The two of them strolled the rows of booths like any other couple, hands intertwined, and calling one another’s attention to the various vendors. He admired a table of laser-cut bookmarks and scenes. She exclaimed over the knit hats and scarves at another.
“Come on, little lady, try your hand at shooting.” The eager skinny woman behind the counter held out a light rifle, the kind that shot individual BB pellets.
Ordinarily, Ben would have kept walking. He had no interest in the potential prizes, little yarn dolls, seashell jewelry, and carved wooden animals. And, in general, wasting money on a rigged game wasn’t his idea of a good time. But Katie stopped pick up a carved beagle puppy. She petted it with a finger before putting it back down. They’re not exactly professional carnies.
“How much to play?” he asked.
“Three dollars for five shots. Hit three targets, and pick your prize,” the gentleman explained. “I’m Thomas, and this is my wife, Dolores.”
Ben handed over the money.
“Nice to meet you.” Katie picked up a seashell barrette. “Do you make all of these yourselves?”
“Why, yes, we did.” Dolores grinned.
Ben lifted the little rifle, and fired off a shot. It hit the tiny bull’s eye squarely in the center.
“Well done, son. That’s the way to impress a young lady.” Thomas winked.
Ben fired twice more before laying the rifle back on the counter.
Katie grinned, and clapped. Ben took the hair clip, and pinned it into her hair. The large sand dollar and tiny clamshells glowed against her ruddy curls. Winning it satisfied him, but her smile was the real prize.
“Having fun, partner?” Ray’s voice crackled in his ear.
Ben instantly tensed. “Report.”
“Did you know Molly Svenson and John Wilkenson are having a torrid affair? Angela told me.” Ray paused. “But no sign of our unsub.”
“Less chatter,” Orlund snapped. “He’ll be here.”
“Time for the next set, then.” The relaxed glow faded from Katie’s face. She flashed a smile, too quick to be genuine. “I’m okay.”
They resumed their positions in the booth. Ben surveyed the crowd while Katie played silly kids’ songs.
After the third song, Ray sent a terse broadcast. “Orlund incoming.”
Ben easily spotted the FBI agent in the crowd. The attendees were giving him a wide berth.
“We have a possible hit off facial recognition.” Orlund pushed his jacket away from his holstered weapon.
And you opened up a gap in our security measures. Ben studied the crowd, trying to spot the telltale signs.
Katie finished the song, her voice wavering on the last few notes. When she didn’t immediately begin a new one, people walked away.
“Keep playing,” Orlund ordered.
“I need a minute.” Katie put down her guitar, breathing rapidly.
This has gone far enough. “We need to end this.”
“No! He’s close. I know it.” Orlund slashed his hand in an overwhelming negation.
“No. It’s done,” Ben growled. He moved closer to Orlund. If he had to throw Katie over his shoulder, and carry her away, he would do it to prevent this asshole from causing her further pain and stress.
The alarm went off in his pocket.
Chapter 39
As Katie placed her guitar in its case, her new seashell clip pinched her scalp. It was sweet of him to win it for me. Watching him pick off the targets with cool efficiency appealed to her more than she’d expected. She’d never been drawn to guns, or those who wielded them before. Chalk it up to my inner cavewoman. Big strong man with a weapon to keep me safe: check.
Until the hands grabbed her from behind.
Despite her years of training, the attack caught her off guard. Too surprised to scream, she fell backward. The black fabric drapes from the back of the booth swirled around her. A powerful grip was tangled in her hair, dragging her away. Her feet scrabbled for purchase in the dusty grass alley between the line of booths and parked vehicles.
Start acting, not reacting. The first piece of advice her martial arts instructor gave during self-defense lessons.
Taking a deep breath, Katie reached up, and grabbed the heavy hand buried in her hair. He would expect her to try and break the grip. He would be prepared for it. Instead she clamped both her hands tightly on his, making it impossible for him to let go.
Then she rolled her entire body to the left.
Her grip ensured her attacker fell off balance, causing him to stumble, and nearly land on top of her. The hand in her hair relaxed, and she pulled free. Fiery pain ripped through her scalp. Long strands of her hair were still tangled in his fingers, but she was loose.
She rolled, jumping to her feet. The line of booths stretched out in front of her. I only have to make it ten feet. She pushed off to run, and her feet slid out from under her. She crashed hard on the ground.
Before she could get her breath, something heavy landed on her. Massive arms wrapped around her torso, pinning her arms to her side. He lifted her off her feet, and crushed her chest.
She tried to scream, but couldn’t draw enough breath. She kicked, and struggled to no effect. Her captor held on grimly. The parked vehicles rushed toward her. The open doors of a van loomed.
It’s the second location. The one where the chances of survival shrank to nothing. Katie doubled her efforts to break free, but her captor shoved her inside. The doors slammed behind her, sealing her in.
“Help!” She threw herself at the van doors, trying to find a release mechanism.
Her kidnapper crouched behind the front seats. “No one will hear you. I rebuilt this van myself to make sure.”
