A Persevering Heart

by Lisa Prysock

  Brad leaned his head to one side, appearing to think about all she’d said, a smile slowly growing on his face. “You’re exactly right. We will prevail with the Angel of the Lord on our side. I believe He’s hearing our conversation in heaven and according to our faith, dispatching everything we need at this very moment.”

  “Amen, and that is exactly why you’re a rock star. You’ve got great faith.” Pepper smiled as she settled on the peach preserves and began dabbing a small spoonful on the side of her plate.

  “Hip hop music artist,” Trisha corrected, appearing to brighten at the prospect of the museum display as she studied the photo. “And amen, I too agree.” Pausing, she added, “We’re definitely going to that event, Miss Pepper. We must show our support to Brad, and what a delight for us history buffs to be able to enjoy this, not to mention the opportunity to give to one of Atlanta’s greatest missions to our inner city.”

  “Indeed. It’s already on my calendar. First Monday in June.” Pepper winked at Brad. The young man certainly looked as though he’d benefited from her encouragement and years of wisdom and experience. They were all worried sick about Briar, but they had to do their best to trust the Lord in the midst of the storm.

  Chapter 13

  But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. Matthew 5:44

  LATER THAT AFTERNOON, Brad received an interesting phone call from Wesley’s partner, Officer Jordan Hunter, a.k.a. Jordy the Lion-Man. He laid the sledgehammer aside he’d been swinging to demolish a wall to open up more space in the kitchen in his future home. He had to remove the wall before he could finish the flooring in the back of the house on the first floor. Thankfully, he’d finished installing the new wood flooring for the front rooms and the hallway. Then he answered his cell. “Hey, what’s up, Jordy?”

  “I think we may have something. I thought you’d want to know right away. As hard as it to know in cases like these...” Jordy paused.

  “Lay it on me, bro,” Brad said, bracing himself. He prayed this didn’t have to do with Briar. It felt like his heart had skipped a beat after Jordan’s statement.

  “Riley’s interview was fine. I still have some checking to confirm all that, but she has, for the most part, an air tight alibi. She was either at work, school, or with friends the whole week the necklaces went missing.” Jordy cleared his throat.

  “Go on,” Brad said.

  “Rose Marie was a no show for her interview. When I called her mom, your aunt said she was worried sick. Rose has been missing for almost three days. So, I did some checking around with the airports and such since we happen to know from the sister, Riley, her boyfriend is a travel agent. I thought there was the possibility she fled if she’s involved, or maybe just took off with him if she’s not. Anyhow, it isn’t looking good since she knew she had an interview set up to meet with me about her alibi for the week the necklaces went missing. I have to put out a warrant for her arrest since this would be considered grand theft. She and a Mr. Jason Frederick landed in London, England about forty-eight hours ago.” Lion-Man paused. “We put a trace on her cell and it’s as though the phone was destroyed or discarded.”

  “England?” he repeated. It made him deeply sad to face the fact Rose Marie might very well have been the one who’d stolen the necklaces. He had to find a way to retrieve them to bargain for his sister’s life.

  “The very one,” he replied. “Listen, if I were in your shoes, I'd hire the best attorney and private investigator money can buy. I’d have her extradited once you have a little more evidence, but as it stands, you’re going to need something more than what we’ve got, which is nothing. Nada. All we have is that she’s a no show, which makes her a prime suspect. So far, we have no proof. No video, no photos, no finger prints, nothing.”

  Brad sighed. “So we’re at square one.”

  “Yes and no. We might be able to get a warrant to search her house, but she lives with her parents. It’s unlikely she’d hide the goods there, but one never knows. My guess is she’s going to sell the necklaces in Europe. From here, it’s almost impossible to track, but we might be able to track her bank card with a court order. A lawyer could help with this sort of thing, too. I do know Wesley said an order was approved to track Doug’s bank card, but so far we don’t have anything. By the way, Wesley has been watching his house and where his folks live. Eventually he’ll come home, and when he does...”

