“Look, WHERE IS HE GOING?” Becca demanded.
“Probably to the forest. He loves plants and nature. Okay? I couldn’t tell you which one. Because he never told me which one is his favorite. If he even has a favorite. But he can be very regimented, so I’d imagine he does have a specific place where he is most comfortable,” Saffron said. “Sorry I can’t help more. Just, please, try to make sure you put in a good word for Ben. He doesn’t deserve life in prison. Or death,” she said.
Becca disagreed. But she figured she wouldn’t get anywhere by telling the boy’s mother that. She thanked Saffron and disconnected.
“Guess we’re going for a night hike,” Becca said.
“Good thing I brought the Jeep,” David said. He smiled and motioned toward the backseat with his head. “And, guess what? We even have headlamps,” he said.
“How come you never go out? You have all the equipment,” Becca said, suddenly curious.
“Shhh. I’m trying to focus on driving,” David said.
“Yeah, well, let’s hope you don’t get pulled over,” she said, her tone testy. She settled back into her seat as best she could, closing her eyes.
“Might be the best thing that could happen. Especially if he is the one that gets stopped first,” David said.
“Wasn’t David Berkowitz or whatever his name was- he was the New York one, right? Son of Sam? Wasn’t he caught on a routine traffic stop?” Becca wondered aloud. She needed to do something, anything to get her mind off her nerves. If dredging up obscure, seemingly random factoids about serial killers did the trick, so be it.
“Is there even such a thing as a routine traffic stop? You should ask Lawrence that one, see what he says,” David said. He took another sharp right turn.
Opening her eyes, Becca smiled. “Hey, I know where we’re headed. This is pretty much the route I took the other day. When Mario was spying on me,” she said.
“Well, I think he might still be. Look behind us,” David said.
Glancing into the rearview mirror, she saw bright lights coming from a vehicle in hot pursuit of them. “Has that car been trailing us all along?” Becca asked.
“I think so. But I honestly didn’t notice it until now,” he said.
“Holy cow, David. This is getting intense,” Becca said. Then she started chewing her nails. “That must mean Mario knew I was lying all along. He had our house bugged or something,” she said.
“Which means he knows about our meeting with Lawrence,” David said.
“Oh, no! Should we turn around? I could care less about Ben. He’s a psychopath, but whatever. I’m worried about Denise now,” Becca said, shuddering at the thought of what Mario’s goons might do to her in secret.
“Don’t worry about her. We’re already here. We’re deep in this one, Miss B. Just keep going forward,” David said.
The road ahead went from paved to gravel. The night became darker as the city’s lights receded into an afterthought. The only real illumination provided was that cast by the sliver lunar orb shrouded in its majesty in the calm night sky. A sliver of additional brightness was added by the moon’s loyal retinue of stars, suddenly visible as they entered the forest’s domain.
The Jeep bounced up and down as it moved across the rough surface. David laughed, enjoying the thrill. “Dummy is going to lose so much ground. And the idiot behind us is just going to get stuck in our dust. I mean, seriously, these people live in central Oregon and are getting around in goombah wagons and boomer, fuel-efficient little Rabbits?” he asked, shaking his head.
“David, I know you’re excited, but, please, don’t start playing your crazy death metal,” Becca said.
“I was just about to ask,” David said. He chuckled. “Gets me all amped up. I’m sorry, Miss B. I hope you don’t hate me, but you might get to see an ugly side of me tonight. I don’t really like it. But, you know, I love the adrenaline rush. I do. I miss it sometimes,” he said. “That and the whole brotherhood. You know? In the military, at least at the squad- and platoon-levels, you know everyone around you. You can’t help it. You train together, eat together, all that. These are people that you know for a one-hundred-percent fact will die for you, if things ever come to that. It’s… there’s really nothing like it in the rest of the world,” he said.
“Deer!” Becca shouted.
David grunted as he veered out of the way. Breathing heavily for several seconds afterward, they both remained in silence as they watched the small vehicle in front of them continue stubbornly on.
“That was close,” Becca said. Then she smiled. “Remind me to tell you the story of when my dad accidentally hit a moose. I don’t even think we have moose here, do we?” she asked.
