Amish Country Kidnapping

“I know this is hard, but I need to you tell me everything that happened tonight.”

She rubbed her hands down her arms, probably to ward off more than just the chill of the night. Noah cranked the heater up a couple notches while Rachel told him about waking up to find a stranger standing over her. “He had a gun, Noah. He pointed it at my side and forced me to go with him.” She gestured toward her left side. “He said, ‘He has plans for you.’ I have no idea what he meant by that. His face was covered with a ski mask and he had on gloves.”

The attack was planned. Deliberate. Confusing. Why would someone wish to harm either Rachel or Eva? It didn’t add up in his mind.

“We struggled. I managed to rip the mask off, but it was so dark. I couldn’t see anything...except his eyes.” She shuddered visibly. “I will never forget those dark, angry eyes for as long as I live.”

He clasped her hand, and she turned to face him. The extent of what she’d gone through showed in her drawn expression. All he wanted to do was take her in his arms and reassure her everything would be okay. Yet he couldn’t lie to her.

On the hill behind him, red-and-blue lights strobed in the starless night. A patrol vehicle, sirens blaring, blasted down Spruce Road. The vehicle slid to a halt when the driver spotted his cruiser in the middle of the road.

“I’ll be right back,” he told her. When she didn’t respond, Noah climbed out and hurried to his colleagues. Aden Scott exited his vehicle first, followed by Deputy Megan Clark.

“Sheriff’s on his way. Ambo is five minutes out. We drove a good way down Aspen Glen, but there was no sign of a vehicle. What do you have here?” Aden pointed to the cruiser where Rachel waited inside.

Noah outlined the few details he knew so far. He shined the light on the ground where retreating footsteps appeared to be heading through the woods the same way they’d come. “I heard a car’s engine start up a few minutes after I spotted Rachel. If it was him, he’s long gone.”

Aden nodded. “Let’s hope not. We’ll follow the footprints and see what we can find.”

Clicking on their flashlights, both Aden and Megan started out.

Noah went back to the vehicle. Rachel stared straight ahead, showing obvious signs of shock. Her shoulders hunched defensively. She’d never looked so vulnerable before. Growing up, Rachel had always been fearless. Seeing her as a victim now just wouldn’t compute with what he knew about her.

He’d give anything to ease her pain, but he had a feeling this was just the beginning.

“There’s an ambulance on the way. They’ll need to examine your injuries.”

Her huge green eyes found him. “I am fine, Noah. I do not need an ambulance.”

“You do,” he insisted. “You have some nasty cuts on your feet. Not to mention those scrapes on your face.” Anger rose to the surface when he spotted what appeared to a flamed impression of a handprint on her cheek.

I think he has Eva... Rachel’s words haunted him, as did her fear.

“Why do you think he took Eva?” he asked because his brain was working overtime searching for answers. “She’s going through her rumspringa, correct? Is it possible the time got away from her and she stayed with a friend?”

Rachel didn’t let him finish. “Nay, Eva told me she would be home by ten and she wouldn’t be late. Not now.”

“Why not?” he asked, curious about her response.

“Because Eva has been training with Hannah Wagler to take over as the community teacher in a few weeks’ time. She loves her students and wanted to get a gut night’s rest to be prepared for them. They are very important to her. She’s missing, Noah. I know she is.” Her answer wiped away the last of his doubts. They’d need to speak with the last person who saw Eva, and soon.

“Tell me what happened yesterday. Did anything unusual take place? What were Eva’s plans for the day?” He couldn’t imagine anything bad happening to the little girl he once knew so well.

Rachel swallowed visibly. “Nothing unusual. Eva and I rode to church service together. It began around nine. Afterward, there was the church meal. I said goodbye to her around three. She planned to attend the youth group singing. Afterward, she was going home with her friend, Anna Lapp. She said she would walk home after spending time with Anna. Eva was excited about the following shool day and only planned to stay at Anna’s a little while.” The words trailed into a sob.

Noah reached for her hand and held it while he digested this new information. The walk from the Lapps’ place would take Eva around half an hour, which meant Eva may have gone missing somewhere between nine fifteen and nine thirty. He checked the time on his phone. More than three hours had passed. Finding Eva quickly was imperative. The first forty-eight hours were critical in a missing persons case.

