Shield of Refuge (16 page)

“We missed him again?”

“Not only that, there is a second pileup on University Avenue, at Mountain Lane. Amber's car is abandoned there. Witnesses saw Melendez pull her out of the car at knifepoint.”

Garrett couldn't believe what he was hearing. “What—” He started to speak, but the chief interrupted him.

“That's right.”

“You're sure it's Amber?” But he knew no one on the force would make any assumptions of identity if they weren't sure.

“Yes, we're sure. She called 911 for something, but we don't know for sure why, and we still have her on the line.”

“What do you mean, you don't know why? What'd she say?”

“She's said plenty, identifying Melendez, said your name, that's how I figured out who it was. He's kidnapped her. He has the police car, stolen from the accident just up University Avenue, where he left the white car there in the bank parking lot. Our GPS network is tracking him, as well, but we presume he's smart enough to figure out that we'll find him faster in that than any other car. So I figure he's going to abandon it as soon as he finds another available vehicle. The telephone company is working to get a location for us before we lose him in the car. Sit tight.”

“Call my cell if you find out anything,” Garrett insisted. “I'm going to be at her shop, in case he calls there.”

“You think he will?” the chief asked.

“According to what he told Amber the night he was in her apartment, I'm sure of it. I'm just praying he'll be reasonable, and not hurt Amber.”

The chief paused. “Finish up there, and then get to the station. If he calls, I want you to have backup and all of the information we can pull together.”

“Sounds good. I'll see you in a while,” Garrett said. He pulled into the alley, hoping Melendez would have brought her back to the shop to negotiate. No such luck. He went inside, and the chatter stopped instantly. Andrea turned off the mixer. Sean set down the pan he was greasing.

“Where's Amber?”

“She's been kidnapped,” he said flatly. “Feel free to eavesdrop when I call my family. I can't go through it more than once, then I need to get to the station in case he calls there for a…” He only hoped Melendez would keep her alive as a bargaining chip. He looked at the boxes of wedding decorations, then at the terrified faces staring at him.

“All this because she witnessed a crime?” CiCi said bitterly.

Garrett didn't have time to argue, or explain, whichever CiCi was trying to do. “If he shows up, you get out of here and call the police. I know we're in the middle of this wedding, so unless you're too upset to keep working, continue as if nothing has happened. I'll have my brothers both come over to keep an eye out for Melendez.”

Garrett plugged in his cell phone to charge, then used the landline to call his family and explain what had happened. The chief had already thought to send Nick over, but suggested sending Sarah, as support for Amber, and to let Melendez think she was less of a threat than two male officers.

After he'd finished making the calls, he looked at her employees, who were as afraid to voice their silent fears as he was.

“Should I call the bride and tell her Amber can't…”

“No, you shouldn't. Don't even think it. I'm getting her back,” Garrett insisted.

“Okay,” CiCi squeaked. “How long until I should call her? She has…”

“I don't know,” he said. “When I find something out, where's the information to reach the bride?”

“Amber has the book. Or did…”

“Oh,” Garrett said. “Look and see if she left it here somewhere. I'll have my mom look at the house. I don't want to call her grandmother yet. If you need to reach me, for any reason at all, here's my cell number.” He snatched up the cell phone along with the cord, and walked back out to his car. He didn't want to deal with compassionate people right now. He needed to be out there, finding Amber.

He and a team of officers and detectives had been in constant contact all day. It was crazy in town. A record-setting blizzard was bearing down on the city, everyone was frantic to get to wherever they were going and no one seemed to remember how to drive on icy roads.

“What do you remember about this guy, Gar?” his brother Kent asked. He had come to offer manpower. “He's not anyone I've heard of.”

“Try Spider Melendez,” his dad said as he walked into the room. “It was a long time ago, but that might explain why he's not showing up. I think his father was killed in a drive-by gang shooting in 1997. His uncle tried to help him, but he wanted nothing of it.”

“So he wasn't in the gang during the Explorers?”

“No, but he wasn't in the club for the right reasons. He wanted to learn to shoot and take out the gang that killed his dad. Oddly enough, if I remember correctly, he finally got ‘Chains' in Amarillo and ended up in prison in Texas, and joined one of the prison gangs.”

One of the officers scrambled to get the information, and there it was. “He legally changed his name when he was released in 2007. His lawyer got him out on good behavior.”

Garrett was overwhelmed with information. “So where would he go now? Where'd his parents live? He hasn't been downtown, which is where I'd have gone if I were insane.”

Kent slapped his back, then squeezed his shoulder, none of which Garrett could feel through the Kevlar vest. “We'll find her, Gar.”

“I want her now, alive and…”

“We know,” his dad said sympathetically.

Garrett rested his forehead on his hands and closed his eyes. He didn't know what else to do but pray.
Take care of Amber, Father. Be her guardian and protector. Shield her from Melendez's evil. Give her strength, Lord, and wrap Your arms around her. Let her know that we're looking, that I love her and I won't stop until I've rescued her.

Twenty minutes later the police car was located with the GPS and computer ripped out. What he didn't understand was that it would be useless to him outside the car. Nevertheless, it was also useless to them, since the wires had been cut.

“Any other cars reported missing since the kidnapping?” Fingers tapped on the keyboard as the investigator ran a query.

“Where did they find the car?” his dad asked.

“Northridge High.”

“Fifteen years ago that was a housing development, and close to where the kid's family lived. A couple of the houses left out there are now used by the school for storage. Find out what Tony Melendez's previous address was.”

