Shadows from the Grave

by Haddix, T. L.

  “That the phone is moving is a good sign, isn’t it?” Chase asked. “Please, Gordon, tell me that’s a good sign.”

  Gordon turned around in the passenger’s seat to face Chase. “It’s a good sign. To be blunt, this guy likes to torture his victims, Chase. He hasn’t had time to do that with Annie. As long as he keeps moving, she’s probably still alive.”

  The radio crackled, and Wyatt came on. “Ethan, I’ve called Jefferson County. They’re dispatching units, and we’re relaying the location to them. They’ll be there about ten minutes faster than you can be, and they know you’re coming. Sheriff Wallace said to let you know to come on in.”

  “Thanks, Sheriff. Will do,” Ethan responded. They cleared the populated area of Olman County, and Ethan gave the car more gas. The needle punched up to eighty-five miles-per-hour, and Chase sat back in his seat. It still didn’t feel like they were moving fast enough, but it was better than it had been. He just hoped it was enough.

  Chapter 42

  The smell of cordite was strong in the bedroom. Annie felt like every muscle in her body had turned to Jell-O. When Travis had walked in, she had started pulling the trigger and hadn’t stopped. Eventually, the lack of a kick from the weapon got through the fear, and she realized she was pulling the trigger on an empty gun. As much as she hated guns, she was grateful to have had this one at hand.

  Travis lay on the floor between her and the door, and Annie knew she had hit him at least twice. She wasn’t going to stick around to take the chance that he wasn’t badly injured, and she wasn’t going to leave the gun behind, either. She scurried across the bed to the French door on the other side of the room and unlocked it with trembling hands. As soon as she got the door open, she was outside and running.

  ~ * * * ~

  The bedroom ceiling spun above Travis’s head, and the motion was making him sick. He’d never been good on carnival rides or merry-go-rounds. He had a weak stomach, his mother always said.

  He was mortally wounded, he knew. Leaving Annie alone had been a stupid move, one he was going to pay for with his life. He could have sworn she was still mostly unconscious, or he never would have left the gun in the nightstand.

  He felt so cold, and he couldn’t move his arms or his legs. Breathing was growing harder and harder with every heartbeat, and he could taste blood in his mouth. It was a bitter taste, and he wondered if all the murders he had committed over the years were responsible. He wasn’t sure how he had gotten to where he was now, lying in a widening pool of his own blood, shot by one of his victims.

  He hadn’t started out a killer, he told himself. He hadn’t always been evil. But then his mother had left when he was a teenager, and Margie soon thereafter. They’d both laughed as they walked out of his life, and he couldn’t let them go unpunished. He could hardly kill his own mother, and he hadn’t been able to find Margie to kill. All the women he’d raped, then Kiely, and all the women who’d followed were just substitutes. He realized that now.

  “So tired,” he mumbled. “I’m just so tired.” As he faded into unconsciousness, movement at the corner of his eye drew his gaze. When he turned his head, he saw the shimmering image of Kiely Turner. She walked closer to him and knelt down at his shoulder with a faint smile on her face.

  “Did you really think you’d get away with hurting Chase like that twice? And do you really think I’m going to let you die now? Beings like me, we get one chance to reach out and touch people in the living world. I’m using mine to save you. I’m so glad I waited. You won’t be dying today.” She reached out toward his chest, and he felt a sudden, searing pain, like a hot poker jammed inside his heart. “No, Travis Tyler, you are hereby sentenced to a long, painful, pitiful life. It’s the least I can do for the part I played in the hurt we dealt Chase ten years ago.”

  The pain was intense, and Travis tried to get away from it, but he couldn’t move, physically or mentally. “P-please. It hurts so much,” he begged. Kiely’s smile widened, and the irony wasn’t lost on him.

  “Oh, honey,” she told him just before she faded away, “your pain’s only just beginning.”

  Chapter 43

  Once outside, Annie took off for the front of the house. She made a quick stop in the garage to see if the keys were still in the truck. They weren’t, but she grabbed her purse from where it lay in the floorboard and slung it across her shoulder. Throwing the empty gun inside, she headed down the driveway as fast as she could run. She wanted to put as much distance between Travis and herself as she could, and if she could get to a highway with traffic, she knew she might be okay. Once she reached the perimeter of the clearing where the house sat, she stopped for a minute to dig through her purse, looking for Chase’s phone.

