Montana Standoff

by Sharon Dunn

  Sarah looked around. “Why?”

  Bryan looped around the cul-de-sac past Cindy’s house. He turned back out onto the street. A moment later, he tilted his head back. “That’s why.”

  Through the back window, Sarah saw a car pull away from the curb and slip in behind them. Anxiety coiled through her. Not again. “They aren’t going to give up, are they?”

  “I thought maybe they were just headed in the same direction as us. But when they pulled in at the edge of the cul-de-sac and didn’t get out to go into a house, I knew something was up.”

  “How did they find us?” Weariness and fear wrestled within her.

  “They probably had Crew’s place staked out.”

  The car hung about twenty feet behind them. They weren’t exactly being stealthy.

  “Now they’re trying to intimidate us.” Sarah’s voice held a tremble.

  Bryan adjusted his hands on the steering wheel. His voice remained steady. “Or they are just waiting for an opportunity.”

  Sarah wiggled in her seat. “So what do we do?”

  “I can’t just dump you at a friend’s house.”

  “I agree. That would put them in danger, too.”

  “We’ll stay close to civilization, try and shake them off. They’re not going to try anything if there’s a risk of being caught.”

  “Where do we find civilization at this hour?”

  Bryan sped up. “I’ll think of something.”

  Sarah turned around again. The menacing glow of the headlights behind them fed her fear.

  EIGHT

  Bryan drove through town. They needed to hole up somewhere for a while. So many of the businesses were new to him—and he was sure that a lot of the places he remembered had closed over the years he’d been gone. “Is Martin’s still open twenty-four hours?”

  “I think so.” Her voice sounded strained.

  He pushed toward the edge of town and up a hill. When he checked the rearview mirror, there was no one behind them. But he knew that didn’t mean they were in the clear.

  These guys had to be working for Mason. They were organized and professional, which would make them very hard to shake. But if he could prove the connection to Mason, then this could be the link he needed. His instinct told him that this could reopen the case he wanted so badly to see brought to trial, but what he needed was more evidence, a tighter connection than a thug who had been photographed with Mason and had come after Sarah.

  Martin’s was an all-night diner and truck stop best known for its milk shakes. Bryan pulled into the lot, relieved to see it was still open. Several semitrucks were parked in the far corner of the lot. Inside, three patrons hunched over their food in booths. All three were men, all three sat by themselves.

  Bryan studied the décor...or lack of it. “This place brings back some memories.”

  They had had more than one date here. Sometimes after football games, half the school would come here to celebrate or commiserate.

  “Yeah...some memories.” Sarah’s voice laced with pain.

  “Sorry, maybe it wasn’t the best choice,” Bryan said.

  “No, it’s one of the few places that are open at this hour...and ten years is a long time, right? We should be over it by now.”

  He stared at her for a long moment, wondering what she meant. Over the pain they had caused each other? Or over the love they had felt?

  A fifty-something waitress with candy-apple red hair and purple eye shadow set two menus on the table. “Still got a pot of coffee going. Grill’s been closed down for an hour. I can do sandwiches or reheat some lasagna.”

  “Actually, just a pot of tea and maybe a couple of slices of that blueberry pie I saw on the way in,” Bryan said.

  Sarah settled in the booth opposite Bryan. A soft smile graced her lips. “You remembered blueberry was my favorite.”

  The waitress brought the tea and pie. Bryan sipped his tea and watched Sarah dig into her pie. He liked the way she closed her eyes after each bite, relishing the sweetness and flavor. Her curly brown hair fell in layers around her face and her cheeks had a natural glow. She’d always had a prettiness that was unassuming, not created from makeup and endless beauty routines.

  She wiped a dab of blueberry from her lips and smiled at him. Her gaze shifted over his shoulder and her smile faded away. She laid her fork on the table and continued to stare.

  “That’s him.”

  Bryan craned his neck to see what she was looking at—a television screen running a local commercial for a used car dealership.

