Promise Kept (23 page)

Donovan took Mark’s hand, walked into the living room. His mom followed them, a terrified look in her eyes.

“Why won’t you tell me?”

Donovan cleared his throat. This had to be the hardest thing he’d ever done. He put an arm around Mark’s shoulder, took a deep breath. “Your mom’s been kidnapped.”

“What does that mean?”

“Remember when that bad man came here and took the two of you back to California?”

Mark bobbed his head.

“We think another bad man took your mom. She was in the barn with Ted, but the bad man hit him over the head and took your mom away.”

“Where is she? We have to find her. You came back to get me to help you, didn’t you? If we hurry, we can find her.” The words rushed out of the boy as he jumped up to pull, and tug at Donovan’s hand.

He knew this wouldn’t be easy. But he had to make Mark understand. “I don’t know where she is. If I did, I would do just that.” He’d bring her back and convince her to stay.

Mark wiped at a tear. “I want my mom.” Then he went still. “Mom always told me if anything bad happened to call the police.” He looked up at Donovan. “This is bad, isn’t it?”

Unable to lie, Donovan nodded. “Dugan is the sheriff, and he’s looking for her. So is Ted who you know is a U.S. Marshal. Someone will find her.” He gathered the boy into his arms, held him tight, and prayed he was right. “I’m going to do everything I can to find her, too.”

Mark pushed back, looked into Donovan’s eyes. “I know you will. You’ll bring her home. You can do anything.”

The crack in Donovan’s heart widened.

“He’ll do everything he can,” Nellie said, her voice unsteady.

Where would he start? According to Ted, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals office were all over this. Plus, they were trying to find out if Gregory Mateo was Erik Tilton, or not. They had to find out where he could have taken her.

Donovan looked at his watch. It was getting late. “How about taking a bath, then I’ll tuck you in.”

Mark wiped another tear with the back of his hand. “I want Mom.”

“So do I, Mark. You know she’d want you to be brave, don’t you?” Just how brave was Donovan? He wanted to beat his punching bag until it was in tatters. But what good would that do?

He picked Mark up, started upstairs. “We’re going to find your mom. I promise. Right now, you’re going to take a bath and get ready for bed.” They were at Phyl’s room. Mark opened the door, picked up a clean T-shirt and went to the bathroom.

“Will you be here when I get out?”

“Right here.”

“Okay.” He went in and shut the door.

Donovan heard the water run. He didn’t want to leave the kid, but figured he’d have at least five minutes. He ran back downstairs, met his mom at the base of the stairs.

“He’ll be all right,” she said. “I’ll look after him.”

“I’ll get him into bed in a few minutes then I’m joining Dugan and Ted.” He took her arm, led her back to the living room. “We think Gregory Mateo took Phyl.”

Nellie gasped. “No.”

“Only that’s not his name. According to the FBI there is no one by that name—anywhere. They’re searching every database they have to find this guy. Until they do, I don’t want you alone. At the same time, I need to hunt for Phyl.”

“We’ll be fine.”

He saw a trace of fear in her eyes. She wouldn’t soon forget her experience just a few weeks earlier. He’d call a neighbor.

As it turned out, he didn’t have to. When someone knocked at the door, and he went to answer, a couple of FBI agents were there. They showed him their credentials and explained that they were here to check the barn.

“Will you guys be here a while?”

“Maybe all night.”

“I want to join my brother and Agent Young in the search for Phyl. But my mother and Phyl’s son, Mark, will be alone in the house. Can you watch them?”

“We’ll do better than that. We have a full team on the way. One of the agents, China Gibson, is moving in until we find Ms. Leander.” He looked at Donovan. “We hope that’s all right.”

“Better than all right.” His gaze flew upstairs. “I have to go now. I’ll check with you before I leave.”

He shut the door, looked around for his mom.

“I heard,” she said. “Take care of Mark.”

He took the stairs two at a time, made it just as Mark came out of the bathroom.

Mark’s gaze flew around the room until he found Donovan, then he grinned. “I washed my ears like Mom told me.”

“Good boy.”

Mark walked to his bed, but seemed nervous.

“What’s wrong?”

“Mom should be here.”

“I agree.”

Mark sat on the edge of the cot. “I don’t want to sleep here without her.”

Donovan should have thought of that himself. Being in this room without his mom would magnify Mark’s fear. “Would you like to move your bed into my room until she comes home?”

