Tempestuous Taurus Read online

  She was almost relieved when she realized he had cut off her bra.

  Chapter 59

  Cassie helped Deputy Bowen draw a crude map of where she thought she might have been held, which had been texted to the Feds. He quizzed her and tried to help her remember more about where she had walked.

  When he could see she was getting tired of his questions, Jared punched Cory’s number on his cell phone.

  Cory answered after three rings. “Did you find Tara?” he asked.

  “No. I wish I had good news about her, but the Feds are on their way. I have someone who wants to speak with you.” He handed the phone to Cassie. Man, I wish I was a fly on the wall to see his face.

  “H-Hello, it’s me, Cassie.”

  Jared smiled as he waited for the pause he knew would happen.

  “Cassie! What the hell? Is this some kind of joke?” He could hear Cory even though his ear wasn’t close to the phone.

  “It’s really me, Cory. But Tara . . .”

  Jared took the phone from her. “Tara’s kidnapper is the same dude who has had Cassie all this time. It’s a long story, but I’ll keep you informed.”

  Cory peppered Jared with questions and he answered them as best he could. Deputy Bowen caught his eye, and he said, “I have to go. We’re taking Cassie to the hospital in Groover to be checked out.”

  “Hey, I’ll take the first flight we can get. Be there soon.”

  Jared stood up and held out a hand. “Come on, Cassie. I’ll help you to the car.”

  Cassie sat huddled in the corner, wrapped in the blanket as Jared drove behind the deputy’s cruiser to the hospital in the next town, Groover. “I don’t need a hospital, and I’m not going in there,” Cassie said as they turned into a parking space. Jared opened his door.

  Deputy Bowen climbed out of his SUV and stood on the pavement waiting, with a harassed expression on his face.

  “You know they’ll need to check you out and make sure you’re okay—your feet are messed up, but what about . . . I mean . . .”

  “You want to know if I was raped, and they will too.” She pulled her knees up and hugged them. . “I can’t do it, Jared, please don’t make me go in there. I don’t want them poking around my body. Please.”

  Jared sucked in air. He knew this was extra hard for Cassie, being autistic. “They’re gonna make you do it, Cassie. I’m sorry. I can’t stay with you, but . . . ”

  “That must be Jared White,” a woman said from behind him.

  He swung round. “Maddie Taylor. I haven’t seen you for a while.” She was dressed in the usual deputy’s khaki pants and shirt, and her light-auburn hair was tied up in a ponytail. She leaned into the truck. “And this must be Cassie.” She smiled. “I’m so happy you’re safe. You must have had a terrible time as a captive.”

  Cassie shrugged.

  “I’m here to help you through this process.” She indicated the hospital. “I’ll be with you the entire time and I’ll do everything I can to make it easier for you.”

  “What do they have to do?” Cassie said in a shaky voice.

  “You probably have DNA from him on you—you know, skin cells and hair and stuff like that, so they’ll want your clothing. They have to do a rape kit even if it’s been a while since he last touched you. You also need to see a psychiatrist. But I will be here for you and any time it becomes overwhelming, we’ll take a walk or drink some coffee, or whatever you want.”

  Maddie went round to the passenger side and opened the door.

  Cassie sat there as if in a stupor, and for a moment, and Jared wondered if she had reverted back to not speaking. Then he saw the tears running down her face, and she buried her face in the blanket and sobbed. “I want to go home.”

  Maddie held out a hand. “The sooner we get this done, the sooner you’ll go home. Come on.”

  Cassie took her hand and slid out of the truck. Jared watched them enter the building, sighed, and got back into his truck. He had met Maddie when he had first been arrested. He had been so young and vulnerable, and she was the only law enforcement officer who had shown some empathy for him. He knew she would take good care of Cassie.

  He started the truck and followed the sheriff’s unit at a discreet distance.

  Merrick had texted him to say the Feds hadn’t arrived yet, but he and Shawn would wait for them at the Center.

  Chapter 60

  Forty minutes later, Jared sat in his truck in a turnout and watched the rear-view mirror. He looked up at the sky, thankful the rain clouds had gone and the bright sun showed promise of a clear remainder of the day. He couldn’t find Tara again and then lose her. Life wouldn’t be worth living without her, and he would do everything in his power to help find her. If that bastard rapes Tara or hurts her in any way, I’ll kill him. I don’t care if I go back to prison forever.

  Nate had agreed to lead the deputies to the place he found Cassie on the highway, so they would be able to give the FBI an idea of where to start their search. The Feds were outsiders, and Jared, having lived in the area most of his life, believed it took local knowledge to negotiate the backwoods.

  He spotted Nate’s truck on the highway, followed by the sheriff’s vehicle, and pulled in behind them.

  They drove for about eleven miles and then stopped at another turnout. “This is about where I saw the young lady walking on the side of the highway,” Nate was saying as Jared got out of his truck. “She was heading toward Hardship on the side of the road about there.” Nate pointed.

  Deputy Bowen looked up. “Thanks for bringing Cassie to the hospital, but what are you doing here?”

  “This is killing me. I can’t sit around and wait for something to happen. I have to feel that I’m doing something to help find her.”

