Parker shook his head. "No. I'm staying with my father."
A malicious smirk toyed at Mia’s mouth. "Like the little family scene, do you? Well, it won't last long. If you don't come with me, the little redheaded wifey might not see tomorrow."
"Larkin? What have you done to Larkin?"
"Well, at least you don't call her 'Mommy.' You won't know what's happened to her unless you come with me."
I'm trapped. I have to make sure Larkin is all right. Sheena has the car key. Surely she'll understand and call Ray. "Take me to her now!" he said near tears.
Parker got on the back of the motorcycle Mia had, and she drove to a dingy old motel on the outskirts of town. She unlocked the door to a room on the back and shoved Parker through.
Parker shouted, "Larkin?"
"Oh, shut up!" snapped Mia. "I didn't do anything to her, but you sure want to protect her."
"I'm leaving." Parker started toward the door.
"You're not going anywhere. Sit down." Mia pulled a pistol from under the pillow on the bed. "How could you betray me like this? Do you have any idea what I've done for you?"
♥♥♥ Sheena waited about a minute before she followed Parker. He was not in the restroom. She had the audacity to walk right in. He was not in the lobby. Why had he given her the car keys?
Like a lightning strike, Sheena screamed, "Oh, my God! That woman. That was his mother."
She pulled her phone out and called home. Terry answered, "Sheena, what's wrong?"
"Daddy, Parker's missing." She was nearly hysterical. "That woman came here. She made him go with her."
"What? Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. He gave me his key. He was trying to tell me to get help without drawing attention."
"Okay, honey. You call the police. I'm calling Ray, and, then, I'll be there."
♥♥♥ The Reynolds's house phone rang, and the consummate telephone operator, Courtney, answered.
Terry Johnson urgently requested, "Courtney, this is Mr. Terry. Put your dad on now!"
Courtney hollered, "Daddy, it's Mr. Terry."
Ray snatched the phone. "Terry, what's wrong?"
"Get to the theater. Sheena called. Mia has taken Parker."
Ray did not even hang up the phone, and he left without a word. He had not told Larkin that Mia had ever threatened Parker's life. For Ray, not keeping secrets extended until he thought he was protecting his family. Even as the GT flew down the driveway and Larkin screamed, "Ray!" from the doorway, Ray called Chris.
Chris answered, "Ray, what's up?"
"Get to my house and pack everybody off to Mom and Dad's even if you have to tie Larkin up and throw her in the trunk of your car."
"What's happened?"
"Mia has taken Parker. Get the rest of my family to safety. I don't trust her not to come after them. She wants me. I'm gonna give her exactly what she's asking for—a one-way ticket to Hell."
♥♥♥ Ray arrived at the theater at the same time as Terry Johnson. Both men dashed into the facility. Sheena was sobbing uncontrollably in the arms of the female patrol officer, Delta Baines, one of four officers who had responded to the girl's call.
Sheena fell into her father's arms. Ray caressed her back as he said gently, "Sheena, honey, you don't have time to cry right now. You have to help me find Parker. Tell me what happened."
Sheena took several deep breaths. "Okay. The movie had just started. Somebody sat down beside Parker. Honestly, we weren't paying much attention to the people in the theater. We were sort of making out on the back row."
"Of course, you were. Now, tell me what happened," Ray snapped.
"Well, the woman sat down and mumbled something. Then, she got up and left. I thought she was just embarrassed to stay because we were kissing.
"Almost immediately Parker said he needed to use the restroom. He put his car keys in my hand and left. I thought it was a little strange, so after about a minute, I followed him. I even went in the boys' restroom. I couldn't find him anywhere. That's when I realized who the woman had to have been and called Daddy. Obviously, Parker gave me the keys to tell me something was wrong. From the time Parker left the theater until I called Daddy couldn't have been more than ten minutes."
Officer Marceau approached the trio. "Chief, the concessions clerk says she saw Parker talking to an older woman. They appeared to be arguing, and the kid looked upset. He left with the woman. I showed her a picture of Mia Godchaux that was in the court file. She says that's the woman."
Ray rubbed his head. Now is not the time for a migraine.
♥♥♥ In the seedy hotel room, Mia berated her son at gunpoint. "Parker, if you had just found your father and stayed with him a while, that would've been one thing, but you willingly changed your name. How could you turn on me like that? You're as heartless as your father."
