by Liz Bradford
They were coming up on the intersection. Time to distract the guards. They were supposed to always sit upright. Patrick filled his lungs and charged into action. He waved in the rearview mirror and leaned forward.
“What on earth!” That came from the other guard, who sat in the passenger’s seat.
Patrick unlocked his ankles and removed the chain from around his waist.
Before the guard could pull over, they were in the intersection.
Patrick gripped the underside of the seat and turned his head to the left. Right on schedule, a large SUV barreled down the road, straight for them.
Metal crunched. The men around him screamed like little girls.
Patrick pressed his feet against the floor as tightly as he could and held on. The inmate next to him slid and threatened to push Patrick off the seat.
The van went off the side of the road, and the tail end smashed into a tree. Once the van stopped completely, Patrick opened the door. Thank goodness his guard had taken care of his one other responsibility and made sure Patrick could get out.
The other guard jumped out, pulling his weapon. Patrick knocked the gun out of the guy’s hand and kicked him backward. Patrick grabbed the gun out of the grass. He put a bullet in the man’s head point-blank. Patrick moved toward the front of the van. He had one more problem to take care of.
His guard jumped out of the van and pulled his weapon. “Come on, North, put it down.”
Patrick pointed the weapon at the man. “You know I’m not going to do that. But I appreciate your effort. I think everyone should know the lengths you go to in order to keep your secrets safe.”
“You’re gonna have to kill me, North. Please.”
“Nope. It’s better to let you live with all you’ve done. Death would be too easy. But I’ll make it look like you tried.” Patrick took aim and shot the man in the thigh.
The guard collapsed to the ground.
“Best of luck.” Patrick ran into the woods where his vehicle was waiting with a change of clothes.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Gavin threw his suit jacket on the back of his desk chair. He still wished he hadn’t gone to court. God, why did I have to endure that? But he already knew the answer. He had gone to support his partner and her husband.
It was four in the afternoon, and he still needed to clock in an hour of work before he could go home to Jocelyn.
“What shall we work on for one hour?” Becca leaned onto his desk.
“We should look at Tom’s case again.”
Becca’s eyes darkened and turned downward. “It’s been almost ten months. There’s nothing new. Why bother?”
“Because we’ll get a break at some point. We have to.”
“I appreciate your optimism, but—”
“Weren’t you the one, just a few hours ago, pointing out to me that we have to trust God even if we don’t have full confidence in the system?”
She punched his desk. “To the conference room.”
The murder board for Tom’s death was still assembled in there. “Yes.” He stood and followed Becca to the back of the squad room.
“Riley!”
Gavin turned.
Captain Baker ran out of his office toward Gavin and Becca. Terror filled the captain’s eyes. “Patrick escaped.”
Gavin’s heart dropped into his boots. “What?”
“His transport was hit on the way back to the prison. One guard is dead, the other is injured. A manhunt is underway, but we have to keep you and Jocelyn safe.”
Gavin pushed past the captain and grabbed his jacket.
“Gavin, wait.” Becca ran after him.
“I have to go.” He paused at the squad room door.
“Yes, but where? What do we do?”
He shook his head and searched for possibilities. “We drive. Get out of town. If he can’t find us, he can’t kill us.”
“Shouldn’t you hunker down? Let us all protect you.”
“No. I can’t let anyone else get hurt, not after Jared… We’ll drive. I’ll call you in a few hours.” He gave her a quick hug and bolted out the door.
Jocelyn dropped the remote. They were going to die. She had simply turned on the TV to hear the weather report. The wind was blowing hard, and the temperature was dropping. All she wanted to know was if there was a storm coming. But what she saw instead shattered her insides.
Ella turned into the living room. Since it was court day, she had stopped by after school to keep Jocelyn company until Gavin got home. “What’s wrong?”
Jocelyn pointed at the screen. The live report of police officers combing the area around a prison-transport crash seemed to mock her.
“This just in. We have a confirmed identity of the escaped convict. Patrick North, forty-two—who is currently on trial for the murder of at least four people—has escaped as a result of the crash. One guard is confirmed dead.”
The front door crashed open behind them. Jocelyn screamed.
“It’s me!”
“Gavin!” She ran into his arms.
“You’ve heard?”
“What do we do?”
“We run. Pack anything we absolutely need. We leave immediately.”
She gripped his clothes. “Where will we go?”
“I’m not sure yet, but we aren’t sticking around here.”
She nodded and flew into action. Ella helped her gather diapers and clothes for David. She grabbed a few clothes for herself and Gavin and threw their toiletries into a bag. Gavin changed out of his suit into jeans and a flannel shirt. In less than ten minutes, they stood at the front door. Jocelyn pulled on her gym shoes.
Ella pressed her keys into Gavin’s hand. “Take my car. I just filled the tank, and Patrick won’t be looking for it. There are a zillion little Corollas on the road. It’ll be safer. You have to stay safe.”
“We will.” Gavin took the keys.
Jocelyn pulled Ella into a hug. “Thank you. Pray for us.”
“Of course. And take your coats. It’s getting cold out there.”
