The Depths of Shadow Creek Inn

By Johnny Augustine

When Jake O'Nell and his team agree to help find two missing women, their search leads them to a kidnapping organization that has ties all over the world! Jake will be faced with some of the most difficult decisions he has ever had to make as they dig deeper and deeper to find the answers in the depths of a place called Shadow Creek Inn.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887933016

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The Depths of Shadow Creek Inn

Johnny Augustine

Copyright © 2023 Johnny Augustine

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2023

ISBN 979-8-88793-293-4 (pbk)

ISBN 979-8-88793-301-6 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Jake O'Nell's Next Adventure

About the Author

Chapter 1

Jake, Curly said, thanks for taking the time to see what kind of trouble my friend Cole has.

The man talking was Curly Haley, co-CEO of a company that specialized in paraplegic equipment. The company was owned by the man he was talking to, Jake O'Nell, who was also the owner of SSBBKO Enterprises and Curly's former brother-in-law. He had been married to his sister Korrine; she died in a horrific car accident many years ago. Jake was also the sheriff of Crawfish County.

The man they were going to meet had been testing out some new prosthetic legs developed by their company and had become good friends with Curly.

No problem, Curly, Jake answered. You know how I feel about my fellow servicewomen and men. So tell me what you can about this Cole Hardin.

Curly started telling Jake all about Cole.

"Well, he was in the Coast Guard six years ago and was stationed at a port in Qatar as a guard, along with nine others in his unit. One day, some local radicals thought they'd found a weak spot in America's military, that they were only Coast Guard, an easy target since they weren't Rangers or SEALs. They figured it would be a big, fast victory. They learned the hard way that no branch in the US military is a pushover.

When the smoke cleared, all thirty of the attackers were dead. Every one of the Guard members was wounded, but none died. Cole had thrown himself onto another member of his team just as one of the cowards set off a suicide vest. That's when he lost both his legs below the knees. He got the Silver Star for that.

As well he should, Jake said. Sounds like a tough son of a bitch.

That he is, Curly answered. Well, we've been working on new types of replacement prosthetic legs for him and others. Sometimes, you know it hurts like a bitch, but not one single complaint. That's why his call this morning has shaken me so bad. Cole was going crazy, begging me to come right away and to bring Captain Jake with me.

Once you called, I went ahead and ran a check on Cole, Jake said. All you said rings true, but what got me going was the missing wife report your friend filed two days ago. Seems she and a friend went missing in Bison County.

Jesus! Curly blurted. No wonder he's upset.

Yeah, Jake answered, but that's not the only reason I wanted in on this. Six months ago, I got an alert on a missing twenty-two-year-old from Bison County. Still hasn't been found. She and your buddy's wife could be twins from the looks of their pictures.

No shit? Curly said.

No shit! Jake said. "And as Gibbs would say on NCIS, there's no such thing as coincidences."

As they arrived at Cole's house, Jake couldn't help but admire, for the ten thousandth time, how Curly handled himself despite having lost a leg and a foot in a little dustup, as Curly called it, while he and Jake were in the Marines. Jake had been the one who carried Curly to safety, thinking all the while that he was carrying a dying man. But here Curly was today, in the damnedest combination motorized wheelchair lift you ever saw. It helped Curly do whatever he wanted—drive, stand, anything. Plus, he had artificial legs.

They knocked on the door, which was flung open in a second by a large, muscular black man in his late thirties.

Thank God you came! the man said as he took Curly's hand and shook it. And you too, Captain O'Nell, sir.

Just Jake, Cole. Just call me Jake.

Okay, Cole answered. But you'll always be Captain O'Nell around here, sir. I doubt you'll remember, but nine years ago, on one of your overwatch assignments, you made the shot that saved my wife. She was a guardsman in a convoy that was ambushed in Kandahar. She was about to be beheaded, and you nailed the bastard and his three buddies that had pulled the attack, and then you went down and stayed with her until help came.

Yeah, I remember, Jake answered as his mind drifted.

Jake was thinking back to that place from another time, another world, which seemed like a lifetime ago. He pictured the ugly grin on the bearded Taliban man's face as he brought the sword up just as Jake pulled the trigger. He hadn't even known it was a young woman whom he had saved until she spoke and said Thanks in one of the sweetest voices he had ever heard. No wonder she had seemed so familiar in the missing person report!

