by G. K. Parks
Sarah inhaled slowly, clearing her throat and composing herself. “I’m not sure. She just showed up out of the blue one day. The metaphoric orphan left on the stoop. But from some of the things she shared in group, I think she was running from something.”
“She lived in Vegas, right?”
Nodding, Sarah picked up the tea, but after taking a sniff, put it down. “I don’t like cinnamon,” she muttered absently. “I’m not sure what she did there, but the way she guarded her career, I imagine it was something she didn’t want known.” The look on her face was one of distaste. “It didn’t matter. This place is about starting over and finding your true self through enlightenment and Tim’s teachings. We all have pasts.”
“Then why would she go back?”
“To make amends. To reclaim her power. To be with the ones she left behind.” Sarah’s face contorted into a question mark. “I’m not sure. I can’t imagine ever leaving here. I guess that’s the goal, but this place feels right to me, at least for now.” Her eyes zeroed in on mine. “You’re planning on leaving, aren’t you?” She nodded at my ankle. “Once you get back to work and are financially solvent, you’re gonna leave us too.”
“That was the plan.” I stared off into the distance. “But it’s nice being around people and feeling connected. I haven’t had that in a really long time. That’s why Anika’s disappearance is so difficult.”
“Yeah, but Tim’s right. We really should be happy for her. She’s doing what she feels driven to do. It’s what she wants, and we should celebrate it.” She wiped her eyes. “No more tears. It’s the weekend, and there’s plenty of work to do and customers to greet.” She offered a hand, helping me off the ground.
Determined to make the most of things, she set off toward the crafts table, and I poured out the chai latte and ground the scone into crumbs before leaving that spot. The last thing I wanted to do was hang around here, but getting into my car and driving away would be far too obvious since the entire commune was outside.
Ducking away from the group, I returned to the trailer. I locked the door and took out the RF reader, scanning for any signs of radio signals or possible hidden cameras. Tim had made me paranoid, but I didn’t want to risk blowing my cover. Once I was positive it was safe, I took out my secondary phone, scanned the photo, and sent it to the team, requesting identifications on the other women. Then I phoned Eckhardt.
“We’ll issue a BOLO. And in the meantime, I’ll start with DOT cams in the vicinity,” Eckhardt promised. “Wilde said he drove her to the bus station. The surveillance van didn’t notice any activity, but maybe he gave them the slip. At the very least, it’s a starting point. If he went anywhere, we’ll find his vehicle in the footage and track it from there. Keep your fingers crossed. This will take some time and a lot of favors, but I’ll get back to you as soon as we know something. Be careful.”
“Always.”
Hanging up, I stared at the photo for a few minutes longer before pulling the hidden tablet out of the back of the cabinet and connecting it to the satellite antenna. Wilde’s attempts to prevent access to the internet and other current news sources resulted in the DEA getting a bit creative. Frankly, I was surprised none of Wilde’s followers had thrown a fit over their lack of Smart phones or other devices, but Wilde insisted that these things polluted the soul. That’s why the only phones permitted at the commune were hardlines and the cheap throwaway flip phones that Jace and I had.
Gnawing on the thought of whether Anika had a phone, I searched through old Vegas news articles from six months ago, looking for any hint of what Anika might have been involved with in her previous life. Once I hit the four month mark, I stopped reading. The papers were littered with homicides, sex crimes, and drug offenses. However, none of them involved S&M clubs. Whatever Anika was running from hadn’t made it into the papers.
A key scraped in the lock, and I ripped the antenna from the tablet, tossing both of the items into the false back of the cabinet and slamming it shut. Turning, I spotted the photo and dove for it just as the door opened. Decker cocked an eyebrow and shut the door behind him.
“What happened to sending a polite text announcing your arrival?” I asked.
“I didn’t want to waste time.” He looked at the item that I was ineffectually concealing beneath my palms. “What did you find?” He took the photograph, flipping it over in the hopes of getting a name or date. “Anything else?”
“Everything is inside her room. She didn’t leave.”
