by Renee Joiner
They nodded and went to stand near the door and the window. Robin followed as she unlocked Max’s cage door.
“How are you going to get him responsive again?” she asked.
“I’m a nurse,” Tasia answered.
“You’re a— Wait, that doesn’t make any sense. A nurse and an FBI agent in one case?” Listening to her, Tasia noticed Robin had become spunkier when given the confidence. She hadn’t given much thought to it, but all the women were far more resilient than she had imagined finding them. Then again, they had not endured the same fate as Max.
The lock gave way, and they entered Max’s cage. Tasia went down to kneel beside him but knew at once that he was dead when her hand brushed over his cold skin. Rolling him unto his back, she could finally see his face in full view. Her heart nearly broke.
The extent of his torture was evident in his face. Somehow, even with his spirit departed, much of the emotion had been left engraved on those features. She was looking down upon a tragedy. Her heart ached as she tried in vain to feel for a pulse at the top of his neck. Max had been a ghost long before he actually became one. It was one of the reasons Tasia could not sense any death energies pervading the air around them. With a man who had felt dead for most of his life, what vitality could he ever leave behind to be used by another?
“He’s dead, isn’t he?”
“Yeah. He is.” Tasia stood up, her eyes lingering on his still form a moment longer.
“He... he didn’t deserve this,” Robin said.
“No. He didn’t.”
They left the dead undisturbed.
Their kidnapper had been a master of deceptions. That much had become apparent as they’d left the cabin. Tasia hadn’t hesitated to smash out the window, large enough for each one of them to climb through. Whatever eyes were on them or whatever bug had been planted to listen in, she knew that their best move in the face of uncertainty would be to make an escape hard and fast. With all of them unharmed, and their spirits invigorated by freedom, they bolted through the unfenced perimeter and down to the road.
The area was remote, but not so far as to be away from the nearest main road. Trekking along the way, they found a sign pointing to the city. It was enough for Tasia to know that they were in the forested outskirts of the city. Farther along the way, a housing complex was erected by an estate owner who wished to remove himself from the city’s bustle. It took them half an hour to reach the entrance gate. More than perplexed at four women arriving by foot, the security guard was hesitant to let them in. After some ‘friendly’ coercion by Akeesha—whom they all underestimated—he, however, appeared to be more compliant.
He allowed them to use his phone, and with it, Tasia called Daniel. Police squadrons and the FBI started swarming the area in less than twenty minutes. Most of the cars had driven past, likely following the directions she provided. Daniel himself stopped in front of the estate and ran over to Tasia as soon as he caught sight of her. What she didn’t expect was for him to take her in his arms the way he did. The protective gesture felt new and alien, even if comforting. Whatever protocol the FBI needed to maintain in those instances was gone. But none of the other agents seemed to flinch at his behavior as they started talking to the other victims.
“That bastard....” were the only words he managed to get out as he held onto her.
“It wasn’t him, Daniel.”
“What?”
“Hey, Tasia!” It was Saoirse. The others were being herded into a squad car by one of the female agents. Tasia didn’t know her, but she had no doubt they were in good hands from hereon. “Thanks for being a tough bitch,” she said before turning to leave.
Robin, realizing they were leaving, rushed over and into Tasia to steal away Daniel’s hold over her as she claimed one of her own. “I don’t know how to thank you, but we’ll never forget you.” She let go, beamed a warm smile, and trotted off. Before she climbed into a squad car, she turned around. “Hey, look me up some time. I’d love to take you to a place I know!”
She climbed in the car, and with that, at least one chapter of this mystery had come to an end.
“Shouldn’t she be more rattled? Her boyfriend kidnapped and threatened to kill her.”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. It wasn’t him.”
“Wh—what do you mean? It has to be Max....”
“Max’s dead, Daniel. The victim I reported over the phone was him. It was Max. He died. He’s not our guy.”
“That’s impossible. Every clue we’ve gathered has pointed to him. He was there, back in the equestrian neighborhood, with his truck. He had Robin there, for God’s sake! Every time you touched something and got a vision, it had been linked to him, bringing us right up to the spot where we’re snapping at his heels!”
“I don’t know what to tell you beyond the truth that was right in front of me. That man we found in the cage was Max, Daniel. The moment I touched him, I knew. When a rusalka connects with someone who has died, they get an impression of their soul right before departing. We don’t talk to the dead, but we develop a feeling of who they were. I can tell you this: everything I have come to know about Max Pearce, I felt left behind as a lingering memory. All his sadness and his struggle were left behind on that vessel. There was no energy left behind for me to even pass on. That only happens when a spirit has been broken so severely that no vitality could be left when they are gone. His spirit was long since starved of any life. Even if he was alive, I could never suspect him of being responsible for all this. But now, he is dead, and he is certainly no longer our scapegoat. Whoever Max Pearce was at the end, we need to pardon him of the crimes he didn’t commit.”
