Carried Away by Love

by Vickery, Rebecca J.

  Sara shook her head. "I'd really like to go back to camp and get in Jeff's face, but finding a phone is probably the best idea."

  When Rena remained quiet, Travis asked, "You okay, Rena? Ready to hike out of here?" He stepped closer and took her hand.

  She took a deep breath and looked up into his eyes. "Yes, I'm good, just stiff." Clasping his hand like a lifeline, she went on, "I want to get back to town and find out what Uncle Avery has been up to that caused all this trouble. And...well, I'm worried about Katie. I have a really bad feeling..." Rena shook her head as if she could shake away the bad thoughts. "I'm ready whenever you are."

  "Good girl. We can do this. Let's get started." He let go of her hand with a lingering slide of his fingers, then turned to Sara. "I've got point if you can bring up the rear."

  "Works for me since I have no idea which way we're going," Sara agreed with a low chuckle.

  They spent the morning hiking their way down the opposite side of the rocky hill. When they crossed a fresh clear stream, they stopped to drink and splash the cold mountain water on their faces. Refreshed, they continued down the sometimes rocky, often overgrown slope.

  Dripping sweat from the constant walking combined with the heat and humidity as the sun neared high noon, they finally came upon one of the designated hiking trails which made the going much easier. It led them to the public campground and from there they quickly located the Ranger Station.

  Ranger Oglesby offered ice water, cool cloths, food, and the much needed phone to the weary, overheated hikers. He contacted a couple of fellow rangers and requested they locate and watch Jeff until FBI agents could arrive and take him into custody for questioning.

  Travis completed his call to headquarters and returned to the table in the large family room to take a chair beside Rena, who was still picking at her sandwich. "They're sending a chopper for us. Should be here within a couple of hours. Ranger Oglesby, Special Agent Windom in the Atlanta office wants you to contact him regarding Jeff Davidson. Here's the number and extension." Travis handed the tall, middle-aged man a slip of paper.

  Once the ranger left to make the call, Travis reached for Rena's hand. "I have something I need to tell you."

  Rena's heart dropped to her knees and then surged back into her throat at the serious look on Travis' face. Something was definitely wrong. Had they – whoever they were – harmed her uncle? "Tell me...please. I can handle it."

  "Katie's missing. She disappeared this morning on her way to work. Her SUV was found parked at the back of the store, but she never unlocked the back door. Her bag and keys were in the vehicle, and no one has seen or heard from her. There was no cell phone in her bag or the SUV, so maybe she has it with her. We have agents dusting the SUV for prints, checking surveillance cameras, and searching for her."

  Oh God, she couldn't stand it if something happened to her sweet, crazy cousin Katie. She said a quick prayer even as she grabbed Travis' other hand. Rena needed his strength right now. "This can't be happening. What is going on? Travis, I have to talk to Uncle Avery. I have to see him face-to-face and find out."

  Travis squeezed her hands and tried to reassure her. "Thankfully, my boss agrees that's the next step. Your uncle is headed to the Atlanta headquarters and that's where we will be going too, as soon as the chopper arrives. Now eat your sandwich and drink some more liquids so you'll be up to talking to him. Then we need to check for ticks and treat our scratches. Don't want an infection."

  Ranger Oglesby entered the large room, hat in hand. "Sorry folks, but I have to go out on a call. Seems a bear decided to disturb some picnickers and I have to go run him off. Make yourselves to home while I'm gone. Grab a shower if you want to, and there's a clean box of left-behind clothes in the bottom of the hall closet, or you can use the washer. The missus keeps odd pieces gathered up from the laundry and washed just for emergencies. A word with you, Agent Benchley?"

  Travis followed the ranger outside.

  "Seems that Jeff fellow has done took off. The camp out there is a mess, according to one of our rangers, and that black SUV won't be going anywhere with all the tires slashed. I got a BOLO out for him within the park, and your boss says he's posting one for the surrounding area. Watch yourself – he's pro'bly dangerous now. Well, guess I better go chase me a bear."

  "Thanks, Ranger, and you be careful playing with the bears. Should we lock up if you're not back when our ride gets here?"