  “Come on, come on, come on,” she sobbed. She wiped her face with the back of her arm and kept digging. Finally, she connected with the phone. “Thank you, God, thank you!” She hit 911 and started running again. When they answered, Annie was so overwhelmed she couldn’t speak for a moment.

  “Nine-one-one. What’s your emergency?”

  Annie slowed to a jog and took a deep breath. “I-I’ve b-been k-kidnapped,” she managed, her breath coming in a hiccup. “P-please, you have to send someone.”

  “Ma’am, calm down. Tell me where you are.”

  Annie looked around. She could see the highway up ahead, and she picked up her pace. “I don’t know. Can’t you trace this call or something? I shot him, the man who kidnapped me, I mean. I don’t know if he’s dead or not. Please, hurry.”

  The dispatcher’s voice remained calm. “Okay, ma’am. Can you tell me your name?”

  “Annie. Annie Jameson Tucker. I’m from Leroy, Indiana, and the man who kidnapped me is Travis Tyler, from Madison.” She finally reached the highway and read the address on the mailbox into the phone. “Do you know where that is?”

  “Annie, listen to me. We have a car on its way. It should be there in about a minute, okay?” the dispatcher assured her.

  Exhausted, she slumped against the mailbox. Between the drug, the terror, and the running, she was ready to collapse. “Okay,” she said. “I can hear the siren now. They’re close.”

  “Okay, honey. I’m going to stay on the line with you. Are you injured?”

  “No. I don’t think I am. He gave me something, but it’s worn off now. I just need to sit down, though. I’m going to be sick. Oh, God.” She fell to her knees just as the sheriff’s department cruiser pulled up in the driveway. She couldn’t stop herself from vomiting.

  A deputy got out of the car and rushed over to check on her. “Ma’am? Are you Annie Tucker?”

  A second deputy got out of the cruiser and hurried over with a bottle of water. He was wearing latex gloves, and he carefully brushed off Annie’s face with a cold, wet cloth. “There, you’re okay. You’re okay,” he repeated. “I always knew those handkerchiefs my mother made me carry would come in handy.” He handed Annie the bottle of water. “Rinse your mouth out. Do you need an ambulance, ma’am?”

  Annie managed to shake her head. She rinsed her mouth and moved a few feet away from the vomit to sit down. “He’s at the house—Travis Tyler,” she said. “I shot him.”

  She didn’t see the look the deputies exchanged. The first one out of the car stood and walked back to the car for the first aid kit, using the time to radio in to dispatch. “We’re going to need two ambulances here,” he said into his radio. “She’s going into shock, and she says she shot the guy who kidnapped her.”

  “They’re on the way, Harley. About five minutes out. The car from Olman County is about two minutes out,” the dispatcher said. He returned with the kit, set it down on the ground, and opened it. He pulled out the space blanket and unfolded it as the second deputy had Annie lie down.

  “Annie, you’re going into shock. We need to keep you warm, okay? I’m going to put this blanket over you, and we’re going to raise your legs up a little.” He used a package of large bandages from the kit as a pillow. “Can you
tell me what happened?”

  Annie tried to focus on his face, but her eyes were getting heavy. When the deputy smacked her cheek none too gently, she roused a little. He repeated the question.

  “He took me. Drugged me. Brought me here, tied me up. Put me in the bedroom. He didn’t know I was awake.” She shuddered. “When he left, I got loose and found the gun. I hate guns. So loud, so violent…” her voice trailed off. A loud screeching of tires sounded, jerking her back from the dark that threatened to overtake her, but only for a moment. As she started to drift back into oblivion, she thought she heard Chase shouting her name, and then nothing.

  ~ * * * ~

  When Jefferson County dispatch had come on the radio to tell Ethan that Annie was on the phone with them, a palpable wave of relief passed through the car’s three passengers. In the backseat, Chase lost it, unable to talk for two solid minutes. Ethan and Gordon gave him privacy, for which he was very grateful. The emotional storm over, he straightened. Gordon passed him some napkins, and he wiped his face.

