Taken

CHAPTER ONE-3

Beverly didn’t know that from the time she heard the shots until she was thrown in the trunk only two minutes had elapsed.

Secret Service Agent Marsha Jefferson was faxing the last of her reports when her cell phone rang and the landline phone in the Command Center rang at the same time. She glanced at the caller I.D., it was ten zeros. She knew what it meant. Someone, somewhere in the Secret Service was declaring a nationwide emergency.

She picked up the landline phone and listened. She could here Sandra Clark’s recorded message. Marsha recognized Sandra’s voice right away. A chill went down her spine. She said to herself, “Oh God.”

Marsha reached over the desk and hit the panic button. The panic button was the emergency siren. The siren was blaring so loud it seemed to rattle her lungs. She knew all the agents at the ranch could hear it. She released the button and said over the two-way radio on the desk, “Secure the ranch. North and south check points block the road. Don’t let anyone in except other agents and ‘Maverick.’ ‘Maverick’ was Lewis MacDonald.

She punched in a number on her speed dial. She had never used the number before. It was the same number Sandra Clark had used.

“This is Prairie, secure ‘Maverick’ now. I repeat, this is Prairie, secure ‘Maverick’ now.” She ran to her SUV. Kerney was twenty minutes away. She believed she could make it in eight.

When Wilcox answered his cell phone Simpson said, “I believe I have found the white van.”

“Where?”

“Behind the grocery store two blocks west of the beauty salon.”

“Anybody in it?”

“Can’t tell, I am watching it from one block over.”

“I’ll be there in three minutes.”

“I’ll wait on you.”

Three minutes later both agents approached the van from two different directions, weapons drawn.

“This is it. That’s her clothes.”

Simpson nodded his head in agreement before saying, “She could be anywhere by now.”

Lewis C. MacDonald was fifty miles away. He was haggling over the price of twenty cows and a bull. Lewis knew the seller. He had bought cows from him before. The haggling was good natured. Both men knew it and enjoyed it.

“What’s your rock bottom price?”

“I gave that to you twenty minutes ago.”

“I thought you were joking.”

“Come on Lewis, you know they are good breeding stock.”

Lewis smiled and nodded his head. He stroked his chin like he was thinking.

The rancher glanced at the six Secret Service Agents twenty feet away. All six had a cell phone to their ear.

“You hear that boys, he’s thinking.”

Twenty seconds later Lewis and the six agents were racing away in three black SUV’s leaving the rancher standing there with his hands on his hips.

“What in the world!”

Sandra Clark was at the corner of Casper Street and Main Street when she heard the siren. She glanced at her watch. Twelve minutes had passed since the shooting. She knew the city of Kerney only had about two dozen officers. A police cruiser skidded to a stop directly in front of Courtney’s on the Square. The officer glanced towards the bodies. Then he got out of the cruiser with a roll of yellow ‘Police line do not enter’ tape. Sandra Clark met him by the cruiser.

“Ma’am.”

“I’m Secret Service.”

“I know, Ma’am.”

“They are Secret Service Agents.”

“Yes, I know, Ma’am.”

“Where is the Chief and the Sheriff?”

“They are on the way,” said the Police Officer.

“Were they at the Kerney County Posse bar-b-que?”

“Yes Ma’am, and over a hundred people are out looking for her.”

“I’m afraid she’s gone.”

“We’ll find her, Ma’am.”

“Dear God, I hope you are right.”

Lewis was in the back seat of ‘The vehicle’ as the three SUV’s sped away.

“What’s going on?”

Neither agent answered.

“Is it Beverly?”

Each agent glanced at the other but did not answer.

“Oh God.”

Marsha Jefferson was two blocks north of the square when her two-way radio said, “We found the van.” She knew Wilcox was letting Clark know about the van.

Clark answered, “Where?”

“Behind the grocery store two blocks west of the square.”

Marsha made a right turn, went two blocks, made a left turn and then made another left at the Sheriff’s office. She could see Simpson and Wilcox standing by the van. Marsha didn’t pull into the gravel parking lot. She pulled off to the side of the road and got out of her vehicle. Her mind raced back to the three agents. There was nothing she could do for them now. Her priority was Beverly.

Beverly kept telling herself to remain calm and concentrate. Her body shifted to the right. The car was making a left-hand turn. The car was now on a dirt road. They crossed the railroad tracks again. If they crossed a wooden bridge in about two minutes she would know where she was. Two minutes later she could hear the unmistakable sound of the wooden planking. Beverly couldn’t believe her senses were as acute as they were. She could smell, hear and feel better than she had ever remembered. She could smell a woman’s perfume. The person in the trunk with her was a woman.

If the car comes to a stop in five minutes they would have to turn left or right. ‘Please let them turn left’ she thought to herself. Five minutes later the car came to a stop and turned left.

Marsha went to the van. Wilcox said, “It’s her clothes and boots.”

“Yeah, I know. I saw her before she left the ranch.”

Marsha saw a man’s watch with a wide leather band, the kind bikers wore a long time ago.

“Her Daddy’s watch.”

“She never took it off.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Marsha put it in a plastic bag and put it in her pocket.

