Happily Never After

by Bess George

  Bode sat up straight in his chair. “We have a firm ID. His name is John Glade, a former occupant of the state prison for a laundry list of felonies. He’s had a hand in assault, drugs, and theft. He gained his freedom due to a legal technicality.”

  Steve frowned at him. “How do you figure into this?”

  His throat felt like someone had taken sandpaper to it. “The SWAT team I used to be on killed his wife during his apprehension. I was the actual shooter. This kidnapping has got to be about me.”

  Complete silence followed his statement. Every person in the room absorbed the information. A cop’s worst nightmare was that the ugliness in their job would reach out and touch precious loved ones.

  Captain Roberts gave a stilted nod. “Let’s get busy finding this guy.”

  Bode searched computer records for any link or clue as to where Glade would take Kelsey. The cop in his brain battled against the man inside that wanted to rip and tear the world apart. He needed to remain calm and keep a level head, so he shut down his emotions and pressed on.

  The noise volume of the room increased as more and more policemen, whether on duty or off, came in to offer their assistance in the hunt. Most of the cops didn’t know Kelsey, but the word had spread that she was David’s sister. That made her one of them.

  He tore his attention away from the screen when someone stopped next to his desk. David, Riley, and an assorted group of hard looking men stood with grim faces.

  “Anything new?” David asked.

  A suffocating sensation tightened his throat. “We’re still processing information. You know it takes time. Let us do our jobs and I’ll call you when we find something.”

  Riley didn’t back down, his expression was fierce. “Tell us how we can help. We need to do something. You’re not the only one here who loves her.”

  He didn’t get the chance to answer. Across the room, Steve held one hand up where he was combing through data. “Wait. I think I found something,” he yelled out.

  Bode pushed through the group around his desk and peered over his partner’s shoulder. The others crowded around behind them.

  “I checked California land records, cross-referencing John Glade and couldn’t find anything under his surname or his mother’s family name. I decided to pull up marriage documents so I could retrieve his wife’s maiden name, and bingo, I got two hits. One’s a parcel of land with an old cabin north of Yreka along the Klamath River. That’s near the Red Buttes Wilderness. His wife’s grandfather is registered as the legal owner.”

  Bode’s expression was grim. “Where’s the other?”

  Steve glanced up. “It’s a rural house on Bucks Lake outside of Quincy. That whole area is sparsely populated so he’d have a lot of privacy. If he decided to make a run for it, there’d be a straight line into Nevada.”

  Bode spun on his heel and strode to the large map covering one wall and searched for both sets of coordinates. “The mountain cabin would practically put him in Oregon.”

  His boss joined him. “That’s rough country. If the road doesn’t go all the way to the cabin, it will be hard for him to get her in there. I just checked the weather forecast, and heavy snow is predicted to move in from the north before tomorrow.”

  Everything inside Bode screamed that he needed to check out the mountainous region. Glade was a bulky man more than capable of carrying a woman. He would also be at home in the wild. But what if he chose wrong?

  “He would have taken her to the mountains.”

  “Okay. Once the snow begins, it will be twice as difficult to get up there. I’ll alert the local police in Quincy and have them send someone to the house there to check on it,” his Captain said.

  Bode turned away and hurried down the hall toward the locker room. A hand on his shoulder stopped him from opening the metal door.

  Steve stood beside him. “Are you sure you want to do this? We don’t know if this is the right place. Hell, we don’t even know if the cabin is still standing. We could hang tight and send a local patrol out to take a look around. Since this is really about you, Glade could still be here in Redding, wanting a showdown.”

  He lowered his head, resting it against the cold door as he worked to breathe. The tendons in his neck felt tight as he maintained a tight lid on his rage. When he was back under control, he forced the words out. “My gut tells me this is the spot. I can’t stand by and wait for him to make the first move.” His voice lowered. “I just can’t.”

  Steve squeezed his shoulder. “Well, I guess we better leave then. The team here can comb the city and call us if anything else pops.”

  He had handed Steve a ballistic vest before his friend left. After checking his Sig P226, he slid it into his holster. The last thing he pulled out of the locker was his M14 rifle. While with SWAT, he’d spent hours and hours training with this very rifle.

  Steve came back into the room. The worry and stress were visible on all their faces. “Captain has given all local law enforcement agencies the details. We’ll rendezvous with them outside Yreka. The locals are also arranging a guide familiar with the area. It’s pretty mountainous territory. Have you ever been up there?”

  He grunted and finished stuffing items into the many pockets of his pack. “Yeah, and I talked to my brother Shawn. He’s part of a group that’s meeting us, so he knows what we’re facing. We hunted outside of Fort Jones a few years back. We spent some time fishing and hiking in the National Forest. The terrain is brutal in some places, and with the storm coming in, this could get pretty rough.”

