Chapter 9
CHAPTER 9
N ick ran a hand through his hair. “What do you mean you lost her?” He was on the phone with Earl at the gate.
Earl shouted into the phone. “She was taken. Rachel was taken by a guy in a late model Toyota Camry.”
Nick pulled his phone away from his ear. “Did you see which way they went?”
“Back toward Denver. But he could take a dozen exits between here and there,” said Earl.
Ivan, one of his security team, a burly Native American man with black hair in a long braid down his back, and dark brown eyes, spoke up. “We ran Greg Bennett through the system and he rented a Toyota Camry, two weeks ago at DIA. He’s late returning it.”
Nick took a deep breath, as anger threatened to overwhelm him, and let it out slowly. “Did you find out where he’s staying?”
“Not yet. We’re still running his credit card for any charges.”
They were in the security room at the Circle K, located in a building of its own. It was filled with computers, cameras and other surveillance equipment. Not a space existed in the room that didn’t have some machine or another running. The entire ranch had cameras at various locations.
Keeping Bailey safe was paramount in Nick’s mind when he’d set this up. She was just a baby when Janet left, and Nick wanted to make sure his daughter was safe not only from potential kidnappers but from her mother, as well. He didn’t feel Janet would do anything to hurt Bailey, but he wasn’t willing to risk her safety on something he felt .
He paced within the confines of the security office. “There’s got to be something we can do.”
“Look, Nick.” Reggie Jackson grabbed Nick’s arm as he strode by. The large, black man with the shaved head was the head of his security team. “We’re doing everything we can. The guy didn’t just drop off the edge of the world. He’s here and he’s close. We’ve caught glimpses of him for most of the past week. Every time I send men out to check the location, he’s gone, and he’s not leaving much trace. He’s not a smoker and apparently doesn’t eat when he’s out there. Or if he does, he doesn’t litter.”
Nick rubbed the back of his neck to relieve the tension. “I have to?—”
The phone rang.
He snatched it out of its cradle. “What?”
Nick listened. “Okay, send her back. I’ll meet her at the house.” He hung up the phone.
“Well, are you sharing with the class?”
“Jake’s bus driver is here. She wants to talk to me. Reggie come with me. The rest of you keep looking. Check everywhere. Check her house. Check everywhere.”
Nick and Reggie hurried up to the house, arriving just as one of Nick’s security officers arrived with an older woman.
“Mrs. Ralston. How are you? Please come in.” Nick ushered the sturdily built woman into his office. “Reggie, see if you can find Sarah and get us some coffee. How do you take yours?” He asked the bus driver.
“I don’t need coffee. Thank you though.” She sat in front of Nick’s desk. “I just thought you might want to know that Jake’s mom, Ms. Foster-Bennett, got in a car with a man. She didn’t seem happy about it. Shook her head a couple of times before finally getting in.” She looked down at her hands where they rested in her lap.
Nick leaned against the front of the desk, his hands curling around its edge while she talked. “Did you see where the car went?.”
“Well, I thought it was odd for them to be following the bus. But then when we hit the exit for the south bound traffic, that’s when it passed me. The car drove onto the on ramp for southbound Highway 85. And he seemed to be in a hurry, like someone was chasing him. He passed on the double yellow line. I didn’t really think much of it, but Ms. Foster-Bennet took a moment, looked up at me and mouthed “Help.” I couldn’t ignore it or her, so I came here as soon as I could.”
Nick leaned over and laid a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “You did the right thing. We are attempting to locate Ms. Foster-Bennett, and this could be just the information we need. Mrs. Ralston, thank you for coming forward.”
She smiled and stood, her dyed blonde hair escaping the confines of the bun at her neck.
Nick extended his hand. He hoped this was the break he’d prayed for. “Thank you again. I’m glad Bailey and Jake have someone like you taking care of them.”
She blushed. “The kids are my number one concern. I will get them to and from school safely. You can count on that.”
“I do. Let me show you out.”
“Thank you, but I can find my way.” She left the room.
Nick watched her go. “He was heading back into Denver. There is only one place for him to go.”
“Two places,” said Reggie. “His motel or?—”
“Rachel’s house.”
Reggie nodded. “How do you want to do this?”
Nick narrowed his eyes. “As quietly as possible. Get the Denver team on it right away. I’ll be there as soon as I can. I need to talk to Sarah first.”
“I’m on it.” Reggie already had his phone out, and he was talking to the Denver team.
Nick left and searched for Sarah. He found her in the kitchen. It looked like she was making bread. “Sarah, I need for you to watch Bailey and Jake when they get home from school. They are to play inside. We have a situation. Rachel has been kidnapped by her ex-husband and is in danger. I’m going after her now.”
She stopped kneading the bread. “Oh, my gosh. I’ll take care of the kids. Don’t worry about them. They’ll be safe with me. You know I’ll give my life for them.”
