Inevitable Sentences

by Tekla Dennison Miller

“Looks like the inn has power,” Eagle said.

  “It’s probably on a generator.” Max thought about Celeste. Did she get the lighthouse generator running? He didn’t want to think of her alone in a dark house with Wilbanks. Nonetheless, he had to face the certainty of it. “Damn.”

  “Sir?” Eagle asked.

  “Do not call me—”

  “Sorry, Max. Old habits die hard.” Eagle inched the Bronco alongside one of the police vehicles, shifted into park, and let the car idle.

  Max immediately spotted Hunter approaching them and knew he would be pissed. Max reluctantly rolled down the window and waited for his friend’s harangue.

  Hunter bent down, his face filling the open window. “You didn’t fool me. I thought you’d show up. I know I would.”

  “Thanks for that, buddy,” Max said. “Help me out of this contraption and fill me in.”

  Hunter opened the door and stood back while Max slid carefully from the seat. He clenched his teeth so he wouldn’t wince from the stab he felt to his chest. He didn’t want anyone, especially Hunter, to know how much pain he still had. Hunter would undoubtedly find a way to get Max back to the hospital, and Max wasn’t about to let that happen.

  “Let’s get you inside the inn,” Hunter said. “I’ll update you there and then be on my way back to the lighthouse.” He faced Max and added, “Without you.”

  “Why are you here and not at the lighthouse anyway?” Max asked.

  “I knew you’d be coming. When I got the team set up, I came back to make sure you didn’t do what I think you’re planning.”

  “You better get this over with and get back to the command post. I can handle my own damn self.” Max seethed.

  Hunter didn’t answer and the two headed for the inn.

  Eagle shut off the engine and followed close on Max’s heels. He knew Max had no intention of staying put. As soon as he got the information he needed, he would get himself to the lighthouse, even if he had to walk.

  Inside, Max nodded a greeting to Joan and Ned. Hunter introduced Eagle.

  “Max, what are you doing out of the hospital?” Joan asked.

  Max looked around. “Where are the women and children?” He had to steady himself by leaning against the counter normally used for receiving guests.

  Joan glanced at the sheriff. “They’re upstairs.” She poured each man a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

  Hunter hastily added, “They’re all in bed, hopefully sleeping. They’ve been through a lot tonight. I’m sure this whole episode has brought back memories of other nights when they had to flee into the dark.”

  Max swallowed the hot brew and studied Hunter for a few moments, then turned to Joan. “Adrian wouldn’t sleep through this. She’d want to help, or at least be close enough to get updated. She’d never abandon Celeste. Where is she?” His breathing became labored. No matter, he knew the innkeeper and Hunter were hiding something. “Well?” Stay calm, he told himself. He didn’t want to have to take another tablet.

  Joan said nothing. She only stared at Max.

  “Joan just told me that she drove back to the lighthouse shortly after dropping off the others. We must have missed each other.” Hunter’s sigh made him sound more like a father than like a sheriff reporting facts. “But I sense you already knew that. You also know that Adrian is a fool if she thinks she can do anything.”

  Max drummed his fingers on the tabletop, then abruptly stopped and slapped the table. “I’ve got to go, too.”

  “You can’t go,” Hunter shouted. “You can barely breathe. In addition, more state police are on the way to add to the staging area and set up a hostage command center. They left here a few minutes ago.”

  “Do you know for sure that Wilbanks is inside the lighthouse?” Max demanded as if he were still the warden. He had to maintain that façade for himself and to keep Hunter from worrying.

  Hunter rubbed his chin. “I’m almost certain.” What did Max want him to say?

  Max raised his eyebrows to encourage Hunter to continue.

  “My men found the rented Explorer off the road near the lighthouse,” Hunter reported. “We can’t be absolutely positive who drove it there.” He took a deep breath. “If we add all the evidence together, I’m certain Wilbanks is the only suspect.”

  “Any footprints near the car?”

  “Not that the officers could find. The wind blew snow over them if there were any.” Hunter frowned. “The only direction the driver of that car could go would be to the lighthouse. He’d be stupid to try and trek back here three miles.”

