Saved by the Rancher (26 page)

She ignored the fear and thinking David was coming back to finish her off. She let her thoughts drift to Jack. She held a picture of him in her mind. Thoughts of him lessened the fear and kept her sane.

Maybe Jack already knew she was missing and he’d sent men out searching for her. She hadn’t heard anyone, but knew she was far from the ranch.

No, he’s probably not home yet. No one knows I’m gone.

Jack, where are you? Come and save me. Oh, please. Come and save our baby and me.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

J
ACK AND
C
ALEB
arrived home after dark, the ranch eerily quiet. The Camaro and Mustang were both in Jack’s driveway where they’d left them. Several of the ranch hands’ trucks were still parked outside the barn, indicating the men were out searching the grounds for Jenna with the security guards. Jack hadn’t received an update in over an hour.

The front of the house looked great with all the flowers Lily and Jenna had planted. Jenna had put a woman’s touch on the place. Too bad he couldn’t enjoy it. Nothing seemed right. His insides turned cold. A familiar feeling he’d lived with before meeting Jenna. He’d hoped to never feel this way again. It hit him hard just how much light, warmth, and love she’d brought into his life. He didn’t want to go back to the dark days where war and death intruded on his thoughts. He didn’t want to add anything bad happening to Jenna to his daily nightmare. If something happened to her . . . He couldn’t bear to think about what his life would be without her.

They made their way up the front porch steps. Jack dreaded entering the empty house.

“The flowers look great.” Caleb broke the silence with his mundane statement.

Jack ignored him and went in first. The kitchen light was on, along with a light upstairs, but the house was too quiet. A shiver danced up his spine. His skin went cold.

He ran up the stairs two at a time and checked the bedroom. Nothing appeared out of place, or even changed since he left. All of Jenna’s clothes were in the closet, and the bathroom was clean and orderly.

Where is she?

Jack was losing his mind. No one had seen her since this morning. She could be anywhere by now. He didn’t know what to think, but his mind conjured one nightmare after another.

He met Caleb in the Great Room. “She promised she’d stay here with me. We’re supposed to get married. She wouldn’t leave.”

He paced back and forth trying to think. He replayed their last few conversations in his mind. Nothing stood out. She hadn’t indicated anything about being unhappy with him, or that she wanted to leave. They were happy. She was happy.

“He took her. I know that bastard came here and took her. She wouldn’t leave me.”

“Jack, calm down. We don’t know anything yet. The house looks intact. There’s no sign of a struggle. Maybe she went somewhere and just didn’t say.”

“No. The truck and the Camaro are both here. He took her. I know it. This bad feeling has been eating at me all day. Something’s not right.” The quiet in the house disturbed him. Something tickled the back of his mind, and then it hit him. “Where’s Sally?”

Caleb looked around and shrugged. Jack pulled out his phone and dialed his sister.

“Summer, we’re back. Do you have Sally?”

“No. Sally was with Jenna, like always. I spoke with the men searching this side of the property. No one has seen anything. I’m on my way.” Summer hung up.

Jenna’s gone.

Panic gripped Jack’s heart like a vice, threatening to squeeze the life out of him. He didn’t want to think about all the things that could have happened to her, but his mind conjured one gruesome image after another. She could be dead. He flashed back to her lying unconscious in front of the fire in the cabin and seeing all the wounds down her back and thigh. About to lose it, he dug the heel of his hand into his eye to erase the horrible images.

The guards and ranch hands were searching. Running out of other options, Jack flipped open his cell and dialed.

“Ben, it’s Jack. Where is she?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Where’s Jenna? Did she call you? Is she on the run again?”

“She hasn’t called. Isn’t she with you?”

“I just got back. No one has seen her since this morning. I’m losing my mind.”

“She hasn’t contacted me, and she would. That’s the first thing she does when he’s caught up to her. Did she take her purse?”

“No, it’s on the kitchen counter where she always leaves it.”

“Check it. There should be a set of keys to lockers at a local health club. That’s where she keeps her emergency suitcase and money. If she runs, she wouldn’t leave without them.”

