Out of the Blue: The Next Generation, #5

By Robin Nadler

Josie and Kevin. Two strong willed and passionate individuals who share a night of unexpected romance.

A night that shocked them both and left them with more questions than answers leads them to a moment between life and death.

A split decision that will change everything.

Kevin needs help and Josie makes a choice. She is trained for combat, not a parking lot attack. She does what she needs to do, but what happens next has everyone scrambling.

Josie is missing.

Kevin is in trouble.

Lives are forever changed and the fight for survival is on.

But who was the real target?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robin Nadler
• Release date: Nov 2, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393407133

Robin Nadler

Robin Nadler is a high school teacher, romance author, animal enthusiast and sarcasm aficionado. When not standing in front of a classroom of teenagers, she is immersed in the lives of the characters she creates. As a fighter of Multiple Sclerosis, Robin continuously pushes the boundaries of what is expected of her and what she knows is always possible. Her goal is to inspire and share a love of humor, romance and passion. For information on her Family by Choice series, as well as her current works in progress, please connect with her on any of the following platforms. Facebook: facebook.com/nadlersnovels Twitter: @buka163090 Instagram: rnadler103 Blog: www.nadlersnovels.com

Book preview

Out of the Blue

The Next Generation

Book 5

By Robin Nadler

Copyright 2020 by Robin Nadler

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and plot are all products of the author’s imagination and are used as fiction. Nothing is to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

Chapter One:

The rain hit his face and Kevin opened his eyes.

It was dark, the streetlights were illuminating the gravel.

Josie!

He sat up and wiped the rain from his eyes. Every part of his body hurt and he had trouble breathing. He turned to his left and saw a body. It was one of the men who attacked him.

Josie! he stumbled as he tried to get up and he squinted, not seeing anyone else. He looked at his watch and it was 3am.

Two hours. He had been out for two hours.

He made his way to her car which was missing the window and he reached in, pushing the emergency button.

Ms. Kastan? How can we help you?

Need help. Send police, Kevin said and went to search for her.

Josie!

Panic was settling in as he thought of what may have happened. There were two men. She shot one. Now she was gone and so was the other guy.

He missed two hours of searching for her.

THE PHONE RANG AND Bill jumped. He turned to look at the clock and sat up.

Hello?

Sergeant? We have a situation.

Julie sat up and looked at him, her heart racing.

I’m on my way, he said and hung up. Josie is missing. Her car is still at the pop up.

What? Missing? What happened? she scrambled to get dressed.

I don’t know. Some guy pushed the emergency button in the car but they can’t find him. They called when they realized whose car it was.

Julie tried to call Josie on her cell as they both raced to the car.

It went to voicemail.

They made it to the pop up and Bill jumped out of the car, making his way to the swarm of cops.

What the hell is going on?

Who is this? Julie looked at the body on the ground. Where is my daughter?

We don’t know. It looks like someone broke the window of the car and opened the glove box.

She kept her gun in there, Bill said.

It’s not there anymore, the officer said.

Whose car is this? Bill asked.

It’s registered to a Kevin Thrushcross.

What? Bill looked at Julie and she nodded, calling Evan.

He picked up on the second ring.

What’s wrong?

I’m not sure. Kevin’s car is here at the pop up and so is Josie’s and something happened. Can you come here?

On our way, Evan said and hung up.

He’s coming, Julie wiped her tears. What the hell is going on?

We’ve called search dogs to come out, an officer walked over. The coroner is on the way, but it looks like this guy died from a gsw.

Julie paced in the rain, trying to figure out what happened.

Do we know they aren’t in the store?

Bill went to the doors and looked in.

It’s locked. We need to get in.

Evan pulled up with Liz and they both rushed over.

What happened? Kevin isn’t answering his phone, Evan said.

Bill filled them in on what they knew.

I don’t understand, Liz stood with Julie. I thought he went home. Why is his car here?

Hey! We found something!

They all raced to the wooded area next to the building.

Kevin! Liz cried and she and Evan knelt down next to him. They turned him over and he was covered in blood, unconscious.

We need an ambulance! Evan yelled as Liz held her son’s face in her hands.

Kev? Wake up, please, she cried as Evan checked him for a pulse.

He moved a little and opened his eyes.

That’s it, good, just look at me.

Josie, he said and tried to move.

Where is she? What happened? Bill leaned in and asked.

Two guys jumped us, he said. They were beating me so she broke a window and grabbed her gun. They tried to shoot me and she shot at them. I blacked out and when I woke up, she was gone. It’s been over two hours.

