Hide and Seek

by Velvet Vaughn

  She brushed her teeth, ran a comb through her wet hair and fastened it into a ponytail. A wave of despair rushed through her so strong, her knees gave out, sending her collapsing to the floor. How would she make it through another day without Grace?

  Dante found her tucked into a fetal position on the plush bathroom rug. He eased to the floor beside her and picked her up, settling her in his lap. She curled into him, absorbing his strength.

  “We’ll find them,” he murmured, his hand stroking her back.

  She nodded, believing him. “I just don’t feel strong enough to face the day.”

  He wrapped his hand around her chin and tilted it so he could stare into her eyes. “You are strong enough, Taylor. This is hard and no parent should have to go through this, but your fear and your defeat are exactly what Sweeney wants. Don’t give it to him. Do not give him the satisfaction of knowing he’s beaten you. If you do, he wins.”

  His words seeped into her, fortifying her. It was precisely what she needed to hear. She bolted to her feet, feeling stronger than she had since Grace’s disappearance. “You’re right. He does not get to win. I will beat him.”

  Dante pushed to his feet and shook his head. “No. We will beat him. You and me. Together.”

  #

  Kai was going stir-crazy. Even though he’d made a nice little nest, he felt trapped in this hole. The twangy country music he listened to last night was so mind-numbingly boring it put him to sleep. He woke when he heard Grace and the adults return but the lights in the camper snapped off almost as soon as they stepped inside. He couldn’t chance trying to grab her without knowing where the man and woman were or what they were doing. He rolled over, punched his pillow and fell back asleep.

  It was daylight out now. The man disappeared somewhere in the truck. Kai waited a few minutes and then eased outside to relieve himself. He retreated to his hideout and ate dry Lucky Charms for breakfast. Time passed slowly. He played solitaire with the deck of cards he found in the box and he tried to read one of the comic books, but they were geared for young girls. He didn’t even realize he’d fallen asleep again until he heard the camper door open. He checked his watch. He’d been asleep for hours. He was turning into a slug. He couldn’t see the truck to know if the man had returned. The woman led Grace outside and tied her to a handle on the side of the camper like a dog. It made Kai so mad, he wanted to scream.

  “Sit here and shut up,” the woman barked, even though Grace hadn’t made a sound. Kai wanted to confront the woman, demand she turn Grace over to him, but again, with no exit plan, he had very few options. If he knew how long the man would be gone, he could tie the woman up and use her cell phone to call the police. But the man might come back and Kai had no doubt he’d kill him like he did the woman at the bus.

  Grace sat on the hard ground, a stuffed giraffe at her side. She looked so different with short, dark hair. The woman thrust a coloring book and crayons at her and she took them. Tears rolled down her face as she scribbled the heck out of a red crayon. The woman disappeared back inside the camper, doing who knew what. Kai was just about to chance grabbing Grace when tires crunched on gravel. Grace’s head snapped up and a look of pure fear crossed her face. The woman hurried out and patted Grace’s head, like she’d been taking care of her the whole time.

  #

  Grace couldn’t quit crying. She wanted her mommy. The woman was mean to her when the man wasn’t around. And he said he was her daddy! That made her so scared. She was afraid he was going to try to keep her and never let her see her mommy again.

  She reached up and ran a hand through the short length of her hair. Tears rolled down her face again. She loved her long hair. She always wished it was yellow like her mommy’s, but her mommy always told her how beautiful her red hair was, how special she was to have such a beautiful color. Kids called her funny names sometimes like carrot top or ginger, but she didn’t care. Mommy loved her hair so she did, too. Would Mommy still want her with short, black hair? The mean woman had even added color to her eyebrows so her entire face looked freaky. She was ugly. Kai would probably laugh at her when he saw her again. More big, fat tears leaked from her eyes.

  She gasped when a truck appeared in the driveway. The man was back. Her tummy started to ache. The woman came out of the camper and patted Grace’s ugly head like she was a German shepherd or something. She cringed away from the touch.

  “It’s a beautiful day outside,” the man said, arms stretched wide. “Go put on your bathing suits, ladies,” he ordered. “I rented us a boat. Doesn’t that sound fun, Grace? A boat ride on a beautiful day?”

