Point Blank

She stirred, and he held his breath as she lifted her head and stared up at him. “Ben,” she whispered. “Is it all over?”

He squatted and returned her gaze. “The guy who kidnapped you ran off, but Luke is after him. The important thing right now is whether you’re okay. Are you hurting anywhere?”

She lifted her hand to her forehead, frowned as she touched the blood and pulled her hand away to stare at it. “My head hurts, but I think I’m okay otherwise.”

She started to push up, but he put a hand on her and restrained her. “Don’t move. I want the EMTs to examine you first. Just try to relax until they get here.”

Tears pooled in her eyes, and the muscles in her throat constricted as she swallowed. “I think he really meant to kill me. I was so scared, Ben. Not for myself, but for Faith. She has no other family than me, and I prayed that God would give her a family to love her. Then I thought of you, and I knew you would never let anything happen to her.”

His chest tightened, and he took a deep breath. “You know I love Faith like she’s my own daughter. As long as I’m alive, I’ll be there to take care of her and you, too.”

“You’re a good friend, Ben,” she whispered as she let her head drop back to the seat.

Ben started to say something else, but the sirens that had been wailing in the distance had now grown louder. He glanced up to see an ambulance and a squad car, their emergency lights flashing, stop beside his patrol car on the highway. Joe Collins, and another EMT who Ben hadn’t seen before, jumped from the ambulance and ran with the backup officers to where he stood.

“In here!” he called out to Joe.

He backed away as the paramedics swooped in to examine Hannah, then turned to the two deputies who’d just arrived. “Luke has gone after our suspect,” he said. “Let’s go give him some help.”

The two men nodded and followed Ben as he ran in the direction that the kidnapper and Luke had gone. They were almost to the tree line of the forest when Luke stepped out into the field and jogged toward them.

He halted in front of them and wiped sweat from his forehead. “I lost him,” he said. “There are a lot of trails that lead into the mountains hidden in those trees. It was impossible to find one he might have taken. It was as if he just disappeared.”

Ben stared at the forest for a moment before he nodded. “That doesn’t surprise me. There’s some rugged country in this area. If we want to catch this guy, I’d better get a search team out here.” He pulled his shoulder mic toward his mouth and requested a canine search team at Wears Valley, informing dispatch that there was an escaped suspect in area.

“Ten-four, Unit 1. Will advise ETA as soon as possible.”

Ben glanced back at the car, which was still smoking, and saw that the EMTs had brought a gurney to the scene and lifted Hannah onto it. He turned to Luke. “I’m turning the search party over to you so that I can go to the hospital with Hannah. Clara will radio back with the estimated time of arrival for the team. Keep me posted on what’s happening.”

Luke nodded. “I will.” His gaze went to the EMTs who were preparing to push the gurney toward the ambulance and then back to Ben. “You go on and take care of Hannah. We’ll make out fine here.”

For a moment the awful thought of what might have happened to Hannah washed over Ben. If their suspect had chosen to turn onto another road before Ben and Luke got to him, he would have disappeared with Hannah. Thankfully they’d arrived in time, but there were still lots of unanswered questions.

What had prompted the man to abduct Hannah? Was she a random victim, or had there been a motive behind his actions? Random acts of violence were fairly rare—attackers usually had a reason and a specific victim in mind when they chose to lash out. But could Hannah truly have been targeted? Ben couldn’t believe that anybody would want to deliberately hurt her. Everyone in town knew her as a dedicated mother who had worked hard since the death of her husband to provide a good life for her daughter and herself.

Even those who didn’t know her well knew of her larger-than-life husband who had charmed everyone in town when he’d married Hannah and moved there six years ago. In a community such as theirs where horses played an important role, Shane had been the celebrity in their midst as the World Mounted Archery League champion. He hadn’t missed an opportunity to cash in on his fame and had been in demand for conducting clinics and judging competitions all over the world. That was, until one night in Houston when he was mugged and killed while returning to his hotel.

