They slowed down as the path widened.
"Get back! It's crawling with cops," the second man called out. He was in the lead, and he'd peered out onto the main walkway and had seen a number of policemen who were obviously looking for them.
Lyndsay tried to scream, thinking that if she could make someone hear her she might be rescued, but the tattooed man pushed her down and held his hand over her mouth even tighter. She stared up at his eyes. She'd never seen such a mean face before. His eyes were cold and dark, and at that moment, she wondered if she'd ever escape.
"What are we going to do?" the tattooed man asked. "We can't stay here."
"There's another old unused hut just back a bit," the second man replied. "Maybe you can take her there and hide out for a while. They didn't get a good look at me, so I'll go and tell the boss what's happened, and see if he can come up with something."
"Well, I can't take her out there, so I guess it's as good a plan as any. Lead the way."
Lyndsay peered back longingly towards the end of the path as she was led back the other way. She made it as difficult as she could, but she was no match for the tattooed man.
Chapter 16
The police officers asked Maddy and Hannah to sit on the couch.
"It seems like you had a very lucky escape," one of the Constables said.
"Yes, I think so," Maddy replied. "We’re concerned about Lyndsay, though. The men who have her looked really mean."
"You got a good look at them?"
Maddy nodded. "One of them, not so much the other."
"I know you gave a brief description to the other policemen, but do you think you could describe him in more detail for me now?"
Maddy looked at Hannah before replying. "Well, he was wearing a dark colored muscle shirt, and his arms were covered in tattoos. He was fairly short, but he looked really strong."
"Did you notice what color his hair was, and how long?"
"I think it was short," Hannah answered as she looked at Maddy. "Is that what you remember, Mad?"
"I think so. But I can’t remember what color it was exactly, but if anything, I’d say it was darker rather than lighter. It all happened so quickly."
The constable made some notes in his book and then looked at the girls. "That should be enough to go on for now. You did well, girls. Thank you. One last thing - I guess you wouldn’t be able to describe any of the tattoos?"
The girls quickly glanced at each before Maddy replied. "Yes! He had this huge picture of a heart with an arrow through it on one of his arms. I can’t remember the others, though. Sorry."
"That’s good enough. It’ll help with identification when we catch them."
"We can also describe the others for you if you want. The man who took Lyndsay in the first place and tied her up, and then Jake and his girlfriend."
"Okay, that would be very helpful. Can you give the details to the other constable, and I’ll get this description circulating in the meantime?"
Maddy and Hannah both nodded, and proceeded to describe the original man, and Jake and his girlfriend, to the other constable. They also gave details of the hut where they’d been tied up.
He thanked them, and then made a call to his boss. Maddy and Hannah tried to hear what he was saying, but he’d turned away from them and they could only pick out a word here and there. It was enough for them to work out that the police were going to check out the hut.
Although it wasn’t far off the path, the hut couldn’t be seen behind all the bushes. If you didn’t know it was there, you’d never find it, and that’s what made Lyndsay even more nervous and worried. She could be left there for ages and no-one would know.
It looked similar to the other hut from the outside, not that Lyndsay had taken much notice of either. It didn’t take the other man long to kick the door in, and the tattooed man then pushed her roughly inside. She cried out as she fell on her knees, but her cry was muffled because of the gag.
"Sit over there, and don’t move," the tattooed man growled at her as he dragged her to the edge of the room.
"I’ll go then. Shouldn’t be too long. Keep your head down," the other man said as he made to leave.
"You’d better not be long. Don’t fancy sitting here with her wingeing and whining and carrying on." Lyndsay cringed as he kicked her.
The other man left, and she was now alone with the tattooed man. Her heart was beating so fast she thought it would explode. He kept peering out the window, despite being told to keep his head down. Lyndsay thought he looked agitated. He lit a cigarette and leant on the window frame. He really was a fierce looking man. Was there anything she could do to get out of there?
She looked around the room. It must have been guest accommodation before the current villas were built, she thought. Some of the old furniture remained, but everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, and the walls and doors had obviously seen better days.
Maybe she could distract him. But how? Her hands were tied, and he’d notice for sure if she tried to move. Maybe if she could get her hands free she could do something. She put all her effort into trying to free her hands from the rope that held them together without moving the rest of her body. She dreaded to think what he’d do to her if he saw what she was doing.
She’d just managed to loosen the ropes a little when all of a sudden the man dragged her to her feet and held her tight from behind. It felt like he had a gun to her back, but she wasn’t sure.
"One wrong move, and you’ll be cactus," he whispered into her ear. She didn’t have to wait long to find out what was going on. Police had the building surrounded and were now calling for him to let her go.
"We know you’re in there. It’ll be better for you if you let the girl go."
Maddy had heard enough. The police were going to check out the hut where they’d been tied up, as well as the other huts that were nearby. She got the impression that they thought Lyndsay might have been taken to one of them.
She walked over to her mom once the policeman had left, and Sarah pulled her close.
Maddy looked up into her eyes. "He’s a horrible man, Mom. I’m really scared for Lyndsay. I don’t know what he’ll do to her."