  She pointed to the man on the screen who called himself Crazy Ray. “That’s the guy I saw in that building Eddie led me to.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Sarah slipped out of the booth and walked closer to the television, nodding her head. “That’s him. I’m sure of it.” She turned and sat back down in the booth.

  Bryan shook his head. This didn’t make any sense. There was a part of him that thought maybe the well-dressed guy at the fairgrounds had been Mason. Was he so desperate to nail Mason that he was trying to make connections that didn’t exist?

  Sarah poured another cup of tea. She took several sips and then yawned. “I’m really tired. I want to sleep in my own bed.”

  “It’s just not safe to do that, Sarah.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I know that’s how it has to be. I don’t have to like it, though.”

  He thought for a moment. “The female officer you spoke to, Bridget, gets off duty in an hour or so. You’d be safe with her. We can call her, see if that will work.”

  Sarah rested her head against the back of the booth. “Okay, if that’s what we have to do....” She closed her eyes. “I drank a lot of tea. I need to use the little girls’ room.”

  “I’ll call Bridget.” Bryan pulled out his phone.

  Sarah rose from her seat and walked toward the counter where the waitress was filling salt and pepper shakers. The waitress pointed off to one side and Sarah disappeared around a corner.

  Bryan phoned Bridget. Once he explained the situation, she was glad to take Sarah in for the night.

  “I’ve approached Sandoval about protection already, but that was before the attack at her house. Maybe he’ll reconsider,” Bryan said.

  He talked for a few minutes more before hanging up and then he called Sandoval to let him know there was no need to do a patrol past Sarah’s house, since she wouldn’t be there. Sandoval said he’d look into what he could do for protection for Sarah now that there was clearly an ongoing threat. Bryan said goodbye and hung up.

  One of the truckers got up and lumbered toward the door. Bryan watched the corner where Sarah had turned. She should have been back by now.

  He rose to his feet and headed in the direction Sarah had gone. Around the corner, he found a room that had probably been a casino or bar at one time but now was empty. He spotted the restroom and walked over to it.

  “Sarah?” He knocked. “Sarah.” He scanned the room. His gaze rested on a glass door in the corner. Panic sparked inside of him. The thugs could have been watching through the windows, waiting for their chance, and grabbed Sarah when she headed to the restroom. He ran toward the door and flung it open, searching the dark landscape. The lights of downtown Discovery glowed two blocks away.

  He ran outside, feet crunching the asphalt.

  Then he heard a scream. He sprinted in the direction of the sound. He turned a corner to see lights on a pickup truck come on. The truck moved slowly through the lot. That had to be the one.

  He stayed in the shadows for a moment and then sprinted toward the truck. He jumped into the truck bed just as it accelerated through the lot. There was a passenger in the cab. It had to be Sarah.

  She turned her head slightly, eyes growing wide. Her m
outh had duct tape over it. Bryan scanned the truck bed for a weapon. He picked up a jack, leaned out the side of the bed and smashed it against the driver’s-side window.

  The car swerved wildly, crossing the center line. A horn blared. Bryan tried to hold on and brace himself, but there was no time. The truck smashed into an oncoming car. Bryan flew backward. His body impacted with a hard object. He heard screaming just as he lost consciousness.

  * * *

  Sarah pressed her back against the truck door, trying not to hyperventilate. She hadn’t been injured in the crash, but she’d seen Bryan go flying. Was he all right? Was he even still alive? There was no way to know.

  Her kidnapper had glass in his hair and blood streamed down his face from various cuts, but he was still conscious. “You stay here. You don’t move, do you hear me?” He leaned toward her, poking a meaty finger in her chest. His eyes were wild with rage.

  Sarah nodded, wishing she could push him away, but her hands were bound together in front of her with duct tape.

  Though it was dark, a single working headlight on the other car revealed that the man behind the wheel of the other car was slumped forward. She craned her neck. Bryan had been thrown clear of the truck close to the edge of the road.

