Captured Lies

by Maggie Thom

Bailey looked at her shining knight leaning against her rock, his head tucked in an uncomfortable position against his shoulder and chest. He was going to have a few kinks when he woke up.

  Rubbing her face with her hands, she tried to remove the dried tracks her tears had left. Here, she'd been happy. Any flashes she had were of her smiling, giggling, running, playing. Those were not memories that she generally had of her childhood. Until she'd found this place, she'd never known she'd had moments like that. The pictures on the walls of Lund's office had started it. The memories had flooded back so fast, she'd almost been paralyzed. She didn't know what she'd find but she knew that she had to find this place. The sketchy details she'd gotten from stuff in his office had sent her to Jasper. The Jump Drive had given her the rest of how to find this area. What was this place? And how come they stopped going there?

  "Bailey, get back from the water."

  "Momma, baby fish."

  "Yes there are lots, Bails. Now come back from the edge."

  "Shiny, Momma."

  "Yes Bails, they're shiny."

  "Catch some."

  "We've got to go, Bails."

  "Noooooooooooooooooo. Momma." She cried and she screamed and stared out the back window of the car as they drove away.

  It had become the routine of her childhood. Only she'd learned to stop screaming. At least so anyone could hear. Wiping her hands over her cheeks she removed any traces of her emotions before sliding down off the rock, careful to be quiet so as not to disturb Guy. He had his eyes closed. She just couldn't tell if he was sleeping or just enjoying the quiet solitude. She walked to the edge of the stream. Scooping up some water she splashed her face. The chill of the recently thawed stream penetrated her dulled senses.

  As she stared down, a memory flitted at the edge of her thoughts, like the quick vibration of the humming bird's wings, very quick and elusive. Placing her hand on the edge of the rock she walked around the other side, stepping carefully over the snow so she wouldn't slip on the hidden stones and shrubs that lay underneath. She headed back to the cabin. The pull from it had been incredible when she'd passed it when they'd first arrived but she'd known that she hadn't been strong enough to go in there yet. Something told her that there were answers there. She just wasn't sure she was ready for them.

  Although she hadn't had much time to look at the Jump Drive, it had been enough to know that she needed to spend a few hours looking through all that Mr. Lund had kept on it. There hadn't been anything about her mother. At least there was no file for a Donna Saunders. But there had been something about this cabin. If Guy hadn't come when he had she'd have found out what it was. The directions to get there had been laid out fairly clearly though, in her mom's note. Her memory of this place was very strong. No distinct pictures, just a sense of fun, of safety...of something bad.

  You lied, Mr. Lund. He had told her that the cabin was in Alberta and that he no longer owned it.

  As she looked at the padlock, a memory flitted through her mind. It didn't stick around long enough for her to catch it though. Without the key she couldn't get in so she checked the obvious places, around the door and window frames and every nook and cranny the logs offered but she came up empty. There was nowhere else on the building for her to check. Looking around, her attention was snagged by the SUV. As if it was happening now, she could see two cars parked in the cleared area. There was always two cars. No faces would come to mind but there was a man. He'd walk away and when he'd come back he'd open the door.

  She knew she was looking for a pine needle in a forest but she had to try to find what seemed to be the only way into the cabin. She headed back to the water. Guy was nowhere in sight. His footprints in the snow indicated that he was following the stream. A huge yawn caught her off guard. Not ready to give in to the fatigue that was weighing her down, she continued to scout the area.

  Where would someone hide a key? Why do I think it's here?

  Ten minutes later, after flipping over every stone, looking around every bush, she realized that she'd been wrong. Slumping against the rock she'd sat on earlier, she slammed her fist against her thigh in frustration.

  "It has to be here, dammit!"

  "Weren't you the one who was giving me a lecture about swearing?"

  "Jesus." She jerked around to face her wandering tag-along.

  "No, actually I'm not but I can see how you could make that mistake. Again."

  She stared at him for a few seconds, before his joke clicked for her. She laughed. It was a breathless, you've-got-to-be-kidding kind of laugh. But it wouldn't stop. It was like it had taken hold of her and wouldn't let her go. Finally, she wound down and sank bonelessly to the ground.

  "Uhm. I'm glad you found that funny."

  "I?" She burst into tears. Horrified, she glanced at Guy before scrambling to her feet in an effort to take off. But he was faster. He grabbed her and pulled her to his chest. At first she was rigid, refusing any comfort. But since he wasn't going away nor letting her go, she gave in and sagged against him.

  She cried, and cried, and cried. When she finished, she felt as wrung out as a rag that had been put through an old ringer washer. Trying to find some strength to stand on her own two feet she weakly pushed against his chest. He didn't budge. Instead he guided her to sit on the stone and with his arm still around her he sat beside her. He was leaving it up to her as to how much she took from him. Liking the feeling of his strength she leaned against his side.

  "Tell me about this place."

  "I don't know much except I was happy here. I only came here a few times when I was small."

  The picture in Mr. Lund's office flashed through her mind and she made the connection. Jumping up, she tore off through the trees. Guy was soon crashing behind her. Coming upon the clearing she stopped for a moment. It didn't look quite right. She moved around looking at it from all angles. Finally when she reached the road coming in and looked back at the cabin, she was sure that was where the picture had been taken. There were many changes, the cabin no longer had its new polished look. The ground was no longer cleared. Stacks of wood were missing. But it was the place. "Mr. Lund."

  "What about him?"

  Startled, she stared at him. How much do I tell him?

  "He?" She realized that she was tired, tired of always hiding, always telling only partial truths, always being on guard. That had been her whole life and look where it had gotten her. "He was my mom's lawyer. But it's not him I remember. He has this picture but it's not him. I know it."

  Seeing his puzzled face she realized she hadn't made much sense. "Mr. Lund has a photo of this view in his office. So I'm guessing it was his place. But he's not the man I remember. The man I remember, although he has no face, he was a happy person. Mr. Lund just doesn't strike me as the one I remember."

  A bird chirped, catching Bailey's attention. "The bird house." She jumped to her feet and ran through the trees around the shack before stopping and listening. The Robin chirped, again. She looked off to her right and then up.

  "There." She pointed high in the tree. "How are you at climbing?"

  He tilted his head way back. "Is there a reason I need to get up there?"

  Smiling, she turned to him. "Yep. The key to the cabin is up there."

  "You're sure?"

  She nodded.

  Ten minutes later, a few scrapes and several cuss words, Guy scaled back down the tree. Looped around his finger was the prize, which had been tucked away in the tiny wooden structure, fifteen feet off the ground. Bailey slid it off his hand and stuck the key into the rusty lock. Taking a deep breath she turned it and nothing happened. She tried again and again. Cussing, she kicked the door.

  Ignoring her protests, he reached around her and took it out of her hands. He jimmied it a few times. Nothing. She had a sinking feeling it wasn't going to do anything. Swearing, she took off but was back within a few seconds.

  "Move!"

  He pulled back just in time as the tire iron she'd taken from the
rented vehicle came slamming down on the lock. A few whacks later it sprung open. Grabbing the door knob she turned the handle and pushed. It didn't budge. She raised the metal iron in her hand, ready to start hitting it again.

  Guy grabbed her wrists, stopping her. "Let me." Dropping his shoulder, he slammed it against the solid door which scraped heavily against the floor, moving only a few inches. He grabbed the edge of the door, lifting and pushing at the same time. It soon opened enough so that they could squeeze through.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE