“But if I gave him my word—he’s got to know I’d do anything to protect my kids, that I’m desperate.” Vanessa watched the officer weigh her words and feared he’d decide against her plan. “What other options do we have? If he leaves the country, you’ll have no way of getting him back. Don’t we have to act fast?”
Perez put his open palms in the air. “The FBI is sending a team. Let me radio them and see what they think.”
Vanessa nodded and leaned back against the kitchen countertop, chewing the sandwich that would have tasted delicious under any other circumstances. What else could she do? She hoped Virgil and Arthur didn’t show up until after the backup officers arrived, but at the same time, she wasn’t going to hide and wait for them to leave if this was the only chance she might have to capture them. If they got away, she and her children would never be safe.
EIGHT
“Mind if I join you?” Eric asked, unsure where he’d go if Vanessa said she wanted to be alone.
“Sure.” The lone word was nearly inaudible, but Vanessa’s shrug seemed to indicate she was beyond caring about little things at the moment. She wanted to catch Arthur Sherman before he fled the country. Compared to that, his presence next to her didn’t mean much.
Eric could understand her frustration. Of course it made sense to try to nab the guy while they still could. She’d never be safe until he was caught—especially not if he had a spoken history of ordering hits against his enemies, regardless of whether he was anywhere around. He could be lounging on a foreign beach when he ordered his men to kill her.
Unless they caught him before he got away.
The only thing that bothered him was her plan to use herself as bait. Everything had happened so quickly, and he knew he needed time to sort out a proper response to Vanessa’s sudden reappearance in his life. But one thing he knew for certain: now that she was back, he would never forgive himself if he let anything happen to her again.
Sherman’s human-trafficking ring had already stolen the past eight years of her life. Eric couldn’t stand the thought that they would take anything more from her.
Much as he didn’t want Vanessa to ever put herself in harm’s way again, Eric felt a stirring inside him. If Sherman wasn’t caught, Vanessa and her children would never know peace. They’d have to live in hiding, always alert for danger...assuming they escaped at all.
It wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t the kids’ fault their father was a criminal. Vanessa loved them dearly, in spite of the horrible circumstances that surrounded their births. As Eric contemplated their situation, he felt his affections swell. Vanessa was right. They had to keep the kids safe, to give them a chance at a normal life.
As a teacher, he’d often been told that he treated his students as if they were his own children. He wasn’t sure about that, but Vanessa’s kids? He could love them as his own, if he had the chance.
While he was absorbed in his thoughts, Vanessa finished her sandwich and rolled the napkin into a ball. He could hear Deputy Perez, over by the window, speaking intently into his radio. Eric realized this was his best opportunity to talk to Vanessa. He wanted to ask her about her faith.
When she’d disappeared eight years before, he’d had to accept the fact she might be dead. Knowing that she’d been raised in the church, had always taken her faith seriously and loved Jesus, Eric’s greatest comfort was his certainty that her soul was safe.
But what had happened to her faith in the past eight years? She’d thanked God in the car earlier, but he needed to know if her words were real or empty. Anything might happen before morning dawned. He had to know his friend would be okay.
“Vanessa?”
“Hmm?” She finished off her can of soda, then met his eyes.
Eric wished he had the luxury of easing into the subject, but he suspected Officer Perez would finish his conversation any moment, and then there would be no more time for him to talk privately with Vanessa. So he had to ask bluntly, “Are you still a Christian?”
Her eyes widened. “I haven’t been to church in over eight years. I didn’t have the option. Church was one of Jeff’s biggest fears. For the same reason, I haven’t had a Bible.”
“You can be a Christian without those things,” Eric reassured her, worried she might think he was judging her.
The fear in her eyes softened. “At first, I was really mad at God that these things happened to me. But after a while, I realized I didn’t have anyone else I could lean on, anyone else I could trust. I had to lean on God for strength and support. In some ways, my faith is stronger than ever. God got me and my kids out of that house yesterday. And I like to believe God is going to get me through this, today, one way or another.”
“One way or another?” Eric repeated.
“If I have to face Arthur Sherman...” Vanessa’s voice wavered, but she fought for control and continued, “I have prayed every day that my kids would escape, that they would never have to live in fear for another minute of their lives. If that means I don’t walk away today, I’m okay with that, as long as they’re free. That’s why I’d rather face these guys and try to capture them than run and live in fear forever. I prayed to God. He brought me this far. I believe God will see me through this.”
Eric realized he’d taken her hand again. He opened his mouth to tell her how proud he was of her, how pleased he felt to know her faith was strong and how much he really cared for her.
But Deputy Perez stepped in front of them, clearing his throat before announcing, “The feds will be here in half an hour. They’ve agreed with your plan to try to call Arthur Sherman, to lure him here with the promise of a meeting. Once they’re in place, you can leave. But there’s a very real possibility, if you choose to go through with this, that they might arrive before the feds, and it will be up to us to detain them.”
