by L. T. Ryan
“At least for a few minutes. Then we’ll move in closer. Wait. Repeat again and again until we’re at the doorstep.”
“Sounds good, I guess. But there’s another option we’re forgetting.”
“Which is?”
Bridget started moving forward.
I caught up to her. We covered half the distance between us and the house before stopping again. Best I could tell, we were still undetected.
Bridget settled in at this spot, crouching and watching. “Feeling anything?”
“Like what?”
“That your son is here? Your wife?”
“After so long, I’m hesitant to believe it. You know, like if I did, I’d lose some kind of edge I ought to have here. Can’t let that happen. This might be my only shot.”
“I admire your persistence with this.”
“What else was I supposed to do? Quit? Never. Robbie doesn’t deserve that. Marissa doesn’t either, as screwed up as she in the head and as bad as she’s hurt me.”
“Will you ever be able to trust again, Mitch?”
I took a deep breath and stared at her for a long minute. The moonlight lit her pale skin and reflected off wayward strands of hair. I knew the question was in the context of us, not me.
“Bridget, I don’t know that I’ll ever be anything but damaged goods.”
“I can handle damaged goods. But I need someone who trusts me and I can trust unconditionally. If I let myself fall, I can’t worry about you bailing in the middle.”
“You’re clear across the country from me. What’s it matter?”
“Everything matters, Mitch. Or nothing does.”
I started to reply, when a flash of light from near the house caught my attention. We both flattened out on our stomachs and waited. A few seconds later, it reappeared. A cone of light flooded the area in front of us, and the source seemed to get closer.
“Let’s get to the woods,” Bridget whispered.
We crawled the ten feet and took cover behind different trees. The light continued to approach. I got a glimpse of a man’s silhouette when he turned to shine it back toward the house. Hope that he was turning back was soon dashed. He kept coming toward our position. Whatever it was that notified him of an intruder, we had missed it.
This probably happened frequently. A deer or bear comes along, steps on a plate buried in the ground, or passes a game camera that alerts someone. Sometimes they figure it out right away. Other times, like on a dark night such as this one, they have to send someone out.
How long would they wait before sending a second person, though? I wanted to find out.
After the guy passed our position, I crept out from the woods. Bridget made a low hiss, which I ignored. A few seconds later, the ground rustled under her feet as she began following me.
Once I had closed the distance, I began timing my steps with the man, gaining a little ground each time until I was just five feet from him. I had the pistol in my waistband and thought about using it to detain the guy. But how was I to know whether he’d react kindly to that? He might just turn around and start shooting. Couldn’t let that happen.
I lunged forward, tackling the guy as I wrapped my arm around his neck. We spun as we fell so that I landed on my back with him on top of me. I quickly wrapped his legs with mine and arched my back to prevent him from gaining any leverage.
“Don’t kill him,” Bridget said. “We might need to question him.” She pulled a pair of handcuffs out.
The man’s struggle subsided as he passed out from lack of oxygen. I eased up, rolled him over onto his stomach, and kept him pinned down while Bridget cuffed him. We searched his pockets and came up with nothing but a walkie talkie.
“Let’s drag him into the woods and gag him,” Bridget said. “He may be useful later.”
The guy started to come to as we secured him to a tree. He tried yelling through his gag, but it was useless.
We started toward the house, knowing it was only a matter of time before the rest of the security team would arrive.
36
“We can’t leave my momma.” Robbie looked up at Molly with big, pleading eyes, wet with tears.
“I’m sure your mom’s okay.” Molly swallowed hard after telling him the lie. She knew the woman’s hours were numbered, especially after what just happened. That was okay, though. She could take care of Robbie. Right?
“Please, Molly,” Robbie said. “We have to go back and get her. I know if you get her out of there, she’ll be normal again. We can go back to my dad.”
She stiffened at the words, knowing nothing about the boy’s father. Was he abusive? An alcoholic? Had he driven the woman away with psychotic behavior?
“Maybe your mom wanted to get away from your dad,” Molly said.
“I don’t know why. My dad’s the best. He’s a cop. Saves people every day and finds bad people who do bad things.”
“Where’s you dad a cop at?”
“Philadelphia.” He sat a little taller now. Talking about his father made him feel stronger, braver. “That’s where I’m from.”
“What’s your daddy’s name, Robbie?”
The boy hesitated to reply.
“It’s okay. You can tell me.”
“I can call him if you bring me to a phone. I memorized his number a long time ago. Momma’s, too. Can we call her also?”
Molly took a while to respond. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea right now.” She pulled up to a stop sign. The only choices were right or left. One led to freedom. The other back to the compound. She turned away from the life she had been living, but stopped before pulling all the way out.
Would she ever truly be free? Not while on the run with someone else’s child. Maybe not his mother, but surely his father sounded decent. She could eventually get a hold of him, return his son. But she knew as long as Cal was out there, she would have to look over her shoulder everywhere she went.
Molly put the truck in reverse for a second, then turned toward the compound.
“Are we going back for her?” Robbie asked.
