Page 2 of Chasing a Kidnapper

No! He didn’t want Petey pulled over!

He reached for his radio to alert the patrol officer, but it was too late. The squad car had closed the gap, and Petey was already pulling off to the side of the road in compliance to the red and blue flashing lights.

Hesitating, West slowed and considered his options. He quickly doused his headlights and pulled off the road a few yards behind the squad. Then he grabbed his binocs again, to see what was happening.

Petey hadn’t been speeding, so he wasn’t sure what had caught the officer’s attention. Maybe a burned out headlight? If so, maybe Petey would simply accept the ticket for whatever infraction he’d committed and continue on his merry way.

His gut clenched with dread. No, that wasn’t likely. Petey would know his name and driver’s license would be run through the system, his previous gun conviction a bright red flag for the officer to see.

Not good. He couldn’t let this officer approach Petey alone. West quickly slid out of the SUV, having turned the dome lights off earlier, then released the back for Peanut to get out, too. The beagle wasn’t a guard dog, but he didn’t want her to be trapped inside the SUV if things got dicey.

When he caught sight of a pretty female officer getting out of the squad car, his chest tightened with tension.

Trisha McCord was a seasoned patrol officer with the Plains City Police Department, but she had no idea what she was walking into. He walked swiftly forward with Peanut keeping pace at his side, hoping he could reach her before this situation went sideways.

The driver’s window lowered, but Petey didn’t make any effort to get out of the truck. West held his breath as Trisha approached the driver’s door, her hand resting on the butt of her gun.

“Sir?” Her voice held a note of authority. “I’m going to need you to step out of the vehicle.”

There was no response from inside the truck. The tiny hairs on the back of West’s neck rose in alarm. In the rearview mirror he caught a glimpse of Petey’s right hand coming up holding what appeared to be a weapon.

“Gun!” He sprinted forward as the sharp report of gunfire rang out.

Patrol Officer Trisha McCord ducked and returned fire at the driver’s side window. Then quickly pressed herself up against the side of the truck as more gunfire erupted.

What on earth was going on?

Several more rounds erupted, and the truck at her back lurched to the side. The tires. Someone had shot out the truck tires. Likely the same person who’d alerted her to the gun the driver had in his hand, just in time to avoid being hit.

Good. She wasn’t alone in this. Yet the situation was still fluid. Trisha edged along the side of the truck toward the driver’s window, holding her service weapon in both hands.

“Get out of the truck! Now!” she shouted.

Still no answer. Fearing a trap, she inched closer expecting the driver’s door to open at any moment, revealing an armed man.

More gunfire blasted, but this time the sound came from behind her. No, it was the other side of the truck! She whirled in time to see the windshield of her cruiser shatter beneath a barrage of bullets.

She’d never been in a gunfight like this, despite her five years on the job. She swiftly moved along the side of the boxy vehicle, running into a tall blond man she belatedly recognized as Detective West Cole. He’d come to back her up, not that she’d called for assistance. Maybe he’d been nearby and if so, she appreciated his alerting her to the guy’s weapon. She gestured to the passenger side of the truck with the tip of her gun.

He nodded in understanding. On cue, they split up, she headed back up to the front of the truck where the lone headlight shone through the night—the reason she’d pulled the truck over in the first place—while West covered the back.

As she rounded the front of the truck, she saw two dark shadows running into the woods. Two men had been in the truck, not one.

And they were getting away!

Without hesitation, she sprinted after them. “Stop, police!” she shouted. But the two men ignored her.

The woods along this stretch of the road were dense. She could barely see the half-moon glowing in the sky above the bare tree branches and towering evergreens. How far were they from the Black Hills? She wasn’t sure.

She heard footsteps coming up alongside her and knew West had accompanied her on the foot chase. She didn’t slow her speed but was relieved not to be alone with the two armed perps.

Another crack of gunfire had her diving to the ground. She heard the muffled thud near her right flank as West did the same. For long seconds she listened intently. Hearing nothing, she lifted her head, scanning the area ahead for signs of the fugitives.

Where were they?

She rose up on her hands and knees, then glanced over as West Cole joined her. “Stay down,” he whispered.

He wasn’t staying down. “No. We can’t let them get away.”

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