Chapter 17
Kidnapped
Sheriff
Joe Tripp pulled his cruiser into the emergency parking area. By now the wind
was kicking up to gale force propelling the rain sideways. Pulling his hat low,
he turned his broad shoulder into the wind and trotted toward the entrance
stopping just inside to shake off the excess moisture from his nearly soaked
uniform. He saw Matt sitting on a bench along the edge of the hall just outside
ER Room 1. He was leaning forward, face in hands.
A few
steps later he stopped across from him. “What happened Matt?”
Matt
sat up straight and took a deep breath. “Joe, I don’t know for sure. There was
an explosion at The Shipwreck and a fire. Ruth somehow got injured.”
“Bad?”
“It’s
bad.”
“Did she
say anything?”
“Not
much, I think she said Hoke, but I couldn’t quite make it out before she passed
out.”
Sheriff
Joe pursed his lips and shook his head. “Hoke, figures. He and Nathan got into it
earlier this evening and Ruth busted him over the back with that hickory stick
she carries around and had him thrown out. Hoke threatened both of them…that
stupid idiot, he’s caused me more grief than any ten men.”
“You
going to bring him in then?”
“We’ll
find him. Right now, I need some information.”
A moment later and sopping wet JP burst through the entrance
and half ran over to where Matt and the Sheriff were standing. “I just found
out…Ruth…she okay?”
Both
Sheriff Tripp and Matt shook their heads sideways.
The
entrance to the ER opened again. Sharon, carrying Nicki ran inside followed by
waves of rain. Matt stood and closed the distance to them. “You shouldn’t be
here, not with Nicki anyway.”
“I
know, but I couldn’t stay away. Any word about Ruth?”
At that time Doctor Allan stepped into
the hallway. The four of them cast a hopeful look in his direction, but he
removed his surgical cap, and shook his head, ‘I’m sorry.”
Sharon
caught herself gasping in shock and Matt lowered his head shaking it from left
to right. JP embraced Sharon together they both sobbed.
“What’s
wrong mommy?” Nicki asked with sad sleepy eyes.”
Sharon
knelt and held her close. Trembling and with a broken voice she tried to
explain. “Oh honey. A good friend of Mr. Matt just passed away.”
“That
makes me sad.”
“Me
too, honey…me too.”
Nicki
walked over to Matt. “I’m sorry about your friend. Is she in Heaven now?”
Matt
dropped to one knee. “You’re very sweet but it’s way too late for you to be
out, time you should be in bed.” Then he looked at Sharon, who took her by the
hand and lifted her to carry.
The
entrance flew opened again. This time Nathan burst through in a half run. He
ran up dripping wet to Sharon and Matt. “I just heard. She Okay?”
Sharon
somberly shook her head and Nathan rolled to one side holding in a series of
curse words he wanted to express as he realized his good friend was gone. He
ran his hands through his drenched hair clinching his teeth. “Hoke.”
Sheriff
Joe Tripp stepped over to Nathan. “Now hold on there, Poncho. Don’t being going
off like you normally do. We don’t know if it was Hoke or not.”
“It was
him alright, I just know it.”
“Well, we’re
already looking for him, we’ll bring him in for questioning. In the meantime,
don’t you go flying off the handle and do anything stupid to get yourself in
trouble…you do have a tendency to do that. You let me handle Hoke.”
Matt
stood silent not wanting to provoke nor encourage Nathan.
Sharon
turned to her brother, “There’s nothing more you or any of us can do here
tonight. Can you take us home? Please.”
Sheriff
Joe stepped in, “Take her home Nate. I have a few things to do here and Matt,
I’ll need a statement from you before you leave. Won’t take but a few minutes.”
Nate
agreed. Sharon handed the Jeep keys back to Matt. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
The acid eyes that glared from Hoke’s face could have burned a hole through steel. His truck parked, idling inside the darkest part of the alley across from the small series of apartments lining the street that angled off the main road two blocks away. White exhaust spewed from his truck, which were almost as toxic as his liquored breath. His every movement was strained. His every breath labored like after a hard run. He lifted another bottle of whiskey and downed three gulps in one take not stopping to wipe his mouth or chin. On a piece of stiff paper, he again spread the cocaine into a narrow line and inhaled it with a rapid breath through the nostril. He shook his head and blink his eyes hard. His breathing increased and he felt a surge of power growing within him. With another large gulp, he all but inhaled another drink from a new bottle.
Two blocks away he could see the main road, little traffic passed at this hour except for the occasional county sheriff cruiser streaming by with its emergency lights flashing. His face draped with rage as he lifted the bottle again. “That stupid little woman, I told her I’d get even.”
Several
minutes passed and he consumed more and more of the liquid courage. His mind
raced, confused, tormented, grown paranoid with the cocaine surging through his
body, his demonized world collapsing in around him as he sought a way to run
away. He lost control of his thoughts,
his emotions surged with anger and despair. “They all hate me…they hate me.” He
shouted to himself. “No one cares, no one.” Within his mind a contemptuous
voice taunted him. “That’s right…no one cares about you…you don’t even care
about yourself. They are going to lock you away and let you rot.”
