The Final Omen: Second Sight Book Four

by Heather Topham Wood

  “Daddy, Mom said it’s almost time for lunch. You better bring me home.”

  “Don’t you want to spend time with me? It’s not fair that I don’t get to see you and your Mom gets to all the time. I love you, Mattie, you’re my reason for living.” He glanced back at Matt through the rearview mirror. The intensity of his father’s blue eyes, the same shade as Matt’s, only caused the boy’s anxiety to grow.

  His father was bad—it had to be true because Matt’s mom never lied to him. Why didn’t he listen to her? Why did he get in the car when she’d warned him over and over again that his father had changed and he wasn’t safe to be around? Matt remembered the fights they had before his dad left. Some nights it was so bad, Matt had climbed under the covers and pretended he lived on Mars alone—a soundless and desolate place where he couldn’t hear the screams and the crying.

  “Take me home!” he demanded. He used his grown-up voice, the one he’d been practicing since he became the man of the house and had to take care of his mom because they didn’t have Daddy anymore. Matt wanted his father to turn back as soon as possible.

  The alarm bells were ringing inside of the five-year-old’s brain and he understood something wasn’t right with the situation. His father had driven off without telling Mom and hadn’t bothered to check if Matt was buckled. Each time his father made a sharp turn, Matt was bounced against the door.

  “You’re staying with me for a while. You belong with me,” his father stated resolutely.

  Matt started to cry and rushed over to the door. He tried it to see if it would open. He slammed his small hand against the window when it didn’t budge. The look his father sent him was deadly and it made Matt cower back into his seat.

  “Get in your seatbelt and quit crying like a little girl. You’re living with me from now on, so you better get used to the idea.” His father didn’t raise his voice; there was no need. The menace was clear in the way he spat out the words and the strain of his muscles as he gripped the steering wheel.

  Matt tried to quiet his tears, but he was too worked up to calm down. He buckled his seatbelt and watched out of the window as they put more distance between him and his house. His present sat next to him, long forgotten about.

  They were driving for some time before his father finally slowed down the car. They were pulling into a heavily wooded area. Matt was new to reading, but he was able to make out most of the words on the sign at the entrance. Hide A Way. Fitting, since his father was hiding them somewhere far away from Mom.

  A couple of miles into the campground, Matt’s father made a sharp left and took his truck off-road. Matt held onto the door handle to lessen the bouncing as they headed into a secluded wooded area. When they came to a clearing, surrounded by pine trees, a lone trailer was parked. His father turned off the car and walked around to the back. Matt tried to squirm away, but he wasn’t able to free himself from the seatbelt in time. His father unbuckled Matt and grabbed him securely around his waist. He struggled as his father walked closer to the trailer. Matt was terrified over the thought of going inside.

  The trailer’s windows had been covered with black tape, making it impossible to see in or out. The exterior was rusted and speckled with mud. A padlock was in place on the door and his father worked on the numbers as Matt continuously fought.

  “Let me go!” he screamed out.

  His father gripped Matt tightly enough that he found it hard to catch a breath. “Scream all you want, Mattie. It’s just me and you out here.”

  He slumped, defeated, against his father. The trailer door swung open, revealing only blackness. The thought of going inside brought on a new wave of fresh horror. He could only imagine what kinds of creepy things were hiding inside the dilapidated trailer. With a hard push from behind, he was plunged into the darkness. He screamed once again; a fruitless cry for help. He wished all over again that he’d heeded his mother. She was right—his father was bad, oh so very bad…

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Kate had allowed Declan to take over driving duties as they headed back to Franklin. She was spiraling and she couldn’t concentrate on the road as she dug up memories of Matt Spencer and his father. She’d never met Matt’s mother, but must’ve seen a photo of her at some point after the impending media explosion following Kate’s involvement in the case. The flashes had come from Michelle after all.

