The man on top of her cooed.
“Everything’s fine. We’re not going to hurt you. Relax.”
She sobbed, and tears ran through his fingers.
The driver spoke again.
“Turn coming up. No one’s chasing us.”
The blinker blinked. They turned, and picked up speed.
The driver sounded calm.
“Lookin’ good. We’re clear.”
The man on top of her grinned. She felt his body relax.
“You’re okay. I promise.”
The pressure on her mouth eased.
The driver said, “She okay?”
“Superb.”
The man’s eyes crinkled when he smiled. Friendly and charming.
“Go with the flow, and I’ll move my hand. Shall we try?”
She nodded.
He lifted his hand, and words tumbled out in a rush.
“Please let me go. Please, please—”
The hand clamped her mouth, but not hard. His eyes even twinkled, as if he was amused.
“We know your secret. So let’s all relax and enjoy the ride.”
The driver said, “Red light ahead. Gotta stop.”
She felt the car slow. A horn blared somewhere behind them, but it seemed muted and far away.
The man above her bent closer. She thought he was going to kiss her, but he whispered.
“Twenty minutes, thirty, tops, and you’ll be on your way. For real. This will be over before you know it.”
Rape. They were going to rape her and torture her and it would hurt. Isabel hiccupped. She hiccupped again, and couldn’t stop.
The man grinned even wider.
“You’re funny.”
The driver said, “Here we go. Stopping.”
They eased to a stop.
The man smiled a whisper.
“You’re in control. I know it doesn’t seem this way, but everything that happens now is up to you.”
“Please let me go.”
“Soon.”
“Please. Please don’t do this.”
The window above her was blurry white light. She could not see where they were or what they were passing. She saw nothing of the outside world, as if she and the man on top of her were belly-to-belly in their own private crypt.
Isabel sobbed.
“Please don’t hurt me. I didn’t do anything. I don’t want to die.”
The driver said, “Green light.”
Izzy sobbed so hard the world shimmered. Her pleas were as soft as a butterfly’s wing.
“Help me, help, somebody please help.”
The man smoothed her hair.
“Shh. It’s okay. Don’t be afraid. No one can hear you but us.”
She sobbed again, and a shadow crossed the window.
The driver said, “C’mon, c’mon, the light’s green. What’s wrong with people, all he has to do is—”
The driver’s window exploded as if they’d been broadsided by a runaway truck. His door flew open, and the driver vanished. Something blocked the light, and the man on top of her jerked away. He convulsed, and flew over the seat and out the door as if he had been sucked into space.
Izzy lay gasping.
The car was silent.
Isabel was alone in a suddenly empty car.
Something blocked the light again, and Mr. Pike appeared. His head turned. The dark glasses found her.
“You’re safe now. Let me help you.”
Isabel covered her face, and sobbed.
6.
Joe Pike
Pike secured the men belly-down on the street with plasticuffs, and took their wallets and phones. The driver was Donald Bender. The man he pulled off the teller was Christopher Karbo. Bender appeared unconscious, but Karbo watched him with rolling eyes. The right side of Karbo’s face was purple, and his right eye was swelling shut.
Pike said, “Do you understand me?”
The man’s eye rolled again, but he nodded.
“Stay. If you try to get up, I’ll put you down.”
When Pike was satisfied the men were no longer a threat, he helped the teller from the vehicle. She was shaken, but Pike saw no blood or lacerations.
“OhmiGod, OhmiGod, he pushed me into their car! He was on top of me.”
“I saw. I was across the street.”
Isabel closed her eyes, trying to steady herself.
“I feel really weird. I think I’m going to throw up.”
“Breathe. It’ll pass.”
She drew a breath, and pressed her hands to her belly.
“He asked for help. He seemed so nice, and he just attacked me!”
Pike wanted to say something encouraging, but didn’t know what to say. The men were nicely dressed, well kept, and their vehicle was immaculate. They looked like any other two men in the area, yet they had attempted to abduct a woman in broad daylight in front of a bank.
“Customers from the bank? Donald Bender. Christopher Karbo.”
Isabel snuck a glance and shook her head.
“I don’t think so. I’ve never seen them before.”
A siren wailed, but sounded far away. Isabel noticed bystanders snapping pictures and shooting video with their phones. She looked embarrassed.
“I’ve never even gotten a traffic ticket. What do we do, just stand here?”
“They’ll be here soon.”
“I’m sorry you have to wait.”
“Traffic. Traffic’s a bitch even for cops.”
Isabel suddenly giggled.
“Would it be all right if I texted my boss? She’ll be worried.”
Pike retrieved her purse from the SUV, and stood with her as she texted her boss.
The first officers to arrive were Ito and Garcia. Garcia was a P-2 with four service stripes on her sleeve. They eyed Bender and Karbo first, but Garcia’s gaze settled on Pike. Ito walked over to the men on the ground, and Garcia approached Isabel and Pike.
“Someone explain why these gentlemen are proned out and bleeding.”
Isabel burst into tears, and pointed at Karbo.
“He attacked me. That one—him—he pushed me into their car, and held me down. They tried to kidnap me. Mr. Pike saw it. He saved me.”
Garcia studied Pike.
“You the one called emergency services?”
Pike said, “Yes.”
“I know you.”
“We’ve never met.”
She glanced at his arrows.
“I know you anyway.”
Garcia turned to Isabel.
“Why don’t we step over here, and you can tell me what happened. Mr. Pike can wait here, okay, Mr. Pike?”
Pike said, “Sure.”
A second patrol car and an EMS wagon arrived. Ito briefed the officers, and put the paramedics to work on Karbo and Bender. He finally came over to Pike.
“Okay. Let’s hear your version.”
Pike offered his DL without being asked, and described what had happened. He spoke in short, declarative sentences, exactly as he had when he was an officer.
“I followed them until they stopped for the light, then exited my vehicle and approached from the rear. Bender was driving. Karbo was on top of Ms. Roland in the backseat. His hand was over her mouth. She was in obvious distress.”
“Sexual assault?”
“Possible, but I couldn’t say. She was struggling.”