Chapter Twenty-Five


Sarah stared at the knob, and then returned her frantic gaze to Scoop. He held his finger to his lips telling her to be still.

The knob jiggled as if the person trying to open it couldn’t believe it was locked. Scoop leaned toward the door, and appeared to be listening. His eyes widened and the color left his face. “They’re going to get the key,” he whispered. He took a deep breath and exhaled. “We have to work fast. Sarah, get back under there and get that drive.”

“Who was it?” Sarah asked.

“Martin Savage.” Scoop motioned with his hands. “You need to hurry.”

“Get back under there and get that tape off,” Jackie said before giving Sarah a gentle push.

Sarah scrambled back under the desk. Using Scoop’s knife, she worked harder at the tape. Her fingers shook as she worried the tape away from the drawer.

Scoop paced in the office. Sarah wished he would stop, it was driving her crazy. Crap! Dad sure made sure this was secure. A whimper escaped her mouth and she dropped her hands in frustration.

“Hurry,” Scoop urged.

“I am. I am.” Sarah cursed. Then let out a sob when she pulled the flash drive from its hiding place. “Got it.” She stood and held it up for her companions to see.

The sound of the key in the lock sent panic through Sarah’s system and she momentarily froze.

“The closet,” Scoop said in an urgent whisper.

The group scrambled for the storage room. Once inside, Sarah closed the door, plunging them into darkness. She felt along the doorknob for the lock only to find there wasn’t one. Her heart thundered in her chest and fear clenched her throat in its icy grip. A panic attack was coming, she was sure of it. Turning toward her companions, she whispered, “There’s no lock.”

The faint scent of Scoop’s woodsy aftershave filled her senses as he grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him. It was a comforting smell and Sarah took a deep breath.

The group huddled together in the dark. Sarah hugged Jackie and breathed in deeply. She caught a whiff of her flowery perfume and silently groaned. I hope those men don’t smell her perfume.

The sound of voices filtered through the door. Sarah recognized Martin Savage’s deep voice, but couldn’t understand the words. Maybe they’ll just leave and won’t even look in the closet. That small glimmer of hope was dashed when the closet door opened and a crack of light filtered in.

Sarah gasped and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end, then a phone rang. The crack of light didn’t grow and their abductor answered his phone. Sarah’s heart thundered against her ribs. She put her hand to her chest to calm it.

“What?” Martin Savage asked.

He listened for a moment and then disconnected the call. Turning to his companion, he said something Sarah couldn’t hear. Then the two men left the office.

Sarah stayed where she was. Sweat rolled down her back as relief swept through her body. Her legs wobbled and she brushed her hair away from her sweaty forehead with a trembling hand.

After waiting a few minutes, she couldn’t stand it any longer and she thrust the door open and burst from the closet. All she wanted to do was get out of the building and away from Martin Savage.

Jackie and Scoop followed her. Scoop pulled out his hanky and wiped his forehead. His hand shook and he took several deep breaths.

“We’ve got to get out of here,” Jackie whispered urgently.

“You got that right,” Sarah agreed. She placed the flash drive into her pocket and then patted it just to make sure it was there.

Scoop went to the door, cracked it, and pressed one eye to the opening. After a moment, he turned toward the girls. “The coast is clear. Let’s go.”

Sarah took a deep breath and motioned for Jackie to follow the retired reporter.

Scoop waited for the girls at the door leading to the stairwell. “Remember; keep your head down so the security camera doesn’t get a shot of your face.” Hopefully, the guards will be occupied so they won’t be looking at the cameras.”

Sarah crossed her fingers and held them up for Scoop to see.

He gave her a grim nod. “Heads down girls. Look at the floor until we’re under the camera.”

Jackie dropped her gaze to the floor and Sarah followed her lead.

Scoop burst through the door and made it to the corner. Jackie and Sarah were right behind him.

He stopped and took a deep breath. Sweat rolled down the side of his face and Sarah had the urge to wipe it away. She listened. All was normal; no blaring alarms disturbed the air. Taking a shaky breath, she urged Jackie and Scoop forward.

They made their way down the stairs the same way they had come up, avoiding the cameras at each landing. On their way down to the first floor landing, Sarah heard the door below open, then heavy footsteps on the stairs. She gulped and stared at Scoop with pleading eyes. What do we do now?

