Sunrise Crossing (23 page)

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

H
OURS
PASSED
BEFORE
Gabe finally found the right road. Half-dried mud clods were scattered on it, the way they did when a muddy vehicle clambered over an old cattle guard. Mud from a freshly plowed field where Tori had been kidnapped. The car had to have turned off here, but why? The road looked so rarely traveled he could see the tracks in the dust of a dozen days.

The sun was long past noon, and so bright with spring it turned the land almost copper. Gabe had heard a few sirens and knew the lawmen were doing their jobs. Everyone with a badge would be out hunting for Tori. Making enough noise, causing enough excitement to keep the snakes in their holes for a while.

Gabe was concerned with only one snake. He'd seen him for only a few seconds, but he knew the make of the man. The patrols might be looking, but they'd never notice this old dirt trail that turned off a deserted road near the canyon. There must have been hundreds of trails like this along the canyon rim. Gabe knew, because he'd traveled several since dawn.

A few miles northeast of Yancy's place, tucked away on rugged ground, was an abandoned farm that nature seemed to have reclaimed. Little more than a lean-to of a barn was still standing, but the house looked like it had burned years ago and no one bothered to rebuild.

The bounty hunter had found the perfect place. If he went out the back of the barn on foot, he didn't have to go near a road. He could drop into the canyon, cross through a lake community and be in town within minutes.

Gabe moved like a man trained to be invisible. All mannerisms of the bumbling professor who walked as if older than his years were gone now. He moved like a trained hunter, aware of everything around him.

He knew he was in the right location and he needed to be on full alert. One moment's slip might cost Tori's life. He saw a few primitive trip wires that would warn the kidnapper that someone was approaching. They were designed as warning devices, not as protection. Gabe stepped over them, leaving them untouched.

As he suspected, the barn hid the small gray car. The bounty hunter could have driven into town days before without anyone living close enough to see him coming or going. The man would have been able to hike into Crossroads unnoticed when he followed Tori.

Inside the barn, the kidnapper had set up a tent, and it looked like he had everything he needed to camp out. Only, thanks to the barn, he had a roof over his head, as well.

The only disadvantage to building this kind of hideout was that it took a while to pack up and leave. Gabe spotted his prey walking the edge of the canyon, picking up traps he'd set.

All Gabe had to do was watch for his opportunity, slip in and find Tori. Once he had her and he knew she was okay, he'd figure out the rest of the plan.

When Gabe flattened against the outside wall of the barn, he could hear a radio. The guy was listening in on the police frequency, but he was too far out to get a clear signal or maybe his equipment was old.

Gabe moved to where he could see inside the barn and still have his eyes on the hunter by the canyon.

One inside wall held maps of the area. From the looks of it, the hunter was planning to travel only back farm-to-market roads to get away. It was a gamble. He was far less likely to be stopped, but if he
was
spotted on a back road, he'd be far more likely to be searched.

Gabe hated it, but he knew he had to wait. It would be suicide to charge the place now. He'd wait for his chance. If it didn't come, and the man climbed into the driver's seat, he'd have one, maybe two shots before the car got past him. But if he shot the driver then, he'd be putting Tori in great danger, because she'd be rolling around right next to the gas tank. If he missed and the car got by, Gabe would lose Tori. Correction: Yancy would lose Tori.

Gabe wasn't about to let that happen.

The big guy finally came back. He unscrewed the plates from the car and stuffed them in his jacket. Gabe smiled. The hunter was taking the time to go after local plates. A good move on his part and a great opportunity for Gabe. The kidnapper wouldn't risk stepping foot on the working farm next door or being caught jogging into town. The only option was to head east and climb down into the valley where a small lake was located.

This time of day, there wouldn't be many people at home in the lake houses. Maybe he'd get lucky and find a license plate right away, but even if he was fast it would still take him thirty minutes. By that time, Gabe could have Tori out of there and moved to safety.

Gabe kept low as the hunter did exactly what he thought the man would do. He went out the back of the barn, where no one would see him from the road or from the only farm around. Gabe could barely see him moving across the field, keeping low, blending into the landscape. As soon as he was out of sight, Gabe slipped into the barn.

The car's trunk was locked. It took him two, maybe three minutes to find something to pop the lock.

When he opened the trunk, Tori didn't move and Gabe feared he was looking at a body wrapped up, ready to bury. For one long heartbeat he feared he was too late. She was already dead. Then she twitched slightly, and Gabe sighed with relief.

He worked the knots on the bag tied at her middle. They'd been jerked so tightly they wouldn't give. Gabe pulled his knife from the strap around his left calf and cut the ropes. Then he lifted the heavy material away from her body and ran his knife up, slicing the thick bag open.

