“Hold on,” the voice said. “Just yesterday, I located a guy who knows Gabe Delgado. And, he needs the money. Let me give it a try.”
Samantha repeated. “Twenty four hours.”
“Right,” he said. “Twenty four hours.”
She smiled and added, “And, if it doesn’t work out, goodbye Delgado family.”
AFTER A RESTLESS night, Gabe got up early to catch his father before he left for work. When Papi learned Jacob Landman was at Graciela’s, he exclaimed, “Yes! Finally, Gabriel, we will get some answers. This is the break we’ve been waiting for.”
He scribbled a note excusing Gabe from school and promised to meet him at Graciela’s shop at ten. Papi was so stoked, Gabe didn’t have the heart to tell him about Elizabeth Perham. That sad news could wait until later.
Gabe fed Birdie and put her in bed with Henry while he grabbed a quick shower. He finished off the cold pizza and loaded the baby, her diaper bag, Loopy the stuffed bunny, his backpack, and duffle bag into the car.
Gabe glanced at the baby in the backseat. “Daddy needs caffeine.” He still had time for a Starbucks run.
She glared at him and screeched, “Gah!”
Gabe realized she’d tossed Loopy on the floor and wasn’t happy about it. “Hang on, Baby.”
He pulled into the drive-through, the last car in a long line, and looked in the rearview mirror. “First some tunes. Then I’ll get Loopy for you.” He leaned forward and fiddled with the radio.
Suddenly, a dark figure loomed in the driver’s side window. Startled, Gabe instinctively checked to make sure the door was locked. The next instant, he realized he was looking into the friendly face of Lee Bradburn, the school security guard. Bradburn held a steaming cup of coffee in each hand.
Embarrassed by his startled reaction, Gabe lowered the window
“Hey, Mr. Bradburn. What’s up?”
“I hoped you’d be coming by. After I got my coffee, my car conked out. Can you give me a lift to school?”
“Sure,” Gabe said. “Hop in.”
Gabe cleared the seat, reached over, and opened the door for Bradburn, who handed Gabe one of the coffee cups. Bradburn slid into the seat. “Wasn’t sure what you like but I got you a mocha latte.”
“That’s fine,” Gabe said, glancing in the rear view mirror. Two more cars had pulled up behind him, boxing him in. “But it looks like we’re stuck in this line.”
Bradburn chuckled. “No problem. My car’s not going anywhere, and we’ve both got coffee.”
Gabe sipped the latte while Bradburn played peekaboo with Birdie. “That’s one cute kid, Gabe. You’re doing a great job. I know it’s not easy.”
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it.” And he really did. Bradburn hadn’t said, “Now that’s a baby.” He’d said she was cute. Gabe knew the difference.
Ten minutes later, Gabe held up his coffee cup and blew by the service window.
“Ya mind swinging by my car?” Bradburn said. “I need to grab some stuff. It’s right over there behind the hardware store.” He pointed behind the shopping center.
“Sure,” Gabe cranked the steering wheel to the left. Strangely, the asphalt street began to waver, undulating up and down as if it had suddenly sprung to life. His stomach did a couple of flips. He slowed the car, swamped by a wave of dizziness.
“Whoa,” Gabe said. “Must be having an earthquake.”
He was aware of Bradburn studying his face. “You okay, man? You look a little peaked.”
“Don’t feel so good,” Gabe said, wiping cold, clammy sweat from his forehead. “Must be getting sick.”
Bradburn reached over, grabbed the steering wheel, and helped Gabe guide the car to the back of the strip mall.
Bradburn pointed to a dark SUV. “Stop here.”
Gabe hit the brake and slumped over the wheel. What the hell was happening? His chin dropped to his chest. He struggled to keep his eyes from falling shut. Open-mouthed, he gulped air. Air. Need air. Something’s wrong. Must stay awake. His muddled brain told his arm to reach for the door handle. But his arm was not responding. Hell, he couldn’t even tell if his arm was still part of his body. And then, his world turned black.
BZZZT. BZZZT.
