She glanced at the screen. The kidnappers. Grabbing up the phone, she pressed answer. “Hello.”
“Are you alone?” The same distorted voice as before.
“Yes.”
“Where are you?'
“I'm on Route 150 North.”
“And you're sure no one is with you?”
“Just me.” And her gun. “Let me talk to Cassie.”
“Don't worry about her. She's fine. Go to Lincolnton.”
“Let me talk to Cassie.”
“Your daughter's fine.”
“Let meâ”
The phone beeped as the caller disconnected.
Nikki pounded her fist on the steering wheel. “Lord, keep her safe. I don't care what happens to me, but please keep her safe.”
The phone rang.
Lucas again.
Lincolnton was in the opposite direction she was going. After making sure there were no cars in either direction, Nikki made a U-turn. A few moments later, she heard the sirens.
A cruiser pulled in behind her.
“No. No. No.” She didn't have time for this. Nikki pasted a smile on her face as she rolled down her window. She pulled out her license, registration, and concealed-carry weapons permit. “Good afternoon, Officer.”
“License and registration.”
“Yes, sir. I need to advise you I have a gun in the car and a permit to carry it. Here it is.” She handed him her documents. Thank heavens, she had a permit for Florida and that it was reciprocally honored in this state. Telling him about the gun was the protocol for anyone with a conceal-and-carry weapons permit.
“Where's the gun?”
“In the console between the seats.” Her phone started ringing. “I have to get that.”
“No, you don't.”
“You don't understand. I really do have to get that. I'm a private investigator and I'mâ”
“I don't care what you are or what you're doing. Please follow my directions.”
The ringing stopped.
Nikki closed her eyes, praying Cassie would be OK.
A car pulled in front of her. Just what she needed. Another circus and she was the main attraction.
The occupant held his license out the driver's side window. “Officer.” The driver raised his voice. “I'm Congressman Lucas McMann. May I step out of the car? I am unarmed.”
“Ma'am, step out of the car and put your hands on the hood.” The officer stepped back.
Nikki got out and walked to the front of her car, putting her hands on the hood.
“Sir, you may exit the vehicle.” Even as he talked with Lucas, the officer watched her like a hawk.
Lucas got out with his hands held clear of his body. “Thank you, Officer.” He leaned closer. “Officer Jenkins. I'm Congressman Lucas McMann.”
“Yes, sir. I vote for you every election. My parents love you too.”
“That's great to hear.” Lucas shook the patrolman's hand. “Is she being arrested?”
“Not at all. Just a precaution. She told me there was a gun in the car and gave me her permit. When you drove up, I made her get out for my protection. Can't be too careful these days. I had to make sure you were who you said you were.”
“Makes sense. I can assure you everything's legal. She's working for me. Did you hear about the shooting I was involved in?”
“Of course.”
“Ms. Kent is following up on a lead. Time is of the essence.”
“Maybe I could help.”
“You can help by letting her get on her way.”
“Of course.”
“Am I free to go?” Nikki asked.
“Of course. You have a burned-out taillight. It's legal in this state to only have one, but I simply stopped you to advise you to get it fixed, since it may not be legal in Florida. I saw your license plate.” He turned to Lucas. “It's nice to meet you, Congressman.”
“And it's nice to meet you. Do you have a card? I'll call your commanding officer and tell him what a good job you're doing.”
“Oh, that's not necessary.” He grinned. “But it would be awesome if you did. Thanks so much, sir.” He fished a card out of his pocket and handed it to Lucas, then walked back to his cruiser.
Lucas took hold of her arm. “I'm assuming the kidnappers called you.”
“I've got to get going. I'm supposedâ”
“I'm going with you.”
“You can't. They told me I had to come alone. We can't take a chance on them seeing you. I won't do anything to endanger Cassie.”
“And you think I will?”
“That's not what I meant. I know that you wouldn't.”
The police cruiser pulled out, leaving them alone.
Lucas waved as he drove past. “Then let's get going.”
