by G. K. Parks
A second blow landed against my side with enough force to knock me to the ground. He continued to attack, and I released a loud, shrill scream. For a brief moment, his eyes darted around, checking that help wasn’t on the way. I swept his legs out from under him with a well-placed kick. He sprawled backward, and I climbed to my feet, unzipping my purse.
I’d just gotten my hand around my gun when the doorman rushed toward us. He had his cell phone pressed to his ear, and he was shouting at the man. Building security was at his heels, and the assailant scrambled to his feet, darting into the street and getting clipped by a nearby car. The man rolled back onto the pavement, and the two security guards surrounded him while the doorman spoke to the 911 operator.
During the commotion, I tucked the gun back inside my bag. This wasn’t the man from yesterday, despite the mask and similar clothing. This guy was taller and thinner. He didn’t come in a vehicle, and he had no quick escape route planned. Unlike his counterpart from yesterday, this guy easily surrendered. However, his attack was meant to cause maximum damage, and the fact that he was lurking outside the apartment building provided no comfort. Wilde’s words came back to me, and I couldn’t help but think that this was some patsy he had found to take the fall for yesterday. Tim wanted me incapacitated so I’d have to stick around, and he also wanted to make sure that my temporary home didn’t feel safe. Obviously, he’d accomplished his mission.
“Miss Lexington, are you okay?” the doorman asked. He was hovering close, like I might faint. “The police are on the way. Do you need an ambulance?” He looked at the large welt on my arm, the only visible sign of the attack.
“No,” I stared at the guy who was on the ground, clutching his side, “but he does.”
Moving a few feet closer, I glared down at him. “Who are you?”
He didn’t say a word, and one of the security guards glanced up at me. “I’m sure the cops will figure that out. Why don’t you go wait in the lobby? We’ll keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t get away.”
“This way,” the doorman insisted, holding out his hand as if to usher me back to civility. “I heard about the assault that occurred yesterday from Mr. Wilde when he dropped by earlier. I can’t believe the same punk came back to try again.”
“Who said it’s the same guy?” I eyed the doorman suspiciously.
He looked bewildered. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I just thought it had to be. Muggings happen, but normally, not right outside our door. I figured he must have been someone you knew, like an ex or a stalker.”
“Great, now I’m being stalked.”
“No. That’s not what I meant. I didn’t mean to imply…”
I shrugged it off. “It’s okay. You’re probably right. I don’t know who this guy is, but he attacked me at work and now at home. He must know things about me.” I took a seat on the oversized couch in the lobby. “He probably was stalking me, and it probably is the same guy.” Despite my words, I knew for a fact that it wasn’t. However, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that the police and Tim would try to convince me otherwise. I might as well get ahead of the game and buy into that theory from the beginning. The only real questions on my mind were who was this new guy and how could Tim be certain that throwing him to the wolves wouldn’t bite him in the ass.
Fifteen
After the commotion downstairs, I was glad to be in the privacy of the apartment. There wasn’t much I could do. I had to stay in for the night, but there were things that needed to be done. First, I phoned Eckhardt and updated him. He would keep abreast of the situation and see what he could find. He offered to have agents sit on the apartment, but that was too risky. I could handle myself. Next, I did the only logical thing that Alice Lexington would do; I called Tim. Making my breath shallow and rapid so my voice would sound frantic, I told him about the second attack.
“Calm down. Take some deep breaths. In and out,” he said calmly. “Where are you?”
“I’m home. I’m okay, but he was here. At my house.” Panic was an appropriate response, and I decided to stick with it. “How did he know where I lived? Who is he? I didn’t recognize him. The cops took off his mask, but I’ve never seen him before. They said his name was Anton Shrieves, but I don’t know anyone named Anton. I just…I…I need to get away from this place. It’s cursed. This apartment. That shitty job. All of it. I need to go. I want my old life back.”
“Shh. I hear what you’re saying, and I completely understand. But you’re upset and shaken. Making life-changing decisions right now isn’t a good idea.”
