by Barbara Gee
Ava: Uh yeah, but I can get away for a sec. Hang on. Half a minute passed. Ok I’m alone. What in the world Myla?
Me: Can you use your hacker stuff to ping my phone and find out where I am?
Ava: I could if I was home. We’re out for lunch. Why don’t you know where you are? What’s going on?
Me: I saw the guy from Starbucks. He and another guy were in an SUV driving down my street. I followed him back toward Garnett to see if he’d lead me to Haley. They turned off before we got to town and went way up a mountain to a hunting cabin. They’re inside now and I’m in the woods watching. I don’t know if Haley’s here or not, but I want to find out. If you can ping my phone’s location, you’ll know where I am. Just in case. Or you can trace the IP address I’m using. I’m connected to the wi-fi in the cabin because I don’t have a cell signal.
Ava: Myla! What were you thinking! Get out of there!
I’d expected that reaction. I’m fine. The opportunity presented itself and I took it. I have their license plate number. Can you run it and see who owns it?
Ava: Does JP know what you’re doing?
I winced. I’d expected that question, too. No. Don’t tell him. I’m not in danger and this is important. I need to find out how Haley is connected to these guys.
Ava: I don’t feel good about this. At all!
Me: Trust me. I’m being careful.
There was a pause before the bubbles appeared again. I still don’t like it, but OK. I’ll make up an excuse to leave. I should be home in twenty minutes. I’ll ping you and run the plates. Jude’s going to be suspicious, though. I’m not good at hiding things from him.
Me: Tell him if you have to but ask him to please please just give me a little more time before he tells JP.
Ava: I’ll find out who those guys are first, then we’ll see.
Me: Thanks.
Ava: Be careful. Don’t do anything stupid.
Me: I won’t.
But of course, that depended on a person’s definition of stupid.
Chapter 31
I
sat in the same spot for fifteen minutes, which felt like an hour. Twice I thought I saw movement inside the cabin, but with the windows so dirty I couldn’t tell for sure. I heard nothing. I wished it were dark so I could get close without the risk of being seen, but it was only noon.
My patience was being sorely tested. Ava should be home in another five minutes, if she’d managed to convince Jude to leave the restaurant right away, but it would take her a little while to run the plates and zero in on my location. In the meantime, maybe I could find out more.
I got up and circled through the trees until I was at the back of the cabin. There were two identical windows there. If they were for bedrooms, as I suspected, the chances of being spotted on an approach were small. Was it worth the risk?
I knelt down and tried to decide what to do. I had twenty feet of tangled, overgrown grass and weeds to get through if I went for it. However, the windows looked nearly opaque with dirt. Would I be able to see in once I got there? Would I learn anything important if I could?
I was still mulling it over when I noticed one of the windows was cracked open about an inch. I didn’t know if it was on purpose or if the rotten sill was just sagging down, but there definitely appeared to be a gap. A gap big enough for sound to carry through. If I could hear the men talking it could make all the difference.
I tucked my phone securely into my front jeans pocket, then moved to the tree line. I watched the cabin for another few minutes, straining my eyes and ears. Nothing.
I let out a nervous breath, then crouched and ran in a straight line to the cabin, not stopping until my back was pressed up against the wall between the two windows. It had only taken me seconds to get there, but I’d felt like I was running in slow motion and my heart was pounding as if I’d sprinted a mile.
I waited for the adrenaline to fade a bit, then moved closer to the slightly open window, until my head was just beside the frame.
The first thing I noticed was a bad smell. It was acrid and sharp—some kind of chemical was my guess. I wrinkled my nose and buried my face in my coat sleeve, resisting the urge to cough. When my throat relaxed I pulled the neck of my sweater up over my nose to filter the odor somewhat, then moved my head back to the window.
I didn’t try looking inside; for now I just wanted to listen. Right away I heard the hum of voices. One was low and indecipherable, the other was higher pitched and louder. Whiny. I could almost make out some words. I leaned closer to the window and concentrated.
