Operation: Endeavor (When The Mission Ends) (34 page)

“I don’t remember her name. She just said that Chris had been brought in from a car accident and was in the ER.” This was beyond frustrating. Colton gnashed his teeth with impatience. Worry for Chris and the stress of the week had taken its toll.

“Are you sure the caller identified the hospital as Texas Tech Health Sciences Center?”

“I thought so, but I was in a crowd when I got the call and there was a lot of noise. Maybe I misunderstood her.”

The nurse picked up the phone. “Okay, let me call the other ER’s in the area and see if I can locate your brother. Go have a seat and I’ll let you know as soon as I find out something.”

Colton gritted his teeth, but simply nodded and pulled Cassie down into a chair in the waiting room. He looked over at her as they sat. “Why don’t you try his cell again?”

She nodded and looked up at him as she listened. “It’s still going directly to voice mail and no one is answering the house phone.”

“What was Jake doing today?”

“He went fishing with some friends from college. They wanted Chris to go with them, but crutches on a boat aren’t a good idea. He left around 5:00 this morning. I’d call him, but I don’t want to worry him until we know something.”

Colton nodded as he looked around the waiting room, wondering what the hell happened to Chris.

Two hours later, they were no closer to the answer. The nurse who’d been helping them called all the area hospitals and then finally the Lubbock PD. There was no trace of a car accident with Chris Robertson in it. With no other choice, they headed out the door and back to Cassie’s house to regroup.

As Colton turned onto Cassie’s street, he exclaimed, “What the hell?”

Parked in her driveway was Chris’s truck with no visible damage. He hadn’t even gotten Cassie’s jeep stopped before she flew out the door and up the walk, yelling Chris’s name.

Colton rushed in after her and she was already coming back down the hall from the bedrooms. “He’s not here. Where the hell is he?” She headed to the French doors leading to her patio and launched herself out them, calling Chris’s name.

Colton got to the doors in time to see Cassie throw herself into a very sleepy, confused looking Chris lying on the lounge chair. He wrapped his arms around her as he sat up in distress. “Cassie what’s wrong?”

She was crying and not capable of speech so it was up to Colton to explain. “We got a phone call you were in a car accident and in the ER. Where the hell have you been and why haven’t you been answering your phone?” he growled at him.

“I’ve been out here enjoying the day. I’ve just been reading and napping. My cell is probably dead. The battery isn’t keeping a charge for anything.” He pulled Cassie off him so he could pull the phone out of his pocket. He flashed it to them. “Yep, dead.”

Colton rubbed a hand over his face. “Dammit. I’m glad you’re okay, but damn… We’re gonna get that fixed first thing Monday morning.” He nodded toward Chris’s phone. “But why would someone call and tell us…” Realization dawned and the blood drained from his face. He reached back for his phone as he said a single word, “Penelope.”

He dialed her phone first, but there wasn’t an answer. Panic crawled up his gut. He left a message and tried not to sound as frantic as he felt, “Penelope, I need you to call me as soon as you get this.” He hung up and dialed the store.

Alix answered, “Raider Readers.”

“Alix, it’s Colton. May I speak to Penelope?”

“I’m sorry, Colton. We were getting ready to call you.” Her voice was full of sorrow. He knew what was coming next. He sank to the ground and both his siblings reached for him as she said, “Penelope’s missing. We can’t find her anywhere.”

Penelope knew she was in trouble when they didn’t try to hide their faces. The four men surrounding her spoke Spanish. Unfortunately, they spoke much too quickly for her to pick up anything but a few random words here and there. From what she could gather, they were on their way to meet the Boss and then they would finally have access to the gift. She shuddered in revulsion and fear as she thought about Colton’s theory and her erotica writing.

She couldn’t see where they were going, but estimated they’d been traveling for around forty-five minutes. The floor of the utility van was hard on the rocky road they’d hit about ten minutes ago. With her hands tied behind her back, she had a difficult time maintaining her balance. Her shoulders were going to be covered with bruises from falling across the hard floor, but that was probably the least of her worries.

