By Showboat
Molly Kramer stared out the window of the car, working hard at keeping the bored expression on her face. At fifteen, she was much too grown up to show the excitement she felt. Long, slender fingers twirled a lock of straight blonde hair.
Beth Chapman, co-adventurer and best friend, sat on the middle seat beside Molly, absently plucking at the hem of her pink shorts and tapping her foot. Gray-blue eyes wide with anticipation, she nudged Molly and nodded at a billboard of Shamu jumping high out of the water. They giggled under their breath.
As befitting his inferior age, sex and status, Danny Kramer bounced around the back of the SUV, pointing at signs and giving a running commentary on what he planned to do once they got inside the park.
"First off, I wanna see Shamu. Last time the place was so packed I couldn't see everything. That's why I'm glad we're here early, Mom. Then the polar bears, y'know. They're the coolest and since they're right next to the penguins, I plan to spend lots of time hanging out there." He patted his pocket. "I brought my camera, too."
As he paused to catch his breath, Molly turned around and glared at her brother. "Where's your off switch? You're babbling like an idiot." She crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue.
Face as straight as a poker, Beth said, "But then again, Danny can't help it, can you?"
"Bite me, dog face," he replied, undaunted. "Sea World is my fave of all the parks, Dad. Even better than Disneyland. I like the animals better than the rides, don't you? I mean, when you think of it, you get both...."
Molly and Beth climbed out of the car, grinning in anticipation. They walked to the admission booth, joined the short line, bought their tickets and entered the park.
Dave Kramer turned to the girls, eyebrows up, prepared with the usual speech.
"Check your cell phones for service." They did so, nodding at him in agreement. "Molly and Beth, you know the drill. Stay together at all times, especially in the restrooms. Buddy system, right? I wish you'd stay with us ..." he cast a quick glance at his son, "but I know you prefer to be alone. We'll have our first meet-up at the dolphin display in two hours. Ten o'clock sharp."
"We'll be there, Dad. See ya later."
Molly breathed a sigh of relief as they walked away from her family. "That kid makes me crazy."
"He makes me glad to be an only child." Beth chuckled as she unzipped her fanny pack and withdrew some money. "I'm starved. I didn't get breakfast this morning."
"I guess this isn't the time to think about diet. I'm gonna get an ice cream waffle."
"Me, too. Chocolate."
Laughing, they got in line, indulging themselves in their favorite pastime - people watching. Molly saw him first.
"Oh, man, look at that guy over there ... the one with the dark wavy hair. Man, what a hottie, huh?"
Beth nodded, chewing on the crispy waffle. She raised a finger, swallowed and said, "Very hot." She studied him a bit longer and nodded. "I think it's really important that a guy look sexy, don't you? I hate that boy next door, squeaky clean look."
"He's got a great ass, that's for sure."
"Definitely a bad boy."
"Uh huh."
By ten o'clock the lines had lengthened as park patrons laughed and cheered and ate and drank. Dave saw the girls first and waved his arms to get their attention.
Beth nudged Molly and nodded. "Parent alert." They picked up speed, weaving in and out of the crowd.
"So, what did you do first?" Susan Kramer grinned at her daughter. "I bet I know ... ice cream waffle, right?"
The girls laughed, nodding in agreement.
"That's just what you needed, bubble butt," Danny said, grinning at Beth and gazing pointedly at her derriere.
She stared at him with wintery blue eyes, refusing to pick up the gauntlet.
Dave's face turned bright red and scowls furrowed his brow. "What kind of talk is that? Knock it off, Danny. Did you leave your manners at home?" Dave pursed his lips and continued to frown at his son.
"He talks to me like that at home, too." Beth continued to stare at Danny.
"He has no manners to leave." Molly shot an uneasy glance at her Dad, then, not wanting to start a discussion of Danny's good and bad points. "So, what did you guys do? Have you seen the climbing wall over at the arcade? I'm going to give it a try."
"Whoa, that sounds like fun," Danny said, easily diverted. "I did that the last time. It's a ball." He turned toward Beth, opened his mouth as though to speak and then closed it.
Dave nodded at the girls. "We're going over to Shipwreck Cafe for lunch. I already made reservations for twelve-thirty. If you're a little early, have them show you to the table. Be good and we'll see you in a couple of hours."
Molly glanced at Beth and shrugged. "I know it's crazy, but I think Danny has the hots for you."
"Gee, ya think? What was your first clue? I could drop kick that little sucker. You never noticed how he looks at me?"
"At first I thought it was funny, actually, but that last remark he made was too much. I swear, I thought Dad would bust a gut. Actually, Danny's lucky he isn't into making a scene in public. And Mom? I mean, it's like she's on another planet or something."
They got in the rock climbing line and glanced around the park as they inched forward.
"There's that guy again, remember? The one with the dark hair? He's so cool." Beth prodded Molly with her elbow as she smiled at the young man. "He's staring at me."
"How old do you think he is?"
"I don't know, seventeen, maybe eighteen? Ya think?"
"Yeah, about that, I guess. Oh my God, he's walking over. Are you gonna talk...." Her voice rose to a squeak.
He stopped at an empty bench about thirty feet from them, sat down and sipped on his soda. From time to time he'd glance at Beth, then away, watching the crowd.
It was finally their turn. The exhibit manager beckoned Molly forward and hitched her into the safety harness. He started to explain how everything worked, but after her quick assurance and his acceptance that she'd done this dozens of times before and knew the drill, he nodded and told her to have fun.
He turned to Beth, helping her adjust the harness. "You, too?"
She grinned. "I'm experienced."
"I bet you are. Have fun."
Being seasoned climbers, they scaled the wall like little spider monkeys and then rappelled down even faster. They got in six climbs before the manager waved them down.
"You gals really are good," he said, helping Molly out of the harness. He moved over to Beth, smiling wide. "Come back later when the crowds are thinned out and I'll let you go for a long run."
"Sweet!" the girls said in unison. "We'll be watching."
By Showboat
* * *
He watched the girls scale the wall, long golden legs reaching for the incuts and bulges that offered support; slender but muscular arms gripped the handholds. He rose from the bench, a casual expression on his face, and followed the girls to the next exhibit.
They stopped at the polar bear area and worked their way toward the front of the crowd. He followed close behind and stopped next to Beth. It took her several moments before she realized he was there.
"Oh," she said, gazing into his dark, deep-set eyes.
"Hi," he said with a smile. "I'm Sam Hudson. What's your name?"
"Hi. I'm Beth Chapman and this is my friend, Molly Kramer."
He leaned forward and grinned at Molly. "Is this your first time at the park?"
"No," they replied slowly. "How about you?"
"I'm a first timer. Just moved down here, actually. I start college in the fall."
"Oh, where do you go?" Molly asked.
"Ah, USD. Man, I'm hungry. I could use a burger or something. You want to join me? My treat."
"Sorry, we can't," Molly said. "We're meeting my parents at the Shipwreck in ten minutes."
"I bet you'd have more fun with me."
Beth chuckled. "There's no doubt about that."
"My father would not be amused."
Sam hesitated a moment, then shrugged his shoulders. "Well, you have a nice lunch. I'm sure we'll bump into each other again." He waved at them then turned and walked away.
The girls began the walk to the restaurant, deep in thought.
Molly turned to Beth and shook her head. "What did you make of Sam?"
"He's even hotter close up." She grinned at Molly and shrugged. "Great bod and really neat muscles. I like muchly."
"Well, that's true, but he's a lot older than we first thought. I bet he's at least twenty-five."
"Nah, I bet he's only, like, twenty. He's just starting college, so how old is that?"
"You can start college at any age, and I guess maybe twenty ... but he just looked older, seemed older."
They walked along in silence. Finally Molly said, "I don't think I like him."
"Why?" Beth asked. "He seemed very nice and friendly. Besides, it doesn't matter. We'll probably never see him again."
They approached the host at the restaurant and Molly gave her name for the reservation.
"Please follow me." He led them to a large round table set for five, handed them menus and left.
Beth turned toward Molly. "Why don't you like Sam? Is it one of your famous feelings?"
Molly grimaced. "Well, kinda. He's, I don't know, I think it's like he's lying or something and I still think he's too old to be interested in us, don't you?"
"Do you think he's interested? Like how?"
"I suppose he might have just bumped into us, but maybe he followed us, picked us out of the crowd. Maybe?"
"Oh, Molly. You make it sound creepy. He's new in town and just wanted to make friends, even just for the day."
"A guy his age would consider us kids. I wonder what Dad will say?"
"You've gotta be kidding? Don't tell him. You tell him and we'll have to stay with them ... with Danny the Pre-teen Pervert. Don't spoil...."
Danny started talking to them halfway across the dining room. Beth turned and stared pointedly out the window, refusing to acknowledge him.
"I got to ride the roller coaster twice. Man is that a charge." He made exaggerated motions with his hands as he collapsed in the chair next to Beth. "I went down all the hills with my hands up. It was cool. So fun. Did you do that ride yet?"
Beth ignored him and continued to stare out the window at the throngs of people walking around. She blinked when she realized that Sam had caught her eye. He beckoned to her, smiling. She blinked again, but he was still there, waving.
She glanced at Molly, who gave her lunch order to the waitress.
"I'll have the hamburger platter, please." Beth handed the menu off and glanced back out the window. Sam stood no more than ten feet away, still motioning.
Beth rose from her chair and picked up her purse. "I have to go to the ladies. I'll be back in a minute."
"You want company?" Molly asked.
"Nah, I'll be fine here."
Molly continued chatting with her parents about the exhibits they'd enjoyed and the climbing wall. A good fifteen minutes passed before the waitress arrived with their meals, and Beth had not yet returned from the restroom.
"That must be some line," Dave said, concern narrowing his eyes. He turned around in his chair and summoned the waitress. "I'm just curious, is there a particularly long line to get into the restrooms? Our friend seems to be gone a long time."
"No sir, there's no line at all."
Dave drew a deep breath and thanked her. "Susan, you and Molly check the restroom, would you? I'll stay here with Danny."
Danny leaned toward his father, a worried look on his face. "It's really strange, Dad. I don't know if you noticed, but Beth kept looking out the window, remember? At first I thought she was still mad at me, but then I saw her staring at this guy. Maybe she went out to see him."
Susan hurried back across the dining room floor, Molly close behind. "She's not in the restroom, Dave. I checked to see if she'd wandered into the gift shop, but no one remembered seeing her. What should we do?"
"First of all, sit down and let's get finished with lunch." He turned to Molly and shook his head. "Do you have any idea where Beth is? Danny says he saw her staring at some guy outside the window. You know anything about that?"
"We met a guy named Sam Hudson. We got to chatting while we stood in line for a ride. He was very friendly, nice. He invited us for lunch but we said no."
"What did he look like?"
"Real cute, dark wavy hair, dark eyes. He had a good build."
"How old?"
"Well, I thought maybe twenty-five. Beth figured more like twenty."
"What the heck does a guy that old want with kids?" Danny glanced from his dad to his mom. "That's weird."
Dave and Susan locked eyes. "She's only been gone half an hour, I mean, what do we say? And yet, the more time that passes...." She glanced at the kids from under her lashes. "What should we do?"
Dave shook his head and turned to Molly. "Do you think she went to see Sam? Is it possible?"
"I guess so, Dad. I don't know why, but I guess she could have."
"Would she get into a car with him?"
Molly's jaw went slack and her eyes dilated. "No, of course not. I ... Daddy, I think you better call the park police."
Dave nodded at Molly and raised a hand for the waitress. "I need to get in touch with park security. Can you tell me how to do that?"
She reached into the pocket of her apron and plucked a red card from the stack and handed it to Dave. "There's the number as well as the number for the local police, should you need them. The security headquarters is just up the lane from here. Go out the front door, make a left and go three, maybe four doors down."
Dave paid the cashier while Danny and Molly waited outside with Susan.
"Wow, this doesn't look good, does it?" Danny said, gazing around at the throngs of people. "You could get lost real easy."
"I am so furious with her ... scaring us to death. Wait until...." She swallowed convulsively and cleared her throat. "My God! What's wrong with me? I'll call her."
The cell rang and rang and finally, voice mail. "Beth, where the heck are you? Are you all right? Give me a call right now. Dad's all freaked out and we're going to the park police to report you missing. This isn't funny and I'm so scared for you. Dad's getting ready to call your parents and they're going to flip out. And why aren't you answering your phone?"
By Showboat
They sat across the table from the Park Security Chief, a large, balding man in his early fifties. He looked up from time to time as they gave their statements.
"I called her on her cell phone, but it went to voice mail." Molly's lower lip trembled. "She has to know we're worried to death about her. Beth would never do that, just turn her phone off and ignore us. Never."
Dave nodded in agreement. "Beth is a very responsible girl. She knows she's supposed to keep the phone on at all times. Something must have happened. Should we call the police?"
"We already did. They should be here shortly."
As though on cue, two patrol officers walked into the room. Identifying themselves as Gomez and Bryant, they nodded at the Kramer family.
Officer Gomez glanced at the adults, then settled on Molly. "Did you see anyone suspicious watching her, following her?"
She nodded, telling him what little she knew about Sam Hudson and his offer to buy them lunch, an offer they turned down.
Danny leaned forward, looking for a moment to break in. "I saw some guy standing outside the window. He kept motioning for her to come out." Danny shrugged. "I think maybe she went out to talk with him. There's no other explanation. Where else would she go?"
"Did you see him close up? Could you identify him in a line-up?"
"You bet I could."
Gomez turned to Dave and Susan. "Did you notify Beth's parents that she's missing?"
"No," Dave said. "We wanted to talk to you first. It's hardly been an hour yet and we hoped, we thought maybe we were jumping the gun, you know?" Face ashen, he turned to the cop in mute appeal. "We did the right thing, didn't we? That child is my responsibility."
"Sounds to me like she made an independent decision, Mr. Kramer. Starting with not telling you she wanted to meet up with this Sam. Do you have a photo of her? We're preparing an Amber Alert and a picture really helps."
Molly fished around in her purse, pulling out her most recent stack of photos. "We took these last month at a party."
One of the cops took the picture and left. Officer Gomez continued questioning them. "Did this guy have a car? Did he talk about himself at all?"
"If he did, we never saw it," Molly said. "All he told us was that he'd just moved to the area and was going to USD in the fall. Other than that, we really didn't talk much. The whole conversation didn't last more than five minutes."
"Did Beth seem anxious to meet him, get to know him?"
"No, not really. She was more curious than anything else. She's very popular, so it isn't like ... she isn't looking, y'know. Beth has her pick of guys."
Molly shrugged, clasping both hands in her lap. "I didn't particularly like him and when I mentioned it, she just sloughed it all off, like, who cares, we'll never see him again anyway."
"Do you believe she went outside to meet Sam? Do you think she's with him now?"
"I can't imagine why, but yes, I do. But only because I don't know where else she might be. It isn't something I'd ever expect her to do, but what is there? Where else would she go?"
Molly's cell went off just then and she jerked it open. Her face grew pale and she stared at her father, shaking her head. "Oh, no, it's Beth's mom. Daddy, you ... I can't, I...."
"I'll talk to her," Dave said, taking the phone. He drew a deep breath. "Oh, Connie, I don't know what to say. Is Rob there with ... good." He paused a moment and closed his eyes; his face flushed to a peculiar shade of purple. "No, it wasn't like that at all. On the contrary, we'd just ordered lunch and she excused herself to go to the restroom. She never came back to the table." More silence and an occasional nod.
Dave pinched the bridge of his nose with thumb and forefinger, visibly shaken. "Yes, Molly said they met this guy and he asked them to lunch. They said no and that was pretty much the end of it, at least as far as Molly knows. He must have followed the girls to the restaurant because Danny saw him too. He noticed that Beth was staring out the window at the guy ... yes, Sam, and he was gesturing at her to come outside. She left shortly after that."
Dave put his hand to his forehead, nodding several times. "Yes, we'll be back as soon as the police release us. I think we've done what we can here. We'll come over to your house before we go home. Hopefully we'll have good news before we even get there."
Officer Gomez gazed at Dave in sympathy, then said to Molly, "We're waiting for the police sketch artist to get here. We need you to put together a picture of this guy. Think of everything you can that's distinguishing, anything folks would notice." He looked up. "Here he is now."
A tall man in his late thirties entered the room, an attache case tucked under one arm, a laptop computer in the other. He introduced himself as Officer Coleman, booted up the computer and began to set out his things.
"Sit next to me so you can both see the picture develop. What color hair and how did he wear it? The eyes, were they little, big, slanted, round? Cheeks, chin, stuff like that. Okay, draw me a word picture and tell me what this guy looks like."
Sam Hudson emerged with such vivid accuracy, Molly gasped. "That's him, sir. Exactly."
The cop tilted the picture toward Danny. "Yep, that's the guy I saw her staring at."
"You've been a big help. This kind of thing gives us such a head start. You did a great job, kids." He worked on the computer another couple of moments then packed up his things, nodded at the officer and headed for the door.
"In another five minutes, this picture along with the photo of Beth will start hitting the Amber Alert signs on every freeway in California and the five surrounding states. Quick work considering she's been gone less than ninety minutes."
The patrol officer started collecting his things as well. "Here's my card. If something comes up, a memory, anything you think might help us find her, give me a call."
"Oh, my God," Molly said, pointing at a poster on the approaching light post.
A picture of Beth with a full description of what she was wearing filled the screen. HAVE YOU SEEN THIS GIRL flashed above the picture. Below flashed the words, MISSING, BELIEVED KIDNAPPED
They exited the park in numb silence, too shaken to speak. Traffic out of the park in the early afternoon presented little challenge.
They accessed the I5, accelerating toward Del Mar. When the signs were not in use, they had an uncanny ability to just about disappear. When in use, the huge, flashing signs couldn't be missed.
The sign showed the photo of Beth along with the artist sketch of Sam Hudson, while the crawl line gave her physical description, including her clothes.
The end of the crawl flashed black, menacing words: STRANGER ABDUCTION.
Molly burst into tears, burying her face in her hands.
By Showboat
* * *
The guard recognized their car halfway down the block and the country club gate swung open before they hit the entry. Dave waved at the guard, but instead of turning left and heading home, he turned right toward Beth's house.
"Oh, my God," Susan said, staring at Dave. "I don't know if I can do this. She's going to be frantic."
"I know how you feel. Just try not to take anything she says to heart."
Dave pulled into the driveway of a sprawling split-level house. Before they could park, Connie and Rob charged out the front door, faces livid with fear.
Connie ran up to Molly as she climbed out of the car and took her by the shoulders. "What happened? Where is she? How did this happen?"
Molly kept shaking her head as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I don't know, I swear. She said she needed to go to the restroom, but she never came back."
"Don't make it sound like it's all Beth's fault. You must know something, you were involved, too."
"Connie," Rob said, voice trembling as he put his arms around his wife. "She doesn't know anything or she'd already have told the police. You're just ... terribly...." He pulled her head to his shoulder as she started to cry again.
He turned tortured eyes to Dave and shook his head. "Let's go in the house before the neighbors come out. I can't deal with that right now."
Rob led the way to the family room, indicating seats. "Dave, do you know what this is about? Did you see the guy? Is there a chance that he kidnapped her, might be holding her for ransom?"
"I have no idea, Rob. The cops never mentioned that to us. Besides, that would be a hit-or-miss proposition in a crowd that size. He was a stranger to them, so how could he know whether, I mean, they had shorts and tee shirts on. How could a stranger know whether she came from money or not?"
Rob's jaw went slack a moment and then he shivered. "I guess I'm just snatching at straws. A kidnapper would at least keep her alive, wouldn't he, not hurt her? Oh God, anything but a rapist or a murderer."
Molly cried out and buried her head in her hands. "Noooo. I want to go home." She began to drum her fee on the floor. "I don't want to listen to this ... there's nothing, I ... I couldn't see out the window. Mommy, please take me home."
Her cries escalated, keening sounds that raised the hair on everyone's neck. Susan reached for Molly and took her in her arms.
"There, baby, I'm right here." She looked up, made eye contact with her husband and nodded. "I'm going to take her home, Dave. Give me a buzz when you're ready and I'll come back and get you."
Rob shook his head. "No need to do that. He can take our golf cart home and return it tomorrow. I don't see us using it any time soon."
