Confer, Lorelei - Deadly Revenge (BookStrand Publishing Romance) (22 page)

* * * *

Dave began to worry. He paced the floor of Tory’s bedroom, knowing there was no reason trying to get any sleep. Too much time had passed for the abductors, enabling them to escape. He hadn’t realized how much he cared for Tory, what he would do if they never found her, how his life would be changed. He never told her he loved her.
I love her? I do!
Why didn’t I ever tell her how much I cared for her?
How much he appreciated and loved being with her? He’d taken their great sex life for granted. What would he do without her in his life?

Chapter 39

After a non-sleeping
,
coffee-drinking night studying the pictures again and again, the team was back in the air and on the ground at daybreak. Two men to a vehicle, one LEO, Law Enforcement Officer, would ride with each member of the team from out of town to help them find their way around the roads. They had to find the car and Tory today because once they started moving the victims it would be much harder to locate them. They had to.

Sam and Chief Carr took to the air at daybreak while the rest of the team continued their searches on the ground. Finally Sam spotted a dark vehicle traveling one of the back roads and relayed it to his office, who in turn called it in to the LEOs in the cars. They found and followed the vehicle, but it ended up being a pickup truck.

The search continued.

* * * *

Trooper Pulitz visited Laura’s bleak, small house. He found no one home but an unlocked front door. He immediately left and got a search warrant processed and returned. He methodically searched the sparsely furnished premises for anything pertaining to Tory’s whereabouts.

What he found in her desk drawer was a daily diary with important information. Information Dave needed to know about as soon as possible. Information that could save Tory’s life.

Chapter 40

The road was rough, up, down, and around as Tory rolled around in the large trunk of the car. Her head throbbed and her throat was sore from screaming for someone to help her, to stop the car. But no one heard her.

Finally, the car came to a stop. Tory heard a door open and footsteps toward the trunk shortly before it burst open. She was blinded momentarily by the bright light of day but soon her eyes adjusted. It was the woman from the cemetery.

“Ah, you’re awake. Good. Now get out. And don’t try anything funny. You wouldn’t be the first person who’s died recently.”

As Tory rolled to the edge of the trunk she felt her cell phone in her pocket. She put her hand in her pocket and pushed the button she thought was “last call” on her phone. Her last call had been to Dave, and she hoped he would pick it up. She pushed herself up into a sitting position and then kind of rolled out of the trunk and onto the ground.

“What do you want from me?” Tory asked.

“Shut up!” she said.

“At least tell me where we are, it’s a beautiful spot, barely touched by humans, and the cabin is stunning, blending in with all the surrounding tall tr—”

Slap
! A slap to the side of her face interrupted her.

“I said shut up. What part don’t you understand, the shut or the up? I don’t want to hear another word. Now move it.” She nudged Tory in the side with her gun.

Tory followed instructions and walked to the cabin in the woods. She looked around frantically for a way to escape.

They reached the cabin, took the two steps onto the porch, and stood in front of the door while “black coat” dug in her pocket for a key. Once she retrieved the key, unlocked and opened the door, she pushed Tory inside.

The cabin had all the comforts and features of a small cottage. Living-dining-kitchen combo and a hallway that probably led to the bedrooms and bath. It was decorated in eclectic furniture and features which just added to the charm.

Tory looked around in amazement. How could such a mean woman have shown such comfort? “Excuse me, but I have to say this is a beautifully decorated cabin. It’s so comfort—”

Whack!

“Showing your stupidity again, aren’t you?”

“I just thought we could talk woman to woman,” Tory said as she backed up and put her arm out in front to ward off another blow. “Will you stop hitting me? Geez!” Tory said as she rubbed her cheek. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“No, but I’m going to hurt you,” Black Coat said as she turned around and took off her dark hat and glasses.

Tory recognized her from the bank and from the recent funerals. Paige Wilson.

“Paige Wilson. What have I done? Why are you so angry with me?”

“You really are stupid, aren’t you? I didn’t like the idea of you coming back to town. You were always number one in Matt’s book. I was never as good as Victoria, he claimed constantly. He only married me for my money and because he thought you were never coming back. Then when you did, I saw him talking to you on the street, making plans to see you. I’ve been following you since before you arrived in town. Now I want the blue diamond ring he gave you.”

“But all the girls murdered, did you have something to do with them?” Tory asked.

“Oh, my God, you are mentally challenged, aren’t you? Of course not. I can’t believe you could even think that.” She pulled out a dining room chair. “Sit down. Now!” She motioned with the gun.

Tory sat on the chair because she was afraid of being shot at close range if she didn’t do as she was told. Paige tied Tory’s hands behind her back and to the chair.

“Please don‘t tie my feet. I promise I won’t run away, please?” Tory pleaded, but to deaf ears.

Paige did the same with her ankles. Then Paige stepped outside.

Tory could hear her shoes clip-clopping across the porch. She tried to loosen the ropes on her hands and feet, she tried standing up, but fell over sideways in the process.

* * * *

Paige clip-clopped her way to the far corner of the porch. She pulled a cigarette out of the pack in her jacket pocket and lit it. After taking a deep breath and exhaling smoke, she smiled. All the weight-training exercise she did on a daily basis had helped her immensely. Especially with a little one like this one.

