Tara walked into the house and was greeted by her mom's cat Neosho.
Strange,
thought Tara,
mom usually lets her outside right after supper so she can have one last run around the yard before nightfall
. "Besides," she cooed at the cat, "it's too cold for kitties to be outside. Isn't that right?" Neosho looked up at Tara and meowed in response, as if agreeing with her.
While she busied herself with preparing a light supper, she wondered where her mom was.
The library should be closed by now, but maybe mom and CC went to grab something to eat.
She opened the refrigerator for some mayonnaise and saw the turkey defrosting.
If I had the slightest inkling of how to cook this thing, I'd put it in the oven for mom – one less thing for her to worry about. I'm SUCH a good kid; I deserve a medal.
Tara laughed to herself.
After supper, Tara decided to call her mom's cell and find out when she would be home. It rang once and went to voicemail. She then called CC;
maybe I can reach him instead
. No answer, but she left a voicemail with him.
She called the library but got a recording that they were closed for the holiday and would re-open on the following Monday. Tara was starting to feel uncomfortable now, and just a little panicked.
She had just seen Phil and Lisa about an hour ago, so her mom couldn't be at their house.
Maybe Missy knows where she is,
Tara thought, trying to make herself feel better.
"Hi Missy. Have you seen my mom in last few hours? She's not picking up on her cell and neither is CC."
"No, Tara. I haven't seen her since yesterday. She told me she might be working on her paper tonight at the library. Maybe she's still there."
"I checked the library. They're closed for the holiday. She's not at Phil's either, I just saw him and Lisa at the mall earlier." Tara paused, wondering whether she should tell Missy everything…
Just then, someone pulled up in her front yard.
"Missy, someone just drove up. That's probably her. I'll talk to you later."
"Ok. Call me if you need anything else."
But it wasn't Alexa; it was CC. He jumped out of the truck, pulled some bags out of the back seat, and headed to the door, whistling the whole way.
When he got to the porch, Tara opened the door for him, "CC? Where's mom? I thought she was with you… I called you a bunch of times."
CC walked through the house to the kitchen, setting the bags down on the counter, "I haven't seen her since this morning. I thought about calling her, but my cell has been on the blink. I just picked up a new one at the store, but I haven't had time to check my messages. Is something wrong?"
Tara looked at him with a worried expression, "I'm not sure, but I have a feeling something bad has happened to her…"
Alexa was jostled awake and moaned at the sharp pain she felt in her head. She tried to raise her hands to her head to massage away the pain, but they wouldn't move. It took her a few seconds to figure out why. She was laying in the backseat of a car, gagged, her hands and feet were tied, and her stomach as well as her head was in serious protest.
I'm glad I haven't eaten in a while or it would be coming up now
, she thought. Suddenly, everything that had happened at the library came back to her in a flash. Her stomach roiled anew and her headache worsened.
The chloroform…
What is he going to do to me…
she wondered.
Oh God, please don't let him
go after Tara or CC, and help me to make it through this alive.
Alexa tried to remain calm, knowing that if she let her fear control her, she would have no hope of escape.
The question is, where is he taking me and how do I get home without freezing to death…
The temperature had been steadily dropping since that morning and Alexa knew that her coat would not be proper protection against the fierce Missouri winds and snow. Her main thought was survival…
I can take whatever he dishes out; I just have to stay with it long enough to get away.
She lay as quietly as possible, hoping to calm her stomach and headache. It wasn't long after she awoke that Bob began slowing the car. She thought they were about to stop, so she tried to raise her head and see out the window, but Bob spotted her movement.
"Stay down or you will regret it," he hissed fiercely and held up a gun.
Alexa didn't respond, but lay back down in the seat. It had been too dark to see anything of the terrain, except lots of snow. Any hope of escaping to a nearby house or store had been squashed when she saw no lights through the car window. They were traveling a country road where there were no streetlights, so they must have left Neosho by now. She didn't know how long she had been unconscious, but from the very little she remembered about chloroform, its anesthetizing effects were not overly long-term – around thirty minutes on average.
