by Joe Field
Which knot is this one again? Is this a bowline? It has to be.
Gabby set her paddle softly down on the deck and grabbed the knot. After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, Gabby found the knot’s end. She was able to push it back through the loop. She heard a cabinet shut inside the houseboat and her body froze as her heart raced. She peered up through the window to see if she could spot Nash, but he must have still been in the back room.
She pulled hard on the rope and was able to thread the rope’s end through one of the loops. She was halfway to untying it when she heard Nash.
Nash shook the houseboat as his feet pounded with each step. “Hey, where did you go? Where are you?”
Gabby’s heart was beating out of her chest as she untied the rest of the rope. She turned and threw her paddle in the canoe, kicking it away from the houseboat as she scrambled in.
Nash spotted her from inside and came bursting onto the deck. “Hey, wait! Where do you think you’re going?” He threw a bag down that he had been carrying and kicked his boots off. “Stop right now, don’t make me get in there!”
Gabby frenetically tried to situate her paddle to row, but a huge cypress tree blocked her way. She tried to push off of it with the paddle as Nash jumped into the water and started to swim at her.
Come on, come on, paddle.
Gabby was able to navigate around the tree, but right before she hit an open patch of water the canoe jerked and dipped backward. Nash had caught up with her.
“Stop right now!” he commanded.
“Let go!” Gabby paddled frantically, but Nash held on and started to rock the canoe.
“Stop now or you’re going under!” he warned.
Gabby turned and tried to hit Nash over the head with the paddle. He let go of the canoe and slid around to the other side. Gabby rotated her body and took another swing on the other side, this time hitting Nash square on top of the head.
He went under for a split second, then came out of the water with both hands extended as he lunged at Gabby. She wasn’t ready for the attack, and he grabbed her arm. He pulled her into the water as the canoe capsized. The water was dark and thick with algae.
Gabby’s life jacket restricted her movements as she tried to fight Nash underwater. He pulled both of them up as he grabbed onto a cypress tree. Gabby choked up water she had swallowed. Nash tossed her over an exposed root of the tree as she continued to gag.
“Stay right there,” he ordered.
Gabby turned to see Nash swim to the overturned canoe. He grabbed it before swimming with it back to the cypress tree. Finding the attached rope, he held onto it as he swam back to the houseboat, about fifty feet away. He tied the end of the capsized canoe to the houseboat. When he looked back at Gabby, he had terror in his eyes.
“Swim!” he yelled.
Gabby looked over her shoulder and saw a set of eyes in the open water moving directly toward her.
She tried to cry out, but her body took over and she dove into the water and started swimming frantically back toward the houseboat. The life jacket slowed her progress.
Nash jumped up on the deck of the houseboat and grabbed something out of the bag he had dropped earlier. Gabby’s heart skipped a beat when she saw it was a gun, pointed right at her.
“Keep swimming! If he gets close I’ll take him out,” Nash cried.
Gabby continued toward the houseboat. She was about ten feet away when she saw the muzzle flash and heard bullets whiz over her head.
Paralyzed with fear, she floated the rest of the distance to the houseboat holding onto her life jacket. Nash reached down and pulled her onto the deck of the houseboat. She started shaking as Nash stripped off her life jacket and held her in place.
Gabby didn’t fight him; her energy was spent. About ten feet away, a massive alligator floated on top of the water, belly-up and riddled with bloody bullet holes.
So much for my big escape.
Chapter 18
Bismarck, North Dakota
The thermometer in central North Dakota registered at ten degrees Fahrenheit as Cooper and Soojin drove from their hotel to downtown Bismarck. The dinner with the governor was scheduled for 7 pm, and since it was only 5:30, they decided to stop by JL Beers, a local sports bar, to grab a drink. It was in an old brick building located on Third Street, just a few blocks away from where they would be having dinner.
“Brrr . . .” Cooper shivered as he stepped into the parking lot.
