Toxin Alert

by Tyler Anne Snell

  “I think the word you mean is ‘ever.’”

  He smiled as he said it because there was no version of him that would ever talk down to or about the Tucketts. They’d given him a safe place to learn who he was and what he wanted out of life, only ever asking for hard work and respect in return. Both of which he’d been glad to give as he made a place in the world for himself.

  Gina tossed a pen from the counter at him. It was a playful move that he laughed at as he dodged the projectile. It hit the floor and skidded into a box sitting on the floor of the open pantry. Gina leaned over to get a better view of it.

  “Is that our old Christmas box?”

  Noah had never been one to blush, but he did feel some heat move up his neck. He’d forgotten to hide it before Gina had come in for a break.

  “Yeah. I was moving some things around in the attic and found it.”

  He went to the box, gently pushed it into the pantry, and shut the door. Out of sight, out of mind.

  But not for Gina Tuckett.

  She was the hare after the carrot.

  “But why is it in the kitchen and not the attic?”

  Noah could have lied, maybe should have, but there was no use hiding from the truth. Not with the woman who was basically his older sister.

  “Carly was down about missing out again this year on the holiday spirit, and it doesn’t help she landed a case in the middle of an almost-entire town that doesn’t celebrate. So I thought I’d look to see if I couldn’t put up some more decorations. It’s the least I can do.”

  Gina’s eyes narrowed. Not necessarily in a bad way, just an analytical one. She opened her mouth to, no doubt, dive into the reason behind his actions when a knock sounded against the front door.

  All curiosity went from questioning the good to worrying about the bad. They shared a look, then Gina was off of her stool and scooping up her shotgun. Noah grabbed the iron skillet he’d been about to prepare, then led the way to the front. After all that had happened so far, neither of them were taking any chances.

  On either side of the oak door were two narrow floor-to-ceiling windows. Through one of them, Noah saw who their unexpected guest was.

  “I can count on one hand how many times he’s been to this house in the last decade or so.” Gina’s voice had gone sour. Noah had a more complicated reaction within him.

  Noah made her lower her weapon and handed over the skillet.

  Then he opened the door, not at all knowing what to expect.

  “Dad?”

  Samuel Miller wasn’t a large man, but he was solid. An entire life of working with his hands, a life spent avoiding help or shortcuts combined with a loyalty and dedication to his beliefs, made him a presence stronger than any Noah had ever encountered. Then again, maybe Noah’s perspective was skewed considering he’d grown up around the man.

  And then disappointed him by leaving the faith and life he’d cherished above all.

  Now his father stroked his beard and looked as uncomfortable as Noah was confused. He gave Gina an equally uncomfortable nod of hello.

  Then he was back to his son.

  “I need to talk to you. It could be important.”

  He glanced back at Gina.

  “I’ll go make sure the kitchen doesn’t burn down,” she said, catching the hint. “Yell if you need me.”

  When she was gone, Noah motioned inside.

  “Do you want to come in? We can go to the office.”

  His father shook his head and instead took a step back.

  “Out here is fine.”

  Noah wanted to ask if being so close to where his son lived, and Noah himself, offended his father that much but decided now wasn’t the time. Even if it had been, it wouldn’t have mattered.

  Like Gina said, his father had only ever been to the Tuckett farm a handful of times since Noah had moved in. Nothing had changed when Noah had taken the farm over, either.

  “What’s going on?” he asked, moving so they were in front of two rocking chairs that Mr. and Mrs. Tuckett used to sit in on Sunday nights after dinner.

  His father stroked his beard again.

  He didn’t like what he was about to say. That much was clear.

  “Your brother, Thomas, came to me earlier today and said he hadn’t seen Aaron in two days.”

  Noah’s brow furrowed. The name sounded familiar, but with everything going on it was harder to place than normal. His father helped him out.

  “Aaron is Abram’s youngest son.”

  Noah cocked his head to the side a bit.

  “Abram Lapp’s son? As in David Lapp’s brother?”

  His father nodded.

  “Your mother heard about the investigation into David and your talk with Abram, so I wanted to make sure everything was okay with them myself,” he continued. “So I went to talk to Abram. He was still out working, but I found his wife, Willa.” He let out a long breath and looked like he’d rather be any place but right there, telling an outsider his problems. “I’ve known her as long as I’ve known your mother and I can tell you something was wrong.”

  “As in she didn’t know where Aaron was, either?”

  “As in she told me to leave and not come back after I expressed concern.”

  “Did she ever say where Aaron was?”

  His father shook his head.

  “No. Given everything that’s been happening, I thought to come to you with this.” He started to say something but must have changed his mind. “Aaron is a good boy, Noah. We need to make sure he’s okay.”

  “Agreed. Come inside so I can call Carly.”

  His father didn’t fight the offer, but Gina met them in the hallway before they could make it to the kitchen. She already had his phone.

