by Leah Burke
After a little while on the road, she started to get paranoid again and ducked off to the side. That way, if anyone were to come driving toward her, she wouldn’t be seen. As she moved through the trees and the brush, she saw something in the distance. It looked like a building. Another ranger station?
She approached the building cautiously, even though it looked empty. In fact, the place looked like it had been abandoned a long time ago. The windows were boarded up and the place was eerily quiet. The entire thing appeared to be in disrepair. As she got closer, she noticed a sign by the doorway. It was old and covered in dirt and moss, but there was some writing on it that she could barely make out.
She brushed off as much as she could, and her eyes went wide in amazement. The sign read: The Greenery at Ocmulgee. What the heck was going on? Was this what Nash and Burton were talking about? Were they going to redevelop this building? But why?
Curiosity got the better of her. Even though she felt that it would be a bad idea, she had to go inside. That’s odd, she thought. The building had been abandoned who knew how long ago, and yet there was a brand-new padlock on the door. What were they hiding?
A minute later, she was inside. The place was old and musty, but it still seemed much less run-down than the outside would suggest. In there, her flashlight finally brought her some help, as the place was so dark that any light made it seem more hospitable.
She walked through, and she saw rows of desks. Some of them had old pots on them, and they each had hanging lights above. From the looks of things, this was a hydroponic farm. She looked at some of the dead plants littering the room. This had to be where they tried to save natural species from going extinct. Why would Burton want to redevelop this place?
As she made her way to the end of the room, she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. There was something to this place. They locked it for a reason, but why? She looked around, and noticed something strange. At the front of the place, the floor had been swept recently. In fact, it looked like it had been cleaned and wiped down. She doubled back to see if there were any other spots that looked the same way. Sure enough, one of the desks looked as if it had been cleaned and sanitized just days before.
Why would they clean only part of the room? Suddenly, it hit her. If there were evidence of something, then they would want to clean it up. A wave of realization washed over her. Could this be where it happened? Was this where Burton was killed? It was just a hunch, but suddenly it all made sense. Nash and Burton had a meeting there about development plans. Burton decided to call it off because of environmental concerns, so Nash killed him. No, it couldn’t be that. Nash was working for someone. There was no way he had a stake in this. He worked for the government; he couldn’t be taking part in a business deal. So who could it be?
As she tried to fit the pieces together, she looked around to see if there was any hard evidence that could prove that the murder had taken place here. She started to comb the area for anything—hair, blood, fingerprints, anything at all.
Finally, as she felt around the desk, she found something. Under the rim, she felt a glob of something sticky. Could it be blood? She crouched down to get a closer look. It was a splotch of something brown. She smelled it. Yup, it was blood. She pulled out her camera to document everything. She took pictures of the clean up, the blood spot, everything.
Suddenly, she heard the sound of a truck nearby. It sounded like it was coming down the road. She turned around, and noticed that she had left the front door wide open. Stupid! How could she be so careless? Moments later, she saw headlights approach, and then heard the sound of tires skidding on gravel. They saw the door. They found her.
Panicking, she looked around for someplace to hide. Outside, she could hear the doors of the truck opening and closing. Finally, she saw what looked like a broom closet and tested the door. Luckily, it was unlocked. She went in just in time. As soon as the door was shut, she heard footsteps coming in through the door.
“Is she here?” a man asked. His voice sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it.
“I don’t think so, there’s no one here.” That sounded like Nash.
“Double check and make sure she’s not hiding anywhere,” the other man ordered.
She looked down at the crack underneath the door. She could see the light from a flashlight as it scanned the room. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She felt like her heartbeat was as loud as a jackhammer.
The light came closer. What if he opens the door? Her mind raced. She checked the doorknob and saw there was a lock on it. Without even thinking, she reached down and turned it. There was a click. The light stopped moving. Had he heard her? She prayed that he didn’t hear anything.
Footsteps approached the door. She froze in place. She had never been more scared in her entire life. Suddenly, the doorknob moved, as if someone was trying to open it. The lock held. After trying to open it for a few seconds, he relented and moved away.
“Nah, she’s not here. Let’s get out of here.” The light moved away.
She waited for what seemed like eternity, and then finally let out a huge sigh. She had been holding her breath, afraid that they would hear her. She decided that she would wait a few more minutes. Did the truck leave? She couldn’t remember if she had heard the engine start. Seconds later, she heard the truck pull out. Thank god she didn’t do anything before then, otherwise she could have been discovered.
She waited until she couldn’t hear the truck anymore, and then slowly, carefully, unlocked and opened the door. She peeked out to make sure that the coast was clear. The room was empty, and the front door was now closed.
Trying to make as little noise as possible, she walked toward the front. That was a close call. She breathed a sigh of relief. At the front, she turned the doorknob and tried to open it. She couldn’t. She jostled it for a little bit, but the door stayed shut.
Oh my gosh, she thought. He locked it back up. She looked around. She was trapped. What could she do? All the windows were boarded, and there didn’t seem to be a back entrance. She started to think of plan, when a man cleared his throat.