Vanessa didn’t hesitate. “They’re probably on their way already. At least if I call them it will give us some knowledge of their whereabouts and intentions. We can plan ahead, be ready. We can take them by surprise, instead of the other way around.” She stepped away from leaning against the countertop and straightened. “Let’s do this.”
* * *
Vanessa stared at the phone Eric held out to her. “I shouldn’t use your phone. That would lead them to you.”
“They already know your sister sold me the cabin, right? That’s why they’re coming here. They trailed my Mustang for miles—I can only assume they know how to look up the plates. You and I are in this together. The only way for me to get out of it is if the FBI catches these guys, same as for you.” He pressed the phone into her hands. “If you use a sheriff’s deputy’s phone, that would make these guys suspicious.”
Deputy Perez and Deputy Abbott both agreed with Eric’s reasoning, so Vanessa took the phone. There was no point in putting off the call any longer. It wouldn’t cause the bad guys to arrive any sooner—if anything, she might be able to arrange a meeting time that allowed the feds time to arrive and take positions around the property.
The deputies coached her on what to say. The traffickers had to believe she was calling on her own. The fact that she’d called at all would arouse their suspicions, so she had to present her case from a desperate point of view.
No problem. She felt desperate.
Vanessa’s fingers trembled so badly she didn’t think she could dial. Fortunately she’d seen Virgil’s phone number on Jeff’s phone enough times she didn’t think she’d ever forget it. The phone rang and rang, until she feared no one would answer.
Finally, just as she was certain her call was going to go to voice mail, Virgil’s unmistakable voice answered. “Yeah?”
Slightly thrown off by his unconventional greeting, Vanessa struggled to recall what she’d been planning to say.
“This is Madison Nelson.” She gave them the name they knew, an
d hoped by doing so she might never have to claim the name again. “I want you to leave me alone.”
“Now, Madison, you know that’s not possible. You’ve got something that belongs to us. We need it back.”
She wondered if they knew what she had. Probably, they’d sent someone to check Jeff’s office, and that person had told them what was missing. She wasn’t surprised. “If I give it back, will you leave me and my kids alone?”
“I believe we could work something out.”
The conversation crawled by, each second ticked off by Vanessa’s hammering heart. Virgil and his men were already on their way to the cabin. They were willing to agree to meet her there. They could be there in twenty minutes. Vanessa needed to come alone. If they saw anyone else, or even thought they saw anyone else, the deal would be off.
Her mouth dry, Vanessa could barely ask the important question. “Is Arthur Sherman with you?”
“Who? Why would he be with me?” Virgil’s words denied it, but the anger in his voice revealed that he didn’t like her knowing the name of his boss.
“He needs to be with you when you come to the cabin,” Vanessa insisted.
“We’ll see about that. Twenty minutes,” Virgil snapped, and the call ended.
Vanessa stared at the phone in her hand, unsure if the risk she’d taken would even pay off. If Arthur Sherman didn’t show, she’d be risking everything for nothing. Granted, they might catch Virgil and his men, but she’d already concluded cutting off an arm would only upset the monster.
Eric stepped forward, took the phone from her trembling hand and wrapped a supportive arm around her. She met his eyes, unsure whether his gaze held apology or hope. The conversation had given them a timeline, but it wasn’t the timeline they’d hoped for. The FBI agents had said they’d arrive in half an hour—maybe closer to twenty-five minutes, taking into consideration the time that had passed since Deputy Perez had spoken with them.
And Virgil said he’d be there in twenty minutes—ahead of the agents. And they didn’t dare let him see the FBI agents arriving—he’d either run or panic and shoot everyone. Neither option was good.
As long as Virgil didn’t arrive early, they’d have twenty minutes to figure out a plan and get everything set up. It wasn’t long.
While Perez called the FBI to update them on the result of Vanessa’s phone conversation, the other three debated a course of action.
“We’ll have to stall them as long as possible,” Vanessa reasoned. “The FBI should arrive five minutes after Virgil and his men. Five minutes. We can stall them that long, don’t you think?”
“It’s going to feel like a long five minutes,” Eric reasoned. “Anything could happen in that amount of time. I don’t think you should be here. We still have time to get you out, get you to safety.”
“And if I’m not here, do you really think they’re going to stick around and wait for the feds to show up? Once they get off this road, they can go in any direction. They can disappear and track me down at their leisure. If I don’t face them now, with police backup, then I pretty much guarantee I’m going to face them again at the worst possible moment. I know how these guys operate.”
“If you really want to face them, you’ll need to wear body armor under your clothes,” Deputy Abbott told her gravely. “I’ve got an extra set in the car. Don’t think they won’t try to shoot you, even after you hand over the evidence.”
“I’m fine with that,” Vanessa agreed, glad the body armor was available. She’d been facing these guys for the past eight years without nearly so much protection. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Perez coordinated their plans with the FBI agents over the phone. There was no way the agents could get there any sooner, although, based on the information the agents were currently digging up on links to the Flaming Pheasant restaurant chain and missing-person cases, they were willing to dispatch a helicopter. The only catch was, the aircraft would be coming from too far away to arrive any sooner than the vehicles already en route.
