Into The Mist: A LaShaun Rousselle Mystery (LaShaun Rousselle Mysteries Book 4)

by Lynn Emery

  The taller woman sprinted for the exit. She slammed against the door full force, but it didn’t budge. She beat the solid surface in vain. “Let me out. Let me out.”

  “Good thinking, locking the door,” Ernesto said with a smile. He went over to the agitated woman. He dragged her from the door, and then tried to open it. “Who left?”

  LaShaun glanced around the room. “We’re all in here.”

  Ernesto turned to face them with a frown. “Then how…”

  “Welcome to Mexico my friends.” A female voice boomed.

  Chase handed Ellie to LaShaun. He glanced around, and then pointed to a speaker attached near the ceiling in a corner. “There.”

  “We don’t often get visitors, so we hope you’ve enjoyed your stay so far. Usually Legion doesn’t like people dropping in, but in your case we’re thrilled. Thank you for being so predictable.” The woman’s cheerful tone held an edge of menace. “You’ll be unpleasantly surprised to know we were expecting you. What a wonderful bonus to have the daughter and the mother of such a powerful lineage join us.”

  Val pushed away the whimpering woman she’d been about to interrogate. “Do you see cameras?”

  “Only in the dorms,” the tall woman said between hiccupping sobs, “to make sure the children didn’t get up to mischief.”

  “Yeah, silly stuff like trying to escape their captors,” Cee-Cee snarled and took a step toward her.

  “Calm down. What about microphones,” Ernesto whispered. He moved around the large open area as he spoke.

  “Yes, Ernesto,” the voice answered, “at the desk, though ripping it out won’t help you. May I direct your attention to the air vents, please.” Her tone, like a tour guide enjoying her job, grated. “Soon you’ll all take a nap. Sadly, we don’t have much use for the rest of you. The two ladies who have Third Sight will be coming with us. The more, um, problematic adults must be disposed of, but only after we get the information we want naturally.”

  “You’re going to harm a group of innocent children? You shouldn’t wonder why we intend to eradicate you like the vermin you are,” Val shouted.

  “Legion is true to the right world order fools,” the woman shot back, the playfulness gone. “I suggest you arrange yourselves in a comfortable position on the floor, or even a bed. That way you won’t get hurt when you hit the concrete, which will happen in about five minutes. Good night to all, goodbye to some.” There was a click, and the voice stopped.

  “Look.” the teenager, Jonah, pointed to one of the two vents set in the wall. A blue-gray mist curled from the opening. “They’ve used it before.”

  “Cee-Cee, you checked on a rear door,” LaShaun said.

  “Yeah, and it’s locked, got a chain and padlock through the push bar handle,” Cee-Cee replied.

  Chase spun around to face the two Spanish women. “Tools, and make it quick. Sounds like your employers will get rid of you, too.”

  “Uh, uh. There’s the locked cabinet with a hammer, a-and some other things.” The taller woman fumbled with a set of keys. She cried out when Val strode over and yanked them from her hands.

  “Which one?” Val went to the metal cabinet in a corner of the room. “This one?”

  “No, no, the brass one with a number marked on it,” the shorter woman blurted out. “Hurry, hurry. I don’t want to die here. My children need me.”

  “Like anybody cares,” Jonah shot back and laughed. Then he turned to five of the children. “We’re leaving. Marissa, you know what to do.”

  A petite brunette gazed back at him, nodded, and closed her eyes. “I know.”

  “What are they doing?” Chase said, glancing at LaShaun.

  “I have no idea.” LaShaun held Ellie tight as the toddler squirmed.

  “Mama, no.” Ellie pressed her chubby fists against LaShaun’s chest to get free.

  “You’re safe, baby. Mama and daddy…”

  “No, no.”

  Suddenly LaShaun felt dizzy. She coughed as the air seemed to thicken around her. “The mist is starting to get to me.”

  Jennifer rushed around handing something to everyone one. “Cover your mouth and nose, everyone. Help the younger ones, kids. Once we get the back door open, we’ll crawl out. That drug or whatever will fill the place from the top down.”

  “Sure, scurry around breathing hard like trapped mice. Your efforts will only help speed up the effects. Best reality TV ever.” Laughter floated from the speaker.

