“I thought you were smarter than that.” He huffed. “You don’t think I’d turn out the lights without wearing night goggles now, do you?”
She twisted in his arms, but he was much stronger than she gave him credit for. Pulling her leg up to back-kick him in the groin, she lunged just as he released her. When she fell forward, her hip caught the corner of the counter and she groaned in pain. Frantically, she swept her arms across the top, searching for the knife rack.
“Looking for these?” he asked before throwing them into the living room.
Glass splintered when the heavy wooden rack connected with the lamp on the end table. Jordan opened her mouth, but the scream settled in her throat, choking off the air to her lungs.
As Mason’s bone-chilling laugh vibrated in the room, someone pounded on her door.
“Jordan, are you okay?”
“Ray, help me,” she hollered before Mason grabbed her again, covering her mouth with his hand.
The sound of Ray’s foot connecting with the door startled Mason, and he pushed Jordan toward the window that opened on the side of the apartment. After karate-kicking the pane out, he shoved her through, still keeping her close, so close she felt his heart beating.
Once outside, he shoved her across the side lawn, through the neighbor’s yard, and around the corner. When he came to a black Audi, he freed one hand and clicked the key to open the trunk.
With one swoop he picked her up and swung her in, slamming the door before she could catch her breath. When she heard the engine start, she screamed as loud as she could, knowing if Mason got away with her, there was no way anybody could help. As she kicked frantically at the trunk door, tears gushed down her cheeks. She was in the hands of a madman who wanted something from her she couldn’t give because she had no clue what that something was.
Silently, she said the Lord’s Prayer.
Alex awoke with a start when cold water hit him in the face. “What the—”
“Where’s Jordan?”
He pulled himself into a sitting position as a throbbing pain seared across his forehead. Reaching up, he felt a goose egg and suddenly remembered how he’d gotten it.
“Call 911. Tell them Jordan’s missing.” He tried to stand but fell backward as his vision blurred. “He’s got her.”
“Who’s got her?” Lola asked, coming up behind Ray, her eyes scanning the room. “Oh God, Ray, what’s happened here?”
He patted her shoulder. “That’s what I intend to find out.” He turned back to Alex. “Start talking, Montgomery, and fast.”
Alex closed his eyes, willing the room to stop spinning. In the background, he heard Lola on the phone with the 911 operator, her voice frantic.
“We don’t know where she is. No, we didn’t see who took her, but she called for help before she disappeared.”
“One last time, Montgomery. Where’s Jordan?” Ray demanded, poking Alex with the flashlight.
Alex took a deep breath and opened his eyes. “I don’t know. I thought she might be in trouble and knocked on the door. When it opened, someone clobbered me.” He turned away as Ray directed the flashlight on him.
“What made you think Jordan needed help in the first place?”
Alex sighed. He should weigh his words carefully and not blow the whole operation, but Jordan was in trouble. “Tell the cops Mason’s in a black Audi A8.”
“Mason? What’s he got to do with this?”
“I think he’s got Jordan.” Alex made another attempt to stand and this time managed a sitting position. “Help me up. I have to go after her.”
Ray reached down and pushed his shoulder, sending him back to the floor. “You’re not going anywhere until you tell us what happened to Jordan.” He slapped what was left of the door with his fist. “Dammit, man. Focus!”
As if by magic, the lights came on, causing Alex to squint in the brightness. One glance around the apartment was enough for him to know his worst fears were true. Jordan was in danger, and whether she was involved or not, he had to find her. He couldn’t do that without at least telling these people some of what he knew.
“When the lights went off, I panicked and ran in here.”
Ray eyed him suspiciously. “Jordan never leaves her door unlocked.”
Busted!
The truth was he’d been following Roger Mason since he’d left his house near the Connor–Ranchero border, hoping to trip him up. Since he’d made his presence more obvious the other day in an attempt to step things up, he’d felt sure the man would slip up under the pressure.
