Page 33 of Never Leave Me
“Where is she?” He straightened and stared in the direction the other vehicle had driven.
“Where’swho, my lord?” Drake swung his door wide and climbed out.
“Ellen.” Harrison’s pulse started pumping again but at double the pace. “She got into a car. We thought it was you...” If it wasn’t Drake and Bojing, then who was it?
His mind spun with a dozen different possibilities and then landed on only one. “Oh Lord in heaven above, help me.” He bent over, ill.
“What happened?” Drake placed a hand on his back.
“What’s going on?” the pilot called from the jet doorway.
Harrison couldn’t make himself say the words, but they clanged through him anyway with the force of an aircraft at full speed.
Ellen had been abducted.
9
“WENEEDTOCHASEDOWNthe car that was just here.” Harrison lurched for the rear door, his muscles tensing with the need to go.
Thankfully, Drake didn’t waste time and jumped back into the car.
Halfway in, Harrison halted and glanced at the pilot, who was descending the stairs. “The car that was just here, did you have a look at the make or number plate?”
“Sorry, Lord Burlington. Didn’t think I needed to.” At the confusion in the man’s expression, Harrison reckoned he was innocent of any part in the kidnapping. As a long-trusted friend, he wouldn’t have given away their landing time or sent Ellen outside if he’d suspected any danger.
Harrison finished climbing in. As he slammed the door closed, Bojing took off, squealing the tires in his haste.
“That way.” Harrison pointed past Bojing toward the private terminal. “I think they’re headed toward the motorway.”
There weren’t many vehicles out at so late an hour. Hopefully,they’d be able to catch up to any other cars in the area. Regardless, Harrison brought up the number for Sybil Huxham, the local investigator he’d worked with after his abduction. She was the best in all of Kent.
“Drake, you phone the police while I get ahold of Ms. Huxham.”
When Harrison had been captured at the Canterbury Cathedral crypt, his kidnappers had blindfolded him and taken him to a remote location where he’d been bullied and beaten and questioned about Arthur Creighton’s research into the ultimate cure. He hadn’t known much at that point and hadn’t been able to give them the information they’d wanted, so they’d released him.
In the weeks following the incident, Ms. Huxham had traced one of the kidnappers to Lionel Inc., Mercer Pharmaceutical’s biggest competitor. The brute had been arrested and jailed but had denied any connection with Lionel. And of course, Lionel had refuted every claim made against them.
While the abduction experience had been terrifying, other than dehydration and a few broken ribs, Harrison had been all right.
But now ... If they had Ellen, what did they intend to do with her? They wouldn’t mistreat a woman the same way they’d mistreated him, would they?
Bile welled up into his throat.
Why her?
He’d assumed Lionel had given up their close surveillance of his activities after the accusations against them and also after realizing he’d stopped searching for the ultimate cure. He hadn’t seen anyone following him in recent months. Nevertheless, he’d taken precautions to keep his life and doings as private as possible. He’d been extra careful with the trip abroad not to give away their destination.
Had the news of Ellen’s miraculous healing somehow gottenout while they’d been gone? He’d requested secrecy. Besides, the medical staff were obligated to keep the results of Ellen’s tests confidential. But he supposed all it took was one doctor telling a colleague for rumors to spread. He should have guessed the news was simply too incredible to remain private.
If the word of Ellen’s healing had been leaked, then it was very likely Lionel had gotten wind of it. There was no telling what they might do to her now, especially if they discovered she’d ingested the holy water.
Harrison’s heart banged against his chest. “Can you go faster, Bojing? We have to catch up to that car.”
As Drake informed the police of the kidnapping and as Harrison did the same with Ms. Huxham, Bojing sped onto the motorway. But no matter how fast they went, they didn’t come upon any suspects on the nearly deserted road. The longer they drove, the more Harrison realized the futility of the chase. Without a number plate, vehicle make, or any other identifying markers, they had no idea what to look for. And they didn’t have a clue if they were going in the right direction.
Even so, how could he give up searching?
He hadn’t saved her life only to lose her.
