CHAPTER TWELVE

C HAPTER T WELVE

The Next Day

A sliver of light shined through the canopy of trees, signaling it was a new day. Vanessa had no idea where she was, but she could now figure out the four cardinal directions. The question was, which one should she take? North? South? East? West? She listened for any sounds of human activity. Again, nothing. She was weary. Mentally and physically. Even if she knew where she was going, would she be able to make it out of these woods?

A barking dog in the distance got her attention. Again, she wondered if it was a good thing or a bad one. She would have to take her chances for the second time in two days. She had gotten this far. She had to carry on.

Vanessa moved slowly in the direction of the sound. Everything hurt. Her face. Her hands. Her legs. She was limping. Her bloodstained clothes stuck to her skin. She thought she might collapse when she heard a voice: “Hardy! Here boy!” Then the woman whistled and called again. “Hardy!”

Vanessa leaned against a tree with one arm and cried out. “Help! Somebody help me! Please!” In a few short seconds, a German shepherd was in front of her. He eyed her with interest. She looked at the dog. “Hello, Hardy. My name is Vanessa. Can you and your owner please help me?” The dog let out a loud bark, but it wasn’t a threatening bark.

“Hardy! Where in the Sam-hill are you?” The woman’s voice was almost pleasant.

The dog barked again. Vanessa could hear the crunching of leaves under someone’s feet. She could see a person approaching wearing a red-and-black-checked flannel shirt. Vanessa thought about waving, but she feared a sudden move might startle the dog. Instead, she let out a limp cry. “Over here.”

A woman with a walking stick moved quickly toward her. She gasped when she saw the shredded and stained young girl. “Oh, my Lord! Dear, are you alright? Silly question. Of course, you’re not alright.” She kneeled down in front of Vanessa. “What on earth happened? Can you stand up?”

Vanessa nodded. “I . . . I think so.” The woman placed Vanessa’s arm around her shoulders and helped her up.

“How did you get here?” the woman asked.

“I really don’t know.” Vanessa wasn’t lying, but she wasn’t sure how much she should or could reveal.

“Come along with me. My house isn’t far.”

The two gingerly and slowly made their way the quarter mile to the woman’s farmhouse, with Hardy following behind. The woman yelled through the screen door. “Fred! Come out here. Give me a hand!” A man in his mid-forties appeared and opened the door as the woman helped Vanessa up the porch steps.

“Come. Sit here.” The woman helped Vanessa into a comfortable chair while Fred went into the kitchen and returned with a few wet towels and a glass of water.

The woman began to wipe some of the blood off Vanessa’s face and hands. “Dear, we need to get you to a hospital.”

“No. No,” Vanessa protested. “I need to talk to my mother.”

“Of course you do, but you need medical help. The hospital will have to call your folks, but we can get you there pronto.” The woman seemed very kind. “What’s your name, dear?”

Vanessa wasn’t sure what she should say. What if these people were with the ones who’d abducted her? She made something up. She’d deal with the truth at the hospital. “Biddie.”

“Okay, now, Biddie. Tell me, how on earth did you get this way?”

Vanessa strained her brain to come up with a story. “I was hiking with some friends, and I got lost.”

“Didn’t you have a phone? Surely all people your age have phones.”

Vanessa thought again. “We decided we would unplug for the afternoon.”

“Why didn’t they come looking for you?”

Vanessa let out a little chuckle. “I don’t know, but they’re gonna hear it from me when I see them.” She was beginning to get comfortable with her story.

“By the way, I’m Gloria. This is my hubby, Fred. You’ve already met Hardy.”

“Thank you, Gloria. Thank you, Fred. And thank you, Hardy. I could have been lost forever.” Vanessa sat up straight. “Could I please use your bathroom?”

“Of course, dear. Straight down the hall. Fred will get the truck ready.”

