by Willow Rose
We drove through the back streets in a smaller neighborhood, then reached a Home Depot before heading out on Dixie Highway, leading out of town. I pressed the accelerator down, and we roared southbound until the traffic suddenly slowed down once again and we came to a full stop.
“What the heck?” I said.
“Another roadblock?” Sydney asked and looked at me perplexed.
A chopper circled above us and made me nervous. The traffic crawled forward, and I found a small exit, leading us back again.
“Shoot,” I said and slammed my hand on the wheel.
I took another turn down toward the Chinese Village but ran into yet another roadblock and had to turn around again and drive back.
“They’ve blocked all the exits,” I said. “We can’t get out of here.”
I hit the accelerator again, and we rushed back toward Coconut Grove. I found a park and stopped the car, trying to clear my head for a few seconds, and looking at the map.
“We’ve tried all the exits,” I said. “There’s no way out. We have to stay here, somehow.”
“But, Eva Rae, I don’t understand,” Sydney said. “Why are they chasing us like this? Is there something I need to know?”
I exhaled and leaned back in the seat. “They think I killed Lori Moore,” I said. “I called Matt earlier, and he told me. I didn’t want to worry you. That’s why I didn’t tell you.”
Sydney stared at me, barely blinking. “Lori Moore? She’s… she’s dead? But we saw her yesterday?”
“And that’s why they think I killed her. We were the last people to see her alive. She was found murdered in her house this morning.”
The panic was visible in Sydney’s eyes.
“Murdered? But… but… can’t you just tell them you didn’t do it?”
“It’s not that simple. I’m already wanted for a lot of other stuff. And I don’t exactly have an alibi for when she was killed.”
“You don’t? Oh, wait… it happened last night? You snuck out last night… but… why, Eva Rae? What were you doing?”
I started the car back up with a roar. “I went for a walk, remember?”
I didn’t want to tell her what I had done. I was still processing it myself. Three people had been killed, bad people, yes, but still. They weren’t supposed to have died. It was an accident. I didn’t want Sydney to know; I didn’t want to give her more to worry about.
“We need to find somewhere to hide,” Sydney said and gave me a look.
“I don’t think any hotels will take us,” I said. “Even if we found a small motel, they’d recognize our faces.”
“Maybe we don’t have to,” she said. “I have an idea. But you’re not gonna like it.”
Chapter 49
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Sydney had taken over the wheel and driven us back to Coconut Grove and into the south end of the neighborhood, far from the Ritz-Carlton. She parked in front of a big mansion and looked at me.
“Think about it. They’ll never look for us here. We’ll be right under their noses.”
“But… Sydney. This is NYX headquarters?”
She nodded eagerly. “I know. It’s perfect.”
Sydney got out of the car, and I reluctantly followed her. She grabbed my hand in hers and led me to the entrance, where we rang the doorbell. A tall, gorgeous woman wearing white linen pants and shirt opened.
“Kelly Stone!”
“We need your help,” she said. “Can I talk to Christopher again?”
The woman nodded. “Of course. Of course. Come on in.”
We walked inside the big hall and were told to sit down on a set of couches. A huge flower arrangement on the table in front of us smelled heavenly. All the walls and furniture were white, and everything was very bright.
Even the man coming toward us was dressed in a white suit, his salt and pepper hair slicked back, his piercing blue eyes lingering on my sister.
“Kelly Stone, twice in one day. How did I get to be so lucky?” he said and gave her a warm hug.
“This is my sister,” she said and pointed at me. “Eva Rae, this is Christopher Daniels.”
The gorgeous man pulled me into a hug as well. His embrace felt warm and genuine. I had to admit, I enjoyed it, and it brought me great calmness.
He looked into my eyes, still while holding me.
“Wow, you’re tense.”
He turned to face my sister, finally letting go of me.
“My assistant told me you needed our help?”
Sydney nodded. “Yes. We need shelter for the night. The entire town is looking for us.”
Christopher Daniels stared at her, scrutinizing her. “I have a feeling I shouldn’t ask why. We don’t watch the news here and, to be honest, it doesn’t matter why you’re running. We all run from stuff in our lives. We are here to help.”
“We can pay you,” Sydney said.
Christopher put his hand up. “We don’t need your money. It’ll be our pleasure to host you and your sister for as long as you need. I’ll put you up in one of the guest cottages in the back. No one will think about looking for you there.”