Food…..starving…...burgers…..waiting…..taking too long. I couldn’t hear everything, but I got the gist of what the whiny one was complaining about. The man was hungry and waiting for food. Did that mean someone was bringing food to them here, or would they be leaving soon to go get it?
The voices were too far away to be in the room the window was in, so I felt safe trying to get a look. I turned to face the cabin, then slowly moved one eye to the glass. And saw…nothing. What I’d thought was a filthy window was actually some kind of grayish-colored cloth or paper hung inside of it.
Frustrated, I went to the other window and found the same thing. Then I heard the whiny voice again, much louder and clearer.
“I’m gonna check this batch. We’re way behind since she sent us on that stupid wild goose chase. If she doesn’t get here with the burgers soon I’m gonna just turn it off and leave.”
By the time he finished his angry statement he was close to the window. I’d already jerked my head back, but with the window covering he wouldn’t have been able to see me anyway.
“It wouldn’t have been a wasted trip if that nosy neighbor wouldn’t have been out in his front yard.” The other man must have followed the hungry one into the room, and now I could hear them both perfectly. “The girl was gone, just like Haley said she would be, but there was no way we could go in with that neighbor eyeing us up.”
My jaw clenched and a rush of anger momentarily overrode my fear of being caught. Haley. I knew it! She’d sent these guys to Hidden Creek while she thought I’d be at church. I couldn’t imagine why she’d do that, but now she was apparently on her way here with food.
That settled it. I was staying until she arrived. I needed to find out what she’d wanted them to do at my house, because there was no guarantee they wouldn’t try again.
I jumped when a loud expletive sounded directly beside my head. The whiny man was right by the window, and suddenly I saw fingers emerge from the small opening.
“This crap smells even worse’n usual. Get that fan goin’. Blow it outta here.”
He yanked the window halfway up and fumes immediately assaulted me, strong and biting in spite of my sweater filter. I stood pressed up against the cabin, eyes watering, holding my breath and fighting the cough.
I stood frozen in place until the voices faded again, indicating they’d gone back to the front of the cabin. Then I stepped away from the window and put my face down inside my coat, taking long deep breaths, trying to clear my nose and throat. When I dared to sniff the air again the smell wasn’t quite as bad, or maybe I was just used to it.
I moved cautiously back to the window for another attempt at peeking inside. This time I had better luck. The man had shoved the gray curtain to the side when he opened the window, and now my view was uninhibited.
I squinted, the noxious fumes stronger there, enough to make my eyes burn. I blinked rapidly but stayed put, scanning the room. Instead of the bed I’d expected, there was trash piled all over the floor, and a long, rickety-looking table against one wall. It was cluttered with a bucket, a stained cooking pot on what looked like a hotplate, and a mass of rubber tubing hooked to glass containers. It was all a messy jumble, but I immediately knew what I was seeing.
I pulled my head back and pressed against the cabin, once more breathing hard through my coat. Of course. The propane tank. The huge pile of trash. The smell. All that stuff piled on the s
helf.
These men were cooking meth.
I darted away from the cabin and back into the woods, making sure I was well hidden before I dug out my phone, relieved to see I still had a fairly strong wi-fi signal.
I had four texts from Ava. I scanned them quickly.
The first one: The guy’s name is Willard Tusk. Big time drug dealer. Served time for that and assault but got out early on technicality. You need to get out of there Myla.
Next: I have your coordinates. Get out now or I’m going to send help.
Third: Myla! Talk to me.
Fourth: Myla!
The fifth one came in as I was reading. I told Jude. He’s going to call JP. You’d better be ok.
I frantically typed. No! I sent that quickly to stop her. Then I added, I’m fine! Don’t call JP.
Ava: OMG Myla way to scare me to death. Are you getting out of there?
Me: I can’t leave. Haley’s coming. I need to find out why.