Jocelyn grabbed their coats out of the closet, and they slipped them on. Gavin picked up David’s car seat along with one of the bags. They headed out the door and loaded into Ella’s car.
Jocelyn buckled David’s car seat in while praying. God, please keep us safe.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Gavin tapped his thumb on the steering wheel and drove down Interstate 40. They had been on the road for almost an hour. He checked the review mirror again.
David fussed in the backseat.
“Is he okay?”
Jocelyn twisted around to see their son. “Yeah”—she turned back—“but he’s getting hungry. He’s content with the paci for now, but probably should consider stopping soon to feed him. Why didn’t I think to grabbed milk from the freezer so he could eat while we’re driving? Or brought my pump. But I could use a bathroom break too.”
“I think there’s a rest area coming up.”
“That’d be perfect. Don’t you think we should get off of I-40 soon? Isn’t a straight shot down the highway the easiest way for him to find us?”
“We’ll take 26 when we reach Ashville. That’s not too much farther. And I haven’t noticed anyone following us. I’ve varied my speed. Besides, he’ll be looking for our car, won’t he?”
“True. I’m being paranoid, I guess. I’m so scared, Gavin.”
He reached over and took her hand. “I get it. Me too…” He didn’t know what to say to reassure her. His stomach was so tied up he thought he’d be sick. He had to place his hope in Christ now more than ever.
Jocelyn gripped his hand tightly and leaned her head back against the headrest. “I know God is on our side. I trust Him to protect us, but the fear… it’s eating at me no matter how much I pray.”
“We keep praying…”
“I can’t stop.”
“Me neither.”
Their conversation lulled, and Jocelyn reached over and turned
the music up. The worship songs filled the car, and Gavin kept praying for their safety and that Patrick would be caught. After two songs, he saw the sign for the rest area. He resisted the urge to turn his blinker on and waited until the last moment before he slowed down and took the exit.
Heavy clouds to the west obscured the setting sun. A winter storm was being forecasted, and they were headed straight for it. Why hadn’t he driven north or south? Why west? He hadn’t wanted to go south for fear Patrick would expect they would go to her uncle’s in Atlanta like Jocelyn had suggested. Something about the mountains had always been an image of refuge to Gavin, so maybe it felt natural to go west. But they needed to get off of this highway soon.
Gavin pulled into a parking spot along the tree line, opposite of the building. The rest stop was busy. He was torn between wanting to be in the middle of the crowd and not wanting to be recognized by any of Patrick’s contacts. He didn’t have any options for parking, though, since the only open spots were along the far side of the lot. At least it would give Jocelyn more privacy to feed David.
Jocelyn squeezed his arm. “Why don’t you go in the bathroom first, and I’ll feed David.”
“Okay.” He looked past her as an old brown conversion van backed into the spot next to them. “Just be careful when you get out to get him. A creepy van just parked next to us.”
“Oh? Okay.”
He turned off the car. “I’ll leave the key in the ignition, just turn it back on if it starts getting cold.”
“Will do.”
They both moved to get out of the car, but his seatbelt didn’t retract all the way, so he fiddled with it for a second before he stood up out of Ella’s Corolla. He closed the door and turned to Jocelyn.
His heart stopped.
Patrick.
“Put your hands on the roof, Riley.” Patrick’s voice was calm and as cold as the chill in the air.
Gavin obeyed as a glint of light reflected off the barrel of the gun Patrick had pressed against the side of Jocelyn’s head.
“How did you find us?” Jocelyn’s voice cracked.
“I have a very skilled surveillance team. One watched you get in Ella’s car. Another followed you onto I-40. Then we took turns keeping tabs on you until I caught up with you here. It was quite simple. Now, Riley, listen carefully. Put your hands casually behind your head, and then come over here. Go around the front of the car.”
Gavin swallowed past his constricted throat, but he obeyed. Jesus, send Your angels to be with David. Please keep him from crying right now. Keep Patrick from hurting him. Send your angels to find him. And help us find a way out of this!
Once Gavin was near them, Patrick swung open the double side doors of the van and shoved Jocelyn inside. Patrick pointed the gun at Gavin and then waved it to tell Gavin to get in. Gavin climbed in next to Jocelyn in the area where two captain’s chairs normally were. A small stream of light from the street lamps slipped in between the gaudy curtains on the windows.
Patrick tossed two pairs of linked zip ties at Gavin. “Put these on!”
Gavin helped Jocelyn put on a pair and then he did the same, his mind never leaving the little baby who sat in the car next to them. Everything in Gavin wanted to rush Patrick and take him out, but he wouldn’t risk the life of his son or his wife in order to protect his own. Afraid her fear would undo him, Gavin had avoided eye contact with Jocelyn until now. As his eyes met hers, the fear in her eyes tore his heart apart. He had to get them out of this. Maybe he could take Patrick out as he drove. That could work. If he pulled Patrick out of the driver’s seat maybe Jocelyn could jump in, and they’d be okay… Okay, that probably wouldn’t work.
Patrick jumped up into the van and tugged the pair of doors shut behind him. There was plenty of room for him to be upright as the conversion van was one with an extended roof. “Stand up, Riley.”
