Obsession (37 page)

Still bound by a blindfold and ropes, she rolled to her stomach, buried her face in the pillow, and sobbed. Where was God? Why didn't he help her? Why didn't he send someone to rescue her?

Abe had made his way around to the right side of the cabin. He remembered a big window on that side, one that would give him a full view of the main room and the small kitchen area. There was no window in the back room, and only a tiny one in the bathroom. This window offered him his best chance of finding out who, if anyone, was still in the cabin.

Standing beside the window, he leaned over just enough to get a look inside. It appeared that there was only one occupant, sitting in an old armchair with his back toward the window. Abe couldn't see the man's face, only his arms hanging down at the sides of the chair and his feet spread out in front of him, as if he were asleep. Abe certainly hoped he was because it meant he might be able to catch the guy by surprise. There was no way to ascertain if anyone else was inside, and
he still wasn't absolutely positive that Melissa was there, but he felt he had no choice but to try to find out before any of the others returned. In the meantime, he wasn't going to take any chances. It was time to call for assistance, just in case.

Soundlessly making his way to the back of the cabin, he pulled his tiny cellular phone from his pocket and made the call, then crept back toward the front door, stopping along the way to peer in the window once more to be sure the man was still in his chair. As he silently stepped up to the front door, he hesitated, wondering if he should wait for the deputies, but he realized it would take too long. With the others gone and the cabin's only occupant—other than Melissa, if his guess was right—asleep, this was as good a time as any to attempt a rescue. Gun drawn, he breathed a silent prayer, grabbed the doorknob, and threw the door open. In a split second he had his gun pointed straight at the startled man in the chair. As Abe's brain registered recognition, the final puzzle piece fell into place.

“Raymond Johnson,” he said. “Well, now I'm beginning to get the full picture. A doctor, a lawyer, an ex-cop, and the county medical examiner. You guys really had all your bases covered, didn't you?”

“Abe, listen—”

“Don't move, Ray, not until I tell you. First, drop your gun on the floor in front of you, then kick it, nice and easy, to the side. Good. Now I want you to move real slow, do you understand?”

The slightly overweight man with the full head of gray hair nodded. “Sure, I understand. No problem. Abe, think about what you're doing. You haul us in, your past is tomorrow's headlines.”

“That's just something I'll have to live with, won't I? Now, I want you to get up very slowly and carefully and walk over to the door to the next room. Move it.”

Raymond did as he was told.

“Now open it and step inside.”

As the door opened and Raymond stepped into the other room, Abe caught sight of Melissa on the cot. His heart lurched at the
pathetic, terrified girl, trussed and blindfolded and trembling with fear. “Untie her,” he ordered. “Now! The blindfold too.”

Raymond removed Melissa's ropes and blindfold, and she stared at Abe, blinking her eyes to adjust to the light, her expression a mixture of relief and apprehension.

“Abe?” Her voice sounded as tiny and helpless as she looked. “Is it really you? Did you come to… help me?” She was crying now as she rubbed her wrists and ankles.

“Of course I came to help you, sweetheart. You're going to be OK now. Do you understand? I'm going to get you out of here. I'm going to take you home.”

“Are you sure?” Her crying had turned to whimpering. “You're not one of them, are you? You're not just here to take me to the plane so they'll keep quiet about your past?”

Abe winced. So she knew. If she had hated him before, what must she think of him now? He thought of the kiss he had shared with Toni just moments earlier and realized it would probably be their last. She would never forgive him for his part in this. It was just too much to ask.

“I'm not one of them, Melissa. I promise. You're going to have to trust me. I didn't bring my handcuffs, so I need you to help me use those ropes to tie up Raymond so we can get out of here.”

Her eyes grew big, and she recoiled as she looked at her former captor. “I can't. I can't touch him. He's a… a murderer. He killed Carlo, right here in this room.”

Raymond spoke up then. “I saved you from him, kid. He was going to rape you, you know that.”

“You killed him because of what he did to Julie and because he took me without telling you. You weren't trying to help me. You and the others were going to sell me—I heard you planning it.”

Dear God
, thought Abe,
what has this poor girl been through?
“OK, Melissa. If you can't do it, that's all right. Listen to me very carefully, and don't move until I tell you. Toni is outside behind some trees, not
far from here. If you go to the front door and call her, she'll hear you and come. Can you do that?”

Melissa had stopped whimpering, and her eyes had grown very large. “Toni's outside? She's right outside the cabin, waiting for me?”

Abe nodded. “Yes. Now go on to the front door and call her.”

As Melissa hobbled toward the door, she froze. The sounds of a vehicle pulling up in front of the cabin sent a chill down Abe's spine. He knew it was still too early for the sheriff to arrive. If the Ford Explorer had returned, he and Melissa were in very serious trouble.

CHAPTER 18

W
ith her heart in her throat, Toni had stayed hidden behind the tree, watching Abe's every movement. When he had finally burst into the cabin, she'd had to remind herself of her promise to stay put and pray. There was no longer any doubt in her mind that her little sister was being held captive inside. Her every impulse screamed to go in after Abe, to find Melissa and get her out quickly. She had restrained herself though—until the Explorer returned. She didn't have to be able to see what was going on inside the cabin to know that this was not a good development—for Melissa or for Abe.

