He made a quick visual sweep. Closet empty. Bathroom counter bare. Bed unmade and trash in the can. “He’s checked out.”

  “Looks like it,” Kat said and went to the nightstand as Tommy ripped the covers from the bed.

  Ethan lifted the trash can and shifted through its contents.

  “Receipts.” He removed several balled-up bits of paper. “Here’s one for gas. Maybe the station has surveillance and we can get a plate number. I’ll get Cole working on it.”

  “I realize you all like to keep things in the family,” Tommy said, his tone snarky, “but my team can run this down faster than your brother can.”

  “Fine.” Ethan handed the receipt to Tommy. “If they get a plate and the car’s a rental, make sure they contact the company for GPS tracking.”

  Tommy gave Ethan a well-duh look as all officers knew most rental-car companies attach GPS tracking devices to their cars in the event of theft. “I’ll also pull any recent credit-card activity.”

  “Since this isn’t an official case, won’t all of this get you in trouble?” Kat asked.

  “Maybe.” Tommy dialed his phone. “But if what you two say is true, it’s better for me to get in trouble than this woman to get killed.”

  “Tommy,” Kat said with a tip of her head at Ethan.

  Tommy looked up at Ethan, his expression turning sheepish. “Sorry, man. We’ll find her before that happens.”

  Ethan nodded his agreement, but he knew better. Tommy spoke the truth. Clemmons didn’t leave much of a trail, and they’d have to get very lucky if they were going to find Jennie alive.

  * * *

  From the cold, damp earth, Jennie looked up into the beam of Wes’s flashlight. The harsh glare left him shadowed and ominous looking, but his gun, aimed at her heart, was fully in focus.

  What had happened to the man she’d once shared her life with? Did he still exist in there somewhere? If so she needed to play on their past. Stall for time. If he got her back in that car, she was dead, but if she kept him talking, she might have a chance.

  “You’re really not going to turn me over to Sotos to kill me are you?” She tried to sound brave, but her voice wavered.

  “No.”

  “So what’s this about, then?”

  “Just what you think. You wouldn’t listen to the warnings and now you have to pay.”

  “Pay? But I don’t understand. If you’re not going to turn me over to them, how will I pay?”

  He laughed and she felt as if he’d left his body and become some crazed man. “I’m going to do it.”

  “What? You? You’re kidding, right?”

  “No.”

  “This isn’t funny, Wes.”

  “Not meant to be funny. Sotos wants you eliminated and that’s what I plan to do.” He jerked his head toward the car. “Get up and let’s get this over with.”

  “No. Wait.” She took deep breaths to keep her panic at bay. “You don’t want to kill me. I mean, sure, you’ve probably done some illegal things in the past, but murder? That’s a whole other thing.”

  He laughed again. “Don’t be so naive, Jen. This won’t be the first time I’ve cleaned up a problem this way.”

  She gasped. “You’ve done this before?” She sucked in air, but it felt too thick to drag in. “How long? Not when we were together.”

  “Not until we split.”

  “Why?” she whispered.

  “Excitement. Pure and simple. The rush is like no other.” His lips curled in a grin. “In fact, I’ve even planned this for maximum excitement.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked, hoping he wasn’t going to reveal a horrific plan to kill her.

  “Back in the car, when you asked to call Kat, I could’ve faked the call and said it rolled to voice mail. But I didn’t. I wanted them to know I have you.” He chuckled. “I can see them. Maybe they’ve figured out who I am and maybe not. But for sure they’re frantically running around trying to locate you.”

  “They will find me and come for me.”

  His eyes gleamed. “I hope they do, too. Nothing better than a chase. It’s all a part of the fun, Jen. All part of the fun.”

  “Let me go, Wes. You can find a thrill elsewhere.”

  He shook his head. “It doesn’t work that way, Jen. You angered one of the most dangerous men alive. I’m not risking his wrath for you.” He moved toward her. “Now, get up, or I’ll drag you up.”

