The Soldier's Promise

by Patricia Potter

  He had changed so much since the year of near silence after his father, and then his grandpa, had died. She would kill Sam herself if he did anything to hurt Nick, to send him back to that place.

  Somewhere inside she knew Josh was keeping up with her despite his leg, although she didn’t look back. Why had she volunteered for the roofing when she should have been with Nick, protecting him?

  Her cell phone rang. It was Tom. “We’ve tracked Sam’s car. It’s near his uncle’s place in the mountains. Ryan and Mike are already on the way, the other officers are behind them and I’m leaving now. Julia’s going to contact the state police about a possible kidnapping and ask for an assist. She’ll let us know if the car moves again.

  “I’m telling everyone to use their cells, not their radios. Sam’s in way over his head. He’s probably still in a panic and trying to figure a way out of this mess.” He paused, then added, “You might call Stephanie and put her on alert. We might need her and Sherry.”

  “You don’t think...”

  “I’m not thinking anything. I just don’t want to preclude any possibilities. Is Manning still there?”

  “Yes.”

  “Let me talk to him.”

  Reluctantly, she handed the phone to him. Resenting him. If only...

  “Roger that,” she heard Josh say after a short pause, then he handed the phone back to her.

  “What?” she demanded.

  His gaze met hers. “He wants to make sure Nick still isn’t around here. He wants an organized search. He can’t be sure Sam took Nick.”

  The implication hit her like a sledgehammer. “You don’t...”

  “It’s only about covering all bases,” he said. He took her hand and pulled her toward the work site. She was met by Abby, who took one look at her face and put a hand to her mouth in horror.

  “We can’t find him,” Eve said. “We think maybe he’s with Sam Clark, but we don’t know for sure. Tom wants an organized search.”

  Josh found Stokes and talked to him quietly. In minutes all the men working on the roof were in a circle around Josh and Eve. In a few sentences, Josh told them that Nick was missing and there was the possibility of foul play. They wanted every yard checked within a six-block radius.

  Everyone quickly organized themselves into groups to check the various yards. Several got on cell phones to call for more help.

  Eve tried to call Stephanie but her phone was out of service. A call to the clinic was answered by Lisa, her vet tech, who said Stephanie was on an emergency call to a ranch forty miles out. A mare was birthing twin foals. Eve knew Stephanie wouldn’t be able to leave. Twin foals were tricky and could result in the death of the mare and foals.

  There was nothing more she could do here that she couldn’t do on the road. “I want to go,” she said.

  Josh nodded. “I’ll drive. Nate can take care of things here.”

  Eve turned to Jim. “Would you stay and let us know if anyone finds anything here?”

  Jim gave her a big hug. “Of course, Eve. You do what you need to do.”

  “We’ll stop and pick up Amos,” Josh said. “He could be helpful. If you have anything of Nick’s with you for him to catch his scent...”

  “We can pick up something at my house,” she said. She started for her truck.

  He stopped her. “My Jeep is better for the mountains.” She wanted to say no. Guilt was hitting her in waves. If she hadn’t been so distracted by Josh, she would have paid more attention to Nick.

  Still, she knew Josh was right. Without another word, she led the way to the Jeep. He drove first to the animal clinic, where he picked up Amos, then to her house. He waited while she ran in and returned with a pair of Nick’s jeans. “They haven’t been washed yet,” she said.

  He stopped at his cabin and grabbed his Glock and belt holster, then asked Eve for directions. He drove faster than the speed limit but he didn’t think there was anyone to stop him. “How long?” he asked.

  “If Sam is going to his uncle’s cabin, forty minutes or so.” Her hands were clasped together so tight they were white. “What if we’re wrong?”

  “This is a possible child kidnapping,” he said. “There will be law enforcement—county and state—all over the place. If Nick shows up somewhere else, you’ll be notified. In the meantime, my gut tells me it’s Clark.”

