by Dana R. Lynn
Kate might not have time for him to wait for all of them to exit on the third floor and send the elevator back.
He spun and ran to the door leading to the stairs. Swinging it open, he charged down the steps, making no attempt to mask his presence. The air rang with the sound of his boots hitting the metal steps. If Katie was on the steps, she and whoever had her would hear him coming. He didn’t pause, his entire being focused on finding Katie and making sure she was safe.
He burst from the stairwell and found himself near the hospital’s main lobby. A young man in a white coat jumped back, exclaiming as he spilled hot coffee down the front of his coat. Idly, Abram wondered if he was old enough to be a doctor.
“Hey! Watch where you’re going, man. This is a hospital.”
“Ja! My friend was here, but she just left with someone. Blond hair, blue eyes, ragged clothes.” He recalled her face. “A large bruise on her cheek and a cut on her forehead.”
“Oh, yeah. I rode the elevator down with her a few minutes ago. She was heading out, I’m sure.”
“I think she was kidnapped!” Abram exclaimed and then he was off again.
He exited the building at a run, aware of a commotion in his wake. He ignored it. Outside, he slowed to look around. Please, Gott, let her still be here.
A scream rent the air. Katie! Relief and alarm spurted through his veins, drumming in his ears.
He sprinted through the parking lot. When he saw her struggling in the arms of a man intent on forcing her in a Jeep, Abram pumped his arms for a final burst of speed. The man had her lifted partially off the ground and was trying to shove her into the vehicle feetfirst.
“Hey!” Abram bellowed.
Surprised, Katie’s captor jerked around, dragging her kicking feet back out of the car.
Abram was almost there.
A commotion at the hospital door caught his attention. Security officers were running their way. With a growl, the stranger tossed Katie at him and jumped into the front seat, not even bothering to shut the back door. Abram’s arms closed about Katie as they stumbled back, falling into a pile on the blacktop. The Jeep squealed away. Abram pulled Katie closer to the ground to avoid getting clipped by the swinging door. It slammed shut as the Jeep careened onto the road, nearly barreling into a minivan coming from the opposite direction.
Horns blared as the Jeep sped off.
Hands reached down and pulled them to their feet. A few steps away, a security officer was calling in the incident, his voice hard and sharp.
A red-faced officer was standing next to Abram. It was the guard who’d been sitting behind the registration desk as Abram had dashed past. Perhaps he felt guilty for not knowing the woman was being abducted. He’d be in trouble, no doubt. Abram was too busy checking Katie for further injuries to waste time feeling sorry for the Englischer. She was shaking, but her eyes were clear.
“Katie? Are you well? Did he hurt you?” She was so pale he was half-afraid she’d go into shock.
Abram searched for additional injuries. Her neck was red and there was a bruise forming on her left arm near her elbow. Other than that, she appeared fine. Her eyes and lips were tight, but the gaze she sent his way was clear and didn’t waver. Suddenly, her head snapped around toward the hospital. Tension radiated down the length of her.
“I’m fine. But did anyone check on Shane? That guy definitely came after me because I was at Beth’s earlier today.”
Within three seconds, they were surrounded by more security officers. One of them phoned into the hospital to have Shane checked out. Within a minute, they received word that he was fine and was still unconscious from the anesthesia.
“Can you describe your kidnapper, miss?” The man who’d called in the situation was off the phone and at her side.
“Yeah. About six foot four or five, probably around 240 pounds. He had short straight black hair, a beard, no visible scars or tats, and was wearing steel-toe boots, blue jeans and a black T-shirt with no logos or images on it. He drove a Jeep Cherokee, dark blue. I didn’t get the license plate number.”
They all turned and stared at her. It struck Abram that her monotone recitation of details probably sounded like a cop.
“Ack, you always did have a great eye for small details,” he said.
She startled, as if only remembering her cover story. He took the grimace she tossed his way as a silent thanks.
“True.”
He read the relief in her eyes. “Katie, I don’t know what your plan is, but I’m wondering if we could go and visit the bishop?”
She was silent for a moment before nodding slowly. “That might be a good idea. But first, I want to see my friend, Abram.”
He nodded. If Shane had been his friend, he’d want to see for himself that he was unharmed.
“Ja, we’ll make sure he’s okay before going to see the bishop.” He searched her face, amazed she could be so calm after such a close call.
Katie looked so young in her jeans and T-shirt they might have concluded she was a young Amish girl going through her Rumspringa, or the time of running around. It is a time when some of the strictures are eased and young people are allowed more freedom so they may decide to join the Amish church or leave and enter the Englisch world.
He never bothered to take advantage of that time. Mostly because of the woman in front of him.
She was in danger. He couldn’t abandon her, even if the bishop hadn’t charged him with her care. Someone had already tried to get to her.
He’d help her. Then he’d let her go again.
For now, he had to guard his heart. He wasn’t sure he would survive if she broke it again.
FOUR
The hospital staff and paramedics hovered around them like a swarm of bees around a hive. Kate edged closer to Abram and away from the strangers clustered around her. The noise was overwhelming. So many questions and voices talking at the same time. It was absurd to feel claustrophobic. She was a cop. She’d been in tight situations before.
