by Aaron Lazar
“Bueno,” she said. “I talked to my son when you were in the restroom at the last stop. He’s very mad at me, but proud, too. He called the FBI lady that we met when we returned the babies to their families. They are getting in touch with the local policemen.”
“Good thing. We might need help with Lollie, so those children aren’t in danger.”
“Amen,” she said. In two more minutes, she pointed to an overhead sign for “Bittersweet Hollow Morgan Horse Farm.”
“Almost there,” Rocco said, thumbing off his cell.
They wound down the road and turned into the horse farm driveway, passing white post and board fences. A big barn loomed in the distance next to a pristine white farmhouse. “There it is,” Rosita said.
On the porch, a woman was waving her hands wildly. The closer they got, the more certain Rosita was she recognized Grace Rockwell, Caroline’s mother.
“It’s Grace,” she said, skidding on the gravel when she braked hard beside her.
Rocco had the door open before they stopped. “She’s crying. Something happened, Rosita.” He bounded out the door and met Grace halfway.
She held her phone to her ear with shaking hands. “Anderson. Get your ass here as soon as you can. And call Agent Walsh.” She hung up. When she saw Rosita running toward her, her mouth fell open. “Rosita? What the hell?”
Rosita approached her and took her hands, locking eyes with her. “Quick, tell me what happened? Was it Lollie?”
Grace nodded furiously, scrubbing the tears from her eyes. “The bitch took our children. She locked me in the basement.”
Rocco grabbed the map from the truck and spread it out on the hood. The hot metal burned his hands and he swore. “Damn. This old rust bucket is ready to give up the ghost.”
“It’s fine,” Rosita said, dismissing his comment with a hand wave. “Which way did she go?”
“That way,” Grace said, pointing toward the mountain.
“Si. Just as I thought.” Rosita nodded grimly. “She’s going to Devil’s Spring. Do you know how to get there?”
Grace shook her head. “I think I can remember. But…why would she—”
Rosita motioned to the truck. “Rapido. Get in!”
Without asking another question, Grace slid into the truck between Rosita and Rocco.
“Step on it,” Rocco said. He held his hand out to Grace. “We’re here to help you get your children back. I know Lollie. I worked with her in the institution.”
Rosita nodded toward him, shifting into third gear as they rounded the barn and followed the narrow track toward the mountain. “He’s one of the good guys. And he’s our muscle.”
“I didn’t have a car to follow her. Anderson’s at work.” Grace explained in a rush of words. “But why Devil’s Spring? I think I can get us there, but why the old caverns? It doesn’t make any sense.”
“We think that was her base camp. She bought an RV, outfitted for camping, I’ll bet. She’s been watching your house for the past few days. I just found that map this morning, with the caverns, your house, and Boone’s house circled in red.”
Rocco added, “We found some Google map printouts marked up with the logging trails. It looks like she made quite a few tries to get a decent map ready before she left. It was a miracle she left these scribbled up copies behind. Otherwise we’d have to search the whole mountain.” His arm spread across the horizon. “That could take forever.”
“Thank God,” Grace said in a hoarse whisper. “But what the hell does she want with the children? Is she nuts?”
Rosita grimaced. “She has always said she wants a family of her own, dreaming so long about this, for many years. She seemed so upset when she found out the adoption wasn’t real. But when she had the children in our house, she really didn’t spend time with them. I took care of them.” She shook her head in confusion. “I don’t understand that part.”
Rocco nodded sagely. “Not unusual for someone with her issues. She imagines a dream life, but when push comes to shove, doesn’t want to deal with the nitty gritty, every day work that goes with it.”
“Is she dangerous?” Grace asked, squeezing his forearm.
Rocco and Rosita exchanged a glance, but didn’t answer.
Grace took in a deep breath. “I see.” She squared her shoulders and seemed to draw on a well of inner strength. “Pedal to the fucking metal, Rosita. I’m getting those babies back.”
