Danger at the Border (12 page)

At least Tessa would be safe. Jeff would make sure someone watched over her every minute until Aaron was caught.

Coleman’s satellite phone rang. He answered and stepped away.

Jeff needed to see Tessa, to tell her what was happening, to give her a heads-up that Aaron was still alive.

When Coleman hung up, he turned toward Jeff; the expression on the agent’s face sent dread slicing through Jeff.

“The extra agents arrived at the hotel. They found Agent Tremont unconscious in the stairwell.”

Fear ate a hole through Jeff’s heart. “Tessa?”

“Gone.”

The air left Jeff’s lungs in a rush. He clenched his fists. He never should have left her side. Now they had her.

“The hotel’s security video shows Aaron approaching her room. But the camera was then disabled.”

Meaning they didn’t know if Tessa was alive or dead.

Deep, aching sorrow filled him. No! He wouldn’t believe the worst. She had to be still alive. But for how long?

Not willing to give up hope, Jeff said, “There has to be something here that tells us where Sherman would go.”

“His private quarters?”

Nodding, Jeff turned and rushed to the wing Sherman occupied. Here, like the rest of the house, showed signs of a woman’s touch. A beautifully carved four-poster bed in a rich cherrywood and a rose-patterned floral-print coverlet with frilly throw pillows dominated the master suite. Lace curtains and a rose-colored armchair sat by the window. A vanity set with a bottle of perfume and a silver hairbrush was tucked into the corner. Sherman apparently still clung to the memories of his wife and hadn’t redecorated after her death.

Before meeting Tessa, Jeff wouldn’t have understood such sentiment, nor would he have appreciated the sense of loss Sherman must have felt when his wife passed on.

But now, facing a life without Tessa in it, Jeff knew all too well the heartache of losing the love of his life.

Stunned by that revealing thought, he gripped the doorjamb as the world shifted. He loved Tessa.

He’d been trying to deny it, to push away the feelings crowding his chest, rationalizing that he was protecting himself by not admitting that he’d fallen deeply, madly in love with Tessa. But he had.

And now she was gone.

Rage nipped at him. Sherman, at least, had been able to say goodbye to his wife before she succumbed to the cancer that had claimed her life.

Jeff wanted a chance to tell Tessa how he felt and to see if they could make a future together. He wanted a lifetime with her. But first he had to figure out where Aaron had taken her.

He prayed he’d find her in time, before anything... No! He couldn’t think that way. He had to stay focused and locate Sherman. He’d lead Jeff to Aaron and Tessa.

With determination, Jeff assessed the room with a more critical eye. The drawers to the matching dresser were open, clothes flung all over as if someone had quickly picked through them. He checked the contents of the drawers though he knew he wouldn’t find anything.

Wheel tracks marred the plush carpet to the walk-in closet. Women’s clothes took up one side of the closet, while empty hangers dangled on the other side. With a growl he flicked the empty hangers and set them swinging.

Desperation clawed at his throat. He could barely take a breath as he hurried from the house and rushed to the circle of men. “Listen to me. I need your help. Is there anything any of you know that could help us find Sherman and Aaron? It’s a matter of life and death. They have Dr. Cleary. Where would they take her?”

No one spoke. Frustrated, Jeff squatted down in front of Kyle. “Any ideas?”

Kyle shook his head. “I don’t know where he’d go. The only one who might is Randy.”

“Coleman.” Jeff straightened and turned to the agent. “Do you have a number for the Bellingham hospital?”

“Here.” Coleman handed him his phone. “This is the number of the agent assigned to Randy’s detail.”

Jeff made the call, explained that he needed to talk to Randy, but he was told Randy was being prepped for surgery. Jeff’s hand tightened on the phone. “As soon as he’s out of surgery and conscious, I need to speak to him.”

At a loss, he ran a hand through his hair. His mind scrambled to come up with a viable plan. Wait. If Randy was Sherman’s nephew, then who were Randy’s parents and where were they? And would they know where Sherman and Aaron would go?

“I need to use a computer,” Jeff told Coleman.

“There’s a laptop in the Suburban,” he said. “Come on.”

They hurried into the woods, where they’d left the SUVs. Jeff needed to search for the rest of Sherman Roscha’s family. His only hope was that one of them would be able to help him locate Tessa. He had to find her. And when he did, he was never going to let her out of his sight again.