“No, it’s a great idea.” I opened and closed some drawers loud enough that he’d hear it through the phone. “I need to pack.”
“Alex, right now, you’re safe. You’re in your apartment. The building has excellent security which is on high alert. For the moment, you should stay where you are. In the morning, after you sleep on it, if you’re still adamant about leaving, we will help you pack.”
“I’m going crazy. I don’t want to stay here for another second, but I don’t want to go out there either. I don’t know what to do.” I paused dramatically. “Tell me what to do.”
The smile was evident in his voice. He had me right where he wanted me. “We’ll figure it out together, but running away won’t solve your problems. You need to stick around to press charges. You don’t want this lunatic to hurt someone else, do you?”
“No, but what if he gets released and comes back to hurt me. I don’t even know why he wants to. He doesn’t know me. I don’t know him. I…I should go.”
“Sleep on it,” Tim insisted. “In the morning, I’ll drop by and take you to breakfast. We’ll figure it out together. I told you when we first met that my mission in life is to help people. I promise I’ll be there to help you, just have faith, okay?”
Pausing dramatically, I didn’t want to keep the protest up too much longer. “I’ll try.” It was the most diplomatic and indecisive thing I could think to say.
“Good girl.” He exhaled. “Now try to relax. Maybe take a nice hot bath and get some sleep. I’ll see you first thing in the morning.”
“Thanks, Tim. I’m sorry to burden you with this.”
“We all have burdens to bear, but when we help one another, everyone’s load gets a little bit lighter. Good night.”
Hanging up the phone, I couldn’t help but think that was a steaming pile of bullshit. Eckhardt would probably get word to Jace, and he’d be extra vigilant to pay attention to what was happening at the commune this evening. However, I assumed it’d be more of the same. Surveillance never demonstrated anything of use, despite the fact that crimes continued to be committed. A disconcerting thought entered my mind; Timothy Wilde might be an actual psychopath, brilliant and able to manipulate the situation however he saw fit. I’d tangled with a few other men like this in the past, but none were as convincing.
* * *
“Take a seat. I’ll get you a plate,” Tim insisted. He’d shown up at seven a.m. to collect me. He didn’t waste any time coming inside, but on the drive to the commune, I noticed his eyes assessing the visible bruises from the scuffle last night. However, the conversation had remained light. He was in savior mode and had done nothing more than preach about the good in humanity, insisting that being around good people would make me feel better. Gathering enough hard evidence to put him behind bars would also do the trick, but I didn’t volunteer that information. He led me to a long cafeteria table in one of the multipurpose rooms inside the main facility. “Sarah, this is Alice. Make her feel welcome.”
The forty-something blonde woman offered a friendly smile and scooted closer. “It’s nice to meet you, Alice.”
“Alex,” I corrected. “My friends call me Alex on account of my last name being Lexington.”
She nodded. “That’s better than the jokes they used to make about my last name.” She lowered her voice, like she was sharing a secret. “It’s Guylas, but they liked to pronounce it guy less. Poor Sarah, she’s so
guy less.” She rolled her eyes. “What can I say? Growing up can be tough.”
“Don’t I know it.”
Although she continued making idle chitchat about breakfast and having farm to table meals at the commune, her eyes were absorbing everything about me. Finally, she asked an actual question. “What brings you to us this amazing morning?” As she said it, her eyes came to rest on the apparent bruises.
“I had a rough night. Tim came to the rescue.”
“He does that a lot.” Another megawatt smile appeared on her face. “Are you planning on joining us?”
Tim reappeared, placing a heaping plate in front of me. “Let’s not scare Alex off yet. Transitioning to this life is a big step, and I don’t want to rush her into any decisions.” He took a seat beside me. “She was attacked last night at her home. Right now, we just want her to feel safe and welcome.”
