The Taking of Carly Bradford

by Richards, Ramona

  “Looks like a farmhouse,” Carly whispered. “Shhh.”

  Jenna got back in, let the SUV roll about twenty feet, then shut it off. A few minutes went by as Dee heard Jenna shifting around in the front seat, as if she were looking for something. After a satisfied, “There you are,” Jenna got out, came to the back, and lifted the hatch. Dee blinked in the sudden light, then realized Jenna held a revolver in her right hand.

  Jenna grinned. “Yep, I somehow knew you’d wiggle free. Quite the clever girl, aren’t you?” Her grin vanished. “Get out.”

  Dee swallowed hard, and struggled to climb over the luggage and out of the SUV. She stood, but her muscles quaked from being confined in the same position for so long. “Why did you bring me with you?”

  Jenna looked a bit puzzled. “Because you know. And I want you to tell me.”

  It was Dee’s turned to be confused. “I know what?”

  “You know why all these people keep trying to take Elaine from me.”

  Dee’s eyes widened, and she glanced quickly at Carly, who stared at them from the backseat. “Elaine?”

  Jenna’s lips pursed. “Of course, Elaine. Who else?”

  “I thought you said Elaine lived with her father.”

  “Oh, I just told a few people that so they wouldn’t think I was crazy.” She waved the gun around blithely, making Dee wince. “Oh, she went off with her father all right, but when he came back without her, most of the town thought she was dead. But I knew Todd—” She stopped, her mood darkening suddenly. “Todd!” Her voice rose to an angry scream. “Todd had taken her! He took her from me! But I knew. I knew!”

  The abrupt storm vanished as quickly as it appeared, and Jenna took a calming breath. “I knew she’d come back. She’d find her way home.” She turned a loving look on Carly. “And there she was that day in the woods. I’d searched those woods for her so often, almost every day, then just like that, she was there.”

  The storm returned. “Of course, he’d turned her against me! I tried to make her remember, but, of course…” She stopped, and steadied the gun again, aiming at Dee’s chest. “Enough for now. Elaine needs supper.” She used the gun to point toward a door at the front of the garage.

  Dee walked slowly, getting her bearings as she moved as Jenna directed. The SUV sat on one side of an oversize garage; the other spot held a white sedan from the early ’90s. Around them were an assortment of tools, yard equipment, paint and oil cans, and building supplies. Many of the tools had a fine layer of rust on them, and a sheet of drywall propped against one wall had a spray of mold growing up one end of it. Everything about the garage smelled old—rancid oil, thick dust, dried grass, and musty paper.

  “Where are we?”

  “My parents’ house.” Jenna stopped and opened the back door of the SUV and motioned for Carly to get out. The girl scrambled out and fled to Dee’s side. Dee put an arm around her as Jenna motioned for them to continue walking.

  “Why are we at your parents’ house?”

  “I thought if Elaine could spend some time with her grandparents, it would help. And we need a place to spend the night before heading south.”

  They stood to one side as Jenna unlocked the door and ushered them into the farmhouse kitchen, switching on a light near the door. The house smelled even mustier than the garage, and each step they took stirred up small whorls of dust.

  “Mama!” Jenna called. When no one answered, she motioned at them with the barrel of the gun. “Stay here. If you run, I’ll shoot.”

  “We will.” Dee kept her voice calm and reassuring. “We’ll be here.”

  Jenna went through a swinging door into a dining room. “Mama! Daddy! Where are you?”

  Dee turned, examining the clearly abandoned kitchen. Spider webs draped from the window to the curtains, and everything was unplugged—the toaster, the coffeepot, the microwave. Even the refrigerator, which stood open.

  “Dee?” Carly’s barely audible voice made Dee look down into the pale, terrified young face. “Is she crazy?”

  Dee dropped to her knees and wrapped Carly in what she hoped was a reassuring hug. “She is. But we’ll get out of this. I know we will.”

  Carly buried her face in Dee’s shoulder and clung to her. “I know we will, too. I asked God to help us, and I know He won’t let us down.”

  Dee closed her eyes and tightened the hug. “Let’s hope you’re right.”

