Dixie Lynn Dwyer (17 page)

“Fuck you, Tagart. You can’t have me.” She screamed then lashed out at him. He struck her, swinging his arms and causing her forearms to take the blunt of his blows until she couldn’t stand the pain. He was a big man. But she couldn’t let him touch her anymore. Instead she attacked until he threw her onto her back in the middle of the limo floor, straddled her waist, and held her wrists with one hand above her head. She shook her head side to side, wiggled her hips, and kicked her legs fighting with all her energy and might until the barrel of his gun was wedged against her throat.

“Let me get this straight, Keith. Tagart is running some sort of illegal bull-riding event, wanted you and Corey to ride for the win, and Tagart took Elise, why?” BJ asked as he, Susanna, Keith, Corey, Ava, and Carver along with Mason, Steven, Chad, and Michael stood around trying to figure out what happened.

BJ had already put Carver in handcuffs.

“Tagart said that she was going to be part of the event. He mentioned killing her boyfriend or something. Carver here threatened both my girlfriend and Corey’s girlfriend’s lives if we didn’t participate in this illegal bull-riding event,” Keith stated.

“Oh God,” Ava gasped.

“What is it, Ava? Do you know something about this?” BJ asked.

“Elise told me that she had a boyfriend back in Tennessee. They worked on a dude ranch for some business tycoon. She found him murdered after he tried to win a bull-riding event. I don’t think Tagart is the tycoon though,” Ava informed them.

“He probably works for the main guy,” Mason said.

“Carver, what do Tagart and your boss want with Elise?” Mason asked him.

“Fuck you.”

Mason grabbed Carver by his throat and held him against the wall.

“In about five minutes, her two men are going to show up wondering who took their woman and why. You’ve seen them before. They’ll rip you a new one.” Mason slowly released his throat and Carver coughed.

“I’m not talking.”

BJ shoved him hard into the wall. “You will talk or we’ll beat it out of you.”

“You can’t do that. You’re the sheriff,” Carver said and Keith decked Carver in the mouth. Everyone looked at him as he pulled Carver up by his shirt collar.

“I’m not the law, so the same rules don’t apply to me. So I’m warning you, talk now, or when the deputies come, they’ll scalp you to get the answers they want.”

“Oh shit, here they come,” Steven stated as they looked and saw Tommy and Vic heading through the crowd and right to where the gathered.

“They look really pissed off,” BJ said.

“Ah, hell. Let’s cover the hallway and let Tommy and Vic question Carver. If our backs are turned, then we didn’t see shit, right, Sheriff?” Mason said and they all began to turn as Tommy and Vic joined them.

“Where’s Elise?” Tommy asked.

“What the hell is going on and why is he in handcuffs?” Vic asked with his bruised cheekbone giving him a wild and untamed look.

“I’ll talk. Don’t let them at me. I was supposed to deliver Keith and Corey to Tennessee for the bull-riding match tomorrow night. The prize is two million,” Carver stated.

“Son of a bitch. And Elise? Why did Tagart take Elise and what does this Cobbs guy want with her?” Mason asked.

“What the hell is going on?” Vic asked. BJ held up his hand for Vic and Tommy to wait.

“She found her boyfriend dead. The one Cobbs had Tagart murder for double-crossing him. He wants revenge, but Tagart just wants Elise for himself. He’s supposed to deliver her to the contest and then they’re going to sell her to the highest bidder,” Carver rambled. The women gasped, but Vic stomped forward and grabbed Carver by the throat and held him up in the air. Carver was kicking and straining to breathe.

“You tell us every fucking detail so we can stop them or I swear I’ll fucking kill you right here, right now.”

“You need him alive, Vic. Put him down,” BJ scolded, but Vic was furious. “Vic, we’ll get the answers we need. Let him down,” Tommy told Vic and Vic lowered Carver to his feet.

He released him and Carver fell to the floor.

