Mountain Devil (11 page)

There were only two possibilities. Either Randy wished to harm Ella himself or Randy was aiding someone else who wished to harm Ella. Both possibilities made Ed want to retch. Ella was a sweet girl and a faithful wife. The thought of any harm being visited upon her gutted him.

No, she was strong. Strong… Strong… Strong
.

But the repetitive words felt like ashes in his mouth.

Even as his speedometer passed one hundred, he felt it wasn’t fast enough and urged the SUV on and on, up and over the mountains of I-68 like a hurricane on wheels.

The local police station called with dire news. The house was a disaster zone and the neighbor was found shot in the leg in the driveway. They promised to send Ed a composite sketch of the suspect as soon as possible, but he was still an hour away and felt completely helpless. The cops couldn’t locate Randy any better than Ed could, not even at the young man’s apartment. Ed continued to turn the situation over and over in his mind, searching for that missing link, the connection that would lead him to Ella’s whereabouts.

Never before had Ed Peters felt so frightened, or so angry and determined. I’m coming for you, Ella, he thought, steering off the highway well before his own exit.

* * *

This isn’t really happening, Ella told herself. But it was a lie.
This
really was happening. It was her worst nightmare and a nightmare so horrible she’d never once imagined it.

She was completely at Brandon Andrews’s mercy, seated across from him in the living room of his parents’ Deep Creek Lake cabin. His eyes were glazed over with an emotion she found hard to read.

Maybe it was anger. Maybe it was sorrow. Maybe it was confusion. Or maybe it was a combination of all those emotions.

While his expression was eerie, nothing frightened her more than the gun resting on his lap.

An hour ago, he’d shot a man in her driveway—a neighbor who’d obviously come to check in on her—

most likely at Ed’s request. The house alarm had been blaring for a few minutes before Brandon finally got Ella into his car, tied up in the backseat.

“This is a lie,” Brandon said, holding up Ella’s wedding and engagements rings in one hand. “This is
such
a lie.” A few seconds later, he was throwing them into the lake outside as Ella watched helplessly through the window. She was still tied up, ankles and wrists bound, so stopping Brandon was out of the question. You have the upper hand for no
w
, she thought, wishing Ed would burst through the door.

But it felt like a hopelessly stupid wish. How would her husband know where to find her? Brandon had shown up out of the blue.

“Throwing my wedding rings into the lake doesn’t erase my marriage to Ed,” she said defiantly once Brandon took his seat again.

“How about
till death do us part
?” he asked, his eyes flashing as he stroked the gun.

Ella didn’t dare respond to that. She was terrified but numb at the same time. Half of her knew to be afraid, but the other half of her wished to escape Brandon any way she could, even if it meant
that
half of her mind floated out the window. She was not really there. This wasn’t really happening. She was going to wake up in Ed’s strong arms. She was going to wake up and forget all about this dream. This nightmare.

Just another minute…

But the minutes ticked by, and Ella didn’t wake up. This was real life, no matter how horrible and unjust it was. Brandon taunted her with cruel threats as the gun rested in his lap, casually at the ready. He wasn’t even himself. The Brandon she’d known wasn’t a pleasant man, but he was transformed somehow—pushed over an edge from which there seemed to be no return.

“Please, Brandon,” she finally managed, swallowing the burn in her throat. “Please let me go.

It’s been months since—”

“Shut up!” he bellowed, causing Ella to jump.

Outside a motorboat sped by, leaving a line of white water tailing behind far across the lake. The window behind Brandon was open, but no one would hear them. The closest house belonged to her parents, and they weren’t visiting anytime soon. All her hopes were pinned on Ed. She repeated his name inside her head like a secret prayer, as if beckoning his arrival was possible by mere thought alone.

Remember the matching cabins, Ed, she prayed.

Remember the lake. Remember… Remember…

“You made me look like a fool, Ella,” he said, fidgeting with the gun again. “You and your stupid parents and this Ed fellow who’s twice your age. You really fucked everything up, but somehow
I
came out of this looking like the bad guy.”

The bad guy? He broke into her house and tied her up. He shot a man in her driveway. And now he was threatening her with the gun. He was the bad guy. But Ella dared not voice those thoughts aloud.