  “Hold onto her, LaShaun,” Chase shouted. He pulled out the Baretta and spun in a circle looking for an enemy.

  “You can’t shoot, the children.” LaShaun fought to keep her eyes open as Jennifer tied part of a torn pillow case around her face.

  “Go help Ernesto and Cee-Cee get that damn door open.” Jennifer jerked a thumb in the direction of the rear ext. “You two, help us line up the kids or I’ll shoot you myself right here.”

  “Let go, mama.” Ellie, a determined frown on her face, stared at LaShaun.

  “Don’t…”

  LaShaun’s voice faded, then she blinked hard in the effort stay conscious. Her legs buckled as if the bones had turned to liquid. Then she looked at Ellie. Determination and intention glowed in Ellie’s gaze. The realization that Ellie had a purpose stunned her more than the effects of the drug. When LaShaun sank to her knees, Ellie easily scrambled free of her weakened hold. She joined the now seven children who stood in a circle holding hands. They quickly made room for Ellie. Their voices joined together, the words melting into a continuous hum that seemed to expand like an invisible balloon until it filled the room. Through a haze, LaShaun heard loud cracks she thought might be gunfire.

  “Don’t shoot, the children,” she gasped.

  Her muffled voice came out as a raspy sound drowned out by the hum, terrified screams, and more popping noises. LaShaun had the sensation of a great weight holding her down. The entire scene around her played out like a movie set in slow motion. Smoke coiled above. Not smoke. No smell of burning. LaShaun fought to reason through the events unfolding around her. She spotted Ellie standing what looked like so far away. She tried to reach for her, but her arms felt resistance.

  “Come to me, Ellie. Please, you don’t understand…” LaShaun swallowed hard.

  Images flashed in the room. Glyphs, pictures of an ocean, a lush garden filled the room and then vanished. People dressed in flowing garments appeared like old photographs, yet some moved. These faded, replaced by scenes of brick huts, caves, and tall stone jars.

  “Stop from happening.” LaShaun’s throat hurt from the attempt to speak louder.

  “Concentrate,” a male voice rang out.

  Then more shots, rapid popping around. LaShaun’s heart hammered with fear for Ellie and the other children. Her mind fought to process all of the sensory input. Whatever Legion had pumped into the room blunted her paranormal abilities. LaShaun sobbed as she once more tried to control something, anything, and failed. Her mother’s face floated above her as she collapsed onto her back to the floor.

  “Don’t resist, cher. Fighting what will happen next is making Ellie’s task harder. Give in and she’ll reach you. Yes, that’s it. Let her flow into your being.”

  Francine’s voice continued, and then combined eerily with her grandmother’s deeper contralto voice. Then both faded into whispers, then they transformed into what sounded like wind rustling through leaves. Ellie played in the backyard with Beau leaping around her, both so happy. Sunshine painted the scene yellow, then it melted to dusk. LaShaun tried to call out to them to come into the house. Something malevolent crept in with the dark. Then nothing.

  Bright white assaulted her closed eyelids. On reflex, LaShaun opened her eyes. Faces above hers. She struggled to recognize them but couldn’t. The pure white lights flashed overhead. She was moving. But how?

  “No visible bruising or wounds. We’re taking her up to radiology for scans and x-rays to rule out internal injuries,” a male voice said briskly.

&nbs
p; “Wha…” LaShaun’s lips felt stiff as she tried to ask a question. Then she lost the thread of what she was about to say. Her eyes closed against the glare against her will.

  “Sure, got it.” A woman said. Then she continued lower. “Let’s tell her about Chase when she’s stable. Not now.”

  Chapter 14

  She woke up and sat straight in the bed. Then winced at the pain that shot through her neck and shoulders. LaShaun, at first, thought she had straps around her body. Voices filtered through the haze that filled her brain. Hands pushed her gently back. She settled on two pillows behind her. Then she felt woozy and gasped from the nausea that twisted her stomach.

  “Take it easy. You took some hits back there,” Cee-Cee said.

  “Yeah, no sudden moves,” Val added.

  Recognition of their voices helped center LaShaun. She shivered as another set of hands extended something to her. A small tablet in foil. She glanced up to see a nurse holding the medicine in one hand and a small cup in the other.

