by Ann Mullen
“I’m sure she will,” I said, trying to listen to Claire, keep my eyes on the road, and watch my rearview mirror all at the same time. “Did the chief stay, too?”
“Yes, he did,” Claire said, chuckling. “They make a good team. They’re always together. I wonder where they slept.”
“I’m sure Billy let them sleep in our bed. I would’ve. Did Mom say anything about Billy?”
“She said he left early this morning to go to work.”
“Something important must be going on for him to leave before we had a chance to talk. He didn’t even call me.”
“Oh, it’s probably just routine stuff. You know how men are. They leave the housework and the care of the children to the women.”
“Not at my house, honey. Billy’s going to be as much of a part of this child’s upbringing as I am.”
“I’m sure he will,” Claire said. “You have a good man there, Jesse.”
“Yes, I know.”
We’d been on the road for almost an hour, chit-chatting away when I noticed that a green, Ford Explorer had been following us for a while. I didn’t say anything to Claire because I knew how upset she was and I didn’t want to add to her fears.
Finally, she noticed the automobile behind us. “How long has that SUV been following us?”
“About fifteen minutes.”
“Is that why you’ve picked up the speed? If you don’t slow down, Jesse, you’re going to get a ticket.”
“We’re on an isolated stretch of road and I want to see if that car is actually following us. If I pick up speed and they pick up speed; we’ll know they’re following us. If they aren’t following us, I’ll leave them eating my dust.”
Claire’s body tensed as she hung onto the overhead handrail. “I trust you, so do what you have to do. Just try not to get us killed.”
I pressed the accelerator to the floor and the Mercedes SUV took off like a scared rabbit. We hit ninety miles an hour before I released my foot pressure even the slightest. “Good God, Claire, this car has more power than one of those hotshot sports cars. No wonder you like it so much. Mercedes, the name says it all!” We were sailing down Rt. 29.
Claire kept looking up in the rearview mirror. “You can slow down now, Jesse. The car is nowhere in sight.”
“I plan to keep it that way,” I said as I eased up on the gas a little. I slowed down to eighty and kept it there.
Claire’s cell phone rang.
“We sure are popular today,” She said as she picked it up and flipped it open. She looked at her Caller ID and said, “It says Billy Blackhawk, but I don’t recognize the number.”
“Hand me the phone.” I reached out, took the phone and then pressed it to my ear. “Hello, Mr. Blackhawk. I see that you have a cell phone now.”
“Yes, I finally bought a new one,” he said, his voice a welcomed sound. “I hear you gals are on your way home. Is everything okay?”
“Sure, we’re fine,” I said.
“I know all about the situation going on with Carl, so you don’t have to cover up the danger involved. Sherry Lane was spotted at a gas station this morning in the D.C. area. Unfortunately, she was two steps ahead of the police.”
“Isn’t that always the case?”
“Where are you?”
“We’re about an hour from home, on Rt. 29.”
“Have you picked up a tail?”
“No,” I lied and then thought better about it. I had to tell Billy the truth even though I didn’t want him to worry. “We did have someone behind us for a while, but I left them sucking in my gas fumes when I put the pedal to the metal. They’re nowhere in sight.”
“Be careful, Jesse. You’re heading into a snow storm,” Billy said. “The weatherman says this one’s going to be a whopper. It’s already started here. Hopefully, this will be our last one this season. I already saw a few daffodils popping up.”
“I’m glad this will be the last of it. I’ve had enough snow. I’m ready for spring. Hey, did anyone say what kind of car…”
Static filled the airways and my connection to Billy was lost. I folded up the phone and handed it back to Claire. “We got disconnected. We must be in a dead zone.”
“I hate that, don’t you?” Claire said. “You’re riding down the road, talking on your cell phone, and all of a sudden you hit a spot and then you lose your reception. It’s so annoying!”
“Yeah,” I agreed. I looked up in the mirror and saw the green Explorer again. “Oh, no!”
“What is it?” Claire asked as she turned around to look behind us. “Oh, no! He’s back!”
