Authors: Shelia M. Goss

Savannah's Curse (16 page)

BOOK: Savannah's Curse

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“That might be the kidnapper,” Savannah said as she grabbed the phone and sat up on the side of the bed.

“I hooked up a tracing device on the phone, so keep them talking,” Troy said. He raced downstairs so he could work the device, which was hooked up to his laptop.

Asia was viewing the computer screen. She moved out of the way when she heard him come in. “It says it's not connected,” Asia said.

“She needs to keep him on for at least five minutes. If she does, we can lock it in.”

Asia said, “I'll go make sure.”

Troy placed his headphones on and listened in on the conversation as he watched the monitor. “Come on, you can do it,” Troy cheered Savannah on.

The voice on the phone was muffled. He would need to take the tape home to see if he could remove the noises. “Do you know how long I've waited for this day?” the kidnapper asked.

Savannah responded, “All I care about is Montana. Whatever you want, we'll get it to you.”

“You can't give it to me. Can you give me back my life?”

“Sir, if it's money you need, we can get it. Just tell us how much and where to bring it.”

Troy's computer beeped. The alert locked in on a location. He zoomed in. He wrote down the address. “Asia,” he yelled.

Asia ran back down the stairs. “Did you get it?”

Troy scribbled the address down. “Call Raymond. Tell him to meet me there.”

“What do I tell Savannah? She's still on the phone with him.”

“Good. Don't say a word until she's off the phone. Tell her I said that she did a good job.”

Troy rushed out and almost ran over one of the neighbors as he rushed down the street. He called Dion. He could tell he was on the phone because of the way the phone beeped. “Pick up. Hurry up,” Troy said.

“Any news?” Dion asked.

“I think I know where she is. I'm on my way there now. Can you meet me there?” he asked.

“What's the address?”

Troy gave Dion the address and sped to his destination. Dion must have been nearby because he was there before Troy arrived. Raymond was nowhere in sight. Dion was wearing plainclothes attire.
He must have been working outside
was Troy's first thought.

“I didn't go in, just in case there's more than one.”

“Good thinking,” Troy responded as he drew his weapon. “You back me up. If I'm not out in, say, fifteen.”

“Gotcha.”

Troy went around the building to see if he could locate any other vehicles. The only two vehicles were his and Dion's. He found an opening in one of the windows and slipped through, undetected. Once his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he went from room to room in what looked to be an abandoned warehouse. One of the rooms looked like it was being used for office space. “Doggone it,” he said. He realized he was only minutes away from locating the kidnapper. The phone the culprit had used had been yanked out of the wall. He picked up a locket that he recalled seeing around Montana's neck.

He called Dion. “All's secure. We just missed them.”

“Man, my boss just called. I hate to run.”

“No, go, man. Thanks. We'll be in touch,” Troy said as he dialed Savannah.

“You did a great job. I don't know what happened, but it's as if he knew we were onto him.”

Savannah said, “Had to be Uncle Raymond. He's the only other person besides us, who knew.”

Troy saw Raymond and a few other people come his way. “Speaking of the Devil. Let me call you back. Call me if they call back. Okay, sweetheart?”

He didn't mean to use the term of endearment, but he couldn't take it back. In fact, he didn't want to take it back.

“Looks like they got away,” Raymond said.

“Looks that way,” Troy responded. He wasn't 100 percent sure about Raymond and Montana's kidnapping. He said, “I see you brought some backup.”

“Wanted to be prepared, just in case,” Raymond responded.

“Well, I need to get back to Savannah,” Troy said. “And Asia.”

Raymond said, “We need to get something understood first.” Troy halted his step. Raymond continued talking. “What I told you back at Vanna's needs to stay there.”

“That I can't promise you. But if it'll save Montana's life, I will do what I can,” Troy said. He didn't wait for Raymond to respond.

He got in his vehicle and made it back to Savannah's in record time. He hoped that he wasn't underestimating the situation. Montana's life would depend on it.

The expression on Savannah's face when she opened the door made his heart skip a beat. She looked like she hadn't slept in days. Twenty-four hours ago things were as normal as they could be, under the circumstances. He wished he had insisted that they not leave his place.

“He called back. He said if I send the cops looking for him again, he's going to harm Montana.” Savannah sobbed.

