by Traci DePree
“They’re coming from both directions, aren’t they?” he asked.
Kate nodded. “I understand coming from the south; it’s close by where we found Paul. But the kidnappers aren’t going to be able to survive in the wilderness that long, not if they have an injured man with them. And from what Paul managed to say yesterday, Marcus is on the brink. Unless...”—she paused to think—“unless they aren’t expecting to keep caring for him.”
Kate glanced around the room. Justin and James were playing games on their handheld electronic toys while Danny read a magazine. Kate glanced at James, thankful that he seemed to have worked out his differences with his parents.
“Meaning?” Livvy asked, pulling Kate’s attention back to the task at hand.
“Once they get what they want from Marcus, they’ll dump him, leave him for dead,” Kate said.
“What is it they want, then?” Joe leaned forward, his bald forehead furrowed in thought.
Just then the ICU nurse poked her head in the door. Everyone turned to hear what she had to report.
“Mrs. Hanlon?” she said, an expectant expression on her face.
“Yes.” Kate rose to her feet and met the woman’s gaze, her heart suddenly thumping in her chest as she anticipated what she was going to say.
“Your husband is awake.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Paul was sitting up in bed drinking juice through a straw when Kate and the others entered the room. She’d immediately called Rebecca’s cell with the news, so she and Eli were close behind.
“Where you been?” Paul asked, a grin spreading across his battered face.
Kate laughed, even as tears of relief fell down her cheeks. He pulled her into an embrace. Though his arms were weak, he held on tight. Kate closed her eyes and whispered a prayer of thanks that Paul was okay. When she pulled back, he wiped the tears from her cheeks and smiled into her eyes. How she loved this man!
Rebecca was waiting in line for her hug.
“Daddy, we were so scared,” she said as he held her.
“Shh,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere.” Then he brushed a strand of hair from her face and kissed her forehead.
The rest gathered at the foot of Paul’s bed. He paused to gaze at each face, and Kate reached for his hand.
“Did they find Marcus?” Paul asked.
“No.” Rebecca shook her head. “Search and rescue are looking, but still no word.”
“What exactly happened?” Joe Tucker asked. “How did you get yourself into this mess?”
Paul chuckled at the question, then shook his head. “I’m not completely sure, Joe!” he began, then looked at Rebecca. “Marcus had been so shaken after that mountain man pointed the gun at him, I was afraid he’d do something crazy. I’d never seen anyone so on edge. He kept looking around like someone was following him. Then when he took off, I felt instinctively that it was no pleasure hike. He’d taken his backpack, so I grabbed mine.” He shrugged. “Then when I saw the bear tracks and his pack all torn up, I was terrified of what could’ve happened to him.”
“When did you finally catch up with him?” Eli asked.
Paul scratched his head. “The days got a little confused, so I don’t remember if it was the second day or the third. I think it was the second. Right after the rainstorm. Wow, that was some storm!”
Kate squeezed his hand, remembering her fear for him during that time.
“There’s nothing like being in the middle of a big lightning storm without a tent,” Paul said. “The wind was howling, and the rain came down in sheets. If I hadn’t been in the situation I was in, I would’ve rather enjoyed it, I think.” He paused and grinned at Kate. “I’ll have you know I still remember how to start a fire with a flint.”
“But you had matches, didn’t you?” Kate recalled the waterproof ones he’d packed.
“Left them at camp,” Paul said. “I wished I’d had those iodine tablets too. Remember I left them on the dresser?”
Kate felt bad that she’d told him not to take them, and Paul squeezed her hand before changing the subject.
“Marcus broke his arm pretty bad. I splinted it, but...”—his eyes darkened, and he lifted his gaze to Rebecca—“he had a fever, honey. To be honest, I don’t think he was conscious when those men took him.” He turned to Kate. “They were the same men we saw at the Bristol.”
Kate nodded. “We were trying to reach you,” she said, “to warn you that something wasn’t right. We saw those men on Sunday snooping around Marcus’ rental car in front of the diner, and then they showed up at the house driving a stolen vehicle and claiming that Marcus was missing.”