  It did sound fun, but not with this man and woman. She was a pretty good swimmer. Her mommy made her take lessons when she was little and now she swam in the pool at home all the time. Mommy called her a fish. Another tear escaped to roll down her cheek. Maybe she could jump overboard and swim to safety.

  The woman grabbed her hand and practically towed her inside. No sense in trying to get away. She had nowhere to go.

  #

  Dan looked up from his computer. “We’ve been able to account for all but four of the twenty-four women who attended Sweeney’s trial.” He scanned his screen. “According to the staff at the real estate office she co-owns, Lois Quinlen is on an extended vacation, but no one knows where. She apparently bragged to one of her co-workers that she has a long-distance boyfriend.”

  “Sweeney?”

  “Could be.”

  “What about the others you can’t locate?” Dante asked.

  “We haven’t been able to track down Bonnie Green or Sandy Bradford yet, but Sandy’s a programmer. It’s possible she’s the one who set up his secure phone,” Dorian surmised.

  “It would take someone with extensive computer knowledge to make a phone untraceable,” Peter agreed.

  “I just got a hit on Erin Edgewater,” Dan announced, pushing to his feet. “We had a hard time finding her because she lives completely off the grid. No phone, mortgage, credit cards. She lives in a rustic farmhouse with no apparent means of communication.”

  “Where?”

  “In central Alabama.”

  Taylor gasped. “Sweeney could’ve been headed there from Kentucky.”

  Dante nodded slowly. “And what better place to hide an escaped felon than on a remote farm with no access to the outside world.”

  Luke checked his watch. “We can take the jet, be there in about an hour.”

  The first real clue since Kai’s call made Dante’s heart thump in anticipation, not to mention the fact that both of his bosses were going with him and allowing the use of the company plane.

  Logan closed his laptop. “Dan, keep working on Bonnie Green, Lois Quinlen and Sandy Bradford. If anyone can track them down, it’s you.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Bro.”

  “Demarchis, you come with us.” He glanced around the room. “I texted Hollister to meet us at the plane instead of the regular pilot. I figured we might need extra muscle and since he’s both an agent and licensed pilot, he fits the bill.”

  “I’m going,” Sawyer Oldham insisted, already sliding on his bullet proof vest emblazoned with the letters FBI.

  Luke nodded. “The rest can stay here and help Dan track down the other women.”

  “I’m coming, too,” Taylor insisted.

  Dante shook his head. “Taylor—”

  She cut him off, her voice frantic. “I need to be there for Grace. She’ll be scared to death.”

  Dante cupped her shoulders. “Taylor, we don’t even know if this is a lead.”

  “And if it is,” Luke added, “Sweeney will be armed and dangerous.”

  Dante gentled his voice. His hands were rubbing up and down her arms to comfort her. “We need for you to be here for when he calls again.”

  That seemed to do the trick. Her shoulders slumped. “You’ll let me know as soon as possible?”

  “Promise,” Dante swore.

  #

  K
ai did some recon while Grace and the adults were gone. He figured a boat ride would take a few hours, so he hiked to the lake again, looking for them out on the water. They were nowhere in sight…actually, there was no activity on this part of the lake at all. He climbed a tree to get a better look around, praying his luck held and he didn’t fall and break an arm. That’s all he needed. He carefully made his way to a sturdy branch and latched onto the trunk for support. There was nothing to see in any direction. The lake looked pretty big so he was surprised there were no boats or fishermen. He swung down and landed on his hands and feet.

  He set off in a different direction than the last time. How could they be in an area with no other signs of life? Leaves crunched and twigs snapped on the trail ahead of him. He froze, praying it was friend not foe. A deer leaped across the path, its white tail bobbing as it ran. He let out a breath. Not friend or foe, but doe. He was so busy laughing at his own joke, he didn’t see the obstacle in his path. He tripped and almost went down. When he caught his balance, he jerked around to see what he stumbled over. A rotting plank of wood, about a foot square. He studied it for a moment. He could use it to block the entrance to his lair and keep any furry critters out. He’d slept with one eye open worrying about the scent of food attracting nocturnal visitors. This would work perfectly. He stuck his fingers under the edge and pried the board loose from where it’d settled into the mud over the years. He carefully banged it against a tree to knock off all of the dirt and insects. He didn’t want to hit it too hard. It looked like it might fall apart at any minute.