Right after they grabbed her, they had picked up the man and the little girl. They’d obviously been part of the set-up and were dropped off somewhere else about ten minutes later. The whole time they were in the van, Penelope watched the suddenly dried-eyed little girl in amazement. She was an incredible little actress. It never even occurred to her that danger lurked behind the tears of a scared, angelic-looking five year old girl.

She tried to engage her captors in conversation. They hadn’t been open to the idea. A threat with a roll of duct tape meant she’d been quiet ever since. Instead, she listened to them and tried to gather information.

There were four men in the back with her, plus their driver. The driver looked nervous and young. He didn’t even look old enough to have a driver’s license yet. She looked around at the four men surrounding her. Three of them were also very young, barely in their twenties.

The one issuing the orders was older, mid to late thirties and both his arms were covered in sleeve tattoos. He had five teardrops tattooed below his left eye and a frightening looking ragged scar which travelled up his right cheek. His hard, cold eyes didn’t miss a flicker of movement and she knew he wouldn’t think twice about killing her. There wasn’t a shred of humanity left in his eyes. He was the one she had to worry about.

She had no doubt they planned to kill her. Colton would feel responsible because he wasn’t there when she’d gotten stupid. That alone almost made her lose her self-control and start sobbing, but she couldn’t lose it yet. She had to figure out a way out of this. Mainly because Colton would never forgive himself if she died.

She couldn’t dwell on him or she would panic. But that didn’t keep her from wondering if Chris was okay. If things were serious with Chris, Colton may not even know she was missing yet.

The van suddenly lurched to a bone-jarring halt and she tumbled across the floor again. She didn’t have time to right herself before the door slid open and hard hands yanked her up.

The heat of the day slapped her in the face, but the sight in front of her was even more of a shock. They dragged her up the steps of the old Martin homestead. She loved this house and this ranch. The last time she’d been here was with Colton. To know she’d probably die here seemed too cruel a fate. Were these men tied to the Martin family somehow? Surely the Martins didn’t know about this.

Two men dragged her as she stumbled, trying to keep up with them. At the sound of galloping hoof beats
, they immediately drew out guns. Penelope closed her eyes, praying one of the Martin family wouldn’t die here today.

But it wasn’t a Martin who rode up. It was Ethan, the Martin’s ranch hand, and the men around her obviously knew him because they put away their guns and relaxed their stances. Ethan greeted Scarface, but never even looked in her direction. He couldn’t be with these men could he? She didn’t know Ethan as well as she knew the other men on the ranch, but he’d always been nice when she’d seen him around. He was always helpful and willing to lend a hand when she needed it.

In fact, he’d been the one who introduced her to Hannah. Oh my God! He’d been the one that introduced her to Hannah. Her stomach rolled and she tasted bile on the back of her tongue. These were the men who were responsible for Hannah’s death. She had no idea how it all tied together, but there was no doubt in her mind that it was all related. She lunged for the railing, leaned over and lost her breakfast in the overgrown bushes.

The men surrounding her laughed at her discomfort. Finally, Ethan looked at her for a split-second. His gaze was filled with guilt and remorse before it slid away. Maybe she’d be able to use that guilt to get him to help her to escape. He spoke in rapid Spanish to Scarface, but she didn’t have a chance to find out what they were discussing as they dragged her inside the house.  They bypassed the main floor and headed directly to a staircase leading to the basement.

The basement was unfinished with a dirt floor and walls. It was dark and damp and had obviously been used as the root cellar. When they got to the bottom of the stairs, they shoved her to the ground and left her, not even bothering to untie her hands. The lock on the door clicked into place and Penelope was left in the pitch black. The panic she’d been holding at bay ever since she’d been grabbed came shuddering through her chest in great big sobs. What was she going to do?