This gave her food for thought.
If he tied me up immediately after I passed out, and put me in his car that would have taken about ten minutes. Then we have been on the road for about twenty minutes. Lots of time to find a good hiding place in or around Neosho, if we're even still in Missouri.
Due to the weather conditions, Bob did not make very good time on the road, but he knew exactly where he was going. He had visited this spot so many times, that it was not even funny. He had been hiking in these mountains several years back when he had spotted this perfect little hideout. Of course, back then, he hadn't thought he would ever need such a place, but it had been fun to explore. So, explore he did – he came here at least once a month and spent the whole weekend walking around, noting streams and caves; he had even made a little map to keep in his backpack in case he got lost.
He knew that when the police began looking for him, they would check his house first. Of course, they would find nothing to lead them here, and even though his girlfriend knew about this place, she had been here only twice and was still out of town. She wouldn't arrive in time for the police to catch up with him. He would be long gone before they figured it out.
His cutoff was very close, only a few more miles.
I love a good mystery, and this plot is playing out just right,
he thought to himself. Just then, he saw his cutoff and turned the wheel sharply to the left. Snow was camouflaging the lane that led to his hideout, but he thought he could make the last half-mile without too much trouble. He needed to get a fire started and warm up the place – as much as was possible in such weather. Lucky for him, he had stocked the place with firewood and food last weekend, not knowing he would need it so soon.
He pulled the car up next to the porch of the dilapidated log house and looked in the back seat. He knew Alexa was conscious, but so far she had stayed quiet.
Probably planning her escape,
he thought.
"You stay put until I am ready to get you out of the car. Do you understand? I will use this gun without the slightest provocation. Don't give me a reason." This he said while pointing the gun right at her head, his eyes filled with a venom that Alexa didn't understand.
Alexa nodded, but looked him straight in the eyes. She had to show him she was not afraid or he would use it to his advantage. He got out and slammed the door. She breathed a sigh of relief. She had not been blinked while he had threatened her.
I can make it through this – God will help me,
she thought.
It wasn't long before Bob came back for her. He opened the car door and grabbed her bound feet to pull her out. He set her feet down, pulled her the rest of the way out of the car and leaned her over his shoulder. He then slowly trudged into the one-room log house. He put her down near the fireplace so that he could keep his eyes on her as he made a pallet for sleeping.
"I trust you enjoyed the drive down, except for the after-effects of the chloroform," Alexa didn't really know what to expect, but she never thought that he would try to engage her in pleasant conversation.
Still gagged, she couldn't respond, but he didn't make an attempt to remove it, "Ahh, my dream woman… one who doesn't talk back." He smiled at her and then chuckled. Very soon, he was laughing outright.
Alexa stared at him like he had grown horns. He abruptly stopped laughing and grabbed her head between both his hands. Alexa couldn't keep the surprise and fear out of her eyes, no matter her earlier resolve.
"Remember I know where you live and I know your friends. But especially, I know your daughter and her habits. If you even try to escape, I will make sure she pays very dearly. I know people who would pay a very handsome price for her, no questions asked. Figure that into your escape plans Ms. Graham." He roughly pushed her head back, and she lost her balance for a moment.
Immediately, his manner changed and he turned to make her a sleeping pallet. He then gently helped her onto it and covered her with a blanket. He lay down beside her on another pallet, his gun on his chest.
Alexa felt hot then cold as the fear rolled over her.
What kind of mad man is this? Oh God, you are my only strength!! Please deliver me from this evil person and keep my family safe. Oh God, I plead the blood of Jesus over them. Help me to keep a level head.
Alexa felt the tears roll down the side of her face. She knew this night would be a long one, but with God's help, she would make it – one step at a time, with His hand leading her all the way.
The house Bob had rented not long ago was swarming with police, K-9 units, CSI personnel, and just about every media personality in the area. CC and his crew had been the first to arrive the night before and had been combing every inch of Bob's house ever since. CC had given them instructions to search out and report even the smallest detail that seemed out of place or unusual – whatever Bob had done with Alexa, CC was determined that he would leave no clue untraced until she was in his arms again.
