The Lilac Code

by Becki Willis

  “We don’t have a minute! We have to go NOW!” Madison took off running, pulling the innkeeper along with her.

  Genny did damage control, apologizing to the stunned onlookers. “Sorry! Family emergency!” She was right on their heels.

  “Percy, there’s no time for explanations, just take these ladies where they want to go.”

  His eyes fell upon Genny and he broke out in a smile. “Why, certainly. What—”

  “Not now, Romeo,” Genny said, grabbing his arm. “Come on!”

  “Call your friend,” Madison said over her shoulder, “but do not call the police. Promise me.” Her eyes bore into the innkeeper’s.

  “I—I promise.”

  “The old cotton mill. Call her!” she barked as she backed out the door.

  “The antique mall complex?” Percy asked, more than a little confused, but happy to have Genny still tugging on his arm. He’d go anywhere she led.

  “Yes. Get us there as fast as you can.”

  “I know a short cut.”

  Percy claimed it was a shortcut, but to Madison, it seemed to take forever.

  The businesses were closed for the evening. Even though the buildings glowed from within, the complex was dark when they arrived, bathed more in shadow than in light. Security lamps offered random pools of light, the only thing pushing back against the black cover of night. Only the wind stirred. The light mist from earlier had given way to tiny shards of ice falling from the sky.

  The ice bit into Madison’s skin as she jumped from the van. Seeing the property lit at night, she realized how massive the complex was. A pit formed in her belly. Finding her grandmother wouldn’t be as simple as she thought.

  She turned back only long enough to address their driver. “Percy, you know what to do.”

  Eyes large with fright, the man nodded his head. “I have both your numbers. I’ll text if I see anyone.” His eyes darted into the night and skittered away without meeting Genny’s gaze. With clear reluctance, he gulped and made a half-hearted attempt at gallantry. “I—I could go with you.”

  “No. Stick to the plan. You’re our lookout.”

  Obviously relieved, Percy reached into the floor behind him. “Don’t forget the rope.”

  Percy carried a length of rope and chains in the back of the van, necessities for ice-slick roads and snowy terrain. The chain was too heavy for the women to carry, but Genny hoisted the rope coil onto her shoulder and quietly shut the door behind them. While Percy found a darkened parking space with optimum line of sight, Madison and Genny slipped into the shadows that edged the old structure.

  “What did you say this place was?” Genny whispered, eying the massive building on their right. Made partially of stone, partially of brick, she imagined it would be intriguing in the daylight. At night, under these circumstances, it was overwhelmingly large and oppressive.

  “An old textile mill, turned into a neat assortment of shops and restaurants,” Madison answered, keeping her voice low. While en route, she studied a map of the complex and committed it to memory. It took a moment now to get her bearings, but after a moment of contemplation, Madison pointed to the huge stone and brick building. “This is the Carding Building. We need the backside of Old Weave, the next building over.”

  Percy had deposited them at the side of the complex, rather than front and center where they would be more easily seen. The drive narrowed into little more than a paved alley. Madison started down it, staying closer to the tree line than to the grassy knoll sloping down from Carding. “I think I can make out the old smoke stack ahead, so we’re headed in the right direction. I recognized the pit where Granny is. We saw it when we were on the decking near the zip line place, around back.”

  Few lights illuminated their path. The women moved stealthily through the darkness, not knowing what—or who—awaited them. As they passed beneath a dimly lit portico, cluttered with the overflow from its attached business, Genny dared another comment. “This place may be neat during the day, but it’s spooky as heck at night. What is that noise? Is that the wind?”

  “I think it’s the river. It’s just down there.” Madison flung her hand to her right.

  They cleared the portico and Genny glanced through the barren trees. A weak hint of moonlight filtered through the clouds and naked limbs, offering a ghostly glow to the thin ribbon of water. “Is that another building down there?”