“No shit. That son of a bitch must have realized she was on to him and did something with her.” He put both hands on top of his head, fighting the urge to hit something. “This can’t go on. Maybe the DEA should conduct a raid. The kratom gives us probable cause.”
“What about the other buildings? Have you checked them?”
“That asshole has taken me on a guided tour of each of them. The two smaller sheds house farming equipment. The other three buildings are practically condemned. Once Wilde manages to turn this place into a sustainable farmstead, he wants to renovate them to make additional housing, a separate dining hall, and some other shitty things. I don’t know. I never got a good look around. He just made it clear that was his dream, and everyone was to stay out.”
“Do they?”
“For the most part, except when we need to use them for additional storage, and that’s under Tim’s supervision. The doors are chained. I’m sure the lock would be easy enough to pick or break, but I don’t think anyone has.”
“Great,” I huffed.
“Alex, I’m not a moron. I’ve been here for what feels like an eternity. I’ve done my due diligence. I’ve checked everything I possibly can. I…,” he blinked, scrunching his face as if in pain, “I can’t outsmart this bastard. I’ve analyzed him, studied him, diagnosed his psychological issues, but I’ve yet to determine how he’s trafficking in drugs or forcing these women to become mules. Take Anika for example. He managed to do god knows what with her, and we were a hundred yards away in this tin can.” He slapped the wall with his palm. “Maybe a raid is exactly what we need. Perhaps it’ll throw him off balance, or the tactical team will find something that I keep missing.” His forehead furrowed, and he stared at the carpet. “I let him get away with this.”
“No, you didn’t.” Thoughts of last night ran through my head. “We can share the blame.” Considering something else, I picked up the phone and dialed Eckhardt again, putting him on speaker. “Did you have units sitting on the commune last night?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Eckhardt replied
“Did anyone enter or leave the property yesterday?” Jace asked.
“Tim was mobile most of the afternoon, and in the evening, it was just you and Alex.”
“Nothing after that?” I asked.
“No,” Eckhardt replied, “but like I told Alex, he’s given us the slip before. That’s why we’ll analyze DOT footage.”
Biting my lip, I looked at Decker. “Is Wilde under twenty-four hour surveillance?”
“He is, but sometimes he notices things and begins to exhibit paranoid behavior,” Jace said. “He seems to have a sixth sense about eluding us and avoiding detection whenever he wants.” He narrowed his eyes. “Matt, get a second team to sit on him. Wherever he goes, they follow. I don’t care if he notices or not. We need to find that woman before she ends up dead.”
Pressing disconnect, I gave Decker another look. “She’s already dead.”
“How can you be certain?”
“I just am.” I swallowed. “She possessed knowledge or evidence that could hurt Wilde, and everyone else that’s been able to do that ends up dead. Anika will be no different.” Grabbing my phone, I went to the door. “If whatever she had is on the property, I’m going to find it. I’ll be back later. Run interference for me.” I gave him a look over my shoulder. “And tonight, let’s figure out how to make that blackout happen. I want unlimited access to the main facility tomorrow during the farmer’s market
. It’s our best bet.”
“And if that doesn’t work, we’re gonna raid this perversion of a convent.”
“Deal.”
Twenty-six
I searched the main level of the facility as best I could. I even searched every tile in the bathroom for something hidden, but there was nothing. The multipurpose rooms, the dining hall, and kitchen all turned up nothing. I’m sure my actions were suspicious, but if questioned, I’d come up with a lie. However, no one was inside the building. After rolling up the last of the yoga mats, I returned them to the equipment closet, knocking against the wall as I went. The back corner sounded hollow, and I knocked harder. Searching the wall, it was completely solid. It must connect to one of the other rooms or hallways. It was obviously an interior wall, and I was jumping to conclusions.
