Amish Country Kidnapping

“No, nothing. And Eva never said a word about anything out of the ordinary happening.”

He pulled onto Spruce once more and headed toward Eagle’s Nest. “By the way, where is Beth?”

Rachel leaned against the headrest as exhaustion settled in her limbs. “Mamm left last week to visit her sister and parents in Colorado. Aenti Deborah has not been feeling well for a while. Mamm wanted to spend some time with her to help nurse her to good health.”

Noah smiled over at her, gentleness in his eyes. “I was sorry to hear about your father. He was a good man.”

She ducked her head. “Jah, he was.” Even though four years had passed since her daed died, at times, she still couldn’t believe he was gone.

Her mamm had become worried about him when he didn’t show up for the evening meal. She’d asked Rachel’s husband to check on him, and Daniel had found Daed passed out in the field he’d been working. He’d suffered a heart attack. Her daed never recovered.

Shaking off those sad memories, she tried to focus on Noah’s earlier question. Other than the incident with the car, she had no proof anyone was watching her, only a feeling.

A frown creased Noah’s handsome face. He watched something in the rearview mirror.

She glanced behind them. Headlights. “Is something wrong?”

“I’m not sure. That car came out of nowhere the moment we left the Lapps’ drive. I think they were waiting for us.”

Fear gathered her in its embrace. Someone was following them.

The vehicle came closer. Noah’s bad feeling doubled. The headlights were on bright. What was the driver trying to do? Noah slowed the SUV’s speed, thinking if the incident was innocent, the driver would pass them. Did they not know they were tailgating a sheriff’s deputy?

As he continued to watch his rearview mirror, he noticed something alarming. The car’s front license plate was missing. With the vehicle inches from his bumper, Noah prepared to radio for assistance, when the car rammed the rear of the patrol vehicle.

Noah lurched forward, the seat belt caught hard. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Rachel gripping the armrest for support.

The SUV slipped on the icy road and he struggled to keep it under control.

“What’s happening?” she asked, her voice unsteady and barely audible.

“They’re trying to run us off the road.” The car edged up behind them once more. Noah floored the gas pedal. The SUV fishtailed, and he held on to the wheel with all his might to keep from losing control. The car stayed with him.

“Hold on,” Noah yelled when the car slammed into them again. Before he had time to radio for assistance, the rear tire of the SUV blew. The vehicle spun three hundred and sixty degrees on the ice before heading straight for the snow-covered ditch at full speed.

Noah fought for control and lost. The cruiser hit the snow hard, launched itself through the air and slammed onto its side. Skidding some twenty feet, it plowed up snow and debris until it came to a shuddering stop on the passenger side. His head slammed against the driver’s-side window. It shattered on contact, sending glass flying everywhere. Noah lost consciousness briefly. When he came to, seconds ticked away before the fog lifted. Blood oozed from his face where bits of glass embedded.

Rachel! Below him, a barely audible moan. He glanced down to see her suspended by the seat belt. “Rachel, are you hurt?” Her lack of response was terrifying. Noah craned his neck. The dashboard lights revealed her eyes were not open. She wasn’t moving.

“Rachel!” he called to her again. Her eyes fluttered open. Breath seeped out in a sigh of relief. Still, she could have internal injuries. “Are you okay? Can you move?” he asked.

She flexed her arms and legs. “I think so.”

A flashlight’s beam swept across the windshield. Rachel’s eyes shot to Noah’s. He signaled for her to keep silent. The men who ran them off the road were still out there.

Noah’s radio hung freely from his jacket, smashed to bits when he’d slammed into the door. He couldn’t find the cell phone that he’d placed on the center console. They were on their own.

“See if you can unfasten your seat belt,” he whispered with urgency.

It took several tries before she was free.

“Stay down and don’t move no matter what,” he said in a low voice. Rachel flattened herself against the floorboard.

It took all his effort to unholster his Glock.

“Be careful, he’s a cop,” a man’s voice warned. He had to be standing right next to the SUV.

