The Bend

by Terri Tiffany

  “I told you before. She isn’t here.” David lowered his weapon. A smile formed on his face. “You’re going to have to believe me for once. I told you I would announce her disappearance today. But I can’t have you running crazy on my property. There are women and children back there who deserve peace. I plan to make sure they get it.”

  He’d had it with David’s sick talk about his women. He had seen how many were pregnant. Breeders. That’s all they were for the men in the Bend.

  “I’m leaving. I won’t be back.”

  David nodded, giving a wave with his free hand. “Good plan, friend. I’ll see you later.”

  Seth shot David one final look before rounding the house to his car. The service had ended and he was the only visitor left. He hoped he would never be a visitor again.

  ###

  She hadn’t been able to kill herself. A mere scratch. When she’d placed the blade against her wrist, reason had returned. Or her will to live. A stronger resolve to see this plan to the end had overtaken her even though her body felt weak. Maybe she would have a chance to escape today. She bent toward the water, bringing a handful to her dry mouth. She sipped and sipped before running the refreshing water over her face and hands. Then she opened the two bags, and discovered in one a wrapped peanut butter and jelly sandwich. A last meal? She didn’t care. She shoved piece after piece into her mouth, savoring the nutty taste. When she felt her stomach would not up heave its contents, she opened the second bag.

  Clothing. A long dark skirt and a white blouse. She threw it down in distaste. Was he dressing her to look like the women in the cult? Was he part of it? No. Todd was acting on his own. But for some reason he wanted her to blend in with the crowd. She picked up the shirt, fingered the Peter Pan collar. He wanted others to think she had joined the cult. But why?

  He would return soon. She knew he would. Gingerly, she peeled off her filthy jeans and shirt and donned the unfamiliar garments. She tugged the tie at her waist tightly so the skirt would not slip down over her hips. He’d done well with sizing the blouse. When dressed, she rummaged through the bags a final time. A comb and a Bible. So she was to carry the Bible like the other women filing into the church. She slid the comb into her pocket.

  Then the waiting began. Without a sense of time, she resorted to pacing the shed while sitting when she grew tired. The sandwich had done little to restore her full energy. It didn’t matter though. She was living on adrenaline. If Todd meant to take her to the rally, she would have a chance. That’s all she needed. One chance.

  CHAPTER 95

  Seth shoved a cherry Tootsie Pop into his mouth. He should have known Kate would not go to that compound. At least not willingly. He found it hard to know what to think now. But he had one more bone to chew on. The hardware store. He checked the time on his dash. One o’clock. Where had his day gone? The rally started at three. Two hours. Did he have enough time to find the delivery guy? He parked his truck next to the store entrance.

  A couple other trucks were there, too. Seth recognized the black Ford that belonged to the barber who gave him his last haircut. Dan was a nice guy. Moved here a couple of months ago after Seth did. They’d hit it off from the first cut. Dan was looking for a woman to settle down with. Said he’d heard the Bend had an abundance and so he’d moved there to start his business. Seth wanted to warn him but hadn’t. Maybe he should.

  “Hey there. What project you going to work on today?” Dan slapped him across the back as Seth approached the counter. As usual, he wore his plaid shirt and his hair was cut in a military style. Yeah, he fit into the Bend better than Seth did.

  “Not much. I need to find Hank.” He scanned the store.

  “He’s out back. Getting me a bucket of nails. Say, are you going to the rally today? Heard there might be something special going on.” He winked.

  “What do you mean special?” Seth glanced toward the back again. Where was Hank?

  Dan leaned closer. Seth couldn’t understand why since they were the only two near the counter. “Going to be a ceremony of sorts. For the men.” Another wink.

  Seth imagined what kind of ceremony would take place. His stomach turned. “You want to be part of that group? I’d be careful, if I were you.”

  “What are you talking about? I spoke with Earl’s brother there a while back and it sounds like a soft deal to me. Ready-made wife. All I got to do is sign the check.”

  Seth inhaled. “They charge you?”

