by Barbara Gee
“Which is why the SUV caught my attention,” Lance said.
Boone caught Vince’s eye. “Let’s get the Gator and head out there.”
“What can we do to help?” Lance asked quickly. “You want us to grab a truck and head out to Thompson Road?”
All four heads swiveled at the sound of hoofbeats. Hope rose again but Vince couldn’t move. His feet were planted in the dirt of the ring and he was frozen there. What if it wasn’t her? Again?
The hoofbeats slowed and Boone strode to the door. Vince saw his shoulders slump once he got there, and he knew. It wasn’t Callie.
Boone looked back at him. “It’s Brittany. Callie’s not with her.”
Vince moved then, joining Boone at the door as Brittany dismounted.
“Well hey there, Boone. And Vince. You lookin’ for your girl?” Brit grinned. “I just came from the butte, aka yours and Callie’s special place. Don’t be mad she told me. It’s just too sweet not to share.” Her giggle ended abruptly when he put his hands on her shoulders, gripping hard enough to get her attention.
“Where is she, Brit? Why isn’t she with you?”
Brit noticed the other two men coming up behind Vince and frowned. “What’s up, guys? Why are you all here?”
“We’re looking for Callie, Brit. Where is she?”
Brit opened her mouth to answer, then closed it again when Tanner and Tuck also strode up to join the group, both carrying large cases.
“What the heck, guys?” Brit asked, the first sign of fear crossing her face. “Why do you need Callie?”
“We think someone’s after her,” Vince bit out. “Probably the guy you were talking to at the end of the lane.”
Brittany stared at him for a few seconds, then pressed a hand to her chest. “You mean the bird guy who asked for directions?”
“Was he driving a black SUV?”
“Um, yeah, he was. But Callie’s fine. She’s still out riding. We were up on the butte talking for about a half hour, then I told her I had to get back because there’s a teacher’s meeting at the school I’m required to be at. She wanted to give Leo a longer work-out, so she told me to just come on back. Last I saw her she was still up on the butte.”
“What did the guy ask you?” Vince asked.
“He asked how far he was from Barlow, and then he just started chatting. He asked if I lived here at the Double Nickel, I said no, then he said he’d heard this was a really good area for birding. I told him I’d never heard that myself, but then again I’m not interested in birds.” Brittany’s voice rose as she spoke. “He seemed harmless. Are you sure he’s after Callie? And why would he be after her?”
“I’ll fill you in later,” Vince said, trying to hide his impatience. “Did you talk about anything else? This is important, Brit.”
Brittany looked stressed. “I told him it was a beautiful day to look for birds. He started telling me I was welcome to tag along, but I thought that was creepy so I told him I was meeting a friend to go for a ride and was running late, so I had to go.”
“And that was it?”
“Yeah, as far as talking. But I saw his SUV out on Thompson Road when Callie and I were up on the butte. I saw his binoculars flash and I told Callie about him looking for birds.”
Tuck stepped up to them. “Did you notice whether anyone else was in the car?”
“He was alone. I’m sure of that.” Brit swallowed and turned scared eyes to Vince. “Are you sure it wasn’t just a guy looking for birds?” she asked, her voice small.
He shook his head. “Don’t think so.” He turned to Tuck. “We need to get out there.”
Tuck carried his case outside to a patch of grass and set it down. “You can’t go without law enforcement along. Too dangerous.”
Vince had followed him to the grass, along with the others. “Then you come with me. You and Tanner. You’re law enforcement.”
“We’re the only ones who can fly these drones.” Tuck knelt beside the case and opened it. “Let us get them up, Vince. It’s our best bet to find Callie quickly, without being seen. These things fly high and fairly quiet, but the cameras can zoom in enough to show individual blades of grass. We’ll be able to find Callie, and anyone else who might be out there.”
Tanner came up beside Vince and put a calming hand on his shoulder. “We need more information before we can move in, Vince. I don’t know what’s going on, but if someone’s after Callie, we have to assume they’re armed. We don’t want to rush into something we’re not prepared for.”