Mark brightened. “Could I?”

“If you give me a hand we can do it in no time at all.”

Mark grabbed his pillow, saw his car on the table and grabbed it too.

In less than five minutes, Mark’s bed was in Donovan’s room. It made the room a little crowded, but it didn’t matter. Mark needed all the reassurance he could get. “There. How’s that?”

Mark bounced on the cot. “Good. Are you going to sleep now?”

Donovan sat on the edge of his bed, looked Mark in the eye. “I’m going to go with Dugan and Ted to look for your mom. But my mom and some FBI guys are here. You be a big boy and go to sleep. When you wake up, I’ll be here.”

“Can I go with you?” he asked in a small voice.

Donovan shook his head. “Not tonight.”

“Tomorrow? I’m big enough to help.”

“There’ll be lots to do tomorrow, so we’ll have to see. Maybe by then, she’ll be home.”

Mark looked up at Donovan, his dark eyes swimming with tears. Donovan pulled him close again and gave him a hug. “She’ll be all right, son.”

Please keep her safe, he pleaded. Please.

Mark nodded.

Donovan pulled back the covers. “How about it? You gonna climb in here and get to sleep?”

Mark hesitated.

“Tell you what, why don’t I send my mom up here to sit with you until then?”

Mark pulled the covers up to his chin, but didn’t answer.

Donovan left the lamp on and went downstairs.

When he got to the kitchen, his mom had a pot of coffee going, handed him a couple of thermoses. “Thought you could use this tonight. Give one to the boys in the barn.”

“Thanks, Mom.” He kissed her cheek. “Would you sit with Mark until he goes to sleep? He’s scared to death.”

“Aren’t we all?”

Chapter Twenty

Donovan saw her in the distance, ran toward her. But the faster he ran, the further away she was. She kept looking back at him, willing him forward. He put on another burst of speed. But his legs wouldn’t move. He had to reach her. Had to.

“Mom!”

Mark’s voice seemed to come from very far away. He called out again. Donovan shot out of the bed he’d been in for less than two hours. Shaking sleep from his head, he went over to sit beside Mark.

They’d been at it all night. The town was full of FBI agents and U.S. Marshals as well as Dugan and his deputies. No one had seen Mateo since he’d left Carter’s Grocers around noon yesterday.

“I’m here, Mark.”

“Where’s Mom? Did you find her?”

Donovan pulled the boy onto his lap. “No. We didn’t. But there are lots of people looking for her.”

Tears fell down Mark’s cheeks. He wiped them away.

“It’s okay to cry, Mark.”

Donovan wanted to cry, too. With so many people looking for Phyl, you’d think finding her wouldn’t take this long. But it hadn’t happened. If Mateo had slipped through the roadblock and was out of the area before it was set up, they’d have a hard time finding her.

Mark laid his head on Donovan’s chest and cried. “I want my mom!”

They sat there for a while. Donovan held Mark close, let him cry. When Mark pulled away, Donovan’s eyes were damp. “We’re going to find her,” he promised, his voice husky. “Why don’t you get dressed and come downstairs? Breakfast will be ready.”

Mark shook his head.

“We have to be strong.”

“I know. But I don’t feel strong.”

Nor did Donovan. He stood, put Mark on the floor. “Get dressed. We’ll go down together.”

“Okay,” he said, and he went to the bathroom.

Donovan sat there a minute, his head in his hands. Why hadn’t they found her? The thought that she could already be out of the county, and was out of reach, made him ill. He wouldn’t even think on the fact that she might already be dead. He simply wouldn’t go there.

He got up, pulled on his clothes, took his turn in the bathroom. Then, taking Mark’s hand, they went downstairs.

Voices came from the kitchen.

“Who’s here?” Mark whispered.

Donovan looked at his watch. Eight o’clock. “Could be the FBI.”

When they walked in, the kitchen grew silent. Mom had called the family. They were all here, even Lisa. Lisa wasn’t blood kin, but you’d never know it. She and TJ were like sisters and as much a part of the family now as any of them. Donovan was grateful for her presence. For all of them. Plus, there was a strange face in the group.

TJ ran to Mark. “How are you, Mark?”

“Did you come to help find my mom?” he asked.

“We all did,” she said.

“So did I, Mark. We’ll find her,” Lisa added.

Mark looked around. “Where’s Duncan?”

“Asleep. But he’ll be up soon.”

