Page 79 of CHASE: Captive to the Dark

It didn’t take more than Bell’s father finding out about Kit’s kidnapping and her condition for the news to spread like wildfire. Residents of Untold came to me in the masses, ready to lend a helping hand as I confessed to each of them my fall from the church and my new found love for Kathleen. With her safe and back with me, she and I could marry and start a family. All the while, I could do my best to bring the town back to life. They bought it, but I wasn’t aware of how much appeal the lie held until I was speaking the words repeatedly. Somehow, I did want all that. Maybe not the marriage yet, but I stood by what I had done. I believed in honor and deep down, I knew it was what was best for all us. Especially the baby. Convincing her would be another story. She didn’t want to be here, more or less a future with me. It was something that would take time, but I’d give it to her. I’d give her almost anything she wanted if I could only get her back.

The trail of vehicles behind me spanned out for as far as I could see. I headed around the last turn that would lead into Cedar, watching in my rearview mirror as a trail of cars began to disappear behind the terrain. The seriousness of the situation was all too real and although I’d tried to convince the men who’d appeared at my door just how much, they refused to listen. Dennis had eventually arrived with four of his deputies to assist and add protection. Even he tried to warn them against this, but the townsfolk insisted they were coming anyway. After almost losing Bell, they grasped to the hope of rescuing Kit from these animals. One I made clear could be Jim. It was enough to give them pause, but not enough to change their minds.

This is what Bell wants. She asked me to find the girl. To save her. I can’t deny my daughter her wishes while she’s in such critical condition. Her father had chanted the words, riling everyone up further as I tried to calm them down. Dissuading them was a lost cause, but a cause I was ready to jump on if it could bring Kit back to me. The last thing I wanted was a tragedy occurring, but losing her or the baby would destroy me. And I knew what Jim was capable of. Prayer suddenly wasn’t enough. Not like it had been in my past. My pleas were nonstop and all I could do was beg for their safe return.

As the town came into view, I scanned over the houses in the distance. There weren’t many; maybe fifteen to twenty in a few block radius. The town had been smaller than Untold, focusing on the rundown convenient store that sat abandoned on the main stretch before me. She could be in any of them…or none. All I had was a suspicion that Jim was hiding out here, but the truth was, he could be in Denver or any town surrounding it. Neither Cody nor Max had given me much during my gruesome interrogation. Jim was alive and behind my failed demise. They’d both been adamant in that, but as for details, neither really seemed to know his location. I had a phone number, but one that went to voicemail every time I tried to call.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Palo said lowly, shifting in his seat.

I looked over for the first time, not wanting to admit the heaviness I also had concerning the situation. “It’ll be fine. They’re either here or they’re not. Maybe with as many people as we have, Jim will just set her loose and go with Dennis without too much of a fight.”

“With what he’s done? I don’t think so. Jail is the last place he wants to go. He’s going to go out with a bang. I guarantee it.” He turned, his eyebrows drawing in as he looked at me. “How are you? You’ve been so quiet.”

Quiet? Yes, of course I had been. You couldn’t mix bloodlust and heartbreak without the two causing a massacre to the heart and brain. “Emotions are irrelevant at this point. You want my state of mine instead? Bad motherfucker. I’m here to kill and take back what belongs to me.”

My hands tightened on the steering wheel while I pulled into the convenient store, watching as the parade of cars began to pile in all around us. They parked where they could, quickly filling the lot and the surrounding field. I got out, meeting Palo in the front as we watched people begin to unload their shotguns and rifles. Others started heading over with handguns, some wearing shoulder holsters with a weapon on each side.

“Jesus,” Palo said quietly. “They’re ready for a fucking war.”

“They’re not the only ones,” I said, throwing him a look. “This goes beyond Kit. Jim has to pay for what he’s done. Not only to me, Weston, and Bell, but Untold. When Abe ruled, he always looked out for the residents. Jim hasn’t done that. He’s hurt them, more than helped.”

“Agreed.” Palo pulled out his Glock. “That’s why we’re all following you. You’ll fix this. I always knew you would.”

I nodded, pulling my gun out, too. “And I start right now.” I began walking, meeting the group halfway. Some appeared angry, others antsy. I took in their faces, waiting for everyone to settle. The silence stretched out while I met their stares.

“Today starts a new chapter for Untold. From here on out, our town belongs to us. No more drugs filling the bars and streets. No more having to watch what we say or do. I’m here to make sure our kids are safe and our significant others are protected. To do that, we put a stop to the corruption, once and for all. Jim may or may not be here, but it won’t stop me from finding him and ending this.” I glanced at Palo and turned to take in Ed, who was standing next to his father. “We have to look back at the last few years and know Abe wouldn’t have wanted this. He did his best for this town. Now, I’m going to do the same. Any questions?”

A few shook their heads while the others waited.

“Good. Let’s break into groups of five. Everyone pick a house. No shooting if you come across them. I don’t want Kit getting harmed by accident. Just be careful.” My hand went out, pointing to Palo, Ed, his father, and Ben’s brother, Daly. In the commotion, everyone moved off on their own and I headed to the first house, not a few hundred feet away. It was centered behind the store and sat on the cul-de-sac of the road resting in front. We came up through the backyard and I pointed for Ed to stay behind while we went toward the front.

“Look for anything out of the ordinary. Any signs that maybe someone’s been staying here,” I said, eyeing the long grass alongside the older structure. “Broken glass, trash that may not look too old. Maybe footprints…if someone’s been staying in one of these homes, they’ve had to have left something behind.”

“And we’ll find it,” Palo said, moving up beside me.

We rounded the front, slowing as I took in the front porch area. The wood was rotting and weeds were pushing up through the boards. I scanned the bare windows, not concealed with curtains or blinds.

“He wouldn’t have picked this place, but let’s go in anyway. Nothing is to go unsearched. Not one square inch.”

Daly and Ben headed for the door while I glanced back and watched the other groups penetrate the nearby homes. As I headed to follow my guys, I couldn’t help but wonder whether or not we’d be interrupted by gunshots. Everyone knew the risks, yet they proceeded anyway. It signified just how much I needed to continue to lead. They were putting their lives on the line to help me. I’d do the same for them.

Stale air hit me hard, making me wrinkle my nose as I soaked in the random pieces of furniture. Old newspaper littered the floor and aside from a random bum, I could tell no one had been in the house for a very long time.

I held my gun pointed down in front of me, and headed for the hall. Palo broke off through one bedroom and Ben, to the one across from that. My skin prickled at the sensitivity of my senses. I was on high alert. Pounding made itself know throughout my entire body. I brought up the barrel as I pushed the back bedroom door open. A rat scattered, disappearing in the closet, but nothing was present. Thicker, the air became, squeezing my lungs while I pulled at the neckline of my sweater.

Kit wasn’t here.

“Next.” My yell echoed around me as I turned and headed for the entrance.

Banging met me as I exited the house. A door gave way a few homes down and a group of men rushed in. I kept at a fast pace, eyeing a dark blue, faded ranch-style home not half a block down. Commotion was stirring all around me and I slowed, pausing as I let my focus go further down the street. A white house stood at the very end and I couldn’t deny the pull I felt when I looked at it.

“What’s going on, you see something?”

Ed and Palo moved up next to me and I pointed. “I want to look in that one.”

“Why that one?” Ed took a step forward, but continued to stare straight ahead. Nothing about the place stood out. Nothing besides the fact that it was one of the few that had a garage versus a carport. That would be convenient if Jim was trying to hide his vehicle.

“Let’s just go,” I mumbled, already beginning to walk.

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