“I’ll tell you everything, but you’ll be too late. Tagart is going to have Elise before they even reach that plane.”

“What? What fucking plane? Where is it leaving from? What time? What did they leave in?” Vic rambled off questions. His fists were at his sides and his face was red as he clenched his teeth.

Tommy gave Carver a smack in the back of the head.

“Tell us now or I release my brother on you.”

Carver started rambling off information as Mason and Steven made calls to intervene the plane at Dallas Love Field. They called in the highway patrol and all law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for the limousine.

* * * *

They were a mere five minutes from Love Field airport when the limo driver interrupted Tagart.

“Sir, there are police everywhere and there seems to be extra patrols by the main roadway leading to the airport entrance.”

“Pass it. We’ll drive as far as we can and make different arrangements. Call Cobbs and see if he can get a plane to take off from DFW.”

“Oh hell, I think they’re looking for this limo.”

“Why are you slowing down?” Tagart asked, and Elise made her move. She kicked Tagart in his groin then shoved upward with her forearms, dislodging the gun from his hands.

She pushed with all her strength sending him back to his seat and the gun rolled across the floor.

She reached for the handle of the door and he hit her from behind, making her slam her forehead against the window. She screamed but turned and threw a fist, hitting Tagart in the face. She got the door open and fell to the ground. The car was still moving slowly as the limo driver was pulling onto the shoulder. She felt her skin tear as her shoulder and arm made contact with the blacktop. She forced herself to her feet then ran into the darkness. She had no idea where she was. There were fields and highway. The closest police vehicle and flashing lights appeared to be too far ahead of her. There were buildings ahead. They were warehouses that appeared dark at this time in the evening. It had to be one or two o’clock in the morning. She ran as fast as she could. The cold air collided with her skin, the realization that she only had on a bra and her jeans and boots began to sink in. The throbbing in her arm was painful and as she looked at it as she ran, she saw the blood. Her teeth were chattering from fear and the cold temperatures. Blood dripped from her forehead. She must have cut her skin when her face hit the window. She heard tires squeal and then just as she decided to run down the open field toward the highway she heard the shots. She fell to the ground with a thump as Tagart began shooting at her. She cried, knowing that she was as good as dead. She couldn’t stay put like a sitting duck. He couldn’t hit a moving target so easily. She knew that, so she stood up and ran, zigzagging as he fired his weapon missing her by what felt like mere inches. Finally she reached the buildings and tried to find a place to hide.

* * * *

“We’ve got shots fired on President George Bush Turnpike,” they heard over the radio police scanner. “We’re five minutes from there,” BJ stated as Tommy and Vic sat in his truck and drove past Love Field airport.

“Oh shit, he’s going to kill her,” Tommy said.

“We’ve got patrol cars everywhere. He can’t go any farther,” BJ added.

“The suspects are on foot. Two units on the scene. The driver has been apprehended,” the dispatcher updated them.

As they approached the scene, Vic could see all the police units and the limo.

“Hold on, baby, we’re almost there. God, please protect her,” Tommy said out loud as BJ gunned the gas to get them there as fast as his truck would allow.

* * * *

Elise was out of breath from zigzagging, and she was so damn cold as she hid behind the Dumpster near the side of the building. She could hear all the sirens, and she wanted to cover her ears, but she was afraid that she wouldn’t hear Tagart approach. Was that a helicopter she heard in the distance? She thought she heard a noise to her right and as she searched the darkness, it was too late when she felt the gun at the base of her head.

“That’s right, sweetness, I’ve got you now.” Tagart grabbed her by her hair and pulled her up hard. She screamed and he thrust her body against the brick building. She held on to his arm as he gripped her hair, pulling it hard and making her stand. The cold air collided with her body and she was shaking with fear.

“Please don’t kill me,” she begged.

“Oh, you fucked up all my plans, honey. You’re going to die.” He looked her body over, staring at her breasts that were barely covered by the scanty bra she wore. She had worn it in anticipation of seeing Vic and Tommy later tonight after work. She loved them and now she would never see them again. The tears rolled down her cheeks.