  He gathered his find under his arm and headed back to the clearing. He’d been gone a while but he should have plenty of time before Grace and the kidnappers returned. He slowed as he neared the camper. The car was still gone. He hurried over to the rock and brushed aside the twigs. He placed the plank over the opening. Perfect. He added some branches to the top and then slid it aside so he could slip inside.

  His stomach growled, so he opened a package of goldfish crackers. He thought about heading over to the camper and raiding their stash, but he didn’t want to spook them, thinking someone was around stealing their food. If they decided to pack up and leave, he would be stuck here without a way home.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Wyatt “Holly” Hollister was an excellent pilot, having been trained by the Royal Australian Air Force. He was the first international COBRA Securities agent. He and Logan had served on a joint task force in Iraq a few years ago and struck up a friendship. They kept in touch over the years and when Logan opened the security firm with Luke, he offered Wyatt a position. As soon as his military term was up, the Aussie packed his belongings and moved to the United States to join the team.

  Wyatt was tall, blonde, outgoing, always smiling. He liked to call everyone ‘mate’ and throw in words that Americans associated with his native country, like ‘shrimp on the barbie’ but when on the job, it became his focus. He was extremely capable and a force to be reckoned with. Dante was glad to have him on his side.

  Wyatt touched the plane down with barely a ripple. They taxied to the small building that served as a hangar and he powered the engines down. Logan had a ride gassed up and waiting for them. They were all outfitted in Kevlar, com units and an assortment of weapons. Luke and Dorian unloaded a chest from the luggage hold that Dante knew sported an arsenal of assault weapons, C4 and other supplies.

  Sawyer Oldham was letting them take the lead, which was surprising. Usually the FBI insisted on taking over but Sawyer had no ego issues. He was friends with Ben Colton and Jake Kincaid, both former FBI agents, so he told them that he had a great deal of respect for COBRA Securities and their work. Jake had even mentioned the possibility of recruiting Sawyer. Dante hadn’t seen him in action yet, besides grilling Cassie, but he seemed like he’d be a good fit. He got along with everyone, although he did notice Dan’s disapproval earlier. It might’ve had something to do with the interest Sawyer showed to Kaitlyn. Dante shook his head. Dan’s brother co-owned the company so if Dan didn’t want Sawyer on the team, chances were he wouldn’t be hired, no matter how capable he proved to be.

  The six of them loaded into the black SUV and buckled up. Luke drove while Logan gave directions using GPS. Dante said a prayer that Kai and Grace were safe and that they would find them unharmed.

  “Turn here,” Logan instructed. Luke maneuvered down the rutted road, dirt kicking up in a cloud. From the looks of it, they were in the middle of nowhere. A small house stood in a clearing. Luke pulled over before they left the tree line and killed the engine. They didn’t want to go in guns blazing before they ascertained the situation. They decided on Dante and Logan approaching the cabin while the others stood at the edge of the woods with assault rifles trained on the house and C4 at the ready. They covered their Kevlar vests with sweatshirts, and both wore cargo pants and carried rifles. To the normal person, they would look like a couple of hunters out trying to catch some game. Little did they know that the rifles were a modified version of an M16A4, the preferred weapon of SEALs. These bad boys could blow a person straight to hell.

  Dante was more than happy to let Logan do the talking. He didn’t think he could keep the violence from his voice. As they approached, Dante noticed chickens pecking around in the yard and off to the side, a few cows munched lazily on tall grass. A woman pinned clothes on a line from a wicker basket like the old days before washers and dryers. She had a pack strapped to her back holding a baby kicking chubby arms and legs. Sweeney’s?

  “Excuse me, ma’am?” Logan called out.

  The woman gasped and spun around. She looked wildly around the area. “Who are you, what do you want.” Her eyes widened when she spotted their guns. Dante tried to look non-threatening when all he really wanted to do was shake the woman until she spilled her guts.