Jack rifled through her purse, found the keys tucked into a slit in the lining. “They’re here. I didn’t even know she’d set this up over the last few months. She shouldn’t have had to do this. She should have been safe on the ranch with me!” he shouted, letting his rage slip the reins.

“She probably hoped she’d never need to use it again. What do you think happened?”

“There’s no sign of her. It’s like she vanished. Where is he?”

“My last report confirmed he got married a couple days ago in San Francisco and left to an undisclosed location for his honeymoon. I’ll call my contact and see if I can get a definite location, or even a rumored one.”

“Do it. I’m calling the sheriff. We’ll need their help searching for her.”

Jack hung up with Ben. Caleb watched him shake with frustration and worry. Overcome with pent-up rage, Jack hauled his arm back and punched the wall. A huge hole gaped where his fist broke through the drywall. He didn’t feel the pain or the abrasions on his knuckles. Without Jenna, he couldn’t feel anything.

“Better?” Caleb asked, worried.

“No. Where the hell is she?”

Summer and Lily walked in the door. Summer’s gaze went from his bleeding knuckles to the hole in the wall. Frowning, she asked, “Feel better?”

Jack glared and tossed the phone to Caleb. “Call the sheriff.”

Jack headed down to the barn to find his men, the guards, anyone to ask if they’d seen anything. He knew the answer, but at least it was something to do. He didn’t even know where to start looking for her.

He’d failed her. That’s all he kept telling himself. He’d said he’d protect her, and he’d left her alone.

J
ENNA WOKE TO
the stars above her. She stared at them for a long while, shivering, she curled up as best she could to keep warm. The pounding in her head wouldn’t stop, she lost focus often. She closed her eyes and opened them again. The stars blurred and fell from the sky. At least, that’s how it appeared in her hazy condition.

Noises came from the brush. She lay very still, unsure if it was someone looking for her, or an animal zeroing in on the smell of her blood. Watching and waiting, out of nowhere came a huge buck. He walked into the clearing about ten feet from her. He stood still, studying her before he turned to look behind him. A doe and faun followed. The deer took off with a leap, sprinting back into the trees. Tears blurred her vision and dripped down her cheeks. A family. Would she survive to have a family with Jack? She wasn’t so sure anymore.

Exhausted after only a short while, she laid her head back and slept.

Help me, Jack. Please, help me.

Chapter Forty

J
ACK ARRIVED BACK
at the house in time to meet the sheriff and some of his men in the Great Room. The sheriff, a tall man with a huge potbelly and a sandy grey mustache in need of trimming, commanded the room. His shrewd brown eyes narrowed on Jack.

“How long has she been missing?”

“Since early this afternoon, maybe a little before one o’clock. Nearest we can tell. She was out back planting flowers, and now she’s gone.”

“So, less than twenty-four hours. Are you sure she’s not off visiting a friend?”

“She doesn’t have any friends.” Jack frowned at the thought. “She promised not to leave the ranch.”

“I’ve known you and your family a long time. I’m not saying you had anything to do with the woman’s disappearance, but still, I need to check every possible angle. Where were you this afternoon?”

Statistically the person closest to the victim was usually responsible. He wasn’t upset the sheriff zeroed in on him, but wasting time annoyed him. Time Jenna didn’t have if she was at David’s mercy.

“Caleb and I attended an auction, went to the courthouse to sign some papers, and headed over to a friend’s ranch. He was with me the whole time. I’ve been calling most of the day. She hasn’t answered. Her purse is in the kitchen along with her cell phone. None of her clothes are missing. None of the cars are gone. None of my men or the guards has seen her.”

“Mommy, why are the police here?” Lily asked.

“We can’t find Jenna, so he’s going to help us.” Summer hugged Lily close.

Everyone knew, but no one would say it. David could have taken Lily too. The thought of that evil man touching a hair on Lily’s head was reprehensible.

“Maybe she’s still with that man,” Lily said, working on a Popsicle, her lips cherry red. Every head in the room turned toward her. Her big blue eyes went wide as everyone stared in disbelief.

“What?” Jack came over to Lily and kneeled beside her, Summer’s arms locked around her protectively. “What man, Lily?”

“The man in the woods. He looked like a bush, but his face was mad.”

