Fourth of July (31 page)

Chris entered Dylan’s office. Bypassing the desk, he wrapped an arm around his friend’s shoulder. “How you holding up?”

Dylan blinked back tears as he looked at his good friend. He hadn’t been expecting compassion from Chris, especially after he had yelled at him. Dylan noticed there was something different about Chris’ face. He seemed almost peaceful, which was a far cry from the inner turmoil Dylan experienced. If he messed up tonight, he would lose his wife and boy.

“Not so good.”

“I can imagine. How did they take them? What did the note say?”

Dylan relayed the events of the morning. He didn’t conceal his distress or the tears that smudged his face.

“So,” Dylan concluded, “I have no choice. I’m going to play by their rules. It’s my only chance to save Rachel and Tyler. At least you’ll be able to follow me. The agency is fitting me with a new tracking device. They claim the terrorists can’t detect it.” He paused, gauging Chris’s reaction. “I have to do this alone.”

Chris’ eyebrows pinched together. “I’m not giving up on Alexis.”

“You’ve already compromised my family. The note says I go alone.”

The tense silence held for several minutes as Dylan and Chris stared into each other’s eyes.

“Okay.” Chris conceded the argument. “You’ll go. I’ll be two steps behind you, following your tracking device.”

Dylan was stunned by Chris’s change of attitude. “What about Alexis?”

Chris’ shoulders rounded. “I just got a call from the police. They agree there was foul play. They said a neighbor heard some screaming around 8:30 this morning. She thought it was Alexis’ television. The lock was forced open, the chain cut, and the blood on her counter top was mixed with hair. They have her. But all we can do is follow the terrorists’ instructions.” Chris clapped him on the shoulder. “I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have going in than you.”

Dylan breathed a sigh of relief. “I was worried you wouldn’t let me do it alone.”

“Something happened to me. I went to the church to look for Alexis. The speaker was talking about loving your enemies as I walked out. I came here ready to threaten the truth out of Yusuf.” Chris paused.

“I heard the words, ‘Love your enemies,’ over and over again in my head. I prayed after we talked. I feel, different, better.”

Dylan nodded his understanding. “A change of heart.”

“I guess that’s what you’d call it.” Chris looked away. “I just prayed. It’s nothing to get excited about.”

The Spirit had softened Chris, which Dylan considered to be nothing short of a miracle.
Through your greatest trials come your greatest blessings.

“I can’t stop worrying about Alexis,” Chris said. “I’m betting Danielle has her, but we know where your family is. Let’s do whatever we need to get Rachel and Tyler home safe, hopefully Alexis is with them.”

Dylan made a furtive attempt at clearing his blocked throat. “Thanks,” was all he could manage to say.

Chris busied himself with some papers on the desk for a minute.

Dylan straightened. “Let’s get this planned out. I don’t want any mistakes.”

Chris nodded. “I’m worried about something. The plan is to trade Yusuf for Rachel and Tyler, but then Yusuf goes with them. How do we follow? I’m afraid we’ll lose Yusuf and right along with him any chance of finding Alexis or apprehending the terrorists.”

“Don’t worry,” Dylan cracked a slight grin. “Jay and I worked that all out.”

THE SCHEDULED TIME SEEMED to come too slow, yet Dylan and Chris needed every second. They didn’t want to leave anything to chance, but planning for the unknown was impossible. How many terrorists would there be? Would Rachel and Tyler be at the riverside location, or had they been taken somewhere else?

Dylan knelt on his office floor. Only the Lord could ensure the safe return of his family, yet he knew bad things often happened to good people. He thought of the many unfortunate people who had lost loved ones on September 11
th
and recently on July 4
th
. Dylan could better relate to their grief.

Please, Lord, protect Rachel and Tyler. Please bless that we will be reunited soon. Bless little Madison. Help her to feel my love and Thy love. Please protect Alexis and help us to
find her. Thank you for changing Chris’s heart.

Dylan felt a calm assurance envelop him.

“Thy will be done,” he mouthed, standing to face the unknown.

Dylan would have been pleased to know Chris was kneeling at that exact moment.

He began uncertainly,
Lord, I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to come back. Thank you for the peace I felt earlier. Please help us tonight. Protect those we love and return them to us.
He hesitated for a minute, wanting to say so many things, but lacking the time
. Amen,
he finally said.

He smiled briefly, thinking of how Alexis might respond to him praying. Chris felt himself sober quickly. He had to find her first. He began a constant prayer in his head. P
lease protect them. Please protect them.

ALEXIS’ TERROR HIT HER with the force of a jackhammer when she awoke. Where was she? Would they beat her again? She tried in vain to find a more comfortable position. Lying face down with her hands and feet bound made it a struggle to simply keep her face off the floor.

The only positive aspect about the hard concrete floor was its cooling effect. She couldn’t tell where she was because of the filthy handkerchief binding her eyes, but the smelly building was sweltering. Her stomach grumbled but she ignored it. She suspected Danielle was doing everything possible to guarantee her a miserable stay.

