by Daya Daniels
“Boss, what if this Bear guy finds out what we did to Lily? What if he knows already?”
“I thought about the possibility.” Dawson closed his eyes for a moment considering.
“It’s possible Bear has taken Lily for himself if he found her, but Bear is not exactly the sentimental type. I can’t exactly see that happening.
“Plus, the chances of Lily identifying us is slim. I doubt she even clearly recalls what happened to her. She was so out of it by the time Reed packed her up in his van. This is what I’d hoped.”
Roberto gave Dawson a confused glance.
“You’re wondering why we can’t just leave well enough alone, right? If it’s likely she can’t remember?”
Roberto gave Dawson another glance and stared back to the road ahead, deciding to stay quiet. Dawson could turn violent when his authority was questioned. Dawson sat back in the deep leather seats and ruffled the blond hair on his head.
“Because I just can’t risk it either way. She has to be killed,” Dawson said with finality.
“Understood.”
“If that lazy bastard Reed had just done his fucking job, we wouldn’t be dealing with any of this.”
Roberto checked the position of the gun in his holster, as he continued to drive at break neck speed along the four-lane highway.
***
The SUV reached the base of the mountain. Roberto slowed it down, deciding on which road ahead to take. Dawson picked up his iPhone and dialed one of his employees—the same man that flew the helo over Gabriel’s cabin a few weeks before and asked him for directions.
“Straight ahead and then after five miles take a sharp right and keep driving ahead,” Dawson said to Roberto gesturing ahead of him.
The engine of the heavy SUV rumbled softly as Roberto began to drive slowly, turning his flood lights on to illuminate the densely wooded area ahead. The paved road was covered in light snow but as they climbed higher, the snow cover became heavier and the visibility grew poor. Dawson ignored the conditions and instructed Roberto to keep driving.
It would be dusk when they reached Gabriel’s cabin at the top of the mountain.
CHAPTER FIVE
Gabriel drove the truck out of the main gate of the ranch, pulling out onto the highway. Gabriel was elated that we were leaving and heading back to the cabin. He moved quickly in the morning, packing the truck up and loading the dogs. I didn’t think a person could move any faster without being superhuman. I knew Gabriel just wanted to go home.
Rocco howled when we pulled out onto the highway. I was certain he knew he was leaving Sable behind where she was buried. Nate sat quietly in the back seat, looking curiously out the window. Rocco sat anxiously in the front seat next to Gabriel. After a while he settled after Gabriel stroked his furry brown head for a few minutes.
I was exhausted and it wasn’t even twelve o’clock in the afternoon yet. Jack and Winnie were attached to the truck in a huge trailer. Gabriel made a point to drive as swiftly as he could to get her home as soon as possible, not wanting to stress the foal that she’d been carrying for the last five months.
“How do you feel?”
“Tired. My stomach still hurts a bit but I think I’m better,” I breathed out, making a long yawn.
The sky was crystal blue and the sun was out. There weren’t many cars on the highway so early in the day. I snuggled up next to Rocco and took a short nap.
We should be there in a little less than three hours, no stops.
Roberto slowed the SUV down on the driveway to the cabin. They each strapped on their bulletproof vests and positioned their guns in hand.
It would be dark soon.
They turned off the headlights of the SUV as they moved slowly along the road. The engine volume was barely heard beneath the crunch of gravel and snow. The cabin up ahead was in darkness.
Dawson jumped out of the SUV first to survey the area. Roberto followed quickly. His green eyes nearly glowing in the dark. The loud grating coos of crows around startled Dawson until the noise stopped. There was dead silence except for the low quiet howl of the wind.
Dawson walked towards the cabin and stood below. He dwarfed beneath it. Roberto followed behind him and moved stealthily across the front of the cabin, gun drawn. The building wasn’t accessible from the ground. There was no way to look inside. There was no way to climb to get to the deck. Even if they could reach the deck, all the windows and doors were covered by protective steel siding. It was another twenty-five feet from the deck to get onto the roof and those windows and doors were protected.