Outside, she heard Nash through the door. “It’s no use, Miss Larkin. You’re trapped inside. But don’t worry, we have the police coming, so just sit tight.”
Her heart sank.
Chapter 13
As she was placed in the police car, she felt a wave of defeat wash over her. Although it wasn’t the first time she’d been arrested, it still made her feel nauseous and terrible. How could she have been so foolish?
They pulled away, and she saw Nash staring at her with a smug expression. I can’t believe I let him catch me, she thought. He faded into the distance, leaving her alone with the police officer in front. The handcuffs felt too tight on her wrists. She adjusted them, but they still felt awkward.
“What’s your name, Officer?” she asked. Maybe he would be nice and offer to loosen the cuffs for her.
He didn’t respond. He merely glanced at her in the rear-view mirror. Why was he so quiet? Come to think of it, she couldn’t remember him saying a word to her as he placed the cuffs on her. No Miranda rights, nothing. She was so wrapped up in guilt that she didn’t even notice. The one thing she did remember, however, was him taking her camera. Hopefully, Nash wouldn’t sweep the building now that she was in custody.
Back at the Greenery, while she awaited her police escort, Marissa made sure to hide the evidence that she had. Even though it was thin at best, it could hopefully lead to something more substantial in the end. All she had to do was convince Detective Jeffries to look at the photos and see if he drew the same conclusion.
She then thought about whether or not Jeffries had noticed the evidence she had seen on her original photographs. It was hard to spot them, so perhaps he didn’t even see the tie clip at the murder scene. If he had, she had to believe that he would have at least questioned the rangers. So maybe they had arrested Chambon on some trumped up charges and never
stopped to think of another suspect.
But who was her other suspect? It had to be someone that Burton was close to. Marissa tried to picture how it all went down. If Burton was murdered at the Greenery, then that meant someone invited him there. She tried to remember if there was anything else about the room that could give her a sense of what happened. Perhaps they wanted to talk about the development project? Who would have been there?
If it were someone from Burton’s company dealing with Nash directly, then it had to be someone who would know Nash and Burton well. Judging from the emails, this person didn’t want to reach out to public channels, which meant that he or she knew Nash enough to come to him with a proposal. But why keep Burton out of the loop? Why invite him there in the first place?
Her mind raced with questions. She glanced at the police officer, who didn’t even seem to acknowledge that she was there. “How long until we get to the station?” she asked. He still didn’t respond. What a jerk, she thought. The cuffs felt even tighter around her wrists.
So why was Burton at the Greenery in the first place? And was it worth killing him just to get a development deal? If so, then it would have to be worth a lot of money. Maybe they brought him there to convince him, and when he wouldn’t bite, they decided he had to go?
As she pieced the clues together in her mind, she looked out the window. The full moon was high in the sky. Wait a minute, she thought. We’re heading east, not north. If she remembered her geography well enough, the position of the moon meant that they were not going towards Atlanta. But where would they be heading?
“Um, excuse me, sir, where are we going? I really have to pee, so if it’s gonna be a while, I’d like to get out soon, if you know what I mean.” She tried to keep it playful, so that he wouldn’t get suspicious. He still didn’t answer.
“Well, can you at least loosen these cuffs? They are chafing and I have sensitive skin.” She looked to see his reaction. He glanced at her in the mirror, then focused back on the road. Where could they be going? It was possible that he could be taking her to closer station, considering that Atlanta was over two hours away.
She watched the trees and houses pass by the window. Wherever they were, it was not near any major city. “Do you think we could stop somewhere? By the side of the road is fine, I can manage,” she said. Even though she was lying, she made herself sound convincing. Still nothing from Officer Quiet.
Another ten minutes or so passed. It felt like forever with nothing but the hum of the engine breaking the silence. She looked outside and couldn’t see any lights for miles. Where the heck were they? Suddenly, the officer got a phone call. He picked it up.
“Yeah?” he answered. “We’re almost there. Did you call him yet?” As he spoke, her blood went cold. She recognized that voice. This was the same guy that was with Nash at the park. But that didn’t make sense, did it? Thinking back, she was too focused on hiding her memory card to think about how long it took for the “police” to arrive. It had to have been, what, fifteen minutes or something?
She looked at the officer. He hung up the phone. She was sure it was him. So where were they going? Who was on the other line? Was it Nash? Realizing her situation, she stopped trying to talk to him and instead tried to figure a way out of her cuffs. Her mind started thinking terrible things. Were they going to kill her? If so, then why take her out so far? Why not do it at the park? It’s not like they hadn’t already cleaned up one body.
A few minutes later, they turned off the main road. The ride became bumpy as the ground beneath them turned to gravel and rocks. She fiddled with her cuffs, but they were too tight. There was nothing she could do. She stared at the officer in the front, as she was now too afraid to look at anything else.
Her heart was pounding. What was going to happen? Her mind raced. The officer up front stayed quiet. He glanced at her repeatedly, as if he could tell that she was working things out.
