The Running Series Box Set: Books 1-3

by DeLaine Roberts

  Running to the surgical wing, Zoe found Grayson just finishing a procedure and walking out to talk with the family, so she waited. In an agonizing few minutes, he returned to the lounge, apparently surprised to see Zoe waiting for him. “Grayson, we need to talk.” She pulled him to rest beside her. “Alexandra’s plane is missing. We have to go to Chicago.”

  She wrapped her arms around him, but she could see him crumbling as he sank into the sofa.

  “How do you know?”

  “Harrison called. He was supposed to pick her up at the airport, but her plane never arrived. No one’s had any contact with the plane since shortly after takeoff.”

  “Oh God, Zoe,” he moaned, his voice breaking as he dropped his face into his hands, “I asked her to marry me last night and…we’re having a baby.”

  Zoe dissolved into tears again before grabbing Grayson’s arm and leading him back to the office. “We’re going to my house to pack a bag, and you can call Alex’s roommate. We’ll go to your apartment, get your bag, and pick up her roommate if he wants to go. By then the plane should be ready. Come on, let’s go. Millie is getting us a private charter. I have to call Harrison back.”

  As Zoe called Harrison, Grayson called Cooper, who arranged to meet them at the airport. “Give me the phone, Zoe. I want to talk to Harrison.”

  She handed her cell phone over gingerly, cringing at what she knew could only be years of anger spewing to the surface in the heat of a tragedy.

  “How in the hell did you know about the plane?” Grayson stormed at his brother.

  “Alex asked me to pick her up at the hangar, but her plane was really late. She was going to surprise you by coming in quick to gather her things and fly back home tonight. I tried to call her and text her, but got no response. The airport staff has had no contact since shortly after takeoff. I tried to call her dad, but got his voicemail. He doesn’t know yet. You’ve got to know Alex and I are only friends. There has never been anything between us. I’ve known from the beginning that she loves you.”

  “I know. There’s so much about her you don’t know,” Grayson said in a near whisper, his voice cracking.

  “Grayson, hang on tight, just get here as soon as you can. We are going to find her. I’ve been making calls. We have local authorities and the FBI in on this. We will find her, I promise, just you and Zoe be safe. I’ll see you soon.”

  As Cooper, Zoe, and Grayson boarded the plane, Alexander Morrison phoned Grayson. “Grayson, I just received the list of demands from the hijackers…”

  Two Sides of a Heartbeat

  Two Sides of a Heartbeat

  ***

  Book Two - The Running Series

  By

  DeLaine Roberts

  Copyright © 2013

  All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission.

  For information, contact DeLaineRoberts.com.

  ISBN-13: 978-1491215395

  ISBN-10: 1491215399

  CHAPTER ONE

  The plane descended sharply at a heart-stopping speed. The armrest of my seat showed indentions from my grip, and my heart raced in fear. Nausea roared in me from the violent shaking of the plane, and my throat filled with bile. The movements of the plane were so rough it was impossible to type a text. I silenced my phone, shoved it in my underwear, and prayed my earlier stalled messages would go out once we’d landed.

  The ground came closer as we circled the landing strip several times on approach. I couldn’t see an airport. Where was this place?

  The speed of the plane slowed with each pass until it felt like we were floating without engine power. Was the pilot trying to make a covert landing, I wondered.

  The panoramic circling provided ample view of the area. It was remote, in the middle of a swamp. Thoughts of escaping soon died inside me. Getting lost in the swamp was no safer than my current situation. Fear overwhelmed me as blood roared in my ears. I couldn’t stop shaking, no matter how hard I tried.

  Grayson’s face came to me in a vision-like trance. Not an image from our happier times, but rather the last look I had of him, a vivid reminder of his plea for me to stay. I pictured his face when we said our goodbyes. His eyes tattooed sadness onto my heart, forever marking his pain about my leaving. Why didn’t I listen to him or to my own instincts even?