I’ve finally done it. I’ve captured Matt’s only true love and perfect little Tory won’t be getting away this time. Matt would always be married to me no matter what. Nobody would want him because they’d all die. Nobody is going to want Tory either from where she’s going.

She had planned this day for years, and nothing was stopping her now. As soon as she finished her cigarette she would implement the best plan of all. She was lucky that Matt was so careless and left his business papers laying around for her to peruse or she would never know of the human trafficking hideout here in the mountains. Girls and young kids picked up along the road were brought here until they were sold and then taken to their new “masters.” And the money they paid. “Wow!” It would definitely get them out of debt and Matt would love her and her alone forever and ever.

She heard a loud bang from inside as if something had fallen to the floor. She threw her cigarette out as she clip-clopped her way back inside, a big frown on her face, pursed lips, rolling her eyes and shaking her head with disgust.

Once inside Paige saw Tory lying on the floor on her side still attached to the chair. Perfect, she thought, no one would find her here until “they” came for her.
One quick phone call and she’ll be out of my life forever.
This cabin was at a barely used dead-end road and nobody else knew about it. She smiled and laughed, a high-pitched cackle.

* * * *

Tory heard her coming in the door and wondered what would be next. When she heard Paige laugh she was reminded of Cruella De Vil from
101 Dalmatians
. Not a pretty sound.

“Now, look at you. Right where I want you.”

“Why are you doing this to me? What have I ever done to you?” Tory asked from the floor. Tears of frustration ran down her cheeks.

“You ruined my marriage, you idiot! You are all Matt can think about. He continues to look for someone just like you. He’s put you on some kind of pedestal and no one can equal you, let alone even come close. But he keeps looking under every skirt in town.”

“What are you talking about? Matt and I split a long time ago. He cheated on me, over and over. Why do you think I left him at the altar?”

“Huh, that’s not what he told me. He’s still looking for you and now that you’re back in town it’s only a matter of time before you’re together again and I’m left out in the cold.”

“I don’t want Matt. I’m in love with Dave.”

“You think I’d believe someone like you, flirting with every man in town. I know what you’ve been doing with that other man. I know all about you. But when I saw you talking to Matt, I knew I had to take you out of the picture so Matt would love me again.”

“I only talked to Matt twice, and I told him we couldn’t be together. I wasn’t interested in him then, and I’m certainly not interested in him now. Ask him, go ask him right now.”

“Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you? For me to leave you alone just long enough to get the ropes untied and for you to get away.”

“I don’t even know where we are, so how could I get away? Take me with you. In the trunk if you have to. I’ll make Matt tell you himself I’m not interested in him at all. I made it perfectly clear to him the one and only time we talked about it. I even gave him back his engagement ring, the blue diamond,” Tory said, desperately trying to make her understand. “So, if that’s what all this is about, you have to go to him to get it, not me.”

“Shut up, shut up!” Paige said as she kicked her in the side. “Let me think.” She walked out the door leaving it open behind her.

Tory heard Paige talking on her phone, telling someone she was ready, and giving directions. ”As soon as possible” were her final words.

Chapter 41

Paige paced on the porch of the cabin, back and forth, back and forth, clip-clop, clip-clop. She was excited about all the money she would soon have in her hands. She would have also outsmarted her stupid husband. Thanks to him for leaving his paperwork lying around with the ad circled for this deal to make a lot of money. Her only fear was she wondered who else may have seen the ad in the newspaper. What if Chief Carr or that federal guy, Dave, saw the same deal? Well, it didn’t matter anyway. She beat them to the prize of Tory anyway.

She just hoped they would come and pick her up soon, so she could get back to town and back to her normal life with Matt.

She hoped she would have a normal life with Matt anyway, but since all the unsolved murders and no suspects, the whole town was in an uproar. She would have to be more careful than ever.

“Here they come,” she muttered as she saw a dark van make its way down the narrow road to her cabin.
Yippee!

She clip-clopped to the edge of the open end of the porch and waited until the van came to a complete stop. Three men got out, dressed in black from head to toe. She could only see their eyes.

“Hello, so glad you made it here so quickly. I’m ready to get rid of her. She’s in there on the floor.” She pointed behind her with her thumb.

“Better not be damaged goods, lady, or no deal.”

“Talking about deal, when do I get my money? I got the girl, I need the money now.”

“You’ll get the money soon as we get the goods, lady.”

They walked into the cabin and saw Tory lying on the floor, bound to a chair. They sat her up and looked at her.

“What do you want?” Tory asked. “Leave me alone. Paige, where are you?”

“Just do as they say and nobody gets hurt.”

“She’ll do,” one of the men said. Then they began to cut the tape that bound her. And soon she was free.

Tory hollered, “Get your hands off me and keep them off. Stop pawing me.” Tory screamed.

* * * *

Two masked men lifted Tory up under her arms and started toward the van. Tory kicked at the men, and the third man picked up her feet. She struggled and screamed until one of the men covered her mouth with his hand. They carried her to the van, opened the side door, and settled her inside, strapped down within a seat belt, and put masking tape over her mouth.

Paige had followed them to the van and now expected her money.

“Okay, guys. Time to pay up, I want my share.”

“You’ll get paid, don’t worry. As soon as we get her back on the road and to the other van, you’ll get paid. A man named Aaron will be here soon, and he has the money. He’ll pay up.”