Troy wrapped his arms around her and held her until she felt comfortable letting him go. She led him into the makeshift command station.

“What I find strange is that he knew we were coming,” Troy said as he retold the events.

Asia confessed, “I think it's Uncle Raymond. Actually, I'm hoping it's him, because I don't think he'll do anything to Montana. He probably just wants the disc.”

Troy thought about it for a moment. “Maybe.”

Savannah remained quiet the entire time. With her legs curled up under her, Savannah looked to be deep in thought. She said, “Call Uncle Raymond. Tell him that we have a disc Dad left. Give it to him and see what happens.”

“No, we can't do that. That disc is important.”

Asia pulled a disc out of her purse. “She didn't say the
only
disc. This should be enough to pacify him.”

“Are you sure?” Troy asked.

“Yes. If it means getting Montana back, then I'll drop the whole thing. Well, at least make him think I'm dropping it.”

Troy called Raymond. “The girls want to see you right away.” He paused. “No, nobody's heard from him . . . They have a proposition . . . We'll be waiting.”

Savannah asked, “What did he say?”

“He wanted to know if we had heard from Montana's abductor.”

“Like he doesn't know the answer to that already,” Asia said.

Savannah stood up and paced the floor. “Asia, let me do most of the talking. Your temper might give us away.”

“You bet. The more I think about it, the more I want to bash his head in.”

“I need to make some phone calls,” Troy said.

“We're not going anywhere,” Savannah answered.

“Ladies, hang on in there. We're going to get her back.” Troy hoped he sounded confident. Right now, he wasn't so sure about her return, if they couldn't track down the kidnapper. He had worked on other kidnapping cases and knew time was of the essence. The longer it took to track down Montana's location, the less chances she would have to survive. If only the kidnapper would ask for something, he could arrange to knock him off during the drop-off. What made this kidnapping different from others? The abduction seemed personal, not money driven. The only person who had something to gain from this had to be Raymond Steel.

Raymond was at the door by the time Troy was finished with his phone calls. He hoped giving him the disc would be enough. His gut instincts, though, told him that it still wouldn't get Montana back. But he had to try, for Savannah's sake.

“Raymond,” Savannah said.

“It's still Uncle,” he responded.

Savannah handed him a disc in a glass case. “I think this is what your guys were looking for when they broke into my house.”

Raymond looked at the disc. “What is this?”

“It's everything that my dad had on The Agency,” Savannah responded.

Raymond reached to hug her. Savannah held her hand up to halt him. “This doesn't mean all is forgiven. In fact, with Montana missing, I just can't do this. You have your disc; now give me back my sister.”

“I wish I could.”

“We gave you the disc, and now you still want to play us,” Asia said. She swung at Raymond. Savannah jumped in front of Asia, and she missed hitting Raymond by a few inches. Troy remained in his seat, observing.

“Girls, I am doing what I can to find Montana. In fact, I think we have a lead.”

Troy made his presence known. “Maybe we should take this conversation in the back.”

Savannah folded her arms. “No. If he knows something, we all need to know.”

Raymond sat down on the couch while Asia and Savannah remained standing. “We got a few fingerprints off the phone and the chair. I have someone running an analysis now. I'm just waiting on the phone call.”

Asia commented, “You're a trip. You must have taken up acting in school.”

Savannah said, “Asia.”

Asia turned away from them. “I'm just saying. Acting like he cares.” She continued to mumble until she was out of hearing distance. She left the room.

Savannah sat in the chair facing Raymond. “You better hope they find something.”

“I'm glad you trust me to handle this,” Raymond said.

Savannah laughed. “Trust you. Please. Never again. I just have hope. Hope that Montana comes out of this unharmed.”

Raymond's phone rang. He put his hand up to signal them all to be quiet. He answered. Savannah stood up and walked to the mantel. Troy walked up behind her. He started massaging her shoulders.

“Hey, you're handling this well,” he whispered.

“I just feel so helpless,” Savannah responded.

Raymond cleared his throat. “Excuse me. Don't mean to interrupt, but we have a few leads.”

Troy stopped massaging Savannah. They both turned to face Raymond. Troy said, “What do you have?”

“My men are checking things out. Hopefully, we'll know something for sure in another hour.”

“Troy, can you go work with his men? Please,” Savannah pleaded.

