All In: Raising the Stakes (15 page)

Police officers have also been assigned to patrol the residences and workplaces of the other two recent victims. There aren't enough officers in the county to put one on all of Brannocks's prior victims. They'd been notified and told to be aware of their surroundings, and call if they noticed anything suspicious.

If that news wasn't bad enough, Tyler called around three to tell me that Katie's mail had been sorted and she'd received a letter, this one handwritten and addressed to her with a Raleigh postmark. When he read the one sentence that had been written on the note inside, my blood went cold.

"
You'll be dead before anyone hears you scream bitch
."

A personal police escort for Katie was on the way, and as soon as he gets here, I’m going to give her the update. I have a feeling I can now convince her to pack up her and Drew's things and stay at my place until these bastards are caught.

"Montgomery?" the man asks from my doorway, interrupting my thoughts.

"Yeah," I say, jumping up from my desk to shake his hand. "I'm Joe."

"I'm Officer Cooke. I've been briefed on the situation, shown the photos of all the men and was told to wear plain clothes as to not to be so obvious."

"Great, thanks. Let's go down to Katie's office, so I can tell her what's going on," I say, and he follows me to her door.

When I knock, she jumps a few inches in her seat. Shit, I hate seeing her so on edge and worried.

"Sorry, Katie Kat," I tell her, pulling her up and into my arms. "Um, this is Officer Cooke and he's going to be staying by your side from now on, or until someone relieves him."

"What?" she asks. "Don't you think that's a little overkill?"

"There was another letter."

"To Drew?"

I shake my head. "No, this one was addressed to you and also had a Raleigh postmark."

"Wh-what'd it say?" she asks hesitantly.

"It was a death threat," I tell her.

She gasps as her eyes go wide and she sinks back down to her chair.

"They're going to catch these guys, especially now that every law enforcement agency in the state and soon the country, will be looking for them," I assure her.

"What'd it say?" she asks.

I sigh, knowing she'd ask, and not wanting to have to tell her the specifics. "It said you'll be dead before anyone hears you scream."

She nods and chews on her bottom lip.

"Katie, I'm sure it's a given, but you don’t go anywhere without an officer. Even the women's room needs to be checked first. You can't take any chances."

She nods again.

"Since they obviously know your address, I'd feel better if you and Drew stayed with me. You think he'd be okay with that?"

"Yeah," she exhales. I notice her body is now shaking. "That's probably best, just to be on the safe side."

"Why don't you call or text Candace and have her start packing up Drew's clothes, some of his favorite toys and books, then we can get your things tonight."

"Okay."

My phone buzzes in my pocket and I pull it out to see who it is. Lacy.

"Hey, Lace."

"Turn on CNN. The Wake County Sheriff's Department just found the prison vehicle in Falls Lake. Both guards too, but surprise, surprise, no inmates. I'm going live for them in five!" she exclaims then hangs up.

"Lacy said to turn in to CNN for an update," I tell Katie, and she pulls up the website to stream it on her computer.

Seeing Lacy reporting on a national network is surreal, but she’s cool and calm, and just as gorgeous as ever. Her baby bump is barely noticeable since the camera stays mostly above her shoulders and past her to the lake behind where a large armored truck is being pulled from the water. Law enforcement officers swarm the place. I'm pretty sure some vests say "FBI." Things must be serious if the feds are now involved.

"She looked great," Katie says after they cut to the next story.

"Yeah, she nailed it."

"You guys know that woman?" Cooke asks in awe.

"That's Lacy Pierce, Jim Pierce's daughter," I tell him. "She lives and works in Charlotte with Tyler's friend, Will Reavis."

"It's a shame I was so distracted looking at her that I didn't hear anything that she said," he jokes. "Was it important?"

"Yeah. We better increase the protective measures because those bastards are still alive."

Katie

I watch frozen as a tall, menacing teenage Drew holds a knife to the front of a young girl's neck. The blade digs into her skin while she cries, leaving a trail of blood that runs down the front of her shirt.

