“That’ll make two of us,” Sara said without an ounce of sympathy in her eyes.
“Enough.” Raising a brow, Beth moved beside JR and put her hand on his arm. “All of you stop it. Assigning blame isn’t going to help. Besides, we’re going to get her back. We just have to figure out where he’s taken her. We’ll get the word out. Someone has to have seen something.” As she led JR away, she glanced back over her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Sara. We’ll find her.”
After several hours of looking through computer records at the station, Sara’s vision started to blur. Where are you, Sam, she screamed hysterically in her mind. Her limbs felt heavy, like they were encased in blocks of ice. Every time she closed her eyes, an image of her mother’s lifeless body kept invading her thoughts. Surely life wouldn’t be so cruel as to take her sister from her, too? She refused to consider the possibility.
Sara rubbed her neck and pushed back from the monitor. Looking around the busy room, she found Chris deep in conversation with some of the officers. He hadn’t been more than a few feet away from her since Mary had called. His eyes connected with hers. He said something to one of the men before turning and walking toward her.
“You’ve gotta get some rest, babe,” Chris said taking her hand and pulling her up.
“No. I’m fine.” She shook her head.
“Just for a bit.” Tucking a loose strand of her hair back behind her ear, he pressed, “Babe, you’re so tired, I bet you’re having trouble seeing straight. You remembering that he was a big hunter, well that’s a huge lead. There was nothing about that in his file. The police are expanding their search to include remote hunting areas. They’re also checking to see if any of the inmates he was friends with have any connections in the area. They think someone must be helping him. Let them do their work. You need to get some rest.”
As he led her away, he hoped for the best but inwardly braced for the worst. He feared they might never find Daniels unless he wanted to be found.
“Do you really think this will help?” JR asked Beth, squirming in the green room chair as the makeup technician applied a final brush of powder to his face.
“I hope so.” She shrugged. “I’ve got Avery and Marcus making a national public appeal. But I also wanted to make a local statement. The investigator in charge seems to think there’s a real good chance they’re still in the area.”
“They’re ready for you on set, Mr. Raymond.”
JR nodded as the makeup technician unsnapped the apron from around his neck. Looking determined, he followed the aide down the news station hall. The tech crew scurried around making final preparations as he took his seat on the busy set of CTV news. Local anchorman, Mitch Connell, an attractive middle aged man in a suit and tie, hopped up and shook JR’s hand. “Sorry to hear about this dilemma.”
JR nodded. “I just want to get this over with. I’m not real comfortable being interviewed.”
“Right, right. No worries.” Mitch turned to his director. “Ready, Carrie?”
The tall woman with reading glasses on the tip of her nose gave him a nod over her clipboard and made a rolling motion with her hand to the cameraman.
“We’re live in downtown Vancouver with Brutal Strength’s drummer, John Raymond,” Connell began. “In a shocking development, Samantha Daniels, a twenty one year old intern at Black Cat Records, has apparently been abducted today by this man,” he narrated as a picture of Pace Daniels flashed behind them on the set. “The alleged kidnapper is Pace Daniels, the victim’s father, recently paroled from the Texas state prison system after serving seventeen years for the killing of Samantha’s mother.”
Mitch leaned forward. “We’ve posted the surveillance tapes from the hotel on our website. Daniels should be considered armed and dangerous. The authorities have reason to believe he may still be in the area. We are encouraging anyone who has information on his whereabouts to notify the police as soon as possible.”
He turned to JR. “Would you like to add anything, Mr. Raymond?”
JR nodded. “Mr. Daniels, if you’re listening, please let Samantha go. There’s no reason for you to keep her. She’s done nothing to you. Please don’t harm her. We need her back. I need her back. Sam, if you can hear me, I wanted you to know that I love you and I’m so sorry…” Overcome with emotion, he couldn’t finish the sentence.
“We can edit that emotional stuff out,” Mitch said, making a motion with his hand across his neck for the cameraman to end the taping.
“No, we won’t,” the set manager countermanded. “A heart felt appeal like that will keep people engaged.”
