Edge of Truth

by Kimberly Rose Johnson

  Kara reached for her Glock but held back. If she waited until Fernando passed by, she could get a clean shot. Better to keep her weapon hidden for now.

  Tears slid down Lauren’s cheeks. Veronica held her hand to her mouth, but a sob escaped. Kara glanced over her shoulder.

  Andrea had moved behind the driver’s wheel of their rig.

  Fernando smirked. “I warned your husband not to double cross me.”

  “No!” Veronica wailed. “You said if we cooperated you wouldn’t harm our children!”

  Veronica knew? She’d understood Eric had kept his wife in the dark.

  “Eric’s done everything you’ve asked.” Tears streamed down Veronica’s face, and she clung to the porch railing for support.

  “Blame him.” Fernando motioned to Jeff.

  “Jeff?” Veronica turned to face her brother-in-law. “What did you do?”

  Kara read turmoil on her partner’s face. Her heart ached for him, but what could he say? This was not supposed to happen.

  Jeff’s gaze pierced Fernando. “Come on. We can make a deal. Let her go, and I’ll make sure no charges are pressed for attempted kidnapping.”

  Fernando’s hold seemed to loosen. Jeff took a small step forward.

  “Stop! Don’t come any closer.”

  Veronica crumpled to the ground. “No, please.” She reached her hand out to her daughter as Fernando dragged Lauren down the porch steps to the waiting truck. She stumbled, but he held tight.

  Lauren’s eyes were wide with fear. “Mom, help! Don’t let him take me.”

  Kara kept her focus trained on Fernando, counting the seconds until she could reach for her Glock. She moved her hand. Automatic fire smacked the ground around Kara.

  Andrea stood next to their truck. She held an AK-47. “That was a warning. Do not move, and keep your hands where I can see them.”

  Kara froze as Fernando passed her with Lauren in his grip.

  Jeff stood helpless. Kara understood his dilemma. If he saved one of them, the other would die. If he did nothing, they might both live.

  Fernando got behind the wheel and rammed into Kara’s Civic, putting it out of commission. Andrea fired off a few more rounds at the ground around them as they drove past.

  Jeff drew his Glock and aimed at the back tires.

  Veronica lunged at him, grabbing his arm. “No! Lauren’s in there.” She sobbed into her hands and rocked back and forth.

  He released his hold on the trigger, his target gone, and ran toward his SUV. “Come on, Kara.”

  “What about Veronica?”

  “She’ll be fine when we get Lauren back.”

  Kara glanced at Veronica and ignored the urge to comfort her. Jeff was right. They needed to move. She ran after Jeff and hopped into his SUV. After belting herself in, she called Tad.

  “Tad, it’s Kara.”

  Jeff gripped the steering wheel. “He should be able to get us some local help.”

  Kara spoke into her phone, gave their coordinates, and explained the situation.

  “Okay,” Tad said. “A few detectives are in the area. They’re driving a dark green sedan and should be able to intercept the truck and discretely follow them until they stop or until the FBI sends someone to assist.”

  “Thanks.” Kara ended the call and turned to Jeff. “Keep an eye out for a dark green sedan. They’ll take over tailing them.”

  A grim look settled on his face as he raced after his niece and her captors.

  “I know what you’re thinking, but don’t blame yourself. You had no idea Lauren would walk out at that moment.”

  “I don’t understand what happened. How’d he find out that Eric told me everything?”

  “Sounds like there’s either a leak, or Eric has a big mouth,” Kara said.

  “Fernando will kill Lauren if we don’t stop him. You know as well as I do, he’s not going to let her live any longer than it takes him to shake us.”

  “She might be worth more to him alive than dead. We have a topnotch team working with us, and the Gonzaleses are probably headed for the border. We’ll get her back.”

  “You’re right.”

  “There’s no way they’ll escape. There’s an APB out for them, and border patrol won’t let them leave the country. They made a big mistake when they took Lauren. Even if we never get them on drug charges, they’ll go down for kidnapping.”

