Love Rescued Me

by Debra Kayn

  The pain from pulling on her arms left her tired, and her face was now dry from the tears she'd cried earlier. Time was running out; she had to get free before he came back. If she tried to escape after he returned with the other two men, they'd shoot her without a second thought.

  She balled her hands into fists and hooked her feet around the chair legs. She inhaled deep, clenched her teeth, and pulled her arms with all her strength. A guttural scream came from the pit of her belly. The moment her breath ran out and she needed to inhale, she slumped against the chair and hung her arms. Something warm trickled from the corner of her mouth, and she licked. Salty blood came from a crack in her lip, and she savored the moisture in hopes that it gave her more strength.

  "Arghhh!" Samantha strained against the ropes around her ankles. Her legs quivered at the exertion. "No, damn it! You won't win! Help!"

  No one knew where she'd been taken. Luce had probably decided to give her space to heal. Charlene knew she'd left the clinic and didn't expect her to come back all afternoon. Bobby was...she didn't want to think where Bobby could be and what he might be doing.

  Those men had hinted that Bobby worked with them. Yet Bobby said he was a forest ranger, and her friends told her he worked undercover. She hung her head and tried to remember every word Charlene and Luce had spoken this afternoon.

  Who was telling the truth? With clarity, she remembered Bobby telling her something about his job and that later he'd explain everything to her, but what did he mean? At the time, she'd thought he meant to quit the forest ranger job and stay in Skamania with her, but what if he was using her to hide the fact he was here working undercover? No, he wouldn't...

  Samantha curled her fingers and strained against the binds on her wrists again. The searing pain from the ropes cutting into the tender skin was easier to deal with than the pain she received at the idea that Bobby had lied, and was really either an undercover cop or a criminal hooked up with the men who'd kidnapped her.

  Her foolish hope that Bobby, Luce, or Charlene would find her fizzled out, and she faced the fact that she could only rely on herself to get out of this situation. She rocked sideways to try and move the chair along the floor. One of the drawers contained a knife.

  A car door slammed, and the sound reminded her of someone dropping the lid of a coffin. She held her breath, acutely aware of every noise. Should she yell in case it wasn't Dickerson, or remain silent in case he came back? She could only hope that whoever walked through the door was coming to save her life.

  She didn't have to wonder about her fate for long. Sheriff Dickerson's oversize body filled the door frame a minute later. The hair on the back of her neck rose, and if not for the ropes holding her legs to the chair, she'd charge the man and hope for the best.

  "Tonight's your lucky night, Sammy girl. You and me are going on a little drive again. Seems Morgan needs your cooperation in dealing with your boyfriend." He walked behind her chair.

  He was going to take me to Bobby? Her heart accelerated, and optimism took over. If Bobby gazed into her eyes, he'd have to accept that there was something between them that meant more than whatever trouble surrounded them. Even if he was the worst criminal on the planet or the dirtiest cop in Washington State, what they shared together had to count for a lot.

  The ropes puddled on the floor at her feet. The thought to flee entered her mind, but with her legs numb, she'd never make it more than two feet without falling. At least with her hands and feet free, she gained a little power over the situation.

  Once the sheriff got in the car, his hands flitted from the steering wheel to the rearview mirror and over to rub the side of his face. He'd checked the pistol on the side of his belt four times already, and Samantha realized the sheriff suffered from nerves. Did he not trust the men he worked for, or did he plan to kill her?

  "What kind of business have you involved me in?" She hid her hands in the bottom of her shirt. She didn't want him to remember he hadn't tied her hands together once they'd left the house.

  Dickerson's foot stomped on the gas, shooting the car forward, and he turned to Samantha. His lip curled up, and his eyes narrowed. "You don't need to know. Just help Morgan, and after tonight he'll be gone and out of my way."

  "What's in it for you?" Something didn't add up, and Samantha wanted to know whose shoulders carried the most blame for involving her in tonight's plan.

  "Shut up!" Dickerson swung his hand out.

