Fugitive Trackdown

by Sandra Robbins

Wes had only taken two steps when Louis pulled out a gun and shot him in the back. Horrified, Claire rammed her fist in her mouth to muffle her cries and watched as Wes Stratton’s lifeless body slumped to the ground.

  Peter put his hands in his pockets and walked back to where Wes lay and took the bag from Louis. “Too bad,” he said. “I liked Wes, but you can’t hold out on the boss and live to talk about it.”

  “What do you want me to do now?” Louis asked.

  “Get somebody to clean up this mess before the guests arrive, and then get rid of the body. You know where. Have somebody take his SUV over to that chop shop we use and then get back here to help us get ready for tonight.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Claire felt a tug on her arm, and she glanced around at Adam. He motioned for her to follow him back through the trees. They slipped silently back toward the river and retraced their steps to the barbed-wire fence.

  When they had climbed over and were once again in the forest next to Serenity’s property, Claire grabbed Adam by the arm. “I have to stop for a minute.”

  She sank to the ground, and he sat down next to her. “I was right not to want you to come today. You shouldn’t have seen that.”

  Tears ran down her face. “They killed him, Adam. Without giving it a thought. It was like he didn’t matter. What kind of animals are these people?”

  “They’re vicious, Claire, and I don’t want you near them again.”

  “What are we going to do? We can’t let them get away with this.”

  “We have to go to the police, and we need to do it now. Can you make it back to the car?”

  She rose to her feet. “I can. Let’s go.”

  They hurried through the forest as fast as they dared go with all the exposed roots and vegetation covering the ground, but the trip back seemed to take longer than it had on their way over. Claire gasped for breath, but she fought the urge to beg Adam to stop for another short rest. They had to get out of there as quickly as possible.

  After what seemed an eternity, she saw the edge of the forest and the clearing beyond where they’d parked the car. “Just a few more feet, Claire, and we’ll be there,” Adam called out.

  They burst out of the forest but stopped in horror at what confronted them. An SUV with its motor idling sat next to Adam’s car and Peter Willis, with his arms crossed and grinning as if he’d just pulled off the biggest joke of his life, leaned against the fender of Adam’s car.

  Claire skidded to a stop as Adam put his left arm out and shoved her behind him. With his right he pulled his gun from its holster and aimed it at Peter. Peter smiled and straightened to his full height. “I’ve been waiting for you. What took you so long?”

  “That’s close enough, Willis. Now put your hands up. There’s a warrant for your arrest, and I’m here to serve it,” Adam snarled.

  Peter chuckled and took a step toward them. “I wouldn’t be too sure about that.” He looked past Adam and Claire and smiled. “Be careful of her boots. I hear they can do a lot of damage.”

  Adam grasped the gun tighter. “What are you talking about?”

  “Why don’t you take a look over your shoulder?”

  As Adam turned to look at her, Claire felt her gun being pulled from its holster and something being pressed against the back of her head. She turned her head slightly to see over her shoulder. She slumped against Adam at the sight of Louis with her pistol in one hand and the other holding a gun to her head.

  Adam’s eyes narrowed as he studied Peter, but he didn’t lower his gun. Brian Morrison’s words about the woods being patrolled flashed in Claire’s mind, and she wondered how long Peter had known they were watching the activity at the building where Wes Stratton had been killed.

  Now how were they going to get out of this mess?

  Adam glanced from Louis to Peter as if he were trying to choose his best course of action. Before he could act, the door of the car next to his opened, and Bryce Holt stepped out. The gun he held was pointed straight at Adam.

  Peter’s face hardened into an angry mask. “Drop the gun now, or your lady friend is going to be sorry.”

  The tone of Peter’s voice left little doubt that he would follow through with his threat. Adam glanced over his shoulder at Claire once more before he dropped his gun to the ground. “Okay, Willis, I’ve done what you asked. Now let Claire go.”

  Peter looked at Bryce and chuckled. “Can you believe this guy? After all the problems they’ve caused us he expects me to let her waltz out of here and go straight to the police. Put them in the car, and let’s get out of here.”

  Bryce nodded and hobbled forward. When he reached Adam, he bent down, picked up Adam’s gun and slipped it in his coat pocket. Then he grabbed Claire by the hair and pulled until she stood on tiptoes staring up into his eyes.

  Her scream echoed through the silent forest, and Adam drew back to hit Bryce. Before he could, Louis pressed the barrel of his gun against Adam’s back. “Take it easy unless you want to die right here.”

  Bryce gave a low chuckle, glared at Claire and shoved her against Adam. “You’re going to pay for breaking my foot last night, and I’m going to enjoy watching.”

  Adam put his arms around Claire, and she buried her face in his chest. Her body trembled, and she gasped for breath. He hugged her closer. “Leave her alone. You deserved everything you got last night. Only a coward attacks a woman like you did Claire. I hope every time you feel a pain in that foot you remember the woman who got the best of you.”

  Bryce’s face turned red with anger, and he raised his gun. Before he could act, Peter stepped forward. “We’re wasting time here. Louis, get that rope out of the car and tie them up so we can go. Then I want you to get rid of their car and meet us back at the barn.”