Susan walked over to Connie and held out her arms. They embraced, crying. "I'm keeping her in my prayers, Connie, you know that. I'll call church and get the ladies to pray, too. Oh, God, I just...." She shook her head several times, swallowed convulsively and sniffed. "Be strong."
Connie fixed her stare on Dave. "I know you weren't there when she met this guy, but do you get a feel for him?"
Dave looked down at his hands, studying his fingernails in a fearful silence. He turned to his son then, staring at the boy, astonished. "I forgot you were here, Danny. Go catch a ride with your mom before she leaves. If they've already left, walk home."
Danny began to protest, correctly read the expression on his father's face and nodded. "No sweat, I can beat them home, even if they already left." He paused a moment and glanced at Beth's parents. "I'm so sorry about, I mean, like this sucks, but the cops will find her; they always do."
Twelve-year-old confidence, reeking with bravado, walked out the door. He made it clear to the end of the driveway before he started to cry.
Adult desperation remained behind, permeating the room. They stared at each other, eyes haggard and full of fear. Rob got slowly to his feet. "I need something to drink. Dave?"
"Anything you've got."
Rob went to the bar and retrieved two ice cold beers from the fridge. "You want something, Connie?"
She shook her head, lifted her wine glass then turned to Dave again. "Do you have any idea who this guy is? Did you get to see him?"
"I'm sorry, Connie, but no, I didn't see him. Evidently he followed the girls to the restaurant and walked around it, hoping to spot them. Maybe he even came inside long enough to see their table placement. I don't know. Molly said they sat there at the table for maybe ten minutes before we arrived."
He took a long swallow of beer, still unable to make eye contact with Connie. He shrugged and made a face. "As luck would have it, they put us in a corner and she sat right next to the window. I guess he saw Beth and got her attention."
Connie sipped her wine, shaking her head slowly back and forth. "This does not sound like Beth. Not at all. She knows better than that in the first place, and besides, she isn't a risk-taker." She slid a glance at Rob. "Beth would never willingly get into a car with a stranger. She just wouldn't. I know that."
They sat silent, digesting her words and the inference they contained. The night got darker.
* * *
The jouncing, bumpy ride ended abruptly. The driver's side door banged shut and she heard keys jingle in the trunk lock. A whoosh of fresh air told her the lid was open. Faking sleep, she lay quiet as he pulled her roughly from the trunk. Her feet hit the ground with a jolt, making her cry out.
"Stand up," he said, giving her arms a vicious jerk. He ripped the duct tape from her mouth, chuckling when she yelled in pain. "You don't have far to walk. We're going to have so much fun."
The thick trees overhead filtered out all but the most tenacious sunbeams. Her eyes darted from side to side, familiarizing herself with what she could see of her surroundings. They'd parked in front of what looked like an old barn. Clumps of scrub brush and other vegetation grew here and there. Mostly the area was barren sand, especially within ten or so feet of the barn.
He unlocked the door, opened it and pushed her ahead of him into the darkness. He flipped a switch and a dim bulb high in the rafters gave off a meager light. "Walk over to the wall and stop."
Beth did as he told her, again scoping out the interior of the barn as best she could, noting furniture, a TV and a rudimentary kitchen. It might have been a barn once; now it was Sam's hideout, his lair. He moved toward her slowly, unlocked the door and shoved it open.
"Welcome home, baby." He pushed her inside, jerked the door shut and pulled the tapestry back in place.
He walked to the sofa and sat with a thump, giggling and rapidly rubbing his hands together.
By Showboat
Beth awoke with a blinding headache that intensified as she drew in deep breaths of gasoline tainted air. The tape over her mouth made breathing difficult, especially since her nose ran. Numb arms tied behind her back pressed up against what had to be a spare tire although she couldn't really feel anything.
Her mind raged around two thoughts as they fought for precedence. First and foremost, she had to get out of the trunk and run away. Second, if she couldn't get away, would he rape her before he killed her?
She banished those thoughts and tried to figure out where she was and how long she'd been there. Well, obviously in the trunk of a car, but whose?
She faded in and out several times, but each time she emerged stronger. Sam. It had to be him ... this must be his car. Fully conscious now, she thought for a moment, trying to remember what she'd been taught to do in situations like this. Tail lights.
Beth inched her body around, her head and shoulders curled so she could reach the tail lights, maybe kick one out. She gave an ineffectual kick, unable to make hard, direct contact with her toe. She had to turn over so she could use her heels and that would mean rolling on her bound hands. Hunching her shoulders and rocking back and forth, she prepared to roll.
Just then, the car stopped.
Beth began to pray. "Oh, God, why did I ever go outside? Why didn't I just ignore him? Oh, God, help me!"
The car started moving again.
Beth sighed at the momentary reprieve and relived the day, the fun she and Molly had climbing the wall, and the first time she'd seen Sam. The decisions that led to this event, the choices she'd made, caused this to happen. She sealed her own fate when she snuck out of the restaurant and no matter what else happened, she had no one to blame but herself.
She had hurried to the front door of the cafe, expecting to see him standing just outside the entrance. Instead, Sam had moved away from the restaurant and now waited across the lane in the shadows of a huge oleander hedge.
Knowing she didn't have much time, Beth rushed through the crowd of people, curious at his obvious urgency and hoping Danny didn't spot her and nark to his folks.
They had talked a moment, then he muttered something, moved close to her and that was the last thing she remembered except for the painful pin prick in her side.
Her knowledge of drugs was limited to movies, TV, and gossip with her friends. She had no personal experience, but it didn't matter; she knew what had happened. She didn't know how or what he gave her, but somehow Sam had drugged her.
Beth came back to the present with a jerk as she felt the road begin to steepen and the turns become tighter, sharper. They were going into the hills. An overwhelming bolt of fear struck her and her bladder let go. She began to cry.
***
Jim Sessions drove into the parking garage beneath the building, inserted his pass card into the gate slot and waited for it to lift. He proceeded to the end of the row, turned the corner and pulled into his assigned slot.
He got out of the Suburban and opened the side door. A magnificent Doberman Pincher stepped down onto the garage floor in what seemed like one fluid movement. The short black coat glowed with health, and even if the muzzle now had a fair sprinkling of gray hairs, the dog remained fearsome to behold.
Tony gazed up at Jim, his stumpy tail wagging.
They walked across the garage together and stepped into the waiting elevator. They rode to the penthouse and as the elevator slowed, Tony began to whine.
"That's getting embarrassing, dude. Besides, you're fixed, you both are. What's with this sudden passion for Amy?"
At the sound of the name of his lady love, the great dog began to stamp his front legs together in a fast, staccato beat, all the while staring at Jim and grinning.
"You need taps on your pads, dude, or maybe a mariachi band," Jim said, chuckling. "I'm tellin' ya, Tony, you're setting yourself up for a fall."
Eyes alight, he inserted his key in the lock as a snicker crept up his throat. "Okay, buddy, here we go."
Jim opened the door and stood back.
On the other side stood a Doberman of equal size, lips lifted in a hideous snarl. The dogs stood for a moment motionless, sizing each other up.
Tony dodged to the left, then the right and hesitated. Clamping his stubby tail to his butt, he curled his haunches under his belly and tore down the hall, Amy hot on his trail. He collapsed in a heap in front of the TV and rolled over on his back.
Amy skidded to a stop and began to stalk him. Quivering, grinning, ready to party, Amy jumped at Tony and delivered a body slam to his ribs.
She hopped to her feet and began to prod Tony with her nose. He lay quiet for a moment, wriggling with delight, then leapt to his feet and sprinted back down the hall. They crashed into the door, a panting mess of happy dogs.
"I still can't figure what the hell started that." Jim bent over and kissed Ella on the lips. "Mmm, actually, well, I think Tony's in love."
"So is Amy, believe it. This playing hard to get is just a role. She watches for him all the time. I think it's cute."
Jim sighed and walked across the room to the bar. "You want anything, El?"
"A glass of merlot sounds good. There's an open bottle. Wait until you try it. Really good. Chef has it on his 'highly recommend' list at the restaurant."
He poured a glass, swirled it, held it up to the light and gave the wine a sip. "Good legs. Mmm, plumy, notes of chocolate and cherries."
"Oh, give it a rest, would you? Chef gives me the same song and dance ... hints of licorice and pepper. Chit, dude, does it taste good or does it not? Bottom line."
"Always business with you." He laughed at her comment, eyes crinkled in delight. "I have the rest of the week free, my love. Free, and all devoted to you. What would you like to do, get married?"
Ella laughed. "Sounds great. Maybe we can fit it in between lunch and cocktail hour." She pushed her lower lip out and pouted. "Nothing I'd rather do, but summer is the prime season for the restaurant and business is booming. I can't leave until maybe October or better, November. Hey, how about if we have a November wedding?"
He nodded enthusiastically and grinned at her. "I hate to wait that long, but I agree with your reasoning. Where?"
Her face assumed a dreamy expression and she sighed. "Oh, maybe a cruise. We could get two weeks if we plan it right."
"Two weeks. Sounds like heaven."
She drew a deep breath and chuckled. "Yeah. Do you think maybe Hawaii? What a ball."
Jim's cell rang, shattering the moment. He opened the cell to an unknown number on display, and shrugged. "Hello, Jim Sessions here."
He listened a moment, nodding several times. "Yes, I know a bit about the case, Mr. Chapman. Have the police heard anything yet?" A bleak expression crossed his face and he sighed. "I'm sorry about that."
Jim hesitated a moment, listening. "Yes, we can do that, Mr. Chapman. Please give me your phone number and I'll call you back shortly."
He closed his cell and glanced at Ella, green eyes cloudy. "That was Rob Chapman, a new client. His daughter, Beth, was the girl kidnapped at Sea World on Saturday. We saw the news alerts, remember? Anyway, the cops are stymied and he wants us to investigate, see if we can come up with something before the case gets too cold. Already three days. Not good."
He opened the cell again and called his partner and fellow private investigator, Lenny Browning.
By Showboat
The door slammed behind her, throwing the room into semi-darkness again. She heard movement in the shadows and froze.
"Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you."
Beth jumped, frantically scanning the gloomy room for the source of the voice.
"I'm over here in the corner." The girl stood up slowly. "Here."
Beth's eyes adjusted to the dimness and made out the figure advancing toward her. "What's your name? My God, why are you naked?" She averted her eyes, embarrassed.
"He took my clothes. My name is Audrey Simms.You?"
"Beth Chapman. How long have you been here?"
"It feels like forever, but it's only been a week or so. Where'd he get you?"
"Sea World, you?"
"Disneyland."
They stood in silence for a moment.
"Is there a bathroom here, water? I wet my pants and I need...."
"Oh, yes, cold water only, but plenty of it. He thought of everything. Over there." She pointed at a door to her left and shrugged, voice dripping with sarcasm. "It's all yours, such as it is."
Beth hurried across the room, acutely aware of the smells emanating from her body. She entered the bathroom and closed the door. In one corner was a crude shower stall equipped with a hose hooked over the top of one side; it looked anything but inviting.
A sink stood between the shower stall and the toilet.
She turned the water on with shaking hands, stripped off her filthy clothes and stepped under the hose. She twisted the nozzle to fine and the chilly spray hit her full in the face. A bar of soap sat in a cup on the shower floor. She scrubbed herself quickly, terrified of being caught in there alone.
The odorless soap sitting in the full cup would provide a bit of soapy water to wash her outfit in.
A quick glance showed her there were no towels. She filled the little sink with water, poured the cup of soapy water in the basin and began scrubbing her clothes. The light cotton would dry quickly, but it was all she had to wear. She rinsed her garments several times, wrung them out as well as she could and put them back on.
Beth opened the door and walked back into the room.
Audrey sat on the side of the bed, staring into space.
Beth sat next to her, trying not to stare at her body. "Why did he take your clothes?"
Audrey pointed at the many camera lenses peeking from the ceiling and the walls. "He watches us. Every night he comes in and makes me do things."
"Oh, my God, he rapes you?"
"No, not yet, but it's coming. I feel it."
"What ... things does he...?" Her voice trailed off as her eyes dilated, taking on a feral, haunted expression.
"How old are you Beth?"
"Fifteen."
"Have you, er, ever...." Audrey chewed on a thumbnail as Beth shook her head. She stared down at her hands and sighed. "You poor kid."
Beth's voice rose. "Why? What ... what's that mean? How old are you?"
"Twenty-three. I look so much younger 'cause I'm little, I guess. I think that disappointed Sam once he realized."
"He told you his name was Sam, too?"
Just then the door burst open, making both girls gasp.
* * *
The empty restaurant hovered in shadows. Four people sat at a booth in the lounge, remnants of pizza crust all that remained of the house special.
Terry Wagner sat next to her boyfriend, Lenny Browning, as he and Jim discussed the Chapman kidnapping and their plans to find the missing teen. From time to time she'd catch a glance from her twin.
"Must be a full moon," Terry said. "It's like all of a sudden, there's an epidemic of these things going around. Do you remember, a week or so ago a girl disappeared from Disneyland and now this one. Puts a new spin on the word amusement park."
Ella nodded. "Boys, too. There was a boy kidnapped from a video arcade down in Old Town a couple of weeks ago. I don't think they ever found him."
"It gets worse every year." Jim pursed his lips in disgust. "Perverts." He hesitated again then turned to Lenny.
"We need a contact in the San Diego force, someone who could help us out. You know anyone from the old days who might be willing to share info?"
"Actually, yes I do. A detective I used to work with transferred down to San Diego. She's very intuitive, sees stuff a lot of people would miss." He opened his brief case, withdrew his card file and flipped through it. "Here she is. Dana Sanderson. We worked together several years ago. She's really good. Let me see if I can get some info."
Lenny dialed a number, connected and made nice for a couple of minutes. He asked several questions then, nodding from time to time, but mostly quiet, listening. "You bet, Dana, and thanks. And if you're ever up in the old 'hood, let me know and we'll do lunch."
He closed the cell and glanced at Jim, pale blue eyes hooded. "It's not good, not at all. They found her fanny pack under the bushes across from the restaurant. Her cell, wallet, everything."
"Shit. I hoped maybe she had it on and we could track her. Anything else?"
"Pretty slim pickens, Jim. A couple confirmed they saw Beth and Sam getting into a car in the parking lot. Unfortunately, they didn't get much of a make on the car, let alone any part of the license plate. One thing about it they both remembered was a clown doll stretched out along the back window. On the ledge, y'know?"
"That's different. You don't see that all the time. No color, make and model, huh; any idea how old?"
"The car was that deep gunmetal gray and the guy figured possibly eight or nine years old, maybe a Honda, but he couldn't be sure."
"Did they mention Beth, how she behaved? Did she give any indication to the couple that she was in trouble?"
Lenny shrugged. "She didn't say or do anything in particular. The woman said she seemed tired, that she leaned against the man like she was drunk or something."
"Well, there's the answer to one question. She didn't leave willingly; he drugged her."
"At least we know what our man looks like. Dana said that the artist sketch of the perp was so accurate that when the couple saw the first poster go up, they went immediately to the security building to tell what they'd seen. They figure they were in the park about half an hour, so the sighting in the parking lot is right in line, time-wise."
"Can they alert the public about the clown? Maybe add that to the Amber Alert?"
"I doubt they'll do that, Terry. It's a vital clue and if it's publicized, he'll just get rid of it. Every cop in the state is looking for a dark gray car with a clown in the back window. All we can do is pray it's not too late."
"Oh, Lenny, how long do you think she has?" Terry's eyes widened as she saw the look on his face.
"Statistically, it's already too late."
By Showboat
The door burst inward and slammed into the wall. Sam stepped inside and turned the key, locking them in. He tucked the key into his pocket and approached Beth.
"Take your clothes off. Give them to me."
She backed away, shaking her head. "No."
He continued to stalk her until her back bumped up against the far wall. "Do it or I'll do it for you."
"No."
Like a lightning bolt, his hand shot out, grabbed the front of her light cotton top and her bra and pulled, ripping it in half with a series of short, vicious jerks. He threw them on the floor. The shorts and panties tore as well. Beth started to shiver as his eyes slid over her body. He turned abruptly and walked toward Audrey.
"Let's go. I got some new movies to watch. We're going to have so much fun."
He unlocked the door, opened it and pushed Audrey into the main room of the barn. He turned to Beth.
"Don't you worry, you can watch and get an idea of what's waiting for you. Don't be jealous, you'll get your turn. Tomorrow we'll play."
Beth heard him lock the door and cried in relief. Stumbling to the bed, she collapsed. A moment later a TV screen, inset into the wall, came on. A couple performed a variety of sexual acts.
Fascinated for a moment, then mortified, she glanced away, dragging a shaking hand through her hair. Porn wasn't new. Her friends had shown her pictures and magazines, but this was the first movie she'd ever seen.
It went on for hours, one movie after another, the violence escalating. She knew what he was doing and turned away from the screen, but there was no getting away from the words, the sounds; Beth began to cry.
* * *
Molly sat alone, thinking about Beth, frantic to do something to find her missing friend. Three days and not a word. Blue eyes, now deep red and swollen from crying, hurt from the constant friction of her fingers wiping, poking, lids scrunched up and squinting.
Consciously making her eyes relax, little white starbursts exploded behind her lids; her lower lip trembled. "I'm going right off the track. I am. I'm losing my frickin' mind."
Tears seemed to be in bountiful supply as they slid down pale, gaunt cheeks with no end in sight. Guilt rode her with a vengeance, mind racing through the endless terrible possibilities of what could be happening to Beth. Her stomach turned over and she retched.
The doorbell rang and the sound of voices in the formerly silent house told her they had company. Molly inched the door open, waiting to hear the conversation. Unable, as yet, to talk to the neighbors, the police were a different story.
Her mother's voice carried up the hall, clear as a bell. "Yes, she's in her room. We'll be right back."
Molly heard footsteps on the floor, opened the door wider and beckoned.
"Who's here, Mom? Is it the police?"
"No, it's two private investigators working for the Chapman's. They came over to talk with you. They're trying to find Beth."
"Let's go, then," Molly said. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be." She grabbed a handful of tissues and followed her mother out the door.
Susan Kramer introduced Molly to Lenny and Jim and indicated they should come into the family room. They gathered at the large round table, settling into comfy club chairs.
Jim leaned toward the girl and smiled. "You and Beth were best friends so you know her real well, huh? Can you tell me what she like?"
"She's wonderful, the best. We're very close; we do everything together."
"What things did you do? Is she brave? Reckless? What do you think she's doing right about now?" Jim listened closely, watching the facial expressions.
"Well, we're pretty active. We're both cheerleaders and we ride our horses all the time, go to shows and stuff. We jump fences, so she's brave, I guess, confident. She's not afraid to go fast, but I wouldn't call her reckless. I figure right about now she's plotting her escape."
"So she's a fighter? She wouldn't just roll over and give up?"
"Beth? Not a chance. She's strong and very smart."
Lenny continued to take notes, although the tape recorder in his pocket would capture every word for later perusal. "Did you talk much with Sam? What did he have to say?"
"Just small talk, really. He said he'd just moved to San Diego and that he'd enrolled in USD for the fall session."
Jim nodded in encouragement. "Relax a moment and think back in your mind. How
about the park? Did he seem to know it, say if he'd been there before? Anything like that?"
"He was new to the area, said this was his first trip to Sea World and that it was his favorite park so far. He'd been to Disneyland the week before and said he planned to visit all the theme parks around San Diego before school started next month."
Jim and Lenny locked eyes. They rose in unison, clicking their briefcases shut.
"Thank you so much, Molly. You were a big help. If something else, anything at all pops up, be sure to give me a buzz." He handed Susan and Molly some business cards. "Keep these on you. You never know ... it's a small world."
"And getting smaller," Jim said. "We'll talk soon."
They climbed into the Suburban and headed back to Hollywood. Lenny pulled his cell out and began to dial.
"Hey, Dana. Yeah," he said, chuckle bleak. "Nothing for years and then twice in a day; I know. Listen, we just talked to Molly Kramer and she told us that our perp plans to visit all the area theme parks before school starts in the fall. Did you know that? I didn't think so. I'm glad I called, then. Yeah, sometimes ya just gotta ask the right questions, I guess."
He nodded several times, silent. "Disneyland. Yep. Last week, he said. Sounds like we're going for a serial kidnapper at the very least. We'll keep you posted if anything comes up on our end. Good hunting."