“What the fuck is this place?” Roberto hissed, looking at Dawson.
Dawson shrugged and looked around, keeping his eyes focused.
“Just keep looking around. They must be here.”
“We can’t get into this place, boss.”
“Search the area. They are here!”
After a few minutes of looking around, Dawson and Roberto returned to the SUV to retrieve Nina’s body.
Roberto pulled a shovel out of the trunk. Dawson dragged Nina’s half-thawed body along the snow behind him. Roberto dug a shallow hole thirty yards away from the cabin in the snow. He rolled her stiff body into the hole with his boots. When it made a thud into the soil, they both stood in front of the hole looking out at the scenery. Dawson sighed loudly but Roberto knew he was pissed.
“I don’t know what the fuck is going on but someone is going to have to answer for this! They were supposed to be here!” Dawson yelled.
Dawson picked up his cell phone but before he could dial, Roberto’s brains had splattered across Dawson’s face. The sound of a loud gunshot followed behind the cartridge click. Dawson turned swiftly just as a long sharp blade whipped across his throat cutting his air supply. He collapsed to the ground.
Roberto was dead. His face was covered in blood and his green eyes stared off blankly ahead. Dawson lay on the ground gasping for air. Each breath he took expelled more needed oxygen and blood from his neck. Two large bare feet in the snow came into his vision from the ground. The last rays of sunlight bounced off a sharp long blade held at the person’s side. Dawson stared into the man’s face above him, unable to speak until he took his last breath. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.
When I awoke, we were at the base of the mountain. Rocco jumped up from the leather seat of the truck and started to bark excitedly. Nate followed suit. The drive up to the cabin from the bottom was nearly an hour. Gabriel drove slowly as if he was looking for something ahead.
“Is something wrong?” I asked Gabriel while my eyes darted from his hard face to the road and back.
“No,” he said casually as we continued moving at a slow pace up the mountain, until we saw the straight road ahead.
We passed a small section of snow to the side of the road. Gabriel slowed the truck even more and pulled out his gun, then used his right hand to pull a shotgun from under his seat. It made a loud clunking noise when he placed it on the dashboard.
“Gabriel, what is going on?”
“Nothing, Lily, I just see tire tracks. Someone has been up here. It looks like two heavy vehicles. It’s just a precaution. Sit tight.”
He pressed his arm firmly against my chest for me to sit back against the seat. Precaution—that word again. The cabin up ahead came into view. I squinted my eyes taking in the vision of it. There was nothing out of place that I could see from the distance that we were away from the cabin. Some of the branches from the pine trees needed to be cut back but otherwise there wasn’t anything that looked out of the ordinary about it.
He put the truck in park just outside of the garage and looked around, surveying the area again. He hit a button and the garage door opened. Gabriel was on edge but he wasn’t panicking and he wasn’t frantic. He was calmer than ever. When wasn’t he calm? I touched my sweaty forehead, realizing how sick I felt. The garage door shut behind us with a loud clank that echoed beneath the house and the alarm system confirmed it’s reset
. Gabriel stared me down, placing a .44 Magnum in my hand.
“Stay here,” he said, giving me a kiss before he left.
Rocco jumped out of the truck behind him. Nate was told to stay. I sat in the truck for nearly fifteen minutes, growing impatient. Winnie and Jack kicked the trailer with their heavy hooves, obviously annoyed by the delay. Gabriel finally showed up again, walking down the steps casually with Rocco following behind him.
“It’s nothing, Lily. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to freak you out. I just thought someone was here. The tracks looked a few days old, it’s nothing to be concerned about,” he said tucking his gun back into his pocket.
The rest of the cabin illuminated with the flick of a switch and we began the slow task of unpacking. Gabriel unloaded Winnie and Jack. I headed up to the kitchen to make some tea and looked around. I missed this place. It was good to be home.