Ava: ??? How do you even know that?
Me: I listened at a window.
Ava: Myla Garret! Get your butt out of there!
Me: I’m back in the trees now. Don’t worry, they can’t see me. I have an idea.
Ava: Me too. It’s that you get out of there.
I ignored that. I need your help again. Can you take control of my cell phone remotely somehow?
There was a pause. What are you planning now?
Me: I need to know more, but I can only hear them talking when they’re in the back room. I doubt Haley will go back there, which means I’ll miss everything if I don’t get inside.
Ava: Do not go in that cabin Myla, that’s an order.
Me: Just hear me out. There’s an open window in the back. It’s low and I could easily get through. If I sneak in and plant my phone somewhere, could you control it and record what they’re saying? Maybe even get some video if I can position it right?
Ava: Myla you cannot go in that house!!
I understood her fear, but this was our best chance to find out Haley’s connection to these men. Maybe I’d even learn what she was planning next. I had to convince Ava to give me a little more time before they called JP. Thus I didn’t mention the meth lab.
Me: Listen Ava. I can see into the back room from the window and there’s no direct line of sight to the front of the cabin. The door goes out into a hall or something, so they won’t be able to see me. The guys said Haley is coming with food. If I wait until she gets here, they’ll be occupied with her and the food for at least a couple of minutes. That’s all the time I need to get in, find a spot for the phone, and get back out.
Ava: No no no. Stay in the trees until JP can get there.
Me: Can you control my phone or not?
Ava: Darn it Myla. There was a short wait, and then: Ok I just sent an app to your gmail address. Let me know when you have it installed.
I opened my email, quickly installed what she’d sent and told her so.
Ava: Ok I sent one more. It’s a recording app that stays on instead of shutting off when there’s no noise. It doesn’t take much battery.
I installed that one too. Got it. Now what?
Ava: I’m connecting to your phone. You should see me take it over.
I watched the screen, and sure enough, the new app opened. Then our text thread came up again and a new message appeared. Ok it’s working. I’m giving you control again.
I grinned as I typed. That’s amazing. You’re my hero Ava. As soon as Haley gets here I’ll go in and plant the phone and get out. We can come back and get it when everyone’s gone and see what was recorded.
Ava: We don’t have to wait to get the phone for that. I’ll be able to listen in real time.
Me: That’s even cooler.
Ava: I still don’t like you going in there. I have to tell Jude you’re gonna do it. He hasn’t called JP yet but he’s about to have a stroke. I know he’s gonna call JP when I tell him.
I winced, knowing exactly how that call would go. JP would demand to know where I was and Ava would give him the coordinates. With him already being in Garnett, there was a good chance he’d get here before Haley. Then he’d haul me off to safety and we’d lose our chance to find out some very important things about Haley’s activities.
Me: Please give me a little more time. This could make a big difference in JP’s custody case. At least wait and see if Haley shows up. I promise I’ll stay in the trees until then. I’m perfectly safe here.
There was a long wait for her response and I could picture her and Jude discussing it. I didn’t like asking them to keep something from JP, but I felt it was important to take advantage of the opportunity since I was here anyway.
Finally Ava responded. We’ll give you thirty minutes. If she’s not there by then, you either leave or we’ll call JP. And don’t you dare break your promise to stay hidden until she comes.
Me: Deal.
Ava: And you have to keep talking to me while we wait so I know you’re ok.
Me: No problem. Soooo it’s a beautiful day out, huh? What did you have for lunch? Roast beef?
Ava: Very funny. Where did you hide your car? Are you sure Haley won’t see it when she comes?
I told her about all the lanes leading to cabins, and how I’d hidden my car behind the nearest one, which couldn’t be seen from the road much less from here. She kept asking questions, and since I had nothing better to do while I waited, I gave her a play-by-play of my entire morning, starting with spotting the SUV on my street.
