Kade & Cameron (Something About Him Book 6)

by A. D. Ellis

  I didn’t hear from Kade again until we met at the house. Kelly and Dustin were watching Declan and Justin. Our parents were on their way to sit with us.

  Kade jumped from his car and collapsed into my arms. Tears flowing through his fear, he sobbed into my shoulder.

  “Sir, I know this is a rough time, but we need to ask you some questions,” one of the four officers at our house spoke to Kade.

  “Of course,” Kade wiped his face and gestured to the garage where we could all discuss the emergency.

  “Our officers at the school pulled the surveillance tapes and saw Stephanie and the boys get into a white sedan. They were able to pull the plate number and match it to a Steven Hiatt. Do you know that name?” the officer questioned.

  “Yes, that’s the man Stephanie was having an affair with. They are engaged. She wants custody of the boys and wants them to live with her and Steven.” Kade’s words were slow and pieced together like a puzzle, already exhausted by the turn of events. “Did you check her apartment and his house? I don’t think they would have stayed in town, but maybe they stopped to pick something up?”

  “We’ve got officers at both locations questioning neighbors and searching the premises.” Officer Stark explained. “An Amber Alert has gone out and we’ve contacted law enforcement agencies statewide and into the tri-state area with a description of the vehicle, the plate number, names and pictures of the victims and the abductors.”

  Kade’s face paled when the officer used the word victims. Reaching for him, I pulled him into a tight hug. “Shhh, it’s okay. She’s screwed up so many times, no way she’ll get far without screwing up again and they’ll catch her.”

  “I just don’t want the boys to be scared or hurt.” Kade’s words were raw with emotion.

  My parents took Declan and Justin home with them. My boys were scared for their friends and they knew the adults around them were upset. Tears and hugs were shared as my parents told Kade and me goodbye and to keep them updated at least hourly.

  “I’ve already contacted the prayer chain at church,” Mom said. “I’ll call your aunt and have her start the one at her church, as well.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” I said.

  Ruth and John sat with Kade in the makeshift circle of lawn chairs we’d set up in the garage.

  “How could she be so reckless and selfish?” Ruth spat her words.

  “Ripping those boys away from school when she knew paperwork kept her from doing it,” John stated in equal disgust.

  “A piece of paper doesn’t stop a person from doing something if they really want to.” Kade’s words came across bitter.

  “Well, at least she screwed up royally enough that she’ll never get the boys back after this,” John said.

  “What if she’s screwed up so badly that she hurts them or kills them and I never get them back either?” Kade asked darkly.

  “Don’t think that way,” Ruth admonished. “She’s their mother. She wants them with her. She wants them away from you, but do you really think she’d hurt them?”

  “I don’t know, Mom. I never thought she’d turn into a party addict and cheat on me either, but she did those things with no qualms. Who knows what’s going on in her head right now. Maybe she’s thinking if she can’t have the boys then no one will have them.” Kade’s eyes were red-rimmed as he spoke what was likely his worst nightmare.

  My mind played the should have game. We should have warned the boys about Stephanie. We should have taken more precautions. We should have known she was going to snap. My heart hurt for Kade. I would have been just as lost if my boys had been taken.

  As the hours without his boys dragged by, Kade became more and more stoic. Answering the questions the officers had and listening to any new information they had, but locked inside his own heart and head for the most part.

  At one point, Kade got up and walked to the driveway. I stopped him as he approached his vehicle on the driver’s side. “Kade,” I spoke next to him and he jerked as if I’d woken him from a dream. “Where are you going?”

  “Gotta find my boys,” he answered in a flat voice.

  “The police are looking for your boys. You out there driving around with no direction isn’t going to help.” I closed the door he’d managed to get open. “We need you here. I know it’s hard, but you need to be here when the police find them.”

  Part of me understood his need to be out there looking for them. But, it was a given that Stephanie wouldn’t keep the boys nearby, so we were at a loss as to which direction she may have headed.