“Quite a shock after that Texas heat?” teased Soojin.
“Yeah, I think I could get used to that weather. This is too cold. It’s only December. What’s it going to be like here in January?”
“Let’s get inside.”
They shuffled around the building and went inside. JL Beers consisted of a long and narrow room, with low ceilings and dim lights hanging from the rafters. Only a few other patrons occupied the space. Cooper and Soojin sat down at two empty bar stools in the center of the bar. A couple television screens played ESPN above.
“What’re you two drinking?” asked a bearded, college-aged bartender wearing a bright green John Deere hat.
Soojin looked down at a drink menu while Cooper looked up at the at-least forty beers on tap.
“I’ll get a glass of your in-house beer, the one you call Watering Hole,” said Cooper.
“Sure thing, and for you?” The bartender looked at Soojin.
She glanced up from the menu with a smile. “Do you really have Schell’s 1919 Root Beer on tap?”
“You bet we do.”
“Perfect, I’ll have a glass of that.”
“Coming right up.” The bartender turned away to get the drinks ready.
“Nice choice,” said Cooper. “Way to support a made-in-Minnesota root beer. I guess you’re driving tonight.”
“Well, I figure after what happened last time I was in a bar in North Dakota, I should probably lay low.”
Cooper laughed and leaned back on his stool, checking out Soojin’s shoes. “You’re not wearing those killer boots this time. I miss those things.”
Soojin laughed. “Rest assured, I could do just fine in a fight with any foot attire.”
“I don’t doubt you for one second.”
The bartender brought the drinks over. Cooper and Soojin clinked their glasses together.
“To Gabby.”
“To Gabby.”
They both took long drinks.
“Mmm, this root beer never gets old,” said Soojin.
“Mine is good, too.”
Soojin set her glass down and looked at Cooper. “What did Fletcher say when you updated him on your trip down to Texas?”
Cooper grimaced. “He reiterated that their department and every other police department in the country is understaffed right now, so the search for Gabby is not going to get the resources it needs.”
Soojin lowered her head.
Cooper continued. “He also said that any leads we discover outside of North Dakota would technically be outside of their jurisdiction. That means they can try to coordinate with those local law enforcement agencies, but there is nothing they can do to track down those leads themselves.”
They both sat in silence for a few moments, taking sips of their drinks. Soojin turned so she was facing Cooper. “I’m glad you were able to talk to Nash’s brother, and his old partner with the Rangers.”
Cooper nodded, taking a sip of his beer. “I’ve been thinking about both of those meetings a lot, especially the conversation with Greene. That guy said he would bet money that Nash used someone up here to line up his escape without them knowing about it.”
“That should be easy to figure out; he was only connected to a few people up here,” said Soojin.
“I know, but one is Nickels, who obviously isn’t going to talk to us. Another is Marshall, who is still in the intensive care unit at the hospital, and the last one is Doyle. We have no idea what happened to Doyle.”
“Maybe he’s the one. We coul
d focus on him.”
“Yeah, but what about the videotape at the airport?” Cooper ran his hands through his hair. “He wasn’t there, it was just Nash.”
“Doesn’t mean Nash didn’t use him to plan his escape.”
“True.” Cooper took a long swig of his beer. It was refreshing despite the cold weather. Cooper looked up at the television, which played highlights from the day’s NFL games. The New Orleans Saints had played host to the Atlanta Falcons earlier, and the highlights included a Falcons defensive sack on Drew Brees, which lead to a fumble, recovered by Atlanta. The Saints lost fourteen to thirty.
“Wait a second,” said Cooper.
“What?”
“What about Louisiana?”
“What about it?” asked Soojin.
“Doyle is from Louisiana. Everyone, myself and law enforcement included, has been focused on finding Nash, but what about Doyle?”
“It’s a valid question.”
