Leo followed him out into the hall. “Call me as soon as you find ’em. And, Marcus?” He hesitated and chewed his bottom lip.
“Spit it out, Leo?”
“You know this isn’t part of your job description.”
“I know.”
“You may not find them in time. They might not all make it. Are you prepared for that?”
“I won’t fail, Leo. Not this time.”
“Marcus—”
“Funny how things come full circle sometimes. Fate?”
Leo grunted. “Or destiny. Go get ’em.”
Marcus raced from the center with two thoughts in his head. One, he was going to find Rebecca and her kids. Two, he would get them out—alive.
Chapter Sixteen
Rebecca opened her eyes slowly, blinking a few times to clear her vision. She was assaulted by images of the crash, Ella unconscious in the back, Colton with his leg pinned between the seats.
Her forehead felt tight. She touched it. Dried blood. That was a good sign at least.
She inhaled carefully and flinched when a sharp dagger of pain shot through her ribs. Definitely broken. She wondered how long she could remain conscious.
What if I die here, with Ella and Colton in the back seat? She shook her head. No! I can’t think like that.
“Mom, are you awake?”
“Yes, Colton.”
“I was scared you wouldn’t wake up.” She heard his voice tremble. “You didn’t drop the phone, did you?”
She had a moment of trepidation when she thought she had, but she found her cell phone securely tucked between her chest and the steering wheel. “No, I have it.” Thank God!
She glanced at the phone. The man from 911 should be calling her soon.
Marcus.
She thought of his voice, how soothing and comforting it was. There was kindness in his tone. And something more. Sadness. His wife was dead. And his son. What were their names? Jane and… Ryan.
This made her think of Wesley. She flipped open her phone and punched in his number. No answer. If he was still on the road, he wouldn’t pick up the phone.
She left a message. “Wesley, we’ve been in a car accident. Ella and Colton are fine, I think. I’ve called 911. They’re looking for us now.” She checked the battery. “I can’t call you again. My battery’s too low. I’ll call you when we’re safe.” She hung up.
“We’re gonna get rescued, right, Mom?”
She pressed the phone against her cheek. “Yes, honey. Soon.”
The phone rang.
“Marcus?” she said.
“Yes, it’s me. How are you doing?”
“The same.” She lowered her voice. “I’m sure I’ve broken a couple of ribs, and I’m afraid of internal damage.”
“We’re trying to locate more vehicles to search for you.” His voice sounded tight. “I’m sorry, Rebecca.”
“Why are you sorry? You didn’t do anything.”
“I’m feeling a bit helpless here.”
She bit her lip. “You’re thinking of your wife, aren’t you?”
Pause. “Yes.”
“And your son.”
“Ryan. He was a good kid.”
“I bet you were a good dad.”
“I tried. We didn’t have an easy time getting pregnant. Ryan was a gift.”
He told her how, when he was into his second year of medical school, Jane had become pregnant. Without a second thought, he’d quit medical school―much to his parents’ dismay―and got a job as a lab assistant. Then he married Jane in a quiet family-only service in his parents’ backyard. Four months into the pregnancy, Jane had a miscarriage.”
“That’s awful,” Rebecca said. “I’m very sorry.”
“I submerged myself in work, while Jane mended. We tried for three years. I didn’t think it would ever happen.”
“And then it did.”
“Yes. Ryan was born and everything changed.”
“Children do that to you, don’t they?”
“Listen, Rebecca, while we’re searching for you, we need to get as much information as possible on the hit and run. Edmonton is sending up some squad cars to help chase down this truck.”
“What do you need?”
“Do you know anyone who would do this to you? Anyone you’ve annoyed or ticked off?”
“I should be offended that you’d think I’d have such enemies, but I’ve been wondering the same thing. Honestly, I can’t think of anyone who would try to run me off the road.”
“You mentioned you and your husband were separated. How has that been?”
“As good as can be expected, I guess. We’re not enemies, if that’s what you’re thinking. Wesley has a temper, sure. But he’d never do something like this.” A glimmer of doubt flickered through her. “Especially to his kids.”
“You said he’s in Fort McMurray. When did he leave?”
“I’m not sure. We’re supposed to get together when he gets back, to talk about things. The divorce.”
“And he’s okay with cutting the ties?”
Rebecca took a small breath. “I haven’t let him know that I’ve proceeded with the divorce already.”
“But he’s expecting it, right?”
“I think so. But sometimes I think Wesley still wants to get back together.”
“And you?”
“My marriage is over. It’s been over for a while. I need to move on. So does Wesley.”
“Do you know where’s he staying in Fort McMurray?”
Her heart sank. “No. Damn. I never asked.”
“Does your husband have access to large trucks, maybe a friend’s?”
“No. I’m telling you, Wesley has nothing to do with this.”
“Probably not. But the police will want to look at everything.” She heard him clear his throat. “Tell me about your marriage.”
“What do you want to know? We got married, had two kids, busy jobs, busy lifestyle, grew apart and now here we are.”
“Did he ever threaten you?”
She swallowed hard. “He’s not a horrible person. Not really.”
“Rebecca, I need you to be honest. Did he ever hurt you physically?”
She looked over her shoulder at Colton. He was listening to her every word.
“Yes, but I can’t go into details. Understand?”
“I do. So you’re saying your husband was physically abusive.”
“Yes.”
“Verbally?”
“Sometimes.”
“Sexually?”
“No.”
“Did he abuse Ella or Colton?”
“No!” she said, a little too strongly. “I’d never allow that. It’s one of the reasons I want the divorce.”
“You fear for your kids?”
She sighed. “Wesley isn’t all bad. He has a very sweet side to him. That’s why I fell in love and married him. But he has issues. And not only what we’re talking about.” She cupped a hand by her mouth and whispered, “Gambling problems.”
“Are you in financial distress because of it?”
“Some. He’s lost big over the past year, so our funds are a bit depleted.”
“Bankruptcy issues?”
“No, not yet. And hopefully never. He got a small loan from his father.”
“What do you do, Rebecca?”
“I work for Alberta Cable. I’m a CSR—customer service rep. My job’s stable, so that’s one good thing.”
“Do you recall anything else about the truck that hit you?”
His question came out of left field. She’d been lulled into a sense of security with his other inquiries.
“Nothing new.”
“What about the road you took off the highway? Was there anything? Even the smallest detail may help us pinpoint your location.”