Princess (American Princess #1)(36)
Author: Courtney Cole

Stephen felt himself bristling.  Clearly, Detective Daniels believed that Sydney was safe and sound somewhere, intent on ruining her father’s life.  Stephen knew her better than that, but how could he prove it?

“What are you going to do with the video?”

“We’re holding onto it for a couple of days.  Chances are, if it was sent to us, it was also sent to a news station.  We’ll see if it emerges anywhere else in the next couple of days and in the meantime, if there is surveillance tape at the post office, I will review it.”

The detective had lost his air of urgency, Stephen could feel it.  It filled his heart with dread.  If the detective wasn’t going to put all of his energy into finding Sydney, how in the world was Stephen going to find her?

*  *  *

After trudging a couple of miles, Sydney and Danny noticed a grain silo rising out of the horizon and they automatically began walking faster to reach it, even though Sydney was limping painfully.

Danny hadn’t complained a single time even though he was only wearing rubber flip-flops.  Sydney knew that he must have blisters.  When they saw the silo, he took them off and began walking barefoot.

As soon as a cozy little farm house situated next to the grain silo came into view, they picked up the pace even more. Just having it in their sights lifted their spirits and made it easier to trudge down the empty road, hopefully to someone who could help them.

Ten minutes later, they cautiously approached the driveway.  They crept silently up to it, attempting to observe any signs of life before approaching the house.  Sydney was slightly nervous that whoever lived here might be on Harrison’s payroll.  It looked like a regular farmhouse but she couldn’t be too careful.

Harrison was smart.  And he had money.  It would make sense to hire someone to live in the nearest house to his little hide-out.  That way, if anyone did escape, they would run directly to someone on his payroll. Sydney shuddered thinking about it and concentrated on the farmhouse in front of her.

A barn was directly behind it right next to a pasture full of cattle.  There was a grain silo bursting with corn and barn cats running rampantly around the property.  If this wasn’t a working farm, then they had done a really good job of imitating one.   Sydney decided to chance it.  She didn’t know what other option they had.  She couldn’t see the next nearest house.

They rushed up the driveway just in time to meet a ruddy-faced farmer emerging from the barn.  He was wearing overalls and a greasy cap and stared at them in surprise.  Sydney couldn’t quite blame him.  She was wearing a nightgown and barefoot, while Danny looked terrified.  They probably looked like refugees.

“Excuse me, sir?” She stepped closer, pulling Danny with her.  “We have an emergency. Could you help us?”

She quickly filled the farmer in on their situation, including the fact that they had left a girl behind.  The farmer’s face grew more alarmed with every word she spoke.

“Miss, we need to call the police!”  He wheeled around toward the house, but she grabbed his arm.

“Please, don’t.  He is the police.”   The farmer stared at her in horror.

“Miss, you’ve been through a lot. I think we should sit you down and I’ll call the police for you.  There is no one else to call.”

Panic flooded her.  She had not just escaped from a monster just to have this old farmer call him and lead him right back to her.

“Sir, please.  I have been through a lot, but I am perfectly clear on this point.  A detective has done this to us.  If you call him, he will come right back out here and take us again.  Please.  Don’t call the police.”

The farmer studied her for a moment and finally nodded.  He seemed to believe her.

“If we can’t call the police, then how can I help?” he asked, his face confused. 

“Do you think… I mean, could you… could you drive us back down there?  And do you have something to break the lock?  And I know it’s a lot to ask, but would it be possible for you to take me to my house in Chicago?  I know it’s a long drive, but we’ll pay you for your time.  My…my father is Senator Randall Ross.”

She didn’t want to play that card, but it was the only one she had left.  And it was effective.  The man’s weather beaten face went slack and his mouth dropped open.

“Please… we’ve got to hurry!” she urged.

“Of course, I’m sorry.  Of course I can help you.  I’ll get an ax and a crow-bar from the barn.  My truck is over there.”  He motioned toward a large F-250 parked by the barn.  “Get in and I’ll be right there.”

She and Danny ran to the truck and she wrenched open the door, giving him a boost so that he could get in.  They waited impatiently until the farmer came back out carrying the tools. He also carried a long shotgun.  Sydney’s breath caught in her throat as he dropped everything into the bed of the truck and got in the driver’s side door.

“Which way?”

Sydney pointed and he tore out of the driveway, dust from his driveway billowing out behind them.

“My name is Tom, by the way. Are you both okay, other than being scared?”

“We’re fine now.  I’m Sydney and this is Danny.  He’s my neighbor and he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.  He doesn’t have anything to do with this mess. I need to get him safely back home.”

She wrapped one arm around the slender little boy as she spoke.

“Don’t worry about a thing, Sydney.  I’ll get you both safely back home.”

Tom’s confident tone made her believe him.  Something about him reminded her of the old John Wayne movies that her dad liked to watch.  She was still jittery, but sitting next to the old farmer was calming her nerves just a little bit at a time.  He was big and strong and had a shotgun.  She took a deep breath and tried to make her foot stop bouncing.

The truck roared down the deserted road and came upon the isolated little house in just a few minutes time.  Sydney’s heart started pounding again.  The truck lurched to a stop amid clouds of dust and Sydney leaped out, with Tom and Danny close behind her.

As Sydney barged through the backdoor, she started calling Deidire’s name.  Deidre shouted back in relief as they led Tom to the door.  The stench in the little house was so overpowering that it almost bowled them over. She briefly wondered why she didn’t notice the smell the first night she was here, but put it out of her mind.  She was probably in shock that night.