Ill-Fated (Ill-Fated Series Book 1)

by S. C. McMurray

  “So your dad was a hero?”

  Rillian bulked, “What kind of hero leaves his four year old son behind?”

  There were a few seconds of awkward silence before Evelyn broke it. “Did you find them in Little Rock?” She asked.

  “No. But I found someone who knew them and that person was in the SPC.”

  “So, your parents were SPC like Lana’s mother?”

  “Not exactly. My parents had turned to the SPC for help and the woman in Little Rock had housed them for a short while, but she didn’t know where they were going.”

  “Do you know why your parents needed help?”

  Rillian shook his head. “Not a clue.”

  “So, you joined the SPC to track down your parents.”

  “Yes.”

  “Any luck?”

  “There are many members in the SPC, but their identities are so guarded it’s hard to track anyone down. There is no paper trail because we are completely off the grid. That’s why the SS never miss an opportunity to take one of us alive.” He paused again and looked almost pensive behind the wheel. “I volunteered for every job I could, in hopes of running into my parents. Eventually I hooked up with Clyde, Selena and Everett and they kind of just…stuck.”

  “Do you miss them, your parents?”

  “I miss my mom’s voice and the way she would sing to me when she tucked me in. That’s probably the thing I remember the most about her.”

  “Sing it for me.”

  “What?”

  “The lullaby.”

  “No.”

  “You said I needed to get some sleep, maybe your singing will help.”

  “I’m sorry, Evelyn,” he said genuinely, “but that memory belongs just to me.”

  Evelyn relented. “Okay, fair enough.”

  Rillian added, “Besides, my singing voice would have the opposite effect from what you desire.” He chuckled to himself. “I’m terrible.”

  “Wait?” Evelyn said, surprised. “Did I just hear the great Rillian admit that he wasn’t good at something?”

  “You did.”

  “Oh, my. I thought you were good at everything.”

  “Nope.” He smiled coyly then said with a wink, “But I’m good at all the right things.”

  Evelyn glared at him. “Selena was right, you never miss an opportunity.”

  A couple hours of chatter later and the Detroit skyline appeared on the horizon, its towering skyscrapers silhouetted against the lazy blue water of Lake St. Claire. The city had seen an economic rebirth following The War as the new government invested billions of tax dollars into multiple companies headquartered in Detroit for the development of a new source of energy that was used to power the new military aircraft of the future. It also helped that many of those same companies’ biggest competitors were literally wiped off the face of the Earth. For those reasons, Detroit was the fastest growing city in the North. An unintended consequence of the billions of lives that were lost in the conflict.

  “So, Evelyn, what’s the plan?” asked Rillian as he merged the truck with interstate traffic leading into the great city.

  “Find the First National Bank of Detroit and get into that safety deposit box.”

  “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, sweetheart, but you know that there are probably more than one of those banks right?”

  “Yes, that’s why we’re going to go to a pawn shop first and see what we can get for that silver. Then we will get a motel room.”

  Rillian lifted his eyebrows playfully. “Now, you’re thinking.”

  “Ah, no.” She quickly refocused the conversation. “We’ll use their complimentary phonebook to find out where each branch is located and eliminate them one by one, until we find the right one.”

  “How do you know a motel will have a phone book?”

  “Because they are the only places that ever have them.”

  “Do you spend a lot of time in sleazy motels?”

  “You wish.” Evelyn fired back. “My father always takes us on one trip a year, something in driving distance but usually far enough that we need to stay in a motel.”

  “And you made it seem like your childhood was boring.”

  “It was mostly.”

  “Doesn’t sound like it,” Rillian jabbed.

  “Yeah, old 19th Century Civil War battle sights are really exciting.” Evelyn responded sarcastically, thinking of the numerous grassy fields they had visited.

  “Hey at least you were together.”

  She felt a tinge of regret. “You’re right about that.”

  “Actually, I’m impressed,” Rillian said seriously. “That is a pretty good plan.”

