Yuletide Abduction

by Virginia Vaughan

  “Where are you now?” Daniel asked.

  “On my way to my apartment.” He needed to make the stop to grab his gun and his gear.

  “Meet me at the station,” Daniel stated. “We’ll get a team together and go find that cabin.”

  “No,” Josh said. “This isn’t a time for patience. It’s a time for action. Bobby knows I’m after him now. He’ll be looking to get out of town quickly and that might mean tying up loose ends before he does.” And Elise was likely that loose end. “He already has an hour’s head start. I can’t wait anymore.”

  He hung up as he roared into the parking lot of his apartment. He rushed up the stairs and to his bedroom, pulling open his closet and reaching into the back of it. He pulled his army chest out then ripped the key from his neck. He’d locked up this part of his life for a reason, but he’d clung to the key, unable to give it all up completely. Now he knew why. This trunk and its contents were a part of him. Giving it up completely was impossible, like losing an arm or a leg. He’d been walking around with a part of himself missing. And he’d wanted Elise to do the same. He’d asked her to give up the part of her that made her unique, the very part that caused him to fall in love with her. Of course she’d gone to see Brooke. She’d stuck her neck out again for a girl in trouble. It was who she was, and he knew she would never stop taking those risks as long as it meant protecting those in trouble.

  He turned the key and the padlock clicked open.

  God, I need Your help.

  He pulled off the padlock and slowly, cautiously opened the hood of the trunk. He ran a hand over the folded clothes and properly stowed equipment. He touched the cold metal of his gun, then picked it up. It felt like an extension of his hand, an extension that had been missing for too long.

  He set it on the bed and reached for his tactical gear, his NVGs and boots. He’d trained for this mission. He’d tracked down terrorists hiding in the mountains of Afghanistan. He could certainly track down domestic terrorists hiding in his own backyard, woods he knew like his own hand, land he’d spent his childhood growing up, playing on.

  He gathered up his gear and set out.

  He would track down these menaces who had invaded his hometown and taken those he loved. He would find them and make them pay.

  He had a new mission now, and no one would prevent him from completing it.

  He heard a knock on his front door. He opened it and saw Daniel and Patti waiting for him. Behind them, in the parking lot, were Matt, Colton, Levi, Blake and Garrett.

  “I called them the moment I hung up with you,” Daniel said. “They dropped everything and met me here. I made a few calls. Bobby has a hunting cabin on the north side of town.” He spread out a map across the hood of the Jeep and pointed to a particular area. “It’s an ideal place to keep someone hidden...if she’s still alive.”

  “She’s alive.” He refused to accept the alternative. “And I’m going to find her and bring her home.”

  Evil would not prevail this time.

  “Well, you aren’t doing it alone,” Levi stated, and the others nodded. “We’re coming with you.”

  Daniel picked up one of the guns from Josh’s bag. “I’m coming, too.” He planted a kiss on Patti’s lips then walked to the Jeep, getting into the passenger’s seat.

  Josh wasn’t going to argue with his brothers or with Daniel. The truth was he could use all the help he could get to find Elise.

  * * *

  A shadow crossed over the opening. Candace scooted closer to her and gripped her arm. “Someone’s coming.”

  Elise hugged the girl as they both stared at the opening. But instead of Roy Martin or Jay or Bobby, they spied a wisp of blond hair above them. Brooke! She held a bottled water and some crackers, which she tossed down to them.

  Elise was relieved to know the girl was safe...at least for the moment.

  Candace scrambled to her feet, ignoring the water and crackers. “Brooke, help us, please.”

  “I’m sorry,” the girl cried. “I tried. I tried to help.” She glanced at Elise. “I really did want to talk to you that day. I wanted out.”

  “Please, Brooke. Please help us.”

  Elise understood Brooke was frightened and trapped, but she’d already broken rules. She’d stolen water for them and tried to speak with Elise. It was possible she was capable of more than she thought she was. And it looked as if she might be their only hope for escape. “You can still get out,” Elise told her. “I can help you.”

  Her chin quivered as she shook her head. “No, it’s too late. He’ll never let me go.”

  “I can get us out of this, Brooke. I can get us all out of this. But first, you have to help us. Do you see the ladder? Is it close by?”

  She glanced around, scanning the area, then shook her head violently. “I can’t. They’ll catch me. They’re all inside packing up. They’re getting ready to leave town.”

  Which meant time was running out for them. “I can help you get out of this, Brooke, but I need you to trust me. We need that ladder.”

  Brooke still hesitated, peering around nervously. Whatever her relationship to these men—Elise doubted she was actually Rick Martin’s daughter; she was more likely an innocent child who’d been abducted and forced to do his bidding—she was so ingrained in this life to be afraid of these men that she was taking a risk even speaking with them. But without her help, Elise didn’t know if they would escape this prison.

  Candace stepped forward. “She can help us, Brooke. You said yourself that she could help. We don’t have to be alone anymore.”

  Brooke rubbed her hair, obviously torn by fear and the desire to help. She glanced around, her eyes darting anxiously.

  Elise felt Candace’s sob when the girl vanished from view. She placed her arm around Candace’s shoulders and tried not to despair herself. She had to remain calm for Candace’s sake if they hoped to get out of this alive.

