Blind Loyalty by M J Marlow (ebook reader wifi .txt) 📕

sugar in her tea and stirred it. “We are very fortunate in our children.” She set her spoon down. “So what do you think has happened to Joanna?” They all sat silent for a moment as each of them thought about how Leighton could have gotten to his daughter. He had not approached her personally since he had returned her to them. They had not found any vials or pill bottles in her belongings that did not belong there. So how was he managing to confuse her mind now? Adam was the first one to voice his opinion. “Manipulation,” Adam said simply. “We know he didn’t drug her when he had her in his hands. Montoya made certain of that.” He shook his head. “Joanna is a very vulnerable child. She has spent her entire childhood longing for her father to show her some real kindness and affection. That’s more potent than any drug he could design and give her.” “It’s a good thing she’s not testifying then,” Winbourne stated. He saw them looking at him in shock. “I talked to Judge Evans this afternoon. After reviewing the evidence, she does not feel it would be in Joanna’s best interests to force her to go through such emotional upheaval. Joanna will not be attending the trial.” “That’s a relief,” Rachel smiled. “She shouldn’t have to relive those nightmares.” She sat up as a scream broke through. “Joey!” She was on her feet and running, the others following her. She found Joanna sitting up in bed, staring as a spot in the corner. “I’m here, Joey,” Rachel crooned as she took the girl in her arms and stroked her back. “It’s all right. You’re safe.” Joanna sobbed as the memory faded a bit. Her father had a bat and he was hitting Misty with it. She was shaking in horror. Someone was holding her so she couldn’t stop him. She had kept begging him to stop but he wouldn’t. He – he killed her! And then he came at her! She looked up at her aunt with desperation and terror in her eyes. She knew what this dream meant. Her father was going to kill her one of these days. “He killed her, Rachel,” Joanna sobbed. “Just because I rode her off the estate.” She looked up into Rachel’s eyes. “He took a bat to my mare and beat her to death with it!” She was sobbing as the memory returned with all the horror and fear associated with it. “If Charles hadn’t been there, he would have come after me next.” “You’re never going near him again, child,” Judge Winbourne told her firmly. “Not if we have anything to say about it.” He nodded to Rachel and she moved off so he could take her place. He raised Joanna’s eyes to his. “You’re my granddaughter, Joanna,” he said softly. “I’ve started the process to place you in my custody until you’re an adult. If that’s what you want?” He cared what she wanted? Joanna choked. She had never been asked what she wanted before. She looked at him closely, hoping but not accepting. She’d been lied to before and she needed assurances before she could trust. Winbourne nodded and she threw her arms around his neck, sobbing. She would love to be part of a family that cared about her. She went to sleep then and the adults went downstairs. The next week saw plans for Adam and Rachel’s wedding progressing and more and more of Joanna’s memory returning. She had to be sedated at night so she could sleep. During the day, however; the memories would return at the oddest moments and she would have to spend the next hour or two in the Nurse’s Office as she sat shaking and whimpering while she relived the terror that her father had inflicted on her. She was just coming out of the Nurse’s Office when Charles walked by with his sister. The sight of his face sent a fresh wave of terror flooding through her and she fainted. When she came to, Charles was leaning over her. “Get away from me!” She pushed him away and asked the Nurse to call her aunt. Charles came towards her and she slapped him. He had to stay away from her! He was worse than her father! He had watched James hurt her and he had never said a word! “Go away, Charles! I mean it!” “Joanna…” “No!” Joanna shook her head and backed away from him. She was not going to listen. “You knew what he was doing all the time, and you never said a word!” There was nothing he could say that would excuse that! Nothing! “You stay away from me, Charles!” “You heard her, Charles,” his sister said as she pulled him away. “You’re only distressing her by hanging around. Can’t you see that?” “But I have to tell her…” “You heard her, Charles,” his sister broke in, repeating herself. “All you want is a way to make yourself feel less guilty. Go home.” Charles nodded and left the school. Joanna would hear soon enough that her father had lost custody of her at the hearing that morning. He got in his car and found himself being pulled over a few minutes later by a squad car. They told him to follow them to the Sheriff’s Office and he did so. He was not surprised to see the District Attorney waiting for him. But he was surprised when he heard what they were questioning him about. The girl had remembered? James had been certain that the drug would rob Joanna of those memories permanently. But it was obvious that was not the case. It was time to cut his ties and save himself and her, he realized. So he told them everything about his employer and cut a deal for immunity. Joanna was coming out of