by Andrea Kane
"I'll get the money," Connor assured him, a muscle working in his jaw. "You just get Nancy."
"And no police. Walker said if he sees a cop ..." A choked sound. "He'll kill Brian."
* * *
28
Cliff turned to Connor the minute they were alone. "How can I help?"
The guy looked so devastated that Connor found himself pitying him. "I don't know, Cliff. Right now, I have my work cut out for me. Five million's a lot of money. Not to mention that today's Sunday, and the banks are closed. I'll have to call in a lot of favors to set the wheels in motion. I'd better get busy; we can't afford to waste a minute."
"I don't have your contacts. So I can't access my accounts until morning. But whatever I have is yours." Cliff shifted restlessly. "What about Greg? Do you think he's taken off? Because if Brian was in his car ..."
"Good idea. Try to find him, although I'm sure he's long since dropped out of sight. He knows Walker's plan. And he knows you'd never sit by if Nancy and Brian were in physical danger. So he figures you'll give us his name. And we'll be on his trail like bounty hunters."
"Kidnapping is a federal offense. If he was involved, he's in for major jail time."
"Maybe he didn't do it. Maybe Walker hired one of his thugs to use Greg's car. They certainly helped themselves to mine. I don't know. Right now, all I want is to get Nancy and Brian back."
Cliff nodded. "I'll call you if I find anything."
"Do that. Oh, and Cliff?"
"Yes?" He turned.
"If by some miracle you do find Greg, don't mention the part about the rabbit's foot being spotted in his car. He doesn't know I have that piece of information. And I don't want him to. When the time comes, we'll use it— big time."
After Cliff had taken off, Connor spent the next three hours on the phone, tracking down the CEOs of several major financial institutions and making arrangements to liquidate his assets. He explained that it was an emergency, altering the nature of the crisis by saying it revolved around Julia's continuing comatose condition. He flat-out stated that although no official announcement would be made until she was out of the woods, Julia Tal-bot was his future wife, and her life was on the line. Drastic steps had to be taken. He would provide no further details—for everyone's protection against criminal prosecution.
The first part was the truth. The second was a manipulation of the facts.
The combination worked. That was all that mattered.
From a business perspective, Connor operated on autopilot, going through the motions, hoping that by dealing with the logistics, he could keep out the emotions. He was a man who made things happen. Now, more than ever, he had to rely on his sharp mind and problem-solving skills. If he stopped, let himself think about what Brian might be going through ... He couldn't. He just couldn't.
That strategy worked until his cell phone rang.
It was Julia.
"I know I shouldn't call," she whispered. "Pretend it's someone else. I just had to find out if everything is okay."
The wall of reserve vanished, and the pain crashed in. Shaken by its intensity, Connor released a harsh breath, "No, it's not." He heard the tremor in his own voice. "Walker has Brian. He called with a ransom demand. I've been trying to get the cash together. Stephen went to find Nancy. She's in a ski lodge in Vermont. We don't know what Walker might have done to her. I'm terrified for them, Julia. What if... ?"
"Connor, don't." Julia's voice was choked with horrified tears, but her words were steady. "I want to know everything. But first, listen to me. Brian and Nancy are fine. They have to be. Stephen will find Nancy. As for Brian, you'll work with the police. They'll figure out where he is and bring him home."
"No. We can't call the police. Walker said he'll kill Brian if we do."
"Oh, God." White fear lanced through Julia. At the same time, her mind kicked into high gear. Connor wasn't thinking rationally. This was an area she knew more about than he did. And he was taking the wrong path.
It was up to her to fix it.
"Connor, I want you to come back to the hospital and fill me in on all the details. I need to share this with you—not just the pain but the planning. And if you'll trust me, I know I can help."
"How?"
.It was the first test of Connor's faith in her, and Julia crossed her fingers until they ached. 'Trust me," she repeated quietly. "Please."
"I'm on my way."
Thank God, she thought silently, for Brian's sake.
Hanging up, she turned to her mother, her gaze haunted.