The retired reporter gestured wildly for them to go back the way they had just come. Moving quickly, the trio made it to the second floor landing. Scoop pointed to the second floor entryway. Before Sarah dashed to the door, she glanced down and caught a glimpse of a hand on the rail. Adrenaline flooded her system and her heart thundered against her ribs. She gasped for breath and her legs wobbled. The hand wore a large ring with a black stone in it. Onyx. Her brain told her as hysterical laughter bubbled in her throat. She wobbled toward the door. Jackie propelled her forward and Sarah knew if she didn’t get moving her friend would run over her like a freight train.

They made it through the second floor entryway. Sarah searched for a place to hide. Down the hall she spotted a rest room and motioned for her companions to follow her. Dashing inside, Sarah locked the door and leaned against the wall. “We almost got caught.”

Scoop scowled. “Almost.” His complexion was bright red and he gasped for breath. Sweat rolled down the side of his face. He pulled out his hanky and wiped it away with a shaky hand. He leaned against a stall and tried to get his breathing under control.

Guilt pierced Sarah’s heart. I should have never asked him to do this. “I’m sorry Scoop.”

“For what?” He asked, stuffing his handkerchief back into his pocket

“For getting you involved in this mess.”

“Are you kidding me? I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Brings back my investigative reporting days.”

Sarah gave him a tremulous smile. “What should we do now?”

He took a deep breath. “We need to get outside and away from here.”

Sarah grimaced and gave him a quick nod.

“And it would be best if we could do that without them discovering we’re gone,” He continued.

“What about Dottie?” Sarah asked. She straightened and brushed the hair away from her face.

“We can’t forget about Dottie.” Jackie moved closer to Sarah and pulled on one of her curls. Straightening it and then letting it go.

Boing. Sarah bit her lip, suppressing the giggle that was about to escape her lips. Why do I always laugh at the wrong moments? She shifted her weight and shook her head, ridding herself of her ridiculous thoughts.

“I haven’t forgotten about Dottie,” Scoop said with a heavy sigh. “But I have no idea where she is.”

“They brought us back here.” Sarah furrowed her brow and bit her lip. “Maybe they did the same thing with Dottie?” She gazed at Scoop trying to read his mind.

He sighed. “Maybe. But the longer we stay here the more likely we’ll be caught again.” He gave Sarah a stern look. The kind of look a grandfather gives a rambunctious youngster.

“We can’t just leave her here,” Sarah argued. She gestured with her hands and looked to Jackie for support.

“But we don’t even know if Martin Savage has her.”

“I’m with Sarah on this one. We have to see if she’s here.” Jackie took a step toward her friend and gave her a quick squeeze.

Scoop threw his hands up in exasperation. “All right. But don’t say I didn’t tell you.” He pursed his lips and shook his head.

Sarah gave Jackie a quick wink and then peeked out the door. “The coast is clear.” She stepped into the corridor and made her way to the door leading to the stairwell. Her companions followed close on her heels. Sarah glanced back once and then picked up her pace.

Once in the stairwell, she made a beeline for the corner under the camera. She remembered to keep her head down. Once all three of them were in the corner and lined up against the back wall, Sarah inched her way down to the basement floor. She paused briefly and waited for her friends to catch up. When all three of them were positioned safely under the camera she pointed to the door and said, “On the count of three.”

Both of her companions nodded.

“One. Two. Three,” Sarah said, and they made a dash for the door.

Once back in the basement, they moved quickly. Sarah pointed down the long corridor she had caught a glimpse of earlier. “I bet she’s in one of these rooms.”

“Let’s split up and check,” Scoop said.

They went to work opening doors and checking the rooms. To Sarah, they all appeared just like the one they had been locked in earlier that morning. Each room contained a table and some chairs but they didn’t find Dottie.

Frustrated, Sarah stopped and wiped her brow with her sleeve. “I wonder if she was in the same area we were?”

“Okay. We’ll check that one area, but if we don’t find her, we’ve got to leave,” Scoop insisted.

Sarah hesitated, but then gave him a reluctant nod. Scoop’s right. If we’re caught all is lost. There’s no way we’ll be able to escape a second time and Martin Savage will get the flash drive. Besides, getting captured doesn’t help Dottie either.

