Rescued (2 page)

“Thank you for everything and I’m sorry about the ribs, but I
did
warn you to back off. Aren’t you milking all this a little? When did you cook?”

“I made coffee.” He pointed toward what must be the kitchen.

She paused. “Coffee does sound good.” With the sheet secured around her, she tried to stand to retrieve her clothes but sat back down on the bed with an unsteady flop. Her head pounded. Her vision blurred. The room did a spin or two. The drugs had messed with
all
her senses.

“Take it easy, little lady, you’re still feeling the effects of whatever drug that was.” He swung his legs off the bed with lightning speed to stand at her side.

She glared at him.

He drew back his steadying hand and held them both in plain sight. “Sorry. I know, I know. You’re not little. But somehow I figure
big girl
wouldn’t go over any better.”

She glared again. “I’m petite. To me,
little
equals weak, and I’m
not
weak.” She arched an eyebrow and pointed to his ribcage as an example. At an even five feet, one hundred and five pounds, those unaware of her true capabilities always considered her delicate.

“Why not try calling me by name? Rose. Rose Baxter. So, what’s yours?” She was wrong to be so touchy about a name. She never failed at any task she undertook. Her investigative skills were on point. Everyone who knew her liked her, so she should get past it. Still, it bothered her. She had big shoes to fill running her daddy’s business. He would always be larger than life in her eyes and she had to do him proud.

“Martin Brown ma’am, but folks call me Marty.” There was that sweet, little boy smile again, accompanied by a sparkle in those icy-blue eyes. She could get used to that smile. But work came first.

“Pleased to meet you, Marty Brown. Now, where are my clothes? I have work to do.” She stood but with extra caution this time.

“I hung them in the bathroom, little, uh, I mean Rose, ma’am. There are fresh towels on the rack and new toothbrushes in the medicine cabinet. Help yourself and I’ll have some eggs ready when you get out.”

Her stomach did a couple of flips at the mention of eggs. Her face heated as the nausea gurgled upward. She put her hand to her mouth, squeezed her eyes shut, and fought the urge to gag.

He quickly changed the menu. “Uh, I mean toast, dry toast, and coffee. Okay?”

She slowly inhaled a settling breath, nodded her agreement, and closed the bathroom door, relieved he got the message.

The shower did an incredible job of clearing the cobwebs from her head. Stepping out of the bedroom, she followed her nose to the kitchen and the rich aroma of coffee. When she inhaled again, she caught the familiar scent of . . . cat. Did Marty have company while she was in the shower?

The hair spiked on the back of her neck. Her heart raced as she assessed the situation. This Good Samaritan act might be a set up. She had to be extra careful. If she missed any more important facts, she could be killed or put some innocent person at risk.

A terrifying thought crossed her mind and stopped her in her tracks. She had only his word about what happened after she was distracted at the bar.

What if
he
slipped her the drugs?

Chapter 2

Marty stepped into the living room and smiled. “Your sense of smell is back, isn’t it?”

Now cautious, she nodded. Another sniff of the air confirmed only one other cat was present. Marty. She kept one eye on him, and gauged the distance to the front door. Her hands flexed and curled into fists. Her fingertips itched, her claws ready to spring out if needed.

“So you figured out I’m a
Were
.”

“A cat. What kind?”

“Cougar. Same as you. You okay?”

Another slow nod answered his question, still not convinced he could be trusted.

“I’ve got your coffee and toast ready.” He motioned over his shoulder with his thumb and invited her to the table. “Sit down. You’re still recovering from the drugs. Your senses are way off.”

“That explains things now but, how did I miss your scent last night? We were way too close at one point. How could I
not
recognize another cougar?” Confusion rushed through her. How had she missed something so simple and so important?

“Rose, you know as well as I do, there were at least fifteen other cats of one kind or another in the bar last night. You didn’t have any reason to commit any to memory.” He poured coffee and offered cream and a plate of toast. “Let me know if you feel like something more substantial.”

“This is fine.” She nibbled her toast and stared into her coffee mug, searching for answers.

“Don’t beat yourself up, Rose. It could have happened to anybody. I’m just glad I got to you before Vinny and his guys did.” His expression softened.

“But it
didn’t
happen to you.” She didn’t bother to hide her disappointment at the lapse of her own instincts.

“No ma’am. If you remember,
you
happened to me. Your rib jab put me out of commission for a bit but I’m still not convinced he would have come after me anyway. I’m worried Vinny had you in mind to help fill an order. I’m just glad I was there to keep anything worse from happening to you.” He opened his mouth as if he was about to continue, but no words emerged.

