by Laura Scott
Where was Sawyer? Had something happened to him? Had leering man found him and killed him?
As the last of the thirty seconds ticked by, a sick feeling of dread tightened in her gut. As she lifted the phone to her ear, the echo of a gunshot rang out.
No! Sawyer! She quickly pressed the call button, having already dialed in the 911. “Gunfire, on Canyon Road, off Highway 41. Repeat, shots fired!”
“I’m sending an officer to your location, please stay on the line.”
Naomi didn’t want to stay on the line. She wanted to run and find Sawyer. To see if Kate or Louisa were nearby.
But she also didn’t want to make a bad situation worse. Melvin Curtis had used her as a hostage.
She wouldn’t make that same mistake now.
She scrunched way down behind the wheel, breathing heavily as she strained to hear the sound of police sirens.
All she could do was pray.
Sawyer ducked as leering man fired his weapon in his direction. Sawyer had come all the way down the driveway to the cabin, but there was no sign of the pickup truck. At first he’d thought he had the wrong place, but then he’d gotten close enough to the dwelling to see movement inside. And when he caught a glimpse of a young girl with dark hair, he’d felt certain he’d found Louisa.
Then gunfire had echoed around him. How in the world had leering man seen him? Unless the place was rigged with cameras? Something he should have considered before following the dirt road to the cabin.
Sawyer crouched in a dense thicket, planning his next move. He felt certain the gunfire would cause Naomi to call 911, which was good.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t sure how long it would take for them to arrive. And he needed to get Louisa, if that’s who he saw, out of the cabin.
Away from leering man.
There was nothing but silence for long seconds. No movement from inside the cabin either. Thanks to those weeks he, Cooper, and Trent had lived in the woods after escaping the fire, Sawyer was more comfortable in the woods than most. And, of course, living with the Preacher had taught all the foster kids the value of patience.
He felt certain he could outlast leering man. And found himself praying God would keep Louisa and Naomi safe.
There! A movement from the far side of the cabin. Leering man must be outside, waiting for him to make a move.
From this distance, his small gun wouldn’t have the accuracy he desperately needed. With extreme caution, he eased toward the cabin, making sure not to draw leering man’s attention.
One foot. Then another. He caught another glimpse of movement near the far corner of the cabin. Leering man was getting antsy.
A sense of grim satisfaction washed over him. Leering man would be making his move, very soon. The guy wouldn’t be able to help himself.
Sawyer planned to be ready. He didn’t want to shoot the guy, his career was already on the line, but he wasn’t going to risk Louisa’s life either.
Or Naomi’s.
It occurred to him that leering man might have called for someone to come help him. Or that there was someone inside the cabin, holding a weapon on Louisa.
That backup better get here soon.
Before it was too late.
Another flash of movement followed by the crack of gunfire. Sawyer saw a piece of bark fly off the tree where he’d been just a few minutes ago.
Good. Leering man thought he had Sawyer pinned down. Sawyer lifted a rock and tossed it at the same tree.
Another gunshot rang out. And Sawyer made another sliding move toward the cabin.
He was close to the building but still didn’t see any movement inside. He needed to ease behind the structure, for cover and for the opportunity to get inside.
With another careful step, he managed to get behind the cabin, directly opposite from where leering man was hiding. Flattening himself against the wall, he edged to the window and peered through.
A bedroom, messy covers on the bed indicating it had been occupied recently.
He moved faster now, peering around the next corner. A back door faced more woods.
Without wasting another second, he ran in a crouch toward the door. Sirens wailed in the distance, far away but hopefully getting closer. He tried the door, surprised to find it wasn’t locked.
He quickly opened the door and peered inside. No one waiting in the kitchen and living area. Then he heard the sound of someone moving through the brush and belatedly realized Louisa, or whoever was inside, may have already escaped out the back.
Silently shutting the door, he made his way to the next corner, knowing this was where leering man was hiding. He paused to listen.