An ambulance pulled in behind the vehicles, followed by another police cruiser. Sheriff Walker Collins had arrived on scene.

When the sheriff approached, Noah opened his door. Walker leaned in. “I hear there’s been a bit of trouble here tonight?” He introduced himself to Rachel. “EMTs are here. Let’s get you looked at.”

Getting out, Noah circled around to Rachel’s side and opened her door. She stared up at him with a desperate look on her face.

He held out his hand. “Megan and Aden are doing everything they can to find this man. You need to take care of yourself for Eva.” He walked her to the ambulance and waited beside her with Walker while EMT Jake Oliver cleaned and bandaged her feet and applied antibiotic cream to the scrapes on her face. Her attacker had slapped her. Why would the man want to hurt someone as sweet as Rachel? Nothing about what happened tonight made sense.

“You’ll have some bruising and tenderness for a few days,” Jake told her, “but none of your injuries are serious.”

A noise behind them sent both Noah and Walker whirling. Aden and Megan headed their way.

“Did you find my sister?” Rachel asked as soon as they were close.

Aden shook his head. “No, I’m sorry, we didn’t.” He turned to Walker. “The perp parked at the end of the drive. Probably approached without his headlights on to not wake anyone.”

Megan handed Rachel a pair of shoes. “I found these by the door and thought they might belong to you.”

“Denki,” Rachel murmured and slipped her injured feet inside, wincing when she put pressure on them.

“I’ll call in the crime scene unit to go over the house and take photos of the footprints and tire tracks. Hopefully, we can get some answers for you soon,” Walker assured Rachel.

She clutched the blanket around her shoulders against the biting wind.

“Let me take you to the house so you can change into something warmer,” Noah said, noticing. “Then we’ll go to the station. I want you to look through some mug books. You said you ripped the mask off the man?” She nodded. There was a slim chance she might be able to identify the man from the photos. “I know you said you didn’t get a good look at him, but maybe going through the books will help you pick him out. While you’re doing that, I’ll speak to Anna Lapp. It could be that Eva changed her mind and spent the night with her friend and I’ll find her there safe and sound.”

“I’m going with you,” Rachel said without budging. “I want to speak with Anna.”

“That’s not happening,” he assured her without considering it. “Until we’re sure what’s truly happening here, you need to stay out of sight. Chances are, Eva grew sleepy and decided to spend the night at Anna’s house.”

“And what if she didn’t? What if she is out there somewhere hurt? She could have been in an accident on the way home. I’m going with you to speak with Anna. Eva’s my sister, Noah. She needs me.” She lifted her chin. The courage he’d seen in her so many times in the past returned.

Noah faced the sheriff. “What do you think?”

Walker considered it for a moment. “The young lady is more likely to answer your questions with Rachel there. Do it,” he agreed. “But make sure you check in with Janine when you arrive and before leaving the Lapps’ place.”

Expelling a breath, Noah accepted Walker’s suggestion despite his misgivings. “Okay. But I want you close at all times,” he told Rachel. While he understood the benefit of having her at the Lapp interview, he still worried about keeping her safe.

“I’ve called in Ryan and Cole. I know their shifts don’t begin for,” Walker glanced at his watch, “another six hours, but we need everyone on this.” He surveyed the desolate stretch of road. “We’ll set up some floodlights. If she’s here, we’ll find her.”

“What if she’s not here?” Rachel’s question was directed solely at Noah, and he didn’t have an answer.

“The best way you can help Eva now is to identify the man who attacked you.”

He noticed her shivering still and took off his coat and placed it over her shoulders. “It’s freezing out. Let’s get you inside the cruiser where it’s warm.”

He and Rachel headed toward his SUV along with Walker. Rachel braced against the biting wind that threatened to knock her down. The Montana weather could be brutal, and it appeared winter was setting in early in the shadow of the mountains. Though barely November, already they’d had several feet of snow.

He clutched her arm to keep her steady. Opening the door, he waited until she slid inside.

“Looks like the rest of the team is here.” Walker crooked a thumb behind them.

Noah mentioned the Beacheys coming to investigate. “It’s possible they saw the man.”