He sent up a silent plea.
Oh, Lord, please let Tessa be alive. Let me get to her before anything happens to her.

Using Coleman’s laptop, Jeff searched every database he could think of to learn more about Randy and Sherman and came up with some good information. But there was no sense of triumph, only a driving urgency to do what he could to save Tessa.

“Randy’s mother is Sherman’s sister,” Jeff told Coleman. “Sherman also has another brother, named Henry Roscha. It has to be the same Henry Tessa saw in Newhalem right before she left for Bellingham. It couldn’t be a coincidence that Henry owns a bait-and-tackle store at Glen Lake and is related to Sherman.”

“Where does the sister live?”

“Seattle.”

“We have a BOLO out at every airport. If Sherman or his son, Aaron, show up at Sea-Tac, they’ll be detained.”

“He wouldn’t be that stupid. If they intend to fly out of the country, they’d go to one of the private airstrips. Henry will know if his brother has a plane and where he keeps it. I need to go to Glen Lake,” Jeff said.

“Agreed.” Coleman handed him the keys to one of the Suburbans they’d arrived in. “Take a team with you. If you find out anything, let me know, okay?”

“Will do.” Jeff took the keys Coleman dangled.

With two tactical team members joining him, Jeff sped to Glen Lake in a blaze of flashing lights and siren. He parked in front of the ranger station just as Ranger George stepped out to greet him.

“Agent Steele, we’re so glad you’re okay,” George said offering his hand. “We joined the search party and looked for days before word came that you’d been found. How is Dr. Cleary?”

Jeff’s stomach tightened. “Not good. Do you know where to find Henry Roscha?”

Surprise widened George’s eyes. “Yeah, sure. He owns a small store at the dock on the right side of the shore at the halfway mark of the lake. Most everyone in this area or those who use the lake shops at Henry’s store. He carries lots more than just bait and tackle.”

“Can you take me there?”

“I can. Why?”

Jeff wasn’t sure what to make of the reluctant expression on the older ranger’s face, nor was he sure how much to share. For all Jeff knew, the ranger could be part of Sherman’s network. Or a relative, even. “I have some questions for him. Is there a problem?”

“Henry also breeds Rottweilers. Sometimes the dogs aren’t too friendly.”

Ah. That explained the reluctance. Jeff had been right. Sherman kept the dogs close by. That was how the canines had arrived so quickly to track them down when they’d escaped from the house. Jeff should have made the connection to the dog he’d seen with the old man at the ranger station. But Jeff had been a little preoccupied trying to keep Tessa alive.

Sherman must have called his brother, who had brought his animals to the compound to be used to find them in the woods. All they would have needed were the pillows from the beds Tessa or Jeff had slept on or the towels from the bathroom to give the dogs their scent.

“I’ll take my chances,” Jeff said. “I want to go to Henry’s store and his house.”

“Well, that will be easy enough,” Ranger George said. “Henry built a cabin behind the store.”

“Good. Take us there.”

“Let me tell Jean.” George ducked back inside the ranger station house that also doubled as a home for the ranger and his wife.

Anxious to find Henry Roscha and discover if he knew where his brother had run to, Jeff jumped behind the wheel and revved the engine.

George returned a few minutes later and climbed into the passenger seat of the SUV. The two tact members sat in the back, silent and intimidating.

A lanyard with a slew of keys hung around George’s neck. Jeff eyed the many keys.

“I have keys to all the lake residences on this side of the border,” George said.

Following the ranger’s directions, Jeff arrived at the bait-and-tackle store near a dock on the east side of the lake. The store was closed up tight. Jeff went around back to the small, one-level house. An oversize enclosed pen contained five large Rottweilers.

As he approached, the dogs barked, the noise rising to deafening levels. Ignoring the animals, Jeff pounded on the door to Henry’s home. No one answered. George picked through the keys on his lanyard until he found the one that fit into the lock on the door.

“I won’t get in trouble for letting you in here, will I?” Harris asked.

“No. I have probable cause, considering Dr. Cleary has been kidnapped by Sherman and Aaron, known relatives of Henry’s,” Jeff explained. “If it will make you feel better, you can give me the keys and I’ll go inside while you go back to the station.”

“That won’t be necessary.” George unlocked the door and stepped aside to allow Jeff access.

