Redemption (Desire Never Dies)

by Clara Grace Walker

“It’s a hurricane.”

  “What do we do?” Belinda clung to Vince, her face frozen with fear. “I moved here from Minnesota. I’ve never been in a hurricane.”

  “We should go to the hotel,” Preston said. “It’s concrete and the halls are free of windows.” He paused, gesturing at the glass walls surrounding them. “Unlike this place.”

  Nick nodded, holding his freshly stitched and bandaged arm against his chest. “Let’s go.”

  Astrid, Walter and Walter’s wife fell in line behind Nick, Preston and Scott, but Vince and Belinda hesitated. “Shouldn’t we just stay here?” Vince asked.

  Preston shook his head. The guy clearly didn’t know the first thing about hurricanes. “This building’s made of glass. The wind and debris will blow through here like a kid kicking down a pile of Lincoln Logs.”

  “Oh.” Vince started to move, but stopped again. “What about the roof of the hotel? Wouldn’t that be safer? I mean, didn’t all those people in New Orleans die from a flood?”

  “Not unless you want a wind-driven ride to the ground. But we can climb to the second floor in case of a storm surge.” Nick was already moving. As he approached the door, Patty, the girl from the check-in desk stepped in front of him. Nick glared at her. “Unless you want to become storm fodder, I suggest you come with us.”

  “I don’t think….” Patty started in protest, but was quickly elbowed by Belinda.

  “Are you crazy?” Belinda asked. “Let’s go.”

  Preston pulled Nick aside. “What about Rod and Darla, and Earl and Mindy?”

  Nick looked over everyone in their group and shrugged. “If they don’t show up by the time we get to the hotel I’ll come back and look for them.”

  “With that arm?” Preston shook his head. “You stay with the group. If they don’t turn up at the hotel, I’ll look for them.”

  Nick gestured his good arm toward Scott. “You have your son to look after. You should stay with your family.”

  “I appreciate that, Nick. And I’m sorry I’ve never treated you like family. For someone who spends so much time lecturing about the importance of family, I could have done a little better by my own brother-in-law.”

  Nick grinned. “Damn, Preston. Did you just call me your brother-in-law?”

  “I did.”

  “Thanks. What do you say we get everyone safely to the hotel, and we’ll have a beer when this nightmare is over?”

  Preston gestured in front of him. “After you.” He led their small group out the door and started for the hotel. The storm roared to life around them. Wind and rain tore from the sky, blowing sideways. Preston ran, shielding his face from the stinging rain. Thank God Maggie and Isabelle were already gone.

  Chapter 77

  Rod had barely rounded the corner when he halted.

  Fucking bitch!

  Damn but he loved her.

  No matter what.

  People might say he was stupid. They might think him a fool. But they didn’t know Darla the way he did. And no way was he leaving her here in this hell hole. Cursing both her and himself, he turned back around.

  He found her alone in her room crying. Looking up at him with tear-filled eyes, she smiled when he opened the door. Surprise sounded in her voice.

  “You came back.”

  “Yeah, babe, I came back.” He thought about walking over to her and putting his arms around her. He thought about pushing the strands of hair from her face, wiping her eyes and kissing her. He thought about doing all the things that might soothe her hurt, but he didn’t. Instead he stood at the opening of the doorway, just looking at her. “Get your clothes on and let’s go.”

  It took less than a minute for her to slip on a dress, a pair of panties and some flip-flops. “What about my things?”

  “We’ll buy you new things,” he said. “Right after we sue this place out of existence.”

  “Now you sound like a lawyer.”

  “I used to be a lawyer. Remember?”

  She rolled her eyes. “I remember. You’ve only told me that a million times.”

  Funny how even the urgency of their situation couldn’t suppress her smart-ass mouth. “Let’s go,” he said. “I want to get the hell out of here before some CRC goon tries to stop us.”

  She bit nervously on her bottom lip. “You don’t think they’d really do that, do you?”

  “Hell yes.”

  “But that’s illegal.”