"Mom, Ray isn't heartless. He's a good man." "He's going to be!" Mia barked. "Stand up!" she commanded.
"What? Why?"
"Stand up and stop arguing with me. Your father has been a horrible influence on you. You're back-talking me. You're being disobedient. You're making out with slutty little girls."
"Sheena's not a slut!" yelled Parker as he advanced on Mia who slapped him hard across the face.
"Shut up! Put your hands against the wall," Mia hissed. Parker did as his mother requested. She kicked his feet apart as she placed the barrel of the gun to the back of his head.
"What are you doing?" Parker asked, his body quivering.
"Searching you. I wouldn't put it past Ray to have given you a weapon."
"I don't have a weapon, Mom. I was on a date with my girlfriend."
"Where are your keys?"
"I don't know. I think I left them in the cup holder of the chair." Parker lied without a blink.
"No, you didn't. You gave 'em to that little girl, hoping she'd call Daddy. Why don't you call him 'Daddy?' Ah, what's this?"
"What does it look like?" asked Parker, sinking into despair.
"A phone. Call him!" Mia commanded shoving Parker back onto the bed. "Call Daddy."
"No," he replied. "Mom, stop. Please, stop. I'll go with you. Leave Ray alone. Please."
Mia chambered a bullet on the Glock. "Call him!" she ordered again.
"No. You're gonna have to shoot me."
"All right." Mia snatched a pillow from the bed, wrapped it around the barrel of the gun, placed it against Parker's knee, and pulled the trigger. The sound was muffled, but the bullet passed through his knee into the mattress.
Parker screamed at the searing pain that burned through his flesh. "Shut up!" bellowed Mia. "Didn't you notice there's no one else on this side of the motel? The office is way up front, and there are only a couple of cars on the other side. Nobody will hear you scream. Now, call Daddy."
Parker's hand shook as he pulled up Ray's number and hit send. Ray looked at the number thinking Larkin was calling to protest. "Parker!" he spoke anxiously into the phone.
"Ray," Parker sobbed on his end.
Mia snatched the phone. "Hello, Ray."
"You bitch!"
"Shut up, Ray, and listen. If you want to see this little turncoat again, you'll do exactly as I say. Meet me at the Waffle House on Route 12. I'm sure you remember it. We ate many late-night breakfasts there. Come alone and unarmed. If I see a cop, you'll never see Parker again, Daddy." Mia hung up.
She marched to the blind of the room and, with a very sharp scalpel she pulled from her fanny pack, cut the cord. She jerked Parker up from the bed. He yelped in pain. "Stop whimpering, baby," Mia snarled. "You'll live—for now."
She dragged him, hobbling, to the clothing rack by the lavatory. She tied his hands together and jerked his arms over his head, knotting the cord securely to the clothing bar.
"What kind of car will he be driving?" she demanded.
"I don't know."
She placed the muzzle of the gun against his other knee. "Do I have to shoot you again?"
He shook his head. "Maybe an o
ld black Mustang. I don't know. He has several cars."
Mia stood straight.
Parker pleaded, "Mom, please. It hurts. Please, let me sit down."
"No can do," she responded coldly as she stuffed a wash cloth into her son's mouth. "Now, I'm going to meet Daddy. Be good." Mia patted Parker's cheek a couple of times before she slapped him hard.
♥♥♥ Ray called Dantzler as he jumped into the GT and took off. "Lawrence, get a fix on my phone signal, and get your people on my signal. I'm certain I'm going to meet our murderess. Stay far enough away that she won't see you." He slid the transmitting phone into his pocket.
Ray pulled into a parking place at the ancient Waffle House. He took in his surroundings, trying to spot Mia. Suddenly, she slid into the passenger's seat.
Mia was obviously in control of the situation. She stated, "The first thing you need to know is there is a Glock .45 in this fanny pack pointed at your abdomen. Don't be stupid. Is this that hunk of junk GT you had when we met?"
Ray noted the make and caliber of the Mia's gun, the same make and caliber used in the four heart-stealing incidents. He answered cryptically, "Yes."
"Nice work. Now, get out." Ray slid out slowly as Mia hopped out and zipped around the front of the car with the Glock still pointed at him.
