“I appreciate that, Derrick.”
“Don’t stop coming in to do your exercising. Sean told me you don’t like it.”
Taylor laughed, “I guess it’s hard for two guys who do it all the time and like it to understand why I don’t.”
Derrick laughed and said good bye as she turned to leave.
Outside, the sun was shining. Taylor smiled. It was a beautiful day and she was so happy. She got into her car and drove to the diner to meet Sara. It was their favorite place to eat and meet.
At the diner, Taylor met Sara in the parking lot. Taylor got that odd watched feeling again. She glanced around. Then she realized Sara was looking around too.
“Do you have that creepy, watched feeling too?”
Sara nodded yes and walked faster. Inside they sat at a booth and Taylor looked at her friend with a slight frown. “Sara, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Just feeling odd. Maybe it’s being pregnant.” She gave Taylor a weak smile.
“I’m not buying it. Something is bothering you. Talk.”
Sara looked at the menu, “You would think as much as I come here I would know the menu by heart.”
They put in their order. “Sara, please. I’m worried about you.”
“John said the same thing. It’s hard to keep things from him.”
“John is a smart man and he loves you so you are probably worrying him too.”
“I know but I don’t want to talk to him about it. He’ll freak out and get overly protective and it’s probably just my imagination. Maybe it is the pregnancy jitters or something.”
“Please tell me. I can help.”
Sara looked at her long and hard before answering. “I could use your support. I think I keep seeing this homeless man and it feels like he is following me and watching me.”
“How long has this been going on?”
“Just a couple of days or so.”
“Are you sure it’s the same man?”
“I think so. Promise you won’t tell Sean because I know he will tell John.”
“Okay, but I think you should tell John. He’s a cop, he’ll know what is best.”
“Maybe if I see him again. Then I’ll tell John.”
“Well, you are not going anywhere without me for awhile.”
Sara started to protest but then smiled, “It would make me feel better to have you with me. Maybe he will see you and leave.”
“Or I’ll punch his lights out.”
Sara laughed. “Taylor, superwoman and protector.”
“Darn right.”
“Do you want to go to the mall? The kids won’t be coming home for awhile from school and I cannot stand the thought of sitting around the house and peeking out the windows.”
“You haven’t seen him near your home have you?”
“No, just in town. So how about the mall?”
“Sure, let’s go.”
Taylor looked around carefully when they came out but saw no one that looked like he was staring or homeless. They spent a couple of hours at the mall sitting at the fountain, looking in windows, talking, and trying on silly hats at a vendor. They were both laughing at each other. When it was time to go, Taylor said she would follow her home.
When they came out, they headed to their cars which were parked next to each other. As Taylor made her way to her car door, she heard a gasp. She looked over to see a dirty, disheveled, bearded man standing next to Sara’s car.
Seventy
He was staring intently at Sara. Sara was staring back.
“Danny?”
He got a grimace on his face. His eyes were dilated and red. “Hello, sis.”
“Danny, what’s happened to you? You know you can’t come near me. I have a restraining order. You have to go now before you get caught.”
Taylor came around to stand behind Sara. She was already dialing Sean. The man paid no attention to her.
Sean didn’t answer which meant he was busy.
Sara repeated, “Danny, you need to go before someone catches you and puts you in jail.”
Taylor tried Sean again. Please answer.
Sean answered. “Hey. Can I call you back?”
“Sean, we need help.” she talked fast in case the man tried to stop her.
Sean heard someone shouting. “I need money and you are going to go get it for me. Do you hear me, Sara?”
He pulled out a gun from in his waistband. He seemed to realize that Taylor was there. “Get off the phone.”
Sean became immediately alarmed. He signaled to John who was writing a ticket. He put the phone on speaker when John came immediately because of the look on Sean’s face.
The man looked down at Sara’s belly, raised the gun in the air and aimed it at her. Taylor yelled, “No.” She pushed Sara against the car and when she turned, she was looking into the barrel of a gun. “Don’t make me have to kill her, Sara. Get in the car and we will go get the money. I have nothing, Sara. I don’t even have a dime to buy food.” He pointed at Taylor, “She comes too.”
Taylor put the phone to hear ear and heard Sean. “Taylor, do not go with him, do you hear me? Taylor, are you okay?” She heard John asking, “Is Sara okay?”
Sara pleaded, “Danny, leave her here. She hasn’t done anything. I’ll get you some money. I don’t have a lot but I can help.”
Taylor shoved her phone into her back pocket but left it on. Maybe they could find them. Her GPS was enabled.
When he hesitated Taylor spoke up, “No. You are not going without me, Sara.”
Sean and John looked at each other. Sean knew Taylor would not let Sara go alone, but he still wasn’t happy about it. John pulled out his phone, “Keep that phone on. I’ll call for backup.”
Sara’s brother twisted her arm and shoved her at the door, “Get in.” Taylor hopped into the back.
John called Mayfield. Sean strained to hear anything. Taylor cautiously pulled her phone out of the back pocket and hid it behind her.
“Danny, I can go to the bank and meet you somewhere. Anywhere you want.”