After a moment, Jake continued. Her name was Madelyn Marie, but she told me to call her Mae-Mae.

Christ! Cole shouted. You do remember! She'd be so excited to know you remembered her!

Curly interrupted. Okay, Cole, tell us what the hell happened. What's going on?

Yeah, okay, Cole answered. Let's go into the kitchen and grab a beer. I have to watch the yard.

So they went into a large, beautifully laid-out kitchen with huge patio doors and windows overlooking a covered deck and a big, fenced-in yard filled with toys, a swing set, and in the far corner, a rather large playhouse. But Jake couldn't see any kids.

Once they all sat down, the cop in Jake took over.

Now, Cole, start from the top and just tell it as you remember. I'm going to record this. Is that okay with you? Jake asked.

Cole answered by nodding his head. Okay, he started. I guess I'd better start with our family situation here, Captain—or I mean Jake, sir.

It's okay, Cole. You can call me Captain. Just tell me your story as clear as you can recall. I'll ask questions later. Now start again.

Like I said, Cole continued, "our family situation is different, but we've been happy and blessed beyond belief. You see, Mae-Mae and I have been married for almost six years. We started out in love, but things weren't quite right almost from the very first. We both thought perhaps we were suffering from PTSD, and that was part of it. But the real reason is the fact that my wife is, well, bisexual. So things just kind of floundered along. That is, until we met Tabitha.

"We call her Tabbie. She came into our lives almost five years ago now. We literally ran into her. Mae-Mae was driving, and we were arguing, and she didn't see Tabbie stop at the stop sign ahead of us. And, bam, we plowed into her. Nothing real serious, but I didn't have these terrific replacement legs I have now, and one popped off. When Tabbie rushed back to see if anyone was hurt, Mae-Mae said, ‘No, we're fine. Cole's leg just snapped off.' Tabbie freaked out! We finally got her calmed down and explained what Mae-Mae meant.

"Then things just evolved from there. I get to live a man's fantasy of being able to love two beautiful women who love me back and who love each other. Not a socially accepted thing, I know. But anyways, I stay at home, take care of the household. The girls both have high-paying jobs and really hate to cook, so it works out. Mae-Mae works as a realtor, and Tabbie is a master electrician.

"Once a year, they take a weekend off, go to a secluded spot for a little fun and relaxation. They leave Fridays at noon and come back from their trip on Sunday evenings, and I make a big cookout for everybody for when they get home. But this time, the girls never came home. No call, nothing! Both I and Tabbie's mom have been texting the girls every couple of hours with no answer.

"I called the inn in Bison County where they were staying and was told they'd checked out at nine thirty Sunday morning. Then I made a call to the Bison County sheriff's office to ask about any accidents or anything. They said there had been none and that I'd have to wait twenty-four hours before I could file a missing person report, so that's what I did.

I called at eight this morning and got the sheriff himself, a real asshole. He said he'd file the report if I could email him information and pictures, which I did right away. You've both been in the service and know how you get a sense when something ain't frickin' right! I had that feeling the entire time I talked to that bastard. But what really shook me was what he said last, that I shouldn't hold out much hope of them coming back. ‘Who knows where a couple lesbos like them would take off to?' That's when I called you, Curly, praying you and Captain O'Nell would come down and help me out.

No one said a word for several seconds. Finally, Jake spoke up.

Cole, he asked, just how much of what you just told us did you tell the Bison law?

Just the basics, Captain, Cole answered, that my wife and her best friend took off for a couple days of relaxation, nothing more. I told you and Curly the rest so you know I'm not trying to hide anything.

Okay, Cole, Jake said gently. Now don't get mad at me or take this the wrong way here. I'm on your side, but the cop in me is asking, is there any chance that they did just take off and wanted to start a new life together, just the two of them?

Cole jumped up. No way, Captain, not a snowball's chance in hell, and I'll show you why!

Cole walked out onto the deck with Curly and Jake beside him.

Cole yelled, Kids, come here a minute please.

They heard Coming, Daddy from a distance, and out of the playhouse came two little girls with curly hair and a smaller boy with curly dark hair and freckles. They walked up and stood by Cole.

Kids, Cole said, these are two of our friends.

They each said hi. Then one of the little girls asked, Did you bring our mommies home with you?

