by Nolan Thomas
“I’m okay. I’m just a little out of breath. My chest kind of hurts. It’s probably because of the smoke. I’ll be fine.”
Casey looked at her. She didn’t look bad for someone who had suffered smoke inhalation, and had been rescued from a fire earlier that evening, but she was pale. Riley needed to rest soon. Once Casey got her to Billy’s car, Riley could sleep.
Peeking through the glass in the metal door, Casey saw only a large, empty corridor. Even if some of the nuns did see them, they couldn’t possibly be any more dangerous than the Monster. With no reason to delay, and every reason to get the hell out of there, Casey pushed the bar on the putty-colored door and opened it. She had let go of Riley’s hand, but felt Riley slip her small fingers into the back pocket of Casey’s jeans, gripping it’s edge. She liked knowing Riley was right next to her without looking around.
Casey looked to her left and saw that the corridor widened and curved off to the left. With Riley attached, she moved out into the center of the corridor. From this vantage point, Casey could see they were no more than twenty feet from two large glass double doors that opened to a vestibule area, where two more large double doors led outside. Through the exterior door windows she even glimpsed concrete steps and a sidewalk—freedom.
Only a few more steps and they would be out of here. Casey didn’t even look to see if anyone was around. At this point it didn’t matter. They could make a run for it. She and Riley quickly moved in unison to the doors.
Casey pushed on the bar but it didn’t budge. She practically smacked into the glass. She moved to the other door and pushed, but it wouldn’t budge either. They were locked. Casey desperately surveyed the door frame to see if there was a bolt or something locking the door, but she found nothing. She pushed again on both doors as hard as she could. This time Riley helped her, but to no avail.
“Shit!” Casey said.
“Dang it!” Riley blurted as she kicked the door.
A female voice said, “You shouldn’t use that kind of language.”
45
CASEY FROZE. SHE TRIED TO turn around but her body wouldn’t cooperate.
Riley asked, “Are you a nun?”
“Yes, my child, I am. My name is Sister Clarisse.”
“You don’t look like a nun. I saw Sister Act and the nuns wore long black dresses with veils that covered their heads.”
Sister Clarisse smiled. “Some nuns dress like that, but not all nuns.”
In a more serious tone, Sister Clarisse continued, “What is your name, my child, and what are you and your mother doing here?”
“My name is Riley. She’s not my mother. She’s Casey, and she’s helping me run away from the Monster who’s trying to kill me.”
When Casey turned around she found a lovely elderly lady, probably in her eighties, with beautiful white hair cropped close around her face. Her skin was pale and almost transparent, yet there was a glow of pink in her cheeks and a twinkle in her hazel eyes. She wore a pink housecoat and matching slippers.
“The Monster?” she said, looking at Casey.
Casey didn’t know how to begin to explain their situation to Sister Clarisse. It sounded crazy even to Casey, who was up to her eyeballs in all this. How would it sound to someone who found you trespassing in her home?
“My name is Casey Callahan, and I work for Senator Hennessey. It’s a very long story, Sister, and I don’t have time to explain everything right now. I can tell you the FBI and the MPD are involved in the investigation. The woman we’re running from already tried to kill Riley earlier this evening. I think she’s following us now. A car is waiting for us in the emergency room parking lot, but we haven’t been able to get out of the building yet. Please, Sister, can you open the doors to let us out?”
The nun looked at Casey and then Riley. She crossed herself saying, “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph protect us.”
Sister Clarisse spent her whole life loving and caring for people. She was a trusting and generous soul, and tonight would be no exception. Besides, this story was just crazy enough to be true. She explained there was a private entrance for the Sisters in the residential wing of the convent. That exit was much closer to the emergency room parking lot.
Sister Clarisse turned around saying, “Follow me.”
Casey had difficulty fighting back the tears as relief flooded through her. This wonderful woman willingly risked her own life to help them.