  Kara saw the struggle on Jeff’s face as he reluctantly eased off the gas allowing the dark green sedan carrying two undercover cops to take over the tail. Investigating his stepbrother was one thing, but policy wouldn’t allow him to rescue his niece. That was a job for the FBI. They were trained to handle kidnappings. Fernando and Andrea were no longer their responsibility.

  Jeff waited until the truck was out of view and made a U-turn.

  Kara leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Dear Lord, we need a miracle. Please be with Lauren.

  The ranch driveway loomed ahead blocked by a police car with flashing lights. Jeff showed his badge, and he and Kara were allowed to pass. He parked near the barn next to a sheriff’s vehicle. “It looks like Tad’s inside. You ready?”

  Kara took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Ready.”

  They entered the house together. Veronica sat silent in a brown leather chair near the entrance. Tad stood at the mantel looking at family photos. He turned when Jeff cleared his throat. Jeff motioned for him to follow them into another room.

  Tad followed close on their heels. “I heard the transfer went smooth, and they moved into place undetected.”

  “We wouldn’t be here if they hadn’t,” Jeff snapped. He ran his hand through his hair. “Sorry, but you don’t know what it took to let someone else follow them. They’d better be exceptional at their job. If anything happens to Lauren…”

  “Calm down, Jeff. These guys will get her back. Your niece will be home soon.”

  Jeff nodded then rubbed the back of his neck. “What’s Veronica told you?”

  Tad took out a small notepad and consulted it. “She said Fernando was angry that Eric told you about the drugs.”

  “How’d he find out?”

  “She doesn’t know.”

  “Where’s Eric?” He couldn’t take much more of this. He needed a long vacation.

  “Unknown. He didn’t respond to Veronica’s calls.”

  “Weird. He and Jake are running an errand in town. They should’ve been back by now.” He pulled out his phone and made the hardest call of his life. “Eric, you need to come home. Fernando took Lauren.”

  He held the phone away from his ear and still heard Eric clearly calling him every name in the book. When the line went silent, Jeff slipped his phone into his pocket. Maybe by the time Eric got home, they’d have Lauren back.

  Tad frowned. “That didn’t sound good.”

  Jeff grimaced. “Nope.”

  Veronica entered the room and glared at Jeff. “This is all your fault! If Eric hadn’t told you about the drugs, then he wouldn’t have felt free to tell me, and I wouldn’t have accidentally let it slip to Fernando about the DEA investigation when he questioned me about Eric. That man makes me so nervous.”

  “You told Fernando?” Eric claimed she hadn’t known about the drugs, and it never occurred to Jeff that his brother would come clean with her now. “When?”

  “On the porch, right before you cut in.”

  “Of all the—” Jeff pressed his lips together to keep from saying something he’d regret.

  Tad stepped in front of Jeff. “Everyone, calm down. We will get your daughter back. There’s no reason to be pointing fingers.”

  Kara gently guided Veronica to the sofa then handed her a glass of ice water. “They’ll get your daughter back.”

  Veronica held the glass between her hands. “It’s not fair.” Her voice barely rose above a whisper. “Lauren didn’t do anything wrong. She didn’t even know about,” she waved her hands in the air, “all of this—this madness. Why did he take
her?”

  Kara nodded to Jeff as he slipped out the front door with Tad. At a loss for how to comfort Veronica, Kara sat silent. She had a million reasons for this mess, but none of them would help Veronica. She finally spoke. “I don’t know why this happened, but I do know that we can pray for Lauren.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that.” Veronica frowned.

  “He is right by her side. I guarantee you that.” Kara reached her hand out slowly and placed it on Veronica’s shoulder. “Let’s pray.”

  Veronica shrunk away from Kara. “I can’t.”

  Kara took over. “Dear Lord, we ask that You’d be with Lauren. Comfort and protect her from harm. Please guide all the men and women who are following them waiting for the perfect moment to rescue Lauren. Help them do their jobs well, Lord. Amen.” Kara rose and grabbed a few tissues. “Here you go.”

  Veronica dabbed her eyes and attempted to smile. “Thanks. I didn’t realize so many people were working to get my daughter back.”