“You saw a man in the woods?” Jack asked softly, though he wanted to demand she tell him everything. He reminded himself she was little more than three.

“Yes, he watched us plant the blue flowers. Jenna didn’t see him at first, but I did. He tried to hide.”

Jack’s heart sank. His worst fears had come true. “What did he do then?”

“Jenna told me to go inside for lunch. I did, but I watched out the window.”

“What did you see?” Jack was torn up inside. His niece saw what happened to Jenna. He hoped it wasn’t anything that would haunt her.

“The man came out of the trees. He had a really big knife.”

“Did he hurt Jenna?” Jack asked carefully.

“No. Jenna went into the woods with him. Sally followed and I had lunch.”

“Why didn’t you tell anyone about the man?” Jack didn’t know what to do. She was only a little girl. She didn’t know something bad happened to Jenna.

“Because I thought she knew him.”

The sheriff spoke up then, having written everything down. “What did he look like?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugged her small shoulders.

The sheriff tried again. “Was he tall? What color hair did he have?”

“Dark. He was bigger than Jenna. His clothes looked like a bush.”

“What do you mean he looked like a bush?” the sheriff asked, as confused as the rest of them.

“Lots of green, like Daddy and Uncle Jack when they were in the Army. I saw pictures.”

Jack spoke first. “Camouflage. That’s why she didn’t see him sneak up on her. If she heard anything in the woods, she probably thought it was one of the guards.”

“What guards?” The sheriff’s interest increased.

“We have guards watching the property. Jenna’s ex-husband has a habit of finding her and,” he considered Lily, “let’s just say, hurting her.”

The sheriff got the picture and nodded with a frown tilting his mustache. “Who’s the ex?”

“David Merrick. Last I knew he was in San Francisco. His wedding was a couple of days ago. I have someone checking to see where he is now. I don’t know, maybe he came and took her. Maybe he had someone else take her. From what Lily said about the man, my guess is it’s David. Her description fits. Where Jenna is concerned, he likes to do his own dirty work.”

“Okay, we’ll check him out. Let’s send some men into the woods behind the house, see if we can’t find tracks. She could still be out there.” The sheriff’s blunt statement made the situation that much more real. It was a real possibility she was lying dead out in the trees behind the house. Every instinct Jack possessed told him to rush out there, search every square inch of land until he found her, but reason and training prevailed. They needed a strategic approach if they had any hope of finding her and thwarting whatever diabolical plan David had in store for her.

“She’s been gone all afternoon. She could be anywhere,” Jack said, distracted by his wandering thoughts.

“Let’s begin the search where she was last seen, and see if we can’t determine which direction they went.”

“Fine. The men have checked most of the immediate area around the barns and family cabins. We’ll meet you outside and work our way north along the pastures.”

The sheriff and his men headed out to the back patio, taking out their flashlights to look around for clues. It would be slow going in the dark.

“We’ll find her, Jack. I know we will,” Summer tried to reassure him again. It didn’t help.

“I pray she’s alive when we do. Take Lily home. You need your rest. We’ll call when we find her.”

“Jack, call Sam. We talked about this, remember? It’s time.” She’d spoken to Jack shortly after Jenna decided to stay. They agreed Sam could help in some way if Jenna got into trouble. This was big trouble and Sam’s FBI training and experience would be invaluable. Jack knew his twin brother would keep him sane if something bad happened to Jenna.

“I hate to take him away from his work, but you’re right. We need him.” Jack pulled out his cell phone and dialed Sam’s number. As usual, he got his voicemail. “Sam, it’s Jack. I need you to come home. It’s an emergency.” That’s the only message he left and all he needed to say.

Lily squirmed excitedly, squealing, “Uncle Sam is coming? Yeah!”

“Come on, Sunshine. You and me are going home. Uncle Jack and Daddy will look for Jenna.

“Call me no matter what time and tell me when you find her. She’s okay. I know it. She’s a survivor. We just need to find her.”

Jack hugged his sister. Her body trembled and tears rolled down her face. She didn’t need to be here enduring this stress when she was pregnant. “Go home, little sister. Take care of yourself. Caleb and I will call when we know something. Have one of the guards stay with you. I don’t want to take any chances.”