  “Now, we just have to find a pawn shop.”

  “You leave that to me.”

  About a half an hour later, the truck was parked along the street in front of ‘Bill’s Buy, Sell and Trade.’ Evelyn was waiting in the cab why Rillian went inside to do business. The Pawn Shop was located in a shady area on the south end of the city, not far from the river. As Evelyn watched Rillian negotiate with the clerk through the front glass windows of the slightly decrepit building, she came to the conclusion that people with real money wouldn’t even set foot in a place like that.

  A few moments later, Rillian was leaving through the front door with a disappointed look about him. The bag of silver was gone. He climbed back into the driver’s seat and without saying a word, fired up the truck and pulled away.

  “Rillian, what happened?” Evelyn asked. “Did we get anything for it?”

  He looked back over his shoulder then smiled at her. “We got more than I expected.”

  “Why the disappointed look, then?”

  “That was for the clerk’s benefit. Always make them think they got the best of you. So, when you go back to do business again, they will underestimate you.”

  “I doubt we will be going back.”

  “You may not, but I prefer to do business in pawn shops.”

  “And why is that?” Evelyn asked as they rolled to a stop at a red light.

  “A man in my position can’t always do things on the straight and narrow and I prefer to go where they don’t ask questions. You will soon appreciate that as well.”

  Evelyn sighed. “I already do.”

  They found a motel a few blocks from the pawn shop. It wasn’t fancy or anything, but the greasy looking clerk at the front desk took cash and didn’t ask questions.

  Rillian unlocked the door. The room was cramped with an older looking flat screen TV, a worn leather chair and lime green carpet. But that wasn’t the worst part.

  “One bed?” Evelyn asked. “Really?”

  Rillian smiled. “That’s all they had. But, don’t worry sweetheart, there’s plenty of floor space for you.”

  She shoved him forward. “Funny.”

  As soon as the door was shut behind them, Rillian kicked off his shoes and threw himself onto the bed.

  “What are you doing?” Evelyn asked

  “Taking a nap,” he answered as he rolled away from her. “Wake me up when you know which bank has the good doctor’s safety deposit box. Oh and whatever you do, don’t use the phone. OPTIC can track your voice.”

  Evelyn didn’t argue with him. He’d earned a few winks of sleep.

  She went to the bathroom and washed her face then stared at her reflection in the mirror. It was the same face as always but she didn’t feel like herself.

  “How can I change the world?” She whispered. “I don’t even know who I am.”

  The thought of her father and her friends resurfaced on her mind. She couldn’t bear to think about what might be happening to them right now. Were they being tortured for information? Tortured for her sake?

  She gripped the ceramic sink tightly. “I’ve got to do something.”

  A sense of purpose surged through her. “I may not be able to change the world, but I can save them.”

  She went right to work. She grabbed the phonebook and flipped throug
h it until she found the listing for the First National Bank of Detroit. There were twelve branches listed, each located in a different part of the city. It would take all day to visit each one.

  Evelyn sighed, “There has to be an easier way.” She sat down on the worn leather chair and massaged her temples. “I can’t use the phone…but that clerk can.”

  She sank down lower. “But I just can’t ask him. How crazy would that sound?”

  Suddenly, she thought of Mackenzie Matheny, the most popular girl in her school. Mackenzie Matheny was beautiful and she knew it and more importantly, she knew how to use it. Evelyn once saw her flirt her way from an “F” to a “B” and that was no easy task because Mr. Reynolds, her 10th grade science teacher, was legally blind.

  If Mackenzie were in Evelyn’s shoes she would just flash a smile and bat her pretty blue eyes at the clerk and he would succumb to her beauty in seconds.

  Evelyn looked in the mirror hanging on the wall.

  “I can pull it off,” she said hopefully. “But a hoody and a pair of jeans aren’t going to get the job done. “

  She grabbed her bag and searched through the clothes Lana had purchased for her. She eventually settled on a pair of shorts and a button up blouse. She brushed her hair in the mirror then went to the bathroom to change.

