She giggled, “Yes, I remember my dad asking me what kind of foreign language they were teaching us at school. I always thought it was something that even though no one else knew what we were saying, we did.”
“It wouldn’t have taken them much to figure it out, if they’d only paid attention.”
Suddenly, his cell phone rang and he excused himself, noting it was Greg on the screen. “What’s up?” he answered.
“You still in East Tennessee?” Greg asked, without preamble.
“Yeah, why?”
“I just thought you should know to watch your back.”
“Why? What’s goin’ on?” Mark asked him.
“Big John escaped last night, and one of his cell mates talked. He said that all Big John had talked about was coming after you and finishing what he started.”
“But he doesn’t know where I’m from, does he?”
“I don’t know, man. I’ve still not figured out how your cover was blown, so if there’s an inside leak, anything is possible.”
Mark hadn’t thought of the possibility of there being a mole inside the department. “Do you think I should come back there?”
Greg nixed that idea, “Nah. I’d say you’re safer there. He’d look here first.”
Nodding his head in agreement, “Yeah you’re right. Just keep me posted.” They talked for a few more minutes and then Mark hung up his phone and went back to Julia.
“Everything alright?” she inquired.
“Yeah. That was just Greg, checking in, wanting to see how my leg was doing” he lied.
She smiled, “Okay. He sounds like a nice guy from everything you’ve told me about him.”
“He’s the best, Jules. He’s become like a brother to me. I want you to meet him someday. You’ll like him.”
****
A few blocks away, Big John sat in the car he had hot-wired in Nashville for his getaway the night before. Pulling out a picture in his pocket, he looked at it and said aloud, “Mark Turner, you’re dead.” Then, he gave an evil laugh, when he pulled out the wedding picture of the girl he’d found when he’d swiped Mark’s wallet a few weeks ago. That’s when he’d discovered his real identity. He’d kill her first, and make Turner watch. Big John would make him pay for spying on them and putting him and his men in the big house. Laughing louder, he thought it was pretty funny that Turner never figured out how they found out who he was. John had just needed a couple of extra dollars, and he’d pickpocketed the pig’s wallet. Pickpocketing is where his criminal wave had started, so he was better than the best at it. Most people wouldn’t believe it, as big as he was, never once thinking he could get away with it. That’s what makes me so good at it, he thought, no one suspects me. Once he’d taken his wallet, though, he’d made photocopies of everything in it, including his driver’s license and the pictures. He’d replaced them all in the wallet, and Turner had never been the wiser. Idiot, he sneered.
Big John already had the scene set up. All he had to do now was watch and wait for the perfect opportunity to make his move. Rubbing his hands together in anticipation, he couldn’t wait to get his hands on Turner and the girl.
****
Julia had moved into the house the week before, and she had been trying to get settled in. Ellen had already been by to give her input on the décor. Looking around, Julia realized that Ellen really did have a knack for these things. Knowing Mark would be coming over for supper later, she decided to go to the local mini-mart and pick up a few groceries, unaware there was a man in the woods behind her house waiting for his moment to strike.
****
Perfect , Big John thought. He had been following Turner and his little lady for the last two days, although he had to wonder about the reason behind the separate living arrangements. After he watched her leave, he crept into the house. Laughing, he was thankful for the trust this small-town had toward everyone, leaving their doors unlocked where anyone could get in. Now all he had to do was hide and wait for her return. ****
An hour later, Julia returned home and put groceries up. Gradually, she became mindful of something different. Looking around, she tried to pinpoint exactly why she had that feeling. Then, she noticed the back door, slightly ajar. Huh, she thought, I don’t remember leaving that open. She walked over and closed it. Suddenly, a beefy hand clamped over her mouth at the same time another one wrapped around her midsection and lifted her off of the floor. Kicking wildly, she knew her foot made a connection but it didn’t seem to faze her intruder. When he began dragging her backwards, she struggled to come up with a plan. The next thing she became conscious of, she was being tossed into the front seat of her SUV. He climbed in behind her, pointing a gun at her, “Scream or move and I’ll blow a hole through you. Got me?” She merely nodded in response, knowing instinctively that this was the man, Big John, Mark had told her about. Julia had taken self-defense classes years ago, but all of her training seemed to have gone out the window. She couldn’t remember a thing. She just closed her eyes and prayed.