  She didn’t say anything. Her gut was telling her the same thing, but maybe it was because they both disliked Sam Clark. She had a hard time believing he would actually kidnap a child. He was impulsive, undisciplined. She knew that. But violent? Why hadn’t she insisted he be fired? She’d tried to keep peace but...at what price?

  She called Tom again. “Where are you?”

  “About fifteen minutes out,” he said.

  “We have three cars and six men. A helicopter and several county cars are between you and me. Do you want us to wait on you?”

  “I don’t want a show of force to rattle him and make him do something rash, but you’re the expert.”

  “I agree,” Tom said. “I’ll go in with Charlie. He’s probably the closest thing to a friend Sam has. We might be able to talk him into just giving up. I’m hoping he didn’t know about the camera and has no idea that we connected him to the boy. We’ve kept everything off the radio.”

  “Okay,” she replied. “We’ll be maybe ten minutes behind.”

  She hung up and repeated the conversation to Josh, who nodded.

  He reached out a hand and squeezed hers. “It’ll be all right. Clark’s a blowhard but I don’t think he’s a killer.”

  “But Nick doesn’t know that.”

  “I’m not sure about that. Nick’s a pretty savvy kid.”

  “But he is a kid. Ten years old.”

  He squeezed her hand again, put his hand back on the wheel. She was silent until she directed him on a narrow road that seemed to wind around forever as it went up the mountain. She knew the turn. She’d been at Al’s cabin with her father several times.

  “Okay,” she said. “Take a left.”

  He turned down a rutted road and drove a mile, then she saw the large hunting cabin—three police cars were parked in front. Tom was outside and walked quickly to their car.

  “Nick?” she asked.

  “There’s a problem,” he said.

  She went cold inside. And started shaking. “What kind of problem?”

  “Sam admitted he took Nick after I told him about the photos. But he said that Nick jumped out when Sam slowed down to take a sharp curve. Sam went after him, but he had to park first on an incline and by the time he got out, Nick had disappeared. Charlie’s inside with Sam now. Everyone else is out looking for Nick. I have at least twenty more men and women headed here,” he continued. “My wife is taking over the dispatch desk, and the dispatchers are coming in, as well. The state is sending a team. I’ve called search and rescue, and they’re sending over a couple of teams, too.”

  Eve tried not to scream. Nick lost. Scared. “Maybe Sam’s lying.”

  “I don’t think so. It’s just dawning on him how much trouble he’s in. I told him we knew he robbed Shep’s place and we found all we needed in his house, plus the two belt buckles he had in his car. I told him we had a photo of him breaking into Josh’s Jeep. If anything happened or happens to Nick, he knows its first-degree kidnapping and murder.”

  She tried to think. “He would go downhill. My dad used to tell him if he ever got lost, go down. Find a stream and follow it.”

  Tom’s face softened. “I believe Sam when he says he never meant for all this to happen. He just wanted that chief’s job, to be someone other than just Al’s nephew. He wanted to show everyone how competent he was, and he kept getting in deeper and deeper. I think he’s horrified at what he did today and I think we can believe that he
isn’t lying.” He hesitated, then added, “Hell, none of that matters now. Josh, I see Amos in the car. Can he track?”

  “He hasn’t had that specific training, but it’s worth a try.” He paused. “You have someone who can move fast with him?”

  Ryan stepped toward him. “I can.”

  Eve could tell Josh hated that he couldn’t keep up through the woods, but there had been no hesitation.

  Josh opened the Jeep door, and Amos stepped out gingerly, then looked around. He knew Tom and Ryan, but there were others here now.

  “Where exactly did Nick leave the car?” Ryan asked.

  “About an eighth of a mile from here,” Tom said.

  “What do I do?” Ryan said. “I’ve never handled a search dog.”

  “Eve bought a pair of Nick’s jeans,” Josh said. “We’ll take him down to where Nick jumped out and then let Amos smell the jeans. He may be reluctant to go with you, and if so I’ll start out with you but I don’t want to slow you down.”

  They walked down the road to the spot where Nick left Sam’s car. Josh knelt next to Amos. “Nick needs you,” he said. “Nick is one of your pack.”

