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Chapter 21
The drive back out to the house was done in silence. Madison watched every move inside the car and out, glancing out the window while she tried to keep her head. She was paranoid about being followed just like the rest of them were.
She wasn't the one who killed Stone. They all knew it now, and they could prove it. They knew a cop had killed Stone, someone who was working on the case was responsible for the murder. He had been watching them this whole time. Why was he tormenting her? Who was he? Why did he kill Stone? They needed the answers soon.
Peyton drove in silence. She didn't want to look at her cohorts. She didn't want to be involved, despite her own questions about the case. She was involved deeper than she anticipated. She had gotten involved the moment she set foot in the jail cell, even before that, when she heard Daniel's voice on the phone she immediately accepted the case. She should have known better. This was all beyond her skill level. What was she going to do with the information she had now?
Cassie was fuming as they pulled up the drive. The conversation with Travis and Matt rolled over and over in her head. The brothers were mad because the cops didn't find the evidence. They weren't even appreciative because they had. Cassie couldn't believe it. She was just as good, if not better, than half the cops on the force. Why couldn't they just give her credit for using her head?
"Chauvinistic pigs!" she muttered angrily under her breath. "I cannot believe those two," Cassie exclaimed as she swung into the house. "We found the evidence. We did what their team of wonder cops couldn't and do we get a thank you? Do we get a good job? No! We get 'keep your trap shut and 'just you wait 'til I get home!'" Cassie mimicked Travis in a deeper voice as she flopped down on the couch and crossed her arms over her chest. Her foot continued to tap on the floor in frustration.
"We weren't supposed to leave the house, Cassie," Madison reminded her as she strolled in and removed her coat. Hanging it neatly on the rack next to the door, she stepped into the living room and hesitated. There was a coldness Madison couldn't explain to the air. She stayed where she was and scanned the room.
Something was different in the house, she could feel it. "We were in the wrong for doing exactly what Travis had asked us not to do."
Cassie rolled her eyes, "Bullshit!"
She was tired of being the good wife and doing as she was told all the time. She was smart and just as capable of doing the investigating as any of the men on the force.
Travis was just like her father, the Colonel, and had a way of keeping her locked up and protected. The overbearing gene must have transferred to Travis when her father had retired. They were two peas in a pod.
It was just like when she tried for the police academy and was shot down. She had been the only female in the group. She knew the moment she wanted more than a desk job that the men who were selecting the new recruits wouldn't approve of her.
Her mind wandered as she focused on what she had dreaded. Cassie's eyes widened and she sat up straight and stared at the chair in front of her. "No."
Her hesitant whisper was barely audible. She saw the books on the chair. Looking over at the small coats that had been flung to the floor, she felt panic setting in. The boys were home, but it was dead silent in the house. Her head tilted sideways as she listened, could they really be that quiet and not be asleep? She wondered.
"Cassie?" Peyton broke the silence and received a "shush" in reply. Peyton and Madison followed Cassie's gaze from the coats to upstairs. None of them could believe three small boys could be that quiet doing homework or playing and not be asleep. "You don't think?"
"If I do and I'm right, Travis won't have to kill me. I'll do it myself. I can't believe I put those kids at risk. I would never do that. I would never let my babies..." Cassie felt the terror of a mother strike at her. How could she be so stupid to place her children in danger?
"Don't do that don't," Peyton tried to keep the tremor of fear out of her voice. "You don't know anything until you go up the stairs and check for yourself."
Cassie and Madison nodded in agreement. "I'll go ask the officer at the door if he saw the boys come home. You two go check and see that they are all okay."
Peyton got up and went out the front door, while Madison and Cassie raced to the stairs. They froze at the bottom of the steps when a shadow from above fell on them. They knew they were in trouble. Cassie's eyes widened at the form she saw, not her boys, but Josh. "Oh God," she whispered and clutched onto Madison's hand.
Where were her boys, what had he done with them? Madison suddenly recognized him, her stranger, her shadow that had haunted her all her life. There he was, standing big as life in front of them. Her body shivered with cold fear as he descended the stairs toward them.
