She took her left hand off of the steering wheel and placed it on her baby bump. It wasn’t possible, was it? Her rational mind told her that she was ridiculous; mothers didn’t hear the thoughts of their unborn babies. And yet…what else could explain the distinct voice in her head?
"They want to find you, so they can get to me", the voice had said. Is that the answer? she wondered. Maybe the kidnappers aren’t interested in me at all. Is it possible they’re after the baby?
As she contemplated this new idea, a black four-door sedan came up from behind and passed her on the two-lane highway. Sarah checked her speed; she was going five miles per hour over the speed limit. Hmm, they must be in a hurry, she thought. Just as soon as the car had passed and taken the lead, however, it slowed down. It slowed enough so that Sarah was forced to reduce her speed to twenty miles per hour below the speed limit.
There were double yellow lines, and so she had to follow at the snail speed for two miles. Once it was safe to pass, she took the first opportunity. She looked over to get a glimpse at the driver but couldn’t see through the vehicle’s dark, tinted windows.
After she had safely passed, she reset her speed, and then glanced in the rearview mirror to see if the car now lagged behind. Her heart skipped a beat when she discovered that the black vehicle was now riding her bumper.
With both hands firmly gripped to the steering wheel, she glanced at the road sign. The town was still eight miles in the distance. She debated if she should pull off at the nearest gas station or if she should continue on to the restaurant.
Slowly, she increased her speed—not too much, just enough to get to town faster. She also hoped that the increase in speed would encourage the driver to back off. This was not the case; as her speed increased, the driver matched it and stayed dangerously close to her bumper.
It occurred to her then that if she slowed the vehicle might pass her, once more. She didn’t tap her breaks to draw attention but took her foot off of the gas pedal and allowed the truck to gradually slow on its own. The car continued to match her speed for a minute, and then, it suddenly swerved around her and narrowly missed an oncoming semi before it shifted back into her lane and continued ahead. For a moment it seemed as though the driver was going to speed off and leave her behind, but then he slowed, and Sarah found herself stuck behind him, once again.
Like a vision of a water mirage in the desert, a gas station miraculously came into view about half a mile up the road. She continued to follow behind the car at the same speed. Her pulse continued to race as she neared the gas station, and then, just as the car passed the entrance, Sarah slammed on the brakes, careened into the parking lot, and brought the truck to a sudden stop in front of the building.
She looked in the rearview mirror to see if the black vehicle had retreated; thankfully it was nowhere in sight. She wished that she could call her husband. If he were home, he would run to her rescue. But, she couldn’t call him, and she was on her own. She wondered if there was enough cause to call the police. What would they say if she told them that she had been harassed on the highway? The car was gone, and she hadn’t gotten the license plate. They would probably tell her that there was nothing they could do.
Frustrated and feeling helpless, she leaned back, pressed her head against the back of the headrest, and kept watch in the rearview mirror. And then, just as suddenly as they had disappeared, they were back. The black car had returned and was parked at the entrance by the road.
I’m safe. This is a public place, she thought. Her self-affirmation did little to sway her fears as she realized that there were no other vehicles at the gas station. Still, she decided that she wasn’t going to sit there and hide. She grabbed her cell phone, stepped out of the truck, and took a firm stance. She couldn’t see them but had no doubt that the occupants concealed behind the dark windows were the man and woman from the restaurant. She was also certain that, from behind the veiled windows, they had their eyes trained directly on her.
Her glare didn’t falter as she made a production of holding up her cell phone. She pretended to dial a number and then placed the phone up to her ear. Let them think I’m calling the police, she thought. For a moment, she wondered why she didn’t just call the police, but she remembered Eddie’s answer to that same question. The people who are after us are more powerful than the police, he had told her.
They might be more powerful than the police, but it looks like they don’t want to face them right now, she thought with glee, as she watched the car pull onto the road and continue the drive toward town.