Cole answered quickly. No, honey, but they wanted to say hi to each of you. Now go play for a few more minutes. Then we'll have lunch.

They yelled, Okay, Daddy, and all three took off back for the playhouse. The little girl who had asked about their mommies was the last to go in. She paused to look back at them, giving them a wave as she ducked in.

That's Wren, Cole explained. She's the most grown up of the three. She and Wanda are, of course, twins. They turned four two weeks ago. They are mine and Mae-Mae's. The little boy is Banner. He's three and is my and Tabbie's little guy. Now you tell me, Captain O'Nell, sir, do you really think any mother could just go off and abandon kids like those?

Jake drifted back again to all those years ago, picturing those deep-blue eyes looking up at him, full of pain and hope, as he held her hand. He had just seen that same exact look in Wren's eyes even though she was only four.

Jake! Hey, Jake, you okay? Curly asked.

Cole asked at the same time, Captain, is something wrong?

Jake snapped out of it with a start. They're beautiful, Cole, all three, he said. The girls have their mother's eyes. You're right, no way they abandoned those kids. We'll look into it starting right now! Curly and I have to get going. He started toward the door.

Just one thing before you leave, Captain, Cole said. I'm not stupid or naive, okay? Two women like this go missing, odds are, they have been kidnapped, raped, and murdered by now or, even worse, taken to be sold overseas. You've been all over, Captain. You know what goes on in some of those shitholes with nobody doing a damn thing about it! So I want you to promise me, if you find out the worst, you let me be there when you take whoever did this down. Please promise me!

Jake turned and looked Cole straight in the eyes and said, First of all, you can't give up hope yet, so do some serious praying. But if it's possible, you have my word you can be there. Now go take care of those kids.

Cole didn't say a word, just nodded at Jake and closed the door.

Curly started backing out of the driveway.

Jesus, Jake, he said, this sucks! I don't see how Cole comes out a winner no matter what on this deal.

Maybe, Jake answered. But now he has us, and until I know different, I plan on this working out all right. So put the pedal down and let's get going. I'm making some calls and getting this thing rolling. I have a feeling that time is very much our enemy on this!

So Curly drove as he listened to Jake as he made his phone call to his friend, business partner, and lawyer, Jonathan Wayne Key, who went by Jon for most folks. Jon answered the phone on the second ring, and Jake started talking.

"Listen, Jon, we have a situation here. Curly and I have just left Greenvale. We're heading home and are about three and a half hours out. We just left a friend of Curly's. His name is Cole Hardin. He's a former Coast Guardsman who lost both his legs below his knees over in the sandbox. He's been doing great until Sunday night when his wife and her best friend went missing.

The whole thing looks shitty. I want you to drop everything, get Benny in there, and call Kyle, Laney, Caleb, and Matti. Have them come in ASAP. But first thing I need you to do is get ahold of Reno and Rhett. I want them to arrange some security for Cole and his three kids. I'll text you his info. I want three- to four-man teams around-the-clock watch.

Curly listened as Jake was, apparently, answering questions Jon was asking. He heard Jake say, "No, I don't give a shit about the cost. Just make sure they are top-notch. No, I don't know exactly what the damn threat is. I just got a hunch this could get ugly. So have them ready for anything, all right? I want you and Benny to start with the Bison County sheriff's office. Go back five years.

"Then I want all the missing person reports on women the ages of eighteen to forty-five that look like our missing ladies. Go back the last two years. Get as much detail as possible from both the US and Canada. Yeah, I know that's going to be a lot of women, but I want it done. Plus, I want a complete background check on Cole, his wife, and their friend. And lastly, do a check on a place called Shadow Creek Inn. It's in Bison County. Do what you have to do to get it done. Call in more help, dammit, if you have to.

Yeah, I might be overreacting, but I have a bad feeling that time is our enemy on this, Jonathan, so come through for me. Please, just push it! I'll call Steve myself.

Curly had looked over at Jake when he called Jon by his given name. He only did that when serious crap was going on, and that look on his face was one Curly knew well. Jake was getting mad, and Curly knew somebody was going to find out the hard way just what that meant.

Jake called his undersheriff, Steve Garvey, next.

Steve, it's Jake. I want you to go into the office. Jon and a bunch of others will be coming in right quick. Curly and I are about three hours out. First thing I want you to do is set up everybody over in the basement.

The basement