Chance Of Rain

by Laurel Veil

  “You’ll need to slow down, Erica. It’s right here!” She passed right by it, and my heart thumped harder.

  Anthony finally said the most he had the whole ride. “You know, Ashley, you talk way too much.”

  I have to get away. I have to get away!

  My eyes frantically searched around the car—for what, I didn’t exactly know. All I knew was that I needed a way out fast!

  “Sit still!” Anthony demanded. I quit moving. “Act normal.”

  What’s going on? This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening.

  With my eyes I bore holes in the side of Erica’s head until she finally turned to look at me. “What’s going on, Erica?”

  “You’re not the boss anymore. You don’t get to ask any questions.”

  Think! Think! Think…my cell phone!

  XX

  It’s Happened

  It was almost ten, so Trent got in his car and made the drive to the Star-Lite. He had driven this path so many times that he could have done it with his eyes closed. It was a good thing too, because even though the rain was easing up, it was still difficult to see. As he approached the theater, he became aware that the building was much too dark. Had they lost power due to the storm?

  A foreboding feeling slowly inched its way over him. He sped up and pulled into the lot to find it empty, except for a red Eclipse. He found himself hoping it wasn’t Ashley’s car but knew it was. He noticed the flat tire right away. Maybe she was inside the car waiting for help, he thought.

  He grabbed his Maglite from his console. He shined it through his window into Ashley’s. She wasn’t in the car. He rushed over to her vehicle and looked at the tire. Dread consumed him. The tire had been slit!

  He resisted the urge to knock his fist through the window and went back in his car. He took out his cell and immediately dialed Mark Devoe.

  “Yeah,” said Mark.

  “It’s happened,” Trent managed to choke out.

  XXI

  Don’t Panic

  I didn’t look down at my purse. I kept my eyes on the road and very slowly inched my hands to its zipper. What normally would’ve taken me a second was taking almost ten minutes.

  Still without looking, I slipped my hand inside to see what I could find. I felt my art pencil first. It had my name written on it! I discreetly dropped it between the seat and the door, as a clue that I’d been there. If the lead wasn’t now dull, I would have used it as a weapon.

  I slid my hand back into my purse and continued to search for something I could tuck into my waistband. I almost screamed with joy when I found the pepper spray my mom had insisted I carry.

  Anxiety crept in. Oh, my gosh. Where are they taking me? My heart rate increased with the thought. Focus! I had to get help, or I had to free myself. I took a deep breath. I wasn’t going to panic.

  XXII

  Something’s Wrong

  Mark Devoe drove like a madman to his home. He had to see Beth face-to-face; he couldn’t do this over the phone. Chase was already there; his truck was in the drive.

  Mark had phoned Chase and filled him in on what had transpired, but Chase didn’t say anything to Beth. He quietly waited in his truck for Mark to arrive.

  Chase greeted Mark with sympathy as they shook hands. Then Mark walked past him and went inside.

  Beth entered the den from the kitchen. A look of surprise crossed her face. She smiled. “Hey, hon. What are you doing here?” Her smile quickly evaporated as the look in Mark’s eyes told her something was dreadfully wrong.

  XXIII

  Phone Home

  I didn’t know what I was going to do with my phone once I got it. Of course I wanted to dial 911. But how would I do it?

  I tried sliding my hand farther into my purse; Finally, I had my hand on it. And then it dinged with a text!

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Erica shrieked.

  “Gimme your phone now!” bellowed Anthony.

  I was shaking so hard that I almost dropped it. He snatched it from my hand and tossed it out the window.

  Erica reached toward me, and I flinched. She smirked then opened the glove box. She took out a cheap phone she’d obviously recently purchased; it was still in its original packaging.

  She tossed it to Anthony, who tore it open with his teeth. A few minutes later, he barked, “Give me your dad’s number!”

  The thought of my dad brought tears to my eyes.

  “The number!”

  “I-I don’t know his number,” I almost cried.

