How Little We Know - M J Marlow (top 10 novels .TXT) 📗

he heard something whistle past his ear. Robert pushed him down behind the carand Sean saw him pull his gun. Sean did not need to be told to stay put, but he was mad. He went to the side doorand opened the glove compartment. “You let her go, Evans,” a man’s voice rang out, “or you are dead!” There was one more bullet firedand it hit the windshieldand sent glass flying in all directions. “I am driving youand your family to the airfield right now, Sean,” Robert told the stunned man. “I don’t care where you go, but you are not staying here in this town.” He got the suitcasesand put them in his own trunkand then the two silent men drove back to the station. “Sheriff is going to take us to the airfield,” Sean smiled at Maryand Bobby. “We’re going on our honeymoon!” Mary looked at the grim expression on Robert’s faceand heard the forced cheerfulness in Sean’s voiceand knew something was wrong. But she played along. She got in the back with Bobbyand joked with him about being prisoners now. They got on the first plane leavingand she noted Robert did not leave until they were taking off. Sean gripped her hand tight but he maintained a smile for Bobby’s benefit. “Have you ever been to Minneapolis?” Mary asked her husband as they landed. “We’ll take another plane out of here to wherever you’d like to go,” Sean told her as they entered the terminal. “It’s an International Airport. We could go almost anywhere.” “Uncle Sean!” Bobby cried as he saw the pictures of the Mall of Americaand the children’s play center. “Can we go there?” Sean looked at Maryand she shrugged. They checkedand found that there were several nice hotels near the Malland it wasn’t that far from the airport. So he called one of themand got the best room they had available. Once they had their luggage, they took a taxi to the hotel. “We didn’t need anything this fancy, Sean,” Mary said as she looked around the suite with the two bedrooms. “This is our honeymoon, Mary,” Sean said as he came upand took her in his arms. “I want it to be special.” “Most married couples don’t have a four year old with them, Sean,” Mary smiled as she saw Bobby running around. She looked at the clock. “We should get some dinner.” “I’ll order room service,” Sean nodded. “Hey Bobby,” he called to his nephew. “Come help me pick out our dinner, champ.” He kissed Mary on the lips gently. “Why don’t you take a bathand try to relax?” Mary noddedand did just that. By the time she came back, dinner was set out. She smiled as she saw the hot dogsand French fries. Sean shruggedand she knew he’d let Bobby choose the entire menu. Chocolate milkshakes were the beverageand there was apple pie with ice cream for dessert. “Excellent choices,” she congratulated the anxious boy. “Just what people should have on their honeymoon.” Bobby beamed at her praiseand they settled down to eat. She got him ready for bedand came back out to find Sean on the phone. His expression was grim. “What’s going on, Sean?” she asked as he hung up. “Someone doesn’t like the fact that we are married,” Sean told her honestly. He held herand told her about Thug. “I’m sorry, Mary. I honestly believed you would be safe.” “It’s not your fault, Sean,” she assured him. “Let’s just enjoy our time here.” She kissed him willing the fear to go away for a while. They did not speak as he carried her to the bedroomand they chased the darkness away for a few hours. Eric watched them as they took his son through the play centers in the Mall. It hadn’t been hard to figure out where they had run, there were so few planes leaving at the time they had gone. When Robert had let him out of the jail cell, he had made a calland been told where he could find them. He rubbed his upper lipand frowned. He had liked his moustache, but it was necessary to be without it to begin his slow torment of the pretty woman who should be his wife, not his brothers. He was wearing the same thing Sean was, so this should be quite easy. He waited until Seanand Bobby moved away from herand out of sight. He walked up behind herand put his hand on her shoulder. She smiled for a momentand then he saw the frown as she recognized him. Mary always could tell them apart; he had always wondered what it was. He grabbed her wristand yanked her out of her seat. “Don’t make a fuss, Mary,” he said as he led her away. “I am in no mood to argue with youand I don’t want to have to hurt you.” “Eric, please leave me alone,” Mary begged him. “I’m happy with your brother.” “I don’t want him happy,” Eric snapped as he forced her into a maintenance tunnel, “especially not with a woman who is supposed to be mine!” He slammed her up against the wall. “I made you mine when you were sixteen, Mary,and you never realized it!” “No,” Mary shook her head. “You couldn’t have…” “I raped you, Mary,” Eric laughed, “and I let Sean think it was his act.” He kept her moving. “I got him goodand drunkand all enamored with the idea of giving you an extra special birthday present.” Mary shook her head. “He asked you to close your eyes; remember?” Mary nodded, listening to him in mounting horror. “I knocked him out thenand took his place. When I was done, I dumped him on top of youand went to call the Sheriff.” His hand ran over her breastand she began to shudder. “My hands were the first ones to touch your beautiful body, Mary,and mine shall be the last!” “You’re lying!” Mary sobbed. “No one would let his own brother think he was