  The weather was going to be a problem if they didn’t get there as fast as possible. Worry clawed at his insides. Kelsey was a city girl through and through and the cold would be hard on her. He focused on the job ahead and forced his personal nightmare to the back of his mind. If he allowed himself to dwell on what ifs, he’d become useless.

  They entered the main room of the department where the rest of the squad had gathered. His boss gave him a steely stare that made the strongest of men squirm. “Taggert, where are you going?”

  Straightening to his full height, Bode met his stare without flinching. “I’m going to bring Kelsey home.”

  Captain Roberts shook his head. “I should have already taken you off this case. You’re the one who told me to make the decision when the time came. Well, the time is here. If you want to keep this job, you need to step away.”

  Something inside him clicked into focus as an eerie calm consumed him. He couldn’t think of one single reason why this job should come first. In fact, his real reason for living was out there somewhere. And nothing would keep him from getting to her.

  Reaching down, he unclipped the badge resting on his belt and held it out. They stared at one another in silence.

  Captain Roberts cursed under his breath. “If you can follow orders on this then go, but you can’t be in charge of this operation.”

  Bode nodded. He didn’t care who would be in charge. His future was at stake, and he planned on doing whatever was necessary to bring his woman back home where she belonged.

  He looked over at Steve and asked, “You coming?”

  Both men exited the building and hurried toward his truck parked in the lot. The wind howled around them, and Steve pulled his jacket tighter. His own anxiety had spiked off the charts, so the cold didn’t register. They settled their equipment inside. Several large trucks rumbled to a stop beside them.

  One of the windows slid down. Riley was driving with David in the passenger seat. David stared him in the eye and said in a voice that brooked no argument. “We’re going.”

  “We don’t even know if this lead will pan out,” Bode argued. “Why don’t you wait here and see if something local comes up.”

  “You understand how this animal thinks. We’re going with you.”

  Bod
e glared at his friend. “This is police business. You’re all civilian’s and not invited to the party.”

  David’s resolve was clear. “Don’t worry, no one will get in your way. Now, you can lead us, or we can follow you. But you’re wasting time.”

  He didn’t bother to answer but wheeled around and yanked his door open. Steve scrambled to jump in beside him. The big engine raced as they entered the entrance to I-5 and he flipped on his police lights.

  The usual hour and thirty-minute drive should take them about an hour, so Bode settled in the seat and geared up for what was to come.

  Thinking about what Kelsey could be facing would immobilize him. So he focused on what he would do to Glade when he found him. He wouldn’t let himself think of the consequences if he’d made the wrong decision.

  Chapter 27

  “Wake up.”

  The firm grip on Kelsey’s arm tightened to the point of pain. Fuzziness in her brain disoriented her. After he tied her again, she must have dozed off. How could she sleep with fear riding her so hard? The drugs must still be inside her.

  Completely out of it, she’d been unaware that he had loosened her bindings. The throbbing in her head made her slow to do his bidding.

  He hauled her up out of the chair. His features were as dark as the night outside and cold as the frigid wind. There would be no mercy from him, so she didn’t bother to plead.

  His eyes narrowed. “Janie, I told you to get dinner started. You’re going to make me punish you again aren’t you?” He crushed her against him, his arousal evident.

  Her stomach threatened to heave, as a vile taste filled her mouth. When he lowered his lips to hers, she instinctively bit his bottom lip.

  The attack was so fast and violent that it caught her by surprise. John roared and backhanded her so hard she flew backward to slam into the wall.

  Bright starbursts obscured her vision, and her face exploded in pain. She scrambled to get up or at least make an attempt to defend herself. He might end up killing her now, but better to die than be assaulted over and over.

  “Shit!” With more obscenities, he stalked toward her.

  The back of her hand wiped at her bloody lip, and she braced herself for what he would do next. “My name is Kelsey.”

  “What?” He stopped right in front of her.

  “Kelsey, not Janie. Please, don’t do this. I will cook but don’t hurt me.”

  Glade scratched the thick stubble on his jaw. He seemed confused by her whispered words. One muscled arm reached down and dragged her up off the floor before flinging her down on a small metal bed in the corner of the room. He pulled strips of fabric from his pocket and tied her wrists to the headboard.

  “Janie.” He paused as if to clear it his mind. “No . . . Kelsey. I will kill you if you try to escape. I’m not crazy, I know who you are. But you’re about to become someone better. We’re leaving to start our new life together as soon as I can get a few supplies. Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way but I can guarantee you won’t like what’s behind door number two. If you behave, I’ll leave your legs untied. What’s it going to be?”

  She forced the words out. “The easy way.”

  He shuffled over and picked up small logs to feed into the stove. She sat as still and quiet as possible, not wanting to attract his attention. The cabin warmed, and the after effects of whatever drug he’d given her made her drowsy.

  She awoke with a start and panicked when she couldn’t move. Thrashing her head left and right, she tried to see. Her eyelids were crusted shut, and a moan escaped through cracked, parched lips. The fire had died down, and violent shivers wracked her body from the brutal cold.