Alexis was fairly confident the Lord would understand if she couldn’t love someone as horrible as Danielle. She had never encountered a nastier person.

Help me forgive, Lord, and trust in thee. Help me not be afraid
. Unfortunately, her heart wasn’t in her prayer.

This morning she had been so excited to attend church with Chris. She was caught by surprise when Danielle and an awful-looking brute rushed in. The man grabbed her and pinned her arms behind her back. She struggled, but was no match for the man’s strength.

Danielle laughed, slapping Alexis’s face. “That was for messing where you don’t belong. Chris was mine and you walked in uninvited. I’ll teach you some manners.”

Alexis groaned, reliving the pain Danielle’s partner had inflicted upon her as she tried once again to move her stiff, bound body. She’d fought him as he flung her around her apartment. She’d been certain he would kill her. At one point she’d reached the phone and pressed talk, but before she could dial he’d grabbed her again. Danielle had seen the scars on her midsection and mocked Alexis and her deformity the entire beating, telling her Chris could never want someone so ugly. The last thing she remembered was her head smacking the kitchen counter top.

Gingerly she rotated her head. She stopped. The small movement caused it to pound more fiercely. Something plastered her hair to the back of her head. It must be blood. Alexis wished her hands weren’t roped to her feet so she could check her injuries. How extensive were they? Probably worse than she wanted to admit.

What was that? Alexis stopped searching for relief and strained to listen. She could have sworn she heard the whimper of a small child. She didn’t know how long she had been unconscious or when Danielle and her offensive sidekick had dumped her in this foul prison.

Scooting toward the source of the noise in jerks and halts, Alexis’ sore body and bound hands and feet slowed her movements to an agonizing slither. She ignored her fears, needing contact with a human more desperately than she needed to huddle in terror.

An angelic sound began, carrying through the open space. She grew closer and closer to the music.

“Tell me the stories of Jesus, I love to hear, things I would ask him to tell me, if he were near...”

Alexis recognized the song as one her mother used to sing when she was small.

“Who’s there?” she asked.

The voice gasped. Continuing her forward progression, she could almost feel the singer’s presence.

“Stay back.” The melodic voice had chilled fifty degrees. “I have a weapon and I will use it.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.” Alexis felt a spark of hope. She didn’t believe the singer of children’s songs would hurt her. “I’m being held here against my will. Were you kidnapped as well?”

“Yes, we were kidnapped.” The voice was warmer this time. “Who are you?”

“My name is Alexis Osborne. I work for the FBI.”

“You do? Oh, thank heavens. Did Dylan send you?”

“Dylan?” Alexis asked.

“Dylan McBride, my husband.”

“Your Dylan’s wife? Rachel?” Alexis’ stomach clenched. This was bad.

“Yes. Did he send you?”

Alexis shook her head, even though Rachel couldn’t see the movement. Her pain intensified. “No. I was kidnapped, too.”

“Oh, you said that.” Rachel’s disappointment was tangible.

“I’m sorry. Is Dylan okay?”

“I think so, but I don’t know anything. I can’t believe they took you as well. What happened?” Alexis wished she could see Dylan’s wife. Had they beat her also?

“I took Ty to the bathroom this morning,” Rachel said. “Dylan and Maddie were upstairs. The man disabled the alarm system and grabbed us from the bathroom next to our garage entry.”

“What a nightmare. They took your little boy too. How’s he doing?”

“He’s scared. I’m hoping he’s fallen asleep.”

“It sounds like it.” Alexis could hear the little boy’s rhythmic breathing.

“How long have you been here?” Rachel asked. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“I think I was here before you. I’ve been in and out of consciousness most of the day.”

“Why? Did you fall?”

“Well, yeah I fell, but not of my own volition.” Alexis paused. Rachel didn’t need to hear the gory details.

“What happened?”

“Let’s just say my kidnapper doesn’t like me very much.” Alexis shivered as she thought of Danielle. She wondered what else that woman planned to do to her.

Rachel waited, but that was all Alexis was willing to say.

“I’m blindfolded,” Alexis said. “Can you see anything?”

“No, it’s too dark.”

“Are your hands free?”

“No. They tied me around the waist to a post, and then bound my hands. I begged them to let me hold Tyler, so they slipped him into my arms.”

“But your hands are tied in front of you?”

“Yes.”

Alexis’ breath quickened. “Maybe we can escape. I’m going to move closer. Do you think you could untie the rag on my face and the knots around my hands and feet?”

“I’ll try.”

Alexis scooted next to Rachel and turned so Rachel could pry the knots loose.

Rachel shifted until she could reach Alexis. Alexis could feel Rachel’s hands above her. “I’m down here.”

“On this gross floor?”

“It’s filthy,” Alexis muttered.

Rachel’s hands found the back of her head. Alexis winced at the pressure on her wound. Rachel untied the filthy handkerchief and the pain lessened.

“Thank you.” She still couldn’t see anything, but at least the smelly cloth wasn’t digging into her eye cavities.