Moving out the dark shadows and into the light she saw his face, his face she knew so well. Those eyes had watched her for years, but now, it was that face she had trusted that was before her.
"You," the horrifying realization hit Madison, "It was you."
"Me, baby girl, it was always me," he agreed, aiming the gun at the boy's head, "Quietly now, to the kitchen. We have a long night ahead of us. I hadn't planned on this much company tonight, but I'll make due. Let's go. We have some catching up to do, baby girl."
"Where are my boys?" Cassie demanded, afraid to hear the answer.
"Napping," he announced and smiled. "They'll be asleep for a while." Pulling a vile out of his pocket, he tossed it to Cassie. "You can thank Maddie for that. Those med's work wonders, baby girl. No wonder you like them so much."
Cassie froze. She could feel her heart still in her chest. What had he done, what did he give the boys. "What was it? What did you do to my babies?" The sheer terror penetrated through her voice.
"Just a dose of ... what was that, baby girl? Fiorecet? The boys should be fine once they sleep it off." His smile was wicked now as he laughed at his own joke. "Unless I gave them too much. I tend to do that, don't I, baby? Now move!"
Not saying a word, the two women turned and headed for the kitchen. Madison squeezed Cassie's hand in fear. Peyton was outside getting the officer at the door. Eventually she would be coming back in. Hopefully before it was too late, Madison thought and pushed the door open. Jack's body was on the floor, his cell phone next to his head. He was out cold.
Cassie took a quick inhale, "Oh my, Jack!" she exclaimed and seizing the opportunity, she made her move. Cassie knelt down next to Jack, her body blocking his view as she scooped up the cell phone when she began to check his pulse. "He's still alive, thank God," Cassie said and felt the grip firmly land on her shoulder. He squeezed tight and caused her to cringe. Had he seen her pick up the phone, Cassie wondered.
"I suggest you move away from him, darling. I didn't kill him, I assure you, but he'll be taking a nice nap for a bit...Move!" Giving Cassie a shove, she tipped over. Catching herself and pulling to her feet, Cassie kept her back to him, slipping the phone into the front pocket of her jeans before she turned back around.
He gave Josh a shove and toppled the boy into Madison's arms. She wrapped her arms around the child, keeping him from falling, but also to comfort him as best she could, given the circumstances. His small arms wrapped around her waist and held on tight. He was as scared as she was.
"Where are the boys?" Madison whispered in Josh's ear.
"In their room," Josh spoke with his face buried in Madison's chest.
His voice boomed through the room. "I don't need or want the other boys. Not at the moment anyway. Although if mama dearest here doesn't behave herself, I might just get one to make a point." Cassie stiffened and saw the pure evil in his eyes.
"What are you going to do? Take all of us hostage?"
Cassie could feel the predator instinct of a threatened mother fueled her courage. Her children were missing, in trouble, and this man before her was the one responsible.
"It's three adults and three kids against one. That's not very good odds, Jerry." To think it was Jerry Sterno all this time that had been pulling the strings. He was the killer and set Madison up to take the fall for it.
"I've got the gun, darling. It looks to me like the odds are in my favor," Jerry waved the gun in each of their faces before he motioned with his head. "Out the back door like a good girl, Maddie. We've got a ride waiting for us."
Madison understood now how everything had gone so wrong. The evidence not being found to the murders being covered up, without anyone thinking twice that it could have been an inside job.
All of it the deputy easily explained away. He had been the deputy who had found Stone's body. He had headed up the investigation. He had pulled the men off the case. Travis and Matt had fought Jerry to give them more time to investigate the case, but Jerry said that Brody wouldn't budge. Madison felt her world tilt, but what in the world did the man want with her?
"Why?" she questioned softly as Jerry opened the back of the squad car and began loading them inside. "All these years you've watched me, haven't you? You terrorized me, why?"
"In time, baby girl . All will be explained as soon as we're away from here," Jerry grabbed her arm, nudging her into the car.
As she spoke with the officer, Peyton saw the sheriff's car out of the corner of her eye. She walked quickly to the end of the front porch and watched as Josh, Cassie, and Madison climbed into the back seat. No, this wasn't right. What was the sheriff doing there? Peyton wondered, and then it hit her. It wasn't the sheriff she was looking at, it was Jerry. It had been him all along.
