Chapter 36

RESCUE

The van pulled silently into the street, and rolled to a stop just out of sight of Superior Freight.  Call, Jack and Johner got out.  John stayed in the driver’s seat, prepared to move fast if Sarah needed medical attention, Carlie beside him.  Jack and Johner took up positions in the loading dock bay, hidden from the door.

The operation went exactly as planned.  Call cried hysterically and banged on the door, then banged on the window with a rock.  As the window shattered emergency lights flashed on, illuminating the building front; and the sound of the burglar alarm echoed eerily up and down the empty street.  Before many seconds had passed, the men heard the door squeak loudly as it opened, and Clifford Dexter’s voice.  "For Christ’s sake, lady, cut the---Hey!"

"OK, guys, come and get him!"  Call held Dexter’s wrist effortlessly with one hand, forcing him to his knees without any visible exertion as the two men came up to her.

Johner picked up Dexter by his shirt front, holding him off the ground  while he roared into his face.  "Where is she?  WHERE IS SHE?  You’ll live one more minute if you talk NOW!"

Dexter was frightened; he had experience of what Johner was capable of.  With no further encouragement he pointed down the hall.  "There, there!  Last door!"  Johner looked down the hall, then dropped him without looking at him again and started for the door, scooping up the blanket he’d dropped when he grabbed Dexter.

Jack and Call hustled the handcuffed Dexter outside as John and Carlie pulled up in the van.  Dexter was dumped into the rear lockup of the police vehicle, and all four started back into the building.  John stopped them just inside.  "We’ll wait here.  He’ll call if he needs us."

Jack started to object, then stopped.  Yeah---OK, yeah.  I guess you’re right."

*******

Johner entered the room at a run, and slowed not at all until he was kneeling beside her where she lay on a cot.  She was conscious; her eyes looked up at him over  her gagged mouth.  "Oh God---Connor!  Hang on, babe this will hurt."  He ripped off the duct tape that bound her mouth in one quick move, then bent down to touch her bruised mouth softly with his while he reached for the knife in his boot.

"I knew you’d be here tonight," she whispered through sore lips.  I knew it, Johner." Tears began to run out of the corners of her eyes as she looked up at him.

"Connor, are you shot?  Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No, no, just scared, Johner---just scared."  Her faced twisted, and she sobbed.

"It’s OK now, I’m here, babe---it’s all right now---nothing’s going to happen to you, I’m here now---it’s all right, babe---I’ve got you now--"  He murmured reassurance to her steadily  while he cut the duct tape that bound her.

She was bound four times:  around her upper arms and torso just below her breasts,  around her forearms, binding them tightly to her body just below her navel, and twice around her legs at mid-thigh and ankles.  Her clothes had been cut off between the tapes.

As soon as her arms were freed they went up around him and she held him to her as tightly as her muscles, numb from their imprisonment, would let her.   Johner enfolded her in his large embrace, and rocked her in his arms, his face pressed to the top of her head while his tears dampened her hair.  "You’re safe---I’ve got you, babe---you’re OK now---."

He held her for a few moments more, then reached up and gently loosened her arms.  "Come on now, we’ve got to get you home.  I want you home, babe!  It’s OK, come on, let me get you out of here."  Her arms clung with feeble strength, but  in a moment she let go and smiled up at him shakily while he laid her gently back on the cot and finished freeing her body.

The tape was still attached to her body in several places where her clothing hadn’t covered her, but Johner was thankful that she had been bound while she was still dressed.  If not removed carefully the tape could take skin with it, so he made no attempt to remove it now, just cut her arms and legs free, then deftly lifted and turned  her body until he had her securely wrapped in the blanket he had brought for that purpose.

He lifted her into his arms and moved to the door, then stopped. looking down at her.   "God---you’re so little, and I was so scared, and I love you so much!"  New tears flowed, and his feelings threatened to overcome him now that he knew she was safe and in his arms again; but Sarah’s courage asserted itself to save him.  Tears streaked her face also; but her head lifted and she smiled.  "Come on, Johner, let’s go home!"

By the time they got back to the front door, Sarah was recovering.  She smiled brilliantly at John.  "It’s OK, hon, I’m OK."

