by Alexa Grace
Once Gabe got closer to the box, he realized it was a white cardboard box with a lid, the kind of box computer paper was packed in. Inching closer, he heard a yelp, then whimpering. He pulled off the lid and looked inside to find a puppy, which was wagging his tail as if to say "glad you found me." Running his hand down the silky fur of the puppy's back, he said, "Who in the hell would leave you in the middle of the road like this?"
Picking up the puppy, he kicked the box to the side of the road and hurried toward the truck. Getting inside, he flicked on the interior light as he held its warm body to his chest, and felt the brown puppy's legs for injuries. When he touched its back leg, the puppy yelped with pain. The bastard who hurt this puppy was lucky to have gotten away.
Mouth open, her eyes wide with surprise, Kaitlyn said, "This puppy was in the box? Who could be so cruel and evil as to leave a helpless puppy in the middle of a two-lane road at night in a box? If we hadn't stopped. . .” She shuddered at the thought of the animal's fate had they not come along.
"Honey, hold it so I can drive. Be careful. I think his or her right back leg is broken."
Kaitlyn opened her arms, accepting the whimpering puppy from Gabe, stroking its soft fur as she cuddled it.
Gabe pulled out his cell and punched in a number. "Hello. This is Gabe Chase. How late are you going to be open? Can you wait for me to get there? I'm maybe twenty minutes away. I have an injured puppy. Thank you." He ended the call and looked at Kaitlyn.
"I know a vet not far from here. Charlotte was good friends with my mom. She is closing for the day, but is willing to wait for us."
A light was still glowing in the front window of the small, one-story building that housed Charlotte's Vet Clinic. Gabe followed Kaitlyn as she rushed into the reception area with the tiny puppy in her arms.
Hearing them arrive, Charlotte, a petite woman in her fifties with a shock of white hair, came into the waiting area to greet them. Hugging Gabe, she said, "It's so good to see you. What a handsome man you've become. And who is this beautiful young lady?"
"Charlotte, this is Kaitlyn Reece. The puppy she's holding may have a broken leg."
"Let's get our patient into this exam room so I can take a look."
Following her into the exam room, Kaitlyn lay the puppy on the aluminum table, keeping her hand on its back so it wouldn't fall to the floor. The puppy gazed up at her with a flicker of adoration in its dark eyes.
"Good-looking puppy," said Charlotte, as she stroked its head and looked her over. "Looks like this little girl is a chocolate Lab." Gently lifting the puppy, she carefully examined each of its legs. It shrieked with pain as she probed one of its hind legs.
"Is it broken?" Gabe asked.
"Sure is. I'm going to have to get an x-ray before I can do anything else," Charlotte glanced at the two of them. "Who does the puppy belong to?"
"Me!" Gabe and Kaitlyn said in unison, then looked at each other with surprise.
Laughing softly, Charlotte carried the puppy to the treatment area in the back of the building, leaving Gabe and Kaitlyn alone.
Gabe was the first to speak. "I didn't know you were an animal lover."
"And I didn't know you were," Kaitlyn returned. "Listen I know I am in no situation to adopt a puppy. My head tells me I can't even live in my own home because it's too dangerous. I wouldn't want her to be in danger with me. But my heart tells me that I already love her."
"Since I want her, too, there are a couple of things we could do," Gabe began, pulling a coin out of his pocket. "We could flip a coin for her. Or we could adopt her together. Of course, if we did that, we'd be making a lifetime commitment to the puppy."
"And to each other," interrupted Kaitlyn.
"That's a serious step. Are you ready for that kind of commitment, Cat?"
"Are you?"
"Honey, I've been ready since the second grade."
She roped her arms around his neck, feeling his warm breath fanning her face seconds before his lips touched hers. God, she adored this man. Weaving her fingers into his thick hair, she deepened the kiss as he folded his muscular arms around her waist.
"Excuse me," Charlotte cleared her throat and placed the puppy back on the examining table. "She has a minor fracture, so I'm going to put a cast on her leg and she'll be good to go. I forgot to ask you. What's her name?"
Before Gabe could think of a name, Kaitlyn called out, "Godiva! She's a chocolate Lab, and we named her after my favorite chocolate."
<><><>
Evan stayed two cars behind Ryder's Toyota as he headed east on U.S. Route 136. "I hope he stops soon. We're low on gas."
"Just stay behind him. If he doesn't stop the Toyota soon, we'll run him off the road if we have to."
"Think she's alive?"
"Who?"
"Carly Stone."
"Why wouldn't she be?"
"Her body really looked limp when he dropped her into the trunk," said Evan.
"I have no idea how the hell you get such good grades. How many times have we used a stun gun on a target? And how limp are they after the electric shock?"
"Shut up, Devan. What if he poked her too many times with it? What if she hit her head when he dropped her into the trunk?"
"What if I sprout wings and fly out of the van? She's okay, Evan. If she's not, then Ryder goes down, and we collect the $20,000 reward money. Actually, that's not such a bad idea. I say we do both."