  Kara chose her words carefully. She needed Veronica to understand what was going on, but at the same time didn’t want to give away her own involvement in the investigation. “I overheard Tad and Jeff talking. The FBI is on the case as well as local undercover cops. Everyone is working together to bring Lauren home safely.” She paused. “Jeff didn’t mean for any of this to happen. If he could, he’d be the one out there right now working to rescue Lauren. Kidnapping is the FBI’s jurisdiction.”

  “Thanks for telling me. I didn’t know.”

  Kara squeezed her shoulder. “I’m going to go find Deputy Baker and Jeff. Will you be okay?”

  “I won’t be okay until Lauren walks through that door unharmed.”

  “I understand. I’ll be back in a while.” Kara left in search of Tad and Jeff. She finally found them out in the barn.

  The men turned when she entered the building. “How’s she doing?” Jeff asked.

  “Under the circumstances, remarkably well. What’s the plan?”

  “We figure they’ll have to stop for gas at some point, and that’s when a team will move in,” Jeff said. “We’ve come up with a close guess as to where they’ll have to stop based on the make and model of their truck and road conditions, assuming they left with a full tank of gas.” They had maps of Oregon and California tacked to the wall. “We believe they’ll need to stop somewhere around here.” He circled the location on the map. “Of course, they could stop sooner. If we’re lucky, they’ll drive until they have to stop. It’s a small town, and there are only two gas stations. The bureau has agents enroute to intercept right now, and they have multiple tails. The Gonzaleses are also being monitored through a tracking device that’s been in place for some time. We’re confident they can be apprehended with little or no collateral damage.”

  “Lauren should be okay at least until they stop somewhere,” Tad added. “How about the two of you head back inside and keep Veronica company. She shouldn’t be alone right now.”

  Kara slipped her hand into Jeff’s. “Your sister-in-law needs us. We can’t do anything productive out here.”

  He nodded.

  Chapter 37

  Eric stormed into the house and swung straight at Jeff with a right hook.

  Jeff leaned back barely avoiding the fist. “Calm down!” He raised his arms and adjusted his stance ready for anything Eric wanted to dish out. “Fighting with me won’t solve anything.”

  “No. But it would feel good.”

  “I understand, but hitting me isn’t going to bring your daughter home.” Jeff watched his brother warily.

  Eric backed off and then began pacing the room like an angry bull, clenching and flexing his fingers. His shoulders slumped and guilt covered his face. “I can’t believe my worst nightmare is happening.”

  Jeff relaxed his stance a bit. “I get it, Eric.” He was angry himself, and Lauren wasn’t even his daughter. Too bad there wasn’t a punching bag nearby. It seemed they could both use one.

  Tad cleared his throat, and Eric seemed to notice him for the first time. “The FBI and local law enforcement are on the case. It’s only a matter of time before they get Lauren back.”

  Eric sank into the nearest seat and focused on the floor. “But it won’t be soon enough. Even one minute in the hands of Fernando is too long.” He looked up at Jeff with pain-filled eyes. “You said everything would be okay. Instead, you’ve only made things worse.”

  Jeff blinked. “I made things worse? Why did you tell Veronica?”

  “She’s my wife. I figured since the DEA was on the case, it’d be okay. I thought you’d come in and arrest them, not get my daughter kidnapped!” His glare could’ve melted ice.

  Jeff spoke in a low, hard voice. “I’m sorry about Lauren, but don’t blame me. If you had gone to the authorities a year ago, this could’ve all been avoided. Instead, I had to figure everything out on my own, and Lauren got caught in the middle.”

  “Jeff probably saved your daughter’s life,” Tad added. “And from what I’ve been told, I’d say if he’d done anything other than what he did, there’d be a pool of blood on the porch right now. The Gonzaleses are being tailed, and our team says they can see Lauren in the vehicle. They were even able to get close enough to see that she’s alive. Rest assured, no one will do anything that will endanger Lauren’s life.”

  Eric rose from the chair. “I’ll be with my wife.”

  Jeff nodded at Tad. “Thanks.” He’d kept running through those moments leading up to Lauren’s kidnapping and wondered if there’d been anything he could have said or done to prevent it.