  “An unknown number is calling.”

  Noah took the phone. He didn’t have time to wonder whom it could be before a man’s voice came through with such acute concern, Noah’s gut hardened into worry.

  “Is this Noah Miller?” the man asked by way of hello.

  “Yes, and this is?”

  “It’s Axel. Agent Morrow.” Noah was about to ask what he could do for the man, but Axel barreled into the reason for the call. Then the worry made sense. “Is Carly with you?”

  “No. She’s not.”

  There was no hesitation.

  “Do you know where she is? When’s the last time you talked to her?”

  Noah didn’t like these questions.

  Gina and his father both watched his expression with concern.

  “The last time I saw her was when I dropped her off at David Lapp’s house to talk to you.”

  “So you don’t know where she is.”

  “No. You don’t?”

  Axel let out a string of expletives that would have tested the faith. Noah was close to it himself when the agent answered.

  “No, we don’t. She was at the barn the last we talked. Then she was supposed to meet us here at The Grand Casino an hour ago. Now no one can get a hold of her.”

  “Let me guess, she doesn’t normally do this on a case.”

  “No. She never does this.”

  Noah went back to the kitchen and grabbed his keys. Gina and his father followed. Both of their eyes widened when he grabbed the shotgun.

  “Then it’s time we find her.”

  * * *

  CARLY HAD MADE a mistake in letting the beautiful scenery lull her into a false sense of security. She wasn’t in a postcard. She wasn’t vacationing with her adopted parents or spending the weekend buying beautiful handmade furniture at an Amish market.

  No. She was investigating a biological attack on a community.

  And it had been naive to think them all innocent.

  That had been another mistake she’d managed to make. She’d forsaken years of cauti
on, skepticism and the perspective to see the big picture beyond the details.

  Now the years of personal and professional experience were flooding back in, like a river reclaiming the land past the dam it had just broken through.

  Carly had made a mistake.

  And she was about to find out how much it was going to cost her.

  The breeze picked up and pushed a sheet of her hair along her cheek as she followed the Amish woman through a field to a barn after Carly had driven her to this spot. She didn’t move it out of the way. Her focus had become a net, one she threw around the barn and now was pulling back to her. She was listening for a snag. Something out of place. A clue. A reason why her gut had gone from calm to alert in a second flat.

  And why the woman who had led her there hadn’t yet given her name.

  Carly unholstered her gun, but kept it low at her side.

  The moment she pulled it out was the moment she realized it wasn’t loaded.

  How was it not loaded?

  How had she not noticed?

  You put the holster on with it still in there this morning. But did you actually hold the gun?

  Carly didn’t have an answer for either.

  But she hazarded a guess as to who the stranger was walking ahead of her, leading them to the side door of the abandoned barn. It was a half mile from the stretch of road that Carly and Noah had inspected earlier that day.

  The Kellogg property.

  The abandoned barn they hadn’t yet checked.

  “I never caught your name,” Carly stalled, attention still sweeping the area as best she could.

  The woman kept walking. She hadn’t been a fan of looking Carly in the face.

  Not a sign of being shy or reserved.

  It was something more.

  How did you not see it before?

  “Oh, I’m Katherine.”

  Her words were flighty.

  Adrenaline.

  Fear.

  Guilt.

  The closer they got to the door, the more she was losing the facade of innocence that had made Carly feel safe.

  That had made Carly underestimate her.

  “I don’t think it is.”

  The woman hesitated. The door was a few feet from them. She walked to it, but stopped before her hand could go for the handle. Carly lowered her voice to a whisper only they could hear.

  A few of the puzzle pieces to the larger picture were falling into place.

  Too bad Carly was alone for it.

  “I think you’re David Lapp’s mother, Willa.” The woman turned to look at Carly so quickly she almost flinched.

  She was definitely afraid.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Carly made a show of holstering her gun. Not that it would do much harm without the bullets. Another problem for another time.

  She held up her hands to show she was harmless and took a slow few steps forward.

  “I think that you’re David Lapp’s mother, and whatever is inside of this barn is a trap. I’m guessing from the man who’s looking for him or maybe the man who already has him.” She took another small step forward. This was the woman Carly had seen through the window of the Lapp house when they’d tried asking questions about David Lapp. “Because I think the only leverage that would make a woman forsake her faith, lie and be a bystander to violence is a serious threat to that woman’s family.”

  The woman glanced at the door, then back at Carly.

  “You have to go into the barn,” she stated. Like she was reading a script.

  Carly was just as firm.

  “I’m not going into that barn.”

  The woman, who now Carly was positive was Willa Lapp, shook her head.

  “You are going into that barn.”

  “It doesn’t have to be this way, Willa.” Carly reached for her phone.

  No one knew where she was. Not her team.

  Not her boss.

  And not Noah.