I just hope I can find her before it's too late,
CC's brow was furrowed with worry.
The media had shown up this morning quite early due to a tip given by Bob's neighbors. They had overheard one of the officers say something about the abduction having taken place at the library, so half of them scurried over to that location. The library and surrounding parking lot had been taped off and was also being investigated. Whatever media was not here, was over there. CC had given them a statement earlier, but they were growing restless again – stopping everyone that passed, in hopes of getting the scoop.
Phil was parked down the street from all the chaos, but had come to be of some help, if he could. CC had called him this morning early to tell him what Alexa's message said and to ask for help. Now Phil just had to make it past the perimeter… He called CC's cell, "Hey, it's me and I'm here to help. Where are you? It's a complete zoo out here."
CC held his hand over his free ear and semi-shouted into the phone as he walked out of the house, "I'll meet you at the southeast corner of the house, right where all my squad has parked." Right then, he saw Phil waving to him from the outside edge of the barrier his officers had formed with their cars. CC motioned for him to come closer, so Phil, after assessing the situation, sat down on and slid across the hood of one of the cars. Of course, Phil's action had a copycat effect, and several officers had to detain and order the media back behind the barrier again. Phil's picture was sure to be in the paper tomorrow.
The feeding frenzy continued behind them as CC and Phil walked into the house. While inside the house was relatively calm compared to the yard, it was far from quiet, and it was certainly not lacking in action. CC led the way to the master bedroom first so that he could outline for Phil the items his team had already found. Bob's clothing lay in disarray across the bed and closet floor, but everything else was relatively undisturbed. Apparently, Bob left in a big hurry.
"Hey, where is Tara?" Phil wondered suddenly out loud.
"She is at Missy's house. I took her over there last night and briefly explained to Missy what I knew. According to what Tara said this morning on the phone, Missy had everyone she knew praying about this. She even called her folks in Texas."
"Good plan. At this point, we need every bit of help we can get."
CC let out a bitter chuckle, "Why is it that we only think to pray when we're in trouble?"
"True enough, but I guess it doesn't hurt."
"You're right, Phil." Just then, one of CC's detectives came into the bedroom and asked a question. "Phil, I need to see about something in the basement. You know the drill up here, right?"
"Of course. I'll let you know what I find, if anything." Phil began nosing around while CC followed his detective downstairs.
There were times during the night when Alexa had wanted more than anything to turn over or just move around, but every time she attempted to do so, Bob had brought the gun to her temple and threatened to kill her. She knew she must have dozed at some point last night, but the short minutes had been fitful at best.
She slowly opened her eyes and tried to survey the room without moving her head too much. Not only did her neck and head ache, but also Bob was probably sitting nearby, eagerly anticipating the chance to shove the gun into her face yet again.
Boy, I really don't like that man,
Alexa thought with an ironic smile.
How can I even contemplate smiling at a time like this?
she scolded herself.
The room seemed oddly quiet; the only sound Alexa could hear was the crackling of the fire.
Strange, I don't remember him stoking the fire,
Alexa mused. She decided to try to sit upright. After such a fatiguing night, she would be lucky if her body would obey. She sat up slowly, every joint and muscle screaming in agony. Still, she detected no movement in or around the house. That was when she noticed that her gag had been removed. It was laid beside her pallet – arranged in a perfectly straight line.
Weird!
"I don't get it," she said out loud. She didn't question any further. She quickly began untying her hands with her teeth. She could not let this precious time alone go to waste. She had to try her best to escape, even with Bob's evil threat about kidnapping Tara ringing in her ears.
I'm no good to Tara if I'm tied up and stuck out here – wherever here is…
She pulled and tugged for about fifteen minutes before the knot on her hands began to loosen. In about ten more minutes, her hands were free and she began working on her feet. While she untied herself, she prayed, all the while intently listening for Bob's approach. She knew that if she could get away, she had to do so quickly – no matter what Bob had threatened. Her hands and feet were numb with lack of circulation, but she would escape if it killed her.
