Chapter 10
For several minutes, he stood there staring at the carnage and counted five of their prized cows, shot dead and piled on top of each other.
The entire ranch had been roused, and the men were milling around, dazed and waiting for him to instruct them. He had already contacted the main house and was reassured that everyone was accounted for.
Lifting his head, he lasered a look at his foreman. “What happened? Who did this?”
“We’re still trying to ascertain…”
“I noticed Sullivan nosing around the place, right after I came back from taking the meal to you.” Bull stepped forward; his wizened face grim. “He appeared shocked when I happened by. When I asked him what the hell he was doing, he brushed it off with that slick smile of his and said he could not sleep.”
“Where is he now?”
Before anyone could respond, there was a shout from the direction of one of the barns.
“Boss! It’s Jack! He was attacked. We found him stashed between two bales of hay. Head wound.”
“Call the damn sheriff and the paramedics!” Jon was already running towards the barn.
“Alread done.” Mel stopped for a minute to catch his breath. “He’s passed out cold.”
“What the hell’s going on?” Running towards the area, Jon crouched down to stare at his ranch hand. The wound was on his left temple and was oozing blood. “Grab me a cloth or something.”
Someone handed him a rag. Pressing it against the wound, he held it there.
“Has anyone done inventory? Was anything taken?” He broke off as the man slumped into the corner, moaned and opened his eyes.
“Boss.”
“Don’t try to move, the ambulance is on its way. What happened?”
“Sullivan.” He whispered hoarsely. “I surprised him when he was trying to douse the barn with kerosene oil. Before I could do anything, he cold cocked me. He has a rifle.”
“Where is he now?”
Jack shook his head and winced. “I don’t know.”
“Where the hell is that ambulance?”
“It’s here now, boss, and the sheriff and his deputy are coming up the driveway.”
“I am sorry, boss.”
Giving the man a grim smile, Jon assured him he had nothing to be sorry about. Rising, he stepped back to allow the paramedics to do their job and strode out to deal with the sheriff.
*****
“You’re saying that there is an active warrant out for his arrest?”
Sheriff Gladstone had been with the department for thirty years and before that, it was his father who had worn the badge. His face was craggy with wear, his body soft and his belly hanging over his belt.
His sandy hair was thinning in the middle, where he made a valiant but woefully failed effort to hide it with a comb over. He loved his job. Being in a small town meant that there were hardly anything going on. Except now. And it did not sit well with him.
The fact that the trouble was on the big man’s ranch was cause for a lot of concerns.
“In three towns.!” He responded nervously, hitching up his trousers and staring around the table. The meeting was being held in some fancy yellow and green parlor, with leather sofas and pretty throw cushions in various colors.
A maid had discreetly brought in a tray of refreshments that was making the saliva pool inside his mouth. As soon as he finished the report, he was going to help himself to some of the goodies.
“Real name is Michael Goodman. Assault and battery, home invasion, attempted murder, you name it.” His light blue eyes swiveled towards the woman of the house as she uttered a cry of dismay.
“We’re doing everything we can to find him.”
“You think he’s still in town?” Jon asked harshly.
“There’s a good chance of that. A few of the men were saying how he was bad mouthing you and passing it off as a joke.” He cleared his throat. “They said he was especially ticked off when you took the little lady away from him while they were dancing.”
Jon went still. “You think he might be retaliating? That he might go after Kamilah?”
“I am certain, he would not be that foolish.”
“Excuse me.” Turning away, Jon reached for his phone and dialed her number. Leaning against the wall to support his weakened knees, he let out a sigh of relief when she answered.
“Jon, what’s going on?”
“We have some disturbances. The guy you were dancing with last night is not who he said he was. I just wanted to make sure you were okay and that you remember to lock the doors. I will be there as soon as I am able.”
“What…?”
“I cannot discuss it right now. I promise to give you a full update as soon as I see you.” He hesitated briefly and moving further away from the people in the room, he resumed. “I love you.”