The sight before him turned his stomach. Tori's beautiful long hair was wet and matted with blood. Her face was bruised so badly he almost didn't recognize her.

“Tori, honey.” Gabe kept his voice low. “Can you hear me? Can you wake up?” He moved his hand lightly over a wound on the side of her head. It wasn't deep, but she'd need stitches.

She jerked. “No,” she mumbled. “Stay away. Don't hit me again.”

“Tori, it's the professor. Remember me? I'm here to help you the way you helped me when I fell in the ditch.”

“No. Don't touch me. No!” She started to cry.

Gabe reached for his phone. He needed help. If he forced Tori, he might hurt her more. Right now she didn't want to go anywhere with him and he had only minutes to get them both away from this place.

He dialed the number he'd recorded for Yancy from the retirement center's office.

Some old guy answered on the third ring. “Cap here.”

“Cap.” Gabe tried to keep his voice calm. “This is Professor Santorno. Is Yancy around?”

“Nope, haven't seen him.”

“If you can get ahold of him have him call me. I've got something he's lost. He'll want to know I have it.”

“I'll try, Dr. Santorno, but we don't usually try to keep up with him. He's probably out searching for that missing girl.”

“It's important,” Gabe interrupted.

“I'm on it. I'll call around until I find him,” Cap answered and hung up.

Gabe turned back to the girl his son loved. “Tori,” he tried again. “Tori. It's me—the professor. We have to get out of here before the guy who kidnapped you comes back.”

One of her eyes was swollen shut and the other was tightly closed. Whatever she'd suffered through must have been bad and she didn't want to see anything more. He gently moved his hand down her side and felt blood soaking her jeans near her left hip and at the small of her back.

Gabe pulled a small camping shovel out from under her and fought down an oath that would have frightened her. If it took him a day or a year, he'd come back and find this bounty hunter and make him pay.

“Tori. Open your eyes.”

“No. The world is black. All black.” She curled into a ball. “Don't touch me. Don't hurt me.”

Gabe cupped her face as gently as he could. “Tori, look at me! Please, look at me.”

This time he must have got through. She opened one eye and he saw the terror in her gaze. She'd been so terrified that she now stood on the edge of sanity.

“Look at me, Tori. What do you see? It's just me—the professor. You know I'm here to help you. I'm going to get you out of here.” He was burning precious time, but he couldn't just grab her and run.

She tried to pull away, but he held her bloody face gently, though securely. “Look at me. See me.”

She finally opened her eyes.

“I see,” she cried. “I see one blue eye and one brown.”

He felt her calm in his hands. She was coming back. “That's right, honey. One blue eye and one brown, just like Yancy's eyes.” He pulled a bandanna from his pocket and wiped the blood from her nose and mouth. “You've got to help me get you out of here. Yancy's worried about you.”

“You're here to help me?”

“Yes. Just like you helped me, remember?” He slipped his arm beneath her legs and slowly lifted her out of the trunk, noticing that the small shovel she was lying on had cut deeper across her back than he'd realized.

His phone sounded with a low beep. Gabe clicked it on with one hand.

“Yancy here. Where are you, Professor? I'm in town but I can be heading your way.” He didn't sound too friendly, but he would come.

Gabe gave directions, then added, “I found her. I've got Tori. She's safe, but we've got to get out of here fast. Park a hundred yards from the barn and stay with the car. I'll bring her to you.”

He clicked on the speaker so that Tori could hear Yancy.

“I'm on my way,” Yancy shouted. “Tell her I love her.”

Gabe smiled. “I think she already knows that, son.”

Tori took the phone and cradled it to her as she relaxed in Gabe's arms. He lifted her out, closed the trunk and carried her into the afternoon sunshine.

“I'll get you to him as fast as I can,” he whispered. “Do you think any bones are broken?”

“No,” she answered. “But I hurt all over. I couldn't see the man who hurt me. He wouldn't stop hitting me.”

Gabe kissed her head. “You're safe now, Tori. He won't hurt you again. As soon as I know you're safe, I plan to come back and have a talk with the guy.”

Tori rested her head on his shoulder as he carried her out of the barn. They had to make it off this farm and to the dirt road that was only slightly more traveled. If Yancy could follow his hurried directions, he should be there to meet them when Gabe stepped out into the open.

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

Y
ANCY
ALMOST
PLOWED
into Deputy Weathers when he swung out of his parking spot across the street from the county offices.

Fifth jumped out of the way and yelled, “How blind do you have to be not to see me standing here?”