  “Well thanks for keeping me posted. I’ll give this some thought,” Brad replied, taking in the disappointing news.

  “Sure thing. A lawyer can go after the warrant and have better success than I would. Talk to you soon.” Jordan disconnected the call.

  Bradley sat down in the kitchen, tossing his phone aside as it spun around and came to a rest before sliding off the edge of the table. He was no closer to having Briar returned since they hadn’t heard from Douglas, the perpetrator, or any closer to recovering the necklaces. He nearly jumped out of his skin each time the phone rang at this point. Frustrated, he looked up to heaven. What was he going to do? “Is this what you want, Lord?”

  “WHY ARE WE MOVING TO another location?” Briar demanded, irritated that Douglas Robinson had woken her at four o’clock in the morning. She was thankful she’d been in the habit of wearing a watch. Since she didn’t have a cell phone, at least she could tell the time of day. At least he was removing the handcuffs he used to chain her to bedpost at night. During the day, he used them to cuff her to the table leg in the middle of the cabin. At night, he slept in one of the two queen beds, and she slept in the other. The cabin was one room with a breakfast bar dividing the room from the kitchen and one bathroom.

  If only she had her purse, she might’ve been able to use a bobby pin to pick the lock, but then what? If she escaped, he’d track her sisters down and bring harm to them. Blinking in the bright light he’d turned on, she watched him gathering up the last few items from the kitchen on the other side of the small cabin. At least he was using an insulated bag for their coffee creamer, the sliced ham, jelly, the one jar of mayo, and the few remaining bottles of water. Food poisoning was the last thing she needed to worry about.

  “We can’t stay in the same place for too long. We have to move. Don’t ask questions. Brush your teeth and be ready in five minutes.” He slammed a cupboard door shut, indicating the foul mood he was in after retrieving the rest of the canned goods they were surviving on. She was getting tired of green beans, corn, sandwiches, and chicken noodle soup, but at least it was something. She refused to eat the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches he thrived on, but sometimes he’d toast the bread and put sliced deli ham and mayo on a sandwich for her. He wouldn’t allow her in the kitchen or remove her handcuffs except for her to shower or use the bathroom.

  He tossed the remaining canned goods into a satchel and set the bag near the door. She’d also noticed he’d only been using cash for gasoline and any other essential purchases, so the police wouldn’t have any luck tracing his credit cards. Most of the food, he’d brought with him on the first day. She’d also noticed he had another satchel of canned goods in the trunk, so they weren’t in danger of running low.

  Had she seen another case of bottled water and a can of coffee in the trunk when they’d arrived at the cabin? She couldn’t remember, and the days were beginning to blur. He only let her read books, except for the brief evening walks in the dark woods outside the cabin. During those times, he kept her cuffed to him. Oddly enough, those walks had become her favorite activity since she was finally able to move around and breathe in some fresh air.

  Gradually, she slipped out of the bed and into the bathroom. At least he allowed her to take showers whenever she wanted and have privacy to change her clothing. Somehow, he’d managed to bring a generous amount of shirts and jeans for her. She was getting nervous about the classes she’d missed. It made her depressed, thinking she might have to repeat
her final semester of college if this continued much longer.

  She brushed her teeth, washed her face, brushed her hair, and changed into a completely fresh change of clothing. When she emerged, she looked considerably more awake as he handed her a stainless steel cup filled with her favorite coffee and creamer. At least she could thank the Lord for that every morning, and the fact he hadn’t harmed her physically. How odd it seemed to her that he’d remembered her favorite brand of creamer, as if he actually cared about her.

  Contrary to her expectation that he’d make an effort to convince her to be with him again, he avoided talking, spending most of his time pacing, typing notes into his laptop, or quietly plotting his next move, she guessed. He’d ditched his cell phone somewhere, and the laptop he had hooked up to a printer at the desk didn’t have an internet connection, from what she could tell. They didn’t have a television, either. In fact, she’d wondered why he’d brought the laptop until he’d driven them to a post office in another city to mail the ransom note. That, he’d clearly explained to her, but he seldom fell into any of her attempts to get him to talk or share his plans.

