Taken - Before her very Eyes

by Faubert, Wade

  “I’m sure he’ll follow along.” Nate rolled his eyes. “Won’t wanna miss a thing.”

  When Jones hurried across the street to Stevens and Malroy, Nate turned back to Summer. “Did he leave a ransom note? Anything else.”

  Summer stared out through the ambulance doors at the plain clothed detective standing near the ambulance. Detective Grimshaw was the one who had captured John Scott last night. He was the reason the kidnapper had taken Sabrina and he was the reason Sabrina was being used as a pawn right now.

  “Ow!” Summer squirmed as the paramedic pulled a bloodied thorn from her foot. She opened her purse and withdrew the crumpled sheet of paper as Detective Grimshaw watched her every move through the opening, then handed it to Nate.

  After unfolding the sheet, Nate read the demand then glanced over his shoulder at the detective. “He’s not gonna like this.”

  “Well, fuck him!” Summer said, holding her eyes locked on the detective as he walked toward the back of the ambulance. “He’s the cause of all this. If he doesn’t like it then he can go crying to the chief.”

  “Are you going to let me in on this, or do I have to wait for a briefing at the station?” Grimshaw said, stepping behind and plucking the crumpled paper from Nate’s hand.

  “It’s the ransom note,” Summer choked as the paramedic poured some disinfectant on the gash in her foot. It burned like hell and Summer felt like screaming out, but she held it inside, concentrating on the pain, trying to ignite it into an infernal of anger that would help her get through this day.

  Grimshaw withdrew a plastic bag from his pocket and slid the note inside. “Looks like we’ve picked up the right suspect last night. This kidnapper must be his accomplice.” He tucked the bag inside his jacket and stepped closer to the ambulance door. “Officer Demure, I know this is a difficult time, but the sooner you come to the station, the sooner you can ID John Scott and we can—”

  “Can what?” Summer grabbed the sides of the stretcher and slid herself to the end, knocking the paramedic back. “Lock John Scott away and allow that monster to hurt my baby!”

  “Officer Demure, must I remind you that we do not negotiate over hostages.”

  Nate jumped down from the ambulance, his large frame knocking Grimshaw back. “This is not the time or place to be discussing the situation. When the time is right, Summer will come to the station and see if she can ID the suspect you’ve arrested.”

  “Given the situation, I’d say we’ve got the right man.” Grimshaw lowered his voice as he escorted Nate away from the ambulance. “Don’t let this little stunt change her mind. She knows we’ve got the right guy. He fit the sketch perfectly. I’d bet my life on this being her assailant.”

  “That may be so, but when an innocent girl’s life hangs in the balance,” Nate glanced back at Summer, then turned away, “don’t be surprised at what might occur.”

  “Then I suggest you put Officer Demure in your car and talk some sense into her on your way down to the station, because I’m not willing to let this guy walk free.”

  “But you’re willing to let a little girl die?”

  “Statistics show that we’ll be able to negotiate her release under the circumstances.”

  “Statistics! You’re willing to gamble on statistics?” Nate shoved his finger into the detective’s chest, backing him up a few feet. “How many children do you have?”

  “That’s not relevant.”

  “Exactly. Only a man with no children would answer that way. Now, I’m gonna give you a piece of advice and you’d better listen hard. Leave Summer alone. She’ll come to you if she needs your help, but until then, back off!”

  Summer overheard their conversation and knew the detective was right, but sometimes being right doesn’t always matter. What John Scott had done to her five months ago didn’t seem to matter much right now. What was going to happen to Sabrina was all that she could afford to worry about. Summer watched as the paramedic secured a plastic protective boot over the bandages, then slid off the stretcher.

  Without saying a word she limped from the ambulance, past Grimshaw’s cold black eyes, toward Nate’s cruiser. Nate immediately hurried to her side, grabbing her arm and taking the weight off her bad foot, but in the excitement he lifted so much Summer found it difficult to walk.

  “That guy is such an ass,” Summer said, pulling free from Nate’s aggressive grip. “Who the hell does he think he is to tell me what to do?”