  Foggy memories of her kidnapping began to coalesce. Glade told her that Mia was safe. She prayed that was true. Forcing one lid open, she peered around the room. Her hands were still bound tight to the metal headboard, but her feet were free. She breathed deep and tried to settle down. Where was he?

  Enormous relief flooded her when she realized that she still wore the gown he’d put on her earlier. Her legs moved in a scissor motion, trying to get the circulation flowing again. The springs in the bed made a loud squeak with each movement. She paused, heart pounding in her chest, waiting to see if he would rush in to punish her.

  After several minutes, she resumed her exercise. Her hands twisted and turned trying to loosen the bindings. Come on, it’s up to you! Think of some way to save yourself.

  Bode was looking for her. Her faith in him was complete, and he would never stop. But they believed Miles Robbins was behind this. No one would be considering John Glade as a suspect. Why would they?

  Her instincts told her this cabin was far from any city. Would anyone find her before this monster took his plans a step further? She feared she might not ever recover from what this maniac planned to do.

  A slight noise outside stopped her movements. The door swung open and cold air swirled into the room as John entered with an armful of wood. He ignored her and went straight to the stove.

  Motionless, not daring to breathe, she prayed he would forget about her. He stoked the fire, and heat began to warm the small area. Placing a metal pan on the stove, he opened a can of soup and poured it in. Her stomach growled when the aroma of chicken wafted toward her.

  He glanced over his shoulder. “I hate it when you make me hurt you, but when I tell you to do something, you do it.” He stirred the soup. “Are you hungry, Janie?”

  She didn’t answer him at first. He swung around with his meaty fists clenched at his sides. Flinching, she forced out the words. “I’ll try to do better.”

  His shoulders drooped, and he turned back to scoop the soup into a small bowl. A tall man, at least six one or two, his gait was smooth and quick moving across the room. The noisy springs screeched when he sat down on the side of the bed.

  “I’m going to feed you now, Janie. Pick up a little so that I won’t spill any.”

  She was still confused about why he called her another woman’s name. Being compliant seemed to be the best way to keep him happy. Picking her head up proved to be difficult, so she asked in a timid voice. “Will you untie me so I can sit up?”

  He ignored her request and picked up the spoon. After the first spoonful, she forgot about the uncomfortable position and strained forward. The warm liquid eased the soreness in her throat and cold in her stomach.

  When the bowl was empty, he placed it on the floor. He straightened back up and stared at her. A shiver raced down her spine at the raw desire shining in his eyes. Here it comes. Afraid to blink, she waited for him to move.

  He laid a rough, callused palm on her bare thigh where the gown had ridden up. A pink tongue darted out to lick his lips. The garment began to slide further up her legs.

  Frozen, unable to stop his unwanted advances, she pleaded. “Don’t.”

  His hand stopped, but he remained focused on her exposed skin. A small frown marred his face when he looked up at her.

  “John, don’t do this,” she whimpered.

  “Janie, I’ve missed you so much.”

  The realization crashed down on her. Wasn’t Janie the name of his deceased wife?

  “Your wife sounded like a very special woman. She wouldn’t want you—”

  He jumped to his feet and loomed over her. Chest heaving, he snarled. “Don’t ever say her name. Do you understand?”

  She swallowed down her despair and nodded. That was the wrong tactic to take, but she had to try something. The vision of him forcing himself upon her made her desperate.

  “I want this to be special. The first time in our new life together but my stomach isn’t well. I think it’s from the stuff you used to knock me out.”

  His words dripped with venom. “Don’t try to trick me. Your wants mean nothing to me, just as you
mean nothing to me.”

  The temperature of the room seemed to drop by several degrees. “I won’t do it again.” Her body cringed, waiting for his beefy fists to rain down.

  “Don’t you get it? No one is coming for you. I made sure of that.” His lips had twisted into a cynical smile. “It was so easy to get near you. Poor Joe, he’s all alone and needs a friend. Then that nitwit from your past showed up, and all I had to do was sit back, and let him take the blame.”

  Maybe if she kept him talking, he would forget about his plans for her. “So you were the one behind everything?”

  “To be honest, the hit and run was an accident but after seeing the cop’s reaction, I knew you were the key. The fire was meant to send you back to the hotel, but things worked out even better. It placed the spotlight on the creep following you.” He glowered at her. “You shouldn’t have stayed with the cop. If you’d returned to the hotel, I would have been able to comfort you.”

  “You cut my brakes and ruined all my things so that you could point the finger at Robbins?”

  His laughter boomed in the small room as he stood. “You aren’t going to need any of those things where we’re going.” One hand reached into the big pocket of his coat and pulled out her journal. “Except for this. It goes where we go.”

  She gaped at the sight of her diary. “What are you doing with that?”