  Samantha leaned against the door out of his reach. Her body tensed, ready for the next attack. His hand smashed into the headrest. Her heart hammered faster. She didn't want to push him too far over the edge.

  All the back roads on the mountain looked the same to Samantha, with bumps and ruts and overgrown weeds growing in between the tracks. She guessed they were riding down some kind of old logging road from years ago. If she opened the door, jumped out, and managed to get away from Sheriff Dickerson, she'd find herself lost in the woods and unable to find the way back to town.

  She kicked herself for not continuing her stay at Girl Scout camp years ago and instead begging her parents to let her take roller skating lessons. She should've paid more attention when Parker explained his karate moves. Maybe she could have used them to her advantage. The only defensive skill she knew was how to administer a drug that knocked someone out cold.

  The car slowed and jerked to a sudden stop, sending her careening toward the dashboard. She didn't want to brace herself with her hands in case the sheriff looked over and remembered they were loose, so her shoulder took the brunt of the pain from slamming into the glove compartment.

  Two men in full camouflage outfits, their faces bearing black paint to hide their identity, peered from the bushes. Armed with assault rifles, they stepped out of the brush lining the road. She scooted over to the door and gripped the handle, prepared to flee.

  One of the armed men bent down and gazed into the car straight at Samantha. He waved his rifle to keep driving and stepped back. She craned her neck to gaze out the back windows to search the area the men came from. In the illumination from the car's rear lights, she saw the two men slink back into the underbrush.

  Seeing the other men proved that the three original men who'd kidnapped her weren't working alone. Her nerves were shot, and she wondered how many people would be at their destination. Where the hell was he taking her?

  She swallowed hard. "What does this man Morgan want with me?" She wasn't sure Sheriff Dickerson paid attention to her.

  He repeatedly wiped his forehead, and in the console lights, his hair appeared wet. He sweated profusely.

  "You're his ticket to freedom." He coughed and wiped spittle from his chin.

  "When this is all over, what happens to you? You're supposed to be the sheriff of Skamania. Don't you think the people will have something to say about your involvement with Morgan? With kidnapping me?" Samantha hoped he'd thought about what would happen after tonight.

  Dickerson worked his lips back and forth between his teeth, and Samantha prepared herself for another slap aimed at her head. She'd touched a nerve this time. The sheriff glanced in the rearview mirror and eased off on the gas pedal.

  "I'm supposed to drop you off and go back to the house. Morgan promised me that no one would discover my involvement. Morgan will leave town and never come back." He wiped his face again.

  For the sheriff to go back to his role of protecting the town from crime, she would have to be out of the picture. Tears came, and she let them fall down her face unchecked. She gazed out the window, but nothing registered past her own thoughts. Her breathing didn't speed up, and inside she remained calm. The only evidence she understood her fate was the tears that continued to roll down her cheeks.

  She envisioned Parker sitting in his cell and getting the news his sister had disappeared. She thought of Bobby and wondered if he'd mourn her at all. She'd never learn if the herb seeds she'd planted at the clinic grew into actual plants like her mom used to produce or if Parker thrived
to have a normal life.

  Oh God, they'd kill her.

  The car came to a stop. The door opened and Morgan reached inside. With a rough hand, he pulled her out and dragged her a few feet away from the vehicle. Morgan talked, but the words didn't register to her.

  Time meant nothing, and Samantha waited for death to come. Somewhere deep in her mind, she wondered why she didn't fight or cry over the waste of her life. She was so tired.

  "Showtime." Morgan wrapped his arm around her neck and pushed her ahead of him.

  She managed to shuffle forward without falling on her face. Something hard and pointy poked into her back. She walked to her death and did nothing to stop the man's plans. She was going to die.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Bobby kept moving his legs soundlessly in the tree, lest they fall to sleep and leave him incapable of making a move. He gazed around the area below. Come on, Morgan. Show your fucking face. For three hours Bobby had sat in this tree and studied one man after another, scouring the area, searching for any sign of a setup.

  A shooting pain up the side of his head originated from his clenched jaw, and he opened his mouth wide to relax.