"Take off your shirt and do a complete three-sixty," she commanded.
He took off his shirt and turned all the way around. "No wire and no gun, Mia," he said attempting to placate the woman. "How did someone with your history managed to get a gun?"
"You know what they say—'Where there's a will, there's a way.'" She puckered her lips, and then made a clucking noise with her tongue. "Since we're catching up on what we've done, lots of scars. What happened?"
"Latrice Descartes happened."
"Read about her." She indicated with the gun, her hand inside the pack. "Put your shirt back on and pull up the legs on your pants."
He did as she asked. "No back-up either," he assured.
She got very close to him and put a hand first into his left pocket. "I'm not groping you, Ray, although you used to like it when I slipped my hands into your pockets."
Then, she moved to his right pocket. "Ah, what do we have here?" asked Mia as she terminated transmission on the phone. "You must think I'm an idiot. I didn't date a cop for two years and not learn some tricks." She laid Ray's phone on the Waffle House planter after wiping it clean of prints.
Through the nylon of her fanny pack, she nudged him with the gun barrel. "The motorcycle. You drive. You're going to the last motel on Route 12 a couple of miles away. Remember the gun is in your back."
"No helmets?" asked Ray sarcastically.
"I like to live dangerously. Shut up and drive. When you get to there, go around back."
Ray kicked the bike into gear. He was determined to find his son.
♥♥♥ "Stop here," Mia shouted over the roar of the motor. Ray stopped the motorcycle.
Outside the door, Mia handed Ray the key card. "You open it just in case he's waiting to brain me with the lamp."
He slid the card down the slot and opened the door. "Parker!" exclaimed Ray as he saw his son tied to the clothes rack and the leg of his jeans covered in blood. Ray dashed to him and untied his hands and removed the gag. Ray's thoughts swirled as the chill in the room reminded him of the night Latrice Descartes had tried to sacrifice Larkin. There have to be evil spirits at work here, he thought as he lifted Parker into his arms and carried him to the bed where he gently laid him.
Parker sobbed, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I wish you had shot her last night."
Ray pushed his son’s long hair from his face. "Shh. Daddy's here. It's gonna be all right."
"Isn't this a touching sight?" growled Mia. The malevolent look Ray gave her had no effect on her whatsoever.
♥♥♥ Lawrence Dantzler's FBI team, along with Brian Baker, arrived in the parking lot of the Waffle House to find the GT with the key in the ignition and Ray's phone lying on the planter.
"Damn it!" fumed Dantzler. "She somehow got Ray to go with her. We didn't pass anybody. They had to have gone the other way. It's time to split up and do some door-to-door searching. Raiford Reynolds would not disappear without a trace."
14 Angel Flight
"Larkin, I swear to God I will do just what Ray said and tie
you up and put you in the trunk if you don't get in the car!" Chris shouted. "That woman has taken Parker, and Ray is terrified for the rest of you. She's obviously a total whacko. I'm even making Raif and my kids go. Hell! She might mistake Raif for Ray. She doesn't know Ray has a twin. I'm not taking any chances either." She jammed her finger toward the car. "Now, get in the car!"
"Come on, Larkin." Raif took his sister-in-law's hand. "Chris will take care of Ray. You're pregnant. Think about the baby."
Larkin was so angry she could hardly breathe. She retaliated, "When I told Parker he would leave us only over our dead bodies, I didn't think it might be a real possibility. I'm not leaving my husband."
Dorothy Reynolds took Larkin's other hand. "Yes, you are. Ray's doing what he thinks is best for his family. I know you love him, but right now is the time to be a mother. Get these kids somewhere safe. Mia doesn't know where we live. We still lived here when she and Ray broke up. Come on, honey."
Continuing to argue, Larkin said, "What about Parker? He's not safe."
Dorothy coaxed, "Ray will take care of Parker. Do you want that boy worrying about the rest of you? Trust Ray, sweetheart."
Larkin gave in. The caravan back to the Reynolds's home in Biloxi, Mississippi, felt more like a funeral procession to her. Yes, I'll get my kids safely to their grandparents'. Then, I'll figure out what to do to help Ray.