“It would be helpful if you could give us a few more details while we get these guys ready,” Tuck told Vince as he lifted the first drone from its case.
Vince wished he had a smaller audience, but given the circumstances, he figured it was okay to divulge Jeremiah’s secret to five people who cared a lot about Callie. He gave them a quick run-down, wishing he knew more.
Brittany wrapped her arms around her middle, her shoulders hunched. “She’s going to be devastated,” she murmured. “She won’t want anything to do with that other family. Do you really think that guy’s here to hurt her?”
“I do, but I’m hoping we’re wrong.” Vince paced over to where Tuck and Tanner were testing the drone display panels. “How much longer?”
“Less than a minute for the first one.”
“Well shouldn’t a couple of us head for the butte?” Vince asked, hating the fact that he was still just standing there. “I mean, we don’t have to close in until the drones show us what’s going on, but at least we’d be in the vicinity and can get to her quicker once we know.”
Tanner walked away from the group, set the drone on the ground, then backed away and skillfully launched it. Tuck motioned to Sam.
“Go look over his shoulder at the display. You and Lance know the layout of the land, so tell Tanner where to go. Let us know if you spot anything.” He looked at Vince. “If you go out there, I’ll have to go with you. Which means we can’t get the second drone up. Unless Boone can fly drones.”
“Sorry, never tried,” Boone said. “But I definitely want to go with you and Vince.”
“I want to go too,” Brittany said from the hay bale she’d sunk onto. “I can’t just stay here and do nothing.”
A voice sounded from the interior of the barn. “Sheriff’s department. Anyone here?”
Brittany hopped off the bale. “I’ll go.” A moment later, she returned with two deputies.
“Hey, Tucker,” the taller one said, looking around. He observed Tanner, Sam and Lance and nodded his approval. “Drones. Good idea.” His gaze fell on Vince. “I don’t believe we’ve met, but I can guess who you are.”
Tuck quickly introduced Vince to Deputies Smitty and Nathan. “You’re just in time, fellas,” he said after the men all shook hands. “I assume you’ve been brought up to speed?”
Deputy Nathan nodded. “Sheriff Talbot passed on what Gary Denton told him. We didn’t see any sign of a black SUV on our way out. We posted a man at the end of the lane to watch.”
Tuck nodded. “The SUV was here, Brittany talked to the guy. He was pretending to be bird-watching. Brittany knows where Callie was as of about thirty minutes ago. Tanner has one drone up and the other one’s ready. I was going to head out there with Vince and Boone, but now that you two are here, I’ll let you go so I can stay and man the second drone.”
“I suggest the four of you split up,” Sam said, his eyes fixed firmly on the screen. “Two of you go toward the butte, and two follow Thompson Road. Brittany saw the SUV out there less than an hour ago. There are no gates in that whole stretch of boundary, so if he wanted to get to Callie, he’d have to park the vehicle and go on foot. If he did that, you can find the SUV and disable it so he can’t escape.”
“Good thinking, Sam,” Tuck said, watching his drone as he worked the controls to get it off the ground and winging east. Lance moved over to watch the second display.
“Can I go with one of you?” Brittany asked. “I h
ave to do something.”
“I’d rather you stay here and help watch the screens,” Vince said, not wanting to have to worry about her once they were got going. “And keep trying to call Callie. Maybe she’s just in a spot with no signal.”
Nathan spoke up. “I’ll head out the road with Boone. Smitty, you and Vince grab the Gator and head toward where Brittany says Callie was.”
“Only go part way, then hold till you hear from us,” Tuck said from his position beside Lance, eyes fixed on the drone display. “We’ve got radios that can patch into the sheriff channel. We’ll have each drone approach from a different direction so we don’t miss anything. As soon as we spot Callie, we’ll let you know.”
“Got it,” Vince said over his shoulder as he jogged back to the barn door.
Smitty was right behind him. “I’ve got a rifle in the car,” he said. “I’ll grab it just in case, and some binoculars too. I’m parked at the end of the barn.”