Now Hannah was raising their child alone, and had become one of the leading experts on mounted archery in the country. People came from all over the world to attend her training sessions. Today, all that had almost come to an end. The thought made Ben’s stomach roil, and he hurried to catch up with the EMTs as they approached the ambulance. “Joe,” he called out. The paramedic turned and stopped as Ben ran toward him. “How is she?”

“I can’t find any broken bones, but you never can tell about internal injuries. We need to get that checked out and attend to the cut on her head. We’ll know more when the doctor can run some tests at the hospital.”

Ben glanced at the squad car he and Luke had arrived in and back to Joe. “Could I ride to the hospital with you? I need to leave my car here for Luke.”

“Sure,” Joe said.

Ben followed behind as the two EMTs pushed the gurney to the waiting ambulance and loaded Hannah inside. When Joe had Hannah settled and ready to be transported, Ben climbed in. Hannah looked up at him and smiled when he sat down next to her.

“Are you okay, Ben?” she asked.

The question surprised him. “Me? I’m fine. It’s you we should be worried about. You’re the one who’s just been through a terrifying experience.”

She reached out and clasped his hand. “I know you, Ben Whitman, and I know you care about every victim. You always put your whole self into righting every wrong you encounter, but it leaves you drained afterward. I’m afraid the stress of your job is going to get to you after a while, and I don’t want that to happen. The people of this county need you, and I think I just realized today how much Faith and I need you, too. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”

He smiled and gave her hand a squeeze. “I’m glad you think of me that way—as someone you can count on. I always promised Shane that I would look after his girls while he was away, and I’ll never break that promise. You can count on me.”

She smiled and closed her eyes. After a moment he realized she had drifted off to sleep. He glanced over his shoulder at Joe. “Is it okay for her to sleep?”

Joe nodded. “Yeah. We used to think that anyone with a head injury should be kept awake, but that theory has been proven untrue. Now doctors believe healing starts when the patient is asleep. She’s hooked to a monitor that’s checking her blood pressure and heart rate. So I’ll let her rest until we get to the hospital.”

Ben turned back to Hannah, but he didn’t let go of her hand. He held it as he watched her sleep, all the way to the hospital.

TWO

Hannah opened her eyes, but she couldn’t figure out where she was. She felt pressure on her hand and turned her head to see Ben sitting beside her with his hand wrapped around hers. A frown pulled at her forehead, and then the memory of what she’d endured returned.

Noticing her open eyes, Ben leaned forward and smiled. “We’re at the hospital, Hannah. Joe is getting ready to take you into the emergency room, but I’ll be in the waiting room while the doctor examines you.”

She smiled and nodded. “Thanks, Ben. Would you do something for me?”

“Sure. What is it?”

“I had only intended to run a few errands before going home. Valerie is with Faith. She must be worried by this time. Will you call and let her know what happened and ask her to stay with Faith until I can get home?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”

“We’re ready to take you in, Hannah.” Joe’s voice from the back of the ambulance interrupted them. “Ben can come back to the exam room as soon as the doctor is through checking you out.”

Hannah smiled up at Ben. “Then I’ll see you later.”

He nodded. “Later.”

Ben looked as if he wanted to say more, but he turned and climbed from the ambulance. Joe and his partner pulled the gurney out, and she caught one last glimpse of Ben before they rolled her through the emergency bay of the hospital.

Inside they were met by a nurse who ushered them to an exam room. As soon as they had her situated in a bed, Joe gave the nurse the information about her vitals and the extent of her noticeable injuries, and then he disappeared into the hallway. The nurse leaned over the bed and smiled. “Hi, Hannah. My name is Cindy. The doctor will be with you in a moment. Are you feeling pain anywhere?”

Hannah touched the cut on her head that Joe had placed a temporary bandage on. “This cut on my head stings, but that’s the worst of it.”

Cindy examined the cut and nodded. “That doesn’t look too bad, but I’m sure it stings. I’ll get that cleaned up before the doctor sees you.”

Hannah winced and bit down on her lip as the nurse began to wipe at the cut. The pain subsided as a cool ointment of some kind was spread across her forehead and then a gauze pad applied. Before either one of them could say anything, the door opened, and a middle-aged man wearing a white lab coat and a stethoscope around his neck walked into the room.