  “Come on, let’s go inside,” I said as if cajoling a small child.

  And Kade went. No words, only a pained and lost expression on his face as he followed me.

  Several people started to arrive at the house. Most carried in casseroles and condolences. They watched Kade and me with sympathetic eyes. Kade received murmurs of love and support as we walked wordlessly to my room and shut the door.

  “It’s like they’re here for a damn funeral,” Kade exploded behind the closed door.

  “Shhh, it’s what concerned friends and locals do. They know one of their own is hurting and their only way to help is to bring food and offer sympathies and words of support.” I hugged him close. “We don’t have to be out there with them. We’ll stay in here and the officers can update us as they have information.”

  Kade nodded, anger simmering under his wretched loss.

  I thought of the people and the food multiplying in my home, and I agreed with Kade. The scene was reminiscent of the days following Deacon’s death. I knew most of the people were trying to help the best they could. Although, a couple faces I saw were definitely present in hopes of watching the drama unfold. It angered and disgusted me.

  Chapter 22

  Kade

  My mind and body tried to function under the heavy weight of abject fear and boiling anger, but it was as if I was trying to move through wet cement. My heart hurt, my head hurt, and I wanted to sleep and forget it all. But, my body and mind couldn’t shut down enough to rest. I could only replay Stephanie’s and my last conversation over and over in my head. She’d made thinly veiled threats that day. Why hadn’t I done more? Did I really think a note in a computer file would keep her away from Myles and Evan?

  A knock at the bedroom door sounded.

  Cam opened it to an officer.

  “Sirs, we’re setting up a communication post here if that’s okay with you. We’ve got units out searching and the surrounding states have been notified. The Amber Alert is nationwide and all law enforcement in the states, especially border states, have the pertinent information.” The officer spoke quietly and efficiently. “You gentlemen should try to get some rest. We’ll be right out here and can keep you updated.”

  Cam gave the officer our thanks, but I could only nod.

  “Why don’t you take a shower? I’ll update my parents. Then we can try to rest. At least turn a movie on or something.” Cam suggested.

  “I feel so helpless and useless sitting here doing nothing,” I muttered. Being at the house while knowing my boys were out there somewhere with Stephanie was tearing me apart. But, I was at a loss as to how I could find her. I was one person. I could drive for days and never spot her.

  I showered on automatic pilot and fell into bed beside Cam. He had the news on when I walked out, but quickly changed the channel to one where a movie we both liked was starting.

  “Was the news talking about them?” I asked, hollowly.

  “Yeah, did a real detailed description of the boys, the car, Stephanie, and Steven. A tip line has been set up.” Cam gave me information, but it was clear he wasn’t going to let me watch the news channels as they broadcast my boys’ pictures and the headlines about them being abducted by their mother. “Between the tip line and the Amber Alert there’s a good chance someone will report her in no time. She’ll have to stop for gas and food. She’s not smart enough to have planned this all out without a hitch. She’s going
to screw up.”

  “I believe that, too.” I agreed. “But, my biggest fear is that she snaps and hurts the boys because she feels she has nothing else to lose. Or, Steven does something. He can’t be too smart if he let himself be dragged into this mess. What if the police close in on them and they panic and the boys are harmed?”

  Cam pulled me into a hug, rubbing his hands over my back in comforting strokes.

  “I’m so damn scared and it kills me to think my boys may be scared or hurt.” I took a shuddery breath against his chest.

  Cam and I eventually stared at the television screen long enough that our eyes shut and we slept. I couldn’t say we rested. We both tossed and turned, but we did sleep for a few hours. It was pitch black outside the window when we woke. The house was fairly quiet, but I felt the presence of the officers.

  Padding to the dining room, I found three on-duty officers and two men who looked like they’d come in on their night off.

  “Mr. Ramsey. We were planning to wake you once we finalized some information. You beat us to it. Pull up a chair.” The officer in charge gestured to the table.