“My guess is that it isn’t a he, but a she. I think it is Sherry Lane.”
Snow began to fall.
“Not now!” I cried. “All we need is to have our visibility impaired.”
“Jesse, I’ve got to pee. Can we pull over?”
“Are you crazy? If Sherry’s in that car and we pull over, we’d be sitting ducks. Cross your legs.”
“I can’t.”
“Then pee on yourself. Your clothes can be washed and I doubt very seriously that urine would hurt your leather seats.”
“I can’t do that. It’s too gross.”
My anger got the best of me. “Would you rather die or pee in your pants? Grow up, Claire! This isn’t a game. There are no second chances.”
Claire began to cry. I felt like a jerk.
“I’m sorry, honey, but you need to get with the program. Sherry would kill you in a heartbeat if she got a chance. I’m going to make sure she doesn’t get that chance.” I looked in the rearview mirror. My vision was completely obstructed. “Is there a windshield wiper for the back window?”
Claire stopped crying and reached over and pressed a button on the dash board. The wiper instantly cleared up the glass.
“I’m sorry, Jesse,” she said. “I’m not as strong as you are.”
“Yes, you are, so give yourself some credit, Claire,” I replied. “I’ve seen you do some pretty amazing stuff when it comes to handling your children. It takes a strong person to pull off being a good parent.”
“Thanks, Jesse. I just do what comes naturally.”
“See, I’m afraid I won’t know what’s natural and what isn’t.”
“You have love in your heart, and that’s all that matters.”
“Oh, don’t make me cry,” I said as tears welled up. “I won’t be able to see how to drive.”
“Hey,” Claire said as she pointed to a gas station coming up on the right. “Pull over.”
I gave a signal, pulled into the gas station and watched as the green Explorer passed us by.
“See,” Claire said with relief in her voice. “It wasn’t her after all. I think we’re getting a little paranoid, and rightfully so.”
“I’m glad it wasn’t that killing machine! Why, I’d have to put a bullet in her butt if she messed with us! And you know I would. I’d pistol whip her in a heartbeat. I’d kick her butt from here to New York. She’d be so sorry that she even considered messing with me. I’m tough and I don’t let anybody mess with my family… that stupid scab!”
The two of us laughed—more out of fear and nervousness than anything else. We laughed until we cried, and then we finally calmed down.
“We’ve been letting our imagination run away with us,” Claire said as we both got out of the car. I hit the lock key and the doors automatically locked and the horn beeped. “Hey, that was cool. I wouldn’t mind having a car like this. How much do they cost?”
Claire smiled and said, “More than you’d care to spend, I’m sure.”
“You’re such a highbrow, Claire. You think I can’t afford a car like this, don’t you?”
“No, as a matter-of-fact, I’m sure Billy would buy you one of these if you really wanted it. I’m certain you can get a decent one for around fifty-five. Tell Billy and see what he has to say.”
“Is that like in dollars?” I asked, stunned. “You’ve got to be kidding! You’re out of you
r mind, there’s not a car on the face of the earth worth that much money.”
Claire just smiled as we entered the Miller Mart gas station. She fled to the bathroom as I looked around and saw several other stores in the area. It was a small town and I doubted if it was even listed on a map, but I sure was glad to have come upon it when we did. It was just in the nick of time! Claire was about to wet her pants. I scanned the parking lot. It was full and all the gas pumps were in use. I went to the drink case and got each of us a Pepsi and then walked over to the potato chip rack and grabbed a couple of bags. I put the merchandise on the counter and then remembered that I had left my purse in the car. I didn’t have a cent on me.
“I’ll have to run to my car. I forgot my wallet,” I said to the clerk. For a split second, I thought about going to the bathroom and telling Claire what I was going to do, but I figured it wouldn’t take me but a second. I’d be back by the time she finished. When I returned with my wallet, the guy behind the counter said to me, “It’s none of my business, but the lady you came in with, just left by the other door and got into a green Ford Explorer with another woman, and I don’t think she wanted to go with her. She appeared to be resisting. Should I call the police?”
