He heard his abductor’s voice mumbling from a distance, and Joshua strained to understand his words. He heard the muffled sound of movement. “I’ll fix her!” the disembodied voice rasped out. “I’ll make her pay!” His captor seemed to be pacing. The sound of his footsteps were disjointed as though he lurched in a new direction with every rambling threat.
Is this Lukas Page?Joshua wondered, remembering his conversations with Colin about the campus abductions and the man Nate had identified as a possible suspect. He wondered at first if he had been kidnapped by Dale Alensworth, but this wasnotDale’s voice. He forced himself to breathe slowly and quietly and listen to every word his captor uttered. He hoped he might hear something—anything—that might help him.Page has a sister,Joshua remembered.Is it HER he’s threatening?
Joshua stiffened in fear as his abductor’s footfalls drew closer. He forced himself to lie as still as possible as he heard his captor’s harsh breath near his face, then he gasped, unable to hold back a sudden cry as the covering was ripped from his head.
“Sit up!” the man growled out. He grabbed Joshua’s shoulders and forced him into a sitting position, then he pulled the gag from Joshua’s mouth.
Joshua tried to open his eyes but found it difficult.They’re swollen nearly shut,he thought, remembering the fist that had pounded his face again and again. He was able to focus his enflamed eyes through what seemed like tiny slits, and he peered into the semi-darkened room where he sat. His abductor was slumped onto the floor directly across from him, staring. Cradled in the crook of his arm was a rifle. To Joshua’s inexperienced eye, it looked like an assault rifle.
He remembered Colin telling him that Page had never once removed the hood from the heads of his victims, and a cold chill ran down his spine. He studied his captor, who continued to stare back at him in silence, his expression blank.He’s decided,Joshua thought.He doesn’t care if I see him because he’s decided he’s going to kill me.
He swallowed hard, tasting blood. But he needed to clear his mouth and throat so he’d be able to speak if the chance came.And whatever I say,Joshua thought,it had better be good.
* * *
Colin– 9:48 p.m.
Miranda’s car skidded to a halt in the clinic’s parking lot. As Colin, Lenny, David, and Nate sprinted toward her she dashed to the clinic’s main door and unlocked it.
“What do you know?” she cried as they shoved the door open.
“Not much,” Colin told her. “It would help if we could figure out what time he left here.”
“The security guard’s office has the video feedback,” Miranda said, trotting down the hall. “It’s right down here.” She unlocked the door to a small office and moved to the security computer followed by Lenny and Colin.
“Is it Alensworth?” Miranda asked, her voice wavering.
“We don’t think so,” Lenny told her, watching over Colin’s shoulder as he began to review the security tapes from that afternoon and evening. “We got a court order and sent a squad over there to search the entire place. We don’t think it’s him.”
“The campus abductor?” Miranda asked, her voice thin with fear. “You think it’shim?”
“Looks that way,” Lenny said then turned when he heard Colin cry out in pain. “Colin?!”
Colin pointed at the screen. He had paused the video at the six thirty-eight p.m. marker, and they all saw Joshua emerge from the building, holding Nate’s jacket over his arm. Colin restarted the video, and they saw him pause at the edge of the parking lot and peer all around.
“He’s checking the lot like I told him to,” Colin groaned, his voice shaking and thick with tears. “Oh god, my sweet boy.”
“Colin, listen to me!” Lenny begged, resting both hands on his shoulders from behind, shaking him gently. “You have to hold it together, buddy! You don’t dare fall apart. Josh needs you to be strong, to be alert. WE need you. C’mon, Colin. Suck it up!”
Colin pulled in several halting breaths then nodded. “Miranda,” he rasped out finally, “give me a flash drive so I can download this video.” She pulled a thumb drive from a nearby drawer and handed it to Colin. He quickly copied the video, then half-turned in the chair and handed the drive to Lenny, his breath still shuddering in his chest. “Now what, boss?”
Lenny examined him for a moment, then nodded. “OK. Best place we can be right now is the campus police station. That’s the central location for the entire search. Everyone will send their information there.” His hand tightened on Colin’s shoulder. “Once we have some idea where he’s being held, we’ll strike out from there to go get him.” He shook Colin gently. “And we WILL get him, Colin!”
Colin rose and moved to the hallway where David and Nate waited. “Did you see him?” David asked, grasping Colin’s arm.
Colin nodded, his mouth set in a tight, grim line. “He checked the lot,” Colin told them. “He checked for bad guys just like I told him.” Both David’s hands grasped his shoulders, holding him erect as he slumped. But he sucked in another wavering breath and drew away. “We’re going to campus police.”
Nate wrapped an arm around Colin’s waist. “Ride with us,” he begged, leading Colin down the hall toward the clinic entrance.
“Colin!” Miranda called. He stopped and wheeled to face her. She was clutching the door to the security office and weeping. “Please call me.”
David wrapped his arm around Colin’s shoulders. “We’ll make sure you’re notified, Miranda,” he told her, then he helped Nate support Colin as they all staggered toward the door. Colin’s breath stuttered in his chest, but he straightened as they moved into the night air, and visibly pulled himself together, tightening his muscles, forcing himself to take long, slow breaths.
“I’m OK,” he muttered finally, but did not object when his friends continued to physically support him as they moved toward David’s car. He leaned against them, relying on their strength while he strove to regain his own.
“You’renotOK,” Nate replied, guiding Colin into the front seat beside David. “There’s no fucking way you couldbeOK right now!” He drew the seatbelt forward and handed it to Colin. “Buckle up,” he ordered. “When Josh gets home, I want him to know I took good care of you.”
Colin met his eyes, his own gleaming with tears.
