Page 96 of Save Her Life

“Hand it to me.”

She did, not even caring that she was standing there half-naked at the side of the road. She didn’t even feel the cold. Shewas more concerned that he’d find what she’d tucked into the underwire of both cups.

He licked his lips as he stared at her exposed breasts. Under his watch, she felt chilled, but she retained a strong stance. She wasn’t going to let this creep play mind games on her. And if he had other ideas, he’d better pray to God because he’d need divine help if he decided to act on his base impulses. “Wait, what the hell is this?” He plucked out the small listening device. “You didn’t think I’d find this? That means that your little fed buddies are listening in right now. Are they going to hear you die? I’m not a fan of a live audience.”

“That’s up to you.” There was no point in denying that they’d be listening in. “You’re in charge.”

Jennings roared and threw the bug to the ground and smashed it under his boot, twisting his heel for good measure.

She remained quiet, clinging to silence as her ally.

“I should kill you, but get dressed. Let’s move.” He threw her bra at her, and she jammed it into a pants pocket, and scrambled to do up the buttons on her shirt. She bent for the vest, but he stood on it. “That stays.”

She zipped up her coat and got behind the wheel of her car. No agents were within sight, but she shouldn’t be alone for long. The tracker was still in the bra, which was on her person. But would help come before it was too late?

FORTY-FIVE

Even though Sandra had prepared for the possibility of being abducted, being in that predicament was surreal. Jennings had her drive to the rural outskirts of Gainesville, Virginia, and pull into the mouth of a rundown industrial building, which was blocked by a chain-link gate. Olivia was likely inside.I’m coming, baby!

“Don’t think of trying to pull anything,” Jennings told her as he got out. He freed the padlock and chain, opened the gate, and waved her through.

The thought ran through her mind to hit him with her car, but what if Olivia wasn’t here? Instead she compliantly drove in and parked where he directed her to. He closed the gate behind them and walked over to the driver’s side door and ushered her out.

She looked around, understanding why he’d chosen this place. It was isolated with the closest neighbor a couple of miles down the road. She wasn’t sure how he knew about it or what connection he might have to it though. If this was where Dennis Eaton’s shoes had picked up the wood tar, this place wouldn’t have come up in any search that was done anyway. They’d looked closer to Washington. This was a fifty-minute drive away.

“Let’s go.” He had his gun out and was rushing her toward a door in the rear of the warehouse. There was a padlock on the outside of it that Jennings unlocked.

“Inside.” Jennings pushed her, and she stumbled over the raised threshold but was quick to catch her balance.

It was a large open space with wooden trusses overhead.Like where Olivia was bound to a chair.She only had the chance to think that when she heard her daughter screaming.

Sandra ran in the direction of the noise. “Olivia?” she said.

“Mom!”

She rounded a corner and spotted her daughter. Olivia was tied to a chair with zip ties. Dried blood was on her face, and Sandra’s stomach sank. It felt overwhelming witnessing Olivia’s distress in person. “Oh, sweetheart.”

“Not so fast.” Jennings yanked Sandra backward and shoved her hard. The action caught her off guard, and she fell to the floor.

Sandra watched in horror as Jennings walked to her daughter, his gun out. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and put the muzzle to her head. “I did make it very clear, did I not? No cops or feds. But that park was crawling with them! And don’t even think about lying to me.”

She held up her hands in surrender. “Fine. You’re right, and I’m sorry. But please believe me when I tell you that wasn’t my doing.”

“Ah, but you let it happen even though I told you what I’d do to her.” He pushed his gun harder against Olivia’s head, and she cried out.

All her training coalesced, trying to help her, but her poor, sweet, innocent Olivia was just feet away from her. Sandra scrambled to her feet.

“Stay right there. Orboom!”

Sandra stopped moving, dared not to even breathe. She couldn’t pry her eyes from her daughter’s. They were so full of fear. “You’re right,” Sandra rushed out. “I’m sorry. But, please, we can work this out. Take your gold, even my car, just let us live.”

“Nah, I feel more like killing both of you. I’ve played fair. I’ve been more than patient.”

“Lonnie Jennings, this is Brice with the FBI. Let’s talk.” His voice traveled over a bullhorn. “We all want this to end peacefully, and you want your gold, right? Special Agent Vos can give you my number. Call me, and let’s figure this out together.”

“What the hell?” Jennings crept next to a window and looked outside. He jumped back from the glass like he’d been burned. “Shit, they’re everywhere. What did you do? How are they here so fast? It takes time to track a GPS in a car.”

She was tempted to pluck the tracker out of her bra and stick it in his face, but that could be the last decision she made. No one took well to being made to feel like an idiot.

---