“A few. Up by where your sister lives,” David said, his eyes firmly on the road ahead.
“It’ll get bumpier up here. Hopefully no more deer. Because if we do that again, we might topple over the side. Pretty steep fall,” Becca said, shuddering. Her heart raced in her chest. She chewed one set of gnawed fingernails aggressively while she clenched the cup holder with her other hand.
“Man, it’d be convenient if this guy just went over the edge,” David said.
“David. You shouldn’t say things like that,” Becca said.
“Well, it’s the truth. Sorry, Miss B. I told you, you might get to see a part of me you might wish you hadn’t. But it’s that part of me that’ll help keep us safe and get us back to Denise. Okay? So, please, trust me,” David said.
He slowed down to a near crawl as the road ahead wound sharply around a corner. Oddly enough, a reflective yellow sign indicated that there was a school bus stop somewhere in the vicinity.
“Road’ll even out ahead. It’s paved for a while until we hit another one of these,” Becca said.
“What in the world are they even thinking? Why so many different types of roads out here?” David asked.
“Don’t know. Might be the different land. Some of it’s federal, some state. But I don’t know, David. Can we please focus on what’s going on?” Becca asked.
They continued on in silence for several minutes, following the Rabbit as it made its slow progress toward the driver’s unknown destination. Becca closed her eyes again, tired beyond belief. She wanted to just fall asleep right then. To fade away into oblivion. To a distant, sanguine dreamscape, a world devoid of psychopathic murderers and criminal enterprises. A place where her daughter was safe, David was whole, and the only thing she needed to focus on was baking enough Buche Du Noel for the entire world to enjoy.
She smiled at the thought.
“Buche Du Noel,” Becca muttered dreamily.
“What are you talkin’?” David said.
Blinking, Becca returned to reality. She smiled ruefully. “Oh, nothing. I was just wishing for a world where we all could have a limitless supply of desserts, without fear of getting fat or diabetes,” she said. “Endless happiness and love for all,” she said.
“Sounds good,” David said. “Sign me up.”
“Really? Could you get by without conflict, David?” Becca asked.
David grew solemnly silent. His tense jaw remained tight for several seconds. Finally, he shrugged. “I honestly don’t know, Miss B. But, unfortunately, I don’t think there ever will be a world without conflict. Not on this mortal plane, anyway. Circumstances conspire to make people like Mario, Ben, and me. We’re all the same. We just took different paths and have different end goals,” he said.
“How can you say that, David? You’re one of the kindest people I’ve ever known,” Becca said.
“That’s because of what I’ve seen, Miss B. Hey, he’s stopping,” David said, pointing with one hand. He laughed. “The idiot literally ran out of gas.”
“Hey! That’s Jeff’s shop. The guy I was telling you about? The one who wanted to talk with you?” Becca said.
“Great. Hopefully he’s somewhere close by. We might need him,” David said, coming to an abrupt halt that rocked the Jeep. “There are
two guns in the back. They’re locked-up in cases. Lift up the floor mat behind you. There’s a small compartment built in. Just lift the lever. Uh, code’s 9921,” he said.
“David…”
“Stop it. We’re going to need them. Now, get out and get them,” David said. He unstrapped his seatbelt and jumped out of the vehicle.
Chapter 22
Becca trembled. She had a difficult time trying to unlock the hidden compartment. She fumbled with the shiny golden-colored levers as she tried to position them in the right order. “9921. Nine-nine-two-one,” she repeated to herself out loud. She needed to remember the code, but the repetition also helped divert her attention from the danger lurking all around them.
Noticing an obscenely bright light turn on at the gas station, Becca turned. As she did so, a bug flew right into her open mouth. Coughing, she spat on the ground.
The sound of her coughing apparently was the straw that broke the elephant’s back.
Ben screamed. “You followed me,” he shouted, his vile tone laced with an angry accusation.
David chuckled. Which probably didn’t help do anything to de-escalate the situation.
Becca gritted her teeth and forced herself to calm down enough to grab the guns. 9921. 9921. All she needed to do was unlock the compartment.
