Black Gold in North Dakota (Cooper Smith Book 2)

by Joe Field

Soojin clattered down the ladder, stopping in the doorway to the bathroom when she saw Cooper reading the note. He handed it to Soojin.

  It’s Gabby. I’m alive. We left the houseboat on Xmas Eve by canoe. Not sure where we are going next, maybe Mexico. It’s just Nash, he killed Doyle in ND.

  “Oh my God.” Soojin had to catch her breath. “It’s her handwriting.”

  “She’s alive,” said Cooper. “Which means we just missed her if they left today. We could have passed them earlier.”

  Soojin tucked the letter in her pocket. “We have to go, now.”

  They sprinted out of the houseboat and jumped back onto the airboat. Leroy had a bewildered look on his face.

  “Start it up, Leroy, and take us back to our vehicle. Another two-hundred dollars in your pocket if you can spot a canoe with our friend in it along the way.”

  Leroy smiled. “Giddy up.”

  ◆◆◆

  Gabby was still trying to process the fact that Soojin and Cooper were so close. Maybe they had discovered the letter and would come back. Gabby could barely hold the paddle now that they had started moving again; her hands were starting to blister. It seemed like they had paddled forever, and the morning sun was now high in the sky. They reached a canal that had a sign pointing toward the town of Dulac.

  Gabby set her paddle across the front of the canoe, but Nash pushed on. Up ahead, Gabby saw a small marina connected to the canal. As they neared it, Gabby noticed several boats tied up to a series of docks. A small building faced the docks, but there were no vehicles parked there.

  “Let me tell you what’s about to happen.” Nash’s voice was direct and cold. “When we get to this dock, I’m going to go to the office and retrieve the key for one of the boats. In the meantime, I’m going to handcuff you to the dock. If you scream, I will duct tape your mouth until we arrive in Mexico. Do you understand?”

  Gabby nodded.

  “Good.”

  Nash maneuvered the canoe so it was parallel to the dock. He grabbed a rope and tied it to a post, securing the canoe. Gabby heard jingling behind her, and she turned around. Nash was moving toward her, the handcuffs dangling from one hand.

  “Put your left arm out,” he said.

  “You don’t have to handcuff me. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Nash rolled his eyes. “Remember what happened the last time I cut you some slack?”

  Gabby reluctantly raised her arm. He handcuffed it to the rope on the dock. “I’ll be right back.”

  Nash jumped up on the dock, heading straight toward the building. He peered into a window, then knocked on the door. He waited, but no one came. Then Nash positioned himself in front of the door. With one strong kick, the office door flew open. Gabby watched him rummage around inside, emerging with a handful of keys. He returned to inspect the various boats docked at the marina.

  Gabby looked over her shoulder, praying for a sign of the airboat. But there wasn’t another soul in sight.

  Christmas Eve. Everyone is at home with their loved ones, and I’m stuck in Louisiana with this guy.

  Nash was pulling the tarp off a fishing boat with two powerful engines. He tossed the tarp onto the dock and jumped into the boat. He fumbled with a few of the keys he’d grabbed from the office until the engines rumbled to life. Moving from one end of the boat to the other, he removed the ropes connecting it to the docks. Then he lowered the engines into the water and kicked off the dock. The boat slid into the water. He motored it toward Gabby.

  “Hold onto this with your free hand.” Nash tossed her a rope.

  Gabby caught it and held tight. Nash eased down into the canoe and threw his bag into the boat. Then he unlocked Gabby’s handcuff. She crawled up and over until she was sitting in the front of the boat. Nash climbed up behind her, jumping into the captain’s seat. He backed the boat out so it was clear of the docks.

  “Where are we going?” asked Gabby.

  “There’s a car stashed away at the marina in Houma. We’ll take that to the sunshine state. From Florida, it’s one boat ride across the gulf to our new life in Mexico. So, sit back and enjoy the ride.” Nash smiled.

  Gabby walked back from the front of the boat and sat down on the seat next to Nash. She hung her head, crossing her arms tightly across her body.

  Please hurry, Soojin and Cooper. You’re my last hope.

