Page 44 of For the Birds

Having James’ calm voice in my ear was settling me down. “Farmer’s Bank and Trust.”

“Farmer’s Bank and Trust,” he repeated.

“That doesn’t narrow it down,” I heard Jed say. “They have branches in Louisiana and all over Arkansas.”

“Tell me more, Rose,” James said. “Look for envelopes with addresses onthem.”

I got to my knees. “There’s nothing on the top of the desk, but there were supplies in one of the drawers. That’s where I got the scissors to cut the ducttape.”

Keeping down, I glanced out the window, looking for my abductors again, but the only thing out there was the car they’d brought me in. Where were themen?

I searched the open drawer, finding nothing, then moved to the nextone.

“Rose, talk to me.” Tension strangled his voice.

“I’m lookin’ through the next drawer.” I found a single envelope inside, but just as I was about to inspect it for markings, I heard gunshots from the main part of the warehouse.

“What’s happening?” James demanded, his voice tight. “Is that gunfire?”

My heart pounded into my ribcage. “Yeah, but I can’t see what’s goin’ on.” I rose up on my shaking knees. “Three men just burst through a loading dock door shootin’ guns. And there are gunshots comin’ from outside the officedoor.”

But where were they hiding? Because from what I’d seen earlier, the car was the only thing they had to hide behind.

“Stay down!” he said. “Is there anywhere to take cover?”

“The metal desk. I’m getting under there. The wall is made of concrete blocks.”

“Good. Now stay down and keep hidden. Let them have their shootout, and when the coast is clear, we’ll figure out how to getyou.”

There were multiple rounds of gunshots, and I hated that I felt so defenseless. Why had I left my purse in Levi’s truck? Not that I’d been carrying my gun lately. While I didn’t like carrying it, I’d been given it for self-defense—a precaution I clearly needed given the fact that this was not my first kidnapping. If I got out of this alive, I would start carrying it more regularly. No. When I got out ofhere.

“What’s happening now?” he asked.

“There are lots more gunshots. Some are still close, so I’m guessin’ at least one of the guys who took me is still alive.”

“And you didn’t recognize the guys who tookyou?”

“No. I’ve never seen them before.”

“What did they looklike?”

“In their thirties. Average looking.”

“Tattoos?”

I hadn’t given it much thought, but now I remembered seeing a flash of something. “One had some kind of bird on his arm, but I didn’t see much of either ofthem.”

The gunshots abruptly stopped.

“Has the gunfire ended?”

“Yeah.” My breath was coming in rapid pants.

After several seconds, James asked, “Do you hear anything?”

“No.”

“Stay there. We have no idea why those guys busted in, but we’re gonna let them do their business and be on theirway.”

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