Inside the cabin was dark. No sign of Henry. It appeared he’d skipped town along with his brother.

Jeff prayed with desperation that he would find a clue somewhere inside the home as to where Sherman and his family had fled to, because Jeff was quickly running out of ideas.

The longer Tessa was in Aaron’s clutches, the closer she came to death.

If she wasn’t already dead.

TWELVE

T
he bright white light beckoned to Tessa. But why was she so cold? She must be somewhere between life and death. Part of her wanted to go be with God. There would be peace and comfort. Warmth. She would see her grandmother again.

But there was still so much she wanted to do before surrendering her earthly life. Going into the light would mean leaving Jeff behind forever.

She’d never have a chance to tell him how much she loved him and wanted a future with him. She’d never have a chance to convince him that somehow they could make a relationship work and that she was worth the risk of commitment.

She wanted to tell him she was willing to risk giving her heart to him. That no matter how scary letting down her defenses was, life without Jeff terrified her worse than facing Aaron and his gun.

Sure, there were logistics to consider. It would make more sense for her to relocate to Blaine, since Jeff moving to Utah wouldn’t be realistic—there was no international borderline to patrol.

And the Pacific Northwest had plenty of forests with lakes and streams for her to study.

“Wake up!” a deep voice demanded.

Tessa’s eyes fluttered fully open. The bright white light came into focus as a bare halogen bulb hanging from a long cord attached to the steel rafters overhead. Alongside the bulb was Aaron’s face.

Her nightmare hadn’t ended. She wasn’t dead. Deep talons of terror shredded through her, making her shrink back as awareness rushed in. She lay on a hard concrete floor. They were in a drafty metal building that smelled like automotive grease and gasoline.

“It’s about time you came to,” Aaron snarled.

She moved to sit up, but her body wouldn’t cooperate. Her muscles quivered with exhaustion as if she’d run twenty miles uphill. Ropes bit into her wrists and ankles. A burning sensation in her abdomen reminded her she’d been shot.

She jerked her gaze to her stomach, expecting to see gore and blood, but there was nothing marring the yellow jacket she’d bought at the hotel’s gift shop.

Memories of that moment rushed in. She hadn’t realized at first what Aaron held when he’d busted into her hotel room but as he’d fired, she’d seen the probes eject in a flurry of confetti. He’d shot her with a stun gun. A nonlethal way of incapacitating a person.

Relief sent another round of shaking through her muscles and she laid her head down on the bitter-cold concrete floor. Thankfully, she didn’t have a bullet lodged in her stomach, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to know why Aaron hadn’t killed her. Whatever he had planned would probably make her long for death.

Averting her gaze from her enemy, she realized they were in a hangar. A sleek private jet with the strangest U-shaped tail she’d ever seen stood a few feet away. The plane’s door was open and a ramp bridged the gap to the ground. Obviously Sherman was close by.

“Where are we?” Her voice came out rough and weak.

“The question is, where are we going?” Aaron laughed.

Biting back her frustration and fear, she finally struggled to a seated position. “Okay, where are we going?”

“Someplace nice.” His grin held enough malice to curdle her stomach. “Though you won’t be coming. We won’t need you for much longer. Then I can kill you.” He placed a hand over his collarbone, reminding her that she’d stabbed him with a pair of scissors.

She swallowed back the bile crawling up her throat. “Why do you need me now?”

He shrugged. “You’re our insurance policy in case your boyfriend tries to stop us from taking off.”

Hope bubbled up through the fear. If they needed insurance to make their escape, there was still a chance Jeff could find her and arrest Sherman and his son. “Where’s Sherman?”

“Making preparations.”

She needed to find a way to keep them on the ground for as long as possible in order to give Jeff more time. Once they were in the air, it would be nearly impossible to capture Sherman and Aaron. Such a small plane could land almost anywhere. If she could get Aaron to untie her hands and feet, maybe she could make a break for it. But she didn’t know what was beyond the confines of the hangar. “Water? Can I please have some water?”

He grunted and walked away, disappearing inside the plane.

More in control of her muscles now, she managed to scoot backward until her back rested against the side of the building. Cold from the floor and wall seeped through her clothing. She shivered and worked on the rope binding her wrists together, trying to create enough space to slip her hands out or to loosen the knot. The effort warmed her almost as much as Jeff’s arms would have.

