Chapter 1310
Kevin, following Natalie out of the market, was hit with a wave of self-reproach. He'd been incredibly naive. Tracking someone in this town without the experience of a seasoned detective was like finding a needle in a haystack. His only hope was the Harmony County police.
As if on cue, a bald man with a bandaged head walked out of a nearby clinic, instantly drawing attention to himself.
Natalie's expression sharpened. She yanked Kevin behind the SUV. It was Douglas, no question. She knew he'd flipped to the Southside gang and helped them take out a couple of the Northside's operations. Jasper wanted him dead. Seeing him here confirmed it; the Southside's hideout was somewhere near Bridgetown.
Douglas climbed into a van and drove west. After a brief hesitation, Natalie and Kevin got in the SUV and followed, maintaining a safe distance. It was dangerous, but they had to find that hideout.
The van accelerated, and Natalie, anxious about being made, didn't dare get too close. Kevin stared out the window, a look of surprise dawning on him. He recognized this road. Daisy had driven him out this way to visit Laura's grandfather over the summer.
Lost in thought, he leaned against the glass, the familiar scenery triggering a rush of memories. The first time he'd been on this road, his relationship with Audrey had been hanging by a thread. He'd been a mix of nerves and excitement. Later, he'd lived out his wildest fantasy – sleeping with Audrey. Their first time, in a room at the Starfall Town Hilton, had marked a turning point in their relationship. Now, with Audrey missing, a pang of grief hit him, quickly replaced by a cold determination. If Quentin so much as laid a finger on her, he'd kill the bastard.
The van suddenly turned left onto a bumpy dirt road. The road to the right, smoothly paved, led to the sanatorium. Natalie followed, silently thanking her lucky stars she'd opted for the SUV. Her BMW wouldn't have stood a chance.
They were deep in the mountains now, the road deteriorating rapidly, making the pursuit even more challenging. Natalie's white SUV stuck out like a sore thumb. Thankfully, there were no other roads branching off; they just had to keep going.
"These guys are buried out here. No wonder Jasper couldn't find them," Natalie grumbled, checking her phone. The signal was spotty. If they went much further, they'd lose contact altogether, and calling for backup would be impossible.
Turning back wasn't an option. Kevin would never agree. Natalie glanced at his bloodshot eyes and sighed internally. She was in this deep now, like it or not. She could walk away from any other man, but not Kevin.
The SUV labored up the winding mountain road, steadily gaining altitude. Kevin spotted the sanatorium again, nestled in the valley below. It was less than fifteen hundred feet away as the crow flies, but separated by a sheer hundred-foot drop. Driving there meant a long, circuitous route.
As they rounded a bend, the landscape opened up before them. The road started to descend into a vast plain. At the foot of the mountain sat a dilapidated factory. The van was gone.
A jolt of adrenaline shot through Kevin. This was it. The Southside gang's hideout. Where Audrey was being held. "Natalie, call 911!"
Natalie fumbled for her phone, only to find she had no service. Jerome had picked the perfect spot. Anyone approaching would be spotted miles away, giving them ample time to escape. No wonder he'd given Jasper the slip for so long. The guy was a ghost.
"Kevin, we have to go back and get a signal," Natalie said, her voice tight with frustration.
Panic set in. It had taken them over an hour to get here. If they went back to call the cops, it would be too late. Then he remembered the sanatorium. "Natalie, I've got a plan. I know where we can call for help." He quickly filled her in about the sanatorium.
"It'll take an hour to drive back around to the sanatorium," Natalie argued. "We'll lose valuable time."
"No, it won't," Kevin insisted. "I can climb down that cliff face. Ten minutes, tops."
"Kevin, are you insane?" Natalie's voice rose. She'd seen that drop; it was the equivalent of a ten-story building. Sure, there was a slope, but one wrong move and he'd be dead or crippled. She wasn't letting him risk it. She hit the lock button on the car doors. "No way."
"Natalie, please," Kevin pleaded. "If you were down there, I wouldn't hesitate."