"No! Don't do this, Drew!" I beg him.

"Why not? It's going to end the same, whether it's now or later," he says with a sardonic smile that sends chills down my spine.

"It doesn't have to be this way."

"Did you think I wouldn't find out? How I was conceived when my father
raped
my mother?"

"You're good, just like her," I tell him through tears, but he forces the blade in deeper and slits her throat from one side to the other. There's nothing I can do to stop him or help her when her body goes limp and blood gushes from the wound.

"Katie? Katie, wake up. It's okay," I hear Joe’s voice break through the devastation, so I frantically reach for him in the darkness. His touch has me surfacing back to consciousness. I wake up in an unfamiliar room, then remember I’m at Joe's. Drew and I are staying with him while three men who want me dead are still on the loose.

Joe's arms wrap around me and I hold onto him just as tightly. Chad quietly snuggles up behind me. Being sandwiched between the two wonderful men makes me feel a little better, but even they can’t prevent the constant state of fear I’ve been in all day. I think it’s getting worse.

"I'm scared," I say against Joe’s chest.

"Me, too," he admits, and Chad mumbles his concurrence, “Me, three.” That makes me feel a little better. If they’re concerned then at least I’m not overreacting.

There are two police officers inside the house with us and a patrol car with two more that’s stationed overnight in the neighborhood. I jump at every little noise, and it feels like my heart might race out of my chest. Nothing is in our control now. We’ll just have to pray that they catch these men, and do it soon before we all go crazy.

…

The next few days go by without any further threats or updates, as Drew and I get more comfortable at Joe's with him and Chad. DA Caldwell took me out of work, telling me to stay home with Joe. I think he just didn't want to put the courthouse at risk. But no one has reported seeing the three criminals, and everyone even relaxed a little by the next weekend.

On Saturday afternoon, Drew had cabin fever after being sequestered with me, Joe, and Chad for almost a week, so we decided to take him to the Children's Museum. In the real life vehicle exhibit he went running excitedly from one to the next, and loved the fire truck. But nothing was as fun for him as the train with four railroad cars. Kids ran in and out, taking turns blowing the whistle in the front car. They even had pretend luggage to take aboard.

"Something's wrong," Joe says when his phone beeps. "Peterson just texted to stay where we are and stay alert." Peterson’s on personal security duty with us today since Cooke is off. Being in a place with so many children and families gave us a false sense of security. We should've known that criminals didn't have the same sort of morals as the rest of us.

My heart starts pounding with nervousness as I look for Drew to call him back over to us. I hadn't found him when gunshots sound from the front of the building, followed by screams.

"Oh God," I mutter, running to the train cars to grab Drew. He isn't in the second one where I'd last seen him through the window. I look in each car and he isn't on any of them. "Joe! I can't find Drew!" I yell as the rest of the crowded place erupts in chaos. Parents are grabbing their children and running toward the back exit like we’re all in some sort of danger, and I can't find my own little boy!

"Drew?" I scream his name as I start for the next exhibit and motion for Joe and Chad to spread out in the other direction to search for him. A few minutes later, heavy arms are wrapped around me from behind, carrying me off to a secluded corner as I fight kicking and screaming.

"Shh. Ms. Albright, it's okay. I'm Officer Bailey," the voice of the man holding me says, then a badge is flashed in front of my face for inspection.

"Let me go, I've got to find Drew!" I yell at him, still trying to break his hold.

"Officers are looking for him. It's not safe for you out in the open. The suspects have been spotted in the parking lot."

"Oh, God, no." This can't be happening. I hadn't taken my eyes off of Drew for two seconds. Only when Joe said something was wrong, I looked away for two freaking seconds!

I hyperventilate while I’m held hostage in the corner. The museum empties out until there are only men in uniform making rounds, talking on their shoulder radios. Finally the officer holding me lets go and I run to the others to ask if they found Drew. They all give me vague non-answers. I keep searching for someone to tell me what the hell is going on. I find Joe and Chad talking to another group of officers, saying something about video surveillance.