“Yes, call the police!” I screamed and then ran to the door, leaving everything still sitting on the counter. “Did you see which way they went?”
“They were headed south, I think.”
I ran outside and jumped in the car. I stuck the key in the ignition, turned it, and the engine came to life. I looked at the dash and immediately saw a problem. The gas gauge registered a quarter of a tank. At that moment, I prayed that Claire had a large gas tank, because if she didn’t I might not be going very far, but I didn’t have time to get gas. I had to get moving. I pulled out onto the highway and floored the accelerator. The snow was coming down harder than before, making my visibility extremely poor.
“Oh, no!” I cried out loud. “I have to catch up with them. I just have to! At least they’re headed toward Charlottesville. Maybe I should call Billy.” I cried as I reached over and grabbed Claire’s cell phone. I flipped it opened and dialed 911instead.
“State your emergency, please,” the dispatcher said.
“Please help me,” I screamed. “My sister’s been abducted! We stopped at a gas station and the guy at the counter saw someone forcing her into a car.”
“What’s your location?”
“I just left the Miller Mart on Rt. 29, heading south. I’m probably an hour from Charlottesville. I don’t know the name of the town.”
“I’ll see if I can pinpoint your location,” the dispatcher said. “Try to remain calm. What’s your name?”
“I’m Jesse Watson… I mean, Blackhawk… Jesse Blackhawk. I haven’t been married long and…”
“Please hold on a minute, Miss Blackhawk.”
I heard static and people talking in the background. I kept my eyes on the road as I sped down the snow-covered pavement. My rear tires started to spin. I grabbed the 4-wheel drive lever and pulled back hard on it. The back tires grabbed the road and I regained control. My heart was beating so fast, I felt like I was going to choke, but I was determined to catch up with that crazy woman before she had a chance to harm Claire. I was hoping that she hadn’t turned off Rt. 29. If that was the case, I was in a pickle.
“Mrs. Blackhawk, are you still with me?”
“Yes, ma’am, I am.”
“Do you know the make and model of the car, or the color?”
“It was a green, Ford Explorer. It’s a fairly new model, I think.”
“Is your sister’s name, Claire Benson?”
“Yes, it is,” I responded, surprised. “How did you know?”
“That’s not important, ma’am. Just remain calm.”
The snow was coming down so hard that I could barely see the lines in the road. The windshield fogged up as I fumbled to find the defroster switch while still trying to keep my eyes on the road. I was scared. My sister was going to die at the hands of a murderous psycho if I didn’t do something fast.
“I see them!” I screamed. “I see the car!”
“We have units on the way, Mrs. Blackhawk. Please don’t…”
I slammed the phone shut and threw it on the seat.
“Sure!” I yelled out loud. “I’m going to just sit right back and have myself a cigarette while I wait for your people to save my sister. I don’t think so, lady! Not this time!”
The minute the words were out of my mouth, I was right up on the bumper of the Explorer. I stomped the gas pedal and rammed the back of the SUV. It was all I could do to keep from running off the road. I had no idea it would be so jolting to bump the rear end of a car. My body lurched forward and my neck snapped backwards. I felt a shooting pain in my neck run down my spine. The next time I rammed the Explorer, I was prepared. I tensed up a little and it kept me from flopping around like a rag doll. I prayed that Claire had on her seatbelt. She was such a stickler for stuff like that. Even when she was being abducted and forced into that car, I bet the first thing she did was buckle up. I prayed that she had, because the next time I rammed the car, it slid off the road, down an embankment, and flipped over.
The tires on the Explorer were still spinning even though it had come to rest in the ditch. I slammed on my brakes and fishtailed to a stop, just inches away from the drop off. I reached into the back seat, grabbed my purse and removed my gun. With gun in hand, I got out of the car and walked over to the edge of the embankment. Snow pelted me in the face as I looked down. The first thing I saw was a shattered windshield covered with blood and a puddle of blood outside the car in the snow. I fell to my knees and screamed out Claire’s name. My voice echoed through the trees.