As they made their way back down the hall, Sarah heard voices. Her shoulders tensed and her mouth went dry.

Jackie grabbed her arm. “Quick in here.” She led her friend to one of the rooms they had just searched.

It was the corner room where the two corridors converged. After Scoop entered the room, Sarah closed the door. She pressed her ear to it hoping to hear the voices as they went by.

“They’ve escaped,” Martin Savage said in a tight, angry tone.

Sweat broke out under Sarah’s arms and her body went rigid. She waited with bated breath until their captors heavy footsteps no longer echoed in the hallway. Turning to her friends, she said, “They know we’re gone.”

Scoop cursed under his breath and paced. He seemed to be waging a war with himself, muttering and cursing as he paced.

“Scoop, come on. We’ve got to find Dottie,” Sarah said. Her voice was low but the urgency was still there.

“Yes. Let’s go,” Scoop said.

Sarah led the way and tiptoed back out into the hallway. Her companions were right behind her. She peeked around the corner and found the connecting hallway deserted. Acting fast, Sarah dashed to the closest door in front of her and opened it. Finding it empty, she moved to the next one.

While she worked one side of the hallway, Scoop and Jackie split and took the other side. The whoosh and bang of doors opening and then closing quickly echoed through the corridor. Blood rushed through her ears in time with her ferocious heartbeat. The irritating thrumming noise seemed so loud that it surprised Sarah that no one else heard it. She took a deep breath and forced herself to settle down. Glancing down the row of doors, her anxiety ratcheted up a notch. There were only three left. Where is Dottie?

“Sarah, over here,” Jackie called out in a tense whisper.

Sarah and Scoop rushed to her side. She opened the door wider and there sat Dottie, tied to a chair and gagged with duct tape.

The trio rushed in and Jackie shut the door behind them.

“Jack, you be the lookout,” Sarah whispered. Her voice sounded high and strange to her ears and she winced. She wanted to appear strong and capable. With such a high, tinny voice she was sure that wasn’t happening.

Rushing over to Dottie, she reached down and tried to unbind her legs. As she struggled, she surveyed the room. It was much like the room they had been locked in earlier that day, except it was windowless. The only furniture it held was a table with a tablecloth hanging all the way to the floor. On top of the table sat pamphlets and brochures about Piper Drugs. Sarah guessed they were used at one of the many conventions the company frequented.

“Psssst,” Jackie whispered. “They’re coming!”

Sarah’s heart hammered her chest as she searched frantically for a place to hide. “Quick! Under the table.”

They scrambled to their hiding place just as the hallway door creaked opened.

Heavy shoes scraped against the cement floor. Sarah held her breath, willing the intruders to go away. Nervous sweat trickled down the side of her face. Their hiding place grew hot and her skin felt itchy. She squirmed. Scoop grabbed her arm to quiet her.

“She’s still here,” Martin Savage said.

Sarah took a deep breath and tried to calm her racing heart by placing her hand over it and pressing her chest. It didn’t work and she squirmed again.

The sound of another voice filtered through the door. Sarah couldn’t make out the words, but whatever was said pulled their captor from the room. The door closed and Sarah’s body went limp, like a wet noodle. She leaned against Jackie for a moment and wiped the sweat from her brow.

“Let’s get moving,” Scoop whispered.

Sarah nodded and they scrambled out from under the table. They immediately went to work freeing Dottie. Scoop worked on the duct tape and Sarah and Jackie worked at her bindings.

“Oh, you are a sight for sore eyes,” Dottie said when Scoop removed her gag. Tears welled in her eyes and she rubbed her arms. “I’ve been in that position for so long my arms are asleep.”

“How about your legs and feet?” Scoop asked.

“About the same.”

“We’ll rub your arms. You work on your legs,” Sarah instructed. She looked at Jackie and motioned for her to work on Dottie’s other arm.

Sarah rubbed Dottie’s cold arm and hand. Dottie’s skin felt papery and dry to her touch.

“Okay. I’m all right now,” Dottie said. She stood and wobbled for a second, but regained her balance. “Let’s get out of here.”