"God, no," she whispered. Running back into the house, she grabbed the phone from her purse, quickly dialing the only number she could remember, "Matt, it's Peyton. I'm sorry, I didn't think it was him... He's got them. "
Travis and Matt had called in the reinforcements as soon as Peyton had called. The brothers agreed to meet at the house, get a plan of action and bring Josh, Cassie and Madison home. Travis raced into the house and was greeted by his boys. Relief swelled through his body as Travis fell to his knees, hugging both boys as he fought back the fear that had been eating at him. His boys were safe, they were awake and unharmed.
Travis was kicking himself though. His last words to Cassie were in fear and anger. He had been furious with her and now he might lose her. He had to bring her home before it was too late.
"You okay?" Matt asked Tyner, who was now sitting on the couch with an ice pack on the back of his head. Peyton had played nursemaid to him as soon as she had found him in the kitchen.
"Yeah, if it wasn't for Ms. O'Hara's lovely skilled hands, I'd still be on the floor in there." Tyner said, giving Peyton a smile of appreciation from across the room. It didn't go unnoticed how Tyner was looking at Peyton.
Peyton didn't like the feeling she was receiving from the smile though. There was something about it, something that was fake, wrong in it. There was more there behind his words. All of it made her very uncomfortable. The memory of her past with Tyner and what had transpired between them made her wish she had left him on the floor unconscious. It was only out of good will that she helped him at all.
When Daniel walked in behind Matt, Peyton breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him. With all the McKennans there, she knew she would be safe. Peyton gave him a small smile and Daniel nodded to her. His lack of response sent her gaze to the floor. The man had no clue how she felt. Matt saw the look and walked over to Peyton. Wrapping his arm around her shoulder, Matt hugged her tight.
"Tell him how you feel, Peyton," he whispered in her ear. Peyton looked up, shocked and embarrassed, shook her head quickly.
"That would be emotional suicide," Peyton knew it was a useless point. "I can't, not now. You need to find your son, Cassie and Madison."
Matt nodded, making a mental note to talk to his baby brother when this was all over about women in general. Apparently he doesn't have a clue when a good thing is right in front of him.
"What happened, Peyton? Tell us everything," Michael said as he walked in. "Don't leave anything out."
The men sat down around the kitchen table and listened as Peyton explained the situation and what she had seen. Tyner had joined them in the kitchen. As he listened, he remained silent, while they filled him in on what had been going on.
Tyner felt the anger and irritation grow in the room as he heard of Madison's dreams and of the stalking she was still receiving. They were furious that not only the women were in danger, but the children. It had been their jobs to protect them, not harm them. Jerry had taken an oath that he had broken. It was time he paid.
Peyton told them what she could. It wasn't much, but enough that they knew who was taken and who had them. They had driven off in the sheriff's car, which in Travis's opinion was stupid since it was the most recognizable car in the county.
"They aren't going into town, Travis," Matt concluded and flipped a pencil between his fingers. "He's taking them out there," motioning with his chin, Matt nodded toward the woods. "It's the safest, smartest thing to do. If he takes them home, he's trapped. If he takes them out there, he still has a chance."
"Cassie's a loose cannon when she's provoked," Michael carefully reminded the room.
Travis and Daniel both stared at each other for a moment, knowing exactly what Michael meant. "If she tries for an escape. she could get them all killed."
"Then we better get to them before that happens," Tyner speaks up.
He had grown up with the McKennans, and had known Cassie since Travis brought her and her boy home with him. He knew exactly what Matt was talking about. The four brothers and Tyner agreed. The woods in that area were dense and wide. They could be almost anywhere in them. There were all kinds of caves and hiding spots for Jerry to go.
"We've got one up on him guys," Daniel said as he pulled his jacket back on. "We played in those woods our entire lives. We know it, from where to build the best forts to where to take a girl to." Daniel broke off when his eyes met Peyton's and blushed. "Well, you know what I mean."
