by Gerri Hill
“We need to get you to a hospital,” Paige said. Paige looked at CJ. “Let’s just forget all this right now and get her out of here.”
CJ shook her head. “We can’t.”
“We can.”
Fiona grasped Paige’s arm. “No. I can’t go.”
“You can. We can get you help.”
“No!” Fiona shook Paige’s hand away impatiently. “No, I can’t. It’s too late for that. What’s done is done.” She took deep breaths, steadying herself. “I’m sorry, Paige. But this is important. This is the only chance. It’s got to end here. Now.”
“You’re in no condition to do anything,” Paige said.
“All I have to do is get to the chamber. Mother Hogan will come.”
“But—”
“I won’t be harmed,” Fiona insisted, pointing at her stomach. “Not as long as I carry this.”
CJ could tell Paige was still wavering. She gently moved her aside, squatting down next to Fiona. She glanced at Don, seeing fear in his eyes. If all they’d said was true, then he would surely be killed—or culled—if he went back. She realized how much faith both he and Fiona were putting in them.
“Tell us what you want us to do,” she said to Fiona. “We can call Houston. We can get backup, but it’ll take several hours.”
“We don’t have several hours. You have to get Mother Hogan. She controls everything. But you must be wary of Belden. He will kill you quickly, without thought.”
“We can’t just go in there and arrest her,” CJ said. “We don’t have a warrant, for one thing.”
Fiona’s face turned red as she shook her head. “Not arrest. She’ll know you’re coming. You must kill her.”
“We can’t just kill her,” Paige said.
Fiona stared at her. “She will give you no choice. You must be ready. This will be the only chance. Once I go there tonight, I won’t return. She won’t let me leave again. This is how it has to be.” She looked at Don. “We need to draw them a map of the tunnels.”
“They can get in through my house,” Don said.
Fiona shook her head. “No. Once Belden knows you’re gone, they would expect that. It must be somewhere else.”
CJ glanced at Paige with raised eyebrows. “What tunnels?”
“There are tunnels that link most of the houses to the caves. The café, the grocery store too.”
“That’s why it seems everyone just disappears,” Paige said. “Why the place appears deserted.”
“Yes. At certain times she orders us to remain below ground.”
CJ looked questioningly at Paige. They needed to call Howley and let him know what was going on. They also needed to talk to Avery. They needed some backup. Could they trust the local sheriff’s department? Hell, were they really going in without a warrant? Howley would have both their asses. No, they couldn’t involve another agency. No one would believe this crazy story anyway.
“Look, all of this is fascinating, really,” CJ said, “but we can’t just barge in there—me and Paige—and expect to take them out.” She ran her hands through her hair several times. “Hell, we don’t even know what we’re going against. Some thing lives in the caves? What the hell?”
Fiona squeezed her eyes shut, taking quick breaths again. CJ looked to Paige for help, but Paige was kneeling in front of Fiona, concern overriding her good sense. CJ knew what was coming before Paige even spoke the words.
“You need a hospital. Now. I can’t let you go back there.”
“That is not an option,” Fiona said. “I’ll be fine.”
“You’re not fine. You’re—”
“Paige,” CJ said. “Let it be.”
Paige stood quickly. “I won’t let it be. Look at her,” she said, pointing.
“Stop it,” Fiona said. “Stop it right now. We don’t have time for this. My hour approaches. After that, I’ll be of no use to anyone.”
“She’s right,” Don said. “It’s now or never.”
Paige shook her head. “Fiona, I’m afraid for you. If you go back—”
“I know what I’m doing. I know what has to be done. I know my fate. Now are you going to help us or not?”
All eyes turned to Paige. She slowly took in a deep breath, her eyes closed as she let it out. “Jesus,” she murmured. She glanced at CJ. “What do you want to do?”
It was CJ’s turn to take a deep breath, trying to rein in her thoughts. “We need to let Howley know what’s going on. Then we need to alert Avery. Have him—”
“Director Avery?”