  The operation grew critical as time grew closer, and a move to stop them needed to happen soon. The men working for Morgan had already taken several loads of drugs out of the woods. It killed him that he wasn't able to stop the delivery of the whole load, but it was more important to capture Morgan. The ringleader was still a no-show. If they moved now, they'd lose their best chance at catching Kevin's killer.

  He needed to repay his debt to Kevin, but being a federal investigator flowed in his blood, which meant he had to go by the book during the investigation. If they didn't catch Morgan tonight, he'd seize the drugs and just live with the fact that the search for his partner's killer must go on. He only hoped Samantha would understand after he came clean.

  Bobby's hand found his shoulder holster, and he double-checked the attainability. The bulletproof vest didn't allow his coat to zip up, and he worried the flap might get in the way of drawing his gun.

  He knew the drill by memory, but the lives of his men rode heavy on his conscience. These men they hunted didn't dabble in a few ten-dollar hits, but instead dealt with a million-dollar drug supply. Their job required them to kill first, ask questions later.

  The memory of the night of his partner's murder broke Bobby's concentration. Kevin had yelled out to him, when a blast struck. Time moved in slow motion as he bent down to check on his partner. He was too late... His thoughts trailed off and he shook his head to clear the reminder.

  "Thornton!"

  His head jerked down, and he reached out to hold on to the tree. This wasn't his memory playing a trick on him. Someone below had called his name. What the hell?

  The night goggles afforded him a view of someone entering the area. He squinted to make the details sharper.

  "Goddammit," he whispered.

  Bobby gripped the limb he sat on with his left hand, patted his pistol with the right. He swayed in the tree. His body broke out in a cold sweat. He needed a new plan, fast.

  "Thornton! You might want to come on down and see who I have here. Looks like she could use a little hug." Morgan laughed.

  Bobby flipped the goggles up on his forehead and wiped the sweat from his eyes. Rage burned brightly at seeing Samantha down in the clearing with Morgan. Damn it, Sammy, how did you get involved?

  Bobby jumped down onto the next branch, and hung above the ground a split second before landing on his feet in a panther-like stance. He absorbed the shearing pain that traveled from his feet up to his thighs.

  He ignored all danger and marched a straight path toward Samantha.

  "Hold up there, lover boy. That's close enough."

  The pistol in Morgan's hand pointed straight at Bobby’s heart. He breathed easier knowing the weapon wasn't aimed at Samantha. He needed to keep it that way.

  "What do you want, Morgan?" Bobby widened his legs and held his hands in view.

  Samantha coughed and struggled for breath. He stepped forward, but Morgan's arm tightened around Samantha's neck.

  "No, no, no. I'm not ready for you two lovers to reunite." Morgan moved Samantha in front of him.

  Bobby stayed rooted to the spot. His fingers curled into fists, and the desire to go for the gun strapped to his ribs hit an all-time high.

  "Why don't you let her go, Morgan? This is really about you and me. I'll go anywhere you want me to." He raised his hands, palms out, to show that he was unarmed.

  Morgan's sneer told him everything, and he inhaled to steady his nerves. Morgan had trained alongside him at the academy, and anything that he did to try and convince Morgan to give up Samantha would come away useless. Both he and Morgan knew any promises given during a hostage situation meant nothing, and the ultimate goal was to catch the bad guy.

  "This is what we're going to do. My guys will get the last load out of here, and you'll call off your men." Morgan cut to the chase.

  He stared Morgan down. Without his men to back him up, he and Samantha would never make it out alive. Morgan held the upper hand, and Bobby didn't like it one bit.

  "Now, Thornton. Make the call." Morgan cleared his throat and tightened his hold on Samantha's neck. She moaned and gasped for breath again.

  "That won't work, Morgan. It's over. I won't let you get away. I won't allow you to kill us both and walk away free. You know me better than that." He kept his hands in view and stayed in position.

