Endangered

by Robin Mahle

  She opened her eyes again with renewed perspective. Kate walked toward a small en suite bathroom and stepped inside. It was just as empty as the rest of the bedroom. Bright yellow tile covered half the wall all the way around and climbed up to the ceiling where the shower stood. A mirror hung above the sink. She stopped for a moment in front of the mirror. Was that? She moved in closer and smiled. Partial finger prints on either side of the mirror, as though someone had lifted it from its hook, appeared before her.

  Not wanting to contaminate anything, she looked around the side of the rectangular mirror and then the other side. Kate immediately walked out of the room and back into the main living area where the others still remained.

  “Agent Scarborough, can you come back here for a moment, please?” She turned and walked back without waiting for a reply.

  He began to follow, nodding to Dwight to do the same. The two entered the room, but Kate wasn’t there.

  “I’m in the bathroom,” she said, hearing their approach.

  They joined her inside.

  “Something’s behind this mirror. Anyone have gloves?”

  Nick pulled out a pair and slid them on. He stepped closer to get a better grip on the mirror and carefully lifted it off the wall. Kate and Dwight had spotted what was there but waited until Nick could see as he lowered the mirror.

  “Well, God damn.” He looked to his partners. “What’ve we got here?”

  THIRTEEN

  The burgundy Olds Cutlass was parked beneath a tree, which made the car appear almost black in the shade under the midday sun. The narrow street was usually lined with parked cars, but the weekday meant most of those cars were parked at various places of employment. Stroud no longer had such a place and money was running very tight at the moment. His grandmother kept a stash in her bedroom and one in the kitchen. He’d taken all of it but knew it wouldn’t last long. His hand rested atop the rolled-down window, a lit cigarette dangled between two fingers. He stared at the apartment building across the street, wondering if his sister still lived there. Although he began to suspect that if she did, cops might be waiting—or watching.

  If his sister did still reside in the building that was unmistakably government housing, she’d likely be high as a kite and so taking money from her would be all too easy, but the question still floated in his head. Was he being watched right now?

  Probably not because they’d have swarmed him already. They were looking for a man who had a kid. He no longer had that kid, but once they found the dead boy, Stroud knew things would change.

  He stepped out of the car, tossing a look in each direction. Assured no one was watching, at least from the street, he walked across, his gait affected by the blow to his right leg the kid managed to get in before the end. A nasty bruise had formed on his knee and a burst of pain surged with each step. He tossed the cigarette to the ground after a final puff and placed the sunglasses over his eyes. The sun still scorched his balding head and he cursed the heat.

  The door to the building required a key to enter, and there was an intercom fixed to the wall with names written beneath of the occupants. He scanned the list. Her name wasn’t there. “Fuck.” Lyle returned to the car, still monitoring his surroundings. The entire country was about to know who he was and sitting in that car, with an unhinged mind, he perfected his plan that would send shivers down the collective spine of society. He was the devil and there was no point in denying it.

  » » »

  One of Detective Mason’s officers arrived with a crowbar. It was all they had on-hand, but it would do the job.

  “Let’s open this up and see what we find.” Nick’s tone was almost giddy with anticipation, a marked shift from his earlier deflated manner.

  Kate knew something of relevance was behind the mirror and now waited to be proven right. A piece of drywall had been haphazardly hung over what appeared to be a cutout for a medicine cabinet that was now covered.

  The officer began to hammer away at the wall, careful not to go too deep as to potentially damage whatever was contained inside. The drywall came down quickly and in a sizeable chunk. White dust floated into the air and soon fell upon the porcelain sink below, blanketing it with its powder.

  “Hold up!” Nick raised his hand. “That’ll do.” He approached the opening, pulling away at the jagged pieces on the sides. As he got a closer look, he turned to Kate and shook his head.

  She moved in closer. “We’d better tag this. Detective Mason?”

  “I’m on it.” She walked out of the bathroom with her officer in tow. “Let’s get Forensics down here.” While pleased by the find, her eyes conveyed regret over her own negligence.

  “What the hell are we looking at here, Kate?” Dwight asked, although they all knew the answer.

  Several images of young kids and online posts or articles were inside the opening. Some stuck to the wooden studs, some fixed to the drywall on the back. The interior was almost completely wallpapered with the clippings.

  “We thought this was all random, but it isn’t.” Kate peered inside again. “These kids. He’s been watching them.”

  “I have a feeling we’ll find a picture of Colton Talbot,” Dwight replied.

  “Son of bitch has been finding kids online.” Nick leaned in farther but didn’t touch anything, not until Forensics could photograph and bag it all.

  “We could find a blueprint here. Whatever plan he’s concocted,” Kate began. “We think he took the girl first and then Colton. We’ll have to look at these others here and see if any of them are missing.”

  “And, we need to find out who’s next. We need names. Until we can get a closer look, we have no idea who these kids are.” Nick turned to leave. “Stroud’s only just begun.”

  » » »

  “Should I knock again?” Mrs. Hirsch turned to her friends. Although her eyes drooped with age, there was no denying the concern they held at this moment.