After a few minutes, they finally made it to their destination. It was a small house on the side of a dirt road, looking like it had been abandoned for years. The place was old and the paint was chipped. There was no sign of life inside. The car pulled up in front, and the officer got out. He walked over to Marissa and pulled her outside.
“Why are we here, Officer? This doesn’t look like a police station.” She looked him dead in the eye. She hoped that she could psych him out a little bit. Nonetheless, her heart was still pounding.
“You’re absolutely right, Miss Larkin. But don’t worry, you won’t be here long.” The officer smiled at her. It was a creepy sort of smile. The kind that was hiding something sinister.
“If you’re going to kill me, just do it already. No sense in waiting, is there?” Marissa spoke matter-of-factly, but that was to hide the fear in her voice.
“Who said anything about killing you?”
He led her inside. The house was dark. He flipped a switch and the lights came on. It was obvious that they hadn’t been turned on in a while. Two bulbs popped as the power flowed through them. The place was old, but not as run-down as she expected. It was surprisingly well furnished, if a bit dusty. He shoved her forward.
“To your right, Miss Larkin.”
She quietly obliged. She wanted to run, to fight back, but she was frozen with fear. She had always wondered how her fight or flight response would react in a life or death situation. Now she knew, and she was disappointed. Was this going to be it? Was this how her life was going to end?
He led her to the back of the house, into a small bedroom. Inside, there was a cot and a wooden chair. Suddenly, she felt the handcuffs loosen and fall off her wrists. “Sit down,” he said, his voice sounded commanding.
She turned to face him. He stared right back. “Don’t worry, Miss Larkin. I’m not gonna kill you. We’re just waiting for our mutual friend to arrive.”
What did that mean? Who could he be talking about? She slowly sat, still keeping her gazed fixed to his. “Who is that?”
“You’ll see soon enough.” He held up the handcuffs, then clasped them to her hand and the chair. “Just wait right here.” He smiled again, then left. The door shut with the sound of dread.
What was she going to do? Quickly, she looked around the room for something, anything that could be a weapon. If this was going to be her last day, she would go out fighting, no matter how hard it would be.
The room was bare. Besides the old cot, there was nothing. The only thing that illuminated the space was an old light bulb above her head. There was no furniture, no other objects, nothing at all. She was stuck in a room that had no windows, waiting to see what fate had in store for her.
As the time passed, her nerves started to relax. The longer she had to wait, the less tense she felt. She kept an ear out for any signs of life on the other side of the door, but there was only silence.
A few more minutes passed, which seemed like hours. Boredom started to creep in. How far away was this person? Would she recognize who it was? What did he mean by ‘mutual friend?’ Her mind went crazy as she tried to figure out who would be coming for her. Could it be Detective Jeffries? No, he was an honest man. There was no way he was involved in this, was there?
Suddenly, she heard the squeaking of wheels. Another vehicle was approaching. She heard the officer go to the front door. He sounded rushed. His footsteps were quick and deliberate. She heard the front door open.
“Hey, who the heck are you?” Outside, the officer called out to whoever was in the other car. Seconds later, there was some shouting and a scuffle. Who could it be? Who else would know she was out there?
The front door opened again and slammed shut. She heard footsteps again. These sounded different, heavier somehow. She got the feeling that it wasn’t the officer. So who could it be? Her heart started pounding again. Who would be coming after her? Was he friend or foe? She tried to figure out the possibilities.
The footsteps got closer. Her fists clenched in anticipation. Would she have to fight this person off?
The footsteps stopped outside her door. Who was it? Suddenly, the door flung open, and Thomas entered. He had a gash on his forehead and was wielding a tire iron, but otherwise, he looked fine.
“Thomas? What the heck are you doing here?” she cried out. She was relieved, but completely confused.
Chapter 14
Thomas sat inside the van, waiting impatiently. He checked his watch. It had only been ten minutes since he dropped Marissa off. She was a fool, sneaking around the park at night by herself. Even if there weren’t any people around, there were plenty of animals who could give her some trouble. I should’ve gone with her, he thought.
To pass the time, he tried listening to the radio. He found a classic rock station that he liked, and decided to sit back and relax. If he was going to be there awhile, he might as well make the most of it. After a few songs, though, he started to wish that he had brought some food.
Another ten minutes passed. His stomach started to rumble. Why hadn’t he eaten beforehand? He started to think about getting some fast food. He still had another half-hour or so, would he have time to get a bite and then come back? What if she called him sooner, though? He decided it would be best to wait it out.
Two more songs played, and Thomas was now officially bored. He never had been very good at being patient. Ever since he was little, he didn’t like waiting. Hopefully she would call him soon, and then he could go get a burger somewhere. Maybe she would even want to join him.
He started thinking about Marissa. The way that she smiled, and her brash personality. He hadn’t met a lot of women who were as forward as she was. She kind of reminded him of his grandmother in that way. He knew it was foolish to be thinking of her, but he couldn’t help it. He wouldn’t even be out here if he wasn’t thinking that way about her. But what did she think of him? She was totally out of his league, but still, a man could fantasize, couldn’t he?