by R. C. Ryan
Jackie Turner lay near one of the stalls, as still as death, in an ever-widening pool of blood. Beside him was a bloody shovel.
Griff knelt beside him and felt for a pulse. Relieved that the foreman was still alive, he leaned close. “Jackie, who did this?”
“That crazy guy…calls himself boss…Romeos.”
“Heywood Sperry?”
“That’s…him.”
Griff was already speaking into his cell phone. “Ira. I’m in Juliet’s barn. Heywood Sperry viciously attacked Jackie Turner with a shovel. He’s bleeding from the head. We need a medevac copter out here right away.”
He motioned for Juliet to grab the saddle blanket tossed over the stall railing. The old man’s teeth were chattering, a sure sign that he was in shock.
As Juliet wrapped it around him, Jackie clutched Griff’s arm. “He’s got Ethan.”
“God in heaven.” Into his phone Griff said, “Sperry kidnapped Juliet’s son, Ethan.” He listened to the chief’s staccato words, then repeated them to Jackie. “The chief wants to know how he got here. What’s he driving?”
“His bus.”
In the back of his mind Griff recalled the roar of an engine, mistaking it for Dr. Pickering’s noisy truck.
He conveyed the message to the police chief. “He shouldn’t be too hard to find. You won’t see too many rock-star buses out on these roads.”
He rang off, then stepped out of the barn to phone Mad. As quickly as possible he explained the situation, then returned to kneel beside Jackie.
“Hang on, now. The medics are on their way by helicopter.”
He turned to Juliet. “Until they get here, we need clean towels and several blankets.”
She nodded, grateful for something to do.
As soon as she was gone he gathered little Casey into his arms. The boy wrapped his chubby arms around Griff’s neck and sobbed against his chest.
“That mean man’s going to hurt Efan the way he hurt Jackie.”
“No, he isn’t.” He held the little boy close, wishing he knew how to ease his fears. Hell, he couldn’t even ease his own.
By the time Juliet returned with the supplies, Griff’s shirtfront was soaked with the little boy’s tears. Thinking quickly, he said, “Now Casey, I need you to be very brave.” He wrapped a clean towel around Jackie’s head and said to the little boy, “You need to hold this towel just like this. Can you do that?”
Casey nodded solemnly.
“Good boy.”
He turned to Juliet. “The medevac will be landing soon to take Jackie to the hospital. My family is on the way, too.”
When his cell phone rang, Griff answered on the first ring. “Yes?”
“Ira Pettigrew here. We found your friend Jimmy Gable.”
Hearing the solemn tone of the police chief, Griff’s heart nearly stopped. “And?”
“He’d been badly beaten. Dr. Mullin wants him flown from the Copper Creek Clinic to a hospital in Helena where they have better facilities.”
“Was he able to speak?”
“Barely. He was too injured for us to ask him any questions. But the bloody baseball bat used against him was lying beside him.”
“Just like Jackie Turner,” Griff mused aloud.
“Exactly.” The chief’s voice lowered. “The state police experts are on their way here to examine Sperry’s room. They’ll go over it for any clue as to what this is all about. In the meantime, they’re sending up helicopters as well as a convoy of land vehicles.”
“I’ve contacted my family. They’re taking up the Cessna, and they’ll have as many wranglers as they can spare out looking.”
“Good. Now I want you and Juliet to stay there.”
Griff gave a hiss of frustration. “I need to be out looking for this madman.”
“I know. That’s a natural enough inclination. But for now, until we hear from him, we need Juliet where we can find her. When someone snatches a kid, they want your attention.”
“He has that.”
“Exactly. Next, we hope he’ll call Juliet to tell her what he’s really after. Until then, stay at the house with her where we can reach the two of you. And Griff”—the police chief’s voice trembled with a rare emotion—“you try to keep that little woman calm.”
As he rang off, Griff realized he’d just been given the hardest task of all.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Ash.” At the MacKenzie ranch, Mad was shouting orders to the entire household. “Get the plane ready.”
