A look of sympathy crossed Leo’s face, “We can deal with this situation also. I’ll get in contact with some of my old Navy Seal buddies.” Leo said as he pulled her up to him.
“I just can’t lose someone else I love to that monster,” Elizabeth said as she wrapped her arms around him.
“We’ll figure something out,” Leo said as he pulled her closer, his chin rested on her head as he asked. “What did he say he wanted?”
Elizabeth sighed against his chest before she pulled away from his warm embrace to walk back over to the bed. Surprised by the slight tremor she saw in her hand as she reached down to pick up the newspaper clippings from the bed, the brown bag falling out also.
The gun flashed in her mind as she quickly slides it under the pillow before Leo could see it. Her heart heavy, she picked up the articles indicating for Leo to come closer so she could show him what she had found, and the implications it meant.
Chapter 44
The road had not improved in the last few days; it was just as jarring as the first time she had taken it, her thoughts going to all that had happened since she had driven down this drive-so naively.
When she had first left Ann Arbor for New Orleans in search of the answers to her past, she had believed there would be no consequences to her action. Then when she had found that Rita was not her real mother but instead a grieving woman who had found her on the side of the road, she had thought this was the worst.
She had found herself wrong when her full memory returned and she remembered witnessing her real mother, Lily’s, murder. She had then thought now this is it; this is the climax of all that she would find. She had been wrong, once more. She had then seen that her naïve innocence was gone and she had instead learned to never underestimate the unexpected.
Leo’s words echoed through her head, begging her to reconsider. She knew it was too late though. The time had come for her to choose the path she was destined to follow. She knew what needed to be done. Her life had come full circle, her past no longer a fog of uncertainty. She had been lost for a time, letting circumstances dictate her life. Now she was ready to face what needed to be done.
Elizabeth cussed under her breath when she rounded a corner only to find it blocked by a large tree in her way, her foot hitting the brake violently to stop the momentum of the Jeep, causing her body to snap forward with the action. Elizabeth leaned forward against the wheel to look beyond the window at the terrain surrounding her, she knew this was Roger’s doing. The brush was thick, revealing little, and she knew there was no way around. She hit the steering wheel in frustration as Leo’s voice filled her ear. “Elizabeth? What’s happening? I’m showing that you’re not moving anymore.”
“That’s because there is a very large tree blocking the path.” She said as she touched the small device behind her ear that not only made it possible for her and Leo to communicate, but also served as a homing device that traced her movements. This was the only way she could get Leo to agree to this foolish plan.
“I don’t like it.” Leo said his voice full of concern. “It feels like a trap.”
“You think.” Elizabeth said sarcastically unable to hide her frustration. She sighed at the situation, “I’m sorry, it’s not your fault. We knew this could happen. Roger isn’t stupid. Of course he would deviate the plan.”
“I know and that is why I didn’t want you to do this.”
“Leo, stop. I don’t have time to argue with you. I need to think.” Elizabeth said as she tried to process what needed to be done and knowing the only way to get herself and Aurora out of this alive was playing it smart. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Roger step out of the brush, a smug arrogant smirk curving his lips. Elizabeth took in a deep breath, while her hand blindly reached next to her to gather the material Roger had requested, not wanting to take her eyes off of him. “Here it goes.” She whispered in the cab of the Jeep.
“Here what goes?” Leo asked panic filled his words.
“Roger is standing just outside the car. I’ll try to keep you informed on what is happening.” She said cautiously, her lips barely moving, afraid that Roger would see her speaking and figure out about the device behind her ear, the only thing that gave her any sort of security.
“No. Don’t. He’ll know you have something on you if you say too much. Just stick to the plan.” Leo said desperately.
Elizabeth stepped out of the Jeep, her eyes fixed on Roger as a chill ran through her, her heart in her throat as her childhood fears resurfaced before she was able to suppress them once more, as she thought of Aurora, helpless. Elizabeth was determined not to fail her as she had failed her mother.
