“Not now, we can look at it tomorrow.” He kissed the damp hair above her forehead, careful to avoid her gash. “Go to sleep. You need to rest.”
Her body melded into his as her muscles relaxed. “Will?” she asked, her voice nearly lost in the storm now raging outside their enclosure.
“Yes?” He murmured into her head.
“Thank you.”
His arms tightened around her. “You don’t have to thank me, Emma.”
“Maybe so, but I can still say thanks.”
He smiled in the dark as he closed his eyes. Only after he knew she drifted off did the tension in his shoulders slip away, and he fell into a troubled sleep.
***
She was first aware of the birds tweeting outside the enclosure, followed by the pounding in her head. She groaned as she shifted, a rock poking into her thigh. The backpack lay behind her head as a pillow, with Will nowhere in sight. She felt a momentary panic but quickly calmed herself. He had to be close by. Will would never leave her there alone.
She groped around the dirt floor for her shirt, finding only gravel. She crawled out more stiff and sore than she expected, the gash on her forehead throbbing. The cool morning air hit her nearly naked upper half and damp jeans. Wrapping her arms across her front, she scanned the empty field then looked up on top of the bluff. The sun peeked around the edge of the thirty-foot rock formation, forcing her to shield her eyes. Will stood on top, his feet spread apart and a pair of binoculars held to his eyes. She watched him and an unfamiliar feeling swept over her, catching her by surprise. What was it? Pride? Respect? Possession?
He lowered the field glasses and lowered his gaze to her, a slow grin spreading across his face. “Good morning.”
“You’re up early.”
“Just enjoying the view.” But he stared down at her.
“I see you have your shirt on. Care to tell me where mine is?”
“And spoil the view?” He laughed. “Around the corner of the rocks, in the sun.”
She trudged around the bluff and found it hanging from a rock ledge. The t-shirt was still damp but she pulled it over her head anyway as Will climbed down.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Other than a killer headache, a throbbing forehead, and a variety of aches and pains, never better.”
“At least you still have a sense of humor.” He wrapped an arm around her waist as they walked back to their shelter. “I talked to James and he’s in Wyoming and headed to the nearest town to pick us up.”
“How far is it?”
“Probably three miles.”
“Then let’s get going.”
Will grabbed his pack and they hiked through the grass. Will reached over and laced Emma’s hand with his. She looked up at him in surprise but didn’t pull away. Curling her fingers around his, he smiled and pulled her closer to kiss the top of her head as they walked.
By the time they got to the edge of town, Emma was more worn out than she cared to admit and her stomach grumbled in protest. Will called James to coordinate their whereabouts and they met him on a deserted two-lane road. He parked the car on the shoulder and stood next to the open door with his arms crossed, smirking. “Need a ride?”
Emma ignored him and crawled into the backseat. She leaned her head against the back, closing her eyes as Will sat next to James.
“What the hell happened?” James asked, pulling back onto the road.
Will filled him in. “Did you have any trouble getting away?” Will asked.
James shook his head. “Nah, it was almost too easy. I set the pipe bomb to go off and crawled under the fence. Halfway back to the car I heard the explosion. No one ever followed me, not that I know of anyway. I drove around until I got your phone call an hour later.”
“And no one followed you after that?”
“Not unless you count the raccoons that darted in front of my path a few times.”
Will grabbed the road map from the seat. “Kramer said Alex had Jake in Montana. I say we head up 90.”
“I hate to be a party killer here, but wherein Montana? If you take a look at the map, it’s a hell of a big state.”
Will ran his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know yet.”
“Again, I hate—”
Will looked over his shoulder at her. “Can you try to talk to Jake? Maybe he can help us.”
Emma sighed. “I don’t know. He’s never answered me since Colorado. But the other day…” Her voice trailed off as she remembered him tracing the heart in her hand. “He might talk to me if I tell him how close we are.”
“Um...” James’s hands twisted on the steering wheel. “If you can call him, why can’t we figure out where he is? I’ll just trace the number.”
“She’s not going to call him,” Will answered.
James was silent for a moment. “Oh, fuck. Mumbo jumbo shit.”
Emma glared at the back of his head before she closed her eyes. “Can we get some food soon?”
“We can get something in town before we head to the highway.”
She nodded then delved deeper into her mind, focusing on Jake. She could feel him out there. If only she could get him to answer.
***
Jake played with the scrambled eggs on his plate, twirling the spoon in his hand. He hadn’t been given a fork for days, not since he sent the last one flying through the air, narrowly missing Duncan’s head. Jake smirked. Didn’t they know he was only playing with them? If he wanted to kill Duncan, he wouldn’t have missed.
His interest perked up when he heard the commotion in the hall. He’d grown used to their reactions and this one meant Alex was on his way in. Jake slouched over the card table they’d set up in the bedroom in which they’d locked him, plastering on a bored expression. The door opened and Alex strutted in, reminding Jake of the peacocks he’d seen at the Fort Worth zoo before they moved again. The memory of holding Mommy’s hand brought tears to his eyes. He missed her so much. His resolve weakened, sadness slamming him with an unexpected force. Then he reminded himself these people were the ones who took him from her and resentment bubbled in his chest.