Nick put his right hand on her shoulder. “I know. Thank you.”
“Of course. Now, you just go get Rachel back.”
Nick nodded and left to get Reggie. He found him in the weapons room in the security building.
“What do you want to carry?”
“The Glock. I can put it in the back of my pants. I also want us to wear Kevlar vests. The man might be armed. That’s the only thing that makes sense. Rachel wouldn’t have gotten in the car for any other reason.”
Reggie handed him the gun, butt first. “Agreed.” He walked to a closet and pulled out two vests. “Ready?”
Nick nodded. “The sooner I get her back the happier I’ll be.”
Both men piled into the Lincoln Navigator.
Reggie drove.
Nick was much too nervous to drive. Even though his jaw was clenched and he constantly tapped on the armrest, he didn’t say a word. At this point he just wanted to scream his frustration. What if Greg hurt her? If he had, it would be the last thing he would ever do.
The forty-minute trip to Rachel’s house seemed like hours to Nick. His stomach produced so much acid he worried he’d have a hole in his esophagus before the day was out.
Reggie parked around the block from Rachel’s house.
Four of Nick’s security team were already in position. He pointed to three of the men. “I want you to go around back. Reggie, John, and I will hit the front. Do whatever you have to do to assure Rachel’s safety.”
“Yes, sir,” the men replied.
The three heading to the back took off.
Nick’s stomach was doing flips and his pulse raced. He turned to face Reggie and John. “I’m going in first. I’m not giving him time to think. That door isn’t very strong, and I should be able to break it down. I want you two at the windows to make sure he doesn’t decide to shoot her. If you see him, if he so much as raises his gun toward her, take him out.”
Reggie put his left hand on Nick’s shoulder. “She’ll be okay. We’ll see to it.”
Nick’s gut continued to churn. He couldn’t lose her, not when he’d just found her again. “If she’s not, I’ll?—”
“Nick. She’ll be okay. You can’t think of this in any other way.”
Taking a deep breath, Nick nodded. “Let’s just do this.”
John, a man who looked a lot like a fire hydrant, short and built like a tank, pointed. “I’ll take the left.”
Reggie nodded. “I’m right.”
They stuck close to the trees at the edges of the yard. The home was in an older neighborhood with numerous oak and elm trees, which would mean lots of cleanup in the fall, but which Nick was grateful for now.
When they were next to the house, they separated.
Nick stood in front of the door, then he eased his Glock from his waistband with his right hand and lifted his left hand, while he counted down with his fingers. When the time came, he lowered his shoulder and rammed the door near the lock.
The lock didn’t hold, and the jamb splintered as the door banged open.
Nick barreled into the room; gun drawn.
Rachel screamed from one of the rooms above.
Fear gripped him as he bounded up the stairs, his long legs letting him take three at a time.
He’d reached the last room, and the house was quiet. Too quiet . Nick eased the door open and dropped to his knees.
A gunshot sounded as it whizzed by his head.
Rachel screamed. “Nick!”
If he’d remained standing, the shot would have hit him. He aimed his weapon at Bennett, who stood next to the bed, and fired before the man had a chance to figure out what happened.
Greg dropped the gun and then slid to his knees. By the time he hit the floor the light had left his eyes.
Nick rushed over to Rachel as he put his Glock in the back of his waistband. He saw the bruises forming on her face and cringed. She was tied to the bed with what looked like strips from a dishtowel. He quickly untied her.
She flung herself into his arms. “I was so afraid you wouldn’t find me in time. He was about to kill me. Oh, God, Nick.” She pulled back and looked up. “Jake?—”
“He’s fine. Sarah is watching the kids. They are safe.”
Rachel buried her face against him again.
He simply held her, letting her cry. She’d been in a horrible situation and now, she was crashing. All the adrenalin leaving her weak and tired. He knew this but couldn’t help but wish she would always turn to him. He wanted so much to ask her to join her life to his, but now wasn’t the time. Now was about Rachel and assuring her she was safe.
Nick kissed the top of her head. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here. You’re never coming back here, Rachel. I’ll send people to gather all your things and bring them to the ranch. You’ll stay there until you decide what to do. No hurry.” You’d stay there forever, if I had my way.
She nodded against his chest.
He gave Greg’s body a wide berth and kept her head buried against him, as he steered Rachel out of the house. He didn’t want her to have to see Greg’s body.
A detective in plain clothes approached.
Nick knew him through their children. Bailey and his son were both involved in 4-H. “Hello, Bruce. I bet this is the last place you expected to see me.”
Detective Vine was dressed in a suit with the jacket open. He’d straightened his tie on the way over to see them. His brown hair was thinning on top, but he didn’t have a bald spot yet and he had startling green eyes. “I have to admit it is. First, I need your gun. Then can you tell me what happened? Just nutshell it.”