  Her kidnapper walked over to the other car and peered inside. Satisfied that the other driver wasn’t going to move, he skirted around the back of the truck and headed toward where Bryan lay facedown.

  Sarah twisted at the waist and fumbled with the door handle. How far could she get running with her hands tied in front of her? She wouldn’t have a chance to find out if she couldn’t get the door unlocked.

  She prayed for another car to come along. Her hand pressed against the door lock and got it released. Now for the handle. But before she could tackle that, the thug rolled Bryan down the bank out of view and returned to the truck.

  He came to the driver’s side, got in and turned the key. The engine chugalugged but didn’t turn over. He tried several more times. He grimaced. He beat the dashboard with his fist.

  Sarah recoiled at his anger. All she had to do was push the door open. Downtown Discovery was only a few blocks away. Martin’s was just up the hill. If she got away, she could get help—send someone to Bryan to make sure he was all right. Someone would see her. If someone was out at this hour and if the kidnapper didn’t catch her first.

  The thug took out his phone and dialed. He waited for a moment and then spoke in a rapid-fire manner. “Listen, I’m outside Discovery just past Martin’s. You better get over here quick. I got the package, but I’m in a world of hurt. Hurry.”

  He looked over at Sarah. “Get away from that door.” He leaned forward and yanked on her shirt.

  Sarah struggled to clear her head. This man hadn’t killed her on the spot. Just like before, he must have intended to take her somewhere remote before killing her. The choice bought her a chance at escape, but how would she get away?

  The thug leaned toward her. “Don’t even think about running.”

  Sarah froze, knowing that now he’d be watching her like a hawk. But with his eyes on her, he didn’t see the figure approaching the truck....

  Bryan appeared in the driver’s-side window with the jack in his hand. He hit the assailant on the back of the head. The beefy man slumped into Sarah’s lap. She scooted toward the door. Bryan ran around the front of the truck, opened the passenger-side door and pulled Sarah out.

  She turned to face him.

  He touched the duct tape on her mouth. “One swift movement. It’s gonna hurt.”

  She nodded.

  He yanked. Her face stung. She sucked in air.

  “He has help coming,” she said.

  Bryan pulled a pocketknife out of his jeans pocket and cut the duct tape on her hands. “Let’s get going then.” He glanced over at the other driver. “We can phone for help as soon as we’re in the clear.”

  He pulled her away from the road into the darkness of the tangled brush. They headed up the hill toward Martin’s and their car. Another truck whizzed by on the road, stopping at the accident, probably the kidnapper’s backup.

  Their feet pounded the hard earth until they came to the edge of Martin’s parking lot where the lights didn’t reach. They hid behind a line of Dumpsters. Bryan peered out. A man stood beside their car scanning the parking lot.

  Sarah leaned close to him. “What is it?”

  He watched the man a moment longer. “Could just be a guy waiting for a ride, but it’s too risky. We can’t go back to the car.”

  Bryan sat down beside her and pulled out his phone. “This is Bryan Keyes. There’s an accident on the west end of town. Send an ambulance. We’re being pursued. We need to be picked up. We’re headed toward downtown.”

  Headlights shone toward the Dumpsters. Tires rolled slowly over asphalt.

  “They found us.” Fear saturated her voice as she grabbed his arm.

  Bryan tugged on her sleeve. She followed him farther into the darkness. The land beside Martin’s was a fenced field. Two empty city lots separated them from downtown. Behind them, the truck had stopped by the Dumpsters. Doors slammed.

  Sirens sounded in the distance. “There’s our ride,” said Bryan. “Hopefully that will scare them away.”

  The two men came toward the field. Bryan stretched the barbed wire fence so Sarah could crawl through.

  “Stay low,” Bryan whispered. They sprinted toward a clump of trees. The men came to the edge of the fence. One muttered something about a flashlight.