“I’ll have someone speak to them. We’ll start canvassing every square inch of the place,” Walker said. “I’ll let you know the minute we have anything.”

“Thanks.” Noah asked Megan to ride over with them to the house so she could stand guard while Rachel changed.

While Megan hopped in the back, Noah got in next to Rachel. She appeared in a daze. Noah prayed they would find Eva alive.

He touched her arm. “Don’t give up hope.” She twisted in her seat. The desperation on her face made him want to gather her close. He didn’t have that right anymore. He’d broken her heart once, and he doubted she’d want his comfort now. Instead, he put the SUV in Drive and slowly turned around and eased past the slew of police vehicles.

Driving the short distance to her house, Noah parked out front. He couldn’t imagine how terrified Rachel had been to awaken and find a masked stranger standing over her.

The three of them got out and went inside.

“Here, put these on,” Megan said and handed Rachel a pair of latex gloves. “We don’t want to contaminate any evidence the attacker may have left behind.”

Rachel slowly nodded and took the gloves.

“I’ll be right out here,” Noah assured her when she hesitated.

The bedroom door closed behind them, and quiet returned to the house. Taking out his flashlight, he shined the light around the living room he remembered from his youth. The furnishings appeared the same. A couple of rockers flanked the woodstove, a sofa across from them. A small wooden desk placed under the window. He pictured Rachel sitting there, looking out at the breathtaking views of the mountains she loved so much with that awestruck gleam in her eyes that he remembered from the past. As kids, they used to play all over these mountains. Knew every square inch by heart.

Seeing her home again flooded his heart with bittersweet memories. Rachel’s family had treated him like one of their own. His childhood home was a stone’s throw from theirs, at the edge of the West Kootenai Amish Community. At one time, before that final summer, he’d talked to Rachel about joining the Amish faith. When his father found out, he’d become furious. Being Amish was not what his dad had planned for Noah’s future. He’d go to college. Make something of himself.

Noah swallowed deep and shoved those images aside. The past was over and done. Nothing he could do would change it now.

He moved to the kitchen dominated by a wood-burning cook stove. To his left, the handmade table Rachel’s father, Ezra, created years earlier was covered in a plain white tablecloth, a kerosene lamp sitting in the middle. Two plain wooden benches flanked either side.

A sound close by had him spinning on his heel. Rachel and Megan emerged from the bedroom. The somber black dress Rachel wore was a stark contrast to her white apron and prayer kapp. A reminder that she was in mourning. Noah’s good friend Isaac Yoder had told him Rachel lost her husband a little more than a year earlier. Another man had loved her. She’d loved him back. That was the hardest part, even though Noah had been the first to marry someone else.

“Ready?” he asked. A tiny frown line appeared between her brows as she watched him. He couldn’t imagine the things his expression must be giving away.

Once he’d dropped Megan at the search site, he and Rachel headed for the Lapps’ home.

“Do you mind if we go through the events of tonight one more time?” he asked because he needed something to fill the poignant silence hanging between them, and he didn’t understand why someone was targeting her and Eva. The Amish were peaceful people.

“I don’t mind,” she said and smiled at him for the first time. His chest constricted at the sight of it. He remembered the love they’d shared before it had all fallen apart.

“I’d drifted asleep in the chair in my bedroom while reading,” she said, her voice but a whisper. Noah had no doubt she would have been poring over God’s Word, finding comfort there. He’d never understood that need until Olivia’s death. Losing his wife had changed things for him.

Even experiencing death firsthand with Olivia, he couldn’t begin to understand how difficult the past four years had been for Rachel. Isaac told him about her father dying after he’d suffered a heart attack working in the field. If that wasn’t bad enough, her husband passed last year in a buggy accident...and now this.

“I wanted to wait up for Eva, but I grew sleepy.” Her voice trailed off. Was she reliving the nightmare? “Noah, I couldn’t breathe. He held his hand over my mouth and nose. I thought he would kill me.”

Noah had interviewed countless victims during his time on the force. He understood how difficult recounting the details of an attack could be. But Rachel wasn’t just any victim. He had a personal connection with her. Seeing her again made him feel like that young boy who had been crazy about her and desperate to find a way to defy his father and make her his.