A million emotions played on Daniel’s features. “But, my sister... How will we—” His words fell short.
In that tender moment, Tasia didn’t even know how to begin to answer him.
Fourteen
Memory Lane
“Did you appreciate the parting gift?” the kidnapper teased.
“Why? Why the show? Why let three victims go, but keep only the one?”
“Because now, I know you’ll be compliant with my demands. You see, you’ve run out of time. You’ve had your fun fooling around, and you seemed so desperate to do it. So I thought I’d help you out. A waste of energy if you asked me. You could have had your sister sooner, but you insisted on committing to the chase. Now, you’re out of options, except one....”
“I need proof that my sister is alive, you bastard! Put her on the phone n—”
The line went dead, and Daniel was left to choke on the insults he hoped to fling back. His breathing was heavy and uneven. He was suffering. That much was evident. He remained in that state as he stared out at the road in front of them, rummaging through his thoughts. Sitting next to him, Tasia couldn’t think of anything that could console him at this point. She didn’t even know how to tell him about the premonition she had of his death.
“He misled us. He planted misdirections and distractions every time. They were just good enough that I could never ignore it. God, I was so fucking stupid....”
“Why? Why do you say that?”
“A ransom was never asked to retrieve the other captives. Only Sarah. To the others, they were simply missing persons. It was smart. He couldn’t rely on desperate people to get what he wanted. They would either turn to the police or make a mistake in the exchange. So he targeted me instead. If he could succeed in playing a figure of authority, then he knew he could get away with anything. Someone like me would get things done, and by that account, give him exactly what he wanted. He knew that I was gullible, and he abused it. In my vanity of playing the hero, he knew that I would fall for the right kind of diversions if he planted them well.”
“A criminal is good at diversions. A witch is a master at it. That doesn’t make you a fool. It just makes y—”
The phone rang again. She never finished the sentence. His jaw went tense, and he mused quietly, “It just... makes m
e desperate.”
He answered.
Tasia tried to listen to the exchange, but just as soon as she heard the menacing voice of the kidnapper on the other end, it started to fade. She was taken unawares when another vision came over her. For days, she had been dreading a replay of the sensations she now felt. A terrible stench assailing her nose, strange yet familiar, preceding a sharp pain shooting through her right foot. She believed it would’ve ended there, only to be left surprised when it didn’t.
Water filled her vision, stretched out behind the swaying tears of a willow tree. It was a backdrop that was entirely unimportant to her until it gained all its significance with a single detail—the sight of a figure lying motionless beneath its shade. She moved toward it almost involuntarily, driven by some wild emotion that filled her. The desperate movement made her body quake with painful spasms. Tasia crumpled to the floor, laying there with labored breath and fever. She was unable to move her stiffened muscles. Clothes clung to her drenched, shivering frame, and she could do nothing but stare at the lifeless face of someone she loved and had failed to help.
It ended abruptly. It was clear that Daniel and the kidnapper had continued their conversation unperturbed. It ended the moment her consciousness gathered itself in reality.
“He called to give instructions.”
“What are they?”
“He... he says you’ll be the map. You’re the one who’ll know where to go. He says... you’ll also know what happens when we don’t play by his rules.” He looked at her then, genuinely perplexed. “Tasia, what does he mean by that?”
Her heart nearly skipped a beat, and a chill ran down her spine. He couldn’t possibly have... given me the vision... Yet, the more she gave stock to her consideration, the more she started to believe that it was precisely what had happened.
“Tasia?”
“Daniel, I’m trying very hard to put this in a way that doesn’t upset you more than you already are, but I just saw you die. I had the vision while you were on the phone. What scares me is that the answer to your question would have us go to a place where it may happen.” She was watching to notice his every reaction. He listened calmly as she spoke.
“I know you’ve been trying your best to protect me. Right now, though, I cannot let even the fear of death keep me from doing what I need to for my sister.”
Hard as it was, Tasia had to accept it. Their route undoubtedly held the possibility of some loss. To make peace with that prospect, she convinced herself that premonitions were warnings and not the outcome.
“Then what you need to know is this—it took me a while, but I’m almost certain I’m right. Max Pearce is dead. I thought it meant that every lead we had meant nothing, but that may be because we have tied it to the idea that he was a killer. With him lying in that cage, it squarely classified him as a victim in my mind. Following that reasoning, we have been chasing the victim leads all along.”
“I don’t think I understand....”
“The blue pick-up belonged to Max Pearce. I think the reason that I kept seeing it was because he was about to die. It was a random piece of a death premonition coming to fulfillment.”
“But none of them explicitly shows you his death?”
“Because it had been manipulated, hijacked by the witch who is responsible for this. Whoever they are, they could not conceal the full extent of the truth. They may have been able to omit significant parts of the vision I was supposed to have, but they cannot nullify my ability. The second part of this mystery concerns another man; a man I think has been posing as Max Pearce this entire time.”