“Drive. We’ll get rid of her and then go.”” She followed his directions for another ten minutes.
Get rid of me? What did that mean? Taylor looked around for anything she could use as a weapon. Nothing. Not surprising. They had kids and John was a cop.
Sean, I really need you right now. Damn it. She was not going to die. Not today. She was going to go home. To Sean and Tango. And she had just gotten engaged. She was going to spend her life with her two guys and that was that. This crazy man was not going to take that away from her. And Sara from her husband and kids.
What was with this gun thing? At the school some crazy man had been using one and now Sara’s brother had one. Enough of the guns.
Seventy-one
Sara followed his directions and kept looking in the rear view mirror at Taylor. They pulled into an old yard. There were a couple of warehouses that looked dilapidated and forlorn. Signs with the words No Trespassing and Do Not Enter were plastered all over the outside walls. Junk lay everywhere. It had obviously been closed awhile. Weeds were starting to creep in and around the piles of pallets and broken wood and the patches of dried grass were long and thin. No guard around to keep the site safe. A guard would really be nice.
Taylor held her phone between her knees and hoped Sean would hear. “Where are we?” She asked loudly.
Sara and Taylor’s eyes met in the mirror and Taylor gave a slight nod of her head. Sara replied, a little loudly, “This used to be a factory but now it is closed. Just an old bunch of warehouses and buildings now.”
Danny shouted, “Stop here, we’ll walk the rest of the way.”
Taylor put her phone back in her pocket. Sara helped her out and put an arm around her. She whispered, “I’m so sorry, Taylor. We are going to be okay. John and Sean will find us.”
They walked in front of Danny. There was a trailer not too far away. What had been the office, she assumed. Its aluminum si
ding would be no protection from bullets even if they could make it there. She had no desire to get shot again.
As they stepped around trash and broken boards, some with nails protruding out, Taylor remarked, “At least we aren’t wearing high heels.” Sara nodded.
Taylor searched the ground for anything she could use. She walked as slowly as she dared, hoping she was giving the police time to get there. If they were coming. She had to believe they would. Sean wouldn’t let her down. She should personally thank Martin Cooper for inventing the cell phone if he was still alive. She had read an article about him not too long ago. A crazy thought right now, but it helped her cope. But that phone may be able to save them.
She considered running, but wasn’t willing to die. Not today. And she was not leaving Sara alone with this drugged induced psycho.
“In there.” He pointed to a rusting door. The lock had been broken. Sara pushed hard and it slowly creaked open. Taylor wanted to recoil. It was dark and cold and smelled musty. He shoved Taylor and she fell into Sara who staggered in.
“How much money can you get?”
“Why are you doing this, Danny? I could have helped you without this. What about mom and dad? They would help too if you asked.”
He banged his head with his fist, “No, no, no. They hate me, you hate me, your cop husband hates me. No one will help me. I need money. That’s all. I need something to make me feel better. I’m done talking. She dies or I get my money. Your choice.” He pointed the gun at Taylor. He held out some plastic ties. “Tie her up.” He pointed to Sara.
Taylor tried to make the binds loose but he pulled with one hand and made them tight. Sara winched.
“Her legs too and this time make them tight.”
So he had noticed. Still, Taylor was able to make them a little looser.
He shook his head. “Never mind, give me your purse.” He yanked her wallet out and pulled out her bank card. “What’s the number for access?”
“Danny…”
He screamed, “What’s the number?”
“3495.”
“If I try this number and it is not right, I’m coming back to kill you both. Understand me?”
Sara’s eyes widened with fear. He shoved her onto the floor.
Taylor stood perfectly still. She thought about Sean. Last time he had told her not to provoke the unbalanced man. She didn’t move as he walked up to her. He had an odd look in his eyes. His pupils were dilated and his eyes were red. Was he that high on something? He seemed jittery.
He pressed the gun in Taylor’s stomach. “Get on the floor.” She thought about fighting him, but then he had the gun and she had found out what it was like to be shot. She knelt down and closed her eyes, wishing this was all over. Then she changed her mind. She looked at him defiantly.
He hit her in the head with the gun butt and she blacked out.
Seventy-two
She was trying to wake up from a nightmare. It involved guns and pain and fear.
Maybe it wasn’t just a bad dream. Sara was bent over her, calling her name. It was dark and smelly. The only light was from the windows high up around the wall. She blinked, trying to make the headache go away. Or maybe she was trying to make the whole situation go away.
“Taylor, are you okay?”
Taylor winced, “Silly question, Sara.”
“Yeah, you’re right. We need to get out of here but the tie is so tight my circulation feels like it is being cut off.”
Taylor sat up, the world spun around her in a cruel gesture. At least they were alive and that meant they had a chance. She put her good arm on the wall and pushed hard to get up. She struggled but when she was standing she felt a small measure of triumph. Sean would be proud. The thought sobered her. If she saw him again.
She pushed against the wall. “Is he gone?”
“Not for long. I gave him a wrong code.”
Taylor searched for a way to cut the cord. She limped around looking for anything to use as a cutting tool or a weapon. She found a steel rod the size of a tire iron so she put it into the back of her jeans.
