The Wolf Code

Chapter 16

Hannah clutched Senora’s hand as the small helicopter dipped slightly.  Ty ignored the look she shot him, but Senora knew that he’d seen her.  They’d been flying over the wilderness for over half an hour, and so far, Hannah hadn’t been able to identify the place she’d been held at.

“I’m sorry,” Hannah said through the headset they each wore.  “It was dark, and I only got a quick look at the barn before they used the Taser on me.”

Senora cringed.  She couldn’t fathom how evil a man had to be to use a Taser on such a petite teen.  The electricity that ran through the Taser was meant for much larger, more imposing people, and Senora was sure that the experience had been quite painful.  When she added the drugs she was given and the rough way she’d been handled, Senora was in awe of Hannah’s resilience.  Senora had rescued kidnapping victims with less done to them and hadn’t handled their situation half as calmly as Hannah.  Not that Senora blamed them, but it spoke to the teen’s level-headed nature.  Senora knew that if Ty could just find the area Hannah had escaped from, the teen would be able to identify the building. 

Hannah still held Senora’s hand even though the air had smoothed out and the chopper held its steady course.  Senora smiled at the girl, and Hannah smiled back weakly.  She was terrified, and the tiny, glass-enclosed chopper that was clearly lacking in the extra bells and whistles that made it safer wasn’t helping Hannah’s nerves. 

Not that Senora felt any better about flying in the death trap, but she kept her cool for Hannah’s sake.

Ty was turning the chopper when Hannah sat up suddenly and looked excited.

“Over there!” she said, pointing.  “I think that’s it.”

Ty nodded and turned the chopper in the direction she was pointing to.

“We have to pass over it fast, as if we’re not looking for something,” Ty said.  “I’m going to pass once and keep going straight for a while so they don’t get suspicious.”

“Got it,” Hannah said. 

She sat up straighter, her eyes focused on the area ahead.   Senora looked at the site, but it looked like the dozen or so other homesteads scattered throughout the area and along the boundaries of the forest.  How Hannah was going to tell this one from the countless others after only seeing it once in the dark was beyond Senora.  She wasn’t sure she could do it herself.

They were still a few seconds away from passing over the property when Hannah began shaking violently. 

“That’s it,” she said.  “I’m sure of it.  And there’s the SUV the Sheriff picked me up in.” 

“That’s heavily tinted but it otherwise is very non-descript,” Ty said.  “I doubt anyone can see into the vehicle at all, even if you had your face pressed against it.  If no one saw you get into the car, they would have no reason to suspect a kidnapping.”

“He took me out the side door.  I didn’t realize it at the time, but now that I think about it, it’s the only place where no one can see people that are getting into cars.”

“The side door?” Senora asked.

“It’s where they take the residents who  have died and load them into an ambulance or a hearse when they pass away,” Ty said.  “When that facility was built, they made a big deal about sensitive end of life care.  Some people found it offensive while others thought it was an amazing idea.”

They flew over the property just then, and the two adults went silent as they watched Hannah’s face.  Senora knew without a doubt that this was the place, and Hannah’s expression confirmed it.

“What are we going to do?” Hannah asked after they’d moved on, leaving the barn behind them so that anyone on the property wouldn’t get suspicious.

“We’re going to get reinforcements, and we’re going to go when it’s dark.”

“Why when it’s dark?” Hannah asked.

Senora was about to state the obvious when she realized that the girl didn’t know about Ty and the rest of the village.  She shot a nervous glance at Ty, and he shook his head.

“We’ll talk about that later,” Senora said.  “For now, we’re going to go back and we are going to need you to describe every inch of that place how you remember it.”

Hannah nodded.

“I want to go with you,” Hannah said.

“No way,” Ty said immediately.  “It’s too dangerous.”

“If I’m not going, then I’m not telling you anything.  That man lied and told me that my father was dying, then he took me to the middle of nowhere and left me tied up in a horse stall like some animal.  I want to be there when you catch him.”

“It’s not a good idea,” Senora reiterated.  “I know you want to be there, but it’s not safe.  After we catch him, if you want to confront him when he’s already shackled and under arrest, I can arrange that.”   

“No,” Hannah insisted.  “I want to be there when you show up and catch him.  I want him to know that he can’t just kidnap people like he did to me and get away with it.  I’m going.  I’ll go alone if I have to, but I would feel safer with you.”

   Senora looked at Ty and shrugged.  Hannah wasn’t going to be deterred, and it was either bring her with them and know where she was and that she was safe, or risk her sneaking in and getting struck down in the cross fire.  As far as choices went, they weren’t very good ones.

“Fine,” Ty said.  “But you’ll ride with Laken and you’ll hang back until I say it’s safe.  Understood?”

Hannah looked like she might argue, but then she finally gave in.

“Okay.  But I want to see his face when he realizes that I’m the reason he’s going down.  I want him to know that no matter how big and bad he thinks he is, he was thwarted by a teenaged girl.  If I can do that, I know I can sleep at night when I go home.”

Ty nodded, but Senora was left in awe of this slip of a girl, not quite a woman, and her bravery.  She couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride at Hannah’s resolve.  She reminded Senora of herself when she was younger.  Hannah had been through a lot, but Senora knew, in that moment, that the girl would be okay.