  Nate pulled a cigarette pack from his top pocket and offered it around. No one accepted. He put a cigarette between his lips, replaced the pack, and flicked a lighter, and backed away. Jared could smell the tobacco smoke. Nate said, “She said she walked the wrong way for a while—she didn’t know how far, and then she turned around and went back. A trucker stopped and told her she was going the wrong way if she was trying to get to Hardship.”

  “A man in a big rig? She said he stopped for her,” Tim said.

  “Yeah. He stopped to give her a ride, but he didn’t want to turn around and take her to Hardship.”

  “So she came from that side of the road.” Jared pointed.

  “Yeah. I’m almost sure. That was where she thought she had come from—on that dirt road there.”

  “Okay. That gives us three possibilities. There are only the three dirt roads going off on this, the east side of the highway within eight miles. She couldn’t have walked much further than that on those feet. This is where we leave it. The Feds will take over from here,” Deputy Bowen said. He turned to Nate. “Thanks, Nate. You’ve been a great help, and we really appreciate it. You probably want to get going.”

  Nate tossed the cigarette butt on the ground and used his boot heel to grind it out. “Fuck no. I’m not going anywhere. Any man who can treat a young lady the way she’s described needs to be taken down and I’m gonna be right here on the sidelines.”

  “Just be sure to stay out of the way of the investigation.”

  They headed for their vehicles. Jared climbed into his truck and waited until they had gone. He knew this whole area would be crawling with cops and federal agents soon, but time was running out. If Cassie was right, the kidnapper may plan to kill Tara right away. He would know Cassie had reported him, and he may be desperate.

  Jared had been in this area before a lot of times when he was a kid, and he knew they would be searching for a needle in a haystack. The network of trails went for miles of mostly thickly-wooded, hilly terrain. Other vehicles would have obliterated any tire tracks that belo
nged to the killer by now. It wasn’t a busy area, but he could remember there were hunting cabins spread out all over the place, and some folks lived full-time in them.

  The Feds would use helicopters, but there were plenty of structures that were hidden from the air by the trees. He decided to do some searching on his own. The cops would probably be pissed off with him for putting himself in danger, but he hated the way his stomach churned whenever he thought of Tara and what that monster could be doing to her.

  ~ ~ ~

  “Get up. Get up! Now.”

  “Ouch!” Roderick gripped Tara’s arm so tightly it hurt.

  “Put on some clothes.” He threw a nightgown and fluffy slippers onto the bed. “Hurry.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “That slut of a sister of yours didn’t get eaten by anything. She must have managed to get to Hardship.”

  Tara’s heart soared. Cassie was safe. Thank you, God. How did he know? Were there cops outside the cabin?

  “They’ll never find us,” he said. “I know these woods better ‘n anyone alive. Hurry!”

  Her heart fell when he held up what looked like a leather dog collar with a leash and slipped it around her neck. He tied her hands behind her back again. She was thinking about kneeing him in his privates when he pulled a taser gun out of his combat-type camo jacket. “If you try anything stupid, you’ll wish you were dead.”

  She had to make a move somehow, but how? If she tried to run, he would choke her and then fry her. The only thing she could do was try to slow him down to give the cops more time.

  She headed toward his truck, but he jerked her back. “We ain’t goin’ for a drive.”

  Oh, God, that hurt. She coughed. “Well, I can’t walk out in the woods in these shoes,” she said.

  “Your dumb sister managed. Now shuddup.”

  He jerked her forward and headed into a thick stand of forest.

  ~ ~ ~

  Jared followed the narrow trail that turned this way and that and up and down hills in thick woods.

  He stopped the truck beside a rocky hill, climbed out, and locked the doors. He turned off his cell phone’s volume. He didn’t want to attract any unnecessary attention from anyone who may be in the area. He followed a deer trail through some thick bushes, and then climbed to the top of the hill where he would have a view of the valley below.

  He turned around in a circle. All he could see all the way to the horizon were trees and thick undergrowth and they all looked the same.

  He climbed back into the truck and continued along the trail.

  A bumpy dirt track lined with long-needle pines forked off to the right.

  He decided to follow it, and around the next corner, he came across a clearing. There, he spotted a shabby bat and board cabin, dark in the shadows of the tall trees around it. The roof bowed in the center and weeds sprouted from the cracked concrete leading to the peeling front door.

  He hit the brakes, jammed the gears into reverse, and backed up the vehicle until he was out of sight from the cabin behind a group of cedar trees.

  He waited and watched the cabin for any sign of life, but nothing moved. He slipped out of the truck and crept around to the rear of the cabin, using the trees for cover. He held his breath as he pushed the door. It almost fell off its hinges as it swung inward.

  A thick layer of dust and mold covered everything and the dank smell made him reel. No one had been in there for a long time.

  He went back to his truck, his shoulders stooped. He’d known what he was doing was futile, but his conscience would not have sat easy if he had done nothing.

  He started the truck and kept going.

  Chapter 61

  Jared arrived at the Center just after eight in the evening to a chaotic scene. The FBI Mobile Command Unit stood in the parking lot and people milled about outside of it. Two TV trucks were parked under the big oak tree at the house.