“Missing?” Paul repeated. “So, why would they kidnap Marcus...and beat me up in the process?” He rubbed his bandaged forehead.
“We have ideas,” Kate said. “Marcus’ sister told us they’re loan sharks. And Sheriff Roberts said they’re wanted for racketeering and suspicion of murder.”
A look of fear filled Paul’s eyes. “So, that’s why Marcus freaked out like he did. He didn’t want anyone to find him, and when I finally did find him, he kept saying things about making sure Rebecca was safe.” He glanced at their daughter, and Kate saw her composure crumble.
“Do you have any idea where they took him?” Joe stayed focused. “Did you hear them say anything?”
Paul shook his head. “I don’t have a clue. But Marcus wasn’t doing well; I know that much. He’d been too cold for too long. He was acting really out of it. We’d stopped and camped for the night at the lean-to, then he had a fever that morning. He was burning up. I was afraid maybe he had an infection.” He took a deep breath before going on. “I’d tried to go get help, but then I was worried about him, so I turned back. I’d covered him with my survival blanket, but without sunlight, those things don’t do all that much. I was getting so worried that he’d...die.” His gaze flicked to Kate, and she patted his hand. “He seemed to be giving up. But when I got back to the lean-to, I saw the men there. At first I thought they were rescuers. They had the orange vests on. But the way they were talking...I just knew they weren’t there for good reasons. I confronted them and...”—he gingerly touched the bandaged spot on the back of his head—“A lot of good it did me. I got a few decent punches in, but without any real food or rest, I just didn’t have the strength to help Marcus.”
He turned to Rebecca and lifted her chin. “We’ll keep praying for him, honey. God knows where he is and if anyone can rescue Marcus, he can,” he said.
Her woe-filled expression tugged at Kate’s heart.
“It might be too late already, Daddy.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Paul may as well have been Lazarus, as quickly as he recovered from his ordeal. By noon he had been moved to a regular room and he was eating food again, though it was of the soft variety. His color had returned, and his skin began to regain some of its elasticity. The doctors confirmed that there was no permanent damage from the dehydration, and his temperature was at a perfect 98.6.
He was slurping Jell-O when a familiar voice at the door said, “Knock, knock.”
Paul and Kate turned to see Sam Gorman in the doorway. He was dressed in jeans and a wool shirt. His thick brown hair was combed back as if he were on his way to a high-school dance.
“Sam!” Paul said. “Come on in!”
He came into the room and shook his friend’s hand.
“Can’t tell you how glad I am that you’re okay,” he said.
“That goes double for me,” Paul replied. “Kate told me you were trying to have a heart attack.”
Sam waved the comment away. “I’m just dandy,” he said. “The doctor put me on a low-fat, low-salt, low-taste diet. We’ll see how long that lasts.” He laughed and grinned at Paul. “I’m about to head home with the others, but I had to see you for myself before I took off.”
“I hope I won’t be far behind you,” Paul said. “And maybe they’ll find Marcus before then.”
“I
wish there was something I could do,” Sam said.
“You can keep praying,” Kate suggested. “Never enough of that to go around.”
Sam nodded, looking at Paul. “That I can. Our prayers for you paid off, now, didn’t they? With you sitting here and looking well.” Sam’s expression turned serious. “I can’t tell you how hard it was, to have my good friend missing. I’m glad you’re back.”
They said their good-byes, and Sam quietly shut the door behind him. Livvy and her men stopped in a little later, along with Joe and the Wilsons. Now that they were no longer allowed to help in the search for Marcus, it seemed the time had arrived to head back home. They offered words of farewell and thankfulness that Paul was on the mend.
As the men went ahead to load up the rusted fifteen-passenger van that had brought them to the Smokies, Livvy lingered with Kate in the hallway outside Paul’s room.
“I can’t tell you how much it meant to have you with me this week,” Kate said.
