Nowhere to Turn

by Lynette Eason

  Adam sighed and rubbed his head, trying to decide what to do. If he made the wrong choice. A little guidance please, Lord … just because the man has a passage of Scripture on his wall, it doesn’t mean he’s trustworthy. Adam debated until Ralph glanced at his watch.

  “Look—”

  “No. I get it. Maybe this will help.” Adam passed the recording of the Eisenburg murder to the man. “Play that on your computer and tell me what to do next.”

  With a puzzled look, Ralph took the flash drive and inserted it in the port. Thirty seconds later, he lost all color in his face. While he was silent, Adam figured his brain was going at warp speed.

  When the video was over, Ralph removed the flash drive and took a deep breath. “Did I just see what I saw?”

  “Yes.”

  “I know those men,” he said.

  Adam had to lean forward to understand the quiet words. “Will you help me now?”

  Ralph rubbed a hand down his pale face. Adam could still see the shock in his eyes. Then Ralph shook his head. “Give me twenty-four hours.”

  Impatience ate at him, but he understood the man’s reluctance to trust him any further. He’d met Ralph in the man’s office on purpose. He could have called and had him meet him somewhere. Probably would have been safer considering there was no way to tell who was playing nice in this building and who was willing to kill a woman who’d seen them kill someone. But he’d wanted to catch Ralph before he had a chance to prepare for the visit.

  “Fine. Check me out, then give me a call. I’ll be waiting, but I’m keeping this.” He waved the flash drive. “If you decide to trust me, come up with someone we can give this to. Someone who won’t kill us and bury this video.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, I’ll do that.”

  “One more thing. You guys have a gym in this building?”

  “We do. We’re one of the lucky ones. This is one of the newer facilities.”

  He passed Ralph the key. “Would this go to any of the lockers?”

  Ralph picked it up and shook his head. “Nope.” He rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. He separated one from the other. “This is my locker key.” It looked similar, but was shorter.

  Adam pocketed the one from Dani’s bag and stood. “I’ll be waiting for your call.” He left Ralph’s office and made his way toward the exit. With his phone in camera mode, he held it angled enough to see the agent who’d been on the elevator with him. The man followed him with his narrowed gaze, watchful, intense.

  Adam snapped the picture and tucked the phone away. He’d figure out who the agent was in about twenty-four hours.

  Because he had no doubt Ralph Thorn would be calling him for a meeting. He glanced at his watch. And now it was time to go see his mother.

  He lowered the binoculars. How lucky could a guy get? Adam Buchanan takes off and the kids play their games, hooking into the internet and becoming a nice big target on his computer screen.

  Simon stood at the rail of the boat staring out at the lake. Three hours north of Greenville, South Carolina, they hadn’t run far.

  His phone rang and he answered on the first ring. “I’ve got them.”

  “Then you’ll have her today?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good.”

  Click.

  He hung up and shook his head.

  It surprised him that his conscience pricked him slightly. He hadn’t been sure he still had one. And yet, he found himself reluctant to kill a kid. Which was why he found himself sitting there trying to figure a way around it.

  One reason he hadn’t struck yet.

  Unfortunately nothing came to mind and he was running out of time.

  22

  The sky darkened and Simon glanced up to see gray clouds billowing overhead, chasing the sun into submission. The wind continued to pick up and the water churned, rocking the boat harder. He gripped the rail and wondered how much longer before the worst of the storm hit. Tori had driven the boat away from the dock and shown Simon how to beach the craft.

  “Shouldn’t we just get a hotel room?” he’d asked with a worried glance at the darkening sky.

  Tori had laughed. “Nope. We’re perfectly safe on the boat. We just have to get it ready for the storm.” She shook her head. “We’re in the South. We’re not supposed to have thunderstorms in the South in December.”

  Not sure he believed her, he nevertheless did as she instructed and helped her tie the ropes at a forty-five degree angle to the side of the boat. Then they’d disembarked and pounded stakes into the ground until only about a foot of the stake showed.

