A woman came over to Lottie and stood a couple feet in front of her. It was hard to keep her gaze averted. Everything in her wanted to jump up and grab the bowl. She didn’t care if the soup scalded her mouth and throat—or if it had been sitting out for two days. It was the only thing in the world she wanted at the moment.
She took another deep breath and pressed herself against the wall and the ground.
“Do you want some soup?” The woman’s tone held no emotion.
Was Lottie supposed to answer? It seemed like either option could lead to the worst—no soup.
“Do you want some?”
Lottie nodded slightly.
The woman knelt and held out the tray. The aroma grew stronger. Lottie looked up at the small steaming bowl.
“Take it.”
Lottie reached for it, praying it wasn’t a trick. The ceramic was warm. Comforting. Her mouth watered more. Her stomach twisted. It had been so long since she’d eaten. Would her body reject it? Her stomach twisted in a knot but her mouth watered as the bowl neared.
It was nothing more than broth with a couple noodles and two small pieces of meat—it was heavenly. The bowl came to her mouth and the hot liquid filled her mouth. Her stomach twisted, but she gulped down what she could.
Before she could swallow two mouthfuls, one of the men kicked the bowl out of her hands, spilling the soup onto Lottie’s robe and the floor. “Aw, too bad. Maybe next time.”
Reconnecting
Luke pulled into the driveway and cut the engine. His entire body ached. He didn’t want to move.
“Do you want to go inside?” Macy asked.
He leaned his head against the headrest. “I want to go to sleep for days and then wake up to find out this was all just a bad dream.”
“I wish. We should get inside.”
Luke sat up and looked around outside. “First I need to make sure nobody’s going to ambush us.”
Everything looked normal. Some kids were kicking a ball in the yard across the street and another group was playing chase on the sidewalk. A neighbor mowed the lawn. A typical suburban Saturday afternoon.
Nobody would try to abduct them with so many potential witnesses.
He pressed a button to unlock the doors and then they headed in. Luke made sure to lock the car and set the house alarm in case anyone did try to sneak in.
“Are you hungry?” she asked.
“Maybe. It’s so hard to tell what I feel about anything.” He frowned.
“Let me warm something up so we can get some sleep on a full stomach. Then maybe you actually can sleep for days.”
“I’ll help you make something.”
She wrapped her arms around him. “I love you for that, babe, but why don’t you get a shower while I fix something? It’ll help you relax.”
A shower did sound good, and he probably needed one. He wasn’t sure he’d had once since all this started. Luke kissed the top of her head. “And I love you for that.”
When he got out of the shower, the house smelled like bacon and spices. His mouth watered. He wondered what Macy was making. Probably something he’d never heard of since she liked trying new recipes she found online. Luke quickly got dressed and went to the kitchen just as she was pulling a glass dish from the oven.
“Just in time.” She pulled the tinfoil off the top, causing steam to gush out, and along with it, a fresh new wave of the mouthwatering aroma.
“How’d you make that so quickly?”
She shrugged. “I just threw some vegetables and bacon in with ground beef, then I topped it off with some mashed butternut squash.”
Luke’s stomach growled. “It sounds wonderful.”
Macy grabbed a serving spoon and stuck it in. “Hand me a plate.”
A couple minutes later, they sat at the table, eating. The casserole was even better than it smelled. Once he’d overstuffed himself, he leaned back in the chair and took a deep breath. It had been nice to take a few minutes to think of nothing other than the delicious dish, but now it was time to get back to reality. Mom was missing, and he and Macy were supposed to list everyone they could remember from the community. They’d already identified the missing homeless and told the police the names of a dozen more—not that those were particularly helpful since they only knew their community-given names.
Macy grabbed his empty plate and took it to the sink. He jumped up and followed her. “I’ll get those. You cooked, I clean.”
She kissed his cheek. “Thanks. I need to throw some clothes in the wash.”
Twenty minutes later, Luke sat on the couch with his arm around her. She snuggled close, and he closed his eyes. It was amazing what some food and a shower could do. He felt more relaxed than he had in days, and he felt a food coma coming on. It also helped to know that the police had found a big lead. Now it was just a matter of finding the community’s new location, and since they were coming out into the world to snatch former members, it would make it easier to find someone and follow them there.
Luke’s head snapped up. “I have an idea.”
Macy met his gaze. “What?”
“I can be bait.”
“Come again?” Worry clouded her expression.
“To draw out Jonah and the other leaders.”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Don’t you see? It’s perfect.”
“I can’t lose you, Luke. I just can’t.”
“The cops would be there, hiding. I’d be perfectly safe.”
“Please, no. We can come up with something else.”
Luke stared into her eyes. The fear and pleading nearly broke his heart. She was already having anxiety and panic attacks. If something happened to him, it would probably send her over the edge. He cupped her chin in his palms. “I won’t do anything to hurt you. We’ll find another way.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
His heart exploded with his love for her. He leaned in and pressed his lips on hers, tasting mint gum. She responded by pressing her palms against his chest and kissing him passionately. His fingers found her hair, and he raked them through the length of it, pressing himself against her. She ran her fingernails down his sides, giving him the chills. He reached for her top button and undid it, his fingers fumbling slightly.