  "Nah, the missus will be along soon and someone might need to make an emergency call or something. Just pull the door to – keeps the bears and the kids out, mostly." Ranger Oglesby slapped his hat on his head and slid into his green SUV with the park insignia on the side. With a wave, he drove off.

  Travis entered and hurried to answer the ringing phone. The girls were nowhere in sight. Once he confirmed to the caller that the ranger was indeed on the way to take care of the bear, he heard giggling down the hall. He followed the sound.

  Rena held up a purple and orange horizontally striped tee shirt to her chest while Sara held up extra, extra large lime green shorts to her slender waist.

  He couldn't help laughing with them. "Now that's a heck of an outfit."

  "No wonder they left these behind." Rena grinned at him. For the moment, it felt good to think of something lighter.

  "Two steps and I'd definitely leave these behind," Sara said, and they all burst out laughing again.

  But they dug around a bit more and came up with some denim shorts for Rena to wear with her striped tee, and finally decided to launder Sara's clothing as nothing seemed close to fitting her.

  Travis declined an indoor shower, but rinsed himself – clothes and all – with the outdoor hose, preferring to remain on watch since no one knew where Jeff or the toughs were at this point. The heat of the afternoon dried him as he paced the yard.

  By the time the chopper arrived, Travis, Rena, and Sara were ready to go, hopefully to find some answers.

  Chapter Nine

  "A bit of good news. We've been pinging Miss Caldwell's cell phone and have her location narrowed down to a warehouse section near Clayton, Georgia. We have agents headed there now." Special Agent in Charge Windom led them down a long hallway as he imparted what he knew. "Your uncle has been brought in safely, but refuses to speak with us. We thought you might have better luck, Miss Caldwell." He opened the door to a large computer-filled room and gestured to chairs at a conference style table to one side.

  Once they were seated, Windom continued to fill them in on what was already known. "Seems your uncle took several trips to Atlantic City and then visited the dog tracks in Florida on numerous occasions this past year. He lost heavily, including, we suspect, company funds he controlled. We're not sure where you or your trust fund comes into this. We don't know if the hit on you was designed to scare him into paying or what is going on there. But some of these men he's in debt to are definitely bad people...even though they probably appeared to be his friends in the beginning."

  "And when they couldn't get to me, they took Katie?" Rena wanted all the facts.

  "We think that's the most likely scenario. Now, are you prepared to see your uncle?"

  Rena reached for Travis' hand once more. "Will Travis be allowed to wait for me?"

  Windom smiled at the sight of their clasped hands. "So it's like that, is it? How many times were you told not to get personally involved in a case, Benchley?" Without waiting for a response, the special agent went on, "We will have Travis accompany you into the room. As a civilian, you can't go in alone. There will also be cameras on with several of us monitoring the conversation."

  Relief flashed across the faces of both Rena and Travis. "Okay, I'm ready then," Rena agreed. Even as she dreaded this confrontation, she needed to get it done.

  * * * * *

  Uncle Avery bounded to his feet and would have grabbed Rena had Travis not intervened. "I'm so glad to see you, my pet. Are you all right? Did they hurt you?" He craned his almost non-existent neck left and
right, trying to see her around the agent's wide shoulders.

  Rena crossed her arms and waited until Travis urged her uncle back to his chair before moving closer.

  "Don't get up again unless you warn me first," Travis ordered in a cold firm voice. "Rena," his voice softened as he pulled out a chair for her across the table from her relative, "why don't you sit here? And I'll be here." He took a chair and moved it to the end of the table – in a position to grab her uncle should he become aggressive.

  Several seconds ticked by as Rena sat and eyed her uncle. He seemed older, with more gray in his hair and several added wrinkles, plus an ashen tinge to the skin of his face. He'd always appeared as a short, rosy-hued, plump cherub to Rena, but now he just looked like a tired old man.

  "Uncle Avery, I need to know who you owe all the money to, and I need to know now. They took Katie this morning and I will not have her harmed over any stupid gambling debts." She stared directly into his eyes, until his fell and he refused to look up.