Gabriel had been gone awhile. I grabbed my cup of tea and stepped outside on the deck. He loaded Winnie and Jack into the stables. I stepped back inside to grab my jacket and slipped it on, walking down the steps. I took in the crisp air and the beautiful white snow ahead. It was so quiet. The only sounds that could be heard was the crunch of the snow beneath my feet and the wind. Peeking into the stables, I noticed Jack and Winnie were already settled in. Gabriel had already left them. He walked to the far edge of the property. His hands were tucked into his pockets, staring ahead. He turned his head slightly, hearing my footsteps.
“I knew he would come for you, Lily,” Gabriel said in a hushed tone.
I still stood a few feet behind him unsure of what he’d just said. He remained still, looking down into the snow-covered ground. I stepped closer to where he stood, until I was standing next to him.
“Who?” I barely whispered. “Gabriel, who?”
I peered over the edge of the hole that Gabriel hovered over and gasped in horror, falling backwards on my ass in the snow. Dawson, Nina, and Green Eyes were dead, lying side by side in a hole cut deep and just wide enough in the ground to fit their three bodies in. Gabriel lunged towards me quickly and hoisted me back up on my feet. I backed away again, falling down hard, crawling away from him on my hands and ass.
“Don’t touch me!” I screamed.
His eyes shot wide. “Lily, calm down!”
I sucked in a harsh breath of air, scrambling to my feet and ran. I didn’t know where I was going. My feet just kept moving as fast as they could away from Gabriel and the cabin. My pulse was in my ears. My heart was about to explode. I jumped and weaved through branches, trees and rocks, attempting to find a path. There were no fucking paths around here! I headed straight ahead, unsure of where I’d find myself.
“Lily!” Gabriel shouted, not too far behind me.
Why would Gabriel do this? I couldn’t understand.
“Lily, please stop! Stop running!” Then I heard it.
Gunshots.
“Lily, stop!” Gabriel yelled, firing the gun a few more times. “Lily, please stop!”
I picked up speed, not looking back. I ran faster, passing the red spray paint on a tall pine tree, marking that I’d just left the perimeter. The sounds of my own frantic breathing propelled me forward. The heavy footsteps were getting closer and the crunch of the snow behind me was becoming louder. Gabriel was getting closer. He was fast. I knew that an hour and a half on the treadmill each day had served him well. He was certainly faster than me, even being much bigger and taller. Suddenly, all the air left my lungs and I was tackled to the ground.
“Get off me!” I screamed, barely able to breathe.
Gabriel was on top of me. I kicked and screamed and flailed my arms around but it did nothing. I was hoisted by my waist and locked into a sitting position on the ground between his legs while I squirmed and screamed. This was some sort of submission position I was in, unable to move before I even knew what was happening. Gabriel leaned forward, pressing his face into the back of my neck, holding my wrists together. I was immobile and exhausted. My cold cheeks were covered in wetness from the tears running down my face and I knew beneath the coat and sweater I was wearing, I was covered in sweat.
“Lily, calm down please. You’re going to hurt yourself,” Gabriel growled, pressing his face into my neck.
“Lily, you don’t understand. They were going to hurt you. Now you’re safe.”
We remained sitting in the snow, until my breathing steadied and I stopped moving. I focused on the tiny birds that chirped and the sound of the breeze that flowed over the mountain. Snow and mud were pressed into both sides of my face and my jacket was torn. I sat there helplessly and bawled, hunching over in Gabriel’s lap.
“Please, Lily, don’t cry. I won’t hurt you. You’re always safe with me, you know that. Please calm down, baby.”
“Why did you do this?” I wailed. “They will take you away from me, Gabriel. They will put you back in jail and I’ll have no one again!”
We stood up slowly while Gabriel kept a tight grip on my arm.
“Lily, I didn’t do this, I swear it.” He gripped me firmly.
“You’re lying. You did this! You killed them!” I shrieked.
“Lily, I’m not lying. I swear to you. I didn’t do this!
“Whoever did this, they wanted me to see. That’s why the bodies have been left uncovered, don’t you see!”