He stopped at the side of the bed and waited for the nurse to move out of the way before he smiled and stepped closer to her. “Hello, Mrs. Riley. I’m Doctor Denton. I hear you’ve had quite an experience this afternoon. Are you in pain anywhere?”

Hannah shook her head. “Nothing serious—just some soreness from cuts and bruises.”

“That’s good.” He glanced at the monitors beside her bed and nodded before turning back to her. “Your vitals look good, but you do have the cut on your head. Let me look at it.”

Hannah didn’t move as he pulled the bandage back and examined the cut. “Is it very deep?”

He shook his head and pressed the gauze back in place. “No, it should heal very cleanly. Of course, we need to make sure there aren’t any other injuries you haven’t yet noticed. I’ve ordered a CT scan to determine if you have any internal injuries. As soon as I’ve looked at it, I’ll be back to examine you further. Do you have any questions?”

“No. I did wonder, though, when I’ll be able to see my friend.”

“Sheriff Whitman? I talked with him in the waiting room. He’s very anxious to find out if you’re okay. I’ll let him come back soon.”

For the moment there was nothing else Hannah could do but accept the doctor’s decision. If she’d had her way, Ben would have been with her every minute since she got to the hospital. He was the only person she’d been able to depend on since Shane died. He had been there the minute he heard and hadn’t left her side during the days leading up to the funeral. Since then, he’d done everything he could for her and Faith whenever they needed him. She didn’t know what she’d done to deserve a friend like Ben, but she was thankful for him.

Thirty minutes later, the tests were completed and Hannah was settled back in the bed in the emergency room as she waited for the doctor. He didn’t keep her waiting long. When he walked in, he was smiling, which she took to be a good sign. He didn’t waste time telling her what the results of the tests were.

“Well, Mrs. Riley, the CT scan shows no internal injuries. You’re a very fortunate young lady to have survived a car crash like that with nothing worse to show for it than cuts and bruises.”

“I know,” Hannah said. “I’m very thankful. Everyone here has been extremely nice to me, but I hope you’re going to let me go home now. I have a daughter I need to see about.”

He nodded. “I know. Sheriff Whitman told me. I’m not going to keep you, but I suggest you take it easy for a few days. Come back to the emergency room if you have any problems, though.”

“I will.”

“Now, I’m going out to tell the sheriff he can come back to see you. The nurse will be in to discharge you.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” she said as he turned and walked from the room.

She lay back on the bed and waited for a few minutes, and then she heard Ben’s footsteps in the hallway. She smiled at how she had come to recognize the sound his boots made as he walked. The doctor had left the door open, and Ben stopped before he entered and let his gaze rake over her.

He held the Stetson hat he always wore in his hands, and his fingers clutched the brim. He almost looked as if he was afraid to enter. She pushed up in bed and smiled. “Are you going to stand there, or are you coming in?”

The muscles in his throat constricted as he swallowed. Then, without taking his eyes off her, he walked over to her bed. “How are you feeling?” She smiled and reached for his hand. He wrapped his fingers around hers and held them tightly. “I’ve been going out of my mind in that waiting room,” he admitted. “I was afraid you were hurt badly and they weren’t telling me.”

The rasp in his voice surprised her, and she let her gaze move over his face. She’d known Ben for years, but she’d never seen the look in his eyes that she saw now. It was so much more than just concern. It looked like he had just experienced agony, and her heart pricked. Had he really been that worried about her?

“Ben,” she said as she squeezed his hand, “I’m okay. The doctor says there are no serious injuries. So quit worrying.”

He released a long breath and closed his eyes for a moment. “Hannah, when that car went off the road, I knew if you died it would be my fault because it was my bullet that hit the tire. I don’t think I could’ve lived with myself if I was the cause of you being killed.”

She smiled and swung her legs over the side of the bed. “I prefer to think that you saved my life. If it wasn’t for you, that guy would have killed me.” When she was standing in front of him, she put her arms around him and gave him a hug. “Thank you for being there again for me, Ben.”

Slowly his arms encircled her, and he gave her a quick hug before he pulled back. “Anytime, Hannah. All you have to do is call.”