“Jon…”“Just wanted to say it. See you later and lock the doors.”
He ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket. His mind was running through all possible scenarios, each more alarming than the last. Sheriff Gladstone noticed the worry etched on Jon’s face and stepped closer, his voice low. “I have instructed the men to set up a perimeter at the edge of town. In case he’s still here.”
“You should get outside help. If he’s as dangerous as you reported, you are going to need the assistance.”
“I don’t appreciate outsiders coming in and sticking their noses in…”
“This is not about you, Sheriff! And if you stand here shuffling your feet and something happens while you’re pissing away the time, it will be your job on the line. Am I clear?”
“Of course, sir.” Turning away, he dragged out his phone to make the call.
“Darling…,” Leonie touched his arm lightly. “It’s not your fault.”
“Isn’t it?” He asked grimly, his mind going back to the senseless loss outside. “Kamilah asked me a question last night. She wanted to know whether or not we do background checks on the men dropping by for temp work and I laughed it off and told her that this was not some big city.”
“Well, it’s not.”
“Perhaps we have been too trusting. I have to get back out there.”
*****
Rubbing her hands over the raised goosebumps on her flesh, Kamilah tried to settle and take her mind off the situation going on. Telling herself that this was a small town and as far as she knew, nothing much happened, she went into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee.
Jon had sounded worried. She could hear it in his voice when he called. And those had definitely been gunshots she heard. But he had not said anyone had been killed. In fact, he had not said much of anything.
Hissing out a breath, she went to check the lock on the front door again, before setting up her laptop on the table in the kitchen. It did not make much sense, sitting here and worrying about something she could do nothing about. And she was absolutely not going to think about his declaration of love. This was not the time.
Pouring herself a cup of coffee, she brought it back to the table with her and intent on focusing on her work, she booted up the laptop and started typing.
The outline had been made and printed out so that she would be reminded of the different topics. It was a self-help book geared towards the restaurant industry. Not just the food preparation, but the presentation as well.
Too many time she would step into a restaurant and recognize the bad lighting and the ad hoc seat settings. The attention to detail was as important as the meal itself. When people step into an eatery, especially one that advertised lofty standards, they should get what they were paying for.
Giving a grunt of satisfaction at the pages she had managed to get done, she stretched languidly and realized to her surprise that her cup was empty. First, a trip to the bathroom and then another cup of coffee and perhaps something to eat.
Over the next few hours, she would ask herself how she did not hear him enter the cabin, but the first thing that slammed into her mind was fear, raw and potent and mind numbing, which had her rooted to the spot right inside the doorway of the bathroom.
He was standing a few feet away with a charming smile on his attractive face and there was blood all over his flannel shirt. And he was holding a rifle pointed at her chest.
“Hi there, darlin’ - didn’t anyone tell you that it’s rude to leave a guy in the middle of a dance?”
Her phone was on the table in the kitchen, so there was no way to make a call.
“Brant.” Even though her blood seemed to be frozen, she managed to gather her wits about her. “What’s going on?”
He waved the gun at her and came closer. “I am sure your boyfriend already filled you in on what’s happening at the ranch. I made a lot of mess back there for them to clean up. Oh, and by the way, the name is Michael Goodman, just thought the name Brant sounded cool. What do you think?”
“What do you want?”
He tsked, moving even closer and it took everything inside her to stay where she was.
“I want what any guy wants, sweetheart,” he said with a smirk. “A bit of company, some good conversation, and oh…, your help with a little problem I have.”
She swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice steady. “What problem?”
“Well, you see,” he began casually, as if discussing the weather, “I’ve found myself in a bit of a bind. There are people looking for me, and it’s all because your dear boyfriend decided to meddle in my affairs. Now, I need you to call him and convince him to back off.”
She shook her head, feeling a mix of defiance and terror. “I can’t do that, and he’s not my boyfriend.”