****
Abby was on her way to Julia’s house to drop off some documents when she met her friend’s red SUV speeding in the opposite direction. That’s weird, she thought. I know I told her I’d be over around three. Maybe she had to run a last minute errand. I’ll just lay them on her kitchen table and she’ll find them when she gets back. As an afterthought, she said aloud, “But who was that man driving?”
After she had pulled into Julia’s driveway, she noticed the front door standing open. Wondering what was going on, she pulled her handgun out of her purse. She had a permit to carry one, for protection. When she entered the house, she noticed the table lamp in the floor, but most telling that something was wrong was the fact that Julia’s cell phone and purse remained on the entry table. Julia never went anywhere without her cell phone. Quickly, she called Ellen and Jae to get over there.
Once they arrived, they agreed that something was definitely up. Ellen said, “I hate to, but we need to call Mark. I’m sure his number is in her cell phone.” She proceeded to pick it up and check. Nodding, she dialed it and when he answered, she said, “No, Mark. This is Ellen. Something’s up. I think you need to come over to Julia’s,” and briefly explained the situation. She hung up and turned to them, “He’s on his way.”
~Chapter 8~
Mark’s heart was in his
throat as he raced over to Julia’s. From what Ellen had described, it didn’t sound good. Once he reached her house, he didn’t bother cutting off the engine. Running in, he saw the three friends standing around the entry table. He looked at Abby, “Tell me what you saw.”
Abby described the man she saw driving Julia’s SUV, and Mark shut his eyes. “Big John.”
In unison, he heard three different versions of, “Who?”
Not seeing the need to worry them more, he just said, “Never mind. I need to call Matt.” Julia’s brother was a deputy for the sheriff’s department, and since Matt already knew the basics of the case, it would save Mark from having to explain it again. When he had explained the situation to Matt, Mark suggested to Ellen, Abby and Jae, “Why don’t you ladies go over to her parents’ house and wait there? I’ll be over there soon to explain it to them. If they ask why you’re there, just tell them I had asked you to meet me there.” They nodded in agreement, and went on their way. After they left, he dialed Greg’s number and briefly filled him in. The latter assured him he’d be there as soon as he could.
When Matt got there, Mark told him everything Abby had saw, and then added, “I may be wrong, but I think it’s Big John.”
Matt snapped his head around and narrowed his eyes at Mark, “Big John? I thought he was in jail.”
“He escaped a few nights ago.”
Matt bellowed, “And you never bothered to inform us of this fact?”
Sighing, Mark defended himself, “My partner and I both felt he wouldn’t know where to find me; that he would stay around Nashville looking for me.”
Matt shook his head, “You know for a detective, you can be pretty stupid sometimes.”
Putting his hands on his hips, Mark snapped, “We can fight later. Right now, we need to find Jules.”
“Whatever. Keep your cell phone on in case they call,” Matt bit back.
****
Julia had never expected to be in this kind of predicament. The only thing she knew to do was pay attention to where he was taking her, and maybe she could give some kind of clue if she got a chance to call Mark. When they reached the lake, she narrowed her eyes, determined to remain calm. She had heard too many horror stories about bodies being dumped in oceans and lakes. She refused to be another statistic.
Big John parked the SUV and jerked her across the seat, picking her up like a sack of potatoes once they exited the vehicle. She noticed a houseboat out of the corner of her eye, and realized they were getting closer to it. Immediately, she began searching her brain for movie titles so if she got the chance to talk to Mark, he’d know how to find her. Big John didn’t know she and Mark had a code to communicate. And, if she played her cards right, he would never see it coming.