She climbed into the truck and immediately pushed the lock button. Now what? she wondered.
Now you go to the airport and find Eddie, the voice in her head clearly responded.
She placed her hands and forehead on the steering wheel. “What am I supposed to tell Aunt Mae?” she asked out loud.
The voice didn’t respond, but she figured that sitting in a parked truck would get her nowhere. Before she had time to reconsider her actions, she pulled a small piece of paper out of her pocket and dialed the number. The phone rang, and rang, and rang. She listened to his message and then the beep. “Hi, Eddie...” she began.
*****
When she reached the inn, she half expected to find the black car waiting, but thankfully, it was nowhere in sight.
The pelting snow had been replaced with large, fluffy flakes. It fell heavily from the low-lying clouds; already, the ground was white. As she hauled her purchases inside, she noticed the imprints of her footsteps between the truck and restaurant. The snow was piling up fast.
On her second trip through the backdoor into the kitchen, she ran into Julie. “Hey, how was that table I left you with? You know, the couple who looked like they were from out of town? Did you find out anything about them?”
“Oh yeah, they were quite the pair, weren’t they?” Julie replied. “No, I didn’t find out much. They said that they were just visiting and checking out the area, but that’s about all that I gathered. They weren’t quite dressed right to be checking out the local sites if you ask me. But whatever. They left a twenty-dollar tip. I’ll split it with you, of course.”
Sarah was disappointed that Julie hadn’t discovered more but hadn’t expected that she would have. “Don’t worry about it. You did the hard work, you deserve the tip. It’s yours.”
“Really? Thanks! Next time we get rich looking tourists, they’re all yours.”
“Thanks. Hey, I’m going to head out of town for a couple of days. Do you think that your sister could work and cover for me?” A few drops of water, from her snow-covered hair dripped down her forehead, and she brushed them away with her gloved hand.
“Yeah, I don’t see why not. Are you supposed to work tonight?”
“No, I don’t work again until Monday.”
“All right. I’ll let her know.”
“That’s great. Tell her I said 'Thank you', all right?”
“I will. Where are you going?”
“I’m just heading back home for a couple of days to say hi to friends and stuff. I should be back within the week.”
“Cool. Well, have fun. We’ll miss you.”
“Thanks.” Sarah hoped that she was realistic and a week was all that would be needed.
She found her aunt, in the house they shared behind the inn. After she had provided a similar explanation for her departure, she packed a bag with a week’s worth of clothes and walked back toward the restaurant where she had left her car.
She tossed her duffel bag into the back seat and was ready to hit the road but was soon frustrated to discover that the car wouldn’t start. She turned the key twice more, but the results were the same. The car was dead.
That’s odd, she thought. The weather is cold, but it’s not that cold. The car should start. It worked just fine this morning. She got out of the car, closed the door, and stood in the falling snow. So much for that plan, she thought.
A screech of a woman’s voice
from across the parking lot caught her attention. It was followed by a declaration of, “Chuck! Don’t let the door close!”
She looked over to see the source of the raucous and spotted the funny older couple she had served that morning. They stood outside of the first motel room, next to the office. The woman with the purple sweater was throwing her hands in the air as she shouted at her husband, “My purse was still in there! Now we’re going to have to find someone with a key to let us back in!”
“I’m sorry, Bonnie. Had I known that your purse was in there, I wouldn’t have closed the door. I told you to check to make sure that you had all of your things,” replied the man in the blue flannel shirt.
Sarah chuckled to herself and headed across the parking lot to assist them.
“Hi there,” Sarah said. “It looks like you got yourselves locked out of your room. I’d be happy to help.”
“Oh, look, Chuck. It’s that nice waitress from this morning.”
Sarah smiled. “Hi again! I have a master key. I can let you back in your room. Have you already checked out?”
“Yep,” Chuck affirmed. “We were just headed out for the airport, until my wife here locked her purse in the room.”
