The Dream Jumper's Pursuit

by Kim Hornsby

  Anyone who thought it was perfectly allowable to kidnap a seven-year-old, wouldn’t blink at the thought of stealing someone else’s baby. The verification came to her immediately, like her instincts received a confirmation telegram. Rose had him, and he was not safe. Did Rose intend to hurt the baby? Tina sprinted back to the kitchen for a butcher knife. If she was going running around on the mountain looking for Rose, she wanted a weapon.

  ***

  Jamey burst through the door of Granada Realty to see a receptionist seated at the front desk. “Where’s Diego?” he asked breathlessly.

  The woman shrugged. “He left for the day.”

  “Can I use your phone?” Jamey picked up the telephone and dialed Diego’s number, which he’d memorized by now. He hoped that Diego wasn’t in on this if Annie took the baby.

  “Granada Realty, Diego Ramirez.”

  “Diego, where’s Annie? Someone took Kai from the house. Tina thinks it was her.”

  “Annie is with me. No baby. Oh Dios. Where are you?”

  “At your office. Where are you?’

  “In the truck. Wyatt’s with us.”

  Oh, thank God.

  “Run three blocks along the street, away from the park. That’s the closest we can get. We’ll meet you there.”

  Jamey hung up, shot out the door, and started running. Three blocks down, Annie’s truck pulled around the corner. The vehicle stopped abruptly and Jamey hopped in the passenger seat beside Annie. In the backseat Wyatt grinned, his eyes big, his smile bigger. Diego sat beside the boy.

  “Jamey!” he said trying to get out of his seat belt.

  “Stay in the belt, Slugger.” Jamey turned to Annie. “How fast can you get out of town and up that mountain?”

  “Just watch me,” she said, pulling a U turn and speeding down the street away from the hipica.

  Jamey turned to Diego and Wyatt. “Long time, no see, Slugger. How’s life?”

  “Oh, my name is Luke now,” the little boy rolled his eyes. “Kevin said so.”

  “Cool name.” Jamey glanced at Diego. “Where did you find him?” Jamey reached for Annie’s phone. “Mind?”

  Diego nodded towards Annie. “Granada Café.”

  “Kevin was mad she took me.” Wyatt pointed at Annie. “Kevin will be worried so you need to call him.”

  “Okay, I will.” Jamey dialed Tina’s number.

  Wyatt tapped his shoulder. “Where’s Mama and Daddy?”

  “They’re coming, soon. For now you’re with me.” Jamey smiled at Wyatt and ruffled his shaved head. So, Annie had marched into that restaurant and found Wyatt, just like in Tina’s dream. Tina’s phone rang and rang. “How did you know where to find Wyatt?” he asked Annie.

  Annie pulled onto the main road out of town. “Jean called. Said Mary Rose and Kevin had taken an apartment behind the Café. Mary Rose didn’t like Mombacho. Jean made a few calls and found out that Kevin and Wyatt were having lunch at the café. I tried to call you two but no luck, so I came down.”

  Jamey kept hanging up and dialing Tina’s number. “Diego, can you call Wyatt’s Mama?” He dictated the number and then Diego put the phone on speaker.

  Carrie picked up on the first ring. “Hello?”

  “I’m looking at your son right now.” Jamey said. “He’s fine.” Shit. Where was Tina?

  “Oh God. Put him on the phone.” Carrie sounded like she’d been holding her breath for weeks. “Jamey has Wyatt,” she said, probably to a crowd of people beside her.

  Diego took the phone off speaker and handed it to the little guy.

  “Do you think Rose is on Mombacho?” Jamey looked between Diego and Annie.

  “She is. Jean told me.” Annie nodded her head.

  Wyatt spoke happily from the backseat to his mother. “When are you and Daddy coming for the big birthday party? Kevin promised,” he said.

  Finally Tina picked up. “Who is this?” her voice sounded haunted.

  “It’s me, Honey. Are you okay?”

  “I think Rose took him.”

  “We’re on our way.”

  “I got a feeling.”

  “She won’t hurt him. Remember, she wants a baby. If she took Kai, she’ll be careful with him. Keep that in mind.”

  “I think she’s going for payback. I feel it.”