  “Then give me your mother’s!”

  “I don’t have it memorized either. It was programmed in my cell.”

  “Give…me…a…number. And if you say one word while I’m on the phone, you won’t live to see tomorrow.”

  My head was spinning. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t think.

  XXIV

  Something of Yours

  “No. No. No! This isn’t happening, Mark. We were careful. We took precautions.” Beth collapsed into her husband’s arms.

  “I know, Beth. I know.” She wailed. “Shh, it’s going to be OK. We’ll get her back.”

  Just then Trent walked through the door. He was distraught, and the sight of Beth made it even worse.

  “Beth…I’m so sorry.”

  Beth could see the pain Trent was in, and she managed to straighten up. She knew how much he had grown to care about her daughter. She ran to him and threw her arms around him. “It’s not your fault, Trent. Don’t think that.” He hugged her tighter at the sound of her words, because that’s exactly what he thought. It was his fault. It was his job as an officer to protect her, and he had failed.

  Beth released him from her embrace. Then Trent looked at Chase. “I’m sorry, Uncle Chase.”

  “We’re going to find her, son.”

  Everyone jumped when the home phone rang.

  Mark ran to pick it up. “Hello!”

  “I have something of yours, Officer Devoe.” If the person at the other end of the line was nervous, he wasn’t showing it. His voice held zero emotion.

  Mark stood frozen with the phone to his ear. Chase, Trent, and Beth gathered around him. They were practically holding their breath, trying desperately not to make a sound, wondering what was being said.

  Finally Mark spoke, “Who is this?”

  “Anthony. And, I have your daughter.”

  “Is Ashley all right? Can I please talk to her?”

  Anthony let Mark know that he was the one in control. “One thing at a time.”

  “What exactly do you want?” Mark asked.

  Anthony snorted. “What do I want? Well, let’s see…” He paused. “Well, for starters I’d like my girlfriend back—who you murdered! Her father would like to have her back too. In fact this was his idea…eye for an eye, daughter for a daughter, so to speak.” His raspy voice gave way to a chuckle.

  Mark swallowed hard. His heart was racing. He tried to put together his next words very carefully. He didn’t want to anger the man who had his daughter. “I didn’t want Jessie to die.” He paused to let that resonate with Anthony. “She shot and wounded one of my officers. She was going to shoot me next. It was self-defense.”

  “You shouldn’t have been there!”

  “They were running a meth lab. That’s ill—”

  “About that…The way I see it, you owe us a lot of money too. A lot of money.”

  The phone went dead.

  XXV

  My World Went Black

  My dad had been right there, and with the hasty click of a button, he was gone. For the few minutes Anthony had him on the other end, I’d felt strong, like I could get through this. Now I felt my hope slipping.

  The next thing I knew, my world went black. Anthony had slipped something like a black pillowcase over my head.

  We didn’t drive too much farther before Erica pulled off the main road. She made a couple of turns, and then we parked.

  Neither of them said a word as they led
me out of the car and into what seemed like a warehouse. It was cold inside, and everything echoed, like the ceilings were high. The floor felt hard under my feet. It must have been concrete.

  “Sit down,” Anthony demanded.

  I immediately went to the floor and crossed my legs. I was close to a wall, so I leaned my back against it. I was exhausted mentally and physically, and I realized I was hungry too. I missed my mom and dad…and I missed Trent so much that it hurt.

  I was glad I had something covering my face, because the thought of Trent made me want to cry. We had shared such a wonderful day together—the best one yet.

  XXVI

  Bri

  Bri was lying in bed but was having trouble falling asleep. One, the weather was crazy, and two, she wanted to arrange something for Ash’s birthday. It was in two days.

  Bri didn’t need a reason to throw a party; she loved to plan them. She seriously considered being a party planner or wedding coordinator later down the road. She was really good at organizing get-togethers.

  “Come on, Ash!” she said out loud. She looked at her phone’s screen. “Would you please answer my texts?”