"Joe?" I ask, and as soon as he sees me, he sweeps me into a crushing hug.

"We're going to find him, Katie. The Amber alert has already gone out," he says into my hair. Amber alert? Oh no…that means…

"He's gone?" I ask in a sob. "He's going to be…terrified. What if…what if they hurt him?"

Of course, they’ll hurt him. They’re evil, heartless criminals! We have to find him, before it's too late.

Joe

I’m frantic and freaking the fuck out on the inside but trying to act calm and optimistic for Katie. She’s falling apart and there’s nothing I can do. The police are reviewing the video surveillance, and officers have set up traffic stops on every road that can be taken from the museum.

Katie doesn't even know that Peterson was shot, but luckily it looks like his injuries are non-life threatening. They took him to the hospital and the museum has now become an official crime scene.

I'd given Drew's description and what he'd been wearing, so they could get the Amber alert out. Every television, radio, and cell phone in the state had been alerted within minutes. With his red hair, he should be easy for someone to recognize.

I tell myself that since Rakes is his biological father, he won't hurt him. I pray I’m right. We just need to find Rakes and then we'll get Drew back. 

The museum video showed that a normally dressed man in a baseball hat, otherwise fitting Rakes description, originally came in with a family before splitting off on his own. When Drew walked past Rakes, he stopped him, and said something. Rakes’s mouth moved liked he said, "Dad" to Drew and then took his hand, leaving out the back exit and left out the back with him. The bastard even pulled out a baseball hat and put it on Drew's head before they left the building, effectively shielding his noticeable red hair.

The camera footage from the front of the parking lot showed the other two men in a black Honda. Their apparent distraction, having a standoff with Officer Peterson, ended in shots being fired from probably Brown, and crossfire from Peterson before Brown and Brannock sped away, probably getting out of the area before the roadblocks were set up.

Lacy and Will show up shortly after that, having received the Amber alert and my text that Rakes is the culprit. There’s no more reason to keep the fact that Drew is his son out of the media. It’s easy to put together with Drew's birth certificate showing he was born the day of Rakes's arrest, and he has the same last name and red hair as Kelly.

We don't get any other updates until four long fucking hours later when one of Brannock's former girlfriends calls nine-one-one. He'd paid her a visit and beat the shit out of her and her new boyfriend.

Lacy, Will, and myself, along with the cameraman, head to the hospital to talk to them after Victoria, Teresa and Chad agree to stay with Katie. I know the police have probably asked them all the questions there are, but I want to talk to them myself.

The new boyfriend is the least injured and had apparently done some damage to Brannock, so we talk to him first.

"Motherfucker started pounding on the door, so I pulled it open and the dirty bastard nailed me on the head with a beer bottle. Then he started for Amy. He got in a few licks before I pulled him off of her and beat the shit out of him. He finally ran his dumbass out, bleeding all over the place."

"Is your girlfriend, Amy, okay?" Lacy asks. I could see she’s hoping for an interview and knows this roughneck guy won't work with the potty mouth.

"Yeah, she had to have some stitches in her head. I think her jaw is sore, but she's okay."

"Did you see anyone else with him?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "No, the police asked me that, too. I didn't see anyone."

Maybe the three guys had split up. That’s good, since if someone was going to hurt Drew, it'd be Brown or Brannock most likely…or so I convince myself.

We talk to the girlfriend, but she doesn't offer anything new or helpful. Lacy did get her TV interview, though.

I don't want to have to go back to Katie empty-handed, so I call Tyler for an update.

"Little busy, Joe," he finally answers, sounding flustered.

"Just tell me you guys have a lead."

He exhales into the phone. "Sorry, but we're trying to field all the calls coming in reporting sightings, trying to figure out the legit ones from bullshit. We've had two incidents of a red-headed boy only to determine through yelling parents and identification that the boy is their own."

"Damn."