“Yeah, well, you’d better hope she’s alive because he’s going to be angry if you killed her by ramming their vehicle. We were supposed to follow them. Find out what’s going on. See if we could get her alone and nab her, and now you’ve gone and done this.”

“Shut up. I got the job done, didn’t I? We have them at our mercy,” the first man snapped.

“By running a sheriff’s vehicle off the road! You could land us both in jail. I want my share of the money. If she’s dead or we get caught, there’s nothing.”

“She’s not dead, and there’s no way I’m going to jail, not even if I have to kill him.” Rachel’s terrified gaze met his. “Besides, they’re probably both unconscious. And we’re wearing masks. Now, give me a foot up so I can grab her before he wakes up.”

Outside his door, Noah heard the men struggling to reach it. A man’s head and shoulders popped into view. In the cramped position, Noah aimed and fired. The man yelped and fell backward.

“I’m hit,” he screamed. “He shot me. Help me out, why don’t you. We need to split. There could be more of them coming.”

“What about the girl? We need her,” his partner said.

“Forget the girl. We’ll get her another time,” the first man snapped. “I’ve been shot! I need a doctor.”

Seconds slipped by. A car’s engine fired. Tires squealed as the vehicle sped away.

“Let’s get out of here before the one guy changes his mind and decides he’d rather have the money than save his buddy’s life.” Noah tried to free the latch on the seat belt, but the tension of his weight against it was too much.

He felt around on the center console, unable to open it from his angle.

“I’m going to need your help. I have a knife in the center console. Can you reach it?”

Using the seat as a crutch, Rachel managed to stand. Opening the console, she felt around until she located the knife.

“I have it.” She held it up.

He took it from her. “Once I cut through the seat belt, I’m not sure if I can control where I’ll land, and I’m afraid I’ll hurt you in the process. Can you make it to the back seat? You should be safe there.”

She glanced behind him. “I think so.” Gathering her skirt, Rachel eased between the two seats until she was tucked behind the passenger seat.

Noah braced his weight against the console. Opening the knife, he began cutting away at his restraints.

It took longer than he’d expected for the final piece to fray loose and free him. His full weight slammed against the console, which blocked his fall. Wincing in pain, he breathed a prayer of thanks. He spotted his cell phone where it had landed in the passenger side pouch. Grabbing it, Noah quickly called Walker.

“Where are you? Janine said you were heading to the station a while ago.”

Drawing in a breath, Noah explained about the attack. “The SUV’s incapacitated and I’m afraid those goons might return to try and kidnap Rachel again.”

“We’re on our way. Can you two make it out of the cruiser?”

“I think so.”

“Good. Find someplace safe to hide until we arrive. We’re ten minutes out.” Sirens blared through the phone.

Ending the call, Noah pocketed the phone. He killed the SUV’s engine and peered out the shattered driver window.

“I think we can climb out this side and then scoot across to the front of the SUV and hop to the ground.” Noah eased out the window and moved a little away. He held out his hand to her.

Bracing her foot, Rachel grasped it, and he lifted her up and out of the patrol vehicle. She glanced over the side. It was a good drop straight down.

“Don’t look down, just do what I do, okay?” He held her gaze. Slowly she nodded. On his hands and knees, Noah edged to the front of the vehicle. As carefully as possible, he put one foot on the headlight and the second on the grill. He jumped down, the deep snow cushioned his landing.

Holding out his hands, he looked up at Rachel, reading all her doubts in her eyes. “It’s okay. I have you. I’m not going to let you fall.” He’d let her down once. Would she trust him this time?

“You promise?” she asked, her voice filled with uncertainty.

“I promise. I won’t let you down again.” And he meant it. No matter what, he’d do his best to keep her safe and bring Eva home to her family.

With the tiniest of nods, she placed her feet where he had. His hands circled her waist, and he lowered her to the ground at his side still holding her close. Their gazes tangled. All her doubts there for him to see. The past enveloped him once more, as did his regret.

Pushing against his hands, she stepped back, and he felt her rejection almost like a blow.

