The Broken Road (The Broken Series) (39 page)

Kadyn
made his call, then he allowed a small sigh of relief.
Finally, we have a
lead
.

*
* * * * *

Kadyn
raked his hand over his head. He was waiting for his friends to arrive. They
had spent hours trying to secure a flight and had failed miserably. He had sent
them home shortly after midnight so they could get some sleep. Kadyn didn’t
want anyone exhausted when they were facing a volatile situation.

He
was leaning on the counter drinking a Mountain Dew for breakfast when the
doorbell rang. Mason answered the door. Kadyn watched as his friends filed in
one by one.

They
gathered around the counter, then stared at him expectantly.

Kadyn
set the soda on the counter. “Dan’s SEAL has confirmed Kri is being held on the
Trout Lake property.”

They
let out a collective sigh of relief.

“Have
any of you been able to secure a plane this morning?” Kadyn asked as they moved
into the living room.

Cenia
sank into the couch. “Shawn is somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. He’s on his
way home from an assignment in Germany.”

“There
are no available military hops into Oregon or Washington today,” Roger reported.
He joined Cenia on the couch. “I’ve looked everywhere.”        

Matt
fired up his laptop as he settled in next to Roger. “I haven’t progressed far
enough in my flying lessons, so unless we find another pilot we can’t lease a
plane. I’ve looked into some private air charter services, but the cost is
prohibitive… over forty thousand dollars round trip.”

Roger
whistled. “That’s steep.”

Kadyn
shook his head. “There’s got to be another way.”

Mason
dropped into the remaining chair and opened his laptop. “I’ve been trying to find
affordable tickets on some commercial flights, but I can’t find any flights to
Trout Lake Airport, Portland International Airport, or Sea-Tac airport for less
than three thousand dollars each.” He looked up at Kadyn. “We can pool our
resources together and get you on one of those flights, but then you’d be going
in alone. Even then, it would be at least eight hours before you could get
there, longer if you have to change planes.”

Kadyn’s
cell phone rang, suspending all further discussion. His eyebrows knit together
as he noted the unfamiliar number. “Hello?”

“Captain
Rand?”

“Yes…”

“This
is Jay D. Rockefeller.”

Kadyn
looked at his phone in disbelief, then spoke. “Senator Rockefeller, how can I
help you?” He tried to ignore Cenia’s gasp and the murmuring that instantly
ignited around the room.

“Young
man, the more appropriate question would be, ‘How can I help you?’” The senator
paused briefly, but he continued before Kadyn could respond. “Patrick has advised
me that my newest staff member, Ms. Stone, has been missing since she left my
DC office Wednesday night. She has not yet returned to work, so I assume you
are still looking for her.”

Kadyn
attempted to brief the senator as succinctly as possible. “Yes, sir. A cab
driver was coerced into taking Kri by gunpoint from Union Station to the
Leesburg Executive Airport sometime around midnight on Wednesday. She was
forced onto a plane piloted by an old co-worker of hers. This man has
previously assaulted her... twice. We have located his plane at the Sea-Tac
airport. The suspect owns property just outside of Trout Lake, Washington. We
have a Navy SEAL observing the place now. He has confirmed that Kri is being
held hostage there.”

The
senator cleared his throat. “You have been busy, Captain Rand.”

“Yes,
sir, I have.”

“Have
you called the authorities in Trout Lake?”

“No,
sir. Not yet. We plan to pull them in as soon as we arrive.”

“Very
good. I’ll repeat my earlier question, then. What can I do to help?”

Kadyn
took a deep breath as he gathered the courage to make his request. “Well, sir,
we need a plane.” The room fell silent as he waited for the response.

“Consider
it done. I’ll have a plane fueled and a pilot on stand-by at Dulles International
Airport within the hour.”

Kadyn
released his breath all at once. “Thank you, sir.”

“Captain
Rand, it is I who should be thanking you. Please keep me apprised.”