“Ready for what?”
As quickly as he could, Mad recounted what Griff had told him.
After their initial shock, the MacKenzie family did what they always did. They rallied around Mad as their leader.
“Ash and I will fly to Juliet’s ranch. The rest of you should break up into teams and take the ranch trucks. We’ll meet at Juliet’s place to decide where to go from there. But on the way, be on the lookout for a big, flashy bus driven by one of the veterans in that group that calls itself the Romeos.”
Myrna was wringing her hands. “Why would anyone snatch Juliet’s son?”
“A pervert. A sicko. A madman.” Mad’s voice was low with fury. “Whatever he is, we’re going to find him and bring that lad home to his mother.”
Willow wrapped an arm around Myrna’s trembling shoulders. “Come on. You’ll ride with Brenna and me.”
Whit and Brady were already on the phone to their wranglers in the hills, alerting them to the danger and asking them to report any sightings of the bus.
Rifles and ammunition were loaded into trucks, along with binoculars and phone chargers, jackets, and even cold weather gear, in the event the hunt dragged on into the hills.
Mad rolled his wheelchair along the ramp toward the distant barn that housed the Cessna. Once again he felt a wave of gratitude for Griff, who had made his mobility possible.
When he reached the plane, Ash nodded. “It’s fueled. I did a preflight check. I’ll help you up, Mad.” He lifted his grandfather to the passenger seat and stowed his wheelchair behind the seat.
Once in the pilot side he turned to the old man. “Okay, Mad. Buckle up. We’re ready to roll.”
As soon as they were airborne, they looked down to see the convoy of trucks just leaving the ranch and fanning out, one taking the main highway, another following the back roads. As they flew up over the hills they saw the long line of wranglers on horseback, also fanning out to travel the little-known dips and ridges of the highlands.
Seeing the tight set of Mad’s mouth, Ash reached over to touch a hand to his. “We’ll find him, Mad.”
The old man’s words were spoken in a halting voice, revealing the depth of emotion. “He’s such a wee thing. And with his father dead at such a young age, he’s already been given a heavy load to carry.”
The two men fell silent as they studied the desolate land below. There were so many places in this vast wilderness where a man desperate to hide could be swallowed up, never to be heard from again.
The truck bearing Willow, Myrna, and Brenna arrived at the Grayson Ranch first. The three women found Griff, Juliet, and Casey standing beside a helicopter, where a doctor and nurse were preparing Jackie Turner before takeoff. His head had been professionally swathed in dressings, and an intravenous drip already inserted into his arm.
While they watched, the copter began its ascent, its blades flattening the grass and sending the trees into a crazy dance.
Willow gathered Juliet into her arms. “How are you holding up?”
“Oh, Willow.” Juliet struggled against the tears that threatened, knowing if she started to cry, she might never stop. For Casey’s sake she needed to be strong. “I’m terrified.”
“Of course you are. But for a little while longer you need to be strong, not only for yourself, but for your boys.”
Juliet pushed herself free of Willow’s embrace and shook her head. “I can’t stay here and do nothing. I just can’t.” She hugged her arms
about herself, pacing like a caged tiger. “Ethan’s out there somewhere, in the clutches of a madman. I need to go after him.”
Griff gathered her close. His words were muffled against a tangle of hair at her temple. “I know how you feel. It’s killing me to wait here. But the chief wanted us to stay. Not just for Casey, but for Ethan, as well. When they find him, the authorities need to know how to reach you.”
She was already shaking her head. “They can reach me by cell phone. I can’t stay here.”
Little Casey latched onto his mother’s leg. “Don’t leave, Mama. If you go, I want to go wif you.”
Myrna stepped forward and gently picked him up. Against his temple she murmured, “I’d really like you to stay here with me. You can help me fix all of your brother’s favorite foods, so that when he gets home, we’ll have a lovely surprise for him. Will you help me?”
Casey sniffed, considering. “Can we make Grandpa Mad’s waffles?”