Rose waited for him to finish his thought. She’d always considered herself a good judge of character. Never allowed herself to get too close to someone too fast. He seemed sincere. As he pointed out, he could have taken advantage of the situation last night when he undressed her and cleaned her up, but he didn’t.

Still.

“Thanks for the coffee. I gotta go.” She stood and moved to the sink to deposit her empty mug and plate.

“Whoa there, little, I mean, ma’am. Where are you in such a hurry to go? It’s still early. The bar’s not open yet.” He stood and partially blocked her departure from the kitchen.

“No, the bar’s not, but the bus station is. That’s where Vinny and his goons sometimes hang during the day. They can easily scope out any teenager who looks like a runaway or an otherwise easy mark. I need to find out where he’s taking them. There has to be a holding place or a transfer spot to hand the kids off and pick up his pay.”

“Great, I’ll go with you.” Marty grabbed his hat off the hook by the front door and looked down at her.

She locked gazes with him. Big mistake. Something reflected deep in his eyes. She wanted to know more but her instincts screamed caution. Why did she feel the urge to be near this stranger?
Snap out of it, Rose.
“I don’t need your help, Mr. Brown. I’m very capable of protecting myself. By the way, how
are
those ribs?”

“I never said you
needed
to be protected.”

She bit her bottom lip and forced her eyes away from his mouth.
Okay, he’s yummy, but I can’t get involved.
“Good bye.” She stepped toward the door checking for her keys, cell phone, and handguns.

“Wait. Hold up now. Tell you what, let’s pool our resources, work together, and get this devil off the streets as fast as possible.”

She paused.
I hate to admit he’s right but if he has info I don’t...
“What do you know?”

“You first.” He waited, a playful curl at one corner of his mouth.

She shook her head. “I don’t have time for games. I’m outta here.” She pushed past him and grabbed the doorknob.

He growled. “I have his scent memorized.”

“You think I don’t?” She whirled around on her heels to face him, hands planted on her hips.

“I think it’s highly likely your sense of smell was altered last night by the drugs,
and
I think we could end this sooner if we help each other.”

She hadn’t detected Marty’s scent in the bar but attributed that to the excess amount of cigarette smoke in the air and the mix of other Weres gathered in close proximity. But when she woke this morning in a smoke-free room, she still wasn’t able to discern his second nature. What if she experienced side effects from the drugs and her sense of smell went haywire again? Could she trust him? It
would
help to be able to pick up Vinny’s trail faster. And she wouldn’t mind spending more time with him, even if it was only case related.

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Okay, you can go with me to the bus station and sniff Vinny out, but don’t you get in my way.” She pointed her finger at him.

“Yes ma’am.” He smiled as he grabbed his backpack and opened the door.

The bus station was quiet for a Saturday morning. They walked at a casual pace into the lobby. Several family members had gathered to say farewell to an older couple. Grandma and Grandpa’s visit had ended and they were going home
,
Marty guessed. A janitor pushed his cart from the men’s room toward the door marked
Employee’s
Only
. Two clerks behind the counter answered the phones and entered information into computers. None of them fit the profile of the missing young people.

Marty and Rose strolled over to the information center and picked through the racks of pamphlets and brochures of points of interest in and around the city.

“I’m going to walk around and see if I can pick up Vinny’s scent. No one in here now would be of any interest to him. If he’s already been around, maybe he left a fresh trail.” Marty left Rose continuing her survey of the waiting area while she thumbed through the maps and restaurant advertisements on the wall.

He took a copy of the bus routes and pretended to study it as he ambled over to the vending machines, deposited several bills, and selected a couple bottles of water. His super-sensitive nose detected nothing of Vinny’s scent in the immediate area, so he wandered out the side door toward the loading area and circled back around to the front entrance. He picked up on a faint, familiar scent, and followed it to the parking lot. Vinny had been there, but not today, maybe twenty-four hours ago. He moved back toward the station to break the news to Rose.

From the area outside the door, the wall rack with tourist information was visible. Rose wasn’t. He reached for the door, moving further inside the waiting area. No Rose. A slight panic seized at his chest. He checked every visible corner. His heart pounded faster.

The vending area was next and he inhaled deeply, sifting through the many scents mingled together in the station. Still, no Rose. Frantic, he whirled around to do a check outside when the ladies room door opened and out walked Rose, drying her hands on a couple of paper towels. His heart skipped a beat. Relief washed over him. He drew in a calming breath.

“Here, I got you this.” He handed over a bottle of water and exhaled slowly, more than thankful to see her. The fear Vinny might have finished what he started last night and taken Rose from him threatened his sanity.

“Thanks. Any luck?” She took the bottle, twisted off the cap, and took a long drink.