“I hope they find your girl real soon.” Mitch leaned over tapping JR on the knee. “We’ll repeat this on the ten o’clock news and again in the morning, too.”
Sam opened her eyes in total darkness. Throat dry as sandpaper, heart pounding with fear, she struggled to sit up before realizing that her hands and feet were bound. Her slight movements sent a stabbing pain through her head that made her eyes water. For a moment she worried the blow had left her vision impaired, but gradually her eyes adjusted to the low level of lighting. Glancing around at her surroundings, she could make out the vague outline of four walls. Apparently, she was in a small room, maybe ten by ten, that didn’t appear to have any windows. A muted glow came from under the lone door. Someone was watching television in the other room. Her father. The mere thought of him sent her into a panic. How would she ever forget the cold calculating look in his eyes? Was that something that haunted Sara’s memories as well? How had he gotten here? Surely, he hadn’t escaped. He’d only served seventeen years. She thought it had been a twenty year sentence. Had the legal system deteriorated so much that they’d let a monster like him out early?
She wondered what he was going to do with her. Nothing good, she was sure. She needed to get away. Shimmying across the bed on her rear end, she made her way to the edge. She sat up slowly. Even then the room began to swim. For a moment, she feared that she’d pass out again. Mercifully, the dizziness passed, leaving only a mild nausea in its wake.
Staggering to her feet, Sam hopped around the room, trying not to make a sound. The only additional furnishings she found were a chair and a tall chest of drawers. They were bare. Tears of frustration spilled from her eyes. She had hoped to find something lying around to help her cut her bonds. Maybe there was something in the drawers, but she didn’t know how to get them open with her hands tied.
As Sam mulled it over, footsteps approached. Heart beating frantically, she took two big hops backward and flopped back onto the bed. The door opened slowly. She closed her eyes trying to breathe evenly. Maybe he would think she was asleep.
“I know you’re awake,” he said in a gravelly voice. He switched on the overhead light, momentarily blinding her. He stood next to the bed, his six foot three frame casting a sinister shadow over her.
As she blinked and her eyes adjusted, she noted to her dismay that though he’d aged some since the last photograph she’d seen of him, he was in excellent shape. Bulging biceps flexed menacingly as he rubbed the top of his head which was completely devoid of hair. Bald or shaven, she didn’t know and didn’t care. He glared down at her, a grim expression sharpening the lines of his face.
“Wh…what do you want from me?” she blurted out, voice trembling.
“What?” He barked a rough laugh. “No hi, Papa, how are you? So sorry I never wrote or visited you in prison.”
Was he for real? After all, he’d killed her mother.
“I bet she,” he spit out the word like it contained all the evil in the world, “poisoned your mind against me.”
Sara. Sam’s heart sank. So that was it. He was using her as bait for her sister.
“That sanctimonious bitch. She sold me out You can’t imagine what I suffered because of her.” Eyes unfocused, he began stroking the pistol he’d tucked into the waistband of his jeans. “No matter. I’ll soon fix her wagon.” He directed his gaze back on her again. “You, my dear
are just a means to an end.”
Sam’s heart stuttered, and her stomach muscles tightened. His words confirmed her worst fears.
“I just watched your celebrity boyfriend on the news,” he taunted her. “That rock band guy’s got it bad for you, sweetie. He was all gushy and shit, asking for me to bring you back.” He began pacing, muttering under his breath. “Too many people are looking for us now. I’m gonna have to move up the schedule.”
He turned, pausing in the doorway to glance back at her. A malicious sneer spread across his face. “I think it’s about time for a little family reunion.”
Sara’s eyes flew open at the harsh ring of her cell phone. She must have finally drifted off to sleep in the living room of the suite. Afraid that her restlessness would keep Chris awake, she had long since abandoned their bed.
“Hello,” she answered in a rough whisper. It was six AM and the number on the display was one she didn’t recognize. Her heart thudded in her chest. She only hoped it was good news.
“Hello, Sara.”
