Chapter 11 #2
“That’s right.” He smiled reassuringly as Lauren arched a brow. “She’s an amazing pilot, and we were able to get back to Madison safely. I need you to arrange for another rental car since we had to leave the other one behind.”
His boss sighed loudly. “Okay, but the way you’re driving our expenses through the roof is eating into our profit margin.”
A flash of anger hit hard. Lauren’s and Lucy’s lives were at stake. He didn’t care one bit about Rex Grayson’s profit margin.
“Tell Rex I’ll reimburse him the additional expenses,” Lauren said calmly.
He shook his head, unwilling to pass that message along.
What Lauren and Rex decided once the gunmen were behind bars wasn’t his concern.
Right now, he just wanted them to be safe.
A task that was proving to be more difficult than he’d anticipated.
“You can take the cost out of my fee. I don’t care.
Just get us another rental car.” When he saw small van driving away from the private jet, he added, “We’ll find a ride to the main airport terminal.
There must be plenty of car rentals available there. ”
“I’ll make the arrangements,” Rex agreed. “What else can I help you with?”
“Nothing at the moment.” He decided not to go into detail about how Griff’s tech expert Dominic had revealed they’d been tracked by the internet. “Thanks.”
“Yep. Stay safe,” Rex said, before ending the call.
He pocketed his phone and nodded at Lauren and Lucy. “Ready to get out of here?”
They nodded. He climbed out first, then held out his arms for Lucy. When they were on the tarmac, a small van rolled toward them.
He moved forward first, making sure they weren’t walking into a trap. When the kid behind the wheel looked barely old enough to drive, he gestured for Lauren and Lucy to hop in.
The first leg of their escape plan had worked beautifully. Now all he needed to do was to keep them safe long enough to get out of the city before the gunmen found them again.
* * *
Lauren was glad that Grady hadn’t noticed how badly her hands were shaking.
It wasn’t her first time flying a small plane; she wasn’t lying about having a pilot’s license.
But taking a crop duster from a farmer, not knowing what sort of maintenance had been done on the engine, had been a gamble.
Worse, because Lucy and Grady were with her.
It would have been her fault if they’d crashed.
Thankfully, the farmer had kept his plane in good repair. She made a mental note of the plane’s tail number, something she hadn’t noticed before they’d jumped in to get away from the black SUV, so she could repay the owner and thank him for the role he’d played in keeping her daughter safe.
The van driver dropped them off near a private terminal.
From there, they walked to the main airport.
Grady took the lead in heading to the rental car agency.
She’d felt bad hearing Rex’s comment about the expenses.
For one thing, it certainly wasn’t their fault these guys were so determined to track them down.
Second, she would gladly pay for the extra expense. Why Grady hadn’t passed her comment along was puzzling. There was no reason for him to use his own money to pay the extra expense. Both men had to know there was nothing more important to her than keeping Lucy safe.
“I wish we could go home,” Lucy whispered.
“I know, sweetie. Me too.” She wrapped her arm around Lucy’s shoulders as Grady signed the paperwork on their rental. “Hopefully soon.”
Lucy leaned against her. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too.” She pressed a kiss on Lucy’s head. Her daughter had been through a lot over the past few hours. And the day was far from over.
At this rate, they’d never make it back to Chicago in time for St. Mary’s Valentine’s Day charity ball.
“Ready to go?” Grady came away from the rental car counter with a key fob in his hand. “The car is ready.”
“Yes.” She hugged Lucy again, then straightened. “Lucy, stay between us, okay?”
Lucy clung to her hand as they walked back outside.
The cold wind blew into their faces, making her shiver.
Grady scanned their surroundings as they crossed the road to the rental car parking lot.
His intense gaze made her realize he was making sure the black SUV with tinted windows wasn’t waiting for them.
The thought of the gunmen returning to finish the job made her shiver.
Was kidnapping Lucy even their main goal anymore?
It didn’t seem to be. Not after the two gunmen had gotten out of the car to shoot at the plane as they flew overhead, which indicated that their intent was to kill them all in one fell swoop.
