Found Missing (Decorah Security Series, Book #14): A Paranormal Romantic Suspense Novel (7 page)

“I wasn’t thinking about that.”

“Neither was I until I had to give your name.”

“I can be Doctor Bradley.”

“That will work, if I don’t have to give
my
name. Then we’re back to weird again.

“Well, let’s try Dr. Bradley. Technically that’s still me, although it’s not my professional name. But it’s not like the Hamilton Lab. This facility is owned by Decorah Security, not me.”

“Right.”

He could hear a phone ringing now.

“That’s Mack,” she said.

“Can you make it a three way?”

“Yes.”

As they spoke, he drove out of the motel lot and continued down Route 1 to the next chain motel. By the time he reached it, Mack had agreed to also use the name Dr. Bradley for the patient’s doctor. And the brothers had refined their technique. If the next motel clerks asked, they would say the patient had a tropical infection that was not contagious but it was life threatening.

The results at Grant’s next three motels were similarly frustrating. Lily Wardman had not registered. And he knew from his mental conversations with Mack that his brother was having similar luck.

Had he been wrong in his assessment?

By some force of will, had Jenny kept driving out of the area? And she was in Delaware by now, in some off-brand fleabag where nobody would think to look? If she’d gotten that far, there was little hope of finding her. But he didn’t think she’d pick a fleabag to stay in. He’d known from her reaction to the Mirador that she was used to luxury, and she probably wouldn’t want to stay in a place where there might be actual bugs.

He pressed doggedly on, prepared for another disappointment when he drove into the next place, another two-story chain, offering a free breakfast along with a room.

This time the clerk was a woman in her twenties who was reading a book at the counter. She quickly put it away when he came through the door. His spiel was well rehearsed now when he said, “I’m looking for a woman who might have gotten a room a couple of hours ago. She was in the hospital but checked herself out against medical advice. Her name is Lily Wardman. She’s in her twenties. Short caramel-colored hair and light eyes.”

To his surprise, the clerk said, “Yes, she did check in. I thought she looked sick, and I gave her a room around back on the first floor. Room 152.”

At first Grant could hardly believe what he was hearing. But as he absorbed the news, he felt a flood of relief—coupled with a stab of dread. This was what he had been hoping for, and at the same time, the knowledge that he was going to come face to face with Jenny again made his heart skip a beat, then start up in double time.

“Don’t tell her I’m coming. I don’t want her trying to run out on us again.”

“Of course not.”

He hurried back to his car, trying to picture the coming confrontation. He had half expected that Jenny would be impossible to find, and now she was only a few yards away—unless she’d changed her mind and skipped out of the motel.

That worry had him gunning the engine as he headed for the back of the two-story building. But he had to slow to read the room numbers.

As he drove along the row of parking spaces, he was relieved to see Mack’s car sitting in front of room 152. He continued past and parked several slots away so she wouldn’t know that the car outside had anything to do with her.

Walking back quietly, he kept his gaze fixed on 152. He could see that the curtains were drawn, with a thin line of light showing at the sides.

Now that he was here, another thought occurred to him and almost choked off his breath.

What if Jenny had escaped the VR so she could meet someone from outside? A friend? A lover? A partner in crime. Up till now, he hadn’t considered that scenario, but anything could be possible.

He pressed his ear to the door, hearing nothing. But she’d left the light on, which he assumed meant she wasn’t sleeping. Or had she passed out? Again his heart started to pound.

Hoping for the best but prepared for something he hadn’t anticipated, he knocked on the door.

There was no answer.

With his pulse thrumming, he tried again.

“Who’s there?” a woman’s voice called out. Through the thick door, he thought it was Jenny, but he couldn’t be sure.

“This is the front desk.”

“What do you want?”

“You dropped your credit card in the lobby, miss.” As soon as he said it, he wished he’d thought of something else. If she was smart, she hadn’t even pulled out a credit card.

Long seconds passed before he heard footsteps. He moved to the side so that if she could see him at all in the peephole, his image would be so distorted that she couldn’t tell who he was.

The light at the small opening changed, telling him that Jenny was looking out.  Then she flung the door open. Framed in the lighted rectangle, she was holding a gun, pointed at Grant’s chest.

Grant went very still, his mouth suddenly dry as old newspaper. He had worked with Jenny on weapons training. He knew she was a good shot. And there wasn’t much chance of missing at this distance. On the other hand, a gunshot was sure to bring people running.

“Let me help you out,” he said, trying to project iron calm. “If you’re going to shoot me, it’s probably better to do it behind a closed door so the cops don’t come running.”

Raising his hands palms out, he took a step forward, acting like he was perfectly sure she wouldn’t drill him.

She could have said, “Don’t come any closer. Instead, she grimaced and took a step back.

He moved a foot nearer—into the room, closing the door behind him with his shoulder.

“Do you really want to shoot me?” he asked.

“No.”

“Then put the gun down.”