“I mean, we all know Doyle helped with the kidnapping, but we assumed he skipped town while Nash took Gabby on the run. But, what if they reconnected in Louisiana? Or maybe Doyle went to Mexico and set everything up for Nash in Louisiana. Coming from a cattle ranch in Texas, Nash doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy that would visit Louisiana. And that would fit with what Greene said about it being a location Nash had never visited.”
Soojin’s eyes lit up. “That’s right, remember when I was talking to Nickels at the bar up in Williston?”
Cooper laughed. “How could I forget, Ms. Taekwondo?”
“Nickels talked about Doyle. He said he thought Doyle went back to the bayou in Louisiana.”
“Did Nickels give a specific city or location in Louisiana?” asked Cooper.
“Houma?” Soojin rubbed her forehead as she thought back to the conversation she had with Nickels. “I’m pretty sure it was Houma.” Soojin perked up. “That could be a good starting place. We could go down there and ask around and see if we can find his houseboat.”
“When would we go, though?” asked Cooper. “I mean, Christmas is four days away, and this is all just a guess.”
“An educated guess,” said Soojin. “We can use the holiday as free time off to help find Gabby. It’s not fair to think about where or how she might be spending Christmas this week.”
Cooper took a drink and looked away as his shoulders dropped. “You know, I hate to say it, but there is a possibility Gabby is—”
Soojin put her drink down. “Don’t you dare say it. I’m not ready to give up on her yet. We are going to find her.” She blinked back tears.
Cooper put his hand on hers. “No one’s giving up. I just don’t want to get our hopes up too high.”
They both sat there in silence staring at their drinks for a few moments. “Okay,” said Cooper. “Let’s head to the airport first thing in the morning and see if we can get a flight.”
“Thanks.” Soojin nodded. “Now, it’s time to head over to our big dinner with the governor.”
“Ah yes, dinner with North Dakota’s governor. Never thought I would cross that one off of my bucket list.”
◆◆◆
It was only a two-block walk from JL Beers to the Pirogue Grille restaurant, but the cold weather made it feel like twenty. Cooper pulled his jacket closer around him as the wind picked up. He wanted a smoke, but he knew that wasn’t going to happen. He and Soojin rounded the corner and found the restaurant.
But when they got there, the exterior lights were turned off, and the window blinds were down.
“Is it closed?” asked Soojin.
“That’s a good question,” said Cooper. “Let me try to look inside.”
Cooper stepped up to the main entrance, peering through the glass door. He spotted a light on in the back of the restaurant. “There’s someone coming.”
Soojin paced back and forth to fight off the cold. “Who is it?”
“Not sure,” said Cooper. “Looks like he is wearing a chef’s uniform.”
“That’s weird.”
“Really weird.”
The chef came to the front door and unlocked it.
“Are you the Smiths?” asked the chef.
“Yes, we are here to see the governor,” said Soojin.
“Hello, and welcome to the Pirogue Grille.” The chef ushered them in. A lock clicked behind them.
“Thank you,” said Cooper.
“Yes, of course. Please follow me.” The chef turned and motioned for them to follow. “I’m the owner and head chef. I opened the place at the governor’s request for your dinner tonight. I hope you enjoy.”
“That’s very nice,” said Soojin. “Thank you.”
They followed him to a private dining area in the back of the restaurant. Two men sat inside drinking and talking, and they stood when Cooper and Soojin entered.
“Mr. and Mrs. Smith, it’s so nice to meet both of you. My name is Rick Simmons, and this is my Lieutenant Governor Nate Thompson.” Simmons gestured toward Thompson.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Governor,” said Cooper. The two men shook hands.
“Thanks for having us here for dinner,” said Soojin.
The governor took Soojin’s hand and kissed it. “The pleasure is all mine. And please, no titles tonight. Call me Rick, and call that handsome devil Nate.”
Did the governor really just kiss Soojin’s hand? That’s weird.
“Sounds good,” said Cooper. He and Soojin shook hands with Nate.