  Bryce jerked Claire out of Adam’s arms and pulled her toward the car. “I’ll take the girl, Louis. You take care of Knight.”

  Claire’s heart pounded as thoughts of how they were going to get out of this predicament raced through her head. At the moment it seemed impossible, but there had to be something they could do. For the time being, they needed to stay alert and watch for Peter and his henchmen to make any kind of mistake that they could take advantage of.

  She hoped it came soon, because right now their prospects for survival were looking very slim.

  * * *

  Claire and Adam, their hands tied behind their backs, sat side by side in the rear seats of the SUV as Bryce drove it away from the clearing. She glanced at Adam, and he leaned closer to whisper in her ear.

  “Don’t worry. We’re going to get out of this.”

  The look on her face told him that his words, spoken to give her some encouragement, hadn’t really worked. She swallowed and nodded. “We’ll think of something.”

  Peter, who sat in the front seat beside Bryce, turned in his seat and frowned at them. “What are you two whispering about back there?”

  “Nothing that would interest you,” Adam replied.

  Peter laughed and faced forward. “I think they’re plotting against us. Oh, well, let them. I have them where I want them now.”

  Adam didn’t reply but turned his head and stared out the window. He had to concentrate on their surroundings. If they were able to escape their capture, he needed to know which way to go.

  The car turned off the gravel road that led from the clearing onto the highway, and a few minutes later turned onto the road leading to Serenity. Adam kept watch for the spa’s main building to come into view, but before they reached it, Bryce turned onto another road leading away from the main building. Then he remembered Peter saying they were going to the barn. A chill ran down his spine at seeing Wes Stratton murdered there earlier. He had no doubt they would do the same with him and Claire if they didn’t come up with some way to escape.

 
Within minutes, the sprawling red barn came into view. Wes Stratton’s vehicle no longer sat in front. Only the service vans remained in the same spots where they’d been. As they came to a stop, two men he remembered seeing in the lobby when they’d checked in came through the front doors and waited for Peter and Bryce to get out of the vehicle. The four of them huddled in front of the car and glanced at them from time to time as they carried on an animated conversation.

  Every time they looked his way, he frowned. He could tell from the expressions on their faces they weren’t discussing some common topic like the weather but were trying to decide how they were going to deal with their two uninvited guests. Claire turned to him and whispered, “What do you think they’re saying?”

  Adam didn’t answer for a moment but kept his gaze riveted on the men. Then he turned his head and frowned. “I can’t make it out, but I don’t think it’s good for us.”

  “I don’t, either.”

  He leaned closer to her. “I’m going to get us out of this, Claire. I don’t know how yet, but I’m working on it.”

  If his hands hadn’t been tied, he would have cupped her face in her hands and brushed his lips against hers. Instead, all he could do was try to keep her hopeful they’d make it out of this alive.

  She offered a wobbly smile. “I’m praying you’ll find a way.”

  He returned her smile with a somber stare. “So am I.”

  The back doors on either side of the SUV opened, and the two men who’d just come outside jerked Claire from the car. As they were pulling her out, Adam glimpsed spiderweb tattoos, not on their hands but spread across their necks. These webs were larger than the others he’d seen, and that meant these men had spent longer periods of time in prison than the others he’d seen.

  The thought of being separated from Claire by these hardened criminals made his heart pound with fear. She glanced back at him, and panic seemed to overtake her as she began to scream.

  “No! Let me go!” When her feet touched the ground, she twisted and writhed in the grasp of the men holding her. “Adam!”

  The man holding her drew back his hand to slap her but stopped when Adam called out. “Claire, I’m all right! Try to stay calm!”

  She stilled at the sound of his voice, and her captors led her to the front of the vehicle where they stopped. Then he heard Peter’s voice. “Okay, Knight. Get out of there if you don’t want to see your lady friend get hurt.”

  Without hesitating, Adam crawled from the car and stumbled to a stop beside Claire. The two men glared at her. “Now move.”

  Claire gulped several breaths before the two of them walked forward and entered the double doors that led into the barn. Once inside, Adam stopped in surprise and let his gaze travel over the spacious interior. He’d expected a dark, musty building that served as a storage place for all kinds of equipment needed to keep a large hotel and grounds like Serenity in perfect operating condition. Instead what he encountered was a sprawling casino that would rival anything Las Vegas had to offer.

  He came to an abrupt stop and stared in wonder at the blackjack, poker and roulette tables arranged across the floor and the rows of slot machines and video games with flashing lights that appeared to be scattered throughout the room. Blinking overhead signs identified other areas where games he’d never heard of were played.

  Beside him Claire sucked in her breath. Adam looked at Peter, who’d stopped beside him and shook his head. “Willis, haven’t you heard that gambling is illegal in the state of Tennessee?”

  Peter’s eyebrows arched, and he faked a surprised expression. “You don’t say. Too bad you’re not going to be able to tell anybody what you discovered.” He pointed to the far end of the building. “Take them to the basement. We’ll take care of them after it gets dark.”