The wail of sirens was louder now. Pressing his back to the wall, he lowered himself down, anticipating the guy would come around the corner to the back of the cabin at any moment.
But he was wrong. Instead, Sawyer heard the sound of a truck engine roaring to life.
No! Sawyer jumped up and ran around the corner in time to see the dark gray Chevy barreling out of a camouflaged shed toward the driveway. He fired at the rear window, shattering it, then attempted to hit the gas tank and at least one tire.
Red taillights flashed moments before he heard a loud gnashing of metal against metal. It took him a moment to realize Naomi had blocked the driveway with his SUV.
Sawyer ran forward. “Police! Come out with your hands up where I can see them!”
No movement from inside the truck. Knowing the guy was armed forced him to stay back.
“You’re surrounded,” he shouted. “Trust me, there is no chance to escape. We have the girl. Come out with your hands laced on the top of your head!”
The part about having Louisa was a lie, but he didn’t care. He’d say whatever was necessary to convince leering man there was no hope to escape.
Another long pause as the sirens grew louder. Then suddenly the driver’s side door opened and leering man rolled out, firing his weapon as he hit the ground.
Sawyer ducked and returned fire. The guy let out a yell, but then fell silent.
Sawyer waited until several officers approached, wearing protective vests and helmets, before tossing his gun to the ground. He rose to his feet and placed his hands on his head. “I’m Sawyer Murphy, an off-duty cop!”
One of the armed cops came toward him. He recognized Tim Krill. “Sawyer? The lieutenant is going to have a fit when he hears about this.”
Yeah, tell him something he didn’t know. “Hey, Tim. How’s the suspect?”
“He’s alive, bleeding but alive,” someone else called out. “Get the ambulance crew here ASAP.”
He locked gazes with Officer Tim Krill. “You need to clear the cabin right away. I saw a young woman with dark hair inside, possibly our missing girl, Louisa Marchese. She may have escaped out the back as the rear door of the cabin wasn’t locked.” Sawyer continued standing with his hands on his head, unwilling to take any chances. “Please take a few men and fan out to search for her.”
Krill glanced over to where a couple of officers shrugged and did as he’d asked.
“Sawyer?” Naomi emerged from the driver’s seat of the SUV. “Are you okay?”
“I’ll need to take your personal weapon,” Krill said with a hint of apology in his tone. “At least for now.”
“I know, it’s okay, Tim.” He lowered his hands and gestured for Naomi to stay put. “Nice move blocking him in, Naomi, but please get back inside the SUV until the area has been cleared.”
She glanced at the cops who were already moving through the woods. “Okay, but I’m glad you weren’t hurt.”
“I’m glad you’re safe too.” He wanted nothing more than to run and hug her, but he forced himself to stay put. If Louisa was hiding in the woods, they needed to find her. To reassure her she was finally safe.
To let her know leering man would never hurt her again.
“I’d like to help search,” Sawyer blurted. “Please, Tim, I promise I’m not going to run. You have my gun,
and that’s my SUV smashed up against the Chevy. I just want to find this girl.”
“I don’t know,” Tim hedged.
“Cabin is clear!” an officer shouted from the front doorway. “Signs a female was here, but she’s not now.”
“You checked inside the truck?” Sawyer asked, even though he felt certain Louisa had escaped out the back of the cabin.
“It’s empty,” Krill confirmed. “The perp has sustained a belly wound, he’s being taken to Parkridge East Hospital.”
“You need to question him about Louisa Marchese and Kate Palmer,” Sawyer urged. “Get him to spill his gut about what he knows about their disappearances.”
Tim shrugged. “Not likely we’ll be able to do that until he’s been treated.”
Sawyer hated knowing Tim was right. “Okay, then all the more reason we need to find Louisa, or whoever was being held inside the cabin.”
Tim shuffled his feet, then sighed loudly. “Fine, you can help search.”
