Taken in Texas

by Susan Sleeman

  At the ranch, Lucas hopped out and opened the door for Kendall. She smiled her thanks and her family met them on the porch to take turns hugging her. She wasn’t surprised they knew about the incident as Matt would have called their father the moment he learned of the shooting.

  Cord faced Lucas. “In all the excitement, I didn’t ask how your talk with the pastor went.”

  “Good,” he said. “I liked him. But I need to think about what he said.”

  Cord felt a change in the boy, and he lifted his hand in a fist bump, something he hadn’t tried with Lucas since the plane crash. Lucas reciprocated, and Cord’s heart soared. He had to work extra hard to not let his excitement show and scare Lucas back into his sullen mode.

  “Think I’m gonna go up to my room,” Lucas said.

  “See you in the morning.”

  Lucas hurried inside.

  Winnie stepped over to Cord. “Things seem a little better with you two.”

  Cord nodded but didn’t want to talk about it, as this might not be a permanent change. After all, a boy didn’t get over losing his parents or hating the man he thought was responsible after one counseling session. It took time and work. Cord wished he’d insisted that Lucas continued in therapy, but he hadn’t been open to it and Cord had thought with Lucas’s negative attitude it wouldn’t have been successful.

  “It’s amazing what a good talk with the Lord or His representative can do for the soul.” Winnie squeezed Cord’s arm. “Now I’m gonna go grab some of Betty’s chocolate chip cookies and fill you and Kendall full of sugar to wash away your remaining anxiety.”

  “Sounds good.” Cord wished sugar could help fix anything, but right now, with the residual adrenaline running through his body, it was the last thing he needed. Still, he didn’t want to hurt Winnie’s feelings, so he would try to eat some cookies.

  The entire family headed into the dining room, and Kendall recounted her harrowing experience while she picked at a cookie. He noticed she didn’t eat it and neither did he.

  “We need to figure out how he tracked you,” her father said.

  “He didn’t tail us,” Cord replied. “I watched the mirrors and know that for sure. Especially tonight. It was dark out, and I’d have seen his headlight. And I checked the car for a tracker before we left.”

  “He could ride without his light,” Jed offered. “It’s a full moon out.”

  “That would be foolhardy,” Betty said.

  “So is trying to shoot someone,” Walt pointed out.

  “So maybe he did tail us,” Cord admitted reluctantly. “It’s the only thing that makes sense, I suppose, but I hate to think I allowed that to happen.”

  “Can’t see how anyone else could’ve done anything different,” Walt said, and Cord felt a bit better.

  “Walt’s right.” Winnie stood. “Looks like no one really wants cookies, and it’s getting late. I’ll clean things up.” She crossed over to Kendall and laid a hand on her shoulder. “You should get some sleep, honey.”

  Kendall smiled weakly up at her mother. “I need to decompress first.”

  “I’ll help clean up.” Walt started picking up containers and plates.

  “Bedtime for us.” Betty gave Jed a pointed look and hugged Kendall’s shoulders on the way out of the room.

  Jed stopped to place a kiss on Kendall’s head. “You’re a strong deputy, Granddaughter. Don’t let this incident throw you.”

  “I won’t.” Kendall got up and wandered around the room as if lost, then went to the living room to sit on the sofa.

  Cord followed her and rested his shoulder against the doorframe. “Are you doing any better?”

  “Let’s talk.” She patted the sofa cushion next to her.

  He joined her but his gut churned. When a woman said “let’s talk,” he knew from his experience that he should expect a problem.

  She met his gaze, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “It’s tearing me up inside when I see you reacting to someone getting hurt or nearly getting hurt. You’re suffering so badly, and I want to help.”

  He gaped at her. Not at all what he expected her to say.

  “Maybe you should talk to Mark, too, and find a way to turn this over to God.”

  “Don’t you think I tried that? I have. Like a million times and failed.”

  She took his hand and stared at it. “Do you really want to succeed?”