Vanessa was shocked at her reflection in the mirror. She was almost unrecognizable. The ham and cheese sandwiches might have contained a lot of fat and carbs, but she had definitely lost weight. She looked scrawny. And dirty. She’d tried to wash her hair during her captivity, but cheap soap and no conditioner gave her head a matted look. She was surely a hot mess. She splashed more water on her face and dried it with toilet paper. She didn’t want to get any more blood on these nice people’s towels.

When she returned to the living room, Gloria was waiting with Hardy. “Come on, dear. Let’s get you fixed up.” The passenger door of the vehicle was open. Vanessa stepped in and buckled up. She had a flashback of her last encounter in a stranger’s vehicle. She started to tremble. Fred patted her arm gently. “You’re gonna be alright.”

Fred tried a little small talk. “You from around here?” Vanessa answered with monosyllabic words.

“No.”

“Visiting friends?”

“Yes.”

Fred decided some music might be helpful and turned on the radio. “Got any favorites?”

“Not really.”

“Okay. How about some oldies?”

For Fred, oldies meant songs like “The Tide Is High” by Blondie and “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell. Vanessa wasn’t particularly a fan of either, but it was better than trying to have a conversation with someone she really didn’t want to talk to.

When they arrived at the hospital emergency entrance, Fred got out and began to walk over to the passenger door. Vanessa noticed a sticker on the driver’s side window. Even though it was facing out, she could see the large S.E.I. letters. She panicked. Before Fred could reach the door handle, Vanessa flung the door open, hitting Fred in the face.

“What the—?” Fred was stunned.

Vanessa shot out of the truck like a bullet, ran into the emergency room, and hid behind a curtain. A nurse ran after her as Fred stomped into the area. Vanessa put her fingers to her lips, begging the nurse not to say anything. By the looks of her, Vanessa could have been the victim of assault. In many ways, she was. The nurse mouthed the words “Stay here” and went out to the waiting area, where Fred stood, flummoxed.

“Where’d she go?”

“Who?” the nurse asked.

“The girl. Biddie.”

“Biddie who?” the nurse asked.

The man shrugged.

“Are you a relative?”

“No. My wife found her in the woods.”

The nurse thought that was a very unlikely story. “And what is your name, sir?”

“Fred. Fred Sorenson.”

“Okay, Mr. Sorenson. If we find this girl, Biddie, we will give you a call. In the meantime, why don’t you fill out the form at the nurse’s station?”

“Say what?” Fred was totally confused at this point. He was simply trying to do a good deed.

“Fill out the form, please. If Biddie shows up and needs medical attention, we will know the person to contact.”

Fred was already stunned and annoyed. He turned and left without filling out anything.

The nurse went back to the cubby where the girl waited. “Now please tell me who you are and what happened.”

Vanessa still wasn’t sure whom to trust. She’d been abducted by someone in an S.E.I. truck and then rescued by a family with a similar truck. Was this some kind of nightmare? She had to get to a phone. Call her mom.

“I’ll be right back.” The nurse went back to the desk to get some forms for Vanessa to fill out.

Vanessa was breathing heavily when she heard a man’s loud voice in the reception area. “Howdy. We’re here to see Mr. Milton Spangler.” Vanessa’s heart started to race. She peered around the curtain and saw two men. She recognized one of them. The man who’d punched her in the face.

She looked for a means to escape. Anything to get far away from them. She ran toward the nearest exit and began to climb the stairs. Once again, she had no idea where she was headed, but she kept on going.

When she reached the third floor, she slowly opened the door. A woman wearing rhinestone cowboy boots was standing outside one of the patients’ rooms. The woman looked in Vanessa’s direction and raised an eyebrow. Then she gave Vanessa a look that indicated the woman might recognize her. The problem was determining whether or not the rhinestone cowgirl was friend or foe. Vanessa ducked back into the stairwell and peered through the thick, wired glass window in the steel door. She watched as the woman came toward her. She turned and began to run farther up the stairs. Her legs ached. Her head hurt.