“The kidnapper himself... the voice... But why would you think he was Max?”
“Because Robin dated a man named Max, and her memories were intertwined with that truck. If the real Max was held captive, then that truck would not have been seen going past Marshall’s farm—with a couple who brought back their white dog.”
Daniel was slowly starting to knit the story together as she was speaking. “So an imposter who, help me if I’m wrong, is why you managed to see the truck when you touched his dog tags? The ones left on the fencepost with Robin and Max’s initials carved on them?”
“Yes. Exactly. The impressions of two people using the same identity had cross-linked upon that truck, tying visions of both of them to it.”
“You told me Robin does not remember him kidnapping her? She said she didn’t recognize their captor. None of them did. From her account, it also seemed that the relationship ended some time ago.”
“That is something I cannot explain, and where I’m going to use magic as the scapegoat. If there’s a witch involved who could edit my visions, memories could be another thing they’re well-phrased in manipulating. There’s a mysterious male figure involved in all of this regardless, Daniel. There’s no denying it.”
“Why would this guy be invested in the preserved guardianship of Max’s childhood home then? It makes no sense. Why take the identity and interests of someone else when his whole situation is messed up?”
“The same reason that I don’t think this man is our main suspect.”
“Come again?”
“You’re right. He wouldn’t have an interest unless he was working for someone who did. True, his voice is the one that you connect to your kidnapper, simply because he has been the one talking to you all this time. With all your dead ends connected to him, perhaps you may have just been victim to yet another diversion. One to distract you from the real culprit.”
“Tasia, who could possibly—?”
“Think, Daniel. Who else could possibly be interested in that place? Who else would have something to lose? With the real Max gone, the stage is set to put an imposter in his place with a perfect motive to ask for a ransom. All eyes are drawn away from the puppeteer while the puppet puts on the show.”
“The only other surviving member of that family is... Estrella... Estrella?”
“One thing had always bothered me after my visit to my aunt. She had nudged at the fact that a witch starts their manipulation after making contact with the victim. At first, I thought it meant that I had unwittingly established a link by trying to tap into an object I had touched belonging to the kidnapper. I thought it happened when I touched the dog tags. But the gap in my reasoning was that the death visions surrounding the real Max were still hidden from me, besides the occasional glimpse that seemingly meant nothing. That started happening even before we went to that field. The dog tags also never belonged to the imposter. They were taken from the real Max, who was ex-military.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because I’d found a box of memorabilia under his bed. One of them was a photo of the real Max Pearce. He was standing among other soldiers. So, it could not have belonged to the fake Max.”
“Then, how was the connection established?”
“The day we went to see the shrink, right in her office. The day we crossed paths with a witch without even knowing.”
Fifteen
Hansel and Gretel
“Well, I’ve just spoken to the guys. There’s a pair of agents stationed at every major turnoff within this neighborhood. In between, a pair of cops can be found on nearly every side street.”
“Nearly, Steve?” Daniel asked.
“Dan, you have to realize that there are only so many places to stay hidden here. In some areas, stationing police or FBI just draws attention. After all the time it took us to trickle in our backup bit by bit to avoid rousing suspicion, I’m certainly not allowing one paranoid property owner to compromise our effort. So, every inch of this place is crawling with law enforcement, save for the exchange point.” Steve, usually friendly and high-spirited, seemed to be in a slump. Tasia had no doubts that the FBI office had ground to a halt to direct all their resources on this mission.
“Good. Thanks, Steve. I know I’ve been hard on you... After this is over, I’ll make it up to you,” Daniel said, placing his hand on his friend’s shoulder befor
e attempting his best smile under the circumstances.
“It’s okay, man. Seriously, how could I not? This thing needs to end. I have to go. I’m doing a casual drive-through of the neighborhood to check that everything is in place. I’ll be the one on patrol. You just buzz in the minute you’re in trouble.” With that, he was off, and his car cruised down the dirt road until it turned into the equestrian suburb.
“I can’t believe we’re back here. This damn place has caused me a fair share of frustration. You’re sure about this?” he asked.
“Positive. Through our mental link, I’m certain that Estrella has established what I can do. Her psychic nudge to push my mind in the right direction may have spurred on the premonition, but the rest unfolded of its own accord. At the edge of this place lies a small lake, over which a single old willow tree holds vigil. It all happened there.”
“I didn’t understand at first why the location you and the other girls were held at was nowhere near the equine estates. A lot of your visions seemed to point back at this place. It just felt natural to assume that the lair would have been somewhere around here.”
“By now, we should have learned that assumptions are dangerous when it comes to the people we’re dealing with.”
“Fair enough. Let’s go. Our rendezvous is about to st—” He was cut short as his phone rang.
“Again?” Tasia wondered out loud.
He answered.
“I thought I’d told you not to try something, Cordeiro. So why are your flies buzzing around the area?”