He should have known better. Mason was a professional. It would take more that a little intimidation to crack him.
When the restaurant owner parked his car a block from Jordan’s apartment, Alex had assumed his first impression of her innocent involvement had been right on the money. Then he wondered if he’d been fooled by her naive persona. Wondered if perhaps she could be the one actually calling the shots.
It wouldn’t be the first time he’d been fooled by a woman.
After Mason exited the car and snaked through the backyard of the house on the corner, Alex had lost him and trained his binoculars instead on the light in Jordan’s window. From that angle, he’d known he would probably only see shadows, but at least he’d finally have a connection between the two.
For some reason, he brushed off the earlier notion that Jordan was a pro. Usually sidekicks like her were easy to flip. He was convinced he would have her spilling everything from those full, pouty lips in no time, an hour tops.
At the thought of her lips and how they’d felt on his when she’d kissed him, he shook his head. For a moment he wondered if Lola’s prediction of finding someone special might come true. She said that would happen soon in his life.
Part of him wanted that to be Jordan. She was definitely special, and he hated that he would have to be the one to bring her down.
“Sweet Jesus! What happened here? Where’s Jordan?” Rosie screamed, running into the apartment with Quincy Dozerly on her heels.
Lola wrapped her arm around Rosie’s shoulder. “We don’t know, but she’s in trouble. Ray walked out into the hallway when the lights went out to see if it was just us or if everyone else lost power. When he heard a loud crash from her apartment, he knocked, and she cried out. That’s when he kicked in the door.”
“Oh dear! Are the police on the way?” When Lola nodded, Rosie spotted Alex. “Why’s he on the floor?”
Before anyone could answer, Victor ran into the apartment. “The fuse box was a mess and—” He scanned the room, taking in the shattered lamp and the block of wood that had dented the wall. “Geez, Louise!” He turned to Ray and held out something pink and furry. “Do we need these?”
“What the hell are they?” Ray asked.
“Handcuffs, darling.” Victor turned to Alex. “Put your hands behind your head.”
“Not in this lifetime!” Alex glared, daring him to try to put those things on him. “I’ve got to go after Mason.”
All eyes turned on him.
“The owner of Longhorn Prime Rib?” Victor asked. “How’s he involved in all this? He offered Jordan a job last week.”
This was news to Alex. She hadn’t mentioned it the other night. “Did she take it?”
“No,” Rosie chimed in. “For some reason she doesn’t trust the guy. I never could figure out why. Quincy and I had drinks with him at the racetrack the other day. He seems like a really nice man.”
Alex tried to stand and this time made it with help from Victor and Michael. He rubbed the bump on his head, knowing he should put an ice pack on it. But he was beginning to get a really bad feeling about this. “Call the police station and ask for Sheriff Delaney. Tell him Mason has Jordan. I’ll call him in the car with details.”
He took a deep breath and leaned against the wall. When he was sure he was steady on his feet, he made his way toward the door.
“Where are you going, Alex?”
“To find
Jordan before—” As soon as the words left his mouth, it hit him.
It might already be too late.
CHAPTER 17
Curled in a ball in the small trunk, Jordan shifted her weight to knead the cramp knotted in her calf. Without a watch, she could only guess they’d been traveling for about thirty minutes. Realizing no one could hear her, she’d stopped screaming soon after the car pulled away from the curb. She had no idea where Mason was taking her or why he wanted her in the first place.
Reaching up to stabilize her body when the car suddenly turned onto what she thought must be the bumpiest road in Texas, she pondered her dilemma. She racked her brain, but the only thing she could come up with was the initial lousy review she’d given his restaurant and the fact that she’d turned down his job offer.
Neither was enough for him to assault and kidnap her. She’d since written a glowing report on the Rattlesnake Pasta, and he hadn’t seemed bent out of shape when she’d declined his freelance writing opportunity. She’d used a phony excuse about the newspaper frowning on extracurricular stuff. But even though he’d smiled, he’d mentioned again that his patience was wearing thin. She had no idea what that meant.
