Stolen Son: A gripping psychological thriller that will have you hooked

by Cole Baxter

  “I like to have faith,” Reyes said absentmindedly. “I just don’t feel like Jenkins is our man. He was too comfortable in the police station. Like he missed being part of the movements, but when he saw you, his eyes couldn’t lie.”

  “I know,” I muttered. “Thank you for everything that you’re doing to help me find him. I don’t know if I’ve told you that yet.”

  He grinned at me. “I don’t know if you have or not, but it doesn’t matter one bit. I know that I would be losing my mind if one of my girls were missing.”

  “You don’t talk about them much,” I offered.

  “I don’t like to talk about them while I’m on the job.”

  “Oh,” I said quickly.

  “Wait,” he blurted out suddenly. “That’s not what I meant. I’m happy to tell you about them, really, I am. I just don’t normally talk about them. If I do, I start to get worried about my job and leaving them without any parents. It’s hard when you’re all your kids have.”

  “I can understand that. I didn’t mean to pry,” I said.

  “Please don’t apologize,” he said in a warm tone. “It’s still hard without their mother, but we are getting into the swing of things. I can’t imagine life in ten years with her still gone.”

  “It gets a little easier. We have a good support system too.”

  “Do you date?” he asked softly.

  My cheeks flushed. “Um, I don’t really have the time with working and Gregory’s diagnosis. I haven’t really missed it much, until now.”

  “Now?” he said, his eyebrow arching.

  I was going to come up with some witty answer, but before I could, I saw his eyes dart to the mirror. He’d been so supportive thus far. It was out of character for him. I looked around the car. It was messy, as was expected with a young boy, but otherwise, there was nothing damning. I could tell that something was distracting him. It wouldn’t have caught my attention, but it was the third time in as many minutes that he’d done so.

  My heart started to speed up. I wasn’t that much of a slob. Something caught the corner of my eye in the passenger mirror. My mouth fell open in shock. There, creeping behind us a few cars, was the same van from earlier.

  “That’s him, the same man as before.”

  “I thought it might be. They’ve been following us for three blocks now.”

  “So not since the station? Do you think it could be Jenkins?”

  “I don’t know, but it’s possible. They could have cut him loose after we left. If he was parked nearby, then it wouldn’t be hard for him to catch up to us.”

  “Oh, my God,” I stammered. “What do we do? Do we call the police?”

  Reyes chuckled. “I am the police. Let’s make sure it’s him first, okay? For all we know, we could both be letting our imaginations get the best of us.”

  He turned on the blinker and moved over two lanes to exit near the local mall. I could get us home from there, but it would take longer. We both watched with bated breath to see what the van would do. I let out a sigh of relief when it didn’t look like they were going to move over and follow us off the highway.

  “Shit,” hissed Reyes.

  My eyes jerked back to the road behind us. In the final seconds before the exit passed by, the van had cut across the busy lanes of traffic to get off on the exit behind us. My confidence and my doubt that they were following us both shattered at once. Instantly, it felt like my heart was going to explode from fear. I could feel my hands shaking but I couldn’t focus on them or anything else. Panic was taking control, darkness setting in.

  Suddenly, something pulled me back from the brink. A warm sensation on my hand jerked me back to reality. Gabriel had taken my hand, squeezing it with confidence.

  “Hey, this is a good thing. Maybe we can find out who is really behind this. Don’t worry, we’ve been training new recruits in defensive driving since the Kennedy assassination.”

  “That’s good to know, I guess.”

  My attention was still on the van as it followed us, now doing very little to hide the fact. Even though we were driving through a densely populated area, Reyes continued to speed up. He swerved between cars, trying to put some space between us and the other driver. Even with all of his training, the man stalking us seemed determined to run us off the road. Or stay on our tail, at the very least.

  He fished around in his pocket and pulled out a radio. “Dispatch, this is detective Reyes, over?”

  “What are you doing?” I whispered as we waited for a response.

  “I know when I need to ask for a little help. This maniac doesn’t know that it’s a cop driving you home.”

  “What if that just makes him angrier and he takes it out on Gregory? I don’t think we should risk it. Just get us out of here.”

  ‘Dispatch, over,’ came a man’s voice.

  Reyes sighed. “I’ve got a brown van, delta Shrek oh-nine-oh-one-five out by the Riverview Mall, driving like a maniac. Someone needs to get over there.”

  I sighed, sitting back in my seat and praying that it didn’t make things worse for Gregory.

  “There,” Gabriel said with confidence. “Now they will come looking for the van but not with their guns blazing. Just a random call to the local police about a bad driver. Could be any number of concerned citizens out here.”

  “Thanks, I guess,” I muttered. My eyes were still trained on the van. “He is getting closer.”

  “I know. I think he’s going to try and run us off the road if he can get close enough.”

  “What should we do?” I asked in a panic. “I swear to God, he’s getting closer.”

  “That’s a very good observation,” Reyes muttered, more complimentary than condescending. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like we are going to be able to shake him. If the station is busy, it could be hours before someone gets out here.”

  “Jesus, for a crazy driver in the middle of the city?” I snapped.