  ◆◆◆

  With every passing minute, Cooper and Soojin grew more anxious. Their eyes were strained from scanning the horizon and every shore and shadow for signs of the canoe or Gabby. Glancing at his phone, Cooper saw it was already 3 pm. It had taken most of the day to go out to the houseboat and get back to Leroy’s marina—and the later it got, the harder it would be to catch up with Gabby.

  Cooper looked over at Soojin and saw she was steely-eyed. Over his shoulder, Leroy continued to push the airboat’s engines on full throttle. Leroy looked down at Cooper and pointed off into the distance. Cooper nodded.

  At the edge of the canal, Cooper could vaguely make out Leroy’s Landing. As they neared, they could see the boats tied to the docks and the office building where their minivan was parked. Soojin tugged at Cooper’s leg and pointed at a boat tied to the dock. Cooper saw it right away. It wasn’t the canoe they were looking for, but it was the only uncovered boat, and it hadn’t been there that morning. Leroy had also followed Cooper and Soojin’s gaze, but he just shrugged.

  Leroy pulled the airboat in fast and turned down the throttle at the last moment so it would safely float in next to the new boat. It was a Lund fishing boat with two powerful engines. Soojin and Cooper unlatched their seatbelts and ripped off their ear mufflers as the airboat bumped up against the dock’s buffers. Cooper threw the airboat’s rope up on the dock’s pole and jumped up.

  Just then, a blue sedan came ripping out of the woods from the property adjacent to Leroy’s Landing. Two occupants sat in the vehicle’s front seat, and as it whizzed by them, Cooper caught a glimpse of Gabby.

  Soojin jumped out of the boat and sprinted past Cooper. “That’s them! We can’t let them get away.”

  Cooper dashed after her toward the minivan. He pulled the keys out of his pocket, unlocking the van with the remote. As he opened the door, he looked back and saw Leroy smiling and waving.

  “We’ll be back to pay you!” Cooper shouted, jumping into the minivan.

  Soojin was already in her seat and pulling her phone out of her pocket. “Hurry, hurry! We have to go!”

  Cooper put the van in drive and took off after the sedan. By the time they reached the main road, Nash was already a few hundred meters ahead to their left. Cooper gunned it.

  The one time I need a fast rental car, and we’re in a minivan. Cooper shook his head. Should have paid extra for the Mustang.

  “Faster, we have to catch them.” Soojin dialed a number on her phone.

  “Who are you calling?”

  “911.”

  Cooper caught sight of a street sign. “Good, we are heading north on Grand Caillou Road.”

  “Got it.”

  Despite the slow acceleration speed, the van was cruising along now and gaining on the sedan. Cooper was going over 100 mph, and the van was handling it well. Soojin put her phone on speaker as it dialed 911.

  A female operator answered after two rings. “911 emergency services. How can I help you?”

  “We are in pursuit of a kidnapper who has our friend,” said Soojin.

  “What is your location?” asked the operator.

  “We are south of Houma heading north on Grand Caillou Road.”

  “Do you have a cross street?”

  Soojin looked over at Cooper and back out at the sedan. “They’re turning,” said Cooper. “Hold on one moment.”

  “We are getting into Houma now,” said Soojin. “We are about to turn, I’ll let you know what street.”

  “What is your name?” asked the operator.

  “My name is Soojin Smith, and I’m with Cooper Smith.”

 
“Please describe the situation.”

  “We are trying to get our friend Gabby Hanson back; she was kidnapped a few weeks ago in North Dakota by a man named Declan Nash. We are in vehicle pursuit of them right now. They are driving a blue Ford Taurus sedan.”

  Cooper made a sharp turn.

  “We’re on Prospect Boulevard,” said Soojin. “Just turned off of Grand Caillou Road onto Prospect.”

  “Ma’am, we have your position and will dispatch a unit. Please slow down and stop your vehicle and allow the authorities to take over.”

  Soojin looked over at Cooper, who was shaking his head. “There is no way I’m stopping until I see a police officer take Nash down,” said Cooper.

  “I’m sorry, we can’t do that,” said Soojin.

  “Ma’am, this is serious. You could be hurt or killed. Please stand down and let the authorities take over.”

