Night Fall

by Nancy Mehl

  “It’s just . . . when I moved in with Willow, her house was infested with roaches. I . . . I hate them.”

  Logan had the distinct feeling there was more to the story, but he wasn’t going to ask her about it now. “Just try to ignore them. We’ll be out of here soon and in a nice, sterile hospital room.”

  She was silent for a moment. For the first time, he noticed the only light came from a couple of lanterns, and the flames were getting low. He watched as Alex scanned the floor, no doubt looking for bugs.

  “What happened before we got here?” he asked, trying to get her focus off the roaches—especially since more and more would come out as it got darker.

  “Walker thought he lived here with his family, but I don’t think Sally and the kids ever existed. He experienced a complete psychotic break.”

  Logan was surprised. “So this whole family thing was only in his imagination?”

  Alex nodded. “He found an identity through the Train Man and a calling as the Destroyer, but he still yearned for a family. The kind of family he never had. He was too damaged to obtain a real one, so he created his vision of the perfect wife and children. He had to break with reality to find happiness.” She sighed. “I wish we could have kept him alive. Gotten him help. Maybe he could have found some kind of fulfillment in the real world.”

  Logan couldn’t help but look at Adam’s body only a few yards away. He wanted to move him so they didn’t have to see him, but he couldn’t. It would be tampering with evidence. And he couldn’t cover the body. Anything not completely clean could leave fibers and false evidence. Although the cause of Walker’s death was obvious, he still couldn’t go against his training and contaminate the scene.

  “Sorry about Mike,” he said, looking at Alex.

  “Yeah, me too.” Her voice broke, and she turned her face away from him.

  He didn’t know what to say, so he stayed silent.

  “He blamed me for what he did. He killed Willow and Nettie.” When she looked down at him, he saw tears in her eyes. “He was angry when I left without telling him. Then for some reason he tried to become the person I wanted to be by joining the FBI. But when he was never promoted, he became enraged about my success. Enraged with me. And then he joined the Circle and met Walker. . . .”

  She shuddered. “It’s my fault. He was a friend, and I shouldn’t have left Willow’s without telling him I was leaving and where I’d be. But I just wanted to get away from there. Away from her. I guess Mike thought we were closer than I did. If I could go back in time . . .”

  “But you can’t. And it’s not your fault.” He looked up at her. “Look, Alex. You, Adam, and Mike all experienced bad things. Especially Adam and you. But you all had choices to make. To give in to the hurt and pain and let it twist you or to fight back. To become something good. Someone who would add positive energy to the world. Adam had a terrible childhood, but he could have made a different choice. Mike was hurt that you left. He must have idolized you and wanted to become like you. He couldn’t. But I suspect other things in his life went wrong too.”

  Alex told him what Mike said about his parents.

  “I’m sorry to hear that.” Logan sighed. “But it was still his choice to follow a dark path.” He gazed up into her eyes. “Why did Adam and Mike go one way while you went another way?”

  “Because some of us are angels and some of us are demons?” Alex’s sardonic grin told him she was trying to be humorous. It worked. He laughed.

  “Funny. But I’m being serious. No one has to choose a destructive path. God gave us free will. We choose. God addresses this in the Bible. Forgive me for paraphrasing, but it goes something like ‘I’ve set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose life that both you and your descendants may live.’ That passage goes on to talk about how we can choose to love God or we can reject Him. He was talking to the children of Israel, but He still gives everyone that choice. What Mike did is not your fault, Alex. Blaming yourself is destructive. Stop doing that.”

  Alex leaned her head back on the chair and looked up.

  The lantern began to sputter.

  “I can’t walk over there and add fuel to the lantern,” he said quietly. “Can’t tamper with—”

  “The crime scene. I know.” She stared down at him, her eyes locked on his. “Logan, I heard a voice.”

  “A voice?”

  “Yes. It said, ‘Just trust me. Everything will be all right.’”

  Logan smiled at her. “Who do you think that was?”