Elizabeth knew that the only thing she had going for her now was Roger’s low expectation of her capabilities. But with the return of her memory, she had also remembered a few tricks her mother had taught her. She knew that she was going to have to treat Roger like a wild cougar, dangerous and unpredictable.
Elizabeth watched Roger walking up to her, his smile cold as he started to pat her down, her heart slammed painfully in her chest at the action, provoking unwanted memories. Mentally praying that he didn’t notice the small device behind her ear and the gun she had situated high on her inner thigh, her adrenalin pumped through her veins like a shot of caffeine as she held her breath. She allowed the offensive search, until he paused too long on her thigh. Afraid he would discover the gun, she slapped his hand aside as if she was offended by the intimate search. His cruel chuckle filled her ear, but the desired effect worked as he moved away from her leg.
“Now aren’t we the tame little cat once more?” He said, his words calm and controlled.
“I’ve done what you have asked. So let’s just get this over with.” She said as she turned to face his angelic facade that has fooled so many throughout the years, including her mother. But never her, she always could see his dark aura, turning her stomach.
“You’re right.” He said with a cold smile. “Business always before pleasure.”
She followed him with caution as he stepped back into the brush once more, where a four-wheeler was hidden among the leaves. The sound of the engine starting startled a group of birds sitting among the branches of the trees. Elizabeth jumped at the noise, shredding her confidence once more as Roger drove back onto the path in a four-wheeler. He waved for her to jump on in front of him. A leather jacket covered his upper body and a full-face helmet covered his head and face. Her body shook as she complied, noting that he didn’t give her any form of protection.
She soon learned why when he turned back into the dense brush, moving away from the drive she had been on. The tall weeds slapped at her face and arms as she held the material she had found in the safe deposit box tightly to her breast. This forced her to bow her head and close her eyes against the offensive weeds, feeling warmth on her arms knowing they had started to bleed.
Then just as she thought she couldn’t stand anymore, Roger stopped. Elizabeth slowly opened her eyes to her surroundings, her breath caught when she realized where they were. She tried to cover her fear with a false sense of confidence as she turned back to face him. Swatting at bugs that started to swarm her, as they caught the scent of her blood. She stepped off the vehicle, the ground soft underfoot as she stopped to catch her breath. Her eyes took in her surroundings as her eyes were drawn upward to the massive trees where Spanish moss hung from the branches which formed a curtain skimming the surface of the water.
Her heart caught when she realized they were standing at the edge of the swamp’s bayous, all her senses became alert to the danger all around them, gator’s being very prominent in the area if she remembered correctly from some of the travel brochures she had picked up and her own time living in the area with her mother when she was a child. She watched Roger out of the corner of her eye remove branches and such from a small boat he had hidden. “Roger, why are we at the swamps?” Elizabe
th asked hesitantly.
“Taking care of business,” he said with a chuckle. A grunt of exertion left him as he pulled the last of the branches off, pushing the boat into the water, his hands cruel as he shoved her in front of himself. Elizabeth stumbled as she fell onto the hard metal bench of the boat. Tears unconsciously gathered behind her lashes, as she looked down into the rusty water, dark as night. She pulled her body more toward the middle of the boat afraid of what was beyond her sight. Her and Leo’s plan evaporated in the heat of the swamp as a group of egrets took flight in front of them, their feathers floating down on her like snow. She wondered if the device she wore worked out in this remote location, praying it did and Leo knew exactly where she was. She just wished he would give her some kind of reassuring sign, but none came.