The man gave her the creeps, but she hadn’t realized it soon enough. He’d already said he wasn’t interested in sex, so why kidnap her and drive to God-only-knew where?
What if he was simply a psychopath who enjoyed killing for the thrill of it? She swallowed hard, trying not to cry. She had to keep her senses about her and find a way to get out of this alive.
Her stomach caught in her throat when she realized the car was no longer moving. In the overwhelming silence, she was positive she heard her own heart pounding. When the car door opened and slammed, a fresh set of tears erupted while she waited for Mason to open the trunk.
When he did, her eyes locked on his hand. He had a gun and it was pointed directly at her head.
Our Father, who art …
“Get out, Jordan,” he barked. “You and I are finally going to have that chat.”
As she tried to unfold her body enough to lift herself up, he reached in and grabbed her arm.
Yanking her out of the trunk with one pull, he chuckled. “The dealer told me this trunk would hold two large duffel bags comfortably. Guess he lied.”
When her head banged the lid of the trunk, she bit her lip so he wouldn’t have the satisfaction of seeing how much it hurt. Mason appeared to have a sadistic streak, but she had no intentions of adding to his pleasure.
Blinking to refocus her eyes after being in the dark trunk for so long, she glanced around. With night fast approaching, the moon gave off enough light that she made out a row of trees and underbrush edging the boundaries of a field. Probably out in the boonies. “Where are we?”
When he shoved her toward the trees with the butt of the gun, she stumbled, catching herself before falling to the ground.
“Ever hear of Rochester Ranch?”
Oh God!
Rochester Ranch was a place where men from all over the country came to hunt feral hogs for sport and also where they’d found Ducky’s body. Because it was so isolated, it seemed like the perfect place to leave a body, but apparently the hogs had dragged what was left of the man out into the clearing for the helicopter “warriors” to discover from the air. At the thought of Ducky’s demise, Jordan’s hopes of seeing another day took a dramatic nosedive.
“Are we hunting hogs tonight?” she asked sarcastically, praying he didn’t hear the fear in her voice.
He laughed. “Not quite, my dear, although the pigs may have other ideas about that.”
She tried not to react, instead wrapping her arms around her chest. With the sun down, the temperature had dropped, and all she was wearing was a short-sleeved T-shirt with her jeans. When they reached the line of trees, Mason grabbed both arms and spun her around to face him. For the first time, she noticed the thick rope slung over his shoulder.
“Sit down against that tree and reach backward behind it.” He pointed to the biggest tree, sitting in the middle of the grove.
“What do you want, Roger?”
His dark eyebrows slanted in a frown. “It’s just you and me and several hundred hungry pigs out here, Jordan. Save your little innocent act for someone else.”
At the mention of the pigs, she froze, picturing front teeth sharp enough to slice a big dog in half.
Mason tightened the rope behind her back.
She cried out. Rough bark dug into her skin, and the muscles in her arms were stretched beyond their limit.
Apparently satisfied the rope would hold, he walked around and stood over her. “Now’s the time to tell me where you hid them.”
“Hid what?”
His eyes narrowed. Like a snake striking its prey, he pounced, slapping her sideways across the face. “Please. Don’t insult my intelligence. If you think for one minute I bought your little ‘I hate red meat’ excuse, you’re sadly mistaken. I know you went home that night with the foie gras in your purse.”
Still feeling the sting of his hand, Jordan cringed as her mind raced. Surely he wasn’t this angry because she didn’t like a strange French dish. “What does that have to do with anything?”
He moved close enough to her face for her to detect a slight odor of garlic on his breath. “Playing dumb will only get you killed, Jordan. Is the money worth your life?” He paused. “Money you’ll never see, I might add.”