Sarah made her way to the door. Her companions trailed behind her. The door opened with a creak and she peeked out into the corridor. She blinked, trying to adjust her eyes to the dim light. Finding the hallway empty, Sarah motioned everyone forward.

They dashed for the stairwell. Reaching the door, Sarah stopped and in hushed tones explained about the security camera to Dottie. When she was done, she opened the door and inched her way along the wall until she reached the corner under the camera. Scoop and Jackie followed her and Dottie took up the rear.

A door from above opened, and Sarah froze. She stared at Scoop and he motioned her forward and held up one finger, indicating they needed to get to the first floor. Sarah took a deep breath and continued inching forward.

Heavy footsteps on the stairs sent Sarah’s heart into a frenzy. She’d heard those footsteps before. Shooting Scoop a panicked look, she increased her speed and took the stairs two at a time.

Just before the first floor landing, Sarah paused and peered up the stairwell, hoping to get a glimpse of whoever was coming down. She couldn’t see a face but the hand on the railing wore an onyx ring. The skin on the back of her neck stood on end and sent waves of dread through her body. He must be at the third floor landing!

Panic took over as she searched for an escape. There was none. She could either go up or down. They were trapped.

Clenching her hands to stop the shaking, Sarah spotted a splash of red on the stark, white wall. Fire Alarm! With wobbling legs, Sarah stumbled toward it. Her hand trembled as she yanked the lever down, remembering how her father had worked many weekends in his years with the drug company. She prayed her father wasn’t the only one with that habit.

The irritating alarm echoed through the building and within seconds the stairwell swarmed with weekend workers. Sarah knew she and her companions would be lost in the sea of people. It was the only way to escape.

Glancing back, Scoop gave her a thumbs-up sign and motioned for her to move forward. He grabbed Dottie’s hand and pulled her along with him. Sarah grabbed Jackie and dashed up the remaining stairs.

Sarah burst through the door and the cold air hit her like a splash of icy water. She shivered and pulled her jacket around her. Her companions were right behind her, huddling against the cold. They had made it outside ahead of the handful of employees just starting to pour out of the building.

“Come on! Let’s get out of here,” Sarah urged. She picked up her pace and speed-walked through the parking lot. Jackie matched her stride for stride. Dottie and Scoop took up the rear.

Once they made it around the corner, Sarah stopped to catch her breath. “Where do we go from here?”

“Let’s head for the road. There must be a restaurant or gas station where we can stop and call a taxi,” Scoop said.

“Sounds like a plan.” Sarah wiped her brow and glanced at Dottie. The older woman gasped for breath and her cheeks were flushed from the fast pace. “Are you all right, Dottie?”

She took a deep breath. “I just haven’t moved that fast in quite a while.” She gave Sarah a tremulous smile.

“We can slow down if you want.”

Dottie shook her head vehemently. “No. I want to get as far away from those people as possible.”

Sarah gave her an understanding smile and then glanced around. She hadn’t seen their captor since the stairwell. An uneasy feeling came over her; she wished she knew where he was.

An open field lay between the building and the road. There was no cover and Sarah knew they’d be vulnerable. She took a deep breath and stepped out into the open.

Dashing through the field, Sarah kept her eye out for Martin Savage. Her heart hammered against her chest. It was so loud it almost drowned out the sound of traffic in the road. I’m wound tight like a spring. She took a deep breath. Just chill out. Turning, she glanced at her companions.

They were right behind her, working their way through the weeds that pulled at their clothing and slowed them down.

Sarah searched for a trail. Within seconds, she found one winding its way through the long grass. It looked like a forgotten spaghetti noodle, long and skinny. It snaked its way through the field and disappeared over a small hill. Motioning for everyone to follow her, Sarah made her way to the trail.

“It’ll be easier if we follow this,” she said over her shoulder.

There was no answer from her companions, but they did move to the path.

Once she reached the road, Sarah stopped and brushed the hair out of her eyes. There was no sidewalk so she stood a few feet back from the street. Cars whizzed past as if she wasn’t there. Impatient, she glanced back to see how much longer she’d have to wait. The others were only twenty feet behind, but trailing them was Martin Savage and his sidekick.

Sarah’s sharp intake of breath hit the back of her throat causing her to cough uncontrollably. Sweat broke out under her arms even though it was a cold day. “Hurry!” She shouted and flailed her arms.

