Gem Stone Read online

  "We'll get this cleaned up so we can get a better look. Anything else?" She stood in front of Gemma, her hands on her hips.

  Gem swallowed. In a low voice she said, "Apparently there's blood on my back. I don't know from what." The doctor walked around and a low whistle filled the small cubicle. "Okay. I'm going to need to see this better. Off with the sweater."

  Crossing her arms in front of her, Gem gritted her teeth and went to grab the corners of her sweater. The doctor stayed the motion with her hand.

  "Stop. We're going to have to document this first. Then we'll either need to soak this off or cut your sweater. Is it a favorite of yours?"

  "The sweater? No. But I don't have anything else to wear out of here."

  "Just a second."

  Gem turned slightly to see what she was doing and was reassured when she heard the sound of water running. When the doctor returned with a wet towel, Gemma turned around obediently so she could place it on her back. The towel was warm and instantly soothed her aching muscles through the thin nylon of her sweater. It also loosened the dried blood so they could remove the sweater.

  "That feel okay?"

  "Yes, thank you." It felt better than okay; it felt great.

  The nurse returned with a weird square bucket, half full of something. She brought over a footstool, placed the tub on it then directed Gem to put her feet into it. The water was warm too and came up to her lower calves. "Ohh," she whispered. "Thank you."

  The nurse smiled warmly. "No problem. Now let's get those wrists cleaned up."

  Another five minutes and Gem had to admit that maybe her prejudice against doctors was unfounded.

  "Now, let's try to remove the sweater so we can take a closer look."

  With their help, the sweater was removed, her back cleaned and some kind of salve put on that instantly soothed the sting. Gem still had no idea where or how she'd received that injury.

  Her wrists were cleaned, ointment applied and then they were wrapped. Her ankles received the same treatment. By the time they were done and the very sad-looking sweater was back on, Gem could barely stand. She was exhausted and swayed in place.

  "Before I let you go, I have to ask – were you sexually assaulted?"

  Gem stared blankly. Understanding pushed heat across her throat.

  "No. No, I wasn't." She shook her head vigorously enough to send her hair flying. "They might have been planning on it but I got away before…" She shuddered. "I don't want to think about it."

  "Then don't. Didn't want to upset you further, but I had to ask." She patted Gem gently on the shoulder. "Let's get you back to the waiting room with the others. I need to speak with the deputy who brought you in."

  In the waiting room, they found the sheriff had joined the group. He paced the room, slapping his hat against his thigh. A grim look aged his features.

  Good. Why should she be the only one to suffer? Immediately she felt guilty because for a moment she'd forgotten…Reid had suffered already, and Mark probably still was.

  "Sheriff. I've given her a shot for the pain and a muscle relaxant to help her get through the night. She's going to be very sore in the morning so I'm writing her a prescription. I presume there is someone who can get it filled for her?"

  The sheriff reached over and took the paper. "I'll give this to John. He'll get it filled."

  "Good. I sure hope you're going to get to the bottom of this. Enough is enough. That's two girls now. I don't want to see anymore kids in here."

  "I'm not crazy about it either. I'll take her home now." The sheriff glanced over at Reid and added, "Both of them."

  "Good." The doctor gave him a curt smile before turning and walking back to the nurses' center.

  Reid stepped up and slipped his arm around Gem's ribs to help support her. "Easy, Gem. Home time."

  She gave him a woozy smile. "I'm just starting to feel like partying."

  He grinned. "The only partying you're going to be doing is in your dreams."

  She yawned. "Sounds good."

  The four of them walked out to the two cruisers parked outside. Reid led her to the same cruiser they'd arrived in. He helped her into the back seat, then got in beside her. "Come on. Let's get them to take you home." He waved to the officer.

  Gem could hardly keep her eyes open. The trip home took only minutes, but seemed like forever.

  Within minutes, Gemma was being led up to her bed. Doris fussed over her, helping her out of the dirty jeans and remnants of her sweater. Gem crawled into bed while Doris pulled the blanket over her shoulders.

  Sleep beckoned. She fell to meet it.

  ***

  Sheriff Jerome sat at his desk and wondered what the hell had gone wrong in his town. He'd put out an APB on the three men, the van, the car from the first night and, based on what bits the kids told him, a partial description of the truck they'd seen at the creek. Yet, he couldn't reconcile the eyewitness accounts he'd read. Their claims to be EPA officers didn't match what the facts were telling him. So someone was lying. Other accounts were still being collected. Had the whole town been at that damn gas station?

  What the hell were these EPA guys doing? And why? They had proper channels to follow but also could exert autonomous authority if the situation warranted it.

  He had to reconsider that maybe they weren't EPA officers.

  None of what he'd heard so far indicated the three had followed any protocol or proper procedure. Though he'd never had to deal with the CI Division of the EPA or any department of that group before, he highly doubted their actions related to the four teens were normal. Even for secret government departments.