  "I d-didn't want you to know – about the money, I m-mean. The more I paid...the m-more they said I owed." Avery spoke haltingly, his voice full of fear. "I-I never wanted anyone to get hurt. B-but they kept threatening—"

  Rena interrupted, "Who, Uncle Avery? Give me a name! Then we can talk about how and why this happened. Give me a name so we can find Katie."

  "I can't – they'll kill me. Or worse, they'll make me wish I were dead," Avery said, almost whining now.

  "Unless you tell me who has Katie, I'm going to walk out of this room and not only will you never see me again, but I will insist on an audit of the trust fund and the company all the way back to the beginning." Rena stood and stared down at her uncle, but he refused to raise his head. "If even one cent is missing, you will go to jail for the most time they will give you. Do I make myself clear?"

  "Rena, pet...? I'm family – I didn't—" Avery whined again.

  "Travis, this is a waste of time. He's too self-centered and scared—" Rena took several steps toward the door.

  "W-wait. If you'll help me, I'll tell you. Please, Rena... Don't leave me. I don't want to die."

  She heard her uncle sob for the first time in her life. As Rena turned back to look at him, her uncle held his face in his hands and his shoulders shook. Taking a deep breath, she returned to her chair, and reached across the table to touch his wrist. "Uncle Avery, please tell me who has Katie? I'll help you any way I can, if you will. I love you – you've been my guiding force since Mom and Dad died. I hate seeing you this way. Tell me, please..."

  Avery slowly took her hand in one of his, and then swiped at his face with his free hand. "There are two of them that might b-be behind this. One is J-Joe Stallicki from New Jersey. The other is Alejandro Juarez and his gang, from somewhere in the Keys in Florida."

  Rena met Travis' gaze and he nodded his head. Hopefully, the names would give the FBI agents more to go on in locating Katie.

  A soft knock at the door was followed by an agent bringing in a box of tissues and three bottles of water. He didn't say anything, just placed the items on the table and left. Avery immediately grabbed a handful of tissues and mopped his face, then guzzled down a bottle of water as if dying of thirst.

  "Thank you, Uncle Avery. Who do you owe the most money to? Maybe he's behind this craziness." Rena reached for a bottle of water and took several swallows, as did Travis, while waiting for her uncle to respond. Even in the air-conditioned building, the heat and humidity of a southern summer found a way to siphon the moisture out of a body.

  "I d-don't know, exactly." At Rena's disbelieving glare, he told her, "I'm t-telling you the truth, Rena. They kept adding interest and I k-kept betting, trying to get out of the hole, and... Well, now I think they're in cahoots."

  "And it just kept getting worse?" Rena almost felt sorry for him, but not quite.

  Avery nodded. "Look – this is what they start with if you don't pay. It only gets worse from here." He rolled up the sleeve of his dress shirt as tears slid down his cheeks. His pale arm was dotted with odd red spots.

  Upon closer inspection of his forearm, Rena saw the dots were round burns, smaller than a dime, partially healed, but still red and angry. "Which one did this?" She knew someone who would do this to an old man wouldn't hesitate to kidnap her cousin.

  "One of Alejandro's gang, a guy called Torch, if you can believe that. But I think Stallicki is calling the shots. I overheard Alejandro on the phone tell someone to tell Sticky Joe that he was taking care of it and Joe owed him big time. Does that help, you think? Will the Feds protect me? Can you pay off my debts? Please, Rena, my pet...please..."

  "We'll see, Uncle, we'll see." Rena felt sick to her stomach and didn't really want to hear anymore. "Special Agent Windom knows all about what to do to protect you, and I need you to cooperate with him. Do what he says and answer all his questions. That's the only way you can help yourself out of this. I will help put back company funds, if I'm legally allowed to, and can scrape up enough money. Do you understand?"

  Avery looked her in the eyes and saw her determination. "You're like your mother – when she set her mind to something, I didn't argue with Sis. I'll talk to whoever you say – do whatever you think best."

  Rena stood once again and leaned over to drop a hasty kiss on her uncle's bald spot at the top of his head. "I do love you, Uncle Avery, but you've badly damaged the respect." She walked out, followed by Travis.