“Oh, but you can,” he countered, eyes narrowing. “And you will. Otherwise, things might get..., messy.” His eyebrows wrangled up and down. “And there’s no need for you to lie. See, I heard the rumors about the two of you tearing up the sheets and from the way he behaved last night, it was clear to everyone that he called dibs.
Oh, and while you were tinkling, I took a peek inside the bedroom. Sheets all tangled up and your panties on the floor.” She sucked in a breath when he reached into his shirt pocket and came out with the black lace she had been wearing last night.
Pressing against the doorway, she watched horrified as he put it to his nose and sniffed. “No wonder he’s all over you. This smells like heaven.” His light blue eyes wandered over her face and settled on her bosom. “I aim to get a taste before this is all over.”
“You will have to kill me first.”
He cackled at that. “It just might come to that. Now,” his expression turned menacing, “as you have probably surmised, I have absolutely nothing to lose. I have already done the deed that’s going to have your man gunning for me.
I need a little insurance and you’re it. But I have a feeling that the first place they will be heading to is here to see if you’re safe and sound. We should get going.”
“I am not going anywhere with you.”
He arched an eyebrow, his smile turning cold. "Oh, but you are," he said, grabbing her arm with a grip like steel. She struggled, but his hold was unyielding. "And if you value your life, you’ll stop resisting."
Her mind raced, searching for a way out, any way to escape the imminent danger. She need to have her wits about her. She had seen the look in his eyes, the evil lurking there and knew he would have no compunction about hurting her. Her one hope of keeping herself alive was to go along for now.
“Okay, fine. Please don’t hurt me.” She would play the damsel in distress for as long as she could and hope to God that Jon or someone came along to rescue her.
“Good choice.” His fingers bit into her flesh as he dragged her along, the gun jammed into her ribs. “No sudden moves. I ‘borrowed’ a vehicle from the garage and hid it under some clumps of bushes a mile away. And I have already staked out and discovered a nifty little cabin tucked in the middle of nowhere.
We will hide out there and wait. I want some much-needed dough, and I have a feeling your boyfriend will pay any price to get you back.” He grinned at her, “how does five million sounds? And a ride out of here in his fancy jet.” His expression hardened.
Cold dread settled in her stomach as they moved through the house, his grip never loosening. Her eyes darted around the area, desperately willing someone – anyone to show up.
“No one is coming, sweetheart,” he told her with an evil smile. “They are all busy trying to make sense of what happened and forming a search party to try and find me.” He dragged her through the woods, keeping her close.
The stench of blood made her want to gag, but she swallowed down the nausea, determined not to show any form of weakness or fear. She knew instinctively that men like him preyed on things like that.
“Why do you think Jonathan is going to fork out five million dollars for a woman he just met?”
He laughed at that. “Honey, I have seen the way he looks at you and how jealous he was when he saw us dancing.” He stopped suddenly and before she could react, used his tongue to lick her cheek.
A shudder of revulsion went through her. He saw the disgust on her face and dug the rifle into her ribs hard enough for her to gasp in pain. “I am not rolling in dough, so my touch is not good enough. We’ll see how disgusted you are when we are alone,” he threatened.
Fear, cold and numbing settled over her like a cloak and the reality of her situation threatened to overwhelm her. But she was not helpless, and she was damned if she was going to stay still and allow him to rape her. Even if she had to go to drastic measures to defend herself.
*****
She focused on calming her racing heart and tried to think of a plan. Every step they took through the dense woods seemed to echo the beating of her heart. She had to keep her wits about her, wait for the right moment to make a move.
They trudged on in silence, the only sounds being the crunch of leaves underfoot and the occasional distant hoot of an owl. Her captor's grip on her arm was unrelenting, a constant reminder of her perilous situation. But she knew that any sign of fear would only embolden him further.
When the bastard started whistling tunelessly between his teeth, she felt the anger raging inside her and decided there and then that the first opportunity – the very first one, she was going to find something to brain him with.
