Page 61 of Kidnapped in Dark Waters
“Burt, we’d really like to come in and search your place,” Daniel said. “We’re checking all the homes of people Dominique was close to.”
“Well you aren’t checking mine without a search warrant,” Burt replied.
“Chief, I think I heard somebody cry for help inside,” Johnny said. “I think we need to go in.”
“That’s a damn lie,” Burt exclaimed. “You can’t hear anything.”
“I’m telling you, I hear a woman crying for help,” Johnny said.
“I heard it, too,” Roger said.
Daniel motioned the two officers, Roger and Johnny, forward. “Burt, you need to turn around. Roger is going to cuff you. You aren’t under arrest, but you are detained while we do a complete search of your house.”
“A search of my house?” Burt jerked against Roger, who successfully got him in handcuffs. “What on earth is wrong with you people? What right do you have to do this to me? You need a damned search warrant.”
“Not if we think somebody is in imminent danger,” Daniel replied.
LUKE SHOVEDBURTout of the way, opened the door and walked in. Rather than things being a mess, the living room was neat and tidy. He heard nothing to indicate that there was a woman being held prisoner inside, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t here. He was grateful that Johnny and Roger had given them a reason come on inside.
Daniel entered the house as well, but Luke was three steps ahead of him as he ran down the hallway. The house appeared to have three bedrooms and all the doors to those rooms were closed.
Luke ripped open the door to the first one. Masculine furniture and a brown plaid spread on the king-size bed let him know this was probably Burt’s bedroom.
As he stepped out of the bedroom, he saw it. On the door on the left end of the hallway was a lock. It was a simple hasp lock. Why would somebody put that on the outside of a bedroom door—unless they wanted to keep somebody inside?
He gasped and raced to the door. He disengaged the hasp lock and then opened it. His heart nearly wept with relief. Thank God, she was there. She was tied to the bed. “Luke!” she cried out at the sight of him.
He rushed to her side, along with Daniel. “It’s okay, Dominique. We’re here now and you’re safe,” Luke said as he began to work the ropes to untie her. She was clad in an ill-fitting red dress and her hair was a tangle around her head. She began to cry and tears of relief burned at his eyes.
Together, he and Daniel finally got her untied. She jumped out of the bed and fell into Luke’s arms. He closed his eyes and held her tight, breathing in the very scent of her as he reveled in the fact that she was alive.
She continued to weep until Daniel interrupted. “I’ve got an ambulance on the way,” he said.
“I… I just want to go home,” she said.
Luke looked her over. When he saw the bruise on her jaw, a rage nearly overwhelmed him. She’d been hit. And she’d been hit hard.
“Dominique, you need to go to the hospital and get checked out,” he said softly.
She gazed at him and then nodded. At that moment, a siren screamed in the air. “That will be the ambulance,” Daniel said.
Together, the three of them walked outside with Dominique clinging to Luke’s arm. “Dominique, I did this because I love you,” Burt yelled out.
Without warning, Luke stepped up to the man and hit him hard in his jaw. Burt’s head snapped back with the blow and he gasped with obvious pain.
“Did you all see that? It was police brutality. I’ll sue you all for that,” he yelled.
“What I saw was a kidnapper trying to escape,” Johnny replied easily.
“Yeah, that’s what I saw, too,” Roger added.
“Liars!” Burt exclaimed, his face reddened with anger. “You’re all a bunch of liars.”
“Good luck proving that in a court of law,” Johnny said.
“Don’t try to escape again. I’ll just have to subdue you with another punch to your face,” Luke warned, his anger as he stared at the man nearly out of control.
“Take him to jail,” Daniel said.