“I’m sorry, sweetie,” Paige said. “He’s FBI too.”
“Wow. I had no idea.” She leaned back against the sofa, her huge belly protruding badly. “Be careful of Richard, the guard. He is a spy for Belden,” she said.
“Yes. We figured as much. He’s the one who allowed you and Gretchen to leave the compound at will, despite the gate being locked,” CJ said.
“And you know all that too,” Fiona said quietly, her eyes slightly accusing.
“I’m sorry.”
But Fiona shook her head, dismissing the apology. “Don, let’s draw a map of the tunnels. Then you’ll need to show them the trail through the woods.”
“The trail? At night? Will they be safe?”
“What trail?” CJ and Paige both asked in unison.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
The knock on the door was louder, quicker than normal. Ester turned away from the window, knowing Belden was coming with news. Something wasn’t right. She could feel it.
“Is there a problem?” she asked as he entered.
“Don is missing,” he said.
“Missing?”
“He’s not at his home. No one has seen him since this morning.”
Ester felt a tightness in her chest. She turned away from him, not wanting him to sense any weakness in her. She parted the blinds; the hot afternoon was giving way to the evening hours. She knew something was amiss. She’d felt it all day. All week really. She just couldn’t put her finger on it.
“Fiona should be here by now. But she’s not, is she?”
“No, Mother. Not yet.”
She saw her plans unraveling and knew she had to do something. She had been wrong to allow Fiona to leave. It was getting too close. But the fear of those from the school nosing around had been too much. Maybe she was letting fear get in the way now too. Maybe Fiona was ill. Maybe Don went to assist her.
No. They would do no such thing without her approval. Her direction. They would not make those decisions without consulting her. They would not disobey. They all knew the consequences of those who disobeyed.
“Don is at the school,” she said with certain clarity. She closed her eyes, trying to find him, to see him. She saw Fiona instead, in her car. Alone. Her face was wet. Was she crying? She shook her head. No. In pain, perhaps. It was time. But not crying. The flock did not cry. They knew of no such emotion.
“Is he with Fiona?”
“Fiona will be here shortly. She is on her way. Alone.” Ester turned from the window, her eyes clear now. “Don has no business at the school. Fiona has not been well. I fear he has taken his role of doctor to the extreme. He must be dealt with. You know what to do.”
“Yes, Mother.”
***
“Meet me at the guard station,” Avery said impatiently. He did not like what was going down, but CJ and Paige had given him little option. Howley had not been happy but he too was left with little choice. Fiona was already on her way back to Hoganville. Don Hogan was hiding at the agent’s house. Howley had conceded to the plan, however half-baked it sounded. Even by air, they were at least two hours away.
“I’m about to sit down to dinner. Can this wait?”
“I assure you, Chief Aims, this cannot wait. I’m already on my way.”
“What is this about?”
“I’ll explain when we get there.” He disconnected before the chief could ask further questions. Yes, he concurred that Richard Barr w
as involved. However, just the fact that he allowed Fiona and Gretchen—and sometimes Belden—to come and go at will hardly implicated him in the disappearances. Not to mention the quickly explained torture the girls were put through in the so-called cave. Whether CJ and Paige actually believed such a tale or not, he wasn’t certain. They were, however, on their way to Hoganville using a crudely drawn map. As darkness was approaching, he had to admit that he would never attempt such a trek through the woods on foot. Not at night. He and Howley had both advised them to wait until backup arrived, but they feared for Fiona’s life.
The guard booth was well-lit and Avery parked next to Richard’s car. As he got out, he touched his weapon for reassurance. Not that he expected Richard to protest or make a run for it, nonetheless he felt a comfort from its mere presence. He wouldn’t pretend that he was comfortable with what he was doing. He’d never been a field agent, having been content with pushing papers and doing research. But he knew how to handle a weapon. Well, at least at the shooting range, he did. In fact, he was an excellent marksman. He took encouragement from that fact as he opened the door to the guard station.