“He was here. Just not today. Not yet anyway. I tracked him from the loading platform to the parking lot. No idea what kind of vehicle he left in. We need to get a look at the security videos from yesterday but I’m afraid they’re not going to release them to just anybody.”

“No, but I know somebody they
will
release them to.” She dug her cell out of her pocket and punched in a number. “Kelli? Rose. Hey, how’s it going? Yeah girl, same here. Listen, how fast can you get me the security videos from the bus station for, say, the last twenty-four hours?” She raised a brow at Marty questioning if the time frame was sufficient. A second after his nod, he got a thumbs up from her.

“Okay, Kel, see you in a bit. Thanks. Bye.”

She pressed
end
on the cell phone and tucked it away. “A friend of mine on the force has been investigating these disappearances as well. I give her any information that would help her and she does what she can for me. She should be here in about ten minutes.” She finished off her water and tossed the bottle in the garbage can.

He smiled and called on major restraint to keep from reaching out to brush her cheek with his fingertips. It was too soon and knowing Rose, he’d likely draw back a nub. “You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”

“I try.”

“So, you work for the department?”

“No, I have my own business. The police were being pressed for information by some parents and a couple of the shelters in town. People need answers and they just couldn’t supply information they didn’t have. The director of the teen shelter knew my daddy. He and Jed were in the mentor program for years. Kelli gave them my name and number. They set up a fund for donations to find these kids.”

She motioned toward the front entrance. A young girl, late teens, or early twenties walked through the door with a guitar case and a ragged suitcase in tow. “That’s what I’m talking about. The kind of victim Vinny would target. Young girl in search of her dreams, lonely, maybe even a runaway. He’d cozy up to her, offer her a job singing, or big talk about a recording or modeling contract, and walk right out the door with her. Easy mark.”

“We’ll keep an eye on her until her bus leaves. I’m afraid it’s the best we can do.” Genuine concern radiated from Rose. Without a thought of rejection, he rubbed her shoulder in an effort to comfort her. She didn’t shy away from the touch. Instead, she leaned into it and accepted what he offered.

Rose glanced at the door again and held up a hand to greet the young police officer as she entered. Kelli wore her blonde hair gathered into a short braid at the back of her neck. Her soft, delicate facial features indicated she could be a librarian or Sunday school teacher. Such features might fool some but Marty knew from a recent experience even a woman with a petite build could put a man in his place.

“Hey Kel, good to see you.” Rose gave her friend a quick hug and introduced her companion. “This is a business associate. Marty Brown, Kelli Miles.”

“Howdy, ma’am.” He tipped his hat and smiled. “Pleased to meet you.”

“Good to meet you, Mr. Brown. Rose, I called the attendant here and they should have the security videos ready for us. They were eager to help. Maybe it’ll be what we need to get this predator behind bars.”

Video footage for the past twenty-four hours from five security needed reviewing. Hours of work lay ahead even though the fast forward button would speed through empty scenes.

“Who wants remote operation duty first?” Marty offered the remote to the two women but got the silent message. Elected for the task, he pressed the button to begin viewing the recording.

The entire video from the loading platform proved less than fruitful. No sign of Vinny. Then, at long last, he entered the lobby around two in the afternoon. Cool as a cucumber, he sauntered in wearing expensive jeans, a crisp white shirt, and some flashy alligator boots. He scanned the room for anyone matching his requirements. Passing over an elderly gentleman sitting alone and a group of five or six middle-aged ladies on an outing, he settled on a young girl hugging a tattered backpack with a lost, frightened cloud hanging over her.

He made a quick trip to the vending machine for soft drinks and snacks before he approached his intended victim. With a
sweet as you please
smile on his face, he eased himself down a couple of feet away from the girl and began a conversation. She shied away at first. No doubt, she remembered the lessons taught along the way of her short life to beware of strangers. They talked for a few minutes before Vinny left the snacks on the bench beside her and strolled toward the front entrance.

The girl studied the snacks and turned to stare at Vinny as he ambled away. One more brief moment of thought and she gathered her things and caught up with him seconds before he exited the door. Another moment passed before he motioned to the ticket counter and led the way. Vinny put some cash down and the clerk gave the girl a ticket. They walked toward the loading station and chatted for a bit.

“He played the concerned adult as opposed to a flirty pick-up artist, not pushy at all. More like a guidance counselor talking to a sophomore high school student about the best college choices. The only physical contact came when he gave her a slight pat on the shoulder.” Marty shook his head and continued to watch the video. Vinny turned, walked out the front entrance, and left the girl to catch her bus. “He purchased her ticket and sent her on her way. But where? And why?”