  “Time to go,” he said, his voice sounding stern as he unplugged his two electronic items and packed them in a briefcase. “Gather up the last of your items. Put them in your leather bag.” He tossed her the bag he’d packed from her apartment, the same one she normally kept in her closet for overnight use. He’d already made a pile of almost everything to be carried to the car. “Don’t forget your shampoo and toothbrush, oh and the books I brought for you to read.”

  She swiped the books off the nightstand and dropped them in her leather bag along with her favorite hoodie from the end of the bed where she’d tossed it the night before. Then she put on her tennis shoes. “I’ll go to the bathroom and get the rest of my stuff.” She tossed him a look of disdain and headed to the bathroom with a huff, but thankfully he didn’t seem to notice or care. It hadn’t done any good to rile him. When she did, he simply gagged her again so she couldn’t talk.

  While he carried his backpack and the satchel of food to the car, she picked up her clothes from the hook on the back of the bathroom door. She started to pack them in the bag and then though the better of one item. She’d leave the pink t-shirt she’d slept in so someone would know she’d been there. She tossed it in the corner, wishing she had some idea of where they were going.

  “When are you going to contact my brother again?” she asked when they’d been driving for about twenty minutes in complete silence. She tried to pay attention to the signs as he drove, but all she was sure of is that they were driving north.

  “When I’m ready and when I have a plan,” he growled. “I’m giving him plenty of time to make sure he has in hand what I want, when I want it, delivered where I want, how I want.”

  She sighed. He sounded angry, maybe because they had to move and be on the run again. She tried to sound soothing and calm. “Doug, have you ever thought about turning your life over to Jesus instead of living for yourself? I mean, He did die on the cross for us, and He does make our lives wonderful.” Lately the Lord had been putting it on her heart to pray for him. As hard as it was, she had the feeling nobody was praying for him in his life. Maybe his parents weren’t Christians. She hadn’t gotten to know them, but something was remiss. Doug, who’d seemed so normal and happy when she’d first met him, was definitely the opposite of both.

  He laughed at her statement, keeping his eyes on the road, his hands on the steering wheel. “Why would you think God is real? If there is a God, He hasn’t done anything for me.”

  She prayed for the right words. “But there is a God, and I know, because He has helped me every single day. He answers my prayers. I know you find it hard to believe, but He really is on your side, you know. If you determine to do the right thing in your heart and follow Him, He will help you. I mean, you don’t need these necklaces. You don’t need me. You could return me to my home, to my family, and we can forget this whole thing ever happened. You can have a fresh start, get a new job, a new girlfriend, begin a whole new career...”

  “Don’t try to feed me your lies, and do me a favor. Drink your coffee and be quiet so I can think. I’m not in the mood to talk. If you can’t handle that, I’ll put the gag on you again.” He veered onto another exit and the sign read toward Augusta.

  Blinking with teary eyes in the darkness of the early morning as the car sped along on the highway; she wished they could stop for something delicious for breakfast. She also wished his windows weren’t tinted, because if he decided to gag her or pull his gun out again, people couldn’t see through tinted windows. Maybe if she prayed for Doug this morning a little harder, the Lord would get her out of this mess faster. Every single day, she thought about how to escape, but the idea of him bringing harm to her sisters weighed on her mind. She could go for a hot breakfast instead of the granola bars he rationed to them each morning. She swiped a tear away, praying some of her words or the Holy Spirit would soften his hardened heart and that she’d find a way out of this soon.