“Roger, I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about, I swear.” She tried not to panic, but she was totally confused. The realization that this ranch might be the last thing she ever saw hit her like an F-5 tornado.
Roger Mason was a madman who had tied her to a tree in a pasture. No further evidence was necessary. Her chances of making it out alive were not good.
He straightened up and stared for a few seconds. “I’m willing to make a deal. Tell me what you did with them, and I’ll let you live. Maybe even give you a small cut.”
“What I did with what?” she shouted, unable to hide her frustration.
“The diamonds, Jordan. Where are my bloody diamonds?”
This was getting too weird. The man was totally crazed. She prayed her friends had called the cops, hoping somehow they had picked up the trail and were on their way. “Why would you think I had your diamonds?” she asked again.
“Like I said, I never believed red meat was the reason you ordered duck that night,” Mason said. “J. T. said he recommended it, but I don’t buy that. Was he cutting you in on the deal?”
The more he talked, the more confused she became. Why was he talking about J. T.? A horrible thought crossed her mind. “You killed him, didn’t you?”
He glared. “He wanted a bigger cut. Started making threats, and I couldn’t take a chance on him blowing the whole operation. We had finally found the perfect way to bring in the diamonds.”
“So, why kill him in my apartment building?”
Mason shook his head, the confusion showing in his eyes. “I’m talking about Joseph Parker, the guy they found out here last week. The guy who ended up as hog food? He’s the one who decided to put the squeeze on me. Who are you talking about?”
“J. T.”
“Why would I kill J. T.?”
“Because he was coming to my apartment that night to warn me about you.” Okay, that was a long shot, but as soon as she said it, she noticed the change in Mason’s face.
“I should have known he was on to me. He asked too many questions when I approached him about you.”
He turned and fired a shot into the underbrush. Three huge pigs ran out, squealing loud enough to be heard in the next county.
Jordan closed her eyes, imagining how it would feel to be ripped apart by the animals. When she opened them again, the pigs were gone and Mason was smiling.
“One last time. Where are my diamonds?”
Jordan was quickly losing hope that somehow she could talk her way out of this. Why would this man think she stole
his diamonds? “Roger, you have to believe me. I don’t have anything of yours.”
He snorted, before his eyes hardened. “So, this is how you want to play it? Need I remind you of the description of Parker’s body your newspaper printed after the pigs were done with him?”
She gasped, recalling the gruesome account.
The twinkle in Mason’s eyes told her he took pleasure in her reaction.
“Did you notice the container in the trunk with you? That’s hog food. When I leave I’ll be sure to scatter it all around you—maybe even on you, like I did with Parker.”
He turned and fired in the air again. This time four pigs ran from the brush, squealing past Jordan before they disappeared into the line of trees.
Although terrified, Jordan still didn’t know why he thought she had his gems. She had to figure out a way to stall him and pray that help was on the way. “How did I get your diamonds?”
He stared, obviously trying to decide what she was up to before a hint of a smile tipped the corners of his lips. “Okay, I’ll play along. Do you think for one minute I believe it was a coincidence you ordered foie gras that night?”
“Foie gras?”
He huffed. “As if you didn’t know that’s how we move the diamonds. I spent the better part of a year working the deal with my Canadian counterpart in the meatpacking plant up there. Every few days we served Parker the duck from specially marked cans. It was the perfect setup until you ordered it, too.” He jerked his body around when another hog ran from the brush and startled him.
“How could I have known I was eating diamonds?” She had to keep him talking. The more time they wasted, the better chance of help arriving.
“I’m guessing J. T. told you after he switched the regular foie gras with the one intended for Parker. He was tight with my old partner before he was tragically killed in the robbery at the restaurant several months ago. Maybe he told J. T. about the diamonds just like he planned to tell the Feds.” Mason snorted. “That’s before I discovered he was getting cold feet and wanted out.” He raised his eyebrows in a pleased-with-himself sort of way. “He got out, all right, just not the way he expected.”
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