Lenny closed his cell and glanced at Jim. "I'm glad I called her because they didn't have a clue. Dana will update the different Sheriff's departments involved and everybody is on the lookout for that clown. They're boosting the surveillance on all the area parks, plus alerting Knott's, Magic Mountain and Universal Studios. They all have excellent security teams who know what Sam looks like. They'll be watching right along with the Sheriff. With any kind of luck, they'll nab him when he strikes again, and there's no if about it. When."
Jim nodded several times, slowing down as they approached the freeway exit. "We've finally got our first solid lead. Now I'd like to pinpoint his base and find out where this bastard lives. I figure it's isolated, somewhere quiet where people would not become suspicious at unusual activity ... like screaming or gunshots. Bastard."
"That is a given you can count on, that and one other thing. I bet his base is within fifty miles of here. Guys like this generally like to stay in familiar territory, in case they have to run from the cops."
"I bet you could cut that down to twenty and still be in the ballpark. There are bunches of theme parks in this area to chose from, and since we can't cover them all, I'd say leave that to the cops. They've got the manpower. What I'd like to do is find out more about the clown."
Lenny shrugged. "We need to have a talk with that couple and get a good description of it. If we can find out where he got it, it might give us something more to go on."
"I have their number," Jim said. "Let's get back to town and develop a plan. Maybe we can see a connection, something similar in Sea World and Disneyland, his first and second choices. Actually, the first place I thought of when Molly mentioned him going to all the theme parks was the zoo. I think that's a very likely target; it's certainly a place to start."
"The zoo is a hit for all ages. Considering what he's after, I'd discount Lego Land, even though it's not far away. Mostly little kids there, so it's not particularly attractive to the teens he wants."
"Yeah, that one is unlikely," Jim said, nodding. "The zoo can't be twenty minutes from Sea World, even on a bad day; more like ten. You don't think there's a chance he'd go back there again, do you? He has to know about his picture on the Amber Alerts. You know he watches TV, maybe reads the net for news about himself and what the police are saying. They get off on playing a game, I guess."
"Not likely he'd return. He's well aware of what he's doing, the need for secrecy. He might try to alter his appearance a bit, but not much. A stubbled beard really won't change the look much, nor a haircut. He's unusually good looking, so he'll stand out."
They drove the rest of the trip in silence. Jim pulled into the restaurant parking lot and glanced at his watch.
"I'm thinking we need to get the girls to give us a hand on this. What say we get a couple of rooms down in the general area so we don't have to spend half the day going up and down the freeway?"
"Sounds like a plan to me. Let's see if we can sell it." They got out of the Suburban and entered the back door of the restaurant, Tony at heel.
By Showboat
Ella sat behind the desk in her office, going over the lunch receipts, preparing the deposit, and making out the cash drawers. She no longer played an integral part in the daily operation of the restaurant, limiting herself to taking care of the books and reassuring Chef through his frequent predictions of impending doom.
With the hiring of Kelly Adams, Food and Beverage Director, Extraordinaire, and Barry Walker, the drop-dead gorgeous, mouth-watering new host, her only responsibility was to be there in case of emergencies.
She had started to come to terms with the changes when she and Terry decided they wanted to be an important part of Sessions & Browning, Private Investigators. They sealed the deal when they helped Lenny and Jim bring down a terrorist plot. The two million dollar reward they collected was icing on the cake.
Still, ELLA'S was her baby, her personal success story and it was hard to let go; still, she had to make the choice because she couldn't have both. She remembered the empty barn of a place in her minds eye and chuckled. Terry helped her design the restaurant around a Classic Rock theme, and the lounge was the talk of the neighborhood.
A solid oak, guitar-shaped bar filled the large room. Comfortable padded barstools lined the neck and body of the guitar, flowing along the graceful rounded sides. On the walls in oak-framed posters, the greats of Classic Rock performed. Half-round booths lined the walls.
Jim's greeting pulled her from her reverie. "I'm in the office," she called, smiling as he walked in the door. "Hey, you."
They embraced then pulled apart as a cold wet nose thrust itself into Jim's side.
"Hey, Amy." He reached down to pet the sleek black head.
"How would my girls like to go to San Diego for a couple of days?"
"Go? As in stay there?"
"Yeah. This case we're working will take a lot of hands-on time and I hate to spend half the day on the freeway. We figured somewhere down in Old Town, or maybe over at the Coronado Hotel, if they have rooms. This time of the season, I doubt it, but we'll check. Sound good?"
"Sounds wonderful. Are Lenny and Terry coming, too?"
"Yeah. He's talking to her about it in the bar. I saw her with Al when we came in. Anyway, we need you girls to drive your own cars down. We don't want to have to use the Suburban more than necessary, since it's so hard to maneuver, but we have to have it because of the dogs. This will be Cricket's first official case."
"I bet Lenny's tickled. I know he's had a ball training with her. Terry says he tells the funniest stories. Evidently Cricket has some tricks he's quite impressed with."
"That's Rudy's fault. He can't leave well enough alone and just train them for service or attack. He has to dig around for what he calls an unusual talent. Tony was the first one he did that to. Rudy had so much fun, now he tries it with all of the pups. Most don't have a clue what he's after, but the pleasers, the ones that really want to work with you, figure it out. Tracking is not a Dobie trait. It's virtually unheard of; they use their eyes, not their noses. She's like Tony, I guess."
"Is it the same stuff they alert on? I know Tony does drugs and bodily fluids. Is that what she does?"
"She does much more. In addition, she seems to recognize regular scents. Like if I give her your scarf to sniff and then we take a walk around, say, to the loft, she'll immediately alert that your scent is there. Tony doesn't do that. He just locates whatever's in the room he's told to search, but he doesn't differentiate one person from another. She'll actually identify a remembered scent. It's incredible."
"Wow. So you think that if you give her Beth's stuff to alert on, she might be able to tell you where Beth is?"
Jim chuckled. "Well, not unless she learns to talk." He bunched up, protecting his ribs from the anticipated and well-delivered jab. He drew her into his arms and kissed her. "So, girlie, ya wanna go to the beach?"
***
Meanwhile, on the other side of the restaurant,"Oh, Lenny," Terry said, pushing aside the pile of napkins she'd been folding. "What a ball. You and Cricket on your first assignment. I can't wait to see you two in action." She reached out, took both his hands and squealed under her breath. "So exciting."
Lenny tried and failed to stop grinning. He looked like a Cheshire cat. "I'm thrilled, and she's perfect for this kind of job, too." His face sobered then as he remembered the point of the quest. A young girl's life hung in the balance if they weren't already too late. He kissed her fingertips and drew her to him.
"How long do you need to pack? It's going to be about a week, but the shopping down there is great, so you can always fill in the gaps."
"An hour, I guess. Are we taking the Jag? I just got it washed and filled the tank, so she's ready to go."
"I'm going to ride down in the Suburban with Jim and the dogs. He wants Ella to take her car, too, so we can get around town easier. Anyway, you don't mind if we caravan down, do you?"
"No problem. I'll be quick."
"Okay, let me tell Jim we'll be back here in an hour or so. Meet ya in the parking lot."
* * *
Suitcases, garment bags and carrying cases jammed the Jag's trunk to full capacity.
"You couldn't squeeze a fart in there," Lenny said succinctly. "Okay, the trunk did close; I didn't believe it would. Okay, Cricket?" He turned to the dog at his side and pointed at the back seat of the jag and snapped his fingers.
The dog glided into the car and sat, head, neck and a good portion of her chest visible above the low-slung lines of the sports car. Her short liver chestnut coat glistened in the late afternoon sun; round eyes, the color of topaz, fixed on Lenny.
"Good girl. Stay."
The large dog stretched herself across the back seat, hind legs hanging off to one side. Once they got underway, she rose again, stuck her muzzle in the air and let the wind rattle her jowls. The tips of her pointy ears vibrated like hummingbird wings.
Ella and Jim waited in the parking lot with Amy and Tony. Jim saw the Jag turn into the drive and waved at them as he got out of the car and opened the back of the Suburban.
He gave Tony the signal to get in. Lenny walked quickly to the van, as well, and soon Cricket joined Tony.
Amy refused to look at Jim. Instead, she turned around in the back seat of the Mustang and stared off into the distance. She was not going to ride in the van with the other dogs.
Jim shot a stiff glance at the dog, turned to Ella and shrugged. "Your call."
"Oh, she's fine with me. She prefers a convertible."
"Shouldn't be her choice."
They got lucky with the traffic and managed to get to the Holiday Inn in just over two hours. The trip was uneventful as Terry had been cautioned to keep her foot out of the carburetor for the entire trip.
Last in the caravan, she followed them down the freeway at a sedate seventy. Every once in a while, she'd drop back just far enough for an excuse to goose it, and zoom up on Ella's tail.
They'd requested adjoining suites and treated themselves to cocktails on their patio before going in search of dinner. With the dogs to consider, they requested the ground floor, thereby having to settle for a garden rather than a sea view. Convenience more than made up for it, and they let the dogs walk around before setting out to find a restaurant.
They ended up staying in the hotel as delicious aromas floated to them from the nearby dining room. They chose a table in the corner, ordered and then set about making a plan.
Lenny took a sip of his martini and flinched. "According to the witnesses, the clown had a mad, scary face. They said his eyes looked maniacal, like starbursts, and very hostile. His mouth was round and wide open; he showed sharp, pointy teeth in a snarl. The rest of it was what she called, 'regular clown' which I took to mean a red and white checkered outfit. No hat. She said no hat, but she didn't mention hair."
Jim cruised through his notes. "You're right, Lenny. She just says no hat. I figure that means he was bald. Maybe?"
Terry nodded at Ella, grinning. "Remember when I was a teen and I collected all those masks. Mostly they were porcelain but I found some that were plastic. Unless you touched them, you couldn't tell. Any way of knowing if it was plastic?"
Jim shook his head. "Not at this point. Why?"
"Just wondered. The porcelain ones can get pretty pricey and very often, the shops that sell them also carry fancy character dolls. Clowns aren't a far stretch."
"I remember," Ella said with a chuckle. "You had one of Scarlett O'Hara. Looked exactly like Vivian Leigh."
Terry nodded. "If we could find a shop down here that carries original stuff like that, they may recognize the clown's description; maybe know who makes them, who sells them, even if they don't personally carry them."
"Good plan. It'd be great if we could make a connection." Ella glanced at Jim and nodded. "I figured after the local shops here, we could head over to Coronado and check out the stores. As close as everything is, it shouldn't take more than an hour over there."
"I think you girls have a point," he said. "That's the kind of stuff you find at a top end street fair or swap meet."
Lenny drew a deep breath and glanced at the dog at his feet. "We have an appointment with Sea World security first thing tomorrow. Molly gave me Beth's scarf. She left it in the car the day she got nabbed. I also have a shoe her mother gave me. Between the two, Cricket might be able to get something. We'll check out the area around the restaurant. I can't imagine after this much time there's anything left, but we'll let her take a sniff around. And pray."
Ella leaned forward. "You don't expect him to go back, do you? I can't imagine he'd return to Sea World. How about if Terry and I check out the zoo, or do you guys want that one?"
Jim shrugged. "I thought maybe we could all do it together. It's so big and spread out, we could easily miss him, if that's where he is." He glanced at Lenny for agreement.
"How about if we meet the girls at the front gate at noon? By that time we'll have whatever we can find at Sea World and the girls will have swept the shops; we can do the zoo in teams."
"What if we start at opposite ends of the parking lot and cruise back and forth until we meet up? I have two pairs of walkie-talkies so we can keep in contact. Once the parking lot is swept, one of us has to stay by the front gate and screen folks as they enter." Lenny rubbed his eyes then shook his head. "What a monumental task."
Jim raised his hand at the waitress, indicating he wanted the check. She brought it over, along with a selection of exotic teas.
"I hope those are to go," Terry said as she helped herself. "Umm, Earl Gray. Love that. And Jasmine. Check it out, El."
The girls pretty much emptied the tea caddy.
Jim added an additional five dollars to the tip.
| Author Notes |
This is a transitional chapter, so it's kind of low key. I felt setting the story up and possibly slowing the flow was better than rushing through without proper setup.
You know me, tell me what you think and if I went on too long. Any input is appreciated. Also, we're well into the novel, so if you find yourself wondering who's who, please find those answers in earlier chapters. Thanks so much and hope you enjoy, Gayle |
By Showboat
Beth wedged herself into the corner of the bed, arms across her chest, covering her naked body as best she could. With her ear pressed up against the wall, she heard Audrey crying, begging Sam not to hurt her any more. The sobbing escalated and snatches of sentences came clearly, as did the sounds of his frenzied breathing.
"That wasn't good enough, you bitch. You know what I want and you have to do it, now do it." He continued to scream at her, voice audible above the sounds of the TV, his words clear through the wall.
Through it all, the porn movies continued to play, the sound turned up to maximize the impression, to perfect the fear and heighten the violence.
The abrupt end of the tape produced a profound silence. The TV screen went bland. They'd come to the end of the line, finally.
Beth slumped into the corner, heart beating like a trip hammer. Any moment now, the door would crash open and he'd come for her. He'd barge through the door and throw Audrey into the bed like a piece of trash. Then he'd get Beth and drag her into the living room.
Sure enough, she'd barely completed the thought when the door burst open, slamming into the wall. Audrey lurched into the room, legs wobbly, and fell across the bed.
Sam stared at Beth a moment, started to reach for her, then pulled back.
"Nah, I'll save you for tomorrow, when I'm fresh." He started to laugh, a harsh, braying sound. He continued to cackle as he slammed the door; he went on like that for some time.
They lay quietly on the bed, waiting for the laughing to stop.
"Are you okay, Audrey?"
"As soon as I can stand I need a shower."
Without even a moonbeam to assist, Audrey inched her way across the floor and entered the bathroom. Next came the sounds of water pattering on the shower floor and finally, silence.
Her teeth clapped together like castanets and for a moment, she was unable to move. She drew several deep breaths, shook herself off as best she could and toddled back to the bed.
Beth sat in the corner of the bed, backed against the wall like a cornered animal. "We gotta find a way to get out of here."
"There's no way out. We don't even have a window. And how far would we get, naked without shoes?"
"There has to be something. We need to make a plan." Beth paused a moment. "Do we have anything we could use for a weapon?"
"The room is virtually bare. Except for the bed, and the hose in the bathroom, we don't have anything."
Silence and despair filled the room and for a moment, they barely breathed.
"What does he do, Audrey? When he takes you in there, what happens?"
"Are you kidding ... I'm not sure you're ready for this."
"He's going to get me, too. At least tell me what he'll do."
"He can't get up what little he has to get up. There's probably some big long word for it, but he's got a wiener about the size of my little finger."
"Well, I mean, if he can't get it up, like why does he even bother? You'd think that would be embarrassing."
"It's a hell of a lot more than just embarrassing, it's humiliating to him, which is why he beats me and plays those tapes all the time. Anything to help him do it."
"But why? I don't understand that."
"Because he wants to have sex, Beth, he just can't. He's impotent and it makes him madder than hell. He keeps pointing at all the guys in the porn movies 'cause they're all, you know, and yelling about why he got the short end of the stick."
Audrey ran her hand gently across her chest. "He bit me hard this time. I can't see it, but I know he broke the skin."
"We have to get out of here, Audrey. We need to overpower him or something. He's not really all that big."
"He's strong enough to take both of us out. We need a weapon, but I don't know what."
"Does he live here, do you know? Does he go to work during the day or something?"
"He's rarely here during the day. At least, he never bothers me until night. I don't hear him moving around, either."
"Do you know whether any of our walls are external?"
"I think that one." Audrey pointed at the far wall. "It gets warm in the afternoon."
"Well, this place is so old, maybe some of the boards are rotted. First thing in the morning, I'm going to check it out. If we can find a loose board, we might be able to pry off a piece of wood we could stab him with, you know, like a dagger or something."
"If we could figure out a way to get out of here, that would be the best."
They clasped hands in the dark.
"Tomorrow."
By Showboat
Old Town, San Diego, dappled with shade, basked in what remained of the early morning dew.
By eight, shoppers, browsers and tourists strolled past the shops, many of which had not yet opened. Everyone but the littlest kids held Starbucks cups in one hand and their preferred breakfast treat in the other. Sweet smells from the many bakeries tempted them with mouth-watering aromas; there was so much to choose from.
Ella and Terry cruised the shops, barely glancing at the clothiers or leather products. They were on the hunt for a specialty store that just might carry clown dolls. They paused in front of a narrow gallery with a variety of antique pieces, including heirloom jewelry and a display of porcelain masks.
"I'll wait on the sidewalk with Amy. Go in and see what you can find out."
Terry approached a little lady who stood behind the counter. "Hi, I'm interested in those masks. They're beautiful." She strolled to the wall, noticing the tiny signature on the bottom of the masks.
"Oh, they're signed. How exciting, originals. Do you know the artist?"
"No, I don't. I haven't worked here very long, but I think they're done somewhere local. They sell pretty fast, so the owner keeps restocking."
"Do they do dolls or clowns?"
"I don't know. I don't have room for bulky items like that. I need to hang most of my merchandise on the wall hooks."
Terry thanked the woman for her time and joined Ella on the sidewalk.
"I don't think those masks are what we're looking for. First of all, they're originals and really expensive ... hundred bucks and up. They're hand-painted and exquisitely detailed, but I doubt our perp would spend that kind of money on something he keeps in the back window of his car."
They'd just about finished the Old Town shops when they saw a second-hand store on the corner. Two long tables lined the walls displaying a wide variety of items.
"This won't take long." Terry walked through the door and glanced around. Her eyes scanned the merchandise, much of it second hand. Disappointed, she was about to turn and leave when she saw the clown. It sat propped up in the corner, looking similar to the one described as being in Sam's car window.
She lifted it from its spot for closer inspection. The face of a typical happy clown grinned at her. The mask, rather than fragile porcelain was plastic, although the exceptional artwork showed rare talent. His fringe of yellow curls skirted his bald head and everything about him was round: eyes, cheeks and lips.
"This is just darling." Terry nodded to the clerk and smiled. "I'll take it. How much is it?" She turned the doll over, looking for a price tag.
"It's forty-five dollars." The clerk took the doll and began to wrap it in several layers of tissue.
"Do you know who the artist is? Who makes these dolls? I'd like to see the rest of their stock. I collect things like this."
"Actually, I do. The place is called Poppy's Creations; it's owned by a couple out on Mission Gorge Road. They make all kinds of dolls and sell them at little street fairs and swap meets. Simple to find their place; just take the 8 to the 15, get off at Mission Gorge and take it about ten miles into the hills. You'll see this little strip mall, Palms to Pines, with shops and restaurants. You can find them there."
"Thank you very much. I'll check it out."
"Tell them I sent you. I could use a discount on the next order." She chuckled and waved at Terry.
Ella paced around on the sidewalk as Terry hurried toward her. "Bingo! I think this was done by the same artist." She drew the clown out of the bag and unwrapped the tissue from around the head.
"Oh," Ella said, "it's a nice clown, a regular happy face. I thought you got a match." Her tone slightly accusatory, she glanced at her twin, lips pursed with disappointment. "What's so big about this?"
"Take another look at the face. No hair, just that little fringe that rides the back of the head from ear to ear. Same shape cheeks, form of the face the same. I think maybe we need to check these folks out. The clerk said they do a wide variety of art, so maybe they do special orders?"
"Special orders? What's that mean?"
"Well, you have to admit that there probably isn't much of a market for clowns that look like Sam's. Maybe they take special orders."
Terry pushed the clown back into the bag as they resumed walking.
"Where's the shop?" Ella asked as they waited on the corner for the light to change.
"It's probably thirty miles from here. She said to take the 8 to the 15 ... she wrote down the directions and all." Terry fished around in her purse for the business card. "Here."
Ella gave it a quick glance and handed it back to Terry. "It's Greek to me. I've never done much exploring down here. Except for Old Town and Coronado, San Diego is just something I go through on the way to Mexico."
"Well, the drive looks easy. Do you want to drive up there and check it out or wait for the guys?"
"If they've found anything new, they might not be able to meet us, so how about if we check it out first. If we find anything, we can have them join us. Sound good?"
"Yeah. Let's head back to the hotel, pick up the car and cruise out there. I can't believe we're going to find anything this easily, but you never know."
"I wonder how Cricket and Lenny are doing. He looked so excited when they left this morning. Does he like working with Jim?"