♥♥♥ Following Louisiana Highway 23 running parallel to the Mississippi River usually lulled the children in the family to sleep. Christopher complained, "How many swamps and alligators can a person stand to see?" He closed his eyes and tried to doze. After only a few minutes, he huffed and put his head on his mother’s shoulder. "I’m scared, Momma, but don’t tell Courtney."
Riding in the backseat with her two children, one on either side of her, Larkin put her arm around her son. "It’ll be okay. Daddy’s smart."
"I heard you," Courtney sniffled. " If my brother’s afraid, how do you think I feel?"
Putting her other arm around Courtney, Larkin pulled her closer and kissed her cheek. "Try not to worry."
The hundred-seventy-minute, hundred-seventy-mile drive to Biloxi taxed the travelers. Larkin felt as if they were moving less than a mile a minute. The three cars snaked up the driveway of the beach-front home owned by the older Reynoldses. Albert and Dorothy got out and opened the house. Larkin, Christopher, and Courtney unloaded from the rear seat next. Raif, with Patrick and Trista, pulled up behind them. Chris brought up the rear.
Right behind the caravan, arrived four Biloxi police officers. All the way on the drive, Chris had made arrangements for police protection.
As Chris gave instructions to the police officers, her phone rang. After a short conversation on the phone, she completed arrangements with the local authorities and came into the house. The look on Chris's face brought total silence in the living room.
With drapes still pulled and only two lamps reflecting light on the dark mahogany floors and furniture, the room seemed somber. Though the mauve sofa and chairs blended well with the paint and flooring, it did not lighten the mood which prevailed the air.
"What's happened?" demanded Larkin.
"We all need to sit down," Chris said.
Everybody except Chris found a seat. Christopher and Courtney sat on each side of their mother, holding one of her hands.
Chris started hesitantly. "First, Sheena is safe."
"Did Mia try to hurt Sheena?" asked Larkin.
"No. She just used her as a bargaining chip. I talked to Terry. He has taken her home. It appears Parker called Ray, but from what Terry Johnson said, Mia must have gotten on the
phone because Ray left in a hurry."
Before Chris could finish, one of the patrolmen knocked. She went to deal with the situation on how to set up a watch on the home.
The second she walked out, Larkin started to get up. Albert Reynolds pointed a firm, fatherly finger at her. "Stay put."
She argued, "Daddy Reynolds, she's done something to Ray. I just know it. He needs me."
"So do your children. If something should happen to Ray, they will need their mother. I know that sounds pessimistic, but it's fact. Ray is a cop. You married him knowing you could get that horrible knock on the door. We're worried, too. He's my son." His voice broke.
"I'm sorry. I'm being self-centered." Larkin pushed long red hair back from her face with both hands. "Of course, you're as worried as I am."
Raif had been quiet. He said softly, "This family sticks together. Now is the time to be a family. I can't lose Ray either." He made eye contact with Larkin. There was an unspoken agreement.
Chris came back in the house. The sound of the tide coming in followed her. Ordinarily, the lapping waves would have been soothing; however, at this time Larkin felt as if she were drowning and being pulled under by the riptide, crushed by the weight of the sea. She looked at her dearest friend who still looked weary with a problem to solve. Larkin said, "What's going on?"
"I guess I'd better tell you. Ray suspects Mia as the person who killed Robert and the others." She shrugged. "He thinks maybe she did it as some form of protection for Parker, retaliation on those she held responsible for all the pain he's been through."
"Dantzler told me as much Thanksgiving night," Larkin murmured.
Sounding tired, Chris explained, "The phone call I had in the driveway was from Lawrence Dantzler. The FBI team was tracing and following Ray's phone signal when they lost transmission. They found the GT with the key in the ignition and Ray's phone wiped clean at the Waffle House on Route 12. Apparently, Ray is missing, too."
Larkin’s breath began to come in gasps. Her body tensed.
"Momma!" cried Courtney.
"Momma?" repeated Christopher.
Raif sprinted to the kitchen. He filled a glass with water. The next sound anyone heard was glass shattering in the kitchen. Chris flew into the room where she found Raif gripping the kitchen sink so hard his knuckles had turned white. The glass he had filled with water lay shattered against the opposite wall. Chris put her arms around her husband.
Heartless (The Raiford Chronicles) Page 13