  She shifted to her knees and searched the area for an escape route.

  He clamped a hand on her elbow and jerked her into a standing position. Pain radiated through her knee and her head throbbed. He shoved her forward and she stumbled but righted herself.

  “Just tell me one more thing,” she said, desperately trying to stall him as they neared his car. “How did Sotos even know about the picture?”

  His feet stilled and a cruel smile swept over his mouth. “I told him.”

  “You?” Jennie said. “How did you know?”

  “The local paper ran a story about your show and included a few of your pictures. I recognized Sotos’s car in the background of one of them.”

  “You could tell it was his car?” she asked, wondering how they’d missed seeing this in their search of the photos.

  “He’s got a one-of-a-kind hood ornament. A gold medallion with a snake on it. Figured if his car was there so was he and maybe you caught him in a picture, too. So I warned him.”

  Jennie looked up at him. “I can’t believe you’d betray me like that.”

  He laughed. “That’s why I left you, sweetheart. You have no imagination.”

  She just stared at him. “Everything is starting to make sense. When Ethan kept me hidden from the cartel, they sent you here to find me and keep tabs on me. That’s how they found me at Bitsy’s and then Kat’s house, isn’t it?”

  “So glad you recognize my fine work.” He took a bow.

  Disgusted, she turned away and took a few steps toward the car.

  “Don’t think I’m a fool, Jen.” He jerked her to a stop. “You won’t be riding up front again.”

  He popped the trunk with the remote and dragged her to the rear of the car. She tried not to lose hope. To remember what Ethan had promised. He’d said he’d be there for her for as long as she needed him. She really needed him now. Needed his arms wrapped around her, him telling her everything would be okay.

  Wes gave her a shove until her leg connected with the cold bumper then he held the gun to her temple. “Get in.”

  The metal bit into her skin like a branding iron. She wanted to fight him, but her only hope was to go along and try to escape again. She climbed into the dark, cavernous space and looked up at him.

  He cast a snide smile in her direction and lifted his hand to close the trunk.

  She’d seen her share of TV shows with people found dead in the trunk.

  Her heart refused to beat, but she returned his look with a brave one. As the trunk closed, she felt certain she’d need more than bravery to save her life.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Ethan paced the floor of Clemmons’s hotel room. Tommy had his phone pressed to his ear, and Kat kept giving Ethan sidelong glances in her mothering way.

  He’d like to reassure her that he’d be fine but honestly, if they didn’t find Jennie, he may not survive. And standing around here wasn’t doing him any good.

  “We might as well leave,” he said to Kat. “There’s nothing here.”

  “And go where?” she asked.

  “I don’t know, but I can’t just sit here and twiddle my thumbs.” He shook his head. “I can’t lose her again, Kat.”

  “Hey, c’mon.” She rested a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll find her.”

  The sweet gesture didn’t help stem the fear rising out of control. “How?”

  “I don’t know, but God has heard our prayers and He’ll lead us.”

  “Trouble is, He doesn’t always have the same plans as we do.” He clutched Kat’s hand. “Case in point, our parents.”

  “Don’t think that way, Ethan. It won’t help. You’ve got to stay strong.”

  Ethan knew that, but he also knew what a cold-blooded killer like Clemmons was capable of doing.

  “We’ve got a plate,” Tommy announced. “Car’s a rental. We’re running down the GPS now.”

  Ethan felt a surge of relief. Good, they’d find her. But she’d been gone over an hour. Clemmons could’ve taken her out of the city. Only way to find her in time would be with a helicopter.

  “We might need a chopper.” Ethan grabbed his phone and dialed Derrick, whose friend owned a helicopter. If the buddy wasn’t available, Derrick was a certified pilot. Thank goodness Dani had taken over the detail with Madeline, or he’d be in town and not at his home near the airport.

  “No time for questions,” he said the minute Derrick answered. “I’m downtown and we need a chopper now. Can you make it happen?”