“I
won’t let them.”
“Of
course not. You don’t have to. You can end this on your terms and what’s even
better you can hurt them even more.”
Hokes
mind warped into a confused state not grasping what was real and what was
imagined. It raced with thoughts flying at him like the rapid-fire rattle of a
machine gun. He tried to dodge their accusations, but they struck him hard
imbedding their condemnations deep into his tormented soul.
“Fight
them…fight back. Take them with you to the end,” the taunts continued. “That’s
the only way you can hurt them and gain respect.”
Hokes
eyes glared forward, his chest rising and falling as his breathing increased in
intensity as he absorbed the scoffs.
“They
are going to kill you. You have to fight back. You can defeat them by not allowing
them to take your life from you…you must take it yourself.”
He
poured the last remaining cocaine powder onto the stiff paper and inhaled it.
His mind exploded with paranoia yet was filled with a sense of power. His grasp
of what life meant tumbled over the edge of a broken world, a world in which he
had lost control barely hovering within the realm of reality. The mocking
pushing him closer to the threshold, until he teetered at the precipice. His
head spiraling out of control, he gave his will over to the taunts.
A truck
turned off the main road, it’s lights shining into Hokes eyes. He locked onto
it recognizing the truck as Nathan’s. “Now you’ve got him,” the voice
chided.
Nathan did not see Hoke’s truck as
he pulled into the driveway to drop off Sharon and Nicki. Nicki was again
asleep so he gently lifted her from the extended cab. “I’ll take her in for
you.”
Sharon
unlocked the front door, and turned on the lamp just inside her small but
neatly arranged apartment, the door remained open. Nathan gently laid Nicki on
the couch.
“Been a
long day hasn’t it, sis.”
“Yes, it has. I’m really tired. You can stay if you want.”
“I
better not. I’m exhausted. We both need a good nigh…”
Before
he could finish a vehicle skidded to a stop outside. Footsteps followed and
invaded the front porch. She spun around the same time as Nathan to find Hoke
blocking the opening. Sharon gasp and grabbed Nicki, who awoke with a whimper.
Nathan
instinctively lunged and tried to tackle Hoke. He was strong but Hoke, filled
with hate and strength induced from the drugs, was huge and outweighed him by
close to sixty pounds. The two collided but Hoke easily shoved Nathan to one
side slamming him against the wall, knocking over the lamp. The room fell into
a darkened half-light, her way out blocked by Hoke, Sharon ran with Nicki into
the bedroom locking the door behind her.
Hoke wrenched
Nathan to his feet like a ragdoll, throwing a massive punch that collected
against his face. He crumpled, stumbled backward, blood spewing from his mouth
and nose. Stunned, he struggled to regain his senses. Out of fearful desperation,
he lunged back at Hoke who caught him under the right arm swinging him around
and to the ground rolling him against the couch that toppled over. Hoke kicked Nathan
catching him in the side knocking the breath out of him. Nathan tried to stand,
but Hoke threw another kick, then another, and finished with several wild
punches to the face. Nathan fell down prostrate unable to respond.
Sharon
was frantic clinging to a now crying Nicki. “What’s happening mommy…why is that
man fighting with uncle Nate?”
“Hush
now…Hush now.” She couldn’t think or clear her mind. She back away from the
door toward the back corner.
The
door to the bedroom exploded inward, the lock having little effect in slowing
it down. Hoke bolted in like a giant troll and grabbed Sharon by the back of
her jacket and shoved her forward. She screamed and he slapped her hard causing
her to stumble. She clung to Nicki through it all and pleaded with Hoke, “Stop
Hoke, please.”
He raised
his hand to strike her again when he heard a siren turn the corner two blocks
away. Sharon pulled away desperate for a way out, but there was none. She
pleaded with her eyes.
Nicki cried more loudly. “Shut that
kid up.” Then he grabbed her arm forcing both of them through the shattered
door. She saw her brother on the floor, struggling to get up, and screamed
“Nathan!”
He crumpled
again, unable to respond. Hoke shoved both Sharon and Nicki into his truck and
slammed it into reverse, spinning his tires as he backed out, then spinning
them even more when he sped off into the night in the opposite direction.
A few seconds later, Sheriff Joe skidded his cruiser to a stop outside the apartment and ran inside to find Nathan trying to sit up. One of Sharon’s neighbors, an older lady, stepped inside and raised her hand to her mouth in fright.
“Are
you the one that called.”
“Yes…oh
my goodness, oh my goodness…”
Sheriff
Joe helped Nathan to his feet, “What happened here son?”
“Hoke
happened.” He struggled to speak as he spit blood onto the carpet, then he stood
upright, “Sharon.” He stumbled into the bedroom then staggered out. “He’s taken
them.”
He
tried to pass by Joe but was too woozy and stumbled forward with Joe catching
him. “Hold on there, boy…Slow down. You aint fit to do anything.”
Nathan pulled
free and stepped away toward the door. “Hoke has lost his mind. He’s turned
crazy. I’m okay. We have to find them…we have to find them.”