  And she did have hope.

  As crazy as it seemed to her, she’d finally found hope that they weren’t actually alone in this. The hours in darkness with nothing but her thoughts and a shivering teen by her side had given her time to ponder her predicament. Was it possible that God had had her back all along and she simply didn’t realize it? She was where she needed to be, wasn’t she? With Candace. She’d found the girl alive and that had to count for something. Surely God wouldn’t bring her this far only to allow Candace to die now. No, whether Elise lived or died, shared a future with Josh or not, she had one purpose and one purpose only—to return Candace home to her family.

  Brooke appeared again, this time heaving the heavy ladder over the edge. It bounced several times as it hit the wall before the end finally reached the ground.

  “Hurry,” Brooke hissed from above, “before they come.”

  The rope ladder was like a beacon of hope. They had a chance. Elise pulled it toward Candace and the girl started climbing, a new, hopeful, quick step to her ascent now. Elise was only inches behind her. She spotted Brooke reaching out her hands and grabbing Candace’s, pulling her up and over the well’s edge before they both looked back down at Elise climbing up.

  “Hurry,” Candace said, motioning excitedly with her hand.

  Elise climbed up the ladder as quickly as she could.

  Suddenly both girls jerked their glances away, terror fixed on their faces. “Someone’s coming,” Brooke announced.

  They’d run out of time.

  “Go,” Elise commanded them. “Run. Get away. Both of you.”

  “We can’t leave you,” Candace insisted.

  “Yes, you can. Run and get help. I’ll be right behind you.”

  They took off running. Elise reached the edge of the well just in time to spot them heading for the woods, Roy Martin hot on their heels.

  “Get bac
k here!” Roy shouted, stopping to raise and point his rifle at the fleeing girls.

  “Hey!” Elise shouted, grabbing his attention momentarily as she climbed out of the well. He glanced her way then quickly turned back and took a shot. Candace flinched but kept running, disappearing into the woods. But Brooke screamed and hit the ground. Elise could hear her pleas for help as Roy rushed over to her, yanking her to her feet before backhanding her.

  “Leave her alone!” Elise shouted, running toward them.

  Someone grabbed her from behind, knocking her down. Elise hit the ground then swung over kicking, but Jay grabbed hold of her arms and pinned her easily.

  Roy dragged Brooke over to them then tossed her to the ground, still crying in fear. He motioned to Jay. “Go find the other one,” he ordered and the young man grabbed a rifle from the back of the truck and rushed into the woods.

  Roy dug his fingers into Elise’s arm. “You thought you could get away from us? You’re never getting out of here.” He yanked Elise to her feet then pushed her forward until her legs hit the cold concrete of the well. He shoved her over the edge.

  Brooke screamed. Elise reached for something to stop her fall, but only the smooth walls met her hands. She hit the bottom with a thud and a sharp loss of breath. She gasped, trying to recapture it even as pain ripped through every inch of her body. Finally, her breath caught and she glanced up at Roy and Brooke watching her, he with a look of satisfaction on his face, she with a look of terror. Elise hated to think what punishment she would receive for helping them.

  Roy kicked the ladder from the top, and Elise watched it fall as if it were in slow motion. Each inch seemed to seal her fate. It landed with multiple thuds at her feet.

  “Try getting out now,” he told her. Then he turned his attention to Brooke, slapping her so hard and so loudly that Elise felt it. “I’ll teach you to defy me.” He hit her again.

  Elise clawed at the dirt walls, but the loose earth gave way beneath her feet, causing her to fall back into the hole. She was helpless to intervene.

  She heard the sounds of flesh on flesh and knew Brooke was getting a beating. Finally, the noise stopped...and so did Brooke’s sobs of pain.

  Elise heard Roy’s voice overhead but she couldn’t see him. “Did you find the girl?”

  “I couldn’t find her,” Jay stated. “But we’ll keep searching. We’ll find her.”

  At least Candace had got away. If she could find help...

  Elise stared up at the blue sky overhead and wondered if what Josh had said about God guiding their steps was right. Did He have a plan for them? Was He with Candace right now in the woods? For Candace and Brooke’s sake, she hoped He was. She lifted a prayer toward the sky just in case.

  “Please let her find help.”

  * * *

  Josh concentrated on the road ahead, clutching the steering wheel with a grip that turned his knuckles white. How could he have been so stupid believing that letter? What if he hadn’t put it together? What if he was too late?

  He parked the Jeep a quarter mile from the cabin and hopped out. Three trucks pulled in behind his vehicle and his crew spilled out, quickly gathering up their gear. “We walk from here. We’ll go in on foot and scout the area.”

  As much as he wanted to barge up there and take back what Bobby had taken from him, he knew it wasn’t smart. He had no idea where Elise was being kept and no idea about the layout of the cabin or the surrounding area. If he hoped to bring Elise home safely, he would have to be smart.

  Daniel and Matt pulled out the map of the area and studied it before deciding the guys would break up into two-man teams and spread out to set up a perimeter while Daniel stayed by the trucks to establish a base point.