  “You know Eileen, she’s probably got the T.V. too loud and can’t hear us. Go on, try again,” Mrs. Gunderson said.

  The other two elderly women nodded their agreement.

  Another knock, but still nothing. “Well, now I’m getting worried. I know she keeps a spare key around here somewhere.” Mrs. Hirsch began to search the porch for signs of the key and the other ladies joined in.

  “I found it! Come on, then, let’s go see what she’s up to.” Maggie Hirsch was as close to Eileen Abbott as two women could be without being related. This was their weekly Bunko game and Eileen always insisted on hosting.

  “Eileen?” Maggie stepped inside the foyer. She turned to her friends. “Must be in the kitchen.” She continued through the hall.

  Plates were on the table along with food that had obviously been there for a while. “Oh my. Eileen?” Her voice raised in panic. “Where are you?”

  The other women felt the same panic and began to call out for their friend, but there was no answer.

  Louise Gunderson was the first to reach the basement stairs. “Eileen? You down there?” Her nerves seemed on edge as her voice fractured. She turned back to find the other women, but they were looking elsewhere. It would be up to her to walk down these steps.

  She reached for the handrail and began her descent with careful consideration of each step. Her knees ached from arthritis, but the pain seemed to disappear behind her racing pulse. “Eileen? Honey, you down here?” She continued and was approaching the final few steps. An odor reached her nose and she flinched with disgust.

  Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, the horrific scene revealed itself. A voracious scream clawed from her throat. Moments later, the footsteps of her approaching friends sounded loudly above.

  “What is it? Louise, what’s going on?” Maggie rushed down the stairs and clutched her chest at the sight of Eileen splayed out on the floor surrounded by blood that had soaked into the carpet and appeared more like tar. “No, no, no!” She ran to Eileen.

  “Don’t touch her, Maggie!” Loui
se cried out.

  “Call 911!” Maggie turned toward the steps, but caught sight of the bathroom. “Oh Lord, oh no.” She moved closer.

  “What is it?” Louise stood frozen on the last step.

  Maggie shook with horror as tears streamed down her deeply-lined face. “God help us, there’s a boy down here.”

  » » »

  Detective Mason offered the use of the department’s conference room to review the items retrieved from Stroud’s home. It was clear she was shouldering the blame for the screw up, although in Kate’s eyes, they hadn’t. No one would have thought to look behind that mirror and while she would never have revealed just what made her look, she didn’t blame those officers.

  “We didn’t think we were dealing with an internet predator. Turns out, we were wrong.” Nick rested his elbows on the table and leaned in for a closer look. “How the hell did he find these kids? What was he looking for?

  “And what are these? Posts or blogs or something?” Dwight held up one of the sheets of paper.

  Kate leaned in to take a look too. “Hey, there’s a name here.” She pointed to the post. “This looks like maybe something from a school article or Facebook page. Just a first name, Sophie.” She examined the contents on the table again. “Damn, which one of these girls is Sophie?”

  Nick rubbed his forehead. “Christ, I don’t know.” He rummaged through the images until he saw it. Colton was in his baseball uniform, holding a trophy. The caption read, “MVP at Springfield Little League playoff tournament.” His eyes drew up slowly. “This was how he found him. A picture of Colton and his location right below it.”

  Kate noticed an immediate shift in Nick’s demeanor. This was the moment she knew would come. It was as though he was splintering right before her eyes. Anger darkened his brow while despair weighed down his shoulders. She placed her hand on top of his. “We’ll find Colton. We’ll find out who all these children are and make sure they’re safe.”

  Nick brushed off her concern and turned his attention to the detective, who’d just returned.

  “We found Colton’s picture,” Kate began. “Below it stated where he was from.”

  “Find any other names or locations of these kids?” Mason asked.

  “We have another first name, but nothing more. Not yet.”

  Mason brushed her hair from her eyes again. It must have been a nervous tick. “Jesus. How the hell did I miss this?”

  Nick looked at her with some sympathy. “Anyone could’ve missed this, Andrea. I just hope these other kids are still alive.”

  “And that we find out who they are,” she replied. Silence swept over the room. “Listen, why don’t I have some food brought in? You guys must be starving.” She left without waiting for a response as though she was trying to disguise her own overwhelming feelings.

  “You got some kind of sixth sense, Kate,” Dwight grinned.

  “I don’t know about a sixth sense. I think it’s more like a guardian angel.”

  “Well, whatever it is, I’m glad you’re on our side.”

  While they continued to piece together Stroud’s plan, Detective Mason returned with an unmistakable look.

  “What is it? What’s going on?” Nick asked with an urgency that shot through him like a bullet.

  “Colton Talbot is dead.”

  » » »

  They arrived at the home of Eileen Abbott, grandmother to Lyle Stroud, whose relation had been quickly revealed with the use of the FBI database. An oversight Detective Mason again shouldered. Kate stood on the porch of the home and stared inside, her eyes glazing over the officers collecting evidence and snapping pictures. The real horrors lie below and she needed to muster the strength to see that.

