Running for Cover (17 page)

Neither was Morgan.

“All right. I like your plan.” She typed her parents’ address into the GPS system, leaned her head against the seat. Tired. Anxious. They’d be at her parents’ house soon. They’d copy the disk, call the police. Would that be the end of the nightmare?

Morgan hoped so.

She prayed so.

But she wasn’t sure.

The pastor had said that moving on meant letting go. Jackson had said the same. But how did you let go of something that was part of you? How did you leave something behind when it was constantly there?

It was impossible, of course.

So maybe the point wasn’t to forget, but to acknowledge, to learn and then to move forward.

She sighed, closing her eyes. She was too tired for deep thoughts and philosophizing.

Her cell phone rang, and she glanced at the number. Saw that it was her sister. “Hello?”

“Morgan?” Just her name. Nothing more, but there was something in the tone, a trembling, airless quality that had Morgan sitting up straight, her heart pounding rapidly.

“I’m here. Are you okay?”

“You have to do what they say. If you don’t they’re going to kill me. They have guns. I saw them. Don’t call the police. One of them is watching you. He’s on 1–90. Right behind you.”

“Who?” But she knew who, and she reached blindly for Jackson’s arm, holding on to the solid warmth of his presence as she shifted in her seat, trying to spot one car in the dozens that were speeding along the highway.

“I don’t know. You have something they want. They’ll call you later to tell you where to bring it. If you don’t—” The word was cut off, the line went dead.

“Lauren? Laur!” Morgan shouted into the phone, knowing her sister couldn’t hear, her hand trembling so hard she couldn’t hit the button to end the call.

“What is it?” Jackson’s question pulled her from the edge of panic.

“They have Lauren.” Her voice sounded raspy and hard, her pulse pounding in her ears, filling her throat so that she couldn’t breathe.

Jackson swerved to the side of the road, stopping in the breakdown lane and resting a hand against her cheek, staring into her eyes. “Take a deep breath, Morgan.”

“I can’t.”

“Your sister is in trouble. She needs you thinking clearly, not passed out from fear,” he said, his voice as hard and unyielding as his hand was warm and gentle.

He was right. Panicking wouldn’t change anything. She needed to think clearly. Come up with a plan.

She took a deep breath. Then another. “I’m okay now.”

“No, you’re not. Neither am I, but we’ll have our breakdown
after
we find your sister,” he said grimly, his hand dropping away.

“How are we going to do that?”

“I don’t know, but the first step is calling the police.”

“Lauren said if we do, she’s going to be killed. She also said there was someone following us. She even mentioned 1–90.”

“Yeah?” Jackson glanced into the rearview mirror and pulled back onto the road. “Let’s see if we spot a stranded motorist up ahead.”

“If we do?”

“We’re going to stop and have a chat with him.”

Morgan nodded, her throat too tight to speak, her eyes scanning the line of cars ahead of them and the one behind.

Please, Lord, keep Lauren safe. Please, help us find her before it’s too late
.

Please.

The prayer whispered from the deepest part of her soul, and Morgan let it fly. Hoping God heard.
Knowing
He did.

But would He answer?

That was the struggle. Not with having faith that God
could
step in and help, but with believing that He
would
.

This time, though, she
had
to believe.

If she didn’t, if she allowed herself to think that Lauren might die a brutal and horrifying death, she’d melt into a puddle of panic and become completely useless.

“We’re going to find her,” Jackson said, laying his hand on Morgan’s knee, offering a connection she needed more desperately than she ever would have believed she could.

And she covered his hand with hers, linking fingers rather than pushing him away. Clinging to what he offered, praying and hoping it would all be enough.

M
idnight.

Morgan paced the bedroom at her aunt’s house, the cell phone clutched in her hand just as it had been for most of the day. There had been no second call. No reassuring sound of her sister’s voice. Morgan didn’t dare think about what that meant.