“Yeah, kid, we are.” Molly gripped the steering wheel tight, fueled only by the thought that she was doing the right thing, even if it might cost her life.
A member of the security team greeted her when she pulled in. Fear gnawed at her gut. She told Robbie to make himself small and hide under her coat. The boy did a great job of following her instructions. Molly rolled down the window and leaned her head out.
“What’s going on?”
“Just some noise outside the perimeter. Sent John out to investigate. You can go on home. Let Cal know everything’s cool if he’s even aware.”
“Will do.” She rolled her window up and drove slowly to the house, cutting her lights halfway down the street.
“Do you think she’ll be excited to see me?” Robbie asked.
Molly reached for his hand. It was tiny and cold. She squeezed it gently. “I’m sure she will.”
They stopped a short distance from the house. What was she to do with Robbie during this? He couldn’t stay in the truck. If something went wrong, and she never came back out, he’d freeze to death. Leaving him with someone else was a terrible idea, too. And in the house? What condition would Cal be in at this point? Sleeping? Awake and in a fit of rage?
“Robbie, listen to me.” She waited for the boy to turn toward her. “I’m going to take you up to the house with me. If I say run, I want you to run all the way back down this street until you see the man I was talking to. Understand?”
He nodded.
“Once we go inside, I’m going to take you to a special room. It’s a small room, but one I know you’ll be safe in. Okay?”
He nodded again.
“It’ll be dark in there. Can you handle that?”
He shrugged. “I think so.”
She pulled her phone out, turned off the password requirement, and handed it to him. “You can use this for light when you need it. But, only when you need
it.”
He took the phone from her and smiled. “I’ll be brave for you and for my mom.”
“Good, Robbie. That’s what I wanted to hear. Now, I’m gonna drive a little further, then we’re going to walk across the field to the house. You ready for that?”
“Yeah, I’m ready.”
She eased off the brake and let the truck roll another hundred yards before stopping. She hopped out first, then helped the boy down. They proceeded slowly toward the house. The downstairs windows were lit up. Upstairs, they were dark. Where was Cal? It’d be a miracle if he was awake at this point.
Molly led them around the back of the house, where the large sliding glass door gave her a view of most of the downstairs. The only thing she couldn’t see was the dining room. She tried the door, but it was locked. This was unfortunate as the front door would cause the alarm system to beep one time when opened up at this time of night. It might be enough to wake Cal.
Thirty seconds later, Molly had her hand on the knob and turned. She inhaled deeply and held it as she pushed the door open. The alarm chirped once. She paused and waited for any sign Cal had heard it. There was none.
Molly was first in. Robbie clung to her jacket, almost choking her with his pulling. She looked up the staircase into the dark upper level. There was no noise. No extra shadows. Nothing. She pulled Robbie inside and led him through the kitchen, dining room, and into the pantry. Opening a lower cabinet, she ushered Robbie forward.
“Hide in here, Robbie.”
The boy squeezed himself into the space, clutching her phone. “I’m scared.”
“Be brave. Be brave for your mom and dad, and for me. Okay? Can you do that Robbie?”
He wiped tears away from his eyes and nodded. “I can do this.”
Molly wiped her own tears after closing the cabinet. She wanted to run out of the house, get into the truck, and drive off. The boy would figure it out eventually and come out. Maybe he’d be smart and get to the road where someone would help him. Worst case, he’d go to the guard who might take some pity on the little guy.
But she knew it could get much worse than that.
Cal would find him. And she knew how cruel he could be.
She crept up the stairs, careful to avoid the spots that creaked the loudest. She wouldn’t miss every one of them, though. When she reached the landing, she paused, listened. Confident no one was waiting, she continued on until she reached his bedroom door.
She opened it and hesitated again. The room was quiet. Too quiet. Every other time she’d been in there, a sound machine had been playing. Perhaps the power had cut out and Cal was too out of it to notice. She wished she had a flashlight on her but realized she wouldn’t be able to use it, anyway.
One deliberate step at a time, she made her way to the closet. Inside was the hidden entrance to one of Cal’s tunnels. She found the code once while putting his laundry away. She had tested it then. Now she hoped he hadn’t changed it.
With her hand on the doorknob, her heart pounded against her chest. She was almost there. Now the closet was open and she knelt down, feeling her way around for the false panel. She dug her nails into the seam and freed it. Punched in the code. A hiss followed a beep as the door opened inward.
Then the light switched on.
“You’ve been a bad girl, Molly.”
37
We stood near the house, guns drawn, waiting and listening. The wind howled across the open field and slammed into us with the force of a truck. After a few moments, the gust died down, and so did the sounds it brought with it.
Braxton had messaged us a few still shots from the security footage. I was still reeling at the sight of Robbie being carried from the motel to the pickup truck. But nothing hit me as hard as seeing that same truck parked a hundred feet from the house we were about to enter.
My hands were shaking as we approached the front door.
“You got this?” Bridget asked.
I steadied myself. “I think so.”
“I need you to know so. Who knows what we’re going to find in there.”
“My whole life has led me to this moment, Bridget. I’m not gonna falter now.”
