Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
A s soon as they could go into town and find businesses open, Connor and Sam got into Connor’s pickup and headed to Piper’s Ridge. Sam wanted to have hope. He was supposed to be rooted in hope. Yet nothing that came to his mind brought him anything close.
“I don’t expect to learn much in town, but we have to try,” Connor said. “I called Nixon right away to let him know. He said he’d be looking, but he hadn’t heard anything strange. At least, not yet. You know he’ll call if he sees or hears anything.”
Sam stared out the window of the pickup, willing some clue to be out there. Why would she run off? Though, he knew many people going through the Wayside program had times where the healing was too hard and they wanted to escape. At that point, Brendon would pull back a little on their sessions and the wranglers would take over with just therapeutic rides until the guest was ready to move on. Too much change was scary for anyone, but for this particular set of people, change was terrifying.
He had to have frightened her. He’d gone too far in trying to convince her that she mattered when she was so stuck in her own mental cement. Just like cement, it would take a lot of work to break through it, and getting it off would be painful. But the freedom afterward . . . That’s the hope the men of Wayside lived on. There was a feeling of accomplishment when one of their guests laughed for the first time, for real, not just a recognition that they were supposed to laugh in that moment and fake it so they didn’t stand out. The difference between the two was amazing to see.
Trauma had a way of rewiring the brain and it was up to them to help the client get it back as close to ‘normal’ as they could. He shifted his thoughts back to Connor. “Dominic couldn’t come?”
“Wasn’t enough room in the truck and I thought the folks of Piper’s Ridge might be a little intimidated by a guy dressed in all black tactical gear. Not to mention he’s not from around here.”
Sam snorted. That was putting it mildly. Piper’s Ridge was a tiny town in the southeastern corner of Wyoming, about an hour away from Cheyenne. They were predominantly Caucasian with a couple Hispanic families that had been there for a few generations. Since the town was so small and really didn’t offer much to get people to move there, the demographics hadn’t changed since they’d started collecting them. Dominic would’ve stood out in every way possible.
“I don’t think people would’ve been mean, but they would hesitate to talk to him, which isn’t what we want today. Plus, he’s a pro at planning and tracking. If Nixon calls me with anything that needs to happen right away, I can trust Dominic to take the reins, and he’ll do the job even better than I could.”
Sam nodded, but kept watch out the window. Since Connor was the best boss he’d had, the compliment for Dominic held a lot of weight. “I’m glad he’s here. We wouldn’t have caught that drone on the cameras without him.”
“Speaking of that, he looked through all the other footage from the last week. It made sense that if Nathan had easily driven onto the property, plus flew two drones in, he may have tried other methods first. He had.”
Sam clenched his jaw and waited for Connor to tell him what else Nathan had done.
“He must have had some tip that she was coming here because when he looked back at the old files, he found the same car driving by here daily with Colorado license plates. Two days after she arrived, a figure—we can’t even tell if they were a man or a woman—met Zeus at the fence near the gate. They saw Zeus was hesitant, but offered some type of treat. They did something with his head that looked like scratching, then let him go. It was shortly after you had Zeus stay with Kelly when he wasn’t working.”
“You think someone put a tracker on one of my dogs?” Fury built inside him. He’d given her the dog to protect her, but he hadn’t checked it for a tracking device. “That would explain how he knew everything. Not only did he track her with that watch, he had a backup in case she didn’t take the bait. He tracked the dog.”
“Yup, seems that way. Dominic already ordered a device for us that will alert us to those kinds of devices, but he already said that it doesn’t always pick them up. A manual check is still better. ”
“Except when you have no idea one has been placed.” How had they missed someone coming to the fence?
“What was the video like?”
“He showed me stills he took from the video. The person is in all black and in the trees. The camera is far off enough that without zooming in, the dog just seems to be looking over the fence. I had to really squint to even see that someone was there. This Nathan is a pro, or he knows a pro.”
“We already knew that. He’s connected to Evie.” Who was the biggest lead they had, even though she hadn’t said a word to anyone about who she worked with and was awaiting trial. Since she’d pled not guilty, there was no confession. Yet.
“What if he’s connected to someone even bigger?”
“We keep hoping to get Viceroy, but it won’t happen. I thought we’d get close when Scarlet was here, then with Trace, but that just proved that Viceroy is as slippery as an eel. He’ll never be caught.” Sam hated to sound depressed, but to continually have hope when it was dashed every time was a hard pill to swallow.
“He will be caught. Maybe not this side of earth, but he’ll face judgement for what he’s done.” Connor turned into the small gas station in Piper’s Ridge.
“That’s comfort for us, but what about the people who come to us who aren’t from one of Viceroy’s groups? Or someone who doesn’t believe?” There had to be a way for those people to get justice, too
“Then we keep working harder. Ali has just finished her training. She’s been working with Eric on building up her strength so she can to go into the belly of the beast. She wants to go undercover. That has to stay between you and me. Eric hasn’t told anyone, and having his wife want something so dangerous is a tough pill to swallow.”
“Except he told you.” Sam surmised.