"Are you completely crazy?"
"Crazy as a fox. We incapacitate Ryder, then wrap his mouth, wrists and ankles with duct tape, just like we do with our targets. Once we get him into the back of the van, you inject him with Rohypnol."
"You're kidding. Right?"
"No, I'm not. Once Ryder is taken care of, we get Carly Stone out of the trunk and do the same with her. Then we take Stone to the storage unit and secure her to the bed. We drive to the sheriff's office and turn Ryder over to them. Collect the reward. Easy."
<><><>
Frowning, Brody looked at his cell phone. There were no calls or texts from Carly. He'd been waiting at least thirty minutes at the new Morel Steakhouse, where they had agreed to meet after her class.
Punching her number into his cell, he let it ring until her voicemail came on. "Carly, give me a call. I'm at the steakhouse."
The more he thought about it, the more concerned he became. It was out of character for her to be this late. It also wasn't like Carly to not answer her phone. He threw a ten dollar bill on the table for his drink, and strode to the restaurant exit door. Once he reached his SUV, he jumped inside and drove to the community center where Carly was scheduled to teach Frankie Hansen's self-defense class.
Driving into the parking lot in back of the community center, he immediately noticed Carly's car parked near the back door. Flooding the area with light from his headlights, he got out of his vehicle and headed to the back door, thinking Carly may have stayed late with a student. Both doors were locked. He pounded on the glass, but no one came to the door.
Brody was heading back to his SUV when he spotted something glistening on the ground near Carly's car. Picking up Carly's car keys, he noticed the gravel was in disarray as if a scuffle had ensued near her car. Bending down, he plucked a couple of pieces of gravel up. Holding them in the light in the palm of his hand, his heart froze as he noticed small drops of blood.
Rushing to his vehicle, he pulled out his cell phone and called Gabe.
"Are you with Kaitlyn?"
"Yes, she's sitting right next to me. What's wrong, Brody?"
"Put me on speaker." He paused for a moment, and then continued. "I'm at the community center. Carly's car is parked in back, but she's not here."
"Oh no," Kaitlyn said fearfully. "Carly asked me if I needed a ride. I turned her down because Gabe was waiting for me in front of the building."
"What time was that?"
"It was about nine-fifteen," Kaitlyn replied.
Brody sent a text to Cameron, and then called him. "Cam, Car
ly is missing. She did a class at the community center, but it ended at nine. Her car is in the parking lot, and there are signs of a struggle."
"What can I do to help?"
"I just sent you her cell phone number. Her cell has GPS. Track her and tell me where she is."
"Will do. I need a few minutes. I'll call you back."
Brody ended the call, leaned back against his seat, and took a deep breath to calm himself. Carly cannot be missing. She cannot. What will I do if anything happens to her?
His mind went back to the first time he saw her swimming nude in her Florida swimming pool. He knew then he had to have her. Then later when they made love in the Honeymoon Cottage, he realized he needed her in his life.
His cell vibrated. "Cam?"
"Got a location. Just got a ping off the cell tower where U.S. Route 41, U.S. Route 136, and Interstate 74 intersect. It's near Veedersburg.
"Leaving now. Stay with her. Let me know if there is a change in direction."
Flipping on the light bar and siren, Brody floored the accelerator and raced out of the parking lot.
<><><>
Carly willed her arms and legs to move. She felt drained, as if she were recovering from a bad case of the flu. Wiping the blood from under her nose, she assessed her injuries. On fire, her face painfully throbbed with each beat of her heart, and she was certain her nose was broken. One of her eyes was swollen shut, and she strained to see in the inky darkness of the trunk. She inhaled a mix of rust, oil and gasoline. The trunk was filthy, and the heat had her body slick with sweat.
All that meant nothing now. She had to find a way to get out of Ryder's trunk. Running her hands across the back of the trunk, she didn't stop until she felt the inside of the latch. Wiping the sweat out of her eyes with the back of her hand, she searched for the glow-in-the-dark trunk-release lever mounted in all cars since 2002. It was usually installed near the trunk latch, but she couldn't find it there. Nearly crying out loud with frustration, she realized Ryder's car must be older than a 2002 model. Just her luck. Who was she kidding? The car was probably going more than fifty miles-per-hour. What good would opening the trunk do her now? She wasn't desperate enough to jump out of a car going that fast.
She lay still for a moment and monitored her breathing. Biting her lip until it hurt, she reminded herself that breathing naturally was the key to her survival. Hyperventilating meant death.
Closing her eyes, Carly slowed her breathing, and prayed to God that He would help her survive so she could see Brody again. How could she have been such an idiot to put him off? She'd marry Brody in a second if she could just escape the certain death Ryder promised her.
<><><>
Brody clicked the button for speaker and then placed his cell phone on the console of his SUV. "I'm almost to Veedersburg, Cam. Where is she on the GPS?"