  She knew it was late, but she wanted to bug Ashley about homecoming too, and she wanted to know what the latest was with Trent, so she called her. The phone rang and rang then went to voice mail.

  This went on for the rest of the night.

  XXVII

  Wednesday Morning

  Bri never touched base with Ash the previous night, so she decided to drive over to her house and see what was up and if she wanted a ride to school. As she pulled in, she got a horrible feeling. What the…?

  Mr. and Mrs. Devoe’s vehicles were there along with Trent’s Challenger and Chase’s truck, but Ash’s car was missing.

  Beth opened the door as soon as Bri’s Chevelle pulled into the driveway. Her eyes were red and swollen.

  “Wh-what’s going on Mrs. Devoe? Where’s Ash?”

  Bri’s world was spinning in circles all around her. She was doing her best to come to grips with having just learned that her best friend in the entire universe was missing. She was now sitting somewhat comfortably on the sofa in the Devoes’ den. Beth walked back in with a glass of water.

  “Here sweetie.” She handed the drink to Bri.

  “Thank you.” She took a sip and then a gulp.

  Beth took a deep breath then attempted to explain everything to Bri. “You remember the huge drug bust Mark made a few months ago?”

  Bri nodded.

  “During that bust, a man named Frank Summers was arrested, and a young woman named Jessie shot and wounded an officer. She then took aim at Mark.” She wiped her eyes. “So Mark did the only thing he could—he fired back. Jessie died at the scene. She wasn’t just Frank’s accomplice; she was his daughter. Frank swore he’d get revenge. Someone’s been sending anonymous letters for months now, threatening Mark’s life.”

  Bri gasped. “Ash never said a word about it.”

  “She didn’t know,” Beth said, fighting back tears.

  Beth continued, “We didn’t know who was helping Frank until a few hours ago. Someone named Anthony called. He said Jessie was his girlfriend, and he has Ashley.” She stared out the window then turned and smiled meekly. “I guess it was a mistake not to tell her anything. We didn’t want her to live in a perpetual state of fear and worry about her dad. Mark thought he was on the verge of finding out who was sending him the letters. It was all supposed to be over with by now.”

  Beth paused then nodded toward Trent. “Travis was the officer who was wounded. He’s Trent’s cousin and Chase’s other nephew.”

  Trent spoke up. “My cousin is still recovering from brain injuries at Collins Hospital. His wife is devastated.”

  Bri realized that’s who Trent was seeing the other night.

  “They’re the reason I said I’d help when Uncle Chase asked. They didn’t think Ashley was in any imminent danger—they just wanted to cover all their bases.” He smiled just a little. “Ashley wasn’t very fond of my Uncle Chase hanging around. That’s why they asked me to keep an eye on her.”

  Trent closed his eyes. “I just graduated from the academy. They’re probably going to revoke my badge. I deserve it. I’ll give it to them gladly. I just want to get her back.”

  Just then a knock came at the door, and two men stepped inside. Bri’s eyes were immediately drawn to the handguns that were holstered on their waists alongside their badges.

  “Have you two found out anything about Ashley’s phone?” Mark asked them.

  “We’ve got someone from the station on it now,” the taller one said.

  All five officers formed a small huddle and spoke in hushed voices. Beth sat in silence next to Bri.

  Bri quietly said, “Wow—an undercover officer! A bodyguard! It doesn’t get more exciting than this. Ash is going to flip. I can’t wait to see the look on her face.”

  Beth smiled. “Thank you, Bri.”

  “For what?”

  “For your faith and optimism.” She reached over and squeezed Bri’s hand. “My daughter is so blessed to have a friend like you.”

  XXVIII

  High-School Address

  It had been twenty-four hours since most of them had slept. The dark circles under their eyes attested to that.

  Mark was now with Bri at the high school. Bri already had found her way to first period, and Mark was in the front office, preparing to address the entire school via the loudspeaker.

  Principal Gavin Rayburn and Mark had known each other since they were kids.