He hadn’t talked to Jake in days, not since Jake slept beside Mommy in his dreams. Jake could escape anytime he wanted and his patience had worn thin.
Alex sat in a chair, leaning both forearms on the table. His head lowered to Jake’s eye level. A smug grin lifted the corners of his mouth. “Hello, Jake.”
Jake glared, not bothering to disguise his contempt. “I want to go home. I want my mom.”
“Jake, you know I want nothing more than to reunite you with your mother. You’ve seen this. But she’s proving hard to locate since we lost her in Minnesota. I’m beginning to think she doesn’t want to find you.”
Jake slammed his fist on the table, sending eggs flying into the air. “That’s not true.”
Alex tilted his head, his face remaining expressionless. “Has she tried to locate you?”
Jake’s expression wavered.
A grin spread across Alex’s face. “She has.”
“No!” Jake’s chest burned.
“Jake, if I tell you where we are, you can tell her and she can come and get you.”
“You’re lying.” Electricity shot down his arms.
Alex studied him, yet didn’t look frightened. “If you don’t believe me, look into my mind. You’ll see it’s true.”
Jake reached out into Alex’s consciousness. It was different than before, puzzling Jake, but he pushed deeper, looking for his answer. His eyes widened in surprise. It was true. Alex intended to let him go with Emma. As he made the discovery, Jake realized Alex had pushed back, into Jake’s mind, scanning and searching before Jake panicked and shut down his thoughts. He shrank back in his chair, frightened.
“You’re right,” Alex said, his face blank. “I’m different. I can read your mind and do other things, too.” He bowed his head slightly. “Thank you. Your thoughts were most helpful. The next
time your mother reaches out to you, tell her you’re in Montana. White Horse, Montana. Tell her Alex said to come and get you.”
He stood and turned to leave. Jake’s fear turned to rage and before he could stop himself, he shot a ball of energy toward Alex, but it stopped at his back, dissipating in the air. Alex turned and winked, his mouth lifting into an evil grin. “That was one of the other things.” Then he walked out of the room.
Jake jumped on his bed and crawled under the covers, clutching Rusty to his chest. Tears welled in his eyes. He struggled to hold them in, finally releasing them in gulping sobs into the pillow. As he calmed, his mother called out to him, her words a warm comfort to his fears. He pretended that he sat in her lap, her arms wrapped tight around him. Her voice became frantic.
“Jake, please,” she begged. “Talk to me.”
He hiccupped, torn in indecision. He wanted his mommy so much. He had never wanted anything more. Yet, he knew Alex was bad. Even he had said so. What if Alex hurt her?
He’d let his guard down and she picked up on his thoughts. “Jake, Will is with me. Alex can’t hurt me. Tell me where you are.”
“He’s different. He can hurt you.” His tears fell again. He didn’t mean to answer.
Her relief washed over him. “It’s okay. I’m different, too. I can take care of Alex and so can Will. Will even has his friend James with us to help. We can protect you, you just have to tell me where you are.”
Jake didn’t know how Mommy could take care of Alex. Not this new Alex. But Will had guns. Maybe guns could take care of Alex, though something deep inside told him bullets weren’t enough. Could he take the chance?
She sensed his indecision and her tone became desperate. “Jake, baby, please. Tell me where you are. Are you in Montana? We think you’re in Montana.”
A fat lump lodged in his throat and he struggled to swallow his fear. “Yes,” he whispered into the darkness.
Warmth and love covered him with her presence. He realized that the more he let her in, the more he could feel her. “That’s good, Jake. Do you know where in Montana?”
He buried his face into his pillow, sobbing anew. He couldn’t tell her. He couldn’t risk it. But his guard was down and she rushed into his mind and she knew, without his even saying it. He clamped down, completely shutting her out, and she was gone.
***
Emma sat up in the backseat with a jerk. “Oh, God. I know where he is.”
Will turned to face her, wide eyed. James stared at her in the rearview mirror.
“He’s afraid.” Her voice broke and her eyes burned. “He’s in White Horse, Montana. Alex is with him.” She paused, the full impact of what she saw hitting her. “He told Jake to tell me to come and get him.”
Will’s face turned red as his jaw tightened. “That son of a bitch has nothing to worry about. I’m coming to get him, all right.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Will took a deep breath and told himself to calm down and focus. He had to come up with a plan and the first was to get to White Horse. He and James plotted a route to the northwest corner of Montana. The drive was simple enough, just long. They’d be in the car all day. Which gave him plenty of time to scour the book.
He pulled it out of his backpack and studied the leather binding. The Complete Essays of Lorenzo de Luca emblazoned the front in gold letters. Opening the cover, he found the title page and behind it the first page of text. It didn’t have a copyright page to tell him the book’s age, but it had obviously been printed for the Vinco Potentia.
Will scanned the pages one by one, carefully separating the pages that stuck together at the edges from the rain. The book contained the papers of the 18th-century Italian philosopher. Senator Warren had told him that most of the papers were rubbish and he was right, until the last quarter. The previous pages contained the English translation of de Luca’s work, but the last several pages of the book were written in a language Will didn’t recognize. Will found Warren’s version of the prophecy in English printed below the undecipherable text.