  “It’s Christmas Eve!” shouted Soojin. “You probably have three police officers working in the whole state of Louisiana! We will not stop until Nash is caught.”

  Cooper was now about one-hundred yards behind Nash. They were approaching a T-intersection, and Nash slowed down and turned right. Cooper followed him, glancing at the sign. “We just turned right on 182.”

  “How far out are your officers?” asked Soojin.

  “Mrs. Smith, I assure you they are on their way. I called all available units in that area to respond.”

  Cooper was holding steady at around one hundred yards behind Nash as they both maneuvered around a UPS delivery truck. Traffic was light because of the holiday. “Looks like he may be getting onto the highway up ahead,” said Cooper.

  “The kidnapper is merging onto Highway 90 East,” said Soojin. “Toward New Orleans.”

  There was no response from the operator.

  “Did you hear me?” asked Soojin.

  “Yes, I heard you,” said the operator. “I just talked to an officer who is located just east of your position on US 90 East. This officer will be able to take it from here. Please stop your vehicle.”

  “Screw it.” Soojin turned off her phone. “We found her, we can get her back, too.”

  Cooper nodded, his foot pressed so hard on the accelerator that it touched the floor. His knuckles were white, his eyes laser-focused on the blue sedan in front of them.

  “Up there, on the right,” said Cooper.

  “I see it,” said Soojin.

  A police car sat on the side of the road a quarter of a mile ahead of them, lights flashing. Nash pulled around a semi-truck and stayed in the left lane. Cooper came up behind them and watched the police car pull out into the right lane. The police car sped up but Nash was going too fast and passed it.

  Cooper slowed down for a moment to let the police car pull in front of him. Then he sped back up and looked down at the speedometer, which read 110 mph.

  “You have your seatbelt on, right?” asked Cooper.

  “Yes, don’t worry about me. Just stay with them.”

  Nash pulled his vehicle into the right lane while the police car moved into the left lane, even with Nash.

  “Come on, get him,” said Cooper.

  “What’s he going to do?” asked Soojin.

  Before the police officer could make a move, Nash turned his wheels sharply to the left and smashed into the police car. The force of the collision caused the police car to fishtail, and then it was heading sideways into the median.

  “No, no, no!” shouted Soojin.

  The police car caught a patch of grass and shot up in the sky as it started to barrel-roll uncontrollably.

  “Soojin, call an ambulance.”

  Nash pulled back over in front of Cooper and blocked his path as he kept his speed up.

  Soojin put her phone back on speakerphone and the same female operator answered. “911 emergency services. How can I help you?”

  “It’s Soojin Smith again. Your officer’s vehicle just went off the road on 90 East and barrel-rolled into the median.”

  “What is your location?”

  “We are coming up on a bridge that is going over a river or canal,” said Soojin. “There are no signs, though.”

  They raced over the bridge as Cooper stayed with Nash.

  “We just went over the bridge, and there is a sign that says St. Charles Parish,” said Soojin.

  “Let me see if I can find you,” said the operator.

  “Here’s another sign,” said Cooper.

  “We are at the junction with Louisiana road number 632.”

  “Okay, great,” said the operator. “For the last time, please pull over and let our officers do the rest.”

  “Gotta go.” Soojin turned off her phone again. “Gabby is right in front of us, and there is no way I’m stopping now. I don’t care if the president was on the line.”

  Cooper’s adrenaline was sky high, but his knuckles were starting to hurt from gripping the steering wheel so hard.

  “Where do you think he’s headed?” asked Cooper. “Woah!”

  A truck suddenly pulled off of a side road onto the highway and Cooper had to jerk the wheel to avoid a collision. The minivan fishtailed for a few moments before it regained its traction.

  At any moment they could lose Nash—and with him, Gabby. Thankfully, Cooper saw the lights of another police car in the distance. Nash must have seen it, too, because he exited suddenly off of 90 for Interstate 310 North. Cooper turned at the last second and followed him.

  “The police car saw us exit; he’s coming across the median now,” reported Soojin.

  “Good, but it’ll take him forever to catch up. We are doing well over a hundred still.” Cooper’s shoulders were tense as he strained to keep his hands tightly wrapped around the steering wheel.