Sister Clarisse rooted around in the pocket of her housecoat and came out with a set of keys. She quickly selected one and unlocked the door. Casey grabbed Riley’s hand and followed Sister Clarisse through the entranceway that led to the nun’s residential quarters. As the trio moved down the hallway, it was surprisingly difficult to keep up with Sister Clarisse’s quick pace.
Suddenly, the doors behind them crashed open, hitting the wall hard enough to leave a dent.
“Go with God. The exit door is at the end of this hall, then a slight turn to your right. It has a deadbolt lock. All you have to do is turn the latch.”
Riley started to scream. Casey grabbed her around the waist.
“Go!” Sister Clarisse shouted. “Go now!”
They ran.
As Casey turned the door latch, she saw Sister Clarisse run towards Kathryn Dixon. With her housecoat billowing she looked like an angel God had placed between Riley and the Monster.
Casey got the door open and swung Riley around through it.
Dixon was within striking distance. Riley began coughing and wheezing, so Casey scooped her up into her arms and continued running towards the emergency room parking lot. Although much closer than Casey thought it would be, it was still awfully far for a woman carrying a terrified ten-year-old girl. Just when Casey thought she would collapse from the weight, Billy grabbed Riley from her arms.
At that moment, a shot rang out from the convent.
46
ROLINSKA QUIETLY ASCENDED THE STAIRS. When she reached the top of the landing, she saw no one. Easing the door open, she slid through it, staying close to the wall. Rolinska heard the murmuring sound of voices moving away from her. With her body tight against the wall she slowly moved to a corner on her left, bent slightly, and peered around the corner. A door slowly closed, eventually cutting off the voices.
Although Rolinska moved swiftly, she wasn’t able to get to the door before it latched. It was a metal door, but the lock was obviously flimsy. Rolinska bent her knees and sunk her center of gravity to maximize the force of her kick. Coiling up with her right leg, she delivered the force of her body weight behind the strike. The door bolted open without even a feeble attempt at resistance, like a victim cowering from an attacker.
At the far end of the hallway she saw Casey and Riley talking with an old lady in a pink robe. The old lady started to run towards her. She looked like a comic book character with her robe billowing around her.
There was only one way for this cartoon to end. Rolinska reached across her body and pulled the Grach from her shoulder rig. The stupid bitch still ran towards her. Rolinska wasn’t sure what the old lady mumbled, but it sounded like some sort of prayer.
“Pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death,” Rolinska said, as she raised the pistol, pointed it directly at Sister Clarisse, and fired.
47
BILLY FELT RILEY’S BODY SHUDDER when the shot rang out.
“The Jeep is just over here,” Billy called out to Casey.
They both raced to Billy’s Jeep not more than ten or fifteen feet away. Jeremiah pulled the car closer. Casey grabbed the backseat door handle and jumped in. Billy gently, but quickly, placed Riley next to Casey. He slammed the door, then grabbed the front passenger door handle.
“Go! Go! Shots fired!” he yelled as he opened the door.
Jeremiah accelerated even before Billy got in the car. Still in top shape, Billy easily jumped in. Jeremiah cleared the parking lot before Billy got the door closed, then peeled on to the main thoroughfare, heading for the interstate
.
“You handle this thing like an experienced getaway driver,” Billy said.
“You complaining?”
“No. I’m grateful.”
No one spoke for a while. Riley’s painful sobs drowned out the Jeep’s whirring engine and traffic noise.
Jeremiah and Billy continually scanned the mirrors, searching for signs of a tail.
“Sh…she’s dead, isn’t she?” Riley cried. “That Monster shot Sister Clarisse, didn’t she?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart,” Casey said.
“I know!” Riley said, anger boiling and mixing with her grief. “You don’t have to live in a car for long to know what gunshots sound like.”
Riley dropped her head and began crying again. “First my mom dies. Then that creepy Judge wants to hurt me. Then Rocky, my best friend in the whole world, gets hurt and I can’t go see him. I don’t even know if he’s going to survive. And now the Monster shot that wonderful Sister Clarisse.”