  “We’ve been out hunting,” Logan said with a sheepish look. He pulled off his baseball cap and scratched his head. “Got a little lost. Think we could borrow a phone to call someone to pick us up?”

  “I don’t have a phone. Willy! Get out here.”

  A screen door banged open and a short man stepped outside. “What?” He had a long, scraggly beard, a receding hairline and pot gut. He wore a stained t-shirt with the sleeves cut off to reveal flabby arms covered in crude tattoos. He looked like a human gnome.

  “Company,” Erin trilled.

  Willy’s gaze sharpened. “Who are you and what do you want?” He lifted a rifle and pointed it at them.

  Dante and Logan’s reflexes were instantaneous. Dante targeted between the man’s eyes, Logan aimed for the heart. “Drop it,” Logan ordered with deadly intent.

  The man looked from Dante to Logan and then down at the red dot positioned over his chest, finally realizing he was outgunned. He tossed the weapon to the ground and held up his hands. “Are you from the DEA or something? Cause I swear I’m growing the weed strictly for medicinal purposes.”

  Dante was surprised this fat little man even knew what medicinal meant. “Not DEA,” he said, keeping the dot trained on the man’s head.

  “Hey,” he whined, “I put down my weapon, now you do the same.”

  “Not until we ask a few questions,” Dante said.

  “Is there anyone else here, Ms. Edgewater?”

  Erin gasped. “No. How do you know my name? And it’s Dimwitty now.”

  Willy Dimwitty. Now there was a name that fit.

  “All clear,” Logan told the rest of the team.

  “Hey, who are they?” Willy dumbass pointed as Luke, Dorian, Wyatt and Sawyer strode forward. He lunged for his weapon but Dante stepped on it, blocking his move. “Don’t even think about it.”

  “Go stand by your wife,” Logan ordered.

  “What is this? Are you going to rob me?” Willy waddled over to stand by his wife and child. Another generation of Dimwittys…wonderful. “I provide a service with the marijuana.” He pronounced it ‘mary-j-wanna.’ It’s even legal in several states.”

 
“Not this one,” Luke drawled.

  “Why don’t we go inside, get the baby out of the sun?” Logan’s question was more of a statement as they herded the Dimwittys inside. Dante stopped to unload Willy’s rifle and pocket the shells, just to be safe.

  The inside of the cabin was rustic and sparsely furnished. It appeared the Dimwittys didn’t lead an extravagant lifestyle except for the 50 inch flat-screen TV that took up most of one rough-hewn wall. There must be a satellite dish somewhere on the property.

  Willy stopped in the middle of the room and slammed his fists to his hips. “Who are you people?”

  “FBI,” Sawyer announced, displaying his shield.

  Willy’s eyes widened. “FBI? What do you want with us? We’re honest, hardworking citizens.”

  Honest, hardworking citizens who grew illegal weed and apparently didn’t pay taxes since they had such a hard time tracking Erin down.

  “Mind if we take a look around?” Dante asked, ignoring Willy’s question.

  “Got a search warrant?” Willy shot back.

  Logan lifted an eyebrow. “Do we need one?”

  “Let them look, Willy. We ain’t got nothing to hide.”

  Dorian and Wyatt made quick work of the small dwelling. They checked inside closets and the bathroom and searched for any doors or latches that might lead to a hidden room or crawlspace.

  Dorian stepped out of the pantry. “Clear.”

  “Clear,” Wyatt echoed as he closed the cabinet under the sink and stood.

  Dante felt a little sorry for Erin Edgewater Dimwitty. First she worshipped Patrick Sweeney, then she married Willy Dimwitty. She was apparently a loser magnet.

  Erin placed the baby in a cradle, handed it a pacifier, and then took a seat at the table. Luke sat across from her. “Mrs. Dimwitty, tell us about Patrick Sweeney.”

  Erin’s panicked gaze shot to Willy. “Who?”

  Dante slammed his hand on the table, making her jump and gasp. “We don’t have time to play games and don’t act dumb. We know you were one of Sweeney’s groupies.”