The Silent Dolls: An absolutely gripping mystery thriller (Detective Ellie Reeves Book 1)

by Rita Herron

  “Yes, they do. They took Mama from me.” A crazed look glazed his eyes. “And now you’re here, you have to die, too.”

  He lunged toward her, and she shoved him with both hands, swinging around and kicking him in the chest. He slammed the crudely carved club into her side. Pain shot through her ribs, but she fought back. Kicked him again, this time in one knee. With a guttural groan, he knocked her in the head again.

  Pain ricocheted through her temple, and she went down, hands scraping the jagged rocks as she tried to push herself back up. She had to fight. She aimed a kick at his balls but he deflected it, grabbed her hair, jerked her head back and punched her in the face. Stars danced in front of her eyes, then she tasted blood as the abyss swallowed her.

  Sometime later, she stirred back to life. But she was falling, falling, sliding deeper into the darkness. A little girl’s voice called to her. A voice so familiar. One she’d known as a child. One she’d lost. Help me. Please help me.

  Mae. It was Mae begging her to come back for her. To drag herself from the shadows and find her.

  To remember that once they’d been best friends and built forts in the woods and played hide and seek and pretended the little wooden dolls were real…

  Ellie jerked back to the present. Her breathing was shallow, pain ricocheting through her skull and ribs. For God’s sake, Mae isn’t here. But at least one of the girls was. Was Penny dead?

  And where was Hiram? A mustiness clogged the air, but his cloying scent was gone for the moment.

  A whimpering sound echoed from her right, and she turned her head toward the noise. It was so dark she could barely see an inch in front of her. The haunting fear paralyzed her for a moment, transporting her back to when she’d been lost. She’d dug at the dark hole until her fingers were bloody and raw. Had sweated and thought she was suffocating. Had finally given into the terror and… then what?

  She didn’t remember anything after that. Not even being rescued.

  A shrill cry shattered the stillness around her. She wasn’t lost or trapped now. But Penny and Chrissy were.

  Squinting against the dark, she finally made out the form of two little girls hunched against the wall. They were clinging to each other, rocking back and forth. Relief rushed through her. They were both alive!

  Push past the pain. These children need you.

  Gritting her teeth, she rolled to her side. Hard to get up when her feet and hands were bound. She’d work on unraveling the knots once she reached the girls.

  Ellie pushed to her knees and crawled, scooted toward them, body trembling. “Penny, Chrissy, it’s okay. My name is Ellie.”

  The cries continued but slowed as Penny lifted her little head. Even in the dark, Ellie could see tears glistening on the child’s eyes. Chrissy was sobbing in Penny’s arms, her head buried against her.

  Rage at Hiram for taking so many lives lit a fire inside her, and she crawled the rest of the way. When she reached the girls, she lifted her bound hands and gently covered Penny’s hands with her own.

  “I’m Ellie, and I’m with the police,” she whispered, forcing a smile. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

  “I want Mommy,” Penny cried.

  Chrissy finally looked up at her with red puffy eyes. “Hey, Chrissy,” Ellie said softly. “Your mama sent me to find you.”

  The little girls fell against her, and she murmured soft reassurances. “Shh, sweet girls. I’m going to get us out of here and take you home.”

  86.

  Just as Ellie managed to untie her hands, footsteps shuffled across the rocky floor, and suddenly the space was filled with Hiram’s musty odor again.

  He was humming, “Hush little baby, don’t say a word. Mama’s gonna buy you a mockingbird…”

  The girls buried themselves against her, their bodies racked with fear.

  “All the pretty little girls get chosen,” he muttered as his shadow moved toward them. “All the pretty little girls have to die to make the mamas suffer.”

  Ellie trembled inwardly but put on a brave face for the terrified children. In his twisted mind, Hiram justified his actions. But there was no justification for his cruelty.

  Brother or not, she didn’t intend to let him kill these sweet girls.

  Brushing her hand over the dirt floor, she searched for something to use as a weapon. Something sharp jabbed her fingers. A rock.

  Desperate, she closed her fingers around it and gripped the jagged stone between her fingers. Hiram shuffled closer, his awkward gait shattering the silence.

