From my rucksack I withdrew the photos given me by her father. I showed her the news clipping reporting the murders at the gas station, followed by the one that named Ellie Mansfield as having been snatched during the robbery. She only studied the photos for a second before nodding her head. ‘Yes, that’s the girl,’ she confirmed. Her lids drooped, and a tear trembled on her lashes. ‘Those monsters murdered that poor old man and the family in the station wagon. Dear God, I didn’t want to believe that, but it’s true. Yet they spared Ellie and Nicole, they wanted them for something else.’
‘Did they, uh, touch you?’
‘Not like that, they were happier beating me, especially the ugly one, Samuel.’ Jay placed her head in her palms. ‘But I heard Nicole and Ellie screaming. Oh, my God, no…’
It was an uncomfortable discussion, and not one I wanted to dwell on. Placing a consoling hand on her shoulder, I asked, ‘What about this woman? Have you seen her?’
Jay lifted her face to look at the missing person poster and the fading image of Helena Blackstock. She shook her head sadly. ‘No. I’m sorry.’
‘Her name is Helena, maybe you heard the Logans mention her?’
‘No. But I think they probably did take her as well. I mean, look at her. If Ellie could be Nicole’s little sister, then Helena could be her twin.’
‘Yeah,’ I agreed, but didn’t mention the theory that had been growing in my mind like a cancer.
Last time I’d been at the same place my phone hadn’t been able to find a signal; the same proved true again. I handed the phone to Jay. ‘Keep that safe. Once you’re on the road, try to get through to the police and then direct them back here. You might also want to—’ I was about to say phone her dad, and tell him she was safe, but that wasn’t a good idea yet. Not until I’d freed Nicole and Ellie. I didn’t want Jameson Walker contacting their families with false hopes. Instead, I ended my thought with, ‘phone my friend, Jared Rington, and tell him what’s happening. You’ll find his number on there under “Rink”. He’ll help you.’
‘Then you are going back?’
‘Yes, but not yet. We still have to get you to my Yukon and out of this damn desert.’
‘Where is your car?’
‘A short run from here. Are you up to it?’
She took a generous gulp of water and handed the bottle back to me. ‘I’m good to go,’ she said, which made me smile. That was one of Rink’s favourite sayings, so maybe my friend was already helping us on a strange metaphysical level. Taking one pull on the water, I returned it to her.
‘Take that with you, you’ll want more before we get to the car.’ I paused. ‘Speaking of cars, your father’s SUV? You were driving it when the Logans snatched you, but it wasn’t found on the highway.’
‘No. They brought it back here to their ranch with me and Ellie inside.’
‘So where is it now?’
Jay looked confused, the significance of the vehicle’s location lost on her.
‘It doesn’t matter. Come on, let’s get going. Through there, between those rocks, we can’t go via the trail or they might come across us.’ I urged her towards the broken ridgeline and a way through to the labyrinthine route I’d come in by.
As she set off, I bent down to stuff the papers back into my rucksack. My attention was only off her for a few seconds, but it was enough to change everything. As I straightened, something had detached itself from a boulder at the trail head and lunged at her.
It was short, squat and ugly, shaped not unlike a hairless ape, and possibly as powerful. It looked like it was capable of ripping her limb from limb within seconds, or twisting her head from her shoulders with one snap of its thick forearms.
My gun came up in one swift movement, but I didn’t have a shot.
Samuel Logan had reclaimed his prize and I couldn’t see a safe way of taking it away from him.
16
‘I don’t know who the hell you are, but you’re gonna put down that pistol or I’ll break the bitch’s neck.’
‘Let her go,’ I countered. ‘That’s the only way you’ll live through this.’
Samuel Logan grinned at me over Jay’s shoulder, showing teeth that gleamed against his dusky features. He understood the dynamics of the situation clearly enough. If he did hurt Jay, then he’d have no leverage over me and in the next instant I’d blast his skull clean off. Yet I couldn’t make a move on him without him going through with his threat. It was stalemate. Thankfully he hadn’t come armed with a gun of his own or it would have forced both our hands. What he did have in his spare hand was a walkie-talkie radio, and it was likely that he’d already called Carson and told him to get here as quickly as possible. This added urgency to how I planned on reacting: basically I didn’t know if Samuel had informed his cousin of my presence or not, and how that would affect my sneaking back to the ranch to free Nicole and Ellie. Best-case scenario was that Samuel had been dropped to continue his search on foot while Carson intended cutting off Jay’s escape route and had driven beyond the radio’s range.
My options tumbled through my mind, each vying for prominence, but this mental overload made me pause. Not a good situation to be in, and it allowed Samuel to pull Jay backwards towards a jumble of rocks. I advanced, looking for a shot, but the man was wise enough to keep her firmly between us. Jay was staring back at me, her mouth an open chasm of shock.
‘This is pointless,’ I called. ‘It’s over now, Samuel. Let the woman go and maybe you’ll live to see the end of the day.’
‘How’d you know my name?’ he asked. ‘You a fuckin’ cop? I don’t think so. Or the place would be teeming by now.’
‘The police are on the way. That’s why you need to let her go, before things get out of hand.’
‘The cops ain’t coming,’ he laughed. I wondered why he was so sure, and his explanation only went so far to enlighten me. ‘No one’s coming, buddy. Out here there’s no cellphone that can get a signal. The way I see things, you’re on your own, and it’s you who won’t live to the end of the day. And neither will this bitch if you don’t stop waving that pistol at me.’
‘The others are still alive, right? The women you took? That’s a good thing, but if you harm her,’ I nodded at Jay, ‘everything changes. You and your cousins will do time, there’s no denying that, but if you kill her, it’ll be for ever.’
‘Nope, if I kill her then you’re likely to shoot me. I’ll be dead and won’t see a jail cell, but then I don’t care about that one way or another. See, all you want is to save this bitch, while I’ve no hesitation about twisting the head off her scrawny neck. So I reckon you’ve more to lose than I have. You’re the one who’s gonna put down his gun, get down on his knees and put his hands on his head.’ To emphasise his directions he gripped Jay’s chin in his thick fingers. He squeezed and Jay yowled in agony as her skin round his fingertips blanched.
I’d heard and seen enough.
I was loath to shoot, because I’d no idea where Carson was, and recalling his run-in with Scott Blackstock, it was a sure bet that he was carrying. If I fired, he’d hear the shot and come at speed. I didn’t fear the man or his weapon, but I didn’t want Jay injured in the crossfire. I lowered the S&W.
‘Not good enough,’ Samuel said. ‘Throw it over here.’
‘No.’ As if I was going to hand over my gun so that he could shoot me? ‘Release the woman and walk away. I won’t kill you. So long as you and your cousins let the other women go, then I’ll even allow you to get in your truck and drive away. I’m not one bit interested in any of you, or if you go to prison or not, I’m only interested in the women getting out of this unharmed.’