When she heard the voice on the other end, the one from her nightmares, she started to shake. Her words froze in her throat.
“I know you know who this is. I’ve got Sam, but it’s you I really want. She’s alive…for now, but I have to tell you I’m not liking all the attention. It’s making me jumpy. You know that I can be… erratic. I want you to come meet me at Alice Lake Provincial Park in Squamish, cabin fourteen. Alone. We’ll make a trade. You for her. You bring anybody else, especially the cops and I’ll kill her. This is just between you and me.” He hung up.
Sara brought a trembling hand to her mouth. He must have gotten her number off of Sam’s cell. Shit, shit, shit. Terror sank its razor sharp talons deep into her heart. She covered her face with her hands, briefly considering her options. Only one made sense. She didn’t want anyone else to get hurt, certainly not Chris. The path was clear. Papa was right. This was just between the two of them.
Resolved, she rose to her feet and took a deep breath. Her mouth set in a determined line, she crossed the room and picked up the hotel phone. “This is Sara Daniels. I need to have a car brought around right now… No, not a cab, a rental…Yes, I realize how early it is, but this is urgent…Thank you. I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
After hanging up, Sara didn’t move for a moment. Going out there alone wasn’t wise, and she knew what the outcome probably would be. But she also knew that Papa meant every word he said. He wasn’t one to make idle threats. It was the only chance for Sam. She had to try.
Sara went back into the bedroom and grabbed her things. She glanced down at Chris, knowing that in all likelihood it would be for the last time. He looked so peaceful in his sleep, lying on his side, sprawled across the bed. His arm still stretched out toward where she had lain. His brown hair was a riotous mess on the pillow and his shirtless chest stark against the hotel sheets. There was a tenuous connection between the two of them now. Just thinking of being separated from him made her feel like a rubber band being stretched taut.
Brushing aside a lock of hair from his brow, she leaned over and gently kissed him goodbye.
Chris woke with a start, gripped by a strange sense of unease. Instinctively, he knew. Stumbling to his feet, he shrugged on his shirt and checked all the rooms in the suite just to be sure. Room after room turned up empty, confirming what his heart had already told him. She was gone.
He tried her cell to no avail. Distracted, he realized someone was buzzing the apartment doorbell. He yanked the door open to find JR, hair an unkempt mess and clothing wrinkled, fidgeting with the belt on his jeans as he stood in the hallway.
“Hey man,” JR acknowledged with a raised brow. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Likewise.” Running agitated fingers through his hair, he pinned JR with a look. “You’re lucky Sara’s not here. You’ve got a lot of nerve. I’ll give you that. You’re like her least favorite person right now. Really, I can’t imagine that once we find Sam that she’ll want anything to do with you, either. Not after that stunt you pulled.”
“Don’t you think I know that? I just…” He scrubbed his hands over his face. “I haven’t been able to eat or sleep. I’m so worried about Sam. I screwed up bad, but I still love her. That’s not something you can turn off and on like a switch.”
Chris couldn’t help but notice the guy’s pallor and bloodshot eyes. He could relate. Feeling like a man on the edge himself, he gave JR a quick nod of understanding. “You look like hell JR.”
“Likewise.” JR shrugged. “Is there any new information? I hoped with all the television coverage someone might have come forward. Where’s Sara? Did she go in to talk to someone this morning?”
“Not so far as I know. She was gone when I woke up, but I wonder…” He trailed off, gnawing on his lip as he started searching through the pile of papers on the desk. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe she got a call from the authorities.” Chris rubbed his jaw. “But then why wouldn’t she wake me? It doesn’t make any sense.” Then a disturbing thought entered his mind. “Shit.” He looked up at JR wide eyed. “I need to check something out.” After a call to the front desk, his worst fears were confirmed.
“What is it?” JR demanded.
“She rented a car and left several hours ago. I’m afraid she may have gone to meet that bastard alone.” Expression bleak, Chris pulled out his cell. “I’m calling the police.”