Noah cleared his throat. “We’d better get out of sight until Walker arrives.” Taking her hand, he headed up the snowbank to the woods close by, while his thoughts ground out all sorts of possibilities. I want my share of the money. If she’s dead, we get nothing. The brazen attack on a law enforcement officer along with the unveiled threat to kill Noah if necessary proved these men would stop at nothing to get to Rachel. And if what happened here tonight was any indication, Noah wasn’t so sure he could protect her if they did.

THREE

She squeezed her eyes shut. The fluorescent lights bored into her head. It throbbed with pain. All she could think about was Eva. What Anna said confirmed the truth in her mind. Eva never made it home. Someone kidnapped her like they’d tried to do to Rachel. What did these men want with them?

So far, after looking at dozens of photos of criminals for hours, the man who attacked her wasn’t among them—at least as far as she could tell. All she had to go on was his eyes, but they left a lasting impression.

Noah promised to find Eva. As the hours slipped away, she struggled to hold on to that promise.

Holy Father in Heaven, please bring my schweschder home safely.

She’d lost so much in her life. Noah. Her daed. Daniel. The baby. At times, it felt as if the pain in her heart would be there to stay. She couldn’t lose her sister, too.

Against her will, she remembered that fateful day. She and Daniel were heading home from the bulk foods store. To this day, she still didn’t know what spooked the mare. Daniel was thrown. He’d died before he reached the hospital. When her doctor visited her some time later, he delivered another blow. Losing their unborn baby was just the beginning. He’d told her the damage to her body was too great. She would not likely be able to have another child.

Something brushed against her hand. Rachel’s eyes snapped open. A Styrofoam coffee cup sat next to her. She glanced up. Noah was there.

“I thought you could use a break.” He smiled, and she noticed his facial cuts from the glass had been bandaged. He pulled out the chair next to hers.

“Denki,” she murmured and took a sip. Strong coffee. Something she rarely drank anymore. Daniel was the coffee drinker in the family. Since his passing, she couldn’t bring herself to prepare it for herself.

“How are you holding up?” he asked, keeping a careful watch on her face.

Truthfully, she was barely hanging on. “I feel so helpless. I need to be doing something. I can’t sit here looking at these photos any longer while Eva is missing.” She shook her head. “She could be hurt, Noah. Maybe a car struck her on the way home, and she’s lying out there frightened and alone. I am supposed to watch out for her. My mamm entrusted her well-being to me.” Not since losing Daniel had she felt such turmoil in her heart.

Noah covered her hand with his. “We have all our people looking for her. They’re combing the road between the Lapp place and yours. We’ll find her.” His gentle answer washed over her, and she pulled in a breath. Gazing into his eyes, she believed him. Noah was a gut man. He would do what he could to fulfill his promise and bring Eva home.

As she studied his handsome face, the past and all its shattered dreams rose in her heart like a barrier between them. At seventeen, she had been so sure her future belonged with Noah. It didn’t matter how many times her mamm tried to get her to see the differences standing between them. She’d been so foolish back then, blinded to the truth while her heart had believed that with Noah at her side they could conquer any obstacle in their way, including their differences in faith.

But the past had no place between them anymore.

She studied his handsome face. While his blue eyes were as she remembered, fine lines fanned out around them. Grooves circled his mouth. She wondered about his life now. Was he married? Happy?

“I’ve been so worried about Eva that I haven’t thought to ask how you’ve been.”

Dark blond brows shot up. Time slipped by before he answered. “I’ve been okay, I guess. Busy. This job is fulfilling in many ways.” A strange answer. He stopped, and she wondered if perhaps in just as many ways it was not.

“I meant what I said earlier. I am sorry about Ezra. He was like a dad to me for a long time. I learned a lot about farming from Ezra when I was too stubborn to listen to my father.” A hint of a smile lifted the corners of his mouth, not reaching his eyes. “And I was sorry to hear about your husband, as well,” he added quietly.

The strain between them now was something the younger Rachel could not have imagined. They were like two strangers. She glanced at his hand on hers. He didn’t wear a wedding band. Had he ever married?