She watched the three men get out and walk to the cabin.
Dear Lord, what now? I can't just stay here and hide. I have to do something
. Once they were inside, she took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and began to move as quickly and quietly as she could, from tree to
tree toward the cabin. When the trees stopped just a few feet from the front door, she tried to ignore the pounding of her heart as she stealthily made her way across the final distance. As she approached, she could hear their voices.

“Give it up, Abe. Just drop the gun, and you and the girl will be OK. You know you can't take us all before one of us gets you.”

“Listen to him, boy. Don't be
meshugga
… please.”

Toni hadn't recognized the two voices, but she was sure the second must have been Abe's uncle. How awful this must be for Abe, finding out that his own flesh and blood was part of such a horrible crime as kidnapping and who knew what else. She didn't dare let them see her, but she knew she had to do something to distract them and at least give Abe a chance to make a move. Spotting a good-sized rock on the ground beside her, she picked it up and tossed it a few feet, plastering herself up against the outside cabin wall as the rock landed with a loud thud.

“Hey, what was that? Somebody else must be out there.” The voice belonged to the man Toni assumed was Abe's Uncle Sol. In a matter of seconds, he cautiously poked his head out the door, but before he could step outside to take a closer look, Toni heard some scuffling noises coming from inside, followed by a scream. As Sol turned back, Toni followed him. She knew the scream had come from Melissa, and nothing was going to keep her out of the cabin now. As she stepped inside behind Sol, she saw her sister huddled on the floor with Abe crouching over her protectively, his gun aimed at the four men. In that split second, as she stepped into the cabin and sized up the scene in front of her, Abe turned his head toward her, and a man Toni didn't recognize, apparently the one who had remained in the cabin when the others left, snatched a gun from the floor. He fired a soundless shot at Abe at the same instant that Sol dove for the man, putting himself in the direct line of fire. As Sol fell to the floor, other gunshots followed, and Toni threw herself down and prayed that God would cover and protect them.

In a matter of seconds, Toni heard the sound of men moaning mixed with the sobs of her hysterical sister. Daring to raise her head, she saw that Abe still crouched next to Melissa, gun in hand, although he was holding his right shoulder and blood was seeping through his fingers. All the others, except Bruce Jensen, lay wounded on the floor. Bruce stood, ashen faced, in their midst.

Springing to her feet, Toni ran to Melissa. She glanced briefly at Abe, who nodded to her that he was all right, so she reached down and grabbed the sobbing teenager. When the girl finally realized who it was that was trying to lift her from the floor, she sat up and fell into her arms, weeping uncontrollably. Toni rocked her gently, stroking her hair. “It's OK. It's going to be OK, honey, I promise. I'm here now. Shhh. We're going to go home soon. It's OK.”

Finally, looking over at Abe, she asked quietly, “Are you all right?”

“I'm fine, but… I need to call for an ambulance and… check on my uncle. Can you keep an eye on the doctor? He doesn't look like he's going anywhere—none of these guys do—but I don't want to take any chances.”

Silently she nodded, taking his gun and repositioning herself so she could watch her father's longtime friend and their family physician, who stared at her blankly, even as she cradled Melissa in her lap. Abe used his cellular phone to call for an ambulance, then went to his uncle, who seemed unable to move. The other two men moaned as they lay on the floor but didn't appear to be as seriously injured as Sol.

“Uncle Sol, can you hear me?” Abe, still clutching his right shoulder, was gently resting his right hand against his uncle's face. Sol's eyes were closed.

“I… hear… you,” Sol answered, his words coming in gasps.

“You've got to hang on. Please. Help will be here soon.”

“I… couldn't… let them… kill you.”

“I know. You saved my life.” Abe was crying now. “Don't leave me, Uncle Sol. Come on, you can make it.”

Sol didn't answer, and his breath was becoming more ragged. Abe looked up frantically. “Jensen,” he shouted. “Get over here and help me. He's dying.”

Bruce Jensen slowly turned toward Abe's voice, dazed but unresponsive.

“I said, get over here,” Abe ordered. “We need your help. Can't you hear me?”

Sol's eyes fluttered open. “It's… too late…
meshugga
. Too late. You… take care… of yourself. I… can't… do it… anymore….”

His voice trailed off, and his breathing stopped. Toni's heart convulsed as she felt herself torn between staying with Melissa and going to Abe. As a sheriff's car pulled up in front of the cabin, she watched Abe lean over his uncle and sob on his lifeless chest. Her own tears streamed down her face and dropped onto Melissa's hair as the terrified, exhausted young girl cried as if she would never stop.

“I still can't believe I'm home,” said Melissa, smiling across the table at April and Toni as they ate their late Saturday morning breakfast. “Even after sleeping in my own bed for two nights, I still think I'm going to wake up in that awful cabin.”

“Well, you're not,” Toni assured her, reaching out to pat her hand. “You're home, safe and sound, where you belong.”

“And thank God for it,” added April. “He definitely protected you.”

“That's for sure,” Melissa agreed. “If Abe hadn't gotten there when he did…” She shuddered as the memories threatened to overtake her once again. “I don't even want to think about it.”

“Then don't,” said Toni as she refilled Melissa's juice glass. “Just concentrate on getting your strength back. Tuesday will be here before you know it, and then it's back to school for you.”

Melissa nodded excitedly. “I'm looking forward to it, but I'm going
to miss baby-sitting for Tyler. I feel so bad that I wasn't there for our last week together.”