guilty of such a crime!” “I would,” Eric laughed. “I wanted you, Mary,and you were giving yourself to him! That’s why I took the baby away from you. I wasn’t going to let you near our son until you opened your eyesand saw Sean for the bastard I’ve always known he was.” “The only bastard I see here is you, Eric,” Mary snapped at him. He slapped herand she struck him across the face. “Let me go!” “Oh no, darling,” Eric laughed as he yanked her on. “I’m not through tormenting my brother quite yet. You are going to disappear, the victim of a kidnapping.” He opened a doorand she saw that they were out on a loading dock. Two men in ski masks were waiting. “Here she is, gentlemen. Please see her safely to the farmand have Mel make certain she is kept comfortable until I return with my son.” “No!” Mary screamedand slipped free before the men could grab her. She ran out towards the parking lotand looked around desperately for help. A van pulled upand she saw a familiar face behind the wheel. “Oh thank God!” she sobbed as she got in the passenger seat. “You have to help me.” “Don’t worry, Mary,” he smiled as he brought out the ether-soaked rag. “I will always help you.” Several people saw her as she screamedand they were able to tell the police that she had been pulled into a dark van. Three men wearing ski masks had run after itand then gotten into another van to followand the license plate was obscured. Sean was waiting in the Manager’s Office with Bobby asleep in his arms when the FBI arrived. Agent Oliverand Agent Daughtry were a Muttand Jeff team in every particular. Oliver was tall, broadand had a sleepy look about him that would put most people at ease; his partner Daughtry was a slim perky brunette who looked like she was ready to burst from all the energy inside of her. “Have you received any ransom demands as yet, Mr. Evans?” Oliver asked him bluntly. “Only the note telling me to go home,” Sean told him. “They said they won’t contact me again until I get there.” He looked quite annoyed at them. “You can understand why I am eager to go?” “We understand that you were on your honeymoon, Mr. Evans,” Daughtry said to him. “Who is the boy?” “My nephew,” Sean answered her. “My wifeand I were given guardianship of him when my brother proved abusive.” “Would your brother have taken your wife,” Oliver asked the question Sean had been asking himself for the past four hours, “to force you to give the boy back to him?” “My brother is vindictive,” Sean said to the man, “but I hope even he isn’t this big of a bastard.” He stroked Bobby’s hair. “Poor little guy. He was so excited to have her in our family.” “Have you known your wife long, Mr. Evans?” Oliver asked him. “All her life,” Sean told him. “My twinand I were twelve years old when our mother divorced our fatherand married Mary’s father. Mary was fiveand she followed us around like a puppy. When she turned sixteen, I started to date her. Eric was quite jealous but he grudgingly accepted that Maryand I were a couple. We broke upand came together again just recently. All the old feelings were still thereand we decided to marry.” “Your brotherand you are twins,” Daughtry stated. “Identical?” Sean nodded. “Could he have followed you hereand lured your wife away while youand the boy were occupied elsewhere?” “I don’t know,” Sean admitted. “The only thing I know is my wife is missingand our nephewand I want to know where she is.” He heard Bobby whimperand held him close. “It’s all right, champ. Uncle’s here.” “Want Mary,” Bobby whimperedand shook his head. He opened his eyes slowlyand looked at the two strangers warily. “Who are you?” he asked as he clung to Sean. “We’re here to help you find your aunt,” Agent Oliver told him seriously as he held out his hand. “I’m Agent Oliverand that pretty lady is Agent Daughtry.” “I’m Bobby Evans,” Bobby took the man’s hand. “Well Bobby,” Oliver smiled. “What can you tell us about your Aunt Mary. Is she the type to wander off without telling people where she’s going?” “No,” Bobby shook his head. “That’s what bad boysand girls do. Aunt Mary is a good girl.” He looked quite fierce. “We were on our honeymoon. She wouldn’t run away.” There was a knock on the doorand a police officer stuck his head inand beckoned to Oliver. The agent followed him to the play centerand talked to a witness who swore that she had seen Mary Evans being taken to the maintenance tunnels by her husband. “But then I turned aroundand he was over at the other side of the center with the little boy,” the woman said to them. “I hope you find her all right. She didn’t look at all happy to be going with that man.” “Thank you, Mrs. Stone,” Oliver nodded. He had enough now to speak to the brother. It didn’t prove Eric Evans was the kidnapper, but it raised some serious questions. Had he hired the man or men who had kidnapped Mary Evans? He returned to the Manager’s Office. “We’ll take you to Evansville, Mr. Evans,” Oliver told him. “We’ll put a tap on your phonesand wait.” “They might question my having you with me,” Sean looked quite hesitant. “Can’t you come in separatelyand go coordinate efforts with our Sheriff?” He saw their suspicious looks. “I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize my wife. You can understand that, can’t you?” “Uncle Sean,” Bobby looked up at him. “Aunt Mary is going to be upset about Thug.” “Thug?” Oliver asked. “Someone killed her dogand took a potshot at me the day we let town,” Sean told them. He covered Bobby’s ears.