  “The ruins, I think, of the old power house.” Madison felt her phone vibrate and pulled it from her pocket, slowing just long enough to read the text. “Sophie says her friend is on the way. Still no sign of the men.”

  “Uh, Maddy.” The worry in Genny’s voice pulled Madison’s eyes to her friend. Genny motioned ahead. “Our road just ran out. Now what?”

  Stuffing her phone back into her pocket, Maddy puffed out a resigned sigh. “We hit the dirt. But be careful. The ground looks pretty rough.”

  Advancement was slow. Without pavement, the uneven ground was littered with sticks, briers, stones, and more. A steep embankment fell sharply to their left and tumbled its way down to the water.

  It required careful footing and great concentration not to fall with the slope. Icy needles rode on the wind, further impeding their progress. The wind tossed hair into their eyes and made their toes and unprotected fingers go numb. Neither were dressed for an excursion in the elements.

  Nor was Granny Bert. The knowledge drove the women deeper along the dark path.

  “Maddy,” Genny whispered again. “We’re going down, not up. The building is up there.”

  “I can see that,” Madison hissed. Nerves made her snap at her friend. “If you can’t say something positive, just don’t say anything.”

  The Old Weave building was in front of them, perched high above where they currently stood. A maze of pilings served up the deck towering three stories above their heads, but even in the darkness, they could see getting closer would be difficult.

  “While I was on that deck, I could see the pit down below,” Madison recalled. “Part of the deck is cut out to overlook the old brickwork and the drainage pipes. I think that’s where they’re holding Granny Bert.”

  “This is where I don’t mention the high rail fence with spiky tops and the thick hedges surrounding it,” Genny pointed out. Lighting from the deck made it easier to see the obstacles that lay before them. “But I will mention I see another option. I think that’s an old stone fence up there. Or maybe it’s a retainer wall. Either way, no spiky tops.”

  “Let’s go.”

  The ground rose on an incline. Soggy piles of leaves and fallen limbs, slick with ice pellets, made the path treacherous. The women crawled over the ancient barrier, pushing and tugging one another until they both scaled the crumbling stones. The ground on the other side was slightly more stable.

  “What is that?” Genny asked. In the darkness, an odd silhouette rose before them and looked strangely out of place.

  “Part of the zip line.”

  “So, here’s something positive. There’s enough light back here that I can see sidewalks and another parking lot. Looks like we could have driven right up to the back.”

  Madison shot her friend a dark frown. “The negative is, we didn’t know that until now. We took that obstacle course for nothing.”

  “Maybe not. Look, this way goes up under the deck. This may lead us right to Granny Bert!” Though still a whisper, her voice rose with excitement.

  Considered part of the complex grounds, no trees or fallen limbs littered the path on this side of the fence, but the earth was still uneven. It swelled and fell in a gentle slope. Even with the dim spill of light from nearby lamps, they could see the shallow draining ditch leading under the deck.

  Madison ran the last few yards, trying not to stumble in her haste. But as she neared the sunken area beneath the deck, disappointment stung sharp and deep.

  “This isn’t a pit at all!” she wailed, realizing her error. “It’s completely open on one side!” She
dropped her face into her hands and fought back a sob. “I thought I knew exactly where she was. Now we have to start all over!”

  “Let me see that picture again.”

  While Genny studied the photo in the message, Madison paced the small area she had mistaken as a pit. From above, she had seen only three walls, all made of stone or brick, and one of them draped with pipes and valves. She incorrectly assumed that the fourth wall was directly beneath her and out of her line of vision. She never dreamed that it didn’t exist at all.

  “I think this could still be nearby,” Genny said. “Look at the brickwork. It looks like this. And those pipes and gages are a lot like these. Sure, some of them are much bigger, but some look just like this.”

  “And like old pipe everywhere. I can’t believe I led us on a wild goose chase! Think of all the valuable time I cost us! What if—”

  “You’re getting a message,” Genny broke in, turning the phone toward her. Her eyes were large. “It’s them.”