* * *

Annie had been standing outside Milton’s room talking fast cars with Oliver when they were interrupted by two of his employees. At the same time, she noticed a raggedy-looking girl peeking her head out from the exit to the stairs. Annie moved swiftly to the stairwell and yanked open the door. In spite of the lacerations, there was something familiar about the girl’s face. She heard footsteps a flight above. Annie gave a loud whisper. “Vanessa? Is that you? My name is Annie. I can help you.”

The stairwell was quiet except for a slight whimper. Annie made her way up the next flight of stairs. Slumped in a corner was a disheveled, ragged young teenager. Her face and hands were covered with cuts and scratches. Her clothes were bloodstained, and her greasy hair lay flat against her skull. Tears were running down her cheeks.

Annie crouched down and put her arms around the sobbing girl. She took Vanessa’s face into her hands. “It’s going to be alright.” The girl leaned into Annie and continued to cry.

Annie rocked her back and forth until the youth regained some equanimity. “Come on. Let’s get you fixed up.” Annie helped the girl from the floor and slowly walked her down a flight of stairs. As Annie opened the door, two men were standing outside Milton’s room. The girl gasped and tried to pull away from Annie. The two moved quickly back into the stairwell. Annie hugged her. “It’s okay, sweetie. Tell me. What did you see?”

The girl was trembling. “That man.” She was breathing heavily.

“What man?”

“The man who took me.” She looked at Annie with pleading eyes. “Please don’t let him take me again.”

“Oh, that is definitely not going to happen.” Annie peered through the glass. “Which one?”

“The . . . the chubby one.” Vanessa inched her way back into a corner.

Annie’s wheels were turning as she recalled some of the information that was initially brought forth when Vanessa disappeared: something about a green pickup truck with the S.E.I. logo. The two men outside in the hallway were visiting Milton. When Maggie had interviewed the gas station attendant, he’d recanted his story. Was he paid to do it? Annie was going to get to the bottom of this, but the girl needed to see a doctor first.

Annie put both hands on Vanessa’s shoulders. “I want you to listen to me carefully. Are you able to climb down a flight of stairs?”

“I—I think so.” Vanessa stuttered.

“Good. Go down the stairs, and I will meet you outside the stairwell.” She looked deep into Vanessa’s eyes. “Okay?”

“Okay,” Vanessa replied meekly.

“Good girl. See you in a jiff.” Annie watched the girl move slowly to the next level; then she looked through the glass. The men must have gone into Milton’s room. Annie went to check, but they were gone. Myra was the only one in the room with Milton.

“Hey, sorry. Oliver and I were chatting about cars, and then I got a call.”

“Everything alright?” Myra eyed her carefully.

“Yes, but where did my racing pal go?” she asked.

“Oliver had to take care of some business,” Milton said hoarsely.

I bet he does, Annie thought to herself. “I have to run an errand. I promised Maggie a bunch of snacks.”

“Maggie?” Milton furrowed his brow.

“Maggie Spritzer. She’s my best journalist. She was inspired by the story of Vanessa Rowan. Too many teenage runaways. She’s doing a follow-up and expanding the subject.”

“Good idea. I’m still befuddled about all that,” Milton said softly.

“Hopefully, the girl will turn up. Many of them do,” Myra said.

You have no idea how right you are, Annie thought again.

“Do you want me to go with you?” Myra asked.

Annie knew she was going to need help. What kind of help was still unknown, but help she would surely need.

“I’ll go to the hotel and get the car so you can visit with Mill for a few more minutes.” Annie made a slight gesture toward the pocket where she kept her phone. Myra gave her a look saying she understood. Annie was going to call her or text her shortly.

“Bye, Milton. We’ll see you later.” Annie kissed the back of his hand.

“Yes, you will.” He smiled. He was feeling much better with all the positive energy around him.

* * *

Annie moved quickly when she spotted an empty gurney. She commandeered it as if it were something she did every day. No one questioned the woman in the white cashmere jacket. Had they been looking closely, they would have noticed the luxe fabric, plus those wild boots. But everyone was in a hurry at the hospital, including Annie.

