The Running Series Box Set: Books 1-3

by DeLaine Roberts

  Grayson stopped pacing and stood toe-to-toe with the agent. “And you think this plan of yours is going to work?” he asked with pointed sarcasm.

  “No plan is fool-proof, but I haven’t been doing this for over twenty years without having learned a few things.” Agent Woods responded.

  Agent Woods described in slow, meticulous detail how there would be agents that would tail him, but they would be switching in and out with other cars as not to appear suspicious or be picked up by the kidnappers.

  Grayson kicked the chair in anger. “I just wanna hit somebody. If they hurt her, I’ll kill them if you don’t.”

  “We don’t know right now how big this outfit is, so we aren’t taking chances.” Agent Woods addressed Grayson and the others, “Agent Barnes and our security detail will transport the rest of you by helicopter to Mr. Brooks’ penthouse for your protection until further notice. Don’t use your phones or speak to anyone outside of this group. We don’t know if your phones have been accessed.”

  After Agent Woods left with Al, Grayson and the others were escorted to Harrison’s penthouse. On the way there, Agent Barnes got a call that Alexandra’s phone had been traced and was still giving a signal that was coming from the Florida Keys.

  Grayson overheard Agent Barnes mention the word “pirates”.

  ***

  Al made his way home with Agent Woods hidden in the trunk. He followed all instructions to the letter given to him by the special agents. His heart raced and his hands shook violently as he applied the gloves to handle and examine the contents of the package. As instructed, the disposable phone the FBI had given him was used to photograph and document the contents. He sent the images to Agent Woods, who was now hiding in the garage.

  The demands were quite simple.

  Wire ten million dollars to the Grand Cayman Bank account AB2011774 by noon Thursday. Once payment is made, your daughter’s whereabouts will be provided to you. If you don’t follow the instructions, your daughter will die.

  Al buried his face in his hands. “I’ve let her down.” Then he glanced upward. “Please God, let her be okay,” he pleaded. When he’d regained his composure, he called Burton, his financial advisor, explaining he had a dire request and needed him to come to the house immediately.

  Once Burton arrived, Al introduced him to Agent Woods, and the FBI took over the instructions for the transaction, requiring a documented wire transfer delay to allow for time to pinpoint the trace from Alexandra’s phone. They set the plan in motion and notified the pirates the wire transfer would be made.

  Al took the glass of whiskey Burton offered him. After he’d downed the amber liquid, he threw the glass against the wall, watching as the impact sprayed shards everywhere.

  “Find my little girl,” he said in a tightly controlled voice.

  ***

  It had been a difficult night for Grayson, without any answers. He paced the floor, repeatedly checking his phone for some magical ring signaling his nightmare would be over with a happy ending.

  From time to time, Harrison reached out to him, trying to mend fences. “They’re going to find her. Alex is strong, you’ll get through this together.”

  He embraced his twin, but he couldn’t warm to Harrison. Grayson knew his face remained staunch and uninviting, his body stiff.

  He pulled back and threw his hands in the air. “Everything was perfect. She agreed to marry me and make us a family, and now some sick bastard who values money more than her life has her. She’s my soul mate, the love of my life. I’ll be damned if some crazy wacko is going to try and take her away from me!” He clenched his fists, propelled by fear packaged in 220 pounds of frustration, a physical bomb ready to explode.

  “I have confidence is these agents. Do they know she’s pregnant?” Harrison asked, seeming to give his best shot at showing brotherly compassion. He made eye contact with Zoe, but she just looked away. A true sign he had to mend the fence on his own.

  “Yes, they know. I’m scared to death for her and the baby. There’ve been issues already. I’m worried what the stress of this is going to do her. If they hurt her, I’ll…” Grayson didn’t finish his rant, but rather drew back his foot and kicked a chair into the wall, the sheetrock crumbling under the force.

  Zoe jumped to her feet in an attempt to console him. “Please stay calm. All this yelling isn’t helping.” She looked around the room, apparently noticing the rest of the family simply watched in horror and fear that a normally docile man had been stunned into anger.