The thought of feinting a stumble occurred to her, but that was quickly defeated, when he opened the door and shoved her into the driver’s seat.
“I don’t know where I am going.”
“I will be the GPS,” he told her cheerily as he sat down in the passenger side and held the gun to her face. “Why darling, don’t tell me that all you’re good for was keeping the sheets warm. Loverboy have not taken you on a tour of the place?”
Starting the engine, she shoved the lever into drive.
“And don’t even think of being a hero? Or is it heroine?” He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. I know every trick baby. So, keep your foot on the metal and do as you’re told.” He nudged her cheek with the cold metal and actually laughed when she turned to flash him a dirty look.
“I bet you’re thinking of several ways to hurt me now.”
“Cutting off your dick comes to mind and shoving it down your throat.”
“Ouch.” He winced. “That sounds really painful. And the lady has a dirty side to her.” He stroked the left side of her cheek with the gun. “I am looking forward to finding out how dirty.”
“I would rather die than have you touching me.” She braced for his anger and was not disappointed. Inching forward, he gripped her around the neck, fingers digging in. Taking one of her hand from the steering wheel, he forced her to cup him.
Smiling at the look of revulsion and fear when she felt his arousal, he flung her hand away. “I can assure you, it’s even bigger than your cowboy’s. Women have been known to weep in gratitude when introduced to my cock.”
“Or weep in disappointment and disgust.” The words were out before she could control them. He did not give her time to brace when he slapped her hard across the cheek.
“Show some respect.”
The pain exploded in her brain and had her blinking. Shaking her head, she barely controlled the swerving vehicle, only managing by sheer will when he jammed the gun between her ribs.
“Mouth off to me again and I will shoot you in the gut. I never had a gut shot before, but I hear tell it’s very painful and the dying is slow. Now concentrate and take a left right here.”
Touching the tip of her tongue to where the side of her lip was split, she tasted the blood and felt despair weaving through her body. He had shown her that he was not above hurting a woman. Whatever he had done before he got here, involved causing a lot of pain, she was sure of it.
Taking a deep calming breath, she concentrated on the drive and realized to her dismay that they were going deeper and deeper into the woods.
The area was so dense that even though the sun was shining, the closeness of the trees, the interlacing of the branches and leaves, blocked out most of the rays, struggling to filter through. The path was jagged and scattered with loose stones and looked as if it had not been tended to in what seemed like ever.
The cabin was barely visible from the street. The dilapidated structure was almost covered with vines.
“Honey, we’re home.” He sang it out – the high voice, sending shivers up and down her spine.
Shutting off the engine, she tried once more to reason with him.
“Look, I don’t know why you’re doing this. I have money, plenty of it and can go back to the cabin and give you my card.”
He studied her bruised face for a second and then burst out laughing. “Darling, I just might take you up on that.”
“At least, let me call Jon.”
He shook his head. “No need. Your boyfriend will find out soon enough that you are missing.”
“What do you mean?”
“While you were in the bathroom tinkling, I wrote him a love letter. ‘Dear McCarthy. I have your girl. I am going to need some of that money, your papa left you and a ride out of town. But first, I am going to have some fun with her. Signed Brant Sullivan, your former employee.”
He grinned. “What do you think? After this, there’s no hope of me getting a raise, is there? Oh well – doesn’t matter. I am going to be all set up for life. I was going to ask for ten million but decided not to be too greedy.” He nudged her with the gun. “Think he’s smitten enough to pay anything?”
“You underestimate our relationship. I am simply passing through and will be going home in a week. We’re just having fun.” She broke off with a gasp when he jammed the gun between her ribs, hard enough to have her gripping the wheels as pain shimmied through her body.
“I would advise you not to lie to me again. Got it? Well?” He shoved the gun at her again to make his point.
“Yes! Damn you to hell.”
He merely grinned and gestured for her to get out.