“Now, Leesha, I need you to go upstairs and pack a bag – a change of clothes for everyone. Charlie, where do you keep your luggage?”
“In the master closet, to the left of the door.” He was a total zombie.
Leesha ran off without any further direction. He could hear her run upstairs and hoped that Caitlyn wasn’t paying too close attention. Hopefully, he thought, Lexi was keeping her entertained.
Sam came back in, avoiding the camera in the kitchen, and looked over Clint’s shoulder. “What are you doing?”
“I’m locating… There! There she is! Charlie, I’ve found her. We can go and get her.”
“How did you do that?” Sam was astonished.
“Her cell signal. Tell the girls we are ready. We need them down here. Bring Caitlyn.” Clint turned then to Charlie. “Charlie, I need you to trust me, and just follow these instructions. We are going to get Amber and Ellie back. I need you to take Caitlyn and meet us at this address. Do not call us. Do not try and call your wife again. The less they know about what is going on the better. Can you do that?”
Charlie could only nod in agreement. Words were beyond him.
“Good.”
“Here come the girls,” Sam warned.
“Charlie, try to act normal. We’ll call you when we get them clear. I promise, this is going to be okay. Trust us, okay?”
“Okay.”
The girls appeared, Leesha first. Clint whispered to her to put the suitcase in the back of the SUV. She did as he requested.
As Lexi appeared around the corner with Caitlyn, Clint gave Charlie a piece of paper. “Meet us here. I need the keys to the convertible. We’ll see you soon. It will be okay.”
He nodded, and turned to Caitlyn. “We’re going on a little trip, Princess. Hop in the front seat, we’ll pick up Mom and Ellie when we get there.” The kids could tell he was doing all he could to sound normal. Lexi followed Caitlyn out to the garage to get her strapped in.
Charlie turned to follow them, then paused. He pivoted back and reached for his briefcase on the floor next to the laundry room door. Pulling out four files, he handed them to Sam, then turned to Clint and Leesha. “Thanks guys. I pray you are safe. Please bring them back to me,” he said, fighting tears.
“We will, Charlie,” Sam promised. Once he was gone, he turned to Clint and said, “What next?”
“You and Leesha take the convertible, Lexi and I will take the Jeep. Follow us. I’ve got a plan.”
“I see that…” I’m trusting you, man.
Chapter Forty-six
They raced through town as quickly as traffic would allow, bobbing in and out of spaces to pass cars in their way. Sam was behind the wheel of the fancy red foreign car following Clint in the Jeep.
Leesha was quiet. She knew Sam and Clint were communicating between the cars.
“Where are we going, Clint?”
“We’ve got to set a decoy. If Blevins is tracking the cars, he’ll be watching the activity of the car on his radar.”
“Why did you have me switch the trackers?”
“Because Blevins will know if Charlie goes out to try and get Amber and Ellie, he’ll be in the family car. They can’t all fit in the convertible.”
“Okay. Makes sense. So he’s watching this car, thinking it’s the Suburban.”
“Right. And now the Suburban is off his radar screen.”
“So how do we keep this one in motion while we are trying to get his family back?” Sam asked as the two cars pulled up to a railroad crossing. The lights went on and the arms went down, preventing any traffic from crossing the tracks.
Great. Just what we need. A delay…
“Sam,” Clint got his attention back. “Get out. You and Leesha climb in here.”
What?
But he didn’t question him. He nodded to Leesha to get out and they were climbing in the back of the Jeep within seconds. Lexi was in the front, watching some sort of digital radar map of the area, lit up with all kinds of activity Sam didn’t understand at a glance.
Clint turned towards the back seat, then looked out the back window. So far there was no traffic behind them. “Leesha, we don’t have a lot of time. When this train passes, I need you to move the convertible and stash it in an empty car. I don’t care what kind of car, but be as discreet as possible.”
“Okay,” she answered, and stepped back out of the Jeep, more for concentration than for control.