  "Oh God, pet, I'm so sorry..." That was the last Rena heard before the door slammed shut behind them.

  She made it halfway down the hall before she stopped and turned to Travis. Thankfully, his arms were open and waiting for her as she dove into them. He supported her weight and guided her against the wall, shielding her from curious looks with his body. He patted her back and whispered soothing nothings into her ear, letting her cry out the hurt and fear, and the disappointment.

  Finally, her head rested peacefully against his chest as the tears slowed and then stopped. Her body felt relaxed against his, as if she trusted him implicitly, and he wanted to hold her forever. But they were in the middle of the Federal building.

  "Rena, as much as I hate to say it, we need to move. I'm sure the security guards are going to wonder what we're up to." He gently urged her away and tilted her face up. The desire to kiss her was almost too much to resist. This woman was dangerous to his self-control.

  "Is there somewhere I can wash my face, please?" she whispered.

  Travis led her down the hall a bit farther and took a smaller hallway to the left. "At your service, ma'am," he offered and pointed to the Ladies Room.

  Rena gave him the glimmer of a smile and disappeared inside.

  A young agent approached Travis. "There you are, sir. Special Agent in Charge Windom is looking for you. He has some news about Ms. Caldwell's cousin and will be in the briefing room shortly."

  "We'll be right there." Travis tapped on the restroom door, then opened it just a crack to call out, "Rena, there's news about Katie. Windom wants us."

  "Coming right now." The sound of water stopped and she hurried to the door, drying her face with a paper towel. "Have they found her? Is she all right?"

  "We're about to find out." He stroked a stray strand of hair from her face and took her hand.

  She stopped him when he would have started down the hallway, and reached up to place a gentle kiss on his lips. "Thank you. I can't imagine what might have happened if you hadn't been here for me."

  "You would have done what you had to do. You're much stronger than you think, Serena Caldwell." He kissed the palm of the hand he held and then they went to find the briefing room.

  After what felt like hours, and gallons of bad coffee, Windom and two other FBI agents approached them. Rena searched their somber faces – praying her cousin wasn't dead.

  Chapter Ten

  "We have your cousin, Miss Caldwell," Special Agent in Charge Windom informed her. "She's safe, but she's been taken to the ER in Clayton – just to
check her out. She has a few bumps and bruises, but nothing serious. When the men guarding her realized we were closing in on them, they fled, leaving her behind."

  Rena's knees weakened at the news. "Thank you, thank you so much."

  Travis caught hold of her waist and guided her to a chair. Then he took hold of her hand. "What's next?" he wanted to know. Seemed to him, Rena would be in danger as long as her uncle owed those mobsters and they were still free.

  "Well, Jeff Davidson was caught speeding just after crossing into North Carolina. He's providing some useful information. And Mr. Watkins has been singing like a bird since Rena talked to him. We have New Jersey and Florida officials involved to round up these men on multiple charges, including attempted murder. And of course, we are on the trail of the men who kidnapped your cousin—"

  Windom reached to his waist and unclipped his cell phone. When he saw the number, he said, "Excuse me, I need to take this." He walked away followed by the two young agents who shadowed him most of the time.

  * * * * *

  Rena smiled with relief after talking to Katie and hearing first-hand she was all right. She looked at Travis over her grilled chicken sandwich plate in the cafeteria of the Sam Nunn Federal Center. "Katie's concerned about her business and how the float will look in the parade tomorrow. She's definitely okay." After a drink of iced tea, she went on, "When do you think we can go home? Lord, there's so much to do..." With her uncle out of commission, Rena would have to check in with her banker, the company board, and the lawyers. She was not looking forward to straightening the mess out, but she couldn't trust it to anyone else.

  "If you two are willing to have some protection, it should be soon," Travis assured her. "I think I can find a couple of volunteers for the detail," he added with a wink and a grin.

  He took a few bites of his burger and while chewing watched Rena as she nibbled at her food. Clearing his throat, he offered, "Uhm... When this is settled, how about we catch a movie and have dinner...or something? I know we haven't known each other long, but I definitely don't want to lose touch."