  SEVENTEEN

  “Well, can they at least pinpoint the area?” Fletcher once again had his phone pressed to his ear, as he scribbled in his notebook. After a moment, he closed it, then grabbed the door handle as Tyler swung through another turn, still heading south toward Willimantic.

  “What’s going on?” Tyler’s hands ached from his fierce grip on the wheel.

  “There was another sighting from the Amber alert, but all they had was the name of a road.”

  “Where they still in the Willimantic area?”

  Fletcher looked down at the notebook. “Yes. Heading south on Highway 289. Rick’s pulling all public records on Jenna, trying to see if she has a connection to the area.”

  In the back of Tyler’s mind, that nagging something finally clicked. “She does. Her parents lived there.”

  Fletcher stared at him. “What? How do you know that? Would her parents really help her on something like this?”

  “They won’t. They died last year. There’s a faster way to find their address than public records. Call the office and ask Mom to pull her Christmas card list from two years ago. It’s on the computer. It’ll be quicker.”

  Fletcher stared at him. “You’re joking.”

  “Nope. Jenna’s parents spent a lot of time in Mercer, and put everything they could into the search for Elaine after she disappeared on that camping trip with Todd. They were on Mom’s Christmas card list every year until they died. Complications from diabetes took him after a long illness, and she went with a heart attack a few weeks later. Both were in assisted living, and the house was transferred to one of Jenna’s aunts. It’ll take a while for Rick to ferret that out. Believe me, the list is faster.”

  Fletcher flipped open his phone and dialed again, stating his request to Peg. He listened for a few moments, then wrote down an address, and repeated it to Tyler. “Lebanon, Connecticut.”

  “That’s about ten or fifteen minutes out of Willimantic. Call Rick.” A faint wave of hope made Tyler smile. “See? There are some advantages to living in a small town.”

  “They must be visiting my aunt. They don’t usually go out of town without telling me, but she doesn’t live far. They’ll be back by morning. I’m sure of it.”

  Carly pressed herself a little tighter against Dee’s side. They had settled in the living room, and Carly and Dee perched on the edge of a mohair sofa that gave off a new whiff of dust every time they moved. Jenna sat in a sturdy, cane-bottom rocker across from them, her toes making a rhythmic tip, tip, tip, each time she rocked forward. The pistol lay on her lap, one hand covering it protectively.

  The outside lights under the eaves of the house blazed brightly, casting harsh circles of white light in the front yard. Inside, Jenna had turned on only a small lamp with a thick Tiffany-style shade, creating a small golden glow tinged with green near the sofa. Her rocker sat mostly in shadow. She faced the front door and plate glass window next to it, and occasionally, she’d scan the yard.

  “I can’t believe they need groceries, but that’s okay. We have sandwiches in the cooler. That’ll do until we leave in the morning.”

  “Where are we going?” Dee glanced from the gun to Jenna’s partially shaded face.

  Jenna’s smile held no warmth, and her eyes continued to have a distant, unfocused gaze. Her voice took on an uneven, sardonic tone. “Well, you aren’t going anywhere. Mama has a root cellar, and you’ll stay there until we are long out of reach. Elaine and I are going south. We have relatives in Kentucky. In the mountains. They’ll keep us safe, and out of reach from anyone here. Th
ey won’t be swayed by Jack Bradford’s power. Big man doctor.”

  Jenna yanked the gun out of her lap and pointed at Dee, her eyes suddenly wild. “Why does he want my daughter! I saw your article! You wrote about it! You know! Tell me!”

  Carly and Dee jerked back, and Carly let out a short squeal. Dee grabbed Carly with one arm, and held the other hand out in front of them, a sudden surge of anger racing through her. “Jenna, stop it!” she yelled. “You’re terrifying Elaine, and I can’t tell you if I’m dead!”

  Jenna froze, then slowly lowered the revolver, an exasperated gasp leeching from her. “I know. I know! I just…” Tears streamed down her face. “I just don’t want to lose her again! And no one will tell me why. Why they want to take her from me.”

  “I know,” Dee said, her voice flat. “I lost my son three years ago. No one could tell me why then, either.”

  Jenna quieted. “I had heard that when you first came to town. How?”

  “A car accident. I watched him die. And I wanted to die, too.”