  Dan backpedaled. “Not really a charge. A donation to the cause. Earl knows what he’s doing. Actually he’s pretty sharp. Plans to turn the Bend into a community that people will be begging to get in. I’m glad I moved here when I did.” He stopped talking when Hank returned lugging several sacks with him.

  “Sorry it took me so long. The delivery guy messed with the supplies in the back. At least I think it was him. When he gets in tomorrow, he might find himself looking at the exit door.” He shook his head, exhaled. Slapped the bags on the counter.

  “I need his address, Hank. Now.” Seth leaned over the counter.

  “Told you before. Against the rules to give out personal information.”

  “Blast the rules! My friend is missing and I need to find her.” He grabbed Hank by the shirt and yanked him over the counter toward him. Hank was no slouch and ripped Seth’s hands off him. Dan grabbed Seth by the shoulders and pushed him back against a rake display.

  “I’m calling the sheriff. This boy doesn’t have any manners.” Hank reached for the phone.

  Seth shoved Dan off him. “Listen. Kate is missing. Your delivery guy knows something. If you don’t give me that address now, I’ll be the one calling the cops. They might be interested in that gambling thing you’ve got going here too.”

  At the suggestion of illegal activity, Hank put the phone down. His face reddened. “You aren’t going to hurt him are you?”

  Seth stepped closer, eying Dan as he did. “Not if I don’t have to.”

  Ten minutes later he was speeding across the flats along the river. Hank said he wasn’t exactly sure the address was legit but it’s what he had on record. The scrap of paper and Seth’s GPS on his phone lay open on the seat next to him.

  He wasn’t sure what he would do when he found the guy. Maybe pound his face? Threaten him? Rough him up a little? Seth cringed. Sure didn’t sound like the guy who had moved here to find the big story. Rough someone up? He hadn’t been in a brawl since high school. He lost that one.

  It didn’t matter. He’d do what it took. He was the only one it appeared who cared enough about Kate’s disappearance to do anything. At least he was trying. He braked as a deer ran across the road. His English speaking GPS woman told him to turn left onto a dirt road. He followed her orders, sliding his wheels in the gravel.

  The trees grew larger as he followed the road deeper into the woods. Anyone who lived this far back had to be crazy. He swerved as two rabbits leaped in front of him. He’d be lucky to leave with an intact bumper. The further he drove, the voice on his phone counted the miles. Finally, he heard the words he had waited for. “Your destination is on the right.”

  He plunged to a dead stop.

  In front of a cemetery.

  ###

  Kate waited. Plotted what she would do when Todd returned. Kick him again? Go for his throat? Thrust her thumbs into his eyes?

  She gave a weak laugh. What little energy she had left would not allow her to swing at him. He’d done his training well. Starved her. Isolated her. Threatened her. There was no doubt in her mind that Todd had done this exact same thing to other women. Maybe not.

  She thought about Shelly. Did he practice on her only to ensure everything would go well with Kate? She wiped her eyes.

  She would not give in. Not until the end.

  The door to her prison opened with a squeak. Todd filled the opening. He had changed his clothing too. He wore dark dress pants and a long sleeved white shirt. Was that to blend in? Or because today was so special for
him.

  “I see you’re ready. Good.” He crossed the threshold. Held out his hand. “Let’s go. We don’t have much time left.”

  His words chilled her soul. “We don’t have to do this, Todd. You can let me walk away right now.”

  His lips curled into the grin she had come to loathe. “Doing what? We’re going to church together. It’s what couples in the Bend do together. You’re my new girlfriend.”

  ###

  The cemetery was barely recognizable. It reminded Seth of the one that housed Earl’s relatives. Overrun with weeds and the stones were crumbling from age. Seth got out of his vehicle. Why did the delivery guy give this as his address? He searched behind him and peered into the plots. A distinct path cut through the center of the cemetery. Curiosity drove him to follow it. He’d come this far. It would take minutes to check it out.

  The path wove in and out through larger burial plots and some that dated back to the early 1800s. He ducked beneath an overhanging branch, lost his bearings for a second then pushed forward. He didn’t know what he was looking for but felt in his gut that he would soon find it.