But not like this. Overwhelmed by her memories of the past, having been nearly killed and then kidnapped at knifepoint in such a brief amount of time, she needed space to process it all so she could focus.
Space she wasn’t likely to get. Abram was her only source of calm in this chaos. Leaning on him was not a good option. She was a bit fragile at the moment and she needed to be strong.
Forcing herself to move away from Abram, she moved closer to the paramedics, balking when a new one joined them with a wheelchair.
“I’m perfectly able to walk on my own.” She felt a flush stain her cheeks. When they wouldn’t budge, she lowered herself into the wheelchair with a disgusted sigh. Feeling vulnerable, she allowed herself to be led back into the hospital. Abram apparently wasn’t willing to be left behind. He jogged back up to stand beside her.
“Did he demand you get dressed?” he whispered out of the side of his mouth. She’d forgotten that trick. His lips barely moved. Casting her gaze up, his eyes met hers, a glimmer of a question in them.
She’d have to come clean.
“I was just getting ready to walk out,” she whispered back. “Being stuck in the hospital to wait when I was fine was a waste of time.”
A soft sound, almost a snort left him. “Fine? You barely survived being blown up.”
“Jetzt nicht,” she whispered, telling him now was not the time for this particular conversation. There were too many people around. She was sort of surprised that she’d recalled the words; she hadn’t spoken Pennsylvania Dutch, the German-based dialect her family and the other Amish used, in nine years. The words, however, had felt natural on her tongue.
He narrowed his eyes, but nodded. “Ja.”
It was a promise. He would back down, but only for the moment. Later, he would demand to know everything. Her eyes flashed away from his, her heart pounding.
Being nearly kidnapped had been terrifying. The idea of explaining herself to Abram Burkholder after all these years was less scary, but still daunting.
For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, Kate endured doctors prodding and poking at her while Lieutenant Greer showed up. He waited until the doctor declared she had suffered no further injuries and left to write her release papers before stepping closer to interrogate her.
“What did he want with you?” he barked at her, scowling at her as if being taken against her will was all her idea.
Kate was all for being thorough, and she even understood being tough on a witness or a suspect. However, she had been nearly kidnapped from her hospital room. She was done being nice.
“I’ve already told you I don’t know.” She crossed her arms across her chest and frowned back at him. Abram stepped up next to her shoulder in a show of support. Surprised, she switched her gaze to him. Her former friend was almost glaring at the lieutenant, his eyes fierce and angry.
“Katie is the victim here, Lieutenant.”
Wow. In all the years they’d grown up together, she had never heard him snap like that. Abram was always calm and deliberate. Always thoughtful. Almost remote. Who would have guessed that he would have the ability to speak to an authority figure like that?
She didn’t know who he was anymore. It saddened her to realize that she didn’t know what experiences had shaped him into the man he was now.
Belatedly, she realized he’d called her Katie. It wasn’t the time to correct him. A small part of her liked the sound of her former nickname falling from his lips. In the chaos surrounding them, it was something familiar to ground her. Surely, it couldn’t hurt to allow him this one small thing. Besides, Katie was a very common appellation among the Amish. Anyone she encountered who knew her from before was certain to call her that. If she corrected them all, it would raise more questions than it was worth. She’d let the matter lie.
The lieutenant held up his hands. “That may be so. But the paramedics on the scene of the explosion found these.” He pulled out a clear plastic bag. Inside them were two service weapons. She and Shane had dropped their guns when the house exploded. “These are police-issued weapons. You want to tell me the truth?”
All he’d have to do was look up the numbers on the guns. Had he already done that? She couldn’t lie, but maybe she didn’t have to tell him the entire truth.
“I’m a police officer from Wallmer Grove. So is my partner, Shane Pearson.”
His eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth. She rushed on before he could ask any more questions. “I did grow up in this area. Shane and I were on our way to visit the bishop and I asked if we could stop by Beth’s house first.”
All true. Sort of.
“Let’s say I believe you. But this whole situation is wrong. You show up at a house and nearly get yourself blown up. Then I hear from one of the guys at the office that the girl you were visiting hasn’t shown up for work and is missing.”
She exchanged glances with Abram. They kept quiet and listened to the lieutenant rant.
“Now I’m called back the same day to find you’ve been nearly abducted and held at knifepoint. Would someone like to tell me the truth? How do you know the missing woman?”
Balling her hands into fists to keep them steady, she pressed them against her sides. “I met Beth several years ago. When I decided to come home, I stopped by her house. It didn’t look like she was home, so we decided to knock on the door. You know what happened next.”
“Yes.” The word was drawn out. She didn’t like the sound of it. “You said it didn’t look like anyone was home, right? Why would you assume there was trouble? I’m guessing you had your weapons out, since they weren’t found in the car or on your person.”
Wincing, Kate thought fast. How could she explain? The only option she could see would be to talk with Lieutenant Greer alone and answer his questions. Except Beth was a federal witness. Giving details about her might get Kate into a heap of trouble. Lieutenant Greer probably wouldn’t like it if she asked him to let her call her captain first before she answered any more questions.
