“It’s a mess out here. We just shut down County Road 371 at Mule Run, and 122 is completely impassable. I hope you don’t mind one more mouth to feed tonight.”
She rubbed her temple. “What? Are you stuck up here?”
“Not me. I got a message from Ryan, that he was up helping Jake because Bobby is stuck in a barn or shed or something. It was garbled, and I have two missed calls from LuAnne. She might know more.”
“Rick—listen to me. Please. I’m at the Mendozas and they were held captive by three people last night. I think they’re the people who shot Greg. One of them was injured. They left separately, one in their truck, and the people who have Avery are in the Mendozas’ truck. Rick, they have my daughter!”
“You’re at the Mendozas now? Are they okay?”
“They were tied up when I got here, Carl has a head injury, but he says he’s fine. I can’t stay. I have Margery Sutton in my truck with signs of preeclampsia, I need to get her in bed and resting. Bobby is out in the storm; I don’t know where. I guess Jake and Ryan are looking for him? I have to get home!”
Ellen was near tears over fear for her kids.
Carl came into the kitchen. He looked older than she’d ever seen him.
“Go,” he said. “I’m getting my shotgun and handgun. If they come back, I’ll kill them.”
“Are you sure you’re okay here, the three of you?”
“Yes,” he said.
“Thank you.” She went back to Rick. “Can you get here?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “I have one deputy up that way because Rock Creek Road flooded, he’s blocking the exit at the highway. He has to stay until the emergency crews can block it off. I’ll send him to your place as soon as he can get there, but it’ll be a while, he’s going to have to come in from the south, and if he can’t get through you’re going to be on your own. I’ll try toget up, but we have three serious accidents down here between Gainesville and Callisburg. How’s Whisper Creek?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Be careful, Ellie.”
He ended the call.
She turned to Carl. “Are you positive you’re okay? You all can come to my house, we always have room for more.” It would be crowded, but safe.
“I talked to Rose. She wants to stay. This is ourhome. And I couldn’t do anything to stop them.”
She rested a hand on his arm, then spontaneously hugged him. “They came in the middle of the night, Carl. You didn’t have warning. Keep all your doors locked, and Rick will send a deputy as soon as he can.”
“Go find Avery. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect her.”
Guilt watered his eyes.
“I’ll find her. Thank you.”
She ran back out and climbed into the truck. Her phone beeped, indicating she had a message. She looked; Jake had tried calling her nine minutes ago.
She didn’t want to scare Margery, so she told her the bare minimum, trying to minimize the danger, but she must not have done a good job because Margery looked terrified.
“We’ll get to the house and you’re going to take a nap and relax,” Ellen told her. “Penny has been cooking all day, we’ll fix you something.”
She listened to Jake’s message, but it was garbled, so she called him as she turned the truck around and headed toward Orchard Lane.
“Mom?”
“The people who shot Greg Baldwin have Avery,” she said. She quickly told him what she learned from the Mendozas. “And Bobby is out there somewhere.”
“He’s hiding in the old equipment shed. I’m on my way to get him.”
Thank God, she thought.