  Max knew Hunter well enough to realize he had analyzed the evidence and had come to a reasonable conclusion. “You said you were set up for a hostage negotiation, right?” Max asked.

  “Yes. And I have an Emergency Support Team and sharpshooters on the scene, which I also told you would be there, remember?” Hunter sounded sarcastic.

  Max nodded and didn’t let on he had noticed Hunter’s acerbity. He realized the tone was due to Hunter’s concern about Max’s health and not his questions.

  Hunter went on with his report. “As I said, several state police are in place. The hostage negotiators are on their way if they can get through. You can’t do anything more than they can do.” Hunter regarded Max with a hopeful expression. “I was on my way back to the lighthouse when you arrived. I plan to start the contact with Wilbanks using a bullhorn. I hope he’ll agree to talk either out the window or by phone.”

  Max shook his head. “He’s not going to negotiate. He’s too sure of himself.”

  “Everyone has a breaking point. Negotiators are trained to find it in every perp.” Hunter paused. “That’s beside the point. I need you to stay here out of my hair and without adding to your health problem. I don’t need the extra burden of having to get your butt carted back to the hospital.”

  Max ignored Hunter’s plea. “My health is not a concern and you don’t know what I can contribute, especially to Chad Wilbanks’s profile. I know him better than anyone except maybe Celeste.” No one could mistake the determination in his tone.

  Hunter glared at Max. Max met his fierce look with one of his own. It seemed to stop Hunter from trying to influence him further. Instead he shrugged.

  “What are we waiting for?” Max asked. “Let’s get going. If we’re lucky we’ll get there before Wilbanks does too much harm.” Although Max tried to sound determined and positive, his voice cracked. Wilbanks. He hated even saying the man’s name. And the thought of anything happening to Celeste made his blood boil to the point he thought his veins would explode.

  Hunter attempted to shepherd Max to a chair as he said, “You’re not going anywhere.”

  Max wrenched his arm free. “I know you mean well, but I can’t stay here. Nothing will matter about me if anything happens to Celeste.” Max finished off his coffee and set the cup on the table. He felt stronger and ready to tackle the situation. Maybe the nitroglycerine had helped. “Let’s get this over with,” he said. He pulled the collar of his jacket up around his neck and headed for the door.

  Eagle jumped in front of him. “Sir … ah … Max, you can’t do this.”

  “Now I’m Sir Max. I’ve come a long way and I’m going a lot further.”

  Eagle grasped Max’s arm, but he couldn’t hold on either. “Let the sheriff and his men handle it, or even me,” he appealed to Max’s back. “Like the sheriff said, it won’t do anyone any good if we have to stop everything to perform first aid on you. You’ll only waste their time.”

  “It won’t do me any good to sit on my ass counting the movement of the second hand on the clock. Stop your whining and let’s get out of here,” Max said without taking a breath. His voice rose with each word. Breathing heavily he glared at Eagle, then turned and continued walking out the door. Hunter and Eagle shrugged at each other and followed.

  “He’s always been stubborn, son,” Hunter said. “We might as well do as he wants.” Hunter caught up to Max. “Get in my SUV.” He point
ed. “Both of you.”

  “You’re all crazy,” Joan called out after them. “But good luck, anyway. Godspeed.”

  “Speed is what we need,” Max said. “At least the snow has let up some.” Soon all that could be heard were three car doors slamming and the SUV tires grinding into the snow. The three men remained silent, each contemplating what lay ahead. Their breath formed milky spirals. The heater blasted only cold air.

  “We need a strategy.” Max finally broke the silence as the car began to warm.

  “Let’s see what the state police have planned before we go off half-cocked.” Hunter sounded adamant. No one argued with him or said another word.

  They drove in a gloomy silence. When they came across the Explorer in the ditch, Max let out a mournful sound. Until the actual vehicle sighting he had held out hope that Chad hadn’t reached his destination. Seeing the stranded SUV, reality slapped him in the face as brutally as the cold wind howling outside. “Please,” he moaned. “Please don’t let us be too late.”