"Would you like to pray for her?" Sarah asked as she gently stroked Maddy’s hair. Maddy nodded.
Sarah pulled Hannah close as well, and the three of them prayed for Lyndsay. They asked God to protect her, and to keep her safe. Maddy also asked God to comfort her, as she knew how sad she was when she found out that Jake was involved.
"God will look after her," Sarah said, wiping the tears from Maddy’s eyes with a tissue.
"I know. I feel much better now. Thanks Mom."
The man held Lyndsay back, away from the window, out of sight of the policemen outside. Her body was trembling. Somewhere from deep within, a distant memory of crying out for help to God rose to the surface of her mind, and for the second time in her life, she cried out to Him. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew she was in a desperate situation, and even though she didn’t really know God, she had a sense that He was with her. Protecting her. Reaching out to her.
Her heartbeat quickened as once again she heard the call from outside. What would the tattooed man do? He wasn’t going to let her go, that was for sure.
"Okay, missy. We’re going to walk out together. Make one wrong move, and it’ll be your last."
He opened the door slowly, and pushed her out onto the old porch, all the while maintaining his strong hold of her.
"Hurt me, and I’ll hurt her," he called out as he walked behind Lyndsay down the steps.
Lyndsay’s eyes darted all around, although she kept her head still. She didn’t dare do anything to upset him. She could feel the point of his gun in her back, and she shivered. The policemen stood still, and allowed them to move slowly away from the hut.
They’d walked only a few meters when one of the policemen called out, "We know you don’t have a gun, so let her go." That statement had an
immediate impact on the man. He slowed, pushed Lyndsay into the bushes, and then made a run for it. Right into the arms of another policeman.
"Gotcha!" the Policeman said. He wrestled with the man, finally getting him under control. "You’re not going anywhere, buddy, except to the watch-house."
Lyndsay was helped up by a policewoman who led her over to the steps of the hut where they sat down together. She’d been shaken by the ordeal, but was physically unharmed.
"You’re one very lucky girl," the policewoman said to her. "He’s a mean piece of work, that one." Lyndsay nodded as tears began to stream down her face.
Lyndsay’s parents were pacing. They couldn’t sit. Occasionally they’d stop and look at each other before starting again.
"I don’t believe this is happening," her mom said. "All because you brought those stupid papers on holiday. If you’d left them at home, Lyndsay would be here with us, instead, she’s in danger with some lunatic of a man."
"That’s not fair," her dad replied. He stopped after a moment and looked at his wife. "Maybe you’re right, Yvonne. Maybe you’re right." He walked over to the couch and sat with his head in his hands.
Yvonne sat beside him. "I’m sorry, Tony. I didn’t mean that."
"No, it’s probably true. I’ve been more interested in my work than in my family. Having this happen has shown me that. I should have left them at home."
Yvonne reached out and put her arm around him. She thought she heard him sob.
They were interrupted by the shrill ring of Tony’s cell phone.
Yvonne’s heart beat fast as she listened in as best she could, but she knew as soon as Tony squeezed her hand that Lyndsay had been found.
"She’s okay," Tony said to his wife a few moments later. "They’ll bring her here shortly."
Tears streamed down Yvonne’s cheeks. "I thought we’d lost her," she cried into Tony’s chest.
Sarah, Hank, Maddy and Hannah had raced over to Lyndsay’s villa as soon as they’d heard the news that she’d been found. When Lyndsay entered the villa a short while later, she ran straight into her mother's arms. The emotional reunion touched them all, and Maddy thanked God silently for answering their prayers and for returning Lyndsay safely. She also thought that maybe He had a reason for all of this happening. At least Lyndsay and her parents seemed to be connecting a little with each other. And maybe, just maybe, her parents might sort out their problems too.
Maddy moved closer to her own mom, and wrapped her arm around Sarah’s waist. Sarah gave her a big hug and kissed the top of her head.
"I’m so glad Lyndsay was found," Maddy said quietly.
"It seems you had a big hand in that, sweetheart. I’m so proud of you." Maddy looked up into her mother’s eyes and smiled.
Chapter 17
"I don't understand how Jake was involved," Lyndsay said to Maddy and Hannah a little later, after they'd eaten dinner and were enjoying a tropical Hawaiian dessert together on the patio.
"It seems that the creepy man I'd seen him with the other day used him to get access to your villa, and to find out where your dad was keeping his top secret information," Maddy said.
"You mean he was just using me?"
"Looks like it," Maddy replied. She felt so sorry for her, and reached over and gave her a big hug.
"I even lied about my age because I didn't think he'd go out with me if he knew I was only thirteen," she said. "I guess it wouldn’t have made any difference. Especially since he already had a girlfriend. What a rat bag."
"Are you only thirteen?" Hannah asked. "We thought you were at least fifteen!"
"Yes. I'm not much older than you two." Lyndsay looked apologetically at her new friends.
"You act like you are," Maddy said.