“If you think Ethan would like them.”
“He loves them.”
“Then that’s what we’ll make.” She turned to Griff and Juliet. “Time for you to go.”
To Willow and Brenna she said the same. “Go now. Casey and I will be just fine here. But be sure you check in with us from time to time.”
Juliet kissed her cheek. “Thank you, Myrna. You’ll never know—”
The old woman touched a finger to her lips to silence her. “I do know. Now go.”
As Griff and Juliet settled into one truck, and Brenna and Willow settled into another, Myrna carried Casey across the yard and climbed the steps to the porch. There she set him down. Still holding hands, they waved as the trucks circled around and headed toward the back country. Then the old woman and the little boy made their way inside. And though she continued murmuring words meant to soothe, Myrna’s lips were trembling, and her hands were none too steady.
“Griff.” Ira Pettigrew’s voice boomed over Griff’s cell phone. Even without pressing the speaker, Juliet, seated in the passenger side, could hear every word. “Are you and Juliet still at her ranch?”
“We couldn’t stay there and do nothing. We’re on the road just south of the Grayson Ranch in the direction of Bald Mountain.”
“I understand. I guess if it were my boy, I’d do the same.” He cleared his throat. “Now listen. The state boys are going to monitor all our calls. Punch in the following number.” He enunciated each number clearly as Griff added it to his cell phone. “Each time any of us has information, it will be immediately transmitted to all of us, so that they know where we are and what we’ve found.”
“Thanks, chief. I’ll pass this along to Brenna and Willow. They’re following us.”
“Do it now, so I don’t have to pass along information twice.”
He rang off while Griff called Brenna’s cell phone.
A minute later the chief called back, and this time his voice was heard by everyone who had been included in the state monitoring program. “The state boys are sending me an electronic grid of the territory they’ll be covering as they do the flyover. I suggest you concentrate on that stretch of hills leading to Bald Mountain. I’ll get there as soon as I can. But keep an eye out. That’s some pretty bleak landscape.”
Ira’s voice rang with authority. “I know I don’t have to tell you that we’re dealing with a crazy here. And not only crazy, but desperate enough to snatch a kid. The state boys think he intends to use the boy as a bargaining chip, either with us or possibly with the mother. I’m inclined to agree with them. Does the boy’s mother have a history with this guy?”
Griff handed his phone to Juliet. She spoke cautiously, knowing everyone was hearing her words. “I don’t remember Heywood Sperry, but he claimed to have seen me almost daily at the VA hospital in Tampa, where I spent months with Buddy and Ethan. I had so many other things going on at that time. A critically wounded husband struggling to stay alive. A three-year-old who never left my side, and a difficult pregnancy that required what little strength I had left.” She paused. “But Sperry once boasted to the Romeos that he’d seen me every day. How is it that he remembers me, and I would have sworn I’d never laid eyes on him until he showed up here in Copper Creek?”
“For all the reasons you just mentioned. You had way too much going on.” The chief sighed. “This information is being passed along to the state boys. They’re the ones who will piece it all together. But I know this: We need to find this guy as quickly as humanly possible, before he has a chance to slow down and think about hurting his next victim.”
As he rang off, Griff’s hands tightened on the wheel. Juliet spoke not a word. But everyone knew the truth of what he’d said. They had to find Heywood Sperry. Had to. Before he had a chance to vent his fury on a helpless little boy.
As the silence settled around him, Griff’s eyes behind the mirrored sunglasses narrowed with a sudden flash of fury. Ethan had to be safe. If Sperry hurt that fragile little boy, he would move heaven and earth to find him and make him pay.
“What’s that?” Juliet pointed to the fire burning in a low ridge just off to their right.
“Could be a brush fire.” Griff hit the brake as he caught sight of just what was burning. He was out the door and sprinting down the ravine, tugging aside the mass of tree limbs and vines.
Cupping his hands to his mouth he shouted, “It’s the bus.”
As the others rushed over he pressed the number he’d been given to the communications center, transmitting the news to everyone. “We’ve found the bus.”