  Shit. “Don’t do anything. We’re close. Rose wouldn’t hurt a baby.”

  “I think she would.”

  “We just passed the cemetery,” he said. “I’m watching the road for them.”

  “I’m going to get my child.” Tina’s voice was shaky like she was running.

  “Wait for me. Don’t go running around the mountain. She might have a gun.”

  The line went dead.

  ***

  Diego and Annie seemed like the type of people who’d have a gun and lucky for her, they did. Tina checked the handgun’s safety and left to find the woman who’d stolen her baby. As she raced up the road, she remembered what Mr. Takeshimi, her Lahaina neighbor, used to say. ‘Fall seven times, Get up eight.’

  Fucking eh.

  She’d not only get up, but deal with the psycho who pushed her down. Retribution was in order but only when she knew Kai was safe. That was the first priority.

  Navigating the folds of the road, she let the dogs lead the way. Hopefully they knew the house and had accompanied Annie this way enough to think they were going again. How stealthy could she be with dogs? It didn’t matter. If Rose was there, she’d march in and take back her baby. She wasn’t afraid to use the gun as long as Kai wasn’t harmed. If Rose had a gun, at least Tina had the advantage of surprise. If she had to shoot that bitch through the heart to get Kai, she would.

  The dogs ran off the path after something in the brush, and when Tina came to a fork in the road, she chose to go left and soon came across a short driveway leading to a dark house. It was steep going and her breath was ragged as she approached. The house was shut up tight, no residents, and wasn’t the rustic cottage Jamey had described on the phone. Annie’s dogs were nowhere in sight. She returned to the road and took the other fork, listening for any hint of a baby crying. The stillness on Mombacho was chilling until the dogs crashed through the underbrush, panting and happy. Passing two turnoffs, she followed the dogs to a pullout off the main road. A footpath led in to the jungle and far off, she saw a faint light, like a lantern. This was it! Her legs burned, but she didn’t slow down. Had Rose walked all this way with Kai in her arms?

  With her phone and headlamp turned off, Tina stole along the trail quietly, using only the faint light from the moon to see the edges of the path. Jamey had described the house as a rugged structure without electricity, and a porch framing three sides. This was it.

  She heard the crack of a door closing up ahead. Then Kai cried into the night. Oh thank God. He’s alive! Until that moment, she’d worried that the reason she hadn’t heard his cry was her most horrible nightmare. Her instinct was to sink to the path in relief. Instead she continued on, spurred by revenge. These next few moments were crucial. If Kai was safe, she had to play this smart and choose her moment. She crept along the path, and once closer to the house, noticed that the place was partially illuminated by lanterns. There was a light perched on the veranda railing and another in what looked like the main room. She moved up behind the house, behind an out building. Kai cried softly like he hadn’t fully woken, and Tina heard Rose speak. “There, there, my little boy. Mommy’s here.”

  Her instincts told her to rush at the house, find Rose, and scream at her that she was not the mother. Instead, she watched. After a minute, when it looked like no one was moving inside, she left the shed and crossed to the back of the house. Someone sang softly inside the back room and Tina crept to the window and peeked in.

  Rose lay on the queen-sized bed on her side, her back to the window. From what Tina could see, it looked like Kai was sleeping in Rose’s arms. The dogs barked down the path and Rose disengaged from the baby, sat up, and cocked her
head to listen. “What was that?” she whispered. Turning back, she carefully gathered Kai in her arms, blanket and all, pulled him in to her chest and left the room.

  Tina fingered the gun in her pocket and considered getting it out and ready. She inched along the far side of the house and peeked around the corner. Rose stood on the far edge of the porch, staring off into the jungle. Maybe waiting for dogs to appear. Wearing a tank top and dark shorts, Rose now had cropped, dark hair. From the back, she looked like any new mother-- holding her child, swaying, cooing to the baby. She looked surprisingly normal for someone who’d just abducted a baby. But if you knew Rose, you’d also know how much she loved her long, blonde tresses. Her hair now looked like the monkeys had hacked it off. This new ragged haircut was indication enough that something was terribly wrong with this woman.

