Amish Country Kidnapping

by Mary Alford

  “This could be our guys,” Aden said. “But we can’t afford a showdown with Rachel here and Noah still not a hundred percent.”

  Noah gave Janine their location. “We need immediate backup.”

  “Megan’s heading your way now. Hang back until she can intercept the vehicle.”

  “Will do,” Noah said as the patrol vehicle edged around the curve in the road. They’d barely cleared it when Aden braked hard. The car had stopped sideways in the road. “Back up,” Noah shouted. Aden shoved the patrol vehicle into Reverse. With his eyes glued on the road behind them he whipped the car around.

  Rachel lurched forward in her seat, the safety restraint locking hard. She braced herself against the door as the patrol vehicle flew into Drive and headed back the way they’d come.

  “What’s happening?” Janine’s frantic voice echoed inside the vehicle.

  Noah had just begun to explain when another vehicle appeared out of nowhere and headed straight for them. The driver whipped the car sideways in the road, exactly like the other car. Aden stopped fast. They were pinned in. “We’re trapped. We need help now, Janine.”

  “Walker’s on his way there. Hang on, guys.”

  Two men in the car in front of them got out through the passenger side. They were putting the vehicle between them for protection.

  “They’re armed,” Aden said as a barrel flashed over the top of the car.

  “Stay low,” Noah urged Rachel and glanced behind them. The other car eased closer. The two men inside followed the example of their cohorts and slipped from the vehicle and into position.

  “They’re going to attack. Our backup won’t make it in time,” Aden said as he eyed the car in front of them.

  “Noah...” Rachel’s voice was filled with emotion and he tried to reassure her.

  “It’s going to be okay. We just have to hold them off for a little while longer.” Noah turned to Aden and pointed behind them. “I’ll take these guys if you can handle the ones in front of us.”

  “I’ve got them. What say we try to shake them out of their comfort zone?”

  “On three.” Noah eased onto the back seat and counted off. Before he got to three, the men behind them opened fire. The back window shattered. Noah covered Rachel to keep her protected from flying glass. Shards embedded in his hair. Nicked his face. One of the shooters took out the back tires.

  Noah waited until the shooting stopped before emptying his mag and sending the men ducking for cover.

  “I’m going to take out their tires,” Aden said and fired. Both driver-side tires blew. The two men wouldn’t be getting away.

  With the full mag snapped in place, Noah aimed for the front tire, but the men opened fire, forcing him to duck low.

  In the distance, two sets of sirens could be heard. Megan and Walker were close.

  The two men he’d been shooting at jumped into the car. The driver floored the engine, roared passed them on the side of the road and flew to the car in front. The two stranded men leaped inside.

  “They’re trying to get away,” Noah said and punched the radio on his shoulder. He quickly updated Walker and Megan. They couldn’t let the men escape. If they did, their only lead in finding Eva would disappear. That couldn’t happen.

  One of the men hung out the window and shot at the cruiser, striking its radiator and rendering them dead in the water. The car sped down the road and out of sight.

  Behind them, flashing lights gained on them. Megan flew past them in pursuit while Walker pulled up and got out.

  “Everyone okay?” Walker asked.

  Noah got out and opened Rachel’s door. She stumbled and he clasped her arm. “You’re okay,” he whispered against her ear. “I promise you’re okay.”

  * * *

  Rachel pulled in a shaky breath and pushed at his chest. When Noah let her go, she turned away. The action seemed to confirm the truth. No matter how much he loved her, the time had passed for them.

  “Let’s get you back to the station,” he said, unable to disguise his hurt. Rachel slid into the back seat of Walker’s car and Noah got in beside her, while Aden took the front seat.

  As Walker eased the vehicle toward the station, Noah didn’t want to worry Rachel further, but he hoped Miller’s stepson could provide them with answers because right now, they had very little to go on and time was running out.

  His phone rang again. Megan. “There’s no sign of the car. I’ll check the side roads and see if can find them.”

