Seducing the Professor (17 page)

He yelled at David to saddle Lancelot and he jumped on his back while he was still busy tightening the stirrups. He put Lancelot to an immediate gallop and followed the same direction she disappeared in.  He rode around for hours, he went back to where he lost Samsonite’s tra
cks and started again.  He could not find her anywhere.  He even went to the furthest pasture with the hope that she went to the cabin, but she was not there.

He returned to the Ranch hoping she had returned, but Samsonite was still not back. He cursed when he noticed Gloria’s car still parked in front of the house.  David took Lancelot and confirmed that Alexandra has not returned.

Paul ran his hand over his face.  He was bone tired and pale.  His heart was heavy and he could not stop worrying about Alexandra.  No one knew this Ranch better than him and he could not find her nowhere.  She could not just disappear.  Where the hell was she?

He walked into the house wearily, knowing
he now had to deal with a very expectant Gloria.    She jumped up from the couch where she was sitting paging through a magazine.

“Paul!  Where did you disappear to for so long?”

“Gloria … I am sorry.  I made a big mistake today.  I should never have kissed you earlier.  I have told you numerous times over the past four years there is no chance for anything to ever develop between us.  Not even sexually.  I am sorry.”

“Yes, I realized that when you kissed me.  There was no feeling in your kiss and … you did not even get the slightest of erection.”

“I am sorry.”

“No, I am the one that is sorry.  It’s just that I felt such a failure with Anthony.  You know Anthony Brown I was engaged to?  I always felt sexually I did not satisfy him.   That is why I broke our engagement.  He was a lot like you.  He always kept something back.”

“So what?  You wanted to use me to make him jealous?”

“At first yes and then I thought if I could be with you, maybe I would learn how to be better in bed.”

“What?  Good God, Gloria that is the most stupid reasoning I have ever heard.  Why did you not just talk to him?  It was probably something totally different than sex that held him back.”

“When we had sex … did I at least satisfy you?’

Paul sighed and decided to be brutally honest with her.

“In all honesty, Gloria.  I can’t recall.
  I   had sex to find relief for a basic need.  I never spent too much time with any woman for more than that.  The one you need to ask that question to, is Anthony.  Why don’t you do that?”

“I … do you think he would still want me?”

“Do you want him?”

“Yes … I have never been able to forget about him, but because I left him … I guess I am scared.”

“You won’t know unless you try.  Look, I am tired …”

“Oh, yes.  I am leaving.  Thanks for being honest with me.  I won’t bother you again.”

He walked her to her car and stood gazing around to the open field once she left.  It was nearly dark and his worry increased exponentially.  He turned and started up the stairs when he heard the furious pounding of horse’s hooves.  He spun around and ran to the stables.  He arrived there just as Samsonite skidded to a halt in front of the stables.  His eyes wild and he was clearly agitated.  David came running at his shout and he caught him by his mane and talked to him in a soothing voice.

“Boss?”

“Yes?”

“There is some blood on his flank.”

Paul’s heart dropped to his feet and he rushed to the other side of the horse where David stood.  He saw the clear red blotch high on his left flank.

“Is he hurt?”

“No, it is not his blood.”

“Take care of him.   
Saddle Yellow Blossom for me.  I am going to follow his tracks backward.  If she is hurt I can’t leave her out there for the night.”

Paul used the strongest
portable halogen lights he had and started following the tracks.  It took him hours.  He lost the tracks a few times and had to re-track his own tracks a few times.  He found the spot where she must have gotten hurt.  It was clear she fell off Samsonite and crawled to the bottom of the tree.  There was blood on the ground and against the tree. He frowned, remembering that he did come past here and there was no sign of her.  He followed her trail and then stiffened when he came across at least three additional sets of footsteps.  A few yards further he found tracks of a truck.  He followed the tracks to the edge of the Ranch where the fence was destroyed and obviously how they got in and out.

His heart went cold, his mind numb.  Alexandra had been kidnapped.  Whoever was after him took the one thing that meant the world to him.  The woman he loved.

“Take your hands off me, your buffoon!  Let me go!”

The tall
brown haired man tightened his grip on her arms that he held behind her back and she gasped at the pain that shot through her arm.

“Is it your intention to let me bleed to death?”

He cursed and shouted for a Jim.  One of the other buffoon’s that grabbed her appeared in the doorway drinking a beer.

“What?”

“She is still bleeding.  We better get the wound cleaned.    We can’t afford her to get an infection.”

“Bloody hell, Walter
, none of us are doctors!  This bloody kidnapping business does not sit well with me!  Why he had to come up with this hair brained scheme the Lord alone knows!”

“If you can bring me antiseptic cleaner, cream and bandages I can do it myself.  How the hell did I get hurt?”

“The stupid young kid was supposed to fire a shot in the air, but he was so eager he pulled the trigger still lifting the rifle into the air.  It is only a flesh wound, but it is still bleeding too much.”