  “Why don’t they tell us anything? I wish they would tell me how Al is holding up,” Gretchen said in tears as she paced the floor.

  “The waiting is unbearable. Preggers or not, when she gets home, I’m going to tie her to a chair until she agrees to behave. I might even just kick her ass for being so stubborn,” Cooper blurted in frustration. He slammed down his bottle of water, spilling it everywhere.

  The hours passed slowly with the night fading into early morning without any news. Grayson paced the floor, tight with tension. His eyes were red and painfully swollen from stress and lack of sleep.

  Just before dawn and as the final details of the wire transfer were going through, Agent Woods received a call from his team that they had pinpointed Alexandra’s phone. The transfer would be stalled long enough to allow the FBI and local SWAT team to move into position.

  “Dr. Brooks, we’ve located her in a warehouse in Florida,” Agent Barnes explained. “We’ll take possession of the building momentarily, and I’ll know more in a few minutes.” Then she turned and spoke quietly into the microphone on her wrist in a cryptic message.

  Sitting down on the sofa, Grayson leaned forward, put his face in his hands and wept. At that moment, he felt his life hung in the balance between good and evil.

  The rest of the group surrounded him, silent in their own prayers.

  Grayson’s heart broke at the thought of Alexandra’s suffering. His tears were the only thing he could give her.

  He remembered the image of his tiny son or daughter on the screen and the smile on Alexandra’s face when she’d learned their baby was okay.

  Images flashed through his mind of them dancing at Sambuca’s, the way her eyes sparkled in the moonlight when she saw her engagement ring sitting on top of chocolate, the way his hand felt when he touched hers for the first time.

  “Please find my love,” he uttered between gasps of air.

  ***

  Time crept slowly, but sleep was not on my agenda. I managed to get into a sitting position and off my painful knees. I tried to do some yoga moves to work out the aches of my body and instill some form of calmness and control. My attempt at the Lotus Pose did nothing for my fear, but how could it, with hands tied behind my back and my face still covered?

  Anxiety was on the verge of surpassing me. I wanted to fight, if not for myself, for my baby. Talking to my baby seemed to bring calmness with its quiet whisperings.

  “Your daddy loves us and he will find us. I love you, pumpkin. Keep safe in there.” I choked on my own pleading whispers.

  The quietness of my surroundings was interrupted by quick footsteps and the distinct voices of a man and woman. The voices were getting closer, and I could hear the metal on metal sound again.

  The woman spoke from behind me in a strong Jamaican accent. “I’m going to remove your hood and untie you. Don’t turn around, bitch, or he’ll kill you. I’ve got some food here. Enjoy it; it’ll be all you get today.”

  Eat? Who could eat in a time like this?

  The woman removed my hood, but I didn’t move. I heard what sounded like a chair scraping across the floor. She untied my hands from behind my back before I heard the metal again and the disappearing of the footsteps. After a few minutes, I turned around to examine where I was.

  Oh god, they put me in a cell!

  The table in front of me held a bowl of soup and bread. Beside me, a sleeping bag lay crumpled on the concrete floor.

  I had to
crawl up to a standing position. My painful and disoriented body made moving and walking difficult. I held onto the chair and took a good look around me. Fading light shone above me through a skylight. It was like my four foot cell was on display in the warehouse. While I couldn’t see anyone else, I could make out a van parked at the end of the building but nothing past that from the darkness.

  The knowledge of my phone still in my underwear tempted me. I wanted to take it out and call 911, but the fear of them watching me kept me from giving away the secret that I had the phone. I wondered if it was even still powered up or if my texts had managed to make it out.

  I just stared at the food. Eat? No way. What if it had poison in it?

  The silence was broken by a rush of loud noises and an explosion in the distance. Men were yelling, “Get on the ground!” but I wasn’t certain if it was meant for me or my kidnappers. I grabbed the sleeping bag and dove under the table, crunching up as tightly as I could.

  I heard gunshots around me and voices yelling back and forth. I remembered the line from Forest Gump: “God make me a bird so that I can fly far, far away.” I prayed for my baby’s safety.