Tears filled John’s eyes as he looked at her.   "Well, we were just a little scared!"  He laughed rather shakily.

"So was I."  She turned to look up at Johner.  "But I kept saying to myself: ‘They’re working on it, they’ll be here!’"  She turned back, still smiling.  "And here you are!  Hi Carlie. Hi, Jack. Hi, Call.  Looks like we’ve got the whole family in on this!"

********

They rode to the nearest hospital with a police escort; sirens, lights, the whole treatment.  Jack had been insistent that Sarah go to the hospital, but Johner objected violently. He held her in his lap, and his arms tightened around her.  "She’s going home, with me!"

"Johner, we’ve got to have medical testimony at his trial.  Please, be sensible!"  Jack hesitated to bring up Dexter, still not sure that Johner wouldn’t try to kill him.  But Johner  had Sarah to take care of now, Dexter had faded to unimportance next to the woman in his arms.  That woman looked up at him, and put her hand up out of her nest of blankets to caress his cheek.  "He’s right, Johner.  I’m OK, we won’t let them keep me."

So Johner consented, grudgingly. In the emergency room he stayed by her side over objections by the medical staff, holding her hand while they examined her.

"I can find nothing wrong except a couple of bruises, I believe she’s OK."  The resident on duty was sympathetic to Johner’s protectiveness of Sarah, unlike the nurse, who had been impatient of his presence.  "That tape is going to be difficult, though.  If you won’t let us remove it, I’ll get you something that will help."  In a minute he came back with a bottle in his hand.  "Use this.  It’s what we use to remove tape.  Works slick."  He smiled, then his voice softened and he put his hand on Johner’s arm.  "---Don’t worry.  She’s strong.  She’ll be OK."

Johner smiled back.  "Thanks.  For the tape remover too."

Johner held her in his lap again on the way home, whispering in her ear, kissing her, showing her how glad he was to have her in his arms again.    When the van pulled into the driveway, he turned to Jack. "I know how important you, and Call, were to this whole thing.  If you ever need anything, anything at all, let me know; it’s yours."  He stopped, his voice choked with emotion.  Then, as he got out of the van, still holding his precious burden, he said,  "Jack, I know there’s police business to be done, but can you give us until morning?"

"Sure.  But not any longer, Johner, please.  The Feds are going to be breathing down my neck; I may have to call in that favor you promised to break me out of jail.  They’re not going to be happy that I didn’t call them in until it was all over."

"Another reason to be grateful.  I won’t forget, Jack."  They shook hands, and Johner turned away.  The back door stood open, light burning in the kitchen where John had already started the coffee pot.  Johner stopped for a minute, looking at the welcoming light streaming out.  Then he stepped up to the door and took his woman home, into the brightly lit kitchen.

John was standing at the stove, cooking something.  Carlie sat at the kitchen table, sipping coffee.

"I’m going to take Connor to the bedroom and get the tape off her.  Could someone come along with a couple of cups of that coffee?"

Carlie got up.  "Sure, Johner.  Right with you."

"Do either of you want anything to eat?"  John held up the spatula in his hand.  "I’m cooking bacon and eggs."

Johner looked down questioningly at Sarah, who shook her head.  "Just coffee, thanks John."  He moved away, anxious to get Sarah comfortable---and comforted.

*******

"There, that’s every last sticky bit."  Johner grinned down at Sarah.  "Thank the gods for the tape remover; I don’t know how I’d have done it otherwise."  His face sobered as he looked at her.  "My poor babe, you’re just about out, aren’t you.  Wait ‘til I strip, we’ll be asleep in no time."

He skinned out of his clothes quickly, and slid in beside her.  His arms went around her and he pulled her tightly against him, spooned against his much bigger body, her slight form lost against his massive strength.  "Closer, Johner!"  He tightened his arms again and snuggled his body into full contact with hers.  "There.  That’s right."  Her voice was drowsy, and half asleep she lifted his big hands that were pressed against her midriff, moving them to cover her breasts. "There.  There---"  She was asleep.

But Johner didn’t sleep, not right away.  His mind replayed the events of the past twelve hours over more than once before he finally relaxed in the sure knowledge that Sarah slept peacefully, right here in his arms.
 
 

NEXT	BACK TO BEGINNING