In less than half a minute, the men had the items and were heading on the same route Vince had taken with Callie the evening before. It seemed like ages ago that they’d ridden there together, then hauled the picnic basket and blanket to the top of the butte. Ages ago since they’d sat and talked about their future, and been so sure it was all going to work out.
Now, for all he knew, Callie was out there, alone and vulnerable, maybe hurt, or taken, or worse, and it was all he could do to hold it together.
He reeled his imagination in and tried to concentrate on driving. At least he was finally doing something. He sped up and prayed as he drove, begging God to help them find her, waiting impatiently to hear from Tuck or Tanner so he knew what he would be facing.
Please, Lord, let her be okay. Those words had become his mantra.
CHAPTER 30
Other than the fact that Grandpa is gone, all is right with the world. That was the thought taking up primary residence in Callie’s head as she enjoyed the peaceful sanctuary of the butte. She’d had a nice long talk with Brittany, a deep, best girlfriend kind of talk, where she admitted she’d fallen for Vince and would probably be going back and forth between Barlow and Minneapolis during the upcoming hockey season.
Brittany had gotten a little teary, but she’d been expecting as much. She’d informed Callie she’d be visiting often, and when she did, she expected game tickets from Vince. Then she’d checked the time and regretfully said she needed to get going in order to make it to a meeting at school.
Callie wasn’t quite ready to head back to the empty house, so she’d told Brit to go on. Then she stayed up on the butte for a while, sitting up against a sun-warmed rock, thinking about Jeremiah and Vince. One she mourned deeply, and one she saw as her future.
That future was still a little scary, maybe a lot scary in some ways, but Callie felt ready. Ready for the next step….then the one after that. As long as Vince was with her, she felt like she could face anything.
She stood up and stretched, raising her face to the sun for a moment, then made her way down the path to the bottom of the butte. Leo saw her coming and tossed his head eagerly.
“Hey, boy,” she crooned, rubbing his nose. “You ready to put some miles on those hooves? It’s been a while since I let you run to your heart’s content, hasn’t it?”
He snorted and tossed his head again. Callie laughed and grabbed the reins. “Okay big guy, let’s go for it.”
She swung up into the saddle and dug her heels into his sides. Leo took off and Callie laughed with sheer exhilaration. She loved riding with Vince, but she’d missed the feel of a horse running full out beneath her.
Before Leo could get up to speed, though, Callie heard a loud, echoing crack from somewhere behind them. Leo immediately veered and then tried to rear, his speed throwing him off balance. When he began to topple backwards, Callie reacted automatically, kicking her feet free of the stirrups so she could jump. She was within inches of making it, but the twisting Leo went down fast and her left foot got caught under his flank. She groaned as his weight came down on it, but in the next instant Leo scrambled up and ran off, obviously still spooked by whatever had made the noise.
Callie laid there for a moment, dazed. Wow. That could have been a lot worse. She slowly pushed herself to a sitting position and moved her ankle tentatively. It hurt, but didn’t feel broken. If the horse had hit the ground a second sooner, before she’d managed to throw herself to the side, she’d likely have a broken leg, at the very least.
She took several deep breaths, trying to get her bearings. Leo had never startled like that before, but…..that noise! Had it been a gunshot? She frowned and forced her rattled brain to go back through the moment. It had sure sounded like a shot, and, wait, yes, dirt had spewed up right in front of them. She remembered it now. A small plume of dirt no more than ten feet in front. No wonder Leo had veered and spooked so badly.
What in the world? Someone had shot at them!
As soon as Callie reached that startling conclusion, she also realized whoever had the gun could still be around. She quickly felt in her pocket for her phone, but it wasn’t there. Looking around frantically, she saw it standing on end against a tuft of grass a few yards away. She scooted on her rear until she was close enough to lunge for it, then thumbed the home button. Her eyes widened when the screen lit up with a list of missed calls, three from Brit and three from Vince before that.
Her heart started pounding even harder. Something was obviously wrong. She checked and saw the phone was on silent, thanks to the cracked case that caught on that tiny button all too often. Not usually a big problem—but it was this time.
