by Irene Hannon
"Less than ten minutes"
"Okay. Here's how we're set up for your arrival:"
As Nick listened, he glanced over his shoulder. Debra was wedged in the back seat between the other two agents, still minus her coat, her face vacant. She'd been less and less responsive as they loaded her into the car and began the drive to the New Melle police station. He prayed their plan would pull her back to reality long enough to produce some usable information.
"Front door," he told Mark as they swung into the station a few minutes later.
They found Steve waiting as they stepped inside. He gave Nick's eye an assessing scan. "You need to put some ice on that"
"Later"
Without pressing the point, he ushered them into the office where Rebecca and Colin had sat earlier with Megan. The child's snowsuit had been left on the desk.
Debra noticed it at once.
Some of the haze lifted from her eyes. As Mark and Nick seated her in a chair, she stared at the pink garment. "My baby ... Is Danielle here?"
Instead of responding, Nick moved the garment aside and spoke to Steve. "Would you get Ms. Kraus a cup of coffee? It's a little chilly in here. Or do you drink tea?" He kept his tone conversational.
"Coffee"
In silence, Steve left the room. Mark stood behind Debra and folded his arms across his chest. Nick took the chair beside her and leaned back in a relaxed pose. He'd already spotted the mike the FBI had set up. It was between two books on top of the metal filing cabinet. Steve and some of the other agents would be listening in an adjacent room.
"Ms. Kraus, would you like to see your baby again?"
Her head jerked up and she stared at him, her eyes not quite focused but more responsive. "Is she here?"
"Down the hall."
The woman tried to rise, but Mark pressed her back into place with firm hands on her shoulders.
"Would you like to see her?" Nick repeated, maintaining his casual position.
"Yes"
"I can make that happen"
Her eyes narrowed as she studied him. He could see her cognitive processes kicking in again. Good.
The door opened, and Steve entered. He handed a large ceramic mug to Nick and set another one on the desk in front of Debra, depositing packets of creamer and sugar beside it. He left in silence, closing the door behind him.
Lifting his steaming mug, Nick took a sip and addressed Debra. "Do you want cream or sugar?"
I want my baby." A shiver rippled through her.
"We'll get to that. Cream or sugar?"
"Sugar. One packet"
After stirring in the sugar, Nick pushed the cup toward Debra. "Mark, why don't you take her handcuffs off so she can drink her coffee?"
As Mark complied, Nick continued to sip his own brew.
Once free of the cuffs, she wrapped both hands around the toasty mug and gave him a suspicious look. "Why are you being nice to me now?"
"You have information I want. I figure we can make a deal:"
"What kind of deal?" She took a sip of the coffee.
Setting his cup on the desk, Nick leaned forward and clasped his hands between his knees. "Let me tell you how I see this situation. You didn't hurt the baby. On the contrary. As far as I can tell, you took wonderful care of her. That will work in your favor, Debra. The courts like good mothers. Now, a murder charge? That's not so good"
"I didn't kill anyone"
"What about Rachel?"
"I didn't kill her"
"Then she's alive?"
"I don't know. It's cold outside. People can die in the cold. That's not my fault" She took a long gulp of the coffee.
"But you left her somewhere in the cold"
"I didn't kill her"
They were going in circles. Nick dangled the bait again. "If you tell me where you left her, I'll get the baby."
Debra glanced at Mark, who was juggling the handcuffs in his hand.
"I think I should talk to a lawyer"
"Okay." Nick pulled the phone on the desk toward her. "You can make one call. But Debra.. " He waited until she looked at him. "If you do that before you tell us where Rachel is, this deal's off."
The woman's hands started to shake. "I want to see my baby."
"Then tell me where Rachel is"
Desperation tightened her features. "I want to see my baby first"
Nick leaned back, considering. "Here's the deal. You tell me what I want to know, then I'll get the baby. Yes or no"
"Get Danielle first"
Several beats of silence ticked by before Nick gave a slow nod. "Okay. I'll be back in a couple of minutes"
Exiting the room, he found Steve waiting in the hallway.