  “Stay against the wall,” she whispered to the girls. “When I go for him, run past and get out of here. And don’t stop running.”

  Although even if they got out of the mine, how would they survive the brutal storm and wilderness?

  She couldn’t think about that. There was no other choice.

  Cord would keep looking. So would Derrick. She had to believe they’d find them.

  “It’s time now,” Hiram said, venom in his voice. “Time to bury them.”

  Ellie held her breath until he was closer to her. Then she lunged at him. She punched him in the stomach with all her might, then swung the rock up into his face.

  “Run!” she ordered the girls as he staggered backward.

  The little girls screamed and jumped up, but Hiram dove for them. Penny shrieked as he grabbed her leg, and Ellie pounced on him, pummeling him with her fists. Howling, he threw her off him. Ellie’s head hit the chamber wall and pain splintered her temple.

  Before she could recover, he struck her across the face. Once. Twice. Three times. Jerking her by the shoulders, he slammed her head against the rock again. The world swayed and blurred. Pain tore through her skull. A voice inside whispered for her to fight, but he slammed her head against the stone again, and she blacked out.

  Monsters chased her through the forest, clawing at her, pulling her so hard she couldn’t climb from the dark tunnel. The whisper of a child’s voice shattered the deafening silence. A little girl’s cry. Slowly, she struggled through the hollow darkness. There had to be light somewhere. She had to reach it. The girls needed her.

  Finally rousing herself back to life, she realized Hiram was tying her wrists together. Penny and Chrissy were sobbing from somewhere in the dark.

  She kicked at Hiram, but her feet were tied, and he jumped back, dodging the blow.

  Then he stomped her in the stomach with his boot and she doubled over in agony. He ran for the girls, sweeping up one terrified child in each arm. The girls screamed and cried, kicking at him and beating at him with their tiny fists, but he seemed unfazed by the blows.

  “Don’t hurt them!” Ellie shouted.

  But his feet shuffled through the tunnel into the darkness, disappearing. Terrified, she crawled after him on her stomach. She reached another chamber, and saw Hiram force the girls into a hole in the ground. Their cries reverberated through the rocky interior.

  A second later, he covered the hole with a large wooden board and hammered it into place. Ellie yanked at her bindings, struggling to free her hands. His sinister laugh ripped through the air as he stalked toward her and struck her again. Nausea climbed her throat as he yanked her by her hair and dragged her back through the mine, outside into the frigid cold.

  87.

  The sound of wings flapping above the trees broke the silence, the raspy hiss of vultures fighting and grunting like hungry pigs.

  Derrick stilled for a moment, trying to discern where they were and praying the birds weren’t feasting on a human. Cord pointed east and Derrick followed, fear pulsing through him. Before they’d set off, he’d asked Cord if he had a weapon.

  “I thought you didn’t trust me,” Cord had said in a deep growl.

  He didn’t know if he did. “Like you said, we’re in this together for Ellie.”

  The ranger had stared at him for a long minute, then gestured toward the knife at his belt. “This is all I need.”

  It was a serious hun
ting knife, which raised Derrick’s doubts again. But if Cord came upon Hiram first, he didn’t want the monster to escape. And he had no doubt Cord would kill the man if he’d hurt Ellie.

  Tree limbs sagged and cracked from the weight of the snow and ice as they hiked. Minutes ticked away, a reminder that if Ellie and the girls were still alive, time might be running out for them.

  With every step, Derrick’s boots sank deeper into the freshly fallen snow, and the fierce winds beat at his body.

  The frigid temperatures only intensified his fear, tormenting him with unwanted images of finding Penny and Chrissy dead, as he had Kim.

  And Ellie. Dammit to hell. He didn’t want to care about her. He’d promised himself he would have nothing to do with her when the case was done. That if her father was complicit, and she’d covered for him, he’d lock her up, too.

  But… he didn’t think she’d known. He’d read the devastation and disbelief on her face. No one could fake that kind of blind shock and sense of betrayal.

  She must be desperate to have come out here by herself.

  And she was all alone, facing a depraved psycho who would kill her without a second thought.