  “How far out are we?” he asked, voice husky.

  “Not far,” Ethan said. “We should be there—there it is!” He had come around a slight curve, and the end of Travis’s driveway was a few hundred yards ahead. He pulled up behind the Jefferson County car and, before he could come to a complete stop, Chase was struggling to get out of the car.

  “Damned car doors! Where are the fucking handles?” he snarled.

  “Chase, hang on. I have to let you out.” Moving as fast as he could, Ethan got out and let Chase out of the backseat.

  “Annie! Annie!” Chase shouted, almost falling in his attempt to get to her. Ethan and Gordon hurried after him. When he saw her lying on the ground covered with the blanket, his heart nearly stopped. He flew the last few feet and dropped to his knees beside her head.

  “Oh, God, Annie. Is she hurt? What’s wrong?” he asked the deputies who were kneeling beside her. They stood, and Ethan and Gordon took their places.

  “She’s not injured, we don’t think, but she’s going into shock,” one of them said as they hurried back to their own car. “Ambulance is a minute out. We need to get up to the house, see what’s going on with this guy she shot.”

  Ethan waved them on and picked up one of Annie’s hands. He rubbed it vigorously, and then smacked the back of it to try and rouse her.

  “Annie, can you hear me?” Chase asked. “I love you, damn it. Don’t you die on me, please God, don’t you die on me.” There was no response, and Chase felt his heart break in his chest. “Annie, come on. Wake up!”

  “Her pulse is strong, Chase, and the ambulance is here,” Ethan said. The ambulance pulled up on the other side of the mailbox, and the EMTs jumped out. Ethan and Gordon stood back, but Chase wouldn’t move.

  “Chase, let them work on her,” Gordon said. He grabbed Chase’s arm and tugged. Chase jerked away, but he stood. He crossed his arms over his chest and waited, so tense he was vibrating, while the EMTs checked Annie’s vital signs. When they started an IV, she roused a little.

  “Do you know if she has any injuries?” one of the EMTs asked.

  “The Jefferson County deputies didn’t think so,” Ethan told him. As he spoke, Annie moaned and opened her eyes.

  “Hey, sweetie. How are you feeling?” the EMT asked.

  Annie looked at him for a moment, confused. “Chase?” she whispered.

  Chase was beside her in an instant. “I’m here, Annie.” He reached for her hand, grasping it carefully. “Annie, it’s okay. You’re okay.”

  “I shot him, Chase. He lost this time. I shot him in the chest,” she whispered. “Is he dead?”

  Chase smoothed the hair off of her face. “I don’t know, sweetheart. The deputies are up there now.” He heard another siren and looked up to see a second ambulance. It slowed, turned off the siren, and turned into the driveway. It didn’t stop, and Chase glanced at Ethan.

  “Can you check with dispatch and see what the status of the suspect is?” he asked the EMT who had gone back to the ambulance for a stretcher.

  Two more sheriff’s department cruisers pulled into the driveway. One continued after the ambulance, and the other stopped. A lone deputy climbed out and headed toward them. “Folks, how is she?” he asked. He shook hands with Ethan and Gordon, and nodded at Chase.

  “She’s holding her own, but we need to get her to the hospital,” the older EMT said. “Any word on the suspect?”

  “He’s in bad shape. They’re going to airlift him to Cincy,” the deputy responded. “Sheriff Wallace wanted me to meet you and escort you wherever you need to go. Obviously, we have some questions we would like answered.”

  “That’s not a problem, as long as we can do it at the hospital,” Ethan said. “Annie’s family, and we need to be there.”

  “I don’t see how that would be a problem,” he told Ethan. “I’ll lead you in.”

  The two EMTs loaded Annie onto the stretcher with care. “We’re going to take you to the hospital here in Madison,” the younger one said. He looked at Chase. “You’re riding with us, I take it?”

  “Yeah.” Chase let go of her hand as they loaded the stretcher into the ambulance. Climbing in after the EMT, he looked back at Ethan and Gordon. “Call everyone and let them know?”