  Satisfied that nothing was amiss, Rose settled into a deck chair and spoke to the sleeping baby and Tina strained to hear the words. “Daddy is going to give Luke back. That’s okay. Luke talks too much about his other family.”

  From her vantage spot, Tina couldn’t see Kai in that bundle, but it sure looked like Rose held a baby. Tina listened. Some words were unintelligible.

  “I can’t believe I heard you cry. I was just walking up the road.” She gazed down at the baby with such love that Tina almost shot her right then and there. “I won’t ever hurt you,” Rose said, softly. Then her voice changed, like she’d flipped a switch. “He can’t make me kill you,” she whispered defiantly. “Not when I’ve waited so long.” She chuckled. “Oh no.”

  Kill? From her crouch, Tina had a good view of Rose’s face and her new expression was disturbingly vacant.

  Rose stared out into the darkness. “He can’t control me.”

  Who the hell was Rose talking about? Kevin? Did Kevin want her to kill a baby? Or maybe Rose had voices in her head.

  Rose looked down at the bundle and when she kissed his head, Tina caught sight of Kai when the blanket slipped. “I thought I lost you, sweet Christian.”

  After hearing the word kill, Tina was ready to storm the place, even though Rose didn’t seem to have a weapon. Trouble was that Rose was near the deck’s edge where it dropped off, and if there was any chance she might throw the child over, Tina had to wait. She held her breath watching, hoping Kai was safe, for now.

  Rose got up from the chair, headed back to the bedroom, and Tina followed along the outside of the house to the bedroom window at the back. Rose laid the baby on the bed, kissed him and went to the kitchen to retrieve her phone. Kai needed pillows to keep from rolling on to the floor. Stupid bitch. Then Rose came back and laid down with Kai, stroking his head and kissing him. But when Rose’s phone rang, Tina used the noise to slink along the side of the house and got ready to storm the bedroom.

  “No, Kev. It’s okay,” Rose said. “Let her have him. My mother probably told her to take Luke. But it’s okay because I have our baby. I heard him crying and knew.” There was a pause. “He was at Annie’s house, which is strange. Anyways, I’m at Mom’s. Come get us. Hurry. We need to leave soon, just in case anyone comes looking.” Rose sounded almost sane, but Tina knew differently.

  While Rose was distractedly arguing her case of newfound motherhood with Kevin, Tina decided that when the conversation ended, and Rose hung up, she’d make her move. She fingered the gun in her pocket.

  “Then don’t,” Rose sat up in bed and directed her whispered words away from the sleeping baby. “If you are not on board with this, go home.”

  Silence. Tina heard the creaky bedsprings and then Rose began to sing to Kai, using her own words. “Daddy’s coming,” she sang. “We’ll leave here, yes, leave here and then we’ll be a family.”

  It couldn’t have been stranger if it was a horror movie. Silently drawing the gun, Tina walked to the doorway. Taking off the safety, she held the gun in front of her and moved forward into the bedroom.

  When Rose caught sight of someone blocking the light, she gasped.

  Tina spoke. “Get off the bed, motherfucker. Now. Easy. Don’t touch the baby or so help me, I’d love to shoot you.”

  Rose looked to Kai.

  Tina advanced, her gun pointed at Rose’s torso. “Stand up, Mary-Rose, nice and slowly.”

  “Who are you? Where did you come from?” Rose didn’t recognize Tina from the wedding a year ago. She looked to the baby and reached for him. “My baby.” Tears filled her eyes.

  “Don’t touch the baby. Stand up and back away from the bed and maybe I won’t hurt you.” Tina glanced to see Kai still sleeping and hoped to God he wasn’t drugged. “Make one wrong move and I’ll put a bullet in you and throw your sorry body off the deck for the fire ants.”

  Rose stood, tears filling her eyes. “My baby,” she moaned.

  “Wrong. My baby. And I have the stretch marks to prove it.”

  Rose looked confused.

  “Doesn’t matter. Move over to the window by the chair.” Tina saw a man’s belt in a pair of jeans. “Take the belt out of those jeans, slowly.”

  Rose glanced at the baby, then did as she was told. “Did he send you to kill my baby? Because it’s wrong to take the life of a child.”