As the last knot on her feet came free, she briskly rubbed her feet and ankles to get the blood flowing again. She knew she couldn't walk yet, but she must move around and gather some supplies. She started with the blanket and her backpack nearby. She dumped her books out and grabbed the blanket – she would need it later when her coat became too thin against the wind outside. As she yanked the blanket toward her, something clattered across the floor and landed beside her leg. It was a video cassette with a note addressed to her attached to it with a rubber band. She quickly unwound the note and read the label, which said, "Bob's Confession Video".
Panic welled up inside her that this was all just one of Bob's sick jokes and that he would come barging in any moment to laugh at her. She stuffed the video and note into her backpack, grabbed the blanket and quickly put on her boots. She had noticed food in the kitchen the night before, although Bob had not fed her. So, she grabbed whatever she could find that would be light and easy to carry, plus give her some nourishment. Luckily, just about everything there was for a health nut, so she loaded up.
On her way to the door, she noticed the tablet of paper that Bob had used to write his note. She quickly grabbed that too and approached the door. She stopped and listened, looked out the windows, and noticed that the car was gone. She could see tire tracks leading away from the cabin, so she decided to chance it.
She slowly opened the cabin door and looked outside. She listened intently for several minutes while slowly scanning the trees for any sign of movement or footprints. When she was satisfied that she was indeed alone, she headed for the trees. Her plan was to stay close enough to the tire tracks to find the road, but far enough away so that she could hide behind something if she saw Bob coming. Although, where she would hide was quickly becoming a problem. The trees were not overly large and Bob had cleared away most of the underbrush. Besides, Bob could easily see her footprints in the snow leading away from the cabin, but at this point, she didn't care – she had to get away!
She thought that it was probably half a mile at most to the country road they had traveled last night, so she trudged on. As she went, she made paper wads from the sheets of the tablet she took from the cabin. She stuffed her jacket and sleeves with the balls of paper and prayed that this little trick would work. She stopped for a moment to tuck her pants into the tops of her boots and then proceeded to stuff the legs of her pants with paper wads too. According to this survival show she had watched once, the paper would add a little insulation to her clothing and hopefully retain some of her body heat.
After she had traveled a while, she would stop and relieve herself, but for now, she would just have to suffer. She couldn't chance that "Barf Bag Bob" would show up and try to recapture her.
When CC arrived that morning at Bob's house and noticed that his SUV was still in the driveway, he wondered what Bob was driving. Not long after, a call had come through from one of Bob's neighbors that their car had been stolen. Thinking that Bob was the culprit, CC had put out a notice to all state and local officers to be on the lookout for the car Bob was driving. So far, they had not spotted him.
Phil, still nosing around the master bedroom, got down on one knee to look under the bed. He saw a book lying there under some papers and pulled them all out to have a closer look. He flipped quickly through the papers, but the book caught his attention. It was a very old detective novel that he hadn't seen in years. It was Alexa who had introduced him to this book – but that was ages ago. Automatically, he began flipping through the pages. Toward the end of the book, a passage caught his eye and the plot came back to him in a flash – as if he had just read it yesterday.
Suddenly, the book hit the floor, "CC?!? I know where she is!! I know where Alexa is!!"
Phil and CC almost collided in the doorway in their eagerness to get to one another. Phil quickly explained what he knew about the plot of the book he had found under Bob's bed. CC agreed that it was almost identical to what had been happening around town lately – to Garret (the victim), to Fred (the framed criminal), to Alexa (the amateur detective who figured out the killer's true identity), and Bob's escape.
CC suddenly became very afraid for Alexa's life. He called his lead detective over and gave him instructions about how to improve the search for Alexa. They now had something to go on besides just pure speculation.
"I want everyone in this area and in northern Arkansas and Oklahoma to be on the lookout. It's time to inform the press, I want to get citizens involved in this hunt." With this, CC marched purposefully toward the front door of Bob's house. He just hoped that this bit of information didn't come too late, that Bob hadn't disposed of Alexa – after all, the man had no real reason to keep her alive…