  “What do you mean by that?” He hated how accusatory his tone sounded, but come on. Of course he wanted to get over his loss and live again.

  “It seems to me like you want to keep punishing yourself, but if you let God take charge, you have to let that guilt go, too. I think since Danny died, you believe you keep failing at the important things in life. The loss of your family confirms it for you, so you’re clinging to it as proof to punish yourself.”

  Cord’s mouth fell open but he quickly snapped it closed, as her comments whirred around in his head like the blades on a helicopter, slicing into his mind.

  Was she right? Did he want to hold on to the blame, the regret?

  Had he let that become who he was deep down? And unless he made a drastic change, would he be destined to live his entire life holding on to this guilt?

  Sounded like a good possibility. Or a bad one, actually. He didn’t want that. He really didn’t, but he also didn’t know if he could do anything about it.

  SIXTEEN

  Cord could barely think the next morning. In just a few hours, they either had to release the money to Eve or face the consequences. He’d been beside himself, but then the bank video files arrived, and he was now holding out hope for one last chance to find her.

  He moved behind Kendall in her father’s office while she cued up the video recorded outside the first bank. The camera captured several cars, but Eve stepped out of a newer model silver Ford Taurus and Cord’s heart tumbled. There she was, his aunt. His sweet, precious aunt.

  “Eve doesn’t appear to be under any duress, does she?” Kendall asked.

  “No,” Cord replied.

  Kendall leaned closer to the screen. “I can’t make out much about the person driving, though. Not even enough to know if it’s a man.”

  Cord concurred. He watched Eve go into the bank and then kept his focus pinned on the car. Time passed and the driver moved very little.

  “C’mon, c’mon. Show yourself,” Kendall said to the video.

  “The driver likely knows about the cameras and isn’t going to do anything to let us see his face.”

  Eve came out of the bank, calmly strolling toward the car and climbing in. She secured her seat belt, and the car backed out.

  “Play the next one,” Cord instructed.

  This video was taken inside the bank, where Eve walked coolly up to the teller, smiled and held a discussion, then left with a stack of cash.

  “Either Eve’s an excellent actress or she wants to be doing this,” Kendall said.

  “I can’t be sure,” Cord said, not taking his focus from the monitor. “She was a drama teacher.”

  Kendall cued up the next video recorded at another branch. Cord felt like he was watching a television rerun, as Eve followed the same actions. The same thing held true for all the footage, except the last section.

  “There.” Cord stabbed his finger at the screen. “That plate number’s readable.”

  Kendall jotted the number down and opened the DMV database. “Car’s owned by a rental company.”

  “He’d have to provide a driver’s license to get it.”

  “Which means he likely rented it under his real name. I’ll request a warrant.”

  “That’ll take too long. I’m going to call and beg the rental agent to give me the information.” He dialed the number and explained his situation. He didn’t need to act to convey his panic, as he was near to losing i
t and the emotion came through in his tone.

  “I don’t know,” the woman said.

  “I only need a name. Nothing else. Even a first initial and last name would work. Please, he could kill my aunt any minute now.”

  “Fine, but you didn’t get it from me.”

  “Of course not.” He resisted pumping his fist in the air.

  “It’s a Y. Wessel.” Cord knew that name and excitement burned in his stomach as he thanked the woman and hung up.

  “She said Y. Wessel. Yancey Wessel is the last name engraved on the trophy, and he must have taken it to hide any connection.”

  “Let’s take a look at his driver’s license photo.” Kendall input his name into the database. The screen filled with his picture. “It’s him! Our Phillip Reese from Facebook.”

  “I’ll call Matt to put out an alert on Wessel, and you get a warrant to search his house. Then we’ll find this jerk and free my aunt. And maybe Wessel will give us the identity of the guy who attacked you, too.”

  * * *

  Kendall knelt behind the berm and made one last check of the cabin, sitting deep on Wessel’s wooded property. She was dressed in a Kevlar vest, as were Cord, Matt, Seth and Dylan, all hunkered down beside her. The perfect team to take Wessel down, and she was in charge.

