dog were together. “I’m thinking he used Buster to lure Josh into his vehicle.” And hoping the kidnapper hadn’t separated boy from dog and dog collar.
For all Garrett knew the collar had been tossed into the back of a truck headed north, while the kidnapper had taken Josh south of the border. He didn’t dare share his uncertainties with Jenny right now. All they had to hold onto was hope.
“Got it!” Tess said. "I’m in a helicopter headed your way. State and local authorities are on it, an Amber Alert has been issued—”
“We’re coming up on an alert right now.”
Jenny’s head swiveled as they drove past a lighted traffic sign used to warn drivers of impending situations. “Oh, God. This is really happening.”
“He may have seen the alert,” Garrett said. “He’s turning off the Interstate onto Highway 79, headed east." No sooner had Garrett relayed the information than the chopper appeared overhead--searchlight on as dusk turned to twilight. Sirens blared as cruisers and unmarked cars sped past them.
Garrett fell in behind the last cruiser in line and floored it.
“Stand down, Itch,” Tess said still on the speakerphone with Jenny. “We’ve got this.”
“He’s turning left down a Rural Route.”
“Highway Patrol wants you off his tail.”
“Okay. Hang on,” he said to Jenny. Driving the gas peddle into the floorboard, Garrett whipped around the lagging cop car and fell in line behind the next vehicle.
“Damn it, Itch.” Tess said before Jenny dropped the call. And the 911 operator.
“Faster,” Jenny said.
The tail end of the Bronco spun wide as Garrett followed the convoy down a dirt road. Blinded by the dust kicked up in the chase, an unmarked car wound up in a ditch. Garrett swerved to avoid slamming into it as they bounced along the rutted road. The line of cars slowed only marginally for the conditions.
Keeping a close eye on the taillights in front of him, Garrett raced ahead of two more vehicles before grinding to a halt behind the line of stopped cars as officers headed out on foot. Garrett and Jenny scrambled from the Bronco.
Three uniformed officers were giving chase, followed by two plain clothes agents in reflective NCIS windbreakers, while a fourth uniformed officer—female--stood next to a truck with its doors flung wide. They could hear Buster barking and when they got near enough, they could see a small boy standing in the headlights.
“Josh! Jenny raced toward her son. “Thank God, you’re all right. What were you thinking, getting in a truck with Barry?”
“He said he found Buster and just wanted to give her back...” The rest of his story was lost in tears.
Jenny pulled her son tight. “It’s all right, it’s all right now.”
The helicopter’s searchlight kept the fleeing suspect in sight.
Garrett noted the kidnappers path and that of the officers chasing him through the cornfield. He cut through the field at a direct angle that would intersect. The guy didn’t even know what hit him until he was tackled to the ground. Garrett got in a few less than satisfactory punches before they were pulled apart.
#
Jenny watched anxiously as special agents walked Barry to an unmarked car. Even though her former employer was handcuffed, she shivered at the way he looked at her with wild eyes. How could she have been such a poor judge of character?
She glanced over to the cornfield where Garrett stood talking to Tess. He pulled the other woman into a hug and Jenny looked away. “Get in the car,” she said to Josh. There’d be plenty of time for poking and prodding and questions later. Right now she just wanted to go home.
And she only wanted to go there if it really was their home.
“Ready to go?” Garrett opened her car door.
“I’m not sure.” She answered honestly. When he turned toward the light, she noticed the bruise beneath his eye.
For all Garrett knew the collar had been tossed into the back of a truck headed north, while the kidnapper had taken Josh south of the border. He didn’t dare share his uncertainties with Jenny right now. All they had to hold onto was hope.
“Got it!” Tess said. "I’m in a helicopter headed your way. State and local authorities are on it, an Amber Alert has been issued—”
“We’re coming up on an alert right now.”
Jenny’s head swiveled as they drove past a lighted traffic sign used to warn drivers of impending situations. “Oh, God. This is really happening.”
“He may have seen the alert,” Garrett said. “He’s turning off the Interstate onto Highway 79, headed east." No sooner had Garrett relayed the information than the chopper appeared overhead--searchlight on as dusk turned to twilight. Sirens blared as cruisers and unmarked cars sped past them.
Garrett fell in behind the last cruiser in line and floored it.
“Stand down, Itch,” Tess said still on the speakerphone with Jenny. “We’ve got this.”
“He’s turning left down a Rural Route.”
“Highway Patrol wants you off his tail.”
“Okay. Hang on,” he said to Jenny. Driving the gas peddle into the floorboard, Garrett whipped around the lagging cop car and fell in line behind the next vehicle.
“Damn it, Itch.” Tess said before Jenny dropped the call. And the 911 operator.
“Faster,” Jenny said.
The tail end of the Bronco spun wide as Garrett followed the convoy down a dirt road. Blinded by the dust kicked up in the chase, an unmarked car wound up in a ditch. Garrett swerved to avoid slamming into it as they bounced along the rutted road. The line of cars slowed only marginally for the conditions.
Keeping a close eye on the taillights in front of him, Garrett raced ahead of two more vehicles before grinding to a halt behind the line of stopped cars as officers headed out on foot. Garrett and Jenny scrambled from the Bronco.
Three uniformed officers were giving chase, followed by two plain clothes agents in reflective NCIS windbreakers, while a fourth uniformed officer—female--stood next to a truck with its doors flung wide. They could hear Buster barking and when they got near enough, they could see a small boy standing in the headlights.
“Josh! Jenny raced toward her son. “Thank God, you’re all right. What were you thinking, getting in a truck with Barry?”
“He said he found Buster and just wanted to give her back...” The rest of his story was lost in tears.
Jenny pulled her son tight. “It’s all right, it’s all right now.”
The helicopter’s searchlight kept the fleeing suspect in sight.
Garrett noted the kidnappers path and that of the officers chasing him through the cornfield. He cut through the field at a direct angle that would intersect. The guy didn’t even know what hit him until he was tackled to the ground. Garrett got in a few less than satisfactory punches before they were pulled apart.
#
Jenny watched anxiously as special agents walked Barry to an unmarked car. Even though her former employer was handcuffed, she shivered at the way he looked at her with wild eyes. How could she have been such a poor judge of character?
She glanced over to the cornfield where Garrett stood talking to Tess. He pulled the other woman into a hug and Jenny looked away. “Get in the car,” she said to Josh. There’d be plenty of time for poking and prodding and questions later. Right now she just wanted to go home.
And she only wanted to go there if it really was their home.
“Ready to go?” Garrett opened her car door.
“I’m not sure.” She answered honestly. When he turned toward the light, she noticed the bruise beneath his eye.
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