Dancing In Darkness

by Sherrie Weynand

  During his latest trip around, which was becoming exceptionally large, the batteries started to drain in his flashlight. “Son of a bitch!” He yelled. “Can anything go right?” Without the light, the hunt for his prey was useless. He knew that if he couldn’t hunt her, she wouldn’t be able to escape him. Anger exploding from him he yelled at the top of his lungs, “You bitch, when I find you, I promise you will wish that you had never been born!” Wherever she had made it to, she had heard that.

  Listening to him scream through the dead of the night sent chills up her spine. She was more terrified than she had ever been and yet she was holding on to that last gleam of hope that she would survive. He was still far away and the sound didn’t reverberate any closer to her. After a short time she noticed that it had become quiet again. No voice interspersed with the sounds of the night. She knew that even in the dark she was going to have to continue on her way. She had to make her move now before sunrise. Once the sun was up she would again be the prey.

  Beth Tony was frantically searching for people and places that could possibly be connected to Ward. He had her somewhere that was familiar to him. When he left in the manner he did, it spoke volumes to her. “That woman is still alive.” She told her Chief. “I know it in my gut. She’s alive and we have to find her before it is too late.” The FBI was conducting searches at Ward’s home and places that he would frequent. When they learned that he had attended Adam Linston’s parties, they requested the member list. At this point no one’s confidentiality was more important than the imminent danger this woman and the community were in.

  Det. Tony gave the list to the agent in charge. Every person named on this list needs to be contacted straightaway. There was no time to lose. One by one Tony started to call in alphabetical order. It was taking far too long for one person. She gave half of the list to a uniformed officer and told him to start calling. “Find out if any of these people are familiar with Michael Ward, if so, get any information they might have on where he goes, where he hangs out, what his hobbies are. Anything that will help us find this bastard.” She told him.

  “Yes, Ma’am.” He replied. Without hesitation he began dialing numbers.

  More than fifty names into this list, the officer finally had a possible connection. He had known Ward several years ago but he had to cut any ties with him. He had a horrible disposition towards women and one night after some party, Ward attacked his wife verbally. Other than that, he had been hunting with him a few times and had went fishing on a couple of occasions.

  “Where did they go? Was there a particular place that they were hunting? Fishing? Get me those answers right now.” She barked orders.

  Continuing on her list she only had four name’s remaining. The next to last name was also a possible connection. He basically had the same story, mistreatment of females in general. He too had hunted with Ward, years ago. “Do you remember where you were hunting? This could save someone’s life.” She asked the man.

  “It was off of I-95 pretty far back in the woods. I can’t remember exactly.” He told her.

  “Thank you, if you can think of anything else please call me right away. I’ll leave my number with you.” She said.

  Looking at the officer that was helping her, she asked him, “What were you able to get?”

  “He had went to an old hunting cabin. One bedroom, no utilities. He said it was off of I-95 but he couldn’t remember exactly where. He said there was a small pond that sits to the side of it and he remember a small waterfall that fell next to the road before the pull in.” The officer told her.

  Running to find a map of the area along 95, she was searching for every small pond that she could find. Thankful for technology she used her smartphone with satellite view of the area. Zooming in and searching wherever she found water. Yelling out different areas that needed to be searched immediately, dark or not.

  She was confident that they were going to find him, being in time to save Priscilla Barnes’ life was the concern.

  Updating the FBI team with the new information she had found a new surge of energy. Informing the lead agent that she was going to gather her team and search one of the areas, she waited for his approval and then jumped into action.

  “We have to search this area right here she showed her team on the map. Someone had printed out the screen of the questionable area so we have that to go on. This woman is out there somewhere. We have to find him and find her before she dies.” She explained.

  They climbed into the police van and she followed behind them. Using the coordinates from the map, they were able to easily locate the precise area they needed to search. Leaving the van and her vehicle on the main road, they were going to have to hike in. There was no point in risking the headlights being seen.

  “Listen up,” She called. “He is armed and dangerous, he knows our routines and how we would perform a search. Keep your flashlights pointed to the ground and above all else, remain silent. Radios turned down and on channel two. No traffic unless it’s an emergency situation. Am I clear?”

  The steady replies of “Yes Ma’am,” came back. They spread out in a line pattern until they were ten wide, five feet apart. Then proceeded to walk forward, slowly and repetitively. Walking for approximately five minutes, they ran into swamp. The next step they took gave them the first indication that they were exactly where they needed to be. Hidden in the weeds they found a black Honda half submerged. The officer that located it quietly picked up his radio and informed Det. Tony.

  After verifying that it was the car they were searching for Tony radioed in for more backup and additional SWAT members, this night was about to take a rocky turn. Indicating to her team to back out of their current position, they made their way back out to the main road. In a matter of minutes the main road was littered with various police and FBI vehicles, no lights on and loading up on ammo like they were going to war. Without knowing what weapons he had available to him other than his service weapon, they had to be prepared for anything. It was dark, he knew that they were on to him, he would be ready for them.