  As much from cold as from nerves, Madison’s hands trembled as she clumsily reclaimed her phone and read the simple text.

  At hotel.

  “They’re there,” she breathed. “What do I say?”

  “Stall. I’ll text Sophie.”

  Blowing on her fingers to coax them into working, Madison typed out her message. Be right down.

  Looking up from her own phone, Genny said, “I told Sophie to create a diversion. Maybe it will buy us some time.”

  Madison went back to pacing, even though the area was small and uneven. Her hands worried her hair. “I don’t know, Gen,” she fretted. “Now what? Where else could she be? I was so sure she was here at the mill.”

  “What about the old ruins? It’s the perfect place to hide someone. I’m sure no one goes down there much, especially not in the dead of winter.”

  “That’s it! That’s perfect!” Hope glittered in Maddy’s hazel eyes. “It looks like this building, because it’s part of the same complex! Come on, we need to hurry.”

  “Hold on. Let me text Sophie and ask her if all three men are there. With any luck, they left Granny Bert alone and we can use our flashlights. I don’t relish the idea of rolling head-first into the river.”

  “I’m not waiting for the answer,” Madison warned. She tucked her hands beneath her armpits to warm them and stepped back into the elements. Without the protection of the overhead decking, sharp bits of ice mixed with snow slapped her in the face. “Here, let me carry the rope. We still might need it.”

  They retraced their path, scampering over the old stone fence and down the slippery slope that led to the river. From there, they trekked to their right, hoping it was more direct. Being further from the sparse security lights around the building, it was a darker path, and therefore more treacherous. Every so often, Maddy used the flashlight app on her phone to guide the way.

  “Watch your step,” she warned. “There’s some sort of low wall up ahead, with tin on top of it. Must be a well or pit of some kind.”

  After pausing to read a text, Genny hurried to keep up. The terrain was too risky to read and walk at the same time. “Sophie says Barton is the only one asking for you, but she sees a black jacket through the window, so she assumes someone is guarding the back. No word on Maury, so he could be here.”

  “We’ll have to assume he’s guarding Granny Bert and be as quiet as possible. Here, let’s go this way.”

  Maddy took a step forward and fell off the face of the earth.

  Chapter 20

  “Tell me again,” Megan said. “Why am I wearing this horrible shirt and this black eyeliner?”

  “Hey, watch it. That’s my shirt,” Blake said in offense.

  “I know. It’s two sizes too big for me and it’s some advertisement for a race track.” The disdain was clear in her voice.

  “It looks great on you,” Bethani assured her best friend. “Now put this hoodie on.”

  “Are you kidding me? You already made me change into my old black framed glasses and wear this black junk on my eyes. Now you want me to cover my hair? It took me a half hour to get this look. It was going to look great with my new shirt and my red boots, but you made me change those, too. What is wrong with you tonight?” Megan demanded.

  “We’re going to hang out with some new friends.”

  “Dressed like thugs?”

  “We want to fit in,” Blake muttered.

  Tonight, he was driving. Mr. de even loaned them his new pickup. The twins talked to their mother this afternoon, finally convincing her to allow them to drive to Riverton. They wisely omitted mention of the bonfire, mentioning only dinner at Dairy Queen. Madison knew how fond her son was of the food there, or anywhere, when it came down to it.

  “Wait a minute. Where is my friend and what have you done with her?” Megan demanded, looking suspiciously at the other girl. “I love you to death, sista, but you’re a bit of a snob. You’re just now getting used to cowboys. No way you’ve suddenly become friends with thugs.”

  “Okay, okay. You got me. We’re doing a favor for Derron. It’s a job, actually. He’s paying me by finding me a dress for prom.”

  “Which he was probably going to do anyway,” Megan pointed out. “You do realize the man has played you.”

  Bethani frowned, just now considering that possibility. “Maybe, but it’s for a good cause. We’re trying to help a new friend of ours.”