Oh God, Julie bent over.

There were two? You’re sure? Bill asked.

There were two. They were in a car with tinted windows. A sedan, he said and began to black out again.

Kev, hey, Evan said.

She saved my life, he said brokenly. I don’t know where she is.

What is the last thing you remember, Bill said, but he was out. The paramedics came and rushed over.

Josie! Jo! Julie called out and ran through the woods.

Bill called Mike and then turned to Evan.

Please tell us if he wakes up and remembers anything else.

Evan nodded and he and Liz went with the ambulance.

DAVID JUMPED WHEN THE phone rang and he saw it was 5am. Desi was sleeping soundly, so he grabbed his phone and went into the other room.

Mom? What’s wrong?

Desi walked into the room as David was finishing his conversation.

What’s wrong?

My sister is missing.

What?

He sat down and his phone fell to the floor.

She and Kevin were attacked outside the pop up. He is at the hospital and she is missing.

Oh God, Desi rushed to him. We should go be with your parents.

No, he turned to look at her. You need to stay here. It’s storming out and I don’t want you to, he stopped and put his face in his hands.

I’ll stay safe, I promise. Come on, I’ll drive.

He nodded and they went to get dressed.

I DON’T UNDERSTAND what happened, Bryan said as he and Naomi got to the pop up and opened the door. This is a safe area.

I told her not to stay, Naomi wiped her eyes. I told her I would finish up.

Her purse is here, Julie said. And her phone with all of our missed calls.

Kevin’s wallet and phone are here as well, Bryan said. I don’t understand. Why were they outside?

Where is she? How could she be missing? Naomi asked.

Mom? What do we know? David rushed in with Desi.

Your dad and Uncle Mike are out searching the fields. We don’t know where she is. Kevin said there were two men and we think Josie killed one of them. The other one must have taken her.

What? Oh my God, David said. I need to go search. I need to do something.

Right now we need to wait, Julie said.

Mom, David began.

You will wait here and not put yourself in any danger, okay? Your father will tell us what he knows soon.

Desi took David’s hand.

We’ll wait.

Tommy and Brittany rushed in with Jack and Stephanie.

Any news?

Nothing yet, Julie said.

I’m going to head to the hospital to find out how Kevin is, Bryan said. Are you okay here with your parents?

Of course. Let me know how he is, Naomi said.

He left and they all waited for word.

HE IS BEING SEEN BY the doctors now. He didn’t wake up at all in the ambulance. He was covered in blood, Liz took a deep breath, trying to remain calm.

What the hell happened? We just had an amazing night. Who did this? Jason sat down next to her.

We don’t know, but Josie is missing. They were together when this happened.

Where is Evan?

He is on the phone with Bill. Kevin wasn’t able to tell us anything more, but he’s going over what we know. If he wakes up, maybe he can help. When he wakes up. I don’t believe this, Liz put her face in her hands. He has to be okay.

He will be.

WHERE IS THIS VICKY person? David asked. We need to question her and her boyfriend. What if it was her? Where does she live?

We have someone at her house and her boyfriend is there. They brought him in for questioning, Bill said. But I don’t think it was him.

Well who the hell took her? Where is she?

We don’t know if anyone took her. She may be injured and can’t get to a phone. We just don’t know, Bill said. You and Desi should go home and wait for us to call you.

I’m not going anywhere, David said.

Julie got up and walked out and Tommy looked at Bill.

I got her.

Jack went to call the hospital to get info on Kevin, Stephanie walked over to them.

Naomi sat with her head in her hands and Brittany walked to her.

Hey, look at me. This isn’t your fault.

It is mom. She was here because of me and she stayed to clean up because she knew I was tired. I shouldn’t have left her alone. I was selfish and now she’s who knows where.

You didn’t do anything wrong, she hugged her daughter. This is nobody’s fault but the men who did this.

What if they hurt her? What if they, Naomi stopped, the idea too much to say.

Brittany and Desi looked at each other.

She is going to be fine.

HEY, JULES, WAIT, Tommy stopped her.

I need to go find her. I’m her mother. I can find her.

She isn’t out here, Tommy said. They have searched the grounds and the dogs searched. She isn’t here.

But that’s not an acceptable answer, Julie looked at him. What does that mean? Was she taken somewhere? Did she run away? Is she hurt or scared? Did they want her for some reason? Do you know the things that are running through my mind?