“We were about ready to leave,” Darin said.

A small, dark-haired woman stepped forward. “I’m China Gibson,” she said. “FBI.” She showed him her credentials. “I have a trace on the phone in case anyone calls. Want you to know I’ll be here until we find her.”

“Thanks,” Donovan said, his voice husky with thanks, and with fear.

“C’mon, Mark. Breakfast is ready,” Nellie said. “You too, Donovan. Everyone else has eaten.”

“We’re headed out,” Douglas said. “We’re meeting at Dugan’s office. He’s helping the FBI divide the county into grids. They’re going to check every house in the county.”

“Are the roadblocks still up?” Donovan asked, taking a cup of coffee from his mom.

“They’re up as far as San Antonio, Sonora, and every side road in between,” Max said. “The FBI thinks she’s still in the area.”

“If she is, we’ll find her,” Darin said. “Eat your breakfast. We’ll see you at Dugan’s.”

“I’m coming with you.” He turned to Agent Gibson. “You’ll keep Mom and Mark safe?”

She patted the gun at her waist. “Count on it.”

Donovan believed her. She was a small woman, but the look in her eyes told him she could handle anything that came her way.

He bent down, hugged Mark’s shoulders. “I’m going with the family now. You stay here in case your mom calls.”

“Do you think she will?” he asked, his eyes bright with hope.

“If she gets the chance, you bet she will.”

“Okay.”

Donovan introduced Mark to China Gibson. “Ms. Gibson is an FBI agent. She’s here in case your mom calls, too. If she asks you to do something, I’m counting on you to do it.”

“You can count on me,” he said, his lips quivering.

Donovan did his best to ignore Mark’s eyes, filling with tears. He slammed on his Stetson and joined his family.

“If Mom will take care of Duncan, I’m coming with you,” TJ said.

“We’ll manage. Mark will help,” Nellie offered.

“Don’t worry about Dunc,” Mark said. “I’ll play with him when he wakes up.”

They walked out into a beautiful day, the sun bright, the sky blue. If his heart weren’t breaking, Donovan thought, this would be a day to celebrate.

He climbed into Douglas’ SUV. Darin got into the back seat. Max, TJ, and Lisa came in Max’s car, and since they would probably split up later, followed them.

“We’re sorry as hell,” Darin said.

“I don’t know what I’ll do if she isn’t found.”

“We’ll find her,” Darin promised. “Max is in touch with his FBI friends and his computer expert is trying to find who this Mateo guy is. Where he’d go. What he’d do.”

“Has anyone found out anything?” Donovan wanted to know.

“Not that we’ve heard,” Douglas answered. “Something’s bound to break. There are hundreds out now looking for her.”

Donovan took out his cell phone, dialed Max who was in the car behind them. “Has the FBI found out anything about Mateo?”

“They’re still researching. Could be Erik Tilton. But they don’t know for sure. I talked to my man, Bernie Peters. He’s on it too. If there’s anything to be found, he’ll find it.”

“We’re losing too much time,” Donovan said.

“Take it easy. It hasn’t been twenty-four hours yet.”

Donovan flipped the phone shut without answering. One hour was too long.

They reached the sheriff’s office to find a dozen cars parked in front. He recognized most of them. Friends and neighbors were volunteering. His heart filled with gratitude.

“We’ll find her, Donovan,” Douglas said again. “Just hang in there.”

****

Phyl opened her eyes. She was in the same curled position. Had she slept? It seemed as if she’d spent the night with her mind racing one minute, praying the next. But she’d survived the night—survived the dark, and must have slept some; otherwise her eyes wouldn’t be so gritty.

At first, she wondered if the windows were covered with plywood so the room would stay in darkness, but there was a faint sign of dawn. She got up, staggered to a window that had boards across it. She put her face to the boards, peered between the cracks. It wouldn’t be long until the sun came out. She hurried to the bathroom to find a small window also boarded up. A ten-gallon bucket sat beside the toilet with a small cooking pan beside it. Probably put there for dipping water.

When she turned on a faucet there was no water. No lights either. She was sure the owner had the utilities cut off long ago. She dared not rinse her face or flush the toilet until she had to. She couldn’t trust Mateo to bring more water once the bucket was empty.

She searched the bathroom, hunting for a weapon. Scissors. Hair spray. Anything. But there was nothing. Even the lid to the toilet had been removed.