Chapter 55
Grace gritted her teeth each time the truck bumped over the rocks and holes on the logging trail. It had been spewing steam for the past few minutes and the temperature gauge pegged close to hot. They’d been following the curvy, narrow tracks for twenty minutes, gaining altitude. “I think it’s close.”
“Yes!” Rocco pointed to a wooden plank sign hanging crooked on a dead pine tree. “Wait, stop. What does that say?”
The words Devil’s Spring sprawled across the board in chipped white paint.
Rosita peered into the trail, then motioned to the map. “This is it. How far to the mine, can you tell?”
Grace pushed the map away, her heart slamming hard under her ribs. “I remember this area. We walk from here if we’re going to sneak up on her.”
Rocco tried his cell phone. “Damn, no signal. I wanted to call the cops, but they’re gonna have to find us on their own.”
“We don’t need them. We can do this.” Rosita pulled the truck under the shelter of a massive elm. “This is a good place.” She switched off the ignition and reached for her rifle.
They approached the cavern slowly, ducking behind the bushes and trees along the trail.
There, in the distance, a white RV loomed, fully backed into the opening of the cavern. Lollie had been smart. There was no way an overhead search would have shown the vehicle.
A shadow passed behind the curtained window.
Grace put an arm out to stop Rosita. “I saw her. She’s in there.”
Rosita raised a finger to her lips, grabbing one of the printouts. “Shh. Let me go up first. Rocco, take the rifle.”
He accepted it and braced himself behind a large balsam tree. “Okay. Ready.”
Grace stood anxiously behind him. “Be careful. Call us in as soon as you can.”
Rosita nodded, squaring her shoulders and slowly approaching the RV, calling Lollie’s name. “Miss Lollie! You in there? It’s me, Rosita.”
The shadow behind the curtain froze.
A minute later, the door opened outward slowly, cracked to four inches. Lollie’s face appeared in the gap. “Rosita!” she hissed. “For God’s sake, what are you doing here?”
“I missed you. And I found this in your bedroom, so I came out to see if I could help you. I have nothing to do in that great big house, Miss Lollie. It is very boring.”
Lollie opened the door further, glancing around. “Who’s with you?”
Grace couldn’t stand it any longer. She stepped into the clearing. “It’s just me, Grace. I just want to see my daughter and nephew.”
Lollie’s delicate face contorted into a snarl. “No! You can’t have them. They’re mine.” She flung the door fully open, knocking Rosita down the metal steps. In a flash, Lollie grabbed Caroline and raced into the cavern.
Rocco hurried to Rosita’s still form, kneeling beside her. “Oh, God. She’s bleeding bad. I can’t leave her.” He thrust the rifle toward Grace. “Can you handle this?”
“Of course.” Grace grabbed the rifle. “Watch Joey, okay?”
Rocco nodded. “You got it.” He lifted the maid as if she were a child, carefully maneuvering her into the RV doorway.
“I’ve got this.” Grace sped forward, following the cries of her daughter into the yawning cavern.
∞∞∞
The interior of the Devil’s Spring cavern glowed with soft pink phosphorescence. Perplexed, but grateful that she wouldn’t need to run by the light of her iPhone, Grace pocketed it and focused on racing over the cold rocky floor.
The
farther she ran, the brighter the interior of the cave shone. Wooden beams supported multiple shafts leading away from the massive cavern, where they must have done the mining years ago. Overhead, stalactites glistened in an eerie blush-pink light, and soon a bubbling river flanked the path.
Caroline’s cries filled the cavern, twisting at her heart, digging deep into her mother’s soul.
Hold on, baby. Momma’s coming.
Lollie’s white sweater flashed in the distance, then disappeared around a sharp corner.
“Lollie! Wait! I just want to talk.”
She didn’t expect the mad woman to stop, but she had to try to appeal to her.
The heavy rifle was slowing her down. Should she ditch it? Or keep going?
Would Lollie ever stop?
What if she met a dead end? What would the crazy bitch do with her sweet baby if she felt cornered?
Grace tossed the rifle to the ground and picked up speed. Her old days of running in high school came back to her, and visions of flying through the woodland trails during cross-country meets flooded her mind’s eye.