  Nate opened the car door. “What are you gonna do?”

  “Whatever it takes to get Sabrina back.”

  Nate rushed around the car and slid behind the wheel. “Then I suggest we pay John Scott a little visit.”

  Summer felt some of the courage that she’d gained slip away at the thought of coming face to face with the man who’d turned her into this quivering mess. She knew it was inevitable, but there was something else she needed to do first.

  “I have to stop at the hospital. I need to see Dean and make sure he’s all right.”

  “Sure.” Nate gripped her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Maybe he’ll have a description of the kidnapper?”

  “Maybe he will?” Summer felt her gut wrench remembering the look on Dean’s face as the knife slit him open. It was an image she doubted she’d ever forget. “After all, they were practically face to face.”

  Chapter 6

  The hospital was abuzz with the news of Dean’s attempted murder so every eye was glued to Summer and Nate as they rushed down the second floor hallway, then burst through the recovery room doors. Summer had one thing on her mind, find Dean and make sure he was all right so she could concentrate on getting Sabrina back.

  “I’m sorry,” the nurse behind the desk said, standing quickly, “but the doctor specifically said no—”

  “Visitors. Yeah, yeah. I know the drill,” Nate said sarcastically, stopping at the entrance to the nurses’ station and blocking their exit. “But we’re gonna see Dean Demure and if the doctor doesn’t like it then he can deal with me. And right now I’m really not in the mood to listen to his bullshit.” Nate leaned in closer to the nearest nurse. “Now, where is Mr. Demure?”

  Summer couldn’t stand to wait. She left Nate behind, moving through the large recovery ward peeking inside each smaller room before finally finding Dean spread out on the bed, hooked up to a ton of monitors. She scanned the machines and determined that his vitals were good, despite his face being pale—so pale that his mop of dark curls looked oddly out of place.

  “Dean?” Summer said softly, leaning on the side of the bed. “Dean, can you hear me?”

  A moan escaped his lips as his right eye fluttered open before snapping closed again. He looked totally out of it. Probably still doped up from the surgery.

  The nurse making her rounds stepped to the opposite side of the bed and checked his pulse. “You must be Sabrina,” she said. “He’s been asking for you ever since he came out of surgery.” She pulled his charts then stopped and gave Summer a big smile. “He must really love you, cause in all my years of working here I’ve never heard someone so adamant about seeing somebody.”

  Summer swallowed hard, but the lump in her throat didn’t budge. She reached out and reluctantly placed a shaking hand on his cold cheek. Dean loved Sabrina so much that if anything happened to her, it’d kill him. He’d always been there for her, especially during the last five months when she’d been less than capable of showing her own feelings.

  “Summer,” Nate said, rushing up behind. “Did he say anything? Is he awake?”

  “Sum—mer,” Dean muttered. His right eye fluttered open for a second and a big smile filled his face. “I knew you could do it.” His eye snapped closed and he took a deep breath. “I knew you’d get Sabrina.”

  “Dean.” Summer stood, holding his face in both hands. “Who took her! Who stabbed you!”

  Dean’s eyes snapped open and wildly searched the room. Although groggy, he seemed to be taking in every face. “Where’s Sabrina?
”

  “She’s gone.” Summer’s hands were shaking so badly that Dean’s face was vibrating. “Tell me who took her. You saw his face. He spoke to you. What did he say? What did he say that made you look at me like that?”

  Dean strained to focus his eyes and attempted to sit forward—an act that the nurse quickly restrained—but there was something strange about the way he was looking at her.

  “He… he told me you were pregnant. That’s why I looked over at you. Then… then he stabbed me.” Dean’s eyes were boring into her and she could feel him searching for an answer, some sign that he’d been played a fool.

  He reached out his hand, placing it on her stomach and Summer felt the stab of guilt rip through her chest as his fingers touched the wet fabric to her skin. She could feel the way his hand was cupping her growing belly and it seemed so wrong—so different from the way he’d touched her belly when Sabrina was inside. That seemed like a different time. Hell, a whole different universe. There were no tears of happiness this time. No excited embrace like before. This felt wrong. Felt like a stranger feeling for a cancerous growth inside.