Sydney exhaled, relieved. I was still tense, maybe even more now as I saw the way he looked at my sister.
“Thank you so much. You have no idea how big of a help this is.”
Christopher Daniels placed his palms against one another, then bowed.
“It is my pleasure to help. At NYX, we believe in kindness toward everyone.”
He turned to face the woman who had opened the door for us. “Angela here will make sure you have everything you need; won’t you, Angela?”
The woman nodded, smiling. As she moved her arm and her sleeve was pulled up, I noticed she too was branded with the symbol, just like the guy I had seen in the car at the port. Seeing it made my blood freeze.
“Of course,” she said. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll get you installed.”
Chapter 50
Matt sat at his desk, sipping coffee, while people rushed around him, talking on phones and tapping on computers. He stared into the empty screen, not knowing what to do. He could still hear Eva Rae’s wonderful voice and missed her so terribly. It was like his entire being was screaming for her to come back. The whole town was looking for her now. He was terrified that she would put up a fight and they’d end up killing her.
Carter had ordered roadblocks all over town, especially tight around Coconut Grove, so they wouldn’t be able to leave the neighborhood without being caught.
So far, Matt hadn’t heard anything, so that was still good news. But Matt felt nervous beyond anything else. If they did catch her, then there was no telling what might happen. Would she resist arrest? Would she try to run? Would they shoot at her if she did?
He couldn’t see any good ending to this, and it tormented him.
Chief Annie had called earlier in the morning and told him she too was worried. What she was hearing from down there made her nervous.
“You and I both know she didn’t do it,” she said. “She couldn’t kill that woman — not that way. In self-defense maybe or trying to do something good, yes, but not a brutal slaughter like this. You have to stop them, Matt.”
“How?” he had asked her. “I tried to get her to turn herself in, but she refused to. Not until she finds her daughter.”
“So, she must have some intel that puts Olivia in Miami,” she said. “Maybe she knows that the Iron Fist is there.”
“That’s what I’ve been thinking too. But I’ve asked around and even searched their files down here. They have nothing on this Iron Fist.”
“It’s probably just a name he uses online,” she said with a deep exhale. “They might know him by another name.”
“I’ve asked to look into their human trafficking files, and hopefully that’ll pay off.”
“And that guy, Carter? Does he suspect that you know Eva Rae?”
“I’m afraid so. He asked about it earlier, but I think
I managed to talk myself out of it.”
“He can’t know, Matt,” she said. “You’ve got to play along, so we know what’s going on. We want Eva Rae home alive.”
He sighed. “I’m beginning to think it might be hard. This guy wants her taken down. It’s become like an obsession to him.”
“That’s not good, Matt.”
“He still doesn’t have anything that places Eva Rae at Lori Moore’s house at the time of the murder.”
“That’s good,” she said. “I’ll try and pull all the strings I can from up here, but there’s a lot of heat on her right now, so I fear it might be tough.”
They had hung up, and Matt had felt like screaming but kept his cool. Now, he spotted Carter coming down the hallway, a file under his arm, whistling happily.
I don’t like that look on his face.
“Guess what?” he said as he approached Matt’s desk.
Matt forced a smile. It became awkward, but Carter didn’t seem to notice.
He reached inside of his file, then placed a photo in front of Matt. On it was a necklace with a golden heart at the end of it. Seeing it made Matt feel sick to his stomach.
Matt had given Eva Rae this necklace for Christmas.
“Recognize this?” Carter asked, then showed him a photo of Eva Rae where you could see her wearing the necklace.
“That’s right,” he added. “It’s hers, and guess where it was found? You guessed right. In Lori Moore’s house, in the kitchen where her body was found. This places Eva Rae Thomas at the scene of the crime. This is exactly the evidence we’ve been waiting for.”
Chapter 51
The guest house they gave us was really nice — decorated in white furniture and with flower arrangements on the tables, two bedrooms with queen-sized beds, and a small kitchen. It was all we needed.
I took a shower, then threw myself on the bed and fell asleep right away. I slept heavily until Sydney woke me up and told me it was time to go to dinner. I still felt groggy and exhausted when I followed Sydney into the big dining room.
Many eyes were on us as we found two seats and sat down. The food was nice and reminded me of my mom’s. Being vegan and plant-based, it was something she might cook. I ate while thinking about her and the kids, wondering if they were all right. I didn’t allow myself to think much about them since it hurt too much if I did, and I had to focus on the task of finding Olivia.