  When they were finished, Tori had said, “Now we just have to get back on the boat and ride it out.”

  “Ride it out? What if there’s a hurricane? Or a tornado?”

  “Then the weather channel would have warned us. Besides, those happen in the summertime. Not December.”

  “Thought you said we didn’t have thunderstorms in December either.”

  Tori placed her hands on her hips and gave him a mock glare. “I’m not God, Simon, I don’t control the weather. But trust me when I say, it’s not a hurricane or a tornado, just a thunderstorm. A weird, freak, December thunderstorm.” She’d signed as many words as she could and Simon appreciated her effort. He liked talking to Tori. He didn’t have any trouble understanding her—or helping her. When they’d finished, she’d given his arm a light punch. “Thanks.” When Tori went inside, Simon went to the deck.

  He shifted and lifted his face to the wind. His cheeks had gone numb about five minutes before and he was sure his nose would fall off if he rubbed it.

  But the cold felt good.

  The man who’d been fishing earlier was gone. After tying up the boat with Tori, Simon had grabbed his Nintendo and had been playing for the last two hours. His mom had checked on him periodically and offered to play cards with him, but he’d shaken his head. He didn’t want to play cards, he didn’t want to watch television. He wanted to go home.

  He missed his bedroom and his friends at school. Especially Mitchell.

  He wanted to figure out what having a normal life was like and start having it. Running from someone who wanted to kill his mother wasn’t part of that. The anger that boiled so close to the surface threatened to bubble over whenever he thought about anything too long.

  Adam had been gone forever. Simon wondered when he’d be back. He could see his mother and Tori in the kitchen cooking dinner and talking. The two of them had become fast friends and Simon was glad to see it. Loneliness used to seep off her in waves. Of course she had Jenny, but even then they didn’t get to hang out together too much since Jenny was always working.

  A dark shadow passed under the part of the boat not beached on shore. The lights from the deck shone down into the water, illuminating the area. Simon blinked and looked again.

  It was gone.

  Simon raced to the other side and waited to see it again. He knew there weren’t sharks or whales in a lake, but whatever kind of fish he’d just seen wasn’t a catfish either.

  He waited.

  Nothing.

  Weird.

  He went into the kitchen. “Mom?” He snitched a carrot from the bowl.

  She turned with a smile on her face. “Hey, we’re almost ready to eat. You’re hungry, I’m guessing?”

  “Yes, but I also saw something in the water.”

  Tori straightened from where she’d been bent over the sink. “What’d you see?”

  He liked that she signed and spoke at the same time. It made it easier to understand her. “I don’t know. It was long and black. Like a huge fish.”

  Tori’s eyes narrowed and Simon’s stomach dropped. She placed her spoon in the sink and pulled her weapon. She said something to his mother, who nodded.

  His mom signed, “Let’s go below, down to your room.”

  “Why?”

  “Because Tori asked us to.”

  Tori grunted and said something under her breath, but
Simon didn’t catch it. His mom looked at her. “What is it?”

  Simon swiveled his attention back to Tori. He watched her lips carefully. “The boat is shifting. One of the moorings must have come loose. I’ll have to go tighten it back down or we’ll be in trouble.”

  “What if it’s a trick?” Simon asked.

  “What?” His mother stared at him like he’d grown two heads.

  “A trick,” he said again, wondering if his fear was making his words less understandable, so he signed while he explained. “You know, like in the movies. You go out there to fix that and the bad guy is waiting?”

  Simon appreciated the fact that Tori seemed to consider the possibility and didn’t just shake off his suggestion. “You could be right. I’ll be careful.”

  His mother, on the other hand, frowned. “We don’t know anyone is here. I think Tori is just taking some precautions.”

  Tori nodded. “Exactly.” She lifted her phone and dialed Adam’s number.