The train breezed past, and as soon as it cleared the road and blocked the view of the oncoming traffic, she watched for an opening in the train. The fourth car that was coming had its side door open and was empty inside. Leesha looked back towards the convertible, lifted it swiftly and moved it gently into the car. In a split second, it was gone from view as the train continued on its course.
Leesha had no sooner gotten back into the Jeep and Clint threw it in reverse to head back the way they came. “Do you think anyone saw that?” he asked Leesha.
“I don’t think so.”
“I was watching,” Sam added. “No one could have possibly seen her do that. We’re clear.”
“And the car is still in motion. Decoy mobile,” Clint said.
“Well planned!” Lexi said, patting Clint on the arm. “Now, we’re heading to Louisiana Street – right here on the map,” she said as she turned the laptop screen to Clint so he could see.
Clint passed the navigation device to Sam. “Punch in the coordinates.”
“Got it,” Sam said as he took it from him. Once he had done it, he handed it back to Lexi to put into the cradle.
They raced back across town and in about ten minutes were in a very shady, worn-down neighborhood. Rusted cars were lined up along the street, stray dogs running wild and houses without air conditioning lined the yards with their windows wide open. Clint slowed as they approached the house they were searching for.
“I don’t see her car,” Leesha said as she caught first sight of the house.
“It’s in the garage,” Sam said. “They’ve got it hidden. Clint, take a circle around the block. If we’re going to get them out, we need to figure out our best escape route.”
“Right.”
Clint drove slowly around the block, trying to determine the best place to position the Jeep for the escape. As he drove by each house, Sam peered inside to see which neighbors were home, in case they needed to worry about noise control. There was an alleyway to the back that intersected the block, and would allow them a parking position right next to the house, if needed.
Once back in the front of the dingy little house, Sam looked into its walls to draw a floor plan and report to the group what was going on inside the house.
“The girls are being held in this back bedroom. Both are bound to kitchen chairs and gagged.”
“How horrible…” Lexi’s eyes filled with mist.
“Lexi, keep yourself together,” Sam warned her. “I’m going to need you to help me get them out of there. Can you do that?”
She nodded her head, and then blinked a couple of times to regain her focus.
“Leesha, there are two guys in the front living room. According to their conversation, they are waiting for Blevins to call with his arrival time. They think he should be here within the hour.”
“Are they watching the girls?” Clint asked.
“No, they’ve got the door closed and padlocked shut from the outside. The door looks like it is rigged for this sort of business.”
Lexi and Leesha shared a look of terror between the two of them.
“All right, here’s the plan. We need to get in and out as quickly as possible and get as much distance between us and this place before Blevins shows up.” Now it was time for Sam to take charge, and the three of them nodded in agreement, waiting for their assignments. “Clint, I need you to park the Jeep at the back corner of the house – over by the air conditioner unit. That’s the best place for Lexi to get into the bedroom where the girls are. Lexi, we’re going
in together – we’ll free them as quickly as we can and get them back out into the Jeep.”
“What do I do?” Leesha asked.
“You’re our muscle. You’re the only one that can physically affect anything, so I need you to knock on the front door and hold these guys at bay until we’re out. Can you do that?”
“Of course. Anything you need.”
“They’re going to see you, Leesha. There’s really no way around it. I need to help Lexi free Amber and Ellie. It’s a two man job. Otherwise I would help you cover the front.”
“It’s okay, Sam. I can handle it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Piece of cake. And it’s not like Blevins isn’t going to figure out who did this anyway. He already knows about us, who we are, where to find us.”
Lexi shuddered again.
“I know, Lex,” he turned to his sister. “We’ll have to deal with that sooner rather than later. But we’ve got to concentrate on this job right now. We don’t have time to worry about anything else.”
“Right.”
“Okay, guys, I’m going in,” Leesha climbed out of the Jeep.
“Wait until the Jeep disappears and you can knock on the door.”
“Got it. Good luck.”
“You too,” Lexi called back.
“Leesha,” Sam had one final thought, “I’ll keep my mind open for you. Let me know if you need any of us to back you up.”
