Snatched

by Michael Arches

  Athena grinned. “Yeah, assuming the thing still works and if I can figure out how to connect it to Leo’s Wi-Fi.”

  Donna began to hyperventilate. “Oh. My. God! Can you really do that?”

  Athena didn’t want to oversell the possibility. “One time in four, I figure out the password. Pray we get lucky.”

  Her smile vanished. “Well, that’s lots better than no chance, which is where we were this morning. Can I help?”

  “Frankly,” Athena said, “no. I’m going to have to try different things.”

  -o-o-o-

  Donna and Athena acted nonchalant as they returned to the dorm and headed upstairs. Each bedroom had a wall outlet, but the women and girls were forbidden to use electricity without permission. That was supposedly because the compound was off the power grid. Their electricity came from a generator with limited capacity, or so Leo claimed in his rules.

  Athena plugged the charger into the wall socket and hooked up the iPod. Then, she piled a couple of coats against the wall to hide the outlet and charger.

  After a few minutes, she figured the device had absorbed enough juice to be able to run while plugged in. Donna positioned herself at the top of the stairs to watch for approaching guards.

  Athena sat on the floor with her back against the wall and hit the power button. The screen lit up and her heart swelled with emotion. At least, some of its circuits still functioned. Then, the best of all possible messages flashed on the screen. A Wi-Fi connection is available. Sign in?

  Athena clicked Yes.

  In the back of her mind, she prayed that whoever had set up the network had eliminated the password. After all, the old mine was out in the middle of nowhere. Who was going to steal access to this Internet connection?

  But no dice. The iPod asked for the Wi-Fi network’s password.

  Without knowing which router Leo was using, Athena had no idea how many chances it would give her to guess. Most network encryption software seemed to allow at least five attempts before locking someone out for a while.

  From past experience, Athena knew this was a lot like playing poker. Smart players used the odds to their advantage.

  Athena had broken into too many networks to count, and to speed things up she’d compiled a mental list of the fifty or so most popular passwords. She started with Password, followed by password, 123456, 654321, and qwerty.

  After that one, a message flashed on the screen. Wait two hours before trying again.

  She reminded herself that she was usually as patient as a saint. It was one of her best characteristics. If she had enough time, she could usually hack her way in to almost anywhere, even if it took weeks or months.

  But no patience today. She almost screamed in frustration. They didn’t have much time left.

  Athena was about to tell Donna to return to the room when the nurse burst in and closed the door behind her.

  “Rick’s coming up the stairs.”

  He wasn’t the worst guard they had to deal with, but he’d go nuts if he spotted an electronic device. She rubbed the side of her head remembering what Misha had done to her. Then, she yanked the charger out of the wall, stuffed it and the iPod into the bottom of an empty shoe, and stuck it under the bed. Tried to look mellow.

  Laying on the bed, she held open Whiskey Beach, a favorite Nora Roberts romance novel she’d found in the library downstairs.

  Donna pretended to be putting her clothes on hangers when Rick opened the door—without knocking.

  “Why aren’t you two downstairs with the others?” he asked.

  Athena didn’t trust herself to speak. She glanced at Donna who sighed. “After what just happened to Maggie, we needed some time alone to clear our heads. You bastards almost killed her.”

  That was a brilliant move. She put a guilt trip on Rick for the way one of the other guards had behaved.

  He froze for a second, then said, “Look, I’m not claiming what Pete did was right, and he paid the ultimate price for being an asshole. Won’t be bothering you or me anymore. That said, you should go downstairs with the others.”

  “We will,” Donna said, “in a little bit. This has been an awful few days. We need to keep things on an even keel for babies as much as possible. They’re being drenched in fear hormones.”

  Again, that was a brilliant stroke. He could hardly bitch about surrogates trying to protect their unborn children.

  Rick nodded and left, leaving the door open behind him.

  Athena stood, hugged Donna, and whispered, “You were magnificent. I couldn’t think of a damned thing to say.”