“You poor dear.” Sarah’s face contorted into utter sympathy. “I’m so sorry. If you need anything, all you have to do is ask.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled, picking up the fork and digging into the breakfast casserole as if I were famished. It was the best way to avoid speaking, and until Jace and I had a chance to confer, I didn’t need to commit to anything. Without warning, Sarah got up from her place at the table and came around, wrapping me in an awkward sideways hug. I inhaled sharply as she pressed into the bruises, but she didn’t seem to notice.
Tim nodded to her. “Why don’t you prepare one of the empty dormitories so Alex can rest if she chooses?”
“Right away, Tim.” She gave him a hug and disappeared out of the room.
Shaking my head, I dropped the fork. “That’s really not necessary.”
He raised a skeptical eyebrow. “The bags beneath your eyes say otherwise.” He pressed his lips together in an attempt to hide his annoyance at my ungrateful attitude. “Of course, I won’t force you to rest. I just thought you might want a place to lie down, should you stay for a bit.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not accustomed to people wanting to take care of me.”
“That much is obvious.” He offered a playful smile, keeping things light and flowing. “So be honest. How are you feeling today? Have you given any more thought to what you want to do?”
Delaying for a long moment, I pushed the plate forward and wiped at the edges of my mouth. “I’m scared. My assets are frozen until the discrepancies concerning my father’s estate are worked out in court. I can’t afford another apartment. As you know, I’ll be evicted soon. I can’t work. I can’t do anything.” I dabbed at my eyes. “Things have been a living hell ever since I arrived.” I glanced up at him. “You, Jace, and everyone here are the only bright spots I have, but I don’t feel comfortable taking a handout.”
“Then what are you going to do?” His eyes narrowed slightly. “Do you have another home or family to go back to?”
I shook my head. “There’s no one. My family’s gone. The few friends I have are across the country and aren’t in a position to help. Honestly,” I cast my eyes downward, looking ashamed, “we had a huge falling out when they learned about my frozen trust fund. They saw it as a betrayal because I always insisted on making it on my own, but I guess that wasn’t true either.” I sighed. “Perhaps I deserve this. I did this to myself. I’ve never been a very good person. Not really. Not like I should have been. I should have been a better friend, a better daughter, a better human.”
“Everyone makes mistakes. No one deserves bad things to happen to them. Believe me, I’ve made my share of mistakes in the past too. We all have. No one here is perfect or beyond reproach, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t working to be better people now.” He scooted the plate closer. “Finish your breakfast. You can at least have a meal before you hit the road.” I picked up the fork and forced myself to clean the plate. When I was done, I put the fork down and turned my full attention to Tim who’d been staring at me with utter fascination the entire time. “Don’t get upset, but if you don’t get help from somewhere, how will you survive?”
“I have no idea. Maybe I’ll sleep in my car for a few weeks or see if the lawyers have any way of releasing a small stipend to cover living expenses.” Hunching my shoulders in defeat, I stared up at him with big doe eyes. “If it isn’t too much trouble, maybe you can show me that dormitory.”
He nodded, a sly smile creeping up at the corners of his mouth. “Sure.” Leading the way out of the dining hall, he chattered easily about the facility. There were twenty dorms inside this building. Only the women used them. The few men in his flock had places outside the building. “I want everyone to feel comfortable and safe. I can’t imagine that anyone would act inappropriately, but as you might have noticed, some of the ladies I’ve helped have come from abusive backgrounds. They seem to thrive in an entirely female residential hall.”
“Wow, it’s just like boarding school. Is there a sign-in sheet and an enforced curfew too?” I winked, letting him know it was in jest. “On a more serious note, does that mean no one here is in a romantic relationship? Is dating against the rules?”