“I locked my purse in the room? I did that? Really?” his wife exclaimed.
Sarah fought to contain her laughter as she listened to the couple’s tirade. “Here, it’s not a problem,” she interrupted. “We’ll get your purse out in a jiffy.” Sarah took out her key ring, found the master key, and let the woman into the room to retrieve her purse.
While she stood beside Chuck on the sidewalk, a sudden thought occurred to Sarah. If these two were heading for the airport, maybe they could give her a ride. The people in the black SUV would never look for her in a Buick rental with an overweight balding man and his loud-mouthed wife. If she went with them, she wouldn’t have to worry about her car until she returned.
“Chuck? Did you say that you’re heading to the airport? Are you going there right now?”
“Yeah, as soon as my wife can get a move on,” he grumbled.
“I was actually headed to the airport, too, as a matter of fact, but my car won’t start. Do you think your wife would mind if I came along for the ride? I’d be happy to chip in gas money.”
“You are more than welcome to join us, my dear. Your company would be like a breath of fresh air.”
“Really? You’re a lifesaver! Thank you so much. Let me just run and grab my bag, and I’ll be right back.”
Sarah popped her head into the kitchen, to find Julie. She informed her friend that she was having car problems and that she was going to borrow a friend’s car to drive to Fort Lewis. Then she grabbed her duffel bag out of the backseat and rejoined Chuck and Bonnie.
“I’m so excited to have another woman to talk to,” Bonnie began as they drove out of the parking lot. “I never get to have a real conversation with Mr. Excitement over here.” She indicated her husband, who pretended not to hear and kept his eyes trained on the road.
“Well, I for one am happy to have pleasant company for the drive,” Chuck said. “Thank you for joining us, Sarah.”
Sarah sighed and smiled to herself. It would to be a long drive to the airport, but she was thankful that luck had come her way and she had a ride. Now, hopefully with more luck, she would find Eddie and his friends before the kidnappers found her.
CHAPTER 10: GRACE
Grace was acutely aware of the rhythmic rain as it played a somber beat on the black umbrella overhead. It was held by her boyfriend, Derek, who had remained by her side as a solid support since the loss of her grandfather. On her opposite side, stood her mother and younger brother, Ethan, who had remained still as a statue throughout the solemn proceedings.
As the rocketing vibrations of the rifle salute filled the air, Grace observed her grandmother who stood proud and silent as she watched the servicemen. Even through the rain, she could see her grandmother’s weakened aura. A plagued sense of heartache warned that her grandmother might not be around much longer. If there had been any doubt, her diminished aura was proof. She had heard tales of broken hearts, stories of spouses who passed away soon after the loss of the other spouse. Grace feared that this might be the case with her grandmother.
She focused her attention on her father and uncle. Dressed in their military blues, they stepped forward, in the wet grass, to pay tribute. Following in their father’s footsteps, they had both made a lifetime career in the Army.
A tear reached the corner of her eye as she watched the expressionless faces of her father and uncle momentarily falter, but then, they regained their composure and continued on, each exact step carefully measured. Their movements were precise and mechanical as they carefully folded the flag.
Grace knew the task was emotionally daunting for her father, and she was proud of him for his bravery. He had recently returned from an overseas tour of duty, and it occurred to her that standing up in uniform for his father’s funeral, to present the folded flag to his mother, was perhaps more difficult than standing up in uniform to face the enemy.
When her mother wandered away from the group to meet her father, Grace realized that the service was over. She watched her father rest his head on her mother’s shoulder and her mother whisper something in his ear. Then they held each other in a tight embrace.
Her brother, Ethan, who was eleven, huddled close to seek refuge under Derek’s umbrella. She tucked him in close, and they stood in silence while they waited for their parents and watched mourners slowly leave the gravesite. A true gentleman at heart, Derek held the umbrella so that she and her brother would stay dry while he sacrificed himself to the saturating effects of the interminable rain. She felt a weak smile emerge as she watched the water pour off of his hair and then was overcome with guilt. Derek was a wonderful guy; she should be happy that they were together, and yet…she couldn’t ignore the fact that she thought of him more as a brother than a boyfriend.