  Donna hugged her back. “We’ve got to take care of each other, don’t we? How’s the iPod working?”

  “It’s alive, that’s the main thing. I tried five times to access the network, and I’m locked out for two hours. I’ll try again right after dinner.” Athena slipped the iPod and charger out of the shoe and connected them back to the wall outlet behind the two coats. Once the iPod received a full charge, she could use it anywhere in the compound.

  -o-o-o-

  City Hall, La Sal, Utah

  Beau had spent ten hours crisscrossing southwestern Colorado in his rental car. All he had to show for it was a sore ass. Now, he was singing the same tune in southeastern Utah.

  La Sal contained only three hundred and thirty-nine citizens. That meant there wasn’t much to find in town, and he looked forward to reaching Monticello, which was much larger. It was also the county seat for huge San Juan County, which covered most of this part of the state.

  The big problem was that time kept passing too quickly—without a breakthrough. Simply too many remote places in the Rocky Mountain West that the FBI would have to search. It was beginning to look hopeless.

  Chapter 23

  Homestead House

  As soon as dinner ended, Athena tried to touch base with Cici, but the girl kept her distance. That might be because she was getting cold feet—entirely understandable—or perhaps she just didn’t have any news to share. Athena’s nerves were out of control. They kept her shaking, and she’d hardly eaten anything.

  Was Cici still trying to find Leo’s secret list of passwords and PINs? Athena knew full well she was putting too much pressure on the young girl.

  After another failed attempt to log on, Athena and Donna circled the compound to work off some of the stress that was about to overwhelm at least one of them. The light was quickly fading, and the wind shifted to the north. For the first time, Athena smelled the distinctive acrid sting in her nostrils caused by smoke from a forest fire.

  Over the summer and early fall, several infernos had burned near Durango. Her heart beat faster. The box canyon they were in could quickly turn into a cremation pit. That thought sent a shiver of panic through her.

  She searched the cliffs surrounding them but couldn’t see any flames. Some smoke swirled above the cliffs. They’d gotten lucky so far.

  There wasn’t much reason to worry yet. The assholes in the log house had to be keeping track of the county’s emergency bulletins. For their own self-interest.

  Shortly after Athena and Donna returned from their walk, Dr. Wu entered the dorm. She headed straight for Donna, who was sitting with Athena and Jackie playing Hearts at a small table.

  “Maggie’s condition has stabilized,” Wu said. “She’s conscious and healthy enough to move here for the evening. You cannot take her upstairs, so she’ll have to sleep in this living area.”

  The good news warmed Athena inside. “Fantastic.”

  To Donna, she said, “I can help bring her back.”

  One of the other women nearby shook her head. “You two have done so much already. Don’t overexert yourselves. Karen and I’ll help Maggie instead.”

  Jackie nodded. “I’ll grab sheets and blankets to make a bed for Maggie on the sofa near the fire.”

  A few minutes later, the two women carried Maggie inside the dorm. Wu held an IV drip bottle over
her patient as they walked. Someone hurried upstairs to get Maggie’s pillow.

  When she returned, Maggie’s face remained incredibly pale, but she was awake. She winced as they shifted her from the litter onto the sofa. The doctor examined her carefully.

  When she finished, she said to Donna, “No food. The IV contains enough nutrients and a mild analgesic. If her condition deteriorates unexpectedly overnight, send someone to my residence and knock loudly on the door. Otherwise, I will examine her in the morning.”

  After the doctor left, Jackie said, “Her bedside manner sucks, doesn’t it?”

  For some reason, that struck Athena as incredibly funny. Or maybe she’d just hit her limit for one day. Too much shit had been dumped on all of them too quickly. She laughed hysterically until Donna patted her on the back.

  “We have to keep our shit together for everyone’s sake.”

  Athena nodded and sat next to Maggie. Have to keep it together.

  -o-o-o-

  After sitting with Maggie for a while, Athena crossed the room to where several people were watching TV. She had to relax, but the first question out of her mouth was, “Anything new about us?”

