Page 36 of More Than A Boss

Just then, the little girl shyly pointed at Zane’s hat and said, “At.” Daniel clapped his hands in delight.

“Sissy, you got it! You guessed it!” Jumping off the bed, he began to run around the room with glee saying, “She got it! She got it! Sissy guessed!”

Zane and Darcy both stood up to leave. Darcy bent over to put Nicolas back on the bed in a little nest they had made for him, and she asked Isabella for a hug. Isabella held out her pudgy little arms and wrapped them around Darcy’s neck. Darcy felt her eyes tearing up. So innocent, she thought. We all start out this way—pure, trusting. Why do people become monsters, she wondered, not for the first time? She straightened and composed herself before turning back to the men.

“We’ll be right outside watching your door, Will. If you get any calls, just remember we’ll be listening. We will give two light knocks on the door to signal to let us in. We can then write notes and communicate with you, if it comes down to negotiations,” Darcy instructed.

“Any questions, Will?” Zane asked.

Obviously agitated, he replied that he understood, and they slipped from the room.

Around 3:00 am, the two men on duty at the front of the hotel radioed to report that a taxi had entered the parking lot and there was a woman who fit Camilla’s description in the front seat, and they were driving around the back lot toward them.

A moment later, they heard Will’s cell ring and he answered.

“Hello,” Will answered breathlessly.

“Will,” she cried.

“Camilla! You are alive! Where are you? Do they still have you? My darling!” he said sobbing.

“Mommy! Mommy!” They heard the children cry in the background.

“I’m in a taxi. They let me go and I’m here now. I’m going to be knocking on the door in a few seconds. I didn’t want you to think it was them,” she said in obvious distress.

“Wait right there! Zane is in the parking lot. He’ll meet you at the taxi. Wait for him to come and get you,” he begged.

“I’ll wait,” Camilla said.

Zane and Darcy jumped out of the van and ran to the waiting taxi. They hustled Camilla out of the vehicle and into the motel room. They all gathered anxiously to hear Camilla’s story and to question her.

“Tell us exactly what happened, Camilla,” Darcy said calmly and kindly.

After the emotional greetings from her husband and children, Camilla was sitting in a chair holding Nicolas, with the other two clinging to her legs. Camilla had an ugly gash on her cheek and swelling around her left eye. She looked like she had taken a tumble and seemed to be moving cautiously, as if avoiding pain. Will stood beside her, with his hand protectively squeezing her shoulder.

“After I left the grocery store, I was driving down the road and a car came up close behind me and began following. At first, I thought they were tailing so close because I was driving very slowly due to the weather, but then the car accelerated and bumped me. I lost control and then righted myself, only to have them ram me again. Then I knew it was intentional. My car spun out of control on the ice and I went into the ditch. I locked my doors, but two men approached and pointed their guns at me, so I knew I had to open the car door.”

She was wringing her hands and trembling as she recounted her experience.

She continued, obviously distraught. “I fell as they pulled me from my vehicle and dragged me to their car. I stumbled and hit my head against the door as they forced me into the back seat. I began to struggle and one of the men hit me in the face with the butt of his gun and then got in beside me. The other got in the driver’s seat and started driving.”

“Neither man spoke for the longest time, until they pulled into a deserted rest area and parked. They both had on ski masks, so I never saw their faces. One had a Spanish accent and the other an American accent. I began crying, pleading with them not to take me from my babies. They told me they just wanted me to get a message to my husband. The message was to tell him that snitches die. That if he showed his loyalty to my brother, he would not have to see his family die, but if he snitched, he would live to see us tortured and killed first and only then would he be put out of his misery.”

“They threw me out of the car and drove away. I had my cellphone, so I managed to call a taxi and they picked me up and drove me here. I watched to see if anyone followed us, but it was deserted and there were no other car lights anywhere. I had the taxi driver take a few detours to be sure, and there was no one.” She sobbed as she finished her harrowing tale.

Will said protectively, “She needs to rest and forget about this for the night. Our children need their mother’s attention. Please leave us for now.”

Zane replied sensibly, “Will, you were released on a million dollars bail. You’re not allowed to leave the state. Those were the terms of the agreement. Right now, you’re breaking the terms of the bail arrangement. We can transport you back to my home now and put you up there until we can find a safe house for you and your family. We have two vehicles that are not on their radar. I think that is our safest bet for now.”

“Can you give us a little time as a family? We need to calm the kids down and Camilla as well. I think we can be ready to go by 6:00,” he said, glancing at the bedside clock and seeing that it was 4:15 am.

Zane and Darcy exchanged glances, and Darcy nodded affirmation to Zane.

“OK,” he confirmed, “we will call you to signal that we are right outside your door with the transportation. You’ll get in the van and go with us, and our two men will get your luggage and follow. Only take what you need for the trip back,” he instructed.

“Thanks,” Camilla said shakily.

“You are safe now, Camilla. We’ve got you!” Darcy reassured her, and they walked back out into the snowy night.

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