Chapter Twenty-Three #2
The road was deserted as M?rten strode down the quiet, leafy pathway.
Saturday morning in this part of Seattle, and there was not much going on.
As soon as his flight had landed, he’d gone straight to Nikki’s place and dropped off his luggage, hugged her hello, and then without even waiting to have a coffee, headed off to walk to Summer’s apartment.
He was hoping to catch her before she left for the wedding.
Otherwise, he might be stuck, because he had no idea where it was being held.
He had no contact details for any of Summer’s friends, so he might well have to Google every marriage ceremony taking place in Seattle that day if he missed her, which wasn’t ideal.
Nikki hadn’t been surprised to see him, telling him that Jacob was expecting him, but had popped into work even though it was a Saturday to check on something, and would catch up with him this afternoon.
She also understood that Summer was M?rten’s priority. “Go and talk some sense into that woman,” she’d said, and then wished him luck. He was going to need it.
He rounded the corner onto Summer’s street, the entrance to her apartment now visible a few hundred meters away.
Wait. Was that her standing on the sidewalk?
He couldn’t be sure. There was a lady in a shimmering, silvery, full-length dress with long dark hair hanging down her back struggling with a large duffle bag right at the edge of the curb.
It had to be her. Yes, now he could see the cast on her left wrist. She must be waiting for a taxi or for someone to come and collect her.
He’d just made it in time. M?rten lengthened his strides, wondering if he should call her name.
But he was still too far away for her to hear unless he really shouted, and he didn’t want to scare her away when he was so close to seeing her again.
All of a sudden, a dark sedan pulled up beside her.
Shit. M?rten ran. He was going to miss her after all.
But then something happened that took M?rten a few seconds to comprehend.
A tall man wearing a black balaclava got out of the car and grabbed her by the arm.
Summer struggled against him, shouting incoherent words as her dress swirled around her ankles.
But then the thug shoved a weapon in Summer’s face, and she stopped fighting, becoming compliant as he forced her into the backseat.
What the fuck was going on?
“Stop. Police,” M?rten yelled, sprinting down the street, but it was too late. Without a backward glance, the man got into the car, and it took off at high speed down the empty road, leaving the black duffel sitting alone on the side of the curb.
M?rten had his phone out of his pocket and was dialing Jacob’s number within seconds.
He glanced about in a panic. What to do?
He needed to follow that car, but how? To his utter relief, a taxi appeared around the corner, and he flagged it down, his cell still held to his ear as he kept one eye on the disappearing car.
“Follow that car,” he yelled as he jumped into the taxi.
“I’m a police officer pursuing a felon,” he added, pulling his badge out of his shirt pocket.
It was a Swedish police badge, which was gold instead of silver like the American badges, but that didn’t seem to deter this guy, as after one quick glance, he floored the gas pedal.
The driver was Black, in his mid-twenties, and he seemed to relish his role. “Cool, man. I ain’t never been involved in a police chase before.”
M?rten leaned forward, his eyes fixed on the black car ahead of them, which was no longer disappearing, as the driver kept up and they perhaps even gained on it.
It had to be Tyrone in that car, didn’t it?
No one else would have a reason to snatch her off the street.
Or if it wasn’t him, could he have sent some of his cronies to do his dirty work?
Jacob finally answered his phone.
“I need you to track a car,” M?rten yelled.
“I got a partial. It’s a black town car.
A sedan—I’m not sure what make. The first three letters are BZN.
” M?rten hadn’t been sufficiently close to get a good look at the full registration plate, and he knew his partial probably wouldn’t be enough.
“I’m following the car in a taxi down Summer’s street.
Someone just snatched her off the curb right in front of my eyes. ”
Jacob had the wisdom not to ask stupid questions. Instead, he said, “Stay on the line. I’ll get someone on it right away. And I’ll send any available unit to your location.”
M?rten merely grunted. Then he pointed a finger at the windscreen. “He’s turning,” he said roughly.
“I see it,” the taxi driver replied. The dude was good. He wasn’t panicking, remaining calm and in control; in fact, he was enjoying it.