Riley fell sideways, laying her head on Casey’s lap. She pulled her knees to her chest with her feet on the seat. Casey soothingly stroked Riley’s hair. This kid had already suffered more loss and trauma than most people did their entire lives.
Billy wiped at a tear rolling down his cheek. Jeremiah grabbed some Kleenex and blew his nose.
Soon Riley’s slow, deep breaths indicated exhausted sleep.
“Jesus, Casey, did Dixon really kill a nun?” Billy asked.
“I’m pretty sure she did. I saw Sister Clarisse run straight at the Monster. She sacrificed herself to give us time to get out of there.”
“May she rest in peace,” Jeremiah said.
They all said, “Amen.”
“Why do you and Riley call her the Monster?” Jeremiah asked.
“That’s the name Riley gave her. She got very upset when I referred to her as her Aunt Dixie.”
“Can’t say that I blame her,” Jeremiah said. “Seems like she picked an appropriate name.”
“Did you get a look at Dixon’s face?” Billy asked.
“No, I never did. Sister Clarisse was in my field of vision. Where are we headed?”
“I’ve got a place up in the mountains. It’s small, but it’s got everything we need”
“By the way,” Billy said, “Casey, this is my boss, Jeremiah Robinson. Jeremiah, this is Casey Callahan. I know I’ve told you both a lot about each other, but I guess this is your first official meeting.”
“Hey, Jeremiah. Not the best of circumstances, but I’m real glad you’re here. Billy speaks so highly of you. I feel as if I already know you.”
“Same here.”
“As soon as we get to Jeremiah’s place, I’ll give Vince a call and let him know you and Riley are safe.” Billy said. “We’ll get an update from him. I’ve left him a couple of messages, but I haven’t heard back yet.”
“Hopefully that update includes Dixon’s capture,” Casey said. “How much longer until we get there?”
“We’re starting to head up into the mountains now,” Jeremiah said. “Maybe another twenty minutes, give or take a few minutes.”
“Good. I’m worried about Riley’s recovery, but I had to get her out of there. She wasn’t safe in the hospital.”
“You did the right thing, Casey,” Billy said. “You saved her life.”
“Is Riley the only person we know of that can identify this Dixon woman?” Jeremiah asked, nodding his head towards the back seat.
Billy nodded. “As far as we know.”
They rode in silence the rest of the trip, leaving the DC congestion behind.
“Doesn’t look like there are many people around here,” Casey said.
“You’re absolutely right,” Jeremiah said. “That’s what attracted me to the place. If I want to be around people, I can stay in Chicago.”
“Do you have plumbing?” Casey asked. She wasn’t much of a camper and the idea of spending time in some little cabin in the woods was pretty damn close to camping in her book.
Jeremiah and Billy looked at each other and grinned.
“Yep, I reckon I do. I’ve got a few other luxuries like candles and flashlights.”
“Casey’s always been a city girl,” Billy said. “Even when we were little kids, she never wanted to sleep in a tent in the back yard. She was the only kid I knew who didn’t like s’mores.”
Jeremiah turned the car onto a curving drive lined with pine trees. The driveway was about a quarter of a mile long. He pulled the car close to the front steps and turned off the ignition.
“Turn the Jeep back on, Jeremiah,” Billy said. “Lock the doors and wait in here. I’m going to take a quick hike to the end of the driveway and make sure we weren’t followed. Then I’ll go into the place and turn some lights on so you guys don’t have to come into a dark house. If you don’t see me come back in five minutes, get the hell out of here.”
Jeremiah nodded as Billy jumped out of the car. As soon as Billy closed the Jeep door, Jeremiah pushed the automatic lock button.
Awake now, Riley asked, “Why aren’t we getting out of the car?”
“Billy wanted to go in first so he could turn the lights on for us,” Jeremiah said.
“Then why did he go back down the driveway instead of in the house?”
“Well, uh…uh, you’re pretty observant,” Jeremiah said, not knowing how to answer her. He didn’t want to frighten her. She’d been through quite enough already.
