The woods became denser until we reached some large boulders, blocking us from going any further. Hattie ran her hand over one of the rocks. It slid to the side, and a cave appeared. Daniel eased me down to the ground.
“Daniel and I go in first,” Hattie said. “Wait a minute and then enter. Just walk toward the light.”
Hattie kissed my cheek and went in with Daniel, leaving me standing alone by the entrance. My mouth became dry as I counted slowly to sixty. I licked my dry lips, inhaled deeply, and walked into the cave. Everything was dark inside, except for the flickering of a light a long distance ahead of me.
After I had taken a few steps, I heard noise behind me. I turned and watched the boulder moving back into place, covering the opening. My body trembled as I walked along in the still darkness. The dirt under my bare feet felt soothing—not at all what I had expected. I squinted as I looked around, hoping somehow I could see Father. Someone breathed close to me. It sent a chill through my body. I would have felt better with a reassuring arm to cling to while I moved along. However, I knew that wasn’t the Tegen way.
As I got closer to the light, I could see people standing on both sides. I recognized Lindsey. Passing her, I saw Brett. His face was immobile. Then he winked at me. I smiled. Finally, I saw Father next to the light. He was all dressed in black, like everyone else.
When I reached him, it looked like I was at the end of the cave. I hadn’t felt one spider or a cobweb. Father held onto my arm. With his other hand he touched something behind him. A section of the cave wall moved, revealing a cavern. He led me in, and then released my arm. The opening disappeared. It was pitch black. I couldn’t see anything. A surge of fear ran through my body. Searching for Father, I swung out my hands and touched his arm. I grasped onto him tight as we walked through the darkness.
He stopped and gently stroked my cheek. “Remove your nightgown and lie down on the surface behind you,” he whispered.
With trembling fingers, I began unbuttoning it. I found the task difficult since I was shaking so hard. Finally, I managed to get the nightgown to drop to my feet. I stepped out of it. Still unable to see anything, I cautiously lowered myself onto a surface that bounced like a hammock. It felt silky and soft against my bare skin.
Father kissed my forehead. Next, I sensed him backing away from me.
I smelled a sweet aroma and felt movement in my hair. A prickly sensation began to tickle my hands and feet and crept up my limbs. Millions of tiny arthropod feet swarmed over me until my entire body was enveloped. They began to enter my ears, nose, and mouth. I attempted to raise my arm to stop them. It wouldn’t budge from the surface, as if glued down. I unsuccessfully tried to lift a leg. Then I realized I was paralyzed motionless in a spider’s web. My heart pounded against my ribs. I tightened my closed eyes, but it didn’t prevent the spiders from squeezing under my eyelids and scuttling over my eyeballs. I opened my mouth to scream. No sound escaped. My throat became parched. My lungs burned. I felt an unimaginable pain in every cell.
After what seemed like hours, I relaxed. I could smell the sweet aroma once again. The pain dissipated as spiders still moved through my torso.
26
The Aftermath
“I’ll see you in a week,” I said, pulling Father’s door shut as I stepped out into the reception area of his clinic.
“Ready to go?” Conner asked, standing by the entrance.
“Yes.”
As soon as the plane reached cruising altitude, Conner and I went into the bedroom. This time it was because I wanted to be with him in order to put my plan into motion, not because of an overwhelming need. He quickly undressed. I stripped off my clothing slowly, enjoying him watching me.
“I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to be allowed to leave that clinic,” he said, wrapping his arms around my waist.
“I probably could have left a little earlier. I just thought you needed time to be with your family.”
He pulled me down onto the bed. “It has been a struggle. Melanie is still in shock. Caden has stepped in like a trooper. He’s been helping me organize Cameron’s papers, question employees, and follow-up on leads. He called while I was waiting at the clinic and said that Viltro has some valuable information. Viltro’s an employee. He didn’t want to discuss it on the phone. I’m anxious to hear what he has to say when we get home.”
