He needed to check on his dad, too. His old man looked almost gray the last few days. Even though he’d been slowing down for the past year, fighting the fire knocked him down. Might have even hurt him.
Nine in the morning. His father never slept in, ever. He should try again to get him to go to the doctor. If Vaughn were here, Dad would listen to him.
It killed Garrison to watch his dad fade away in front of his eyes.
He peeked in on his father, who snored, his tired face relaxed for the first time in forever. Decision made. Dad was going to get a checkup. If that didn’t work, he’d sic Shelby on the old man. One way or another, a medical professional would evaluate his father before the week was out.
Shelby, too. When he had passed through the kitchen earlier, she looked like manure warmed over. Her wet cough echoed in the kitchen.
“You going to get that cough looked at?” he had asked.
“Stuff it,” she'd said, wheezing on her way out the door.
His sister and father were cut from the same stubborn mold. Fine. Those two could stay in the house and be sick together.
After trudging back through the house, he shoved his hat on and went back out in the cold morning air.
Hours of mindless work made the rest of the day pass in a snowy, muddy haze. He put hay out for the cattle, the herd’s grumpy lowing reminding him that he was late. Thankfully, he’d stored some of the hay in the second barn, but it wouldn’t be enough to get them through this winter.
More money, down the pipe.
While checking on the horses, he looked over Shelby’s horse again. The gelding was singed in a few places, but other than a shorter mane and tail—like Shelby—the horse had escaped what could have been a deadly disaster.
Hours later, with shoulders aching from the endless pile of work, Garrison scowled up into the blank, gray sky. Snow continued to fall. Damn it. Snow wasn’t bad. The fact that snow would slow him down and make more work? That was bad.
It was already 4:00 p.m. now. He needed to head down to the highway and pick up Zach.
After driving to the end of the ranch road and parking the truck, Garrison took off his hat and rubbed his face and head. Shit, what a day.
The flat-nosed yellow school bus rumbled up to the ranch road and stopped. With a hiss, the doors opened.
Zach didn’t exit.
A fist of cold fear strangled Garrison.
Dashing out of the truck and up the three stairs into the bus, he scanned the interior. A few kids were left to complete the route.
“Where’s Zach?” he asked the matronly woman at the wheel.
Her eyes widened as she twisted around. “I don’t know. I thought he was here.”
“You don’t know if he got on the bus in the first place?”
“No I don’t take attendance each day. By now, the kids know which bus to get on. None of the other kids said anything.” Tears pooled in her eyes. “Oh no.”
The foam on the padded rail shredded beneath his fingers.
His heart raced. Where was Zach?
Maybe still at school? Did Sara keep him late and was bringing him home? Surely she would have called.
“Mr. Taggart?” The driver sniffed as she finished dialing her cell phone. “I’m going to call this in to the superintendent’s office right now, but then I have to take these other kids home. I’m so—”
Garrett stormed off the bus before she could finish her sputtered sentence.
Zach.
As the bus hissed and rolled down the road, Garrett’s cell phone rang. Blocked caller.
He ignored the snow landing on his head and answered the phone.
“Yes?” he shouted.
“Hey, asshole.”
Chapter 20
“Hank.” He’d recognize that grinding voice anywhere.
“How are things on the ranch? Extra crispy?”
“You taking credit, dickhead? Want to make an official statement?”
“Concerned for my neighbor, that’s all.” He breathed heavily.
“My ass, you’re concerned. What the hell do you want?”
His laugh oozed like slime through the phone. “Besides your ranch? Oh, I don’t know. How about you figure it out?”
“I don’t have time for games, Hank.”
“How about you think about our offer on the ranch?”
“Or what?”
“Or I won’t be extra nice to a person you love.”
Holy shit. Zach.
“What have you done?”
“I have a little friend over for a visit. And how nicely I treat him depends on how well you keep your big mouth shut.”
The phone went dead.
Being kicked in the balls wouldn’t hurt this much.
Before Garrison could get into the truck, his cell phone rang again. Sara’s number. Shit, this was not the time. Hank had his kid. Garrison had to deal with that issue first.
Should he backtrack to the school and see if anyone could give him a lead, or should he go back to the ranch house?
His father couldn’t take more stress right now. Shelby would try to help, but she couldn’t form a sentence without wheezing. And Kerr and Eric were exhausted.
He vaulted into the truck and threw it into drive, wheels spinning as he exited the ranch road, and floored it down the highway to town. Maybe Sara knew something.
Stupid. He should have answered when she called. He grabbed his phone, which now blinked a message. Ignoring the message, he called Sara’s number, and it went straight to voice mail.
Please let this be Hank’s stupid joke. Let Zach be okay.
• • •
Zach had been gone fifteen, twenty minutes, max. Sara glanced at her watch. How far could he go? Maybe he was in the bathroom, ill. If so, someone would have found him and alerted her, right? Maybe he was hurt. Or in the principal’s office. Or ran away. Who knew?
She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. Where was he?
Grabbing her phone, she dashed down the hall, checking all of the bathrooms and even ducking into the gym and cafeteria. Nothing. Only a few remaining kids waiting out front to be picked up.