He pulled her to him and she cried.

We will find her. Mike is the best tracker and he is not going to stop until he finds her.

What if it’s too late?

Tommy knew all too well what she meant.

We will find her. Nothing else is acceptable.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE’S missing? Sabrina asked after Jimmy hung up with David.

Something happened with her and Kevin after everyone left. They were jumped outside and Kevin was badly hurt. He is in the hospital and Josie is missing.

Oh my God. We need to help them. What can we do?

I don’t know. None of them understand why she and Kevin were together. We are the only ones who know anything about that, Jimmy said.

But it has nothing to do with what happened, Sabrina said. I mean, how could it?

I’m sure it doesn’t. I think I should go to the hospital. David said they are heading there to talk to Kevin. Your Uncle Bill is out searching with Mike. I told him we would call Tess and Robbie.

Let’s go to the hospital and wait. I’ll call my sister.

Jimmy nodded and grabbed his keys.

HE HAS A FRACTURED cheekbone and a broken nose, but his brain scans looked okay. He has deep bruising on his lungs which may cause some trouble breathing. He has bruised ribs and a contusion on his left kidney. He has a bit of recovery ahead of him, but he should be okay. Hopefully he will wake up soon and we can talk to him, Jack said after he walked out of Kevin’s room. Liz and Evan went to sit with him and the rest of them had gathered at the hospital while waiting for word on Josie.

Julie got up and paced.

Mom? Are you okay? David walked to her.

If they hurt Kevin so badly, what will they do to her?

You can’t think like this. Josie is the toughest person we know. She will be okay.

But that’s just it, David. She’s not that tough. I mean, she has training, but she’s not a robot. She’s gentle and sweet and caring. She has also been dealing with stuff recently and I don’t know what it was. She’s been keeping to herself and I didn’t push her. What if I never get the chance to tell her how proud I am of her? How much I love her?

David hugged her and felt his tears fall.

She knows that. We both have always known that.

WE GOT A CALL ABOUT the car, Mike ran over to Bill who was on the phone with law enforcement.

Talk to me, Bill hung up.

Crash on 696. The car is totaled and the driver was dead. Car matched the description Kevin gave. The trunk was open and the car flipped before catching on fire.

What aren’t you telling me?

Nothing. It’s possible she was in the car and got out. They haven’t found her but they are looking.

I’m going to the scene, Bill said.

I’ll drive.

Bill called his wife to give her the update.

He refused to lose hope.

I NEED TO GO HELP FIND her, Kevin said after he woke up.

You need to stay still and recover, Liz said. He had been inconsolable since waking up.

You don’t understand, Kevin said.

What don’t I understand? What happened?

I need to talk to dad alone, Kevin looked at his mother. Please.

Liz sighed and looked at her son.

Fine.

She walked out and looked at Evan who was on the phone.

He wants to talk to you.

Did he remember more?

I don’t know. He’s a mess.

Evan hugged her and nodded.

Try to eat something. I’ll help him.

She nodded and walked away and Evan walked into the room where he saw his son getting up.

What the hell are you doing?

Dad, please listen to me, Kevin said as he ignored the pain in his body. I need to go help look. She saved my life and mom said nobody knows where she is. I can find her. I have to go.

Hey, stop moving for a minute and talk to me. I didn’t even know you were friends with Josie. What aren’t you saying? If there is anything you know that can help, please tell me. Why were you there with her? What’s going on?

I don’t know anything, Kevin sighed. We were just talking and got locked out of the pop up. We left our phones and keys and inside and were trying to figure out what to do when the car pulled up.

Did Josie know who they were?

No, Kevin looked at his hands. They said they would give us a ride and then said they would give Josie a ride. We tried to walk away and they parked and got out. I told her to run and they demanded money and my car keys. I would have given them anything, dad. I didn’t have them on me. I had nothing and they started beating me because they thought I was lying. She should have left me there. She shouldn’t have tried to help.

I’m forever thankful she did, Evan said. We will find her, but you need to let the professionals do their job.

You wouldn’t. You would go find mom if she were in trouble. I need to find her.

Okay. Let me see if you can go home. If they say no, you need to stay here.

Kevin nodded and Evan walked out.

He ripped his IV out and got up, looking for his clothes.

Not a good idea, Jimmy said as he walked in.

I need to go. Nobody understands. I need to go find her, Kevin said.

They will find her and you will have plenty of time to figure everything out.

You don’t understand. I need to go. Please get out of my way.