She laughed. “That’s good to know. Now could you do something else for me?”

“What?”

“Take me home. I’m ready to get out of this place.”

He opened his mouth to speak, and then a look of horror flashed across his face. “I can’t.”

She stared at him and frowned. “Why not?”

“Because I left my car out at the crash scene for Luke, and yours is still smashed into that tree. We don’t have a way to get either of us home.”

She laughed and shook her head. “Did it not occur to you to drive your car and let Luke ride back with one of the other deputies?”

He grinned and shook his head. “All I was thinking about was getting you to the hospital, and I didn’t want you out of my sight. So Joe let me ride in the ambulance.”

She placed her hands on her hips and arched an eyebrow. “Well, what do we do now?”

Ben turned his mouth to his shoulder mic. “Officer needs a squad car at the hospital emergency-room door to transport a victim home.”

The radio crackled, and the dispatcher’s voice answered. “Ten-four. Escort on the way. By the way, how is Hannah?”

Ben grimaced. “Clara, this is an official channel. It’s not for personal use. Over and out.”

Hannah couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re going to have to give up on trying to make Clara more professional. From what my grandfather told me, she’s always been the biggest gossip in these hills.”

“I know,” Ben grumbled. “But she doesn’t need to be spreading gossip about you right now. We need to keep you out of the spotlight as much as possible until we catch this guy who kidnapped you. Until that time, I’m going to keep a closer check on you.”

His words startled Hannah, and she gasped. “You think this might have been more than a random abduction?”

“I don’t know, but until we find out one way or the other, you have to watch your back. I’ll be there to help.” He glanced at his watch. “Now let’s go to the emergency-room entrance and wait for our ride.”

Hannah nodded and walked from the room with Ben right behind her. For a moment there she’d felt relief and a sense of security that her ordeal was over. But Ben had just reminded her that it wasn’t.

She frowned as she tried to remember the words of her kidnapper when she’d asked him why he was doing this. Her heart raced as she recalled what he’d said. All you need to know is that it’s payback time.

Payback for what? She hadn’t gotten a close look at his face, just his eyes. They hadn’t seemed familiar in that moment, but now she knew she would recognize them anywhere as she would the sound of his voice.

If someone had a grudge against her, then Ben was right. Her kidnapper wouldn’t give up after one failed attempt. He’d be back, and the next time she might not be rescued as she’d been today.

From now on, she needed to be on guard every minute of the day.

* * *

Ben and Hannah reached the entrance to the emergency-room door just as the squad car pulled into the parking lot. He recognized the vehicle right away. It was the car he and Luke had been in when he received the call about the kidnapping. He frowned and glanced at his watch. It had been only two hours since the car crash. If Luke was back, that meant the search around the crash site was over. Why were they done so soon? Did they have the suspect in custody?

Luke pulled to a stop at the door, and Ben and Hannah stepped outside. As they approached the car, the passenger-side window rolled down. Ben leaned over to peer inside. Before he could speak, he noticed another vehicle driving into the parking lot. It was his truck.

“What’s going on, Luke?” he asked. “Why aren’t you out at the crime scene?”

Luke exhaled and shook his head. “The dogs lost the scent at a road on the other side of the woods. The handlers tried to find it again, but it looked hopeless. We figured he must have had a car waiting there.”

Ben didn’t like the sound of that. If the suspect had a car parked, or a getaway driver waiting, then Hannah’s abduction had been planned in advance. Perhaps the plan had been to drive onto a mountain trail and kill her before escaping in another car that the police wouldn’t be looking for. Chills raced down his spine at how easily that could have happened if things had gone just a little differently.

“So they’ve given up the search?”

Luke shook his head. “No. We may not be able to catch the guy tonight, but there’s still a chance he left some evidence behind—something we can use to track him down. I came into town to get some more equipment for the search. I happened to be at the station when you called in. I’d already told Andy Walker to go back with me to join in the search, so I thought we could drop your truck off here, and he could ride out there with me.”

Ben glanced at the newest deputy on the force as Andy climbed from his truck and walked toward him. “Evening, Sheriff,” he said as he came to a stop beside him. “I left your truck running.”