The mumble of hushed conversation carried through the closed bedroom door. The family was out there. Mom, Dad, Benjamin, Aunt Helen. Jackson. She didn’t need to walk into the living room to know what they were doing. Nursing cups of hot coffee, pacing and praying. Benjamin and Jackson bent over Aunt Helen’s computer, searching through the files copied from the disk. Searching for a clue that would lead them to Lauren.

Morgan had stood with them for hours, scanning file after file until her eyes crossed and her head spun. And then she’d walked away, into her room to rest. That’s what she’d told everyone.

But she couldn’t rest.

All she could do was pace and pray and pace some more.

Not that it was doing any good.

Nearly ten hours had passed since the first phone call. Despite the warning against it, Jackson had insisted on calling the police. Then, just as he’d said he would, he’d copied the disk
and handed it over to them with the agreement that it would be kept secret until Lauren was found. To that end, no information was being released to the public. Police channels were silent regarding the case. As far as the world knew, Lauren hadn’t been abducted.

If only that were the reality.

Had the men who’d abducted Lauren found out that the police had been contacted? Had Lauren been killed because of what they’d done?

The thought made Morgan sick with fear.

A soft knock sounded on the door, pulling her from her worries.

She thought about ignoring it, pretending that she was asleep so that she could avoid looking into the eyes of the person standing on the other side of the door. Her mother maybe. Or her father. Coming to see if she was all right. Aunt Helen, coming to suggest for the hundredth time that Morgan have something to eat. Or Benjamin, coming to tell her none of what had happened was her fault.

But it was.

For making stupid choices. For sticking with them when she should have walked away.

The knock sounded again, the doorknob turned and the door creaked open.

And Morgan knew it wasn’t her parents, her aunt or her brother.

Only Jackson would ignore the closed door and the silence. Only he would be willing to walk in when she’d made it clear she wanted to be alone.

And of all the people in the house, he was the only one she could imagine talking to, sharing her worries with.

“Holding the phone won’t make it ring,” he said quietly.

“I know.”

“And avoiding your family won’t make you feel any less guilty.”

“I know that, too.”

“So, I guess you also know that there isn’t any reason to feel guilty. This isn’t your fault.”

“My head knows it. My heart isn’t convinced.”

“Come on.” He took her hand and led her to the French doors.

“Where are we going?”

“The perfect spot to think,” he responded, walking outside and sitting on the swing, tugging her down beside him.

“The problem is that I don’t want to think.”

“Then how about we talk?”

“Did my family send you to check on me?”

“I volunteered. Everyone is worried about you.”

“Why? I’m not the one being held prisoner. I’m not the one in danger.”

“Worrying about you doesn’t mean they aren’t also distraught about your sister.”

“I know.”

“So why are you here instead of in there with the people who love you?”

It was a good question, a fair one.

And Morgan wasn’t sure of the answer.

“I just needed some time alone.”

“I guess I can understand that.” He rubbed her back, the gesture familiar and easy, as if they’d known each other for years rather than days.

It felt like they had.

Felt as if Jackson had always been part of her life.

“We’re going to find her, Morgan.”

“I want to believe that, but they haven’t called. They should have by now.”

“They’re criminals. They’re not playing by our rules, so they’ve got no timeline that we can figure out. They’ll call, but only when they’re good and ready.”

“And in the meantime Lauren is counting on me to give them what they want. She’s probably wondering what’s taking so long.” Morgan stood and walked to the edge of the porch, staring out into the darkness beyond, listening to the sound of nature and her own chaotic thoughts.

“She knows you’ll do whatever it takes, and she knows we’re going to come for her. She’s a tough kid. A survivor.”

It was true. Lauren had been placed in the foster care system after a teacher noticed burns on her legs and arms. She’d been six at the time and had come to the Alexandria home the same year. Tough and independent and completely unwilling to be part of the family, she’d fought to maintain distance.

Just like Morgan had.

Somehow, though, Lauren had managed to find her niche, to fit in and to make herself part of the Alexandria clan. Nine years after she joined the family, Lauren was a beautiful, well-adjusted young woman. Funny, sweet but still tough as nails. Still a survivor.