  Summer pulled his hand away, unable to stand his touch anymore. She looked from Dean’s questioning eyes and watched as Nate escorted the nurse away from the bedside.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Dean grabbed the bed control and raised the head up, grimacing in pain as it rose. “Unless—”

  “It would’ve only complicated matters. Do you think I want everybody knowing that I might be carrying that sick fucker’s child inside me?” Summer stood and wrapped her arms around her body. “Do you know how it makes me feel every time I see this lump? Every time I feel it move inside me.” She shook her head. “It sickens me. It actually makes me violently ill knowing I may give birth to his bastard kid.”

  Dean reached out his hand, but Summer stood out of reach. “It could be mine? It could be ours?” He forced a weak smile. “We were trying, remember? Remember how excited we were to have another baby?”

  Summer did remember, but it felt so long ago. Like a blurry dream.

  “You wanted a boy to complete the perfect family, but Sabrina wanted a little sister so she could have tea parties with someone other than you or me.” Dean leaned forward, fighting the pain and gripped Summer’s hand, pulling her close. “Why didn’t you run the DNA and find out for sure?”

  Summer stared down at their interlocked hands. She remembered the first time he’d held her hand. It was as they were leaving the restaurant on their first date. Dean insisted the wet sidewalk may be slippery for her high heels, a ploy by any standards, but it had worked. There was an instant chemistry when their bodies had touched. A tiny charge of electricity that had jumped from his body to hers, erupting a flood of emotions inside. His touch had always given warmth and excitement every time, but his powers seemed to be gone. Faded away with the passage of time.

  Unable to take his touch any longer, Summer pulled free. “Cause if it isn’t that sick bastard’s child, then it’ll be yours. And look at us, we’ve grown so far apart that I don’t even recognize us anymore.”

  “We haven’t grown apart, Summer. I still love you. I’ll always love you no matter what happens. No matter whose baby you’re carrying. No matter how long it takes for you to get over it.” Dean paused, drawing a cleansing breath. “I’ve never stopped loving you. I only agreed to the separation because I thought it would make it easier for you to accept what had happened. I never wanted to be apart. Never!”

  Summer dropped onto the stool beside the bed. “But you never came to my rescue. I prayed so many times that you’d show up and save me from him, but you never came.” Summer fought back a sob. “You let me down and that’s what hurts so bad. That’s why I can’t be with you anymore. And that’s why I decided to give the baby away without knowing whose it is.”

  Tears were spilling down Dean’s face. “You’re being unreasonable. I tried everything I could to find you. I searched everywhere I could think of. Ask Nate. Ask anybody. I never slept. I never ate. I would’ve killed a thousand people just to get you back. And you did come back. That’s the most important thing.” Dean reached out a hand to her. “You came back, to me?”

  “I have to go.” Summer turned her back on Dean and wiped the tears from her face. She couldn’t let him see her like this. She couldn’t allow herself to break down into his arms. She didn’t need him anymore. She had to learn how to be strong again, like she used to be. “I have to go. I have to find Sabrina and get her back.”

  Summer heard the bed creak, followed by groans from behind. She knew Dean was attempting to get up when the nurses dashed across the room. It didn’t matter if Dean wanted to help or not. She’d already made up her mind. She didn’t need his help.

  “Summer… wait! I can help.”

  Nate’s radio crackled to life and he stepped toward the door to take the call. Summer quickened her pace across the room when she heard Chief Dickson’s voice on the other end. He sounded pissed and she figured it was because they had disobeyed his orders and stopped here on the way to the station, but the look on Nate’s face proved her wrong.

  “John Scott’s been attacked during the night.”

  “By a cop?”

  Nate took her arm and hurried her out into the hall. “No, by a guy they brought in last night for assault and battery. Seth Millar’s his name and somehow he got into John Scott’s cell and nearly killed him.”

  “It’d serve that bastard right,” Summer said, gritting her teeth. “Except I need him alive.”