Unable to pry open his eyes, Gabe lifted a hand, sweeping it from side to side. Damn flies wouldn’t stop buzzing. When the irritating sound continued, he swore under his breath and raised his pounding head from the steering wheel. He leaned against the car door and managed to open one eye. His brain was swimming with confusion and that damn buzzing noise was making it worse. With great effort, he opened his other eye.
Car, I’m in my car. Must remember what happened. On my way to school. Starbucks. Lee Bradburn playing peekaboo with Birdie. Baby? Are you there?
Gabe turned his head slowly and scanned the back seat. The empty back seat. No car seat. No diaper bag. No baby. Only Loopy remained, one long ear poking out from under the passenger seat.
The air left Gabe’s lungs. He dropped his head into his hands and groaned. It was then he realized the source of the buzzing sound. He pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket and looked at the display. Papi.
“Hello,” he croaked.
“Gabriel! When you didn’t show up at Graciela’s, I called the school and they said you’d never arrived. Where are you?”
“Not sure.” Gabe looked around, trying to fit the puzzle pieces together. “She’s gone, Papi.”
“What? Who’s gone?”
Gabe’s voice was choked with tears. “The baby. He bought me a coffee. I thought he was my friend.”
“Gabriel,” Papi replied gently. “You’re not making sense. Who bought you coffee? Take a deep breath and start from the beginning.”
Gabe drew a couple of shaky breaths and looked around. Yeah, he was behind the hardware store where Lee Bradburn had directed him to go. He stepped out of the car and inhaled deeply, hoping the fresh air would clear his head. His memory returned in bits and pieces. When he grasped the whole picture, he filled his father in on the sickening details. Lee Bradburn had drugged him and stolen his child. He finished with, “I’m sorry, Papi. I didn’t know.”
After a brief silence, his father said, “No more apologies, son. You have done everything in your power to keep the baby safe. Now, we must figure out a way to get her back and, trust me, we will. As we speak, I’m with Jacob Landman at Graciela’s. He told me this would happen. That someone would manage to get their hands on Birdie. But here’s the good news. He will help us get her back.”
A tiny flicker of hope burst to life in Gabe’s chest.
“We need to get together. Do you feel well enough to drive to Ruthie’s Cafe? It’s only a few blocks from where you are,” Papi said.
“Yeah, I can make it that far.”
“We’ll meet you there and make a plan.”
Sick at heart, Gabe clicked the end button and started the car. Despite Papi’s words, he knew he’d screwed up. There was only one path to self-forgiveness. He had to get Birdie back. He gripped the steering wheel and clenched his teeth until his jaw ached. He would get her back or die trying.
Chapter Thirty-Three
STILL SHAKY, GABE drove slowly to Ruthie’s café. He asked to be seated in a booth toward the back, next to a window overlooking the parking lot. For once in his life, food held no appeal. After guzzling three glasses of ice water and a mug of black coffee, he felt his senses return.
Peering outside, he spotted Papi’s minivan pulling into the lot, followed by Simon’s Ford Taurus and Luanne’s Subaru Forester. Obviously, Papi and been working his cell phone, gathering an army. Somehow, seeing family and friends rallying around made Gabe feel way better. When the five entered the café, he stood and waved a hand.
Abby ran ahead of the others, and Gabe opened his arms to
pull her in for a hug. Then Abby took a step back and clutched his hands. “You okay?”
Gabe grimaced. “I won’t be okay until I get her back.”
“You will. Never doubt it.” After a quick peck on his cheek, she slipped into the booth, followed by her mother.
Papi stood next to a tall, lean man dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a light blue polo shirt. Keen dark eyes framed by wire-rimmed glasses peered out from under the bill of a Mariner’s baseball cap. Bits of coal-black hair, obviously dyed, poked out beneath it.
“Gabriel,” Papi said, “This is Jacob Landman, Birdie’s great grandfather.”
“Nice to meet you, Gabe,” Landman said. He extended his right hand.
Gabe gripped it with his own. After a brief handshake, he tried to pull away but Landman would not release him. He leaned close and lowered his voice so the others couldn’t hear. “Stop beating yourself up, son. It was bound to happen. We’ll get her back, and then it will be time for some serious payback. I can’t wait.”