“Conner, remember I can only stay for a week then I have to go back to the clinic for additional treatments,” I lied. A week was the length of time I had given myself to carry out my scheme. Also, Father wanted me to be close to him so he could monitor my diet. During a Tegen’s first year an excessive amount of venotrolia and flesh must be consumed to replenish strength drained from the transformation.
“Let’s talk later,” he said, and then he smothered my lips with his as his hand moved up my thigh.
When the pilot announced it was time to prepare for landing, Conner and I were lying with our legs intertwined and my head resting on his shoulder.
“Time to deal with problems again,” Conner said. A muscle tightened in his jaw.
We hurriedly dressed and buckled up before the plane rapidly descended. He held my hand. I looked at his handsome face, the face of the man I would have a hard time forgetting. I had begun to feel differently about Conner before the transformation. Now I no longer was infatuated with his intangible charms. I planned on permanently destroying any semblance of a relationship, and with it, as much of the Crussett business as I could before returning to North Dakota.
I had thought Carina might be the one running the business, or maybe Cedric would be active again. Since Conner was going through Cameron’s papers, it must have fallen on his shoulders. “How are your parents handling Cameron’s death?”
“Better than I would have expected. Father’s been busy making inquiries. He might decide to return to the workforce. Mother thinks it would do him good. She’s probably tired of having him around the house all day. Cameron always kept him informed. I suspect this isn’t anything you want to hear about.”
“No … no. I asked the question. I know this is a hard time for you. I want you to feel free to discuss it with me.”
“I’m glad you feel that way. With everyone reporting to me right now, it would be difficult to keep things from you.”
Conner’s eyes drooped and a sad expression crept across his face.
“How are you doing?” I asked.
“I had no idea how much I would miss Cameron. You only knew him as my stern, older brother. I remember all the great times we had together. He always played with me when I was growing up. He took me to ball games, fishing, and camping. I don’t think he’s ever done that with his kids.”
The loving brother certainly wasn’t a quality I had ever seen in Cameron. As far as his boys were concerned, I thought he merely tolerated them.
As we exited the plane, the limo driver opened the door. While we slid in, I caught a glimpse of several black sedans parked next to the hangar.
“Until we locate the culprits responsible for Cameron, we’ve increased our security,” Conner said as one of the black sedans pulled ahead of us. “You’ll be completely safe. An investigative team has been researching the Billings’ murders. I received their report yesterday.”
“Can I see it?”
“We’ll go over it together so we can plan our strategy.”
“And what is that?”
“I hoped you would want to be involved. If not, I’ll handle it since they managed to terminate six of my men.”
“How’s the guy in the Billings hospital doing?”
“He died. The police, the same Lieutenant Barnes and Sergeant Harmon you talked to, are still working on locating victims. There haven’t been any additional disappearances since you left. They want to ask you a few questions.”
“Can’t you take care of that?” I asked, knowing his family’s influence. I immediately regretted it when I realized I might have been misinterpreted as
asking him to have someone killed.
“Occasionally, we run into a cop that wants to be a hero: follow his oath, protect the people.”
“That’s not a bad thing.”
He frowned, looked down, and tapped his fingertips on his thighs. “They’re difficult to deal with.”
I took a deep breath so as not to betray my disgust. “How did they know I was staying at your place?”
“Your hospital stay, the spider bite. That’s how they tracked you down.” He took my hand. “Don’t worry. They’ll only be allowed to question you once. After that, I’ll find a way to handle them so they won’t be bothering or pestering you again.”
Driving through the gate to the Crussett compound, I saw half a dozen guards glancing into the limo along with three who were walking along the outside parameter. Conner pushed the window button. It slid down, “Any visitors?”
“Four are at Mr. Cedric Crussett’s house. They were expected. Dr. Thomas is checking on Mrs. Melanie Crussett. Two youngsters are visiting Colin.”
Conner motioned for the driver to continue.
