“Did he give you a name?”
“Jack … oh, what was his last name. Your mother would remember. Scared us at first because he was in uniform. We were worried something might have happened to you. But he said you were okay. He was just checking on us while you were in Chicago. So how was Chicago?”
It was a warning. If they wanted to hurt his parents they could have already done it. That was exactly what they were telling him, letting him know that they could hurt them at any given moment. It would be worthless to tell his parents to pack up and leave. Go to a hotel, a resort. No place would be safe. His heart raced while his mind played out scenario after scenario, none of them good. He would make a phone call to USAMRIID and within a couple of hours, he would have a real friend outside his parents’ home, watching for him.
“Chicago was fine,” he finally answered.
“Colder than here, I bet.”
“Wetter. It rained the whole time.” He tried to keep his tone even so it wouldn’t betray him.
“Well, I’m glad you’re back, safe and sound. And listen, your mom and me are fine. You really don’t need to send anyone to check on us. We’ll be just fine.”
“I know, Dad.”
“We love you, son.”
“Love you, too.” He ended the call and placed his cell phone on the table.
It was Bix who broke the silence.
“Holy son of a bitch. What the hell did we step in?”
CHAPTER 59
NEBRASKA
Maggie’s view of the sky and her star got blocked out by canopy after canopy of trees. They were in the forest, thumping along roads that weren’t well traveled. Branches scraped the roof of the vehicle and pine needles brushed the windows.
He was going to bury her out here, someplace deep in the woods where hikers and hunters never went. He couldn’t have just killed her on the road where she was running. Someone might have come along. Besides he’d have gotten blood all over the back of his SUV. So he used a Taser. Her body still remembered the pain.
Had to be a Taser.
The darts had clawed into her back through her shirt. All he had to do was simply lean out his window and fire. She had been an easy target. Once the darts hit and grabbed onto her back, the electrical charge would race through the wires attached to the gun. He controlled how long the charge would last. A few seconds incapacitated a victim. She went down immediately. No fight. No struggle. The additional charges, at that point, were strictly for pain.
Her spinning mind had started to unravel what had happened. She still couldn’t figure out who was in the driver’s seat. Who wanted her incapacitated and in pain? Who wanted her dead?
Her muscles ached. But that was good. That meant the feeling was coming back into them. The temporary paralysis was wearing off. She didn’t think he had tied her feet together. They felt loose but she couldn’t quite feel them. No, he probably didn’t tie them. He’d need her to walk. Even if it was a stumble, he’d want her on her feet so he could take her deeper into the forest. It’d be easier than carrying or dragging her. Yes, he’d make her walk to her own grave site.
Maggie tried to wiggle her fingers. They tingled. Tingling was good. She saw her hands, zip-tied together on her stomach, only when the brake lights flared up in the dark. At first, she was almost surprised to see they were still connected to her. In the red glow her body looked twisted and broken.
Her skull roared. Every time she lifted her head it felt like it would explode. But her vision wasn’t quite as blurry and the nausea was less. Her heartbeat had slowed. It no longer felt like it would gallop out of her chest. Even the ringing in her ears had subsided.
Better. She was doing better. But then the SUV came to a stop.
The engine shut down. Parking lights stayed on. She heard the driver’s door open. No dinging. He took the keys with him. Slammed the door shut. The dome light hadn’t come on. He must have shut it off earlier.
Darkness surrounded the vehicle. In the glow of the parking lights she could see trees and thick brush all around them. Even the road was not really a road. The vehicle had cut the first path through the tall grass, squeezing between tree trunks. Maggie wondered how he’d back out of here. An odd thing to care about for someone who knew she was not going to be leaving with him.
He’d expect her to still be dazed and incapacitated. He wouldn’t be disappointed.
The tailgate clicked and her body jerked. She told herself that was another good sign but her heart started pounding again.
The hinges screeched and the tailgate went up. In the glow of the parking lights she saw Mike Griffin with his hunting knife.
CHAPTER 59
NEBRASKA