Macy’s hands made their way to his face, and her fingers moved back and forth across his cheeks, over his three-day-old stubble. He unbuttoned the second and third buttons. She moaned and climbed into his lap.
Luke remembered the blinds were open only a few feet away. He pulled away, taking Macy’s gum with him. “Maybe we should take this into the bedroom.”
Anticipation
Nick paced the baggage claim area, glancing at the flight arrival ticker every minute or so. The kids’ flight—if they were on it—had already been delayed a couple times, but for the last half hour had showed the same time. If it was right, he had just under another half hour of waiting.
He wished for the days of being able to wait at the terminal to watch them exit the plane. It was tempting to try and get closer by using his badge, but he didn’t want to abuse the privilege. He was off the clock and this was personal.
Someone bumped into him—without apology—and Nick realized another group of people were gathering their things. He was tired of pacing the baggage claim, so he went to the nearest coffee stand and grabbed another cup, this time a mocha. Alex was wearing off on him.
Nick sipped the super-sweet drink while watching the conveyor belts from a distance. At least it was a slight change in scenery. He checked his phone. Nothing from Corrine, of course. She was either ignoring him because she hadn’t put the kids on the plane or because she wanted him to sweat it out, or maybe both. But he was done calling and texting her. He wasn’t going to give her that satisfaction. And to think he’d thought being married to her had been difficult. It hadn’t been until she’d left him, dragging all three kids across the country, that he’d seen what she was really made
of. It made him sick that she put the kids in the middle like that. And worse yet, that there was so little he could do about it.
He checked new texts and emails about the case. Anderson and some of the other officers had gotten names and descriptions of everyone Luke and Macy could remember, not that Nick expected them to be all that helpful without real names. The crazy cult had given their members new names—they called them “true names.” Nick would never forget that from after the group had been broken up. Many forces from around the state had been called in to help with that mess. They had to book some people who refused to give their legal names. It had been next to impossible to return many of the innocent members to their families because they claimed allegiance to the cult by sticking to the new names.
Nick sighed, leaned against a wall, and watched a new wave of people pick up their luggage. He sipped his mocha, lost in thought. They needed more information about the cult, and especially what they had planned going forward. There were things that didn’t make sense—like why they were abducting former members. Were they trying to recreate the commune in the woods, or did they have more sinister plans?
It was possible—not likely, however—that if they could talk with anyone else from the cult, they might get the answers they needed. Unfortunately, a lot of them had ended up homeless or in low income housing like the ones who’d already gone missing. Being part of the group had messed them up in ways Nick couldn’t begin to imagine. Most of them didn’t have the social and familial support that Macy, Luke, and Lottie had had. Those three had been some of the most fortunate of the escapees.
Nick’s phone rang. His throat closed up, fearing it was Corrine or one of the kids saying he was a fool for hoping they’d be there—that they were already headed for Disney.
It was Alex. Nick released a breath and took the call. “Hey, Alex. How’s it going?”
“I think Macy’s feeling better. It seemed to help having them look at the pictures and give the names of the people they remembered. They both felt like they were doing something to help the case.”
“That’s good. I’m glad to hear it.” He glanced at the ticker. Only fifteen minutes until his kids’ flight was due.
“You okay?” Alex asked.
“Yeah. Just waiting for the plane. It’s already been delayed a couple times.”
“You taking the week off?”
“As much as I can. I’ll either go in at night or work remotely if possible. I haven’t seen them in so long, I have to—”
“I’m not complaining. You need to spend time with them. Believe me, nobody knows more about missing time with his kids than I do.”
“Maybe we could get our kids together. Ava and Ariana are close in age, aren’t they?”
“Ari’s eleven.”
“That’s what I thought. Ava’s twelve.”
“Okay. Let’s make it happen. I’d suggest the Ball Palace, but…”
Nick shook his head. “I’m not sure I ever want to take the kids there. We’ll figure something out.”
“I’ll ask Ari for ideas—she has no shortage of them.” He chuckled. “Well, I’ll let you go. Just wanted to check in.”
“Call me tomorrow. I don’t have anything planned to do with the kids, and it’d be nice to start the vacation off with something fun. I’ve been so consumed with the case.”
“No worries. I’ll get a list of fun things to do from Ari and give it to you. The kids’ll never know you didn’t have a fun spring break planned all year.”
“Thanks. I owe you a beer.”
Alex didn’t respond right away. “I’m not drinking, remember?”
“Ugh. I keep forgetting. Coffee?”
“I won’t turn that down. See ya tomorrow.” The call ended.
Nick slid the phone back into his pocket, and his mind wandered back to the case. They’d already gotten everything they could from Macy and Luke. There had to be someone else he could talk to about the cult.