* * *

Colton took great gulping breaths trying to get control of his panic. He would get her back. He had to believe that. To think anything else was unacceptable, but right now he had to get his head on straight so he could do that. He stood up and tried to remember the breathing techniques Penelope taught him when she was showing him her yoga breathing. Slowly, he shut his eyes and inhaled and exhaled to the count of five. He did that for five breaths, and then ten. Opening his eyes again, he splashed some cold water on his face, and felt more centered.

The worried faces of his siblings greeted him as he opened the bathroom door. He knew he was still pale from getting sick and they both looked at him with concern. “I’m headed to the bookstore. Are you going with me?”

They both nodded.

Colton grimly strode toward Chris’s truck and started dialing his phone.  Brian barely had time to answer before Colton began issuing orders. “Brian, Penelope disappeared from the bookstore. I’m pretty sure she’s been kidnapped. I need you to meet me there as soon as you can.”

“Damn, Colton. Okay, I’ll be right there with a black and white.”

“Thanks, Brian.”

Next he dialed a number he had hoped he wouldn’t need to call.

The crusty voice he knew too well answered the phone, “Bart Matthews, Homeland Security.”

“Bart, this is Colton Robertson.”

“Colt, how are you doing man? I’m hearing good things about Mad Rob’s chances for the contract.”

“That’s fine Bart, but not why I’m calling. I need a favor and I’ll owe you big time for this. My girlfriend’s been kidnapped and I don’t know the situation, but am hoping I can call on your resources if need be.”

“Fuck! Penelope’s been kidnapped? When? How?”

“I don’t know all the details yet. I just need to know I can count on you if I need you.”

“Sure…” he hesitated. “Colton, I don’t know if this is related, but there’s something big going down with the Mexican Mafia right now. There’s lots of chatter and we don’t know what it all means. Has your girl somehow gotten mixed up in something bad?”

“I’m afraid so, but at this point ‘something bad’ is all we know. We’ve been going in circles trying to figure out what’s going on. A tie to the Mexican Mafia would be the first real lead in what’s happening. Let me check out her disappearance and I’ll call you as soon as I know something.”

Bart’s voice sounded grim, “I hope you find her soon, Colt.”

“Me, too. Thanks, Bart.”

When Colton hung up the phone, he closed his eyes and sank his head into his hands. His stomach churned at the thought of what she might be going through right now….if she was even still alive. God, he couldn’t allow himself to think like that. She was going to be fine. He’d find her and she’d be fine. He had to hold onto that hope. He had to…

“Colton?” Chris asked from behind the wheel. No way in hell could Colton drive right now. “Are you okay?”

Colton shook his head while he looked out the front window. No, at this moment in time, he didn’t feel like he’d ever be okay again. “No, and I won’t be until we get her back safe and sound.”

When they arrived at the bookstore, there were still plenty of people milling about from the book signing. As Colton stormed in the front door, Jon immediately directed, “They’re all up in Penelope’s office.”

Colton bounded up the stairs with Chris and Cassie following in his wake. He was surprised when he stepped into Penelope’s office to find the writing group still there.

Julie saw him at the door and rushed over to him. The circles under her eyes were even more pronounced than they’d been earlier in the day.

“Tell me what happened,” he ordered.

She already had a notepad in her hand and looked down at it to check her notes. God bless Julie’s organizing soul. She proceeded to tell him what they’d been able to piece together about the events that afternoon.

“What happened to the little girl?” Shit, Penelope wouldn’t have ever expected duplicity from a little girl. She was too compassionate to even consider a tactic like that.

“She completely disappeared. We have no idea what happened to her, but assume she must have been part of a set-up.”

“Why would Penelope leave the store? She knew it was dangerous.”

Tim stepped forward. “First, I’m sorry. I should have been able to help better, but I never would have guessed that little girl was a decoy. Those were real tears and I truly thought she was just scared. This is my fault. I’m sorry.”