Logic told her the calls had something to do with her being shot at. Had they known she was in danger, and called to warn her? Suddenly feeling terribly exposed, she flipped onto her stomach, ignoring the pain in her ankle. There was nothing nearby she could use for cover, so all she could think to do was get as low as possible. Make herself less of a target.
She stabbed a finger on the last missed call from Vince, trying to stay calm while the call connected. Then she became aware of the sound of footsteps, running footsteps. Before she could react, a large boot connected with her hand, the one with the phone in it. New pain registered, along with terror as she saw her phone soar away, out of reach.
“Oh no you don’t,” a rough male voice ground out above her. Now two boots were in her field of vision, planted in the grass only a foot from her head.
Callie cradled her injured hand, rolled into a sitting position, and looked up—into the face of a man she’d never seen. A man with flat black eyes and thin lips that twisted into a mocking smile as he studied her.
“Well, well, well. Would ya look at those green Tate eyes.” He cocked his head, his gaze sweeping over her. “I have to say, you’ve grown up real nice, baby girl. Turned into a real beauty, didn’t ya? Too bad, really. A shame to waste it.”
Callie stared at him, terrified but trying hard not to show it. “Who are you?” she asked, scooting back a few feet, wondering if her injured ankle would support her if she tried to make a run for it.
“Not important.” His smile became cruel. “Don’t worry, you won’t have long to wonder about it. You see, you’ve just suffered a fatal accident—such a tragedy to die so young. Oh, I know, you think you’re fine, but you’re not. Your horse actually threw you over there.” The man pointed. “See that pile of rocks? That’s what you hit, or at least that’s what everyone will think. Not the same rocks as Tabby, because that would be too much of a coincidence. Even this is pushing it in my opinion, but it’s the way Elliot wanted to do it. He thought it only fitting.” He chuckled. “Tabby didn’t suffer, though, if that’s any consolation. Neither will you, if you don’t fight it.”
Callie began scooting backwards again. He watched her for a few yards, then simply followed, his steps slow and taunting.
“Exactly where do you think you’re going to go?”
She didn’t know, she only knew she had to get away. Adre
naline masked the pain in her ankle and hand and without warning she jumped quickly to her feet and ran. Away from the rocks. Because she had to get away. Even if she didn’t have a prayer of outrunning him, she had to try.
“Might as well stop fighting it,” he called. “Just let it happen. It’ll be over in seconds, I promise. No suffering.”
She didn’t get far before a heavy weight hit her in the back, knocking her over onto her stomach. He came down on top, pushing the breath out of her. He was probably double her weight, and had no trouble overpowering her. Callie knew then she was fighting a losing battle, but she wasn’t going to go down easy. If he was going to kill her, he’d have to work for it.
He wrapped his huge hands around her wrists and got to his feet, grunting as he began dragging her toward the rocks. Callie kicked and tried desperately to pull away, but all she did was make him work a little bit harder. Not enough to make a difference.
The pain in her injured hand was intense, making it difficult to fight his grip. “Who are you?” she cried. “What are you doing? Why’d you shoot at me?”
He gave a chilling laugh. “I didn’t shoot at you. If I’d shot at you, I’d have hit you. Trust me on that. All I wanted to do was scare your horse so he’d throw you. Which is exactly what happened. I love when a plan comes together.”
He sounded so calm and unruffled. She was fighting for her life and he was just so calm. It infuriated her. “Why are you doing this?” She yanked her left hand with all her might and managed to free it.
He actually laughed, then let go of her other hand. “What, you want to run again? Go ahead. See if it ends any differently this time.”
Callie pushed to her feet and tried. She had to try. This time when he caught up to her he simply kicked at her feet, causing her to go down in a painful, panting heap.
“Please,” she said, raising up onto her elbows. “I don’t even know you. Why are you doing this?”
He circled around to face her again. “Your brother pays me well, that’s why. He fills my bank account, and he fills it good. That means I jump when he says jump. Simple as that.”