  While they were getting ready to try to save her, Priscilla was trying to put as much distance between her and him as she could. She was walking slowly now, but still moving. There wasn’t any way for her to try and find shelter right now, she had no choice but to keep going. Her footing faltering considerably, she began to cry. The tears came in torrents and she made no effort to stop them. Her dad’s voice broke through loud and clear. “Keep moving baby, you are going to be okay.” She knew she wasn’t hearing it in reality, but she held onto it like it was the last thing that would keep her alive.

  As they were preparing to start their sweep of the area and head back to the only place the cabin could be located, Det. Tony reminded them all, “We do not know if Ms. Barnes is alive or dead. We do know that Ward has her. At least he did have her. There is nothing that shows us otherwise. The car he was driving was hidden in the swamp and when he knew that we were onto him, he left in a hurry. That leaves me with the hope that this is not going to become a body recovery for a homicide victim.”

  The team was making last minute preparations and adding everything that they might need. SWAT members had flash grenades along with all of their other ammo. They had to have the element of surprise on their side if they were going to take him alive without any of them being injured or killed. The coming hours were going to be very telling of the outcome of this crisis.

  Across town, Adam was unaware of the events being played out in the swampland on the far side of the freeway. All he could think about was trying to make a life with this woman and growing from here. “How do you know she will even want you after this?” He questioned himself. “Ah, we don’t but if there is a chance isn’t it better to take it than leave it behind?” So many things that he could question about all of this. How did he fall in love with someone so quickly? Why did he care all of a sudden if he had an actual partner and not a sub? What if she was scared of him after
this? What if she wasn’t alive? That question was the one that burned his heart to ash. He would rather her be alive and not want him than to not have her at all. Wanting to take any suffering from her was killing him. There was nothing that he could do except wait for the detective to contact them.

  Now he had Nina, who was becoming more and more volatile the longer this ensued. She was a bundle of nerves and there was nothing that would calm her. He was thinking more and more about calling a doctor friend who could write her a prescription for something to either relax or sleep. The poor woman hadn’t eaten nor slept. Nothing he could do had convinced her that she needed to keep herself strong as well. If she lost it before the conclusion of this travesty, it was going to be the equivalent of a nuclear bomb. Especially since the arrival of Nancy Barnes.

  She was yet another crucial piece of the puzzle he had before him. Priscilla didn’t have a relationship with her since childhood and now she shows up unannounced while her estranged daughter is missing. “What the hell else can go wrong, Linston?” He asked himself out loud.

  “Don’t ask that very loud.” Nina said in a half-hearted attempt at humor. “It’s like tempting fate.”

  “Can’t hurt if you don’t believe in fate.” He replied.

  “Why don’t you believe in it?” She questioned him.

  “For the same reason I don’t believe in a god.” He said openly. “If there were a god, would he or she permit all of this to happen? Would Priscilla be out there somewhere in the hands of a deranged killer? Same with fate. What, it was her fate to die somewhere alone?”

  “I see where you are coming from.” She replied. “I guess I just had it instilled in me from such a young age.”

  “That’s where people need to open their eyes and think for themselves.” He told her. “That’s just my opinion and people are welcome to believe as they choose.”

  It was a relief to be talking about something else, even if it was religion or lack thereof, but at least it wasn’t about Priscilla missing or Ward on the loose. They had to catch this guy so everyone could have a little peace of mind.

  “I agree, I don’t look at you any differently because of that. I know Priscilla doesn’t believe either. Although it makes me wonder who she is praying to or talking with while she’s alone or before she…” Nina said.

  “Stop, I don’t think she’s gone. I have a really strong gut feeling that they are going to find her.” He told her.

  “I hope you are right.” She answered. “I told you it was this bastard and I told you that Tony had suspected him.”

  He knew that she was coming to an “I told you so” spot, but he was not going to let her get this one. Priscilla was coming home alive.

  “I’ve never wanted to truly kill someone until Mike Ward.” Adam told her. “I mean literally eviscerate him. I hate feeling this way it’s a heavy load, but I could end that man’s world in a heartbeat.”

  “Don’t feel alone in that club, I’m right there with you and I would not feel one miniscule amount of guilt for doing it.” She replied.

  “You know, we should go eat. Breakfast didn’t go so well, but I am getting hungry. Whether or not it stays down, we’ll see…but I’m hungry.” He told her.

  “I’m good. Not hungry.” She said.

  “Get your shit, you’re coming with me. We have to eat or we will be in the hospital when they find her. That’s not where I want to be. You?” He snarked.

  Being too tired to argue with him and if she were being honest, she was a tad bit hungry, she grabbed her bag and got ready to go.

  Waiting on their food to be served, all he could think about was hearing from the police. The not knowing was pure hell. Talking with Nina and carrying on an internal dialogue with himself was becoming a common place habit. He didn’t want to ignore her and stare into outer space, but he didn’t want to vocalize all of his internal thoughts either. It was a fine line between sanity and insanity. He felt as if he had crossed that line or was getting dangerously close to doing so.