  “Of course. We’ll see you there,” Gordon said.

  The ambulance driver closed the door and, within moments, they were heading back toward Madison. Annie was in and out of consciousness, and the EMT told Chase she should start stabilizing soon. He hoped that was true. All the times he could have told her that he loved her, he hadn’t done it, wanting to hold back just a little bit of himself in case things didn’t work out. He wanted to kick himself now, and he promised Annie quietly that if she would just come back, he would tell her every day for the rest of his life.

  Chapter 44

  It was warm, Annie thought, blessedly warm. She was snuggled up in something that wasn’t quite soft, just a little scratchy. With a leisurely stretch, she raised her arms above her head and yawned. As she extended her arms, her muscles protested, and she winced.

  “Hey, sleepyhead,” she heard Chase say from somewhere nearby.

  “Mmmm,” she responded. “What time is it?”

  “Nine-thirty. You’ve been asleep a little while.” She felt him brush her hair back, and she smiled. She had to struggle to open her eyes, wincing against the light when she managed to pry the lids apart.

  “Light too much?” Chase asked.

  She nodded. “Yeah. Can you turn it down?” Before she even finished asking the question, the light was dimmed. It took her another few seconds, but she finally realized that something was wrong. She wasn’t in her bed, or in Chase’s. Without warning, the memories came rushing back, and she tried to sit up.

  “Hey, hey, take it easy,” Chase said. He sat on the hospital bed at her hip and put his hands on her shoulders. Annie reached out to him, wordlessly asking to be held. Chase obliged with a gratifying speed.

  “What happened? Did Travis get away?” she asked. “I didn’t imagine all that, did I?”

  “No, you didn’t imagine it. Travis is in surgery in Cincinnati,” Chase said. When Annie started to speak again, Chase stopped her. “I know you have a lot of questions, but I need to say something to you first. Okay?”

  “Okay,” she responded.

  Chase tipped her head back and cupped her face with his hands. Looking straight into her eyes, he said, “I love you. I’m so sorry I didn’t say it before now. I wanted to, but I was just… I was scared. But I do, Annie. I love you so much. It’s a cliché, and the subject of some really lousy songs, but it’s true—you complete me.”

  Annie felt her eyes tear up, and she reached up to pull Chase down for a kiss. When they broke apart, she drew back and tipped her head to the side. “Really? You mean it?”

  “God, yes,” he said. “I love you. I had hoped you knew without me saying the words. Stupid me.”

  “I hope
d you did, was even pretty sure of it, but it’s still nice hearing the words, Chase.” She smiled. “To that end, I love you. I know I’ve said it before, but I want to say it again. And again. I love you. Love you, love you, love you.” She punctuated each declaration with a kiss. “How strict are the nurses here?”

  “Not too bad,” Chase said. “Why?”

  Annie scooted over in the bed. “Can you come up here and hold me? I just need to feel your arms around me.”

  Chase kicked off his shoes and obliged. When Annie was tucked in next to him, he covered them both with a blanket. For a long time, they just lay there, holding each other and whispering their feelings back and forth. After a little while, Annie’s eyelids started to droop.

  “I’m sorry,” she said drowsily. “I just can’t seem to stay awake.”

  “Don’t apologize,” Chase said. “Just rest. I’m not going anywhere.”

  A final thought drifted through Annie’s mind before she fell asleep. “Murphy?” she mumbled.

  “Gordon’s staying with him tonight. Your little boy is okay. Get some rest,” he told her. “I love you.”

  “You, too,” she said, and then sleep claimed her.

  ~ * * * ~

  By seven o’clock the next morning, Annie was up and raring to go home. Beth and Ethan had arrived with fresh clothes for her and Chase, along with news about Lauren and the baby.

  “You’re an aunt,” Beth told Annie. “Baby Clark came into the world last night just after ten, and is a healthy, squalling baby girl. Eight pounds, two ounces.”

  Annie had a huge smile on her face. “How’s Lauren? What did they name her?”

  Beth, whose own smile was just as wide, laughed. “Lauren is fine, and they haven’t named her yet. They can’t decide.”