  He shivered even with the drysuit on. Lurking in the water for much longer and he’d be an ice cube. But he couldn’t move too fast or too soon. This was a one-shot deal and impatience would get him nowhere fast. He’d wait and watch. He had decided on a plan of action. Grab the kid and the mother would do whatever was asked of her. Only the kid was no longer standing at the rail of the boat.

  Which meant more waiting. But he wasn’t in a hurry. He’d take his time and do the job right. He moved so he could see the railing. Where had the kid gone? A quick kick of his flipper-clad foot propelled him to the other side of the boat. No kid. He moved around the other end of the boat. Aft? Stern? Port? Whichever. He never had any interest in boats, just diving. And money. Lots and lots of money. And as soon as he got his hands on Dani and Simon, he would have the latter. He swam back to where he’d seen Simon at the railing and waited, hoping he wouldn’t have to board the boat, but getting ready to do so just in case.

  Adam leaned forward to look out of the plane’s window. Tori’s call had come in exactly twenty minutes ago. It had taken him ten minutes to get to the airport and another ten to get in the air. She’d told him to hold off on calling in the local cops, she’d check it out and get back to him.

  He’d called Kade and the man had the plane ready to go as soon as Adam climbed out of his rental car, flashed his badge, and threw himself into the seat. Adam decided the time it had taken him to get to the airport and in the air was a new record. Having a pilot who knew his stuff and a high-ranking official like the governor go before him had sped things up to warp speed. He shifted in the seat, his mind clicking along, anxious for Tori to get back to him.

  She’d simply said Simon had seen something in the water. Something that sounded suspiciously like a man in a wetsuit. Or probably a drysuit considering how cold the water temperature was.

  He was another twenty minutes away from setting foot on the boat. He gripped his phone. Call for backup? Call the cops? Tori had asked him not to, but she wasn’t answering his calls and he needed to know Dani had help on the way.

  He had to do it. “Sorry, Tori, but help’s coming.”

  If she had things under control, great. If she didn’t—

  He had to trust that the good guys would get there first, even if the bad guys were monitoring police frequencies. Then again, if Simon had seen someone in a drysuit swim under the boat, the bad guys were already there. Time to even the playing field. He called the local law enforcement and got help on the way to the boat.

  Although the way Kade was flying, Adam might actually make it there before the cops.

  Rain lashed the glass and turbulence rocked the small four-passenger aircraft while he watched the clock tick away the minutes. He tried Dani’s phone and she didn’t answer.

  Neither did Tori.

  Five minutes and he’d be on the ground and then it was just another five minutes to the marina. One of the reasons he’d chosen Tori’s boat as a hideout. Having his own personal landing strip available was a plus.

  The fact that Kade Garrison was not only Tori’s boyfriend, but also had a pilot’s license and could make himself available at the drop of a hat … well, Adam wasn’t going to thumb his nose at what he considered God’s provision. Some people would snort and shake their heads at that last thought, but Adam knew God worked in crazy ways, so he’d just give him the credit for it and be done with it.

  And now … his family.

  He called Sarah and told her the new development.

  Her silence on the other end of the phone shouted louder than if she’d railed at him.

  The quiet click brought tears to his eyes.

  But he had no choice.

  He had to keep Dani and Simon safe. And Tori. She was alone with two people someone wanted to either kidnap or kill. If something happened to them while he was gone, he’d never recover. He texted Sarah.

  My client is in danger, I have to get to her. Text me when Mom’s awake and I’ll call her. Please Sarah.

  He held the phone and waited for her to answer. While he waited, he prayed for their safety and let his thoughts go back to Ralph. His gut said the man would call him, but his gut also said it would be a full twenty-four hours before that happened.

  He’d been gone for about three hours. And while he knew Tori was more than capable of taking care of most anything that popped up, he itched to get back. Especially after the conversation with Tori. She didn’t sound too concerned, just that she was taking extra precautions and checking the area.

  Kade said, “We’ll be landing shortly. Gotta circle again while they clear the runway. This rain is crazy.”