She pushed the stretcher down the hall, in the opposite direction from Milton’s room. There was a large elevator a few feet away. Someone was coming toward her with a patient attached to an I.V. Annie stepped out of the way and let them take the first car. She hoped the girl hadn’t fled the scene. When the next elevator car arrived, she made sure she was the first to get in, and quickly punched the button to close the door. Then she pushed the button for the second floor. When the doors opened, she wheeled the gurney as quickly as she could without arousing suspicion. She checked in all directions and then pushed it against the wall. She opened the stairwell door, hoping the girl would be there. Annie let out a huge sigh of relief when she saw Vanessa huddled in the corner.

“You doing okay?” she asked the girl.

Vanessa nodded.

“Good.” Annie peeked through the glass. Several people were milling about. “This is going to require some super-fast action. I am going to go back into the hallway. When I knock on the door, you slip out and then climb under the sheet.” She watched Vanessa blink a few times. “Are you up for this?”

Vanessa nodded and repeated, “Knock. Out. Sheet.”

“Good girl.” She looked at Vanessa again for confirmation. Vanessa nodded.

Annie checked the hallway again. Everyone was rushing to their own emergencies. Her caper should escape everyone’s notice. Should they succeed. She took a deep breath. “Okay. Here we go.”

Annie quickly opened the door and slid along the wall. No one was watching. She knocked. The door opened and closed like lightning. Before Annie could even blink, there was a big white lump on the gurney. Annie had no idea where she was going to take the girl, but it had to be far away from the two men.

* * *

About half an hour earlier, Myra had been sitting with Milton while Oliver and Annie were chatting in the hallway about fast cars. An aide came in and said there were two more gentlemen here to see Mr. Spangler. “Mr. Dickie and Bart.”

Oliver excused himself from Annie and approached the men halfway down the hall. He was beginning to have an anxiety attack. And he hadn’t had any blow that day. Yet. He realized he had been going through a lot more than usual over the past month or so. Yep, he was blowing his money. Then it occurred to him, maybe that’s why they call it “blow.” Huh. Dickie and Bart came rambling in his direction. Oliver’s collar began to get hot. He was beginning to sweat. Was he sure he hadn’t had a hit of cocaine yet? “You boys got any news for me?”

Dickie scratched his head. “No sign of the package.”

“And tell me again, how did this happen?”

Dickie shot Bart a look. “You tell ’im.”

“Like I said, I picked up a hitchhiker, the box ripped open.” He looked down at the floor. This was not easy. How do you explain a major disaster to your boss? A disaster that could send all of them to jail.

Oliver was getting impatient. “And then what happened, Bart?” An attendant gave him an annoyed look, obviously about to ask them to be quiet.

Oliver motioned for the three of them to step farther away.

“Then I kinda panicked, I guess.”

“You guess,” Oliver repeated sarcastically.

“I guess my instincts kicked in, and I punched her.”

“Cut to the chase, Bart.”

“Chase? There was no chase.”

Oliver shut his eyes and bit the inside of his upper lip. He spoke slowly. “Get to the point, Bart. How did she get away?”

“She musta pulled the bars out of the wall, broke the window, and crawled out.”

“Listen, Captain Obvious, I know she pulled the bars and broke the window. I want to know how she was able to pull the bars away from the wall.”

Bart looked sheepish. “When we were working on it, I knew you was in a hurry. We ran out of the right kind of compound and used some spackle to hold it for the time being.”

“Spackle. You used spackle.”

“Yes, sir.” Bart had thought it was a good idea at the time. “It was only supposed to be there until we could get back and finish it proper. But then this happened with the girl.”

“And it hadn’t occurred to you that she might be able to pull the bars out?”

“No, sir. She was a scrawny thing. Besides, I guess I was kinda distracted about the whole thing, you know, getting her situated.”

“I am certain that is not the end of the story.” Oliver shot him a dagger-sharp look.

“Right. So, she musta been standing on the table.”

“And it was with sheer force she was able to pull the bars away from the wall?”

“Well, no. She musta broke the lamp and used part of it to jiggle it. We found a piece of it on the floor next to the table.”