An armed guard stood by Conner’s front door. Looking around, I saw two more approaching from the backyard. Conner nodded at the first guard as we stepped over the threshold. The limo driver took my small suitcase, filled with cash, venotrolia, and equipment, and brought it upstairs.
Conner led me to the den. “I need to return some calls,” he said, handing me the report. “You can read it in here or the living room.”
“I’ll stay here.” I sat down in a cushioned chair. “If you don’t mind.”
“No problem. The telephone calls might make you feel uncomfortable.”
“If that happens, I’ll go to the living room,” I smiled, hoping to obtain information.
As he dialed a number, I opened the report folder. The first page was devoted to the couple I pointed out to Conner at the compound gate when I returned from Billings. It started with their pictures and home address. They lived in Houston. Next to that appeared a red asterisk and a comment: “Recently returned from Billings. Phones tapped. No suspicious calls. Successfully tailed. Subjects reported to work at 8:30 a.m., left at 4:30 p.m. All associates investigated. Nothing out of the ordinary.”
At the top of the following page it stated: “Portions of this information were provided in our prior report on the disappearance of Sara Jones. This report will focus on the individuals that are believed to be members or associates of the Billings, Montana ‘spider cult’ who came in contact with Jones. It includes those hired to influence or obtain information from Jones. Report is laid out in the order Jones was contacted.”
Below that was a picture of Mildred Belkin, the elderly woman who sat next to me when I left Houston on the bus. “Belkin had been hired by a white, unidentified man, approximately 6’1”, 190 pounds with gray hair, unshaved face, and thick prescription glasses. Her job was to convince Jones to go to Billings, Montana. Belkin arrived at the bus station at 7 a.m. and waited for Jones to show. She purchased a ticket for the same bus Jones took and sat next to her. The unidentified man appeared at the second bus stop and paid Belkin the remainder of the agreement. No contact with him after that.”
I turned the page and saw Lindsey Farrington’s name and her picture. My attention drifted to Conner’s conversation when he said in a raised voice, “It sails tomorrow night.”
My eyes remained fixed on the report as I listened.
“I need one more…she’s too heavy…get rid of her…no…we’ve been over this before…two more…late afternoon…twenty, no less!” He slammed down the receiver.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, innocently.
Clenching his teeth and shaking his head, “Nothing you have to worry about.” He leaned back in his chair and regained his composure. “Have you got to the interesting part yet?”
“It’s all interesting. I’m only on the third page. How did you manage to track down the first woman who sat with me on the bus?”
“By hiring experienced investigators who know their stuff,” he grinned. “You’ll know when you get to the part I find interesting.”
“Did you get a hold of Caden?” I asked since I had been concentrating on the report instead of listening closely to his calls.
“No. I left a message.” He picked up a notepad. His eyes narrowed as he gazed at it.
“What’s wrong?”
“Gerard. He’s a mystery.”
I knew he was talking about Dr. Gerard, the guy Cameron brought to the morgue who wasn’t really a doctor. Still, I asked, “Who’s Gerard?”
“Dr. Gerard. He died in the fire along with Cameron. It doesn’t make sense.”
“Why?”
“Gerard was used to obtain information. He wasn’t muscle. He wouldn’t have been with Cameron to make a deal. Why was he there?”
I shrugged my shoulders.
“I didn’t expect an answer. I’m just thinking out loud.” He lifted the receiver. “One more call.”
My eyes dropped to the report, but my ears concentrated on his call.
“No, not there … Empire … the new place.” I heard Conner open a drawer and flip through some papers. “5730 … don’t send them that way … Get Sam to help.” He hung up just as the doorbell rang.
I recalled seeing Empire Street on a document. Was that where they stored their porn DVDs or something worse? I looked up and met his eyes.
“I wanted to spend time with you,” he said. “It’s not going to be easy.”
I gave him a fake smile. “I understand.”
Someone knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Conner said.
Darcy peeked in. “Mr. Caden Crussett would like to see you.”