“Director Avery. What brings you about?”
“Good evening, Richard,” he said. “I have some things to discuss with you. Chief Aims should be on his way.”
“Is there something wrong?”
There was nothing more Richard Barr needed to know, other than the findings in the gate logs. He decided to use his visit as a disciplinary call.
“There is something wrong, yes. We’ve done an audit of the gate logs. It seems you have allowed the gate to be opened at odd hours of the night, all without my knowledge. And certainly, going back, it would seem without my predecessor’s knowledge as well.”
He expected a denial at the very least. Richard simply stared at him, saying nothing. Headlights down the road signaled Chief Aims’s approach. Avery moved to the door, motioning him inside.
“Chief Aims, thank you for coming so quickly.”
“What’s this about, Avery?”
Avery pulled out his credentials, showing them to Aims. “I’m with the FBI,” he said. “We did an analysis of the gate logs. It seems—”
“FBI?” Chief Aims laughed. “You’re kidding me, right?”
Avery put his credentials away. “No. Mr. Barr has allowed the gate to open after hours. Several times. In fact—”
“Why does the FBI care about that?”
“It’s an ongoing investigation. Right now, I simply need you to detain Mr. Barr and make sure he does not contact anyone in Hoganville. We have agents on site.”
Chief Aims looked at Richard, grinning. “Did you hear that, Richard? I’m supposed to detain you. Because there are agents here.”
Richard laughed. “Yeah. Are you going to cuff me?”
Avery’s eyes widened as Aims pulled his service revolver from his hip, causally pointing it at him instead of Richard.
“Well, we’re going to cuff somebody, now aren’t we? Shall I assume the two new ones, Johnston and Riley, are your agents?” He shook his head. “I knew something wasn’t right with her. She was no prison guard. She had no discipline whatsoever.”
Richard stood from behind the desk, coming forward. Avery panicked, knowing he was out of his league. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go down. He fumbled with his suit jacket, trying to find his weapon, only to have Richard grab his arms roughly and pull them behind him. Aims tossed cuffs his way.
“What are you doing? You can’t do this. I said, I’m FBI. You must—”
“Shut up, Avery,” Chief Aims said. “I don’t care who you are.” Aims glanced at Richard. “We need to contact Belden. Let him know he’s got two agents roaming around.”
“You must not. Chief Aims, this is highly—”
“I said to shut up.”
Avery’s mouth closed as he felt the cold metal of Aims’s pistol resting against his forehead.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
CJ tightened the strap on her thigh holster, glancing at Paige one more time.
“We shouldn’t be doing this, you know that, right?”
“Yes, I know.”
“It’s not too late. We can still wait for backup,” she suggested, even though she recognized the determined look on Paige’s face.
Paige shook her head immediately. “It is too late. Fiona doesn’t have the time for us to wait for backup.”
CJ paused behind a tree, the shadows thick now as full darkness was upon them. She didn’t know whether to be thankful for the full moon or not. There was enough light that they should be able to navigate most of the trail without flashlights. There was also enough light that their movements could be followed, if someone—or something—should be watching.
“I can’t believe we’re out here on this trail,” she whispered. “At night.”
“You and me both, tiger.”
“Howley is not happy with us, you know,” CJ said.
“I trust Fiona,” Paige said. “Not sure I believe everything they said, but still, this is ground zero as far as the disappearances go.”
“And that’s the only reason we’re going forward with this.”
“Do you think the little bit Don told Howley on the phone is enough for a warrant?”
CJ nodded. “I think so. Howley will get something. Why else were we assigned out here in the first place if they weren’t willing to act on it? He’ll throw around domestic terrorists, if nothing else.”
“But we did promise him we wouldn’t shoot anybody, remember. I don’t want to be on every news channel as the one who started a standoff.”