“That's not happening.”
“I'm not letâ”
“I can handle myself.”
“I know you can. I've seen you in action, but I'm still not leaving you.”
“Lucas, you have to let me do this on my own.”
“You're not alone. I'm here with you.”
“Well, you can't be seen. If you want to ride in the trunk, I guess you can.”
“Not a problem.”
She stared at him. “Don't be ridiculous. I only said that to make you go away. I didn't really mean it.”
“Except I'm not going away.” He walked to the back of her car. “Pop the trunk.”
“I will not pop it. You can't ride back there. It's not safe.”
“It is safe. This is a fairly new car. It probably has an inside trunk release. Most do these days.”
Her phone rang. She held up a finger to shush him as she grabbed it off her seat. “Hello.”
“Why didn't you answer?”
“Because I was being detained by a state patrolman who didn't like the way I was driving.”
“You should have been more careful.”
“I was following your directions.” She gritted her teeth and reminded herself that she didn't want to make the man angry. “But you're right. Careful will be my middle name now.”
“I changed my mind. Go to Hickory, take 70 to Statesville, then 77 South to Charlotte.” At least she had a location now.
Her phone beeped off. She really needed this guy to stay on the phone for more than fifteen seconds. She had to get him to let her talk to Cassie. She turned to Lucas. “Gotta go.”
“What did they say?”
“Not much. They told me to get on Highway 21 North and then hung up. I don't have time for chitchatting. I have to get moving.”
“True. Pop the trunk or I will.”
She glared at him. “Fine. But you better get the keys out of your car or someone will have a fun joyride. Your mother won't be happy.”
“Good point.” He turned back to his car.
Nikki slid into her driver's seat, quietly shutting her door. She turned on the ignition and at the same time put the car in drive. “Sorry, Lucas. I have to do what they say.”
Another vehicle was in her lane. She had to beat it if she didn't want Lucas following her. Pressing on the gas, her car surged forward. As she turned onto the highway, her car fishtailed. With both hands, she attempted to get it under control. A glance in the rearview mirror showed the too-close car behind her fishtail as well. And then a horn blasting. And another. She righted the car. The speedometer moved upwards. Seventyâ¦seventy-fiveâ¦eightyâ¦
23
The nearly disastrous scene unfolded as if in a movie.
He felt foolish because he'd allowed Nikki to trick him so easily and terrified she would kill herself trying to get to Cassie. She surged past cars as if they were sitting still. Then she was gone. The kidnappers had told her to come alone, and that was exactly what she planned to do.
He should have known she wouldn't give up that quickly. He slammed a fist on his hood. Not that he blamed her. He'd have done the same thing if they'd contacted him. But he wasn't letting her face those kidnappers alone. It was time she had someone she could count on.
She'd been alone and afraid at Cassie's birth because he hadn't been man enough. He hadn't been there when she needed him the most, but he'd be there this time. He'd find her one way or another.
Getting in his car, he waited for the traffic to clear. At least he knew the general direction she was going. She must not have been thinking clearly when she told him where they wanted her to go. Or maybe she had been thinking clearly. Just maybe, she'd told him wrong. It didn't matter. It was his only chance, so he'd take it and hope for the best. He pulled onto the road, trying to figure out his next moveâor actually Nikki's next.
Guide me, Godâ¦
After passing more cars than he could count, he realized Nikki was gone. The question now was how to find her.
His phone rang.
Maybe she'd had a change of heart and decided to include him. As he picked up the phone, he knew that wasn't the case. “Hello, Elizabeth.”
“Lucas, what's going on? I got your message, but it wasn't very clear. What's wrong?”
“Nikki's niece was kidnapped. I want you to hire a K & R expert and get them down to Maiden as soon as possible.”
“A kidnap and ransom expert? Are you sure about that? After all, you told me she'd gone all the way to Florida without her parents' permission. Whatâ¦when did this happen?”