"I wish I could be more like you two. You have so much fun. And you don't care what people think about you. And your parents are great. Mine – I don’t think they could care less about me, although, being kidnapped certainly got their attention." She looked over to them. They were sitting at the table with Hank and Sarah, and seemed engrossed in conversation. "They just fight all the time, and they almost ignore me."
"Maybe what's happened will make them rethink what they're doing," Maddy said. "Sometimes it takes something bad to make people stop and think. At least that's what my mom says."
"How did you get to be so wise?" Lyndsay asked.
"I don't know. I don't think I am. Ask Hank. He'll tell you I've done a lot of stupid things, even just this year. But something did happen to me, too, that's helped me a lot."
"What's that?' Lyndsay asked.
"I feel a bit strange telling you. You'll probably think it's funny," Maddy said.
"No, go on. I won't laugh. I want to know," Lyndsay said.
"Okay then. Just as long as you don’t laugh." She looked at Lyndsay, and took a deep breath. She could feel her heart fluttering. Lyndsay nodded.
She began. "I learnt to pray and to trust Jesus. It happened when Hank and Mom told me they were getting married and that we'd have to move. I did everything I could to stop it from happening, including making Hannah run away with me up into the mountains. I think I told you about that before." She paused and shared a knowing look with Hannah. "It was such a stupid thing to do. We got caught in a huge storm, and the whole town came out searching for us. We eventually got found, and it was okay in the end, although I still wasn't happy about moving." She paused once again, and glanced over at her mom and Hank before continuing.
"I still fought against it, but our youth group put on a concert, and when I was listening to the guest speaker, God spoke to me. It was so strange, but so real. I just knew it was Him. And I knew from then on that He'd be with me, and that I could trust Him with my life. And that even though I still didn't really want to move and leave Riversleigh, I knew I'd be okay because He'd be with me."
"Wow, that's some story," Lyndsay said. "We used to go to church, but my mom and dad stopped going a while back. I never knew that God could speak to you." She wondered if she should tell Maddy that she’d actually called out to Him when she was in the hut, but decided not to. She thought it was strange, though, that she’d actually done that, and now here was Maddy, talking about Him as if He was her friend.
Instead, she said, "I just feel so stupid being used by Jake. I can't believe how he tricked me. And how I fell for it. He really convinced me he liked me. I feel so embarrassed." She put her hands over her face and turned her head away.
"It's okay, Lyndsay. We all do stupid things. You'll get over it. You'll see," Hannah said.
"How are you girls going over there?" Hank called out.
"Fine, thanks. The dessert was really yummy," Maddy replied.
"How about a walk along the beach?" Sarah said. "We were thinking it'd be nice for us all to go."
"Sounds good, Mom. Real good."
The three girls walked beside the four adults along the beach that had now cooled down. Sarah was amazed at how well she and Hank got on with Lyndsay's parents, a couple from the big city, but obviously in need of friendship.
Lyndsay's mom, Yvonne, told her how they'd come away this time to try to sort out their marriage, but it wasn't until Lyndsay had gone missing that they’d realized they had it all wrong.
After Lyndsay had been found, they'd had a good chat, and promised each other they'd get some counseling when they returned home. She also promised Lyndsay that she'd spend more time with her. The shock of what had happened had jolted her out of her self-centeredness, and made her realize how much she'd been neglecting her only daughter.
Lyndsay's dad, Tony, told Hank about his research into increasing longevity. Hank asked him why he felt it was such an important issue. He didn't really have an answer when he thought about it. Hank, confident as always, then shared with him God's offer of eternal life – the real answer for those seeking to live a long life. Tony was quiet initially, but finally said he'd give it some more thought, especially as he used to be a believer.
> The three girls spent the remaining few days together, and by the time they came to leave, they'd formed friendships that would last for years.
"Make sure you write to me," Lyndsay said to Maddy as they waited at the airport a few days later.
"I sure will," Maddy said, and gave her the biggest hug ever.
Now, off to Smithtown, without Hannah… I wonder what adventures God has planned for me there?
EPILOGUE
The police issued the details the girls provided of the wanted men and Jake's girlfriend to all patrol cars, bus and train stations, and the airport.
Jake, his girlfriend, and the man who kidnapped Lyndsay were picked up at the airport just as they were about to board a plane to Los Angeles.
They faced court, along with the men who chased and caught Lyndsay the second time, and were all sent to jail.
Lyndsay's dad's top secret papers were returned to him, but after his conversation with Hank, he decided to put his time into researching a cure for cancer instead.
Lyndsay and Maddy wrote to each other the old fashioned way, every week or thereabouts, for more than a year.
Turn the page to find out what Maddy’s surprise is in “Trouble in Town” (Madeleine Richards Series Book 2), but before you do, if you've enjoyed Maddy's story so far, could I ask you (or your mom) to help other people find this book by writing a review and telling them why you liked it? Honest reviews of my books help bring them to the attention of other readers just like yourself, and I’d be very grateful if you could spare just five minutes to leave a review (it can be as short as you like) on the book’s Amazon page. You can jump right to the page by clicking here. Thank you!
BOOK 3 Trouble in Town
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The Madeleine Richards Box Set (The Madeleine Richards Series Book 4) Page 13