  Cam was immediately beside me, pulling a second chair close to mine.

  “What do you know?” Cam voiced the question I was dying to ask but was too scared to hear the answer.

  “Several hundred tips have been called in already. She’s not doing a good job of staying away from an observant public. She’s also stopped by an ATM and has used her credit card for several purchases. We have a general idea of the direction she’s heading.” The officer’s words sounded positive to me, but I sensed his hesitation.

  “That’s great, right? So, you’ve sent someone to catch up with her and stop her?” Cam asked.

  “Well, yes and no.” The officer heaved a sigh of frustration and glanced at me.

  “Go ahead, I need to know everything,” I said, recognizing his reluctance to speak.

  “It appears as though she’s heading north and west. Our guess is she’s going to try to cross into Canada,” the officer said.

  “The boys don’t have passports, surely she’ll be detained at the border,” I spoke.

  “We’ve contacted the Canadian authorities to apprise them of the situation.” The officer nodded his head. “The real problem right now is that several of the tip line callers indicated that Stephanie had a gun. Multiple callers reported seeing a gun in her purse while she was paying for snacks and food at two separate gas stations. We’re tracking her, but we’re afraid to close in too quickly for fear it will spook her, and she’ll do something drastic. And, Steven Hiatt is a complete unknown. We don’t know where his head is at in this.” Looking directly at me, the officer spoke. “Do you feel that Stephanie has any underlying mental illnesses or mental instabilities?”

  I nodded my head. “Yeah. I mean, I don’t think it’s anything that was ever diagnosed. If it was, she never told me about it. She’d been taking antidepressant and antianxiety medications for several years, said it helped her deal with her workload. But, I don’t recall seeing the prescription bottles for about a year, so I’d assume she stopped taking those.” Damn. My marriage had been falling apart around me, and I didn’t even recognize that my wife had stopped taking her medication. Where the hell had my head been? Denial? Survival? “Her mother had a history of mental illness.” I recalled the times Stephanie had laughed about turning into her crazy mother. Maybe that hadn’t been too far from the truth.

  “That’s why we’re wanting to locate her, but treat the situation with kid gloves. Since she has the boys, we don’t want to storm in, guns blazing. One, for fear we’ll scare the boys. Two, and most importantly, we want to keep the danger to the boys to a minimum.”

  “I agree with that. I don’t want the boys hurt or scared.” My heart hurt for my boys. Were they tired? Hungry? Cold? Was Stephanie treating them well? Did they realize something was wrong? “So, once you locate her, what’s the plan?”

  “We put eyes on her, follow her every move. Wait for her to break the law. Determine if the boys are safe. If they are safe, we can wait and follow for a bit longer. If they are in observable danger, we move in at the first opening we see.” Officer Stark offered me a wan smile. “I’ve got to tell you, she wasn’t prepared for this. She’s messing up left and right. We’ll find her and close in, no doubt in my mind.”

  “But?” I prompted.

  “Honestly, son, because she was so ill-prepared for this, I worry about her state of mind. It scares the shit out of me to think we may spook her. If she’s dealing with mental illness of any sort she may be delusional. May think she has nothing left to lose. That’s when the boys are in the most danger.” His words were exactly what my fear was built on, but I appreciated his honesty.

  ~*~*~*~

  “Police in Minnesota have eyes on Stephanie and the boys. Looks like Steven is no longer with them. We’ve got teams out looking for him. Our guess is he bailed when he realized how deep into trouble she was getting herself. Minnesota authorities have contacted North Dakota and border patrol.” Officer Stark was still at the communications center in the dining room when Cam and I woke from another couple hours of fitful sleep and wandered in to check for updates.

  “You probably should get some sleep,” I spoke to Officer Stark.

  “I rested a bit while you guys did. I’ve got two kids, I can’t imagine what you’re going through. I’ll stay on this and see it through until you’ve got your boys back,” he said. “Just keep the coffee coming.”