“What happened next?” he gently asked when she grew quiet.

“He forced me out of the chair and tried to make me go with him.” She stopped for a breath. “Then he said, ‘He has plans for you.’”

His brows slanted together after hearing this again. “Have you figured out what he might have meant by that?”

Her beautiful gaze locked to his as realization dawned on her face. “Oh, no,” she whispered, her hand covering her mouth.

“What is it?” He dreaded her answer.

“I just remembered something that happened a few days ago when I was coming home from work at Christner’s Bulk Foods Store... I help Esther Christner out a couple of days a week,” she explained. “Noah, I think someone followed me from the town. When I was on my way home, a car sped past me and stopped suddenly halfway on the road. At the time, I thought the driver might have car trouble. But now, after what happened tonight...if another vehicle had not come along...” Her voice trailed off.

Noah’s gut told him the driver of the car had planned to take her then. The second vehicle had foiled the attack. Someone was deliberately coming after Rachel, and he needed to find out who before it was too late. For Eva. For Rachel.

TWO

Eva, where are you? Rachel felt so helpless. All she could think about was what might be happening to her sister.

Shutting out the dreadful thoughts was hard, but she had to keep it together for Eva.

She shifted in her seat. “Do you remember the Lapps live up this road on the right?” As much as she hoped they’d find Eva fast asleep at Anna’s home, she did not expect it.

“I do,” Noah said and glanced her way. “Until we catch this guy, the less you’re out in public, the better. The safest place for you now is at the station.”

He was worried about her. She understood, but she had to do whatever she could to find her sister because the thought of losing Eva was unbearable.

“I’m safe with you,” she said. “And Anna might tell me something she would be too nervous to say with just you alone.”

Holding her gaze a long moment, he sighed and tapped the radio on his jacket. “Janine, I’m making a stop at the Lapp place on Spruce before heading to the station. I have Rachel Albrecht with me. Walker knows, but I wanted you to be aware, as well. I’ll radio you when we’re heading your way.”

“Copy that,” the dispatcher said.

While Noah concentrated on his driving, Rachel tried to imagine him as a deputy sheriff. He’d loved working on his family’s farm and helping her daed out whenever possible. She’d always assumed he’d one day own his own farm, yet something had changed him.

Seeing him again after all these years felt unreal. When she’d first learned that his family had moved from the area, she’d been devastated. There had been no goodbye—no explanation. Her mamm was the one to break the news to her. All along, she’d known his family didn’t approve of their relationship, but she’d thought he would stand up for her. For them.

Back then, her whole world revolved around the time they spent together. Even though Noah wasn’t Amish, her young heart believed they could find a way to work through all the problems facing them as long as they had each other.

He caught her looking at him and she dropped her gaze to her hands. Her palms stung from the cuts there. The worry for Eva threatened to swallow her up. She was barely hanging on.

Noah turned off Spruce and eased the patrol vehicle down the potholed dirt road leading to the Lapps’ home. Once they reached it, he killed the engine. The house was dark inside. The family of six would be sleeping. Morning came early in Amish country. As dairy farmers, the Lapp men would be up before dawn to start the morning chores.

“We’re going to have to wake them. There’s no other choice.” He focused on his watch. “It’s almost two.” With a sigh, he glanced her way. “This won’t be easy.” Climbing out, Noah came around to her side. He’d grown up a lot over the years. Still, no matter how much he’d changed, when she looked at him, she saw the young boy she’d once adored.

Slightly taller now, he’d filled out from that lanky teen, but those brilliant blue eyes were much the same, as was the blond hair, though he’d cut it much shorter now. She’d thought about him a lot over the years. Wondered. Kept the pain to herself. Her mamm had been the only one who knew how broken Rachel was after Noah left.

“Ready?” he asked when she stood beside him.

Letting go of the past was hard. Her life had been blessed. She and Daniel had many happy years together. And a life spent lingering on regrets is a wasted life, her mamm always said.

She nodded, the hurt too fresh to trust her voice.

Noah stepped up on the porch with her. It took several knocks before someone rousted. Samuel Lapp opened the door a crack, holding a lantern high, concern etched across his face.