  “Copy that,” Noah responded, knowing that the likelihood was slim.

  Throughout the drive to the station, Noah was on edge. The attacks were increasing. These men were more determined than ever. What were they after? They’d torn apart Rachel’s home looking for something. He had a feeling whatever they’d been searching for wasn’t there.

  Janine met them at the door of the station. “Sheriff Solomon from Alamosa is on the line. He has Rachel’s mother with him.”

  Rachel reached for his hand. He couldn’t imagine how difficult it would be for Rachel to tell her mother about Eva.

  “Let’s take it in the conference room,” Noah said, and together they went to the room. He picked up the phone. “Sheriff Solomon, I have Rachel Albrecht here for Beth.” He handed the phone to Rachel and started to leave.

  “No. Please stay,” she said, her eyes pleading.

  Noah sat beside her and listened as she explained to Beth about Eva’s disappearance.

  “I’m sorry, Mamm. I know you trusted Eva’s care to me and I let you down.”

  While he couldn’t hear Beth’s response, he knew the woman well enough to be sure she wouldn’t let her daughter take the blame for what happened.

  “Do you remember anything unusual in Eva’s letters? Did she mention seeing a young man?” Rachel listened. Her shoulders slumped. Beth had no idea about the young man.

  Tears spilled from Rachel’s eyes. “No, Mamm, you should stay where you are for now. As soon as Eva is safely home, I will let the sheriff know.” She brushed the back of her hand across her eyes. “I love you, too. And I will see you soon.”

  She hung up the phone and covered her face with her hands and wept.

  Noah hesitated only a second, then gathered her close, holding her while she cried.

  “I’m oke,” she whispered at last. “It was just hard.”

  Noah brushed his thumbs across her cheeks. “Did Beth mention anything unusual about Eva’s letters?”

  Rachel shook her head. “No, she said Eva mostly mentioned things that happened in the classroom.”

  The sinking feeling inside Noah’s gut assured him they were missing something vital. But what?

  Someone opened the door and Noah turned. Janine entered the room with Walker and another man. Peter Hargrave. Noah wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but Hargrave was a clean-cut young man who didn’t quite fit the part of someone who managed roughnecks.

  “Do you mind staying with Janine while we interview this man?” he asked Rachel softly.

  “Not at all.” She rose and followed Janine out of the room. Noah watched her go, acutely aware of the number of hours that had passed since Eva went missing.

  Please, God, help us find Eva soon.

  “Noah, this is Peter Hargrave.” Walker introduced him to the man.

  “Nice to meet you, Deputy Warren.” Hargrave extended his hand. Noah rose and shook it.

  “Why don’t you have a seat, Mr. Hargrave? Can I get you anything? Coffee?” Walker asked, but the young man shook his head. Pulling out a chair, he sat.

  “What’s this about, Sheriff?” he asked, curiosity in his eyes.

  Noah moved to the end of the table where he could watch Hargrave’s reactions.

  Walker lowered his frame to the edge of the table. “I have some bad news,” he said and paused
for a moment.

  Hargrave glanced from Walker to Noah. “What is it?”

  “It’s your stepfather. I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but he’s dead.” Walker delivered the news with as much tact as possible, then he sat back and watched Hargrave’s expression, as did Noah.

  The man’s eyes widened in disbelief. “I beg your pardon?” his voice was barely audible. So far, all the correct reactions.

  “Your stepfather’s car slid off the Lake Koocanusa Bridge. I’m afraid he’s dead.”

  Hargrave appeared to struggle to take it in. “But that’s not possible. I spoke with him last week. He was heading up to the high country to hunt elk like he does every year around this time.”

  “What day was that, exactly?” Noah asked.

  Hargrave thought about it for a second. “Last Monday. He had the car packed for the trip. He wasn’t planning to go home to Billings, but driving straight to his hunting cabin instead.”

  “And that’s the last time anyone heard from him?” Walker asked.