  He took the only other parking space beside the house and went in search of Merrick.

  “Boy, am I glad to see you,” Merrick said. “Those fucking reporters won’t leave us alone if we come out of the house. Jules had them following her around when she went to check on the horses.”

  Jared looked around just in time to see a woman rushing up to him from behind, with her videographer at her side. “Mr. White, Mr. White, is it true Cassie Ericson has been found?”

  “Let’s go into the house,” he said.

  Inside, music blared and Shawn stood at the cooktop, stirring something that smelled delicious. “Any sign of Tara?”

  Jared wiped a hand over his brow. “No. Damn it.”

  “Have you been to Ma Pocket’s place? It’s all locked up. You can’t go inside,” Merrick said as he took a beer out of the refrigerator and handed it to Jared.

  “Why? What’s going on with Mrs. P?”

  “Didn’t you get a text from her?” Merrick pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and held it up. “Something about an inspection and she has to vacate while they tent it, and it was up to us to find alternative accommodation, so we came over here. I can’t say I ever saw a bug there.”

  Jared patted his pockets. “Oh hell. My phone’s gone. Let me go look in my truck.” Jared jogged to his vehicle and searched under the seats and everywhere he could think of. The reporters caught up to him and fired questions at him. “No comment.” He pushed past them and trotted back to the safety of the house.

  “It’s gone,” he said to Merrick and Shawn. “I think I lost it somewhere out in the boondocks where I was searching.” I left Kaitlyn with Mrs. P.

  He picked up the landline phone. “Does anyone have Lou’s number?”

  “Lou Barnard—Kaitlyn’s mom?” Jules came down the stairs. “I have it. Hey, Jared. I hope you don’t mind us taking over the house, but they have nowhere to stay tonight.” She indicated the two men. “The FBI arrived just after four this afternoon and after a long time, they cleared the house and said we could come inside. The evidence techs from Groover had already been through and taken prints and everything, but the Feds had their own CSIs do the same thing. They were in here for two hours.”

  She handed her phone to Jared. It was ringing.

  “Yeah, hey, Lou, was everything okay with Kaitlyn yesterday?”

  There was a long silence. “She ran away. Kaitlyn ran away again and I can’t find her. I’ve been calling you. Didn’t you get my messages?”

  “No. I lost my phone. Where have you looked?”

  “I’ve looked everywhere I can think of,” she said in a panicked voice. “Those two military guys were at the Center and they said they haven’t seen her. Oh, Jared, I don’t know what I’m gonna do. They gave me one more chance to keep her and now I’ve screwed it all up.”

  “I’ll see what I can do,” he said and handed the phone back to Jules.

  “Oh shit. Everything’s so fucked up. Kaitlyn’s gone AWOL again.”

  “We heard that. She hasn’t been found?”

  “Lou says no.”

  “I’ll go out and look in the barns again. I can’t believe Cassie’s here in Hardship,” Jules said. “Everyone thought she was dead. Where is she?”

  “They’re processing her. I don’t know how long it’ll take.”

  “I wish you could find Tara,” Jules said. “Cory called earlier and he said they’ll be arriving at the Groover municipal airport tomorrow afternoon and they’ll get a rental car there.” She left the house.

  “Thanks for letting Shawn and me sleep here tonight,” Merrick said. “We brought food and sleeping bags, and we’ll use the couches. Groover Hotel is fully booked since Ma Pocket shut her place down and the Feds are staying there. The nearest hotel after that is like fifty miles away.”

  “Hey, it’s not my house. Bu
t I don’t see a problem.” Jared downed the rest of his beer and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “If Kaitlyn isn’t in the barns, I don’t know where to start looking.”

  Someone knocked on the door. “FBI,” a deep voice said.

  Jared opened the door. A man and a woman stood there. “Jared White?”

  Jared nodded. “That’s me.”

  “I’m Special Agent Palmer and this is Special Agent Gonzalez. Would you be willing to speak with us? We have a conference room in the unit.”

  “We’d like to ask you a few questions,” Gonzalez said.

  Jared’s heart thumped and he felt sick. This was how it all began after Tara’s parents were murdered. He followed them out to the truck.

  Palmer, his brown hair combed back, wore a black suit and black leather shoes. His white shirt had the sleeves rolled up, and his tie hung loosely around his neck, the top button undone. Gonzalez had her long, blonde-streaked hair tied up somehow and wore a knee-length gray skirt and jacket, with a navy-blue blouse underneath, and blue shoes with low heels,

  Jared sucked in deep gulps of the cool evening air and tried to calm himself. It looked like the reporters had left. The dogs ran up to him and licked his hands. “Hope they’re not bothering you guys,” he said.

  “No, they’re nice dogs,” Gonzalez said as she bent to pat them.

  “Can you tell me what’s happened to Cassie? Tara’s sister.”

  “She’s in good hands,” Gonzalez said. “She should be home tomorrow sometime.”

  The interior of the command center was impressive. Wood paneling lined the walls, and Jared saw a computer and communications room, and a kitchen, and rec room, He didn’t know what else it contained, but he guessed there could be a bunk room and a bathroom with showers.