  I smiled, still afraid of what my boys were going through and what Stephanie was capable of, but knowing the authorities had eyes on her was a definite positive.

  An hour later, Officer Stark bellowed, “Bingo!”

  Cam and I rushed to his side.

  “She checked into a hotel in Grand Forks, North Dakota. We’ll set up a perimeter and figure out the best way to close in.” Officer Starks told us the news and went back to communicating with his superiors and those out in the field.

  I found my parents down on the beach and filled them in on the latest information. They looked like death, and I knew they hadn’t slept at all.

  “Mom, Dad, you need to go home or at least go to the back room and sleep a little,” I urged them.

  “Can’t sleep. Every time I close my eyes I think about the boys.” My dad’s voice broke.

  Mom held his hand tight, fighting back tears. “We can all rest for a week once we get the boys back home.”

  I left them to themselves on the beach and trudged back to the house where Cam was finishing up on the phone with his parents.

  “Declan and Justin doing okay?” I asked.

  Cam smiled softly. “Yeah, just missing their buddies and wanting to come home.”

  “God, that’s what I want too,” I sighed, pulling Cam into a ragged hug. “I want us all safe and happy and healthy. I used to think it was silly when my mom would say that, but I understand her sentiment now.”

  An officer stuck his head out the backdoor. “Gentlemen, we’re going to debrief on the plan of attack if you’d like to be a part of the conversation.”

  Officer Stark had several command authorities on speakerphone, and Cam and I could only watch and listen in amazement at the efficient and professional way the plans were laid out and handled.

  “Our eyes on Stephanie indicate that the youngest child appears to be sick. They stopped for several nausea supplies at the local drugstore before checking into the hotel, and the lady at the front desk said the child looked sick and was holding a small bowl.” The voice came through the speaker.

  “Evan always wants a bowl if he thinks he’s going to puke,” I said, my heart clenching in my chest.

  “We’ve got a couple officers planted on her floor disguised as housekeeping. She won’t be able to leave without us knowing where she’s going,” the voice assured us.

  The rest of the day was a blur of anxiety and waiting. Stephanie and the boys appeared to be resting in their
room.

  Finally, about twelve hours after they checked into the hotel, Stephanie made a move.

  “She asked the front desk for the nearest hospital. They gave her the address to a walk-in clinic down the road. We’re on her,” a different voice spoke from the speaker.

  “Sir, we’ve got two plain clothes officers ready to make contact once the suspect takes the boys into the clinic,” another voice was heard.

  “Go ahead. Make sure they keep the boys’ safety in mind.”

  My gut churned, and I feared I would vomit as I waited for voices hundreds of miles away to tell me what was happening with my boys.

  “Our plain clothes officers are wearing wires. We’ll keep you informed of what’s going on inside the clinic,” the voice on the line assured.

  The next twenty minutes were like a horror movie playing out in slow motion. We heard the words telling us what went on as if they were describing a silent movie.

  “We’ve got ears on the inside. Female officer is sitting watch. Male officer is interacting with the kids. Older boy says they are going on a trip with their mom and their dad will meet them there. Younger boy is quiet.” A pause in the words and I held my breath. “Okay, they’ve been called back. Male officer is informing the staff of the situation and female officer is standing guard in case suspect flees.”

  “I don’t care if she gets away. I just want my boys safe,” I said between gritted teeth.

  “We’ll get the boys. And, even if she gets away from the clinic, she’s not going to get far. All points are on the lookout for her. And, if she tries to cross into Canada, they are ready to hold her for our authorities to come pick her up.” Officer Stark spoke confidently. “Not to worry, son. You’ll get your boys, and we’ll get her back here to face consequences for what she’s done.”

  “The nurse is going to have our suspect come out and deal with a problem with her insurance card. That should buy time for an officer to reach the children.” The speaker voice spoke calmly. He was definitely one of those people who was solid during difficult times.