  When she was done, she stepped back from the mirror and examined herself. Her red hair was draped across her shoulders and she looked clean. Still her confidence in her plan was waning.

  “Something is missing.”

  She wished she had some makeup, but she didn’t because she rarely ever wore any. Her missing piece wasn’t makeup anyway. It was something else.

  “Think Evelyn. What would Mackenzie Matheny do?” After a few seconds it hit her. “Ah!”

  She rolled the top of her shorts so that they were higher on her legs and unbuttoned another three buttons on her blouse.

  “That’s more like it.”

  She ripped out the listing from the phonebook, grabbed the key off the nightstand and left the room. Rillian was fast asleep.

  When she got to the front desk, which was really a room like hers that had been turned into a front desk, she paused before going in.

  “What am I doing? This isn’t me.” She started to turn around but stopped. “Just think about why you are doing this.”

  She turned back around, took a deep breath then entered the open door to the room. Sitting behind the front desk was the same clerk from before, a thin, greasy looking fellow with short brown hair and glasses that sat precariously on the edge of his nose. Evelyn estimated him to be around her age. She stood at the front desk for a moment, but the clerk didn’t even notice her. He was doing a Sudoku puzzle.

  She faked a cough to get his attention. He looked up from his puzzle and nearly fell out of his chair when he saw her. He collected himself and jumped to his feet.

  “How-How can I help you, ma’am?” he asked.

  Evelyn suddenly became very nervous. “I…I…need you to make a call for me.” She couldn’t explain why but she spoke in a southern accent and because of that, she was sure he wasn’t buying her ruse.

  The clerk stared at her blankly for a second then said, “Is the phone in your room not working?”

  Evelyn laughed. “Oh it’s working. I just…” She leaned forward and whispered, “I don’t want my friend to know that I’m making this call.”

  The clerk perked up. He looked as nervous as she felt. “So, the guy, the man you came in with, is just a friend.”

  “He’d like it to be more but he’s just not my type. I prefer my guys to be a little more… ” She glanced down at his name tag, “well, like you Rodney.”

  He pulled back perplexed. “Wait a second, you ain’t one of those girls, are you? Because I promised my mother that I’d stay away from them.”

  She patted herself on the chest. “Whatever do you mean?”

  He shifted his eyes back and forth awkwardly. “You know, a girl who does things for money. We get a lot of them in here.”

  Evelyn laughed, though she wasn’t sure if she should be offended. “Oh no, Rodney. I’m the kind of girl you take home to your mama.”

  Rodney smiled and Evelyn could feel the nervousness leaving her body. Being a femme fatale was becoming easier with each passing second.

  “Tell me something Rodney, how old are you?”

  “I’m,” he paused to lower his voice, “twenty-five.”

  “Twenty-five! With that handsome face of yours, I had you pegged at thirty.”

  Rodney blushed. “Yeah, I get that a lot.”

  “I’m sure you do.”

  I’ve let this fish dangle long enough. Time to reel him in.

  Channeling her best Mackenzie Matheny, Evelyn put both arms on the desk and leaned forward. Rodney stared blankly at her. She could see that he was fighting the urge to look down her shirt and she appreciated that.

  Eventually he spoke. “Umm, Ma’am…you needed me to make a call for you?”

  “Oh, bless your heart, I’d almost forgotten.”

  He smiled awkwardly and shrugged, then picked up the phone. “Do you know the number?”

  She reached into her back pocket and pulled out the page from the phonebook. She unfolded it and handed it to him.

  “There are several numbers actually.” She pointed to the First National Bank of Detroit listing. “I need to know which of these branches keeps safe deposit boxes.”

  Evelyn bent over further and smiled for him. “You think you can do that for me, hun?”

  “Umm…yeah, Ma’am,” he answered.

  “Bless your heart. “ She touched him on the hand. “One more thing, you don’t have to call me Ma’am, you can call me Jenny.”

