When he pulled it out, I almost cried. The sopping paper practically shredded in his fingers. “I—”
“Let me see it.” I took it from him and spread it out on a rock by the fire. “Maybe we can dry it out. I can almost make out the first four numbers.”
Callie’s face crumpled. “Oh my God.”
“No,” I said. “I’ll figure it out. And if worse comes to worse, I’m calling Quinn. There’s no tap on his cell phone. How could there be? They never even knew about us before last week.”
Sky nodded. “Call him.”
I fished the phone out from my damp jeans. It still had almost a full charge, but there was no signal in the cave. “I’ve got to try outside.”
“Take this.” Sky opened up one of the thin metallic packets that were in the pilot’s bag and unfolded it to a three-by-four-foot rectangle. “Hold it over your head to stay dry. Then tonight we’ll use it to keep warm. It’s a thermal emergency blanket.”
“I know,” I said, proud that I knew anything at all about survival kits. I carried it outside and held it over my head for cover. Tapping Quinn’s name on my iPhone screen, I waited.
It rang. And rang. And rang.
“Come on, Quinn.”
It rolled over to his voice mail. I left a message I hoped he’d understand, and prayed that he’d get it. Had he even charged his phone last night? I had no idea; I’d been so out of it. For God’s sake, I’d even fallen asleep in front of a dozen FBI agents. I shook my head and thought hard while the rain pelted down on the emergency blanket and dripped in a steady stream to the soft earth below.
What about my mother? She was staying at her friend’s house, a place nobody even knew about. If I called her, I could tell her to call Quinn.
Then again, what if they were somehow tracing my calls? Didn’t they have ways to triangulate signals or something like that? I remembered watching shows where folks had been kidnapped, and there was something about using cell towers to narrow down where the signal was coming from. What if they found my mom and her friend? They’d use them as bait to lure us out.
Could I call McCann? Could I trust the local police phone network?
I shook my head in frustration and went back inside.
“Any luck?” Sky sat beside his sister with his arm around her. In spite of our predicament, Callie looked happier than I’d seen her in years.
“No. I left a message. I wonder if his phone’s dead. He’s always forgetting to charge it.”
Callie spoke up. “Isn’t there someone else we can call? Someone you trust, Sky?”
“Maybe.” He got up and paced. “We’ve still got Roberta’s cell phone. Let’s see what numbers she has in here.”
He scrolled through the list. “We could call her store. They might not have figured out that connection yet. Think she’s there?”
I stretched out my hand. “Let me try.”
Once again, I went out into the downpour and tried to get through. When I was about to give up, Roberta finally answered.
“Mountain Memories Gifts. How may we serve you?”
I heard a click and a whirring sound, followed by what almost sounded like a moan. There was something stiff about the way she pronounced her words. As if she was having trouble getting them out past her lips. And she never answered the phone with “How may we serve you?” That was just plain weird. Something was off. Big time.
I decided to play it safe. “Uh. I’m calling to see if you have any crystals.”
Her voice sped up a little, but I could tell she was trying to keep from reacting to the sound of my voice to avoid someone noticing me; someone who was probably at her side with a knife to her throat.
“Yes. We have a nice selection. What kind were you looking for?”
“Amber. I need a large amber crystal. Do you have one?”
“We do. They’re $39.95.”
“Uh, miss? Have you ever used one before for out of body connections?” I wanted her to get away from whoever was there and connect with us through Callie and Beau. I knew she’d try if she could.
She forced a laugh. “No. I’m afraid that’s all hogwash. But they’re very pretty in the window. Stop by some time, and I’ll show you our selection.”
The phone disconnected abruptly. Had she hung up? Or had someone beside her grabbed the phone and slammed it down? Were they lying in wait for a distress call from me? Trying to find out where we were?
And how the hell had they found out about Roberta?
I thought back to the rescue scene, where the FBI had been crawling all over the distillery. There had been many dozens of men present. Maybe one of them had been on MedicuRX’s payroll, and maybe he’d done some digging about me and my family.
I shivered again, and hurried back inside.