  One of the men gave Claire a shove, and she stumbled forward. Adam stepped up beside her, and together they moved toward the rear of the building where they were guided through a doorway that led into a hallway with rooms on either side. At the end of the hall Bryce opened one of the doors, reached inside and flipped on a light switch.

  A staircase led downward to what Adam assumed was the basement. Bryce motioned with his gun for her to enter. “Move.”

  Claire took a deep breath and stepped onto the first step. Adam followed behind her. At the foot of the staircase, they stopped and looked around. The basement looked large enough to occupy most of the area underneath the barn. Large concrete columns that reached from the floor to the ceiling appeared to offer support for the floor above.

  The two men who’d brought them inside each took Claire by an arm and led her to a column that sat in the middle of the room. “You, too,” Louis said to Adam.

  Claire cast one last look at Adam before their captors untied their wrists and forced them to the floor on opposite sides of the post. Louis and Peter took a longer piece of rope and wound it over their chests and around the post.

  After the men appeared to be satisfied that the two of them were anchored in place, Peter squatted down in front of Claire and shook his head. “Look what’s happened to you, Claire. All because you wanted to recover a little bit of money because I jumped bail. You should never have come after me.”

  “I didn’t do it because of the money,” she snarled. “I did it because you killed my father.”

  He nodded. “Oh, yeah. I forgot. That was too bad. He got a little too nosy for his own good. I guess it runs in the family. As does paying the consequences for that family trait.”

  Adam turned his head, but he couldn’t see Claire on the other side of the post. “Leave her alone, Willis. If you want to threaten somebody, take it out on me, not her.”

  Peter sighed, pushed to his feet and walked around to face Adam. “My, my, aren’t you quick to defend this little lady? One would think she’s more than just a good friend.”

  “You can taunt us all you want, but you’re not going to elude the police forever. There’s going to come a time when you’ll have to answer for all the murders you’ve committed. And when the police find out about your little gambling business, that will only mean more charges.”

  Peter laughed. “Little gambling business? If you only knew.” He turned away and headed back toward the stairs. “Leave them down here. We’ve got lots to do to get ready for tonight. You take care of them after it gets dark.”

  Adam watched as the four men trudged up the stairs. Bryce Holt was the last to go, and he gave them one more glance before he flipped the switch at the top of the stairs and plunged the basement into semidarkness.

  Before Claire could say anything, Adam spoke up. “Give it a few minutes, and your eyes will grow accustomed to the dark. There’s a window at the top of each of the walls, and they’re letting in some light.”

  “I see them,” she said. “It looks like the bottoms of the windows are sitting at ground level.”

  “They are. So they’re not a good escape route.”

  “Do you think we can get out of here?”

  “I’m going to try. Don’t give up.”

  “I can’t see you.” Her voice trembled, and his heart lurched at how scared she must be. He should never have let her come with him today.

  “I know,” he said, “but I’m here. Are your hands flat against the column?”

  “Yes.”

  “Mine, too. Can you wiggle your fingers?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then try to stretch your fingers toward me as far as you can.” He could hear her movement as she struggled to slide her fingers a few inches toward his. After a minute or two, he felt her touch, and they laced their fingers together. “Don’t give up hope, Claire. For right now we’re together, and that’s what’s important.”

  “That’s the only thing keeping me going,” she whispered as she tightened her hold on him.

 
Adam’s heart pounded at her touch. The uncertainty of what Peter had planned for them still loomed ahead of them, but for now Claire was beside him. And that was all that mattered.

  FIFTEEN

  Adam strained with all his strength against the ropes that bound him to the column. He didn’t think Louis had noticed how he had expanded his chest as the final rope had been placed on him when he was being tied up. Adam could feel the space, but he wasn’t sure if he’d allowed enough room to work himself free. He exhaled and felt a small bit of looseness.

  But had he left enough space to get out from under the rope around his chest and work his hands free? He needed to try because there didn’t appear to be another option.

  “Claire,” he whispered.

  “What?”

  “I was able to leave some slack in my ropes. I’m going to try to get free, but it may take some time. I don’t want you to give up hope. Just keep talking to me and concentrate on what we’re going to do once we’re free.”

  “Okay.”

  She began to chatter and for the next hour she talked about her parents, the good times she and Jessica had shared growing up and about her life in Nashville. After a while he stopped her. “How are you feeling now?”

  “I’m thirsty and hungry. I wish I had the other half of that muffin I left this morning when I figured out you were trying to leave without me.”

  Adam had worked the rope around his chest several inches up his chest by this time, but he stopped and closed his eyes for a moment. “And I wish you’d stayed at Aunt Sue’s. You wouldn’t be in this mess if you had.”

  “But you would,” she said. “And I wouldn’t want you to be alone. Have you been able to work enough space to free yourself?”

  “Not yet, but I’m still trying.”

  By midafternoon Adam’s mouth felt as if it was lined with cotton and his stomach was growling with hunger. He tried to concentrate on something else, but he knew if he was thirsty and hungry so was Claire, although she hadn’t mentioned it since earlier. Throughout this whole ordeal she’d been a trouper.