  “Not lately,” Carla said. “At lunchtime, they were all excited about finding our bus somewhere near Carson City. I’m worried that they may not be looking for us around here anymore.”

  Athena hoped Beau and the rest of the Feebs were casting a wide net, but whatever resources they were devoting to this investigation were stretched over three huge states. That thought was as depressing as hell.

  -o-o-o-

  San Juan County Sheriff’s Department, Monticello, Utah

  When Beau arrived at the county seat, most government offices were closed. So, he headed to the sheriff’s office.

  Unfortunately, Sheriff Henry Moore was attending a budget meeting in Salt Lake City. Beau launched into his spiel for the chief deputy.

  When he finished, the man said, “Yup, we heard all about your case. It’s even on the national news. I’m sick about that crooked deputy in Colorado.”

  Beau couldn’t agree more. “Yep, but he got what he deserved. We have to focus on finding the bus. It may’ve passed through this area yesterday. Anyone notice anything odd then?”

  The cop shook his head. “Not like you’re talking about. No big buses or lots of pregnant women at a restaurant, for example. Pretty quiet, as usual.”

  Then, he paused for a moment as though he remembered something. “Wait, one odd thing. Didn’t involve this department, but the city police received a citizen’s report of two shots fired in town late yesterday afternoon. They investigated, course. Turned out to be nothing. You’re welcome to ask them for more details if they have any.”

  That was an offer Beau couldn’t refuse. “Thanks for the help. I’ll drop by their office next.”

  The city police station was small. The only officer on duty was out on a call.

  When he returned, Beau went through his routine and got a negative reply. Then, he asked about the possible shooting.

  “Yeah, the darnedest thing,” the cop said. “A long-standing, revered local resident was driving on Main Street past the Catholic Church. She thought she heard two shots fired but didn’t see anything untoward. We sent an officer over and couldn’t find any evidence, such as shell casings, blood, et cetera, but nothin’ like that. Just a pair of skid marks in the parking lot next to the church. Those could’ve been laid down days ago and nobody noticed until yesterday.”

  “How wide apart are the skid marks?”

  “Pretty wide, actually. Nine feet, if I recall correctly.” He went over to a desk and flipped through a folder. “Yep, nine feet, three inches.”

  That was telling. Only buses and trucks had axles that wide. “Could I get the witness’s name and number?”

  He rattled the info off. “Hey, please take it easy with her. Hannah Barclay is a saint whose pushing eighty. The woman taught fourth grade math for fifty years. Taught me and my five siblings. Her mind is still sharp, but she’s fragile.”

  He didn’t say that Beau’s life wouldn’t be worth a lick of spit if he did anything to harm the teacher, but Beau had grown up in a small town in Louisiana. “Don’t you worry none. I got the highest respect for people who dedicate their lives to helping children. I’ll be on my best behavior.”

  As soon as he checked into his motel, he called her and introduced himself as an investigator, didn’t specify what kind.

  “My grandson told me I shouldn’t have bothered the police,” she said. “Didn’t mean to waste anybody’s time.”

  Beau immediately set her straight. “On the contrary, ma’am, it’s wonderful citizens like you who keep us all safe. I do have a few more questions about that shootin’, if you don’t mind me interrupting your evening.”

  “Really?” She sounded thrilled.

  “You betcha, but first, why don’t you just walk me through it as you remember it happenin’.”

  “I was driving north on Main Street. Not paying much attention, to be honest. My granddaughter had emailed me a photo of one of my great-grandsons. He lost two baby teeth yesterday. I was recalling his silly grin in my mind when I heard two loud pops behind me and to the right. Sounded like they came from the Catholic Church I’d just passed.”

  “How close together were those shots?” Beau asked.

  “Real quick. Maybe a second apart.”

  That meant someone had fired a semi-auto. “Are you familiar enough with the sound of gunfire to distinguish a pistol from a rifle?”

  “Sure. Been around guns for seventy-five years, and I had my car windows open. Always drive slow, so not much wind noise. Those were pistol shots.”