“I have to get you untied. At least he didn’t tie me up.”
They found nothing that would cut the ties. Sara’s wrists were raw and starting to bleed from movement.
She pulled out her cell phone and tried calling Sean, no answer. Sara called out John’s number and she tried that and still no answer. She tried Sean one more time and left a message. “Sean, we are at an abandoned warehouse. I love you and tell John, Sara loves him.” She hung up.
“Thank you for saying that. I do love him and I want to see him again, so let’s try to find a place to hide.”
They could only hope Sean had heard where they were going. Bu what if Sean didn’t make it in time? She knew he would never forgive himself. She might have to save herself and Sara this time on her own. She tried to formulate a plan, but nothing was coming to mind at the moment.
“Can you walk tied up?”
Sara nodded, “I can hop. I’ll be right behind you.”
“Let’s try the door and see if we can get out of here first.” Taylor went to the door they had come in but it was either locked or blocked with something. Even with Sara’s help it did not budge.
Seventy-three
Moving farther in, it was darker. Maybe that would work to their advantage. Taylor searched for a hiding spot and found an opening in the wall. It looked as if someone had sledgehammered a hole in the wall. Taylor carefully leaned forward and peered into the darkness, trying not to step on the broken bricks laying all around her. It had very little light like the room they were in. It was much smaller than the room they were in but maybe there would be door to the outside they could get through. Taylor careful put one leg through the hole.
As she tried to step down, her ankle twisted on a piece of broken brick. “Ouch.” She fell with the other leg sticking out on the other side. She dragged her leg in. Her leg felt scrapped and burning from being dragged across the ragged opening.
“Taylor, are you okay?”
“I think I twisted my…”
They startled when they heard a car. It stopped and they could gravel spraying against the walls behind them. Taylor looked at Sara. They were both scared and they knew it. They heard screaming.
“Sara. I warned you.” Danny came bursting into the door. He looked wildly around and spotted Sara at the far wall. He fired his gun. The bullet just missed Sara.
“Sara, get in here.”
Sara scrambled through the hole and helped Taylor up. Taylor put weight on her ankle and it almost buckled. She looked at Sara, “Hide.”
Sara stood there looking at her, “I’m not leaving you.”
“Sara, he’s coming and he wants you. Go.” She pointed to the wall.
Sara skirted around the piles of junk and pallets. Taylor hobbled to the other side where there was a tall stack of pallets. She could see very little, but the windows overhead helped.
Danny stepped through the hole. Waving the gun. He was screaming Sara’s name and cursing. Taylor pulled out the rod from her jeans and held it with both hands and crouched down, waiting.
Danny was too engrossed in Sara to notice they had split up. When he got passed the pile she was behind, Taylor swung as hard as she could and hit him in the back of the head. He went down to knees as Taylor dropped the rod and ran as best she could towards Sara.
Taylor whispered, “Go Sara.”
Danny was screaming, “Sara, come back here.” He fired into the air above Taylor. The bullet hit the window and glass rained all around her.
Taylor felt the shards embed into her body as she raised her arms to protect her head. A larger piece had pierced her thigh and it hurt. She did not see Danny approaching her.
Danny hit her again on the head and she blacked out.
Sara came out of her hiding spot and put her hands out and pleaded with him. “Please stop.”
He gestured to Sara, “On your knees.”
He went back to Taylor and started to tie her hands and legs with binding straps. He got her hands bound and was trying to tie her legs when she kicked him as hard as she could. “Forget it jerk. I’m not dying today, you pathetic crack head.” She winced inwardly. Shouldn’t have said that. What would Sean think now?
Danny was starting to get to his feet. “What the hell?”
“I know. I’m more trouble than I’m worth. You can ask my boyfriend. He’ll tell you.”
Danny hit her with his gun barrel just as they heard another shout. “Police.” He looked wildly around and ran.
Seventy-four
Sean and John saw a figure crawl out of a hole and run along the far wall. Mayfield motioned them and another officer to give chase.
They did as they were told. Mayfield had told them earlier that if they promised to act like cops and not a husband and boyfriend, they could come. They had both nodded in agreement. Sean needed to be there and he was sure John felt the same way. He needed to make sure she was safe. He was praying they made it quick enough to help.
They heard Taylor and he rolled his eyes. She was doing it again. At least if she was talking, she was alive.
The scruffy man held his gun up and fired a round but it came nowhere near them.
“Police. Drop your weapon.” It was Clay giving the warning. “Now.”
Danny looked like a caged animal as Clay tried to talk to him. Sean and John kept silent. Neither of them wanted to be involved if he had to be shot. Especially considering who the victims were. Sean had no doubts he would if he had to.
Mayfield went with Jackson to find the women. They called through the hole. It was darker on this side of the wall but they had flashlights. He saw Sara first. Then Taylor lying motionless a few feet away.
He motioned Jackson towards a frightened Sara. Jackson knew her. “Sara, it’s okay now.” He pulled out a knife and started to cut the binds on her wrists and legs. They were tight and cutting into her skin. “Hold still.”
Unexpected Love Page 25