His voice sounded harsher than the video. A floor to ceiling metal lattice wall stood between him and her. A cage. He put me in a cage. Helplessness threatened to steal her resolve to fight.
“We’ll be underway in a little while.” He smiled like a boy anticipating a treat. “They’ll be watching for someone speeding away.”
“They’ll also be searching for me.” Katie crouched, wondering if she could throw her weight from side to side, and make the van rock.
Her captor pulled a gun from his pocket. “I won’t waste time, and give you a chance to fight back. The darts in this gun are loaded with a powerful tranquilizer. Sit down on the floor with your arms and legs stretched out.”
“You don’t have to do this.” Katie obeyed, moving slowly. For some reason, she’d expected him to be slender, but his limbs were like thick tree trunks. No wonder he could pick me up so easily.
“You broke the rules,” he said quietly, as if it didn’t particularly matter to him.
“I’m sorry.” Her toes found the small lump in her boot. One of the transmitters. They had anticipated the unsub would jam any tracking signal, but the alarm should have sounded.
Katie took another deep breath, and focused her attention on the man climbing into the front seat. I have to make myself remember. His clothes were expensive with designer labels attached to the T-shirt and jeans, but his work boots were worn and battered.
“They took the bait.” He chuckled. “Time for us to be on our way. Don’t take this personally, but I don’t want to be distracted.”
There was a small pfft, like air escaping from a balloon. Then a sting on her neck. Her fingers touched a small metal dart sticking in her skin. Even as she tried to yank it free, her vision grayed, and she slumped forward.
“Don’t worry. We’ll be there before you know it.”
Her kidnapper’s words echoed as she struggled to stay awake. The drug in the dart worked quickly, dragging her into unconsciousness.
I’m sorry, Ben.
~ ~ ~
This was the
nightmare which had haunted every moment since Ben took this case. He stared at the abandoned guitar and empty stool as if Katie could reappear. Except she wouldn’t. Because the Director took her.
Orlund shouted into his radio, issuing orders to the agents throughout the Fair. Ben tried to swallow, but his throat and mouth were too dry. He took her. I stood less than three feet away, and he took her.
“A red Ford pickup took off from the parking lot,” Ray shouted into the radio. He rattled off the license plate. “It nearly ran over a couple of people.”
“Everyone go after it!” Orlund shouted.
People were shouting. Parents grabbed their children. Agents brandished weapons as they ran to the entrance, causing more screams. Chaos descended.
“This is wrong.” Ben didn’t realize he’d spoken out loud until Orlund glared at him.
“If you hadn’t distracted me—”
“No,” Ben repeated, his mind frantically putting together the pieces. “This doesn’t fit. It’s wrong. The Director doesn’t get spotted fleeing from the scene. He’s in and out like a ghost.”
“He made a mistake.” Orlund turned away.
Ben grabbed his arm. The FBI agent struggled to break free.
He hung on. “If you chase after this car, you will lose her. It’s a distraction.”
A gust of wind rushed across the row of booths, and a line of light gaped at the back before the mass of black fabric reunited.
Ben dropped the FBI agent, and grabbed the material. Loose threads marred the otherwise perfect slice along the backdrop. “He took her this way.”
He must have sliced it while we were walking. It would be easy to wait until they were distracted. He was probably listening to our radio communications. Ben knelt, but his tracking skills weren’t refined enough to know which dusty marks were significant. These cars belonged to those running the Fair and booths. This side of the curtains had been deserted since early morning, and the booths themselves blocked the line of sight from the Fair.
“Ben, talk to me.” Ray urged through the radio.
He ignored his partner, scanning for other clues. There was a gap in the line of cars, about twenty feet from their booth. Moving a captive from one location to the other would only take a few seconds. With surprise, it could happen before she could scream. He touched the ground in the center of the gap. The dusty grass was still cool despite the hot sun beating down. Someone had been parked there until very recently.
“Have any other cars left? Aside from the pickup?” Ben demanded.
Ray answered after a brief pause. “A black Volkswagen, and a dark blue panel van.”
“Where did the van go?” Ben started running.
“It’s turning left at the gates right now,” Ray said.
“Katie’s in that van.” Some might call his conclusion a calculated guess, but Ben was certain. He burst out of the fairgrounds, and spotted the silver rental car.
Ray gestured through the open window, shouting. “Get in!”
Ben yanked open the passenger door, and threw himself inside. “Go.”
A second body thudded into the back seat. Orlund glared at them. “Get moving!”
There was no time for surprise or questions. Ray floored the accelerator, launching them into pursuit.
“Get around them.” Ben spotted the van driving sedately down the road. Hang on, Katie. I’m coming.
“On it.” Ray gained rapidly on their target.
His actions must have alerted the driver, who sped up.
Ben’s gun rested heavily in his hands as he leaned out the window. He could shoot out the tires, but the imbalance could cause the van to flip over. If Katie wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, the resulting accident could kill her.
Orlund rattled details into the radio, giving their location, the plate number for the van, and demanding a roadblock.
Except it would be too late by the time they got one set up.
Ray pulled in behind the speeding vehicle as an eighteen wheeler roared past going the other way.