“I was just going to say the same thing. And I wanted to thank you for all your help with James. I can see that his ordeal has opened him up to us in a new way. I didn’t realize that he’d started to shut us out; it happened so gradually.” She paused and smiled into Kate’s eyes. “Anyway, thanks for everything.”
The two women embraced, and a tear streamed down Kate’s cheek.
“See,” Livvy said, “I told you we wouldn’t leave until Paul was safe.”
“Thank you,” Kate said.
Livvy turned to go, and Kate watched until she disappeared around a corner. Then as she opened the door to her husband’s room, her cell phone rang. She fumbled in her handbag, making a mental note to invest in a smaller one, then hit the TALK button. “This is Kate.”
“Kate, it’s Sheriff Roberts.”
“What is it? Have you found him?” Kate asked as she exchanged a worried look with Paul.
“No, Kate. Sorry. But we did find the other car, the one they took from Willy’s Bait and Tackle.”
Kate inhaled sharply.
“There were ransom notes,” the sheriff said. “Looked like rough drafts of something they may plan to send to the authorities. We’re thinking that may be their plan, and why they’re trying to get Marcus out of the mountains. It’s a theory, but it’s the best we’ve got.”
“Ransom?” Kate said in disbelief.
Paul shifted in his bed, waiting and watching as Kate listened.
“Does MaryAnne know?” Kate asked.
“She’s here with me,” the sheriff said, “so, yes, she’s aware of the situation.”
“Would their family pay if—?” Kate began.
“I’ve advised them not to, but we aren’t quite at that point yet,” he reminded her.
“Of course,” she said.
When Kate closed her phone, she was puzzled. Ransom? Something about that just didn’t seem right to her. As she thought about it, she realized what it was. MaryAnne had said they’d known the Sacco brothers since childhood. She said that if that were true, the brothers would have known that Marcus wasn’t a person of means. Had they simply been grasping at straws, or had they chased Marcus here in hopes of finding someone who would cover his gambling debts for him? And if so, from whom could they demand payment?
Paul was studying her face, obviously waiting for her to fill him in on the details. “Ransom?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“They found a stolen car belonging to Willy Bergren and ransom notes inside,” Kate began.
Just then, Eli and Rebecca came in from another walk. Eli was carrying a large black bag.
“Hey, Daddy,” Rebecca said, bending to kiss her father on the cheek. Then she glanced at her mother. “What’s wrong?” she asked, obviously reading the expression on Kate’s face.
“Sheriff Roberts just called to say they found the car the men stole from Copper Mill.”
“Oh?” Rebecca glanced at Eli. “Was that all he had to say?”
Kate shook her head. “There were ransom notes in the car,” she went on, “but they were only rough drafts. We aren’t positive that’s what they were actually planning.”
Rebecca took a chair as if she needed a rest to let the news soak in.
“So...um,” Eli said, pointing over his shoulder toward the door, “The guys dropped off Paul’s camping gear...Where would you like me to put it?”
“In the trunk of my car,” Kate said. “I’ll go down with you. I want to get a soda from the machine anyway.” She glanced at Rebecca, who was still trying to comprehend the news. “You stay here with Daddy, okay?”
Rebecca nodded.
Eli and Kate walked toward the Honda that was parked in the visitor’s lot. They hadn’t said anything to each other since they left the room, and Kate wondered what was on the young man’s mind. He kept glancing at her and chewing his lower lip as if he was nervous.
“I have to tell you, Kate,” he finally said, “I really like your daughter.”
Kate glanced at him, and a blush immediately flamed across his face. “I didn’t mean it like that...” He cleared his throat.
“How did you mean it, Eli?” Kate teased. Then she said seriously, “I think she likes you too. She’s needed a friend in all of this.”
“Yeah,”—his head bobbed up and down—“a friend. She must really care about Marcus.”
“Sure she does,” Kate said, “but you never know with those actors.”
He smiled shyly at her as they reached the car. Kate unlocked the trunk and tugged it open. Looking inside, she was surprised to see Marcus’ black suitcase sitting there. She had forgotten that Rebecca had brought it along when they’d first left Copper Mill. She began to move it to the side to make room for Paul’s bag, when a thought occurred to her.