Come on. You can do it. Pick up the pace.
The trail narrowed and the stream widened. Rocks began to hamper her progress, and she cursed because she had to slow down to avoid a tumble that would ruin her chances of saving her baby.
In the distance, she heard Lollie wail.
What the hell?
“Caroline!” Grace cried. She lunged around the corner and stopped.
Lollie sprawled on the cavern floor beside a giant body of bubbling water that reflected pink from the glowing stalactites above. Moaning, she clutched her ankle.
A waterfall cascaded from the wall, spraying in a rainbow of colors sparkling with rose-tinted reflections. Caroline crawled away from the woman, babbling and approaching the edge of the spring.
“Caroline, no!” Grace screamed, hopping over the ever-increasing rubble in her path.
Lollie’s face contorted into a mask of anger. “You stay away from my baby. Scarlett is mine.”
The woman lay on the narrow path between Grace and Caroline, who began to crawl faster toward the spring. Grace sprinted now, and tried to jump over Lollie. She almost made it when a hand encircled her ankle and yanked her backwards.
She fell hard, landing on her side. The fall knocked the air out of her lungs and it took her a moment to get her breath back. Panting, she whispered, “Lollie, no. We have to save Caroline…I mean, Scarlett. Look.” She pointed to the baby, who now crawled dangerously close to the edge. “Please, Lollie. Let me save her.”
Lollie’s hands reached up as if she was begging for help, then suddenly girdled Grace’s neck. She squeezed hard, and in seconds, Grace found it hard to breathe.
No, no, no! The thought rang loud in her brain, and she kicked and squirmed with all her strength.
Lollie’s grip, surprisingly strong, tightened. Grace’s vision began to blur. Panicking further, she focused and thought hard. What had she learned in those self-defense classes she took so long ago?
Caroline’s cry galvanized her. She reached up over Lollie’s arms and dug her thumbs deep into the woman’s eyes. With a demonic shriek, Lollie released her.
Grace rolled to her side, but Lollie’s hand reached for her again, grabbing at her shirt. “She’s mine.”
“No,” Grace screamed.
She spun and landed a punch on Lollie’s jaw. The woman’s head flew back and she flopped sideways to the cavern floor.
“Caroline!” Grace stumbled to her feet and headed for the pool of water, where a fog of pink steam spilled toward the ceiling.
The baby had disappeared.
“No!” Grace cried, rushing to the edge of the spring. “Caroline, where are you?” She searched the water, but saw only fog and bubbling water frothing at the base of the falls. “Caroline!”
A huge gulping sob threatened to break through. She called again.
In the distance, she heard her child’s whimper. Had she imagined it?
It came again.
There. To the right. Behind that pile of boulders.
She staggered toward the sound. The child sat up against the rocks, her cheeks wet with tears.
“Mama.”
The sweet word filled Grace’s spirit, and she scooped her child from the cold floor. “Oh, baby. My sweet girl. I’ve got you now. You’re okay.”
The baby nuzzled against her mother, slumping against her so they were like one. Caroline’s arms encircled Grace’s neck.
“My girl. You’re okay now.” Grace leaned against the cold cavern wall, watching her breath come in pink vaporous clouds. She hadn’t noticed how cold it was before, but now she sensed that the temperature had to be in the low forties. She held her child even closer, if that were possible, and breathed into her little ear. “We’re going home now.”
A form rose in the distance. “No. You’re not.”
“Lollie.” The name rushed from Grace’s lips in a low whisper. “Think about this. You love her, right? You want the best for her, don’t you?”
Lollie’s steps faltered. “I—I do. But I want her. She’s my baby.”
Grace stepped back as far as she could. The trail ended behind the pile of boulders. Should she try to climb them? Or would that be more dangerous than putting Caroline down and trying to fight Lollie? What if she dropped the baby? She could die in the fall.
Lollie approached fast. “Give her to me.”
They struggled, the child pressed between them. Grace’s foot slipped on the wet ground, and she almost fell over the edge.