“Send the kid to go and fetch what she needs in the stables.  He feels guilty enough as it is.”

The kid was back in no time and insisted on assisting her.  He became more of a hindrance and she snapped at him.  He went to sit by the table and sulked.  She snapped the bandage hooks in place and glared at the three men sitting at the table watching her.

“Why did you do this?”

“Boss wants to make a point to Shuttle.”

“What point?  Is he the one that has caused all the problems on the Ranch?”

“Yip.  Still don’t agree with all he did.  Innocent animals should not be made to suffer because of ideas stupid humans have.”

“Who is he and why is he doing this?”

The three looked at each other and shrugged.

“Anthony Brown.  He has some issue with Shuttle and wants to bring him to his knees.  He did not achieve what he wanted with all his tricks, so now he thinks to take the woman he loves will do the trick.”

“What does he want to achieve?”

“Sell him his Ranch for a pittance, after he paid billions to ransom you back.  He wants him to have to start over with nothing.”

“Why?  What has Paul ever done to him?”

“Took his fiancé from him.  Hated him since then.”

Alexandra started to laugh and they looked at her with concern.

“Why are you laughing?”

“He is a tad too late.  Shuttle decided he’s had enough of me.  I caught him with your Anthony’s fiancé in his study this morning.  The message loud and clear.  He is done with me.  There is no way he will pay a hundred dollars to ransom me, let alone billions!”

Then the tears came and she slumped on the bed.  Raw sobs tearing through her.  The three men sat up and stared at her with concern.  She was crying so soulfully they
swallowed at the lumps in their throats for the pain she was suffering.

Paul stalked through the house the remainder of the night.  He did not even think to go to bed.  The only person that could have Alexandra was the person that has been so brutal in his attack on his horses. 

He could not get the look of utter betrayal and destruction that drowned her eyes when she found Gloria in his arm from his mind.  His chest hurt as if someone clamped a vice around it tighter and tighter as the night turned to day.

He took a shower and the moment t
he clock stroke six he phoned Slade.  He picked up at the second ring.

“She’s been
kidnapped.  Alexandra … oh God Cuz, I did something so stupid!”

“What are you talking about?  Who kidnapped her?”

“I don’t know yet.  She tore off on Samsonite around one.  I went to look for her and could not find her anywhere.  Around sunset he came tearing back into the yard with blood on his flank.  I traced his tracks and found where she got hurt.  I found three additional sets of footsteps and truck tracks.”

“Why did she ride out on her
own?”

“She caught me … kissing Gloria.”

There was dead silence, Slade’s anger clear in his harsh intake.

“Why?  What the hell did you
do?”

“I don’t want to talk about it now, Slade.  We need to find her!  Have they found anything on those last staff members?”

“I got a message to phone the FBI late last night.  I’ll call now and see what they have.”

“Call me the moment you know.”

He disconnected the call and went to the stables, slumping down on the chair in the lab.  Ten minutes later his phone rang and he picked it up immediately.

“Slade?”

“Richard Gomez.  He is a known crook for hire.  He’s made substantial cash deposits over the past year.  Three of them were over a million.”

“He started here just over a year ago.  He was the one that apparently saw the fire first.  I have to go …”

“No Paul.  Sit tight and wait for me.  I am already on the way.  We have to do this right.  If you spook him, he won’t say a word.”

“Just hurry then.”

Slade was shocked at how worn Paul looked. His complexion was grey with worry.  Samuel has already been briefed and was working with Gomez in the yard.  The moment Slade arrived he sent him to the stable and Paul got hold of him there.  He knocked him out with one fist against the jaw.  Slade frowned at him, but assisted him to carry him into an open stall where they tied him to a chair.  When he came to he struggled against the ropes and cursed at Paul.

“You know what I am after, Gomez. You better start talking.”

He stopped struggling and glared at Paul, then Slade and suddenly slumped in the chair.

“Anthony Brown.”

“Where did they take her?”

“Look, I had nothing to do with the kidnapping!”

“Really?  How did they even know she was out in that pasture that exact time?”

“Okay!  I phoned it in.”

“Where. Is. She!”

“I don’t know.  I told you.  I only phoned it in!”

Paul’s fist slammed into his face, again with so much strength he knocked him out.

“Get this bastard out of here!  I am going to Brown.”

“No!  We need to be clever, Cuz.  We now know who he is and you have a relatively good idea why he is doing what he is.  He won’t be stupid enough to hurt her.  We need to wait until he calls.”

“I can’t sit around and wait for
a Goddamn phone call!  I have to find her Slade!  It is my fault she was taken!”

“Yes, what was that about?”

Paul leaned against the wall.  He just shook his head.  The last look in Alexandra’s eyes haunting him. 

They went to the house and Paul cleaned his hands.  Ellie made breakfast, but he could not get
himself to eat, but drank two strong cups of coffee.