His head snapped up. Chester Woodran. He was in prison with no chance of parole. He might talk if he was under the impression he might receive a reduced sentence—he never would, but he might think there was a chance. Chester knew the ins and outs of the cult more than most anyone else he could talk to. He’d been included in the inner circle of the leaders. They may have even contacted Chester and told him what their plans were.
Nick opened his notes app and scribbled notes to himself. Once he was done, he glanced back up at the ticker. Just as he did, it switched over to arrived.
His breathing constricted. Were his kids on that plane?
Grateful
Alex rang the doorbell. Thundering footsteps sounded on the other side and the front door flung open. Ariana grinned widely in her pink and white pajamas and threw her arms around him. “Daddy!”
His heart warmed and he squeezed her back. It was amazing how much he missed seeing her after only a few days. How had he ever gone the better part of a year without seeing her at all, only visiting a couple times a year?
She stood back. “Where have you been?”
“Close the door!” Valerie called from inside the house.
“Sorry, Mimi!” Ari called back. She waved Alex inside and closed the door. “Daddy’s here!” She grabbed his arm and dragged him into the living room. Valerie and Kenji sat together on the couch watching a Mariners game.
Alex waved. “Who’s winning?”
“The Mariners. By one.” Kenji didn’t take his attention from the television.
Valerie glanced over at Alex. “How are things going with… you know?”
He gave her an appreciative nod, glad they were keeping Lottie’s disappearance from Ariana. Although with all the fliers around town, it probably wouldn’t be long before she found out. If she didn’t see a flier, then she might hear it from a friend. He needed to tell her before too long. Maybe that night. “Improving, but it might be a while. It might be time to say something.” He pointed to Ari from behind.
“I think so.”
Kenji jumped up. “Oh, come on! You could’ve caught that!”
“You would’ve, Papi.” Ari smiled reassuringly.
“Thanks, dove.” The now-retired Japanese professional baseball player smiled at Ariana and sat back down next to Valerie.
Ariana grabbed Alex’s arm and pulled him toward the kitchen. “Come on. Mimi and I made cookies today.”
Sure enough, the counter was filled with an array of cookies. Valerie must’ve been trying to keep Ari busy at home, away from fliers and social media. Though Valerie still didn’t like Alex much, at least they were able to see eye-to-eye most of the time regarding what was best for Ariana. She respected him as a dad, even if he had no legal rights. After hearing about all of Nick’s trouble with his ex and kids, Alex appreciated his situation all the more.
“Which kind do you want?” Ari stared at him with wide eyes.
He studied each plate. “That’s a tough decision. They all look equally delicious.”
She squealed. “I made the peanut butter ones all by myself. I even put them in the oven and took them out. I’m very responsible.” She nodded with a serious expression.
“Wow. I’m impressed. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t even pour cereal by myself until I was thirteen.”
Ariana giggled. “So, which cookies do you want?”
“Hmm.” Alex contorted his face excessively, pretending to be struggling deeply over the decision.
“Daddy!” Ari doubled over in laughter.
He straightened up and put his hand to his chin. “In the face of this most monumental choice—” Ari giggled again. “—I choose the peanut butter cookies. I have it under good authority that those are world class.”
Ari’s eyes widened and she handed him one, watching in expectation. Alex took a slow, exaggerated bite. He took his time chewing, making a new expression each time he chewed. It was hard to keep up the act and not burst into laughter as he watched his daughter. She looked like she was going to
explode with anticipation. Finally he swallowed, but didn’t say anything.
“Well?” Ariana clenched her fists in front of her chin.
Alex took a deep breath and puffed out his chest, trying to drag on the moment as her eyes continued widening. “After careful consideration, I can only come to one conclusion.”
“What?”
“That is, without a doubt, the best cookie the world has ever seen.”
She squealed again and jumped up and down.
Alex winked at her and grabbed some milk from the fridge. “Can’t have cookies without milk.”
“Nope!” She grabbed some glasses and plates. After Alex had taste-tested all five kinds of cookies, Zoey entered from the living room. Strands of hair had come loose from a ponytail and she had dark circles under her eyes.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
At the same time, Ariana said, “Mimi and I made cookies!”
Zoey gave her a tired smile and sat next to her, across from Alex. “That’s great, Ari.”
“Which kind do you want?”
“I really don’t need—”
“Daddy says the peanut butter ones I made are the best ever!”
Zoey yawned. “I’ll bet they are. Sure, I’ll try one.”
Ari jumped up, started talking about the afternoon’s baking, and grabbed milk and a cookie for Zoey, who yawned again. Ariana was still talking when Zoey was done with her snack.
Someone’s phone rang. Ari pulled out her new phone—so she would always be reachable—and looked at the screen. “It’s Emily! I gotta talk to her. Don’t leave—either of you!” She bounced out of the room, already talking with her friend.
Alex turned to Zoey. “You okay?”
“Just tired. I worked all day to make up for missing some time during the week. Any news on Lottie?”
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