“I want to give it back to her.”

Both men nodded their head.

“We’ll find her,” said Wilcox.

“Who’s coming to process the van?”

“FBI from Cheyenne,” said Simpson.

Marsha nodded her head.

“Stay here until they get here.”

Simpson pointed to the white Ford pick-up.

“The back window has a sliding vent. You could shoot out of it.”

“Where is the truck from?”

“It has an Oregon license plate and the van is from Washington State.”

“Bet both are stolen,” said Marsha.

“You’re probably right.”

“I need to go to the other crime scene,” said Marsha.

“It’s not a pretty sight.”

“Didn’t figure it would be.”

Secret Service Agent Linda Compton checked the President’s schedule. According to the schedule no one was in President Juanita Hernandez’s office. She didn’t knock. She stepped in and approached her desk. The President was on the phone. She looked at Compton and motioned her to a chair. Compton remained standing.

“Let me let you go,” then hung up the phone.

“Madam President, Beverly MacDonald has been abducted.”

“Dear God.”

“I knew you would want to know.”

“How did it happen?”

“Right now, we don’t know. Three agents were killed.”

“At the ranch?”

“No Ma’am, on the square in Kerney. She had an appointment to get her hair cut.”

“Is Lewis alright?”

“Yes Ma’am, he is on his way back to the ranch.”

“I want the Director and the Assistant Director in my office immediately.”

“The Director is at a doctor’s appointment. The Assistant Director is on his way now.”

“Good, he’s the man I want to see.”

Deborah MacDonald was in Boise, Idaho painting a wall mural. The adopted daughter of Lewis and Beverly MacDonald was a professional artist. She traveled a lot, painting murals on buildings. She figured she had about another week to go on this one and then she could return to Kerney. She stepped back to look at the colors and to mix some more.

The Secret Service Agent with her said, “We have to go.”

“Why?”

“There is an emergency.”

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s your Mother.”

“What’s wrong with my Momma?”

“She’s been abducted.”

The Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation was ushered into the President’s office by Linda Compton.

“Director Gable, as you know Beverly MacDonald has been abducted by someone. I want her found.”

Vince Gable nodded his head.

“We will do our best Madam President.”

“That task force that you were in charge of that located the man that conspired with the Iranian Government to blow up Washington D.C., can you reestablish that task force?”

“Yes Ma’am, a few have retired, but we can do it.”

“How long to get it in motion?”

“Twenty-four hours,” said Gable.

“Make it happen.”

“Yes Ma’am.”

Beverly was sure the car had just passed her Grandparents old house. She was sure of it. She had been there thousands of times. Both had passed away not long after she and Lewis got married.

She had to remain alert because beyond her Grandparents house was not as familiar to her. She never had a reason to go much further than there. Beverly prayed that they wouldn’t go far. They didn’t. The car stopped. The trunk opened. She was jerked out of the trunk. She heard someone say, “You know what to do.” She heard someone else say, “Yeah.”

The car pulled away. Four people picked her up and started walking. Someone said, “Open the gate.” She heard the gate being opened. She could hear sheep. They sounded like they were all around her. They were close enough that she could smell them. Someone said, “Hurry up before someone comes by.”

They were walking uphill, she could tell. Light was coming through the pillow case over her head then it seemed as though the sun was partially blocked every few seconds. She could smell pine trees. They were in the woods. A few minutes later they laid her on the ground. The ground was cold and Beverly was n***d. She started shivering. She heard someone say, “Let’s go.” They picked her up again after taking a break. “Watch the water.” Beverly could smell stagnant water close by. She heard a metal sound, like a metal door being opened. Then they were walking down stairs. Someone said, “Don’t drop her.” She heard another metal door open and then close behind her. Then they laid her down on something soft. A mattress that smelled very musty. Someone said, “Cut her loose.” Then she felt something cutting near her wrists and ankles. Then she was set up. The pillow case was pulled off her head. One of her captors ripped the duct tape off her mouth. Beverly screamed.

Beverly was looking at four people wearing ski mask. Two were larger than the other two. Beverly thought the smallest one was a woman but wasn’t sure. Then a door made of iron was slammed shut. It was like she was in jail. The smaller of the four said, “There is a chemical toilet and seven-days-worth of food and water on the shelves. Put on those coveralls and socks.”

“Please don’t leave me.”

It fell on deaf ears. The metal door was slammed shut, and then another. Beverly started praying and crying.

Marsha had been at the scene where three of her agents had been murdered for five minutes when the Sheriff of Kerney County arrived. The Chief of Police was seconds behind him.

The two officers ducked under the yellow police tape and approached Agents Clark and Jefferson.

“Sheriff, Chief, thank you for your help. I understand you have blocked as many roads as you can in this short time,” said Marsha.

The Sheriff spoke up, “We only had three deputies on duty at the time. We’ve called in everyone.”

“How about you Chief?”

“Two were on duty. We’ve called in everyone. We only have ten officers on the Force.”

Marsha nodded her head.

“We found the van that was used. It’s behind the grocery store two blocks west of here. I have two agents guarding it now. Are there any video cameras on the square?”