"Oh, yeah. He enjoyed being a detective, thought it was very fulfilling, but he likes PI work even more, says it's a blast. He loves Dobie's, so working with the dogs is a plus and he's crazy about Cricket."
"I remember when Jim first taught me to work with Amy. It's absolutely fascinating. Do you know Amy can climb a chain link fence?" Ella spread her cricked fingers and wiggled the tips. "Something in their toes."
Terry led the way to the Jag, clicked the remote and waited for the responding all-clear horns. They pulled out of the garage, heading towards the SR8. Noon hour traffic crawled along city streets at a snail's pace, but once they entered the freeway, things moved along fairly well.
Their trip on the 15 went even faster and in less than an hour they turned onto Mission Gorge Road. It didn't take long before the suburban sprawl turned rural and then remote. Huge trees and wild scrub filled the land on both sides of the road.
Almost before they knew it, a small sign proclaimed 'Palms to Pines Shopping Mall, next right.' Terry slowed her speed, ready to make the turn. After miles of rural ranches and undeveloped acres, the little mall surprised them.
They had no trouble finding a nice shady spot to park the Jag. Amy hopped out and stood next to Ella, muzzle lifted as she drank in the strange new smells.
A huge farm wagon loaded with local vegetables drew quite a crowd. The smell of freshly baked donuts and grilling meat filled the air, making the girls salivate.
"Man, I could eat a horse," Ella said, "I'm sure glad they have an outdoor cafe. Let's go check out the shop first and then have lunch there. Something smells great."
Poppy's Creations occupied the large corner suite, its windows filled with unique merchandise. Although the display contained many other items, the focus seemed to be on clowns. Everything from Clarabell to Emmett Kelly, clowns took center stage.
The girls stared at each other as goosebumps rose on their arms.
"This has to be where he bought the clown, Terry."
"I'll go in and see what I can find out."
Terry entered the store, acutely aware of the smell of patchouli oil. She drew a deep breath and smiled at the girl who approached her.
"Hi, my name's Amanda. Is there anything specific you're looking for?"
"Oh, hi, Amanda. I just love the clowns, they're outstanding. Do you do them here?"
The girl's smile widened. "Oh, yes, my parents make them. Dad paints the faces, does the hair, stuff like that. Mom makes all the costumes. Each one is different."
Terry picked up a clown dressed in black. The face was a ghostly white, as befitting one unable to see the sun. Three little drips of blood fell from a corner of his mouth.
"Whoa, a Goth clown. Now that's different." She tittered lightly under her breath while trying to keep the expression on her face placid.
Amanda chuckled. "That's funny. Actually, it's a vampire clown. We have werewolves, zombies, all kinds of fright clowns. Let me show you something."
The girl, obviously proud of the work her parents did, pointed with satisfaction at a series of masks that could be purchased and made into a clown.
Freddie Krugger, Chuckie, and just about every evil character in movie history ranged before them in rows.
Terry blinked at the Hanibal Lecter mask and took a reflexive step backwards. It was a shock seeing so many of them in such tight formation. "Wow. That's something else. Do they take requests?"
"Anything or anyone you want. Give Dad a picture and he'll make you a face from it."
The phone rang just then, requiring Amanda's attention. "Feel free to look around. I'll be over by the cash register."
Terry continued to browse the rest of the merchandise. She selected several packages of incense and the clown she felt most closely resembled the clown Sam had.
"What are your hours?" Terry placed the incense and doll on the counter and reached into her purse for her credit card.
"In season, ten to six. Winters we don't open except on weekends. That comes to a total of twenty-one dollars even. Come back and see us again."
"Oh, I can promise that. My fiance just loves stuff like this. We'll probably see you again soon."
Terry walked out of the store, her stomach bunched up in knots. "Man, I guess it's me, but that was downright creepy. Take a look at this." She pulled the clown from the bag and handed it to Ella.
"Good grief!" She glanced down at the angry face and shivered. "Enough to give you nightmares."
"I think that's the point. And they'll make any face you want. All they need is a picture. You can personalize the clown's outfit, too. Like Build a Bear or something."
"I have to admit it's beautifully done. Once you get past the expression, you can see that. Did they have many like this?"
"Man, they had vampires, werewolves, all the TV horror characters, as well as some just nice, regular pretty faces. Very strange." She snickered. "Smelled like a head shop."
Ella examined the doll a moment longer then handed it back to Terry. "Let's go to that little restaurant and get a bite to eat. I am famished."
"Sounds like a plan to me. While we're at it, I'm gonna call Lenny and tell him what we found. With any kind of luck, they may want to drive up and meet us."
Terry dialed her cell, then smiled. "Lenny, we think we found out where Sam got the clown," she said, hesitating. "Yeah, we just sat down at a restaurant right next door. Super, sure, we'll wait." She gave him the directions then said goodbye.
"Lenny and Jim will be here in half an hour or so. Maybe we could have a drink and wait for them?"
Before Ella could respond, a waitress appeared bearing a tray with a basket of lavosh and two glasses of water. They accepted the menus and ordered two glasses of white wine.
"I love lavosh," Ella said, grinning. "I'll just nosh on these until the guys get here."
Terry pulled a package of incense out of her bag and handed it to Ella.
"I bought one for you, too. I couldn't resist. It reminded me of our seventeenth birthday, when Mom and Dad took us to Manhattan and we spent half the week walking around Greenwich Village." She sniffed again and smiled, eyes half closed.
"Fun memory."
"Fifteen years ago. God, it's hard to believe, isn't it."
| Author Notes |
This is the middle of a very long chapter. I had to break, as this one is already too long. It's not an exciting break, but all I had to chose from. I'll get the final part out today, so you can get some sort of continuity!
Thanks so much and I hope you enjoy, Gayle |
By Showboat
| Author Note: | Buckle up! |
Audrey stood next to the door, trying to peer through the tiny cracks between the door jam and the wall. "I haven't heard anything since early this morning when he drove off. I think we're alone."
Beth pressed her ear against the wall in a vain attempt to hear something that would tell them of Sam's whereabouts. She shrugged, glancing at Audrey.
"Get off the bed, Beth. I have an idea." She waved her hands to the side, picked up the corner of the lumpy mattress, and with Beth's help, flipped it over. The ragged box spring beneath, torn in some places, revealed both a weapon and a tool.
"The springs," Beth said. "Do you think we can pry one out? We can do it, I know we can, if we can just get hold...." She reached for what looked like the loosest one and gave a tug. Speckles of rust came away in her hand, as well as a piece of the spring, about four inches long.
"Sweet."
Audrey grabbed another, broke it off, then another. Soon a little pile of metal sat on the floor. She sat back, panting from fear and exertion and glanced at the door.
"We have to make a plan, a good one." She rose from the bed and walked to what they felt was an exterior wall. Already, the morning sun warmed it in spots, reaffirming their earlier suspicions. She fell to her knees and felt along the floor where it met the wall. Uneven chunks of wood fell on the floor.
Beth sat, cross legged like an Indian and gently began scraping down the edges of the wide boards that made the wall. Unfinished and without benefit of drywall, the exposed wood crumpled with age. She continued to scrape, encouraged by her success. Soon Audrey joined her, working about two feet over.
"If we ever get these boards prized loose, we can squeeze through the crack. Then we can get away."
"Do you have any idea where we are?" Beth glanced sideways at Audrey. "I managed to see trees, lots of big trees, so we're in a woods, I know that."
"I'm from Costa Mesa, down by the beach. Orange County. I don't know this area at all and I was out of it, even when we got here; I never saw a thing. How about you?"
"I don't know the area either. I'm from Del Mar, up the coast a ways. Looks like even when we get out of here, we're still in trouble."
"I know, but it'll be an improvement from here. Besides, there aren't wild animals around San Diego, and even if we're up in the hills, it's just coyotes and bob cats. We'll still be safer there than here. He's never going to let us go alive. I don't mean to scare you, Beth, but that's just the truth."
"I know. If this were a TV show, we'd already be dead."
They continued to dig and pry at the boards. Hours passed and two very distinct cracks filled with sunshine, began to widen.
"Move out of the way, Beth, I'm gonna lay down and give it a kick."
Audrey rolled over on her back and with one quick, sharp motion, jammed the ball of her heel into the center of the board. The screech of protest was ear-shattering, at least to the two girls. Gasping, they both stared from the broken board to the door and back again.
"Oh, my God, thank you, Lord. Oh, I'm so outa here." Audrey pushed and shoved, drumming her heels and further weakening the board. Puffs of lovely fresh air wafted into the room.
"Take a rest and let me do some, too." Beth took her place, strong atheletic legs pushed hard. Several more blows from her heels widened the space and with another sickening shriek, the board moved farther out. Almost there.
"Stop!" Audrey grabbed the leg in mid air. "Listen. Oh, no, it's a car. Oh, God, he's back. If he sees this board, he'll kill us."
Petrified, the girls pulled the board back toward them, raced across the room and replaced the matress over the box spring.
Frantic, Beth scooped up the little pile of broken springs, ran to the bathroom and placed them behind the toilet. She raced back to Audrey and they huddled together, staring at the door.
***
Lenny and Jim drove into the lot and parked next to the Jag.
"Terry said they're sitting on the back patio of a little cafe, so I guess we could bring the dogs."
"They need to get out and stretch their legs anyway. If it's too crowded we can bring them back to the SUV."
Ella waved as they approached the isolated table. "Hey, that was fast." She returned Jim's kiss and scooted over to make room under the table for Tony.
The waitress approached them, a grin on her face. "Oh, my goodness, we have a pack of Pinchers."
She chuckled at herself, and nodded to Jim. "I have one. Absolutely the most fun dog in the world. Is there a dog show in town or something? Cause if they don't have to be AKC registered, my Lady would do great."
"Nah, they just love to travel. No dog show."
With a shrug of disappointment, she took their drink order, soon returning with two bottles of beer. They ordered sandwiches and began to catch up. Terry took the clown out of the bag and showed it to Lenny.
"Man, that's incredible." He turned it over in his hand, checking out the back of the head. "I can't imagine there are too many artists of this quality that are into clowns." He handed the doll to Jim. "What do you make of that?"
"Intricate detail here, and you're right. You don't often see artistic talent like that specializing in stuff like this, but I bet there's a huge market. The workmanship is excellent. Very unusual gift."
The waitress served their lunch, which went down very quickly. Twenty minutes later they stood outside the curio shop.
"Jim and I have to go inside and we don't want to bring the dogs, so can you girls wait with them here while we go in and find out about Sam's clown?"
The girls nodded, accepting the leashes.
Ella shrugged at Terry. "You notice how I'm the only one who won't get to see the inside of that shop?" She handed Terry two more leashes, repeated the command to stay and said, "I won't be long and they won't move. I want to see the stuff, too." With a grin, she followed Jim and Lenny into the shop.
Lenny advanced on the clerk with a smile. "Hi, I'm wondering if I could speak to the manager? We're looking for the owner of a special clown we think was made here."
Before the clerk could answer, a middle aged woman entered the shop, waving at the girl. "Hi, Amanda. Is Dad here yet?"
Lenny turned toward the woman and grinned. "Do you paint all these incredible masks?"
"No," she said, shaking her head and returning the smile. "My husband does that. I make the costumes." She placed a brown paper bag under the counter beneath the cash register then nodded. "Are you guys looking for anything in particular?"
"Actually, we are. We're wondering about a certain clown. It looked angry, like a fright mask. The eyes were shaped like starbursts and the mouth opened in an O showing pointy teeth. Does that sound familiar?"
"Oh, yes. Couple of weeks ago we just did one like that for a young man. He gave Harry a good idea of what he wanted and when he picked it up, he seemed very pleased ... said he wanted it for his girlfriend."
"Do you happen to know his name? How about a description?"
"He was very good looking, remember, Amanda? You comment on it every time he comes in. His name is Sam and I'm not sure, but I think he lives fairly close by. I remember Harry got the mask done ahead of schedule and when he called Sam and told him he could come by and pick it up in the morning, Sam asked how much longer we'd be open. Harry told him ten minutes, and he was here in no time."
"What was Sam like to talk to? Did you spend much time with him, Amanda?"
"No, not really. He was nice enough, kinda quiet. I only talked with him once or twice." She giggled, self-conscious. "He sure was cute. Dark brown hair and eyes, very dark. Maybe 5'10", maybe a bit less. Regular build. Can't really remember much else."
"How about you, ma'am? Do you remember anything more?"
"Well, I just remembered I didn't ask you why you want to know." Her face took on a cool expression. "Are you cops?"
"I'm a retired LAPD homicide detective." Lenny handed her his card. "Now I'm a private investigator. I work with Jim, here." He turned to his partner and nodded.
"We're trying to find the guy you made this clown for. He's a suspect in a kidnapping case; we're working on behalf of the missing girl's parents."
"Kidnapping? My God, you can't be serious."
"Yes, I'm afraid we are, and we need to find the girl. Her name is Beth Chapman. She's fifteen. She went to Sea World with her best friend's family. Along the way, they met this guy. He lured her out of the park and we haven't heard from her since."
Jim glanced from Amanda to her mother. "You can see why any information you have that might lead us to him is very important. Time is of the essence and statistics show she's running out of time."
"Oh, Mom, I recognize that name from the TV. She's an Amber Alert."
The older woman nodded, reaching out in appeal. "I think he lives close by, maybe in the hills around here. Lots of places hidden away in the hills. Like I said, he got here in five or six minutes once, but really, that's all I know about him."
"How about a car? Did you ever see it?" Jim glanced from mother to daughter. "It's really important."
"I did." Amanda nodded several times. "'98 Honda Accord, dark gray, the back wheel on the driver's side is missing a hubcap. At least it was the last time I saw it."
Lenny's cell rang. He excused himself and moved to a far corner of the store. "Browning here." He nodded. "Hey, Dana. What's up?"
He leaned against a counter, his face suddenly pale. "Where from?" He listened for a while longer, nodded and snapped the cell shut.
Lenny walked over to Jim, shaking his head. "Dana just called. The bastard just got another girl."
"Call her back. Tell her we got a make on the car. '98 Honda Accord, left rear wheel missing a hubcap."
By Showboat
Audrey stood next to the door, trying to peer through the tiny crack between the door jamb and the wall. "I haven't heard anything since the door slammed early this morning. I think we're alone."
Beth pressed her ear against the wall in a vain attempt to hear something that would tell them of Sam's whereabouts. She shrugged, glancing at Audrey.
"Get off the bed, Beth. I have an idea." She waved her hands to the side.
She picked up the lumpy mattress, and with Beth's help, flipped it over. The ragged box spring beneath, torn in some places, revealed both a weapon and a tool.
"The springs," Beth said. "Do you think we can pry one out? We can do it, I know we can, if we can just get hold...." She reached for what looked like the loosest one and gave a sharp tug. Speckles of rust came away in her hand, as well as a piece of the spring, about four inches long.
"Sweet."
Audrey grabbed another, broke it off, then another. Soon a little pile of metal sat on the floor. She sat back, panting from fear and exertion and glanced at the door.
"We have to make a plan, Beth, a good one." She rose from the bed and walked to what they felt was an exterior wall. Already, the morning sun warmed it in spots, reaffirming their earlier suspicions.
Beth knelt on the floor and gently began scraping down the edges of the boards that made the wall. Unfinished and without benefit of drywall, the exposed wood crumpled with age. She continued to scrape, encouraged by her success. Soon Audrey knelt beside her, working about two feet over.
"If we ever get these boards pried loose, we can squeeze through the crack. Then we can get away."
"Do you have any idea where we are?" Beth glanced sideways at Audrey. "I managed to see trees, lots of big trees, so we're in a woods, I know that."
"I'm from Costa Mesa, down by the beach. Orange County. I was out of it, even when we got here; I never saw a thing. How about you?"
"I don't know this area at all. I'm from Del Mar, up the coast a ways. Looks like even when we get out of here, we're still in trouble."
"I know, but it'll be an improvement from here. Besides, there aren't wild animals around San Diego, and even if we're up in the hills, it's just coyotes and bob cats. We'll still be safer there than here. He's never going to let us go alive. I don't mean to scare you, Beth, but that's just the truth."
"I know. If this were a TV show, we'd already be dead."
They continued to dig and pry at the boards. Hours passed and two very distinct cracks filled with sunshine, began to widen.
"Move out of the way, Beth, I'm gonna lay down and give it a kick."
Audrey rolled over on her back and with one quick, sharp motion, jammed the ball of her heel into the center of the board. The screech of protest was ear-shattering, at least to the two girls. Gasping, they both stared from the broken board to the door and back again.
"Oh, my God, thank you, Lord. Oh, I'm so outa here." Audrey pushed and shoved, further weakening the board. Puffs of lovely fresh air wafted into the room.
"Take a rest and let me do some, too." Beth took her place, strong athletic legs pushed hard. Several more blows from her heels widened the space with another sickening shriek, the board moved farther out. Almost there.
"Stop!" Audrey grabbed the leg in mid air. "Listen. Oh, no, it's a car. Oh, God, he's back. If he sees this board, he'll kill us."
Petrified, the girls pulled the board back toward them, raced across the room and replaced the mattress over the box spring.
Frantic, Beth scooped up the little pile of broken springs, ran to the bathroom and placed them behind the toilet. She hurried back to Audrey and they huddled together, staring at the door, terrified.
***
Lenny and Jim drove into the lot and parked next to the Jag.
"Terry said they're sitting on the back patio of a little cafe, so I guess we can bring the dogs."
"They need to get out and stretch their legs anyway. If it's too crowded we can bring them back to the SUV."
Ella waved as they approached the table. "Hey, that was fast." She returned Jim's kiss and scooted over to make room under the table for Tony.
The waitress approached the tables, a grin on her face. "Oh, my goodness, we have a pack of Pinschers." She chuckled at herself and nodded to Jim. "I have one. Absolutely the most fun dog in the world. Is there a dog show in town or something? Cause if they don't have to be AKC registered, my Lady would do great."
"Nah, they just love to travel. No dog show."
With a shrug of disappointment, she took their drink order, soon returning with two bottles of beer. They ordered sandwiches and began to catch up.
Terry took the clown out of the bag and showed it to Lenny.
"Man, that's incredible." He turned it over in his hand, checking out the back of the head. "I can't imagine there are too many artists of this quality out there that are into clowns." He handed the doll to Jim. "What do you make of that?"
"Intricate detail here, and you're right. I can't see all that many folks specializing in stuff like this, but I bet there's a huge market. The workmanship is excellent. Very talented artist."
The waitress served their lunch, which went down very quickly. Twenty minutes later they stood outside the curio shop.
"Jim and I have to go inside and we don't want to bring the dogs, so can you girls wait with them here while we go in and find out about Sam's clown?"
They nodded, accepting the leashes.
Ella shrugged at Terry. "You notice how I'm the only one who won't get to see the inside of that shop?" She handed Terry two more leashes, repeated the command to stay and said, "I won't be long and they won't move. I want to see the stuff, too." With a grin, she followed Jim and Lenny into the shop.
Lenny advanced on the clerk with a smile. "Hi, I'm wondering if I could speak to the owners? We're looking for the owner of a special clown we think was made here."
Before the clerk could answer, a middle aged woman entered the shop, waving at the girl. "Hi, Amanda. Is Dad here yet?"
Lenny turned toward the woman and grinned. "Do you paint all these incredible masks?"
"No," she said, shaking her head and returning the smile. "My husband does that. I make the costumes." She placed a brown paper bag under the counter beneath the cash register then nodded. "Are you guys looking for anything in particular?"
"Actually, we are. We're wondering about a certain clown. It looked angry, like a fright mask. The eyes were shaped like starbursts and the mouth opened in an O showing pointy teeth. Does that sound familiar?"
"Oh, yes, we did one like that for a young man. He gave Harry a good idea of what he wanted and when he picked it up, he seemed very pleased ... said he wanted it for his girlfriend."
"Do you happen to know his name? How about a description?"
"He was very good looking, remember, Amanda? You comment on it every time he comes in." She grinned at the girl, eyes twinkling.
"His name is Sam and I'm not sure, but I think he lives fairly close by. I remember Harry got the mask done ahead of schedule and when he called Sam and told him he could come by and pick it up in the morning, Sam asked how much longer we'd be open. Harry told him ten minutes, and he was here in no time."
"What was Sam like to talk to? Did you spend much time with him, Amanda?"