Yet where on earth was the financial gain in killing them? Could Nelson have taken out some sort of life insurance policy on her? Even if he had, that wouldn’t explain Ariel’s kidnapping.
Her nerves were back on edge as Grady found the rental car, a light-gray Jeep SUV. He frowned, and she wondered if he’d preferred the dark-colored vehicle they’d gotten before. He didn’t say anything, though, just opened the doors for her and Lucy.
Like last time, there was a child booster seat in the back. Rex had remembered to request one, and she was grateful to have the additional layer of protection.
“Oh goody, this booster seat is just like mine at home,” Lucy said as she climbed in.
“Glad you approve,” Grady drawled with a wry smile.
Lauren slid into the passenger seat as Grady waited for Lucy to get buckled in. Then he closed the door and slid in behind the wheel. Moments later, they were out on the road, heading away from the airport. She stared at the cars around them, seeing way too many black SUVs for her peace of mind.
“We should be fine,” Grady said in a low tone, obviously keying in on her stress levels. “We lost a little time driving from the landing strip, but not much.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” She tried to shake off the feeling of despair. Maybe it was the adrenaline crash after the escaping the farm. Thankfully, none of the black SUVs passing them by had tinted windows. “Where are we going this time?”
“South.” Grady nodded toward the highway. “I think we should make our way back toward Illinois. Not crossing the state line but finding a place to stay that is closer to the border.”
“Really?” She was surprised by his decision. “Why?”
He sighed and shrugged. “I’m hoping the gunmen won’t be searching for us there. Avoiding the tollway should keep us safely off their radar.”
“Good.” She rolled her shoulders in an effort to relax. “Staying incognito would be very good.”
“What does incognito mean?” Lucy asked.
“It means keeping our identity a surprise.” She turned to smile at her daughter. “Don’t worry, we’re safe now.”
“Okay.” Lucy seemed to take her statement at face value, which was a little surprising because every time they’d thought they were safe, the gunmen had managed to find them.
They drove in silence for several minutes. Lauren saw the sign indicating they were thirty miles from Lake Geneva. The town sounded familiar, and she’d heard several people from Chicago liked to stay there. That alone would have been a reason to stay away.
Rather than avoiding the city, Grady headed straight toward it. As they grew closer, she eyed him curiously. “I thought you didn’t want to go to touristy places?”
He grimaced. “To be honest, I’m hoping the same theory applies. That the gunmen will assume we’re heading north or east avoiding places like this. Besides, I don’t plan to stay in the area for long. If we need to find another place to spend the night, we’ll look for something else.”
She assumed that was because hotels normally had rules that prevented people from paying in cash.
“I’m hungry,” Lucy said from the back seat. “Did we miss lunch?”
“Yeah, we did.” She reached over to touch Grady’s arm. “What do you think? Can we afford to stop for lunch in Lake Geneva?”
“Sure thing. They have plenty of restaurants,” Grady said. “And that will give us time to connect with David Braun too. He should have something to tell us by now.”
She wasn’t sure about that. It seemed to her as if the FBI was moving in slow motion. The local police too.
They rode in silence for several minutes.
Grady slowed his speed as they approached the resort town.
The lake itself was pretty, even in the cold and snowy conditions.
Huge mansions lined the lakeshore as far as the eye could see.
Lauren had never personally been to Lake Geneva, but the town felt very familiar.
It was obvious the high-end jewelry, clothing, and art shops catered to the wealthy.
About as different from the cabin rentals Grady had used as the sun from the moon. She imagined the hotels here cost five times what he’d spent on the cabin.
Strangely, she discovered she liked staying at the cabin better. They were clean, low key, and isolated from the rest of the world.
From what she could tell, the city of Lake Geneva didn’t offer cabin rentals as an option. Unless there were some located outside the city, far away from the downtown area.
“There’s a restaurant up ahead that appears to be open.” Grady frowned as he slowly drove through the picturesque town. “I’m surprised some of them are closed considering it’s a Friday.”
“It’s the off season,” she said with a shrug. “There isn’t much to do on a frozen lake.”
“Can we build another snowman?” Lucy asked.