  “I know you want me to say it was God, but everything isn’t going to be all right, is it? We’re going to die.” She started to cry. “I keep thinking about Krypto. What will happen to him? Will he think I abandoned him?”

  Logan reached up and put his hand on her cheek. “I don’t believe we’re going to die. We have no idea what this virus will do. Alex, if God told you we’ll be all right, then I believe Him. He would know.”

  She finally looked away from him. “Okay” was all she said.

  The lantern finally went out. Although he knew it was a risk, Logan reached for her hand. She didn’t pull away. Instead, she held on so tightly it almost hurt.

  “I . . . I hate the dark.”

  “Nothing can hurt you. I’m here. You’ll be fine.”

  Logan leaned his head back against the wall again. How long would it take Monty to get help?

  “Did you hear that?” Alex said.

  “No, I—”

  Then he heard steps overhead. Two men came down the stairs in hazmat suits. They held flashlights and swung them around until they found Alex and Logan. Alex quickly pulled her hand from his.

  “Where is it?” one of them asked, his voice muffled by the mask.

  Logan stood. “On the other side of the table,” he said. “Under a bucket. We’ve both been exposed. And you need to check the other agent and the kidnap victim.”

  The men walked to the other side of the table. One of them took something out of a pack he wore around his waist. His partner had his flashlight directed toward him as he opened a small box and knelt down on the floor. Logan wanted out of that room, but he knew they would have to be escorted carefully so as not to expose anyone else. At least there would be no pandemic. Hopefully, this vicious virus would stop with him and Alex. He prayed silently for Monty and the girl who’d been abducted.

  Logan wanted to look at Alex, to take her hand again. But he couldn’t do it. She was trying to be strong. He needed to be strong too. To help her. Right now, he kept thinking about what he would say to his family. How could he tell them he’d been infected with a deadly virus? They’d all made it through COVID-19. Now this. At least they all had a strong faith. His mother was an intercessor. She spent more time on her knees than anyone he’d ever known.

  Comfort and peace settled over him.

  After what seemed like an eternity, the man looking at the broken vial stood, then nodded at his partner, who moved to the bottom of the stairs. He took off his hood, mask, and breathing apparatus, then called up to someone. “Come on down.”

  “You shouldn’t do that,” Logan said to the man, shocked. “You can’t be sure you’re safe in here.”

  “I’m fine.”

  Then the other guy removed his gear too. He lifted fuel and matches from a nearby shelf. Dumbfounded, Logan watched as he filled one of the lanterns and then lit it. He was just about to ask what was happening when someone came down the stairs.

  Harrison.

  “Sir, what’s going on?” Logan asked.

  “This virus could be dangerous,” Alex added. “You all need to—”

  “It’s inactive,” Harrison said. “There’s no danger.”

  “What do you mean?” Logan asked. “I don’t understand.”

  “I’ll explain it to you later. Just know you’re not in danger.” He looked at Alex. “You’re going to the hospital, though. You too, Logan. Just to be safe.”

  Logan didn’t know what to say. H
e looked at Alex, who had a strange smile on her face.

  43

  One week later

  Alex shoved her packed bag into the rental car’s trunk, thinking about how eager she was to sleep in her own bed. She also couldn’t wait to see Krypto again. This was the longest she’d been away from him.

  She returned to her hotel room to check it one more time. She was worried she might forget something. After going through all the drawers and cabinets and looking under the furniture, she was finally satisfied.

  She touched her cracked jaw. It still hurt, but it was mending. Those loose teeth had to be removed, and two brand-new implants took their place. Amazing how quickly the specialist could do that, but they looked great.

  Trying to cover the bruising on her face with makeup, she was only partially successful. That was okay too. This ordeal could have turned out much, much worse. Besides, the discoloration was fading.

  She turned off the light, closed the door, and took the elevator down to the lobby. Logan and Monty were waiting for her. They’d hung around for the week, but now they were all ready to go home.