  “For someone that wasn’t hungry you sure did eat quite a bit.” He laughed at her. A true laugh. It was something that sounded foreign to his ears. He missed it and couldn’t wait to do it more often.

  He recalled the sound of her laughter while they were in the garden. It was almost a magical sound to him. Is that what love does to you? Makes you think cheesy things like that? He had to smile.

  “What’s so funny over there, lover boy?” She playfully mocked him.

  “I was just thinking about her. How nice it was while she was there. I want that out of life and I want it with her.” He responded. “She is my perfect.”

  With that, he fell apart. He thought he was having a nervous breakdown. The tears were flowing, he was laughing and he wanted to fucking kill Mike Ward. All at the same time. There were no words for how he felt and he couldn’t even express it to Nina. He didn’t have to. She felt exactly the same, only she had found a way to compartmentalize it.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  When Nancy made her presence known once again, she had not changed her attitude in the least. She was still getting mouthy with Nina and she refused to listen to Adam.

  “You are going to have to calm down if you are going to be here. I have no problem including you in anything that is taking place, but I can’t do that if you insist on trying to run things.” He told her.

  “Look, I am her mother.” Nancy started. “There is a…”

  “I’m going to interrupt you right there. You might be her mother by giving birth to her, but that is where it stops. We have talked at great lengths about this and rest assured that you do not qualify as mother of the year by any means.” He continued on, “Again, if you want to be a part of this discussion and wait on any word from the police, then I would highly advise you to shut your mouth and sit the fuck down.”

  He was finished playing her power game with her. If she wanted power, he would show it to her. Nancy didn’t say anything for a few moments. She was seething and it was obvious no one ever talked to her that way before, or if they did, she paid no attention. Now she had met her match. Easily ordered around and controlled was not something that Adam Linston was, in fact, it went against every fiber of his being.

  “I don’t know who you think you are, but you will not talk to me with that lack of respect. Do you understand me?” She hissed at him. Her true colors were starting to show before they knew whether her daughter had lived or died. It was a sad night for both Adam and Nina. This woman wasn’t looking to fix any relationship. She was trying to make herself look better for whatever reason.

  “Mrs. Barnes, there are things about me that you have no idea about. I do not take orders, from anyone. I am not a pushover, for anyone. I am not controlled, by anyone. This will do much better for everyone involved, including Priscilla, if you can retain a modicum of self-restraint.” He told her calmly.

  “Who do you think you are? This is my child we are talking about.” She continued to argue.

  “She might be your daughter, but at twenty eight years old she is far from a child. If she wants to establish a relationship that is something that the two of you should discuss in private. Not with us while she isn’t even here.” He said.

  “If you are through with this conversation I will return to my hotel. Oh, as her mother and the rightful next of kin, I will be contacting the police to direct all communication through me.” She smiled an evil grin. “The two of you might as well go on home now, because legally they are bound to talk to me. So, Mr. Linston, as for no one controls you, I have control of this now.” Nancy spit at him.

  “If I didn’t want to go to jail I would beat your ass. How fucking low does someone have to be to pull this shit when they don’t know if their offspring is alive? You have no class and that is disgusting. I have news for you, while that might work in the medical field, for now, this is a legal matter and since we’ve already been working with the police and the detectives for months, and they
don’t even know your name…it won’t be you they search out.” Nina had enough. At this point it might be worth it to go to jail. No wonder Priscilla didn’t want anything to do with this witch, especially if she had to put up with the acid filled garbage that spews from her mouth.

  “Nina, go sit down and be quiet for a minute. Please.” He added for good measure.

  “Mrs. Barnes, you need to go back to your hotel or better yet back to Pennsylvania, because you are cutting your own throat with your daughter. How do you think she would feel hearing you talk to the people she loves, like this?” Adam asked her. He wanted a legitimate answer.

  “Mr. Linston, I do not need to answer you nor do I feel that your question deserves a response. When they find my daughter I will make sure she understands how you treated me so disrespectfully.” She said with a smile.

  Without any forethought, Adam laughed. He laughed hard. Then he opened the door and showed her out. When she was on the other side of the door, he found that he was still laughing. That was the stupidest outburst he had ever seen. If they had a legitimate relationship, it would be understandable. Since they have not and never have, it doesn’t matter in the least. There is no way that she would ever choose to go against Nina, and he doubted she would against him. He still couldn’t wrap his brain around the fact that she broke into a full blown power play while they were searching for her daughter.

  “What the hell is her problem?” Nina sputtered. “I’ve never seen anyone who was that mental before.”

  “I don’t get it Nina.” He admitted.

  “Some things are unexplainable.” She said as she shook her head.

  “I wish we would hear something from the police. I’m really getting worried.” He told her. “I think I am going to go out and smoke a cigarette, maybe talk to one of the uniforms that are still out here.”