Rachel thought about her years with Daniel. At times, it was hard to believe he was gone. So many things changed forever with his death. The buggy accident that took his life scarred her deeply and she still struggled to accept Daniel’s death and her injuries as part of Gott’s plan. The future and its promises had evaporated that day.

When the silence between them grew uncomfortable, she asked the question she was curious about. “How did you know about Daniel?”

“Isaac. We still keep in touch. He and I go hunting together several times a year, and I help him with his planting like I used to with your dad.”

She looked away, surprised by the admission. When he’d left, Rachel had thought Noah had shut both her and the Amish ways out of his life, and yet he kept in touch with Isaac. He just hadn’t wanted her.

Before she could think of anything to say, someone came into the room. The sheriff motioned to Noah. From his grim expression, she was sure something terrible had happened.

Noah stepped out of the room. Her heart accelerated. Please, Gott, do not let it be Eva.

Time seemed to stop while her last conversation with Eva came to mind.

Can you believe it, Rachel? Soon, I will be teaching at the same shool where you and I attended as kinner. I cannot imagine doing anything else. Eva’s eyes lit up every time she spoke about the future.

Perhaps someday you will meet a man like Hannah Wagler did and fall in love, Rachel had teased.

Her sister had blushed and eventually giggled before changing the subject. At the time, Rachel hadn’t thought much about it. Now she wondered if perhaps Eva had kept parts of her life secret even from Rachel.

When Hannah first came to Eva and mentioned her plans to marry Isaac Yoder, the bishop’s sohn, come November, Eva could not believe that the community leaders would select her to train as Hannah’s replacement.

Her sister pored through all of Hannah’s past issues of the Blackboard Bulletin, an Amish teachers’ magazine. Eva could not wait to complete her apprenticeship.

Noah came back in. The sight of him had her jumping to her feet. “Is there news?” she asked while trying to glean something from his expression.

He hurried to her side. “We haven’t located her,” he said as if reading her thoughts.

“But you know something.” She could see it in his eyes.

“Yes, we found this.” He held up something in a plastic bag. Rachel’s hand covered her mouth. It was Eva’s quilted bag. She had had it with her at the church service.

“You recognize it,” Noah confirmed.

She nodded. “It belongs to Eva. I made it for her seventeenth birthday six months ago. She took it with her wherever she went. Where did you find it?”

“Not far from where the men forced us off the road.” He paused a moment. “Rachel, it’s looking more like the man who attacked you and ran us off the road took Eva against her will. I’m guessing they were waiting for her when she left the Lapps’ place, much like they were for us.”

Rachel sank back into the chair, covering her face with hands that shook. She should have insisted on picking her sister up at Anna’s. Eva had assured her everything would be fine, and Rachel was trying to give her sister more freedom, but she’d had doubts. Why hadn’t she listened to them?

“This isn’t your fault. You can’t blame yourself. These guys are ruthless.”

Tears filled her eyes. “Isn’t it? I should not have let her walk home alone. It was dark and cold. This is my fault.”

Noah clasped her hand once more. “Eva is growing up. She’s not that little girl who used to tag along all the time.”

He was right. Eva was scheduled to join the church in a few weeks’ time.

“What do we do now?” she asked because she had to do something to help.

“If you feel up to it, we could go to your place and take a look around. See if anything is missing. The crime scene unit finished a few hours ago. They didn’t find anything useful, I’m afraid, although we weren’t expecting any fingerprints since you said the man who attacked you wore gloves.”

Rachel rose. “Jah, I’m ready. I want to do something for Eva.”

Noah smiled at her. “Good. I’ll let Walker know, and then I’ll come get you.”

Alone again, the plastic container holding Eva’s bag called out to her. She couldn’t take her eyes off it. Picking it up, Rachel examined the bag she’d lovingly quilted for her sister. Specks of dark red covered the broken shoulder strap. Blood.

The plastic bag slipped from her fingers. Drawing in a breath, she struggled to keep from being sick.

“What happened to you, Eva?” she whispered while all sorts of possibilities, none of which were good, raced through her head.

She closed her eyes. Nothing made sense. Someone had kidnapped Eva and tried to do the same to her. What could they possibly want?