“Hey, y’all. What’s goin’ on out here? Y’all fixin’ to have a fight? Mind maybe it doin’ it somewhere’s else?” Jeff said, walking forward toward them.
Becca straightened up when she heard the man’s voice. “Hey,” she said, waving.
“Wow, ma’am. I did not expect to see you out here like this. This a’int ‘bout them pies or whatnot, is it?” Jeff asked.
“Help!” Ben yelled. “They’re trying to kidnap me,” he said frantically.
“Sir, we don’t have a lot of time. If you have guns inside, I’d say grab them,” David said.
“Ma’am, what’s going on?” Jeff asked, confused.
“I don’t really know, honestly. But that kid over there killed a mafia don’s son. So, please, do what David asks,” Becca said. “He’s the one I was telling you about, if you remember.”
“Guns? What do we need guns for?” Ben said, cowering behind his car, his voice tremulous.
As Becca returned to her one task, she heard the other car approaching. Grunting, she inwardly told herself to get moving.
Finally, releasing a shrill squeal of triumph when she unlocked the compartment, she pulled the handle and grabbed the cases. She dropped them on the group, opening the first to reveal what appeared to be a rifle that had been folded up. Pushing it aside, she did the second box, finding a small, more manageable handgun inside. Becca picked it up with trembling hands. She knew she needed it. And she knew she could use it… under normal circumstances. She’d taken several safety classes when they’d first moved to Oregon and settled in Bend. Her ex-husband had insisted she do so, since David was going to be living with her.
Smiling despite the tense circumstances, Becca thought that was the one and only time in her life where she would thank her ex-husband for anything.
“David,” Becca said, keeping her tone hushed. She walked in a crouch toward him, gesturing back toward the abandoned case containing the rifle. “Your thing is over there,” she said. “David, what do I do?” she asked, her tone desperate.
Glancing over, she noticed that Ben remained crouched behind his car. Even in the low light, Becca could make out his head just above the outline of the vehicle. “And why is he even still here? Why didn’t he try to run?” she asked.
“Where would he run to? He’d just fall down into a ravine,” David said, rushing toward his case.
“That thing is all folded-up, David. What are you going to do?” Becca asked, rushing to remain behind him. His presence comforted her.
“Un-fold it. Hey, don’t stay too close,” David said. Then he grunted. “If we’re too bunched-up, we make easier targets. Just keep an eye on the kid,” he said, trying to explain the reason behind his orders.
Becca nodded and reluctantly retreated. She didn’t particularly like the idea of social distancing right then. But she’d do whatever it took to keep them all safe.
Hearing a door slam, Becca winced. Peeking up over the edge of the Jeep, she watched as two men from Mario’s crew emerged. They wore the trademark suits of their trade. Striding forward, they stopped when David stood up to greet them.
He held his now-assembled rifle with his finger just above the trigger. David didn’t aim the weapon at the guns, but kept it pointed at the ground. Nonetheless, from his posture, it seemed clear that he could quickly get the gun into a firing position as rapidly as needed.
“You have to come with us. With the boy,” one of the men said.
“Yeah, that’s not happening,” David said.
“Oh, but it is. You don’t have a choice,” the man said.
Becca heard a branch crack. She blinked. And then, suddenly, Jeff emerged out of the shadows, pressing a shotgun into the back of the speaker. “Stay calm, now,” Jeff said, his tone surprisingly even. “No one needs to get hurt.”
“Do you know who I am, you dumb hick?” Mario’s man said.
“Nope, sure don’t. And, I’ll be honest, sir, I don’t care. You surely a’int Jesus. And you a’int my momma or my wife, neither. So, you just stay where you are and don’t make any sudden movements and I won’t shoot you. Sound like a deal?” Jeff said.
“That boy over there killed my boss’s son,” the man said.
“Not my son. Not my problem,” Jeff said. “Sir, y’all woke me up. Okay? I’m not the one with a shotgun in my back. So, please, just be quiet and let my friend over here settle whatever needs to be settled so I can go back to bed,” he said.
“You do realize you’re marked now? You’re a dead man,” the man said.