“Where?” Chief Pettigrew demanded.
When Griff gave them the location, one of the state officers said, “We flew over that exact area.”
“You’d have never spotted it from the air without that fire.” Griff sounded out of breath. “It was hidden beneath a camouflage of tree branches and brush. The fire’s fresh. He can’t be too far from here.”
“Any sign of Sperry or the boy inside?”
Griff peered through the windows. “It’s empty.” He studied the ground. “But there are tire tracks in the earth. Deep. They appear to be a heavy-duty truck. Sperry must have planned this ahead of time. Hold on. I’ll have to put you on hold while I try to force open the bus door.”
He handed his cell phone to Juliet and gave a mighty kick of his booted foot against the jammed door. Then he and Juliet rushed inside while Willow and Brenna remained outside.
Griff gave a muttered exclamation and motioned for Juliet to retreat. “You’d better get a team here, Chief. I nearly stepped on a syringe and a small vial.” After a moment’s silence he said, “Valium. That’s how he’s managing to control Ethan while he drives.”
The chief’s voice came over his phone. “Any sign of blood, Griff?”
A very long silence before Griff said, “None that I can see. I guess we’ll be grateful for small favors.” He watched as the flames began to spread. “I’ve got to get out of here before it blows. Whatever evidence is in here will be destroyed.” He leaped clear and climbed to the top of the ravine to rejoin the women.
“Hold on, Griff. The team is mapping exactly where you are.” The chief swore. “Okay. They’re on it. They’ll be there in minutes.”
As he waited to hear more, Griff reached for Juliet, who stepped into his arms and clung to his strength.
“Oh, Griff. We were too late.”
Hearing the sound of tears in her voice he said softly, “I know what this is doing to you. And I wish we could have been here sooner. But know this—Ethan’s a strong little boy.”
“Strong?” She pushed away to look into his eyes. “How can you say that?”
“Listen to me, Juliet. When Sperry grabbed Casey, Ethan had the presence of mind to pull his little brother away, leaving himself open to becoming the target instead. That makes him a hero in my mind. And I’m not going to let him do such a brave and wonderful thing in vain. He’s going to survive this. I know it.”
“Oh, Griff. I pray you’re right.�
�� She could barely get the words out over the pain in her heart. “I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to him.”
He turned to Willow and Brenna, hugging each one in turn. Then he led the way back to their trucks. Into his phone he said, “We’re going to keep climbing, Chief. It’s the only way he could be headed.”
Even as they started away they could hear the drone of a state police helicopter approaching the spot where the bus had been abandoned.
And though Griff had offered Juliet all the comfort he could muster, the fear continued to grow in his mind that a madman like Sperry could fly into one of his famous rages, and little Ethan would be the one to pay the price.
Chapter Thirty
Juliet scanned the road ahead of them in the fading light. “Do you think he’s still ahead of us?”
“I’m sure of it.” Griff brought the truck to a halt and stepped down to study the ground.
Brenna brought her truck to a rolling stop behind him, and she and Willow joined Griff and Juliet, who were studying the clearly visible tracks.
Willow glanced at Griff. “He doesn’t seem to care if we know where he’s going.”
“He likes being in command. He’s setting this up so we have no choice but to follow.”
Brenna held a hand to shade her eyes as she stared at the trail heading upward. “What happens when we get to wherever he wants us to be?”
Griff turned back toward his truck. “Then we pray.”
Chief Ira Pettigrew was highly agitated. Whenever that happened his words became a volley of staccato phrases aimed like bullets at the listener.
“Griff.” His voice boomed over the cell phone. “Put me on speaker so Juliet can hear.”
“She can hear you, Chief. I think all of Montana can.” Despite his attempt at levity to ease the tension, Griff pushed the speaker button on his phone.
“The state police have been searching the room Heywood Sperry was renting at Karen and Kevin Becket’s bed-and-breakfast. They found an entire album filled with pictures of you.”