Wright In Danger

Chapter Thirty

Pulled through the door, her nose wrinkled at the musky odor. The warmth from the outside was sapped away by the cold inside, making her flesh pebble. Jones didn't let up on his hold as they made their way to the basement steps. A lone light flickered. Apprehension skittered down her spine as Colson led the way. With every step, the stairs groaned under their weight. She figured they all breathed easier once getting to the bottom. Taking in their surroundings, bare as they were, except for the lone chair, her attention snagged on the sight of Rita. Jones dropped his hand away as she came closer.

Still dressed in her usual attire of jeans, boots, cuffed short sleeve shirt, her expression was unreadable. Stopping just short of her, she issued commands. "Take the rope off and retie her up to the chair. Securely." There was no need to tell Jones twice. Yanked down into the chair, the rope was wrapped multiple times before being tied as directed behind her. It actually hurt to breathe. Crouching before her, Rita rest her arms over her knees. "I had thought for sure you would have caught on. Colson showing up on your doorstep like that. You're so very...gullible."

Loraine had to resist the urge to kick out at her. Not knowing if she had a weapon on her, she didn't want to make her situation worse. She needed to learn what this trio was about. "What's your grand plan with having taken me?" Scoffing, Rita rose to her feet. "Has he told you-anything? About how his wife died, the way it effected his work so bad his boss prompted him to make the move out here?" Keeping her mouth shut, she knew she was being baited. She wanted to keep Rita talking about herself. "Who are you working for? I'm more interested in learning that bit of information."

At this she let out a sigh. Her expression turned dreamy. "His name is Yousseff and I'm aiding him with finishing off Beau Tanner." Meeting her eyes, the only thought Loraine had was that she was crazy. Acting as the man's puppet. The woman was far from being in her right mind. "What did he promise you?" Surely whatever it was couldn't be that good. "I'm going to get an official title. So long as noting interferes tonight." The last was said on a sneer. "So in taking me, you made sure to cover all your bases, correct?" This had Rita's eyes flicking over to Colson. Motioning for them to talk. 

Clearly she wasn't sure about something. As she sat there trying to hear what was being discussed , her mind conjured the girl with the braids.The way she'd looked at Jones. Right then, she knew. The girl was the reason for Rita's uncertainty. Just who was she? Seeing as she wasn't down here with them... "Damn it!" Rita screeched. That was all the confirmation she needed. Whoever the girl was, she hadn't been dealt with accordingly. Which meant she was up for grabs. 

Loraine sincerely hoped Beau and Rosalie discovered that she was missing and were able to put the pieces together. Having Rita that much more unhinged did her no favor. It had her wondering what they were going to do to her. Or rather, with her. Nausea curled in her stomach. A moment later Rita stood in front of her again. The expression on her face making her swallow. Hard. "They screwed this up for me. All they had to do was follow a few simple instructions and you'd have been dealt with and we would have been long gone." Hearing her words did nothing to quell her nausea. Distraction. She needed a distraction. "What's your true end goal, Rita? It has to be more than a damn title. Do you think yourself in love with him?" Since she had that faraway look in her eyes when he was mentioned, she had to be right. "What's it to you? You'll only be alive long enough to watch your boyfriend die."

They were in the midst of putting a team together and narrowing down the trio's location. Tamera had only been able to give a vague description. What they had to work with was isolated, badly rundown and a fair distance away. Meaning they were potentially looking for a needle in a haystack. Not that any of them were deterred. As they stood huddled around a map, an officer called for Beau. Excusing himself, he wondered if it was Loraine. Had she grown impatient waiting for an update? Reaching the officer, the expression he wore made him uneasy. "Who is it?" Continuing on to his desk, the officers brow furrowed. "The call is from her sister. June. She said it's urgent." He was at his desk in seconds.

Putting the phone to his ear, he'd barely managed her name when she started in. "She's not here, Beau. The house is completely dark and she's not answering. Something's wrong. I can feel it." Hearing the anguish in her voice, he knew he had to go over there. Check things out. Loraine would always answer her sister. Always. "Stay there. I'll be right over." Hanging up, he jogged back over to the group. "I'll be right back. That was June. Loraine isn't answering the door and the house is dark. She thinks something happened to her." Rosalie went tense. "You think they took her?" That was just it. He didn't need to think on it. He knew they had. 

He arrived at Loraine's house a short time later. June stood on the porch hugging herself. Seeing him, she didn't move. Hurrying over, she took him by surprise with her embrace. She was shaking like a leaf. Patting her back a few times, she let go. "I thought about going in but then thought better of it. I'm so scared right now, Beau." The admission had tears pooling in her eyes. "You did the right thing, calling me. I'll check it out."

Trying the front door, the knob turned easily in his hand. Not good. Stepping through, he glanced back at June. The color had drained from her face. Loraine wouldn't have left her door unlocked. Walking farther in, he called out her name. No answer. There was a possibility she'd taken a fall and was laying unconscious somewhere. The thought had him calling out her name again as he made his way to her room. Standing in the threshold, she wasn't there. Checking the bathroom and her office, those were empty as well. Making his way into the kitchen, he was riveted to the back door. It wasn't completely shut. They'd taken her.

He didn't have time to give June the rundown of everything. All he was able to manage was, "I'm going to get her back." Racing back to his car, he peeled off with June still standing on the porch, tears falling down her face. He knew it would be some time before he was able to rid his mind of the image. Back at the station he informed them of what he'd discovered. "We need to get a move on, people," the chief ordered. The still had the matter of having an exact location. 

As they continued to pour over the map, Rosalie and Harris snapped their fingers at the same time. Meeting eyes, he nodded for her to speak. "I know where they're holed up. Returning her eyes to the map, she pointed to a spot that was close to her but in actuality about a forty five minute drive. "It's an old abandoned cabin. The kind kids tell ghost stories about. Dare each other to enter on Halloween night. That kind. The nearest road is a mile and a half away and the terrain isn't the easiest to navigate." 

The chief looked her in the eye. "I'm trusting you both on this." Flicking his eyes to Harris, he gave him a terse nod. Rolling up the map his eyes took in all of them. "Move out. Rosalie, you'll ride with Harris and take the lead. I'll ride with Tanner. We'll formulate our plan on the way." With that, everyone filed out. The chief held out his hand for the keys. There was no argument from him as they climbed in. As they drove out of the lot, the chief spoke. "I need to know your head is clear enough for this."

He needed to get her back. Safe. Not only fro himself but for June and Rosalie as well. He couldn't let his mind wander to what they were doing to her. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he exhaled. "I have it together chief. Honest. I want to arrest them and get her home safe." As they drove on, the four of them consulted on the plan. Beau going in was a given. The house would be surrounded. Not one of them were to get away. "I hadn't thought of the abandoned cabin. I've only ever been up there a few times myself," the chief admitted. Beau wondered if it was because he got tired of the calls or a darker reason.

The rest of the drive was spent in silence. Coming up to the path that led up to the cabin, Beau shifted in his seat. They were that much closer to rescuing Loraine. Any sympathy he'd had for Colson, was now gone, having learned what he'd done. They didn't drive all the way up. Stopping a ways back, they climbed out. Opening the trunk of the car, he slipped on his bullet proof vest. The others were doing the same. Checking his gun, he collected the guys he was going in with. As much as he was itching to storm the door, he had to be smart about this. No wrong moves. Making sure the guys were ready, they started on their way.