  Jenna’s dark hair quivered, and her fingers trembled on the gun. “They didn’t find Elaine. Todd said she fell into the river. But they didn’t find her.” Her hand reached out toward Carly. “Because she’s still alive. She’s not dead after all. She’d been in town all along. Todd, he just wanted to keep her from me. She’s here.”

  Tears clouded Jenna’s eyes as she stroked Carly’s hair. The child flinched and pressed closer to Dee, but did not back away.

  Dee squeezed Carly tighter and struggled to keep her words even, her voice calm. “How long ago did Elaine go off with her father?”

  Jenna’s eyes narrowed, and the harsh shadows in the room aged her beyond her fifty-something years. “April 12, 1979.” She took a deep breath, and her eyes lost their focus again. “I’ll never forget that date. A lifetime ago.”

  “Is Todd still in Portland?”

  After a pause, Jenna nodded.

  “Did he marry again?”

  Another nod. “Sweet girl. I spoke to her once on the phone. They had three children. But he used to call me every May 4th.” She smiled. “Elaine’s birthday. He never forgot.”

  “How old are his children now?”

  She shrugged. “In their late twenties, I guess. They are younger than Elaine was…is…was…” Her voice trailed off, and she looked at Carly and swallowed hard. The tears resumed silently, flowing in steady rivulets down her cheeks and dripping onto her blouse. “Elaine is thirty-eight.”

  Jenna took a deep breath and seemed to come into the present, and her gaze moved from Carly to the window behind them. Then she motioned for them to stand. “Get up. Your friends are here.”

  The cruiser slid to a halt on thick grass slick with dew, and both men sprang out, crouching behind their open doors. Behind them, a phalanx of Connecticut state troopers and the dark sedans of the FBI followed, lining up across the yard, their headlights creating a stark field of intense light and black shadow.

  Tyler growled with frustration and fear as he looked through the plate glass at the front of the house, spotting Jenna in the rocker, waving the gun wildly at Dee and Carly, who were sitting on a sofa that sat at an angle from the window. Fletcher stood briefly, blocking his body from the house with the cruiser, and motioned for everyone to keep back.

  Lord, I can’t lose her. I can’t. Help us. Tyler took a deep breath. Help me. What do I do?

  As he watched, Dee stood and spun around, staring out the window, her eyes wide with terror, her gaze searching the yard frantically. She needed him.

  Then, deep, deep in his soul, Tyler Madison knew what he had to do. It felt right, so right that a sense of relief washed over him. Is this from You? he prayed. Lead me. With that, his sense of resolve strengthened.

  “I’m going inside.” He stepped from behind the car door.

  Fletcher’s barked response shot through the night. “No! Tyler! Wait for the negotiators!”

  Tyler shook his head, reached for his hat. He placed it on the hood of the cruiser, then unbuckled his gun belt, lifting it free from his body. “Fletcher, I’ve known Jenna Czock all my life. She’ll let me approach.”

  He walked slowly, his hands held wide, toward the front door of the house, never taking his eyes off Jenna.

  Through the window, Jenna stared at him, comprehension washing over her face. They watched each other a few more moments, then an insane darkness fell over Jenna Czock’s eyes.

  “What are you doing?” Dee’s horror-filled whisper caused Carly to whimper at her side as they stared out the window. An army of cars had flooded down the driveway of the farmhouse, pulling out into the yard, their headlights surrounding the house like a siege machine of law enforcement. In the middle, Tyler Madison stood, his arms held well away from his body.

  Fear for Tyler surged through Dee, and too late she realized the mistake she’d made by turning her back on Jenna. Jenna’s left arm circled her throat, pulling her backward and closing off her airway. Dee clawed at the choking arm until she felt the barrel of the revolver against her cheek.

  “Stand still!”

  Dee stopped struggling, but managed to choke out, “Let me breathe!”

  Jenna’s hold on her loosened slightly, and Dee gasped in a lungful of air, all too aware that Jenna’s height gave her the advantage in this contest.

  Carly backed away from them and toward the door, her eyes wide, and her face even paler than usual. She focused on Dee, tears brimming in the corner of her eyes. “What do I do?” she begged.

