Chapter 4 #2
He winced, knowing she shouldn’t be thanking him. It was only due to God’s grace that they’d escaped.
Certainly not his dubious expertise.
Grady continued driving, somewhat relieved when they were off the toll road and had crossed into Wisconsin. Toll readers recorded license plates. How much time did they have before the kidnappers found them?
Between getting rid of the Porsche, finding a place to stay, and obtaining additional funds over and above what he had in his pocket, Grady knew they were still living on borrowed time.
And the most frustrating part of all was that they were no closer to figuring out who might be behind these kidnapping attempts.
Attempts that had escalated in an alarming manner. Was this still about easy cash? Or something closer to revenge?
Grady could only pray the police would find out something very soon. Before it was too late.
* * *
Lauren dozed intermittently, her whirling thoughts keeping her from falling asleep.
She’d been surprised by Grady’s whispered prayer and wondered if he always leaned on his faith while he was in danger.
Maybe she should try praying more often.
The hospital chapel had been her saving grace during Lucy’s illness.
The terrain around them was peacefully beautiful. Not as breathtaking as the view of Lake Michigan, but the evergreen trees with their snow-tipped branches were pretty and seemed to absorb the traffic noise. Wisconsin was much quieter in general compared to downtown Chicago.
Then again, she assumed Cody, Wyoming, was even more quiet.
When Grady pulled into a gas station, she straightened in her seat. The lights were bright enough that she had to lift her hand to shield her eyes.
“Stay here, I’m just filling the tank.” Grady’s soft voice broke the silence.
“Since we’re here, we should use the restroom.” She unbuckled her seat belt. “I’m surprised Lucy made it this long.”
He nodded. “Okay, it makes sense to use the facilities while we have the chance. I’ll escort you both inside.”
She wasn’t about to argue, although she felt certain the danger was over. At least, for now. She slid out of the car and then moved the seat forward to reach into the back. “Lucy? We’re going to use the bathroom, okay?”
Lucy blinked and stared up at her. Then she frowned. “I don’t have my shoes.”
“I know, I’ll carry you.” Lauren moved the blanket, then helped Lucy get her coat on over the pajamas. When she reached in to lift Lucy into her arms, Grady nudged her aside.
“I’ll carry her.” He effortlessly lifted the girl into his arms and carried her inside the gas station. She followed, blinking as her eyes slowly becoming accustomed to the bright interior lights.
The place was more than a gas station, it was a convenience store too.
The scent of coffee was strong. There were baked goods and even some items of clothing, although nothing for a seven-year-old girl.
Strangely, there were some socks, though, and she snagged a pair as they walked past. They would be too large for Lucy, but they were better than nothing.
Grady set Lucy down, then nodded at the socks. “Good idea. I’ll grab us some coffee too. Are you hungry?”
“Having something to eat would be good.” She smiled, then urged Lucy into the bathroom. Five minutes later, they emerged to find Grady standing near the food case. She eyed the hard-boiled eggs and yogurt, ignoring how Grady had grabbed a giant blueberry muffin.
“Can I have a donut?” Lucy looked excited at the prospect.
“Yes, but you need to eat something besides that.” She found a children’s brand of yogurt and grabbed another container of eggs. Then she hesitated, hoping Grady had enough cash on him to pay for everything. “Maybe I should use the ATM.”
“Nope. We’re not leaving an electronic trail.
I’ve got this.” He carried their items to the counter, along with two cups of coffee and a small container of milk for Lucy.
She watched nervously as the clerk rang up their bill.
She didn’t normally worry about how much things cost and was surprised at the large total.
“That’s crazy expensive,” she whispered as Grady picked Lucy back up into his arms to carry her outside. “It’s not even that much food.”
He shrugged, offering a wry smile. “Says the woman who probably hasn’t stopped at a gas station ever in her life.”
That was true, so it was hard to argue. She normally asked one of the security guards to fill her car up for her, when she even bothered to drive herself from point A to point B. It was strange to buy things with cash rather than using her credit card.
But she was still horrified at how much money Grady was spending out of his own pocket. Then again, she’d paid Grayson’s Guardians the going rate including expenses. Grady would likely be reimbursed.
Dawn peeked over the horizon. As she opened their food purchases for Lucy, Grady filled the gas tank.
Lucy drank her milk and ate her donut first, dropping crumbs in the back seat.
Not that Lauren cared about the mess. The large socks went all the way up to Lucy’s knees, but they were thick and warm, which was all that mattered.
Lucy was so preoccupied with her donut treat that she didn’t complain.
When Grady finished paying for their gas, he slid in behind the wheel. “All set?”
“Yes.” She opened his muffin and handed it to him. “I can’t believe it’s already almost six in the morning.”
“Yeah. The clerk mentioned a series of outlet malls about two hours away. They don’t open until nine, but they should have what we need.” He took a bite of his muffin and then drove out of the gas station parking lot.
They ate and sipped coffee in silence for a few minutes. Lucy had finished her food and was resting again with her eyes closed. It was hard to tell if her daughter was really sleeping or just pretending.
“I wish I could call Clara.” She glanced at Grady. “She’s worked for us for almost ten years. I feel bad not knowing if she’s okay.”
“We’ll get phones at the outlet mall.” He frowned, then added, “But I think you should call the police, not Clara directly. I don’t know if these guys have the ability to track phone calls or not.”
She grimaced. “Okay, that’s fine.”
“I’ve been thinking about following up with the FBI. Do you know if they’re letting law enforcement take the lead on the case?”
