“You brought me here to force me to say yes to the ring?” Rowley turned to Alfred, furious.
“I brought you here to rescue your wife,” Alfred shouted.
“How about it, Rowley?” Santos grinned. “Do we take you to Kara or not?”
Rowley bit his lower lip and shut his eyes tight. “If I say no, you’ll do the same to me,” he replied, “lock me up in a hut and throw away the key?”
“That’s not the question.” Santos became more intense. “The question is what are you willing to sacrifice to see your wife alive again?”
“Do you love her enough?” yelled Alfred.
“This is blackmail, not love,” Rowley cried out, his voice echoing as out of the shadows Mattheus, Abe, Darrin, and two other cops emerged.
“It’s over, we heard every word,” Mattheus started.
Oddly enough, Santos remained at ease. “This has to be Mattheus.” Santos looked him up and down, slowly. “Cindy’s missing in action partner.”
“It’s over,” Mattheus repeated.
“It’s far from over, my friend,” Santos remarked, smiling at Mattheus. “In fact, it hasn’t even yet begun.”
“Take us to Kara this minute,” Mattheus responded.
“That’s a big request.” Santos rubbed his face.
Darrin stepped over to Santos then. The two of them seemed to know each other well, nodded warmly at each other.
“Kara’s alive?” Darrin muttered.
“How would I know something like that?” Santos remarked. “I had nothing to do with this one at all.”
“Plea deal.” Darrin’s voice grew softer. “You show us where she is and I never heard of you. In fact, I didn’t even see you here.”
“Wait a minute,” Mattheus started, but Darrin quickly put his hand over Mattheus’s mouth.
“Let’s go,” Santos said to Darrin solemnly, “we have an agreement. I’ll bring you to her.”
“That still doesn’t tell us anything about what happened to Shane.” Darrin was trying for more.
“Who’s Shane?” Santos replied, letting Darrin know exactly how far he was willing to take him. Yes, he’d lead him to Kara, but Shane was another matter. Darrin would have to find out about her on his own.
CHAPTER 23
A light rain began to fall as they all trekked through the forest, down another incline and around a patch of bare land. Cindy walked beside Santos, and Mattheus followed up from behind with Abe and Darrin. It felt good to be with Santos, as if, strangely enough, that was where Cindy belonged. Santos threw Cindy a quick glance as the rain fell harder.
“Your partner is here. You love the man?” Santos asked out of nowhere.
Cindy was dumbstruck by the question. “I don’t know,” she finally answered.
Santos grinned and shook his head hard. “When a woman loves, she knows it,” he said.
Cindy was overcome with sadness. “We’re close to the hut?” she asked then.
“When a woman loves she doesn’t change the topic,” Santos continued.
“Are we close?” Cindy repeated.
“A few more feet,” Santos replied.
Altogether, as one person, they stopped at another shack, similar to the one they were at before.
Felix slipped out from the group, like quicksilver, ran to the door of the shack and pulled the door open.
“Here, here,” he called out. It was obvious that he’d been here before. Had he been in charge of caring for Kara? Did he know who had brought her here in the first place?
Once the door was open, they all rushed in, with Rowley up front, leading.
*
Inside the hut was dark, moist, and chilly. There was a low ceiling, a small window, and a few stray chairs scattered around. In the back was a mattress spread out on the floor. It took a few minutes for Cindy become accustomed to where she was. Then, suddenly she heard the sounds of someone pattering around.
“Kara, Kara.” Rowley was the first to call out as the pattering sounds grew louder.
From the back of the room there came a whimpering sound.
“Kara, where are you? Is that you?” Rowley called, about to take a step in her direction.
Santos put his hand on Rowley’s arm to detain him. “Give her time to get used to everything,” he said. “It’s too much all at once.”
“Is she well?” Rowley was blathering.
Mattheus put his hands on Rowley’s shoulders.
Rowley shook him off. “We’re here, Kara,” he kept calling, “come out, see us.”
In a few more moments, the slim silhouette of a young woman, with a rough blanket wrapped around her, appeared in front of them all. She stood there shivering, looking from face to face, disoriented.
“My God, Kara, you look like a ghost.” Rowley was totally beside himself.
“Where am I? Where am I?” Kara mumbled quietly.
Cindy wanted to go over and soothe her, but kept her place.
“Jenna? Is that Jenna?” Kara recognized her first.
Jenna ran to Kara and hugged her. “It’s all right, we’re here, you’re fine. All is well.” The words bubbled out quickly, one after another.