Gavin stood as Patrick aimed the gun at Jocelyn’s head. He then pulled up Gavin’s shirt and removed his gun from his concealed holster. He slid the Glock into his pocket and shoved Gavin back to the floor. Patrick yanked the zip ties even tighter, and Gavin winced. Patrick then used another zip tie to attach the ties around Gavin’s wrists to the hook in the floor where the seat was normally attached.
Gavin looked over at Jocelyn again. She was shaking, but that didn’t stop Patrick from kicking her before he tossed his gun on the driver’s seat. Gavin tightened his fists.
Patrick grabbed Jocelyn by the hair from where she was behind the driver’s seat and dragged her back toward the door to another hook in the floor. He knelt and attached her zip ties to it. So much for Gavin’s ridiculous plan. Without saying another word, Patrick started the van and drove out of the parking lot and back onto the highway. The knots in Gavin’s stomach grew tighter.
Jocelyn sniffled.
“Hey,” he whispered.
She turned to him. He could barely see her in the dark of the van.
“We’ll get out of this.”
“But David…” she whispered back.
“Angels are watching over him, just like in that song you sing him. I know it.” Gavin shifted his body and placed his leg behind Jocelyn’s back. She leaned into it. He wished he could hold her.
“But he’s hungry. I need to feed him.”
“And you will. I’ll think of something.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Captain Keith Baker walked into his office, and his desk phone rang. He jogged toward it, hoping, even if it was foolish, that it was a call saying they had Patrick in custody. Keith hated that yet another one of his detectives was in danger. What else could he have done to ensure Gavin and Jocelyn’s safety?
“Captain Baker.”
“Captain, this is Trooper Dresden with State Highway Patrol. We have a situation. Is it correct that an Adam Jamison is one of your detectives?”
“Affirmative. What’s this about?”
“And his wife is Ella Jamison?”
“What are you getting at?” Keith glanced through the open blinds toward the squad room, where Ella paced back and forth by Adam’s desk. She was a nervous wreck since Gavin and Jocelyn took off less than two hours ago.
“Do you know her whereabouts?”
“I’m looking right at her. She and Adam are both in my squad room.”
“Hmm…”
Keith let out a sharp breath. His ears grew warm. This guy needed to get to the point. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Keith stepped over to the window and banged on the glass. Ella, Adam, and the few other people not out searching for Patrick turned. He motioned for Ella and Adam to come.
“Well…”
“Just tell me what’s going on! I’m dealing with a fugitive situation here, and one of my detectives and his wife are in danger, so I don’t have the time or energy to listen to you beat around the stupid bush.”
“Ella Jamison’s car was found abandoned at a rest-stop parking lot.”
“What?” Keith’s eyes caught Ella’s as she and Adam came into the room. “Ella, where’s your car?”
Her face paled as her eyes doubled in size. Adam put a hand on her back to steady her and answered for her. “Gavin and Jocelyn took her car…”
Keith’s heart seized. “Wait… abandoned? No one was with the car?”
“Well, not no one,” the voice on the phone said. “That’s why I’m calling. There was a baby inside. We have an arrest warrant being issued for Ella Jamison for child abandonment.”
“You have it all wrong!” Keith banged his hand on his desk. “This is not a child-abandonment situation. We are most likely dealing with a kidnapping of my detective and his wife. Is there security footage covering the spot where the car was parked?”
“Most likely.”
“Most likely!? You mean you didn’t check? Get on that right now. Time is against us. I need to know what vehicle the people who exited that car left in and what happened that made them leave the car. You call me back with that footage immediatel
y. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir. I’ll get right on that.”
“Thank you, but one more thing. Where’s the baby?”
“He’s with a CPS social worker.”
“I want that baby brought to Hazel Hill immediately. He has family here who can take care of him. Please bring him to the police station and his extended family will take custody of the boy until we locate his parents.” He closed his eyes and prayed they’d find them alive.
“Will do.”
Keith slammed the phone down and turned to Adam. If they could locate them in time… Keith closed his eyes. God, please help us find them. Why did I let them leave our protection?
Jocelyn’s stomach twisted as they wound around another bend. They had been driving for over an hour according to the clock on the dashboard of the van, and Jocelyn was hurting. Not only was she nauseated from the twists and turns of the mountain road, but her chest ached from not feeding David. And to top it off, her head throbbed from crying. A few more tears slipped down her check and soaked into Gavin’s jeans where she lay with her head on his lap.
Would David be okay? Even if they got out of this would he be alive? He’d be cold and so hungry in that car. His diaper was sure to be wet. Her heart ached not knowing if a good person would find him in time. Maybe they’d call the police and run the plates. Maybe they’d get David to Ella and Adam. But what if they didn’t? She needed to stop thinking about the possibilities. Jesus, please! Please be with my baby and protect him. And keep Gavin and me alive. We need Your intervention here.
When the van finally pulled to a stop, Jocelyn lifted herself and looked at Gavin. Her eyes had adjusted to the dark, and there was barely enough light to see the tears around his eyes. He took in a deep breath and fresh resolve lit his eyes. They would figure something out.