God, she’d have to tell her boss that one of her students had gone missing.
Well, there went the last nail in the coffin of her teaching career. Butch had it in for her, and losing a kid was beyond unacceptable. To be fair, she didn’t deserve to be a teacher if she couldn’t keep her students safe.
Might as well pack her things now.
First, though, she had to find Zach and make sure he was okay.
Panting as she ran through several inches of snow, she circled around to the back of the school. And stopped dead.
A different truck was parked on the far edge of school property near a stand of trees.
Sara stared at the vehicle and shivered. She should have put a coat on before leaving the building.
The buzzing in her hand startled her.
She recognized the number, even after a year.
With shaking hands, she answered the phone. “Hello?”
“Hi, baby. Miss me?” A figure in the truck waved at her.
“What do you want, Hank?”
“Come on over to the truck, and I’ll tell you.”
“What?” She began to back away toward the building.
“Get over here, bitch,” he growled. “If you want Zach to live.”
A wave of nausea smacked into her.
She crossed the snow-covered asphalt in no time, and Hank motioned her into the truck. After a good twenty seconds of debate, she approached the vehicle. Zach’s life was worth the risk. She got in, closing the door. The air was thick with her fear and Hank’s seething breaths.
“Okay. Where’s Zach?”
“I’m in charge here, Ms. Skank. I know you’re running around with that Taggart. What do you see in him, anyway? He’s a stupid fuck.”
“This is a bad time for the jealous ex-boyfriend crap, Hank. If you can’t help me fi
nd Zach, then I have to go.”
“No, I don’t think you should go. You’ll want to hear what I have to say.”
“Why?”
“Missing anything?” he snickered. “I mean, missing anyone?”
Her heart dropped out from under her, like coming off the top of a roller coaster, only there was no more track left. “What did you do?”
“Nothing. Yet.” His harsh laugh grated on her nerves—nails on a chalkboard.
“What do you want?”
Cold calm settled over her like a heavy, wet blanket.
He grinned. “Your big ass right here in front of me, right now. Begging.”
“What?” She’d lost her voice.
He’d lost his mind.
“You think your life is worth the life of a kid?”
Tears burned behind her eyelids. “Don’t hurt him!”
“We haven’t. Yet.” He belched. The stomach acid odor made her swallow back her own bile. “What happens next to young Mr. Taggart depends on you.”
“Please don’t hurt Zach. He’s just a child. You want me to beg? Fine. I’m begging you.”
“You’ll do a lot more of that before I’m done. I will please the Great One tonight.”
A wave of light-headedness grabbed her, and she put one hand on the dashboard and the other on the door handle.
“Ah, ah,” he said, waggling a finger. “If you leave, Zach dies.”
“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”
He dialed a number on his cell phone, never dropping his smile, and held it up to her ear. The sound of a boy’s frightened whimper stopped her heart.
“Zach?” she whispered. “It’s Ms. Lopez.”
A sniff. “I’m cold.”
“Oh, honey, I know. I’ll be there soon to help, okay?”
“Ms. Lopez?” His thin voice brought tears to her eyes. “I’m scared.”
“Me, too, Zach. Be brave and I’ll find you soon.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Before she could answer, Hank grabbed the phone back.
She faced all of the crazy, head on. What else could she do? “Fine. I believe you. Okay, I’m begging you. Now can you let him go?” Maybe she could distract Hank. Keep him talking while she thought of something.
“Not quite.”
“Why not?” She eased her cell phone out of her pocket and tried to thumb it on.
“Because I have work to do.”
There. The text box came up. She tried to type. “What kind of work?”
“The special kind.” Fast as lightning, he grabbed her wrist in a painful grip and yanked the phone away. “Ah, what’s going on here?” He peered at the screen. “A text to your lover? Sorry. Not going to happen, little traitor.”
He rolled down the window and made as if to throw the phone out. Then, with an eerie calm, checked himself. “On the other hand, this could come in handy.”
“Handy?”
“For a special surprise later.” He blinked and scrabbled under the seat until he pulled out duct tape. “This will work perfectly. Your hands, please.” So terribly calm.
Wincing as he taped her hands together, she darted glances around. Most of the teachers had left right after the kids. No cars remained here behind the school. Oh God, this situation had gone from bad to disaster.
“I don’t get it, Hank. Look, whatever beef you have with me, you need to let Zach go.”
“All depends on how nice you are to me.”
Acid rose in her throat. “All right.” She swallowed. “Where are we going?”
“To a special place.”
“Where—”
His hand reached her neck in record time, and as he squeezed, he said, “No more questions. It’s time to go.”
As he glanced at his watch, she read the time: 3:15. Cold fear wrapped a bony hand around her spine and squeezed. It would be tomorrow morning until someone realized she’d gone missing. Too much time. Hank could do anything.
As he pulled out of the nearly empty parking lot and casually drove toward the mountains and the national forest, it took all of her strength not to cry. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
Forty-five minutes later, he pulled the truck onto the shoulder of a county road and turned on her cell phone and his.
“Two bars. Just enough for what we need to do.” He put a finger to his lips and winked as he dialed a number. “Hey, asshole.” She recognized Garrison’s voice through Hank’s phone. “How are things on the ranch? Extra crispy?”