  After a nurse caring for Kate told authorities about Kate’s “dream” the police had found Matt in the exact spot she’d seen during what turned out to be her very first vision. His father had been with Matt at the time and was subsequently charged with his son’s abduction.

  She’d put herself in a self-imposed exile after Matt’s discovery. She denied her abilities and told her friends and family it was a one-time thing, a fluke. The truth was she hadn’t been prepared for the fallout that came from being a psychic and having the ability to see inside the minds of those closest to her.

  Declan had taken the news of her connection to Matt and his mother in stride. Kate had expected him to give her a hard time about not remembering who Michelle was, but he resisted giving Kate a tongue-lashing. They had premonitions of hundreds of people; it was hard to recall each one. Michelle hadn’t reached out to Kate after Matt was found and the last she’d heard about the family, Peter was arrested and was serving time at the county penitentiary.

  “Should Peter still be in jail? Have you seen him since you’ve had the vision of him?”

  Kate shook her head. “I’m not sure what happened after he was arrested. I read some of the newspapers about the case, but once the papers started dragging my good name through the mud, I decided a media blackout was the best way to keep my sanity intact.”

  “Although what he did was seriously crazy, the courts may have gone lenient on him because Matt was his kid. Was Matt hurt at all?”

  “No, just scared. His father fed him and let him play video games and gave him toys while he was locked up. I guess his plan was to eventually take off for good with the boy.”

  “A plan you spoiled,” Declan supplied.

  Her reply was cut off by her cell phone’s ringtone. Kate dug her phone out of her bag and looked over helplessly at Declan. “It’s Jared. What do I say?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe start with something like, ‘Hi honey, I figured out who wants me dead. Can you go and cuff him for me?’”

  “I can’t,” she said, but didn’t elaborate. Hurriedly, she answered, not wanting the call to be sent to voicemail.

  “Hi babe,” she said softly.

  “Hey, how’s your night going?”

  A battle waged inside of her. Her heart wanted to confess everything to him, explain how she suspected Peter Spencer was behind everything, but her hyper-analytical brain had different ideas. It was tempting fate all over again and she’d die first before seeing harm come to Jared. “It’s fine. Declan and I made a McDonald’s run. We’re heading back to the house now.” She ignored Declan’s elbow to her ribs over the car’s center console. “How’s work?”

  “Looks like I’m going to be stuck here for another couple of hours, I might not get home until after midnight. Can Declan hang out until then? I hate leaving you alone.”

  Her gut twisted at his words. Over time, he had cut away completely at her defenses and she was no longer the girl he’d met the year before. She loved him, madly and unconditionally, and she’d shield him at any cost.

  “I love you,” she breathed into the receiver. Her face burned as she became very aware of Declan’s quiet presence next to her.

  “I love you, too.” He chuckled, but then turned serious. “Are you okay? You sound upset. Did you have a vision?”

  Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes. She couldn’t allow him to hear the sorrow in her voice. She felt lost not being able to confide in him. Even when he’d been off-limits, merely a friend, she felt like the second she told him her deepest fears, he’d make everything better. But she wouldn’t survive losing him
.

  “No, I just wish you were coming home. My mom and I…” she cleared her throat, mentally shaking off her regrets, and continued, “My mom and I are getting together tomorrow morning to put together the favors for Julie’s wedding. I’ll just sleep at her house tonight.”

  “Okay, but you’re sure everything is fine?”

  “Yes. I just hate how much you’ve been working. I wish we could take off for a while. Take a vacation from life or something.”

  She could hear the smile in his voice. “A vacation is definitely something we can do. I promise, Kate, as soon as your case is solved, we can go anywhere in the world you want.”

  Without a second’s hesitation, she blurted out, “Hawaii.”

  “Absolutely. I’ll buy you a coconut bikini and a grass skirt. We’ll lay on the beach all day and drink out of glasses with umbrellas.”

  She sighed wistfully at his description. She almost giggled out loud as she imagined sneaking a banana hammock into his suitcase.