The phone call came at noon.  The voice was clearly disguised.

“You wondering where your girl is, Shuttle?”

“What do you want?”

“Cold bastard, aren’t you?”

“Stop wasting my fucking time!  What do you want?”

“Everything Shuttle.  When I am done with you, you will be a broken man! No money, no Ranch and guess what … no girl!  She quite a looker.  Hot little body.  It is going to be up to you how well she would be used by the time you get her back.”

The line went dead and Paul went berserk.  He nearly broke every chair in the kitchen before Slade got his arms locked around him and sank down onto the floor with him in front of him.  He held onto him for nearly thirty minutes while he ranted and
screamed furiously.

“You can let me go now.”

Slade loosened his arms and stood up.  He started gathering the broken pieces of furniture and took it outside.  Paul was still slumped against the wall by the time he was done.

“Gloria.”

“What about her?”

“If I can get her to go to Brown …”

“Why would she?  It seems to me you gave her more reason to hang around you.”

“
No, I told her I do not want her.”

“Then why the blazes …”

“I … she actually still has a hang-op for the bastard.  If he knew that and why she broke their engagement … maybe he would let Alexandra go.”

“What does he want?”

“Money, the Ranch and me left with nothing.  But he threatened to … Alexandra … I’ll kill him with my bare hands if he touches her, Slade!  He can have everything, I don’t care … as long as he lets her go!”

“You need to calm down,
Cuz.  We need to think this through properly.  The FBI needs to be involved.  I’ll log the case.  He needs to pay for what he has done.  No normal person will do what he has done.  The man is crazy and we need to be careful … for Alexandra’s sake.”

The FBI arrived within two hours and set up base at the police station.  Paul refused to have them in his house, not wanting it as a memory to haunt him.

James Vernon was the agent in charge and listened to the whole story.  Paul told him about his idea with Gloria and he pondered about it for a while and then nodded.

“It could work, especially as he does not
know that you already know who he is.  Do you think she will do it?”

“It is worth a try.  I’ll go and talk to her.”

“I’m coming with.”

“It is not necessary, Slade.”

“Yes it is.  It seems someone needs to look after Alexandra’s possessions in her absence.”

Paul did not even smile at his attempt of a joke.  In his heart he knew he might have already destroyed any sense of possessiveness she might have felt for him.

They arrived at Gloria’s condo at four in the afternoon.  She was surprised to see Paul there and that put Slade’s mind at rest.

“Paul, what are you doing here?  I thought we established that I am done bothering you.  Why bring the police into this?”

“May we come in, Gloria?”

She nodded and held the door open. She waved them towards the lounge. 

“What can I do for you?”

Paul explained everything that has happened over the past year and she got angrier with each passing moment.  Paul was quite surprised to see so much passion in her for the first time.

“He did all of this because he thought you took me away from him?”

“Yes, and now he has kidnapped Alexandra. 
He wants money and the Ranch, which he can have, but he is threatening to … take her … use her …”

“He threatened to rape her?”

She shrieked indignantly, her anger rising even higher.

“Yes.”

“Over my dead body!  I will go and talk to him immediately!  He will release her!”

“No!  He must not realize you know about anything.  If he does, he would believe that you are doing it to please me, not because you still want him.”

“But I do still want him!  I never should have left him. You were right.  I should have spoken to him about what bothered me, not just ran away.”

“Then that is what you need to do.  You need to tell him all of that and nothing more.  Don’t even think of this conversation.  But you need to do it soon.”

“I’ll go and see him around eleven tomorrow.  If I arrive there tonight or first thing in the morning he would become suspicious.”

Paul nodded although he would have preferred she go immediately, but what she said made sense.

“Please let me know how it went as soon as you leave there.”

They left and Paul went back to the Ranch immediately and up into their room.  He lay down on the bed, just to breathe in her essence in the room.

“Who are you?”

“That, my dear, does not concern you.  What you can give me to achieve what I want, is.”

Alexandra realized his cahoots did not inform him that they told her who he was.  She thought it prudent to keep her knowledge to herself.

“Oh really?  And just what would that be?”

“Your boyfriend owes me and he is going to pay for what I have lost!  He will pay me every damn cent he has in the bank, gift me with his farm and only then can he have you back.”

He leaned closer and it took all her willpower not to cringe back against the headboard where they cuffed her.

“Only … you won’t exactly go back the way you were when you left!  Let’s see if he still wants you once you have been used so well you would put a whore to shame!”

For the first time since she has been taken, Alexandra knew fear.  Her insides quivered with it, her breathing shuddered with it.  Anthony Brown
straightened, his eyes hard.  No fear flashed in those blue eyes, only loathing.

“You’re a cold bitch.  Not to worry, blue eyes, I will warm you up pretty soon!

“You waited a tad too long, mister.  He made it pretty clear it is over the day your crooks took me.  He won’t pay a penny to have me released.  He does not give a damn about me!”