“Okay, then let’s do this.”
The porch lights were off, making our entry a little easier. We walked up to the door. Bridget reached out, found it unlocked. She eased it open a few inches and paused. We looked at each other and both nodded at the same time. It was time to enter.
I went in first. Bridget provided cover. The place seemed deserted, but the smell of steak lingered in the air. My stomach groaned in response. I did my best to ignore it.
We bypassed the stairs in order to clear the main level first. There wasn’t much to it. Once past the foyer, it was a mostly open floor plan. I walked through the living room to the kitchen, but before I made it, I heard a door fall shut. We both stopped where we stood.
Bridget was first to move. She eased her way toward me and whispered, “Where’d that come from?”
I jutted my chin in the direction of the kitchen. “Somewhere over there.”
“You go, I got you.”
I moved forward, past the island and cupboard overhang, half-expecting someone to be crouched there, waiting for me. I saw nothing.
But I heard something.
Bridget appeared next to me. “You hear that?”
“Sure do.”
“A dog?”
“Sounds like sniffling.”
“Cover me.” Bridget took the lead this time, her head cocked to the side. She had made herself oblivious to possible danger in an attempt to locate the sound.
Keeping a few feet of distance between us, I followed her through the kitchen and then dining room. The sound grew louder. Sniffling for sure. Crying. Someone was in here.
“Where is it coming from?” I whispered.
Bridget held up her finger. Her eyes narrowed. She homed in on the location with the next sniffle and walked to the pantry.
“Hello?” she said. “Do you need help?”
I had my pistol trained on her, ready to adjust and fire should someone with ill intent pop out. She turned to her left, crouched down, and reached out. A moment later, she had a cabinet door open, and a smile spread across her face. She turned to look at me. Her arm stretched out. Her finger pointed at me.
“He’s right there.”
I think I’ve experienced every emotion a man can in his life. I’ve been through just about everything a man could go through. But nothing prepared me for the moment I saw my son emerge from under that counter. He searched the darkened room and when he saw me, his face lit up. He ran toward me faster than I could tuck my pistol away. I set it on the table, picked him up, and hugged him tighter than I ever had before. And I made a promise right then and there. I would never, ever let a day go by where I didn’t hug him like this.
“Let’s get him out of here,” Bridget said. She had her hand on my elbow and was guiding me to turn around.
“What about momma?” Robbie asked.
“Is she here?” I said.
“Molly went to look for her. She said—“
“Who is Molly?”
“She lives here. She saved me from those people. Brought me back here so we could get mom.”
“And what did she say?”
“The tunnel.” Robbie’s face was tight and serious. “Said she had to go through the tunnel and get momma before the bad man woke up.”
“Did she say where this tunnel was located?”
“Upstairs, I think. She said no matter what I heard right after she left, don’t come out of the little room.”
If she was concerned about him hearing something, then the tunnel must be in a dangerous place. What would be more dangerous than Cal’s bedroom?
“How long have you been down here?”
“Wait a minute.” He freed himself from me and ran back to the pantry. When he returned, he was holding a cell phone.
“Who’s is that?”
/> “Molly’s,” he said. “She said it was her secret phone. It was ten minutes ago I went inside there.”
“Watch him,” I said to Bridget. Before she could object, I was running through the kitchen on my way to the staircase.
“Mitch!” But she knew it was too late. As I hit the first step, I heard her on the phone with Braxton.
Finding the right room wasn’t a problem. Seeing the mess in there when I found it gave me pause. A broken glass on the floor. Blood on the bed. It stunk of alcohol. The closet door was wide open. And there was an opening. Something that might lead to an escape tunnel.
I squeezed through it, finding that it opened up enough for me to stand in. A ladder was mounted to the wall. The lighting was dim, but I could almost make out the bottom from where I stood. I reached out and stepped on the first rung. A few seconds later, I was at the bottom.
As I made my way through the tunnel, I picked up on the sound of crying. Was it Marissa? This Molly lady? I picked up my pace to a jog. Within a few minutes, I heard a distinct male voice. I reached for my pistol.
Only it was gone.
I had set it on the table when I reached for Robbie.
There wasn’t time to turn back. If the guy was armed, so be it. He’d have to shoot me ten times to get me to stop.
A woman’s scream cut through the tunnel like a Katana laced with acid. I sprinted toward the source without caring if someone heard me coming. Crying persisted and got louder. I slowed down and stopped at a spot where the tunnel curved and blocked further view. From the sounds I was hearing, I couldn’t figure out what was going on. I’d have to get a visual, and chances were, the moment I had it, they’d see me.
I took a deep breath and held it, noticing how my lungs burned. A fog seemed to hover around the top of the tunnel. Whatever it was, I figured it wasn’t good. I picked up the pace again, seeing my destination as I rounded the corner.
The room unfolded beyond the entrance. I knew it was the right place. The crying was mere feet from where I stood. I steadied myself and inched forward. When I exploded into the room, I found Marissa and another woman on the floor. Marissa was unconscious. The other woman appeared to be cuffed to a pole.