The approach of her parents stalled the progression of her thought process. She would have to dwell on her relationship later.
“Everyone is heading back to Grandma’s house,” her mother said. “I guess we should probably get over there so we can greet them when they arrive. Are you going to join us, Derek?”
Derek, who stood almost a half foot taller than Grace’s height of five foot nine, looked down at Grace and smiled as he placed an arm around her shoulder. “I would love to join your family. Thank you,” he replied, to her mother. “I can’t stay too late, though. I still have to pack for the band trip, tomorrow.”
“That’s right. That is tomorrow, isn’t it?” her father replied. “With everything that’s happened this past week, I forgot all about it.” He turned to his daughter. “Grace, honey, are you sure you don’t want to go? Your ticket is already paid for, and a trip might be just the escape you need.”
“No, Dad, I just don’t think I could put my heart into playing, right now. It is a competition after all, and I don’t think I would be a very good addition to the band. They probably wouldn’t appreciate it, if I started crying during the competition.”
“Are you sure? It might be a good distraction for you. And if anything, your friends will be there. Derek will be there.”
“That’s right,” Derek said. With his arm still around her, he gave her a squeeze. “The competition will only take up a small part of our time. We also get to spend a day at Disney World, and you can just lay out by the pool at the hotel if you want to.”
“I don’t know.” Grace hesitated. “I just…I don’t think I’m ready for any sort of vacation. It seems like it would be wrong.”
“Grandpa would want you to go to the competition,” her mother said. “He loved to hear you play the violin.”
“I know he did.” A lone tear fell from her eye and dripped down the side of her nose.
“Well, look. We’re all getting soaked and people are going to start wondering where we are,” her father said. “Let’s
head over to Grandma’s house, and we can talk more about it there. If anything, Grace, I say you should sleep on it. You have your ticket, after all, and things might seem brighter tomorrow. If you wake up in the morning and change your mind, I’ll drive you to the airport, myself. Will you agree to at least sleep on it?”
“I don’t think I’ll change my mind, Dad, but yeah, I’ll sleep on it. Okay?”
Her father relinquished the shelter of her mother’s umbrella and swept Grace into a warm embrace. “I love you, honey.”
“I love you too, Dad.”
*****
Grace awoke with a start and glanced at the clock. It was three in the morning. She closed her eyes against her waking reality and tried to regain a hold on the dream she had been immersed in. She had been driving somewhere with three other people. Although she couldn’t recall their names, she could still clearly see their faces, and she could still feel the strong emotion and bond they had shared. A feeling of anxiety swept over her as she remembered that someone had pursued their every move, and they had needed to get away.
She tossed and turned in an attempt to recapture sleep, but sleep didn’t want to be found. Frustrated, she looked at the clock. It was three-thirty. Just as she closed her eyes again and pulled the blankets in close, her internal voice spoke. You need to go to the airport.
I’m not going on the band trip, she silently argued.
Get up and get ready, the voice nagged. Pack your bags, and go to the airport. It will all make sense in time.
Grace opened her eyes, stared at the ceiling, and shook her head. None of it made sense, but she had learned long ago to always follow her intuition. It might not make sense, but she also knew that if she didn’t listen to her internal voice, she would somehow regret it.
She closed her eyes once again; immediately, sleep seemed a more attractive option than getting up to go to the airport. Eventually, however, her conscience got the better of her. If her internal voice said that she should go to the airport, she needed to listen.
Regretful to leave the comforts of her pillow and down comforter, she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She forced her tired eyes open and blinked in confusion as she looked around the room. She was no longer in her bedroom, but rather a bright sunroom filled with lush, green potted plants and several bird cages with brightly colored parrots.
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