Meredith didn't need to ask questions. JuUa had brought her up to speed on the whole situation. Now, seeing her daughter's reaction, hearing her side of the conversation with Connor, she recognized the harsh reality. "Brian's been kidnapped," she stated grimly.
A sickened nod. "Mom, I need a phone number. Our speaker, the one who couldn't make it this past Friday night and who's an expert in crimes against children."
"FBI Special Agent Patricia Avalon," her mother supplied, already rummaging in her purse. "She's the CAC coordinator at the New York field office. She's a pro."
"I know. I've heard her speak several times." JuUa gave her mother a questioning look. "You've done more than that. I remember your working with her."
"It was a parental kidnapping case," Meredith confirmed. "An abusive father who snatched his daughter and took off for parts unknown. I was familiar with the abuse that had led up to his losing his visitation rights and the impact it had on his daughter. So I was consulted during the investigation. Patricia and her team were astonishing. They had the child safely back with her mother in a day." She whipped out her address book. "I have her number in here."
"I need to talk to Connor before I make contact," Julia reflected aloud. "I need his permission and Stephen's." A shudder. "Philip Walker threatened to kill Brian if the Stratfords call the police."
"Agents like Patricia are trained to do their jobs without alerting the kidnappers. This Walker person won't even realize the FBI is involved." Meredith scribbled down the phone number on a scrap of paper. "Here."
Gratefully, Julia took it. "Now, pray that her ernergency's resolved and she's available. Then pray that I can convince the Stratfords to follow my lead." Julia's voice broke. "Most of all, pray that I'm doing the right thing and that this will bring Brian home safe."
3:45 P.M.
Leaf Brook Memorial
Connor walked into Julia's hospital room and leaned back against the door. He looked positively haggard.
"Hi." His concerned gaze swept over her. "Louis says you're doing better. Is he telling me the truth or placating me?'
"He's telling you the truth. I'm much stronger, and my headache's down to a dull throb." Julia pushed herself into a sitting position.
Meredith rose from the chair beside the bed. "I think I'll grab another cup of coffee. If you two will excuse me ..." She headed for the door.
"Thank you," Connor said quietly as she reached him. "You're a godsend."
Julia's mother laid a gentle hand on his arm. "I'm so sorry for what you're going through. But Brian will be fine. You'll see." She left the room.
Connor went to the bed, leaned over, and took Julia in his arms. She held him tightly, resting her cheek against his shoulder.
"It feels so good to hold you," he muttered, turning his lips into her hair. "I feel so damned helpless."
"We'll get through this," she promised. "So will Brian. My guy's a survivor."
"Which one?" Connor's dry question was suffused with pain.
"Both of you." Julia eased back until her weight was cushioned by the bed. "Now, sit down and tell me everything."
With a tired nod, Connor dropped into the armchair. He relayed the day's events, starting with the confronta-tion he and Stephen had had with their father, moving to Cliff's visit and subsequent admission, and concluding with the ransom call.
"Do you know where Walker called from?" Julia asked.
"Nope. Not fro
m his house or his office, that's for sure. He used a voice scrambler. Clearly, he didn't want to be traced."
"Which means both he and Greg have probably dropped out of sight." Julia frowned. 'Today's Sunday. Were you able to arrange for the money?"
"I've got a lot of contacts in the banking industry," Connor replied, rubbing his eyes. "That includes several CEOs. They're really trying to come through for me. I should have the full five million in cash by eleven o'clock tomorrow morning."
Julia nodded. She reached out and took Connor's hand. "I love you. But I also love Brian. You know that, don't you?"
"Of course."
"Then keep it in mind. And hear me out." Julia took a deep breath, then launched into her pitch. "I realize I'm an educator, not a law enforcer. But you know how involved I am in efforts to prevent child abuse. Through the work my mom and I do with the APSAC, we've met professionals from all different fields. They come and speak at our workshops. One of those speakers is an FBI special agent who was trained at the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime. Her name is Patricia Avalon, and she's a Crimes Against Children coordinator at the New York field office. My mom consulted on one of Special Agent Avalon's investigations, so she saw her in action. She thinks the world of her abilities. I want you to help persuade Stephen to let me call her."