  “I can help you,” Carly stalled. “I can help David.”

  Willa shook her head. Fear, guilt, anger. Carly couldn’t tell what she was looking at anymore, but when Willa spoke Carly knew what she was hearing.

  A mother who loved her son.

  “He was missing for two days before I found a cell phone with the video of him being taken on it. You showed up three days later.” She shook her head. “You are late to this game, Agent Welsh, and I’m not willing to bet his life on you being better at it than him.”

  Carly should have run.

  Or fought.

  She should have done something the second Willa opened up.

  But those damn answers were there again, taunting her.

  So, Carly rolled the dice and tried to get some.

  “Him? Him who? Rodney Lee?”

  Willa was good. She looked like she was thinking about answering when really she was just stalling. When her eyes skirted over Carly’s shoulder, it was already too late.

  Carly had made mistakes.

  And her life was now the cost.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Waking up in pain was a shock to the system.

  Waking up in pain and seeing someone you didn’t expect to see, staring at you, was another one.

  Waking up in pain and finding yourself hanging from a complicated pulley system where your wrists were bound around a giant metal hook?

  Well, that was a nightmare within a nightmare.

  Carly’s head was throbbing as the details lined up with the pain she was feeling. On reflex, she wrapped her fingers around the hook so that the weight was off of her wrists alone. That alleviated some of the pain.

  But definitely not all of it.

  Carly sucked in a breath as she looked down.

  Three details filtered in late.

  All of them were terrifying.

  She was hanging a few feet off the ground, above what looked like snow but she knew instantly was none other than the poison that had brought her to Potter’s Creek in the first place.

  Anthrax.

  It coated the barn floor beneath her in a messy circle.

  That alone would have made her blood run cold.

  But then there was the detail that her jacket was no longer on her.

  Neither were her shirt, jeans, socks or shoes.

  She was hanging there in her black set of underwear, cold air against her skin.

  Another not-so-great development.

  Yet, the third detail that combined with her pounding headache changed everything.

  She’d been cut along the tops of her thighs and, what felt like, her back. Not too deep, not a lot of blood, but definitely three lines of open wounds.

  Which meant that Carly was absolutely exposed to a biological agent that killed through exposure.

  And the person who had set up the theatrical trap?

  They knew the fastest way to kill someone with the poison.

  For the briefest of moments, Carly thought about her mother, but then a man cleared his throat from a chair near the side door.

  Carly wasn’t surprised that Rodney Lee was leaning back with a gun resting against his leg and a smirk on his lips.

  “I got worried you were hit too hard and weren’t going to wake up.” His eyes scanned her body up and down. If she wasn’t bouncing between pain, fear and anger, she might have added disgust to the list. “Not even the knife got you going.”

  Carly took her own time to look around.

  Willa was nowhere to be seen.

  “Don’t worry, your friends won’t interrupt us,” Rodney continued. “It’ll take your team half an hour, at least, to get back from the city. That’s if they even know where to look. That’s the good and bad thing about not being local. We’re al
l just bumping around in the dark after a while.”

  Carly didn’t like how Rodney had gone from the behemoth in the woods, all aggression, to a man who sounded like he was enjoying hearing himself speak.

  She was in pain.

  And extreme danger.

  She didn’t have the patience to listen to the bad guy banter with himself.

  So she got to the point.

  Or a point.

  “Why did you attack the Amish? Was it punishment for David Lapp helping Talia escape from you?”

  Rodney was a hundred or so feet away from her, from the anthrax. Even at that distance, she saw the anger in him flare to life at the mention of David’s name.

  “Talia didn’t escape from me. He tricked her. Took advantage of her. I’m the one who’s trying to save her.”

  That was surprising, a feeling that was starting to lose its edge on account of how many surprises had been springing up since arriving in Potter’s Creek.

  Did that mean that he still hadn’t found Talia?

  What did that mean for David?

  “So you haven’t saved her yet?”

  Rodney growled—actually growled—at her.

  “That little punk hid her like it’s some kind of game. And you think I’m the dangerous one.”

  Carly winced as the cold air made her shiver.

  If any of the powder kicked up and made it to her...

  Adrenaline surged through her again. It was going to exhaust her faster than her fear.

  How was she going to get out of this?

  You can’t do it alone.

  The one resounding internal thought chilled her even more because it was right. She needed help to get out of this without being infected.

  She needed her team.

  She just hoped they’d raised the red flag when she hadn’t turned up at the casino. Though she didn’t know how long she’d been in the barn unconscious. If Rodney had already set up the trap before she’d gotten there, then hoisting her up on the pulley and spreading the powder had to have taken some time, especially if he was to remain safe from the deadly substance.

  Stalling until they found her was her best bet.

  “Where did you get the anthrax?” she asked. “It’s not the easiest thing to get, even on the black market. Or to know how to deal with safely.”