“I’ll be fine. Just go.” She turned toward the front of the house and watched the Jeep round the corner.
Chapter Forty-seven
Clint pulled the Jeep around the back alley and Sam heard Leesha knock on the door. He listened for the door to open and Leesha begin a conversation with the two nervous men who appeared at the front door.
“Okay, she’s in,” he said to Lexi. “Let’s go.”
“Take this,” Clint said, handing his knife to Lexi. She gave him a weak smile of thanks.
They hurried out of the Jeep and Lexi followed Sam up to the back wall, covered in dingy old siding. He studied the wall carefully, then showed Lexi where the flooring was and where all of the metal plumbing ran through the walls. “Here’s the best place for us to go in. You ready?”
She nodded to him, then took his hand.
This IS weird. Tingly.
Lexi stepped forward, moving her foot up over the concrete foundation and stepping onto the floor that Sam pointed out. She glided through the house as if it were thin air. Sam followed her, and though his eyes could see into the room, he still marveled at the ability to walk right through a wall his mind knew was there. Once he set his second foot down on solid ground inside, they went straight to work.
Walking up behind Amber and Ellie, both still struggling to free themselves, she put her invisible head between the two of them and whispered. “Hi. My name is Lexi. I’m here to help you, but I need you to be very quiet. I don’t want them to know we’re here. Can you do that?”
Both of them jumped in their chairs at the sound of her voice, then nodded their heads in pure fright. Lexi continued, “My brother Sam is here with me. We’re going to appear. Please, please be quiet. We’ll have you out of here very shortly.”
And with that, she took off the veil of invisibility from them, which made their eyes pop open in disbelief. Sam put his finger in front of mouth to motion “Shhh.”
They both went to work, Sam took Amber, Lexi went to Ellie. First the gags came off, then the duct tape that bound them to their chairs. No one said a word until the two of them were entirely freed. It took them less than two minutes to have them free and standing upright.
Lexi turned to Sam. “I don’t think I’m strong enough to get everyone out at once. I need to do it one at a time.”
He nodded, understanding. “I’ll stay here with Amber and fill her in. You go ahead and take Ellie first. Clint can get her strapped in.”
Lexi turned to Ellie. “Ellie, I need you to trust me. Take my hand and just follow me. We’re gonna walk out of here to our Jeep out back. Okay?”
“Okay,” she whispered back. She was shaking with fright, probably no older than seven or eight years old, but Lexi could see she was desperate to trust someone who promised to help.
“It’s going to feel a little tingly. Here take my hand and follow me.” Lexi stepped down first, and then helped Ellie down the giant step onto the back lawn. Clint was already standing there, ready to help when they appeared. “Ellie, this is Clint. He’s going to get you into the car. I’m going back in to get your mom.” Lexi looked her straight in the eyes. “I’ll be right back, I promise. And I’ll have your mom with me. Trust me?”
“Yes,” she nodded and turned to Clint to get helped into the car.
Lexi hopped quietly back into the room and reappeared next to Amber. She jumped again at the strange sight, though Sam had told her a little of what was going on – what little he could say in such a few seconds. “Ellie is safe. It’s your turn. Ready?”
Amber nodded, tears streaming down her face. “Yes, I’m ready.”
Lexi took her hand and led her out the same way she took Ellie. Once outside, and with her daughter back in sight, she collapsed on Clint, who was hefting her into the back of the seat to rejoin Ellie. She grabbed Ellie and began to cry silently.
Lexi turned once again to go and get Sam, and in the haste to get out of there, didn’t even reappear in front of him. She just grabbed his hand, making him disappear and led the way back out of the house for the last time.
Once they were outside and climbing back into the Jeep, Clint projected to Leesha: “We’re clear. We’ve got them.”
Leesha thought back to him. “Great. Just give me a few seconds and I’ll be back out the front door.”
What is she up to?
He turned to Clint. “Pick her up at the front door.”