“I won’t shoot anyone as long as they don’t shoot first.” CJ was about to continue down the trail when Paige stopped her.
“Fiona...do you think she’ll be okay?”
CJ didn’t know what answer Paige was expecting. Hell, they’d both seen her. She looked like she was in so much pain, like she was literally about to explode. Was she in labor? Was she about to give birth? And on top of that—what was she about to give birth to? But Paige knew all of that as well. She was just looking for some reassurance. CJ wasn’t sure she could give it.
“I wish I could promise you that she’ll be fine,” she said. “She knows that whatever is going to happen to her, with her pregnancy, is going to happen tonight. I’m not certain if she expects us to protect her from Ester Hogan...or from whatever it is that lives in the caves.”
Paige stared at her for a long moment, finally nodding. “Okay. Let’s go.”
The deeper they got into the forest, the heavier the shadows. It was a hot and humid night, the air still and quiet. She felt Paige close behind her and she welcomed her presence. She could feel the woods coming alive—night creatures awakening after their daylight slumber. She was a city girl, sure, but that only meant her imagination was in overdrive. Harmless night creatures like raccoons and opossums rapidly grew fangs and claws as they stalked the forest floor. She stopped suddenly, turning to Paige.
“Raccoons...they don’t attack, right?”
Paige nearly laughed. “Sweetheart, I think raccoons will be the least of our worries. But no, I don’t believe they attack.”
CJ smiled too. “I know I’m being silly. But it’s creepy as hell out here.”
Paige nodded. “Do you think we should use the flashlight? If we get off of the trail, we’re screwed.”
“Minimal use,” she said. “We’re sitting ducks.”
As much as she didn’t want to use the lights, she had to agree. They’d get lost in an instant. She paused, listening, hearing nothing to indicate they were being followed. Or watched. So she turned on her flashlight, shining it quickly along the ground, seeing that they were indeed still on the trail. It was a trail that appeared to be very well used. She couldn’t imagine that people from Hoganville used it, though. What reason would they have to sneak onto the school grounds? Most likely, it had become a game trail, used by deer. And whatever else inhabited these woods at
night. She shook that thought away as she turned her light off, turning to Paige instead.
“Have I told you how sexy you look all in black?”
“You like my commando outfit, huh?”
“Very macho. Hair in the ponytail thing, through your cap there, looks nice,” she said.
Paige tilted her head. “Are you stalling?”
“Hell, yeah,” she whispered. “I swear, if anything moves, I’m going to shoot it.”
“You want me to take the lead?”
“You? Paige, you have painted toenails. I really think I should be the one in the lead.”
Paige smirked. “Okay, tiger. Then lead on. We don’t have all night.”
CJ forced herself to move. Each step they took seemed exceptionally loud, each twig that broke echoed through the quiet forest. She could hear their breaths, could feel the nervousness that surrounded them. They were FBI agents, for God’s sake. But that didn’t bring her any comfort. She’d never been in this situation before. She’d faced hardened criminals, she’d stared down the barrel of a gun, she’d chased down drug lords and crime bosses. But this? Slinking through the woods at night? Hoping to find a tunnel entrance at the old stables? Going underground into the caves? Looking for some...some creature that lurked in these woods? No.
Paige’s hand squeezed painfully around her arm, stopping her.
“Listen.”
CJ tilted her head slightly, her eyes darting around the dark forest, looking for movement. She heard leaves rustling behind them. They both turned and she could feel—hear—the blood pounding in her ears. Her hand slid to the weapon she had strapped to her thigh, ready to pull it out.
Paige fumbled with her own light, pointing it in the direction of the noise. CJ held her breath, waiting. The beam of the light flashed through the trees, then down along the ground. Paige was the first to laugh. CJ followed, although hers was still tinged with nervousness.
“Armadillo,” Paige murmured. “Sounded like a bear.”
“I can’t wait to get back to the city.” She turned to go, then stopped. “Wait. Shine the light back over there,” she said.