“Dude, don’t make me want to shoot you, okay? Look, you want to come find me, you know where I work. Mostly live here, too. You might need to lay off the spaghetti, whatever it is you Italians eat, though. Because I’m not going to make it easy on you,” Jeff said.
“What do we do, David?” Becca asked.
“Well, didn’t we set out to get Ben to confess?” David asked. “I can’t exactly take my attention off these guys right now, Miss B.”
“Ben, please come over here,” Becca said. When he didn’t immediately respond, she marched over to him. Standing over him, she resisted the urge to point her gun at him. She didn’t like the tool. It represented something so powerfully destructive that she would do anything to ever have to touch one again.
“I did it, okay? I killed Giovanni. Is that what you wanted,” Ben asked, looking up at her with a terrified, tear-stained face.
“Well, yes. But, I mean, why?” Becca asked. She couldn’t help but ask. A part of her needed to know the answer.
“I was jealous. I didn’t want anyone else to have him if I couldn’t. I felt betrayed. He’d just discarded me like a piece of meat. HE TOLD ME HE LOVED ME,” Ben said.
Becca paused. She hadn’t expected any of this. And she certainly hadn’t expected a tense, armed stand-off at a rural bait shop. Trying to think what the best outcome would be, Becca thought of Saffron. While she had absolutely no sympathy for Ben, Becca harbored quite a bit of sympathy for his mom. She seemed like a genuinely good person who’d done her best to make a bad situation livable. She’d tried to raise her kid the best she knew how.
“I promised your mom I’d try to get you help,” Becca said in a low tone, glancing back toward the others. They hadn’t moved.
“Well, can you help me out of here,” Ben said.
“Not really. Different kind of help. What I need right now is you to tell me that you’ll accept that, Becca said. A germ of a plan had formed in her mind. It was a crude one, but it was so simple that it could work. However, Becca wanted to have some assurance that Ben would actually go through with any treatment the state offered him. Without that, she would be content to jus
t let the mafia kill him. Because, in her mind, Ben constituted a threat to society. He would poison someone else. Intentionally. Not to mention all the people he might inadvertently harm by keeping his toxic plants out in a front yard where any kid or pet could access them.
“I’ve never felt normal inside. I’ve never even really felt. I feel so hollow all the time. So, if you could connect me with someone who shows me how to get rid of all my evil thoughts, of course, I’d go. I don’t WANT to be this way,” Ben said. He began crying softly.
Suddenly, Becca experienced an urgent desire to bend down and hug the murderer. She felt like his life would have been so much better had his father just loved him and his mother had been slightly more engaged. She believed him. His tone had been so earnest that it was hard not to. “Get up,” she said, trying to remain as composed as she could.
“What?” Ben asked.
Becca knelt down. She whispered to keep what she was about to say from the others. “Look, I’m going to hand you over to those men. It’s the only way we all walk out here alive right now. Okay? I know that’s scary. And I understand why you might not want to trust me. But here’s what I’m going to do. I have a very good friend who’s a Sheriff’s Deputy. He knows all the details of this case. Okay? So, I’m going to call him IMMEDIATELY after you get in their S.U.V. and drive off. He’ll get things in motion. You see, we have the goods on Mario. Giovanni’s dad. So, there should be police waiting when you get back to town,” she said.
“But what if they kill me before we get back to town?” Ben asked.
Becca gulped. She forced herself to smile. “That won’t happen, honey,” she said. She knew that it could. And if it did, the lie would continue to haunt her consciousness for a very long time. But she also needed to reassure him so that he’d go along with the plan.
“Just trust me. Get in the car. We’ll be close behind you,” she said.
“Okay,” Ben agreed.
Chapter 23
Standing in front of the Three Sassters with her entire team, Becca watched as Mario was paraded out of his upscale restaurant in handcuffs. Several of the local network affiliates had shown up, their vans haphazardly parked all along the block as various reporters jockeyed for the best angles. With their tired eyes and hastily assembled crews, they looked like exactly what they were: journalists who’d been plucked from their homes at a moment’s notice and sent to cover a developing story they knew next to nothing about.
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