The door opened. Rachel spun away and tried to reclaim her composure.

“What’s wrong?” Noah asked from near the door.

Squaring her shoulders, she faced him. She had to stay strong. “Nothing. I’m oke.”

He came to where she stood. “We don’t know anything for sure.”

She managed a nod and Noah pressed her hand before releasing it.

“We’re all set with the sheriff. Let’s get out of here.” He held the door open for her.

Noah stopped at the front desk where a woman around the same age as Rachel’s mamm answered phones. She’d been introduced to the woman earlier.

“Janine, we’re heading out to Rachel’s house to take a look around. If you need me, you can reach me on the radio.”

“Okay, Noah. I’ll let Stephanie know, as well. She’ll be starting her dispatcher shift in a few hours.” Janine smiled sympathetically at Rachel. “It was nice to meet you. I’ll say a prayer for your sister.”

Touched by the woman’s kindness, Rachel waved and followed Noah out into the dawning of a new day filled with threatening gray clouds. At this time of the year, the weather could turn from pleasant to winter cold without a moment’s notice.

Noah unlocked a new patrol car and caught her staring at it. “It’s the backup unit. It looks like mine is going to be out of commission for a while.” He opened the door for her, and she climbed inside.

Driving to the farm, Rachel couldn’t keep from glancing over her shoulder, expecting the men who ran them off the road to reappear. Her nerves were all but shattered.

“No one’s back there,” Noah said quietly, and she shifted in her seat to face him.

“I know,” she said but still couldn’t relax. Her sister’s welfare was foremost in her mind. The last time she’d seen Eva, she was excited about attending the youth group singing. Now Eva was missing. Would she ever see her sister again?

“How are your grandparents?” Noah asked, drawing her attention from her worried thoughts. Growing up close to her family, Noah knew her grandparents well.

“They are gut. They moved to the San Luis Valley community in Colorado several years back to live with Aenti Deborah. They said they couldn’t handle the Montana winters any longer.”

Her grossdaddi suffered from severe arthritis, and the cold became harder to endure with each passing year. He and Grossmammi moved to San Luis Valley because of its lower altitude.

Rachel thought about what her mamm’s reaction would be to learning her youngest daughter was missing.

“How am I going to tell my grandparents and mamm about Eva?”

He held her gaze. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. We’re still trying to piece together what happened to her.”

Slowing the car, he pulled onto her drive. As much as Rachel wanted to believe Eva would somehow turn up and this would prove to be some crazy misunderstanding, the little voice in her head assured her nothing could be further from the truth.

She’d lived all her life surrounded by hard work and peaceful family settings. She knew crime existed, but not in her community. At least not until now.

“You must miss Beth a lot.” He glanced her way curiously.

She swallowed deep. “I do.” The past year without Daniel had been a difficult one. Losing the baby. The news she would probably never be able to carry another child again threatened to destroy her. She’d relied on Beth’s strength to get through the long days. Her mamm understood Rachel’s crippling grief all too well.

“I’m sure it must have been hard on her to lose Ezra like she did,” Noah said. His cell phone rang before Rachel could answer. He spoke briefly to someone before ending the call.

“That was Walker. They found the vehicle that ran us off the road abandoned off Highway 37. It had been wiped clean, but there was some blood on the passenger seat.”

Her heart raced. There was blood on Eva’s bag, as well.

“It’s probably from the man I shot.” Noah’s calm voice interrupted her dark thoughts. “A shoulder wound could result in a lot of blood loss.”

Still, doubts crawled in. What was happening to her peaceful world? Why was someone trying to hurt her family?

Noah stopped in front of the house, and Rachel stared up at it. She’d lived here all her life. When she and Daniel wed, they moved in with her parents. Her mamm and daed took over the dawdi haus where her grandparents had lived before they moved to Colorado. These walls captured so many good memories, yet what stood out in her mind the most was what happened last night. She could almost feel the man’s hand covering her mouth once more, the hatred in his eyes. The last breaths leaving her body. Would she ever be able to get those horrific memories out of her head and feel safe here again?