Ben nodded. “Thanks, Andy.” He turned his attention back to Luke. “I’ll see that Hannah gets home safely, and then I’ll join you out there.”

“Take your time, Sheriff. We’ve got it under control,” Luke said as Andy got into the car.

They waved as they drove out of the parking lot. Ben turned to Hannah and took her by the arm. “Let’s get you home.”

She smiled. “Thanks, Ben. I’m beginning to feel tired.”

He helped her into the truck before he walked around and got in on the driver’s side. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her lay her head back on the headrest and close her eyes. He turned his head and stared at her for a moment.

He remembered the first time he’d seen her. He’d stopped by her grandfather’s ranch to check on him that day, and she’d arrived just after he’d gotten there. She was fresh out of college and excited about her future. He could still remember the blue sundress she’d been wearing and how her eyes lit up when she caught sight of her grandfather. She’d run to him and thrown herself into his arms.

Ben had stood there, watching the reunion, unable to move. He didn’t think he’d ever seen a more beautiful woman, and for a minute he couldn’t speak. Then she’d turned to him, her dimple winking at him, and smiled. “You must be Ben Whitman. Grandfather has told me so much about you. I know we’re going to be great friends.”

She’d been right. Over the years they’d grown close. He’d been there for her when she lost her grandfather, and then again when she’d lost her husband. He’d loved her daughter as if she were his own. But she’d been there for him, too. When his mother passed away unexpectedly not long after Hannah was widowed, she had put aside her own grief to be by his side. Her positive attitude and encouragement had helped pull him through those dark times. The thought that he might have lost her in his life today hit like a punch to the stomach every time he thought about it.

As they approached the turnoff to Tumbling Creek Ranch, she roused, blinked and sat up. “Oh, we’re almost home. I’m sorry I wasn’t better company on the ride.”

“No problem,” he said. “I wish I could come in and see Faith, but I need to get out to Wears Valley and see if the search team has found anything. I’ll check in with you tomorrow to see how you’re feeling.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine, but you know it’s always good to hear from you.”

“You be sure and follow the doctor’s orders. You know he wants you to get all the rest you can. So take it easy for a few days. You have Valerie to take care of Faith, and you can turn the horses over to Dusty.”

She nodded. “I’m going to try. It’s good that I have backup I can count on. Valerie’s only been with us a few weeks, but she’s doing a great job as Faith’s nanny. As for Dusty, he was with Grandfather before I came, and he knows how this ranch is run. I was fortunate to have him after I lost my grandfather.”

“Yeah. Then he really took on more responsibilities when Shane died.”

He sensed, rather than saw, her posture stiffen. “I guess you could say that.”

There was a harshness in her tone that he’d never heard before, and he could tell it had something to do with Shane. She must be exhausted—when she was at full strength, she usually kept a tight lid on her emotions whenever she talked about Shane. He’d always assumed that was because it was too painful for her to remember him. The fact that he’d been murdered in Houston one night after teaching a clinic had been a shock to all of them, and he didn’t think she’d ever recovered.

He cut his eyes toward her. “I hope I haven’t brought up some painful memories for you. I don’t want to cause you to go back to that place you were in right after Shane’s death.”

She sighed. “I don’t want to go back there, either. I guess everything that happened today brought it all back to me. When I thought that man was going to kill me, all I could think of was how Faith was going to suffer. She’s already lost her father. If I’d been killed, she would have had to grow up without a mother, too.”

“But the important thing is that you didn’t die. You’re still here for her. You need to focus on being thankful for that.”

She turned her head away and stared out the window. “Don’t pay attention to me. I’m still shaken from what happened earlier. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

The tone of her voice told him that there was something else bothering her. When she didn’t explain further, he was tempted to ask more about what she’d just said. However, her silence made it evident she didn’t want to discuss it. After the ordeal she’d already been through, he didn’t want to upset her any further. He directed his attention back to the road and didn’t say anything else.

Within a few minutes, they had arrived at Hannah’s house, and he pulled to a stop in the circle driveway. He switched off the engine and turned to face her. “Well, here we are. Do you want me to see you to the door?”