  “There are a lot of crimes in this city and not enough funds for the force. You’d be surprised at the kind of calls we get that we can’t always take right away. This town isn’t the darling little place it used to be.”

  “Isn’t that the truth,” I agreed frantically.

  I couldn’t take my eyes off the mirror. The van was beyond swerving dangerously now. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing with my own eyes. How anyone could blatantly put so many innocent people at risk was beyond me. The fire flared inside me as it dawned on me that he was the reason my son was missing.

  “We should trap the son of a bitch, make him tell us where my baby is. He can’t be carrying a gun or anything. He didn’t use one the other day. Why would he have one now?”

  I knew that I was rambling. It was hard to think straight with everything happening at once. Reyes was saying something, but I couldn’t focus on him. All I could think about was the man following us. Did he have my son with him? Was there someone he was working with? Reyes shook my arm, jerking me out of the trance I’d been sucked into.

  “Hey! I can’t lose you right now, okay? I need you to stay focused for me. Can you do that?”

  “Of course, I can,” I snapped at him unreasonably. “Jesus, I’m not a child. You don’t have to treat me like one.”

  “Easy, now,” he said in a calming tone. “You just looked like you were spacing out for a second. Am I not allowed to be worried about you?”

  “Not when someone is trying to run us off the road,” I told him in a harsh tone.

  I couldn’t think about what would happen to Gregory if I lost my grip now. Reyes eased off the gas a little and the car following us slowed its pace some, but we were still getting nowhere fast. Every time we tried to lose him, his driving would become erratic and put others at risk. That wasn’t blood I wanted on my hands.

  “What are we going to do?” I asked him softly.

  “We can’t shake him, not without risking our own lives,” he muttered.

  “I don’t care about my life, not
without Gregory in it. He is my world. If there is a way for us to corner that son of a bitch, then take it.”

  “That isn’t your call to make. Hell, its not even mine!” Gabriel shot back. “I won’t put your life in danger to possibly help your son. I know you are scared and worried about him, but now is the not the time to be a martyr, okay?”

  I snorted. “Is that what you think I’m doing?”

  “No.” his tone was calmer. “I think that you are a mother who is worried about her son. We’ve been playing this game for too long. I didn’t want to do this, but we need to call in backup.”

  “What if they don’t get here in time or he gets away? Won’t that just make him angry?”

  “Annabeth, we just don’t have any more options.”

  For a split second, his eyes left the road and focused on mine. I could see what the decision was doing to him. He didn’t like it any more than I did. Suddenly, I was reminded of who Gabriel was outside of the uniform. He, too, had children. I wasn’t just putting my life in danger, but I was risking two little girls growing up without a father. My heart ached as it was torn into different directions, but ultimately, I knew what the right decision was.

  I nodded my head and whispered softly, “Call them in. Let’s get this over with.”

  Reyes smiled at me, reaching down for his phone before suddenly jerking the car to a stop.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, my heart racing as the van inched closer to us in the mirror.

  “Son of a bitch,” he muttered.

  I glanced in front of us and my stomach dropped to the floor. “That son of a bitch.”

  “I don’t think trapping him is an option anymore.”

  The cement barricade in front of us blocked us in from three sides. The van was quickly making the square complete. There was no way we were going to get out, and it would be a miracle if the police made it to our aid in time.

  “No,” I said in a dry tone. “He got to us first.”

  Chapter Twelve

  “Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God,” I heaved under my breath.

  “Just take it easy,” Gabriel said quickly as he worked.

  I focused on what he was doing, watching him work while I kept one eye trained on the van. So far, it hadn’t moved, its driver still sitting behind the wheel in a dark hood. There was no need for me to see his face. Something inside me clicked, and I knew that it was the same bastard who’d taken my son. Rage flooded my body as I jerked on the seatbelt, trying desperately to free myself.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Gabriel hissed. “Don’t even think about moving or I will throw your ass in prison!”

  My heart raced in trepidation. “But my son.”

  “Is going to be fine, but not if his mother is dead when he comes back. You need to stay here and trust me.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  From behind his back, he produced a black gun. It sent a shiver of fear through my spine. I never liked the idea of guns, and the current situation was doing little to ease my fears. Gabriel saw the look in my eyes and smiled softly. He slipped the gun into his other hand and slid the free one over to mine. I knew that he was taking his time to make sure I was okay.

  “I am going to be right back. While I’m gone, though, I need you to call the police station for me, okay? All you need to do is let them know I’m here with you and I need immediate backup. Can you do that for me?”

  I was shaking as I nodded my head. He slipped his hand away, sliding the phone into my palm before giving me one more confident smile. I didn’t want to let go of his hand, still wrapped around his phone. The touch was delicate and informal, but I still couldn’t let him go. I knew how dangerous the man waiting for him outside was. There was no stopping him. I had to remember the task at hand.

  Quickly dialing the precinct on his phone, I was connected with a familiar female voice. “Officer Haden, what’s your emergency?”

  “You!” I blurted out, surely sounding like a madman. “Oh, my God, this is Annabeth, from earlier? Gabriel needs your help right away!”

  “Ma’am, I need you to calm down. Tell me what’s going on.”