The boat sliced the water, propelled by a single engine motor drowning out the sounds of frogs and the drone of the insects just beyond the shadows. Her breath was painfully shallow in her throat as she attempted to not show her fear when she saw a gator slither off a bank into the water, its body disappearing beneath the darkness. She thought of Aurora and her kindness and innocence, anything to distract herself from the circumstance she was in. Guilt played on her mind, that she had gotten her into this mess weighed heavily on her, clouding her thoughts. Noticing the negative direction of her thoughts, she shook them loose, knowing she needed to suppress these helpless feelings before it got both of them killed. She needed to be clear headed and precise, a lesson she learned from both of her mothers. ‘Emotions will cloud your judgment,’ the remark filled her thoughts, unsure exactly who had said the words, but the meaning of them appropriate, as Elizabeth looked forward into the bayou instead of down and what was beneath as her resolve hardened in determination.
She rubbed her damp palms against her thighs as she nodded in absent affirmation, her mind racing for the best way to get out of this mess. Casually she moved her legs together, the feel of the gun reassuring. A small poacher’s building on stilts with massive cypress trees surrounding it filled her line of sight. Not surprised when Roger pulled their small boat up to it, his hands reached for the base of a ladder, tying off the boat to it as he indicated for her to move up it.
Elizabeth felt apprehensive as she put her foot on the small narrow slab of wood, which creaked in protest to her weight. Then relief surged through her when she heard Leo’s voice reassuring her that he had their location, reminding her to stay calm and to stall Roger the best she could, which would give him time to reach her.
As she reached the landing, she paused at the doorknob anxious of what she would find within. Her heart slammed painfully in her chest as she turned the knob, the door swinging inward easily, the room quiet except for the humming of a motor, probable a generator in a darkened corner, the noise almost comforting as she stepped further into the small poacher’s building. She turned slowly, straining her eyes to see into the corners, her hand felt along the wall just inside the door for a light switch, flinching with the feel of a sticky cobweb. Roger came up behind her, shoving her further in as he lifted the base of a lantern, lighting the small white cheesecloth. The light illuminated the room as he placed it on a small table just within the door.
Elizabeth’s heart sank when her eyes finally adjusted to the dim light and saw a small dirty cot along the far wall, where a moth eaten blanket covered a mound with a bit of black hair peeking out. “No,” she cried as she ran over to the cot.
She dropped to her knees as she pulled back the blanket. Her hands shook as she lifted Aurora’s hair away from her bruised and badly swollen face. Tears filled Elizabeth’s eyes as she looked down at Aurora, hesitant as she placed a hand next to her face, holding her breath as she felt for a breath. Guilt filled her because she had delayed the exchange, leaving Aurora in this place with a mad man; she should have found a way.
‘What had she done?’ She thought, then a shallow puff of air across her hand filled her with relief, which was short lived as anger filled her with Aurora’s condition. She turned to glare up at Roger. “You asshole. You didn’t have to do this.”
“Don’t worry. She’ll be fine. I gave her a sedative while I went to meet you.” Roger said as he walked over to look down at her, his eyes skimming Aurora. A smile curved his lips as he continued, “I must admit; she was fun.... for awhile.” He said with a shrug of his shoulders.
Elizabeth felt rage envelope her with his casual, off-handed mannerism, all rational thought leaving her as she jumped up from the floor. Her scream filled the room as she stormed toward him, hitting him wherever she could reach. Roger’s hands slapped hers away, before he finally grabbed hold of her, bringing her arms close to her body as he lifted her from the floor. Hatred radiated from his eyes as he tossed her aside, her body hitting the floor painfully. Her voice quivered in rage, “You didn’t have to do that to her.”
“It was inevitable. She was a fighter,” He said with a chuckle as he touched a scratch along his cheek. “Which was quite surprising…I had not seen that with her over pleasing meek demeanor that she had only shown me earlier-I liked it.” He finished with a smile.
“You promised me she would be fine. Why should I keep my part of the bargain, when you didn’t keep yours?”
“Who said I didn’t keep my part of the bargain? She’s alive isn’t she? I never said we wouldn’t have any fun while we waited. I just stated that I wouldn’t kill her.”