"No, not really. He was nice enough, kinda quiet. I only talked with him once or twice." With a self-conscious grin, she added. "He sure was cute. Dark brown hair and eyes, very dark. Maybe 5'10", maybe a bit less. Regular build. Can't really remember much else."
"How about you, ma'am? Do you remember anything more?"
"Well, I just remembered I didn't ask you why you want to know." Her face took on a cool expression. "Are you cops?"
"I'm a retired LAPD homicide detective." Lenny handed her his card. "Now I'm a private investigator. I work with Jim, here." He turned to his partner and nodded.
"We're trying to find the guy with this clown. He's a suspect in a kidnapping case we're working on behalf of the missing girl's parents."
"Kidnapping? My God, you can't be serious."
"Yes, we are, and we need to find the girl. Her name is Beth Chapman. She's fifteen. She went to Sea World with her best friend's family. Along the way, they met this guy. He lured her out of the park and we haven't heard from her since."
Jim glanced from Amanda to her mother. "You can see why any information you have that might lead us to him is very important. Time is of the essence. Statistics show she's running out of time."
"Oh, Mom, I recognize that name from the TV. She's an Amber Alert."
The older woman nodded, reaching out in appeal. "Like I said, I think he lives close by, maybe in the hills around here. Lots of places hidden away in the hills. Like I said, he got here in five or six minutes once, but really, that's all I know about him."
"How about a car? Did you ever see it?" Jim glanced from mother to daughter. "It's really important."
"I did." Amanda nodded several times. "'98 Honda, dark gray, the back wheel on the driver's side is missing a hubcap. At least it was the last time I saw it; don't know more, but the last two numbers of the plate were 8's."
Lenny's cell rang. He excused himself and moved to a far corner of the store.
"Browning here." He nodded. "Dana. What's up?" He leaned against a counter, his face suddenly pale. "Shit. Where from?" He listened for a while longer, nodded and snapped the cell shut.
Lenny walked over to Jim, shaking his head. "Dana just called. The bastard just got another girl."
"Call her back. Tell her we got a make on the car. '98 Honda Accord, left rear wheel missing a hubcap, license plate ends with two eights."
By Showboat
***
The girls huddled together on the bed, holding their breath. Straining to hear Sam's entrance to the barn, they waited, motionless.
"I don't hear him walking around, do you?" Beth's voice, barely audible, whispered in Audrey's ear. "What's going on?"
"I don't know. Wait here." Audrey crept over to the door and put her ear against the little crack. Nothing. She closed one eye and peered through the crack. Still nothing. Where was he?
Just then they heard the car engine turn over and soon, the sounds of a car driving away. Realization swept over them like a tidal wave, swamping them with despair.
"Oh, my God, it wasn't him. That was somebody else, Audrey. It wasn't him!"
"Son of a bitch." Audrey leaned against the wall in defeat. "We were that close to being rescued." She rattled the doorknob several times in fury then banged small fists on the wall.
Silence descended on the building.
***
Sam chuckled as he pulled onto the access ramp to the 5. His newest addition, presently secure in the trunk, promised loads of fun. "I can get rid of that Audrey. She wasn't any good, anyway."
The traffic flowed at an easy fifty, slow for the freeway, but steady.
Off to his right, the huge sign began to blink. Amber Alert. Staggered, he shook his head in dismay as he saw his picture appear, along with a description of his car, including part of the plate.
He stiffened and glanced out the window to see a blue convertible pull up next to him. The passenger spoke on her cell phone, excited. She made direct eye contact with Sam and grimaced in recognition.
The look said it all. Sam jammed the accelerator to the floor, shot in front of the convertible and charged down the freeway, weaving in and out of lanes.
He saw the flashing red and blue lights of the California Highway Patrol in his rearview window and shivered. What he did not see was the Chippie ahead of him, sitting on the top of the approaching viaduct, waiting.
As Sam came abreast of the overpass, the souped-up little Mustang tore down the ramp, hit eighty before it even accessed the freeway, and charged after the Honda, sirens wailing, lights flashing.
Sam took the next exit, the trooper right on his tail. He ran the stop sign, narrowly avoiding a UPS truck, turned right, and took the first side road he came upon. Lost now, he wavered, unsure what to do next. The winding road climbed higher and higher while the trees and dense undergrowth crowded both sides of the road.
The cop, closely followed by two more sheriff's deputies, remained on his bumper, bellowing through the car's loudspeaker. "Pull over! Pull the vehicle over."
Sam accelerated even more. At speeds exceeding sixty on mountain streets he did not know, the ending was inevitable. The road made an abrupt turn to the right. Sam never had a chance. The car leaped the ditch coming face to face with a giant old oak. The tree groaned on impact; the car, at least the front end, virtually disintegrated.
The cruisers pulled to the side of the road and in the distance, another wail of a different tone drew nearer. The cops jumped out. One ran to the car while the other pulled a medical box out of the back of their car. They joined the first cop, who took a cursory look at Sam and shook his head.
They set to work on the trunk, where feeble tapping sounds told them the girl was still alive. They pried the trunk lid open to find the missing child, red-haired little Melissa Kruger, curled up in a ball.
"Hey, little lady, are you alright?"
She shook her head at the cop as tears slid down her cheeks. "I want my mommy."
"Oh, sweetie," the cop said, gently slipping his arms around Melissa. "The back of your head is bleeding. The ambulance will be here any minute."
The girl whimpered for her mother.
"We're gonna get her right away. Did he hurt you? Are you okay?"
"I want my mommy," she repeated, turning huge blue eyes to the cop. "My back hurts. I think I'm going to be sick."
The ambulance pulled up to the cruisers and a female medic jumped out of the driver's side, medical bag in hand. "Bring all the stuff, Ken. I'm going to see if the child is injured."
She hurried down the incline, squatted next to Melissa and reached out a tentative hand. "Can I help you? Are you hurt?"
The child reached for the top of her head, drawing back a bloody hand. She stared at it then shook her head softly back and forth, eyes huge. "Where am I? Is my mother coming for me?"
"She's not coming here, Melissa. She's going to meet us at the hospital. Would you like to take a ride in an ambulance? I'll get your mom on the phone so you can talk with her while we drive back to town. Does that sound good?"
"Yes, that sounds good." Melissa nodded, took the offered hand and limped up the slope to the stretcher and waiting ambulance.
"Are we gonna make the sirens go? That'd be way cool."
***
They sat in the restaurant lounge, sipping drinks, when Lenny's cell rang.
"Good grief, it's like every twenty minutes," Terry said, nodding at Lenny with a wry smile. "No rest for the weary."
"That's wicked," he said, fishing the cell out of his pocket. "Brown ... yo Dana." His face blanched and a little film of sweat popped up on his forehead. "Son of a bitch."
Several monosyllables later, he closed the cell. "You are not frickin' gonna believe this one. Sam's dead."
They sat there in stunned silence a moment, staring at Lenny.
"Talk about cutting to the chase. Anything more?" Jim stared at his partner, eyebrows clear to his hairline.
"The chippies took him out. They spotted him on the 5. He took off and they chased him up into the mountains. Idiot ran into a tree. DOD, dead on discovery. The little gal he snatched, she's fine, small flesh wound on her head and a backache. They're taking her to the hospital just to check her out." Lenny pursed his lips, shaking his head.
"That's about the only good news. We still don't have a clue where he took Beth and that other girl. Man."
"Well, it isn't hopeless, is it? We know he couldn't have lived too far away from that shop. Maybe we need to check that area out." Ella glanced at her cohorts and shrugged.
"He had a car, just a regular car, not a four-wheel drive truck. That means the roads he took couldn't have been too bad. Right?" She glanced at her twin.
Terry nodded. "What else did Dana say, Lenny? Are they impressed with what we found out?"
"Oh, sure. I imagine they'll have someone up there to take statements tomorrow if they haven't already done so. And Ella's right, Jim. He couldn't use a fire road or a logging trail with a car like that. It'd be beat to shit in no time."
Ella finished her drink, caught the eye of the waitress and twirled her finger over the glasses. Shortly, another round arrived. They ordered dinner and then resumed conversation.
"Looks like Cricket gets to save the day, huh?" Ella glanced from Lenny to Jim. "Well, she can track Beth's scent, right?"
"Yeah, but she won't be able to track the car. It'll be when Beth walks, that's the best we can hope for. First we have to find the house they're in."
"Amanda said it took him, like, what? Ten minutes, did she say? I mean, unless he was in the car already, that's pretty quick."
Ella nodded. "It was the mother who said that, actually. I figure maybe the best thing to do is go back up there early tomorrow, and once we get within the proper time-distance thingy, lets scope out any roads that branch off either side of the main road.
"We can search them, then come back to that major road and carry on, past the mall, to the ten minute range in the other direction." She stared at her partners, and then shrugged. "I'm making it sound like a piece of cake, which, I agree, it's not. But it could be way worse."
Dinner arrived, slowing but not stopping their search plans.
"We need to take two vehicles, but I'm thinking Terry should ride with Ella. The Jag is so low to the ground you might get hung up and then we'd have that to contend with. Lenny and I'll take the van. If we find those girls, they'll need a car to ride in."
Terry nodded in agreement. "Sounds fine with me, and I agree. We don't need the hassle of getting my car pried off a rock."
"Okay, then that's settled." Jim glanced at the team. "Tomorrow, first thing, we'll start the search. I just hope we're not already too late."
By Showboat
Amanda drove into the mall parking lot and parked in front of the store. She picked up her coffee cup and a small bag, and striding across the porch, unlocked the door and stepped inside. The closed sign now read open.
She flipped on the lights and headed for the back of the store, deep in thought. Sticking the end of her breakfast roll in her mouth, she withdrew a key from her purse and unlocked the desk.
The buzzer indicated someone had entered the store.
"Amanda?"
"I'm in back, Mom."
"'Morning, sweetie, how are you?"
Eyes downcast, Amanda shrugged, taking small sips of hot coffee. "Okay, I guess. That thing with Sam ... Arnold Whatever, that really blew me away."
"Wilcox. Yeah, it got me, too. Imagine knowing someone like that, even just as a customer. Gives me the creeps. Did ya catch the news last night? Looks like he'd kidnapped another girl and was running with her when the cops chased him. Treed the bastard, in a manner of speaking. Freak."
Blue eyes hooded, Amanda shivered. "He just seemed like such a nice guy to me."
"What's that mean?"
"Well, I saw him a couple of times besides here."
"Get outa here! When?"
"The first time was the night he came in and ordered the clown. I'd just found an old Koontz book, The Watchers, and I had a yen for pizza, so I decided to go over to Freddie's. I'm, like, knee-deep in the book ... scary, man, don't know how I missed it. Anyway, all of a sudden he's just standing there right next to my table. He said hi, and asked if I would like company."
Amanda hunched her shoulders. "I said sure, why not, and put the book away. We shared a pitcher of beer, ate our food when it came, and split the bill. We talked for a little while, then I left and went home. There was really nothing to it."
"Good grief, girl." Her mother stared at her, eyebrows raised. "What was he like? Did he say anything weird?"
"No, not at all. We sat there for an hour or so and just chatted. He seemed very nice, said he loved living in the woods, as he called it. Sam, er Arnold, said he'd just moved here. I can't remember where from; he might not even have mentioned it."
"Did he say where his property is? Any mention of that?"
"No, not exactly, but it's close by. He said he went to Freddie's for dinner a lot. I met him there a couple of times, actually."
"Oh, Amanda, you should have told the police."
"I know. I don't know why I lied like that. I just didn't believe he had anything to do with kidnapping those girls. And in the end, I still don't have anything much more to tell them."
"Did he say anything at all that might give you a clue where his place is?"
"He said he'd inherited a barn and a couple of acres from an aunt, but he never said exactly where, just that it's in the neighborhood. He talked about renovating it slowly, since he didn't have a lot of money. He talked about buying a windmill and a generator and making his own power."
The buzzer sounded again, interrupting their conversation and both women returned to the store, not really surprised to see Jim and Lenny standing by the cash register.
"Ladies," Lenny said with a nod, "we stopped by to see if there's anything more you can tell us about Sam."
"Arnold Wilcox," they replied in unison.
"Yes. I wasn't sure you'd seen the news. We're about to canvass the neighborhood and I'm wondering if you have any more info to share."
Lips pursed, Amanda shrugged. "I do. I knew him a little better than I first let on. I'm sorry, but I didn't think it would matter. Anyway, the reason I knew about his car is I had dinner with him a couple of times. It wasn't really a date, y'know, we just met up, but anyway, I saw it several times."
A little ball of muscle popped out on Lenny's clenched jaw. He cleared his throat then stared at Amanda with cold blue eyes. "Where does he live?"
"Honest, I don't know. He said he'd inherited an old barn and some acres from an aunt. He just moved here to claim it. Sam ... whatever, he told me he'd installed a windmill and a generator and was self-sufficient, like a survivalist or something. He got off on that, thought it was neat, y'know?" Amanda hesitated, glancing from Jim and Lenny to her mom.
"After the newscast last night, I spent a little time driving around, and going by what he told me, I think I might have found it. He talked about killer sunsets, which means he's probably on the left side of the road. There are only two side roads to the left, and I think I found his place, but, of course, no one was there. I knocked on the door, but no one answered."
Jim's face flushed with poorly concealed anger. "Which road is it?"
"Turn right out of the driveway and go maybe two miles or so. There's a marked hiking trail that goes forever. I remember playing around there when I was a kid. It eventually leads to the Loveland Canal. Anyway, not far after that, there's a regular road. It's dirt and doesn't have a sign, but it's in real good condition. Take it all the way to the end, maybe another two miles in. You can't miss it."
* * *
The girls took turns hammering the loose board with their feet. The ancient wood, unable to withstand the force of the blows, began to splinter. Faster now, harder, Beth knelt, pushing her shoulder against the board.
With a rending screech that sounded like a tortured bird of prey, the board ripped. It came straight down in a flurry of wood pieces and fell forward onto the forest floor.
Audrey poked her head out and looked from side to side. She glanced at Beth. "Coast is clear."
The girls shimmied through the hole, scratching their backs and legs on the projecting nails and jagged wood slivers.
"Shit," Audrey said as she reached around to feel her shoulder. "Man, that smarts." A quick trail of blood seeped through her fingers.
"Me, too. Crud, look at that." Beth pointed at a four inch slice along her thigh. "Well, we can deal with this later. We gotta run."
"Where to?" Audrey glanced frantically from side to side.
"I don't know ... anywhere away from here. Come on." Beth grabbed her hand and they hurried across what passed for a lawn and disappeared into the thick underbrush.
* * *
The girls stayed in the car while Jim and Lenny interviewed Amanda again.
Ella shook her head, glancing around at the surrounding forest.
"I cannot believe those girls are out there all alone and we have no idea where to look. That bastard took their whereabouts to his grave. It's possible they haven't had food or water for days, and God, it's so hot." She pulled a tissue from her bag and wiped her forehead.
"TV news said this morning that the kid with him in the car, can't remember her name, had been released from the hospital after a diagnosis of a sprained rib and a flesh wound on her head. That was one lucky little gal. The front end of the car was, like, smooshed flat against that old tree."
Terry shuddered, an expression of dismay on her face. "I hate looking at stuff like that, y'know? He so deserved it, really had it coming. It's just, whoa, dying like that. Gives me the willies."
She fanned herself with a map, causing her hair to ripple. "Man, where is this heat coming from? It's so dry my hair is like electrified or something."
Glancing into the mirror behind the visor, she chuckled. "Watch." She ran her hand through her hair once, then held her palm about three inches away from her head. Burgundy red strands rose toward her hand, quivering.
"Talk about a life of its own."
The fire warnings stood on high alert and signs prohibited campfires of any type, as well as any sort of smoking, even inside vehicles. The early breeze that seemed to play quietly in the treetops increased in velocity. Gusts of hot, dry air made dust devils in the parking lot. Soon the tall trees began to sway, announcing the impending Santa Ana blowing in from the desert.
Lenny and Jim stomped across the parking lot, their expressions grim.
"We know where they are," Lenny said. "At least, we're pretty sure. Follow us and be on the lookout for anything unusual, scan the area for something out of place or odd."
The girls followed the Suburban and when they turned down the dirt lane, they began to scrutinize the woods on either side. Layers of old foliage and piles of dead and dying brush rose a foot or so above the ground. No likely trail ran through that dense undergrowth.
Just as Amanda had told them, they found Sam's lair at the end of the road. The large barn, flanked by a windmill and a big yellow generator rested in the dappled sunlight, benign, silent.
"This has to be the place," Jim said. "Windmill and it's the only one I've seen, so I have to agree this is Sam's hideout."
They got out of the car, tooted the horn several times and waited. The silence returned, the birds began to chirp again, but no sound came from inside the barn. They knocked on the door several times then returned to the SUV.
Lenny took Cricket out of the back, allowed her to sniff Beth's shoes and scarf again, then made a circular motion with his hands, pointed at the barn and said, "Go."
The dog paused a moment, muzzle lifted as she sniffed the strong breeze. For a moment, she stared off into the woods behind the barn. Cricket whined lightly and trotted up to the front door; she sniffed around then paused, again raising her muzzle in the air.
She glanced at Lenny then, gave one sharp bark and disappeared around the side of the house. Shortly, more short sharp barks told Lenny she'd found something.
Jim turned to the girls. "Wait right here. We don't want any more footsteps than necessary ... could foul the trail. I'll be right back."
"Hey, Jim, come around back and see what we found."
The broken boards told the story. Jim lay flat on the ground and wiggled as
far into the hole as possible.
"It's dim in there, but I see a raggedy old bed and a TV screen, not much else. We have to get inside."
Jim rose, face flushed with sweat and brushed his clothes off. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and mopped his face. "Ain't this the capper? San'tanas are coming. Let's go."
Lenny pulled his packet of picks out of his pocket and grinned at Jim. "I thought we just might need these."
Moments later, they opened the door to the unbelievable.
| Author Notes | While, strictly speaking, it's Santa Ana's, out here we kind of run the words together and it sounds more like San'tanas. I'm wondering if it made you stop...slowed the flow, anything. I'm not invested in that word, so if you don't like it, let me know! Thanks, and enjoy, Gayle |
By Showboat
Southern California sweltered under the onslaught of Santa Ana's. The strong desert winds tore down the canyons with gusts exceeding sixty miles an hour. The mountainous terrain created its own ecosystems; voracious, it fed on itself and the most fearful word in a Californian's vocabulary became fact. Even more than earthquakes they feared wildfires.
Helicopters patrolled the vast wildernesses of the Cleveland National Forest and the San Bernardino National Forest, as well as fire-prone areas like Malibu and Laguna Hills, looking for the lightest wisp of smoke. The entire state, tinder dry from long sustained droughts, poised, hardly daring to draw breath.
Beth and Audrey, lost and with no idea where to go, headed west. By noon, their feet bled, and a variety of bugs insisted on gnawing on their wounds. It was by accident that they stumbled on a trail in decent condition. They stood in the middle of the road, absently swatting flies.
"Wow, you don't look so good, Beth. You feel okay?"
"No I feel awful, actually." She worked her mouth, trying in vain to bring up some saliva. "I'm so thirsty I could die, and when was the last time we ate?"
"Too long ago." Audrey glanced around, tilting her head, birdlike. She turned to Beth, eyes wide. "Do you hear anything?"
"No. Like what?"
"Like, mmm, like a rushing sound, but not the wind. Listen."
Both girls stopped breathing, bodies tense, straining to hear.
"Oh, my God, is that a ... is that water? A creek or something?" Beth shook her head. "That's crazy. It's California in the middle of summer. We don't have creeks running after a three-year drought, and yet...."
"We sure do! Maybe we didn't get any rain down here, but the mountain snow pack all winter long was great. I know because I ski. Maybe...." Audrey nodded several times. "That's what I hear. Water. Come on, let's check it out."
The trail, complete with deer tracks, wound its way through the forest, occasionally detouring around huge piles of rocks or a fallen tree. The clear sounds of water told them what lay ahead.
They walked into the sunshine, cheered by what they saw. A small waterfall, perhaps ten feet high, carried the little stream above to a natural pond below.
"Oh, dear Lord, thank you." Audrey began to shake as they approached the lip of the small feeder stream ahead of the falls. She put her arm out, stopping Beth. "We need to think a minute. We don't want to foul the water before we figure out how to do this."