  “Jesus, we don’t have time for this. Detective Reyes is in danger at the mall! The man who has my son cornered us here! The brown van?” I rushed to fill in the missing details.

  “Annabeth, I need you to listen to me very carefully. Can you see the detective now?”

  “Yes. He’s approaching the passenger side of the van now. He’s got his gun drawn. Oh, my God, please, can you send someone? What if that maniac has a gun after all?”

  “I have cars on the way, but I need you to stay on the line with me. Can you do that? What’s happening now?”

  “Um,” I tried to focus. “He’s almost to the window. I can’t see the driver’s face but I just know it’s him. The windows are tinted too dark.”

  “Just tell me what happens, okay? It’s very important that you stay on the line with me.”

  My heart pounded. “Something’s happening.” The window started to move. “The driver is rolling down the window. He’s got something!”

  I watched in horror as Gabriel swung around. I couldn’t see anything with him standing in front of me, but I could hear him yelling at the driver to step out of the vehicle. In a split second, Reyes dove to the side, and I jumped, letting out a terrified scream as a single bullet pierced the car and flew past me, shattering glass as it went.

  “Annabeth!” Hayden yelled on the phone. “Shots fired, shots fired,” she yelled at someone else in the station. “Annabeth, what’s happening? You’ve got to be my eyes out there. Is Detective Reyes wounded?”

  My whole body was shaking as I peeked again out the driver’s window. Reyes was looking right at me, motioning for me to get down. The mystery driver was swinging the weapon around now like a maniac. Gabriel again ordered the man to put down his weapon, identifying himself as the police, but the driver didn’t seem to care. I could see Gabriel was thinking about his next move.

  In the distance, wailing sirens started to approach us. I couldn’t take my eyes off Gabriel, though, not even when the van lurched into gear and squealed away from us. Reyes was back at the door in a matter of seconds, gunning my car’s engine and giving chase to the van. It was exactly what I would have done in that situation. I just wanted to find Gregory.

  “Where is he going?” I stammered. “Are you hurt?”

  Reyes shook his head, noticing the phone sitting between us as he quickly grabbed it. “Hayden?” he said quickly. “We are headed south on Sycamore. See if you can’t get one of the other guys to head him off. We’ll trap him. There is construction up here that he won’t be able to get around.”

  The woman on the other end started to argue with him. I could see his free hand tighten around the wheel as she did. With a rather unflattering scoff, Reyes ended the call by hanging up on her. I could tell that he was angry and that it would do me no good to try and find out what he was really thinking. We had to keep our minds focused on the man in front of us.

  “What the hell happened out there?” I finally asked.

  “That bastard was trying to kill me. I don’t think he planned on shooting at you,” he said. His gaze was locked on the van as it drove like a madman was behind the wheel. “He is going to get himself or all three of us killed if he doesn’t slow down up here. That bridge isn’t finished.”

  “It doesn’t look like he’s slowing down. Did you get a good look at him?”

  “No,” he growled in an angry tone. “Son of a bitch was wearing some kind of ski mask too. I’m not going to let him get away though.”

  “Please, Reyes,” I whispered, my fear now reaching a pinnacle as the unpaved road became more dangerous.

  Crews working on the road dove out of the way as the van continued down the dangerous path. My little car wasn’t built to take so much, and it started to lurch, the ‘check engine’ light flashing as we bottomed out on the
road. The van, far more rugged than it looked on the outside, continued forward without stopping.

  “You are letting him get away!” I blurted out.

  “I can’t put your life at risk and keep following him. Either he or us will end up dead if I do.”

  “Then kill the son of a bitch!” I snapped.

  “How is that going to help us find Gregory? What if he left him in the care of someone else with orders in case he got caught?”

  I sobbed. “I didn’t think about that. I just can’t believe how close we were to catching him, and now it’s gone, our only hope of finding Gregory is gone.”

  “Hey,” he said softly. “Don’t think like that, okay? We are going to get him, and this wasn’t for nothing. Now we know that it’s not a random occurrence.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “He is after you. He wants you.”

  “I already knew that,” I muttered in discontent.

  “Listen, I’m going to get you home, then get back to the precinct while the details are still fresh in my memory. Are you going to be okay?”

  I nodded. “I always am. Please, just take me home.”

  “You’ve got it,” he said, putting the car in reverse and giving up the chase.

  I hated that my son’s captor was still free to go back to Gregory and take out his anger on my poor sweet boy. Somewhere deep inside, though, I knew that Reyes was right. There was nothing more we could do right now. The police had all the van information, and they would be watching the roads carefully to make sure that he didn’t slip by. If nothing else, we’d confirmed that my son’s kidnapper would stop at nothing to make this even more personal.

  As we drove through the city back to my house, it all felt strangely normal to be next to him. Even after everything we’d just been through, Reyes seemed cool and collected. I wanted to keep him next to me all the time. The soothing nature of his personality was like a drug I was quickly getting hooked onto. My house came into view after twenty minutes of silent driving. I saw my mother’s car, and to my shock, Jacob’s pickup truck.

  “Great,” Reyes muttered. “Boy, he watches you like a hawk, doesn’t he?”