After considering the suggestion, she laid the weapon on the combination dressing table, TV stand, and desk across from the bed, then sat down in the desk chair.

He’d been focused on the small hole in the barrel of the automatic. With the threat less immediate, he took a good look at the woman. Her shoulders were slumped. Her face was flushed, and she had dark circles under her eyes. “You look like hell,” he said.

“I feel like hell.”

“You should let Lily check you over.”

“I left for a reason.” She dragged in a breath and exhaled. “And she probably doesn’t want to see me. I mean, you know I stole her purse and car, right? And Mack’s money,” she added to be perfectly clear about her sins.

The way she had said it tore at him. He had come here not sure whether he was angry or terrified for her safety. He still wasn’t quite sure which impulse was stronger, but he crossed to where she sat, and lifted her into his arms, then carried her to the bed. Easing down, he stretched out, taking her with him so that the length of her body rested against his.

She could have resisted. Instead she buried her head against his shoulder, and he could feel her start to shake. Then she was sobbing.

He gathered her close, cradling her in his arms, closing his eyes while he hung on to her, feeling the waves of misery roll off of her.

He had been angry with her for disappearing. He was still angry, but now he knew how much he cared about her.

Finally, he felt her struggling to get control of herself. He eased away, went into the bathroom and came back with several tissues.

When she had wiped her eyes and blown her nose, he settled down beside her again.

He had forgotten all about his brother, when he heard Mack speak to him in his head.

Grant?

Yes.

Anything new to report?

Actually, yeah, I found her at the next place. You can go back to the lab.

Thank God. You’re bringing her back?

I think so. She’s pretty upset right now.

Okay. I’ll leave you to it.

The conversation cut off and Jenny asked, “Where were you?”

“Talking to Mack.”

She looked around, confused.

“Remember, I told you, he and I can speak mind to mind? We were both looking for you and keeping in communication. He went one way down Route 1 and I went the other. He, um ‘called’ to ask how the search was going. I told him I found you.”

“So he’s going back to the lab to tell the others?”

“Yes. Everybody was worried.”

She gave a small nod.

They had finally come to the moment of truth.

“Maybe this is the time to tell me why you were so determined to train yourself for self-defense and why you were so desperate to leave.”

Long seconds passed before she said, “I knew I was putting everyone in the VR and at the Decorah facility in danger.”

“Why?”

Again she hesitated.

“I can’t help you unless you trust me.” He fixed her with a hard look. “And don’t you think you have some kind of moral obligation to me and the others? Frank Decorah could have shipped all of Hamilton’s patients to long-term care facilities. But he took over the obligation. And Lily stayed on to run the new facility. After Hamilton was arrested, they provided you with an environment where you could live.”

“I wasn’t thinking about it that way.”

“Well, think about it now.”

In a barely audible voice, she said, “I left because bad men are looking for me.”

“Why?”

“Because they kidnapped me, and I escaped. I mean it was a close thing. I was lucky they’d let me out for some exercise, and I could hit my guard with a flower pot and steal the keys to a car.”

“Kidnapped!”

“Yes”

“Then your family’s looking for you? Did they call the police?”

She sighed. “My parents are both dead.”

“What happened?”

“An auto accident,” she said in a flat voice.

“Like you.”

“Uh huh.”

Was she telling the truth? He couldn’t help wondering about that.

“Okay. So who kidnapped you?”

She closed her eyes, then opened them again. “You were right. I came from a very privileged background. I grew up on a big estate and went to an exclusive girls’ school. My parents left me a big house and a lot of money. After they died, I went to college and got a degree. Then I got a teaching job. I met a man. The father of one of my students. It turned out he wasn’t as nice as he pretended.”

“In what way?”

“He wanted a relationship.” She swallowed hard. “When I said, ‘no,’ he took me to his house and wouldn’t let me leave.”

             
oOo

Mack had spoken to his brother from the parking lot of a chain motel a few miles south of the Decorah facility on Route 1.

He hit the auto dial button on his cell phone and called Lily. She answered in a breathy voice.

“Mack, did you find her?”

“Grant did.”

“Thank God,” she said, echoing his reaction when he’d gotten the news from Grant. “Is everything okay?”

“I guess she didn’t shoot him with the gun she stole.”

Lily winced. “And he’s bringing her back here?”

“I think so.”

“She never should have left. She needs me to check her over.”

“He’s talking to her now, trying to find out why she ran.”

“So you don’t know anything—except that she’s safe?”

“Yeah. He couldn’t really talk. I’m on my way back. Do you want me to get anything from the grocery store?” he added.

It was a mundane request, but now that the emergency was over, life would go on as usual. Well, not quit usual. Lily was still worried about Corker and worried about Jenny’s medical condition.

She thought for a moment. “It’s been a heck of a day. Unless you want scrambled eggs for dinner, maybe we should just stop for takeout on the way home.”                                         

“Good idea. Pizza okay?” he asked, figuring he was due a reward for the night’s activities.