  When the three of them reached the CP, she noticed only a few cars were in the parking lot. Inside, they found most of the equipment gone too. About a dozen people were busy taking down the rest. Harrison was sitting at his desk. That would be the last thing to go.

  He waved them over. “Find some chairs and have a seat,” he said.

  Logan grabbed two folding chairs pushed against the wall, and Monty found a chair behind an abandoned desk. He scooted it over and offered it to Alex.

  “I’m fine,” she said with a smile. “I don’t think sitting on something padded will help my jaw.”

  “Just trying to be a gentleman,” he said with a wink. He sat down and found himself several inches higher than Alex and Logan. He reached under the seat and hit the adjustment pedal. In seconds, he was level with them.

  Harrison sat back in his own chair and studied them. “Everyone okay?” he asked.

  “We’re fine,” Logan said. “Finding out you’re going to live after you think you’ve been exposed to a deadly pathogen tends to put things in perspective.”

  Harrison smiled. “I understand. I wish we’d known the virus Walker had was inert sooner. It would have saved us all some worry.”

  “So Martin Kirabo didn’t send a deadly virus to Walker after all,” Alex said. “Why? Conscience?”

  “No. Somehow the Circle found out about the plan and ordered Kirabo to send an inactive sample to Walker but still convince him it was a virulent superbug. I can only guess that they wanted him to fail as a way of punishing him for operating without their oversight.”

  “But why did Kirabo kill himself?” Monty asked.

  “Because he believed Walker was the Destroyer and he’d failed him and ruined the prophecy?” Alex said, directing her question to Harrison.

  “Bingo. As we were assembling the SWAT team for our run out to the lake, I got a call. A second letter from Kirabo had turned up, and it went into more detail. He spelled out everything and asked his wife to contact the FBI for help. He was afraid his family might be in danger. Afraid the Circle would decide to exact revenge on a member who’d been willing to carry out such an act without their blessing.”

  Harrison sighed. “We actually have the Circle to thank for possibly saving thousands or millions of people around the world in case Walker had been successful. That just feels . . . wrong.”

  “So his wife found the second letter?” Logan asked.

  “Yes. Kirabo put it in his filing cabinet at home with a folder that held his insurance policy. He knew she would look for it after his death. Sure enough, she found it and contacted us. She had no idea he was involved in the Circle. She didn’t even know what it was.”

  “What happens to her and to their children?” Alex asked.

  “We’re bringing them here. They’ll go into witness protection. New identities. New lives.”

  “Good. What worries me is that the Circle still has a prophecy to see fulfilled,” Monty said. “What will they do in the future to make it come to pass?”

  Harrison leaned back in his chair. “We’re learning more and more about this cult. The Circle believes they’re destined to take over the world. Though most call themselves angels, not demons, we believe that in its deepest recesses, the Circle is still dangerous. After all, it doesn’t seem like they did anything to stop Walker or Monroe from killing people. For one thing, that tells us they weren’t happy with Willow LeGrand and Nettie Travers either. The Bureau is setting up a task force to track down members, but they’re so secretive it will take a long time to really put a chink in their armor. Your friend Jimmy Gedrose has been very helpful. He may be able to assist us in ending the Circle for good. We’ve hurt them, but we haven’t destroyed them.”

  Alex wasn’t sure what information Jimmy was giving the FBI, but she was pleased he’d turned out to be an important resource.

  Harrison smiled. “You should know we’ve asked the WPD to take another look at that drug money charge against Jimmy. It doesn’t pass the smell test. It was a long time ago, but if we can clear his name . . .”

  He leaned forward. “Changing the subject, sorry about sending those guys downstairs in hazmat suits, but we had to be sure. Couldn’t take a chance that Kirabo was lying about that sample.”

  “Not a problem,” Logan said. “Facing imminent death from time to time keeps us on our toes.”

  Harrison chuckled. “I’m glad we could help. Oh, we did find Agnes Walker’s body in that basement.”

  “I thought that might happen,” Alex said. “Adam’s father taught him well.”