Connor's mouth thinned into a grim line. "How can I do that? Walker said..."
"I know what he said. But think about it, Connor. You're handing him money; he's getting on a plane. How do you know he'll turn Brian over to you? How do you know Walker won't taxi down that runway before you find out where Brian is?"
She winced at the expression on Connor's face.
"Further, can you be sure that Walker won't take Brian with him, as insurance, when he flees the country?" Julia felt bile rise in her throat, but she swallowed it, forcing herself to speak the worst-case scenario aloud. "Last, did Walker give you any actual proof that Brian's still alive? Did he let Stephen talk to him?"
Mutely, Connor shook his head. "I assumed that was because wherever Walker was, Brian wasn't with him. You don't think.
"No, I don't." Julia's fingers tightened in Connor's. '1 know in my heart that Brian's alive. I do. Not to mention that I don't believe Walker's a killer. But I had to state all those possibilities so you'd see you're letting your fear cloud your reason. You and Stephen aren't professionals. You have no idea how to go about this. You think you'll just hand Walker his money, and he'll hand you Brian. Maybe that's exactly what will happen. But do you really want to take that chance? Does Stephen? Patricia Avalon is a federal agent. She's trained for this. So's the special unit that works with her. Let them help us. For Brian's sake."
Connor thought for a long, hard moment. Then he nodded. "Let's call Stephen on his cell phone. He must be coming up on Stowe by now."
4:35 p.m.
Stephen had sped past Burlington and was on U.S. 2 heading west for Stowe when his cell phone rang.
His hands were shaking so hard he could barely press the talk button. "Hello?"
"It's me. No news," Connor added quickly.
"I'm almost there. God, Connor, she's got to be all right."
"She is." A muscle worked in Connor's jaw. "The money's being handled. It should be ready with an hour to spare."
"Thanks."
"Stephen, I'm in Julia's room at the hospital. I'm going to give her the phone. I know yoifre a mess, but listen carefully to what she has to say. It makes sense,"
Frowning, Connor handed Julia the phone. Stephen sounded like a wreck. It was the worst possible time to do this. But time was the one thing they didn't have.
"Hello, Stephen," Julia said softly. A pause. "Yes, I'm fine. It's Brian I'm thinking about. We've only got nineteen hours to find him. And I don't think we can take on that responsibility ourselves and be sure we'll succeed."
She went on, calmly explaining to Stephen exactly what she'd explained to Connor.
"Special Agent Avalon will act as a link between the NCAVC, the FBI field office in New York, and the local Leaf Brook authorities," she concluded. "Which brings me to Martin Hart. He already knows something's wrong. He's been waiting to question me since yesterday, and, according to Connor, he came by your house to question you, too. Connor says you trust him. Is that right?"
She listened, nodding. "Good. Then my suggestion is that we bring him in on this right from the beginning, at the same time as we contact Special Agent Avalon. It'll save precious time." Another pause. "I know you're frightened. You have a right to be. Brian's your son. But that's exactly why you have to do everything possible to bring him home quickly and safely. I'm sure he's fine, but he must be scared. Not to mention how much he must be missing you and his mom. I've listened to Special Agent Avalon describe their operational support and training. They're used to outsmarting serial offenders. And Walker's just a rank amateur. Trust me, these FBI agents are pros. They're not going to tip their hands, and they're not going to let Walker hurt Brian."
Another pause. "No. Catching Walker is secondary. So is recovering any ransom payment. The agents are trained to focus on the kidnapped victim first. Apprehending Walker would be a bonus but not a priority." With that, Julia waited for Stephen's decision.
She got it.
Her head sagged forward, and she squeezed her eyes shut, tears of relief seeping from beneath her lids. "Thank you. Yes, I understand. I'll call her right away. Here's Connor."
Exhausted, she handed Connor back the phone.