“The table that was below the window.”

“Right.”

“Obviously, you hadn’t thought about the many ways she could get out?”

“Like I said, she was a bit of a thing.”

“A very clever one.” Oliver was clenching his teeth at that point. “Find her.” He spun on the heels of his Ferragamos and marched back into his father’s private suite.

“Can we at least say hello?” Dickie called from the hallway.

This time, the orderly asked him to, “Please keep your voice down.”

“Come on, Bart. We have a hunting trip to go on.”

* * *

Milton was sitting up in bed. Most of the color had returned to his cheeks. “Everything alright, son?”

Myra took her cue and moved to the alcove sitting area of the room.

“Yeah. Just a situation with one of the drivers.”

“Oh, that reminds me. I have a new employee lined up for you.”

Oliver looked perplexed. “A new employee? For what?”

“Well, you’re always saying how you seem to be short on drivers every so often. I thought having someone on swing shift would be a good solution. She can have a flexible schedule and be on-call.”

Oliver still hadn’t absorbed the word she . He blinked. “She? You hired a she?”

“Come on, lad. Don’t be so chauvinistic. Plenty of women are long-haulers. I’m really surprised at you.”

“You’re right, Dad. I guess this just came as a surprise. I mean, you hiring someone without talking to me about it.”

“I still own the company, son. I had a day or so to do a lot of thinking. We are a profitable enterprise. There is no reason why you should have to worry about having a route covered. You have a lot of things to manage. We lose business when we can’t find a driver. We can afford another hire.”

Oliver changed his tune. “I appreciate you thinking about my workload. And you’re right. Adding staff can only add to our productivity.”

“Now that’s what I’m talking about.” Milton smiled as Myra looked on.

“Listen, Pop. I’ve got a few things I need to get to. I’ll stop by later.” He leaned over and gave his father a kiss on the head.

When Oliver left the room, Myra resumed her position in the chair next to Milton’s bed. “That was very good timing, Mill.”

“Thank you, Myra.” He reached over with an IV-free hand.

“I wonder where Annie went?” Myra said. “I’ll be right back.” When Myra got up, her phone vibrated. She looked at the signs that said N O C ELL P HONE U SE . She texted Annie.

Where R U?

In the basement.

Where???

Basement.

You okay?

Yes. Got Vanessa.

What???

Take elevator to basement. Go 2 laundry room.

Myra looked down at her phone. She could not imagine what Annie was talking about. “Mill, Annie has the car downstairs. I’ll be back later today.”

“No worries. I’m not going anywhere.” He let out a little chuckle. “Myra?”

“Yes, Mill?”

“I’m really glad you’re here.”

“Me, too. Don’t go away.” She moved quickly to the elevator and took it to the lower level. The room was massive, with dozens of washing machines lined along one wall. White curtains separated different folding areas. Myra looked around. She didn’t want to call out anybody’s name. She knew she wasn’t supposed to be there and surely didn’t want to draw attention to herself. As she looked around, she caught a quick glimmer of light out of the corner of her eye. Ha. I’ll never mock those boots again. Myra scurried to the curtain that shielded Annie and Vanessa from the rest of the room.

“Myra, meet our new friend, Vanessa. Vanessa, meet my bestie and partner, Myra.”

Vanessa gave Myra a weak smile. “Nice to meet you, I think.”

“We need to get her to a doctor, but there were some men on the floor that she wanted to avoid.”

“On Milton’s floor?” Myra sounded surprised.

“Yes, long story. Vanessa has been filling me in. So, how do we get a physician to take care of this little mess without parental consent?”

“Her parents. They need to know she’s okay,” Myra said.

“Well, she doesn’t look all that okay to me.”

“Oh, you know what I mean.” Myra gave a tsk-tsk .

“How about this? We call her parents and have them call their PCP, and they can all meet us here?”

“Or maybe we can bring her to his office?” Myra offered.

Vanessa watched the two of them as if she were at a tennis match. “Excuse me. But can we please call my parents?” she said softly.