Julia was sickened when she reached the living area down below. The smell of beer was so strong, she felt like she was going to throw up. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, held it and counted to ten to get her stomach control. Big John against the far demanded her to sit. Once she sat down, he pulled out a roll of duct tape. He taped her wrists together behind her securely and taped her ankles to the back under pushed her
wall and chair legs. He then slapped a strip across her mouth.
Big John sneered at her, “We’ll give your husband enough time to discover you gone, and we’ll give him a little call. It sure is gonna be fun to let him watch what I do to you. Teach him to mess with me and my business. I’ll be back soon. Gotta get rid of your car.”
****
Big John drove her car to a cliff he had seen when he’d first got into town. He’d noticed it was deep enough that he could push her car over and no one would be the wiser. Once he got there, he stepped out and reached back in, slammed it out of park and pushed it over the edge. He watched it turn end over end as it went down, laughing hysterically when it hit bottom. As soon as it burst into flames, he thought, even better. He walked back up the road a few blocks to where he’d hid his stolen car, and drove back to the lake.
****
Mark wished he’d hear something already. He had been walking holes in the carpet since he’d reached her parents’ house. It had been nearly two hours, and still nothing. He didn’t even know where to begin looking. The women had congregated to the kitchen and the men were in the living room. When the doorbell rang, they all raced to the foyer but Mark beat them to the door. Swinging it open, he had never been happier to see his partner, Greg, on the other side. “Greg, thank God! Do you know anything?”
Greg nodded at everyone, and then said, “No, nothing yet. A car was hotwired less than an hour after Big John escaped, and I have someone looking into that. There may not be any connection, but we gotta follow all leads. Has he called for a ransom?”
Mark pulled him aside, “If he calls, it won’t be for a ransom. He’s gonna kill her, I know it. I just have that feeling.”
Greg slapped him on the back, “Man, stay positive. You don’t know that’s what he’s planning.”
Hearing someone clear their throat, he turned around and saw everyone gathered around, with questioning looks on their faces. Mark was in the middle of introducing Greg to everyone when his phone rang. Looking around, he pulled it out of his pocket, motioned for everyone to be quiet and put it on speaker. “Hello?”
“Well, hello, Turner. Remember me?” the voice on the other end asked.
“Big John, I heard you got out of jail. How’d the slammer treat ya?” Mark asked.
Yelling into the phone, Big John said, “Do you really wanna test me now? You got a perty little bride here, Turner. What I’d like to know is why you don’t live with this perty little thing.”
“That’s none of your business. Let me talk to her.”
“Now why in the world would I want to let you do something like that for?”
“It’s me that you want, Big John. Let her go and you can do whatever you want to me.”
“Oh I’ll get you. But I have her now,” he added a malicious laugh.
Feeling cold chills going down his spine, Mark begged, “Please Big John, just let me speak to her, so I’ll know she’s okay.”
“Fine! But you have five seconds, better make it count.” Mark heard a rip and then heard Julia whimper before she got on the phone, “Mark?”
“Julia! Are you okay? Has he hurt you? Where are you?” he asked frantically.
“I’m fine. All is dead calm during the perfect storm.” Suddenly the phone went dead.
Greg spoke up, “All is dead calm during the perfect storm? What the heck did that mean?”
Mark realizing what she’d done, he held up a finger for quiet, and tried to think. “Dead Calm. Perfect Storm. Those are boat movies, aren’t they?”
Everyone looked puzzled, except for Matt, “Yes, they are both set on a boat, why?”
Mark smiled, saying on his way out the door, “Because my dear brother-in-law, she’s on a boat.”
He became aware of Matt and Greg on his heels, “Wait up, we’re coming with you.” When they all climbed in his jeep, Matt remarked, “So that’s what that stupid code was y’all used to talk, ain’t it?”
Grinning, Mark said, “Yep. We always thought it was funny because y’all would’ve figured it out if you’d just listened, but none of you never bothered.”