Yancy slammed on the brakes. “Get in.”

Before Fifth's butt settled in the seat, Yancy had hit fifty.

“You do know you're speeding with an officer of the law...”

“Shut up and listen.” Yancy didn't take his eyes off the road. “The professor just called me. He's got Tori. She's safe.”

“He kidnapped her?”

“No, he didn't. He apparently went after the man who did. Why would he call to say she's safe if he was the one who kidnapped her? He's saving her, but he needs our help. He said that wherever they are they need to get out fast. I think they're still in danger.” Yancy knew he was rambling, but he couldn't seem to stop. Somehow the old professor who fell down in the rain had managed to track down Tori.

“What do we do?” Fifth asked. “Call for backup?”

“You can try but my guess is they'll never get there in time. We're flying out to pick up Tori and the professor first. We can't wait.” Yancy took a sudden turn on an old road so fast, the dirt flew out from the car. “Be ready for anything, Fifth. I have no idea what we're heading into.”

“I was born ready.” Fifth didn't look the least bit nervous.

Yancy passed what looked like a trail shooting off the old road, then threw the car into Reverse and went backward just as fast.

He made it a few hundred yards down the trail and stopped.

“Why are we stopping? I see the barn up ahead.” Fifth was pushing on the dash with both hands as if he could keep the car moving forward.

“The professor said to stop where we'll have room to turn around. A hundred yards out. He said he'd come to us.”

Yancy pushed the car into Park and climbed out.

Fifth followed.

The air was still, silent. Yancy scanned the horizon, looking for anything or anyone moving. Then he saw them. The professor was running with Tori in his arms as if she weighed no more than a stuffed animal. His steps were quick, like an athlete's. The glasses and his funny hat were gone. Yancy saw the soldier Fifth had told them all he'd been. He saw the true man the professor was today for the first time.

“There he is!” Fifth shouted the obvious.

Yancy broke into a run, forgetting that Gabe had told him to stay with the car. The land hadn't been used in years and there were dead trees and mounds of cacti making the place seem like an obstacle course. He was almost to them when he tripped over a hidden wire, sending off a sudden pop and a cloud of white smoke. He didn't slow. He could see Tori now. She was hurt; blood seemed to be everywhere: on her clothes, covering her face, in her hair. Yancy just ran toward her. Nothing else mattered now.

“Take her!” the professor yelled as he almost pitched Tori into Yancy's arms. “Run to the car and stay down. Get out of here, Yancy. I'll make sure you have a few minutes' head start.”

Yancy held her tightly against his heart and felt her arms wrap around his neck just as securely. In his peripheral vision, he was aware of the professor unstrapping a weapon from his leg. The man might not be the bad guy in this as they'd thought, but he was far more than what he seemed.

Gabe was helping Yancy and right now that was all that mattered. They had to get Tori to safety.

When Yancy made it to the car, Fifth was holding the door open. “How is she? Where's the kidnapper? What is the professor doing?”

Yancy didn't bother to answer. He laid Tori in the backseat and grabbed a first aid kit from the trunk.

Tori took it from him. “I can do it,” she said with a determined tone.

Just as Yancy climbed back in the driver's seat, he heard shots.

Fifth started answering his own questions. “Holy cow—the professor has a gun. He's dragging up branches as if making a stand.”

“That's not him firing,” Yancy answered. “It's the kidnapper. The professor is trying to hold him off while we get away.”

“Hell.” Fifth pulled his weapon. “I'm not going anywhere. I plan to be in the fight. I can't leave the professor out there alone. It's my duty to arrest the kidnapper and back up the professor.”

“I got a feeling he can take care of himself,” Yancy said as he turned back to Tori.

Fifth was too busy to listen. He called for an ambulance as he ran toward the professor.

Yancy turned to check on Tori, and everything seemed to happen at once.

The professor yelled for Fifth to stay back.

Someone fired from the barn.

Both Fifth and the professor returned fire. The noise rumbled across the land like rolling thunder. More rounds came from the barn. Yancy watched the professor tumble backward on the ground.

Fifth, even though he was about as big a target as they come, stood there like a giant poster of what a deputy sheriff looked like. He fired again and again as he walked toward the professor on the ground. He didn't even look nervous; he was just doing what he'd been trained to do.

The last round echoed. Then there was silence. Yancy almost didn't breathe as he watched Fifth kneel beside the professor.

No fire came from the barn, but the deputy kept his gun at the ready.

Then Yancy heard the faraway sound of sirens. It was over. Tori was safe, and the man who'd saved her was on the ground.