  “I can’t tell you how sorry I am about all this,” Principal Rayburn said, as he patted Mark on the shoulder. “Please let me know if I can help.”

  “You already did when you allowed Trent to enroll. I won’t ever forget that.”

  After the Pledge of Allegiance and the usual barrage of school announcements, Principal Rayburn came on. “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. We’ve had something unfortunate befall one of our very own Mustangs, Miss Ashley Devoe. Her father, Officer Mark Devoe, is here to explain the situation and to ask for your help in the matter.”

  Eyes widened with curiosity throughout the building. In Ms. Elliott’s room, every head turned to look at Bri Branson. Bri, who usually liked being the center of attention, shrank just a little in her beanbag chair.

  After a short pause, Mark’s voice rang out. “Good morning.” He hesitated, trying to contain his emotions. “My daughter Ashley was kidnapped last night from her workplace, the Star-Lite Theater.”

  Gasps and murmurs filled Ms. Elliott’s room. Angel, who was still looking a little pale, turned another shade lighter.

  “We don’t have any news about her at this moment.” Again Mark paused; the anguish in his voice was evident. “We’re asking anyone with information, no matter how insignificant you think it may be, to please go to the front office immediately so they can get you in contact with me. Also, any students who are coworkers of Ashley, please have your teacher dismiss you to the front office immediately. According to my notes, that would be Blake Daniels, Angel Martinez, and Brianne Branson. However, Bri, since we’ve already spoken this morning, you don’t need to come down unless you have any additional information to give us. If there’s anyone else I’ve missed, please come now. And remember, we want to hear any information you may have. Perhaps there was a stranger you noticed recently. Or maybe you witnessed something that you blew off at the time but now seems suspicious to you. Please be alert, and keep your eyes and ears open. Thank you.”

  All eyes were on Angel as he stepped forward to Ms. Elliot’s desk. She gave him a sympathetic smile and handed him a yellow hall pass as she nodded toward the door.

  XXIX

  Anthony and Jessie

  I awoke in a heap on the hard floor. The concrete was cold, and I was freezing all night. I sat up slowly, feeling stiff and achy. The bag was no longer on my head. I wasn’t sure whether one of them had removed it or if it had
come off while I’d slept.

  That night I dreamed I was safely at home, with Trent next to me on the lounge chair under my favorite burgundy throw. When I woke up, I was terrified to discover I was still here.

  I tried to focus my eyes, but it was dark and difficult to see. After a few moments, I could make things out much more clearly. I saw Erica and Anthony in the far corner. They were eating and whispering.

  Tattoos covered Anthony’s arms. Where his shirt opened, more ink sprawled over his chest and climbed his neck like a vine. His front tooth had a slight chip in it, and his hair was oily; it looked black. He looked as if he’d just walked out of prison.

  Erica realized I was awake first. She looked at me then at Anthony. He picked up a pack of peanut butter crackers and a bottle of water and tossed them at me.

  My mouth was parched, so I opened the bottle first. I felt my headache ease with each swallow. I wanted to gobble down the pack of crackers, but I didn’t. I ate them slowly, one by one, hoping they’d fill me up. I even considered saving some for later in case Anthony and Erica decided not to feed me again.

  I thought back to last night when Anthony was on the phone with my dad, and a knot formed in my throat. I pushed it back down. Even though I’d only heard half the conversation, I knew the woman, Jessie, whom my dad had shot, had been Anthony’s girlfriend. I assumed Erica was his new fling. When I had a chance, I’d try to convince her to let me go.

  XXX

  Suspects

  Angel approached the front office feeling both fear and guilt. He handed his pass to the frumpy secretary, who motioned for him to take a seat in a hard, orange, plastic chair. His leg bounced nervously up and down.

  A few minutes later, a door to a small conference room opened, and Blake stepped out. The secretary signed Blake’s pass and sent him back to class. She then looked at Angel. “Officer Devoe will see you now.”