Gabe felt the strength in Landman’s grip and the power of his confidence. Energy flowed between the two like an electrical current, firing Gabe’s resolve. The spark of hope he’d felt earlier burst into a meteor shower. He squeezed Landman’s hand. “Thank you, sir. I believe you. And count me in on the payback.”
Landman grinned, displaying a row of sparkling white teeth, too perfect to be anything but false. Before releasing Gabe’s hand, he said, “Baby first. Payback second.”
Simon slapped Gabe on the back, slipped into the booth, and scooted over next to the wall. “You look like hell, man. That asshole drugged you, huh?”
“Yeah,” Gabe said, sliding in next to him.
Simon’s face darkened. “Don’t worry. Nobody grabs my niece and gets away with it. We’ll get her back.”
Surprised by Simon’s words, Gabe nodded his thanks. Had his brother actually formed a bond with the infant who sometimes interrupted his precise schedule? Sure sounded like it.
Papi squeezed in next to Gabe, while Landman joined Abby and Luanne. After the waitress filled the coffee cups, Papi cleared his throat and began. “Gabriel, I took the liberty of filling Miss Abby and her mother in on the situation. Then I contacted Simon. When you hear what Jacob has to say about the organization that now has Birdie in its grasp, I think you’ll agree we need all the help we can get.”
A chill scampered down Gabe’s spine, evoking an involuntary shiver. Organization, Papi called it. An organization now had his daughter in their clutches. What chance did they have against an entire organization? He willed his newfound confidence to return.
He leaned across the table toward Landman. “Do you know where they’ve taken her?”
“I’m sure they had a private plane waiting. Chances are, she’s already in Sacramento.”
Gabe rubbed his throbbing temples. “What’s in Sacramento? You’d better start at the beginning.”
Landman gave them a quick rundown on the Scientific Academy of Merit, how it was a front for Samantha Worthington’s plan to create an empire based on the DNA extracted from people with supernatural abilities. How they’d lured him in and held him captive. He finished with, “But I got away. They didn’t plan on that.”
Gabe was sick at heart. These people, this so-called institute, had his child and were doing God knows what to her. Unbidden, the words from Elizabeth Perham’s note flashed through his mind. The thing is, I’m scared. I can’t keep her safe. You and your family can. Bad people want her.
But he hadn’t kept her safe. Fighting tears, Gabe swallowed hard, unable to speak.
A warm hand covered his. He looked into Landman’s benevolent gaze. “Remember what I said before?”
Gabe nodded.
“We can bring these people down. I know we can.”
Gabe pulled his hand away, fury spiraling through his body. “How? We can’t just march through the door, grab the baby, and take off. What about security?”
Landman lowered his voice to a whisper. “We’ve got a twelve hour drive to figure it out. Look around, Gabe. You’re not alone. You have people to help you.” He glanced at Abby. “People with special abilities. Smart people. Sounds like your brother Simon wants some payback, too. Right, Simon?”
Simon narrowed his eyes. “Damn straight.”
Landman continued. “And I hear Simon’s not exactly a slouch brain-wise. I know the institute like the back of my hand. I know the routine.”
Gabe still had his doubts. “But the baby’s been kidnapped. Maybe we should let the FBI handle it.”
“No,” Landman said. “That would put the baby in greater danger. If Worthington gets spooked, she’s capable of anything, even killing a child. Once she has Birdie’s DNA, who knows what she’ll do?”
Gabe gulped air, unable to speak.
Landman continued, “You don’t understand, Gabe. In Sacramento, Worthington is golden. She gives needy kids scholarships. Now that I’ve escaped, she’ll be expecting the authorities. She’s probably moved the supes elsewhere. That’s what we have to find out. If the FBI marches in and finds nothing, it’s end of story. Trust me, we’re that child’s best hope.”
“So, what’s your plan?” Gabe said.
Landman said, “The element of surprise. The last thing they expect is for me to come back. We’ll take off right away, which will get us there in the middle of the night. We’ll disarm the cameras and find a way to get in. If the baby’s not there, we’ll make somebody tell us where she is. Remember, Abby will be with us. Your father told me about her special abilities. Trust me, it’s the only way.”