Ava repeated the fact that Willard Tusk was dangerous, and I stayed mute about the meth lab thirty feet from where I sat. If they knew that little tidbit, Ava would freak and Jude would instantly be on the phone to his brother, and then probably with the cops.
I stared out at the cabin, pondering what my priorities should be. Maybe I should reconsider and have Ava call the cops right now, when I knew a batch of meth was in process. Catching Willard and his helper red-handed would take two dangerous drug dealers out of the game—so was it selfish to wait for Haley and risk them all getting away before the cops got there? Or could I accomplish both goals if I waited just a little longer?
Fifteen minutes.
I sighed heavily. The clock was ticking and I could picture Ava getting more and more worried. I decided if Haley didn’t arrive in the allotted time, I’d go ahead and tell Ava about the meth and ask her to call the cops in. At least my efforts would pay off in that regard.
With seven minutes to go, I heard an engine. Finally. I crept through the trees just far enough to be able to see the lane. I didn’t want to get too far from the backyard because I had to be able to get to the window quickly.
The same tan car Haley had been driving the day I was at Adalyn’s made its way around the last curve, going slow over the bumpy lane. As soon as I confirmed it was Haley driving, I scurried back through the trees to the edge of the backyard. Since I was going to have very limited time to plant the phone, I decided to go ahead and run back up to the cabin where I could listen through the open window and seize the best chance to get in and out while they were occupied with the long-awaited burgers.
I sent Ava a text as I heard the car door slam. She’s here. I’m going back to the window so I can listen for my chance to go in.
Ava: Oh man, this is such a bad idea.
Me: I’ll be fine.
Ava: Let me know when you’re going in so I can turn on the recorder. That way I’ll hear if anything goes wrong. BE CAREFUL!
Me: Okay. Here I go.
I took a deep breath and crossed the yard, stumbling once when my foot caught on a clump of weeds but recovering before I went down. I pressed my back against the cabin wall, catching my breath before I moved closer to the window.
“It’s about time!” the familiar whiny voice called out, loud enough that I could hear him clearly even though he was in the front room of the cabin.
“Shut up, Bobby,” Haley snapped, just as loud. Then her voice changed to s
weet. It was softer than before, but with the higher pitch I could still make out the words. “Hey, Willy. I got here as soon as I could. I was over at my mom’s arguing about the baby daddy again. How’d it go in Hidden Creek? Did you get the meth planted?”
His voice didn’t carry like the others so I missed his reply, but Haley didn’t like whatever it was.
“So you just left?” she screeched.
I suddenly realized I was listening to the conversation—about them hiding meth in my house—instead of taking the opportunity to get in and plant the phone. I peered inside, got my bearings, then grabbed the sill and hoisted myself up, kicking my feet to get horizontal so I could slide across the sill and down onto the floor headfirst. I caught myself with my hands and lowered my legs one by one.
I realized I hadn’t sent Ava a text letting her know I was going in, so I quickly sent one now. I’m in.
The stench was nauseating, ammonia and other odors mingling pungently. There was a fan blowing toward the window, but it wasn’t big enough to do much good. I forced my mind off the smell, breathing shallowly as I looked around the room for a place to put the phone. I could hear all the voices clearly now so I knew the audio would be fine, I just wanted to be able to prop it somewhere inconspicuous so that we could possibly get some video too.
I picked my way through the trash, then noticed ladder rungs nailed onto the wall in the corner, leading up to a square hole that was no doubt the entrance to the attic or loft I’d suspected due to the sloped roof.
My mind raced. What if it was a loft with an open front, either a half wall or rails? Those were popular in hunting cabins, right? If I could position the phone so it was pointed down into the front room, I could get not only perfect audio, but also video that would show irrefutable proof that Haley was involved with this operation.
I got to the ladder and tried to see up into the hole. Bingo. I could see light, which meant it was indeed a loft and not a closed room. I was trying to decide whether to risk taking the extra time to get up there when I heard Willard say someone had to check on the batch.