  Two horses lying on the ground by the trees stirred to life as they approached. The sirens grew louder.

  The horses whinnied and stomped. Sarah pressed close to one of them, so in the shadows it would look like she was part of the horse.

  Light flashed across the field.

  “Get on,” said Bryan. “I’ll boost you.” He held his cupped hand toward her. Ride bareback? She hadn’t done it in years. But Bryan wasn’t giving her much of a choice as he hoisted her up onto the horse’s back. “Ride to the edge of the field. Work your way toward downtown.”

  She didn’t have time to ask him what he was going to do before he slapped the horse’s flank. Sarah pressed against the horse’s back and held on to its mane. Behind her, the flashlight bobbed up and down as the men raced across the field.

  The horse’s hooves pounded out a rhythm against the soft ground. A second set of hooves thundered behind her. She could just make out Bryan’s silhouette. When her own horse came to an abrupt stop, Sarah slipped off and made her way toward the fence. Bryan was right behind her.

  The flashlight no longer bobbed across the field.

  Bryan leaned close to her and whispered, “It’ll take them a minute to regroup.”

  They crawled through the fence and entered a residential part of town. Most of the houses were dark. From inside one of them a dog barked as they ran past. Lights came on.

  Their escape through the field had caused them to veer away from downtown. Main Street was at least four blocks away. An ambulance went by. They slowed their pace, though Bryan continued to glance around.

  The glow of the downtown lights came into view. A police car with its light flashing was parked in a parking lot. The officer got out as they approached.

  “I was afraid you weren’t going to make our date,” the officer joked.

  “We got a little hung up.” Bryan slapped the other officer on the shoulder blade. “Sarah, this is Grant.”

  Sarah nodded.

  Compassion colored Grant’s features. They must look like they’d been put through the wringer. “Are you sure you don’t want to go to the emergency room?”

  “We need to get her to the station. I’m convinced that it’s the only place she’ll be safe right now.”

  Bryan opened the passeng
er-side door of the patrol car. “The back is kind of uncomfortable. I’ll ride back there.”

  Sarah slipped into the front passenger seat. The officer’s computer took up a lot of the seat space. Grant got behind the wheel and swung the car around.

  “Oh, by the way.” Bryan leaned forward. “Your car’s parked up by Martin’s.”

  “Thanks a lot, buddy,” Grant said.

  Bryan was probably joking around to forget about what they had just been through, but the camaraderie between the two men did nothing to lighten Sarah’s spirits.

  She rested her head against the seat. She rubbed her wrists where the duct tape had been. She touched the bandage on her forehead. Though she made no noise, tears formed at the corners of her eyes and flowed down her cheeks. She stared, not really seeing the view in front of her. Would this ever come to an end?

  From behind, a gentle, warm hand touched her shoulder and squeezed.

  NINE

  Bryan flipped through the Mason file for the umpteenth time. At least when he had been up in the fire tower, he’d been able to think of something other than this case. But here at the station, it seemed to meet him at every turn.

  He checked his watch. It was nearly noon. Sarah had fallen asleep on a couch in the break room after freshening up in the bathroom and changing into a brand-new shirt Bryan kept in his desk for court appearances.

  Bryan got a few hours’ sleep himself, and then brought the file with him so he could watch over Sarah. He didn’t think those thugs would be so bold as to enter the police station, but he’d been foolish enough to think she was safe going to the bathroom in a truck stop. He wasn’t taking any chances.

  He tossed the folder to one side. He had one thin thread that connected Mason to what was happening to Sarah. Why couldn’t he let it go? Sarah looked peaceful as she slept. Without thinking, he reached over and touched her soft brown hair. Sarah stirred but didn’t awaken.

  Sandoval should be on shift soon. Though the chief had seemed more open to providing protection when he’d talked to him on the phone, Bryan had started to have mixed feelings about it. After last night, he didn’t feel totally comfortable turning her over to some rookie officer. He wanted to be the one to protect her.