He took it. "Stephen?"
"I'm here." He sounded shaken but not as tost as he had a few minutes ago. "Julia's right."
"I know she is." Connor caressed the nape of Julia's neck as he spoke, soothing her emotional strain to the best of his ability. He wondered how he'd ever thought of her as naive and sheltered. She was strong and courageous, and he was lucky to have her. "We'll take care of things at this end."
"I've got about a twenty-minute drive to the ski lodge," Stephen replied. "I'm losing my mind anyway. So I'll use the time to call Marty, tell him what's going on. The next time he shows up at Julia's hospital room to follow up on her accident, let him in. I'll have him pretend it's you he's there to question, since we need to keep up the pretense that Julia's still in a coma. In the meantime, pray that Julia can reach this Special Agent Avalon."
Connor gave Julia a tender look. "She will. When Julia sets her mind to something, she makes it happen. Call us when you get to the lodge."
"I will. The minute I find Nancy and make sure she's all right . . ." Stephen broke off, struggling for control. "I'd better get on the phone to Marty. In the meantime, pray."
* * *
29
4:45 P.M.
Lake George, New York
Philip Walker had driven up to his cottage in the Adiron-dacks. It was the perfect place to lie in wait, since no one knew about it. So he was stunned when he heard a car tear into the driveway and screech around in front of the house.
A pounding at the door was followed by, "Walker, open this goddamn door. I know you're in there. I'll tear it off its hinges if I have to."
Walker's brows shot up. How the hell had Stratford found out about this place so fast? Amazing and gratifying. The ultimatum evidently had been even more jarring than he'd envisioned. Why, he'd never heard the cool, composed Harrison Stratford sound so unglued.
He walked over and opened the door. "Isn't this a nice surprise? You must have worked long and hard to uncover the location of this hideaway. I didn't buy it in my name or my company's."
"I know everything about you, you cocky bastard." Harrison strode in and shoved the door shut. "Except that you were stupid enough to try something like this. Did you honestly think you'd get away with hustling me?"
"Actually, yes. What's more, I must have succeeded, or you wouldn't be tracking me down like a bloodhound." Walker gestured toward the living room. "Do you want to come in, or should we slug it out in the hall?"
Harrison st
udied him through narrowed eyes, then blew by him and went into the living room.
"Drink?" Philip inquired, following him in.
"How much do you want?' Harrison demanded. "And don't tell me five million. That's absurd. Especially now that I know where you are. One phone call, and the cops will throw your ass in jail for so long that you'll be too old to walk when you get out."
Philip began to laugh. "Really. Then why didn't you call them before you burst in here? Or need I ask? You're a tough bastard, Stratford, but you have one weakness: your family. You'd go to the ends of the earth to protect them—or at least to protect their reputations and upward mobility. That's what started this ball rolling to begin with. And it's just what I'm counting on now. Don't you think I anticipated your finding me? I knew you would, sooner or later. I made provisions in case I'm taken out of commission. So go ahead, make your phone call. The minute you do, the ax will fall." He strolled over, lifted the receiver, and offered it to Harrison. "It's your funeral. Or, rather, the Stratfords'."
Stark amazement registered on Harrison's customarily unreadable features. "Christ," he muttered, making no move to touch the phone. "What kind of animal are you? We're not talking about dirty business practices or even illegal ones. We're talking about human life."
"That's being a little melodramatic, wouldn't you say?" Philip replaced the phone on the mantel, eyeing Harrison speculatively. He'd expected him to freak out over being blackmailed, but this reaction was bizarre. Okay, so he was being beaten at his own game, but cat and mouse was nothing new to Stratford. It was certainly nothing he couldn't handle—and make go away, with the right incentive.
Speaking of incentives, why the hell had Stratford blurted out an obscene number like five million dollars? The man was a brilliant negotiator. He'd make a low-ball offer first, then sweeten the pot as needed, mostly with promises for the future. He wouldn't balk at the nature of this arrangement. Political favors for silence? Far from beneath him.
