Today, the temperature is shivering around seven degrees. The roads yesterday were slick and icy. They reminded me of the dangerous time in Ednalee, Oklahoma, when not only were the streets hazardous from the weather, they were life-threatening because of a kidnapper who was out to make Ned his next victim. And this was nearing Christmas too!Had he ever heard about peace on earth? Pushing someone and refusing to cooperate wasn’t in the best Christmas spirit either, but Ned McNeil was desperate.
I looked into the angry, blood-shot eyes of a stranger. I gulped. “You…you’re not Vermouth!”
“Quit acting so dumb, little Miss Busybody. I finally tracked you down, all the way from Atlanta. I don’t plan for you to be testifyin’ against my pal and me.” He laughed. “No, I don’t reckon you’re going to be doing much, after today. Who you got in the car there with you? Git out, you!” The man shoved a gun past my nose and waved it in Annabelle’s direction.
He yanked me from my seat and Annabelle crawled out from behind me We stood, shivering in the sleet, holding onto each other.
So, this was one of the men who had abducted Congressman Langlier. He needn’t have gone to all this trouble, compounding his felonies, because I had not seen him well enough to identify him. That is, until today. With a knot in the pit of my stomach, I realized that after today, I could identify him with no trouble, and there was no way he was going to let me live.
“March!” the man ordered, motioning toward the sedan.
Warning bells rang. Remembering that I had read never to get in the car with an abductor, I shook my head. “Uh-uh. I don’t think so.”
He shoved me toward his vehicle and I skidded on the icy street.
“Leave her alone!” Annabelle yelled.
“Shut up, you!” he snarled. “You’re in the wrong place at the wrong time. You get into the car too. Back seat, both of you. I got some rope to tie you up nice and snug. Move!”
Sometimes, in an acute situation, senses are sharpened. Maybe we revert to primal reactions; maybe the Lord gives us a shot of Adrenalin to clear our brains; but, in any event, I prayed silently and fervently and knew what I must do. Sleet stung my eyes and standing up on the ice was hard for all three of us. I edged close enough to that sedan to touch its fender.
“Oops!” I yelled and shoved myself backward.
“Hey!” yelped the kidnapper as I slid into him, knocking him off-balance.
Moonlight Can Be Murder, Chapter 32, page 140.
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