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Shawna
“Noah! Let’s go!” I call upstairs as I put my coat on.
“I’m coming!” Noah runs down the stairs, jumping off the second from the bottom.
“Get your coat on. It’s raining hard again today.”
“Okay,” he says as he sits down to put on his shoes.
Knowing Jarred is in town has me on edge. When I spoke with the police yesterday, they thanked me for the information and said they would keep an eye out for him. It didn’t ease my nerves one bit. I’m kicking myself for deleting Nate’s number. As angry as I am with him, I’d feel safer knowing that he knew Jarred was here.
Noah finishes putting on his shoes, then slips on his coat and grabs his backpack. “Let’s go!” he says with enthusiasm that only a seven-year-old could muster at eight thirty in the morning.
We run out to the car. The rain is really coming down! It’s definitely autumn now with all the leaves falling off the trees and the rainy season starting.
I drive cautiously, knowing that all this rain has likely made the roads slick. Suddenly, a minivan pulls out in front of me, and I have to slam on my brakes. Everything happens so quickly—I avoid hitting the minivan, but my car slides off the road. Noah and I both scream as the car slides down a small hill into a muddy field. When the car comes to a stop, I’m just glad we didn’t hit anything or wind up flipping over.
“Are you okay?” I ask, turning around to check on him.
Noah nods, looking scared. Then he points past me. “Mommy, look!”
I turn my head to look out my window and see a man walking toward the car. With all the
rain coming down, I can’t make out his face at first, but as he gets closer, I see that it’s Jarred.
Fuck!
“Noah,” I say, my voice shaking. “I need you to stay really calm, okay?”
“Okay,” he says, his voice small and filled with fear.
Jarred taps on the driver’s side window. “Open up, Shawna.”
“No!” I yell.
“Mommy, who is that?” Noah asks, and I can tell he’s crying. Shit! This is traumatic for him!
“Open the door!” Jarred demands.
“Go away!” I yell, hoping he’ll leave.
My phone. I need to call 911.
Just as I reach for my purse to get my phone, Jarred smashes the driver’s side window, and glass goes flying all over me. Noah screams from the back seat, but before I can do anything, Jarred opens my door. He reaches across my lap to unbuckle my seat belt, and I try to stop him by hitting and pushing him away, but he’s stronger than me. Noah continues to scream and cry from his seat, pleading with Jarred to stop. This is horrific enough for me. I can’t imagine how terrifying it is for him.
Jarred pulls me out of the car as I continue to swat and push him away, but he covers my mouth with his hand and holds me off the ground. This can’t be happening! I pray a car drives by and sees what’s happening. Jarred can’t get away with this! What is he even planning to do? Kidnap Noah? I will fight to my death to keep Jarred from taking our son. I try to kick at him, but I suddenly feel a pain in my side. Then everything goes black.
* * *
I’m cold. And it’s dark. As I come to, I can’t figure out where I am or how I got here. Panic overcomes me when I realize my hands and feet are tied. Jarred. All at once, everything that happened comes back to me. Fuck! Where is Noah?
Taking in my surroundings, I realize I’m in a small building—maybe a shed—and the only light source is from a single window. All I can see through the window are trees and raindrops on the glass. I’m in a wooded area. The rain pelts the roof above me. There’s not much inside with me except for a few boxes and a chair in the corner. I’m lying on the dirty linoleum floor.
I scream, hoping someone will hear me. Maybe I’m somewhere near homes or businesses or something. I have no idea how long I’ve been here or even what time it is. How long was I unconscious? Is it even the same day? I scream again, hoping the sound will reach someone’s ears. I have to save my son! Who the hell knows where Jarred has gone with him? I continue to scream for help, but then I break down in tears. Why would Jarred do this to me?
Crying suddenly becomes torture since my hands are tied behind my back, and I’m unable to wipe my eyes or nose. I try to get myself under control so I can breathe without inhaling my tears. Think. Where would Jarred take me? He hasn’t been in Port Townsend in so long, the only logical place I can think of is his mom’s house. Maybe I’m in the shed behind her house? It’s in a wooded area, so it’s a possibility. If that’s the case, I doubt anyone would hear me scream. Her mobile home is on a large plot with trees all around. You can’t even see the neighboring houses because they’re spread apart with trees between. The chances of someone hearing me scream are low.
I have no idea what to do. What can I do?