"He's right. We know that area better than anyone else. We'll find them," Michael agreed and grabbed his coat. "You stay here, darling. When we get back, I'll take care of you," Michael winked at Peyton and grabbed her chin planting a hard, smacking kiss on her lips. Peyton stood frozen in surprise.
Michael looked back at Daniel and grinned. "You're stupid, bro, you know that, right?"
Michael nudged Daniel with his shoulder then walked out, leaving Daniel with his fists in tight, jealous balls, fuming at his brother's actions. Peyton's jaw dropped in shock as she stared at Tyner and Michael's backs as they walked out the door.
Matt zipped up his coat before he hugged Peyton, planting a kiss on her cheek, he smiled at her, "I can't kiss you on the lips like that. I don't want to screw up with Madison," Peyton couldn't help but smile as the red in her cheeks darkened. Matt looked up over her shoulder. "Michael's right, Danny boy. Get a clue!"
Travis smiled at his brother's jabbing. It was the first genuine feeling of joy he had felt in weeks. To harass his brother was a good thing. "Take care of my boys, okay?" He requested softly to Peyton and hugged her as well. "Danny boy, let's go. We're gonna have a talk about your love life while we search. You seriously need some lessons about women," Travis ruffled his young brother's hair and walked out the back door to join the others.
Daniel stood for a moment embarrassed and unsure looking at Peyton. Her long dark red hair flowing around her shoulders, her green eyes staring at him, that soft ivory skin still blushing from Michael's kiss, she was stunning. The knot in his gut pulled at him. What was he thinking? This is Peyton, they grew up together. He couldn't have feelings for her.
"We'll be back soon," he declared, then cleared his throat. Suddenly his throat was dry and he needed to escape the room. "Take care," he murmured softly and turned around quickly making his escape out the back door. Chicken, he chided himself, before joining his brothers to begin the search.
The further they went into the woods, the darker it seemed to get. Madison held on to Josh's hand as they led the way through the tall maze of trees. Madison glanced back at Cassie and saw that Cassie was gripping something in her hand.
"What are you doing?" Jerry asked as he stepped closer to Cassie when he noticed Madison watching her.
Tucking the phone up her sleeve, she made a fist. Damn, she almost had the thing open.
"Trying to figure out where the hell we are. Where are you taking us?" She knew exactly where she was. Cassie wasn't about to let this idiot know she wasn't going to be his prisoner for long.
"Not much further tonight, in the morning, we'll see where we go," Jerry smiled. He grew up here, knew the area better than these kids. Hell, he had been traipsing around these woods before these two women were out of diapers.
He snuck through these woods to visit Candace numerous times and had watched Madison play there in her younger years. It had been amazing no one had ever caught on. He was a cop after all, and no matter where he was, he had always been able to explain himself.
"You won't get away with this," Cassie warned and stopped walking. She was exhausted and she knew the others were as well. "Travis and Matt, they're on to you, they know everything." Cassie hoped they did anyway. "You'll never get away from them, not with us in tow."
She had seen it in movies, prisoners talking their way out of trouble. Jerry knew her well, he knew she wasn't one to go quietly, yet he took her anyway. It would have made more sense to tie her up and leave her behind. Why in the world would the man want to take her, knowing she had one of the biggest mouths in the county? Her fear had caused her adrenaline to pump hard and fast through her veins. She was ready to fight for her life.
Cassie had a plan, but she had to get that phone out and dial Travis's number. If she could just get him to answer, if she could just let him hear the conversation, then maybe, just maybe they'd have a chance. Cassie hoped it would work. It always worked in the movies, right? Why wouldn't it work now? Because you aren't the heroine and phones never work when you need them to, she reminded herself.
"Cassie, shut your trap for once in your life, woman!" Jerry was irritated and tired as he stopped to scan the area. The base of the mountain was close. They could find one of the old caves and stay the night there out of the cold. No fire, he thought. It was risking too much to have the heat. They would have to make do. "Up there, kiddo."
He pointed toward the upper hill, where the shadowed outline of a cave rose above them. "Get up there."
Cassie looked up and hoped Travis wasn't far behind and would see them make the climb.
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