  “You crazy woman. I’m taking back my baby.”

  Rose moved towards Kai quickly and Tina fired into the floor. The sound was thunderous and Kai startled. Rose dropped to her knees, covering her ears.

  “Get up or the next one will go into your gut. Move over to the window.”

  Rose did as she was asked and Tina was able to slide Kai to the edge by pulling the blanket with one hand while still holding the gun on Rose. She scooped him up and backed against the wall, motioning for Rose to leave the room. “Take the belt. Let’s go outside, shall we?” All she needed was enough time to get down the path. “Hands on your head Rose.”

  Rose did as she was told, which made Tina almost heady with the power of pointing a gun at someone. “Now walk to the shed.”

  Once there, she ordered Rose to put the belt on the door handle and go inside the shed. “Sit down with your hands on your head.” The shed wasn’t big but it would take Rose a few seconds to get to the door once it was closed. Enough time to quickly pull the belt around the latch and secure the door closed and locked.

  Part way down the path, Tina heard Rose cry out. “My baby!” Then the kicking started and Tina knew it wasn’t long before a crazed woman kicked down that thin, wooden door.

  Tina got almost to the road when she heard Rose coming. Turning, she readied herself, slipping the gun out of her pocket again. When Rose was within thirty feet, Tina switched on her headlamp and pointed it at Rose’s face. “Yeah, that’s what it feels like when someone takes your child.”

  Rose looked unhinged. Her eyes darted to Kai and off the path in to the darkness.

  Anger shot through Tina. “You took my baby, and now I’m taking him back,” she said.

  Rose covered a sob with her hand.

  “You took Wyatt. Then you came into Annie’s house tonight and took Kai. Now, turn your sorry ass around and head back to your mother’s house. And hope that I won’t shoot you right here on the path.” Tina didn’t want to fire the gun, but if it came to that… She held Kai against her chest and shoulder using her left arm, as far away from her right hand as possible, just in case.

  Rose backed up slowly. “You won’t get away with this. The police will come for you,” Rose said this like she was on the side of the law.

  “Back to the house. Now!” Tina said. Kai stirred in her arms, and she hugged him to her trembling body. Soon she’d need that second arm.

  The dogs ran down the path from the house barking at Rose, passing her and continuing on to Tina. Rose turned and started walking. Half way up the path she turned. “I’ll come for my baby, you know.”

  The laugh that escaped Tina’s mouth was unfamiliar to even her. “Okay, Looney Tunes. I’ll be ready,” When she heard the house door close, Tina put the safety back on the gun and tucked it back in her p
ocket, then navigated down the path carefully, listening for footsteps, turning around every twenty feet. Kai stirred in her arms and even opened his eyes, but didn’t fully waken. At the pullout, she didn’t see anyone following.

  Starting down the main road towards Annie and Diego’s house, she saw car lights coming up the road from far away. At first, the headlights were small. They disappeared, then reappeared closer, larger. She continued down the road. Could be Jamey.

  Or Kevin. She kept to the shadows, out of the headlights.

  When the lights got close and the vehicle turned at the driveway up ahead, Tina recognized Annie at the wheel of her truck. Tina aimed her headlamp at the vehicle, hoping that someone in the truck would see the light. The dogs had run ahead and were on the driveway excited to see the truck. Annie stopped for them and Jamey flew out of the vehicle. He saw her and Kai.

  “He’s okay. He’s safe,” she called. When Jamey reached her, she nodded to her pocket. “Gun’s in my pocket. Safety is on.”

  He reached in, his face grave. “It’s hot. Did you kill Rose?”

  Chapter 19

  He wouldn’t put murder past Tina, knowing how much she loved Kai.

  Tina nodded up the mountain. “I left Rose up there at her house. Alive but she’s coming for her baby, she said.” Tina shook her head. “She’s gone off the deep end, Jamey.”

  He tucked the gun in his waistband. “I’ll take care of Rose. Let’s get you two back to the house.” Jamey gently hugged his family. “Thank goodness, you’re both safe.” He took the sleeping baby from his wife and they started walking. An overwhelming feeling of relief swept over him and he had to keep from letting tears take over. His family was safe.