That left the four of them, on the ground, to coordinate a plan.
“I’ll meet them on the porch, out in the open, where they can see me and you can see me, where the FBI can see them the moment they arrive,” Vanessa decided as Abbott laid out her options. “If you guys can lie in wait, ready to intervene if things go south.”
“I’ll hide in the garage,” Perez volunteered, eyeing the property through the window. With the autumn trees and bushes bare of leaves, there were very few hiding places available. “I’ll have my gun ready. We want to bring these guys in alive, if at all possible, but I’m not going to risk any harm coming to you. You’re our key witness.”
“I hid our patrol car in the garage,” Abbott informed him. “Take the keys—I’ll depend on you to give chase if they try to flee on wheels. I’ll take a position in the upstairs window. Assuming they park in front of the cabin, that will give me a vantage point from above. Let me run and fetch that body armor.” While the officer hurried outside, Eric turned to Perez.
“Where do you want me?”
Perez frowned. “You’re a civilian.”
“So?”
“I’m not going to tell you where to go or what to do. In any other situation, I’d tell you to stay far away. But this is your property, and given the circumstances—”
Understanding twinkled in Eric’s eyes, and he nodded. “There’s a tree stand in the woods, just beyond the cabin. It offers a clear view of the cabin, but it’s camouflaged, and they’re probably not going to be looking that direction, anyway. I’ll take my binoculars and my shotgun—”
Perez clamped a hand on Eric’s arm. “You are not an officer of the law. You can use that shotgun for self-defense only.”
“If they have a gun, and it’s pointed at me—”
“If they have a gun and are using it to threaten you or someone you love—that constitutes self-defense. But bottom line—you shoot somebody, you could be charged with murder. Do you understand?”
Eric’s jaw hardened. “I’m not going to break any laws,” he promised. “But I’m also not going to sit by and let these guys get away.”
“I respect that,” Perez assured him, letting go of his arm.
Abbott returned with the body armor. “We are seven minutes to ETA. You need to put this on, and we need to get out of sight.” Deputy Abbott looked at Perez. “Boys, a little privacy?”
“One moment.” Perez grabbed the CPU and pulled the cover off. “If she really does have to hand this over, just to stall them, I don’t want to risk giving away evidence.” He glanced around the room. “Got anything heavy I can put in here?”
Eric grabbed a few books off a nearby shelf. “These should weigh the right amount, but if they take a close look at this—”
“FBI should be here by then.”
“Should?” Eric repeated.
“We’re doing the best we can with very little time to prepare. You have a better idea?”
“I think you two need to hide,” Abbott told them both. Then she turned to Vanessa with sympathy. “Are you ready?”
“Ready to end this?” Vanessa reached for the body armor. “You better believe I’m ready.”
NINE
The sun was only just starting to rise, spreading a misty haze of illumination across the Illinois hills. In the woods, the autumn leaves had turned brown, but the stubborn oaks wouldn’t drop their leaves until the new spring growth pushed out the old. Between the evergreen trees and the brown leaves, Eric would be well hidden. And from his perch on Vanessa’s grandfather’s old hunting stand, he’d be able to see down the ravine, all the way to the cabin, without anyone spotting him.
He wouldn’t be in the way of the FBI agents once they arrived, nor would he tip off the criminals that anyone else was around. He wasn’t sure he’d be of
any help to Vanessa this far from the cabin, but he also wasn’t going to get her in worse trouble by letting on that she wasn’t alone. He had his shotgun loaded, ready to defend her in any way he could.
From the vantage point of the tree stand ten feet off the ground, he watched as the professionals set their trap. Abbott took her position inside the cabin on the second floor. He saw her shadow move across the upstairs windows overlooking the porch—the same window through which Debbi had watched Vanessa arrive the night before. She’d have a good view of the yard. If Virgil or any of his men tried to pull a gun, she’d be ready.
When she’d parked the patrol car out of sight, Abbot had pulled Vanessa’s scarred Sequoia from the garage and left it sitting in the open, a sign to the traffickers that they’d come to the right place.
Perez hid in the garage.
Vanessa was in the house, alone, except for Abbott upstairs.
Eric hunkered down to wait, praying the traffickers would take their time, maybe even arrive a few minutes late...just not so late that the FBI arrived at the same moment. If that happened, the bad guys would surely flee before they even arrived, and the FBI might never get close enough to chase them down.
Crouched low on the tree stand, Eric made himself as small as possible to avoid detection and kept his eyes trained on the cabin. He couldn’t help wishing he could be there beside Vanessa as she waited. He knew she had to be terrified. The deputies had warned her there was still a chance, in spite of her body armor and their protective weapons backing her up, that Virgil and his men could still take her out while she was out in the open. The criminals would be most likely to aim for her torso, head shots being notoriously difficult to make. But even with the bulletproof vest protecting the part of her body they were most likely to hit, she was still vulnerable. Not as vulnerable as she’d be every day of her life, for the rest of her life, if these guys weren’t caught...but still vulnerable.
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