  He was right.

  Ahead of him lay fresh mounds of dirt.

  ###

  His girlfriend. She never liked him in that way. But he did her. She’d had an inkling when they were in school, but at twelve? Kate allowed herself to be led outside. She blinked hard from the light peeking through the clouds. If the day had been sunnier, she doubted she would have been able to see. She shaded her eyes with one hand while he dragged her with her other. When they reached his truck, she flinched. She recognized his vehicle. Dark red. She’d seen it pass her house many evenings while she sat on her front porch. She also saw it downtown near the paper.

  He’d been carefully stalking her. Why hadn’t she been more alert? He said he’d been following her whereabouts for years. How did she not see? Was she so absorbed in staying away from the media that she missed Todd’s attempts to watch her?

  “Get in.” He shoved her to the seat. Kate struggled to climb into the truck as her skirt refused to cooperate. Her bad leg made moving more difficult but she managed to get in. He pulled a pair of handcuffs from the glove compartment. Snapped them on her wrists. “A little precautionary measure.”

  She could not have run far if she tried. No, he’d seen to that. Starving her. Her legs felt weak as newborn kittens. She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to walk unnoticed into the rally like he told her she must. But she would not die willingly. She’d find a way to escape.

  Why did he choose the rally? For the crowd? Like their school?

  He joined her in the cab. When the truck roared to life, she heard him sigh. “It’s time, my darling Kate. It’s time for us to finish what was started.”

  CHAPTER 96

  Seth dropped to his knees. He scoured each mound for signs of recent digging. As he drew closer, he discovered fresh weeds growing from each. No, they weren’t made for Kate. But perhaps if he dug deep enough he would find the remains of other missing women from the Bend.

  He brushed off his pants. Another dead end. Literally. His only recourse was the rally and hope that someone had seen her or noticed something out of the ordinary. What better place to ask than a gathering of the town?

  He trooped back through the overgrowth to his truck. He should make it to the church in thirty minutes or less if he pushed it. He wanted to be there early to scan the crowd. Maybe his delivery guy drank the Kool-Aid and would show up.

  By the time he crossed town and drove into the church parking lot, it was half full. Another van of women and children pulled in behind him. Earl’s crew he guessed. He watched the ladies descend the bus steps, lifting their skirts or holding a youngster’s hand. After nine or ten descended, he recognized Debbie. She wore a look of uncertainty—not that look of determination she shot at him when he showed up at her cabin. No, definitely she was ill-at-ease. First time in public as a new convert? He looked closer. A dark bruise on the side of her cheek. He hadn’t noticed that before. David’s punishment? A fresh surge of anger washed through him. They controlled their women like mangy dogs.

  He hung his head. Until he found Kate, he had no desire to blast the cult all over the papers. He was starting to wonder if anyone would believe him.

  Kate did.

  He grabbed his phone and left the truck. More cars arrived as he skirted past people he knew. He wanted to speak to Earl before the show started.

  ###

  Instead of driving directly to the church, Todd took a detour onto a back road. Kate glanced at the scenery, her pulse pounding in her neck. What if he changed his mind? What if he meant to kill her out here instead of going to the rally? She slid her hands to the door handle. She would jump out. A chance. Any chance was better than dying from his hands.

  “Thought we would take the time for a little heart-to-heart conversation. There is so much I want to say to you but I fear there won’t be time.”

  “We have the rest of our lives to talk.” She twisted in her seat toward him.

  He looked sad, almost forlorn. “We have now. Only now. I’ve waited my entire life to be with you like this but the seconds are ticking away as I speak. I promised myself I would be swift and not frighten you.”

  “What are you talking about?” She forced her gaze on his. “You’re frightening me now.”

  He touched her knee. Kate willed herself to not pull away.