  Adam bit back his impatience and nodded. He glanced at his phone. Tori hadn’t called him back and Sarah hadn’t texted him either. He dialed Tori’s number.

  She didn’t answer and he frowned. That wasn’t like her. He tried Dani’s number. Again no answer. He sent another text to his sister and waited.

  Now he was officially worried.

  Thunder boomed in the distance, lightning flashed, and rain beat down as though seeking vengeance for some perceived wrong. The boat rocked with a surprisingly gentle sway.

  In the bedroom at the bottom of the stairs, Dani gestured for Simon to get into the small closet. He protested, but she insisted. “And don’t come out until I come get you,” she signed. She glanced at the clock. It had been thirty minutes since Tori had called Adam and nothing had happened, but she was uneasy and wanted Simon tucked away somewhere. Now Tori wasn’t answering her calls and Dani needed to find her. “Promise me.”

  Fear glittered in his eyes. “Where are you going?”

  “I’m going to see if Tori needs help.” Images of Janessa’s dead body floated at the forefront of her mind. There was no way she was going to cower behind a closed door while Tori faced whatever possible danger lurked. Whether it was from nature or was man-made, Dani wasn’t leaving Tori alone.

  Apparently, Janessa was also on her son’s mind. He grabbed her hand and held on tight.

  Her heart thudded, a heavy beat in her chest that echoed in her head. With her free hand, she signed, “I have to go, Simon. Let me go.”

  He shook his head. Frustration filled her. She didn’t want to fuss at Simon, but she had to go up to check on Tori. It was awfully quiet up there.

  Dani pulled away from Simon and with a firm look, signed, “Now. Do it. I mean it.”

  Simon hesitated but it had been ingrained in him by Kurt that he was to obey her at all costs. Especially when she took that tone with him.

  Probably the one thing she and her husband agreed on. She, to keep Simon safe. Kurt, because it would make him look bad if their son disobeyed his mother. Dani wasn’t concerned about the reason, she was just grateful when Simon released her and sank to the floor of the closet, his gaze pleading and defiant at the same time.

  With a prayer on her lips, she signed, “I love you.” She handed him her cell phone. He looked at it, then held it back to her. “Adam called.”


  Dani grabbed it back and dialed Adam’s number. “Dani?” She flinched at his frantic shout.

  “Yes.”

  “Are you okay?” Relief filled his voice.

  “Yes, for now, but I’m not sure about Tori. I’m going to see if she needs help.”

  “The cops are on the way and so am I. Just stay on the phone with me.”

  “I can’t, Adam. I need to check on Tori.”

  He paused. “Okay, but call me back.”

  She promised she would and hung up. She handed the phone to Simon. He might need it more than she.

  Dani shut the door on her terrified son, grabbed Kurt’s Glock from her purse, and walked up the steps.

  Cautious, she stopped at the top and peered around the door into the den area.

  Empty.

  The kitchen loomed vacant, the twin lamps on the wall above the table staring back at her.

  All seemed fine. She held the weapon at her side, feeling her palm start to sweat. She knew how to use the gun when it came to aiming at paper targets. Could she actually point it at a human being and pull the trigger? She shivered at the thought but knew instantly that she could in defense of her child.

  Had Simon really seen something or were her dry mouth and pounding heart all for nothing?

  Dani wished Adam were there. But he was on the way and he’d alerted the cops there might be trouble. They were on the way too.

  Now she pulled in a deep breath and wondered where Tori was. Dani glanced back toward where she’d left Simon and saw the closet door still closed. She didn’t want to call out. Dread and fear coiled together in her gut. The storm rolled outside. The boat rocked and swayed. Nausea churned in her stomach.

  No time to get sick now.

  A shadow passed by the door at the opposite end. Too big to be Tori. She shuddered and felt for her phone. The one she’d left with Simon.

  The shadow stopped at the door and tried to twist the knob. Heart in her throat, Dani waited to see if it would open. It didn’t. When he turned, she caught sight of the weapon in his left hand. No doubt that he had bad things on his mind.