When Leesha appeared through the front door, her steps were quick, but she had a smirk on her face. She climbed into the back seat with the other girls – Lexi was at one window, and Ellie was sitting on her mother’s lap in the middle. Amber’s arms were locked around her daughter, both were openly sobbing now with relief.
Clint threw the car into gear and sped off.
Sam turned around from the front seat. “What did you do with the guys?”
“Well, I tried to just distract them at first, but they got impatient and tried to get rid of me. So I ended up moving them into the back corner and immobilizing them.”
“How did you get out?” Lexi asked, still curious about anyone else’s ability.
Leesha smiled largely. “I gave them a dose of their own medicine. They’re locked in the back room.”
Sam laughed. “The room we just came out of?”
“Uh-huh. You should have seen their faces when I opened the lock and they saw the room was empty. As if I didn’t blow their minds already, controlling them into submission without even touching them… Then I lifted them and threw them into the room they thought they were keeping captives in!”
Lexi and Sam looked at each other and nodded. Sam answered Lexi’s thought. “Yep. She totally has the coolest power!”
Once they were safely clear of the neighborhood, Clint dialed Charlie on his cell phone. “Charlie? Yeah. We’ve got them. Are you there?”
He paused, listening to the other end.
“Good. We’ll be there in about seven minutes. Yes, yes. They’re fine. A little rattled, but no one is injured. Take a deep breath, Charlie. It’s over. We’ll see you shortly.”
The reunion at the bunkhouse was filled with tears, hugs and kisses. Both Leesha and Lexi were wiping away their own tears as they watched the family reunite and hold each other tightly.
Clint whispered to Sam to watch over the group and slipped away to talk to Bernie about arranging a flight for the family. Sam, Leesha and Lexi hung around the perimeter of the main room, letting the Rowe family settle each other’s nerves and give updates on what happened on each end.
; Once Clint slipped back in to join the group, the Rowes had quieted considerably, and were ready to fire questions at the kids. Charlie wanted a detailed summary of where they went and how they rescued Amber and Ellie. They took turns filling him in on the nuts and bolts, but since their girls were so young, they didn’t want to frighten them with the scary details.
Amber finally asked the question that was burning in her mind. “How is it possible that you are able to do what you did? Disappear? Walk through walls? Control people?” None of it made sense to her, and she looked to the four teens for answers.
Sam looked at Charlie, then back at Amber. “I think your husband will have better answers for you.” He then projected into her mind: “And the answers may scare the girls.”
Her eyes widened in surprise, realizing what he was doing. She nodded in understanding.
He projected to Charlie, “You’re going to have to fill her in.”
Charlie’s eyes turned down in shame as he thought back, “I will.”
Clint cleared his throat, “Um, guys, this isn’t over yet. When Blevins finds out you’re gone, he’s going to be seriously pissed. We need to get you out of here and safe from him. I’ve talked to Bernie. He’s got a pilot and a jet ready to take you somewhere away from here. Is there family or somewhere you can go to where you can’t be found?”
“My mother’s got a beach house on the coast of South Carolina,” Amber said. “We could go there.”
Charlie nodded his approval. “You’re right. Dr. Blevins knows nothing about your family. And the area is heavily populated. We’d easily blend in with the crowds and other tourists.”
“I’ll let Bernie know. He said the jet will be ready in ten minutes.”
Charlie stood up to face the kids. “There’s no way I can ever repay you for what you did today. You saved the lives of my wife and daughter.”
Sam shook his head. “Charlie, there’s no way of knowing…”
“I know, Sam. I know what he’s capable of,” he took Sam by the shoulder and lowered his voice, which cracked just the slightest. “He would have killed them, Sam. Thank you. I can’t thank you enough.”
Sam met his eyes. “Just get your family to safety. Contact us when you know it’s safe. We’ve got more questions for you, but they can wait. Your family comes first.”
Leesha approached Charlie and took his hand. “Charlie, we won’t stop until we find him. We’ve seen first-hand what he’s capable of. He won’t get away with this.”