With a maniacal roar, Lollie lowered her head and rammed Grace’s side, dislodging Grace’s hold on the baby. Lollie snatched Caroline and shoved one hip into Grace’s side, toppling her into the water.
The world went pink.
A warm stream of bubbles fizzed upward, and in the back of Grace’s mind, she realized she was drowning in a hot spring. Hot for the Devil, she thought as crazy snippets of words traced through her mind. I’m drowning in a pink Hell.
The muffled roar of a rifle filtered down to her, and when her feet hit bottom, she came to her senses and pushed up. Kick. Swim. Get back to the surface.
With all her strength, Grace swam up, aching for a clean breath of air. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, she broke through the surface and gulped sweet air, welcoming the daylight filtering into the cavern.
Rocco lowered Joey’s car seat and called to her. “There she is!” He dove into the spring, reached her in a few strokes, and helped her make her way to the side. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here.”
She crawled over the rocky edge and lay flat on her back, gasping. Steam rose from her soaking clothing. “Caroline. Where’s my baby?”
Rocco pulled himself up beside her and pointed. “See for yourself.”
She turned on her side. There stood Rosita, baby in one arm, rifle in the other. Her head was bandaged, but she stood solidly over the shuddering form of her employer. “Caroline’s okay,” she said. “And Joey’s right here. They are both okay, Grace.”
“Rosita,” Grace mumbled. “Thank you.” Stumbling forward, she stepped wide around Lollie, whose side darkened with a widening pool of blood. With shaking hands, Grace reached for her baby.
“Wait,” Rosita said. “Let me wrap her in my uniform first. She peeled off her long-sleeved purple smock, revealing a snug tee shirt beneath. “Here we go. Now she won’t get wet.” Gently, she handed the child to her mother.
“Thank you.” Grace sputtered, holding the baby close. “I’m never letting go of you again, my sweet girl.” She backed away from Lollie, eyeing her with distrust.
Lollie clutched at Rosita’s pant leg. “Rosita. Don’t let me die.”
Rocco joined them and knelt beside Lollie. “Move back, ladies. I’ll take care of this one.”
Lollie’s face crumpled. “Rocco. Oh, Rocco. Take me back to my room.”
He rolled his eyes, and then turned a patient fa
ce to her. “Okay, Miss Lollie. I don’t think that’ll be a problem.” He pressed his hand against her wound. “We need to get her to the ER.”
Rosita linked arms with Grace. “Vamos.”
Grace gave her a tired smile. “Gracias, Rosita. Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter 56
Tessie sat in the recliner next to Orville’s hospital bed. He’d come out of the recovery room an hour ago after another procedure on his heart. There had been something wrong with the first stent they’d installed and the mechanically flawed device had collapsed.
She reached over to hold his hand and felt him squeeze her fingers. Her own heart tripped rapidly beneath her ribs.
He’s going to live.
The idea of living on the farm without him had been inconceivable. They’d been together forever, had even dated as teenagers, and over the years they’d grown so close that it was as if they truly were one soul living in two bodies.
He opened his eyes and turned to her, speaking in a hoarse voice. “Is it over?”
She leaned over to kiss his forehead. “Yes. It’s done. And you’re going to be okay now.”
“Love you,” he mumbled.
“I love you too, my sweet man.”
His eyes closed slowly. She watched his chest rise and fall, rise and fall. The enormity of almost losing him twice in one summer was almost too much to bear, but she’d realized one thing. If they lost the farm, so be it. If they lost their money, they’d find a way. Even if they had to get a little apartment in the village, they’d survive.
All that matters is that we’re together.
She stood and stretched, feeling stiff. A walk down to the cafeteria would do her good. And she needed some fresh coffee. In the past, she’d been up through the night before with Orville to help him with the birthing of a difficult calf, and she remembered all-nighters when Boone and Ned were little, but this felt different, so much harder. Her poor heart didn’t know if it could take much more.
She kissed Orville one more time and slowly backed around the hospital bed, sliding her purse over her shoulder. “Be back soon,” she whispered.