  In the rearview mirror, Cooper could see the police car making its way to the chase, but it was still too far back. After a few more minutes, they arrived at another bridge.

  “No way,” said Soojin.

  “What?”

  “We are about to cross the Mississippi River.”

  Cooper and Soojin lived close to the Mississippi in Saint Paul, and spent a lot of time on or near the river back home.

  “Do you think he’s going all the way into New Orleans?” asked Cooper.

  “Sure looks that way,” said Soojin. “We can’t let him get away.”

  ◆◆◆

  Gabby clutched the handle above her window with her right hand and her seatbelt with her left as Nash raced on. As they crossed over the Mississippi, a memory of her time rowing on the river for the Minnesota Gophers back in college flashed through her mind. Over her shoulder she could still see the minivan, although the sun was starting to set and it skewed her vision.

  “Keep your eyes forward, and hold on,” ordered Nash.

  A truck suddenly moved into the left lane in front of them, and Nash had to maneuver around it on the shoulder, hugging the median and guardrail. Gabby’s body jerked to the side. Once he was around the truck, he pulled out in front of it. The left lane spread out empty in front of them, and they passed the slower-moving cars in the right lane as if they were parked. Nash let out a deep breath.

  “I saw how you looked at those people in the boat earlier,” he said. “Now they’re in the minivan behind us. Do you know them?”

  Gabby crossed her arms and didn’t respond.

  “I know you do,” Nash pressed. “I saw your reaction when you saw them. Who are they?”

  This guy thinks he can boss me around, and now he wants me to open up?

  “I’m sorry I’ve been so cold and direct today,” he said. “I just need you to do exactly as I say so we can get out of here together in one piece.”

  “What exactly is your plan now?” Gabby asked.

  “We will still go to Florida, but not in this car,” Nash said. “The authorities will be looking for it now. I know a guy who lives in downtown New Orleans, and he owes me a huge favor on account of me looking the other way on some of his criminal activity
when he lived in Texas and I was working for the Rangers. If we can get to his place, we can hide out until things blow over.”

  “How do you know if he is even there?” asked Gabby.

  “Don’t worry about that; I arranged this back-up plan before we even left North Dakota, so we will be just fine once we get there.” Nash looked up at the rearview mirror and saw the minivan was still trailing them. “We just need to ditch this minivan and make sure there aren’t any more cops that get in our way.”

  “Don’t you feel bad about running that police officer off the road back there?”

  “Look, it was either him or us. Like I said, this will all blow over soon. We just need to get to the safe house. Oh, shoot.”

  “What?”

  “Another police car up ahead,” said Nash. “Looks like two of them, actually.”

  The police cars stood on either side of the interstate with their lights on. One of the officers was pulling something out of his trunk.

  “He’s grabbing spikes, hold on.” Nash pushed down the gas as hard as it would go, swerving toward the center lane. The police officer threw the spikes, but they landed short and Nash dodged around them.

  Gabby turned around and looked out the back window. Cooper and Soojin swerved around the spike strip as well, keeping on their tail. The second police car was already accelerating after them from the shoulder, and the officer who threw the strip was running to his vehicle to join the pursuit.

  Come on guys, stay on us.

  “Hold on tight.” Nash exited at the last second and barely missed a vehicle that tried to exit at the same time.

  They were now on Interstate 10 East heading toward New Orleans. A green exit sign read N.O. Intl Airport 1 ¾ MILES. Nash darted across all three of the highway’s lanes, narrowly missing other cars. His eyes were alight, his body quivering with energy.

  He’s enjoying this, Gabby realized.

  The wail of sirens flooded Gabby’s ears. Two police cars had now caught up with them. They pulled in front of the minivan so they were directly behind them and closing.

  Nash looked up in the rearview mirror again. “Let’s have some fun.”

  At the last possible second, he turned off the interstate, driving over the white warning track and barely missing a metal guardrail as he took Exit 223 for the airport. One of the police cars couldn’t make the sharp turn and skidded out of control past them on the interstate. The other one slowed way down and made the exit, but at the expense of a growing distance between them. The Smiths trailed the procession in the minivan.