  “I believe every word I said. Lauren is going to come home alive.” Tad checked his watch then glanced out the front window. “Jake went into the barn. Let’s follow.”

  “Sounds like a better idea than sitting in here.”

  They headed out together. Jake sat on a stool with his back against the wall of the barn staring at an empty stall. Jeff left Tad at the door and walked over to the man then leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. “I suppose you know about what happened today.”

  “It’s a bit tough not to. When I heard Fernando grabbed Lauren, I wanted to rip his arms right off his body.” He turned his angry gaze on Jeff. “What’s being done to get the girl back? That man has ruined enough lives. I thought for sure I’d be able to stop him from hurting anyone else.”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll get her back and the Gonzaleses will pay for what they did.” He had to believe Lauren would be okay.

  A few hours later, Kara sat on the chair across from Veronica. She racked her brain for something to say, but no words would come. Lauren had been gone for five hours, and Eric had only hugged Veronica and said he’d be in the barn when he’d passed through an hour or so ago. Kara kept up her silent vigil, unsure how to console this distraught mother.

  Veronica bowed her head, and her lips moved silently.

  Kara watched in wonder as Veronica’s face relaxed, and she straightened her shoulders as if a weight had been lifted. “You okay?”

  Veronica nodded. “I gave my baby to Jesus. Whatever happens is in His hands.”

  Kara cleared her throat. “I have a personal question if you don’t mind.”

  “Sure.”

  “Why aren’t you angry with God? I know from recent experience if I were in your shoes, I would be.”

  Veronica looked taken aback. “I never thought to be angry at Him. Eric should’ve gone to the police a long time ago.” Veronica threw her hands in the air. “How can I be angry with God when we brought this on ourselves?”

  Eric burst into the hallway. “Come quick.” He ran back out the door.

  Kara hopped up. She called after him. “What’s going on?”

  He yelled over his shoulder. “Come to the barn. Hurry!”

  Kara looked at Veronica who was now standing as well. “Guess we better move.” The women ran out to the barn and stopped just inside the entrance.

  “Veronica, over here.” Eric
patted the vacant spot next to him on a bale of hay.

  Veronica rushed to her husband and sat close.

  Kara stood in disbelief. A large white sheet lined one wall, and bales of hay had been placed nearby. A laptop sat on a table near the screen. Tad and another deputy occupied two stools. Jeff sat on a bale of hay with Jake on another one nearby. “What’s going on?”

  Jeff stood, sidled up to Kara, and spoke quietly into her ear. “An FBI helicopter is following the Gonzaleses and taping everything live. They’re going to send the feed to Tad’s computer, which he’ll then project onto the sheet on the wall. We get to watch as the team moves in to retrieve Lauren.” His face practically glowed with excitement.

  Kara grabbed his arm and pulled him away from everyone in the barn. “That’s great, but what if something goes wrong? You don’t want them to see their daughter get killed.”

  “Nothing’s going to go wrong. Have a little faith. These guys are the best.” He squeezed her hand. “Besides, I’ve been praying.”

  “There’s been a lot of that going on.” She moved past him then glanced over her shoulder. “Aren’t you going to watch?”

  “Of course. I’m right behind you.”

  A hush blanketed the barn as the makeshift screen came to life. They had an aerial view of the Gonzaleses’ truck as it moved down a two-lane road. Kara leaned into Jeff. “Where’s all the traffic?”

  “It’s a pretty isolated stretch. They pulled off the highway and onto a county road. Looks like they’re finally taking a pit stop.”

  “Are they going to take them at the gas station?”

  “No. Too much collateral risk. The plan is to stop them before they get to the town.”

  Kara jumped when the truck tires burst.

  Veronica cried out and grasped Eric’s arm. “What happened?”

  “Spike strips were placed on the road,” Tad explained.

  The truck seemed to go out of control for only a second then drove off to the shoulder and stopped. The helicopter swooped in and landed in the middle of the road in front of the Gonzaleses’ pickup. Several officers jumped out and trained their weapons on the pickup. The driver and passenger doors opened and the Gonzaleses stepped out with hands raised.