  “We are survivors. What happened that night twenty years ago at our school changed our lives. You lost your family. I lost my friends and school. My safe harbor. You. Did you know you were my best friend? Sure you didn’t. You were surrounded by best friends. I watched you walk home from school with them, go to the library, spend time at their homes. You know some things about my mother. Let me tell you the rest.” He frowned. Licked his bottom lip and stared out the window for a flash of a second. “She had to leave me and my father shortly after you visited. So I understand about loss. I also understand about fate.” His grip on her knee tightened.

  “You and I, we’re alike. Both of us should have lived different lives. I can’t change all that. But I can change our future. Make it what it should have been.”

  He lifted his hand from her knee.

  Kate exhaled, remaining as rigid as a rabbit spying a fox.

  Todd started the truck again. “It’s time. I’ll tell you the rest later.”

  The rest? What was he planning?

  She would scream for help when they reached the church. Someone would take him out and save her.

  “Oh, and in case you get any funny ideas when we get there? Don’t forget about your friend. If anything goes wrong with my plan—he dies.”

  CHAPTER 97

  Seth found Earl holed up in a back office with David. The last person he wanted to come face-to-face with was David but he had no choice.

  Earl put down his papers and took off his glasses when Seth walked in. “I wanted to talk with you a minute before you go on.”

  David nodded and stepped out of the room. Standing this close to the scumbag made Seth boil with disgust. Instead he pushed his anger down. He needed Earl. Or at least what Earl could do.

  “Will you make the announcement about Kate right at the beginning? If anyone knows anything, the quicker I hear, the better chance I have to find her.”

  “Of course. But have you considered another scenario? Maybe she doesn’t want to be found. Maybe she walked away from her life like many people quite often do.”

  He’d considered that scenario dozens of times. Maybe she faked her disappearance because she told him the truth about her auras. Maybe she was afraid he would rat on her. Maybe another reporter found her and she ducked out of town.

  “It doesn’t matter. If that’s the case, I’ll eventually find out. But right now, I need your help. The Sheriff never got back to me and I’ve dead ended every other lead. If no one in town knows anything, I will take your advice and consider that option.”

>   The only response Earl gave him was a long sigh. Like Seth was asking the impossible of him. Maybe he would stand up in front of everyone himself. Push Big Wig out of the way and take over. A smiled formed. Kate would love to see that.

  With nothing else to say, Seth left Earl and wound his way to the front of the sanctuary. The crowd dribbled in. Children ran around the front altar and mothers in their prairie get-ups huddled in groups, talking about laundry. Or something mundane. Seth took a seat in the far back. He wanted to watch who came in. Plus, he intended to leave after Earl announced Kate’s disappearance.

  ###

  Seth dies. She believed Todd would follow through on his threat. Especially when he pulled up next to a cemetery not unlike the one Seth and she traipsed through the past summer.

  “Do you see that path?”

  She nodded. Of course she did. It skirted the edge of the overgrown field.

  “If you follow that path, which we don’t have time to do now, it takes you to three unmarked graves. A shovel waits behind a nearby pine tree so I can easily dig a fourth grave as well as I did the first three.”

  She gagged. He planned to kill her. Them.

  Satisfied that she understood, he turned around and drove toward town. Kate’s nails dug into her arm. She had been afraid before, now she was paralyzed. Surely, he wouldn’t hurt her in front of a packed church. Or would he? Did he care? He said their lives had been changed. They were both survivors.

  She inhaled. He planned to kill both of them to finish what the bomber started. The question she couldn’t answer was how.

  ###

  The church parking lot was full when Todd pulled in. He parked his truck near the back corner next to a van. Like before, he shut off the engine and faced her. “You will not scream nor shout nor act in any way I wouldn’t like. You will walk next to me and if anyone you know says anything to you, you will answer briefly that you are with an old friend from the Bend.” He stroked her jaw. Kate twisted away. “We are good friends, aren’t we? Now, now. You better start behaving for me immediately.” His voice turned deeper with a menacing growl. “Today is our destiny, darling Kate. It’s the day that has been saved for us for the last twenty years. The two remaining survivors of the Canton Bomber. Can you imagine the headlines?” His eyes glowed from eagerness.