M?rten stayed on the line with Jacob as they followed the car, twisting and turning through the streets.
They seemed to be heading out of town, and at one stage they drove over a long bridge, which took them off the main island where the city central was located, and began moving east through the suburbs and then into the mountains.
They caught up with the car when it had to slow for the city traffic, and M?rten could give Jacob the full registration plate.
He talked to the driver, making him stay well back, so they weren’t noticed.
He exchanged names with the guy, who was called Rishi, and M?rten told him he was doing a great job.
“Where the hell is this guy going?” M?rten muttered to himself. He still didn't know if it was Tyrone driving, but he was feeling more and more confident that it had to be.
“Are you sure you want me to keep following him?” This was the first time the driver had shown any signs of nerves.
“Yes, yes.” M?rten ground his teeth together, then said more slowly. “Yes, please, you’re doing a great job.” But M?rten knew he needed a plan. These abductors could be driving all the way to Chicago for all he knew.
They’d stopped a few cars back from the town car at multiple sets of traffic lights now.
Should M?rten take the chance next time and jump out and confront the men in the car?
There had to be more than one, because the guy with the gun had got into the back with Summer when they took off, which meant there was at least also a driver, perhaps even a third person in the vehicle.
But if the signals went green before he reached the car, or things didn’t go according to plan and the thug fired his weapon, Summer could be hurt or even killed.
M?rten worried at his lower lip as he discussed options with Jacob, who was still on the line.
“I’ve got a match for the car,” Jacob said, cutting into their tactics discussion, and for a second M?rten held his breath. “But it won’t help right now. It’s registered to a hire company. I’m looking for the rental contract to see if I can get us a name.”
“I think he might be heading to Cougar Mountain Park,” said Rishi, interrupting his conversation with Jacob.
“You think so?” M?rten was quick to jump on the idea.
“I mean, this road could take us anywhere outside Seattle, like Boise or even as far as Spokane, but I know Cougar Mountain is coming up ahead on the right. My friends and I like to walk out here. The forest trails are amazing.”
Rishi could be onto something, and M?rten felt a spike of adrenaline at the mention of the park.
If Tyrone were indeed inside the car, then it’d make sense he’d take her somewhere isolated, somewhere that resonated with him, where he might feel at home.
Like the closest piece of wilderness to the city.
He relayed the information to Jacob, who said he’d send out a couple of units to the area.
“Where could he take her in the middle of the day where no one else will see them?” M?rten pondered to himself. If he were going to kill her, then he needed to have no witnesses to his crime. The location would have to be isolated.
“It’s a big place,” Rishi supplied. “I know of quite a few bodies that’ve been recovered from the park; some had been there for years. Hikers just found the bones. There was even one tourist who was killed by a wild cougar.” Rishi smiled, seeming to get caught up in all the ghoulishness of it all.
“Shit,” M?rten swore, that was the last thing he needed to hear.
“Wait. Drop back a little,” he commanded.
The car was turning off onto a minor road, and the forest crowded in on the narrow trail, making it hard to see around the next corner.
M?rten was regretting the use of a taxi.
In city traffic, the bright yellow car would blend in, but it’d stand out on this road.
“It looks like he might be heading toward a place called the abandoned clay pits,” Rishi said as the road continued its winding course.
“Few people go there. It’s not nearly as picturesque as Coal Creek Waterfall or the peak of Cougar Mountain.
And even less so now that they’ve closed part of it off.
” Rishi made a disgusted face. “The government, in all its wisdom, is going to allow fracking in the park. After so many years of our mayor being dead against it, all it takes is one stupid policy change from the new president and whammo, now the miners are granted free access to the park. Personally, I think it’s disgusting. I would…”
“Wait.” M?rten held up his hand. “Did you say fracking?”
“Yep.”
“That’s it. That’s got to be it.” M?rten felt a familiar tingle, the one he got when he knew he was onto something when he was running a case.
Hadn’t Tyrone’s family lost their dairy farm due to some unscrupulous miners setting up fracking wells around their ranch?
“Did you catch that, Jacob?” he said into the phone.
“Sure did. I’ll get backup out there as soon as possible.”