Chapter 43
We spent the rest of the afternoon speculating about Roberta, and played a stilted kind of “house” together. We cooked, ate our fill, and made up beds with Sky’s blankets. Beau tried out each bedroll, one at a time, as if trying to decide which was his. The rain let up by nightfall, and together we squatted by the dark glassy lake to wash our fry pan and coffee pot.
Instead of the sound of helicopters, the peepers chirped in the trees, bringing about the serene sound of summer nights in less dangerous times. Stars shone brightly now in a clear sky, and off in the distance, a loon warbled his lonely call.
The air was still too chilly to swim, but we washed as best we could on the shore, rolling up our pant legs and sleeves, splashing water on our faces and hair. I combed out Callie’s thick locks by the fire, and finally got through my own tangled mess by the time we decided to turn in.
We lay around the fire, talking in drowsy snippets. Callie and I snuggled side by side, staying close for warmth with Beau at our heads. Sky lay on the other side of the fire, his eyes still open. From time to time, he fed the fire and crackles of sparks rose in the dark night.
“Sky?” Callie suddenly propped herself up on one elbow. “Can’t they see our smoke? Wouldn’t that give us away?”
I’d been wondering that myself, but realized we would have probably died from exposure if he hadn’t started the fire.
He smiled. “That’s the beauty of this cave. The internal currents are strong, and they suck the smoke away. It scrolls down into the earth for miles. It doesn’t go out into the atmosphere through a hole in the ceiling, or anything like that.”
Relief flooded me, and Callie smiled, plopping her head down onto Beau’s soft body. He lapped her cheek once, and she smiled. “Good.”
Her eyes grew heavy, as did mine. The fire died down to an ember, and I watched Sky watching me. Callie began to snore, ever so softly.
He came toward me slowly and drew me from my bedroll over to his. His lips found mine, urgent and tender at the same time. I let him kiss me, then kissed him back.
Where were my morals now? Why could I think of nothing beyond the feeling of his strong body pressed to mine, his hands that pulled me toward him?
My heart pounded against my chest like a frightened caged bird as his big hands roamed over my body, loosening my clothing, and touched me in places only Quinn was allowed. He shed his jeans and slowly slid me out of my sweatpants.
The whole time I kept thinking “How will I tell Quinn?” yet my body defied my will and responded to Sky as if we’d never been apart.
He cupped my bare breasts in his rough hands, nuzzling them with his soft lips. He lay back and loosed the part of his body of which Quinn had been so jealous, and without any compunction and as if I’d never been apart from him, I lowered myself onto him, encouraging him as he plowed into me with an urgency built up for eighteen long years. To my horror and joy, I rode him like a beast, embarrassingly carnal, but incredibly alive.
It was when I smelled someone’s sour breath that I realized I’d been dreaming.
“She’s a pretty one. I’ll take her.”
I stared into pale eyes gleaming with anticipation. Shorn
gray hair. Thick neck. Black leather jacket.
Rat Man.
The scream that bubbled to my lips pierced the air when I realized it was his hands on my breasts, not Sky’s.
To the side, Sky lay trussed and gagged, bucking and twisting like a tornado with attitude. His eyes bulged wildly, looking from Bruno to Rat man, from me to Callie.
Callie woke seconds after I did, confused at first, then tried to scramble backwards when Bruno looped a rope around her wrists and pulled it tight. Beau barked insistently, tied to one of the metal boxes with his leash. Some watch dog. They’d even sneaked up on him.
“Come here, pretty one.” Bruno slid a hand along Callie’s leg. “Maybe I’ll finally get to taste you. But not ‘til I kill your pain-in-the-ass brother.”
“Sky!” She screamed his name and recoiled with horror when she saw her brother’s condition. “No!”
Her pitiful cry echoed my own thoughts. Not now. Not after we’d finally found Sky. Not after she’d escaped. It was impossible, heart-wrenchingly impossible.
My brain worked fast and hard. I looked at Rat Man. Lust glittered in those near-white eyes. His lips curled in anticipation.