“Yes.” She hadn’t liked the decision. “Like I said, after Ariel was released, they didn’t seem to be acting with a strong sense of urgency.”
“Well, they’d better get cracking now,” Grady drawled. She found his western accent cute. “Because the danger sure hasn’t gone away.”
“I know. I think the agent I spoke to was David Braun.”
“I know an FBI agent back in Wyoming too. I’ll go through him first. See if he has any insight to add.”
She frowned. “I can’t imagine Wyoming has much experience in this sort of thing.”
“You’d be surprised. There’s crime everywhere, unfortunately.”
“Mommy, is the masked man going to find us?” Lucy asked.
She swiveled in her seat to smile reassuringly at her daughter. “The masked man has no idea where we are. We’re in Wisconsin, a completely different state from Illinois.”
“Good.” Lucy’s gaze was solemn. “Because I don’t want to be scared anymore.”
Her stomach knotted at the revelation. She would have given anything to spare her daughter from this horror. “I know, sweetie.”
“We’re going to stop to do some shopping,” Grady chimed in. “Do you like to shop, Lucy?”
Lucy shook her head. “I don’t go shopping. Clara brings me what I need.”
Grady arched a brow at that but dropped the subject. Lauren forced a smile. “It will be fun. You can pick out whatever you like.”
“Can I dress like Ariel?” Lucy asked.
“Ah, sure. If you can find something similar.” Lauren hoped she wasn’t setting the little girl up for failure.
She had no idea where Ariel’s mother purchased her daughter’s clothes.
Ariel’s private school tuition was being subsidized by Lauren and other wealthy families who paid extra to include those who couldn’t afford to attend without assistance.
“Okay.” Lucy looked excited at the thought of finding something similar to what her best friend wore.
A best friend whose mother had cut off all communication after the kidnapping.
Swallowing a sigh, she turned and watched the passing scenery.
With the sun brightening the horizon, her heart filled with hope about the day ahead.
The awful events from the previous evening and early morning hours faded away.
It was as if nothing bad could reach them here in the middle of nowhere.
The beautiful surroundings reminded her of their vacations in Big Cedar Lake.
Lots of trees and rolling hills. Miles between cities, with nothing but wilderness in between.
Was she doing a disservice keeping Lucy in the city? No, Lauren had grown up in the city and turned out fine. This was their life; they couldn’t just go somewhere small and pretend they weren’t wealthy. Besides, she traveled with Lucy to new and exciting places over holiday breaks from school.
Yet as she looked at the woods around them, she wondered if their next trip should be to someplace remote and peaceful like this.
They went through a couple of bigger cities along the way, hitting some congested traffic thanks to road construction.
Still, the hours passed faster than she’d anticipated.
When Grady indicated the outlet malls advertised at the next exit, she craned her neck to see what sorts of stores were featured.
None of the brands were familiar, but that was okay.
It wasn’t like she was planning to buy anything fancy.
Especially since she had no idea how much money Grady had left to spend.
She decided they’d focus on the basics for Lucy, nothing more. She could keep wearing her yoga pants and sweatshirt.
Grady pulled into an empty parking space but didn’t kill the engine. He glanced at his watch and shrugged. “We still have a few minutes until they open.”
She hesitated. “I think Lucy just needs jeans, a sweatshirt, shoes, and socks. Hopefully, they won’t be too expensive.”
“Sounds good.” If he was worried about the prices of the items they needed, he didn’t let on.
“And don’t forget the replacement phones.” She had noticed there was a department store across the street. “I need to follow up with the police.”
“I won’t.” He nodded toward the store closest to them. “Looks like they’re unlocking the doors now.”
“Great.” She pushed out of the passenger seat. As before, Grady insisted on carrying Lucy inside. The store had plenty of options, and Lucy ran straight to a rack of pink sweatshirts. “Ooh, I like this one.”
She eyed the price tag, then realized that was silly since she didn’t know how much money Grady had. She handed it to him. “You need to stop her when you’ve reached your limit.”
“No worries. I’m good.” He didn’t even look at the price, simply setting the items on the counter. “Just get what you need. I’m going to head over to buy the phones and a few other things.”
They continued to shop while he got what they needed.
She found a pair of sneakers in Lucy’s size, along with a pair of jeans and pink socks that matched the sweatshirt.
It took a while to make sure the items would fit.
Grady returned, carrying a large plastic bag.
He came up to stand beside her as she was eyeing a pair of snow boots in Lucy’s size.
She didn’t know where they’d end up and figured the boots might be necessary.
Grady reached over to grab the pair she’d been looking at, adding it to the pile on the counter. “Anything else?”
She flushed. “I think we’re good.”
Grady nodded and quickly paid the bill. Again, it seemed like a lot for a store that was allegedly offering discounted bargains. But she kept her thoughts to herself, even as she realized this was the sort of thing Ariel’s mother probably wrestled with every day.
When they were finished with their purchases, she took Lucy into the dressing room to change into her new things. Lucy seemed excited to have the everyday clothes. She even insisted on wearing her new snow boots.
When they emerged from the dressing room, she caught Grady’s grim gaze and instantly knew something was wrong. “What?”
“This way.” He took the bag from her hands and led them quickly to a side exit. She didn’t understand why he was so upset, until he glanced back through the clear glass of the front door.
That’s when she saw it too. A black SUV with tinted windows was driving slowly past the store.
She sucked in a harsh breath. The kidnappers had found them!