  As I sat helplessly trapped in a hijacked plane, I worried he’d forever blame me for this madness. If not for my own stubbornness, I wouldn’t be here, but my do-it-yourself attitude always seemed to bite me in the ass.

  The plane landed with an abrupt and violent bucking. Within seconds, the cockpit door was flung open and a masked man charged towards me, wielding a large knife. He yanked my hair and pulled me up by my arms with his hand tight over my mouth, gripping my jaws hard and hurting me.

  His commanding voice was deep and ragged, instilling fear and causing the hair to extend from my skin. “You will do exactly as I say, you hear me? Not one sound from you, or I’ll slice your throat!”

  His fierce grip only allowed me to hum my answer and make a slight nod of my head. His gloved hand covered my mouth so tightly it stopped my voice and bruised my face. My movements were halted by his punishing behavior.

  My body shook from the inside out, and no amount of deep breathing helped me in any way to regain my composure. My abductor was taller than me with a muscular build. He burned holes in me with dark, angry eyes.

  He showed no mercy as he yanked me off the plane, and I got a frightening look at the tattoos that covered his arms and neck. We passed by the cockpit, where I got a quick glimpse of the pilot, unconscious and tied up, with far too much blood visible on his white uniform shirt. I prayed silently for him to be okay.

  The tattooed man dragged me behind him down the stairs of the small private plane, which caused me to lose one of my shoes. My legs tangled with his, and I fell the last couple of steps, landing hard on the ground. He jerked me up, and out of nowhere another person grabbed me by the hair and forced a cover over my head.

  “Get up bitch. We don’t have all day,” he yelled.

  I silently begged. Please don’t cover my face, don’t cover my face, I can’t breathe.

  My body burned from the assault and abrasive manhandling. I got a slight reprieve when the torture came to a halt long enough for them to shove me onto a cold floor. Fear forced me to fight back, as I tried to wrangle free, and I managed to get to my feet.

  My assailant screamed at me, “If you want to live… Don’t!” He finished tying my hands behind my back then shoved me to the floor once more, ripping pain through my knees and legs.

  An unseen boot kicked me in my side, knocking me over. I gasped at the pain and involuntarily crouched with my knees to my chest in protection of my unborn child.

  “Please, I’m begging you to stop. I’m pregnant. Don’t hurt my baby.” My voice echoed.

  There was no response from my attacker, but the beating stopped.

  I gasped uncontrollably from fear, with the hood covering my face and the ache ripping through my body, short of hyperventilating. I tried all the breathing techniques I could remember, and nothing seemed to be working. Bright spots danced behind my closed eyelids, and I knew I was passing out.

  When I came to, my breathing had returned to normal, but my body ached all over from my injuries. Unable to see my surroundings with the hood on my face, I tried to make use of my senses to figure out where I was.

  It was a quiet open space I could tell because each sound echoed. The odor and dirt filled my nose, reminding me of the mechanic’s garage that I used in Chicago for repairs on my old Jeep.

  In the background, I heard muffled sounds of men talking for a brief moment. After a few minutes, I was certain I heard a woman’s voice, but her words were heavily mottled with an accent.

  My thoughts were interrupted by sounds of metal on metal, echoing very close to me.

  *
**

  Grayson, Zoe, and Cooper made their way to Love Field for the private charter flight to Chicago. Grayson sent a text to Harrison of their pending departure. Zoe was quiet, and her face was frozen with fear as she held Grayson’s hand, her body still.

  Cooper tried to remain calm while he revisited his memory of the last conversation he had with Alex, praying it wouldn’t be his final one. She’d beamed with happiness and excitement about her future with Grayson and their baby.

  “Life had just started giving back to her. She always took care of everyone else first. Why did this have to happen?” Cooper muttered to himself. He wanted to vent to anyone who would listen, but when his soulful gaze met Zoe’s tears, he muffled his outburst.

  “What exactly did her dad say the hijackers wanted?” Cooper probed Grayson. He felt helpless, even though he was closer to her than anyone.