  Of course she didn’t call you for backup. You arrested her father and implied she’d slept with you as a distraction.

  He’d fucked up big time.

  “That way.” Cord pointed toward a ridge so steep it would normally make Derrick turn around. Below it, the creek water was rising, threatening to overflow.

  He’d never backed down from a killer or a gun aimed at him, and he wouldn’t start now. Not with two children’s lives at stake.

  When they reached Falcon’s Crest, Derrick saw a rock formation that looked like the wings of a bird of prey, presumably where the name came from.

  Both men started searching the vegetation and trail for signs of footprints, or… blood.

  A crushed clump of weeds. Trampled vines. A boot print in the snow. Large, a man’s. Then a smaller one.

  He and Cord exchanged looks, silently agreeing to follow the prints. The smaller prints were smeared in places, indicating Ellie had slipped. Cord spotted a clump of vines that had been hacked away, and Derrick saw branches and brush tossed into a pile on the ground.

  The wind battered the tall pines, sending pine needles, melting snow and ice raining down on them. Derrick moved toward the pile of foliage. Someone had moved it and uncovered the opening of a mineshaft.

  Ellie.

  He motioned to Cord to stand guard while he checked it out. Derrick pulled his flashlight and held his gun at the ready as he inched inside the mine. Keeping his footfalls light, he paused at every turn and listened for sounds of someone inside.

  Nothing. No voices or cries for help.

  His stomach clenched. That could mean no one was here. Or they were already dead.

  No. He had to find Ellie and the girls alive. Make up for the mess he’d made by letting his emotions get in the way.

  Save the girls, because he’d failed to save his sister.

  Shining his light along the interior of the space, he searched the floors and walls and found a chamber with a mattress. An open box on the ground was full of pictures of the victims.

  Kim’s photograph was in there, but he didn’t, couldn’t, take time to dwell on it.

  He had to find Hiram and stop him once and for all.

  Maneuvering the next few feet of the tunnel, he found another room with a blanket, along with rope and food wrappers in a pile. Ellie’s gun lay to the side, indicating she’d been here and lost it. He picked it up, checked the safety then stowed it in his jacket pocket.

  It looked like there was another chamber further down the shaft. He moved towards it, but heard Cord call his name. “Agent Fox. Out here!”

  He hurried back to the entrance of the mine shaft and saw the ranger peering through binoculars. “Over there. I see something.”

  88.

  Ellie fought to rouse herself, but her eyes felt heavy, her head was throbbing, and every muscle in her body ached. Where were the girls?

  She managed to open one eye. But it was so dark she couldn’t see more than an inch in front of her. The suffocating sensation paralyzed her. Breathing grew impossible. She opened her mouth to drag in air, but Hiram had gagged her. Her hands and feet were still bound, the ropes clawing at her wrists. Still, she wriggled, searching for the girls. For an escape.

  Although now… she remembered.

  The hole… He’d shoved the girls in a hole in the mine floor and covered it with boards.

  Then he’d dragged her into the woods. The cold ground beneath her felt soft. Not like the floor of the mine shaft. Dirt. Brush. Snow.

  “I like to dig holes,” he’d said. “And hide things inside.”

  She’d screamed at him to release the girls, but he’d stuffed the rag into her mouth and slapped her so hard her head snapped backward. Then she’d passed out again. And now she was outside. Frigid air stung her face and darkness surrounded her.

  Get out of here. Penny and Chrissy need you.

  She struggled to move. But suddenly something soft and wet hit her in the face again. Then more of the same. Pebbles and dirt. Wet frozen earth and snow. She closed her eyes as it lashed her. Felt the heavy blanket of sludge on her body. Covering her legs and arms. Seeping through her clothes. Icy crystals stinging her cheeks.

  A terror-filled breath escaped her as the truth dawned on her.

  Oh, God… she wasn’t in the mine shaft. She was in the ground. He’d dug a grave and was burying her alive.

  89.

  Derrick crouched low as he inched closer to the area where Cord had spotted a figure. Peering through the tall weeds and vines, he scanned the woods and clearing for Ellie or the girls. He’d never seen so much snow and ice in his life.