  “Señora, you take. For the sickness in your tummy. Sí? It melts. Very easy. You’ll feel better.” The nurse smiled at Cee-Cee and Val, who stood aside for her. Then she waited patiently as LaShaun followed her instructions.

  “Thanks,” LaShaun managed to get out. A cool mint flavor coated her tongue as the tablet dissolved. The nurse bustled out, a satisfied look on her face, and LaShaun looked at Cee-Cee first and then Val. “Where am I? What happened? Where’s Chase?”

  “Slow down,” Val replied in a calm voice. She smoothed the hospital bed linens.

  LaShaun strained forward, ready to leap from the bed, get dressed, and get her own answers. “You’re stalling for time. Something horrible has happened to my family. Tell me.”

  Val pushed LaShaun back and held her in the bed. “Limping around in a hospital gown won’t help. Chase is here, he took a bullet.”

  “Oh my God. Ellie…” LaShaun panted as tears slid down her face.

  “Listen,” Val said firmly, her strong hands still keeping LaShaun in place. “He was shot in the shoulder. The bullet missed bone, so it’s a flesh would. He was in surgery and they got it out. He’s going to recover.”

  “Where is ‘here’?” LaShaun broke in.

  “Hospital San Charbel in Matamoros. Excellent medical care,” Cee-Cee added with a nod. When tears slipped down LaShaun’s cheeks, she cleared her throat. “Not that we wanted to sample the services of course.”

  LaShaun worked against the rising terror as she tried to form the most frightening question. She swallowed hard, and then forced out the words. “And Ellie?”

  Cee-Cee exchanged a quick glace with Val. “Gone. At some point the doors opened, Legion members stormed us. We were outnumbered, drugged.” She rubbed her forehead.

  “The drug didn’t take affect quite as they’d expected. Or maybe getting the back door open helped vent some of it,” Val added.

  “One of the caretakers made it to a window and opened it. I think that increased cross flow.” Cee-Cee nodded.

  “Then why couldn’t we fight back? We should have stopped them from taking Ellie.” LaShaun glared at them both through tears of outrage. Her voice rose until she was shouting. “The TEA should have anticipated we’d walk into a trap. Why didn’t they? And don’t give me that bullshit about strategy!”

  A short woman came in wearing a white lab coat. “I’m Dr. Mendoza, and I think this visit is a bit too much for my patient. You should go now, please.”

  “Listen, doctor, we’ll be careful,” Cee-Cee began, but stopped short when Dr. Mendoza waved a hand at her.

  “I don’t think so,” Dr. Mendoza said. She frowned at them all.

  LaShaun inhaled and exhaled slowly to get control. “Wait, wait. I’m okay.”

  Dr. Mendoza took the clipboard in a file holder attached to the wall near LaShaun’s bed. “Señora Broussard, really what you need is rest. I’ll have the nurse bring you something so you can relax, get some sleep.”

  “No!” LaShaun blurted out with such force, Dr. Mendoza glanced at her sharply. “I mean, no more drugs. I need to find out what is happening to my husband and about efforts to find my child. Please. I don’t want to be knocked out while they’re both in danger, not knowing how my family is doing.”

  The doctor made a brief note on the chart and replaced it. “I realize these are extraordinary circumstances. Follow my nurse’s instructions and stay in bed until I say otherwise.”

  “Yes. Thank you,” LaShaun replied.

  “And you,” Dr. Mendoza looked at Val and Cee-Cee, “keep disturbances to a minimum. I want to be informed if there are developments.”

  “Got it,” Val said promptly.

  “I’ll check on you later this evening.” Dr. Mendoza smiled at LaShaun and left.

  “By ‘developments’ she means if you have to break bad news that will upset me.”

  “We don’t expect more bad news, LaShaun. Well, worse news I mean,” Cee-Cee added when LaShaun sniffed.

  “Really poor job of encouraging her, Cee-Cee,” Val said dryly. Then she took LaShaun’s right hand, cupping it in both hers. “We know Legion values Ellie. In fact, it appears that she’s the focal point of their entire operation.”

  “Which means they won’t hurt her. Everything we found at the building where they kept the kids indicates they took good care of them. The two women confirm that the children were treated well. The little girl that hid with Ellie really seems to have bonded with her,” Cee-Cee said.