"Despite her mental problems, the analytical side of her brain is still functioning," Steve said. "I didn't expect her to bargain"
"I don't care how much she bargains as long as she agrees to the deal. Where are the O'Neils?"
"Conference room at the end of the hall:" Steve led the way, pushing open the door and stepping aside for Nick to enter.
Rebecca looked up as he entered. Megan was in her arms, the child's face peaceful in slumber. Colin was sitting beside her but rose as Nick stepped into the room.
"Nick ... what happened to your eye?" Rebecca inspected the abrasion with concern.
"A little accident:" He wasn't about to tell them Debra had slugged him. To reveal her capacity for unexpected violence. Closing the door, he moved beside them. "Thank you both for doing this:"
"We prayed for guidance," Rachel said softly as Colin laid a hand on her shoulder. "And we realized if it hadn't been for Rachel, we might never have found Megan. Her discovery of the doll, and her trip to your office to try and get someone to listen to her, took a lot of courage. Even if she wasn't my sister, I'd feel an obligation to return the favor. Colin and I couldn't live with ourselves if we didn't do everything we could to help you find her. Despite the risk"
"We'll minimize that as much as possible," Nick told her.
"I know. Agent Preston explained the plan. And this woman took excellent care of Megan. The doctor who examined her said she's in perfect condition. I choose to believe she'll continue to nurture her."
"I think that's true;' Nick replied.
But all of them knew they were dealing with an unstable personality. With a woman who had taken extreme measures to secure a child and who had abducted the person she considered a threat and left her somewhere in the cold to die.
A woman who was already highly stressed and agitated.
A woman who could flip out with very little provocation.
The FBI would do its best to protect the baby.
But there was risk, and they all knew it.
Nick held out his arms, and Rebecca's grip on Megan tightened for a brief instant. After a squeeze on the shoulder from Colin, she lifted the sleeping child toward Nick.
The transfer was made without waking her. Megan simply shifted her position and cuddled into the crook of Nick's arm.
"I'll have her back to you as soon as I can, safe and sound:"
With a nod, Rebecca swiped at her eyes and gripped Colin's hand.
And as Nick stepped back into the hall, he prayed he would be able to keep that promise.
Steve fell into step beside Nick as he strode down the hall. "We're ready to move as soon as you have an approximate location. The K-9 units are standing by and I also have medevac on alert."
"They need to be prepared to treat severe hypothermia."
"I've already alerted them to the situation. They've called in one of their crew who used to be a search-and-rescue specialist with the Coast Guard. He has extensive experience with hypothermia"
"Okay. Sounds like all the bases are covered:" Nick paused at the office door and took a deep breath.
"Good luck" Steve moved out of the line of sight.
Twisting the knob, Nick entered the room.
Debra was on her feet instantly. Another agent had joined Mark, and both
men grabbed her arms to restrain her as she tried to surge forward.
Nick took a step away. "Sit down, Debra, or the deal's off."
Her gaze never left the sleeping baby, but she complied.
"Now tell me where Rachel is:"
If he didn't have such a heavy personal investment in this case, the acute yearning on Debra's face would be almost enough to rouse his sympathy.
Almost.
Any such inclination evaporated at her next comment, however.
"I don't remember"
Panic threatened to choke him, and Nick fought it down. Given her unstable mental state, she might very well be telling the truth. And if she was, they were doomed.
Trying to maintain a calm demeanor, Nick moved his chair out of touching distance and retook his seat. "No information, I take the baby away, Debra"
"I don't remember where Rachel is."
"Okay. I'll try to help you. Did you leave her inside or outside?"
"Inside. I do remember that"
That confirmed their theory. And it was good news. At least Rachel would be protected from the windchill. On the flip side, however, a thermal scan would be useless. They'd need the dogs.
"What kind of building was it?"