  “That’s what has the chief so worked up. He wants to know what the hell’s going on. The kidnapper wants him freed, but someone else wants him dead.” Nate turned to Summer. “I know every cop on the force would be willing to look the other way if something happened to him, and maybe that’s what happened. But if he’s the key to getting Sabrina back then we’d better get down there and keep him safe.”

  “This is wrong.” Summer shook her head as they entered the elevator. “So wrong.”

  “I agree, but right now we just have to play along and wait for our chance to roll the dice.”

  The ride to the station seemed to take forever and a part of Summer was glad for the reprieve. How could she step foot in the same room as that monster? How could she not want to rip his balls off and force feed them down his throat? They would’ve had to restrain the old Summer Demure from doing just that, but she knew she’d crumble like a shit house the second John Scott looked her way. How could this have happened to her? How could she have been transformed into such a spineless piece of shit at the hands of one man?

  Summer twisted in her seat and stared at Nate. It felt good riding in the cruiser beside her old partner. Maybe the best medicine didn’t come from a bottle, but from the familiarity of a close friend who was there for you when you needed someone.

  Nate was so opposite from Dean. His size was intimidating and his stern hardened face brought instant respect and fear from people. He was the kind of guy you wanted standing at your side when bad shit was going down, and he’d proven it on many occasions during their time together. Summer could remember a dozen times that his bruit strength had come in handy in the line of duty. She had been no slouch and could defend herself in most situations, but where she had to fight a good fight to be the victor, Nate could do the same with one swat of his fist. If she hadn’t met Dean before being paired up with Nate, then their rumoured relationship might have been more than a rumour.

  “So how do you think the kidnapper and John Scott are connected?” Nate said, stealing a glance. “Are they partners? Work for the same boss? Jail house—”

  “I’m putting my money on them having the same boss, cause the kidnapper got a call on his cell phone when he was talking to me.”

  Nate’s lips tightened into slits and his eyes narrowed. “You talked to the kidnapper! When were you gonna tell me?”

  “Sorry, I forgot. There’s so much happening that I can’t think str
aight.”

  “Maybe I was wrong to take you to the hospital?” Nate’s nostrils were flared and twitching. “Grimshaw was right. I should’ve taken you to the station and got all the information out of you.”

  “Grimshaw? Don’t tell me you’re falling for this guy. He’s an arrogant piece of shit who only wants one thing. A conviction on his sheet.”

  Nate took a deep breath and rounded the corner. “So you think the boss called to check that he got Sabrina?”

  “I don’t know, but the guy—I assume it was a man—ordered him to toss Dean’s phone out the window. The guy seemed ticked that the kidnapper was talking to me.” Summer watched out the window as the traffic began to thicken. Everybody was heading to their jobs, unaware of the terrible things that had happened this morning. Ignorance must be bliss, Summer thought. Cops never got a chance to be ignorant even when they wanted to be.

  “So if John Scott and the kidnapper both work for the same person, then what John Scott did to me,” she fought to control the shiver which raced through her body at the memory, but lost, “wasn’t a random act. It was meant as a payback.”

  “For intercepting the drugs heading to Dean’s business? But that wasn’t even our doing. It was a joint effort.”

  “That’s the only thing I keep coming up with, too.” Summer had run through the long list of calls they’d had leading up to the attack from John Scott, but the only thing that could’ve pissed someone off bad enough to put that kind of hit on her was the drug bust.

  Nate glanced over, his eyes lingering a second too long.

  Summer raised an eyebrow. “So everything happened because of Dean’s business?”

  “Come on, Summer. What else do we have here? There’s no other explanation for what had happened. You can’t tell me that it was a coincidence that John Scott’s van was rear ended during our chase. He knew our schedule. The driver of that car knew we’d be on that road. He knew we’d give chase. And he knew John Scott would be waiting for him to crash into. It was all a setup. The crash. The run through the woods. The dirt bike stashed for the driver’s escape. He got away clean that morning,” Nate sighed, “but I think he’s come back.”