She wondered what he was doing right now. Did he know she’d been kidnapped? Or did he believe she was safe and on her way home to Utah?

Were they still in Washington? She had no idea how long she had been unconscious or how far they’d traveled. The windows in the hangar were too high up the wall for her to see anything but cloudy sky.

The large bay door of the hangar opened. She could see trees outside but no buildings. Sherman wheeled in, followed by Emil and three other guards from the compound. Her stomach plummeted with dread. Did that mean they would be leaving soon?

Aaron appeared in the doorway of the jet with a bottle of water in his hand. He moved back inside as Emil wheeled Sherman onto the plane. A few minutes later, Aaron reappeared. He no longer carried the bottle of water. He motioned for two guards to follow him as he stalked toward her.

She was cornered, trussed up like a turkey on Christmas day, and what little hope she’d been managing to hold on to evaporated. Aaron would kill her now. They were ready to take off; they didn’t need her as insurance anymore. She’d never manage to escape now.

Sorrow and resignation filled her chest, numbing her mind and her heart. Her chin dropped to her chest.

Aaron stopped in front of her, his black-and-white tennis shoes in her line of vision. “Pick her up and bring her to the plane.”

Her head snapped up. “You’re taking me with you?”

His lip curled with distaste. “Sherman isn’t ready to get rid of you yet.”

Once again, hope surged. The two guards lifted her off the ground and half carried, half dragged her to the plane, where they unceremoniously dumped her onto one of the plush leather seats. The inside of the jet was luxurious with wood-grain accents, cream-colored leather seats and and thick, dark carpeting.

Sherman sat in the seat across from her, a blanket covering his legs. No doubt there was a pistol hidden beneath the plaid wool concealing his lower half. His wheelchair had been tucked behind the seat he occupied. He smiled benevolently at her. “Aaron thinks we should dispose of you now.”

Righting herself as best she could with her hands tied behind her back, she said, “And you disagree.”

“I do. You hold value.”

That was encouraging. Now if only there was some way to sabotage the plane so they couldn’t take off.

Aaron approached from behind her and set a bottle of water in the armrest cup holder. Thirst hit her hard and fast. She couldn’t do anything about it, since her hands were still tied behind her back. “Would you mind untying me so I can drink some water?”

Sherman inclined his head and lifted the edge of the draped blanket confirming he had a gun aimed at her. She met his gaze and acknowledged his power over her with a nod.

Obviously satisfied that they understood each other, Sherman dropped the covering back into place. “Aaron, untie Dr. Cleary.”

Aaron let out a huff conveying his disapproval. From his back pocket, he took out a gnarly switchblade. He popped the blade open with a soft
swoosh.
She flinched. His mouth curled; obviously he enjoyed scaring her. He yanked her close to slip the knife under the rope and, with one quick flick of his wrist, cut the tie. She brought her arms forward and suppressed a wince as her shoulders protested the mistreatment. She rubbed at the red welts on her wrists; trying to loosen the rope had not been a great idea.

Aware of Sherman’s gaze on her, she grabbed the water bottle, uncapped it and took several long swigs. The lukewarm water slid down easily, quenching her thirst. “Thank you.”

“I’m not a monster, Dr. Cleary,” he said.

She flicked her gaze toward Aaron, who had taken a seat across from them, picking his fingernails with the tip of his switchblade. But she couldn’t say the same about his son.

“Where are we going?” she asked, bringing her attention back to Sherman.

“I have a sweet little place in Bhutan,” he replied.

Aaron made a disgusted noise in his throat. “But she won’t get to see it.”

His words sliced a ribbon of fear through her. She forced herself to stay focused on Sherman. He was the only one who could control Aaron. She had to find a way to make Sherman see that killing her wasn’t a smart idea. “Bhutan doesn’t have an extradition treaty with the U.S.”

Sherman smiled. “That is true.”

“But if you kill me, do you really think they will let you come to their country?”

“We’ll dump your body out over the ocean,” Aaron chimed in. “They will never know you existed.”

She refused to look at him despite how much she wanted to scrape her nails over his smug face.

Sherman pressed his lips together. “Aaron, check with Emil to see how close we are to takeoff.”

“Fine.” Aaron stood, his head nearly touching the roof.