“I just wish they’d call,” Morgan said, her voice breaking, tears she didn’t want to shed sliding down her cheeks. She wiped them away, but they just kept falling. All her fear and worry spilling out.

Jackson pulled her into his arms, and she went, resting her head against his chest, the tears that wouldn’t stop soaking his shirt.

“Shh. It’s going to be okay,” he said, the words tickling against her hair.

“How?”

He didn’t answer, and she leaned back, looking up into his eyes, waiting. Wondering what he was thinking. That Lauren was already dead? That they might never find her?

If he was, did Morgan want to know it?

He lifted his hands, ran them lightly over her cheeks, wiping
away the moisture, letting his palms drift to her neck and then her shoulders, leaving a trail of heat and of comfort that Morgan couldn’t deny.

She should move away. She knew it, but didn’t.

Finally, he spoke, his words filling the silence. “I don’t know how it will be okay, but I believe it will be. For now, that’s all I’ve got to offer.”

“I’d rather have that than a lie.”

“I’ll never lie to you, Morgan. Not about this. Not about anything else.”

“What else will there be? We’ll find Lauren, the men who took her will be punished and then we’ll both move on with our lives.”

“Is that the way you really want it? This thing plays out and then we go our separate ways?”

She could lie and say yes, or she could give him the same honesty he’d given her.

“I don’t know.”

“I guess that will have to be enough for now.” He smiled, leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to her lips.

Surprised, she stepped back. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

“Maybe not, but I did. I guess I can’t take it back. Even if I could, I wouldn’t.”

“Morgan? Jackson? You guys in there? The police just phoned.” Benjamin called into the open door of the bedroom, his voice carrying out onto the porch.

Morgan’s heart leaped at his words, and she hurried into the bedroom, Jackson close behind her.

“Have they found her?” Morgan asked, hope soaring and then crashing back down again when she saw her brother’s grim expression.

“No, but they found her purse shoved into a trash can in the women’s restroom at the mall. House keys. Wallet. Everything was still in it. Even her cell phone. The last call Lauren made
from it was to Morgan. The police are looking at security video of the area to see if they can spot her. Maybe get a look at the person who took her. They’re not releasing any information to the press, and the case is still being conducted with caution. No information going out to anyone.”

“Good. We don’t want to scare off the quarry,” Jackson said, and Benjamin nodded.

“I couldn’t agree more. I’m going out for a while.” He turned to leave the room.

“Going where?” Jackson followed, and Morgan could feel the tension pulsing in the air.

“To look for my sister.”

“That’s not a good idea. It’s better to stay here and wait—”

“We’ve been waiting for hours. I’m done with it. I know Lauren was taken from the mall. I’ll start searching there. They couldn’t have taken her far.”

It wasn’t true. They could be hundreds of miles away by now, but Morgan didn’t say it. She understood Benjamin’s need to go and do rather than to sit and wait, and she put her hand on Jackson’s arm.

“It’s not going to do any harm for him to look. Let him go.”

“It’s better if we’re all here. At least then, we don’t have to worry about someone else being taken.”

Benjamin smiled darkly. “Let’s hope that’s exactly what happens. They get their hands on me, I’ll wait until I’m with Lauren and then let them know exactly what kind of mistake they’ve made.”

He stalked from the room and down the hall. Morgan heard a quiet rumble of voices, her mother’s higher-pitched protest and then the door opened and closed with sharp finality.

“I’d better go call this in. Are you going to be okay?” Jackson stepped into the hall, hesitating near the threshold of Morgan’s room.

“Fine. I’ll be out in a minute.”

He nodded, disappeared down the hall just as Benjamin had moments ago.

And Morgan was left alone again.

Exactly the way she wanted to be.

But somehow being alone wasn’t nearly as comforting as she’d thought it would be. She stepped back out onto the porch, tensing as the sound of a car speeding away filled the air. Benjamin was in a hurry, but that had always been his way. Quick to act. Sometimes just as quick to regret it.