  Harrison nodded. “Sad but true. What about your aunt’s house?” he asked her. “Are you going back to Wichita to clean it out?”

  “No. I already hired a realtor there. She knows a company that sets up auctions. She’ll oversee selling Willow’s few possessions as well as her house. Most of the furnishings were Nettie’s, though, and her relatives will come for those.”

  “All right. And when we’re through with The Book your aunt owned?”

  “Destroy it.”

  Harrison grunted. “You know we can’t do that. It’s yours. If you want it destroyed, you’ll have to do it yourself.”

  Logan leaned toward her and said, “I’ll help set up the bonfire.”

  “Me too,” Monty said with a smile. “We’ll roast hot dogs over it.”

  Alex smiled. “Sounds good.”

  “By the way,” Harrison said, “we found Walker’s copy in the basement. Hidden inside that old furnace. The utilities had been off in that house for years, making it a safe place to stash it. So now we have our own copy of The Book. We want to keep this one. Might help us if we come up against the Circle again.”

  He stood. “Keith is waiting at the airport. Let’s get you out of here.”

  “I figured we’d be flying commercial,” Logan said.

  “I think you all need to get home as soon as possible. You’ve been through a lot. We’ll ignore protocol this time.” Harrison shook hands with each of them.

  An hour later they were in the air, heading back to Quantico. Alex sat across from Logan. Monty had taken a seat in the back, and Logan noticed he’d fallen asleep minutes after takeoff.

  “So it seems your voice was right,” Logan said.

  Alex nodded. “I can’t stop thinking about that.”

  “Have you come to any decisions?”

  “I still have a lot of questions.”

  “You can ask me anything, but I’m not sure I’ll have all the answers.” He sighed. “We’re used to facts. Evidence. But God wants us to come to Him in faith.”

  “In other words, I’m supposed to believe in someone I can’t see. What proof is there that He’s really out there? That He cares about us? And what about the evil in the world? How do you explain that?”

  Logan laughed and held up his hand like a cop stopping traffic. “Look, I
’m not a Bible scholar. These are great questions. Give them to God. Read the Bible for yourself. You’ll find your answers, and they’ll come from Him. That way you’ll know you can trust the responses you get.”

  Alex turned and stared out the window.

  “If this helps you,” Logan said gently, “God has never let me down. Not once. I trust Him with my life. Even more important, I trust Him with my eternity.”

  A voice in her mind warned her that trusting anyone was dangerous. She’d been burned too many times. What if it happened again? But she knew the voice that said Just trust me and Everything will be all right was real. No one would ever convince her it wasn’t now. Her mind fought her, but her heart said something different.

  “Okay,” she said, turning to look at Logan. “I’m game. How do I get this God of yours involved in my life?”

  Logan smiled. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Acknowledgments

  Thanks to retired Supervisory Special Agent Drucilla L. Wells, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Behavioral Analysis Unit. She makes Alex Donovan possible. I loved sneaking into Quantico, learning more about the BAU and the FBI Academy. Maybe someday you can show me the real thing. You’re the best!

  To Dr. Richard Mabry for the medical information. When you’re trying to unleash a deadly virus on the world, you need someone with his expertise. (Not sure that sounds right . . . ha-ha!) I hope my readers will check out his medical thrillers if you haven’t already. They’re fantastic!

  My heartfelt thanks to my friend Donita Corman for allowing me to borrow her wonderful husband. I hope I did him justice, Donita. I wish I could have met him. When we get to heaven, please introduce me. Lots of love.

  Thank you to Raela Schoenherr for allowing me to write this new series. And once again, a big thank-you to Jean Bloom for her editing help.

  Nancy Mehl is the author of more than forty books and a Christy Award and Carol Award finalist, as well as the winner of an ACFW Book of the Year Award. Her short story, Chasing Shadows, was in the USA Today bestselling Summer of Suspense anthology. Nancy writes from her home in Missouri, where she lives with her husband, Norman, and their puggle, Watson. To learn more, visit www.nancymehl.com.