  “I don’t think they’re not too concerned about what’s legal around here.”

  “Oh.” The light bulb finally snapped on and she ran out the door ahead of him. “Where’s the car parked?”

  “Should be out in the lot where I left it.”

  She moved quickly, blonde curls bobbing as she scurried down the hall. Looking out the windows lining the passageway, he could see the storm had picked up considerably. Rain poured down in sheets, accompanied by the rumble of thunder, its lightning strikes illuminating dark skies overhead. “If I didn’t know better I’d swear this was a fucking hurricane.”

  “It’s not a hurricane.” Her exasperated tone had returned. “They would have evacuated us if a hurricane was coming. Nobody’s that crazy.”

  She was probably right. Not even Shirley the Nutcase would want to be caught in a hurricane. But damn if this wasn’t the worst storm he’d seen in one hell of a long time. They’d reached the intake lobby, which to his relief, was deserted. Six cars parked outside were visible through the door. The front gates were wide open. He pushed out a sigh of relief.

  “There’s the car, right there.” Darla pointed toward their silver Lexus parked next to the handicap spot nearest the door.

  “Good.” He’d already pulled the keys from his pants pocket. “Let’s get out of here before the receptionist shows back up.”

  “Don’t you think it’s strange we haven’t run into anyone?”

  “I’m afraid it’s because they’re busy trying to stop everyone from leaving.”

  “Good. Better them than us.”

  She would see it that way. He hesitated at the door. “Maybe we should see if they need our help.”

  “Why? So these creeps can try and stop us from leaving, too?”

  “Don’t be like that, babe. They would help us.”

  “Fine. We’ll call the police once we’re past the front gates. Now let’s go.”

  There was a time, not so long ago, when he’d have hit the road already; wouldn’t even have questioned it. Preston had forgiven him a lot of past misdeeds though. He didn’t feel right just leaving.

  “Why are you just standing there?” Darla demanded. She had her hands on her hips and the corners of her mouth turned down in displeasure. “If we go back to try and help, they’ll just keep us from leaving, too. I don’t see how that’s helping.”

  She was probably right. The situation sucked. “Let’s go,” he said, and pushed through the glass doors leading outside.

  The storm assaulted them at once. Pulling Darla the short distance to the car, he shielded her face from the pelting rain. It fell in heavy, stinging drops, carried fiercely by howling wind. Worry crept into his soul. “This is more than a fucking thunderstorm.”

  “Can we please just go?” She shouted and hopped inside the car. “I want to get out of here before someone tries to stop us.”

  “We’re going,” he hollered back. “But I don’t know if we’ll get very far in this weather.”

  She didn’t say anything, but scooted into the bucket front seat and pulled her knees to her chin. He followed suit and started the car. To his relief, the engine sprang instantly to life, and he drove them down the short drive out the front gate, which was not only open, but unmanned. Maybe the others had made their escape after all.

  The storm raged so hard outside, wind pushed his car, and he had to steer at an angle to keep it going straight. Even working full force, the wipers barely kept the windshield clear enough to see. Small twigs and other loose debris blew by, smacking into t
he car as they drove. If he weren’t so worried about the storm, he’d be busy cursing the damage done to his paint job. A few miles down the road, worry turned to fear. So much rain had fallen water now covered the road. “Fuck,” he muttered.

  “Just keep driving,” Darla said.

  He slammed on the brakes, sending the car skidding sideways and sliding into a ditch. They jerked forward simultaneously before being caught by their seat belts and bounced back into place. “I can’t go any farther.”

  “What the fuck’s wrong with you?” she asked. “Why not?”

  He pointed at the road, directly ahead, where a small tree had fallen across their path. “That’s why.”

  Chapter 78

  The dream started with pillows. Placed from head to toe. Earl saw them blurry and misshapen. Covered in leather. Smooth and lumpy, pressing in close. He didn’t want them there. He tried pushing them away, but they turned to stone. Heavy boulders stacked beside his body. Rocks that rolled and made hissing noises. The top boulder, the one nearest his head, developed the face of a snake. Large black eyes stared at him. The tongue darted out, striking at his face repeatedly before disappearing into a black haze.