“And Brendon, because Eric’s not taking it well in private. He’s really worried that she could get hurt or killed. He doesn’t want to see what could happen to her, but he wants to support her. He’s used to keeping what he feels to himself, but this is really hard on him.”
“I can see why.” Sam got out of the truck and headed for the gas station. Veterinarian John Willis was there with his father, John Sr., and Sam waved. “Morning.”
“Sam, you’re just the man I was looking for. We were about to head out to Wayside to talk to you.”
“Oh, I’m a little busy right now. Can you call me and we can set something up? All the horses and dogs are fine out at Wayside.” He couldn’t think of any other reason the two vets would want to meet with him.
“This is about Kelly.”
No one was supposed to even know her name. He stopped in his tracks and turned toward them. “What did you say?”
“Kelly and Zeus,” John Jr. said. “Dad helped them last night.”
Sam headed toward them. “We should take this talk where other ears can’t hear.” He wasn’t so sure Nathan was alone. If he wasn’t, he might have men stationed around to listen for clues as to where Kelly could be.
“Come over to my truck. I’ve got a bullet hole in my tailgate after last night’s fun.”
Sam willed his knees not to buckle. They’d been shot at by Nathan? That upped the stakes by more than double. “What happened?”
John Sr. pointed to the back of his pickup. “It could only have been the power of God that saved us. That little hunk of metal isn’t enough to stop a bullet, but it never came through to the other side. I can hear it rattle around in there when I open and close the tailgate.”
“How did you find her?” Sam felt the large hole in the metal and thanked God for protecting all of them.
“I saw her out hitchhiking and couldn’t leave her there. It was dark and late, and she looked to be about the same age as my daughter, Maggy. I didn’t think I’d be in for the ride of my life by picking her up. Thought I was being more of a good Samaritan.”
Connor joined them and leaned against the pickup. “You were. Think of what they would’ve done to her if they had picked her up instead of you.”
Both Johns nodded. “I hadn’t really thought of that. I just didn’t want her to stand there in the dark and cold.” He tugged a white handkerchief from his back pocket and wiped his nose. “I had to go help pull my daughter out of her driveway in the dead of night. Funny how God just works timing. She didn’t wait by the side of that road more than a minute before I drove by. I took her to the police station in Cheyenne because I didn’t think it was safe to leave her off anywhere else.”
“Then that’s where we’re headed. Thank you, John.” Connor clasped the old man’s hand and gave it a shake. “You look like you could use a rest.”
“I’m not used to being up all night anymore.” He laughed. “Especially racing up off ramps at high speeds. Gets the blood pumping, though.”
“Thank you again. You saved her.” Sam took his turn shaking the man’s hand. They waved their good-byes and headed for Connor’s truck.
As soon as both were inside, Connor sighed. “I think we both know there’s no way she’s still at the police station, but it will be a good place to start.”
Sam couldn’t agree more. He pointed for the exit to let Connor know he was all-in and they took off. Cheyenne was an hour away and Kelly already had a seven-hour lead on them.
Wind bit at Kelly’s face as she tugged the collar on her coat high over her nose. She blinked rapidly, but the wind made them water and stole her breath if she tried to let the coat hang loose. In this part of town, she recognized a few things. When had she been in Cheyenne other than to visit the bank with Sam? Nathan had moved her around some, but kept her mostly in Denver. If only she’d known then that she was only an hour away from Sam.
She gave her thoughts a shake. What good would that have done except to make her want what she couldn’t have? The back of her neck prickled as she walked toward the motel a police officer had told her about. She dug in her pocket and tugged out the little card, reminding her that they’d taken her knife before she entered. It was still cold against her fingers The card was good for three nights’ stay at the Over Easy Inn, a dubious name if she’d ever heard one. At least the cop had cared enough to ask her if she had anywhere to stay and this inn allowed dogs.
Zeus nudged her leg. She’d come to realize over the past few hours that his nudge was a signal he needed to get off the path and somewhere he could do his business. At least he didn’t just run off on her. The problem was, she had no baggies for waste disposal, and they were walking down a sidewalk in a busy area of Cheyenne. Where could they go and be inconspicuous?
She took him down a side street toward a residential area and let him wander to a tree. Luckily, he didn’t leave anything behind that she had to feel guilty about. That wouldn’t be the case for long though, so she needed to find a means to clean up after him if she was going to keep him. She couldn’t keep being a bad girl. Time to take responsibility. Be a woman who did things on her own. This is what she should’ve done years ago instead of believing Nathan’s lies.
She whistled for Zeus, and he came back to her right away. A long dark car pulled by slowly on the main road where they’d been walking. While expensive cars weren’t abnormal, this one made her empty stomach clench. It was familiar for some reason.
She headed for the road, curious to see if it pulled off anywhere that she might see who owned it. Much to her surprise, it pulled into the inn where she’d been planning to stay. The extended car hung to the back of the narrow lot, away from the long row of rooms in the one-story building.
Kelly kept walking, hoping to get close enough to see anything she could about the driver or passengers. Since her coat was still pulled over her face, no one would ever recognize her. Nor would anyone expect her to be in Cheyenne if they did think they recognized her. She was safe, yet that didn’t stop her heart from racing wildly. There was only one way she could know anyone with a car like that. Her mind had to be remembering something from her time working for Nathan.