The days of me accepting Gabriel’s wooly answers were over.
“But you killed other people? Not just the one you told me about, right?”
“Yes.”
“How many, Gabriel? How many people exactly?” I asked, gritting my teeth.
Gabriel shook his head and stood silent.
“How many people, Gabriel?” I yelled.
He took a long deep breath before speaking. “So many people, I don’t know any more, Lily. I lost count a long time ago.”
“Let me go, Gabriel!” I said angrily yanking my arm away from him.
“Please, Lily, don’t leave me. You can’t leave me.”
When I met Gabriel’s brown eyes, it was the first time I’d ever seen real fear in his face. I didn’t know what to make of it. I was too upset myself, unable to find the words I needed to understand everything that was going on. This was so fucked up! I set off walking clumsily over the mounds of snow and tree branches until I saw the cabin up ahead.
“Lily, please stop and listen to me,” he begged as he followed me.
I stopped and took a deep breath.
“I knew they would come for you. If I’d been here when they came I’d have killed them, Lily—gutted them both like hogs. I wanted them to come to Helena but they knew better, even if I claimed self-defense, there was a chance this could get messy once the police became involved.
“I can’t afford to get into any more trouble. They would put me away for the rest of my life. I wasn’t willing to risk doing anything that would take me away from you, Lily.”
Gabriel shut his eyes for a moment.
“How did they know where to find me?” I asked, spinning around to face him.
I grabbed the torn piece of my jacket and pulled it closed, attempting to avoid the chill.
Gabriel gave me a long stare. “My guess, Lily, is from your friend Nina.
“Dawson wanted to kill you where it was isolated. I planned to be here when they came but they got here a week ahead by the looks of their bodies. I let the exact date slip because I knew someone would leak it to Dawson’s guys.
“Somehow, Dawson and his men got the wrong date, but, Lily, I didn’t do this. I have been with you every day, all day, for the past two weeks. Those three pieces of shit were dead long before we got here. I didn’t do this, Lily. Please think about this.”
I shut my eyes and slowly lifted my gaze to look at Gabriel. “I never told you his name was Dawson,” I said flatly.
“What?” he snapped.
“I said, I never told you his name was Dawson.”
He shifted in the snow, letting out a frustrated grunt while I
stared him down. Then he took another deep breath.
“This is what I do, Lily. It’s my job to know these things,” he said, scrubbing his face with his hands. Then he pulled off his hat and fiddled with it. “I used to work for an organization, Lily, that operated throughout the Midwest, unofficially, when I was younger. I used to clean up their messes.
“The men we killed before I went to prison were my last job. They were Dawson Pritchard’s men. I got out after that, moved up here,” he said waving a hand around.
He continued.
“I didn’t know this was Pritchard’s work until you started to talk to me more, Lily. I swear it. I didn’t know until one night you said his name in your sleep, here at the cabin. You screamed it and you couldn’t catch your breath.
“I’ve been wanting to kill him ever since that day.”
I folded my arms across my chest, looking Gabriel over. “You’ve known about this for months then? That Dawson was involved?”
He nodded and brushed some snow off his hat. I couldn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth.
“Why would you kill people?” I asked, forcing myself not to cry more.
“Money. They paid me a lot of money. They paid me a lot of money to go to jail and take the wrap for someone else’s mistake.
“Someone else that was more important to their organization than I was. Someone that they knew would never have survived five years in Corcoran. I took the money, Lily, and I don’t regret it.” Gabriel shook his head and let out a small laugh. “I made enough money to expand the companies I now own. I have more money than we will ever need in a lifetime, Lily. Some of the money I earned built this,” he said, pointing towards the cabin.
“You’re a monster,” I whispered, staring down at my boots.
“How could you call me a monster, Lily? You’ve always known the truth.” His facial expression morphed from a scowl into a slight smirk. “You’re bullshiting yourself. You may not want to admit it but you’ve known all along that something about me wasn’t right. That I was different.