“How did you find us?” I scooted back a little, causing his hands to drop from me. “And where are your pals?”
He stopped, as if savoring the moment. “Ah, yes. Tracking devices are wonderful inventions.” He pointed to Callie’s jeans suspended on a crisscross of sticks near the fire. “We sewed that one into the seam of her pants. Hardly noticeable.” He chuckled and walked over to prod Callie’s hip with his foot. “And your ghosties never came back to whisper the secret in your ear, did they, little one?”
Callie spat at him. “You’re a horror show, you bastard!”
He laughed again. “You led us right to your beloved brother, silly girl.”
She paled. Tears welled in her eyes. “No.”
Bruno chuckled. “Almost had you sooner, except when the damn device got soaked. Been looking for you for five hours.”
Rat Man sneered at Sky. “We knew you’d come for her, eventually, big man. Such a hero.”
I realized that they didn’t know Callie had actually escaped on her own; they thought Sky had released her.
Sky rolled toward him, feet thrashing.
Rat Man landed a powerful kick on Sky’s lower back. Then another. Callie and I both screamed, and since I was the only one with my hands free, I tugged at the greasy leather jacket.
“Come on, I thought you and I were getting along here. And you never told me where all your friends are.”
Temporarily diverted, Rat Man turned to me. “What friends?”
I pointed out the cave door. “The ones who made our copter crash.”
He laughed. “Oh. Those are the special forces goons MedicuRX hired as a back up. We’re not working with them.”
I moved closer to him, running two fingers up his jacket in what I hoped was a provocative gesture. “How many of you bad guys are there?”
As if I’d hit a sore spot, he frowned and turned away. “Too damned many. There are the bounty hunters. They’re independents. The mob guys hired by MedicuRX. And then there are us guys on the MedicuRX payroll. We’re the regulars.”
“You mean they don’t trust you enough to just let you do the job?” I fluttered my eyelashes, hoping I didn’t look as ridiculous as I felt. “You seem pretty capable to me.”
The flattery seemed to work. His chest puffed up and his shoulders thrust back. “Damn right we are. We found the sister, after all.”
Callie couldn’t contain herself. She spit the words out with venom. “Did you kill Willow, you sons of bitches?”
Bruno chuckled. “Who?”
Rat Man turned to her. “Don’t recognize the name, little sis.”
Callie screamed the words this time, although I tried like hell to catch her glance and warn her to play along. “She was my sister, you morons! Did you kill my sister?”
Rat Man shrugged. “Wasn’t us. Could’ve been any of the guys who are after the reward money.”
I sidled closer to Rat Man, squelching my disgust. “Speaking of money, how much are you getting for him?” I jerked my thumb toward Sky, who had quieted down, listening to my ploy and hopefully getting on board with my attempt to seem like an opportunistic slut.
Rat Man laughed. “Why, you wanna make us a better offer?”
I glanced sideways at him, hoping it looked coy. “I’m thinking of it.” Fingering my buttons, I looked into his frightening eyes again. The color of a dull moon, they shot streaks of cold fear through me every time they caught me in their line of sight. I swallowed bile and brushed against him. “How much do you need?”
This time his laugh was rougher. “More than you could afford, little woman.” He grabbed my arm. “And don’t think you can tempt me with sex. Hot as you are, I’m going to have you as dessert. For free.”
I didn’t give up. “Have you checked my finances lately?” I took out my phone. “Here. Let’s call the bank. I’m freakin’ loaded.”
Sky looked surprised, but Callie knew I’d inherited a lot of money last year when my stepfather had died.
“Nah. You’re too risky, woman. Now come on over here.” He shoved me toward a dark corner of the cave, dragging one of the bedrolls behind him. “On your back.”
My heart pounded so hard it hurt. “You don’t believe in romancing a girl, do you?”
He unzipped his pants and stepped out of them. I avoided looking at the bulge beneath his boxers. This was going way too fast, and not in the direction I’d hoped.
I faked a stumble over the supply boxes, and rummaged desperately in the dark until I found the sharp knife I’d used to cut up the apples.
