Redemption (21 page)

Enrique held out a hand. “And you are?”

“Agent Langdon. I'm here to take you to the staging area.”

“Staging area? Haven't they gone in, yet?”

“They're waiting for daylight.” He pointed at the lightening sky. “Almost time.”

“This is Officer Suzanne Zinkleman. Her son is the kidnapped vic…child.” Enrique introduced them.

Langdon's face flushed red. “Oh, I'm so sorry, ma'am. It must be tough.”

“Tough doesn't begin to describe it. Torture. That's the only word I can use,” Suzanne said.

“I can't even imagine, ma'am, sir. But we're doing everything we can to find him.”

“I'm sure you will.” Her voice sounded tired, defeated.

Enrique patted her arm to comfort her. “Jamie's tough. She'll keep Andrew safe.”

“I wish they would have let Michael come with us. I know it's crazy after all he did. But he makes me feel safe when he's around.”

Enrique felt a tingle of something…would Jamie ever come to trust him that way? The knowledge of loving and being loved?

When they got to the staging area, Enrique walked up to the man who was obviously in charge. “I'm Agent Rodriquez from the Florida Department.”

The man looked to be past fifty, but he stood tall, his shoulders back, his chin up. Gray hair and a few extra pounds. Enrique assessed him at being close to retirement.

That could mean one of two things.

It could mean the man knew what he was doing with all that experience. Or it could mean that he'd grown cautious as his retirement grew closer.

Enrique was good at reading body language. This man oozed confidence. Enrique became more certain that Jamie and Andrew would be found, safe and sound.

Mentally, he acknowledged he knew nothing of the sort and that it was in God's hands. Still, the commanding presence of the man in charge was impressive.

“Long way from home,” the man said.

“That's for sure.”

“I thought Andrew was from Ohio.”

“He is, but…” He didn't have time for the long version. They needed to get moving. “He is, but that doesn't matter at the moment. This is Officer Suzanne Zinkleman, Andrew's mother.”

The man's gray eyes turned dark. “I wasn't told you were coming. I can't have you interfering. It would only put your boy in more danger than he's already in.”

“I have no intention of doing that, but I'm here if you need me.” Suzanne answered.

“I can assure you that Officer Zinkleman has the utmost professionalism.”

The man looked at her as if assessing Enrique's words. He offered a slight smile. “No offense intended, but you're still the boy's mother.”

“No offense taken. And you're right. But I can promise I won't do anything to put my son in harm's way.”

“And neither will I. By the way, I'm Charlie Donaldson. I'm the man in charge.”

“OK, Man-In-Charge, what's happening?” Suzanne asked.

“You can call me Charlie. We're not all that formal around here.”

“OK, then, Charlie it is. You can call me Zink.”

“The target is down the road. From what we can tell, it's a ranch house with several barns and outbuildings. It's owned by Martha and John Winters. But the Winters retired a few years ago and moved to California to be closer to their daughter.”

“So, the house is supposedly empty?” Enrique asked.

Charlie Donaldson shook his head. “They've been renting the house out to a Mark Underwood and his wife, Donna. Quiet tenants who pay their rent six months in advance and always on time.”

“What did you find out about them?”

“Nothing. Which makes me mighty suspicious.” Charlie looked at his watch and motioned towards a younger man. “Chris, get Zink a cup of coffee and keep them company. Almost time to move in.”

“You can't shut me out.” Zink protested.

“Not shutting you out, Zink. I'm keeping you safe, so I can use you when I need to.”

The two of them locked gazes.

Enrique decided to let them work it out. Besides, he had a good feeling about Charlie. He didn't appear to be overly concerned about his retirement.

Suzanne's body stance relaxed. “Fine, I'll do it your way.”

“Good. As soon as the place is secure Chris will bring you in.” He looked at Chris. “But not until you hear from me personally. Got it?”

“Got it, Charlie.”

Charlie turned back to Enrique. “You'll need a jacket if you're coming with me.”

“Got an extra one?”

“Need a weapon?”

“I have my personal guns, but if you want me to have something bigger, you'll need to get me one.”

“Are you certified?”

“Yes, sir. I am.”

“The name is Charlie, not sir.” He motioned to yet another man who ran off to find a jacket.

“So, what's the plan, Charlie?”

“We'll start with the outbuildings and move forward to the house.”

“Is that a good idea? They're probably at the house and we might tip them off if we start with them.”

Charlie nodded. “I know. I'm hoping we can do it quickly and quietly. But if we start at the house and they're hunkered down in one of the outbuildings they have a better chance of getting away or it turning into a bloody gun battle. It's a judgment call. I'm not going to argue that with you.”

Enrique's respect of the man deepened. He hadn't been defensive and had been honest with his own self-doubt. Enrique understood judgment calls in tough situations.

There was always more than one way to handle a problem. And more than one could work. And there was more than one way for it to go very wrong, too.

 

 

 

 

48

 

Jamie, Andrew, and their horse moved through the trees. They were going uphill. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. Time would tell. For now, the trees gave them some cover. And that was definitely a good thing.

Unlike the trees in Ohio, or the pines in Wyoming, these trees were short and scattered about. The types of trees found in desert areas. Not nearly big enough to hide them from pursuers, but better than nothing.

The best thing was to keep moving until they found a house or a town. Of course, there was always the possibility she was moving away from populated areas and into the mountains, but she preferred not to think about that.

 

****

 

So far so good.

Enrique followed behind the front line.

Charlie had insisted on it, saying that he was sure Enrique knew what he was doing, but since they hadn't worked together before it was better this way.

Enrique hadn't argued the point. He'd have said the same thing if he was in charge. One didn't know a person's weaknesses until they'd worked with them for a while. And in law enforcement that could be very dangerous.