Evan walked in and saw Jimmy standing there.

They found the car. It was in an accident and flipped several times before catching on fire. The other guy is dead.

And? What aren’t you saying? Kevin looked at him, his knees giving out as he sat back on the bed.

Nothing. Bill and Mike are on their way to the scene. If she is there, they’ll find her.

I need to be there, Kevin said.

Let’s just wait for word.

Please. I need to be there.

Evan sighed.

I know.

Chapter Two:

(A few hours earlier )

Josie fired her gun and the man who held the gun on Kevin fell down. She held her gun as the other man grabbed the loose gun and walked towards her.

You bitch! I’ll kill you!

He approached her and she went to fire when her gun jammed.

Shit!

She took off and ran into the wooded area. Her heart was pounding as she searched for a way to escape but he was on her heels.

You’re not getting away! he yelled as he grabbed her and she struggled, kicking and fighting.

Let go of me!

He took his gun and smacked her face and she blacked out.

EVERYTHING WAS DARK. Josie opened her eyes and felt something over them. She had trouble breathing. Something was in her mouth.

She was gagged and blindfolded.

And she was moving.

Her hands were bound in front of her, but she was so cramped in the space she couldn’t raise them to her face.

Okay, relax, just breathe.

She couldn’t move very well, but she did her best to rub her face on the surface she was laying on and moved the blindfold enough to open her eyes.

She was in the trunk of a car, which she figured, and it was moving at a fast pace.

She could open the trunk. There’s a cord to pull, she just had to find it. If she could turn her body, that would be better.

Just breathe. Don’t panic.

The car stopped and she froze.

She heard footsteps and the trunk opened.

Your dad’s a cop? A fucking Sergeant!

Josie couldn’t see clearly because it was still dark and the rain was pouring down.

It’s all over the radio. I kidnapped a fucking cop’s kid.

He turned and grabbed her roughly, yanking her out of the car and dragging her into the woods.

She didn’t fight him, she just tried to figure out a way to get free.

It was still raining out and the woods were dark so the guy couldn’t see where he was going. He stopped and let go of her to catch his breath. He began pacing and Josie sat up, trying to figure out a way to get out. She was able to pull the gag out of her mouth to her neck without him noticing.

Don’t move! he pointed a gun at her again and she froze.

I need to think. I need to figure out a plan. Stop making noise.

I wasn’t doing anything. Just let me go. Nobody knows who you are and I won’t say anything.

Bullshit. You’re obviously trained with how you killed my partner. What else do you know how to do?

I didn’t mean to kill him, she said, trying to keep him talking. You were beating my friend to death. I had to do something.

Shut up.

Josie saw the gun in his waistband and she tried to focus. Her head was on fire from being hit and there was dried blood on her face. Her wrists were tightly bound and she didn’t know if she would be able to hold the gun, let alone fire it.

What would her dad do?

Whatever it took to survive. She knew that.

She was so proud of who he was and she wondered if he knew that. She worried maybe her family wouldn’t know how much she loved them.

Why think of that now?

Every time she shut her eyes she thought of Kevin. He was in real trouble and nobody was coming to help him. Nobody knew he was there.

She needed to survive for her family and for Kevin.

Her brother needed her.

She had more to do here.

This idiot would not be her end.

You need to die, the guy said and turned around as Josie reached for his gun. He smacked her away, knocking her down, but not before the gun fell to the ground. She grabbed it and pointed it at him, shooting him, but just hitting his arm.

I will end you! he yelled and the gun fell from her hands as the rain pelted down. She didn’t think, she just turned and ran through the woods, the trees and branches scraping her arms.

Nobody will find you! he yelled. The coyotes will get you!

She didn’t know if he was still behind her, but she kept running. The mud caused her to fall a few times, but she was pushed by pure adrenaline.

She was Julie’s daughter. She was a fighter.

Taking another step, she slipped and fell off the side of the hill and down onto the rocks below. With her hands tied, she was unable to brace her fall.

A shooting pain ripped through her back.

Everything went black.

YOU WILL BE RELEASED in a little while, Evan said. I would like you to come home with us.

I need to go home, Kevin said. To my home. I know you guys want to help, but I want to be alone.

I don’t just want to help, Kev, I don’t want you going off on your own to look for her.

I don’t know where to look. I don’t know what to do. You said they couldn’t find her. I don’t know where they took her. I don’t know what they want with her.

Evan wiped his face and looked up as Liz walked in.

"I’m going to see