“That’s right, bitch. You’re going to die tonight.”

He released her hair and pressed her body hard against the wall. He used his thigh to spread her thighs as he kept the gun against the cleavage of her breasts.

She was shaking so badly, she wasn’t sure she could stand much longer.

“I wish I had my knife. I’d cut you up, piece by piece, then mail parts to those two deputies of yours.” He chuckled and she cried out as he moved the gun along her skin as if it were a knife.

“I’d slash you here and then there.”

She felt like vomiting.

“I had fun when I beat the shit out of your little boyfriend Devlon. That sissy bitch cried so much. He begged to live. Now I know why. He wanted to continue to fuck you, his pretty little virgin. You gave it up to him right? He was your first?”

She closed her eyes and tried to breathe, but she couldn’t take full breaths.

“I’m going to be your last.”

It was too late when the first blow hit her, knocking her onto the ground. His forearm made contact with her chin and then his boot connected with her ribs. He grabbed her by her arm and pulled her up again and she swung at him with all her might, screaming at the top of her lungs. She fell to the ground and he was on top of her, pulling her by her hair as he touched her and tried to undo her jeans. She was scraping her belly against the ground as he tried to turn her over. She kicked at him, somehow making contact with his gut, causing him to release her a moment. She got to her feet only for him to pull her back by her hair again. She kicked at the gun in his hand and it fell to the ground, but he didn’t care. He undid his pants and fear of dying overtook her next move.

“I won’t let you have me!” she screamed, and he bent down to reach for the gun. She went to tackle him, but he moved. He took two shots at her and somehow missed. Lights shone on the building around them and above as the sound of a chopper began to come closer. She heard yelling in the distance and knew the police were coming. She jumped for the gun and so did Tagart.

She had it in her hands and pulled the trigger. The bullet hit the Dumpster and ricocheted. She was trying to fight him off and they rolled around until she maneuvered her hands between them. She couldn’t get her finger on the trigger as he punched her and then she had her opening. She pulled the trigger one, two, three times until Tagart stopped moving. He was dead and she was stuck underneath him.

“Elise! Elise!” She heard people calling her name as she tried to get Tagart off of her. Her body was shaking as police arrived and moved Tagart’s lifeless body from her and then she saw Tommy, Vic, and BJ running to her.

“She’s bleeding,” Tommy stated.

“No, it’s his,” she stuttered, her teeth chattering and the tears flowing from her eyes.

“We need blankets. She’s freezing and injured,” Vic yelled as Tommy pulled her up into his arms and held her against him. She couldn’t stop crying or shaking.

“It’s okay, Elise. You’re safe now. You killed him,” Tommy whispered.

She couldn’t stop shaking. Even when they placed the blankets on her and carried her to the ambulance, she couldn’t stop.

“She’s in shock, Deputy. She needs to go to the hospital,” the paramedic stated.

“You two go with her and we’ll meet you there,” BJ said. The paramedics tended to Elise, placing a mask over her face before giving her a shot of something to help calm her.

“We need to tend to these cuts. That gash in her head looks bad, too,” the paramedic stated, then spoke into a radio as he tended to the gash on her head. The other paramedic was taking her vitals.

“We almost lost her, Vic.”

“I know, Tommy. I know. But she’s safe now. It’s all over.”

The sound of the sirens blaring and Vic’s and Tommy’s voices were the last thing she remembered before passing out.

* * * *

“Stop pacing, Vic. You’re making my headache worse,” Tommy stated as they sat in the room watching Elise sleep. She would moan and try to move around until one of them whispered next to her ear and comforted her.

“She looks like a mummy. He hurt her so badly, Tommy. He could have raped her and killed her.”

“I know, but she fought hard. That’s why she has so many injuries. I’m glad that they don’t think she has a concussion. She’s not going to be happy about the stitches on her forehead.”