  Jared’s earnest tone made her grip the phone tighter. “I’m going to make sure you’re happy, Kate. I hate what you’ve been through and that I’ve been powerless to stop it. It’s going to be over soon and we’ll have Hawaii and dozens more vacations just like it.”

  She intended to make him keep his promise. The second she hung up the phone, she’d start hunting Peter Spencer down and make sure he was brought to justice for all of the misery he caused her and his own family. She was certain he was the one holding Michelle and Matt, trying to force them back into his life through brutality and entrapment.

  “I’ll call you tomorrow when I’m on my way home from my mom’s house. Stay safe.”

  “You, too. I love you. I’ll have my cell phone on, call me if you need anything or have a vision.”

  She hung up the phone and could practically taste Declan’s disappointment hovering in the air. He remained silent, a rarity in itself. She started, “You probably think I’m being an idiot for not telling Jared about Peter Spencer, but…”

  “But nothing, Kate. I saw Jared after you were stabbed—he was unrecognizable. I could see he was getting closer and closer to the edge and would probably lose it completely if you had actually died. I knew it was over for us then and I’d never have a shot when you had someone so completely devoted to you. He wants to save you, Kate and you need to let him.”

  “I’m not going to risk anyone I love getting hurt. If I tell him and he goes after Peter and dies, I’d be to blame because I wouldn’t have followed my intuition. I never fully relied on my premonitions and it has cost me. I’m going to finish this thing with Peter on my own.”

  “Jared’s a detective, Kate. He has resources we don’t,” Declan countered.

  “The cops won’t get involved at this point. What proof do we have? Michelle and Matt haven’t been reported missing. The only evidence we have are my visions, and that’s not going to seem reliable. I’ve never seen Peter actually commit the crimes we’re accusing him of. He’s always been wearing the mask.”

  “Listen, we’ll figure this out together. I can make a few calls to my contacts and find out if and when Peter Spencer was released from prison. Now that we have a new suspect, we could concentrate on getting what we need directly from him. He won’t be able to hide for long.”

  Out of all of the possible suspects she considered in the past, Peter never crossed her mind. She’d barely given him a passing thought. It was chilling to imagine he’d been spending the three years since she last had a vision of him plotting his revenge. She wanted to kick herself for not suspecting him sooner, but she could only move forward.

  She dug her fingernails into her palms as she replayed the night of her attack over again. He hadn’t hesitated as he drove the knife deep into her body. He had watched her scream and bleed as she fought for her life. He’d been remorseless and his hatred hadn’t cooled since that night. He was obviously still after her, determined to make her suffer for taking his child away from him.

  He’d left scars in his wake, but she wouldn’t relent—she’d fight and win the next round. If she had her wish, Peter’s suffering would be endless. His end would come with a lifetime behind bars and Matt gone from his father’s life for good.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Kate woke up the following morning feeling like she had the worst hangover of her life. She hadn’t consumed a drop of alcohol, but she’d stayed up until sunrise attempting to get into Peter Spencer’s thoughts. She’d failed. Her brain was swimming with too many other thoughts and Jared, Dan and her mom had been the only minds Kate had glimpsed during the night. Finally admitting defeat, sheer exhaustion had forced her into bed.

  It was disorienting to be back in her old room, lying in her old bed. Her mom would most likely keep it a Katie shrine for years to come. The walls would stay decorated with her favorite art prints and her mom would leave the same dusty rose comforter set to cover the bed. Although Kate’s creature comforts remained in place, she felt like a different girl than the one who’d lived inside the bedroom.

  It was funny how, in a few short weeks, lying next to Jared had started to feel like a real home to her. She’d missed him terribly at night, reaching out in bed as she tossed and turned. He was her tether, keeping her grounded when she could easily float away on a cloud of despair.

  As she stretched and yawned, she was surprised to see it was after eleven. Her mom must have feared Kate’s life was in mortal danger; in the past she’d been dragged out of bed by nine at the latest. After getting dressed and brushing her teeth, she bounded down the steps. She was surprised to find the house quiet and abandoned.