“Thanks.” Sawyer turned and hurried around to the back of the cabin. He felt certain Louisa had gone out the back door, likely taking a route that would take her as far from the gunfire as possible. A trajectory that would send her out at an angle from the cabin.
Sawyer had many life lessons that had been learned the hard way after escaping the Preacher. He’d become extremely proficient at tracking small game for food and to avoid becoming food for large game like mountain lions. He’d also learned to recognize human signs as a way to avoid being caught.
Tracking skills he’d put to good use now, searching intently for a sign of where Louisa had gone.
Or where she might be hiding.
He found a tuft of black fabric on a thorny bush. He honestly couldn’t remember what color clothing Louisa had been wearing, he’d barely gotten a glimpse of her face. But he was encouraged that he was on the right track.
“Louisa? My name is Officer Murphy,” he called, hoping the girl was within hearing distance. “Your mother, Francine, has been very worried about you.”
No response.
He continued searching, reassured when he found a small footprint in the dirt at the base of a tree. Easy to imagine the young girl hiding there, catching her breath.
“Louisa, you’re safe now.” Sawyer swept his gaze over the area, trying to figure out which way she’d gone. “We have the man who kidnapped you in police custody. He’s on his way to the hospital. I promise he can’t hurt you anymore.”
A rustle of leaves about twenty yards to his left caught his attention. He moved toward the area. “Were you alone? Or were there other girls with you? We want to find all of you. We’d like to bring everyone home to their respective families.”
Another rustle of the leaves. He sensed the girl was scared to death, wanting to believe him, but of course, he wasn’t wearing his uniform either.
He wished Tim had come with him. “Officer Tim Krill?” Sawyer called out loudly, hoping his colleague was nearby. “Can you give me a hand?”
“Coming,” was Tim’s response.
Sawyer kept his hands visible so she could see he didn’t have a weapon. “We have several police officers looking for you. I promise it’s safe to come out of hiding.”
Tim jogged over to where he stood, sounding like an elephant crashing through the brush. “Did you find her?”
“Yes. Louisa? This is Officer Tim Krill. We’re not going to hurt you. Please come out.”
Another rustle of leaves, then a pale face peeked through the branches. Soon, the frightened girl emerged from the bushes. She wore navy blue shorts and a black T-shirt, which was ripped in several places. Her arms and legs sported long scratches from her wild dash into the woods, and her long dark hair was tangled around her shoulders.
He easily recognized her from her mother’s photograph.
Louisa.
Thank you, God. His heart swelled with relief that they’d found her.
“Y-you talked to my mom?” Her gaze latched onto Sawyer’s.
“I did, yes. She’s been very worried about you.” He wanted to hug her, but he kept his distance since he had no way of knowing what she’d been through.
The last thing she might want was to be touched by a man.
Tim stepped forward, but he put a hand on the officer’s arm. “Easy. She’s scared of men.”
“Louisa?” Naomi’s voice startled him. He turned to see Naomi walking through the woods toward them. “My name is Naomi, and I’ve been searching for my sister, Kate.”
“Katie?” Louisa came a few hesitant steps closer. “I know Katie. Katie and Paula.”
Paula? The unknown female found dead in the woods?
“You know Katie?” Naomi’s voice held a note of urgency. “Where is she?”
Louisa shook her head. “I don’t know, the other guy came last night and took her away.”
Other guy? Sawyer glanced at Naomi, then swung back to face Louisa. “What other guy? Can you tell us about him?”
Louisa’s eyes filled with tears. “I—don’t know his name, but he was really mean. Both of them were.”
Naomi went pale but crossed over to lightly touch Louisa’s arm. “It’s okay, you’re safe now. We’re going to find the other guy, Kate, and Paula, you’ll see.”
Louisa threw herself into Naomi’s arms, and the two girls stood in the woods, clinging to each other and sobbing.
As glad as he was to have found Louisa, he wouldn’t rest until they’d brought Kate home too.