“Mr. Lapp, I’m sorry to wake you so early. I’m Deputy Noah Warren, and you know Rachel Albrecht. We need to speak with your daughter Anna immediately.”

Samuel’s gaze shot to Rachel. She couldn’t imagine how pitiful she must look.

“What is this about, Deputy?” Samuel asked.

“It’s about Eva, sir. She didn’t come home last night. Is she here?”

Samuel’s eyes widened and he shook his head. “Nay. Eva left hours ago.” The worst possible news. Rachel struggled to hold herself together.

“We believe your daughter may have been the last person to see her,” Noah said. “That’s why we need to speak with her.”

Samuel gasped, his bushy white brows shooting up. “What could have happened to Eva? This is a peaceful community. There’s been no crime.”

Noah glanced at Rachel. “We’re not sure. We’re hoping Anna can shed some light.”

“Jah, please come inside.” Samuel held the door open, and they stepped across the threshold. His wife, Kathryn, stood beside her husband.

“What has happened to Eva?” Kathryn asked with a fearful expression on her face. Rachel could not speak the darkest fears of her heart aloud.

“She didn’t come home last night. We don’t know where she is,” Noah answered for her.

“Go quickly,” Samuel said, facing his wife. “Wake Anna.”

With a worried glance at Rachel, Kathryn hurried away. In the awkward silence that followed, Rachel’s concern for Eva’s safety continued to grow.

Noises above were followed by voices. Anna came swiftly down the stairs with Kathryn at her heels.

“Anna, Eva did not come home last night. What time did she leave here?” Samuel asked his daughter.

Anna’s eyes widened. “I’m not sure. She wanted to be home by ten, and it’s a good walk to her house. She left in plenty of time, though. I cannot believe she didn’t make it home.”

“Did she mention if anything was bothering her lately?” Noah asked. “Was she having a problem with anyone? A boy, perhaps?”

Anna’s troubled gaze shot to Rachel. “She was happy. She talked to a lot of different people at the singing, but there was no special boy. She was so excited about taking over the teaching position soon. We had fun at the singing. When it ended, we came home. I made cocoa, and we talked for a while.” Anna smiled at the memory. “Eva spoke of the lessons she and Hannah planned for the kinner the next day and asked if I wanted to stop by sometime and sit in on the class. Eva knows I want to become a teacher, too, and thought it might be helpful. Once she takes over the position, she plans to speak to the community elders about letting me apprentice.” Tears shone in Anna’s eyes. “Eva was happy and excited about her work. There was nothing wrong.”

“Did anyone pay special attention to her at the social?” While Rachel understood Noah had to ask the question, she couldn’t envision anyone from the community wishing Eva harm.

“No, no one.”

Noah barely hid his disappointment. “We appreciate your help, Anna. I’m sorry to wake you and your family so early. If you remember anything else, please let me know.”

He started to leave, but Anna grasped his arm. “You have to find her, Deputy. Please, she’s my best friend.” Kathryn placed her arms around her weeping daughter’s waist and drew her close.

“We’re going to do our best to bring her home safely,” Noah assured her.

Samuel stepped out on the porch with them. “If we can help in any way, please let us know. Eva is like one of our own,” he told Rachel.

“Denki, Samuel,” Rachel managed through tears. She turned away, trying to hold on for Eva’s sake.

“Do you think it’s possible you or Anna wouldn’t know if Eva was seeing someone?” Noah asked when they were inside the SUV again.

Rachel couldn’t imagine Eva keeping something like that secret. “It’s not possible. Eva and I are close. She tells me everything that is happening in her life. She would not keep something like that to herself.”

The doubt she saw in him hurt. “It wouldn’t be the first time something like this happened. Teenagers keep secrets. It’s part of the age.”

“Perhaps in the Englisch world, but not here amongst the Amish. Eva would not lie to me.”

Without answering, Noah reversed the SUV, spun around and headed down the long drive. Hitting the radio on his shoulder, he spoke to the dispatcher again. “Show us leaving the Lapps’ place, Janine. We’re heading your way.”

“Will do. See you soon.”

Once he reached the end of the drive, he stopped. “You said you think someone was following you. Did anything else happen before the incident the other day? What about with Eva? Did she mention anything strange going on?”