“Maybe later.” She knew their plans for the rest of the day were up in the air. Especially since this stop had been a spur of the moment decision. “Looks like there’s a small parking lot over there.”
Grady pulled in and killed the engine. He pushed out of the SUV, then opened the back door so Lucy could get out.
There weren’t many cars in the lot, but she tensed when she noticed one was a black SUV. Lauren stared at it as they walked past, half expecting a gunman to pop out from the driver’s seat. When she caught a glimpse of a small stuffed animal lying in the back seat, she released her pent-up breath.
A family vehicle. Not the bad guys.
She gave herself a mental shake. It was time to stop imagining there were gunmen hiding around every corner. There was no possible way the black SUV could find them there.
The restaurant sported a nautical theme, which didn’t necessarily go along with the shocking red Valentine’s Day decorations. Grady asked for a booth, and they were led to a table with a nice view of the lake.
“Can I have chicken bites?” Lucy asked once they were settled on the bench seat across from Grady.
Her first instinct was to refuse. The last thing her daughter needed was more processed food.
But then she remembered how scared Lucy had been during their unplanned plane escape, not to mention the previous shooting incidents.
One more day of eating whatever she wanted wouldn’t hurt.
Lauren nodded. “Yes, if that’s an option on the menu. ”
“Looks like they have chicken strips, which is practically the same thing.” Grady was already scanning his menu. “We’ll put our order in first, then I’ll reach out to Agent Braun.”
Their server took their drink orders first. She and Grady went with coffee, while Lucy had another glass of chocolate milk. Once their drinks arrived, she put in a request for Lucy’s chicken strips, along with a grilled chicken wrap. Grady, of course, went for the double-decker cheeseburger.
Once they were alone, Grady reached for his phone. “I hope Braun answers this time,” he groused.
He made the call, then groaned when Braun’s voice mail kicked in. “Braun, it’s Grady and Lauren. Call us back as soon as possible.” He ended the call. “I don’t know what he’s doing.”
She sat back in the booth, trying to give the FBI agent the benefit of doubt. “Maybe he’s handling the interviews.”
Grady looked pointedly at his watch. “It’s noon. He’s had all morning to do them.”
She glanced at Lucy who was blowing bubbles into her chocolate milk. “You’re assuming he’s found them in the first place. They could be here driving around in a black SUV.”
“Maybe.” He scrubbed his hands over his face. “We need answers.”
No argument there. She was about to take Lucy to the bathroom when his phone rang. Grady answered, putting the call on speaker. “Agent Braun?”
“Yeah, I got your message. Things have been happening fast around here.”
Lauren had to bite her lip to keep from snapping at him. He thought things were happening in Chicago? They’d jumped into a stolen crop-duster plane to escape!
“Fill us in,” Grady said.
“I just interviewed Eric Howington,” Braun said.
She and Grady exchanged glances. There hadn’t been enough time for the black SUV to get from Madison to Chicago, which meant Howington wasn’t their guy.
“He’s clear, has an ironclad alibi for the first abduction and for the time of the shooting of your penthouse apartment. ”
“Okay, good to know we can cross him off our list,” Grady said. “What else?”
“I’ve left several messages for Karla Dalton, but she hasn’t returned my calls.
You should know that Randy Morton, Bobby’s first cousin, is dead.
He died of a drug overdose three months ago.
We didn’t know about Bobby Morton’s half brother, Curtis Handover, so we dug into him.
I discovered he’s been posting threats aimed at Nelson Derringer. ”
Lauren straightened in her seat. “What kind of threats?”
“Threats that make it clear Nelson should watch his back when he’s released from prison. Which will happen on Monday morning.”
Monday? Lauren’s heart squeezed in her chest. What happened to two more months?
“Have you reached out to Handover?” Grady asked. “Do you have any idea where he is?”
“He’s not at home, but he has a black Honda SUV registered in his name. I’ve issued a tri-statewide BOLO for him, and I am sure we’ll have him in custody by the end of the day.”
Lauren stared at Grady in shock. Curtis Handover was one of the shooters!
She bowed her head and silently prayed the police would find and arrest him very soon. Bringing an end to this nightmare.