  Hunter only looked at him. Max knew there was nothing his friend could say or do.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  PULLING TOGETHER

  “DAMN,” ADRIAN SCOLDED HERSELF as she parked the van in the woods and shut off the engine. “I should have turned off the headlights.” She wondered if the lights had alerted Chad to her arrival. If there was a God, Chad would be too preoccupied to notice. Preoccupied? With what? Torturing Celeste? Why hadn’t she insisted that Celeste go with them? If anything happened to her …

  Don’t be negative, she told herself. It wouldn’t help. She had to focus her mind on the clandestine task ahead. Yet she didn’t move. Her hands were still wrapped tightly around the steering wheel as though frozen in place.

  Adrian stared at the lighthouse through the bare trees. The sky beyond was an unyielding black ceiling. She looked for any movement in the building—Chad peeking out to check on the car’s sound or the lights that had flashed into the house.

  Fortunately, she saw no sign of life. Was that fortunate? Why did she think of the word life? “Damn and damn again.” Releasing the wheel, she folded her arms around herself and trembled as fiercely as one of the wind-thrashed birches in the forest.

  “Now what?” She really had no strategy. She only knew she had to be there to help in some way. Could she plan a diversion to distract Chad so Celeste could run from the building? For that, she’d have to get a good idea of where Chad held Celeste. She’d have to get an idea of his behavior. Was he agitated because he felt cornered or calm because he felt in control? She would have to sneak up to a window or windows without being noticed and look in. Would that even be possible? Chad would certainly be vigilant.

  Again, she studied the house. Hard to imagine what might be happening inside. It looked perfect and as tranquil as a snowy scene on a Christmas card. Even the glow from the lanterns she had lit earlier snuck out through the narrow openings in the window coverings. Only that evening everything here had been secure and happy, truly a safe house. Would it ever be that way again?

  Adrian still didn’t move. She was scared, unsure she had the courage to do what had to be done. She had always been such a coward. For years, she hadn’t ever stood up to her husband. What made her think she could stand up to Chad?

  But she had mustered the courage to finally pack up and leave her husband. Mightn’t she be capable of much more?

  Could Chad take on two women at once? She doubted it. He could hurt or even kill Celeste, though, before Adrian could get inside or distract him. She had to be stealthy to make absolutely sure she’d catch Chad off guard.

  Adrian searched her pocket for the cell phone. It wasn’t there. “Damn. Lorraine still has it.” Why did she need it? Who would she call? What’s more, there had been no reception earlier. In reality, having the phone somehow simply made her feel safer.

  HOWLONG HAD SHE been sitting here wasting time? Adrian had to make her move. She was looking down to unclip her seat belt when someone knocked on the driver’s window. Adrian jumped so high, she hit her head against the ceiling and let out such a shrill scream it could have sliced through ice.

  The person outside flashed a light into her eyes. She couldn’t make out the features, except he appeared larger than anyone she had ever seen. Fear raced from her feet to her head like lightning darting across the horizon, leaving her trembling.

  The man knocked again. “Open the window, ma’am.”

  Ma’am? Chad wouldn’t call her ma’am. Could this man be a cop? Adrian spoke through the glass. “Who are you?”

  “Deputy Owens. More important, who are you, and what are you doing here?”

  In her fright, she had not noticed the man was holding his badge up to the window. How had she missed his approach? How had she missed his vehicle? Or could there be more than one deputy? In her relief, she nearly ripped the handle from the door when she rolled down the window. “I’m Adrian Chappell. I live in the lighthouse. Is Celeste okay? Did you capture Chad Wilbanks?”

  The deputy didn’t answer her questions. Instead, he recited an order in his best, unemotional police tone. “You can’t go any farther. This is a crime scene, and no one other than law enforcement personnel can be in the area.”

  “Crime scene?” Adrian abruptly pushed the car door open and nearly knocked the deputy over. “What has happened to Celeste?” she shrieked and jumped from the car. She darted toward the lighthouse.