  “Thank you, ma’am, very helpful. What else did you see or hear?”

  “Not a danged thing. Naturally, I looked in my mirrors right away. Couldn’t see anybody behind me or near the church, but somebody might’ve been in the parking lot on the south side of the building. The church would’ve blocked my view.”

  “I’m sure you’re right.” Now was time for the big question. “Think back real careful to the moment before you heard the shots. Can you do that?”

  “Okay.”

  “What did you see on the opposite side of the street? I’m talking about the traffic coming toward you on Main Street.”

  She paused for a moment, then said, “Not much. Hardly ever is, praise the Lord. But I did notice Bobby Dingle’s eighteen-wheeler and waved. He’s a cousin who hauls food for the grocery store.”

  She stopped.

  Beau waited, giving her all the time in the world. Old folks didn’t like to be rushed, and he couldn’t blame them.

  “Oh, I saw Darla Morgan’s Dodge pickup. Back was full of hay. Her kids are in 4-H. She was tailgating a big ol’ bus, which didn’t strike me as her brightest move ever. Always in a hurry, that woman. I taught math to her and four of her youngsters.”

  A thrill ran through Beau, and all he could say was, “Oh.”

  That probably confused the hell out of her because she didn’t respond.

  He took a moment to make sure his voice was calm “I hear ya. Tailgating a bus is a real bad idea. They can stop awful fast, and they do, when you least expect it. Tell me, what did that big ol’ bus look like?”

  “Can’t say. Like I told you, wasn’t paying a lot of attention. Waved at Darla, of course. But the bus? It was big, for sure. Silver. I remember it shining in the sunlight.”

  Holy Mary, Mother of God! The manager he’d talked to at Galway Expeditions had described their buses as polished aluminum with the company’s name printed in blue along each side.

  “Mrs. Barclay, I just can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help. Your memory is remarkable. Is there any chance you remember whether a name was written on the bus’s side?”

  She giggled like a young girl. “Aren’t you kind? No, can’t remember the name, something Irish.”

&nbs
p; Beau almost peed his pants. He’d learned way more than he’d expected. “Thank you, so very much! I hope you have a wonderful rest of your evening.”

  She thanked him for calling and hung up.

  He had to be on the right track. But his certainty wouldn’t count for much with Yang or anybody else. He needed to find more definitive proof, now he knew—almost to the minute—when the bus had passed through town.

  Beau called the city cop back. “Mrs. Barclay was incredibly helpful. Like you said, she’s a saint. Remembered the bus. Listen, I need to find some business on Main Street with a camera out front that might’ve caught the passing traffic yesterday.”

  The cop said, “There are a couple of businesses along US 191 with cameras. An auto parts store sits on the corner where US 191 and 491 intersect. They’ll be open for another hour.”

  Beau thanked him and drove to the store.

  Chapter 24

  Zinger Auto Parts, Monticello

  A middle-aged man with a large paunch stood behind the counter. Seemed to be playing a game on his phone. No customers. Beau explained what he’d come for without going into much detail.

  “Sorry,” the clerk said, “but we don’t release confidential business information without a warrant.”

  That wasn’t what Beau had hoped to hear at the end of a long day. He pulled out his FBI ID and placed it on the counter. “You’re impeding a Federal investigation against organized crime figures. If you want to check to make sure I’m legit, call the city police. Otherwise, quit screwing around. Dozens of lives are in danger, and I’m not leaving here without that video.”

  The guy blanched. “Look, I’m just a flunky. You’re going to have to talk to the store manager. But he’s at home, sick. Told me not to bother him.”

  “At this particular moment, I don’t give a damn what he wants. Get him on the horn.”

  -o-o-o-

  Homestead House

  The dorm was settling down for the night…until a girl looked out a window. “Christ, here come some more.”

  Athena walked over to see for herself. Sure enough, a truck had backed up to the building. A bright porch light showed a dozen women and girls stumbling down its ramp. Two more thugs brought up the rear.