“Yes,
sir. I will.” Kadyn waited politely for the Senator to end the call. Then he turned
his attention to his friends. “Looks like we just found ourselves a plane.”

Kadyn's
eyes locked on Mason’s. He slowly began to smile. “I don’t know about you, but
I’m not about to let Dan’s Navy boys steal our thunder. Let’s talk logistics.”

The
group pulled Phil in as they worked through the logistics. They went their
separate ways as they packed their bags and gathered the necessary equipment.
An hour later, the friends met up at Dulles International Airport, where they boarded
a private jet to Trout Lake, Washington, courtesy of Senator Jay D. Rockefeller
IV.

Kadyn
gazed out the window as the jet cut through the clouds… only he didn’t see the
clouds. The only thing he could see was Kri. Quietly, he whispered, “Hang in there,
Kri. We’re coming for you.”

* *
* * * *

Arms
snaked around me, then hardened as if forged from steel. I fought desperately
to break loose. A blood curdling scream tore through my lips as I struggled to
get away. “
Help!
”

Suddenly,
he was shaking me. “Kri, wake up. You’re having a bad dream.”

My
eyes flew open when I recognized the voice. I sat up and smacked my head on
something hard. Brown eyes locked on blue. I slammed my eyes shut as pain tore through
my left side. “It’s not a dream,”
I groaned.
“Oh, God, it’s not a
dream.
” I began to cry.

Justin
released me abruptly. He winced as he rubbed at his chin. “You fell asleep on
the couch.”

I
scrambled to the corner of the couch and tucked my knees to my chest, heedless
of the pain it sent shooting through my side. “I just want to go home. Please,
Justin, let me go,” I pleaded brokenly.

Justin
walked to the kitchen. He returned a few seconds later with a glass of water. He
handed me the glass. “Don’t be ridiculous. You are home.”

“This
is
not
my home,” I argued stubbornly. I sniffed the water. “This smells
funny.”

He
rolled his eyes. “Of course it does. It’s well water.”

I
took the smallest of sips, wrinkled my nose, then proceeded to drink the water.
“Justin, we need to talk about this.”

“About
what?” he asked moodily.

This
time, my temper got the best of me. “I don’t know, Justin. The weather? The
legislative process? Oh, I know! Kim Jong-il.”

Justin
bit back a response in a rather admirable attempt to maintain self-control.

I
resumed drinking the water as I tried to calm myself. I eyed the glass, still
disturbed by the heavy mineral taste. I looked at Justin and exhaled loudly. “I
don’t know how you envisioned this all playing out, Justin. Did you honestly
think you could make me fall in love with you and we’d live here happily ever
after?”

Justin
just stood there staring at me.

I
toyed with the glass while I waited for his response.

“Would
that be so awful?” he asked as he turned and walked toward the kitchen.

“
It
would be hell
,” a little voice responded in my head. I didn’t dare repeat
the words out loud.

I
huffed out a breath in frustration. I set the glass on the coffee table, leaned
back against the couch, and closed my eyes. I was desperate to escape this
place, even if only in my mind. I tried to picture myself sitting on my own
couch at home, with Cade and Kadyn sitting next to me. I’d feel safe if Kadyn
was sitting next to me. I took a deep, painful breath and forced myself to
feel
him sitting next to me. I smiled when I could finally feel him.

We
just sat there like that… not talking and not touching for the longest time. I
sighed contentedly when he finally caressed my face. He nuzzled my cheek before
kissing me softly on the lips. His hand slid slowly up my thigh. The soft
fabric of my dress tickled my skin as it crept up my leg. His kiss grew more
insistent. Then it began to feel all wrong.

My
eyes flew open, but I couldn’t focus on anything. My head felt heavy as I tried
lifting it from the couch. I pushed Kadyn away… only it wasn’t Kadyn sitting
next to me… it was Justin.