Brandon hadn’t hurt her yet, though it was his obvious intention. No point egging him on needlessly. She had to stall him as long as possible
.

Swallowing her pride, she said, “I’m sorry about everything that happened, Brandon. I’m sorry I ran off the first time. And I’m sorry for—”

“Don’t sit there spewing lies to me,” he sneered.

“I’m no fool.” His eyes darkened and he moved toward Ella, brushing a finger along her neckline.

Frozen with fear, Ella stared back with wide eyes.

A single tear rolled down her cheek. To her complete repulsion, Brandon brushed it away and cupped her face. She feared he would kiss her, but he abruptly dropped his hands and yanked her up, dragging her outside toward the dock.

“What are you doing?” she asked, wincing as her legs were dragged down the steps.

He smiled down at her, but his eyes gleamed crazily. “My sweet Ella. We’re going on a little boat ride.”

Ed sped toward the matching cabins he’d remembered, praying his instincts were right. The cabins on Deep Creek Lake were only thirty minutes from his house on the mountain, so it seemed the most likely place for Ella to be
if
Brandon Andrews had her. There was no doubt Randy had betrayed Ed for something or someone. Probably money, and Ed knew Brandon Andrews had enough of it to convince a kid struggling through college to play a little prank on his boss. He was going to destroy the kid. No matter what form of coercion Randy had succumbed to, he was going to destroy him.

Up ahead, the cabins appeared from over a hill, situated before the blue and white rippling lake. A blue sports car was parked beside the first cabin. Ed stopped his SUV far enough away to avoid being heard and crept impatiently toward the house on foot.

Immediately, the bounty hunter surveyed the scene: open front door, no one inside, muffled noises below the hill…the dock!

Ed barreled down, skidding over grass and mud and small rocks, but his movements were quiet enough. One of the two boats along the dock was swaying and a man was moving around hastily. That son of a bitch, Ed thought as he stealthily closed in on Brandon Andrews.

The creep was oblivious to Ed’s approach, busily untying the boat. But there was a handgun tucked into the front of his pants. Ed’s heart plummeted to the ground. Oh God, where was Ella? If he shot his Ella…

All of Ed’s intentions to approach quietly went out the door. Enraged, he jumped on the dock and was on Brandon in a heartbeat, stealing his gun away and knocking him unconscious with the butt of it.

Brandon hadn’t stood a chance against Ed. The creep barely had enough time to look up.

“Ella!” Ed shouted, desperately surveying the boat. “Ella! Ella!”

“Right here!” a muffled voice answered.

Ed followed the voice around the center console and found his wife bound beneath a tarp. She was alive! His heart soared and he forgot his rage against Randy and Brandon—for a moment. Quickly, he used the pocketknife he always carried around to cut her wrists and ankles loose. In a flurry of motion, he inspected Ella from head to toe. The only marks he found were those on her wrists and ankles from the chaffing rope.

“I’m fine,” she insisted, struggling to stand. Her eyes went wide at the sight of Brandon sprawled on the deck. “Is he…?”

“He’s alive,” Ed finished for her, tucking Brandon’s gun into his own pants.

Ed had never taken a man’s life before, and he had no plans to become a murderer now, even though the thought of pushing Brandon Andrews’s unconscious body into the lake was more than a little tempting. No, this was one thing that would stay on his record. Charges of kidnapping were serious. The bastard would probably be in jail for a long, long time.

Brandon was just regaining consciousness when the cops arrived. Ella told her side of the story and Ed told his. Randy was now a wanted man, but instead of tracking the kid down himself, Ed decided to leave this one to the authorities. The only thing that seemed to matter was Ella. He wanted to touch her, taste her, smell her, embrace her, and never let go.

“I knew you’d come,” Ella said once they were alone in the SUV. She smiled sadly and blinked back moisture from her eyes.

Ed squeezed her hand, his heart breaking at the thought of all she’d been through. “Let’s go home,” he said. Never once during the ride home did Ed release Ella’s hand. He was proud of how she’d handled herself with the cops. At any moment, he’d expected her to break down and cry, but she hadn’t.

* * *

They spent the next few days alone at home. The scars on Ella’s wrists and ankles faded, as did the fear brought on by the entire experience. Brandon Andrews was being held without bail, and Randy was brought in two days later. Apparently, Brandon had used his heavy purse to coerce Randy into tempting Ed to leave the house. The story was all over the news, which bothered Ed to no end. At least they lived in the middle of nowhere. At least he could hide the newspaper and unplug the television.