  Earl screamed, but only a muffled cough sputtered from his lungs. He shoved at the rock beast, a connected chain of boulders moving in unison, rolling beside him, pressing down on his body.

  No sound came from his throat. Breath struggled to make the oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange his body needed. Suffocating spasms shook him, and Earl knew he wasn’t just dreaming. Something or someone was trying to kill him.

  He jerked from sleep, heart pounding. Though his eyes were now open, he saw nothing save darkness. The suffocation continued and he felt the real pillow this time; pressing on his face. He heard the shushing and knew at once whose voice it was; whose naked body he felt grinding against his. Flailing his arms, he cried out.

  “Shirley! Stop!”

  Chapter 79

  The five cars in CRC’s parking lot told Sarge everything. The place had never been evacuated. If Gomez had made it past the front gate, he’d have seen at a glance Shirley was lying.

  Today they found the gate open and unmanned. They parked near the door of the rehab facility and stepped outside, bracing themselves against the storm.

  “I weathered four hurricanes in ‘04.” Danny yelled. He held his jacket closed with one hand, its nylon fabric billowing in the wind. “Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne. And I got through them all okay. I hope Phoebe isn’t about to turn my luck around.”

  “I wouldn’t worry,” Sarge yelled back, striding hard against the wind. “Folks like us don’t get taken down by big things like hurricanes. It’s the little things that get us. Like the cut that gets infected, or the allergic reaction to a bug bite. It’s God’s way of balancing things out.”

  Danny laughed, but even through the howling wind it sounded forced. Rain took on the look of a beaded curtain between them and the rehab facility ahead. Clouds obscured daylight, making it look closer to twilight. Sarge figured the winds to be about fifty to sixty miles an hour, yet to reach full strength. Leaves, twigs and other small debris tossed about, making navigation a hazard. Before long it would be suicidal to be outside. For all her bravado she knew they’d reached CRC just in time. Much longer on the road and they may have wound up as the statistic Danny feared.

  “Which building should we check first?” he yelled.

  She looked at the rehab facility looming in front of them and the top of the hotel, silhouetted above the tree line far to their left. With the storm gaining in intensity, they didn’t have time to waste. “Safest place to be right now is the hotel.”

  Danny nodded to the left. “Looks to be concrete. This place…” He pointed at the building in front of them. “…is going to blow in like a house of cards.”

  Pulling the spare .38 from her shoulder holster, she handed it to Danny. “You know how to use this?”

  He nodded, but stared at the gun like it might bite him.

  “Good.” Shouting to be heard above the storm, she handed him the weapon. “We’ll split up inside the rehab center. Round up anyone you find and take them to the hotel. And don’t let any of those CRC freaks stop you. You understand?”

  He took the gun, hands shaking. “How do you expect me to do that?”

  “Threaten their ass if you have to. My guess, these folks are crazy. And crazy people are dangerous. Now grip that gun with both hands and steady yourself. You take the time to sight in your target and you hit what you’re aiming at. You hear me?”

  “Okay,” he hollered. “I’ll hustle and meet you at the hotel with anyone I find.”

  “Good.”

  Sarge flung open the door to the treatment center. Caught by a gust of wind, it swung hard away from her and smashed against the wall, shattering the glass. The breaking glass bellowed against the howl of the storm and swept out with the wind. Sarge covered her face and ran inside, noting Danny close on her heels.

  “You okay, Sarge?”

  “Yeah.” She took a second to calm herself. “You?”

  “I’m okay.” He swiped a shaky hand through thinning gray hair. “And, Sarge?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Be careful.”

  “I always am.”

  Their paths parted, Danny turning down a hallway forking right off the check-in desk while she headed toward the patient rooms in back. Glancing back at him only once, she kept her hand on the .45 in her belt holster and prayed for the best. Her gut, and every sense she possessed, told her they were in for a rough ride.