Troy addressed Raymond. “You heard the lady. Give me the person's contact information who's in charge so I can go meet him.”

“We got this,” Raymond said.

Savannah responded, “If you want us to even consider that you had nothing to do with this, you will let Troy assist.”

Raymond stopped to think for a moment. “I have nothing to hide. Troy, here's who you need to speak with.” Raymond wrote some information down on a piece of paper and handed it to Troy. “I'll call to let them know you'll be helping.”

Savannah sighed. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“I'll do anything for you girls.”

Asia had returned to the room and stood behind him, holding a cup of water. She was holding the cup so hard, it broke. Savannah was glad it wasn't glass.

Savannah walked Troy outside. “Do you think he's not telling us something?”

Troy hugged her and said, “I'll know for sure. Keep your phone near you.”

“I will. Bring her home to me,” Savannah pleaded.

Troy released her. “I'll do my best.”

Savannah dragged herself back into the house. Troy was her only hope. She hadn't depended on a man since her dad, and she never thought she would have to depend on Troy or any other man for something like this.

She stood outside the front door and looked into the star-filled sky. For the first time since her Dad had died, she prayed sincerely to God. She prayed for forgiveness for all the thoughts that had run through her mind since her dad died. She prayed to God to protect her sister. For the first time since it all happened, she felt a calm come over her.

When she reentered the house, Asia was sitting on one side of the living room, and Raymond was sitting on the other side. It would be a long time before she ever would feel like calling him “Uncle” again. Whether he was guilty or innocent of Montana's disappearance, he was behind her dad's murder. She was confident of that. And for that, she could not forgive him. That was something she would have to ask God to help her with.

Raymond was the first to break the silence. “Come and sit.” He patted the space next to him.

Savannah sat, but she sat in the chair across from him. She didn't trust herself not to reach out and hit him. It was for the best they kept their distance.

“The men I have on this are some of the best. Whoever has Montana will regret the day they thought of the idea,” Raymond assured her.

“I hope you're right,” Savannah said. She leaned back in her chair and folded her arms.

Savannah watched Asia leave the room. She didn't like it when Asia was silent. Asia was a very vocal person; her silence was frightening.

“As I was telling Asia while you were outside, I appreciate you giving me the disc. I know it'll take you a while to trust me again, but it's for the best.”

Savannah leaned forward in her seat. “Don't think it's a done deal. Granted, you might not be behind Montana's kidnapping, but what you did to my dad is not forgivable. Once this situation here is cleared up, don't even think about being a part of our lives ever again.”

“I know you're upset with what's going on, but think about this. I've been a part of your lives since you were little girls,” Raymond said.

“And that's what hurts and makes this so difficult. But I cannot in good conscience live a lieâa lie that you obviously have been living out since last year. I'm not like you. I can't hide my transgressions.”

“When it's all over, you'll see that I'm not as guilty as you think I am.”

“Prove it now. Prove to me right now that you had nothing to do with my dad's murder and I'll apologize and make sure my sisters do too,” Savannah challenged.

“In time, dear.”

“Time . . . time . . . time . . . In time, you'll take the disc we gave you, make sure that you eliminate any threats to you, and then throw it in our faces and say, âSee, I told you.' Please. We're not as dumb as you think,” Savannah said.

“I never said you were dumb. In fact, all of you have your dad's smarts. That's why I feel that wherever Montana is, she will survive. She's a fighter, and I feel for her abductor.”

Raymond said the first thing Savannah could agree with. Montana was not going out without a fight. The only way the abductor was probably able to get her in the first place was catching her by surprise.

The phone rang, but the battery on the handset was out. Savannah rushed and answered the phone in the kitchen. Asia came in to let her know that she was using the tracing equipment. Raymond was trying to coach Savannah by writing things on a piece of paper.

Savannah was going to ignore him, but she thought better of it. The kidnapper now was demanding money.

Raymond wrote:
Ask him for a drop-off place and time.

Savannah repeated what she read. The kidnapper gave her an amount and date. She had less than twenty-four hours to come up with a quarter of a million dollars. She had money in savings and stocks, but it would take time for the stocks to be sold and money deposited in her account to fulfill the kidnapper's request. She hung up the phone.

Raymond said, “I'll give you all the money you need.”

Savannah felt relieved.

BOOK: Savannah's Curse

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