  Ryan stooped and held out his hand and let Amos sniff. Amos offered his paw. Acceptance.

  Eve handed Ryan the jeans and gave Amos time to sniff. Amos whined.

  “I think he understands,” Josh said. “Duty time,” he said and rubbed Amos’s neck. “Find Nick. Find Nick for me.” He handed the leash to Ryan. “Find Nick,” he said again.

  Amos looked at him, not moving. “Go, Amos,” Josh said again. “Find Nick.”

  Eve stooped in front of Amos with the pair of jeans. “Find Nick,” she said. “Please find Nick.”

  Amos still wouldn’t move.

  “He wants you,” she said. “You’re the leader of the pack. Ryan isn’t.”

  “I can’t run,” Josh said, and she heard the despair in his voice.

  “You don’t have to. Nick can’t be too far.”

  Josh looked at Amos, who was waiting for him. Eve was waiting, too.

  Ryan handed the leash back to him. “I’ll pace myself with you. If you have to stop, perhaps he’ll go on with me.”

  Josh nodded and took the leash. “Let’s go, Amos.”

  Amos started sniffing, then headed toward the woods, pulling Josh. Josh undid the leash and Amos plunged ahead. Josh had to half run to keep up with him but he didn’t want to stop. He just prayed he wouldn’t stumble over a bush or a log. Once he lost Amos, but the dog came back, waited for him then put his nose to the ground again and continued.

  Pain started to run up and down Josh’s leg. He heard Ryan and Eve calling Nick’s name, but it was all he could do to keep up with Amos. Maybe he should have left him on a leash, but he hadn’t wanted to slow him.

  Fear clutched at him. He hadn’t realized until these past few hours how much Nick had crawled into his heart. He was such a spunky, caring kid who’d already had too much tragedy in his life.

  Josh didn’t know how much time passed. Thirty minutes. An hour. He just concentrated on moving, knowing at any minute his leg might give. Then Amos started barking.

  That was new for Amos. Amos went to alert when sniffing for explosives or enemy combatants. But there was excitement in the bark.

  Then he heard Nick. Ryan and Eve passed him, and Josh leaned against a tree for a moment. Let Eve find her son.

  He limped slowly toward the sounds. Amos’s barking, Nick’s voice answering his mother’s cries, and then he reached them. Eve was bent over Nick, whose face was smudged and bruised. He had cuts on his arms. He was clutching his right ankle.

  Ryan was leaning over him. He looked up as Josh approached.

  “Looks like a sprained ankle. He fell down that incline.”

  Josh knelt next to him. “Hey, champ. We’ve gotta stop meeting this way.”

  That brought a weak smile from Nick. “I knew you and Amos would come.” Amos was lying near Nick’s feet and his ears perked up when he heard his name. Then he wagged his tail. Josh would have sworn he had a satisfied smile on his face.

  Eve was holding on to her son’s shoulders as if she would never let go.

  Josh sat down on the ground, hoping like hell he could get up again. He took out his Swiss Army knife and cut a swath of his shirt off. Then he took off Nick’s left sneaker, noticing the boy’s grimace and bound the ankle to hold it steady.

  “You’re one hell of a smart kid,” he said unsteadily. “You did everything right.” Except maybe for taking photos of a crime in progress. But that was a matter for another day.

  Ryan leaned over and picked up Nick.

  “Take us home, Amos,” Josh said.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  IT WAS WELL after one o’clock in the morning before Josh started the drive home from the Pueblo hospital with Nick, Eve and Amos.

  Eve had called her in-laws and told them what had happened before the ambulance took her and Nick to the hospital with Josh following in his Jeep.

  On the drive back to Covenant Falls, Eve sat in the backseat, holding her son. Nick, totally exhausted, slept. Amos sat up in front. He’d been praised by everyone and he seemed to think it his due. He sat like a prince and gazed out the windows. He had found his pack, and he had protected it.