  It was the worst possible outcome, but one the team had expected. Too much time had passed and she knew the critical hours in any abduction were the first forty-eight. It had been six days since Colton was abducted and they didn’t yet know how long he’d been dead.

  “I need to go downstairs,” Nick began as he approached Kate. “I have to see him.”

  “No, you don’t. Just let them do what they need to do to get him out of there as quickly as possible.” She held his shoulder to prevent him from entering the home. “I’m sorry, Nick.”

  “We found out too late. If we’d known what he was doing—hunting down these kids—we might’ve stopped him.”

  “I don’t think that would’ve been possible. He might know who they are, but we still don’t, except the ones who are already gone.”

  Nick pulled away from her. “I have to go in there.”

  Kate closed her eyes in defeat and with a moment to regain her composure, she followed him inside. Just as she reached the top of the stairs, Dwight called out her name and she glanced over her shoulder to see him appear from the dining area.

  “Hang on. Where’s Nick?”

  She pointed down the steps.

  “Jesus.”

  “I tried to stop him.”

  “Stopping him when he’s got his mind set is like trying to stop a speeding train.” He folded his arms and cast his gaze at what lay below. “I’ll go down. You stay here and see if these guys need anything.”

  Dwight slowly made his way to the bottom of the steps. Mason was already down there along with the coroner. Kate didn’t need to go; there were enough people already crowded around the gruesome scene and her presence would only add to the congestion. And frankly, she didn’t want to see Nick’s face. This was breaking him and she already saw a glimpse of that at the station when they got the news. He needed to be pulled from the case; that would be the right thing to do, but she doubted Dwight would make any such recommendation. And there wasn’t a chance she would; not after all he’d done for her when she was desperate to find those who sought to bring her harm. A betrayal like that would be unforgivable.

  Nick was starting back up the steps but kept his head down. His pace was slow, drained of life. He raised his eyes to Kate. “They’re bringing him up now.”

  » » »

  The hospital doors parted and Nick was the first to enter. Kate was only steps behind him but saw Colton’s parents several feet ahead waiting in the lobby. Grief had already begun to consume them and the moment they all feared had arrived.

  There was nothing Kate or Dwight could do but stand aside and let Nick be the one to take the brunt of the parents’ sorrow. He’d already insisted on the drive over and they weren’t going to change his mind. Kate’s mentor stood not confident and surefooted, but damaged, knowing what needed to be done.

  Nick approached Jake and Rachel. “I’m so sorry.” His expression remained steadfast, but his eyes revealed his pain.

  Rachel stepped closer and raised her hand, slapping his face with the strength that comes from overwhelming agony.

  A mark immediately appeared on his cheek, but Nick didn’t flinch; instead, he absorbed the blow as though he’d deserved it.

  “Rachel!” Jake pulled her back.

  “You promised you’d find him. You promised you’d bring him home safe.” Rachel’s sorrow filled the entire room. Her anguish penetrated the very souls of all who stood near.

  Kate turned away with welling eyes. She didn’t want to take anything from this woman who needed this moment of temporary release; one of many that would come in the weeks and even years ahead. She would not rob her of that with her distraction.

  “Rachel, this isn’t Nick’s fault. He did everything he could.” Jake embraced his wife and looked to Nick. “I know you did everything you could.”

  Nick inhaled a deep, controlling breath. His own emotions seemed ready to spill, but like Kate, he wouldn’t let that happen. “I know I let you down and I hope one day you’ll be able to forgive me.”

  “Can we see our boy?” Jake asked.

  “Yes. Follow me.” Nick headed toward the corridor, passing by Kate and Dwight. He locked eyes with Kate and a brief, knowing exchange of emotion drifted between them.

  Detecti
ve Mason soon approached. “I’ll give them a minute before I go back.”

  “We all held out hope for Colton.” Dwight turned his sights as Nick and Colton’s parents disappeared beyond the doors. “The most important thing now is to identify the other children in the photos and online posts. We still have a chance to save them.”

  “I’m going to step outside for a moment.” Kate walked through the near-empty lobby and stepped outside, the sticky air immediately clinging to her skin. With no one in sight, she set free her emotions and fell back against the smooth stone wall only feet from the entrance. Her heart broke for those parents and for Nick. It didn’t matter that she was the one who found the evidence that could still save the other children if they acted fast enough, because it was too late to save the one who mattered most to Nick.

  Kate retrieved her phone to call Mike but decided that perhaps now was not the right time. He would offer comfort to her and she wanted that, more than anything, but she was needed inside. Nick was going to need her. And so, she cleared her throat, dabbed her eyes with her fingers, and walked back in to face what would come next.

  On her return, Nick was talking to Dwight and Detective Mason. Kate approached. “Are they still back there?”

  “Yes. They need to say goodbye.” Nick held Kate’s gaze.

  She knew what he felt, but could do nothing about it. “Of course.”

  “We should probably head back. It’s late,” Dwight said. “We can get an early start on ID’ing the other kids, but I know we all need a few hours’ rest. Then we can track Stroud down before he finds his next victim.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Mason replied. “Agent Scarborough, can I speak to you for a moment?”