"We've got roadblocks set up on all the highways that lead out of town, stopping every single car and searching them. Officers have been riding through neighborhoods, but now that it's getting dark, we'll have to hold off until the morning."

"Is there anything I can do or something that Lacy can broadcast to help?" I ask.

"I can't think of anything. There's no reason to offer a reward, calls for Amber alerts are coming in like crazy. Everyone wants to help find kids. Maybe you could ask Katie if she wants to release a statement. She could ask Rakes to bring him back, or hell, I don’t know, offer him ransom money in exchange for his safe return."

"Okay, I'll talk to her and let you know. Thanks, Tyler." As soon as I disconnect the call, I turn to Lacy.

"Lacy, I've got an idea. Can you call the prison or Department of Corrections and ask how much they're willing to offer for Rakes to return Drew?" I ask.

"Sure, that's a great idea and they might bite since they're in so much shit," she replies.

"And if they won't, we do know someone with a ton of money always burning a hole in his pocket," Will offers.

Dylan Daughtry, the heir to the Daughtry Brewing empire. Knowing him and Jules, the two would probably be glad to help.

"I'm going to go talk to Katie about a statement, so call me when you find out about who can offer up the funds, okay?"

"Sure," Lacy agrees, giving me a hug. 

Katie’s on me as soon as I walk through the front door, and I fucking hate disappointing her.

"Any leads? Have they found the car?" she asks, red-eyed and so damn pitiful.

I hug her and shake my head. "I'm sorry. Tyler said calls are flooding in, and the roadblocks are up."

"Is there anything else we can do?" Chad asks, rubbing his palm over Katie's back to comfort her.

"Tyler said I should see if you wanted to make a press statement, asking Rakes to return him. Lacy's calling the prison administrators to see if they'll offer a ransom of sorts in exchange for Drew. Will thinks Dylan Daughtry would probably offer up something if the prison people won't. I don't know what else to offer. What else would criminals want?"

…

Katie

For the first time in hours I’m finally hopeful. I don't know what other criminals would want, but I knew what these men do.

"Let me make a statement with however much we can offer."

Joe loosens his arms around me to lean back, giving me with a questioning look. "Are you sure?" he asks.

"Yes."

"Okay, then let's do it."

One of the many officers that'd been out in the yard comes striding purposefully through the front door. "There's a Dylan and Julie Daughtry here asking to see you,” he says.

"Sure, let them in. They're friends," Joe tells the officer, and he leaves to get them.

A few short minutes later a young, brunette woman and a tall, blonde man walk through the door.

"Hey, Dylan, Jules. This is Katie, Victoria, and Teresa," Joe makes introductions. I've read about the couple in the paper. Dylan, the heir to a billion dollar brewing industry, built his wife a local safe house for runaways since the city didn't have one, and that was her passion. Our juvenile delinquency cases have gone down forty percent since it opened about a year ago. Kids no longer have to steal, deal drugs, or prostitute themselves to get by on their own.

"Will called and told us what's going on," Jules says softly.

"Has anyone told you that your runaway shelter has helped lower juvenile crime in the city?" I ask.

The girl shakes her head.

"You've done a really great thing," I tell them, figuring it’s important for them to know even with my world crumbling around me.

"We want to do more," she says.

"Let us put up the ransom money," Dylan says. "A million, if you think that's enough. If not, then whatever number you need. We can wire it to an account within minutes."

My jaw drops. I know Joe had said they might be willing to help, but a million? I’m stunned, and so touched by their offer, I can't speak.

"That's incredible of you to offer," Joe says for me. "Katie, what do you think? Start with half a million, and then if it doesn't work, a million?"

That would take too much time if it doesn't work, and time is not something we have.

"I can't wait that long, Joe."

"Start with a million," Dylan says. "If that doesn’t work, go to two." The man talks about millions like they’re pennies.

"Don't worry, he's got plenty," Julie responds to my shocked expression. "Please accept it, then he can't spend it on me."

"Okay," I agree. "Thank you so much," I say, hugging both of them.