the school two hours later with the nurse when a car pulled up. Believing it to be Lora or Rachel, she got in without looking. She saw her father at the wheel and she turned to get out. The locks engaged and she was trapped. Since the windows were tinted, and Joanna had gotten in of her own free will, the Nurse believed she was with her aunt. Until Rachel drove up ten minutes later and asked where the girl was. “She got in a car ten minutes ago,” the Nurse cried out in dismay. “That wasn’t your sister?” “No, it wasn’t,” Rachel frowned. “Did you catch the license plate number or anything about the car?” she asked as she dialed a number. The nurse shook her head. “Braxton. Joanna’s been abducted; possibly by her father.” She listened. “She’s starting to remember what he did to her, Alex! Leighton is not going to want her free to talk now, is he?” She looked at the nurse. “Get your men to close the airports. I’m going to the house to see if they are there.” She scowled. “I don’t give a damn about my cover now, Braxton! I care about my niece.” She ran to her car and drove off with a squeal of tires. She saw a squad car falling in behind her as she broke every speed limit there was to get to the estate. When she pulled in there was no gatekeeper. She pounded on the door and there was no answer. When she went inside, the house was empty. All of Joanna’s things were gone, as were James’. He was taking her somewhere and they had to stop him before that happened. She found the phone book and dialed the local airfield. She found out that a jet had been hired for Doctor Leighton and his daughter. It was scheduled to leave in thirty-five minutes for England. She relayed this information to Braxton and Murphy and then took off with her shadow in tow. She saw Leighton dragging Joanna aboard the jet as she parked and ran towards it. “Oh look, darling,” James laughed as he struck the woman over the head as she boarded with her gun drawn. “Your dear aunt Rachel wants to come with us.” “Leave her alone, Father!” Joanna shook her head and tried to get free of the straps holding her in her seat. “Please.” “You’ll need someone to care for you, darling,” James said as he dragged Rachel into a seat and strapped her in. “Rachel has just volunteered for the position as your Nurse.” He closed the hatch and turned to the cockpit. “Get us out of here now!” he ordered the pilot. “Father, please let Rachel go!” Joanna begged him. “I’ll go with you without any argument, but taking her is kidnapping!” “Something to help you relax, my dear,” he smiled as he ignored her protests and filled a needle with a sedative and gave Joanna the injection. “When you wake up, we will be in England where we will start our new life. It will take years for your other family to touch us. By then I shall have you safely married off to a man who will know how to treat you.” Joanna shook her head and he laughed and stroked her cheek. She tried to free herself and he slapped her. She quieted then, knowing he was not going to let her fight. He had made his decision. Joanna looked over at Rachel and heard the woman whimper in pain. Relief flooded through her, Rachel was all right. She would help her. She drifted off to sleep then and did not see the dark look on her father’s face as he watched Rachel wake up. She opened her eyes to see him holding her identification in his hand and frowning darkly. “It was bad enough,” he said softly as his dark eyes met hers, “when I thought you were just a meddling busybody, Rachel.” He set the identification down on the table by his seat. “But you’re something far worse.” He got up and went to his bag to fill a needle. “You’re going to tell me about your investigation into my business.” He came over and gave her the shot. “Once I have learned everything, I am going to have to decide whether to let you live or not.” He saw her looking over at Joanna. “She is your niece, Rachel, and it would be good for her to have someone around who cares about her. But I couldn’t trust you, could I?” “You’ve abducted a federal agent, Doctor Leighton,” Rachel hissed at him as she felt the drug burning through her veins. “You are in more trouble than ever now.” “So you are going to have to die,” James said sadly. He ran his hand along her cheek. “Pity. I would have enjoyed having you in my bed.” He saw the drug beginning to work. “Maybe I’ll keep you as a pet for a while.” “Bastard!” Rachel hissed at him. She could feel blood flowing from where her nails were dug into her palms. There was no way she was telling this man anything. Too many people’s lives were at stake. She looked at Joanna in regret. They’d had so little time together she sighed as she moved the capsule into her mouth. She bit down and the drug entered her system. James watched in horror as the woman went into convulsions. There was no way the drug he’d given her was causing this reaction. The bitch had poisoned herself to keep him from learning anything from her. Damn! He couldn’t counteract it since he didn’t know what she’d taken. So he had his men carry Rachel to her car and set her behind the wheel. When they returned, the jet took off and headed east. Rachel woke up several hours later and struggled to her feet as a man-shaped blur came towards her. She was ready to fight whoever it was off until she heard his