  “You’ve got two minutes to explain, or I’m getting out of this truck at the next stop sign.”

  “Her name is Tasha, and she’s really cool. She and Blake have something going. She—”

  “We do not!” her brother broke in with a protest.

  “You’ve been texting each other for two days and you have that goofy smile on your face. Look on the bright side. If she likes you now, that means she doesn’t like thimble-brain Frankie.” She whipped back toward her friend, her hair slapping Blake in the face. Tonight, her hair was long and straight, and slightly stringy beneath her black hoodie. “Her mom died a couple of years ago and her dad is always working. Her home life has gone down the drain and she’s started hanging out with some real losers, mostly because her best friend Angela moved to Austin and her other best friend Kaitlyn has a new boyfriend and doesn’t have time for her. Promise me that will never happen to us.”

  “Promise.”

  “Even if that new guy at school asks you out?”

  “Even then.”

  Satisfied, Bethani continued with her tale. “So, her dad is worried about her and hired In a Pinch to follow her around and report back to him. Only it would look weird for Derron to follow her around, even though we know he’s not into young girls. Or girls of any age, but that’s beside the point. He asked me to check into her, and I did, and I found out she’s pretty cool, just lonesome and confused and about to make a really big mistake by falling in with this group.” Bethani paused long enough to draw in a deep breath. “So basically, we’re going to save her from herself.”

  The most pressing question Megan thought to ask was, “And when did all of this happen? I help my mom for one day and you go all Columbo on me!” her friend wailed.

  “So, are you in?”

  Like a true best friend and soon-to-be sister, Megan never hesitated. “Of course.”

  “Great. Here’s your hoodie.”

  They pulled into the back of the Dairy Queen parking lot, nosing their way into a small cluster of other vehicles. Most of them were older, junkier models. Many had dents. Some had multi-colored panels. Blake was careful to keep Mr. de’s shiny new pickup well away from the threat of opening doors and any contagious rust that might be floating through the air.

  “Hey, my friend, you made it!” one of the guys said, bumping fists with Blake. “And you brought a new chick! Well played.”

  “Hey, girl.” Freddy sidled up to Bethani, pushing his way between her and her friend. “Glad you made it.” He fingered her long hair and offered what he probably thought was a charmin
g smile. Bethani thought it looked more like a leer. “I didn’t know you were a blond. I like.”

  She resisted jerking away from his touch. “This is my friend Megan.”

  “Hey, girl. What’s up?”

  “The moon,” she replied dryly.

  Another boy snickered and pushed forward from where he lounged against the front of an old Chevy truck, puffing on a cigarette. The crowd parted, clearly deferring to him as their leader. “I’m Julio,” he said, stopping in front of Megan. “You can ride with me.”

  She gave him a scathing look. “I don’t think so.”

  He merely grinned, taking it as a challenge. He winked and dropped his cigarette, grinding it out at her feet. “Somebody order grub.” He barked the instructions over his shoulder. “Let’s eat. Then we can get the real party started.”

  Two of the other boys disappeared to do his bidding. Julio kept his eyes on Megan as the rest of the group made small talk and laughed at each other’s lame jokes. Megan inched her way between Bethani and the creep named Frankie, but she could never quite escape the leader’s brooding gaze. By the time the food arrived, he cornered her and insisted she join him on the tailgate. Bethani came along, which meant Frankie squeezed in, as well.

  Julio was the first one finished. Even though the girls and a couple of the guys had most of their burgers left, he wadded up his trash, jumped from the truck, and declared dinner was over. He turned on his heel and swung his arm in a wide arc. “Let’s go,” he said.

  Blake tugged on Tasha’s arm. “Why don’t you ride with us, and show us the way?”

  “Cool.”

  It was a four-door pickup, but they all piled into the front seat. Megan and Bethani shared a seatbelt, squeezing into a space meant for one.

  “You two have enough room?” Tasha asked, pretending to move closer against Blake for the girls’ sake.