Chapter 17 #2
“That sounds like Kenny.”
The squeal of tires and Brandon’s voice broke through. “He spotted me. Jerk cut the cars in front of me off. Almost caused an accident. Be careful, Whitman. It’ll take me a few minutes to get away from this mess. I’ve alerted Hanes. He’s on his way.”
“Copy that.” David hung up and scanned his rearview mirror.
The blur of blue sent his pulse racing. “Hold on, Jennie, he’s coming up fast.”
She whimpered and grabbed the edge of her seat.
The truck bumped the rear of his sedan.
He fought to maintain control.
The truck pulled into the left lane and sped up.
Having nowhere to go but forward, David hit the gas and lurched forward.
“Where’s my backup?” He needed his partner, now.
The blue pickup raced forward and slammed into the front quarter panel of the vehicle. David’s car careened off the road and the passenger’s side slammed against a tree. The sickening crunch of metal turned David’s stomach. Airbags exploded and silence descended.
A smack on the hood and muted cursing wafted in the air.
The creak of the back door registered in David’s brain.
“I’ll be back, you good for nothing piece of trash.” The man growled.
David struggled with his seatbelt. He watched in the side mirror as a man carried Zoey away, dumped her in his truck, and sped off.
Warm liquid trickled over his eyelid and down his face. He swiped at the offending substance and instantly regretted it. He sucked in a breath and the world spun around him. He shifted his gaze to his right.
Jennie’s head rested against the cracked window. Her eyes were closed.
David reached for her wrist. Her steady pulse released the knot in his stomach. He attempted to grab his phone, but hot, searing pain shot up his side. His stomach roiled with each movement.
“Whitman!”
He turned his head.
Brandon came skidding to a stop next to his door. “Dude, you look awful.”
“Thanks, man. Jennie needs help.”
“So do you. Ambulance is on the way.”
There was something he had to tell his partner, but a fog inhabited his brain. David closed his eyes. Think. His heart rate increased. “Zoey. He has Zoey.”
Brandon peered in the backseat and grabbed his cell. “Dispatch. I need an Amber Alert on Zoey Nielson. Last seen with a male in a navy-blue truck.” He rattled off a partial plate number then hung up. He peered into David’s window. “Looks like you’re stuck pretty good.”
When had he rolled down the window?
His partner brushed pieces of glass from the opening.
He blinked. The window wasn’t down, it had shattered.
“Hold on, partner.”
David watched Brandon fight with the door.
Grunts and creaks filled the silence. The door opened and hung at an awkward angle.
Brandon leaned over David. “Here.” His partner cut away the seatbelt and helped David out of the vehicle.
David’s disjointed thoughts started to coalesce.
Sitting a few feet away, David could only observe as his partner made his way to Jennie’s door.
“No go, partner. Her door is blocked by the tree. Might have been why the dude didn’t take Jennie. He had to settle for her daughter instead.”
David rested his forearms on his knees and dropped his chin to his chest.
He’d allowed a deranged man to kidnapped Zoey. Jennie would never trust him. He’d obviously failed—again.
***
An hour later, Jennie sat in a conference room at the hospital waiting for David to be released. The man had a mild concussion and stitches on his forehead. But his real injury was the blow he’d taken to his side.
The truck had rammed into the driver’s side door, slamming it against him.
She’d heard them discuss internal injuries as they’d whisked her away.
Brandon had stayed by her side and found an empty conference room. The sweet man had even brought in a recliner for her.
She rested her head against the seat. Her heart twisted. Where was her little girl? She could only pray whoever had Zoey didn’t hurt her. She thought she’d escaped a man’s possessiveness. Escaped abuse. And here she was again, fearing not only for her life, but Zoey’s too.
She closed her eyes. “I will find you, sweetheart. Even if it’s the last thing I ever do.”
“Jennie?”
Warmth on her arm and a low timbre roused her. Her eyes fluttered open. A haze covered her vision. “David?”
“Sorry. It’s Brandon.”
She pushed herself to a seated position and rubbed her eyes. “I can’t believe I dozed off.”
“I can. Your body’s taken a serious beating lately. Not to mention the car accident.”
“How’s David?”
“Driving the doctors crazy.”
She released a long steady breath.
Brandon pulled up a chair next to hers. “He’ll be sore but fine. How are you doing?”
“Wanting my baby back.”
“I get it.”
Jennie knew the man understood. With two teenagers of his own, he’d understand the panic she felt. “Any news?”
“Not yet. Hanes and the others are on it. I didn’t want to leave you alone and besides, the doctors needed protection from my partner.” He chuckled.
She forced a smile. “When will David be released?”
“A few minutes ago,” A familiar baritone rang from the doorway.
She pushed herself from the recliner and rushed to him. Her gaze traveled his body as she tried to figure out how to hug him without hurting him.
As if reading her mind, he placed his arms around her.
She rested her cheek on his chest. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“I was worried about you. The doctors wouldn’t tell me anything.” He kissed the top of her head.
“Zoey’s missing.”
“I know, honey. We’ll find her.”
Brandon cleared his throat. “If you two are done, my car is downstairs. Let’s get to the cabin and discuss our plan to get your daughter back.”
She sat next to David in the backseat on the quiet drive and stared out the window lost in thought. David appeared to be consumed with his own thoughts as the miles flew by.
Thirty minutes later, after so many twists and turns that Jennie had no idea where they were, Brandon pulled off the road and down a private drive.
At the end of the path stood a cottage. Lights illuminated the front porch.
The rocking chairs gave it a perfect getaway vibe.
Only it wasn’t a peaceful retreat, it was her hiding spot.
She clenched her jaw. How could she sit here knowing her daughter was out there in the presence of pure evil?
She stepped from the car. Her muscles cramped, and she grimaced as she walked a few steps trying to unknot them. She peered over the top of the car.
David grabbed the top of the door and hung his head.
The poor man had to be hurting.
“You okay over there?” She walked around the vehicle.
His shoulders rose and fell. “Yeah, just give me a minute.”
She wrapped her arm around his waist and helped him up the three steps to the entrance.
Brandon held the door open and took David’s weight as the two of them escorted him to the couch.
“Why don’t you and David take a break? I’ll go start some coffee.” Brandon removed his windbreaker and tossed it over the recliner.
“Sounds like a good idea.” She shifted and looked at David. “You should really still be in the hospital.”
“Nothing they can do. I’d just be lying around. Here, I can at least help.” He twisted to face her and winced.
“Okay, kids. Coffee’s brewing. Let’s put our heads together and figure this out while we wait.” Brandon lowered himself onto the easy chair and crossed his ankle over his knee. “Randy will be here in about five minutes with all the files and a couple more laptops.”
“Thanks, man. Appreciate it.” David tilted his head back and closed his eyes.
She exchanged glances with Brandon, and he shrugged.
Her nerves felt like live wires. She had to do something besides sit here. She pushed from the couch and paced. Her steps, an experience in pain, but she had to move.
“How did he find us?” Jennie’s voice squeaked.
David opened one eye. “The question of the century.”