Chapter Sixteen
Tears streamed down her face as she held Louisa. The girl appeared younger than Kate and had obviously been through a lot. Unimaginable horrors.
She drew in several breaths to calm herself. This wasn’t the time to fall apart, no matter how much she wanted to. Louisa needed to be treated for her emotional and physical trauma, and hopefully the girl could give a description of the other man.
The one who still had her sister, Kate.
“Louisa? There are EMTs here to take you to the hospital.” Sawyer’s voice came from behind her. She gently pulled away from the girl but kept one hand on the girl’s slim shoulders, feeling certain the girl needed a female touch.
“I don’t wanna go to the hospital,” Louisa whispered.
“Louisa, honey, I know how hard this is for you.” Naomi chose her words, carefully. “I’m sorry you had to go through this. But it’s really important for you to be examined so the police can press charges against the man who hurt you.” Naomi caught and held the girl’s gaze. “You don’t want him to get away with what he’s done, do you?”
“N-no.” Louisa gripped her arm. “Will you come with me? Please?”
She glanced back at Sawyer who nodded his approval. “Yes, I’ll come with you. Ready to go?”
Louisa sniffled, swiped at her face, and nodded. Naomi put an arm around the girl and walked alongside her to where Sawyer and a second officer waited.
“Louisa, this is Officer Krill,” Sawyer said gently. “At some point he’ll need to talk to you, okay?”
“Okay, but I want Naomi to stay with me.”
The officer looked uncomfortable with that scenario, but Sawyer quickly spoke up. “Sure, that’s fine. We’re going to call your mom too.”
Fresh tears brimmed in the girl’s eyes. “Yes, I want my mom.”
“I’m sure your mother will meet us at the hospital,” Naomi assured her, glancing once again at Sawyer.
“Do you think the unknown female—”
Sawyer cut off what the officer was about to say. “Not now, Tim. We’ll have time to check into that later.”
“Unknown female?” Louisa had gone pale.
“Nothing for you to worry about,” Naomi assured her. “You’re safe now. And the man who did this will be going to jail for a very long time.”
The girl shivered but didn’t say anything else. The EMTs joined them. The female tech unfolded a blanket and curled it around Louisa.
Naomi was glad there
would be a woman taking care of Louisa. The way the girl hovered close, it was easy to see how traumatized she was.
Naomi knew in that moment this was what she was facing with Kate. As horrible as it sounded, it was highly likely that her sister had been treated the same way as Louisa.
Leaving Sawyer back at the crime scene wasn’t easy, but it was more important to stay with Louisa. The male EMT climbed in behind the wheel, leaving the female EMT named Stephanie and Naomi in the back.
Naomi held Louisa’s hand as Stephanie took a set of vital signs, asking the girl basic questions about her health. The trip to Parkridge East Hospital didn’t seem to take long, or maybe it was just that Stephanie helped make the time go by faster.
Once they were settled in an exam room, Louisa’s grip tightened around her hand. “I don’t want them to check me out,” she whispered.
Naomi’s heart broke for the girl. She could only imagine how difficult this would be. “Do you want to wait for your mother to arrive?”
The girl hesitated, then shook her head. “I don’t want my mom to know . . .”
“Louisa, your mom loves you very much. None of this is your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong, okay? This isn’t going to change your mother’s feelings toward you.”
“I—sneaked out of my house,” Louisa whispered. “I left a note and was going to meet up with my boyfriend, but then a white van pulled up next to me. A man grabbed me. I didn’t want to go with him, but he was so strong . . .”
“Louisa, listen to me. Sneaking out of your house doesn’t mean you asked for this to happen. The men who took you are evil and need to be thrown in jail.”
A sweet middle-aged nurse came in and introduced herself as Mary. Louisa tearfully endured the initial physical exam, and then the rape kit. When it was over, she curled into a ball, still holding on to Naomi’s hand.
Less than five minutes later, a woman who looked like an older version of Louisa came into the room. “My baby,” she cried.
