CHAPTER 23

Once he knew the in's and the out's of the new security system, Cole glanced at his watch for the first time. It had been almost thirty minutes since he’d left Rose. She would be wondering where he was.

Locking his own house behind him he crossed the road, glad to notice her door was closed. The storm had moved in faster than anticipated and the street was dark with only the howling wind for company.

A light was shining in the kitchen window and he noticed two glasses of wine on the kitchen counter.

By the time he reached the door he was soaked to the skin, the rain was unforgiving as he stepped up to open it.

He tried the door and it opened. His temper surged at her disregarding her own safety for the second time that day. Walking into the house he called. “Rose! Rose!”

Her phone and keys were on the counter next to the wine, but she was nowhere in sight. Glancing through the window he noticed her car was still in the driveway.

Something was wrong, very wrong. Even as he thought it fear, cold and ruthless, reminded him of the murders in the neighborhood. He pulled out his phone and dialed 911.

“911 How can I help you?” Came a young male voice over the phone.

Cole relayed the situation and rattled off the address.

“We’re on our way sir, just stay put.”

As Cole ended the call he knew there was no way he was going to wait around for the police.

He had a very bad feeling Rose didn’t just go for a walk, a feeling that meant Rose wouldn’t be coming back at all.

Grabbing his keys he headed straight for his car, he had no idea where he was headed, but at least he was doing something.

He gunned the engine and reversed with tires squealing on the wet asphalt. As he drove down the street his wipers moved back and forth at a furious pace as the rain slapped against the window.

Instinct instructed him to try the security station first; they would be able to tell him if Rose had left with someone else.

He pulled up in front of the building, leaving the car running. Pulling the back of his shirt over his to ward off the worst rain he ran inside.

“Did Rose Adler leave in the last twenty minutes?” He said briskly as he walked inside and slapped his hand on the table where they were currently doling out cards.

Three men looked between each other. “That’s the pretty one that found Emmaline?”

Cole clenched his teeth. “Yes.”

“No, she came back this afternoon but she didn’t leave again. We’ve been on duty since noon.”

“Thanks!” Cole called over his shoulder before he ran back to his car.

He turned the car around knowing she hadn’t left the estate. That meant she was still inside, but where?

He followed the road back to her house when he heard the sirens approach short on his heels. Stopping in front of her house he jumped out and ran to the first police car.

“She was here twenty minutes ago and now she’s gone. Her phone, keys everything is still inside. Something’s wrong.”

“Sir, we’d like you to remain calm and wait inside while we assess the situation.”

It only took a split second for Cole to lose his temper. “Fuck that! I’m not waiting inside while that son of a bitch might have her.” The cop tried to stop him but Cole had already pulled away. “You fucking wait inside if you’re not going to do anything! I’ll fucking find him myself and then I’m going to strangle him!”

Cole slammed the car door behind him gasping for breath. Every second counted and he had just wasted about thirty trying to get the cops to do their job.

Where would he go? If he had just taken Rose where would he take her? If he had a house in the estate, it could be any house.

Shit!

He pulled away from the curb mindlessly driving keeping an eye out for anything suspicious when he remembered the undeveloped part the far side of the estate. If memory served him correctly it was still a fairly wooded area that didn’t see much traffic or people.

If he had just kidnapped a woman and wanted to kill her, that would be the perfect place.

Cole dropped a gear and gunned the car even harder heading for the woods. His vision was deterred by the rain, but Cole didn’t slow down. Turning into the wooded area he noticed the signs advertising new houses at discounted rates with the picture of a happy family.

The picture was controversial for his purpose of speeding down the narrow road he thought as he focused on the road ahead.

A few miles up the road he noticed a white van almost where the road came to an end with the passenger side door open.

She got away!

It was the only hope he had left. There was no other reason for a van to be parked this far out in a storm. It had to be him, the man he was going to strangle in a few seconds. Gripping the steering wheel tighter he headed straight for the van.

He pulled up behind the van and jumped from the car running mindlessly towards the woods when he noticed two figures struggling on the ground in the distance.

Cole didn’t notice the goose bumps that had appeared all over his body, he didn’t notice how his heart hammered frantically in his chest or the cramps in his legs as he ran towards them.

He recognized Rose’s shoes even as he noticed the large man sitting on top of her trying to strangle her.

Without forethought or consideration for his own safety Cole tackled the figure off of Rose.

As they slammed down in the ground together the first fist flew. Cole couldn’t be sure if it was his or the man’s.

He let his own fists fly, not even wincing as his fist met a jaw or he tasted the distinct taste of blood.

Suddenly a light briefly shone on them and Cole recognized the man. One of the security guards, Mike.

Even more infuriated Cole shoved until Mike was lying face down in the dirt. His fingers had just closed around Mike’s neck when Rose’s voice pulled him back to the present.

“Cole, its okay you can let him go the cops are here.” Her voice was scratchy, her eyes bloodshot.

“Fuck the cops,” squeezing his hands tighter around Mike’s neck.

He heard Mike start to choke when two cops pulled him off.