  “They won’t harm her if he meets their demands. He didn’t elaborate because they were in a hurry to get back to Chicago. They’re two hours behind us, coming from the Caribbean.” Grayson’s voice burned with anger.

  Cooper was furious, his lips thin and tight. “Her dad always had drama…threats of takeovers and crap. That’s why she never wanted anything to do with Morrison Industries. Even her stepbrother stopped working with Al and went his own way. Alexander Morrison should have sold the business years ago. He hasn’t made good decisions in a long time. Did you know he was friends and commercial partners with Harrison?”

  “Nope, I’m not my brother’s keeper. We went our separate ways years ago. The military kept me away from Chicago for a long time, and when we clashed about some personal things, I refused to have anything to do with him. Zoe gave up trying to play peacemaker a long time ago. Since our parents died, it’s just the three of us.”

  “Did you know that Harrison was picking Alex up at the airport and helping her pack her things today, so she could return back home tonight?” Cooper tried to figure out the dynamic of Alexandra’s relationship with Harrison, but it was obvious she’d kept Grayson in the dark about how close they had become.

  Grayson’s jaw clenched at the very mention of Harrison’s name. “I didn’t know about it until I talked to Harrison earlier. She was trying to pull some surprise. Dammit, if she would’ve just listened.” He shook his head in disbelief. “I begged her to stay and send a courier for her things. She never listens; she’s so damn stubborn!”

  “Dude, I tried to warn you. It’s the mark of that red hair.” Cooper shook his head. No one wanted to admit that Alex’s willfulness put her in harm’s way.

  The pilot announced the arrival time into Chicago O’Hare. He alerted them that authorities would meet the plane once they were parked out on a secure tarmac away from the terminal.

  “Did you just get a message from Alexandra?” Grayson uttered as he showed the message to Cooper.

  I think my plane has been hijacked, call authorities, call Daddy.

  “Yes. Her phone is on. Can they can track it?”

  “We can’t answer it. We have to wait on the Feds first,” Grayson ordered.

  After a few minutes, Grayson, Zoe, and Cooper exited the plane and were met by Harrison, FBI Agent Stan Woods, and Special Agent Judith Barnes. Grayson and Cooper shared their message with the agents. Alexandra had sent the same message to Harrison, so the authorities were already on it.

  Grayson barely acknowledged Harrison’s presence, and Harrison returned the frosty sentiment with a sharp glare. He didn’t back down either; he stood with a proud chest and frostbitten gaze back at Grayson.

  The tension between the twins had piqued Cooper’s curiosity, but he decided quickly it was best to remain an observer to their war. Zoe had been so quiet the entire flight it was obvious to him she loved them both, but refused to be in the boxing ring when the gloves were on. Whatever had occurred with them in the past was still a huge beef. The ill will was extremely tense and jealousy abounded where Alexandra was concerned.

  Agent Woods took notes from his phone call then communicated with the group. “My guys were trying to track the plane, but had no luck, seems the kidnappers knew what they were doing in regard to planes. The GPS tracking device has been disabled.”

  Grayson didn’t want to accept what he was saying. “You mean to tell me I can’t carry a full-sized tube of toothpaste on a plane, but we have crazy people who can access a private jet stored in a secure hangar?” His hands were clinched into fists of frustration.

  Agent Woods tried to explain. “The hijackers could’ve posed as maintenance personnel prior to the flight, which means there is more than one person involved in the operation.”

  Grayson interrupted. “That’s just fucking great. We’re post-9/11 and this shit can still happen.” His words packed such anger Agent Woods backed up a couple of steps.

  “Look, I understand what you’re saying. At this point, we trust no one outside of this group, speaking only with myself or Agent Barnes. Regarding the text from Alexandra, she left her phone on in the air, so we don’t know yet what tower pinged the data as they traveled. It’ll take some time to trace it. We hope her phone’s on and will show us where her exact location is now.”

  The agents took them to a conference room at the airport and informed them that it would be the command center until Mr. Morrison’s plane arrived from the Caribbean.