“I'm sure. I don't have time to explain. Contact Agent Sarah Goode from the Charlotte FBI office. She can give you any information you need. Just get those K & R experts down here. Cost is not a factor.”
“Of course, I'll do anything I can to help.”
“One other thing. I need you to track a phone number and tell me where it is.”
“Why?”
“No time to explain. Can you do it?”
There was a long pause before Elizabeth answered, “Of course I can do it. Well, actually, I can't, but I know someone who can.”
“Good enough. And please don't tell anyone else about it. This is between you and me. Call me back as soon as you know where the phone is.”
“Lucas, where are you? Please, don't do anything dangerous. Let the police handle this.”
“Don't worry about me. Just hurry and get the location of that phone. I need it right away.” He rattled off the number and pulled over. He prayed, begged God to keep them both safe.
The phone rang. “Hello.”
“Lucas, this is Agent Sarah Goode.”
“Yes, Agent Goode.”
“Where are you? What's going on?”
“Nothing's going on. Why would you ask that?”
“Because you and Nikki Kent disappeared.”
“We're driving around.” That technically was true. Even though they weren't driving around together. “She couldn't sit in that house another second. We're looking for dark-colored vans.” All true.
“With all due respect, that's my job, not yours.”
“I know that, and if we find one, we'll contact you right away. It's just that Nikki had to do something.” That was certainly true.
“I can believe that. I get the feeling she's not one to sit on the sidelines.”
“That's for sure.”
****
By now, Lucas was far behind. Nikki couldn't let him catch up. Keeping her gaze on the speedometer and her foot on the gas, she moved through the traffic. Fast enough to stay ahead of traffic, slow enough not to get stopped by another state patrol. Moving to the slow lane, she waited for the next exit to come up. She couldn't take the chance of Lucas catching up. He wouldn't be as gullible next time.
Her phone rang. “Hello.”
“Where are you now?”
“I'm getting very tired of this cat-and-mouse game. Tell me where you want me to go and I'll go. And let me talk to Cassie. If I don't know she'sâ¦a⦔ Her voice faltered, not even wanting to say the words aloud, but she took a breath. “If I don't know she's alive, I'm done.”
There was a long pause. “Fine. Hold on.”
Another long pause. “Aunt Nikki, I'mâ”
“Satisfied. Now follow my instructions. Take 21 South to Charlotte. Get off the first Charlotte exit and go to the corner restaurant. When you get there, go to the trashcan, leave your phone, and you'll find an envelope under the trashcan with your final instructions. That's how you'll find your daughter.”
21 South. That was the road she'd told Lucas. Totally ridiculous. By telling Lucas the opposite direction, she'd inadvertently told him the right way. Well, that couldn't be helped now. She could only hope he was far enough ahead of her that they wouldn't run into each other.
Someone could be following her, tracking her every move. There were any number of ways they could do that these days. Depending on what sort of resources they had. And obviously, these people had resources. She drove back on the highway, watching for Lucas and anyone else who might be following her. “My daughter.”
The kidnapper had called Cassie her daughter.
Nobody knew that. Well, almost nobody. Lucas and his mother now knew the truth, but they would never do anything like this. Had they told someone else about her? Not likely. Had someone else seen Cassie and realized she was Lucas's daughter?
That had to be what happened. And that meant this wasn't about Cassie or a ransom. Cassie's kidnapping had something to do with Lucas and the assassination attempt on his life. If that was the case, and Nikki was pretty sure it was, then Lucas was still in danger.
But that didn't make sense.
If this was about Lucas, why would they have called her and not Lucas?
He would have done exactly what she was doing. Followed their instructions to get to Cassie, and then they could have killed him and Cassie. Why hadn't they called Lucas?
Even as she drove faster than she should, she forced her mind to slow down. Think like an investigator. She sifted through the events of the past week.
According to Lucas, the picture they'd sent of her office showed they'd known Lucas had come to her for help. The night at the cabin, Lucas had been an easy target, but she'd been the one shot. Then she'd been mugged and warned to go back to Florida to stay away from Lucas.