Everyone reached the road. Sarah hopped from one foot to the other waiting for traffic to clear. As she moved she glanced back. Their captors were just entering the field. Sarah’s heart pounded against her ribs and she patted the pocket where the flash drive was hidden.

During a lull in traffic, she sprinted across the street. All she could think about was getting away from Piper Drugs. When she reached the other side she spun around and checked on her friends. They were right behind her, gasping for breath.

Sarah didn’t hesitate. She cast a furtive glance around looking for a public place to hide. About a football field away was a fast food restaurant, Billie Joe’s. It was probably the same restaurant where their captor had gotten their lunch earlier. Taking a deep breath, Sarah called out, “Come on!” Turning, she broke into a sprint and ran toward the diner.

Her companions followed her lead and they made it to Billie Joe’s in record time. They all scrambled inside, gasping for breath.

“We have to hide,” Sarah gasped.

Scoop’s eyes widened and he gestured toward the rest rooms.

Without another word the group made their way to the women’s bathroom. Scoop paused for a moment, but then entered when Sarah gave him a nudge.

“I shouldn’t be in the women’s bathroom,” Scoop whispered.

“They’re less likely to look in the women’s bathroom,” Sarah reasoned. “Now, get in a stall and be still.” She gave the retired reporter a push toward the closest stall. Turning, she grabbed Jackie’s arm. “You and Dottie get in the next one. You guys will have to sit or stand on the toilet so your legs don’t show if they come in and look for us.”

“Right,” Jackie said. She grabbed Dottie’s arm and guided her toward the next stall.

Sarah glanced under the doors of the stalls. “Scoop, I can see your feet. Either stand on the toilet or sit on it and pull your feet off the floor.”

“Sure thing,” Scoop responded in a sarcastic tone.

Sarah smirked and then scrambled into the next stall. She stood on the toilet and prayed that Savage would be fooled. Taking a deep breath, Sarah allowed herself to relax. We’re almost home free. Her heart slowed its frantic pace and she wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans.

“How long are we going to stay in here?” Jackie asked.

“Until we feel it’s safe to go outside,” Sarah said. She rolled her eyes, glad that Jackie couldn’t see her. “Now be quiet.”

The bathroom grew silent. Sarah couldn’t even hear anyone taking a breath. She stifled a groan. Just how long are we going to have to wait? Sighing, she shifted her body and leaned against the north wall of the stall.

The soft, metallic click of a door opening and then a whoosh of air sent Sarah’s heart racing. The air left her lungs just as if she’d been punched in the stomach. She froze. Praying everyone else heard the door open, Sarah stayed motionless.

Heavy boots scraped the tile floor and grated on Sarah’s nerves. She gritted her teeth.

“Anybody here?” Martin Savage asked.

No one answered and Sarah’s stomach fluttered and then clenched into a painful knot.

More scraping boots and then a hand came into view. Sarah cringed. He’s checking to see if we’re hiding in the stalls. She was sure they would be discovered.

“Martin?” A voice called from the door.

“What?”

“Are they in here?”

“No.” The hand disappeared and Sarah heard more scraping sounds as he stood. “Let’s go check the gas station on the corner.”

Sarah waited, holding her breath as the criminals left the bathroom. Her lungs ached from the need for air. When the door closed, she exhaled a big sigh of relief. Climbing down from the toilet, her legs wobbled. She grabbed the side of the stall and took a ragged breath. We’re going to make it.

Opening the stall door, Sarah peeked out to make sure the bathroom was empty. When she didn’t find her captor, she hustled out and whispered to her friends, “Guys, they’re gone.”

The other doors opened and Sarah’s companions spilled out.

Jackie gave Sarah a quick hug. “We made it.”

Sarah cracked a wide grin. “We sure did.”

“Let’s go call a taxi,” Scoop said, before squeezing Sarah’s shoulder.

Sarah flinched at the retired reporter’s cold hand. She giggled and pulled away from him. Making her way to the door, Sarah called over her shoulder, “Come on. Let’s go home.”

She led the way and walked down the narrow corridor to the dining area in the restaurant. It was empty except for two police officers who seemed to be on their lunch break. She spun back to speak to her companions and ran right into Martin Savage.