  Agents Woods and Barnes were all suit and tie, operating by the book and without a great deal of communication. They showed no emotion when they spoke to the family. As they worked through the processes, they were all business.

  “Each of you and your luggage will be cleared as part of protocol. I hope you all understand.”

  The group nodded in agreement.

  Harrison, taking the lead for the family, said, “Agent Woods, the Morrison’s legal team will be here momentarily. Do we know when to expect Al’s plane?”

  “When Mr. and Mrs. Morrison finally get here, we will process them and inspect their plane for anything unusual. Until then, you folks just have to be patient and let us do our jobs!” Agent Woods spoke in a stern voice and asked everyone to take a seat.

  Grayson slipped off and composed a text to Alexandra, just in case she would find it at some point…

  I love u, I will find u!

  Agent Woods took a detailed account of everyone’s activity leading up to the last couple of weeks and believed the initial intent was to capture Mr. Morrison on the plane, not Alexandra. However, by getting Alexandra, they had Al Morrison where they wanted him. As the interviewing process unfolded, Al and Gretchen Morrison arrived and joined the group. They took a seat at the table and joined their hands together.

  “This man called and wanted money. He demanded funds to an account in the Grand Cayman Islands, which leads me to believe this is not a business deal, but rather someone we met or worked with, while on our trip to the Caribbean.” He took a pregnant pause and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

  Then he continued to unravel the last few weeks of his trip and answered the repeating questions from the Agents. “We anchored out in the cove off the Cayman’s like we do every year with our normal group of friends. The second day, there was a new couple who joined up with us. They seemed really nice, very personable.” His voice broke at his thoughts of them. “They asked a lot of questions about our life, our family. We just thought they were being nice.” He bent forward and rested his face in his hands on the table. “How could I’ve been so naïve?”

  Gretchen rubbed Al’s back to soothe him, but he didn’t respond to her touch.

  Agent Woods continued to peck away at his computer as he input the information into a database. Agent Barnes researched information on her computer, regarding the registry of private yachts as well as paid charter services. “Do you remember their names or the yacht registry?”

  Al and Gretchen discussed between themselves, agreeing that their names were Thomas and Georgiana Mancini. They remembered the yacht was commissioned as Georgia Nights.

>   After the intense interviews were completed, the authorities allowed the group to communicate with each other. Alexander grabbed Grayson, embracing him as he wept. “We will find her, son. I’ll do anything to get her back.”

  “You should’ve done more to protect her. We wouldn’t be here if you’d had a better security team in place. What were you thinking, Alexander?” Grayson gritted out.

  Harrison approached them and pulled Grayson aside. Grayson watched as the others pulled back, giving them room. When he glanced at Zoe, she returned his gaze with swollen eyes and a tear-stained face.

  Alexander and Gretchen embraced Cooper, who stared at his phone like it was a lifeline, as if he halfway expected Alex to call.

  Grayson looked up at the clock and stared at it, but the time didn’t move; minutes took forever to pass.

  The agents flitted back and forth as they busied themselves with phone calls and computers. They kept the media at bay and insisted on privacy at the airport with increased security detail.

  The startling ring of Al’s phone brought the group out of their dismal mood. “H-hello?” he asked slowly after pressing the speaker button.

  “Listen carefully, ol’ man.” A gruff voice vibrated through the phone.

  Al motioned to the agents that it was the kidnappers. The agents scurried to activate the high-tech monitoring equipment attached to Al’s phone in hopes of garnering the tracking information.

  Al’s brow beaded in sweat, he staggered, and Gretchen grabbed his arm in support.

  The monster continued, “I have your daughter, and I have demands that are clearly defined in a package that has been delivered to your home. Your home is being monitored. Go there alone and follow the packet instructions clearly.” The call ended abruptly.

  Agent Woods reacted quickly, preparing Al with one GPS device attached to his zipper and another attached to his eyeglasses, just in case their plan was thwarted in any way. He gave Al instructions on which way to travel home and reminded him he would see FBI agents posing as a landscaping team.