I stood up and hollered Claire’s name. I took off and slid down the hill and into the ditch until I reached the car. I bent down, looked into the window and saw a woman slumped, balled up and trapped underneath the steering wheel. She had a gash on her forehead and it was bleeding profusely. She wasn’t moving. I ran around to the other side and looked in. Claire, still strapped in her seatbelt, raised her head and smiled at me. Her face was bloody, but she was all right! I cried as I tried to figure out how to get her out of the car. I looked around for a rock or something I could break the glass with, and then realized that maybe I should call the police and rescue and let them do their job. I didn’t want to do anything to make Claire’s injuries any worse than they already were. As I stood and tried to figure out what to do, I heard sirens in the distance.
“Claire, the police are here. Everything’s going to be okay. Don’t move. I’m going to go flag them down. Hold on little sister.”
I climbed the hill, slipping and sliding until I finally made it back up to the top. It was all I could do to hold back the tears as I ran out close to the road and waved my arms. Within seconds, I was surrounded by police cars and emergency vehicles.
One of the police cars stopped right in front of me and both officers got out with their guns drawn. I looked at the gun in my hand and freaked out. I immediately dropped it in the snow and raised both arms.
“It’s not me!” I yelled. “I’m the one who called you. My sister was abducted. The car ran off the road and down the embankment. The car flipped over and my sister, Claire, is still in it. I think the woman who abducted her is hurt really bad, or either she’s dead. She’s bleeding…”
A state trooper walked over, picked up my gun and then told me to put it in my car. “I assume you have a permit to carry this weapon.”
“Yes, I most certainly do,” I said as I took the gun and walked over to the car. I opened the passenger side door, laid the gun on the seat and then picked up Claire’s cell phone. I stuffed it in the side pocket of my jacket. “I hope you don’t expect me to fish it out right now.”
“No, ma’am,” he said as he took me by the arm and led me over to his cruiser. “But I’m going to have to ask you to wait in the car until we’ve had a chance to examine the s
cene.”
“But what about my sister? I have to make sure that she’s all right. There’s blood all in the car. It’s terrible. I have to help her.”
“We’ll take care of her and as soon as we get her out of the car, someone will come get you.” He opened the car door so that I could get in. Once I was in, he said, “Please don’t get out of the car. It’s a mess out here and you could get hurt.” He shut the door and walked away.
I looked around. Through the falling snow, I could see cops everywhere. One officer was directing the emergency vehicle while others kept what little traffic that was on the road, at bay.
That was odd, I thought to myself. The trooper didn’t even question me; he handed me back a loaded gun, and then he put me in his car. Why didn’t he take the gun and keep it until he was sure of my identity? I could’ve been the bad person posing as the good guy. And… how did they all get here so quickly? I heard the whirl of a helicopter and when it set down in the middle of the road, my questions were answered. A trooper ran over and opened the door, and Detective Frank Trainum stepped out. The detective walked over to the car and got in on the opposite side.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
I looked straight ahead. I was really, really angry. I was so mad at this man, I was afraid to speak. I was afraid I would say something so bad that he would arrest me for insulting him—if it could be done, I was sure he would do it. I couldn’t hold back any longer. Finally, I turned to him and said, “I should’ve known. You used us as guinea pigs to catch Sherry Lane. Don’t you have anything better to do than put our lives in danger? You’re always doing something to rile me. What’s your problem? My sister could’ve been killed. I could’ve been killed. Do you have a desire to see me dead? What did I ever do to you? Just because my dog made you look like an idiot in front of your men, you don’t have to spend the rest of your career making my life miserable. Get over it. It’s in the past. Get a life! Go aggravate somebody else.”
“Are you finished?” he asked.
“Yes, I guess I am.”
“Because if you aren’t finished, I can wait for you to say what you have to say. I want you to get it all out. Don’t hold anything back. Let me really have it.”