"I don't know. Small. Empty. Dark"
"Was Rachel alive when you left her, Debra?"
He didn't like the sudden uncertainty on her face. "I think so. Yes. I saw her breathing."
"Did you hurt her, Debra?" Nick's grip on the infant tightened. Megan wiggled and emitted a soft sound, reminding him to relax his hold.
Debra's eyes glazed over. "She wouldn't do what I asked. And she tried to hurt me. It was self-defense. This is all her fault anyway. If she'd left the stupid doll alone instead of going to the FBI with all that psychic stuff, I wouldn't have had to do anything to her. I want to hold Danielle now."
"You haven't told me where Rachel is."
"I'm not sure" Debra's eyes narrowed as she watched him. "But I might remember if I was holding Danielle"
He was running out of options. And time. Nick glanced at the two agents, who moved in even closer as he scooted his chair a few inches toward the woman. Near enough for her to lean forward and touch the sleeping baby's foot.
"Are you remembering, Debra?"
No response as she stroked the tiny toes through the fleece sleeper.
"Debra"
Still no response.
"I'll take the baby back if you don't talk to me"
At the threat, panic gripped her features. "I'm trying. It was off a dirt road. Through the woods. I saw a lake nearby."
"What road was it?"
"I don't know. There wasn't a sign"
"How far off the road was this building?"
"I'm not sure. I could see it through the trees in the daylight. When I was there by myself, I walked to it in a few minutes. It took longer with her. She kept tripping. I made her take off her shoes. Wearing high heels in the woods is silly, anyway"
Stroking the baby's toes, she began to croon in a singsong voice. "You're Mommy's little girl, aren't you, sweetie? If you could talk, you'd tell them that, wouldn't you? You'd tell them you and I are supposed to be together. And how much we love each other"
She was slipping. And they didn't have enough information. Nick's adrenaline surged.
"Debra" It was everything he could do to maintain a normal tone.
When she didn't respond, he leaned over and gave her shoulder a slight shake. She lifted her head. "Is the building where you left Rachel close to your house?"
She seemed to have difficulty processing the question. "My house?"
"The house where you live with Danielle:" He spoke slowly, enunciating each word. "Did you have to drive very far to get home after you left Rachel in the building?"
Her face took on a dreamy quality. "I didn't go home. I had to pick up my little girl. She was waiting for her mommy. Weren't you, sweetie?" She transferred her attention back to the baby.
Nick and Mark exchanged a look. The urgency in the room was almost palpable.
"Ms. Kraus, how did you find the building where you left Rachel?" Nick persisted.
She blinked. Once. Twice. "I drove around one day ... trying to find ... a place"
"Near your house?"
"Not too far away. I didn't want to drive a long way on country roads with Danielle in case I had car trouble. It wouldn't be good for a baby to be out in the cold, you know"
"What kind of road was the building near?" Mark interjected.
"It was just two tire tracks. It didn't seem like anyone had been down there in a long time. There was an old, rusted plow where I turned in. Someone didn't take very good care of their tools. My father wouldn't have liked that" Her features tightened in distress. "He always got mad when I left my toys out. Like the night I forgot to put my bicycle in the garage. He gave it away the next day. Said I didn't deserve to have it if I couldn't take care of it" Her lower lip quivered. "I loved that bike:" She stroked Megan's foot again. "I would never do anything like that to you, sweetie. I wouldn't expect you to always be perfect"
Motioning to Nick, Mark slipped through the door into the hall. He was replaced by another agent a few seconds later.
As Nick rose, panic flashed through Debra's eyes. "I want to hold my baby!"
"She's not your baby, Ms. Kraus:"
He joined Mark in the hall, muting her keening wail by pulling the door shut behind him.
"I don't think she knows any more than she told us;' Mark said.
"I don't, either."
A door opened down the hall, and Steve emerged, followed by the police chief. "I think we have a possible location. Chief Richter says there's some property a few miles from here that has a rusted plow near the entrance"
"Some city slicker bought it a few years back, Joe added. "Investment property, I guess. Never see him around. There's no house on the land, but there could be a shed of some kind. Haven't been on the place myself."