“How do I find that out?”

“Ask his uncle. Lieutenant Chavez.”

Garrett and his dad rode with Kent in his unmarked beat-up narc car, and the chief ordered the SWAT team to head out there. It was only a couple of minutes until they heard back from Chavez, who said he'd been looking for his nephew since his release, but hadn't found Anthony yet.

“Why didn't you tell me Chavez was Melendez's uncle? He's probably been covering for him all along.”

His dad shook his head. “Not Chavez. He did everything he could to straighten the kid out. He's probably been working double time to try to figure out where he's hiding.” They each had their full gear, but were in plainclothes.

As they passed the abandoned police car, Garrett watched for footprints. They headed directly toward the outer buildings of the school. “I'm not waiting for the SWAT team,” Garrett warned. “So if you want…”

“We're right behind you, Gar,” both men said at the same time.

Sure enough, there was a window broken out of one of the buildings, and drag marks to it. It would have been a long walk from the police car in this weather.

His dad was first to the door to provide cover. Kent kicked it in, and Garrett rushed in first.

Amber was huddled in the corner by some boxes, but Melendez was nowhere to be found. Garrett threw the boxes aside and pulled Amber to her feet. She'd been gagged and tied up, but at least she still had her coat on and looked to be okay.

Garrett wrapped her in his arms and held her close. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Just scared. It smells in here, Garrett. Get me out of here.”

He sniffed. “Kent, Dad, look around. I think Amber's found a decomposed body.”

He took her out to Kent's car. “Do you want to get in? Are you warm enough?”

“I'll be fine, Garrett. It's just good to have some fresh air and to be safe. I heard gunshots a while ago. I heard two men yelling, and then it got quiet.”

The SWAT team searched the rest of the buildings, finding Melendez, with his gun in his hand and a bullet through his head.

Before they took Amber home, she would need to see the body, in case it was Jenna Miller. “Later,” Garrett said.

“But…”

“Send pictures,” Garrett insisted. “She's been smelling the body for hours—I'm not about to make her go back in there.”

Kent and his dad joined Amber and Garrett, leaving the detectives to process the scene. As they discussed the case, Garrett took hold of Amber's hand, thanking God for answering their prayers.

 

Amber closed her eyes and said a prayer that this wasn't the woman she'd seen kidnapped that night. She didn't want to be the last person to have seen Jenna Miller alive.

When Kent stopped the car, Garrett escorted her into the police station. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.

“Hi,” Nick said. “Good to see you.”

“Thanks,” she said to Nick, then looked at Garrett.

“Do I have to look…?”

“Just pictures for now,” Garrett confirmed. “That should be enough, I hope. It looks like she's been dead for a few days.”

Amber felt her breakfast threaten to come up. “Could I get some water, please?”

Nick escorted her down the hall, while Garrett disappeared to get her something to drink. He opened a door and motioned for her to go on inside. “Garrett will be back in a few minutes and Detective Wang should be here pretty soon. Have you eaten recently? I could get you some crackers if you're not feeling well.”

“That might help. Breakfast was a long time ago.” But about now she was wondering if eating would be a good thing. She found herself praying she wouldn't get sick all over the interrogation room and make a fool of herself.

Another officer followed them into the cold, stale room, and said, “go ahead and have a seat.”

She looked at the dingy chair and unsightly walls, remembering the door of the jail cell that had closed behind her. “Wait,” she said, her heart pounding and her breathing quicker than normal. She didn't want to sit in here alone. “Where's Garrett?”

“He'll be right back,” the officer said, blocking the doorway. Whether it was to keep her from leaving the claustrophobia-prone room, or to show her that he was still in charge, Amber couldn't tell. Just then, Sarah Roberts walked into the room. “I'll wait with Ms. Scott.” She was so short, she had to look up to Amber. “If that's okay?”

Amber nodded, and the other officer let the door close. She glanced at Sarah, still in awe that someone so petite could hold her own as a cop. Sarah offered a hug and Amber felt tears stream down her face.

Sarah walked to the table and pulled out the chair. “Try to relax. This is much less traumatic than going to the morgue,” she said gently, then filled Amber in on what to expect from the photos. “Think of it as a scene from a television show and it's a little easier. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable.”

Amber lowered herself into the chair, careful not to touch anything, as it didn't look terribly clean. “Does it ever bother you?”

“Only when I let myself get attached….” Before they could continue the conversation, two men crowded into the room, Garrett following them both. He handed her a bottle of water, and the older man introduced himself as Chief Thomas and the other man as Detective Wang.

“Ms. Scott,” Detective Wang said with a nod. He then reviewed the specifics of Amber's report and asked her to verify that she was the same person who witnessed the incident. Once she verbally confirmed, he continued. “We've identified the body of Jenna Miller based upon the yellow sport utility vehicle that you identified.”

Detective Wang articulated the details of the case, as known at this point, anyway. Amber wondered if that was because he'd never contacted her before, or if this was common. Or…she stole a look at Garrett.

She hadn't seen him in uniform since the night of their accident and liked the reminder of her first impression of him—when he'd captured her heart.

“Ms. Scott,” he reiterated, as if he knew her mind was wandering. “Is this the woman you saw that evening?” He pulled photographs out of the folder. “Take your time—there's no rush.”

She took a sip of the water Garrett had brought her and glanced at him standing across the room facing her. He looked irresistibly handsome in his navy blue pants and shirt. The corner of his mouth twitched, and she felt as if he was trying to shield her from the shock of looking at photographs of Jenna Miller.