  Hargrave glanced from Noah to the sheriff. “As far as I know. Is there something else you haven’t mentioned?” he asked, guessing the truth.

  Walker hesitated briefly. “I’m afraid there is. I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Mr. Hargrave, but it appears someone murdered your stepfather.”

  The younger man stared at him as if he hadn’t heard him correctly. “Murdered? But that’s impossible. My stepfather doesn’t have an enemy around. Everyone loves him.” Tears formed in the man’s eyes. He certainly appeared genuinely upset.

  “We’re still investigating. At this point, we’ll have a dive team go into the lake to see if we can retrieve the car.” Walker stopped for a second before asking the necessary question. “You’ll understand that I need you to account for your time starting with that Monday.”

  The younger man wiped his eyes and slowly nodded. “Of course. I was where I always am. At the rig. Allan gave the rig to me to run, and it’s my baby. You can ask the men who work for me. I’m rarely ever gone. I have a camper on site. It’s where I stay.”

  Walker gave a curt nod. “I appreciate your cooperation. Can you think of anyone who might wish to harm your stepfather?”

  Hargrave didn’t hesitate. “No, everyone loves him. I can’t imagine who would do this.”

  Walker’s gaze connected with Noah’s and Noah could almost read what he was thinking. Someone had wanted Miller dead enough to accomplish it.

  “As soon as we have any news, I’ll let you know,” Walker told Hargrave.

  “Thank you.” Hargrave stared at the table. “Can you tell me when I can see my dad? I want to make sure he has a proper funeral. I’m the only family he has.”

  Walker took out a piece of paper and wrote down a number. “Call this number. The coroner will let you know when he can release the body.” Walker held out his hand, and Hargrave shook it. “Again, I am sorry for your loss.”

  “Thank you.” Hargrave nodded to Noah. “If I can help you with the investigation in any way, please let me know. I want to find the monster who did this to my dad.”

  Hargrave stood and headed for the door when Noah thought of something else.

  “Just a second,” he said and Hargrave turned back. “Are your mother and Miller still married?” From the way Hargrave talked, it was just him and Miller.

  The young man rubbed a hand across his eyes. “No, they’re not. They divorced when I was fourteen. I chose to stay with Allan.”

  “Does your mother live in Billings?” Noah asked.

  Hargrave shook his head. “No, she moved to Wyoming to be close to friends. That’s where she grew up.” Hargrave shrugged and headed out the door.

  “I’ll walk you out,” Noah said and fell into step beside him. As they drew near the dispatch station, Noah noticed Rachel sitting beside Janine. He stopped and asked her how she was feeling because he wanted to see her reaction to Hargrave.

  “I’m fine.” She glanced at Hargrave briefly, but didn’t appear to recognize him. Noah needed to be sure. She’d been distraught before and might not have gotten a good look at him.

  Noah shifted his attention to the younger man, who had a polite smile on his face, but he didn’t show any undue reaction to Rachel.

  On an impulse, Noah led Hargrave past the holding cell where George Mason was confined. Mason wore the same glare on his face that he used for everyone who walked by. Hargrave never spared him a single glance.

  Holding back his frustration, Noah led the way to the front door and held it open. “Thank you again for coming in, Mr. Hargrave. As soon as we know anything at all, we’ll be in touch.”

  “I appreciate it. Please find out who did this, Deputy Warren. Allan was a good man, and I owe him my life. He was the one person who was there for me growing up. He deserves better.” Hargrave swiped his hand across his eyes and headed out into the wintry day.

  Noah waited until the man climbed into his pickup truck before stopping by the dispatch station to let Rachel know he would return in a minute. Then he headed to the conference room.

  “He seemed genuinely upset by the news of his stepfather’s death,” Noah said, pacing the room.

  Walker agreed. “He did. I’ll have Aden check out his story, but I think we have to keep looking. Let’s check into people who were fired by Miller, whether at the rig here or one of his other locations. Maybe someone had a grudge against Miller that got out of control.”

