Page 42 of Barry

“If someone finds my shit, my phone. Send it to my brother. Jackson. He’s my only family.”

“I got it, man. I got it.” That voice, she knew. It was the man in the cave with her.

“Jackson, man … I thought Marks saw me. He looked straight at me, but …” There was a long pause as the man coughed and moaned. “I asked him to help me. I think the last chopper has flown out. I’m under some of the building. If I’m found … fuck.” The man started coughing again. “I’m dying. I can see my intestines, and I got shrapnel. Lots of issues, man.”

Kathy listened as the man moaned in pain.

“I know he saw me. They’ll come back for me. Marks will tell them. Got to have faith.”

“Fuck faith!” the man in the cave yelled, causing her to jump. She held her breath, praying he didn’t realize she’d moved.

“Jack … I’m cold. I’m so cold. I want Mom, man.”

Kathy cried silently as she listened to the man die. His breathing, ragged and tortured, ended with a rattle and a wheeze as he asked for his mom again.

“He’ll pay today. He’ll pay.” The man, Jackson, drew a deep breath, and then there was nothing but silence.

Kathy wept silently. What was Barry going to do? She moved her wrist. The blood seemed to loosen theconstraints. That was when she felt her watch. Her running watch with the GPS. The one she was going to take off for the night as soon as she’d finished dressing. She closed her eyes and prayed Kate would tell Barry about the watch. If they could find her before it was too late.

She prayed hard, harder than she’d prayed in a long time. She prayed for the man who was holding her, but most of all, she prayed for Barry and herself. For time together, for time to love, and time to live. She didn’t want riches, success, or any of the world's trappings. She wanted the man she loved and time to be with him.

The man walked up to her and kicked her leg. She groaned, and he jerked her back up on the box. Her dress caught and ripped on the lip of the box.

“Time to call Loverboy and give him the first set of coordinates.” The man snapped her battery into her phone.

CHAPTER 18

Gen opened the diner and left after a brief conversation with Andrew. Barry sat with Andrew, Senior, Ken, Scott Evers, and Alex Thompson as they waited for people from the Marshall ranch to arrive. Doc Wheeler showed up and was sitting in the corner. No doubt to handle him if he lost it again. The thrum of a chopper lifted all eyes.

Barry moved to the window and watched as Frank Marshall and four men dressed in black utility uniforms exited the helicopter and headed to the diner. Ken opened the door, and Frank Marshall asked, “Sit rep?”

“Kathy has been taken,” Barry stated the obvious.

“Any ransom calls?”

“It wasn’t a ransom call. He said he had her and he’d call to tell me when and where to meet him.”

“He has her cell phone.” Frank nodded. “Ethan, open that computer of yours and get to work.”

“On it,” the man said as he dropped what looked like an old-fashioned briefcase on the diner bar and opened it. Barry rattled off her number as soon as he powered on the system inside the case. “She’s also wearing a fitness watch with a GPS.”

The man at the case swung around. “On it.” His fingers flew across the keyboard, and he touched his ear. “Brando, man. I’m tracing a cell out here in the boonies. I need an assist.”

Everyone watched as the man worked. “GPS pings. Yeah, a fitness watch. The device's home GPS location would be …” The man Frank Marshall had called Ethan switched screens and rattled off the longitude and latitude of Kathy’s home.

“Hot ping, incoming,” Ethan said. “He’s using the phone now. I’m working it.”

Barry’s phone vibrated. He lifted it, and the room went silent except for Ethan’s fingers flying over the keyboard. Frank Marshall nodded at him. He slid his finger across the phone. “Where are you?”

“Nothing is that easy. She’s going to die if you don’t do exactly as I say. I’ll drop a text with the coordinates at six tomorrow morning. Be exactly where I say at six forty-five, or I hurt her again.”

“Again?” Barry said through gritted teeth.

The sound of Kathy’s gasp and moan tore through the diner. “Again,” the man said and then hung up.

There was no rage that time. A unique, quiet certainty fell over him. He looked up at Ken. “I’m going to tear that bastard apart with my bare hands,” Barry vowed.

“Can’t say as I’d blame you,” Ken said. “But if you do, I’ll take you in.”

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