Justin
grabbed my wrists. “It’s okay,” he said in a sickeningly sweet voice. “I know
how to make this all better.” He shifted his weight as he repositioned us on
the couch and lowered his body onto mine. I began to cry as his lips met mine.
Every hard angle of his body was pressing in on me. He abandoned my
unresponsive lips and began peppering my face with soft kisses, instead.

“
You
drugged me,”
I rasped in a thick voice. “
Again.
”

He
traced my jaw and chin with his tongue. Then he latched onto my neck and began
to suck. Hard.

“
Please
don’t. Oh, God, please don’t do this... not this,
” I pleaded. I wedged my
hands between us and pushed against him as hard as I could.

He
batted my hands away and tugged the strap of my dress down.

I
flailed against him, desperate to get away. A loud, blood curdling scream echoed
through the room. I froze, so mindless with fear that I didn’t know the scream
had been mine.

Justin
grabbed my wrists. He pinned them together with one hand and pressed them into
the cushion above my head. He lifted himself a few inches from my body as he
reached for his zipper.

I
twisted and kicked against the cushions as I lunged for the floor.

He
dragged me back onto the couch.

“
No
,”
I sobbed.

“Hold
still,” he gritted as he pinned me beneath him. His hand brushed against me as
he unzipped his pants.

My
chest heaved as deep, ragged breaths tore through my lungs. “
Stop!
”  I
screamed at the top of my lungs.

“Stop
screaming,” he bit out as he shoved the dress over my hips.

I
bucked against him, trying to get loose. Then my body went slack as I began sobbing.
“Please, Justin, don’t do this.
Please don’t do
this
.”

“Shut
up,” he rasped as he anchored his hand over my mouth and nose. “Just relax. I
promise you’ll enjoy it. Then everything will be okay.”

My
heart ground to a stop when I saw his eyes. They were completely dilated. I
bucked against him again, completely terrified. I couldn’t breathe. He was
smothering me, and he didn’t even know it. I ripped my hands loose and clawed
at him as I fought for air. Darkness crept over me. Then everything went black.

Air
Force met Navy just outside the door to the Mount Adams Ranger Station. It was
pitch black by the time the two teams met up, but the front of the ranger
station was well lit with two outdoor floodlights. Kadyn and Dan shook hands as
the two teams approached one another. Dan began the introductions. “Kadyn, you
remember my friends… Ron, Larry, and Marty.” He eyed the team that Kadyn had
assembled, then added, “They all served Navy in Vietnam.” Dan nodded toward a
man Kadyn didn’t recognize. “This is Marcus. He’s the skip tracer out of
Portland.”

Kadyn
shook Marcus’s hand. “The retired Navy SEAL. I appreciate your help.”

Marcus
pulled a manila envelope from the inside of his jacket. He opened the envelope
and handed Kadyn four photographs. “The property is located approximately one
hour up the mountain. When I left there, an hour ago, your girl was sleeping on
the couch in the living room. I couldn’t get a very good look at her, but she
appears to be okay. The floor is an open concept. The suspect was in the
kitchen overlooking the living room. He was preparing food when I left.”

Kadyn
examined the photographs. “This place looks more like a house than a cabin,” he
noted. He handed the pictures to Cenia.

She
glanced at the photographs before passing them around.

Marcus
nodded toward two men wearing brown uniforms. “The forest rangers have lined up
twelve snowmobiles from local residents and outfitters. There’s a single dirt
road going into the property, but it’s packed with snow. I have marked a
location about a half mile from the house where we’ll have to park the
snowmobiles and walk in. Everyone needs to stop when they see the trees marked
with orange flagging tape. It’s the same kind of tape that loggers use, so it
shouldn’t raise any red flags. The snowmobiles will be too loud to drive any
closer than that.”

Kadyn
nodded. “We’ll split into groups of three so we can each secure one side of the
cabin. I want Cenia and Roger with me. We’ll take the front.”

Phil
began distributing headsets from his pack. “We can communicate through these. I
made sure they’re all functional. I want Mason and Marie with me.”