She watched him walk toward the cockpit. Emil sat in the pilot’s seat. Apparently, he was a man of many talents.

“Don’t worry, Dr. Cleary,” Sherman said, drawing her attention. “Killing you isn’t on the agenda.”

Her heart hammered in her chest. “Then what do you plan to do with me?”

“There are men who would pay top dollar for a red-haired American woman.”

Repugnance rippled over her, making her quiver. Sherman was a different kind of monster. Malicious and mean, without a moral compass differentiating right from wrong. “So you’re going to move from illegal drugs to human trafficking?”

“A man has to make a living.” His shrug conveyed how much he didn’t care.

Randy had said Sherman had changed, becoming bitter, mean and greedy. This kind of evil was beyond anything she’d ever dealt with. She wished Jeff were here; he’d know how to handle this. He’d protect her from Sherman and his vile intent. But Jeff wasn’t here. She took comfort in knowing he was safe. She would have to figure out a way to escape on her own. “How could you do that to a woman?”

“Life is cruel, Dr. Cleary,” he stated. “You should understand this by now.”

He was cruel. She scoffed, “Because you had some bad breaks, you’re going to inflict pain on others.” The man was delusional. “It won’t make you feel better.”

“After my sweet Katherine’s death, I’ve found very little makes me feel better. And the one thing that took the edge off my pain is being destroyed as we speak. Thanks to you.”

He blamed her for finding out about his operation. Incredible. He’d been trading in slave labor by keeping all those men captive and forcing them to work. He allowed his son to cultivate and produce toxic drugs that were harming people, and he was mad at her because she and Jeff found out. The man wasn’t in touch with reality. She tightened her hold on the water bottle. The plastic crumpled slightly. She stared at the bottle, remembering the weapon Jeff had made from his empty cylinder container. Had it worked? Would it work now? Could she make a similar weapon and use it to get off this plane?

“Is there a restroom?” she asked, forcing her voice to stay even so she didn’t betray the loathing she felt for him.

“Back there.” Sherman tipped his chin toward the rear of the plane.

Disappointed the lavatory wasn’t near the cockpit, she said, “Would you mind if I used the facilities?”

“Of course not.”

She lifted her feet off the floor, showing the rope around her ankles.

“Aaron!” Sherman called.

Aaron walked out of the cockpit and stopped beside his father. “Yeah, what?”

“Untie Dr. Cleary’s feet,” Sherman instructed.

“Not a good idea,” Aaron said.

“Just do it, Aaron,” Sherman said.

Aaron once again took out his switchblade and used it to cut the ties holding her ankles together. Tessa waited until he had the knife tucked away before she stood. Aaron stiffened. She made a face at him and hurried to the restroom, taking her water bottle with her.

Once inside, she drank the rest of the water, then blew into the container the way she’d seen Jeff do before recapping the lid and twisting the two ends. A pang of longing hit her. As much as she wished all this hadn’t happened and she was far away from here, she couldn’t ever regret meeting Jeff.

She remembered the protective way he had shielded her and helped her through this ordeal. The way he would brush back her hair, his fingers lingering on her cheek or jaw. The way he made her feel special, cared for and valued.

Determination had her squaring her shoulders and forcing back the fear that she’d never see Jeff again. She would do everything in her power to make sure she did, just as she knew he would do everything in his power to find her. She tucked the bottle inside her jacket and splashed tap water on her face. Her pale reflection stared back at her through the mirror.

“Dear Lord, please show Jeff how to find me. Let me see him again. Please. Help me out of this situation,” she whispered.

She wanted to bargain with God, tell Him she’d do whatever He wanted if she could only be set free. But she knew bargaining with God wasn’t the way to win His favor. His grace was hers for the asking. She had to trust Him, give every part of her life to Him despite the circumstances. If she couldn’t do that, what good was faith?

God would expect me to be smart and take action,
Jeff had said.

And so would Tessa. Lifting her chin in resolve and purpose, she went to face her enemy.

* * *

Jeff let out a growl of frustration. He stood in the middle of Henry Roscha’s sparse living room. A thorough search of the house had yielded nothing. There was little furniture in the cabin, most of it homemade. A shed on the side of the cabin had also been searched and revealed all the equipment necessary for carpentry but no clues as to where Sherman and Aaron had taken Tessa.