  “You’re welcome, Ma’am, I mean Jenny.” He looked at the listing. “I’ll have that information for you in five minutes.”

  Evelyn backed away from the desk as Rodney went to work calling each branch. He scribbled some notes on a piece of paper. He was done in just under five minutes. He hung up the phone and slid the paper across the desk to Evelyn.

  “Only one of the banks keeps safety deposit boxes and I’ve written down the address for you. It’s not too far from here. I get off work in a few hours.” He rubbed the back of his head for a second then asked, “Do you want me to go with you?”

  Evelyn smiled but shook her head. “Oh Rodney, you are a gentleman, but I’ve burdened you enough already for one day.”

  He looked hopeful. “You sure?”

  Evelyn felt a tinge of guilt. “Yeah, Rodney, I am.”

  “Oh, okay.” He was visibly disappointed.

  “But thanks for all your help. You really are a sweetheart.”

  Rodney nodded, put on a brave face and said, “You’re welcome.”

  Evelyn waved then left the office, feeling like scum. She had gotten the information she wanted, but she didn’t feel good about it. Rodney actually was a sweetheart and she couldn’t help but wonder how many times women had taken advantage of him like she just had.

  Once she got back to her room, she plopped down in the leather chair, feeling like the biggest jerk in the world. She looked at herself in the mirror and she didn’t like what she saw. “I may not know what exactly I am but I know one thing,” she unrolled her shorts and buttoned up her blouse, “I’m not Mackenzie Matheny.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  “You didn’t use the phone did you?” Rillian asked as he looked at the address of the branch that kept safety deposit boxes.

  Evelyn shook her head. “No.”

  “Then how’d you find out?”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  Rillian crossed his arms. “What if you lead them right to us?”

  “I didn’t.” She fired back. “Anyway, I thought you liked it when people didn’t ask questions.”

  “Okay, Okay.” He relented. “I guess if you gave away anything, the SS would have been here already.” He handed the address of the bank back to E
velyn. “So, smart one, what’s your plan now?”

  “Go to the bank and see what’s in that box.”

  “That simple, huh?”

  “Yep.”

  “Evelyn, you know they won’t let us walk right up to where they keep the safety deposit boxes. They’ll want some form of ID first.”

  “I know, I’ve thought of that and I’ve got a plan.”

  “You also know that they will have dozens of cameras right?”

  Evelyn stared blankly at him. She hadn’t really thought about that.

  Rillian continued. “You can’t go in there looking like you.”

  “What do I do then?”

  “There’s only one thing you can do.”

  “What?”

  Rillian clapped his hands together and said excitedly, “Makeover!”

  Evelyn rolled her eyes. “You are such a weirdo.”

  “Seriously though,” Rillian returned to his normal self. “Your hair is your most distinguishing feature. We have to do something about it.”

  Evelyn pinched a clump between her fingers. “What do you suggest?”

  “Dye it another color and cut it short.”

  “Really?”

  He nodded. “I’m not kidding this time.”

  Evelyn thought about it for a moment, then sighed, “Okay. Let’s cut if off.”

  Rillian stood up. “On our way in, I noticed a convenience store. I’ll go there and pick up the stuff.” He grabbed the key to the room and headed toward the door. “You stay here.”

  “You’re excited about this aren’t you?”

  He stopped in the doorway and said, “Not really. I like your red hair,” then closed the door behind him.

  Evelyn blushed but she was happy that Rillian wasn’t there to see it. She paced the floor for a moment before releasing a long yawn.

  “I need to get some sleep.”

  She kicked off her shoes and crawled into bed. She pulled the covers up to her neck and closed her eyes. Strangely, that ache returned and all she could see was the young Captain’s face. She wondered about him. Did he dream about her?

  After what felt like hours of tossing and turning, she gave up trying to sleep. She tossed the covers off in frustration and sat up. She glanced around the room looking for a way to distract herself and eventually settled on the most obvious choice.