"Is there a lake?" Nick asked.
"Could be a small pond in there. Like I said, it's on the edge of my jurisdiction, and I've never had any reason to wander around on the land. I could call Floyd Mueller, though. He owns the next spread. Might be able to answer that question."
"Get him on the line," Nick said.
After rousing the farmer from a sound sleep, Joe confirmed the presence of water on the property. "Floyd says there's a couple of small ponds on the land. A few outbuildings scattered around too. Most of them are falling down"
It sounded like the place. Nick's adrenaline kicked into high gear. "We need to get there. Fast"
Five minutes later, after restoring Megan to the arms of her anxious parents, Nick took the wheel as he and Mark followed the police chief's patrol car at speeds far in excess of the posted limit. An ambulance and both K-9 units were on their tail, followed by Steve and a few of the other agents. The medevac helicopter had also been dispatched.
As they raced through the dark night, Nick's gaze kept straying to the digital outdoor temperature reading on his dash. Half an hour ago it had been holding at fifteen. It had now dropped to twelve.
Time was running out.
"This is it:" Mark gestured ahead as the chief pulled to the side of the road and opened his door.
Easing in behind him, Nick set the brake and stepped out of the car. The other vehicles lined up behind him. One K-9 team drew alongside.
"That's the road:" The chief gestured to an overgrown twotrack path leading into the woods. "And there's the plow:" He pointed out the rusted implement that had been abandoned near the entrance. He also handed Nick a hammer. "I'm assuming there's a new padlock on the shed. Hit it on the latching side"
As Nick took the tool, he prayed he'd have a chance to use it. They were pinning all their hopes on one piece of information in Debra's story. Perhaps she'd just remembered seeing the plow during her scouting expedition. Maybe it had remained in her memory not as a marker for the spot where she'd left R
achel, but because it reminded her of the story about her bicycle. Maybe...
"You want to ride or walk?"
At Mark's question, Nick did his best to tamp down his panic. The K-9 vehicle that had pulled up next to them had already headed down the road. The plan was for the dogs to begin at opposite ends and work toward each other as they tried to pick up Rachel's scent. Nick and Mark would follow the one that began at the main road.
"Walk" Despite the bitter wind, Nick wanted to be on the ground, not cocooned in warmth. "You can follow in the car"
In response, Mark tossed him one of the black balaclavas they wore on cold-weather SWAT call-outs. Pulled his own on. Turned up the collar of his coat. Set off down the road.
The measure of friendship was often taken in high-pressure moments, Nick knew, and his throat tightened with emotion as he tugged on the protective head covering and followed Mark.
The K-9 team beginning its search at the entrance to the road had already started down the two-lane path, and Nick and Mark fell in behind the officer and dog. The sky was clear and the moon bright, rendering the flashlights they'd retrieved from the car almost unnecessary.
They walked in silence, the only sound the crunch of their feet on the frozen ground stubble, the rattle of bare branches as the wind shook the trees, and the panting of the dog who was tackling his task with focus and enthusiasm.
With every minute that ticked by and every yard they covered, Nick's anxiety grew exponentially. According to the farmer on the adjacent property, the overgrown road they were traversing was only about a quarter of a mile long. It wouldn't take the two dogs long to cover that distance.
And if this turned into a wild goose chase, Rachel would die.
Because they were out of time.
Five minutes later, Nick's heart sank when he spotted the other K-9 team a hundred feet ahead.
"Is there a secondary location?" The officer in front of them called the question over his shoulder as the dog continued to nose along the ground and tug on the harness.
"No" Mark answered when Nick remained silent.
"We can retrace our route, but these dogs are good. Rico's never missed-"
All at once, the dog stopped, sniffed, grew excited. He tugged on his harness, urging the officer to the side of the road, straining toward the woods.