“We’re lucky,” the lead investigator told Chris when he came on the phone. “We’ve got a trace on Sara’s cell. There was a landslide on the Sea to Sky Highway. She’ll get caught in a big traffic jam on the way. We think she was probably heading to Squamish, though. A call came in from a convenience store out that way early this morning. A man fitting Daniels’ description was spotted buying cigarettes and using the public phone. We’re trying to get the surveillance tape now. I’ve contacted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, headquartered here in Vancouver and they’ve called their emergency response team out there in Squamish. The RCMP’s are on high alert, combing the area and considering the possibility of an armed confrontation with the potential need for takedown.”
“Ok. Keep me informed.” Chris let out a breath. “I’ll be on my cell.” Ending the call, he turned to JR and filled him in. “I don’t know about you, man, but I’m not about to just sit here and do nothing.”
JR scratched his tawny beard. “Hey. I’ve got an idea. When BS had conflicting appearances on the same night a couple of months ago, Black Cat chartered a helicopter for us. Do you think Beth might get one for us now?”
“Call her,” Chris said. “We won’t give her any other option.” It had been hours since Sara had left. Full-fledged fear eclipsed his earlier feeling of unease. Time was running out.
Traffic was mercifully light as Sara left downtown Vancouver and crossed under the auspicious arches of the Lions Gate Bridge. As she escaped the confines of the city, she began to push the rental recklessly. Just days ago, the twists and turns of this highway had held so much hope for her. On that drive to Whistler with Chris she had foolishly begun to entertain ideas of a future with him. Her eyes filled with tears of regret that she had not held him one last time. That she likely never would again. That she had no future at all.
Hopelessness gripped her heart as she hurtled toward a destiny that she had spent a lifetime seeking to avoid. She had always known down deep, like the fathomless waters of Howe Sound beside her that nothing good waited at the end of her life’s journey. There would be no return trip this time.
Rounding one of the many curves, she saw a sea of red taillights. Traffic ahead was at a standstill. Frustrated, she cursed, ran a hand through her tangled hair, pulled to the side of the road, and frantically programmed the GPS to find an alternative route. It indicated a series of unpaved logging roads that might allow her to get around the traffic jam. While the snowfall had been unseasonably light, the little used route was sure to be treacherous.
Sara p
ressed her lips into a determined line. She would have to chance it. She couldn’t afford to be delayed. There was no way for her to contact her father and she was deathly afraid of what he might do to Sam if she failed to show up on time.
She merged back into traffic and soon steered carefully onto the detour marked by the GPS, despite signage that the road was unpatrolled and closed for the season. Fortunately, although the going was painstakingly slow, the road seemed to have been recently cleared. Even so, and despite the four wheel drive, she nearly got stuck in muddy ruts on several occasions.
Her heart pounded with dread. Douglas firs and Lodgepole pines stood like silent sentinels on either side of the road, hemming her in, threatening to smother her. Nerves frazzled, she strained to see ahead in the shadowy gloom. Every muscle in her body trembled with pent up tension and anxiety.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she emerged onto the main road. She blew a loose strand of hair out of her eyes and picked up speed again. She followed the GPS until she reached Alice Lake Provincial Park. The gate was closed when she pulled up. Momentarily panicked, she got out and was relieved to find that someone had cut the lock to allow entrance.
From there, all she had to go by were his instructions. She wound her way in and around until she reached her destination, a solitary cabin in a remote, heavily forested section of the park.
Gravel crunching beneath her tires, Sara pulled into the circular driveway in front of it and shut the engine off. She let out a shaky sigh and loosened her fingers from the steering wheel. She was late.
Glancing out the windshield, she surveyed the area. She couldn’t see any sign of activity in or around the isolated building. Her mouth went dry. Alone, vulnerable, and powerless, just as she’d been all those years ago.
Her heart hammering in her chest, she took the keys out of the ignition and made herself get out of the SUV. Leaving its perceived safety made her feel even more exposed. The only sound she heard besides her heart thumping was the wind whistling through the trees.
Kiss Kiss Page 128