Amish Country Kidnapping

by Mary Alford

  For this Amish widow, nowhere is safe...

  Unless she trusts the Englischer she once loved.

  Waking up to a man trying to kidnap her is Amish widow Rachel Albrecht’s most terrifying moment—until she discovers he’s already taken her teenaged sister. Now Rachel’s life—and her sister’s—depends on her first love, Englischer deputy Noah Warren. But the danger of rekindling their forbidden love is the least of Rachel’s worries with her family in a killer’s sights...

  “You have to help me, Noah. He’s still out there...”

  “He tried to kidnap me.” Rachel’s voice was little more than a hoarse whisper, the words shocking.

  “Who’s out there?” Noah whirled to look in the direction she pointed, then back at her.

  “I don’t know who he is. He had on a mask and it was dark. He came into my home and tried to force me to go with him.”

  Through the headlights, he could see red marks on her cheek. Her bare feet were cut and bloody, hands scraped, her flame-red hair loose and tangled.

  “Let’s get you inside the cruiser where it’s warm. You must be frozen.” When she seemed incapable of putting one foot in front of the other, he clasped her arm and gently guided her to the passenger side.

  Her stricken gaze locked on to him, and he knew something else was coming. “Noah, I think he has Eva.”

  “What do you mean he has Eva?”

  “She wasn’t in her room and her bed was not slept in. He has her, Noah. You have to find my sister.”

  Mary Alford was inspired to become a writer after reading romantic suspense greats Victoria Holt and Phyllis A. Whitney. Soon, creating characters and throwing them into dangerous situations that tested their faith came naturally for Mary. In 2012 Mary entered the speed-dating contest hosted by Love Inspired Suspense and later received “the call.” Writing for Love Inspired Suspense has been a dream come true for Mary.

  Books by Mary Alford

  Love Inspired Suspense

  Forgotten Past

  Rocky Mountain Pursuit

  Deadly Memories

  Framed for Murder

  Standoff at Midnight Mountain

  Grave Peril

  Amish Country Kidnapping

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com.

  Amish Country Kidnapping

  Mary Alford

  So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

  —Psalm 90:12

  To my husband, Monte, who is my biggest supporter, in both writing and in life. You are a true blessing from God and I love you so much.

  Success in marriage is not only finding the right person, it is being the right person.

  —an Amish proverb

  Monte, you are definitely the right person for me.

  Acknowledgments

  Lord Jesus, let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart always be pleasing to You.

  To my granddaughters, Ava, Makinze and Baylee. You are all so special to me and my heart is filled with happiness just to see your smiling faces. I love you all so much.

  To each member of Mary’s Book Crew. Your support means so much to me. You are all dynamos and awesome ladies. A true dream team. I am so grateful to have each of you on my side.

  To my agent, Rachel Kent, who has been there for me through the good, the bad and all my wild questions in between. Thank you!

  To Ann Ellison. You were always such a positive influence and a strong Texas lady. I miss your support, but our loss here on earth is Heaven’s gain.

  To Cheryl Baranski. You were such a wonderful example of what a true warrior of God should look like. I know God is thrilled to have you home.

  Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  EPILOGUE

  DEAR READER

  EXCERPT FROM SECRET MOUNTAIN HIDEOUT BY TERRI REED

  ONE

  Breathe! The disjointed thought sped through Rachel Albrecht’s mind. Her eyes snapped open. She struggled to draw enough air into her lungs. Something covered her mouth and nose. Her heart accelerated as she glanced around the familiar bedroom she once shared with her husband, unable to understand what was happening.

  Her last memory was of falling asleep in her favorite chair reading the Bible while waiting for her sister, Eva, to return.

  Now darkness flooded the room. The lantern’s wick had gone out.

  Through the pitch-black of night the truth became horrifying. A strange man towered above her, his big gloved hand covering part of her face. She clawed at it as the last bit of air left her body.

  He leaned in close, his face completely obscured by a ski mask, only his eyes visible. They burned into hers, the evil filling them chilling.

  “You’re coming with me,” he growled, then removed his hand and hauled her from the chair. The Bible fell to the floor at her feet.

  Air rushed into her lungs and she coughed, her eyes filling with tears as she continued to drag in breaths.

  “Let’s go,” he ordered and pointed to the door. He shoved something against her side. A gun! The sight of it promised all sorts of unwelcome outcomes. She needed help.

  His hot breath fanned across her cheek, his big body blocking her path to the door. If she could make it to the closet, Daniel’s old shotgun was stored there. Though her husband never kept the weapon loaded, she knew where the bullets were and could use the gun to defend herself.

  Breaking free, she ran for the closet, her heart echoing in her ears. Rachel barely managed a couple of steps before his hand snaked around her shoulder. She lost her balance and sprawled across the floor.