  It was possible, but Noah couldn’t understand how a grudge against Miller was tied into what was happening to Eva and Rachel. The connection was there. They just had to figure it out before it was too late.

  TWENTY-TWO

  So far, each new clue they’d uncovered had ended in a dead end and left them no closer to finding Eva than the first day she disappeared.

  “I know you’re supposed to go into work at the bulk foods store tomorrow, but in light of what happened today, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  Neither did she, but she didn’t want Esther to have to make the trip in such weather conditions.

  “I realize this is not the best time, but Esther depends on me. She has no one else.”

  The battle raging inside him became clear. Rachel would be exposed at the store. Vulnerable.

  “I won’t let her down, Noah.” She stood her ground.

  He stared into her eyes for the longest time before sighing. “All right, but I’ll want Cole and Ryan there with us at all times. And if the weather continues like this, we won’t stay long.”

  She smiled up at him. “Denki, Noah.” He’d risked so much already to protect her. Gott, please shield us.

  Noah touched her cheek and she closed her eyes. Every time she was near him, what she wanted and what was possible warred with each other.

  “Rachel...” She shivered at the husky sound of her name coming from his lips. She opened her eyes. Noah stepped closer. The longing in his eyes matched that in her heart. With a breathless sigh, he kissed her gently. A sigh escaped as she kissed him back because she still cared for him. His touch was familiar. Warm. Filled with promises that could never be.

  With a sob, she ended the kiss and stepped back. His hand fell to his side. The hurt on his face was hard to take.

  She covered her lips with her hand. She could still feel his touch there.

  “I’m sorry,” he murmured. Her heart broke at his apology.

  Drawing in a much-needed breath, Rachel struggled for solid ground.

  The strained silence between them hurt. She tried to think of something to say fill the void when all she could think about was how much she wanted him to kiss her again.

  “Did Mr. Miller’s stepson offer any hint of who did this to him?” she asked, her voice strained.

  Noah cleared his throat without looking at her. “Not really. We’re checking to s
ee if someone Miller fired might hold a grudge against him. Walker called the local PD in Billings. They’re going to Miller’s home today.” He looked at his watch. “I’ll see if I can arrange to have food delivered,” he said and left the room.

  Rachel struggled to keep back tears. It hurt terribly to think there would never be a future for them. Those two young people who fell in love all those years ago would once again be separated by circumstances they couldn’t control. Only this time it was final.

  * * *

  From Cole’s position at the rear of the store, he could see anyone coming and going in that direction. Ryan, stationed past the phone shanty, had a clear view of the front of the bulk foods store. Still, that little niggling of unease in Noah’s head wouldn’t let him relax.

  No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get the kiss out of his head. He’d given in to a moment of weakness, but she’d kissed him back. Responded to his touch, yet when it ended, they were like a couple of strangers with each other. He didn’t know what to say to her. He loved Rachel with all his heart, and because of that, he’d keep his distance. Leave her alone. She deserved happiness in her life and she wouldn’t find it with him.

  Though the weather had cleared, so far the store had experienced very little foot traffic.

  Shoving aside his heartache, he asked, “Is it normally this slow?” Noah shifted from the window where he’d been staring out at the empty street for some time.

  She glanced up from her paperwork. “Sometimes. It depends on the need.” For the first time since they’d left the station, she actually smiled at him, a quizzical expression on her pretty face. It took him to the past. He’d always loved the way she looked at him as if she wasn’t quite sure what to make of him at times.

  He’d made a foolish mistake earlier. Let things become too personal between them. Saving Eva and protecting Rachel required a clear head. Thinking about impossible things was a distraction he couldn’t afford.

  Noah went to where she worked. “I hate not knowing what’s coming next.”

  She poured a cup of coffee and handed it to him. “It is hard. I wish I could think of something useful. Some explanation why this is happening.” She shook her head. “But I don’t understand any of it, and I just want Eva home.”