Stepping out of the closet, I left the room, turning to the right, but there was nothing but an open space decorated to be a quiet place to sit, reflect, and possibly read. Several couches and chairs were clustered in the opening, but there was nothing but solid wall. Knocking against it produced a solid sound. That made no sense. Returning to the other room, I went to the back and opened the lengthy equipment closet again. The resounding thump echoed, indicating something beyond that wall. Searching the floor and ceiling, I couldn’t find any indication of how to access the hidden compartment.
Thoughts of what could possibly be walled inside filled my head. It could be anything from narcotics to bodies. Hell, maybe Tim was very literal about keeping skeletons in his closet. Giving the wall another hard shove, it felt completely solid. Maybe I was crazy. Maybe the echoing was from the confined space of the closet rather than an exterior space beyond that wall, but I doubted it.
“Alex?”
I turned, spotting Hannah. She usually spent most of her time preparing meals for the group and producing baked goods to sell. She was standing at the entrance to the yoga studio, watching with piqued curiosity. Smiling, I stepped out of the closet, pulling the door closed.
“Guilty.” I offered a sheepish smile.
“What are you doing?”
I shrugged. “Nothing really. I’m hiding from the group, and since everyone’s outside, I was hoping to make myself useful inside.” I shook my head. “I wiped down the tiles in the bathroom, reorganized some of the kitchen and pantry, and refolded the yoga mats. I just wanted to keep busy.”
“Okay.” She gave me a knowing look. “I’ll pretend I didn’t notice you.” She winked. “If you want to clean my room, I won’t stop you. It’s tough when people leave. I get wanting to keep busy and keep to yourself, but if you change your mind, I’ll be working on dinner.”
Deciding that there wasn’t enough time to search anything else and possibly needing an excuse for my erratic behavior, I volunteered to help. While she took out the oversized pots and pans to prepare enough chow to feed a platoon, I sifted through the spices, pulling out the things she asked for while checking for anything suspicious. Of course, I failed to find any containers labeled PCP, ketamine, strychnine, or kratom, but it was worth a shot.
When dinner was almost finished and a crowd started to form in the dining hall, I ducked out of the kitchen. A group of ten had congregated near the front door; among them were Tim and Jace. They were discussing Anika’s departure, and I edged closer until I was beside them. Without missing a beat, Decker put an arm around me. Apparently, several of the other women were not taking the news particularly well. I listened to the questions they asked and the perfunctory lies Tim told. The story never changed, and eventually, the crowd disbanded as the scent of dinner wafted throughout the first floor.
“Are you two coming?” Tim asked.
Jace shook his head. “We brought home leftovers from dinner last night. I thought we’d do something romantic at the trailer, but that was before the news spread.” He looked at me. “Would you rather stay here among friends?”
Shaking my head, I leaned into him. “I just want to go home and mope. Is that selfish?” I glanced at Tim, expecting some type of enlightened inner peace mumbo jumbo to pass his lips at the suggestion, but he didn’t say a word. He wished us a good night and went to join the others.
Decker and I didn’t speak until we were locked inside the trailer. “It appears that the news has created quite a buzz,” he said. “Others have left while I’ve been here, but it’s never been this abrupt or unexpected. Whatever Anika had must have really freaked out Tim for him to react without having a plan in place.”
“Or he had a plan, but my snooping ruined it. I imagine he probably would have removed her belongings and forged a goodbye note if he had the time.” Fishing out the phone, I checked for any messages or missed calls. Frustrated that there was nothing of use, I dropped it on the table and plopped into a chair beside it. “Do you have blueprints of the main facility?”
Decker shook his head. “Tim had it custom renovated, and while the law requires such things to be kept on file, I’ve never seen them. Stella’s gone through building records, but the schematics and the actual buildings don’t line up.”
“Should we get the city planner or a building inspector out here to check the codes?”
Decker snickered. “Tried it. Do you want to guess what happened?”
“Wilde killed him.”
“No. He paid him off. Apparently, Wilde helped this guy’s cousin get a car on the cheap, so the commune got a stamp of approval.”
“Oh my god, I didn’t realize the small town mentality existed this close to a major city.”