Panic hit her full force and her vision grayed for a moment. She barely registered Hank’s nasty voice as he threatened Zach. He turned his phone off with a satisfied flourish.
Hank wanted to mortally wound Garrison, and she was a pawn in his scheme.
Sweat beaded her forehead. She needed to get out of here, but even assuming she escaped Hank, they were miles from town. It was snowing. She’d die before she reached help. Besides, she had to hang in here long enough to help Zach.
Hank chuckled and handed her the phone. “Here’s what you do. Call lover boy and tell him that you two are over. You’ve decided your life is better off without him in it.”
She dropped her jaw. “I can’t do that. And not after what you just told him about Zach.”
“You can. I will hurt that boy if you don’t do as I say.”
Damn Hank to hell. Awkward with her taped hands, she dialed Garrison’s number. After five rings, it went to voice mail, thank God. Also odd, considering Hank had just talked with Garrison. After his terse greeting, she left a message. “Garrison, it’s Sara. I ... I thought about it, and I can’t be with you. My life plan doesn’t involve Copper River.” At Hank’s circling “go on” motion, she added, “Or your family. Or the ranch.”
She froze as he repeated the gesture. Hank wanted her to say more? Damn it, she had to sell this or Zach might suffer. She swallowed. “And frankly, my life is better off without you in it.”
As she gave a choked sob, he turned off her phone, got out of the truck, and threw the phone into the woods. He turned off his own phone and chucked it out the window as well.
He slammed the truck door closed, put the vehicle in drive, and traveled another few minutes before turning on an unmarked dirt road that led into the forest. The terrain continued to worsen as they bumped along the road up into the mountains. With the snow falling heavily now, their tracks would be covered within an hour.
Night began to fall, and the truck’s lights against the narrow road became a tunnel leading to her doom. Everything about him scared the hell out of her. His intense calm, his nonsense chatter as he maneuvered the truck deeper into the forest, his random giggles.
Goose bumps rose on her arms as they pulled into a clearing and parked next to another old truck. She spied a light deep in the woods to the right.
When he opened her door, he stepped from one foot to the other. “I’m waiting,” he rasped.
She wanted to scrub her ears with alcohol.
All the air left her lungs as she stepped down into a deep patch of snow.
Forcing her heavy legs to move, she struggled to follow Hank. The last place she wanted to go was anywhere with him. At least he cut through the duct tape so she wouldn’t do a face-plant every time she stumbled. The snow melted in her shoes, and the bottom of her slacks became soaked. Soon her hair became damp. She shivered but pressed forward.
When she knew she couldn’t take another step, they reached a structure. The glow of light filtered from the cracked and dirt-smeared windows of a trapper shack.
She stopped dead in her tracks. What would she find inside? Her heart pounded.
Hank stopped and crossed his arms.
“Ladies first.”
The last thing she wanted to do was enter what could realistically become her coffin.
But she had to go inside for Zach.
God knew what Hank would do to them.
God knew what he’d already done.
Her sla
cks froze against her ankles. With trembling fingers, she touched the rough wood door. Could she hear anything inside?
No.
The door gave a harsh creak as she pushed it inward. Blinking against the relative brightness inside, she saw exactly what she dreaded.
Zach.
Chapter 21
Zach sat on a thick wooden chair in the middle of the room, his back to her. His head came up as the door opened. Was he okay?
Hank’s brother, Wyatt, hovered nearby, his bulging eyes darting all around. Despite the chill, sweat beaded his forehead.
Terror locked her legs into place.
“Damn it—move!” Hank shoved her through the doorway, and she fell, banging her knees on the uneven dirt floor. As she struggled back to her feet, she spied a Coleman lantern hanging from a nail near the door and a low pallet on a metal bed frame.
Zach’s whimper spurred her to action.
She spun around, no longer caring about her own safety. “Hank, how could you do this? To a child?”
“All Wyatt did was make sure the kid didn’t try to run off.”
Not caring about Hank, she knelt in front of Zach and hugged him. Poor kid. His nose ran; his hands were frigid. He reared back, and his eyes went wide with terror when Hank approached. Zach tried to move, but couldn’t.
His feet were tied to the chair legs.
Hank flicked his wrist, and a deadly looking blade popped out from a knife handle.
“Bro, stop.” Wyatt held up a hand. “You said you wouldn’t hurt the kid.”
Refusing to move, Sara stood in front of Zach.
“Step aside,” Hank growled.
“Absolutely not.”
“Sara, you always were a dummy. Relax, I’m cutting him loose.” Hank shouldered her to the side and sawed at the ropes tying Zach’s feet to the chair.
“Hold still, buddy. You’ll be fine.” Keeping her hands on Zach’s shoulders, she tried to pour reassurance into the boy.
His lower lip quivered, and he flinched as Hank sawed through the tight ropes.
Once free, Zach flew into Sara’s arms. Holding tightly to the boy, she glared at Hank over Zach’s head.
Hank snorted. “See? All better, son.”
“Let me take him home,” she said.
Legacy of Lies Page 16