They'd made it through three outbuildings and found nothing, but they hadn't alerted anyone, either. They were getting ready to enter the barn nearest the house. When the lead man gave the motion, the agents went in.

After a few tense moments, an agent appeared and motioned in the next group. Enrique moved forward. The barn was empty.

It looked as if there'd been horses in some of the stalls. Not too long ago by the smell of the fresh manure, but a horse expert he was not.

Charlie motioned for him.

Enrique walked over.

“Looks like they were held in here.” Charlie pointed at ropes on both sides of the stall. “I suppose it could be a coincidence that these ropes look like they were used to tie up someone, but I'm thinking not.”

Enrique stared at the sets of ropes, his heart dropping. He was glad Suzanne wasn't here to see this. It hurt him so much he couldn't imagine what it would do to her. “Well, they aren't here now.”

“No, they aren't. There's only one car in the drive and its tires have been flattened. Think that's your agent's doing?”

“I'd bet on it.” Enrique smiled for the first time since he'd heard Andrew say Jamie's name. “She has a tendency to do things like that.”

“Good. Maybe she took another car and is headed into town.” He stopped and stared at the ropes. “Or maybe not. Either way, it's time to go in.” He nodded towards the ranch home. “Some of the men are going to surround the house—just in case some idiot decides to leave through a window. The rest of us will go in through the door.”

“Sounds good.”

“And you will stay out here until the premises are secure. Got it?”

Enrique nodded.

The men made their way silently around the house and to their positions.

Charlie nodded and the others got in formation. He raised a fist, and then motioned forward.

The agents swarmed the porch, the windows and the doors.

“Clear.”

“Clear.”

“Clear.”

With each declaration, Enrique bit his cheek a bit more. He tasted the blood and prayed it would be the only bloodshed that day. He should never have let Jamie leave. Not that he could have stopped her, but he could have made different choices so she would have stayed.

He'd promised he wouldn't let the job interfere in their relationship again, but he'd failed. He'd picked the job over her once more. She would never forgive him this time.

Of course, if she wasn't so stubborn she'd be able to see there was more than one way to get the job done. As far as she was concerned, there was only one right way—her way.

But that didn't stop him from loving her.

He'd had his second chance and he'd blown it—again. Not that it mattered now. The only thing that mattered was finding Jamie and Andrew alive.

A room by room search showed nothing.

No Andrew. No Jamie.

Charlie motioned to Enrique. “The only thing we found were some bandages and rubbing alcohol on a stand in the living room. Means someone got hurt, but probably not enough to die, since there's no body.”

“What now?”

“A few of the men will stay back and search for any sort of paper trail or evidence. The rest of us will do a foot search of the area. You got any ideas? You know the agent.”

“Well, she's not actually an agent. Jamie's a consultant. And one of the reasons is because she really doesn't like rules.”

Charlie's flinty eyes glared at him. “So that means she could do anything.”

“That's what it means.”

“Well, I'll deny I ever said it out loud, but in some situations that can be a good thing.”

“That's what I'm learning, sir. I…uh, mean, Charlie.”

Charlie walked away.

 

****

 

Jamie's horse was not as cooperative as she hoped. After the initial burst of energy, the horse regressed to one speed—slow. That wasn't good when there were guys with guns chasing them.

She couldn't hear them, but they had to be out there. Andrew was their ticket to getting their money back, and she could identify them. The thugs wouldn't just let them disappear.

They'd been travelling by horseback for a few hours. The sun was up making them and the horse hot and sweaty. By the intensity of the heat and the look of the terrain, Jamie guessed they were in a desert area, maybe Arizona or New Mexico.

Andrew tugged on the back of her shirt. “I'm thirsty, Jamie.”

They were in the midst of trees and going up a mountain side. There should be water somewhere. The trees were different looking than the ones in Ohio or Wyoming. They looked more like bushes than trees. They were short and sparse, not allowing for good hiding places. And the cacti made her think harsher desert was nearby and finding a creek or stream would be even more remote.

“OK, keep looking for a stream or a river. Then we can get a drink. If you see it let me know.”

“OK, Jamie.” He leaned back against her.

“I know you must be tired, sweetie. Why don't you close your eyes and see if you can take a nap?”

“No, I have to help find the water. I'm not a baby. I can help.”

“I know you're not. You have been so brave through all of this, Andrew.” She paused for a moment. “Your Mommy and Daddy will be so proud of you.”

“My mommy? Do you know my mommy?”

“I do. She loves you and misses you so much.”

“I miss her, too, but Daddy said we hafta stay away to keep her safe. Is she safe now?”

“As far as I know she is.” She didn't believe in lying to children. “I saw her last week, and she was fine.”

“That's good.” He leaned back against her.

Soon his breathing slowed and evened out. He'd fallen asleep. Although his arms relaxed some, he still held on to her, grasping for comfort even in sleep. Jamie patted one of his little hands at her hips. “Keep him safe, God…keep both of us safe, please…”

I am with you always…

They continued to climb up the hillside. The trees were replaced with more rocks, making their travel more treacherous and slow.

The horse lost his footing and slipped.

Jamie brought the animal to a stop.

He needed to rest.

So did she and Andrew.

In the silence, she heard voices—too faint to make out the words, but loud enough to know they were back there.

Her heart rate ramped up. How could she evade the captors and get Andrew back to safety, back to his mother?

 

 

 

 

50

 

Enrique felt useless. He'd been left to his own devices as the others took pictures, gathered evidence and bagged it. He stood outside watching the sun peek over the horizon as the day brightened.

Jamie was out there somewhere. And if anyone could keep Andrew safe, it was Jamie. Still, he wished she were standing right here with him safe and sound.