  Owens grabbed one of Adrian’s arms. “You can’t go any further. You’ll get in the way of the police and maybe even destroy evidence.” Owens gently pushed her back toward the van. “You can wait here or, better yet, turn around and go back to Big Bay. You can stay at the inn.”

  “I’ve done that already.” Adrian’s tone made it clear that his suggestion was dumb. “I’m needed here.”

  “You can’t do anything but get in the way. We have the area cordoned off and, I repeat, that means only police officials are allowed.” He moved in front of her to cut off her view of the lighthouse.

  Adrian managed a couple of steps around him. The deputy grabbed her arm again. “Please don’t make me put you under arrest,” he said. From him, “please” was a mere formality.

  “You can’t do that.” Where was she getting the cocky nerve to stand up to a deputy sheriff?

  “Yes, ma’am, I can, if you interfere with a crime scene.” His voice became quieter. Once again he ushered her to the van. “I know how difficult it is to be a spectator when you know a friend is in trouble. You have to trust me. We’ll do everything humanly possible to resolve this incident without anyone getting hurt.”

  Adrian began sobbing. “It’s hard to believe all this is happening. Please don’t let anything happen to Celeste. Please.” Her tears froze on her face.

  “We won’t let anything happen.” He protected her head with his hand as he gently—and firmly—pushed her back into the driver’s seat.

  Adrian appreciated his comment but knew in reality he couldn’t make that promise. How could he? No one had any idea how all of this would pan out. Praying for a positive outcome was the best any of them could do. “Okay,” she said and slumped behind the steering wheel, sniffling and staring at the lighthouse. She could see people moving about in the yard and in and out of the trees. It must be the police. Some had just arrived. Others must have passed the Thunder Bay Inn while she was helping settle the women and children.

  “I’ve got to get back,” Deputy Owens said. “You stay put, or I’ll have an officer escort you out of here—if I don’t arrest you myself.”

  Adrian nodded and watched Owens walk away. Once he had disappeared into the shadows to huddle with the other officers, she eased the van door open and slid out. As ordered, she wouldn’t interfere with police proceedings, but she wanted to get close enough to observe what they were doing.

  Adrian hid herself behind a clump of birch where she had a perfect view of the lighthouse and what appeared to be a police staging area carefull
y hidden at the edge of the woods. It would be difficult for anyone looking out from the lighthouse to have a clear view of the police command post. Yet it was hard for her to believe Chad didn’t know the police had arrived. Even with care, their voices would carry and the portable lighting erected in the yard spread an obvious if not ominous glow across the snow that had visibly been trampled by the officers’ feet.

  Although Adrian couldn’t see the Emergency Support Team, she did see the truck that must have carried them to the scene. Most likely they had already been posted strategically around the lighthouse, where they were hiding in dark crevices and patiently waiting for further orders. She knew the EST had sharpshooters like her husband. If they planned to shoot into the lighthouse, she hoped they only hit Chad. Of course, she was being silly. A trained sharpshooter would take down a perpetrator only if he had a clear shot.

  She heaved a great sigh. Mistakes had been made in the past, however. Her husband had once confessed that.

  An ambulance, followed by another sheriff’s SUV, pulled up to the staging area. Adrian dreaded the sight of the emergency vehicle. Had the police assumed it would be required or had they already identified a victim?

  Three men got out of the SUV and Adrian immediately recognized Max. She started to call out to him, but caught herself. She didn’t want to be hauled away in handcuffs for disobeying Deputy Owens. Yet she did want to get his attention. Would he use his influence to get her closer to the action?

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  TAKING CONTROL

  WHILE MAX AND HUNTER talked with the senior officer on the site, Max surveyed the area. A movement in the woods caught his eye. Was it a deer? He squinted trying to identify it. Suddenly a woman appeared from behind a tree and slipped on some ice. She crashed to the ground shrieking, “Yipes!”

  Hunter turned to the sound. “What the hell?”

  As she righted herself, Max stormed in her direction. “What do you think you’re doing here, Adrian, lurking behind these trees?” he scolded. He had been so anxious about the crime scene setup, he’d forgotten she had fled from the inn to head for the lighthouse.