She pointed at the surrounding ground where the forest animals came to drink. "I'm no survivalist, but I know you can get danged sick if you drink water that animals crap in. Do you know whether the body absorbs any water just from being in it? Like spraying water on plant leaves?"
Beth turned with a shrug, walked upstream to another smaller pool and checked the ground. The animals didn't seem to drink there, perhaps due to the steepness of the water's edge. No need to go to any trouble when easy access was just steps away.
"Check this out, Audrey. Looks pretty clean. I'm not going to swallow, but even just rinsing my mouth will feel good." She bent down, passed her hand over the surface of the pool several times, and cupping her hands, withdrew some water and smelled it; odorless and clear.
She turned away from the stream and rubbed her hands together to clean them, making sure the dirty water didn't go back into the little pool.
Beth cupped her hands again and brought the water to her lips. Eyes closed, she sighed, delighting in the soothing feeling, overwhelmed with an urge to swallow. Turning away, she spit the water on the ground then tasted what little remained. She repeated the process several times as Audrey joined her.
"Oh, that's so good."
"I know; it's like heaven. What do we do next?" Beth sat back on her heels, eyes frantically searching the woods on both sides of the stream.
"I don't have a clue. I live in a condo by the beach. I don't know squat about surviving in the wilderness except for one thing. Searchers can't find us in the woods, and believe me, they're looking. My father must be parked on the Mayor's desk, screaming, and my mother ... I pity the cops. Really. How about yours?"
"Same here, for sure and I see what you mean. But Sam could track us, too."
Audrey nodded. "That's true, but I doubt it. Now there's two of us, we're out in the open and not drugged. I don't think he'll bother. It's too easy, at least for him, to get another girl."
"Just to be on the safe side, I'm going to look for something I can defend myself with. What kind of critters do you think live out here? Bad ones?"
"They probably don't think so, but yes. Coyotes and bobcats, for sure. Maybe a bear? A brown bear, not the great big ones."
Beth peered into the forest. "Oh, that's great; I feel better. Like, it'll take him a couple of bites to kill us, huh?"
Audrey glanced around, shaking her head. "Let's follow this path down, take a plunge in that little pool and figure out what to do next. What time do you think it is?" She squinted into the heavens, a hand shielding her eyes from the sun. "Noon?"
"Way past lunch time yesterday, that's for sure. I'm so hungry it's making me sick."
"Me too. Just try not to think about it. We'll get out of this soon. Come on, let's wash off. That's gonna make us feel better for sure. I stink."
They continued to walk down the hill, sometimes losing sight of the creek. They found the path to the water's edge, shuddering at the feel of ice cold water on their torn and battered feet.
"Holy cow, that's cold." Beth clenched her teeth and stepped in deeper.
"Snow melt, and thank God for it. Cold, but oh, so good."
Audrey fell forward into the little pool, submerging herself. Her head popped up and she chuckled. "Won't be in here long, that's for sure. Man." Her teeth began to chatter.
Some five minutes later, they emerged from the water. The sun dried them quickly, and they set off down the trail once again.
***
Jim pushed the door open ready for anything. Lenny moved ahead into the room, gun drawn. A quick glance around confirmed they were alone.
"He must have lived on pizza and beer," Jim said, pointing at a tower of boxes stacked in the corner next to a pile of smashed cans. "Stinks in here."
They wasted little time with the door on the far side of the room. Two sharp kicks and it burst open, slamming into the wall. They verified what they already knew; the girls had escaped.
Centerfold photos of the rudest kind lined the walls of the main room. Porn of every imaginable variety and subject matter displayed Sam's inclination and appetite toward violence. Captions, mostly written in red, caught Lenny's attention.
Shaking his head in disgust he said, "He was a comedian, too. What a pig." He pulled out his cell and dialed.
"Dana, hey, we found Arnold Wilcox' lair." He gave her directions, nodded once and closed the cell. "They're on the way."
Jim walked to the TV and checked out the piles of tapes. "Real winners here, too. A collector, for sure."
Lenny picked through the pack with gloved hands. "Oh, this one again, a real best seller. Takes me back to my LAPD days."
"Don't miss that stuff, huh, buddy?"
"Not even a little bit. Well, the boys in blue will be here in a minute. We'd better give Cricket a chance to do her stuff. Pretty soon a bloodhound wouldn't be able to find anything."
Lenny encouraged Cricket to hunt and before long, the dog found the scent. She sat, as taught, waiting for Lenny to give her the signal to continue.
"What now? She's ready to go."
Jim pursed his lips and glanced at what little sky managed to show through the treetops. "I think we have about eight hours of light left, max. Let's follow the dog for a while. Those kids could be nearby, especially since we have no idea how long ago they got out. On the other hand, they could have escaped during the night. If that's the case, they could be anywhere."
"I don't want Ella and Terry sitting here when the cops come. Time to pow-wow."
They walked out of the barn, grimfaced and determined, telling Ella and Terry what they found and their plans to track the missing kids.
"Sounds good to me." Ella turned toward Terry for a moment. "We'll drive back down to the shopping center, have lunch and wait for your call. I'm starved anyway."
Jim nodded. "Keep Amy with you, hon. I'll take Tony. I'd like to see what his reaction is to Cricket's tracking. Anyway, he'll love the run."
Lenny handed Terry the keys to the SUV. "We'll call you on the hour."
***
Cricket moved through the underbrush like a rust-colored eel, alternately sniffing the floor of the trail, the shrubs beside it and the increasing wind above.
Tony followed Cricket through the dense scrub, eyes gleaming, alert to his surroundings and ready for whatever adventure came next.
The trail ended at a clearing near a waterfall. Lenny, Jim and the dogs walked into the sunlight, eyes scanning the area for the lost girls.
"Would ya look at that," Jim said, pointing at the little waterfall. "At least they have water to cool off with. I hope they know enough not to drink it."
"The time will come when they have no choice. They had access to water in the barn, so at least they didn't start out dehydrated."
Lenny gave Cricket the signal to continue the track. She charged down the trail to the water's edge and stopped. She whined slightly and sat.
"Okay, they got in the water," he said and stuck his hand in the pool. "It's freezing, by the way. They didn't stay in long."
They allowed the dogs to drink their fill and then gave Cricket the signal to hunt again.
Just before one, Jim called Ella. "We're on the trail and Cricket is just amazing. Rudy will be so pleased." His expression changed in a blink. "What? When?"
He turned around, scanning the horizon. To his left, and perhaps five miles away, plumes of white smoke billowed above the trees. Nodding, he said, "Okay, Ella, keep on top of this, huh. I'm glad they have a TV in that restaurant. If the fire gets close or you hear any updates we should know about, call me. We're heading in a southwest direction along a canal that I think is going to end up at the Loveland Dam. That's a lot farther than we planned to walk, but we'll keep in touch, babe."
He put the cell away and called to Lenny, who was several yards further down the trail with Cricket. "We have a wildfire up the road about five miles behind us. The way the winds are blowing now, it should keep the danger zone above us, but that can change in an instant."
Lenny waited until Jim got closer. "I figure we've hiked about five miles from the barn, don't you? We're probably abreast of the mall, maybe even past it. Cricket's still going strong and I'm fine. Shall we carry on?"
"Oh, yeah. Tony isn't even panting, so I'm doing it for him. I'll just spend the rest of the week in the hot tub. Lead on, McDuff."
By Showboat
By three-thirty the fire had consumed four hundred acres that hadn't seen a burn in fifty years. Balls of dead tree limbs shot into the air like firecrackers, hurling burning embers in all directions. Some flew on the wind, landing acres away and igniting new fires. In creating their own ecosystems, the firestorms often reversed their route and burned in a new direction, frequently trapping firefighters and residents in the middle of the inferno.
Terry and Ella sat in the restaurant lounge, eyes glued to the local TV coverage.
"Oh, my God, would you look at that?" Terry nudged as a close-up showed trees exploding, sending chunks of flaming debris high in the air, ending in fiery showers.
Fanned by the strong Santa Ana winds, and feeding on a rich supply of fuel, it spread at a rapid pace. Considering the tons of combustible material on the forest floor, the firestorm grew exponentially.
It was now just a bit past five, and the number of acres consumed had doubled, exceeding eight hundred. Two additional fires, offshoots of the original, caused firefighters to split into individual battalions, further stressing available personnel and assets.
The newscaster droned on, calling out the names of little villages involved in mandatory evacuation of the area. The bartender shook his head.
"Here we go again, ladies. Drink up. We have to leave."
Terry approached the SUV, keys in one hand, cell in the other. "Lenny, yes. Look, we have to get out of here. They called for a mandatory evacuation. Where are you? Along the Loveland Canal, right? Okay. I'll do that, yes. Any sign of the girls? Okay, I'll call when we get down the hill a ways. God, honey, be careful."
Ella hurried to her car, Amy hot on her trail. The smell of fire set off the dog's nerves, and for the past hour or so, her agitation increased to the point where she whined continually, nudging Ella's hand for solace. As they approached the Mustang, Amy leaped into the back seat of the car, not waiting for Ella to open the door; she sat there, panting, quivering and sniffing the air.
The deafening wail of fire trucks roaring up the steep road replaced the afternoon solitude and made the dog howl, ending all conversation. Unable to hear, Ella pointed down the hill, made the telephone gesture with her hand and waved at Terry.
They turned out of the driveway and drove down the road, on the lookout for frightened wildlife. Terrified creatures tore across the roads, sometimes zigzagging back and forth, frantic with fear.
Terry hated driving the big Suburban under the best of circumstances. Eyes glued to the road, right foot shaking, she had the wheel in a death grip. She let out a startled hiss as her cell rang. "What?"
"We know the guys are to the right of us. Jim said they're following along the canal, so I suggest maybe we take the next big road to the right. Ya with me?"
"Just like always." Terry closed the phone and started to pray.
***
"Okay," Lenny said, snapping the cell closed. "We've got a big one and its split up, so the girls had to leave that little mall. They're going to call us when they get down the hill a bit. We'll figure out something then."
"God, where the hell can those kids be? We should have found them by now."
Jim raised his hands to his mouth and repeated the calls they'd been making all afternoon. "Aud..rey! Beth! Hellooo, are you out there?"
He shrugged. "This is really strange. I guess they escaped a lot sooner than we thought. Cricket is still on the trail, though. We better step it up a notch."
Lenny glanced over his shoulder, then turned and pointed.
"Shit," he said, "it's closer than I thought." He gestured at the advancing clouds of smoke and sniffed. "Damn wind turned. It's heading our way."
They picked up the pace as the smell of smoke grew stronger.
***
The girls came around a bend in the trail and what they saw made them wonder if they were hallucinating.
A large sign read: "Cuyamaca Trail Campgrounds maintained for your enjoyment by the California Parks and Recreation Service."
What they didn't see was the chain across the bottom of the road or the warning sign above it that read, "Park closed until further notice due to high fire hazard."
"Oh, my God, we're saved!" Beth felt tears start behind her eyes, followed by a deeply drawn breath. "Why is it so quiet?"
They glanced around the empty campgrounds. No cars, no people, no sounds of any kind. The girls crept forward, cautious now, doubly conscious of their nudity.
"Look over there," Audrey said, pointing across the clearing. "Someone left their tent. How strange is that? Why would they do that?"
"They're probably out hiking or something. God, let's see if they have extra clothes and something to eat." They limped over to the site, bare feet burning on the hot ground, and called again.
"Hello?"
Audrey bent over and opened the flap. Inside were two air mattresses, pillows and blankets and in one corner, a duffel bag and a cooler.
"Food," Beth said, opening the lid. Despair filled her voice. "Wouldn't ya just know it."
Three cans of beer and three bottles of Mike's Hard Lemonade nestled in the ice; a little more welcome, a sandwich, a package of hot dogs and four buns.
"Ugh, I hate beer," Beth said. "I'll have a lemonade."
Audrey started to say something, then lapsed into silence.
They gobbled the sandwich so fast they weren't sure what it was, and for the next several moments they concentrated upon keeping it down. After a twenty-four-hour fast, their stomachs revolted at the outrageous onslaught; the alcohol didn't help.
Long deep breaths helped and their grateful stomachs finally settled. Slowly, they ate raw hotdogs.
Audrey shrugged. "Just bologna ... no problem eating them raw. Not bad."
They dug into the duffel bag and cheered with delight at being able to dress for the first time in ages. They pulled out shirts, shorts and several pairs of socks. No shoes.
"I've never been particularly shy about my body before, but I don't think I'll ever walk around nude again." Beth pulled a tee-shirt over her slender frame and shook her hair out.
"Talk about vulnerable; it's a terrible feeling. I think that was the worst part of all, being naked like that."
Audrey stared at her a moment, drew a deep sigh and nodded. "My friend, you lucked out. If he'd done to you what he did me, being naked would be the least of it."
Beth gazed at Audrey then pursed her lips. "I'm an idiot, sorry, you're right; I didn't realize what...." She took another swallow from her bottle. "I'm sorry."
"It sure wasn't your fault. No need to apologize." She watched Beth down the last of her bottle and reach for another. "That's enough for now; it's going down good, huh? Ya better ease up."
"Best lemonade I've ever had," she said, chuckling. "Better than Mom's."
"Yeah, well, we're still a long way out of town, so save some back. One beer was enough for me." Audrey stuffed a can in each front pocket and adjusted the shorts. They managed to stuff half the package of wieners in the oversized back pocket of her shorts.
"I only have front pockets," Beth said, the neck of a bottle protruding from each. "I'll carry the buns. We may have to eat them soon, though." She glanced ahead and nodded. "Looks like a long walk."
Energized physically by food and drink and relieved to be clothed again, their spirits soared. A thorough scavenger hunt of the surrounding campsite revealed a decent pair of loafers, which fit Audrey perfectly. Beth found a serviceable pair of tennies, minus laces, which were just a tad too big for her, but beat hiking barefoot.
By late afternoon they'd made considerable progress. They hiked along the trail that ran parallel to the lake, spotting another abandoned campsite. This one yielded a sleeping bag and down quilt.
"I figure we don't have much daylight left. We need to think about where to sleep tonight."
"I don't want to quit yet, Audrey. Let's carry that stuff; we'll need it, for sure. But let's keep walking. We have at least two more hours left, don't ya think?"
"I guess. I'm just beat. Let's check out the area, see what else we might find."
They continued to walk, aware of the solitude, disquieted.
Beth watched the edges of the trail for wildlife of some sort. Not even a rabbit. "It's really strange being up here all alone, isn't it? Where do you think everyone went? I mean, that's two camping grounds deserted so fast people left stuff, and on this beautiful day. Weird. Y'know what else? I don't hear any birds chirping."
They continued down the trail single file, ever watchful for rattlesnakes or other aggressive critters.
"Is it just me or do you ... oh, God, Audrey, I smell smoke."
They stopped dead on the trail and scanned the ridge behind them; two born and bred California girls knew what they saw.
"Oh no, oh God, it's a fire." Beth glanced frantically from side to side, searching for an escape route.
"It's to the left and behind us. I bet that's why the people took off so fast. We're probably in the middle of a mandatory evacuation. Oh, God, what should we do?"
***
| Author Notes |
I don't play with Evil Eddie, so where you see words set off in quotes, like the park, be assured, they're in italics in the ms.
Thanks and enjoy. Gayle |
By Showboat
Ella led the way down the hill, Terry right on her bumper. By then, grey wisps of ash floated on the air and the smell of smoke made them gasp in quick, shallow beats. Ella increased her speed, putting distance between them and the fire. They reached a road that branched off to the right and took it.
Amy refused to lie down in the back seat. Instead, she sat upright, constantly sniffing the wind and whining. She sneezed several times, then coughed. The poor air quality made breathing uncomfortable but before long, they'd cleared the area and the smoke dissipated. Still the dog would not relax.
Ella pulled into an almost empty gas station and parked. The SUV pulled up right beside her and Terry hopped out of the van.
"I'm going in there and see where we are and what's going on with the fire. Call Jim, find out their location and then come inside and we'll see if anyone in there knows the area well. We need some supplies. The guys haven't eaten in hours and those kids ... I shudder to think."
Terry hurried into the little store and picked up two six-packs of bottled water. She walked over to the cooler cases, picked up half a dozen ham and cheese sandwiches and glanced around for the cash register.
The lone man standing behind the counter watched fire coverage on the TV, shaking his head from time-to-time and muttering.
He glanced at her and smiled, expression a mix of admiration and concern.
"You need help, lady ... looking for a boat rental?"
Terry's jaw went slack. "You have boats?"
He shrugged, nodding. "Sure. For fishing on the lake ... and you're lost, right?"
"Yes, sir, I sure am. We're trying to hook up with our friends. They're hiking along the trail next to the lake now, and with this fire, we're scared to death." Tears filled her eyes, she sniffed once and began to cry.
"Oh, no, no, don't ya go doing that." The man shook his head, hands extended. "Can I help you? What's wrong?" He pushed a box of tissues toward Terry, nodding.
Just then, Ella burst in the door, Amy pasted to her thigh.
"Holy shit," he said as he saw her face. He turned from Terry to Ella. "What the...?"
She held up both hands, halting further comment. "Twins. Listen, my fiance is coming down the trail, but we don't know exactly where. It's their first time hiking here. Can you talk to him, figure out where he is, how we can find him?" Ella thrust the cell at the man, nodding.
"Jim. His name is Jim."
"Travis here. Tell me where...."
The girls stood like pillars, holding their breath, while the man continued to nod.
"Okay, that's cool. I have a pretty good idea where ya are. Best thing to do is pick a waterside clearing. Get as close to the lake as possible in an open area so your ladies can see you. I'd come for you guys myself, but I've got a family I gotta see to. I'll send them looking for you in a boat. You can't be more than five miles away. They'll find you."
He snapped the cell closed and handed it to Ella. "Follow me, ladies, gotta fly."
They hurried down a fairly steep path to the lake. A long dock protruded into the water and a dozen or so outboard motorboats bobbed gently, rocking together in the shallow water.
"We need the biggest ones you have. We're searching for two missing girls, and the guys have two more dogs like this one."
"They're all the same, flat bottomed, aluminum fourteen footers, seats six. Two should fill the bill. They're simple outboards, lookee-here." He gave them the condensed version, glanced into the sky again and shook his head.
"They got my name and number on 'em. When the fire is over, give me a call, we'll meet up. Good luck."
He waved, then turned and hurried up the path. Moments later, a black truck roared out of the parking lot above them and sped down the road.
"I'll go first. Follow a little ways back so you can talk on the cell and get Lenny to listen for the motor, okay? I'm going to start hollering as well. They'll hear something. The dogs will, even if the guys don't."
Terry nodded, allowing Ella to take a fair lead, then dialed her cell.
"Lenny. Hey, we're in little motorboats and we're hoping you can hear us. Ella is ahead of me, shouting for Jim. When you hear her, let me know, 'cause we're moving right along now."
The smell of smoke increased as the women motored up the lake, staying as close to the edge as possible. The last rays of afternoon sun, obscured by the thick smoke, shed gray, hazy light.
They came toward a cove, hoping to see the guys standing on the shore, waving. Instead, as they made a turn and pulled out farther into the lake to avoid huge, overhanging trees, the next sight stopped their hearts.
A couple of miles ahead a solid wall of fire danced on the floor of the forest, undulating in the intense heat then swaying in the treetops like hula dancers, mesmerizing, alluring, and deadly.
Thanks to the hard winds and the never ending supply of fuel, the fires grew.
Flaming chunks of wood shot into the air like some macabre form of fireworks, landed on the other side of the stream, and promptly gave birth to a new fire. Had it not been so frightening, it might be fascinating to watch. As it was, panic ensued in the eyes of the observers.
In moments, the infant fires grew as the hot winds fanned the advancing flames. Competition provided an added starter as fire engulfed the top of the lake on both sides and raced toward them, neck and neck.
"San'tanas," Terry murmured, black eyes glittering with fear.
"Jim! Tony!" Ella's screech ripped the air to shreds as she screamed over and over. "Lenny!"
Amy raised her muzzle and howled at the top of her lungs, then stopped, ears up, head cocked, listening.
Beth turned to Audrey and grabbed her arm. "Did you hear that? Is that a woman yelling?"
They ran to the water's edge, waving their arms.
"Here!" They screamed, shrill voices echoing across the face of the lake. "We're over here."
The girls stepped into the water, still calling and waving, just in time to see a boat go by. They shouted even louder, Amy barked and Ella cut her engine.