  “Great. TEA is doing a fabulous job of getting facts after a gigantic screw-up.” LaShaun shook her hands free from Val’s attempt to console her.

  “Hey, that’s not quite fair to us,” Val began.

  “She’s right,” Frank Miles cut in before Val could continue. “We should have had a back-up team, maybe even two, in place. Legion keeps getting the upper hand on us. Desmond is driving home his I-told-you-so point every chance he gets.”

  “That guy spends his days kissing butt and taking credit for the work of his staff,” Val replied and gave a snort. “Tell Secretary General Desmond to zip it unless he’s got something useful to contribute.”

  “I don’t give a damn about your bullshit politics, okay? All I want to hear is the next move to find my child,” LaShaun shot back. Her heated scowl silenced them. “And it better be one freaking good plan. Otherwise, I’ll tell you all to go to hell and do it myself.”

  “Look, everybody get some chill,” Cee-Cee said. “LaShaun, we made the best decision we possibly could based on the facts we had and the possible consequences of waiting. It would have taken days to get more boots on the ground.”

  “I saw plenty of people at your place,” LaShaun shot back.

  “They’re computer geeks and communications specialists. They know how to handle tools and build programs, not weapons. None of them have field training or experience,” Cee-Cee countered.

  “We also know Legion has at least one private plane here. They could have even taken the kids out of Mexico. The longer we delayed, the greater the chances Legion would have known we were coming,” Val said.

  “So have they taken them out of the country?” LaShaun looked at Val.

  “Not by air. The plane hasn’t left their hangar at the airport. We’re monitoring it, and the airwaves. Not that they would file a flight plan, or even have to,” Val replied. ‘

  “We still might have an edge. Legion doesn’t know the extent of our resources. After last night, they think we can’t match their set up,” Cee-Cee said.

  “They’re not far wrong,” LaShaun snapped back. Then she closed her eyes as she rubbed her forehead. “Sorry, it’s just…”

  “Forget it. You’re showing restraint. If my kid was missing, I’d be ripping everybody within the sound of my voice to pieces.” Cee-Cee sighed.

  “For real,” Val said and gave LaShaun a look of sympathy, “we should apologize for not coming through for you guys.”

  Jennifer came in holding a flo
ral arrangement. She set them down on the table. “Morning everyone. Hope you’re feeling better, LaShaun.”

  LaShaun accepted a brief hug. “At least I’m not hurt so bad I can’t go after the bastards.”

  “Better not let Dr. Mendoza hear you. She’ll slip some strong meds in your food to keep you here,” Cee-Cee quipped.

  “So I’ve got intriguing info. We picked up some chatter on the Deep Web. Seems Legion doesn’t know where the kids have gone,” Jennifer said. She glanced around the room with a wide grin. “They don’t have them.”

  “What the hell?” Cee-Cee’s mouth fell open.

  “I don’t get it. Legion attacked the community center, shot it full of a drug fog, and then…” LaShaun glanced at Val and Cee-Cee in turn.

  “We all blacked out for short periods. The sequence of what happened, how, and when is mixed up for all of us. We met first thing today to piece together what we remember, but there are gaps,” Val said.

  “Yeah, nothing like a meeting at five in the morning after a night of getting your butt kicked and handed to you,” Cee-Cee muttered. She shrugged when Val shot her a heated look. “The coffee and donuts tasted good though.”

  “We haven’t earned sleeping late, not even close,” Val cracked back at her. “Jennifer, what else?”

  “So according to sources, Legion is sort of in high alert mode. They aren’t sure that we didn’t take the kids.” Jennifer grinned.

  “Good, this is good,” Frank put in. He paced in a small circle as he talked. “Let’s take steps to keep them off balance. We won’t say we have the kids. In fact, we shouldn’t say anything. Let our ‘silence’ on the Dark Web imply we have the upper hand. Buy time while we find out where they are now.”

  “Sounds great, but where do we start?” Cee-Cee frowned. She raked fingers through her short boyish haircut. “We have no suspects. With no suspects, we can’t check out possible hang-outs or known associates.”

  “We can search houses nearby, including a couple of cantinas. There’s one tiny store in the area,” Jennifer said.