  My body began to shake violently, and I felt a horrible pain in my leg. It was dark, too shadowy for me to tell what was going on, when I made myself peek out through the opening in the sleeping bag. I heard the metal sounds again.

  “She’s over here! I need an ambulance!” a man shouted from beside me. He lifted the sleeping bag and pulled the table off of me, but he didn’t move me.

  “You’re safe, Alexandra. I’m Officer Jason Knox from SWAT. We’re getting you to the hospital. It’s over; you’re safe with us. Just hold still for me.” He moved my hair out of my face, and I saw he had blood on his hands. Was it my blood?

  Moments passed before they rolled the stretcher in. Several people began to work with me while they stuck me with needles and asked me lots of questions. All I could think about was my little baby.

  The paramedic informed me that I’d been shot in the hip, and he thought the bullet had traveled down and out my thigh. There was a lot of bleeding.

  “Ma’am, were you beaten?” one of the paramedics asked while he made notes on the back of his hand.

  “Yes, but I’m okay. I’m pregnant and just need to know my baby is okay. I want to call my fiancé. My phone’s right here.” I pointed inside my pants.

  The SWAT officer and the paramedic retrieved the phone and held it up for me to see. It came apart in a couple of pieces, the bullet having ripped through the screen. The phone had deflected the gunshot.

  “Seems as though by hiding your phone there, we were able to track you. The phone probably saved your life, since it took the shot first. It’s busted. Let’s use mine. I’ve got some folks wanting to hear from you.” He smiled at me.

  It was the first time I actually felt a bit of relief. Once they got me in the ambulance, the officer called Grayson.

  CHAPTER TWO

  “Honey, I’m okay. God, I love you. It’s so good to hear you.” My voice trembled with emotion. I couldn’t hold back my tears. I spoke through hysterics and sobs, not able to hold my composure even a minute longer. My teeth chattered, my body shook, and I gasped for air. The officer had to hold the phone.

  “Thank God you’re okay, baby. I’m on my way to you. I love you so much. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” I heard the despair in his voice and knew he was riveted with anger.

  “I’ve been shot. They’re taking me to the hospital—”

  He cut me off as he yelled, “What! Let me speak with them now! Hand the phone to them.”

  “Jason,” I began quietly, “this is Dr. Grayson Brooks, my fiancé. He wants to speak with you.” I handed the phone over, knowing Grayson would dictate a million instructions with his business-like routine.

  “Dr. Brooks, I’m SWAT Officer Jason Knox, riding with Alexandra to St. Clair’s Hospital. The paramedics tell me she’s stable, with a shot to the hip and leg.” His eyes gave his in-ear interrogation away, giving me the clues that the good doctor was asking a million questions and barking a slew of orders.

  “Yes sir, we’ll have the team work with the pilot and keep you updated on your way here.” He hung up just as the ambulance stopped.

  The hospital team swarmed around me inside the ER, with a faceless female voice barking orders. Finally, she leaned in over me, so I could see her. “Hi, Alexandra. I’m Dr. Jenny Mason. While the nurse applies a pressure bandage to your leg, we’re gonna quickly confirm everything’s okay with your baby. Then we’ll need to take you to the operating room and patch up this leg.”

  “Please tell me my baby is okay.” Tears rolled freely down my cheeks. I couldn’t hold them back any longer. My body shook, and self-control was no longer an option.

  The gel was cold on my belly, but the goose bumps and panic were choking me. While Dr. Mason looked at the ultrasound screen, her lips were tight and her expression turned to a grimace. She took her time scanning both through my tummy and from the inside of my vagina, looking for my little baby before she finally turned her face to me. It was the look I couldn’t bear to see. Sad eyes.

  No please, please, don’t say it, I pleaded silently.