After the Sacco brothers had been to the house, it looked as if Marcus’ suitcase had been rummaged through. Kate had assumed the brothers had done it, but was starting to wonder if maybe they weren’t the ones who had stolen Rebecca’s ring after all. She remembered the way Marcus had talked about the heirloom, the way he’d seemed eager to see it and know its value. What if the men hadn’t taken the ring, she considered, but instead, Marcus had taken it to pay back his gambling debt?
Her gaze traveled to Eli as if the thought had been so loud, he might have heard it too.
He looked at her curiously. “You okay, Kate?”
“Can you get that other bag out?” she said.
He shrugged and lifted the black suitcase to the ground. Kate immediately bent to unzip it. Piece by piece, she emptied the suitcase, examining each article carefully. Then she checked every side pocket and inside pocket. There was nothing.
Eli squatted next to her and asked, “What are we looking for?”
“Rebecca’s ring,” she said.
He sat back in obvious shock.
Then she noticed that the suitcase had a false bottom, with a layer of nylon Velcroed on top of another. She peeled it away, and there taped to the outside section of the suitcase was the sapphire-and-diamond ring.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
By Sunday morning, the doctors were ready to release Paul from the hospital. He was still thin, and he hadn’t regained all of his strength, but he was well enough to finish his recuperation at home.
“I think I should stay at the motel with Marcus’ sister,” Rebecca announced. “I can’t just leave Marcus out there, without...” She shrugged and glanced at Eli, who was leaning against the windowsill.
Kate was thankful that he’d been with them through everything. Even when everyone else had headed back to Copper Mill the day before, he had remained. Kate knew it was because of his growing affection for Rebecca, and yet she also knew that her daughter was confused and vulnerable.
“After all Marcus has done,” Rebecca went on, “I still don’t want anything to happen to him.”
She looked frail, as if she might shatter. There hadn’t been any new developments on the search for Marcus, despite the discovery of the
kidnappers’ stolen car and the ransom notes. The impression Kate got when she’d last spoken to Sheriff Roberts was that this was their last chance to find him. If they didn’t, they would announce that they were halting operations the following day. So far, the search area had simply proven to be too vast and the kidnappers too conniving.
“Honey, I understand that you feel responsible to stay here for Marcus, and you can make your own choices. But I think you might need us right now.” Kate placed a comforting hand on Rebecca’s arm. “There’s nothing you can do for Marcus that isn’t already being done. And to be honest, honey, we need you too.”
Rebecca fell into her mother’s arms, crying, yet visibly relieved. “I needed to hear that,” she said on an exhaled breath. “I do need you.”
So it was settled. Rebecca would leave the wilderness and Marcus behind.
THE DRIVE BACK to Copper Mill was pleasant enough. Kate drove, while Paul slept in the backseat with Eli beside him. Rebecca rode shotgun. She’d been quiet most of the ride, and Kate could only guess that she was thinking about Marcus and everything that had happened during the past week.
The panorama of autumn spread before them as they crested each hill, then dipped into shaded tunnels of color. The road turned south, and Kate flipped on the radio to a classical station, allowing the lull of the music to ease the stress in her body.
She had been thinking about the ring. She glanced at it on Rebecca’s hand. Did the Sacco brothers know about it and its value? New thoughts began to formulate: Had Marcus told them about it? Perhaps he had promised it to them before he and Rebecca left New York. She couldn’t know the answer to that question, but it tugged at her.
She assumed the Sacco brothers had looked through the suitcase at the house. But she wondered if they had assumed that Marcus had already taken the ring, and perhaps was running from them, when they couldn’t find it. If they had known about its existence and had been unable to find it, that would explain why they’d gone after Marcus in the woods. But what would they do with Marcus once they discovered that the ring wasn’t on him? Leave him for dead? The thought chilled her. Would they think Marcus had been lying to them all along? The men were already wanted for suspicion of murder. She pictured Paul, so beaten up by the two brutes.