  Her mom had left a note in her usual spot on the kitchen counter. Dan had taken her out to breakfast and they’d be back soon. She didn’t want to wake Kate, but she could get started on assembling the favors once she got out of bed. In the note, Darlene also reassured Kate the alarm was set and there was a tray of freshly baked pastries in the kitchen.

  After polishing off a Danish and two muffins, she laid out the supplies for the favors in the dining room. The favors were candy-filled tins personalized with Julie and Gage’s names and their wedding date. Kate made easy work of the task and loved getting lost in the monotony of filling the tins and adhering all the stickers to each one. Before long, the favors were ready and she’d restocked them in the box they’d arrived in. She looked at the time and grew annoyed that her mother had dallied over her breakfast date. Kate had wanted to spend a little quality time with her mom before going home. Although, if Kate was being completely honest with herself, she was delaying her return home. She was an atrocious liar—Jared would give her one long scrutinizing look and she’d blurt out everything. She had to stop Peter Spencer before it ruined her relationship. Her intentions were good and she only hoped Jared would see her heart was in the right place when he found out she’d withheld the truth.

  She went to her purse and searched inside for her cell phone. She was surprised Declan hadn’t called her. He’d sworn to get in touch if he saw anything in his own visions that would prove helpful at finding where Peter could be keeping Michelle and Matt. Declan was also going to check on Peter’s criminal records to verify he’d indeed been released from prison. If he was out of jail, they could most likely find a current address and track him down. She was uncertain of what they would actually do when they came face to face with him, but she was more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants kind of girl. If Declan had come up empty handed, she’d have to do her own research without Jared’s assistance.

  Her cell phone was nowhere to be found inside of her purse. She called the number from her mom’s line and listened closely to see if she had misplaced it somewhere inside of the house. She frowned when she heard her voicemail pick up and was still unable to locate the phone. Declan could’ve called her and she wouldn’t have any idea. After scribbling a quick note to her mom, she left the house to head back home.

  As she drove towards her home, Kate began to sens
e something was off. Her palms felt sweaty as she steered the Toyota and she felt her heart hammer in her chest. It took a second for the sense of déjà vu to dawn on her and she realized what was bothering her. She was reliving the vision of Jared’s death. In the vision, she’d lost her phone and had suspected leaving it in Declan’s car.

  She tried to stay sensible as she parked at her home. Jared’s car wasn’t in the driveway, but she wouldn’t assume the worst. He could’ve been called into work and not been able to telephone her because of her misplaced cell. He knew about her visions and wouldn’t go to an abandoned house if she’d warned him. As desperate as he was to find her attacker, he wouldn’t risk his life for revenge. At the very least, he’d acknowledge his death would leave her susceptible. If she dug deeper inside of her brain, she also realized he must understand she’d welcome death if she lost him. Her fight for survival would be diminished forever.

  She looked at the door and willed herself to make it inside. She convinced herself as long as she became safely ensconced inside of the house without Dan’s arrival, it would mean her premonition was not coming to pass. She grabbed her bag out of her car and exited swiftly. It took a strenuous effort to not sprint to the door. The pressure in her lunges eased as she made it to the front door, the distance giving her a sense of security. She turned the key and disarmed the alarm code. Her body was primed to enter the door when a familiar squeal of tires stilled her. She closed her eyes and tried not to howl as she heard a car door slam behind her.

  “Kate!” Dan’s voice yelled at her.

  She considered not turning around for a long minute. Because the second she faced Dan, it would make the moment real and the pain would come crashing down on top of her. How could she have failed at protecting Jared? She’d been warned for months in advance and it hadn’t made a difference. Was she the target of a cosmic vendetta? Who’d be cruel enough to send a vision of Jared’s death and, regardless of her actions, he’d still be stolen away from her?