  A mosquito the size of Texas flew in front of her binoculars, and she swatted it away. “Everyone ready to move?”

  Affirmatives came from each member of the team.

  “Then we’re a go.” She got to her feet and made her way toward the cabin. She didn’t need to check to see if the others were taking their positions, as she could count on them to do their job.

  Even Cord, who was heading for the front door with her. He’d tried to stop her from participating in the raid, but in the end, he couldn’t come up with a good reason, other than his worry. She crept up on the cabin’s porch, moving slowly to keep from making even the barest of sounds.

  “Team one in position,” she said, keeping her voice low as she notified the others over their communication devices.

  She stood by the door and waited for them to confirm their readiness. Cord took his place on the other side of the door and met her gaze. He held it for a long moment, his eyes filled with apprehension.

  She gave him a thumbs-up sign, trying to communicate that they would rescue Eve without her being harmed in the process. If she was here and if she was still alive. They’d seen Wessel through the window, but no sign of Eve so far.

  “In position,” Seth said over her earbud.

  “Ditto,” Dylan said.

  “At the back door,” Matt announced. “Disturbance in five.”

  Kendall started the countdown. “Five. Four. Three. Two. One.”

  Matt discharged a flashbang.

  Kendall held her breath, waiting for Wessel to go check it out.

  “Subject in view,” Matt said. “Move.”

  Cord rammed the door, and it sprung open. Guns lifted, they barged into the cabin, and she quickly scanned the small living area. No one in sight. She moved deeper into the cabin, Cord right on her tail. She heard movement ahead. Took cover flat against a wall. Waited. Held her breath.

  Footsteps creaked across the floor, headed in her direction.

  She wanted to spring forward. Her training held her back.

  Wait for it. Wait. Wait.

  Wessel moved into range. He held a large butcher knife.

  “Freeze.” She planted her gun at his temple. “Drop the knife.”

  He released it, and the metal clanged to the floor.

  She kept her gun pressed against his head, and Cord moved around her to jerk Wessel’s hands behind his back, take him down to the wooden floor and cuff him.

  Wessel moaned. “Watch it. I’m injured.”

  “Suspect in custody,” she said into her microphone.

  “Where’s my aunt?” Cord asked.

  “Who?”

  “Eve Smalley. Where is she?”

  “I don’t know an Eve Smalley.”

  “Stay with him,” Kendall said. “I’ll let the others in, and we’ll clear the cabin.”

  Cord looked like he didn’t want to agree but didn’t move.

  She made her way through a small kitchen with trash overflowing and a sink piled high with dirty dishes to the back door to let the team in.

  “No sign of Eve yet,” she told them. “And Wessel denies knowing her, but I’m hoping she’s here. Let’s fan out and—” The sound of a gunshot in the other room erased her words.

  “Cord!” She spun and ran toward the room.

  Cord lay on the ground, blood oozing from his thigh. Wessel, still cuffed, lay beside him and the man who’d hit her with the rolling pin, his weapon raised, stood over Cord.

  “Drop it!” Kendall screamed and sighted her rifle scope on the man who’d left her with the large lump on her forehead. He was lifting his gun again. Pointing at her. She didn’t hesitate but fired.

  One shot.

  Two.

  Just like she’d been taught. Two bullets, center mass. That took down the unidentified man. He lay unmoving. She held her position.

  “I’m going to approach and cuff him if he’s alive,” Matt said.

  She kept her gun trained on her attacker. If he so much as twitched, she would fire again before he shot her brother, too. But he didn’t move and Matt clapped the cuffs on his wrists.

  “Officer down,” Matt said into his mic and requested a second ambulance for her attacker who was still alive.

  Room secure, she rushed to Cord’s side. “Cord, please. Please. Don’t you dare die on me.”

  He looked up at her. “He barely nicked me. I’m fine.”