The memory came back like a slap in the face. Nathan had blindfolded her on the way. She’d ridden in a car for a little over an hour until they’d gotten to their destination. He’d put a hat on her, then told her to close her eyes, that he’d slap the memory right out of her head if she dared open them. Then he’d taken off the blindfold and put on a pair of sunglasses that had the lenses completely blocked. It was like wearing another blindfold curved around her head.
He’d helped her out of the car and taken her to one of the rooms, but she’d only seen the ground and the floor of the room through the little slit where she could see between her cheek and the glasses. Almost nothing. He’d taken her into one of the rooms and she’d met with an older man there, but Nathan had told her she was to keep her eyes closed at all times. If she looked at the man’s face, he’d kill her. If she wanted to die, this was the way to do it.
Even though she’d been terrified the whole time, so much so she barely remembered what the man did, she had peeked at his face from under the blindfold he’d put on her after he’d removed her sunglasses. That face was burned into her memory for good. Nicolas Viceroy was not a man easily forgotten.
Kelly wandered over to a bench as if she took a walk in this part of town every day. She wasn’t good at lying, but she wanted to see who was there. Was this Nathan again? Was this why Nathan was in the area, not really for her? She’d known even then that Viceroy was some kind of boss to Nathan, even though Nathan had always made himself seem like he was the one in complete control.
She didn’t have to wait long before the driver of the expensive car got out and went to room number 13. He knocked twice and the door opened slightly. A woman poked her head from the room. She was dressed in a skirt suit, with full makeup and hair done to perfection. There was no way she was part of this . . . was she? Women who were trafficked all looked different, but this didn’t fit the mold. She had too much freedom, too much power, too much authority.
Kelly waited, trying not to look obvious, yet wishing she was close enough to hear them speaking. A moment later, the woman opened the door wider and held it for a man she would never forget. The wind and cold didn’t seem to bother him in the slightest as he strode to the car. Nicolas Viceroy apparently didn’t feel the cold. Maybe he didn’t feel anything.
Kelly shivered, and Zeus pressed his cold nose to her palm, reminding her she wasn’t there anymore. She was here and she had at least some control. Nicolas looked over at her, and his gaze stalled. He stared, then pointed toward her.
Had he recognized her, or was he telling them to get her? She would not be stuck with that man again. “Zeus, we need to get out of here.” She stood quickly and raced for the sidewalk.
Zeus clung to her side but kept glancing behind them. He didn’t growl, which gave her hope that they weren’t following her, but she dared not look back. If she did, they’d see her whole face. If he was a man who remembered everything like Nathan said, he would remember her.
Viceroy remembers details. All the details. Don’t look at him or you will die.
She realized then the error she’d made. It wasn’t that he recognized her with her face half covered. He’d recognized that she’d looked at him and could probably describe him. He wouldn’t just let her go. The rev of an engine behind her made her heart stagger, then race. The police station was at least a mile away. It had taken her more than twenty minutes to walk that far. There was no way she could run and make it.
She glanced behind her as the car pulled onto the road, following her. She picked up her pace but didn’t want to start running and draw attention to herself. No one would help her anyway, and she’d just make herself easier to spot.
She dashed down the same side street she’d gone up a few minutes before because all the houses had been fifties style ranch homes that might be full of friendly older people willing to help her for a few minutes, just like the older man who had helped her with the phone number to her bank.
The first driveway was empty so she skipped it, wanting to be sure that when she knocked, someone would answer. The car pulled to a stop in front of the house as she reached the door and knocked, trying to sound friendly and not desperate.
“Come on, answer the door.” Kelly knocked again as Zeus growled a warning.
Kelly reached for him just as he yelped and shrank back. “Call off the dog or I’ll shoot him.” A woman’s voice came from behind her. “If you think I’m not serious, try me.”
“Zeus, down.” She wasn’t sure if it would work or not. She’d never asked the dog to back off. That wasn’t his job.
Zeus glanced at her and lowered his head like he might lunge at the woman.
“Turn around slowly and come with me,” the woman said. “Viceroy is very unhappy that you thought he wouldn’t remember you, Kelly. And Nathan has been pestering him for help for over a week. Leave it to me to get done in a few minutes what he couldn’t do with all the resources we gave him.” She laughed as she waved her gun toward the car. “Let’s go. You don’t want to keep him waiting.”
Kelly reached for her pocket, her knife was her last chance. The woman took aim at the center of Kelly’s chest. “Drop whatever that is. Right now.”
Her fingers froze around the handle. It was a pocketknife and she’d never get it open in time. Not before a bullet. But now the woman knew she had something in her pocket.
“Now,” the woman’s tone gave no room for discussion.
Kelly slowly pulled the knife from her pocket, only then noticing the Wayside logo on the handle. She slowly bent to let it fall without a clatter and whispered to Zeus, “Go. Find Sam,” and prayed the woman didn’t hear.
Zeus rushed off down the street, leaving Kelly to deal with her fate, alone.