  Chapter 80

  Mindy struggled against the ropes binding her to the bedposts. They burned and bit into her wrists, but it wasn’t the physical pain inciting her tears. That she could stand. What broke her were the memories they provoked, and how hell-bent history seemed on repeating itself.

  Belanger stood less than a foot away. He’d stripped off his shoes and socks and now fumbled with the buttons on his light-blue dress shirt. Every few seconds he stopped to look at her and grin. The wicked gleam in his eyes made her gag. She’d seen that look before. Desperation seeped in. She wished now he had drugged her. She didn’t want to endure this.

  “Pull on those ropes all you like.” He snickered. “It won’t do any good.”

  She remained silent. She’d tried screaming with Frank, but Mama had been passed out cold and Frank had slapped her hard enough to bruise her face. She wouldn’t scream this time. But if she got the chance, she was going to hurt him.

  “No objections then?” Belanger licked his lips. “Should I take you silence to mean you consent?”

  That thought hadn’t occurred to her. She wondered if he’d go for it. “Sure.” She purred. “Just untie me. We’ll do all sorts of fun things together.”

  He laughed, undoing the last button on his shirt, revealing a bare chest with fading muscle tone. “Shirley was right about you. She said you were nothing but a slut.” He made no attempt to untie her ropes.

  She kept her mouth closed in case he tried to kiss her. She worked to settle her fear. Tried to pretend this wasn’t really happening.

  Belanger sat on the bed beside her, sliding his hand underneath her tank top, stroking the flesh of her stomach. Her breath came faster as her heartbeat raced. The storm raged harder and louder, pounding on the walls and ceiling. Her insides knotted. She wanted to whimper, but smiled instead. “This can’t be much fun for you. Wouldn’t you like me to touch you back?”

  Belanger reached down and squeezed her thigh. “Will you touch me anywhere I want?”

  The feel of his fingers made her skin crawl. “Anywhere at all.”

  He leaned in close, bringing his face next to hers. His ragged breath steamed her cheeks.

  “Just one hand,” he said. “Just in case you’re trying to trick me.”

  One hand. That would have to be enough. “Whatever you want,” she said.

  “Alright then.” He unknotted the rope binding her rig
ht hand slowly. “But you better not be trying to trick me. Girls are always trying to trick me.”

  Mindy didn’t ask what he meant by that. She didn’t want to know. Whatever had been done to screw his head up, she doubted she could fix it. “Most girls are silly,” she said. “They’re always playing games.”

  “Yes.” He nodded. Anticipation and a hint of trust colored his gaze. “Girls are always playing games. Shirley’s the only one I can trust.”

  At last he worked the knot loose. Circulation returned, tingling through to her fingertips. Even if he stopped now, he’d loosened the rope enough for her to yank her hand free. She wiggled her fingers and waited.

  “Kiss me now,” he said, stopping his work on the rope and leaning his face close to hers.

  Mindy drew in a sharp breath, waiting for just the right moment. His lips crushed down on her mouth. Rough, wet and bruising. Instinctively, she reacted. And bit into his mouth as hard as she could.

  Chapter 81

  Preston knew hurricanes; and they should have been evacuated yesterday at the latest. But they hadn’t been. Not a single word of the approaching danger had been uttered. And all means of communication with the outside world had been cut off. Anger churned in his gut. Anger so strong it propelled him through pelting rain with barely a thought to his cold, soaked body. Rather than just thinking of physically attacking someone, he felt capable of doing it. Not since Andy Clarke tried to kill Maggie had he felt this way. He’d entrusted his son to Shirley and CRC. He didn’t know who he was angrier at; her, or himself for being duped. He did know, however, that it was the strength of his rage that kept fear from eating away at him.

  The way he figured it, the outer edges of the storm were passing over Key Largo. Before long there would be larger and larger debris hurled by ever-strengthening winds. More rain. More thunder. More lightning. Possibly tornadoes. And of course, the storm surge. It was impossible to know how bad the surge and flooding would be, but the slower moving the storm, the more rain and flooding they’d get.