  Chapter 14

  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. 1 Peter 5:6

  “SO DOES EVERYONE UNDERSTAND the plan?” Bradley asked as he looked around the library room located on the first floor at the end of the main hall at Edgewater Coventry B & B. He’d called an emergency family and friends meeting to put a plan in motion. Staring back at him were the faces of Brandy, Bridget, Trisha, Prince Harry, Jack, Wesley, Lion-Man, and Miss Pepper. His sisters were back in their apartment and had cleaned up the mess with Trisha’s help. Now, they were setting a plan in order, acting in good faith that the Lord would turn the tide in their favor. He’d also hired an attorney.

  “I think so,” Brandy spoke up for everyone else as they began to nod. She recapped in her own terms. “While you and Trisha are in England tracking down the necklaces and Rose Marie, Jack will go on your behalf to retrieve Briar if her ex contacts you or any of us. Miss Pepper will intercept the mail in case he writes to you by letter again. Wesley and Lion-Man will assist Jack in negotiating for Briar or coming up with a rescue plan if a point of contact is established. They’ll continue to track bank records or anything else they can to find Rose and Briar’s crazy ex. Brandy and I are to stay calm and help Briar recover when she’s returned to us if you aren’t back from England yet. We’ll also explain everything to mom and dad at the proper time, who have yet to hear what’s going on because none of us want to drag them into this. It would only freak mom out. We’ll also continue to press Aunt Tamara and Uncle Cliff not to tell them, but I don’t know how long they’ll continue to go along with that idea. They’re pretty worried about Briar.”

  “Yeah, the only reason they’ve agreed to keep it quiet is because they don’t want dad’s drinking to flare up.” Bridget explained. “They know he might go off the deep end.”

  “That about sums it up,” Bradley said, knowing he had to trust his friends and family to each do their part if their plan was going to work.

  “What do I get to do?” Harry asked indignantly.

  Brad reached in his sports coat pocket and retrieved a business card, handing it to Harry. “I need you to pick up the fake necklaces from the jeweler. That card has the address. They should be ready in a few days. I’ve already paid for them. Use the fake necklaces to negotiate for Briar if needed before we return, and go with Jack if needed. We don’t know if they’ll work, but it’s worth a try. In the meantime, hopefully we’ll find the real ones before it’s too late.”

  “Okay, can do.” Harry nodded from his seat at the reading table beside Jack.

  “Miss Pepper, you won’t forget to have Esther or Annette feed and water Norman, right?” Trisha asked.

  “I won’t,” she assured from her armchair near the fireplace. “My book is off to the editor, so I can check on him often.”

  “Thank you, Miss Pepper. He likes to be fed only the indoor cat formula with the c
hicken, fish, and vegetables. I keep the bag in the pantry in the kitchen. And he might hiss at Theo or Raymond, so I wouldn’t send a man if I were you. He likes a half can of tuna once a week and fresh water daily.” Trisha balanced on the arm of the leather sofa near the bookshelves where his sisters sat.

  “Duly noted, Trisha. Don’t worry about Norman.” Miss Pepper chuckled. Turning to Brad, she reiterated, “And you’ve retained an attorney who has a friend on the other end in Britain who’ll be helping when you arrive in London.”

  Bradley nodded. “That is correct. We’ll be scouring the jewelers in London, hoping to find the necklaces. Our attorney is working on a subpoena for Rose Marie. Depending on how everything goes, we may extradite. Assuming our assumptions are not erroneous. Unfortunately, everything is pointing to my cousin, and it pains me to say that. I’ve always cared about her deeply. Any other questions, anyone?”

  “When do you and Trisha leave for London?” Bridget asked.

  “Tomorrow morning at ten o’clock. Our flight lands at Heathrow twelve hours later,” Trisha answered. “I’m sure it will be midnight before we’re situated at our hotel.”

  “If there are no more questions, I’m told Esther prepared a fine dinner for us of glazed meatloaf, mashed potatoes, braised Brussel sprouts, and honey roasted carrots. I believe there are sour dough rolls, too,” Miss Pepper announced. “It’s to be a private dinner with the exception of my other two children who will be joining us. Though not unusual from time to time, we didn’t have any orders for meals from our other guests as they are all occupied elsewhere this evening.”