Natalie's resolve wavered. Any other guy, she'd have laughed it off. But Kevin had put his life on the line for her before and stared down Jasper's threats without flinching. His word was his bond.
"Alright… just… be careful, Kevin. I'll keep watch from here." She unlocked the door, popped the trunk, and pulled out a motorcycle helmet and a pair of grippy work gloves. She had a taste for adventure and loved pushing her limits, so she always kept gear in her car.
"Stay put, Natalie. I'll be back as soon as I can." Kevin's eyes darted back to where the van had disappeared, a knot of worry tightening in his stomach.
"Don't you worry about me," Natalie said, brandishing a stun gun with a smirk. "Fifty thousand volts. It'll drop a rhino."
Kevin scrambled to the edge of the road and started sliding down the steep embankment. Loose gravel shifted beneath him, tearing at his gloves, his palms stinging. He gritted his teeth and kept going, the helmet clanging against rocks. He sucked in a sharp breath, realizing that if it weren't for Natalie's helmet, he'd be in bad shape.
The helmet actually helped him pick up speed. In minutes, he was at the bottom. He yanked it off and sprinted towards the sanatorium. As he neared the gate, armed guards moved to intercept him. He quickly explained about Laura's grandfather, Malcolm.
After listening to Kevin's frantic explanation, Malcolm immediately had the guards contact the Harmony County Police Department. He then ordered a security detail to accompany Kevin back to the factory.
Kevin rode in the Jeep back to where he'd left Natalie, but she was gone. Signs of a struggle were evident. Douglas must have returned and taken her.
Dread washed over him. Audrey, Vanessa, and now Natalie were all in the Southside's clutches. He shouldn't have left her.
The squad leader, a big, burly guy, clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't sweat it, kid. We'll get your cousin back. Lock and load!"
The guards were local armed police, assigned to the sanatorium because of the retired VIPs living there. They rarely saw any real action and were usually bored stiff. A rescue mission was a welcome change of pace, a chance to prove themselves.
Two military Jeeps screeched to a halt at the factory gates, which were chained and locked. The squad leader barked an order, and the lead Jeep rammed the gates, splintering them open. They stormed onto the factory grounds, the officers fanning out, quickly analyzing the tire tracks and footprints, and converging on one of the buildings.
The squad leader had explicitly ordered Kevin to stay in the Jeep, but the moment his attention was elsewhere, Kevin bolted, adrenaline pumping, and ran towards the building. He spotted a ventilation duct and, without hesitation, squeezed inside, crawling through the darkness.
Inside the abandoned factory, Audrey paced Jerome's room, her eyes hollow. Last night, she'd held Lachlan as he died, his blood soaking her clothes. When Jerome returned and found Lachlan's body, he'd had it removed and assured Audrey she'd be released as soon as things were sorted out.
Sleep had been impossible. Not only had Jerome stayed in the room with her, making her too nervous to close her eyes, but every time she did, Lachlan's pale face, twisted in a grotesque smile, flashed before her, sending chills down her spine. Just before dawn, Jerome had gotten a call and abruptly left.
After what happened last night, Audrey hadn't dared leave the room. She waited, helpless and on edge. A short while later, the door swung open. Thinking it was Jerome, she started toward the door, then recoiled in horror. It was Quentin.
"How did you get in here?" Audrey snatched a water glass from the table, her voice shaking. "Get out! Jerome will be back any time."
Quentin grinned, advancing slowly. "Jerome won't be back today, Audrey. He's got business to take care of. He asked me to look after you. Sleep well last night? Keep Jerome entertained?"
"Don't you dare talk about Jerome like that," Audrey spat. "He's a decent man. And I don't need you looking after me. Get out, or…"
"Or what?" Quentin sneered. With Jerome and Douglas gone, he was in charge, and nobody would stop him. He'd had his fun with Vanessa last night, but it hadn't been enough.
With Jerome out of the picture, Quentin was determined to have Audrey. He figured even if Jerome cared about her, once he'd had his way, he could win her over.
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