  Levi patted Josh’s arm reassuringly. “Don’t worry. He won’t get through us.”

  Josh nodded his thanks, but he knew first they had to establish that Bobby...and Elise...were still at the cabin and hadn’t got away before they’d arrived.

  Colton followed Josh as he pushed through brush. They were only a few hundred feet into the woods when movement grabbed their attention. Josh raised his weapon and saw Colton do the same. His heart raced at the thought that they’d already been discovered. Had Bobby established his own perimeters complete with guards? Did he have that many people working for him? How had such a large organization operated right under their noses?

  He noticed fresh footprints on the ground. The tracks looked small, too small to be a man’s prints, but he estimated they’d been made less than a half hour ago. He followed the trail to a pile of rocks a few feet away where the footprints disappeared. He scanned the ground for more tracks, but they were gone as if whoever had been there had suddenly vanished.

  A scream erupted behind him and he turned in time to see someone jump from behind a tree and attack Colton, swinging a big stick at him. Colton quickly grabbed the small figure and held her as she twisted and turned, trying to escape his grasp, her red hair swinging back and forth as she jerked and struggled to slip free.

  Josh’s heart skipped a beat as he recognized the purple sweatshirt, jeans and Skechers sneakers belonging to his niece.

  “Candace?” he said, incredulous. Could it really be her? Alive?

  The girl’s head jerked at her name and she stared at him, past red, stringy hair with intense blue eyes that matched his own. Yet she stared at him as if she, too, couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

  Colton loosened his hold on her as Josh slipped his weapon over his shoulder and approached her. “Candace?” He reached out and stroked her hair. “It’s me, Candace. It’s Uncle Josh.”

  Recognition seemed to dawn in her eyes. “Uncle Josh?” The fight gushed from her and she fell into his arms, clinging to him and sobbing.

  His heart swelled as he held her, speaking soothingly. “You’re safe now,” he promised, a wave of overwhelming gratitude rushing through him. “No one will hurt you again, Candace. I promise. You’re safe.”

  He silently praised God for His mercy and grace in sparing Candace. He’d brought the girl through, leading her to safety when they’d all given up on her being found alive. Josh knew as she did that she could have come upon anyone in these woods. Plenty of people were looking for her, but they weren’t all good. If she’d escaped, her captors were likely in the woods, too, searching for her.

  “Let’s get her back to the base camp,” Colton suggested.

  Josh agreed. He had to get her to safety. He picked her up and carried her through the woods, back toward their base point.

  He stumbled into the clearing and rushed to the Jeep, settling Candace into the back. Colton called to Daniel to grab a bottle of water, and he handed it to Josh. He opened it and gave it to Candace, who drank in the cool water.

  “I don’t believe it,” Daniel said when he saw her. “I don’t believe it.”

  “We found her wandering in the woods,” Colton told him. “She slipped her captors.”

  Daniel knelt beside her. “How did you do it?” he asked her. “How did you escape, Candace?”

  She drank down the water but stopped and looked at them all. “I had help. Some lady from the FBI saved me.”

  Josh’s gut tightened. “Elise? You saw Agent Richardson?”

  She nodded. “She saved me. She told me to run and I did. I ran so hard. They came after me, but I hid and they didn’t find me.”

  Excitement bubbled through Josh. Elise was alive and he’d been right. She was right here in Westhaven. They hadn’t taken her away yet. “Where is she now, Candace? Where is Agent Richardson?”

  The girl’s eyes darkened and her face drew up.

  “I’m sorry, Uncle Josh, but I think they killed her.”

  Her words nearly knocked him to his feet. Josh fought to catch his breath as Candace’s words reverberated through him. It co
uldn’t be true. It couldn’t be. Elise could not be dead.

  Colton took over where Josh’s voice failed. “What do you mean by you think they killed her?”

  “Roy saw us trying to escape. He shot at us. Brooke and Agent Richardson, they were right behind me, but they didn’t make it. Neither of them made it out.”

  “What else, Candace? What else can you tell us?”

  “I don’t know. I ran away like she told me to do. I heard gunshots. When I stopped to look back, I saw Brooke on the ground, and I didn’t see Agent Richardson.”

  Colton reached into a pocket and pulled out a pencil and a small notebook. “Can you draw me a map of the cabin and where you were being held?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  He scribbled out a makeshift drawing of the cabin and the surrounding area and showed it to Candace. “Can you tell me where they kept you? Where they kept Agent Richardson?”

  Her hands shook as she took the notebook, but she studied it then pointed to an area south of the back of the cabin. “There’s an abandoned well behind the cabin. That’s where they held us.”

  Colton smiled at her. “Good girl. Now, can you tell me how many men there are?”

  “I only saw four men—Roy, Jay, Brooke’s father and the main guy in the cabin. He mostly stayed inside and let Roy and Jay do the work.”

  Candace answered their questions like a trouper, providing valuable information they would need to mount a rescue. When he’d finished asking her questions, Colton relayed several key details to the other members of the team over his radio headset.

  He pulled out the map Candace had helped him construct. “Josh, we’ll cover you while you go to the well and retrieve Elise. Once she’s safe, we’ll draw in on the cabin and its occupants.”