Chapter Nineteen
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Becky had cleaned up the breakfast dishes, and was about to leave for the diner when she suddenly wanted to relive the precious moments she’d spent with Cody in the bus. Grabbing her phone and stuffing it into her back pocket, she headed out the back door.
Marching across the field, she made a quick stop to give her horses their morning carrots, then continued to the large, gleaming white vehicle under the trees. As she neared, she saw the keys sitting on top of the tire. Picking them up and unlocking the doors, she stepped inside. The luxury still took her breath away, but walking to the back, she moved into the small bedroom and saw the rumpled sheets. Sighing, she sat down and closed her eyes.
“Did you sleep with the bastard?”
Becky jumped, and her eyes popped open. Roy was looming over her.
“What the hell are you doing here,” she demanded, jumping to her feet.
“Answer me, did you sleep with him?”
“No, not that it’s any of your business!” she snapped, taking in his appearance.
His hair was tousled, his clothes were wrinkled, he’d not shaven in a couple of days, and he reeked of booze.
“Dammit girl, I just want some time to talk to you. Can’t you give me that?”
“Fine, talk.”
“Not here!” he barked. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell,” he added hastily. “At the cabin where it’s quiet.”
“I don’t want to, and I can’t. Dad is expecting me at the diner,” she declared, then striding forward, she pushed past him and hurried towards the doors.
“Becky, dammit Becky, wait up,” he called, lumbering after her.
She was out of the bus and marching swiftly to the house, but breaking into a run, he quickly caught up and grabbed her arm.
“Let go of me,” she yelled, wrestling his grip. “Dammit, Roy, let go, right now.”
“You’re comin’ to the cabin and we’re gonna talk,” he bellowed. “I’m not takin’ no for answer, so quit strugglin’.”
“Dammit, Roy, it’s not even lunchtime yet, and you’re drinking. Isn’t it bad enough you wrapped your truck around that tree?”
“I didn’t wrap no truck around no tree,” he replied angrily. “That whole thing was nothin’ but a setup.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about and I don’t care,” she screamed, his aggressive behavior starting to scare her. “For the last time, let me go!”
She tried to wrench her arm away, but his grip was too strong, and abruptly seizing her around the waist, he lifted her off the ground.
“I’m takin’ you to that cabin, and we’re gonna talk!”
He had parked his rental car by the trees near the bus, and though Becky yelled and kicked, she hung from his side like a rag doll. By the time they reached the vehicle she was exhausted.
“I’m puttin‘ you in this car, and if you try to run, I swear, Becky, I’ll put you in the damn trunk.”
“Okay, fine, we’ll go to the cabin,” she panted. “Just calm down.”
Opening the passenger door and bundling her inside, he ran to the driver’s seat, climbed behind the wheel, and peeling dirt behind him as he pushed his foot on the accelerator, he raced from the field.
* * *
At the diner preparing for lunch, David realized he’d left his baggie of freshly picked herbs on the kitchen counter. Hoping to catch Becky before she left, he called her, but the sharp ringing pierced the tense atmosphere inside Roy’s speeding car. Startled, Becky pulled the phone from her pocket.
“No way,” Roy snarled, immediately snatching it from her hand and lowering his window.
“I’ll just turn it off. Please, Roy! Don’t throw it away” she pleaded, “I have important numbers in it.”
“Too bad,” he growled, hurling it into the brush alongside the road, then gunning the car forward, he swerved around a sharp turn. Squeezing her eyes shut, Becky prayed for help.
* * *
When Becky didn’t answer, David tried the house line, but again, she didn’t pick up. He assumed she was wrapped up in a long goodbye with her new love, but a moment later the diner phone rang. It was Sheriff Hollister, and his voice was grave.
“Hey, Sheriff, is everything all right?”
“Roy was released early this morning. He was in a foul mood. Now someone just reported him swigging whiskey and driving that souped up car of his.”
“I don’t understand,” David exclaimed. “He was in an accident and arrested for DUI? Isn’t that enough to hold him?”
“We had a light docket this morning, and he was first on it. Ten minutes after eight he posted bail, and that was that.”
An odd sensation crept up David’s spine, and he suddenly broke into a cold sweat. “Sheriff, could you please run by my house? I can’t reach Becky, and now I’m very worried.”
“Sure thing, I’m just around the block…hang on...approaching your house...her car is still in the driveway. I’ll go knock on the door.”
“Okay,” David muttered, his heart hammering in his chest.
“I’m walking up the pathway….at the front door.”
David heard him knock loudly, then call her name.
“Hey, Dave, have you got a key hidden anywhere? I should check inside.”
“Under the pig by the fountain,” David replied, starting to break into a sweat. “Should I come home?”
“Better stay there, she might show up. Maybe she walked.”
“But she’s not answering her phone,” David declared urgently, “and if her car didn’t start, she would have called me to fetch her.”
“Okay, I’ve found the key...going back...opening the door…walking inside…Becky…? Nope, she’s not here, and your back door’s unlocked.”
“We always lock up the house. Sheriff, I’m getting really worried. Wait, I just had a thought. Maybe she’s gone with, uh, our visitor to the airfield. I’ll call him and get right back to you.”
“You do that, and I’ll check that bus parked across the field. Maybe she’s there and doesn’t have her phone with her.”
“Yes, that could be. Thanks, Sheriff.”
* * *
Cody was halfway to the small airport when his personal phone rang. Thinking it was Becky calling to say another goodbye, he quickly accepted the call.
“Hello?”
“Cody, it’s Dave Turner. Is Becky with you?”