Rick motioned for them to sit down. “Please, take a load off. Can I get you a drink?”
“Not for me,” said Soojin. “I’m driving tonight.”
“I’ll have whatever you gentlemen are drinking.”
“Are you sure you don’t want a drink?” Nate looked at Soojin. “You know the governor can just tell the state patrol to take the rest of the night off.”
Everyone laughed.
“That’s quite all right, but thank you,” said Soojin.
Rick grabbed a bottle of scotch on the table and poured a glass for Cooper.
“Thank you.” Cooper took the drink. “You didn’t have to go through the trouble of having the chef open up the restaurant for us on his off day.”
“It’s not a problem at all,” said Rick. “Besides, he owes me a few favors.” He winked at Soojin.
Cooper shifted in his seat uncomfortably.
Rick leaned back in his chair. “Plus, I heard you two caused quite the scene up at one of the bars in Williston not too long ago. I wanted to make sure there weren’t any witnesses here in case you started kicking us.” Rick let out a long laugh.
Soojin turned red. “Sorry about that, we didn’t—”
“No need to explain.” Rick waved her off. “Besides, those roughnecks need a good whooping once in the while, right?”
“We didn’t mean to cause any trouble,” said Cooper.
“Forget about it, let’s pretend it didn’t happen,” said Rick.
With the tension in the room cut, everyone began to relax into their chairs, settling in for the evening.
“Now, I’m sure you’re wondering why we invited you to dinner,” said Nate.
Cooper and Soojin nodded.
Nate set his glass down. “The governor and I wanted to express our sincere thanks and appreciation for all the work the two of you have done to try to bring back our dear Gabby. I’m from Williston, and I watched Gabby grow up. I’ll be damned if some roughnecks are going to come in and take her from us.”
“And Senator Hanson.” Rick shook his head. “The poor senator has been through so much that I just—well, quite frankly, we just need to get her back safely.”
“We couldn’t agree with you more,” said Cooper.
“Gabby and I were good friends,” said Soojin. “We had some shared experiences that brought us close, and I just can’t bear the thought of her being held against her will. Especially with Christmas coming up in four days.”
“Our thoughts exactly,”
said Nate, nodding. “That is why the governor and I would like to hear any updates you may have on your efforts to find her. We would also like to offer you any additional resources that could help to bring her back.”
Cooper took a drink of the whiskey. It burned his throat on the way down. “I just returned from a trip to Texas. I was able to meet with the kidnapper’s brother and former partner. Based on those two conversations, and subsequent conversations I’ve had while updating law enforcement officials, I have an idea of one place they could be.”
“Where’s that?” asked Rick.
“Louisiana. It could be way off, but it’s all we’ve got right now.”
“Hmm . . . Louisiana.” Rick rubbed his chin. “I’ll be the first to admit there isn’t much we can do for her outside of the state, but if she is in North Dakota we can continue to throw more state resources into the search efforts to help find her.”
“Everything I’ve discovered so far leads me to believe they left your state the night Gabby was kidnapped,” said Cooper.
“Do you think you’ll head down to Louisiana after Christmas?” asked Nate.
Soojin shook her head. “That’s too long to wait. We are going to try to leave tomorrow if we can get a flight.”
“Those travel expenses will add up quickly,” said Rick. He leaned toward Cooper. “Why don’t you let us help cover the costs of these trips?”
Cooper blinked in surprise. “Really?”
Rick nodded. “Yes, of course. It’s the least we can do.”
If he picks up the tab at least that will keep Wild Bill off my back about the expenses.
“That would help out a lot,” said Cooper. “We would appreciate it.”
“I’ll make sure to let Senator Hanson know all of the support you are providing us,” said Soojin.
Nate waved her off. “Thanks, but you don’t have to do that. I talk to him regularly and I’ll make sure he knows everything we’ve discussed tonight. Have you talked to him recently?”