  “Oh no, you don’t,” he snarled. Grabbing a handful of her loose hair, he hauled her to her feet. Pieces of hair were ripped from her scalp. Rachel screamed, frantically scratching at his arms, his chest, anything to free herself.

  He jerked her against his body and smacked her hard with his open hand. “That’s for trying to get away from me. You’ve wasted enough of my time. Now, let’s go.”

  His hand clutched her arm tight. The gun bit into her ribs.

  With all her strength, she tried to twist free, but his grip tightened, fingers digging into her arm.

  “Eva, run!” Rachel yelled as loud as she could, thinking only of her seventeen-year-old sister asleep in the bedroom next to hers.

  “Keep your mouth shut and do as I say,” he snapped and forced her toward the door.

  Please, Gott, help me... The frantic prayer slipped through her head as she did her best to drag her feet. She’d need His help if she was going to survive this attack. Her homestead was isolated on the outskirts of the Amish community of West Kootenai, Montana. The Beacheys, her closest neighbors, were almost a mile away. No one would be coming to her aid. H
er survival was in Gott’s hands...and her own.

  “Move! He has plans for you,” the man barked when she continued to dig her heels in. His words were terrifying. This was not a random attack. She’d been purposefully targeted.

  With a strength she could only believe was sent from Gott, she snatched at his mask with her free hand.

  Uttering a string of disgusting words, he released his hold on her arm and tried to capture her flailing hand. The mask ripped free. With morning still hours away, shadows clung to everything in the room. The man’s frightening eyes were the only thing that stood out in her mind. She would never forget them as long as she lived.

  Eva. She had to find a way to save her sister.

  The man smacked her hard once more, then yanked her close, his clawlike grip bruising her upper arm through her nightgown.

  Rachel could not envision the fate waiting for her if he took her.

  Trying to remain calm was next to impossible. With only one option left, Rachel slumped against him with her eyes closed. He seized her by the shoulders to keep her from falling.

  “What’s wrong with you?” he asked with just enough uncertainty to make her believe he’d bought her act. This was her only chance. She slammed her bare foot against his shin as hard as she could. He yelped in pain and clutched his injured leg.

  Freed, Rachel shoved him hard. Caught unawares, the man stumbled to the floor, taking the table holding the dark lantern with him.

  She didn’t look back as she raced for the door. Behind her, another string of bad words was followed by the noise of furniture being shoved out of the way. He was coming after her!

  “Eva, wake up!” she screamed. How could Eva sleep through such noise?

  Reaching Eva’s open door, the bed appeared still made from the morning. Eva never came home. Terror threatened to stop her dead. Had the man already taken her sister?

  Her pursuer slammed against the adjoining wall. She had seconds to escape. With her sister’s well-being foremost in her thoughts, Rachel reached the front door. Her fingers shook so much it was a struggle to turn the knob. She yanked the door open and clicked the lock on the knob before slamming it closed.

  Her bare feet hit the front porch. She cleared the steps, stumbling across the frozen ground. To her left: the wheat field Thomas Beachey planted for her, the tender shoots still inching their way above ground. To her right: a patch of woods before the road that separated her place from her neighbors’. Rachel turned right and ran toward the neighbors’ place.

  Fresh-fallen snow blanketed the countryside. Winter might have been months away in most of the States, but in the big sky country of Montana, it already held the countryside in its icy clutches.

  With her lungs burning from the cold, Rachel ran as fast as her bare feet would allow. She had to reach the Beacheys.

  Behind her, the door flew open and slammed against the wall. “Where do you think you’re going? There’s no one here to help you,” the man shouted, his anger emphasizing each word.

  Her steps hiccupped. Gott, keep my faith strong in You. She would not give in to the fear. Eva needed her.

  With her feet growing numb, fallen trees tore at her tender flesh. Close by, her attacker entered the woods. His labored breathing made it sound as if he were right on top of her. Ignoring the pain, Rachel gathered her dwindling energy and kept running.

  Up above, the clouds covered the moon and stars. In the deep woods, the darkness was so intense she could barely see her hand in front of her.

  Branches snapped as the man plowed through the trees behind her. These woods were as familiar to her as the back of her hand. She had the advantage.

  In front of her, the woods thinned. Almost there. The path blurred with her tears. What did this man want?

  The road appeared before her. Across it, the Beacheys’ house loomed as a shadow, save a single light burning in the kitchen. Someone was awake.

  Rachel stumbled onto the road. Losing her footing on the icy pavement, she fell hard to her knees. Please, no. Not like this. Not without knowing her sister’s fate.

  Frantic, she glanced back. A dark silhouette appeared at the edge of the woods. The man spotted her and started running toward her.

  “Help!” she screamed as loud as her labored voice would allow, hoping the Beacheys might hear her. “Help me, please!”

  With scraped hands, she pushed off the pavement and managed to keep her feet underneath her. Hurry. She had to. But it was impossible on the slick road.