She hoped he wouldn’t be this time. Hoped he wasn’t putting himself in danger. Maybe putting Lauren in more danger.

If that was even possible.

Her little sister was being held by the same kind of men who’d nearly killed Morgan. Maybe the same men. And there was nothing Morgan could do about it.

Please, Lord, keep her safe. Please, don’t let anything happen to her.

The prayer welled up and spilled out, the darkness pressing in, more comforting than frightening, the sounds of the woods and of the night seeming to whisper that God was in control and that everything would be all right.

And Morgan wanted to believe it.

Her cell phone rang, the sound so startling Morgan almost dropped the phone. She fumbled to answer, her heart racing as she lifted it to her ear. “Hello?”

“I guess you decided to be smart for a change.” The silky voice froze the blood in Morgan’s veins, wiped every thought from her head. She knew the voice. Had heard it a few nights ago.

“What do you mean?” Her voice trembled, and it infuriated her. She wouldn’t let this man know how scared she was. Wouldn’t let him know how the sound of his voice terrified her.

“We’ve been watching and listening, making sure you didn’t
contact the police. Your sister’s life depended on it. I guess you care more about her than you do about yourself, seeing as how you let us beat you senseless the other night. You could have saved us all a lot of trouble if you’d just told us where to find the disk.”

“Get to the point. What do you want?”

“Whatever it was you carried out of your friend’s house. You bring it to us. We give you your sister. It’s as simple as that.”

“How do I know she’s still alive?”

There was a moment of silence, then Lauren’s voice, trembling and raspy. “Morgan? I’m okay. Don’t worry about me and don’t do what they tell you. They’re just—”

Her words were cut off, and Morgan tensed. “Lauren?”

“She’s fine, but she won’t be if you don’t do exactly what we tell you.”

“I’m listening.”

“You’re going to bring us what you’ve got. You’re going to come alone. If we get any hint that you’ve been followed or that you’ve called the police, your sister dies. Understand?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve got a friend waiting for you at the end of the dirt road. He says someone just left there in a hurry. I hope whoever it is isn’t going to the police.”

“He’s not.”

“Good. So, here’s what you’re going to do. Run down the road. My friend will meet you partway up it. You’ve got fifteen minutes to meet him. If you’re not there in that time, your sister is going to suffer.” The phone clicked, and Morgan shoved it into her pocket.

Fifteen minutes.

It wasn’t a lot of time. She needed to leave now.

But first she needed to get the disk.

No. She needed to get
a
disk.

She scrounged through the small desk in the corner of the
room, pulled out a USB device and shoved it into her pocket. No box, but that was okay. Until Lauren’s abductors tried to open the files, they’d have no idea whether or not Morgan had brought them what they wanted. That played in her favor. While they searched, she and Lauren could try to escape.

It sounded like a good plan. Even a reasonable one. As long as Morgan didn’t think about all the things that could go wrong.

She stepped outside, jumping off the porch and running around the side of the house. The dogs began barking, their furious warning spurring Morgan on. Past the house and the front door that was spilling light onto the porch.

She heard someone call out, but she ignored it, running full speed down the driveway and onto the road. She’d come this way plenty of times when she was a teen, running away from Helen and toward something she craved, but couldn’t quite define. She’d never put much effort into it then. Now, she ran as if her life depended on it because Lauren’s life did. Fifteen minutes was enough time if Jackson didn’t follow. If her parents and Helen didn’t. She expected to hear footsteps pounding the pavement behind her. Maybe a car engine springing to life. Expected someone to try to stop her. Half hoped someone would.

She heard nothing but her gasping breath and racing pulse.

Up ahead, headlights flashed as a car sped toward her, braking hard just a few feet away. The door opened as she approached, and icy fear nearly stopped her in her tracks. Only the thought of Lauren, scared and alone, kept her moving. To the car. Into it. Slamming the door shut. Praying that she wasn’t making the biggest mistake of her life.