“I’m afraid your questions cannot be answered at this time,” a deep male voice said.
Kate, Abram and the police lieutenant all turned at this new voice. Two strangers entered the room and closed the door. The man was in his early forties with red hair and serious brown eyes gleaming behind wire-framed glasses. The woman looked to be in her mid-to late-thirties. She wore light makeup, and her hair was pinned up in some sort of fancy twist. Except for her clothes, she seemed very feminine in a modern way. Both wore dark trousers and jackets. At the same time, they reached inside their jackets and whipped out badges. Federal badges. The man spoke.
“I’m Marshal Tim Hendrix, and this is Marshal Amy Delacure. I’m sorry, Lieutenant. This case is the jurisdiction of the US Marshals.”
Speculation grew on Lieutenant Greer’s face. Kate glanced at Abram and rolled her eyes. He gave her a crooked half smile back. Not flirtatiously. He was telling her he agreed with her assessment of the situation. By announcing that the case belonged to the Marshals, the newcomers had all but shouted that there was much more going on than Kate was telling.
However, that also removed the lieutenant’s need to question her and Shane. Which could be a good thing. Either way, what was done was done.
“You know, that just makes me all the more curious,” he retorted.
Marshal Delacure shrugged, a sympathetic smile on her face. “Yes, we know. Can’t be helped, though. I’m sure you understand.”
A muffled chuckle came from Abram. When she looked at him, though, his face was devoid of all emotion. He gave her a sidewise glance and a wink. She remembered that look. Abram was amused. Probably, like her, he knew a facetious remark when he heard it, even if it was sugarcoated and said with a sweet smile and southern drawl.
Greer jammed his hat back on his head and made to leave.
“Before you go,” Marshal Hendrix said, a pleasant smile on his face that didn’t reach his eyes. “I think it would be a good idea to let Officer Bontrager have her property back. And release her car, while you’re at it.”
Greer fumed and handed the bag over before he left. He did not look happy. Kate didn’t blame him. He had every right to suspect her. She was glad to have her gun returned to her, though.
Delacure turned her eyes to Abram. Before she could tell him to leave, Kate blurted, “He’s part of this. The bishop has made him my liaison, so to speak.”
Why had she done that? If she’d kept quiet, the marshals would have demanded he leave. But what would have been the point? He already knew everything.
And she wanted him to stay.
She flinched away from that thought. Her life had gotten way too complicated recently. If she grew close to him once more, she would be putting her heart at risk again.
Kate rubbed her throat where her captor’s arm had strangled her.
If she weren’t careful, she’d also be putting his life, and those around him, in jeopardy, too.
She’d walk away again before that happened.
If she could.
* * *
Abram didn’t like the way she kept rubbing her throat. Seeing that man attempting to force her into his vehicle brought one thing home to Abram. Even after nearly ten years, part of his heart, at the very least, still belonged to Katie. Who knew how she felt?
He had to get past that. He was Amish, and she wasn’t. His commitment was to Gott, not to her. If he wanted to ever be able to marry and have kinder of his own, he needed to move on.
But first, he needed to know that she was safe.
The marshals didn’t appear pleased that she insisted he remain. Surprisingly, they didn’t resist, other than to aim a dark look or two at him.
Marshal Hendrix scowled. “I don’t
like it. But if he’s already in the know, I guess it would be a good idea to keep him close.”
Abram almost rolled his eyes. Like he’d spill their secrets to anyone.
“We need to take this conversation to a more secure location,” Marshal Delacure interrupted him.
Without a word, Marshal Hendrix exited the examination room. Katie bit her lip, but refrained from saying anything. Abram was content to watch this new development play out. He’d learned long ago that observation could often tell you more than talking. A few awkward minutes later, Marshal Hendrix returned with a doctor, a distinguished looking fellow in his midfifties or so.
“I have a conference room you can use.”
Katie was off the examination table before he’d finished speaking, relief on her face.
The doctor led them down the hall. Abram and Katie picked up the rear, walking behind the marshals. Neither of them said a word. He suspected she was occupied with trying to hear what the marshals were saying, like he was. Abram didn’t like being kept in the dark on something this important. When Marshal Hendrix kept up a litany of whispered complaints to his partner, Abram glanced down at Katie. Raising an eyebrow, he pointed at the lawman. She shrugged and shook her head in response to his silent, What’s up with him? question.
When they arrived at their destination, the doctor moved aside and gestured for them to enter. Abram stepped in behind Katie. A blast of cold air hit his face.
“Wow, it’s like winter in here.” Katie shivered.
He frowned, wishing he had a jacket to offer her. All she had was her T-shirt. He could see the raised bumps on her arms.
The inquisition started again.
“I don’t like—” Marshal Hendrix began.
“It’s done.” Marshal Delacure shrugged again. “What I want to know is how they broke your cover so fast?”
“I’m not sure that they did,” Katie said slowly. She shook her head and frowned. “I don’t think the explosion was meant for us. I don’t know whom it was meant for, or who set it. But I plan to find out.”