  But he didn’t see Ellie or the girls.

  Instead, a man was humming as he shoveled dirt and snow, making a hole.

  Fear sliced through him, and he squinted to see if the man had a gun, but it was impossible to tell.

  With a flick of his hand, he motioned to Cord that Hiram was straight ahead. The ranger crept to the left while Derrick moved right.

  Seconds felt like minutes as they inched closer. Hiram seemed lost in his task and was mumbling something incoherent as he jammed the shovel into the ground, scooped up more of the frostbitten dirt and tossed it into the hole. A grave—he’s filling a grave.

  Derrick wove through the bushes. Whoever was inside that hole was half-buried already.

  Penny? Chrissy? Ellie?

  Was he too late?

  Focusing on his target, he raised his gun and moved quickly into the clearing. “FBI. Drop the shovel!”

  But he’d misjudged—gotten too close. Hiram spun around, swung the shovel at Derrick and knocked the gun from his hand. The gun fired, bullet pinging into the air. Then Hiram lunged toward him.

  Determined to stop him, Derrick rammed his head into the man’s face. Hiram made an animal sound and stumbled backward, his grip on the shovel loosening. Derrick took advantage, jerked the shovel away from him and punched the creep in the face. Blood spurted from the man’s nose, and he shoved at Derrick, but Derrick hit him so hard Hiram’s head lolled back. He fell like a tree, knocked cold.

  “Ellie!” Cord shouted her name over and over as he dropped to his knees and started digging at the grave. If Ellie was under there and still alive, she could suffocate. A fist-sized knot clogging his throat, Derrick left Hiram and raced to help Cord.

  He leaned over the edge of the hole and began to dig away the dirt with his hands. They couldn’t risk injuring her with the shovel, but how deep was she? Cord was raking the dirt away as fast as he could, repeatedly yelling Ellie’s name.

  Ellie could be asphyxiating now. Or already dead.

  Sweat beaded on Derrick’s neck as he worked, digging away layers of debris. Twigs, wet slush, twigs and fallen leaves. Ice. Snow. Another layer.

  “Come on, El!” Cord
shouted.

  A noise sounded behind Derrick. Brush and leaves crunching. He turned to see Hiram diving at him with a rock in his hand. Derrick rolled sideways to dodge the blow, raised his foot and kicked Hiram in the belly.

  Hiram recovered quickly and yanked Derrick backwards, but Derrick kicked him in the face. “Keep digging!” he shouted to Cord.

  Hiram came at him again, and they traded blow for blow, rolling across the frozen ground. A hard punch to his stomach made Derrick grunt, but he whipped Hiram backward with another blow to his gut, then another to his face. Blood dripped from the man’s nose and cheek. His eyes were wild. Crazed.

  The eyes of a killer.

  This man had taken Kim’s life. His little sister had been innocent and sweet and trusting. Now she was dead.

  Years of pent-up rage and grief fueled his temper. He grabbed Hiram’s arms and swept his legs, slamming him against the ground. The need for revenge intensified his strength and he straddled Hiram, punching him again and again.

  Hiram tried to buck him off, but Derrick pinned him down and continued to beat him. More blood. The man’s mouth went slack. His body gave way beneath Derrick. Legs went limp. Arms fell to his sides.

  All those innocent children’s faces flashed behind Derrick’s eyes. Kim’s. The futures they had stolen from them by this monster.

  Kim might have been married by now. Had a career. A family. His father might still be alive.

  So many families destroyed. So many broken hearts and homes. The urge to kill Hiram was so strong, he hit him again. Hiram didn’t deserve to live.

  He raised his fist to punch the man again, but Cord shouted, “I’ve got Ellie! Call an ambulance!”

  Cord’s shout broke through Derrick’s tirade. The ranger was lifting Ellie from the grave. Dirt covered her and her body was limp. Derrick’s blood turned hot with fury and the need to kill Hiram intensified. But his mother’s anguished face flashed behind his eyes. She’d lost Kim. Would she want him to murder Hiram and spend the rest of his life in jail?