  "Then you don't have a choice. As soon as I get the call that the van is driving away, I won't need you or your lady anymore." Morgan shook his head. "You disappoint me, Thornton. Head of the force and you’re going to choose a woman over the biggest bust of your life."

  The past year on the run had affected Morgan more than Bobby realized. Morgan seemed irrational and daring.

  "What's it going to be, Thornton?" Morgan asked.

  Bobby glanced away from Morgan and caught Samantha's gaze. Adrenaline flowed through his veins. He recognized that expression on her face. His girl wasn't going down without a fight.

  A plan came to Bobby, but the timing needed to be precise for him to pull it off and make Morgan believe him. If he said the wrong thing, Morgan's rage would end with Samantha and him dead, and he wasn't about to let Morgan kill her like he had Kevin.

  If he antagonized Morgan, he'd lash out and hurt Samantha. However, if Bobby acted compliant and went along with him, he had a chance to save Samantha's life.

  "I don't know what to do, man." Bobby shrugged.

  "Aw, that's good. Big Man Thornton forgetting everything he's learned. I almost fell for it." Morgan laughed.

  Bobby ran his hands through his hair, hoping he came across confused, to hide the fact he shielded his eyes to study Samantha. She gave a slight nod, a small enough movement that Morgan failed to detect the sign, and Bobby understood. Hang in there, Sammy.

  "It'd be a big-time coup if I brought you in, but I don't want my girlfriend hurt, you know?" Bobby hung his head and cleared his throat. "I love her."

  "I agree. It's a lot to think about." Morgan's voice showed his amusement. "I never knew you for a soft heart, Thornton. Although I think you're a dumbass for having a woman come between you and business, I have to tell you, the feel of your woman rubbing against me almost makes me wish I had time to enjoy what you've already had."

  A maniacal chuckle came from Morgan, and Bobby chose that time to give Samantha the slightest nod. Now, Sammy!

  She brought her foot up and kicked back into Morgan's shin with all her strength. She pitched her upper body away from him and struggled against the chokehold.

  Bobby raised his pistol and took the opening Samantha gave him, shooting Chuck Morgan in the head. Samantha fell to the ground and landed on her hands and knees. It took every ounce of self-control not to break protocol and rush to her side, but he remained staring, gun drawn, at the unmoving body laying a few feet behind Samantha.

 
; "Sammy?" He stayed in position.

  A whimper answered him. His chest burned.

  "Sammy, can you get behind me, sweetie?" He held the sight of his pistol on Chuck Morgan and kept watch on Samantha through his peripheral vision. She crawled on her hands and knees toward him. Keeping the gun level and braced with both hands, he hurried over to Morgan the second Samantha shuffled away.

  His shoe connected with Morgan's ribs. He waited to receive any reaction. After getting none, he let one hand release the hold on the pistol and knelt to check the pulse at the base of Morgan's neck. The breath that had stayed trapped in Bobby's lungs since Kevin had died came out of him in a whoosh, and he stumbled back.

  He holstered the pistol, removed his cell phone, and punched in the numbers connecting him with more backup. During the standoff, he'd been aware of his men standing in the shadows, waiting for his signal. He'd held them off, not willing to risk Samantha's life. Right before he made his move, he'd ordered them forward, and they were now standing in the clearing, their rifles raised and waiting for command.

  The hunt for Chuck Morgan was finally over.

  With confidence, he handed the situation over to them. The moment he was free, he lifted Samantha off the ground and into his arms. Her body shook something fierce, and she didn't appear to even be aware that he held on to her.

  "Let's get you home and warmed up, Sammy." He carried her down to where they'd hidden the vehicles.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Bobby broke every speed limit posted coming down out of the hills. Samantha remained in shock, silently staring out the window. Having suffered from shock himself, he knew that a person's mind escaped into a world all his or her own after a traumatic event.

  His tires squealed and came to a sharp stop along the curb in front of Samantha's clinic. Digging into her front pockets, he searched for the key she always kept on her and wondered if it might be faster just to break the glass front door. After finding the key and unlocking the door, he carried her inside.