Will found the drawing of the mark on his arm, the preordained mark of The Chosen One. The final proof to Warren that the prophecy was true, but the irony was the Vinco Potentia had it wrong. Their version of the prophecy was different than the one Jake gave him.
He looked over his shoulder to Emma. “I’m not sure...”
She slumped in the seat, staring out the side window. Dark circles underscored her eyes and the bruise from her injury spread across her forehead in dark purples. Her head turned at the sound of his voice, her eyes welling with tears and her words came out in a raspy whisper. “He’s scared.”
Will’s heart lurched. He turned in his seat and took her hand in his. “We’re going to find him, Emma. I swear it.”
She nodded, a tear sliding down her cheek.
He turned back to the book with a renewed purpose. Even when they got Jake, this whole nightmare wouldn’t be over. He needed the information in the book to help dig them out of it.
But, after an hour of reading, he knew they needed more. Other than the vague list of foretold events, there was little new information. Will couldn’t believe the Vinco Potentia had so much hinged on so little. He couldn’t even figure out how they tied Emma to all of this.
***
James drove for several hours while Will napped, then Will took over. Emma tried to sleep but every time she closed her eyes, the memory of Jake’s fear rushed in and stole her breath.
They reached White Horse before nightfall, but Will continued driving to the next town, Spruce. Emma protested, demanding they stay in White Horse but both men agreed that it was too dangerous. If Alex was waiting for her, it was bound to involve a trap. As they drove through, Emma pressed her hand to the window, calling out to Jake in her mind, telling him they were close. When she felt his wall, she steeled herself and refused to cry. She was too close to him now to break down.
They found a secluded campground with a cabin available. It was farther from White Horse than she liked, but Will insisted on the distance. The location reminded her too much of staying in the lodge with Raphael. But she couldn’t voice her opinion without dredging up a host of feelings and reactions she couldn’t handle.
They rented the last one-bedroom cabin, which was set back at the edge of the forest with a view of the lake. The campsite lay closer to the water’s edge. Will and Emma carried their bags into the cabin while James shopped for dinner at the small campground store.
Will dropped their bag in the only bedroom. “We’re taking this room and James gets the sofa. If you want to go lie down for a little bit and rest, I’ll let you know when dinner is ready.”
Emma shook her head. “No, I’m too jumpy to sleep. Maybe I can after I eat.”
“How’s your head?” he asked, lifting her hair off of her forehead.
“It still hurts, but it’s better.”
“You sure you don’t want to take some Tylenol?” Worry lines crinkled around his eyes.
“No.” She glanced toward the door to make sure James hadn’t returned, then lowered her voice. “I don’t want to take anything because of the baby.”
His hand lingered on her cheek as he searched her eyes. He lowered his head and kissed her gently. “I’m just worried about you.”
She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. “I know. Thank you.”
The front door swung open and James groaned. “God, get a room,” He carried a bag full of groceries and he kicked the door closed behind him.
Will sighed into her hair. “Hey, Einstein. We did get a room.”
James grumbled as he unpacked the bag. “Hope you like spaghetti because that’s what you’re getting.”
“No complaints,” Will said.
Emma didn’t answer, sure there was no right answer as far as James was concerned.
Will took a jar of sauce from James. “I’ll take over cooking dinner. You go find out everything you can about White Horse.”
&
nbsp; James camped out at the kitchen table while Emma sat on a barstool at the kitchen counter, watching Will work in the kitchen.
They ate dinner in silence, the room thick with tension. James resumed his work while Emma helped Will clean up the kitchen. They fell into a comfortable rhythm and she let her imagination wander to the daydream of a normal life, with a husband and a family. She and Will, with Jake and the baby. A cute little house with a picket fence. She watched Will dry a plate and her heart strained with the possibility of it all. In front of her was the chance at everything she’d ever wanted. She handed Will a plate and he caught her wrist in his hand, wrapping his fingers around her. She looked into his face in surprise.
“I’m going to get him back, Emma. I promise you.”
She bit her lip as she struggled with her emotions. They were so unsettled around Will, she was no longer sure of anything. “I trust you, Will. I know.”
He leaned down and kissed her and her hope blossomed.
They finished washing the dishes in silence and as Will put the last plate away, James called out. “I think I have something here.”
James looked over at Will. “I doubt they’re going to hold a kidnap victim at a permanent residence. They might be cocky, but I doubt they’re stupid. So I suspect they’re renting. I drew up a list of all the rentals listed right around the time of the kidnapping and then sectioned off all the rentals that no longer show up as available. The list is still fairly lengthy, about thirty houses.” He handed a print out to Will. “But at least it’s a place to start. I’ll do some cross referencing and see if I can link Alex to any of these locations.”
Will took the list and looked it over. “But this is just the rentals that were listed. They could have rented from someone who knew someone. Or just broke into an abandoned house.”
“True, but I doubt they’d go the second route. Too risky. You’ve got nothing to lose by searching the recently rented houses. You just might get lucky.”
02 Hunted - The Chosen Page 24