"We want to do whatever we can to help, and we don’t want you to mention us or Daughtry Brewing. That's not what this is about,” Dylan tells me.

I nod in understanding, but if this works, I’m damn well going to sing their praises to the heavens.

Joe's phone rings in the silence.

"Lacy?" he answers. "Screw those bastards, actually, that's exactly what we're going to do. We're going to sue the fuck out of them! Once we get Drew back, they're going to pay for annual trips to Disney World, and for him to go to a ridiculously expensive Ivy League college."

I love Joe's optimism. He'd said "once we get him back" not "if." I'd once criticized him for his positive confidence when he was a defense attorney, but now I’m not sure what I'd do without it. I wrap my arms around his waist while he finishes his call. He isn't going to like what I’m about to do, but I have to try.

…

"You ready?" Lacy asks two minutes before we’re scheduled to go live.

I nod and replay what I’m going to say in my mind. After Lacy gets through her intro, it’s time.

"We're live in Greensboro, North Carolina with Katie Albright, Drew Albright's surrogate mother after her sister, Kelly Albright was lost in childbirth following her thirteen months captivity with Richard Rakes. She'd like to make a statement to the suspects, asking for her son's safe return," Lacy finishes and hands the microphone to me.

"Please…please surrender my little boy to a medical professional in any medical facility. If you'll just…bring him back safe and call to tell us where he is at the posted number, we'll wire a million dollars into any bank account. And…if this is about revenge, and that's what you want…then I'll take Drew's place in exchange for his safe return."

"This-this is Lacy Pierce, reporting live for CNN."

"And we're off," the man with the camera says.

"Katie, what the fuck?" Joe immediately confronts me.

"I'll do whatever it takes," I tell him. "Vick, I have you listed as Drew's guardian if anything happens to me. Are you still okay with that?"

"Of course," she says with a hug, her eyes tearing up.

"Katie, if you insist on doing this, we've got to work with the police. They'll set up snipers or some shit, or at least put a tracker and a bulletproof vest on you."

"We'll see," I tell him.

"No, we're not going to see, we're going to do those things, or you're not doing this at all!" Joe exclaims.

"Joe, this is not your call to make."

"The police aren't going to let you do this," he responds, his jaw clenched.

"I don't need their permission, either."

Our argument is interrupted when an officer comes in with the phone linked to the nationally broadcasted number.

"Ms. Albright, there's a woman on the line that says she's Donna Albright, your mother. Do you want to take it?"

"Holy shit," I mutter. I hadn't talked to that woman since the night Drew was born. We'd all gone to the hospital to say goodbye to Kelly before they took her body down to the morgue.

After Tyler pulled me aside and told me what she'd said to him, that'd she'd told him her name choices for the baby, and had a message for me. She said to tell me specifically that she forgave the man who'd held her for thirteen months doing God only knows what to her, and her last words were telling
me
she forgave him and what to name her son or daughter. She didn't live long enough to find out she had a boy.

I went up to the nursery, just to see the devil's spawn that had killed Kelly. I knew which one he was right away, none of the other babies had our red hair. He was so small and looked so innocent as he slept, wrapped up tightly in a blue blanket in his little bassinet. I just stood there, for how long I don't know, but eventually he woke up and blinked his dark green eyes around the room. He tried to get his tiny fist in his mouth and kept missing which made him fuss. He started crying, probably getting hungry, and that's when it hit me. He didn't have anyone to feed him or take care of him. He hadn't asked to be born to a monster, and my sister must’ve cared for him if she'd picked out a name - Drew is what Tyler had told me she'd picked. I later found out that was also a shortened version of Rakes's middle name, Andrew.

I always thought the name Kelly picked was her way of showing me that if she could forgive the man who'd held her captive, then the least I could do was take care of her innocent baby for her. Maybe, just maybe, I thought, if I raise him with unconditional love, then he would grow up to be like his mother and not his father. If he grew up in foster homes or orphanages, then there wouldn't be any hope for him. Joe Montgomery is one of the few exceptions.