“Welcome to the sub-suburbs, babe.” He shook his head. “That’s what I like to call this Podunk hellhole.” He rubbed his face and took a seat at the table. “Did you find anything?”
“Maybe. How are we coming on creating a power outage?”
He picked up a pen and drew a rough sketch of a map on a napkin. “The fuse box is here, and the electricity comes in here. During the day, it won’t be that obvious that the lights are out, and with everyone outside, we should have some time to look around. The only problem will be whenever they run out of baked goods and need to bring out another batch.”
“We’ll take our chances.” After telling him about my search efforts and the questionable wall, we decided that it was time to perform a thorough search of the entire facility. “I’ll take the upper level. Tim never said I couldn’t go up there, and we don’t want to compromise your cover. He trusts you. He told me as much. And you’ve sacrificed way too much to screw yourself over by getting caught.”
“Fine,” Decker relented. “I’ll see what I can figure out about that closet. Do you think a sledgehammer would be obvious?”
I held up my hand, squeezing my thumb and pointer finger close together. “A little bit.”
He cracked a smile. “Dammit.”
* * *
Waking up with my head on Decker’s shoulder, I let out an agitated sigh and pulled away from him. We had too much to do, and I didn’t want to waste any time or energy on last night’s sleeping arrangement. The very literal sharing of a bed was the least of our problems at the moment.
“Jace,” I growled, “it’s morning.”
He blinked a few times and scratched his chest, sliding our notes and the tablet off of him. We’d fallen asleep strategizing the best way of not getting caught. Simply flipping the electricity off would be too obvious, so Decker had researched a few foolproof ways of overloading the circuits. With everyone out of the facility, they wouldn’t notice, and it would give us a chance to look around without big brother watching our every move.
We raced through our morning routines and arrived a few minutes late for Tim’s morning tranquility session. From the quirked eyebrow and licentious look Tim gave us as we snuck in, I knew what he was thinking. And I didn’t like it. After going off on a tangent about our recent loss from the collective, he concluded by encouraging his followers to strike up conversations with the patrons at the day’s market, hoping to replenish our ranks and improve someon
e else’s life. I didn’t like the recruitment spiel, but whatever roll Anika played in his grand scheme might be important. Perhaps she had millions stashed away from winning it big at one of the casinos.
“Alex,” Tim called as everyone began to clamor out of the room, “may I speak with you?”
“Of course.” Crossing to him, I smiled at some of the women as they went past in groups of two and three. “What can I do for you this morning?”
“You’re in a chipper mood. It’s a welcome improvement from yesterday.” He glanced at my partner who was speaking to four of the women near the door. “I imagine Jace has made you feel less alone and abandoned.”
“Yes, he has. I overreacted yesterday. I was just caught by surprise, and I don’t deal well with surprises. Most of the surprises I’ve had lately have been bad.”
Wilde held the grin, but his eyes seemed to be searching for something. “Well, I enjoy surprises, like finding out that you did several chores yesterday while everyone was busy outside.”
“I needed the peace and quiet to reflect. I was planning on doing a bit more cleaning today. I hope that’s okay.”
He continued to smile, and I wondered if his cheeks hurt from doing that so often. “That would be delightful.” Without another word, he went out the door, whispering something to Jace on the way.
That conversation was intended to make it known that he hears all and sees all, but that wouldn’t scare me away. Exchanging a few pleasantries with some of the remaining women, I made my way back to Decker. His look said it all, and I really didn’t want to know what Tim had said to him.
“Are we good to go?” I asked as soon as the rest of the women disbanded.
He nodded. “Green lights, babe.” He looked a bit disgusted and rolled his eyes, shaking his head slightly to let me know that we would discuss it later. “I’ll be helping set up, but I should be done in about an hour.”
“I’ll be here.”
After he left, I went into the cleaning closet and pulled out a mop and broom. Then I set to work on the floors in the dining room. After that, I’d continue sweeping the rest of the main level until the power cut out. The broom was an easy cover and a good excuse for why I would be upstairs, and since the entire facility had tile floors, I could take it with me when I went exploring.