“Where’d you go, pretty one? I’m ready for you.”
I scrambled to my feet. “Oh, crap. Hit my head on the floor when I tripped. Give me a second, Rat Man. I’m dizzy.”
“Not a problem. You’ll be lying down for the whole thing.” He reached out for me, dragging me by my shirt until we were surrounded in near pitch-blackness.
With one hand still behind my back, I edged farther away from the firelight, hoping I didn’t fall over in a gorge into a subterranean river.
“Come on, big guy.” I tried to make my voice sound purring and sweet. “Let’s get out of the light.”
I swore I heard him salivating.
I lowered myself to the ground, marveling at how stupid he was, and set the knife a few feet away from my head. Drawing him to me, I lifted my shirt, placing his slimy hands on my breasts. He nuzzled them and tried to kiss me. I couldn’t go that far, and turned my head away while simultaneously reaching for his waistband. “Take these off.”
Suitably distracted, he eased his shorts down.
“Now, you.” His words came faster, almost panting now. “Your turn, missy.”
A goofy part of my brain wondered if “missy” was as good as “miss.” Did it make me sound younger?
Another part of me lowered my sweatpants. I had to get him unbearably excited before I killed him.
The next few minutes were a blur. He reached for my underwear, pulling them down. Rough fingers invaded me in places I fought to ignore. I reached for the knife, and just as he positioned himself to enter me, I plunged it deep into his back. Once. Twice. Three times. Warm blood spurted and dripped on me. I let rage take over while he flailed and groaned above me.
I pictured poor Callie with his rough hands strangling her. I pictured Bruno lusting after her in the doorway, probably watching while Rat Man tried to rape her. I ramped up the intensity of the image, while I stabbed him four more times. I imagined him killing Sky, after we’d just found him.
Rat Man’s dying screams sounded like someone in the throes of sexual oblivion.
When it was over, I rolled his disgusting body off me and waited. As expected, Bruno had been trying to get at Callie the whole time. Her screams and kicking legs had deterred him, and also helped me hide the noise
s I’d made when I plunged the knife into Rat Man’s back.
I pulled on my underwear and called to him. “Your turn, Bruno.”
He raised his stupid face to the darkness with excitement. “Me?”
“Yeah. Come on. Rat Man wasn’t enough for me.”
“Rat Man? That true?”
When his pal didn’t answer, he scowled. “Hey. What’s going on?”
I laughed, making it light and feathery. With a hoarse voice, I lured him closer. I walked toward the light, letting him see me and hoping the blood on my shirt didn’t show. “Shh. Don’t wake him. I guess I tired him out pretty good.”
With eyes bulging, he fell for the trap. Shuffling forward, he reached for me, squeezing my buttocks with both hands. He danced closer, maneuvering his pelvis against mine. “You’re a bombshell, baby. I like ‘em tall.”
We shuffled toward the bedroll, which I’d moved away from his dead friend, who lay ten feet away in the dark. “You first.” I pushed him down and straddled him. Images of Sharon Stone in the movie Basic Instinct filled my brain. My ice pick was a paring knife, but it would stop Bruno’s heart beating just as effectively.
It was harder this time, because Bruno’s breath stunk of rotted teeth. Didn’t this guy ever brush? I cringed when he snaked his hands under my shirt and squeezed.
I pushed him down and unbuckled his belt, pretending to take charge of the event he so craved. When he started to wiggle out of his pants, I leaned over and grabbed the knife.
And in the three seconds that followed, I killed another man.
Me, who moaned at the sight of gore on television, who complained of too much blood in the movies, and who had never hurt a creature bigger than a bug.
I’d killed two men in ten minutes.
I wondered what else I was capable of.
Chapter 44
After I freed Sky and Callie, I took a blanket to the fireside and rocked with dazed eyes and fingers clamped around my knees in a death grip. Sky dragged the bodies farther away, using a flashlight mounted on some kind of headgear. He didn’t return for a long time. Callie sat beside me, talking softly and patting my back.
Tall Pines Mysteries: A Mystery/Suspense Boxed Set Page 46