  Sure, the eyewitness accounts had seemed slightly overblown, but he'd seen the damage on the girl's wrists himself. Some scrapes and bruising could be explained away with her wild run through the forest and then the streets, but not all of them. If the task force had wanted to talk to Gem, surely he should have been contacted first as this was his jurisdiction? He'd have brought Gem in for questioning.

  Even if the EPA agents had skipped that step, once they'd picked her up, the right thing would have been to bring her to the station for questioning. Not threaten her, throw her in the back of the van, tie up her wrists and feet and go joy riding around town.

  He'd already called and told their boss exactly what he thought of the men's methodology. He'd also sent copies of his files to the Portland Police Station, where the men had claimed to come from. These guys were now looking at kidnapping charges and he didn't give a damn who they were or who they worked for.

  And that was just for starters – depending on how Reid's story checked out. Then there was the missing Mark. A runaway? Not probable, given what happened to the other kids. However, if the kid had been planning to run anyway, this was the perfect opportunity to go.

  A knock on his door had Danny looking up. Barry walked in with several files in his hand. He looked tired, even for his young years. And it was his age that made him really valuable in this situation. Those kids were prickly enough around any law enforcement officers, Danny figured that having Barry around might make them more comfortable. Barry was closer in age and green to boot. He lacked the hard edge of the other deputies.

  Ian had already expressed his negative opinion of these kids. And damn if he wasn't going to have to speak to Ian about the appropriateness of voicing that opinion.

  "Here's the bit of information we've found on the men. Along with their reference checks." The files landed on the desk. The deputy stayed there waiting while the sheriff glanced at the paperwork.

  "Great." He reached for them, then looked up at the waiting deputy. "What, Barry?"

  "Just wondering if I should go to the home and have Gemma go over and sign her statement." He waved the papers still in his hands. "Also Reid's seems incomplete. I thought I should ask him a couple more questions."

  He thought about that. "Gemma's likely to be asleep right now." He pondered the issue. "But go ahead. Even if you just finish up Reid'
s tonight. Also question him on earlier points again. See if you can catch him in a lie from his earlier statement."

  "A lie, sir?" Barry's young face showed confusion.

  "I want to see if he changes his story." Danny opened the top file in the stacks. "Something is wrong. Majorly wrong here."

  "Yah think?"

  The sarcasm in Barry's voice was impossible to miss. Glaring, the sheriff sat back and crossed his hands over his belly. "Okay. Talk. What's your take on Reid?"

  Straightforward and honest, Barry said, "I believe he believes his story."

  "Yes. I see that." Danny watched the younger man. "You seemed to relate to him quite well. Do you believe him?"

  Barry nodded. "Yes."

  "Why?"

  "The kid is a good storyteller, but I don't think even a master storyteller could have pulled that one together. He was panicked. I don't he was faking it." Barry slipped his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. "I think his story is true."

  Those were good points. Danny wondered about the authenticity of Reid's mannerisms and words but couldn't find fault with Barry's reasoning. The kid, Reid, had been panicked.

  "What about Gem?"

  The kid in front of him rubbed the back of his neck. "I believe her. She was in pretty tough shape when we finally got there."

  "Yeah, and how much of that was from the kidnapping or from those townsfolk?"

  Barry grinned. "They sure took a shine to her, didn't they?"

  Danny Jerome rolled his eyes. "Especially Mr. Spekkler, the one who took the photographs."

  "They just want to make sure we take care of these kids. They don't want to see any more 'incidents,' as they called them."

  "Neither do I." Danny reached for the phone. "I've got some more calls to make. See what else I can find about these three men. You'd better go now if you want to catch Reid before he goes to sleep."

  The deputy walked out as Danny started dialing. They needed answers before someone got seriously hurt, or killed. He shouted at Barry's back, "Send Ian in here. He's setting up a search party for the other boy that's still missing. Once you're done with Reid, I need you out there looking too!"

  Barry poked his head back in, grinning. "I'll be there. I'm not going to be the one explaining to Mr. Spekkler we've got another incident."

  ***

  Mark scrambled to his feet and stumbled on. Surely, he would find civilization soon? Theirs was a small hick town in the middle of nowhere. Who knew how big 'nowhere' really was. God knows, he'd had no idea.

  He needed a plan, not just this blind stumbling in the same direction. But for the life of him, he couldn't formulate one that would hold together. He did vaguely remember a map showing the roads around here. Sorta. But not clear enough to visualize his location and find a way out.

  Would anyone come looking for him?

  Would anyone give a damn?

  He'd like to think so. That maybe Reid and Gemma, even Misty would – if she could. Maybe, if he were going to be optimistic, Doris and John might too. He'd gotten along well with them.

  Some of the other people he'd known would say good riddance, and the worst of the lot would probably cheer.