  Silence hovered in the living room a moment, then Dee spoke softly, her voice still raspy. “Let her go, Jenna. Let Elaine go.”

  “No. Never. Not again! She’s here with me now. She has to stay!” Her arm tightened on Dee’s neck again, the gun pressed harder against her face.

  Panic seared through Dee, and she tried to push it back, knowing she would never sway Jenna if she couldn’t control it. Lord, help us. Help me. The prayer was a desperate cry, the kind God had never answered for her before. Please. She twisted her head, looking at Tyler.

  Watching her, he turned his hands palms down, closed his eyes, and mouthed one world. Calm.

  A prayer. Tyler was praying, too.

  Whatever happens, Lord. Keep them safe. Please. Keep Tyler and Carly safe. Don’t take them from me again.

  Again. The thought brought a quietness to Dee, a sureness that she would not go through such a loss again. Carly was not her child; Tyler not her husband. But…

  “Listen to me,” she whispered. When Jenna did not respond, Dee continued, suddenly grateful for a conversation she had with Maggie earlier that day. “We both lost the dearest person in the world to us. Our child. There’s always going to be a place for Elaine in your heart. You don’t stop loving her just because she’s gone.”

  Jenna’s arm tightened on her neck, but Dee pressed on. “You told me. April 12, 1979. Jenna, I believe with all my heart you are not crazy. You just still hurt. Unstoppable pain. But Elaine would be thirty-eight, not eight.” Dee struggled for breath. “Don’t make another mother go through this. Don’t make another mother hurt this bad. Let Elaine go.”

  More silence, then Jenna responded in a voice choked with grief and tears, as she eased her grip on Dee’s neck. “She’s not Elaine.”

  “I know. Let her go, too.”

  As if she understood both requests, Jenna nodded. “Open the front door slowly, child. So they can see you.”

  Carly obeyed, cracking the door only a little at first, then wider. Shouts echoed all over the yard when the officers realized who was standing in the doorway. In the glare of the lights, Dee saw Tyler move forward, approaching the house with a slow, determined gait. When he was close, he motioned for Carly to come out.

  “Go on, child.” Jenna’s voice now held the affection of the grandmother she might have been if Elaine had lived. “They will take care of you.”

  With one backward glance at Dee, Carly opened the storm door and fled down th
e steps and into Tyler’s arms. He squatted, pulling her close and stroking her hair, whispering to her. The sight of Tyler with this little girl caused a fist to tighten around Dee’s heart, and an almost unbearable love for the man flowed through her, a deluge of the sweetest kind.

  And he had come. For her. For Carly. He’d found them.

  “This isn’t going to end well, you know.” Jenna’s voice, so tender when she’d released Carly, had hardened again.

  “It can,” Dee whispered desperately. “We can walk out. I’ll tell them everything.” She winced as the barrel pressed harder into her cheek.

  “No. You were right. I know what I’ve done. I have to let her go. Let it all go. You were right. The pain never ends. It has to end.”

  “Jenna, we can—”

  “Shut up. Here he comes. Your hero.”

  Dee watched as Tyler handed Carly over to a female officer, then he approached the house again, slowly, with Fletcher lingering behind him. Reaching the porch, he opened the storm door and stepped inside, his hands still held wide, his voice low, even, and comforting.

  “Jenna? You know me. Let’s talk.”

  Jenna stepped back, pulling Dee tighter against her. “I don’t think so, Tyler. We all know I’ve been through too much.” Her voice caught, but she cleared it and continued. “Done too much. Hurt too much.”

  “Jenna, don’t push this. Everyone knows what you’ve been through. Stop now, and we can resolve this.”

  “No closer!”

  Dee winced as the gun sight at the end of the barrel nicked into her flesh, and she saw Tyler stiffen, his hand moving toward his waist, as if his gun were still there. Then he froze, maintaining his control.

  His voice lowered another half-octave. “Jenna, please listen. We can get you help—”

  “I don’t want your help! I’m just tired of the pain!” The anguished scream almost deafened Dee. With a sudden shove, Jenna launched her toward the sofa and turned the gun on Tyler. Dee screamed his name as she hit the sofa, then thudded to the floor.