She's Really Gone

Ben, Alistair, & Frank

He'd always had excellent control over himself and right now Ben Wade was using every ounce of control that he possessed. Liana had just gone for her walk, that's all, he told himself firmly. He'd find her somewhere between home and the church, because she never went farther than that.

Dammit! He gripped the wheel of the black Range Rover tighter, as he drove toward the church. He should have had Frank Parker and his men watching over her even at home. Should never have trusted that she'd be safe as long as he and Dan were there.

Ben watched both sides of the road carefully all the way to the church, but he saw no sign of Liana. Pulling up in front of the church, he didn't even bother to close the car door before striding to the double doors. Flinging one open, he strode in and began shouting for Alistair.

"Preacher!"

Alistair had just come out into the sanctuary from where he'd been thinking about Sunday's sermon. "Why, Ben Wade. Good to see you!" The look on Ben's face, though, was a clear indication this was no social call. He hurried the rest of the way down the aisle. "Something's amiss, Ben. I can tell. What's the matter and how may I be of help?"

Ben's eyes bored into his hard. "Liana been here today, Preacher?"

"Liana? She comes out this way quite often, Ben, but, no, I haven't seen her. I 've been tending the flowerbeds out front a lot today and I'm sure I would have seen her even if she didn't come inside." Ben's eyes had an expression in them Alistair had never seen and it was growing steadily more intense.

"She's gone," Ben said grimly, and his eyes foretold doom for anyone that might be involved in her disappearance. "Missin'. I've had my men search every square inch of the ranch an' she ain't there."

Alistair was shocked. He knew Liana was well-along in her pregnancy. He could also see Ben was riding on the sharp edges of his self-control. It was in Alistair's nature to want to reach out and lay his hand on the man's arm, but it was evident Ben was in no mood to receive that means of comfort. So he said, "Please, Ben, tell me what I can do. Anything, absolutely anything."

"Not real sure, Preacher." Ben was on edge and all his mind was telling him to do right now was FIND her. Just find her.

"I've called a security man I hired and he's on his way." Frank Parker had also been reassuring. Had told Ben to calm down, that he was just overreacting, and he was sure Liana would be discovered somewhere in the vicinity.

"He's meetin' me here." Ben went on.

"Good. Please excuse me a moment while I take this matter up with the Boss." He smiled kindly at Ben. "I know some of your men, especially young Charlie Prince, call you Boss, but I mean my Boss." Turning, he walked back up the aisle and knelt at the front, soon lost in deep prayer for Liana's safety." All awareness of Ben staring at his back disappeared in his earnest endeavor. Some matters couldn't wait to be taken up later and he felt in his soul that this was a serious business with Liana. Ben would do what he needed to, what he must. Alistair, too, would do his own version of that.

Ben watched Alistair as he knelt. Prayer wasn't his way, but he figured it couldn't hurt to have the preacher doin' it. Sitting as quietly as he possibly could in a pew, he waited for Frank.

When Frank Parker stepped through the church doors, he saw Ben sitting in a back pew, the man he knew was the preacher kneeling at the altar. Leaning over from behind, he touched Ben's shoulder. "How you doin', Wade?"

"How the hell you think I'm doin', Parker?" Ben's voice was impatient. "Never mind how I'm doin'. What's important is how Liana's doin'."

"I know that, Ben." Parker was keeping his voice calm. "The first thing we need to do is call the sheriff's office."

"Sheriff's office!" Ben said in amazement. "I don' need no damn sheriff, Parker! We just need to get out there an' find her and I'll take care of whoever was responsible for her goin' missin'!"

"Ben." Parker was speaking low and using Wade's first name, something he rarely did. "I think you're jumpin' the gun a little here. She's been gone what? Six hours, while you and your men searched the ranch? We can't even be real sure anything's happened to her at this point."

Studying Wade closely, he said, "And you're livin' a different kinda life now, friend. Law-abiding men call the cops if their wife goes missing. You go out and take care of this yourself--with other people knowin' about it (he nodded toward Alistair's back)--there's gonna be a lotta questions and there's gonna be an investigation and it'll be YOU they're investigatin'."

His hand squeezed Ben's shoulder, as Alistair walked back up the aisle. "Trust me on this, Wade. You gotta get the cops involved here, much as you hate to."

Alistair hadn't reallly been introduced to Parker yet, but he presumed this was the security man Ben had mentioned. Offering his hand to the man, he smiled and said, "Hello. I'm Alistair Harris, pastor here. You've come to help Mr. Wade find his wife?"

"That's right, Reverend," Frank answered easily. "Frank Parker. I been keepin' an eye on Miz Wade for the past few months here. Wasn't on duty, though, when she disappeared. I been trying to tell Ben here not to panic. She hasn't been gone very long yet."

"She's eight months pregnant," Ben broke in. "Any amount 'a time's too long."

"Well, I'll certainly keep an eye out for her around here," Alistair said. "I'll check around the grounds and all the rooms, too. If I see or hear anything, I'll let you know immediately." That someone might have taken such a lovely young woman, and very pregnant at that, really disturbed him. He wanted Ahnna with him and he wanted that now. She was alone at the mill. "I'm, um, just going to be gone for a few minutes. Want to bring Ahnna here, you know." He shook Parker's hand. "Glad to meet you. I like to get to know all the residents in the Glen. We've become sort of like one big family now, what with all the things we've been through together." He turned to Ben. "We'll get through this, too, Ben. You'll get your wife back safe and sound. I know you will."

Ben didn't blame the man one bit for going to get his wife. "Thanks, Preacher." He watched Alistair leave and then turned to Frank.

"I'm assumin' you got a plan here. Wanna let me in on it?"

As Frank started out of the church with Ben following, he said, "First, we're goin' back to your place and call the cops. Dependin' on what they wanna do right now, I'll let you know the rest of it."