  “Alexandra, I’m so sorry to have to tell you this, but there’s no heartbeat on either of these ultrasounds. I just don’t see a viable pregnancy. Your blood work doesn’t show high hormone levels either. We’ll use a fetal monitor for a double check, but I don’t think your pregnancy was able to survive the trauma you have been through. I’m so sorry, sweetie. It’s not fair. While it’s not what you want to hear, you’ll be able to try again very soon, I promise.” She leaned in to me, encircling me with her arms.

  The nurse fitted me with the fetal monitor, but there were no sounds of a heartbeat. She shook her head no. I asked for some privacy to say goodbye to my baby.

  My precious little one, how do I say goodbye? Your Daddy and I loved you so much from the second we knew about you. I’m so sad to let you go, but know that you’ll be in Heaven and I’ll see you big and strong someday. Goodbye my little plus one, sweet dreams. I love you so much, I’ll never, ever forget about you. Say hello to your Grandma Allison up there for me. She’ll take care of you until I see you again. You brought joy to our life in such a short sweet time. I’ll miss you until I see you again. I love you.

  The tears were uncontainable, the heartache devastating, the anger more than I could bear for the loss caused by the circumstances. I could only ask why. Why did this happen? Who would want to hurt my family?

  I wanted to just wither, become numb to the pain. Nothing or no one would be able to take the pain of loss from me. I knew it well from losing my mom early in life. The heartache was an invisible cloud that hovered, and nighttime was when it reared its ugly head the most. Emptiness, loneliness, and tons of regret.

  I knew in my heart that when I recovered, I would make certain my captors burned in hell for the life they took, and no one would stop me.

  As I cried, Dr. Mason returned. “We’re going to surgery now. I’m giving you something that’ll make you drowsy and take away some of your anxiety. Everything is going to be okay, and when you wake up, Dr. Brooks and your family will all be here, okay?”

  “No, it’s not okay! Nothing is okay. It’s all wrong. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way!” I lost all control, sobbing, yelling, shaking, until sleep finally took over.

  ***

  Zoe wanted to urge the pilots to fly faster. The flight to Florida seemed to be taking forever. Grayson couldn’t be still. He paced the aisle in the plane, back and forth, annoying the others.

  The agents analyzed the turn of events between themselves. The sole woman of the foursome had provided a detailed account of the plan. This time, the plan got way out of control, and the leader of the pack was swallowed by his greed. This time, he wanted to push the limits, but it got him killed. Alexandra’s pilot had died as well.

  “She’s going to be okay. You’ll
get past this,” Harrison offered to Grayson.

  But Grayson shook his head, not wanting any part of it, refusing to be comforted. “Don’t try to talk to me about her. You know nothing about her or anything about us. Where do you get off trying to be the hero with all the right answers? You shouldn’t even be here!”

  Grayson looked like he was on a short fuse, about to explode. This couldn’t be all about Alexandra, could it? His face, taut with tension, looked like it was all he could do to keep from hurting Harrison.

  Frustrated with the bitterness between them, Zoe screamed at the top of her lungs at her brothers. “Enough! That’s it, game over! I can’t take it anymore. I’ve lived nearly my entire life watching you two go at it. You two have got to hash out the past, with all of your jealousies, and get over it, before it destroys the future of our family! Harrison, you need to man-up and tell Grayson the truth about Olivia.”

  Harrison tried to interrupt her. “Zoe, this isn’t the time,” but she closed him down.

  “Shut up, Harrison. I’m not done. Grayson needs to know every sordid detail, twisted or not. That’s what started this bullshit years ago. Your protection of her only caused more problems, and believe me, that crazy bitch wasn’t worth it. This whole damn charade has gone on long enough. You’re hurting each other and the rest of us who love you, including Alex! All because of some stupid shit that happened back then! You’ve been competing and fighting over girls forever, and this crap has to end…now!”

  “What’s there to know about Olivia that I don’t already? She’s a vicious, callous woman, and we were over a long time ago. There’s no reason to bring this up now.” Grayson looked at Zoe and back at Harrison curiously, waiting on one of them to finish filling him in on their secret.

  Zoe and Harrison watched as Grayson clenched his jaw and his eyes grew dark. He was getting angrier by the minute.