Matt shook his head, “Well I’ll be.”
Cutting in, Greg said, “How far are we from where any boats would be docked?”
“There’s a lake just on the outside of town.” Glancing at Greg, he added, “She drives a red SUV, so keep your eye out for it.”
Matt remarked, “There’s an APB out on her vehicle. If it’s spotted, someone will call me.” ****
Big John ripped the phone away from Julia’s ear, “What was that crap about a storm?”
Thinking fast, she replied, “I’m a second grade teacher. I talk funny.” She breathed a sigh of relief when that seemed to appease him.
All of a sudden, he reached down and undone her feet from the chair legs. He picked her up and carried her outside, where there was a motorboat waiting. She hadn’t seen that when they’d first gotten there, so she wondered where it had come from. He threw her into the bottom of it and climbed in, starting the motor. With the boat idling, Big John taped her ankles together and put another strip of tape across her mouth. Great, she thought. Julia had hoped he would forget and she could manage to find a way to remove the tape from her wrists. Looking around her, she prayed there would be something sharp she could get her hands on and still be able to cut herself loose.
Suddenly, he cast off, tossing her back to the floor of the boat. Struggling to sit back up, she looked around to try to figure out which direction they were going. She knew this lake wasn’t all that big, so she figured he obviously hadn’t done his homework. There weren’t many places he could hide, unless he just parked it in the middle of the lake. But, that wouldn’t work, either. Eventually, someone else would come through in their boat and find them. Unless, she thought, shuddering, he’s just taking me out here to dump me then he’ll go back to shore. I’ve got to figure a way out of here.
~Chapter 9~
Mark had reached the lake area and was passing by slow, when suddenly, Matt pointed out a houseboat that hadn’t been there before. Mark made a U-turn and parked up on the road, so they could walk the path leading to the lake and make a discreet entrance. Once they made it down the small hill on foot, they hid behind a tree to look around and listen. Greg had a pair of binoculars and he was looking to see if there was any movement on the boat. When he saw none, he shook his head and motioned for Mark to go ahead. Guns raised
, they stepped on the boat silently. Hearing a beeping sound, they stopped and done a quick scan of the immediate area, until their gazes landed on a digital read-out counting down. All at once, they realized what it was and dove into the water. Seconds later, the houseboat had been blown into smithereens and bits of wood began flying at them. Mark felt some hit him, but he didn’t care. He started screaming Julia’s name over and over, thinking she had been on that boat.
Greg swam over and said, “Relax, man. He’s probably watching and getting sick pleasure out of your reaction. I don’t think she was on that boat. She’s with him, I know it.”
They heard a vehicle up on the main road and went to investigate, only to discover Julia’s dad’s truck pulling a boat on a trailer. Matt asked, “What are you doing here?”
“After we figured out where you were going, I hurried up and hooked this thing up. Thought you might need it,” William answered.
Agreeing, they helped him back his truck up to the lake so they could unload the boat. Once that was taken care of, Greg, Matt and Mark got in, with the latter telling William, “You need to stay here in case you see them. But stay out of sight. Call Matt on his cell phone if you spot them. There’s an extra gun in my glove compartment if you need it.”
Since Matt knew more about operating a boat than the other two, he started the motor and cast off, not knowing what they were going to find.
Mark had to yell in order to be heard over the motor, “When we get out of sight, stop the boat, so we can listen for other boats in the area.”
Matt nodded his head in acknowledgement, while the other two searched the lake. ****
About a half of a mile away, Julia heard the explosion. Big John burst out with maniacal laughter, and her blood ran cold, knowing she was going to die at the hands of that monster.
He gave her an evil grin, “Not exactly how I had planned it. I wanted to kill you first and make him watch. But sometimes ya gotta adjust when situations change. I know you told him where to find you. I’m not sure how yet, but I feel it in my gut. I learned a long time ago that when my gut talks, I listen.”
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