“Sure. After I check Jenny over,” she answered.

He grinned, glad that Dr. Wardman wasn’t insisting on a healthy dinner.

He was still a couple of miles from the industrial park where the Decorah medical facility was located. He kept driving down the highway, reached the entrance to the park and turned in. The road leading into the complex was dark because most of the buildings were only in use during business hours, unlike Decorah which had to operate twenty-four seven.

His mind was on what kind of pizza to suggest for dinner when he snapped back to the scene around him. Several hundred yards down the road, at the entrance to the Decorah building, he saw something he wasn’t expecting.

A dark-colored SUV had pulled up near the door. As he watched, three men got out. He didn’t know how an ordinary citizen would react, but in the split second when he first spotted the group, he could see that they were carrying assault rifles.

He had been driving slowly on the narrow lane. Hitting the brake, he quickly pulled in to a parking space in front of another building and cut his lights. Drawing the automatic pistol from the holster under his jacket, he got out of the car and walked to a storefront called DSR. He stepped into the entryway, waiting with his heart thumping for the men to come down the sidewalk toward him. After half a minute, he breathed out a small sigh. Apparently he’d convinced the guys with the rifles that he hadn’t seen the guns and that his business was elsewhere.

Christ, now what? He had a couple of options. It was probably too late to call Lily on the phone. Maybe his best bet was to call the main Decorah Security number.

             
oOo

Was Jenny telling the truth? It was a pretty unusual story, but it could be true.              Or mostly true?

“What kind of man would do that?” Grant pressed.

“I guess you’d call him a gangster.”

“The parent of one of your students?”

“Gangsters have children, too.”

He watched Jenny swallow hard as her gaze turned inward. “Don’t make me talk about it now. He had guards watching me. But I slipped away and got the keys to a car. I was trying to outrun them. I took a turn too fast—and you know the rest. Well, most of it. I guess Dr. Hamilton was on the lookout for subjects for his experiment, and he heard about a woman in the hospital with no name and no insurance. I guess he was thrilled to get me.”

Grant was trying to digest all that when she said, “The safest thing for everyone at Decorah Security is for me to disappear.”

“That’s our call, not yours.”

When she started to protest, he hurried on. “We need to go back and sort this out. And I’m sure Lily is going to want to give you an exam—and maybe put you back in bed. You had no business taking off like that.”

“I thought that was best for everyone.”

“No.” He kept his gaze steady. “Did you think it was best for me? For us?”

She appeared to be fighting tears again. “I put you in danger.”

“I’m trained to handle danger. So are the other Decorah agents.”

She looked like she wanted to argue with him. Instead she switched the subject and murmured, “I’m going to feel awful when I see Lily. I mean, I stole from her.”

“We’ll sort it out,” he repeated. Or would they? He couldn’t help thinking that she still wasn’t telling him everything. What did she still need to hide?

To his horror, he blurted the thing that was at the top of his mind. “Did the guy rape you?”

The suddenly sick expression on her face made him think he was right.              And maybe that was the element he’d been missing. An experience like that could make a woman act in ways that weren’t normal for her. It could also make her wary of intimacy. She’d taken a long time to get physical with him. That could be the reason. And it might be a good reason not to press her now.              He’d come looking for her weighed down by a bundle of assumptions. Maybe he had to rethink everything he thought he knew.

             
oOo

Mack put the gun away and pulled out his phone, ready to call in more Decorah agents. Before he could dial, one of the men he’d seen stepped into his line of sight.

“Drop the phone. Hands in the air.”

Shit. He’d thought he’d fooled them by ducking into the DSR doorway. Apparently they weren’t taking any chances.

“Drop the phone. Hands in the air,” the guy repeated, “If you don’t want a nice neat hole in the middle of your forehead.”

Would the guy do it? Mack knew that the industrial park was almost deserted at this hour. But the guy might not know that, and he might not want to advertise his presence with a shot. Still, Mack wasn’t going to bet his life on half-assed logic.

He dropped the phone, hearing it clunk on the cement surface.

“Kick it over here.”

When he did, the guy crushed it under his heel. He was a tough-looking character with buzz-cut hair, a knife scar slashing across his chin, and steely blue eyes. He looked like a mobster.

Mack had told Grant that Jenny must have had legitimate motives for running. This thug looked like an excellent reason.

Too bad he and Grant hadn’t exchanged a little more information the last time they’d talked. He’d thought they’d have time later.

“Don’t shoot,” he said in a quavering voice as he hunched his shoulders, still trying to give the impression that he was an unfortunate bystander.

“Who are you calling?”

“The management. I need to get to my office, and they locked the building.”

“What do you do?”

Christ, he had no idea what they did at this company, and the initials were no clue. For all he knew, they could be breeding earthworms and shipping them to biology classes, but he said, “IT.”

“Okay, you’re coming with me.”

“Where?”

“Shut up if you don’t want to get your head blown off.”