Gabe’s heart sank to his shoe tops. Landman’s plan sounded beyond lame. He looked at his father. “What do you think, Papi?”
“I think Jacob is right, son. It’s the best way.”
“So,” Landman said. “Are we good to go?”
Gabe pinched his lips together and nodded. What other choice did he have?
SAMANTHA WORTHINGTON stood outside the newly completed nursery and peered through the one-way glass. Chief of security, Lowry, stood beside her. A brief smile lifted the corners of her mouth. The plane carrying the child had arrived a few hours ago, touching down on the landing strip next to “The Farm.”
Samantha watched as a nurse in a starched, white uniform leaned over the wailing child, measuring, weighing, and checking her vital signs. Blood tests next, and the lab could harvest some of the baby’s DNA. Samantha’s heart kicked up a notch. The kid’s DNA was golden. After all the crap Samantha had been through, the payoff was in sight.
Lost in her thoughts, Samantha jumped in surprise when Lowry spoke. “We’ve got a lead on Landman.”
Samantha whirled to face him. “And?”
“Apparently, he and Gary Nelson split up. We talked to Nelson’s mother who lives in San Diego. She said Gary passed through on his way to Mexico.”
“Good riddance. What about Landman?”
“One of our people in Seattle thought he spotted Landman at the Pike Street Market,” Lowry said. “It looked like he’d dyed his hair and was wearing glasses. The place was crowded and we lost him.”
“Well, find him,” Samantha barked. “He’s a loose end. We can’t afford loose ends. He could bring this place down.”
“I don’t see how,” Lowry said. “He’s never been to The Farm. He doesn’t even know it exists. The institute’s squeaky clean. Right?”
“Yes.”
“So,” Lowry continued, “If he calls law enforcement and tries to make trouble, who’d believe him? You’re a respected scientist. You give smart kids scholarships. He’d come across as a crazy old man.”
Samantha’s mouth twisted in irritation. “Just do your job. Eliminate Jacob Landman. End of story.”
Lowry nodded and turned his gaze to the scene in the n
ursery. “As long as you waited, I’m surprised you’re not inside, checking the kid out.”
“No reason for me to be inside. I don’t plan to be her mommy.”
“Can she vanish yet?”
Samantha shrugged. “Guess we’ll find out. According to Landman, she probably won’t acquire the ability until she’s older. He said, even if she can, she wouldn’t be able to go that far. Less than 100 yards, which means she’d still be inside the fence.”
Lowry stared through the glass, unable to meet Samantha’s eyes. “What will happen to her?”
Samantha raked him with a withering glance. “Not your problem. Now, go do your job.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
GABE DUMPED HIS basketball gear from his duffel bag, trying not to look at Birdie’s crib. Reminders of the baby were everywhere. The giant box of disposable diapers against the wall. The baby wipes on his desk next to his laptop. Her pink footed sleepers lying on the floor where he’d left them when he dressed her this morning. And, of course, Loopy, the much-loved bunny he’d retrieved from the back seat.
Gabe took deep breaths and tried to control the emotions threatening to swamp him. He’d never been a crybaby, but each time he saw something that reminded him of Birdie, he had to bite his lip to keep from breaking down.
He grabbed some socks and underwear from the dresser and stuffed them in the duffel. He had no idea how long they’d be gone, so he threw in an extra pair of jeans and a clean shirt. On impulse, he grabbed Loopy and wedged him into a side pocket.
Carrying the duffel, he went into the bathroom to pack his razor and toothbrush. A couple of aspirin would be good since his head was still pounding from whatever Bradburn had used to drug him. He peered into the medicine cabinet. Nada. Zip. Nothin’.
Gabe checked his cell phone for the time. Thirty minutes remained before the agreed upon departure time. Papi called the school and told them Gabe had mono due to exhaustion and would be out for a few days. Luanne agreed to stay home and watch out for Henry until they got back. She would send an excuse for Abby when they returned, saying they were unexpectedly called out of town.
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