Of course, the intensity of the news spotlight increased when Brandon’s trial began months later.

Both Ed and Ella testified against the man. A jury convicted him quickly, and a judge sentenced the creep to thirty years. Ed would have preferred a harsher sentence, but at least Ella could rest easy knowing Brandon was locked away for a long time.

Ed reluctantly testified against Randy in court, and the kid was convicted on two counts of conspiracy and sentenced to five years. Ed had trusted the kid for years and was still haunted by Randy’s betrayal. Money could make people do stupid things and Ed knew he was proof of that as much as Randy.

Up on the mountain, life went on as the flow of reporters slowly trickled to a stop. Ed hadn’t worked in months, but Ella had continued working for her father’s company from home. Ed was hesitant to leave Ella for any length of time, but knew he must eventually return to work. I’m not old enough to retire yet, he told himself. Although, in truth, he had plenty of money stashed away that catching even one more wanted criminal wasn’t necessary.

Finally, when the weather began cooling again and the leaves changed from green to gold and orange, Ella urged him to return to work. “I love you, but you’re driving me crazy,” she had joked.

“Seriously, go back to work. You loved your job and I know you miss it.”

With a great deal of reluctance, Ed decided to chase after a wanted man in Pennsylvania with a $20,000 bounty on his head. But before leaving, Ed sat Ella down for a lengthy discussion.

“You’re giving me too many rules,” she complained as Ed started naming the conditions of his departure.

“You must have your cell phone on you at all times,” Ed continued, trying to ignore Ella’s insolent tone. “And the alarm is to be set at all times.”

“I already do both of those things,” Ella whined.

“But why can’t I go on walks?”

“You aren’t listening, Ella. I didn’t say you couldn’t go on walks. I said not to go beyond the lake and to always be home well before darkness falls. I don’t want you getting lost in the woods like you did that one time.” Ed recalled the time Ella had gotten turned around in the woods a few months ago. He’d found her frightened but unharmed, but he didn’t want to worry about her being that foolish again during his absence.

Ella rolled her eyes. “Fine.”

Ed’s temper flared. “Stand up,” he commanded, rising to his own feet.

When Ella gaped up at him too long, he lifted her so they were face-to-face. Her eyes were full of fear.

Obviously, she realized she’d pushed Ed too far. He glowered down at her, debating whether or not to pull her over his knee for a spanking.

“I’m sorry, Ed,” she finally said. “I know you’re just trying to keep me safe. I’m sorry I was rude and made a face.”

Ed cupped her face in his hands. “Do you need a session over my knee before I leave?” he asked.

Immediately, Ella shook her head back and forth.

“No, please, I’m sorry. I’ll listen to you.” Ed stepped back but his eyes darkened. “Leaving you for the first time since…since Brandon is difficult.

There’s a good reason for each rule I’ve lain before you. If I return in a few days to discover you’ve disobeyed me, what do you think will happen?” Ella was silent, but Ed wanted her to say the words. If he wasn’t going to punish her now, he could at least shame her by making her say the words.

“Tell me what will happen,” he said, raising his voice enough to cause his wife to jump.

Through blurry eyes, Ella said, “I will get punished…you’ll spank me.” Her voice was low and her face reddened.

“Truly, if you break any of these rules I’ve set, you
will
be severely punished, Ella. Promise me you’ll be good while I’m away.” He reached for her hand.

“I promise.”

* * *

A few days had passed since Ed’s trip to Pennsylvania to collect a bounty. Ella was bored, and she missed her husband greatly. She regretted having urged him to return to work, but deep down she knew it was best. They could not wallow in the shadow of Brandon Andrews and that horrible day at the cabin forever.

With a deep sigh, she sent the last e-mail of the day and spun around in her swivel chair a few times.

Ed had turned one of the guestrooms into an office so she could comfortably work from home. There were tall shelves stocked with office supplies, two top-of-the-line computers, a printer, two phone lines with an answering machine, a scanner, and plenty of other gadgets she hadn’t even used yet. Working here with Ed close by most of the time was better than driving two hours south to her father’s company every day.