Terry did a bit of fancy maneuvering, slowing to a crawl as she neared Ella.
"That's got to be our girls. All of you start yelling and I'll call Lenny and see what he can hear. Back soon."
Terry continued up the lake alone, talking on the cell with Lenny.
"I hear ya, honey, you're close. Slow down ... Terry. Whoa, girl, you just passed us. Here we are." He stepped into the lake, waving his arms.
Terry reversed, then grinned wide as she cut the motor, bumping against the bank of the shallow water. She relinquished the wheel to Lenny and moved into the next seat, as Jim and the dogs jumped into the back.
"Holy God," she said, nodding in the direction of the fire. "What a freakin' nightmare." She hugged Lenny again and grinned.
"Oh, but we have good news. You guys won't believe it, but we found the girls. They're just down the lake a ways and Ella is helping them into her boat, I guess ... yep, there they are."
Lenny headed back down the lake, soon spotting Ella and the girls waiting in the other boat.
"You gals okay?" Jim called, giving Ella a grin, a thumb and a relieved expression. "You had us scared to death. You're oaky, right?"
The boats bumped together, lightly bobbing on the placid water.
"We're fine now," Beth said. "You know who we are, huh?"
"Actually, your parents hired us to find you, Beth; we're PI's. We've been on the hunt since you were kidnapped." He turned to the other girl and smiled.
"And you must be Audrey Simms." He handed her his cell. "According to your parents, you're the bravest girl alive. I bet you'd like to talk with them. They're frantic."
She dialed, eyes already brimming. "Mom? It's ... yes, it's me. Oh, Mom! We're fine. We've been rescued...."
Beth spoke with her parents as well. "Oh, Daddy, it's so good...." Tears dripped from her eyes as she spoke, her voice coming in little gaspy breaths.
"No, I'm okay, he didn't...." She continued to nod and the tears lessened as her parents reassured her that everything was okay.
Although Beth continued to cry, it was more of a cooing sound now, low, secure in the sound of her mother's voice.
"Yes, we're on Loveland Lake, in little fishing boats. One of the ladies who rescued us is talking to the police now. I'm sure they'll call you in a little bit. We'll be home soon. And Mom, please call Molly. Tell her I'm okay. And tell her I'm sorry."
* * *
The early evening winds picked up, adding more force and fanning the flaming inferno. Hours ago, it had consumed Sam's barn and burned the little mall to the ground. After the fire reached the creek and hopped over, it began to burn the other side of the forest as well, consuming prime fuel.
Sparks and embers flew through the air, wavered, then fell and caught, igniting new areas. Soon the forest on both sides of the channel blazed and for five miles, from the beginning of the creek to the mouth of the lake, fire burned clear to the water's edge. With nowhere to go but straight, it roared down the hill, consuming everything in sight.
Three thousand acres burned with no containment in sight.
By Showboat
"What are we going to do now?" Terry glanced at Lenny, eyebrows elevated. "Have you made any plans? Are we going back to the cars and make a run for it?"
"I'm not sure, hon. How much farther is it to the dock?"
She shrugged. "I'm not sure, but it can't be much farther. Why?"
"Well." He looked around, shaking his head. "Where is the fire now? I can see it across the lake and it's going like ninety, but what about this side? It's like we're in some kind of pocket or cove or something here. Look up the hill to the left. I can't see even a flicker of flames, can you?"
"Strange. Could it have stalled out or turned in another direction?"
"That's what I'm asking. Until we get to the dock and check things out, we won't know, but the only thing that could stop it is if the wind shifted, and I can't feel any wind at all now. Really weird."
Terry glanced from side to side, eyes wide. "Wouldn't it be safer to stay in the boats? At least the fire can't get us here."
They continued down the lake, hugging the shore as closely as they dared. Smoke hung in the air like a shroud. The eerie stillness, after hours of sustained winds hammering their eardrums literally drained their energy with silence.
Without winds to drive it, the fire pattern stalled, changed from one of a racing, roiling inferno to a straight up, almost leisurely burn. The forest sighed.
With reduced visibility, it took longer than expected to reach the dock. They tethered the boats to the two end rings and began to make plans.
"What's in the store? Flashlights by any chance? Food?"
Terry nodded at Lenny. "They had all kinds of stuff. It's like a country store."
She twisted in her seat, trying to see where the fire was. The trees in this area towered so high above the lake they hid the fire on this side from actual view. The steep bank from the store down to the lake further masked the fire's location.
The boats bobbed softly next to the dock, bumping lightly against the pillars.
"Come on, Lenny. I want to get some stuff out of the van, including some knapsacks. See what you can find in that store. Food would be nice, a flashlight...."
Jim glanced over his shoulder at the fire burning across the lake and nodded. "You girls stay put. Please wait in the boat unless we call you."
Lenny stepped out onto the dock and then turned to Terry. "Do not get out of the boat for any reason. We'll be right back. Cricket, stay."
The men climbed up the slope side by side, panting by the time they reached the top.
"There's the van. Go on into the store, see what you can find."
Jim unlocked the Suburban, opened the glove compartment and pulled out two handguns and a transponder device. He turned the OnStar switch to emergency, pocketed the tracker and unlocked a built-in compartment behind the driver's seat. The laptops were first on the agenda and he pulled them out, along with another handgun.
The tricked-out van, complete with cloaking device, fuzz-buster and the all the latest Intel options OnStar offered was worth almost a hundred grand. It killed him to leave it, but the last place they needed to be was on a strange road in the middle of a firestorm.
Jim pulled two empty knapsacks from under the driver's seat, slipped the strap of one over his head, and crammed the stuff inside.
Lenny grinned at the unlocked door and hurried into the store. He picked up three big flashlights, extra batteries and several six-packs of water. A dozen or so sandwiches and every health bar on the shelf landed in the plastic tote bag he snagged from a hook on the wall.
Jim entered the store to find Lenny jamming things into his pockets. He sighed with relief and nodded at the pile of stuff on the counter. Quickly they filled the empty knapsack with more food and water.
Suddenly, everything changed. The silence that had reigned for almost half an hour ended in an earth shattering bombardment of sound so loud it caused both men to duck into instinctive attack stance. Furious gusts of wind rocked the little store, slamming the door against the wall and shattering the glass inset.
"Oh, God, Jim, look!" Lenny pointed at a wall of fire bearing down on them.
They grabbed their stuff and ran out the door, taking the path at a speed far beyond safe considering the poor visibility.
Jim followed Lenny down the trail, fear making his hair stand on end. He glanced over his shoulder and redoubled his speed as the fire licked at their heels. Flaming debris fell around them, now, and more than once, they brushed off flaming embers. A sharp, whooshing sound told them the cars were on fire. The store came next.
The girls froze in place as the tableau unfolded before them. Eyes wide, screams high-pitched, they held their breath as Lenny and Jim tore down the hill. Hungry flames bore down on the men.
Tony stood in the stern of the boat, watching his master, under orders to stay. He began to tiptoe in place, all the while whining.
Lenny thundered down the deck, several steps ahead of Jim, screaming at Terry to untether the boats and get ready to go.
Jim missed his footing, caught his toe on the lip of the dock and sprawled head first into a pillar. He lay on the deck, almost invisible in the smoky darkness.
Tony saw him fall, leapt out of the boat and charged down the dock, snarling in defiance at the flames that challenged him. Embers fell on his short coat but he never hesitated. Skidding to a stop next to Jim, he nosed him once, then grabbed the knapsack strap across Jim's shoulder and pulled.
Short, sharp, vicious jerks slowly but surely began to pull Jim closer to the edge of the dock, but not fast enough. One foot hooked on the pillar, halting progress. Tony raised his muzzle and gave a short, unearthly howl, then increased the force of the jerks.
Amy galloped down the dock, grabbed Jim by the back of the collar, and now both dogs pulled. The flimsy fabric shredded and she traded her hold for the other side of the canvas strap. By pulling in concert, the dogs made great progress.
Fire licked the end of the dock, just inches from Jim's toes. With one more massive jerk, Amy lost her footing and fell off the dock into the water.
She tightened her hold on the strap of the knapsack and hung on. With Tony's continued jerks, her weight was enough to tip the scales, and Jim, Tony and the knapsack crashed into the water beside her.
By Showboat
Frantic, Lenny bent over the rope, viciously jerking it back and forth, trying to untie the boats. The sounds of the fire rose to a crescendo, blotting out all but the hellish fire around them. It wasn't until Terry shook his shoulder, frantically pointing at the thrashing dogs, that he even knew there was a problem.
"Jim!" she screamed.
"You girls get the boats farther into the lake," he shouted, then finally jerked the tie rope free. "Go on!"
Flames lapped the end of the dock, little racing lines of fire inched their way up the old wood, widening as they gained strength. It had no effect on the waterlogged pillars, but the planks above began to smolder; the flames continued to lap, refusing to give up. Tenacious, they took a better hold and crackled anew.
Lenny tore down the dock and jumped into the water, hitting the lake bottom with a resounding thud. What he thought would be at least five or six feet of water was barely four. He landed between the dogs, stood up and wrenched the strap from their grasp.
Amazed at how heavy the bag was, he put his shoulder into it, and hauled the knapsack over his neck. Relieved of the weight, Jim's head popped up and he remained on the surface, gagging, spitting water and coughing violently.
Jim gasped for breath and vomited several times, purging himself of the swallowed water. Lenny held him under both arms as his friend slowly recovered his breath.
"It's okay, buddy. I got ya. Are you okay?" He noticed the trickle of blood dripping down Jim's cheek
Still unable to speak, Jim leaned back into Lenny's chest and pointed to the end of the dock where the fire now lapped at the pillar that not long ago hooked his foot.
"I know, looks bad, but we have time. Just relax and catch your breath."
Jim fell into another convulsive spasm of coughing, spewing more water back into the lake. His head lolling on the other man's chest, he glanced at the dogs and feebly patted the dock several times.
"You want me to put them up there? I'm going to have to let go of you to do that."
Jim reached for the pillar, hugging it, while Lenny gave the unwilling dogs a boost up on the dock. Still using the pillars for support, Lenny rolled over on his back and towed Jim into deeper water and the waiting boats.
A nervous Tony paced above them, whining several times and attempting to jump back into the water in his desire to be near Jim. Slowly, Jim raised his hand toward the dog, made a fist and then opened his palm and raised his index finger. Tony sighed once and relaxed at the signal.
Meanwhile, Terry and Ella had maneuvered their boats along the dock on either side of a crude sort of ladder. Constructed of boards nailed across two pillars, it provided the only way out of the lake to the dock above, especially for an injured man.
They held the boats on either side of the ladder, eyes rapidly shifting from the roaring inferno bearing down upon them to Lenny and Jim. Ella stretched her arms toward Jim, hands rapidly opening and closing in fists, and screaming at them to hurry.
As the men approached, Beth and Audrey climbed out of the boat and held it tight to the dock. With Ella pulling and Lenny shoving, they managed through their combined efforts to drag Jim into the boat.
Tony hurled himself off the dock, landing next to Jim and threatening to sink them all in his eagerness to touch his master. He buried his muzzle under Jim's arm and whined in relief.
Amy stepped into the boat with as much dignity as she could muster then pounced on Jim, giving his face a vigorous licking all the while muttering and whining under her breath; although no longer her god, he'd been her first love.
Ella rapped both arms around him, crooning in low tones.
In a hoarse and raspy voice Jim assured her that his injuries were minor. He had a large bump on his forehead, he admitted, but nothing to worry about.
Tenderly she drew his head down and pillowed it against her chest. Amy lay on one side, Tony on the other.
They anchored the boats in the middle of the lake and Lenny tied them together, reducing the drift and allowing everyone to talk. He sat next to Terry and the kids, handing out bottles of water, sandwiches and health bars. His hopeful assessment of their situation raised their spirits.
"Everything's going to be just fine. You girls both spoke with your parents and they know where you are, so even without phones, they'll find us."
He saw the question on their faces and shrugged. "Both our cells are ruined." He glanced at Ella. "You have any power?"
She shook her head. "I'm out of signal."
"Me, too," Terry added. "How about the satellite tracker in the van? I turned it on before I went into the store."
"It was on when I last saw it," Jim said in slow, halting tones.
"Good." Lenny stared at Jim. "At least the OnStar folks know where we were when the van exploded. Once the fire ends, there will be all kinds of people out here looking for us. Just a matter of waiting it out."
Nodding, Beth said, "My dad told me the same thing, and firefighters are on the lookout for us, too. In the morning, if it ever comes, they'll send helicopters to get us."
"Nothing is ever that easy," Audrey said. "Nothing."
Mesmerized they stared at the unbelievable conflagration surrounding them. The wall of flames passed the dam and continued down the mountain toward the sea.
* * *
The long night finally ended as sunbeams peeped between the trees sending shafts of light to poke around in the thick air.
They finished off the last of the health bars and stared at the remaining six pack of water.
Overhead in the distance they heard the whooping, thwacking sounds of a helicopter approaching. A moment later the blades swept their way through the smoke and the booming loudspeaker rent the air.
"This is the California Department of Forestry. Help is on the way." They dropped two sacks next to the boat and flew away.
The waterproof bags bobbed next to the boats. Inside they found more water, a cell phone and a dozen sandwiches. The other contained first aid supplies.
"Hey, Ella," Lenny said, leaning toward her. "Trade places with me. I want to check Jim out and then maybe put some first aid stuff on his cut. It's still bleeding, but whatever it is, it's covered by his hair."
She turned toward Jim but Lenny shook his head, voice stern. "No, Ella, please let me check him out first."
His tone broached no discussion as he reached his arms forward, steadying her as she traded places with him. The flat bottomed boats barely moved, and now he sat next to Jim. Even though the majority of the blood had dried, the center of the stream remained wet with fresh flow.
Lenny pulled a long swab out of the medical bag and with great care began lifting hair near where he figured the wound was. Instead of finding the expected hole he found a raised, jagged lump. Closer inspection revealed a wood shard embedded in Jim's skull.
"Son of a bitch."
"Not good, huh?" Jim murmured. "Don't tell Ella."
Just then they heard a commotion on the far bank next to the dam and turned to see several people in white waving their arms and hollering.
In record time, Lenny untied the boats and started his motor.
"Follow me," he called and increased his speed to top throttle. They skimmed over the lake to the waiting ambulance. Lenny cut the motor and jumped into the water, quickly pulling the boat to shore.
"He's got a piece of wood stuck in his head," he said to the medic. "Call for a medivac. It's been in there for at least twelve hours."
As though by magic, a helicopter appeared and set down in the middle of the country road. Two men bearing a stretcher jumped out and ran toward Jim. They secured him, carried him back to the waiting helicopter and lifted off before Ella could get out of her boat.
She came puffing over to Lenny, hands on hips. "Why didn't they wait for me?"
He hesitated a moment and then spoke. "He has a large splinter stuck in his head. He's on the way to the hospital, but we're not far behind him. Come on."
By that time, half a dozen vehicles waited in the clearing to offer their assistance. Lenny grabbed her hand, ran to the closest one and hopped inside. The car made a sharp U-turn and tore down the road heading out of the forest.
By Showboat
Terry and the girls approached the bank of the lake, all talking at once. She threw the tow line to a man on shore and waited while he pulled them to the water's edge.
The dogs jumped out first, edgy, upset at being abandoned and unsure what to do. While they all knew Terry and felt comfortable with her, she was not their leader. Tony, in particular, seemed on edge, pacing in circles and whining.
The girls went next and finally Terry. The man holding the rope extended his hand to her in assistance.
The nurse led Beth and Audrey to the ambulance. She sat them down on folding chairs, removed their shoes and socks and began to examine their feet for the aftereffects of wandering through the woods barefoot. Satisfied that the iodine and salve would be sufficient for the moment, she pulled thin, sterile footsies over their feet, followed by heavier, cushioned slippers.
The man secured the boat to a submerged tree limb and turned to Terry. "I'm Ed Lawrence. Are you hurt? Do you need medical assistance?"
"No, I'm fine, so are the girls. Just some scrapes and cuts, nothing big, but one of our group, Jim Sessions, was injured. They took him away in that helicopter and my sister and my fiance just drove off down the road without me. I don't have a car and what am I supposed to do with all these dogs? Do you know where everyone went?" Her voice continued to escalate.
"All I know is the 'copter's on its way to UCSD Medical Center. Follow me, please and we'll try to find out more informtion for you."
He led her back to his car and nodded at the girls resting on the back of the ambulance ledge. He opened his trunk and removed a gigantic thermos and several cups.
"Coffee anyone?" He handed round the cups, nodding at their expressions of appreciation.
Beth wrapped both hands around her cup, sniffed and took a sip.
"Oh God, that smells so good. It's been so long. Just like my mom's." Her lower lip started to quiver and soon, tears began to flow. She turned to the medic, expression hopeful.
"My name is Beth Chapman. Are my parents coming to get me soon? I really want to go home because I need my mother."
He turned to her, sympathy in his eyes. "It shouldn't be much longer. The roads are cordoned off at the bottom of the hill so the general public can't get in here. The Highway Patrol spoke with your parents, and yours, too, Audrey, while we waited for the all clear.
"They gave emergency vehicles the early go-ahead, but once the cops are confident the fire danger has passed, they'll declare the roads safe and let them through. Shouldn't...."
A white BMW tore up the road and pulled into the clearing, puffs of ash and silt rising in its wake.
With a cry of joy, Beth dropped her cup on the ground and ran toward the familiar car, arms outstretched. It skidded to a stop and Connie and Rob threw open their doors and lunged for their daughter. Crying, hugging, they merged into one, a tangle of arms as joyous cries of relief and love rose in the air.
Audrey burst into tears as her parents' car pulled into the clearing just moments later. She hurried over to them, crying and sobbing, and collapsed in their arms. Moments later, they left, following Beth and her family down the road.
Terry smiled in reassurance as a familiar SUV pulled to a stop behind a police cruiser. Rudy Banks sprinted across the ground, arms outstretched. He covered the distance between them in moments, and reached out for the dogs.
They mobbed him, happy to see their well-known and much loved former boss. He caressed their heads, then pulled a very agitated Tony into his arms.
"It's okay, buddy, relax. Everything's all right now." He grabbed the huge dog by the muzzle and gently began to rock him back and forth, all the while murmuring in the dog's ear. Tony relaxed considerably, although he continued to whine.
Amy put an insistant paw on Rudy's knee and began to talk about her fears and concerns, interspersing her whines with low growls and barks. Extending her claws like a cat, she dug into his knee, rolled her eyes at the forest and bared her teeth.
Ever the stoic, Cricket sat quietly, completely relaxed with Rudy. It'd only been a few months since she'd left his daily minstrations, and she felt completely at ease.
After several pats and expressions of love and support, he turned to Terry.
"Are you okay? I just got a call from Lenny. He said that Jim is injured and they're on the way to UCSD hospital. He sent me up here to get you and the dogs. Come on, we need to get going."
Snapping his fingers several times he got the dogs attention. They followed him to the back of the SUV and jumped inside. He tied them quickly, gave them each a pat and shut the doors.
She started to speak but he held up his hand, cutting her off. "Let's go, we'll catch up on the way, but I really ... let's go."
Rudy turned the large van around and tore back down the hill, heading for San Diego.
"How did you know where I was?"
"I talked with Jim yesterday and he told me that he and Lenny were up here searching for those missing girls and expected to end up somewhere near the Loveland Dam. He wanted me to meet you and Ella at some mall around here. When the fire turned, they wouldn't let me in. I knew you'd have to run and the only likely place was to the lake."
He slowed for a hairpin turn, sliding between lanes like he drove a sports car rather than the cumbersome Suburban.
"Man, I've never had such a miserable night in my life. Jim must have lost cell service around six so I never got further orders. I stayed as close as I could get, though. The cops blocked all the roads and the direction of the fire was so unpredictable, even the fire crews came back."
He paused, drew a deep breath and continued. "What happened to Jim? Were you there?"
"We were all together by that time. We found the missing girls before we connected with the guys, actually, and figured the best thing would be to go back to the dock. We all waited there with the boats while Jim and Lenny went up the hill to check out the vehicles and get whatever they could from the store.
"The wind had died down so much the smoke just hung above us like a mantle or something. All of a sudden, it came back like a tornado and next thing we saw, here comes Lenny and Jim tearing down the hill, just ahead of the fire." She shook her head, remembering, and shivered.