  She studied the blood continuing to darken his pant leg. “A nick doesn’t create that much blood.”

  She quickly shed her vest, then her shirt worn over a T-shirt and pressed it against the wound. Cord groaned, ripping her heart out.

  “We have to secure the rest of the house,” Matt said.

  “And find Eve. Go. I can apply pressure myself.” Cord slid his hands under hers. “Find Eve. Please. Search the house.”

  Kendall got to her feet. “Matt, you stay here with Cord and the suspects. I’ll take the east side of the house. Seth, west side, and Dylan, you look for a cellar.” They took off, and Kendall went toward a hallway, where she thought the bedrooms were located.

  She flung open the first bedroom door. Small with a bed and dresser. No closet. No Eve. Back in the hallway she crept toward the next room. The door was locked with a heavy hasp. Not your typical bedroom lock and a sign that she’d find Eve behind that door.

  She took her flashlight from her duty belt and rammed the hasp until it broke, then shoved the door open.

  Eve lay on the bed, her mouth gagged, her hands tied behind her back and secured to the metal bed frame. Her eyes were wide with fear.

  Kendall’s heart soared but she couldn’t release Eve, as they hadn’t cleared the entire cabin yet, and Wessel might have additional help. “Hang tight, Eve. I’ll be right back.”

  She worked her way through the rest of the rooms. When she stepped out of the bathroom, Dylan was in the hallway.

  “Our areas are clear,” he said.

  “Mine, too. I found Eve. She’s fine. Go tell Cord while I untie her.”

  Dylan turned away, then looked back. “By the way, I thought you might want to know Mom got her latest scans, and they’re better.”

  “This’s wonderful news.” She grabbed Dylan and hugged him hard.

  He squirmed free. “Not on the job, cuz. I have a rep to maintain.”

  Smiling, Kendall entered the bedroom and approached Eve to start working on her gag. She had a roadmap of wrinkles crossing her face, and her blondish-gray hair was stick-straight and cut just below her ea
rs. But it was her gaze that held Kendall’s attention. It was like looking into a smaller, older version of Cord’s eyes.

  Kendall released the gag. “I’m Deputy Kendall McKade. Let me get you untied.”

  “Oh, oh.” Eve’s deep-set eyes went even wider. “You’re the Kendall?”

  Kendall gave Eve a questioning look.

  “Cord told me all about you back in the day.” She had the sweetest, gentlest smile, and Kendall liked her instantly.

  She released the last rope. “Let’s get you into the living area and into a chair so the medics can look you over.”

  “I don’t need medics.”

  “You’re not hurt?” Kendall asked. “But there was blood on the floor in your kitchen.”

  She grinned. “I got in one nice swipe to Wessel’s shoulder before he grabbed me.”

  Kendall smiled at Eve. “But I’m sure you’ll want to see Cord.”

  “He’s here?”

  “Yes.”

  Kendall helped Eve to her feet and led her out of the room. She took one look at Cord and dropped to the floor beside him.

  “I’m so sorry,” Eve said, patting his knee. “I was so stupid to fall for this poor excuse for a man’s ploy.”

  “Shh.” Cord smiled. “No need to apologize. He’s a master at this con but it’s over, and if he makes it, he’s going to go away for a long, long time.”

  “My money,” she said sadly. “He took almost all of my savings.”

  “Hopefully we can recover that.” Cord hugged his aunt. “I’m so glad to see you. I thought I’d lost you, too.”

  He shuddered, and Kendall knew how deeply he was feeling the pain of the near loss, but also the joy of stopping it. She wanted to join in their celebration. To hug them both. But more important than anything right now was to get Cord to the hospital.

  He might be downplaying his injury, but Kendall had heard of people sustaining a minor gunshot wound and the bullet traveling through the body to do serious damage. She couldn’t be sure Cord wasn’t in that situation until he was seen by a doctor, and she wasn’t going to relax until she was certain he was safe.