The van rocked on its wheels as it turned, moving too fast. An accident could happen at any moment.
“We have to slow it down.” Ben shouted over the roar of the wind.
Ray steered around the van, their sedan smoothly handling the higher speed. They drew level with the driver. The man’s wiry hands gripped the wheel.
Ben aimed his weapon at him. “Pull over.”
The driver panicked, head swiveling between Ben and the road ahead. His eyes were wide, like a runaway horse’s. The signs of indecision increased. Quivering lip, darting eyes, and a locked jaw.
“Pull over, or I’ll shoot!” Ben shouted again.
His words didn’t have the desired effect. The man’s mouth tightened. As if he’d decided to die rather than surrender.
Their sedan slammed into the side of the van, forcing it onto the shoulder. It bounced heavily over the sparse vegetation, slowing.
Ray followed, taking them off road. Ben calculated relative speeds, and fired at the tires. His shots shredded the rubber. The near side of the van dropped, and scraped along the ground. He held his breath. The van swayed, but stayed upright as it skidded to a complete stop.
Their own car was still moving when he leapt out, running toward the other vehicle. The driver cursed, struggling to get out of his seatbelt. Ben smashed the driver’s side window with the butt of his revolver.
“Hands where I can see them.” He pointed the weapon directly at the driver.
The man complied, nearly whimpering in fear. “I didn’t do nothing.”
Pounding footsteps announced Orlund and Ray’s arrival.
“Keep an eye on him.” Ben ran to the back, yanking open the cargo doors. His heart stopped when he saw what was inside.
Katie lay on the van’s floor, her limp hands and arms splayed on the dark carpet. The wind ruffled her titian hair, but her face stayed slack under the dancing strands.
“No.” The syllable tore out of him, weak and disbelieving. “No.”
I was too late. He’d failed, and she’d paid the price. He couldn’t tear his eyes from her, desperately searching for the flutter of an eyelash or a shallow breath. Please, don’t take her away from me now.
His gun dropped out of his hand as he climbed into the van. He cupped her face in his hands.
The warmth of her skin brought tears of relief to his eyes. Still alive, but unconscious. He cradled her in his arms, kissing her hair as the tears flowed down his cheeks.
“Come on, Katie. Open your eyes. Come back to me,” he begged, holding her close.
“Ben?” Ray’s cautious interruption barely registered.
She moaned softly, but didn’t wake.
“We need an ambulance,” Ben ordered, not taking his eyes off of her.
“Okay. We can—”
A gunshot cut off Ray’s answer. Ben covered Katie’s body with his own.
A second shot cracked through the air.
“All clear,” Orlund said, satisfaction saturating the two words.
“What the hell did you do?” Ray demanded, disappearing around the van.
“He tried to escape. I shot him to protect my life, and my fellow officers’ lives.”
Ben dismissed Orlund’s matter of fact report, concentrating on Katie. Come on, open up those beautiful eyes, and tell me I’ve been a jerk, that I don’t listen, whatever you want to say. He couldn’t stop stroking her hair as they lay together, waiting for help to arrive.
Chapter 40
Cool sheets pinned Katie’s legs, and a soft recurring beep chimed in the distance. Her tongue tasted like the aftermath of a night in drunken debauchery. Her limbs were strangely heavy, reluctant to move. Slowly she became aware that her eye
s were closed, and she was lying down. Her brain struggled to put together even the most basic details.
He shot me with a dart. The memory stood out in vivid clarity, which explained her mental and physical sluggishness. Where am I now? The stiff sheets over a rubber mattress seemed like a hospital bed. Am I safe?
She forced her leaden eyelids to part. Bright light stung and strobed as her eyes fluttered. Blurry pale shapes swam in and out of focus. Protective instinct tried to slam her eyes closed, but she kept on blinking as her vision slowly adjusted and cleared.
Reassuringly, sunlight shone through a large window to her left. The Director wouldn’t leave me where people could see in. The walls were a pale green, the paint peeling in a few scattered patches. Monitors and medical equipment in sleek white plastic cases filled the space to her left.
Okay, what’s to the right? It required most of her strength to roll her head to the other side, but the effort was worth it.
Ben sat beside the bed, one arm resting on the mattress, and pillowing his head. The other hand loosely held hers as he slept. Even in sleep, his face remained pinched with worry and concern.
Her body seemed to be catching on to the idea of consciousness. Her fingers flexed under Ben’s.
He immediately opened his eyes, and sat up. When he saw her looking back at him, his entire face relaxed into a relieved smile. “Hey.”
“Hey.” Her voice didn’t sound right, all cracked and hoarse.
“Welcome back.”
He poured her a glass of water and helped her to sip it slowly. She glanced at the window again. The light didn’t look right for afternoon. “How long . . .”
“It’s Monday morning. The doctors say the drugs will flush out of your system soon, and you’re going to be okay.” He brought her hand to his lips, and pressed a soft kiss to the back.
Even with everything she’d been through, the touch of his lips on her skin triggered a rush of arousal. Unfortunately, the spark of energy also revived more memories. She struggled to sit up. “What happened with the Director?”
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