“The rules are that of common courtesy. Relationships are perfectly acceptable, but as you’ll see, this isn’t the ideal environment to bring a casual hookup.” He pushed open a door at the end of the hallway to reveal a tiny six by ten foot room. The twin bed and dresser took up almost the entire area. “And those who are in serious relationships don’t live here. A few couples live in trailers on the property. In the future, I’m hoping to renovate one of the other buildings to house several apartments for our married and engaged guests.” He glanced down the hallway, waving to Sarah who was on her way back to the dining hall. “Why don’t you take a few minutes to see if you could be comfortable here, maybe catch a few z’s, and then come find me when you’re ready to go home. I don’t imagine you’re in much of a rush.”
“Not really,” I also didn’t have much of a choice, “but I don’t want to impose if you’re busy.”
“I’m going to lead a meditation class that you’re free to join, and then I don’t have any duties until dinner. You may stay as long as you like.” He cast another meaningful glance at me. “Or you could just stay permanently.”
“We’ll see. I do have a tendency to get claustrophobic from time to time.”
Acknowledging my statement, he quietly left the room, leaving the door ajar.
Now what the hell was I supposed to do? Finding myself with a sudden headache and slightly nauseous, I couldn’t help but think the room was making me claustrophobic. Perhaps the lie held more truth than I realized. With nothing else to do, I walked around the bed, checking the room as I went. Then I peered beneath the bed, unsure what I hoped to find. Finally, I plopped down on the mattress.
The sheets were clean and a boring beige color. The blanket on top was a handmade quilt similar to a few I’d seen for sale at the farmer’s market. Apparently, they also used the things they made. If this place didn’t turn out dead bodies as often as handcrafted goods, it might have actually been a pleasant place to visit. Then again, perhaps it was slave labor or indentured servitude that kept the facility afloat.
After a few minutes of quietly waiting to see if anyone would pass the room, I got off the bed. The stabbing pain behind my eyes kept me from venturing through the compound. Instead, I closed the door, searched the dresser for any signs of a previous occupant, and went back to the bed. Curling onto my side, I couldn’t imagine what was triggering the migraine, but stress and lack of sleep would probably explain it.
I checked the time, deciding that I’d venture out of the room in a half hour and do some exploring while searching for Tim. While I waited for the minutes to tick by, my gaze went to the ceiling, and I studied the tiles. Two and a half across, four down. They had dark colored specks against the grey and beige details, and I couldn’t help but think that one of the specks was a hole.
Making an effort to appear to be trying to get comfortable, I sat up and took off my shoes. While I was placing
them neatly on the ground, I looked up, seeing that my assessment was correct. That sicko had surveillance cameras inside the dorms, or the DEA had done a great job of bugging the place. But my money was on Tim. Perhaps we could splice into his system to have a better idea of what was really going on inside the commune.
Turning away from the fiber optic cable that was running through the hole in the tile, I rolled onto my side and stared at my watch. In twenty minutes, I’d give up on the pretense of resting and get the hell out of here. This place wasn’t as innocent as it appeared, and I wanted to dismantle it before any more of Tim’s followers became casualties of misplaced trust.
Sixteen
Once Tim dropped me off at the cover apartment, taking care to walk me to my door, I spent the rest of the afternoon on the phone with Eckhardt. The LAPD wasn’t any closer to finding a connection between Harbring and the Followers of Perpetual Light. The second attacker was in custody, but the arresting officers didn’t appear to be in any rush to take my statement or work on the case. They must have figured the longer it took to process Shrieves, the longer he’d be off the street. I didn’t fear him. He was just a symptom of a much more sinister disease. Timothy Wilde posed the real danger, and despite the fact that I’d spent several hours with him, I hadn’t learned much. Wilde was careful how he presented himself and his facility. Outsiders only saw the sanitized, friendly version. The camera in the ceiling hinted at the insidiousness that lay beneath the surface. I needed to go deeper.
“Alex, it’s me,” a familiar voice called from the hallway. Hanging up the phone, I opened the door, confused how Jace had managed to get to my apartment without alerting the doorman. “I used the service entrance around back. I didn’t want to risk tipping anyone off to my presence just in case Tim has spies in the area,” he volunteered, reading my mind. He stepped inside and locked the door behind him.