  Josh carried Nick inside. Nick had been given crutches, but Josh and Eve worried about the dogs. The Douglases greeted them at the door of Eve’s home and gave Nick big hugs. “We took care of the horses,” Jim said. “Abby has some stew on the stove. She always cooks when she’s worried. Nick’s going to make us all gain weight.”

  They went inside and at first there was chaos with five dogs and a cat barking, growling, sniffing backsides, meowing as they vied for attention. Eve directed Josh to take Nick to bed as the motley crew all crowded each other trying to get to Nick.

  Nick’s grandmother followed with a glass of milk and a plate of cookies while Eve settled her son in bed. Josh started to leave, but Jim and Abby Douglas insisted he eat first. He didn’t object. In a few minutes, Eve came back into the room. “He’s asleep with four watchdogs cuddled around him,” she said with a tight smile.

  “Now tell us everything that happened,” her mother-in-law said.

  Eve looked emotionally and physically spent. Truth told, they were both in pretty bad shape.

  Josh took the lead and he told them about the rifle he’d found with his bike and how Tom suspected Sam of the other burglaries, suspicions that proved true after the sheriff found stolen items in the officer’s house when Nick went missing.

  “Al is really going to be torn up,” Jim said. “He treated that boy like his son.”

  “Spoiled him rotten is what he did,” Abby said, and disappeared into the kitchen, returning with four bowls of steaming stew on a tray. “Drink orders,” she said. “Iced tea, milk, water. Wine.”

  “Get them wine,” her husband said. “They’ve had a long, hard day. We’ve all had a long day.”

  Josh was suddenly aware of how dirty his clothes were. He’d washed his face and hands at the hospital, but there were stains and rips in his jeans and shirt. Eve had her cuts and bruises, as well.

  They ate without additional words. They were all drained. Mentally, physically, emotionally.

  Then Eve’s in-laws said it was time for them to leave. “Church is tomorrow and I want to be there to say thanks, thanks to the good Lord and thanks to everyone who helped yesterday,” Abby said.

  “I should go, too,” Eve said. “There will be questions. If I don’t answer them, the phone will ring off the wall.”

  “I’ll answer them,” Abby said. “You and Nick need to relax.”

  Eve thought about it, then nodded. “Thank everyone for me. Tell them Nick is recuperating but needs some quiet time and
to please respect that. About Sam Clark, simply say we can’t say anything because of an ongoing investigation by the state.”

  Abby hugged Eve. “I’ll do that. Thank God you found him,” she said.

  “Amos is the one who found him,” Eve corrected.

  Abby gave Amos a big hug. To Josh’s surprise, Amos licked her.

  “And thank you, Mr. Manning,” Abby said. “Thank you for being there for Eve and my grandson. This is the second time you’ve rescued them. Can I hug you, too?”

  Josh felt his cheeks warm. He didn’t quite know what to do. He stood as Eve’s mother-in-law practically smothered him with a heartfelt hug. He kinda liked it.

  Then they were gone and he was alone with Eve. They moved to the sofa. Both gravitating toward the other. Her hair had come loose from the clips and came down in tousled waves. She had a scratch on her cheek, and her hair still had brambles in it.

  She was beautiful.

  “Thank you,” she said. “You and Amos.”

  He looked over at Amos, who raised his head at the sound of his name. “He did well, didn’t he? His heart is mending.”

  “I think you mended it,” she said.

  “More Nick, I think,” he said. “He took to Nick from day one. He hasn’t done that with anyone since Dave died.”

  “He’s not the only one who went into hiding.”

  “No,” he admitted ruefully.

  “Not you,” she said. “Me.”

  “If there’s one person who isn’t hiding, it’s you,” he said. “Being a mayor is not exactly hiding.”

  “Yes, it is,” she said. “I hid from loving again. From feeling too much for one person. It hurt too much when I lost those I loved. My husband, my father, even my mother. She didn’t die, but she fled. I was going to be strong. I could do anything a man could. I am woman, hear me roar.” She moved into his arms. “I don’t mind roaring, but I don’t think I want to do it alone any longer.”