up straight, every fiber in his being on alert. “Gone? Gone where?”

  “Gwen just called me from the hospital. Security found Tess’s purse and cell phone on the ground next to her car. The driver’s-side door was open and her keys tossed on the seat.”

  The room spun. This couldn’t be happening. Not Tess. All this time he thought she’d be safe where she was instead of near him. “How long ago did she leave the hospital?”

  “Gwen said Tess left about an hour after her shift was done. But security didn’t see anything until later. She sent a text to Emma at seven thirty.”

  “Thanks. That’s helpful.” He glanced at his watch. 10:40 p.m. The digital numbers glared at him, taunting him. She’d been gone over three hours.

  He dug in his back pocket for his wallet. He pulled out cash and laid it on the counter near his empty plate.

  “Have you called the police?”

  “Yes. They’re at the scene right now. Gwen said she’d keep me posted.”

  “Great. If you hear anything else, let me know. I’m gonna see what I can find out myself.”

  “Okay.” Concern dripped from Mike’s voice through the phone line.

  “Mike. I will find her, you got that? I won’t let anything happen to her.”

  “I believe you. But Ben…how?”

  “Just trust me. I have a feeling I know who has her.”

  “What? What are you talking about?”

  “I can’t get into it with you now. There’s no time. Look, I know I haven’t given you any reason to do so, but I’m begging you to trust me. Thanks for calling. I’ve gotta go, but I’ll check in with you, and you do the same.”

  “I will.”

  Ben ended the call and sprinted for the door. He knew exactly who had Tess, and he wasn’t about to let him get away with it.

  ***

  Ben barreled through the front door of the café and straight into Dane.

  “We really need to stop running into each other.” Dane said. “Literally.”

  “Dane! I’m so glad to see you. I was just about to call you.”

  Dane held up both hands. “Okay. Wow. Slow down. What’s going on?”

  “Wait a minute. What are you doing here? Do you know about Tess?”

  “Aimee called me and told me about Tess seeing you with Sophia. I figured you might need someone to talk to. I tried the boat but you weren’t there and since Gus and Fran are your personal chefs, I figured you’d be here. Are you okay? What’s going on? Aimee said Tess was pretty ticked. That’s gotta be rough.”

  “Yeah, tell me about it. But that’s not what’s wrong.”

  “It’s not?”

  “Where are you parked?”

  “Over there.” Dane pointed across the street to a dark sedan. An unmarked police vehicle.

  “Great. Let’s go.” Ben tugged on Dane’s arm.

  “Where are we going?”

  “To talk to Carlos.”

  “What?” Dane stopped in the middle of the street. A car honked, motivating him to walk again. “Why in the world are we going to do that? If I go with you, he’ll know for sure you’re a cop.”

  “I don’t care anymore.”

  Dane unlocked the doors and both men hopped in and buckled their seat belts.

  “You don’t care anymore? I really did miss something.”

  Ben looked his friend in the eye. “Tess was kidnapped, Dane. Carlos took her.”

  Dane started up the car and peeled out of the parking lot.

  ***

  Dane sped down the freeway. Ben was grateful for the late hour. Even without a bunch of traffic, they still couldn’t get there fast enough to satisfy him. His right hand grasped the door handle, his left tapped against his leg.

  “What makes you think Carlos has Tess?”

  “A hunch.” He looked over at his friend. “A strong hunch.”

  “I’m all for hunches, but before we go barreling in and blowing your cover, do you mind telling me if you have any concrete evidence?”

  He didn’t need concrete evidence. Every cell in his body knew it was Carlos. It had to be. Who else would go after someone he loved?

  “Forget it. I already know the answer.” Dane sped up, the hum of the engine matching Ben’s adrenaline.

  “You don’t have to go in there with me, you know.”

  Dane nodded. “I know. Try and stop me.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.” Ben knew he didn’t deserve a friend like Dane. And in a circumstance like this, there was no one he’d rather have at his side.

  “I’m still calling for backup, though. You have no idea what we’re about to charge into.”

  “I understand.”

  Dane grabbed his radio and called in their location. Carlos worked out of a restaurant on the south side of the city. A family-owned establishment, the perfect front for behind-the-scenes deals. Mexican food served out front, drugs and despair served from the back room. Ben shook his head and rubbed his beard.

  Dane finished and put his radio back. “So, at least tell me about this hunch of yours. Why Carlos?”

  “I think he’s using Tess as leverage to get to me.”

  “Get to you how?”

  “Sophia said that when I disappeared for a few weeks, Carlos watched the police station looking to see if I was a traitor.”

  “But she also said he backed off and didn’t have you followed.”

  Ben shrugged. “That may or may not be true. Carlos doesn’t tell Sophia every detail. Maybe he kept her in the dark because he didn’t want her telling me anything. Carlos knows she…likes me.” />
  “Likes you, huh? Are we still in seventh grade? Is there something else I need to know?”

  Ben didn’t like the look Dane gave him. “No. There’s nothing between Sophia and me. She wants it to be more, but I was clear with her.” He hoped he was clear. After their conversation on the pier, he wasn’t so sure where he stood with Sophia.

  Dane nodded. “Does she know about Tess?”

  “No. Up until recently I didn’t think either she or Carlos knew about Tess. But after Tess was attacked while running and then that guy was in her house, I got suspicious.” Fear tickled the back of his neck. He tried to rub it away. “I think he did follow me, found out about Tess, and is now holding her to test my loyalty to him.”

  “Okay. So what’s the plan?”

  A plan. Ben hadn’t thought that far ahead. After Mike called and said Tess was missing, his only thought was to get to Carlos and find her. Immediately. Besides strangling Carlos with his bare hands, he hadn’t thought through a plan.

  As if reading his thoughts, Dane shook his head. “Man, I’m so glad I found you. You charging into this thing alone, all fire and rage…not a good idea.” He reached behind the seat and handed Ben his 44 Magnum. “I had a hunch myself when you weren’t at the boat. I grabbed this for you just in case.”

  Ben chuckled. “I’m not so sure it was a good idea to give you a key to the marina or the boat.”

  “You’ll thank me later. I was surprised to see you didn’t have it on you, that you’d left it behind.”

  Ben remembered leaving the boat to walk. His head in a fog, he’d only wanted to escape the pain of hurting Tess yet again. He hadn’t given a thought to his own safety.

  He checked the gun. Fully loaded and ready. He looked out the window. Was he ready for what was coming? He had to be. Tess’s life depended on it.

  She was out there somewhere, being held prisoner because of him. He didn’t even want to think of her already dead. No. If Tess were gone, he would know. He would sense it. His heart told him she was still alive, waiting for him to find her.