  She peeked over her shoulder. The man had stopped near the road. He was no longer looking at her but down the road. What was he waiting for?

  Beyond her drumming heartbeat, she caught the sound of a car’s engine coming toward her. Rachel whirled at the sound. The vehicle topped the hill close by. Blinding headlights pinned her in place. Before she had time to react, the SUV was almost on top of her.

  What if the driver worked with her attacker? She’d fought so hard to be free only to die here on this road.

  Tires squealed on the slick road as the driver tried to stop before he hit her. Rachel shielded her eyes against the glare. Her heart in her throat, she braced for the impact.

  Seconds passed. Nothing happened. Quiet returned to the countryside. The car had stopped. She was alive. A single breath slipped from her body. Her gaze darted to the last place she’d seen her attacker. He wasn’t there.

  The Beacheys’ home was close. If she ran, would she make it in time?

  The SUV’s door opened. Her heartbeat ticked the seconds off.

  “Rachel?” That voice! It jumped out at her from her youthful past. Noah? More than seven years had passed since he’d moved away, yet she’d thought of him so often through the years. The young man she’d lost her heart to at seventeen had now just saved her life.

  * * *

  Deputy Sheriff Noah Warren wasn’t sure he trusted his eyes. Standing before him, illuminated by the bright headlights of his patrol vehicle, was the woman who’d stolen his eighteen-year-old heart.

  And he’d broken hers.

  As he advanced on her, the shock of seeing Rachel again under these unexpected conditions sent shock waves through his body.

  “Rachel?” he said her name again and blinked, half expecting her to disappear. When he opened his eyes, she was still there and one thing became clear—the look of fear on her face appeared permanently embedded there. Her green eyes were huge pools of light that told a story of desperation.

  Noah couldn’t believe his past mistakes were about to reach out to him once more. He’d thought of her so many times through the years, considered reaching out to her when the heartaches of her life took place. Thought better of it. He’d hurt her badly. She wouldn’t welcome hearing from him again after the way things ended. Best to leave the past where it lay. As hard as it was to accept, their future was never intended to be together. God had other plans for both of them.

  He snapped out of his daze. “Are you hurt?” he asked, his voice anything but steady, reflecting how he felt.

  Rachel took an involuntary step back and peeked over her shoulder. Shivered visibly.

  “You have to help me, Noah. He’s still out there. He tried to kidnap me.” Her voice was little more than a hoarse whisper, the words shocking.

  Noah whirled to look in the direction she pointed, then back at her. “Who’s out there?”

  “I don’t know who he is. He wore a mask and it was dark. He came into my home and tried to force me to go with him.”

  Noah couldn’t believe what he heard. Through the headlights, he could see red marks on her cheek. Her bare feet were cut and bloody, hands scraped, flame-red hair loose and tangled.

  “Let’s get you inside the cruiser where it’s warm. You must be frozen.” When she seemed incapable of moving, he clasped her arm and gently guided her to the passenger side.

>   Opening the door, he paused when Rachel didn’t budge. Her stricken gaze locked onto him, and he knew something else was coming.

  “Noah, I think he has Eva.”

  The news robbed him of his next breath. “What do you mean he has Eva?”

  “She wasn’t in her room and her bed was not unmade. Eva promised to be home by ten and she wouldn’t break that promise. He has her, Noah. You have to find my sister.”

  Eva missing? He still remembered the young blonde girl who used to follow them around. “I’ll find her, I promise. Come, get inside where it’s warm. I need to call for backup.” The urgency in his tone must have reached through her fear. Gathering the skirt of her gown, she climbed inside. Noah retrieved the blanket he kept in the SUV along with other emergency supplies and tucked it around her legs. Clicking the locks in place, he shut the door and reached for the radio attached to his jacket.

  In the distance, a vehicle fired to life. Noah swung toward the sound. It sounded close, a little ways past Rachel’s home. He peered into the dark night. No lights appeared. Had he been wrong about the distance? Noises carried in the country, the sound echoing off the mountains. Perhaps the car was farther down the road than he thought. As much as he wanted to investigate, he didn’t dare leave Rachel alone.

  “Dispatch, this is Deputy Warren requesting immediate backup for a possible 207 on Spruce Road near the Beachey farm.”

  The sheriff’s dispatcher, Janine Mills, picked up right away. “Copy that, Noah.” A second of silence followed. “Aden and Megan are en route. I’ll notify the sheriff. Is anyone hurt? Do you need an ambulance?”

  He glanced inside the patrol vehicle where Rachel watched him with huge eyes. “Yes, send a bus. The victim has cuts on her feet and she’s been exposed to the cold for a while. It would be a good idea to have an EMT take a look at her.”

  “Will do. Backup is five minutes out. Stay safe, Noah.”

  Noah ended the transmission and called Aden on his cell.

  “We’re close,” Aden assured him.