“Absolutely.” Annie whipped out her phone. It had rhinestones to match her boots.

“Ah, you brought the fancy one,” Myra teased.

“I am a fashion icon.” Annie perched her phone in the palm of one hand. “Phone number, honey.”

Vanessa thought hard. “I usually just tell my phone to call Mom. Or call Dad.”

The two women looked at each other and shook their heads. “Kids.”

“My dad’s office. Google ‘Rowan Plumbing Supplies’.”

Annie typed quickly. The contact information appeared almost instantly. Technology certainly had its good points. She hit the round circle with the phone icon that said CALL.

After two rings, a pleasant man’s voice answered. “Rowan Plumbing Supplies.”

“May I speak with Mr. Rowan?” Annie asked.

“Speaking. How can I help you?”

Annie handed the phone to Vanessa. “Daddy? Daddy!”

“Nessie, honey, is that really you?” The man was gasping.

“Yes, Daddy. It’s me.” Tears were running down her face.

“Where are you?”

“In the hospital.”

“Oh my Lord. Where?”

“Well, I’m not exactly in as in ‘in’ the hospital. I’m in the building.”

Annie motioned for Vanessa to give her the phone. “Daddy, there is a lady here who wants to speak to you.”

“Hello, Mr. Rowan. My name is Annie De Silva. It’s a very long story, but we found Vanessa in the stairwell of the hospital. She’s been through quite a traumatic experience and needs some medical attention. Her injuries aren’t life-threatening, but she’s pretty banged up.”

“What do you want me to do? Where should I go?”

“Can you phone your primary care physician and ask him if we can all meet at his office, including your wife?”

“Of course. Of course. Let me put you on hold while I try to get him on the other line.”

Annie smiled and nodded at Myra and Vanessa. It seemed like an eternity before Mark Rowan returned to the line. “He can see us as soon as you can get her there.”

“What is the address?” Annie repeated what he was saying as Myra put it into her phone’s GPS.

Myra looked up. “Should take us about twenty minutes.”

Annie recited the information. “Mr. Rowan, please do not tell anyone about this. Just tell your wife you need her to meet you at the doctor’s office. You needed stitches or something. We don’t want anyone to overhear that we have her. We’ll see you shortly.” She handed the phone back to Vanessa.

“I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you, too.”

The next challenge was to get Vanessa out of the hospital without anyone recognizing her.

“What about our bags?” Myra said to Annie. “Your tote, my purse?”

“You go upstairs and get them.” Annie turned to look at Vanessa. “I have to get the car. Do you think you can walk a few blocks? Or do you want to wait on a side street?”

“I’ll wait wherever you tell me.” Vanessa finally believed she was being rescued.

Annie looked at Vanessa. “Come on. There’s probably something you can put on over your clothes.” They began to search the massive laundry room, walking along row after row of curtained areas. They finally came across sets of scrubs hanging on a rack. Annie grabbed a size small and tossed it at Vanessa. “This should fit.”

Vanessa quickly obliged. Annie thought about Vanessa’s hair. She took one of the shirts off a hanger and put it on Vanessa’s head with the bottom around the edge of her face and hairline. She took the sleeves, tied them together, and wrapped them around the top of Vanessa’s head. Odd-looking headgear, but not surprising for Oregon.

Annie took Vanessa’s hand, and they followed the exit signs. When they reached the service dock, Annie stopped. “You wait right here. I’ll be back in a jiffy.” Minutes later, Annie was peeling around the corner and pulling up before Vanessa. “Get in the back. Stay down. We’ve gotta get Myra. She’s at the main entrance.” Vanessa piled in and followed Annie’s instructions. Annie whipped around the block and came to a screeching halt in front of Myra.

“Where is she?” Myra’s voice was edgy.

Annie jerked her thumb toward the back seat.

“Excellent!”

Vanessa was baffled. Who are these two middle-aged maniacs? She was sure of two things: she was going to see her parents very soon, and she would never, ever eat a ham and cheese sandwich again.