“Yes I am,” Riley said. “I might be a detective when I grow up, so I try to notice things. Like I’m noticing right now that you don’t want to tell me the truth.”
“I’m not lying to you,” Jeremiah said. This kid was a little disconcerting, a thirty-year-old trapped in a ten-year-old body.
“I didn’t say you were lying. I said you don’t want to tell me the truth.”
Jeremiah said nothing, so Riley continued, “Anyway, you also locked the doors. That means you’re afraid of something. Do you think Aunt Kat--, I mean the Monster, followed us here?”
Jeremiah hesitated and then decided there was only one way to deal with Riley—the truth.
“Billy and I don’t think she followed us. We kept our eyes open the entire trip and never saw anyone. But the Monster is dangerous and very tricky, so we don’t want to take any chances.”
“She’s definitely very tricky. She made me believe that she cared about me and that I was safe with her. I was so stupid.”
“You weren’t stupid,” Casey said. “She took advantage of you.”
“There’s no possible way you could have known. Even the police are having trouble figuring out who she really is,” Jeremiah said. “What you are, Riley, is brave. Very smart and very brave.”
“Thanks. You’re a nice person. I like you.”
Billy walked by the car and gave the thumbs up signal. He walked up the stairs into the house. In just a few moments, lights illuminated the front windows. Casey expected some rickety old shack, not this beautiful log cabin. The lighted windows gave it the appearance of a scene from a Disney movie. They got out of the car and Riley raced up the stairs in front of them.
Surprised by this warm, inviting home, Casey slapped Billy on the arm. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what? How was I supposed to know? I’ve never been here before.”
“You knew,” Casey said. “I can tell by that fake innocence of yours that you knew.”
“Jeremiah. What’s the story behind this place?” Billy asked. “I never pegged a city guy like you to have a cabin in the mountains.”
“This was all Gloria, Billy. Her whole family is from DC and Virginia. She moved to Chicago when we got married, but she missed her family. We traveled back here so often, we figured it would be cheaper just to get a place. The kids loved it up here. I still often fly out, even just for a weekend. I feel close to her out here.”
Billy remembered Gloria. Such a warm and vibrant woman. She stayed strong until the very end. Cancer won.
“Are you kidding me? That woman would have kicked my ass if I didn’t help you out!”
The Robinsons’ cabin consisted of one large room with oak hardwood throughout. A staircase on the far side of the room led to an open loft bedroom with a master bathroom. The kitchen, with black cabinets and white counters, nestled beneath the loft. The appliances weren’t old, but made to look old-fashioned, a stunning shade of cherry red. A free-standing island with four red-leather stools separated the living room from the kitchen. A large, chocolate-colored sofa sat in the center of the house, facing away from the kitchen. Two comfortable-looking oversized chairs sat on either side of the couch. A small office space in the far corner of the room had both a laptop and desktop computer.
Wide-eyed Riley said, “This place is totally awesome. If I’m not a detective, I might be a decorator when I grow up.”
“People shouldn’t limit themselves in life. No reason a smart girl like you can’t be a decorator and a detective,” Jeremiah said.
Riley smiled and nodded her approval. She liked the way Jeremiah thought.
She surveyed the home, soaking up every detail. Then her heart leapt in her chest and she squealed with delight. A forty-two-inch flat-screen TV was mounted above a stone fireplace.
“Oh . . . my . . . God!” Riley exclaimed, doing some sort of dance that resembled a jumping bean.
“Tell me you have cable. Oh, please, please,” she said bringing her hands together in a praying gesture and looking up to the heavens.
“No cable out here, honey,” Jeremiah said. Riley stopped. Her shoulders drooped.
Jeremiah grinned. “But I got satellite!” Riley squealed and started dancing again.
“There’s another TV up in the bedroom. I figure you and Casey can sleep up there. This couch here pulls out into a bed. Billy and I can bunk down here.”
Riley threw her arms around Jeremiah and hugged him tight. Jeremiah wrapped his arms as best he could around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze back.