“Tell him to wait in the living room,” he said, standing up. He came to me, leaned down, and lightly kissed my lips. “This shouldn’t take long.” He walked out, closing the door behind him.
After making sure he was out of earshot, I went to his desk, looked at the notepad, and saw scribbled notes: “Why Gerard? Had Cameron planned on interrogating someone? Missing documents. What price does he want? Buy, then kill.”
Hearing movement in the hall, I hurried back to my seat and picked up the report. A second later, the doorknob turned.
“Would you like something to drink?” Darcy asked.
“Iced tea.”
“I’ll make it just the way you like it,” she smiled and eased the door shut.
Thinking about the missing documents, I wondered if the thief was anyone I knew. Then I flipped to the third page of the report and began reading again. “Farrington sat next to Jones on the bus from Nebraska to Billings, Montana.” It went on to say, “Farrington had arranged to be on the same buses as Jones. Based on numerous interviews and telephone conversations, Farrington was thought to be a member of the spider cult. That was just a cover. Her job was to befriend Jones in order to obtain documents Jones had in her possession regarding the Crussett family business. She was working with two individuals identified as Brett Daborel and Fred Shoeman.”
Fear gripped me. My body tensed as I stared with horror at the page. They know about Brett, too. I sucked in air, leaned back in the chair, and the tension dissipated, realizing they didn’t know the truth. Then I wondered who Fred Shoeman was. My eyes moved to the report again. “Since Farrington was not able to obtain the documents while on the bus with Jones, it became Daborel’s job.” I drummed my fingers on the armrest.
The report continued, “Farrington left Jones in Billings and went on to Portland, Oregon to see a man named Simon Ellis. Investigators were unable to interview Ellis since he disappeared around the same time Farrington left Portland. She returned to Billings to assist Daborel in obtaining the information. She stayed with Jones and Daborel at a home owned by Rex Larsen, a petroleum engineer who works for the company used by Daborel for his cover. When Jones was hospitalized in Houston, Farrington visited her on two occasions.
“Investigators were not a
ble to determine Daborel, Farrington, or Shoeman’s employer(s).”
The following page was devoted to Brett. Below his picture it began, “Daborel was instrumental in having Jones placed in the room adjacent to his at the Towne Hotel. He had paid the hotel clerk, Ralph Miller, to make that happen. While Jones was there, Daborel befriended her as per the plan. He was unable to obtain the information.
“His cell phone logged a call each day reporting his status regarding their relationship. The calls were traced to another cell phone purchased by an unidentified person using the name Karl Mathews. That person also checked into the Towne Hotel and specifically requested room 839, the room next to Jones. Daborel’s room was on one side of hers and the unidentified man on the other. In a phone conversation, Daborel was informed that Crussetts were close to locating her. After that, he released captured spiders as a scare tactic to get Jones to move out of the hotel. Innocent people were bitten. That appears to be how the spider cult scenario began. The origin of these spiders, and their exact species, are still undetermined. In order to heighten the scare tactic, the disappearance of Nancy Stewart and Phil and Shelley Kessler on the way to the hospital from the hotel was orchestrated.
“Two Billings police department officers have questioned Daborel regarding the spider incidents. He’s not a suspect. The officers have not been able to locate the man using the believed fictitious name, Karl Matthews.
Several tapped and recorded telephone calls revealed that Daborel intended to appear as a member of the spider cult in case Jones became suspicious about his behavior.” I squinted, wondering how that wouldn’t make me suspicious. Then it clicked and I understand: it wouldn’t make me suspicious about his intent according to the report—obtaining the documents. I read on. “Daborel continued pursuing Jones for the documents in Houston. He tried to snatch her when Saul Fazio was taking her to the airport. The only weapon Daborel carried was poisonous spiders, which resulted in both Fazio and Jones being bitten. Fazio died from the venom. Jones required hospitalization and treatment, thus confirming there was no collaboration on Jones’ behalf. During the kidnapping attempt, Daborel was shot and believed dead. He recently resurfaced in Billings.”
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