Nick handed the detective his weapon. “Dr. Foster-Bennett’s ex-husband kidnapped her this morning and brought her here to kill her. I found her, and when I entered the room, I was shot at by Bennett. I returned fire and killed him.”
Detective Vine had pulled a notebook from inside his jacket and was writing furiously. “Why didn’t we get a call about the kidnapping?”
“Because twenty-four hours hadn’t passed yet, and I knew I had to find her, quickly. Greg Bennet was obsessed with Rachel and determined if he couldn’t have her no one could. He’s been stalking her while she and her son stayed at the Circle K. She walked Bailey and her son, Jake, to the bus stop this morning and was taken there. Unfortunately, Jake probably saw it and is traumatized. We need to get home and make sure the kids are all right. Can you send someone to the ranch for a more detailed statement?”
“Unfortunately, and I apologize for this, but both you and Rachel need to come with me to the station. You’ll need to be tested for gunshot residue. And we’ll take your statements separately.”
Bruce put out his right hand. “If you have any video of this man at the ranch, that would be good for the records.”
“I’m sure we do. I’ve had my officers keeping track of him since he attacked Rachel here in her house a couple of weeks ago.”
“Yeah, I saw the file of the break-in on my way here.” He turned his attention to Rachel. “Dr. Foster-Bennett, I’d say you are lucky to be alive.”
“Call me Rachel, please. And I know if not for Nick, I’d be dead. He saved my life.” In a quiet voice she added, “In more ways than one.”
Nick hugged her closer. She was cold. He thought her shaking was only partly from fear. “Bruce, I’d like to get the statements over with as soon as possible then I’d want to take Rachel home and get her in a hot bath. We’ll meet you there if that is permissible.”
“We need to take you in police units. You’ll be separated until the statements have been completed. I’m not sure we’ll need anything else but I’ll check your statements. If there are any questions, we can discuss them at that time.”
“Very well. Can we go now?”
“Yes, there are cars outside. Those officers will take you to the station,” said Bruce.
“I need to talk to Reggie before we go. Is that okay?”
Bruce nodded. “Make it quick.”
“Of course.” Nick walked over to Reggie, who waited by the SUV. “I don’t know how long we’ll be at the police station.”
“I’ll follow you to the station and be there when you get done.”
Nick clasped Reggie’s right upper arm. “Thank you…for everything.” He watched the man’s cheeks color.
“You’re welcome.”
Nick went back to Rachel and they hugged before separating into waiting police vehicles.
They were driven to the police station and placed in separate interrogation rooms with pad and pen to get their statements.
* * *
Once each of them were finished with their statements, Bruce looked them over, beginning with Rachel.
“This agrees with what you told me at the house.” He signed the bottom as a witness. “Let’s go out and you can wait until I finish with Nick. It shouldn’t be very much longer.”
“Thank you.”
A few minutes later, Nick emerged. He walked straight to Rachel.
“Are you all right?”
She nodded. “I’m fine. Truly. With you here, I’ve never been better. Greg is gone. You saved my life…and yours. He would have killed you and then me.”
Nick nodded. “All I care about it that you are safe.”
Bruce walked up to them. “The DA will have to clear you completely and it will take a couple of weeks for the tests to all come back. I’ll take you back to the house so you can get your car.”
“Thank you.” Nick placed his arms around Rachel and hugged her to him. He turned to Bruce. “We’d still like for you to come out to the ranch. Bring Jenny and the kids and your swimsuits. We’ll make a day of it. You know the kids will love it. But maybe we should wait until this is cleared up, say in three weeks. Do you think the investigation will be completed by that time? I don’t want to give anyone a reason to think we’re being given preferential treatment.”
“It should be. It will take a couple of weeks to get all the test results back. The autopsy will be complete and the GSR results will be in. Those things, along with your statements, should be enough for the DA to clear the case. You two go home. Hug your children. Make love. Whatever you want to do to forget this entire episode.”
Nick guided her to the SUV and got her buckled in the middle of the back seat.
He slid beside her and buckled up before placing an arm around her shoulders and letting her lean against him. Nick kissed her forehead. “Relax, sweetheart. You’re safe now, forever.” And forever in my arms, if I can convince you.
Reggie was already behind the wheel and drove them back to the ranch without breaking the speed limit anywhere.
Nick checked Rachel’s face in the overhead light. “You’ll have some nasty bruises tomorrow, they’re already starting to show. Do I need to check the rest of you when we get home?”
“No, except for my forearms when I was blocking his fist, I don’t think he hurt me anywhere else.”
“Okay, just let me hold you. If he wasn’t already dead, I’d kill him again for what he did to you.”
“Don’t think about that. Just hold me.”
Nick held Rachel the entire way and had never felt more content. He hoped she felt the same way.