  “You know I can.” Excitement colored his tone. “There’s a public heliport at First and Davis. It’s on top of the parking structure. I’ll meet you there. You’ll need a code for the elevator to access the helipad.” Derrick rattled it off.

  Ethan grabbed a pen and wrote the numbers on his hand. “Thanks, little bro. See you there.”

  “Let’s roll, people.” Ethan stepped toward the door.

  Kat and Tommy followed him into the hallway and to the elevator. They boarded and the tiny space made Ethan feel as if he was going to jump out of his skin.

  C’mon, c’mon, c’mon. Hurry up already.

  The doors parted and he bolted out like a gunshot. Outside, he breathed deep of the cool night air, which did little to ease his panic.

  “If we take my car, we can run the lights,” Tommy said, taking the lead and jogging to his car. He clicked the locks and jumped in.

  Ethan jerked open the back door for Kat and climbed in after her. No one spoke as the miles flew by.

  The tension was palpable in the air. At one point, Ethan thought it might smother him.

  Kat’s phone jangled, and he jumped.

  She pulled it from her jacket pocket and glanced at it.

  “No one I know. But I should answer in case it’s related to the case. Hello,” Kat said into the phone, then listened. Her mouth dropped open, and she put her hand over the phone. “It’s Jennie.”

  “Jennie? How?” Ethan ripped the phone from his sister’s hand. “Jen.”

  “Ethan.” A soft whisper echoed in his head like a clanging bell.

  “Jen. Is that really you?”

  “Yes.” One word, but filled with despair.

  “Thank God. With your cell off, I didn’t think we’d ever hear from you.”

  “I found one of those GoPhones in Wes’s tote bag.” Her relief flowed through the phone.

  “Are you all right, Jen? Where are you?”

  “In the trunk of Wes’s car. He’s a killer, Ethan.”

  “I know, honey, but we’ll get to you before he can hurt you.” He forced confidence into his tone that he didn’t feel. “Where’s he taking you?”

  “Someplace on Sauvie Island.”

  He put his hand over the phone. “Get us to that chopper, Tommy. They’re on Sauvie Island.” He lifted his hand. “Did he hurt you, Jen?”

  “Not yet. But he says he’s going to kill me.”

  “I won’t let him.”

  “I don’t see how you’ll stop him. It’ll take you too long to get here.” She started to whimper.

  “Don’t cry, Jen. We have a chopper on standby. We’re heading for it right now,” he said, but his heart tightened.

  “But then what? It’s dark. How can you possibly tell which car I’m in?”

  She had a point. He frowned, trying to think. There wouldn’t be much traffic, but still, they needed a signal. Something to distinguish Clemmons’s car from any others on the road. A signal Jennie could provide from inside the trunk.

  “Ethan?” she pleaded.

  “I’m thinking, honey,” he answered and peered at the car ahead hitting the brakes.

  “That’s it,” he shouted. “Listen carefully, Jen. I need you to kick out one of the taillights. Can you do that?”

  “I’ll try.” She fell silent, and he heard her moving around.

  Tommy pulled into the parking garage. Ethan didn’t wait for the car to come to a complete stop but when Tommy slowed, Ethan leaped out. The whir of chopper blades split the night. Good, they had a chance.

  He ran for the elevator. Tommy’s and Kat’s footfalls pounded behind him. He punched in the code and the elevator jolted up.

  “Got it, Ethan. I got it. It worked.” Jennie panted for breath but her voice held a tinge of hope.

  “Good. We’re on our way, Jen. We’re in the elevator to the helipad.”

  The door slid open. Tommy and Kat burst onto the helipad and Ethan hung back.

  “I’m boarding the chopper now,” he said to Jennie. “With the noise, we won’t be able to talk, but do you still want to stay connected?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Her desperation climbed up his back and sat on him like the weight of the world. He tried to breathe, but he felt as if he were suffocating with fear.