"It was so loud you couldn't hear yourself think. Anyway, Lenny made it to the end of the dock, and he's, like, yelling and tearing at the tie ropes and trying to get the boats loose when Jim tripped. The fire was right on him, and Tony and Amy managed to drag him off the dock into the lake, but then he damned near drowned.
"Lenny jumped in, pulled the knapsack off Jim and stood him up. We got Jim into one of the boats and spent the night in the middle of the lake watching the fire burn."
"So why did they take him to the hospital, in a helicopter, yet? What was the emergency? Do you know what else is wrong with him?"
"Lenny said he conked his head when he fell and has a splinter stuck in his head. He tried to be calm about it, but I know he's scared. We have to get to the hospital, fast."
They passed dozens of fire trucks and emergency vehicles, lights revolving at a lazy pace, sirens off. The fire had shifted to the north, giving the firefighters clear access to the burned and smoldering forest. They worked on the hot spots, extinguishing any leftover embers.
Rudy accessed the freeway and sped toward town, cloaking device and fuzz buster giving the all clear. Twenty minutes later, they pulled into the emergency entrance of UCSD Medical Center and parked in the short term area. They hurried through the doors and down the long corridor to the check-in area.
"We're looking for Jim Sessions. Do you know where he is?"
The nurse nodded, glancing at the sheet before her. "They took him up to surgery about thirty minutes ago, but that's all I know right now. If you want to have a seat in one of the waiting rooms, we'll let you know whenever the doctor's report is released. His other friends are in that one."
She pointed across the hall and nodded.
They entered the quiet waiting room and saw Lenny and Ella sipping coffee and watching fire coverage on the TV. The twins embraced while Lenny updated Rudy on what little he knew.
"They flew him in on a medivac and he was already in surgery when we got here. I talked with the nurse at the front desk and she promised to send the doctor in to talk with us when he comes out of the operating room. All we can do now is wait and pray."
By Showboat
The doctor approached them, clipboard in hand, and the look on his face made them sigh with relief. He introduced himself and gave a brief rundown of Jim's condition.
"It looked much worse than it was, we're pleased to say. The width of the end of the splinter fooled us. Thank God it wasn't even as long as it was wide. Plus, it split upon entry and followed a parallel line under the skin rather than penetrating the skull. That's why the lump was so large. He's very lucky because the original point of entry wasn't more than an inch from his eye socket.
"Even with a short splinter like that, at the very least he'd have lost the sight in that eye. He's recovering nicely, and baring any signs of infection, we can release him tomorrow morning. I'm concerned with pneumonia from ingesting water in his lungs, but he's breathing normally."
Ella swayed toward Lenny, hand at her throat. "Oh, my God, I think I'm gonna pass out."
He led her back to the row of chairs, thanking the doctor as they walked away.
Rudy leaned toward the doctor, still not satisfied. "Will there be any residual effects, doctor? Will he be okay?"
"There won't even be a scar. He should be coming out of the anesthetic before long. I'll send a nurse down for you as soon as he's awake."
* * *
Jim settled back against his pillows, still a bit groggy and in a good bit of pain. He held Ella's hand, reassuring her that he'd be just fine. Once she calmed down he turned his attention to Rudy.
"Do you have the dogs? How's Tony?"
"Royally pissed and worried to death. He's definitely not a happy camper, although Cricket and Amy are fine. The doctor said you could leave tomorrow if you don't develop some kind of infection. Do you want me to come down and pick you up?"
"If you could take Lenny and the girls home to pick up their cars, that should about do it." Jim slanted a gaze at Rudy and pursed his lips. "The frickin' van blew up and the damned computers are at the bottom of the lake. I'd stuffed them in one of my knapsacks along with my Glock and the OnStar transponder.
"Damned things were so heavy they almost drowned me. If they'll let you, see if you can get back to the scene and get them. The hard-drive should be salvageable, don't you think?"
"Yeah, I'll check around as soon as I leave here. You never know what we can recover from the van either. I'll do my best, boss." He paused a moment then grinned. "Can I trust you to stay out of trouble?"
* * *
The Chapman house rang with cries of joy as Molly stormed in the door and threw her arms around Beth. They cried for a bit, both talking at once, then subsided, still hugging. Dave, Susan and Danny Kramer stood there as well, thrilled at the unbelievable miracle of finding Beth unhurt.
The adults finally went into the family room for drinks while the kids remained in the kitchen, making steady progress through a plate of still-warm chocolate chip cookies and a pitcher of icy cold milk.
Never known for his tact, Danny said to Beth, "Did he hurt you?"
"No, we got away before he had the chance. I wasn't there alone. Prior to me, he kidnapped another girl, Audrey; he got her first, several days before me."
"Did he rape her?"
"Shut up, Danny!" Molly glared at her little brother, aghast. "You have the sensitivity of a flippin' flea."
Danny had the good grace to hang his head, but not for long. "I knew you'd be okay, Beth. I remember the day it happened and your folks were all freaking out and stuff. I told 'em you'd be home again; I never had a doubt, never gave up. I'm glad you're not hurt."
He composed his face in the ugliest expression he could imagine, stuck his tongue out at Molly and walked out the back door.
"You want to talk about a candidate for a good ass-kicking." Molly glared at the door then back at her best friend.
"Do you think I could spend the night here? I want to talk with you first, before my parents. I know they're gonna freak out, but I really want that."
"Good grief, of course you can. That sounds fine with me. And listen, if they pitch too big a fit because they're still scared and all, that's no sweat. I'll stay at your house. Either way, we'll spend the night together."
* * *
They sat at Terry's kitchen table sipping wine and talking about the truly harrowing last couple of days. Lenny had some loose ends to tie up with the Chapman case, so the girls sat alone, chatting.
"I still can't get over how brave those kids were. You can only imagine what they went through at the hands of that madman, and then to be thrown into the middle of a raging forest fire. Dear me, just incredible bravery."
Ella shrugged, expression grim. "What a miserable, frickin' couple of days. I still can't believe my car burned up. Shit, I was just getting used to it. I'm going to buy another just like it tomorrow. At least I'll know where everything is. Anymore, they look like the inside of an airplane cockpit. Takes a week to figure out how to turn the lights on. And the windshield wipers? Forget it."
"Go ahead and use the Escalade until you get a replacement; it just sits in the garage doing nothing." Terry snickered. "If I didn't have the manual for the Jag at my fingertips, I wouldn't know how to tune in the radio. Seriously, the battery went dead the other day 'cause I didn't close the trunk tight. Well, it's some silly Brit safety feature, I guess, but after you juice up the battery, you have to do this whole reprogramming thingy with the radio.
"Our code is in the trunk where you'd never think to look. I guess they figure if someone hotwires the car and steals it, at least they won't have music while they outrun the cops."
"Does that happen much," Ella asked with a titter, eyebrows arched.
"Oh, once or twice so far. The first time was a riot. I had no idea the battery lived in the trunk, and Lenny'd already left for work, so I'm, like, rooting around in the engine area, under the bonnet. Never did find the damn battery but there's a ton of other stuff in there.
"Anyway, AAA had to come out and give me a quick run-through, including the news that the battery, which is humongous, by the way, hides in the trunk behind an unmarked panel. I mean, never in a million years. They also suggested I get jumper cables and a big battery charger."
"That car gives you no end of pleasure, Terry. Bob must be rolling."
"I'd imagine. Man, talk about rolling ... poor Tony. Has he settled down yet?"
"He's so attached to Jim it really upsets him to be separated. Plus, with all that went down, I think he's still worried that Jim is trapped in the wildfire. Sad, actually. Thank God for Amy; she keeps him plenty busy.
"Total segue, but I have a favor to ask. Would you mind going to the restaurant for dinner tonight, kind of check things out? My treat, really, but it's already been four days and I don't want the staff to feel abandoned. Tell them I'll be in for lunch tomorrow."
Terry chuckled. "Big favor, for sure, but I think we're up for the challenge. I'm in the mood for some of Chef's haute cuisine ... oh, and it's Friday. Crab night. Yes, you can count us in."
Ella chuckled. "You guys are always such good sports. I really appreciate the sacrifice and all." Her laughter rippled like tinkling bells. With Jim out of danger, her mood soared. She rose from the table and headed for the door.
"I'm going to spend the night at the hospital, so I need to get over to the loft and get us both some fresh clothes, not to mention a shower. See you tomorrow."
* * *
Audrey Simms sat on the back patio of her parents' house in Newport Beach. Her fiance and childhood sweetheart, Fred Hartz, sat next to her on the swing, her hand clasped in his for support; he virtually held his breath, waiting for her to speak. Solemn eyes the color of caramels gazed at her in sympathy and loving support.
He'd been in Maine, finishing up a project for his company when he got word of her kidnapping. Frantic, he'd boarded the next available plane and rushed home to wait for details. Seeing her sitting there next to him made his heart race in a peculiar tempo.
"I know you're wondering what happened to me, Freddie. I'm just not sure we're ready to talk about it."
He drew her to him, encouraging her to put her head on his shoulder. "Honey, I'm not sure this is what I'm supposed to say, but we never went by a script before, so here it is, still no script. I love you more than anything in the world and I always have. Nothing has changed for me. You're still the girl of my dreams." He kissed the tips of her fingers and his voice caught.
"I couldn't live without you, it's as simple as that. If you want to talk about what happened ... all of it, little bits, or nothing at all, that's fine with me. I'm here for you with no pressure, I promise. We can do it now, later or never. I just want you to be comfortable."
He stroked her long silky hair in silence as tears of sorrow and compassion dampened his cheeks.
"I know that and I love you for it, but there are a couple of things I need to explain, Freddie."
She gave the porch a gentle push with her toe. The rocking motion of the swing coupled with the familiar salty smell of the ocean set them both at ease. She took a deep breath and sighed.
"They tested me for a whole lot of stuff at the hospital, including HIV, and the results should be back by the end of the week. They put a rush on it."
Audrey paused a moment then continued, candid. "I'm no doctor, Freddie, but I know I'm not pregnant and the chances of AIDS are slim, too. He couldn't perform, so, well, y'know. But there are still other diseases he could have had and I just want you to know that I understand if you, y'know, have reservations...."
He turned to her then, gentle and kind as always. He took her face in both hands, gazing deep into her eyes.
"Audie, I have no reservations, not now, not ever. You're the love of my life. We'll do whatever it takes to get through this, and when it's over for you, it's over for me. Just one thing. Can we set a date for our wedding soon? I can't wait to marry you."
| Author Notes | Ah, the penultimate chapter. Hope you enjoy and to those of you who haven't missed a bite, hat's off to ya. All y'all rock. |
By Showboat
* * *
Knowing full well how Jim would view hospital food, Ella gave him an unnecessary but cautionary warning about dinner.
"I can do better," she'd promised.
She came up the back elevator, which was conveniently located near his room, and once ensuring the coast was clear, scurried across the hall and into his bathroom, dragging a large knapsack behind her. She stowed her gear, peeked out the door and looked around the corner at him. She grinned. "We seem to be alone."
"That we are, wench. Pray tell, what contraband lies in yonder bathroom? Luscious comestibles of the finest kind, I presume. Chef's handiwork?" He leaned against his pillows and drew in a deep appreciative breath. White gauze bandages covered his head and part of one eye, giving him a rakish look.
"The fair maid has exceeded even my highest expectations. Does the nose deceive? Do I smell lasagna?"
"Ah, you know what they say: the nose knows. That's good for the nose, too, 'cause it could have been ciopino or ravioli. For the adult taste buds, we have a bottle of that great merlot you raved about ... the one with the good legs? And for the waistline, a Caesar salad with."
"With?"
"Double portion of with."
She glanced at the foldaway bed, aware of it for the first time. "I see they brought a bed in for me; so does that mean we're alone for the rest of the night?"
"In a manner of speaking, my love. What do you have in mind?"
"Dinner." She closed the door to his room and hurried back to the bathroom.
"Women!"
"I heard that. Soon you are going to eat your words."
Ella dragged the heavy bag over to his bed, grinning. She pulled out a small linen tablecloth, shook it and draped it over the hospital serving tray. Tight, but workable.
"First of all, salad." She placed both bowls on the table and popped off their lids.
Jim grinned, green eyes crinkling with delight as he saw the anchovy filets criss-crossing his salad. Freshly grated parmesan cheese and ground pepper combined to put forth a hearty aroma.
"Bless you child, definitely with." He plucked an anchovy from the bowl and popped it into his mouth. He chewed a moment, eyes closed in delight. "And look at those croutons." He tossed one in his mouth and made exaggerated chomping sounds at Ella.
"Indeed, my love. We aim to please." The lasagna bowls followed, steaming hot and thick with cheese and meat.
Ella popped the cork and produced two glasses from the side pocket of the knapsack. She poured him a glass, then one for herself.
Their menu fit their mood to perfection; comfort food was in order. They sat on the bed, cross legged, facing each other, enjoying the first hot meal they'd had in what seemed like forever and thanking God for the miracle of their survival.
"Rudy's already working on getting your van replaced. He told Lenny he's ordered all the surveillance equipment, so it shouldn't be too long. He's also going up to the lake and see if he can get your computers back, plus whatever he can salvage from the remains of the van. My car is toast! Burnt up just like yours, but easy to replace.
"I'm going out tomorrow and get an exact duplicate. Like I told Terry, I don't want to have to go through the learning curve with another new car. I guess you and Lenny will have to double up for a while."
"Good old Rudy. He always comes through in a pinch." Jim nodded several times. "As for him going back to the lake for our stuff, that's the best news I've heard in a while. If he got them quickly enough, he might be able to salvage the hard drives. As for my Glock, I'm sure it's not happy, but I kept it well oiled so I know I can get it back to good as new. But your poor car. Oh, honey, I know you really liked it. Let's do that right away. The insurance company always takes its good sweet time, but we don't need to wait for them. How about tomorrow after I get out of here?"
"You got a date."
She watched his face for signs of fatigue. Rest was the first order of business. Jim's eyes began to droop with the combination of rich food, alcohol and exhaustion. He reached for her hand, kissed the palm then rested it on his cheek.
"They're releasing me tomorrow at eight. They're just doing a very smart CYA by keeping me overnight. Man, the world is so sue-happy, you can't blame them, but I'd rather be home in bed with you."
"Tony sure agrees with that one. He didn't want to stay at the loft tonight. I really felt sorry for the poor dude."
They were silent for a moment, lost in thought.
"I...."
"Say...."
They glanced at each other, reading their minds; they nodded.
"I'm so tired I'm gonna be asleep here in a minute, anyway, so I won't know whether you're here or not. But if you don't come home tonight, he'll have a total fit."
"I know, baby, you're right." She rose, packed the empty plates and glasses into the knapsack and zipped it closed. "You feel fine, though, right. No pain?"
He drew her to him then, running his hands through her silky hair. "I'm fine. They should have let me go home this afternoon, but they just want to check the lungs one more time. You aren't going to get a minute of sleep on that dumb bed, and that's going to keep me awake worrying. Tell ya what. Stop by Starbucks on the way in for two double doubles, and I bet you I hop out of here."
A snicker rose in her throat as she continued to pack the remnants of their feast away. She poured the last of the merlot into his glass. "Drink up, baby, and get some sleep. I'll be here first thing and then we'll get you home and get our life back on track."
He finished the wine, nodded once and beckoned her to his side. He took her face in both hands and rubbed the tip of his nose against hers. "Love you muchly."
"Back at ya."
* * *
Ella marched into the room the next morning, amazed to see Jim dressed and ready to go. She glanced at her watch and kissed him hello. "It's not even seven yet. Aren't you the early bird? I brought you a double double and a really great Danish. Almond paste, your fave."
He popped the lid on his container and took an appreciative sniff. "Hospital coffee is so much worse than it's cracked up to be. It makes the LAPD stuff Lenny makes taste great." Several swigs later, he raised the glass to her and grinned. "Now that's coffee."
The hospital doors opened to sunshine and a deep blue sky.
"So, I forgot to ask, what are you driving?"
"Terry lent me the Escalade. Ever since Lenny got his van, it just sits in the garage. I really like it, actually. If she wants to sell, I might want to buy. It's great if we want to take the dogs with us. I hate the Suburban, y'know. Always makes me feel weird, all cloak and daggery or something. What do you think?"
"Well, it's about as far from a Mustang convertible as you could get, but it's spacious and the dogs are a consideration; still, it's up to you. I like it just fine."
He settled in the passenger seat, gave an appreciative look around and stretched long legs in front of him. "Sure is roomy, comfortable, too."
They accessed the freeway and headed for Hollywood and home. The drive passed in easy chat as Jim asked about Beth and Audrey. He'd spoken on the phone to the Chapman family, and Lenny mentioned that Audrey called as well.
Instead of turning into the parking garage of the loft, they went down the street a little farther to ELLA'S. The lot seemed overly full at first, until he realized he recognized most of the cars. The smirk on Ella's face confirmed his suspicions. A party was at hand.
They walked into the restaurant arm in arm. The first partygoer to see them was Tony. He launched himself across the floor of the lounge and skidded to a stop at Jim's feet. Wagging his butt in frantic joy, he made woo-woo sounds and licked Jim's hand.
He bent down and stroked the dog several times, roughing up his coat. He glanced at Ella then, eyebrows raised. "You work fast, for heaven's sake. What's this all about?"
"I don't really know. It just grew on its own or something. Ask Lenny; he started it."
The long tables pushed together gave everyone the opportunity to join in the festivities.
Audrey, radiant in her engagement glow, introduced her fiance and her parents. With tear-filled eyes, they thanked him for rescuing their daughter.
Beth led Molly and her family over to meet Jim and Lenny as well, blushing furiously at the expression on Danny's face as he stared at her in unabashed lust.
"So," Audrey said to Beth as she took in Danny's expression. "So this is Danny." She continued to stare but it was lost on the boy. He couldn't pry his eyes off Beth.
Just then Rudy came in the door, jubilant. He'd achieved unheard of success, exhuming several boxes of DVD's that had survived the fire thanks to the steel compartment where they had been stored. The knapsack hadn't moved an inch, although it took Rudy more than one try to pry it from the lake bottom.
He approached Jim and clapped him on the back, grinning.
"I got started on ordering the retrofit for the new van. Caught the guys at an off time, I guess. They figure they can have the stuff installed one week from the time they get possession. Good, huh?" He gazed at Jim, eyes hooded. "You're one lucky dude. That knapsack weighed a ton. You're damned lucky Lenny saw you go down."
"No doubt about it. The blow on the head had me out just enough I couldn't move. How about the rest of the stuff? Anything else saved?"
"The satellite transponder was fried, but the Glock's fine and I'm confident both hard drives are okay." His laugh sounded more like a bark. "The insurance company is going to pitch a fit. The van and the car in one fell swoop."
Danny lurked in the background, eavesdropping. He listened to Jim talking with Rudy about being a PI and the dogs, and from that moment on, he was determined to hear more. As Jim left Rudy and walked to the bar, Danny followed.
"Hiya, Mr. Sessions. I'm wondering if I can talk with you a minute." He stuck out his hand and shook Jim's.
"I'm Danny Kramer," he said without giving Jim a moment to respond. "I'd love to talk with you about being a PI. Man, that's just so cool, and I'm crazy about dogs ... all animals, actually, but especially dogs. Doberman dogs are my favorite, although I like the German Shepherd and the Lab, but, of course...." He waved the friendly breed off with the flick of his wrist.
"You guys train them for all kinds of police work, right, like finding drugs or bomb sniffing? Do you do bomb sniffing? Whoa, that'd be sweet. And then, there's the attack and guard dogs, that's what these guys are, right?"
He paused a moment to point at Tony and Amy. "And there's a difference between them, right? Attack dogs and guard dogs, I mean. That's what you guys specialize in, right?"
His eyes began to glaze over and for some insane reason Jim remembered the O'Henry story, "The Ransom of Red Chief."
The boy continued to chatter about being a PI and dog training and breeding and how much he'd like to be involved in something with dogs ... on and on he went.
As Danny paused to draw a breath, Jim lifted his index finger in the age-old signal to wait. He turned his head, raised his voice and called, "Rudy?"
The End
| Author Notes |
In the second to last par. I left out the commas for dramatic effect. Did that work for you or do you want those little guys in there?
Thanks so much to everyone who read and gave edit advice. I can't thank you enough for your support and encouragement. All y'all rock! Gayle |
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