A moan from the bed sent Elizabeth scrambling back, panic filled her as she searched Aurora’s face for consciousness, her voice urgent. “Aurora. Aurora. Can you hear me? It’s me, Elizabeth.”
Aurora’s eyes opened slightly, pain radiated from them as she licked her swollen and bleeding lips, her voice barely above a whisper, as she smiled sadly, “Elizabeth, I’m sorry.”
“No. Don’t talk. And don’t be sorry. I’m the one that should be sorry for getting you into this mess.” She said as she brushed back Aurora’s hair from her pale cheeks, tears in her throat.
Aurora shook her head negatively, “I should have believed you and Leo.”
“You didn’t know. How....” Elizabeth’s words cut short when Roger pulled her up impatiently.
“Enough. We have business that needs to be finished. And I want to be out of this swamp before dusk hits.” He said as he pulled Elizabeth over to the table where he had set up a laptop, tossing her into the small wood chair.
“You’re disgusting” Elizabeth said, as she felt bile rise in her throat from the memory of his hands.
Roger shrugged his shoulders as he looked down at Elizabeth, his hand indicating to Aurora. “You can see for yourself that she is fine.”
“Fine. She isn’t fine,” Elizabeth said in anger as she looked over at him. “She can barely talk or move.”
Elizabeth flinched, when Roger’s eyes dilated in anger as he leaned down. His hands flat on the table as he came in close to her face, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper. “Now listen to me. You little bitch. I will say this once and only once, if we don’t conclude our business now. I’ll make sure your little girlfriend doesn’t see the next few minutes,” he said as he glanced towards Aurora. “Do we have an understanding?”
Fearful for Aurora, Elizabeth nodded in understanding and now wondering if she had the nerve and courage after all to pull off what needed to be done. She prayed that Leo would arrive quickly, taking in a deep breath, failure not an option.
Time was running out and she knew her stalling technique was starting to work on Roger’s patience, which was rapidly growing thin. She watched him key in information on the laptop. “Can you get a signal this far into the swamp?” She asked.
“Yes. I have a satellite receiver attached to the roof,” Roger said impatiently.
“Was this a poachers out post then?” Elizabeth asked in another attempt to bide more time.
“Yes. But the previous owner fell victim to an unfortunate accid
ent.” He said as he looked back up, a small smile curved his lips, but his eyes remained cold of all emotions.
Elizabeth felt her heart catch as she looked back toward Aurora once more. Fear grew within her as the minutes ticked by, knowing if Leo didn’t it make it in time, it was up to her to get them out alive. She had to find it within herself to save them.
Roger smiled in satisfaction when the laptop gave several beeps; his fingers rapidly moved across the keyboard, the screen illuminating his face. “It’s ready. What is the account number?”
Elizabeth cleared her throat; her eyes unconsciously darted towards the door, wondering if she had stalled long enough. “What guarantee do I have that you won’t kill us after you get your information?”
Roger shrugged his shoulders, “None. The only guarantee that you have is that I will kill Aurora now if you don’t give it to me. Now stop stalling.”
“I was afraid of that. So I made my own guarantee.” She said as she took in a deep breath when she saw him look up in anger. “I have it set up that if I-or Aurora-go missing. The information indicting you will be delivered to...”
Roger’s laughter filled the room before she could continue. “You stupid bitch. Do you truly believe I worry about some pieces of information will go to some authorities? I have lived my life knowing how to avoid the authorities. With this money, I can disappear.”
Elizabeth frowned in confusion; she had been confidant that this bit of information… he was right, she saw. But, then she thought of Leo and the connection they had made, she knew that if Roger did anything Leo would find a way to find Roger under any rock he would slither under. She smiled with renewed confidence as she looked over at him. “But, can you avoid Leo. Do you know what he did before I met him. He made his living finding scum like you.”
“I’m not worried about your sniveling boy toy.” Roger said with a brush of a hand.
Secrets of the Weeping Willow Page 33