"Got a ping from the cell tower just outside Veedersburg. They're still heading East on U.S. Route 136. The car she's in has passed the U.S. 41 and 136 intersection."
Frustrated and panicking, Brody pounded the steering wheel with his fists. "That intersection is at least three miles up the road. What if I'm too late?"
"Don't talk like that, Brody. The vehicle is still moving. The bastard can't hurt her and drive at the same time."
Pressing the accelerator to the floor, he increased his speed to sixty-five miles-per-hour, which was careless and dangerous on the two-lane highway. He didn't care. If he didn't get to Carly in time, nothing in his life would matter. "You talk like you think it's Ryder who has her."
"Who else hates her as much as he does? He as much as promised to come back for her."
"What if it's the Gamers and they have her in the back of their white van? One of them could be driving, while the other one in the back could be doing who knows what to her?" His gut clenched with one of his intuitions that never foretold anything good.
"Brody, please calm down. You can't think like that. I sent patrols out in the car's vicinity. You may see one of them soon. I've got them coming at the car in both directions on 136."
"How are the deputies going to be able to tell which vehicle she's in?"
"They're looking for a car with stolen license plates, or one going unusually fast or slow," said Cam. "You should see Gabe soon. He and Kaitlyn are in the chopper flying over U.S. Route 136."
Brody's heart slammed against his chest. "Dammit, Cam. Tell him not to get too far ahead of me. If Ryder sees the copter, he might do something stupid. Same goes for the Gamers."
"Gabe knows that. Come on, Brody. Calm down. Look up. Do you see the helicopter?"
A long pause followed, and then Brody said, "There it is. I see the lights. He's right over my SUV. Cam, I'm disconnecting the call. I just thought of something and need to call Gabe."
Pressing a couple of buttons on his cell, he soon heard Gabe's voice as he answered.
"Brody, how fast are you going? Slow the hell down. You can't drive that fast on a two-lane highway! Please, Brody. Slow down, there's a curve ahead!"
Brody slammed on the brakes and the SUV nearly fishtailed as he approached the curve. He rode it out until the road straightened, then pressed on the accelerator again.
His heart now slamming against his chest, and breathless, he said, "Gabe, I have a question about your thermal imaging equipment. I think Ryder may have Carly in the trunk of his car. There's no way he'd allow her to sit in front with him if she's conscious. Is your thermal imaging equipment able to detect a body in a car's trunk if you were flying overhead?"
"I wouldn't be able to see something distinct like the outline of a body, but the system would pick up heat coming from the trunk area if the person is alive." Realizing what he'd just indicated, Gabe said, "I'm so sorry. That came out wrong. Carly is not dead. Do you hear me? There is no way she's not alive. She's a former federal agent who knows how to protect herself."
"Forget it. Just fly ahead and keep in touch with Cam. He's tracking her with GPS. Get close enough to the cars on the highway to focus on their trunks. If Ryder has Carly, I think that's where she'd be. Don't get too low or stay low for long, Gabe. I don't want Ryder to spot you and do something stupid that might endanger Carly."
"Will do."
With lights swirling and siren blaring, Brody's tires squealed as he took the turn at Veedersburg to get to the U.S. Route 41 and 136 intersection.
<><><>
"Carly, dear. How are you doing back there in the trunk?" Ryder called out.
Her body stiffening at the sound of his voice, she gritted her teeth and said nothing.
"We'll be home soon. What plans I have for you. I'm getting more excited by the minute."
"Go straight to hell, Ryder!" Carly shouted, fiery anger burning through her veins.
"Now, Carly, is that any way to talk to me?" Ryder said, her reaction amusing him. "I bet you're curious as to what events I have planned for you. First, in the special room I named after you, I'm going to strip you naked. Next, I'll hang you from leather straps and use my whip on you until you bleed and beg for mercy. And then, Special Agent Stone, that's when the real fun begins."
Knowing she needed a clear head, Carly fought back the anger and focused on what she needed to do to escape. Sweeping her fingers past the latch, she focused on a plastic corner panel covering the back side of the brake lights. She might be hesitant to jump out of the trunk of a moving car, but she had no problem pushing out the brake lights. She'd wave her hand through it to gain the attention of any cars behind her, or better yet, get Ryder's car pulled over by the police for a faulty brake or tail light.
Twisting her body, she kicked at the panel until she heard the plastic crack, and then turned around so she could reach it again. Wedging her fingers inside, she pulled until the panel came off, and then pushed it aside. Ripping the wires out, she kicked the lights through so that they fell off the vehicle and bounced on the highway. Beams of light streamed through the hole, piercing the darkness inside the trunk. There was someone d
riving behind Ryder's car. Carly stuck her hand out through the hole, waving frantically to get the attention of the motorist behind them.
<><><>
"I mean it, Evan. Slow the hell down! Back off before Ryder sees us behind him and gets suspicious."
Devan ripped off his painter's cap and threw it on the console. Running the back of his hand across his damp brow, he partially unzipped the painter's coverall he was wearing.