“Becky? No, we said goodbye at the house,” Cody replied, startled to hear David’s voice. “Why? What’s wrong?”
“She hasn’t shown up at the diner yet, she’s not home, and her car is still at the house. I’m really worried.”
Recalling Roy’s note, Cody’s grip tightened around the steering wheel, and he came to a quick stop on the side of the road.
“David, where is the lake?”
“The lake? It depends. There’s a back way past Jeb’s garage and the Cowbell, or you can take Bute Road off the main highway. You would have passed it on the way to the airport. Why?”
“Becky told me she and Roy used to spend time at a cabin there.”
“Roy’s always hanging around, but they haven’t dated since high school.”
“It’s too complicated to explain, but I think that’s where she is. I remember seeing the turnoff, it’s just five minutes behind me. I’m going there now. I’ll call you when I arrive.”
“I’ll tell the Sheriff right away,” David said hastily.
Punching the accelerator into a U-turn, Cody sped off, then reached for his regular work phone and called Sam.
“Hey, Cash, are you on the plane?”
“No, not yet, I’ve got a situation here,” Cash declared, expertly handling the powerful car as he raced down the highway.
“What do you mean, a situation?”
“I can’t explain, but it’s an emergency. I’ll be at the airport as soon as I can. Gotta go.”
“Cash! What is—”
Though he heard Sam’s voice, Cash turned off his phone, and in just a few minutes he spied the signpost for Bute Road. Slowing down, he turned from the highway on to a bumpy, gravel lane. Following a sweeping bend, Cody saw a dirt trail off to his right—and a dust cloud. Driving cautiously forward, it was only a short minute when a clearing came into view and he could see the lake. Rolling to a stop on the grass verge, he grabbed his personal phone and jogged forward, staying in the trees for cover. As he drew near, he spied picnic tables, small row boats pulled up on the sand, and a parking area with a lone car. Reaching for his phone, he called David.
“Cody? Where are you?” David asked anxiously. “What have you found?”
“I’m in the picnic grounds, and there’s a grey Ford parked on the far side.”
“Dammit, that’s Roy’s car,” David grunted angrily.
“Where’s the cabin?”
“Walk past the car, and you’ll see a path. It leads to three cabin’s about a hundred yards ahead. They’ll be in the second, assuming that’s where he’s taken her. Cody, be careful, Roy’s a big guy.”
“You know what they say, the bigger they are,” Cody replied. “Believe me, if anyone has to be careful, it’s Roy.”
“I hope you’re right. I spoke to the Sheriff and he’s on his way. I’m leaving now.”
“Okay. I’ll see you when you get here,” Cody replied, then ended the call and muted his phone.
Hurrying across the parking area and reaching the car, he quickly peered through the windows. Seeing nothing of note, he strode swiftly into the woods, and moments later, he spied the first cabin. Creeping forward, he peeked through a window. It was empty, but continuing stealthily to the second, he heard voices. Cautiously moving to the window, he pressed his back against the wall, turned his head, and glanced inside. Becky was perched on the edge of a narrow cot, her head buried in her hands. Roy was a few feet away pulling his gray T-shirt over his head. Grabbing his phone, he hastily texted David.
Found them. Becky’s fine. Going in.
“You have to remember what we had,” Cash suddenly heard Roy exclaim. “Dammit, Becky, you’re the one who wanted to get married, and you were right.”
“No, I wasn’t,” she wailed. “We were just kids, and I don’t want to be with you.”
Quickly looking back through the window, to his horror, Cash saw Roy lean over her and shove her on her back.
“You just have to be reminded,” he snarled, straightening up and unzipping his jeans.
“I don’t want you!” she shrieked. “Why can’t you get that through your head?”
Cody’s eyes scanned the room. There was too much furniture and not enough space. He had to draw Roy outside. Picking up a small rock, he moved quickly and quietly to the front door, knocked loudly, then ducked out of sight around the side of the cabin.
“Yeah?” Roy’s voice called. “Hey, who is it? Who’s here?”
Cash hurled the rock over the roof. It landed with a loud crack on the opposite side. Predictably, Roy lumbered towards it.
“Who’s there?” he repeated, yelling loudly.
* * *
Shaking and terrified, Becky ran to the window and saw Roy trying to find the person who had knocked on the door. Suddenly, to her utter and complete astonishment, she saw Cody run forward, leap in the air, and slammed his feet into Roy’s back. Letting out a howl, Roy tumbled to the ground. A moment later, Cody burst through the cabin door.
“Are you okay, Becky?”
“Yes, my God, that was incredible.”
“This is perfect,” he exclaimed, picking up Roy’s ugly grey T-shirt and ripping it in half. “Stay here, I’ll be right back.”
But as he hurried from the cabin, she quickly followed. Watching from a distance, she saw Roy attempt to stand up, but in a flash, Cody was over him, using the shirt to swiftly tie his wrists behind him, then his ankles.
“The sheriff’s on his way, you can kiss your freedom goodbye,” Cody declared, then turned around as Becky ran towards him.
“How did you know where to find me?” she exclaimed as he strode up to meet her and pulled her into his arms.
“You told me about this cabin last night. I was almost asleep, but I remembered, and it made sense. Tell me what happened?”
“I was in the bus, and he was suddenly behind me. He must have been watching the house. Anyway, he grabbed me and shoved me into his car, then said if I tried to run he’d put me in the trunk.”
“Come back to the cabin and talk to me before your father and the sheriff get here,” he said, moving his arm around her shoulders. “It’s time you told me what’s been going on.”