  “I love you, Jen,” he said then bolted outside. The whirring rotors tore away her answer, but he didn’t care. The only thing that mattered right now was that he find her and keep her alive. Everything else could be worked out.

  * * *

  Ethan nestled the phone on his lap and sat on the edge of the front seat. Derrick piloted the old aircraft. A bulky headset allowed Ethan to communicate with Derrick sitting beside him, and Tommy and Kat, who occupied the backseats.

  Ethan peered through binoculars into the black night. Fat lot of good they did him. Endless miles of darkness loomed ahead, the ground encased in a thick fog, but he kept searching. He wished their chopper was equipped with searchlights, but few helicopters outside of law enforcement had such equipment.

  Ethan swiveled and squinted. “Over there. To my right. That car has only one taillight,” he said, hoping it wasn’t his imagination.

  “Affirmative,” Tommy answered.

  “I see it, too,” Kat said.

  “Get in position to land on the road,” Ethan barked at Derrick. “Set down in front of them.”

  “Hold on,” Tommy said. “You don’t have clearance to land on a public road.”

  “Do as I said, Derrick.” Ethan hoped his big-brother tone would usurp Tommy. “I’m not waiting for clearance.”

  “At least wait until I can get some uniforms to block off the road,” Tommy pleaded.

  “No time.” Ethan lifted the headset from one ear and cupped his hand around the phone. “I see you, Jen. We’ll be there in less than a minute.”

  No reply.

  “Jen. Can you hear me?”

  Silence.

  “Jen,” he screamed, drawing Kat’s attention.

  “Jen’s not answering,” he shouted.

  “Maybe she doesn’t have a signal out here or maybe she can’t hear you over the noise,” Kat answered.

  Too bad he couldn’t embrace her optimism right now. Too many things could’ve happened to Jennie since the time he last talked to her. “We need to get this thing on the ground now!”

  The chopper banked left and descended. Ethan wished for a spotlight so he could see the car more clearly, but they’d just have to go in with what they had.

  “Let me handle this when we land,” Tommy said.

  Ethan shook his head. “Not a chance.”

  He turned around and laid a hand on Kat’s knee, hoping to communicate his need to be the first one out of the chopper. He hoped Kat would make that happen by slowing Tommy’s exit.

  She squeezed his hand, but he had no idea what she meant by it.

  “I’m gonna fly over and come back at him,” Derrick said. “That way you’ll be facing him.”

  Derrick made good on his promise, expertly landing on the road far enough ahead to give Clemmons room to make a sudden stop.

  Ethan was out of the chopper and on the road while Clemmons’s car was still moving. Gun in hand, he rushed forward as the car screeched to a stop.

  Clemmons hopped out and ran to the back of the car. He opened the trunk, and by the time Ethan could see Jennie’s terrified face lit by the trunk light, Clemmons had his weapon planted on her temple.

  “Back off or she’s toast.”

  Ethan lifted up his hands. “Don’t do anything rash, Clemmons.”

  “Clemmons?” Jennie asked as she climbed out.

  “Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention. When I changed my line of work, I changed my name, too. Wouldn’t want my parents to be upset if I ever got busted.” He laughed.

  The urge to attack this creep bit into Ethan’s mind, but common sense held him in place. He heard footfalls heading down the road.

  “Tell your buddies to get back in the chopper,” Clemmons screamed, sounding as if he were losing it. He jerked Jennie closer and shoved the gun into her temple.

  “Do as he says,” Ethan commanded, his eyes never leaving Jennie’s terror-filled face.

  Their footfalls retreated.

  “Now we’ll be going.” Clemmons started backing away, using Jennie as a shield.

  “Think this through, Clemmons. Half the Portland police force is on the way. You can make a deal. Roll over on Sotos.”

  Clemmons snorted. “Nice try, but you know as well as I do Sotos has a long arm. I’d be dead before the ink dried on the agreement.”