  There was so much he wanted to do in life. This major reality check reminded him that plans had to be acted upon in order to unfold. Well, he'd learned his lesson – once again, the hard way.

  ***

  Pain woke Gemma. Groaning, she rolled over onto her back. "Shit!" What the hell happened? Her back was on fire. Oh. Barely stifling the next groan, she shifted onto her right side slowly. How could everything hurt? That didn't make any sense. She sat up and struggled into her robe so she could make it to the bathroom. Glancing out the window, she realized the sun was going down and that she'd probably only slept for an hour or two, at the most.

  She almost screamed again at her reflection. No wonder the townsfolk had been so concerned. Scratches and bruises decorated her skin. The hospital had made an attempt to clean her up, but she needed to do more herself.

  She locked the bathroom door and slipped into the shower where she scrubbed her head twice – just to make sure all the grime was gone. The heat soothed her sore muscles and after the initial sting, eased the pain in her back and wrists. Her ankles were the best of the lot.

  Getting dressed looked daunting. Resolutely she forced herself into a sports bra, loose t-shirt and her favorite jeans. She needed to find out if they'd located Mark. She also needed something for the pain.

  She stumbled unsteadily down the stairs and found Doris and John sitting in the living room with Reid and the deputy – the same one who'd taken her to the hospital. She smiled at him, watching the freckles stand out against the bright red as a blush flooded his cheeks. He was young, but nice. Green. Innocent and harmless. At least she hoped he was.

  "Any news on Mark?"

  "Oh, my dear. What are you doing, awake already?" Doris came running over to Gem's side. "Are you in pain? Let's go to the kitchen and get your pills."

  In her motherly way, she urged Gem to sit on a kitchen chair. "Let me get you some juice." She returned a moment later with two tablets and a glass of orange juice.

  "Here drink this up. You'll feel better."

  Taking the glass and tablets, Gem swallowed both obediently. "Any news on Mark or Misty?"

  "Misty is slowly improving but not enough to be released. No news on Mark yet. Why don't you go back to bed? You'll fall asleep in no time."

  "Could I have something to eat first?" On cue, Gem's stomach rumbled loud enough to send Doris running to the fridge. "Oh my goodness. You are hungry, aren't you?" She bent down. "I know there's leftover spaghetti in here somewhere."

  "That would be great. Thank you." Gem couldn't think of anything she'd like better right now. Spaghetti topped her list of comfort foods. She excused herself while the plate warmed in the microwave, and then walked into the living room where Reid and the young deputy were speaking. The deputy stood up as she walked in.

  "Well, good evening. I'm just heading out to join the search for your friend." He nodded to Reid, "Thanks for the statement. Gemma I'll need to go over yours too, but I'm afraid we're shorthanded for people to search. We'll get it done in the morning, all right?"

  "Sure."

  Reid stood beside Gem. "How many people are out looking for Mark?"

  "I don't have an exact figure, but all available free hands and many volunteers. We're doing all we can. Unfortunately it's going to get dark soon and there's no sign of him."

  "Nothing?" Gemma hated the heavy pit in her stomach. It felt like a yawning cavern ready to be filled with bad news. "What about the men who kidnapped me? How do we know they don't have Mark already?"

  The deputy pulled the car keys out of his pocket and frowned. "Unfortunately, we don't. There's been no sign of the van, the truck, or the men. They've probably gone."

  Gemma shook her head violently. "Doubt it. They went to some major trouble to snatch us.

  "Who knows why?" A curious look crossed his face, then he added by way of explanation, "The sheriff was on the phone as I left, speaking with their boss."

  "Good. Still, doesn't mean those people won't lie."

  The deputy walked to the front door as Doris walked in. "Thanks, Doris, John. Like I said earlier, we'll call if we find anything tonight."

  "I want to search." Gemma couldn't believe she said that. It had just blurted out.

  For a brief moment she wished they'd turn her down. Then she thought about Mark, lost outdoors like that. That guy had street smarts, lots of them, but he'd never spent a night in the open before. He'd thrive in dark alleys but might die in the open air. She couldn't help but think he might be hurt, or hiding out in the grass, not sure who to trust…so he'd trust no one – and probably wouldn't even call out for help to people who were close.

  "No." Doris rushed over. "You're hurt and exhausted. You can't go anywhere tonight. You need to rest, to heal."

  Reid and Gemma stared at ea
ch other. Both squared their jaws. They turned back to the deputy, who studied them thoughtfully.

  Gemma took a deep breath. "We both want to go."

  The deputy spoke slowly, as if thinking the issue through. "The thing is, we do need all the help we can get. I also get the feeling that regardless of what I say, you two will head out on your own anyway. I can't have you doing that."

  John stepped up, his shoulders firm. "They won't be alone. I'll take them myself. We'll drive. Mark is one of mine. If we stick together, we can get another hour, maybe two hours of searching in. Where are you all looking?"