I had been so close to the Iron Fist the night before at the port. And now, I didn’t even have a computer to gain access to the Dark Web. It annoyed me greatly that I had finally found him in there, found a chatroom where he was arranging the meets, and now, I couldn’t even get back to it.
I had been so close, and yet I blew it.
Not everyone in the dining room had been branded on the arm; I realized when looking around. It seemed to be only a few, and those few seemed to be in charge of the rest. Most were women, but there were also a few men. The founder, Christopher Daniels, sat at the end of the table, smiling and chatting to the people sitting next to him. Sydney fell into talking with several other women sitting next to her, and she seemed like she was enjoying herself. Meanwhile, no one spoke to me. I guess I didn’t exactly give out the vibe of wanting to chat.
Gosh, I miss my family. Has Alex lost that loose tooth he was so proud of? Will my mom remember to give him money from the tooth fairy? Is Christine remembering to practice her double bass?
Talking to Matt earlier had almost made me lose it. I wanted him to reach in through the phone and hold me tight. I needed to feel his touch, his warm kisses on my skin. I craved to be close to him again. But instead of telling him how badly I missed him, how deeply I loved him, I had been distant and cold toward him.
Because I had to be.
I just hoped he understood that.
When dinner was over, we helped clean up along with everyone else in the big kitchen. I filled the dishwasher and, once I was done, I walked outside on the porch overlooking the big pool area. Two women were in the pool, swimming.
I realized there were four guest cottages like ours on the property, and one of them was located by the edge of the property, its windows covered with plywood. Somehow, that cottage gave me the creeps, and I couldn’t stop looking at it.
“You enjoying the view?”
It was Christopher Daniels. He came out on the porch, an orange in his hand that he began peeling. He smiled at me when I turned around.
“Just enjoying that I still have my freedom,” I said, feeling heavy. I knew this was a good hideout, but it wasn’t going to last. At some point, I had to face what I had done. I just hoped I found Olivia before it happened.
I added, “For now.”
“I sense you are weighed down greatly by your past,” he said, his eyes scrutinizing me.
Really? How insightful.
“You know there are ways to let go of all this, right?” he asked. “We have workshops that can help you.”
I forced a smile. “I’m good for now. But thanks.”
“Suit yourself,” he said, then finished peeling the orange and opened it. He handed me a piece. I took it to be polite. He slurped his as he ate it, and the sound made me cringe.
“You know it’s not your fault that your sister was kidnapped when you were younger,” he said.
I almost choked on my piece of orange. I coughed to breathe. He didn’t seem to notice.
“You’ve carried that weight since you were a child,” he continued. “But that’s not all of what is weighing you down. And this is becoming a problem between you and your sister. Because, deep down, you also blame your sister for what happened. Because she strayed. That day at the supermarket. She walked away from you; she left you to look at Barbie dolls. The man, your father, grabbed you first but then took her instead. You’re secretly angry at your sister for letting it happen when she knew she was supposed to keep an eye on you. And now that she’s back in your life, you’re angry with her because she got the easy part. She got to grow up with your dad while you were stuck with a mother who was emotionally unavailable. She got to become a beautiful, beloved actress, while you became an FBI agent in the attempt to redeem yourself for not being able to save her. She grew up guilt-free while you carried all this weight around. But you need to forgive her in order to be able to move on. Or else it might end up destroying your entire relationship. You need to let go of this. It’s important for both of you.”
I stared at the man next to me, eyes wide open, my nostrils flaring. At first, I didn’t know what to say.
“Did my sister tell you all this?” I ended up asking.
He shrugged. “Does it matter?”
I was about to say something, but as I turned to look at him again, he had left. I stood alone on the porch, warm wind blowing in my hair, feeling myself blush in anger.
Who did this guy think he was?
Chapter 52
Matt couldn’t sleep. How was he supposed to fall asleep with all that was going on?
He was lying in his hotel room, staring into the ceiling, wondering about Eva Rae and how to help her get through this. He also wondered about the necklace and how on Earth it could have been found in Lori Moore’s house if Eva Rae hadn’t been there on the night of the murder.
Part of him was beginning to worry that maybe she had been there. Maybe Eva Rae had killed that woman?
What if she did?
No, you fool. It’s Eva Rae we’re talking about. You’ve known her since you both were three years old.
Matt closed his eyes while rubbing his forehead. He had a headache coming along, and it had been lurking behind his eyes all evening.
His thoughts returned to Eva Rae. He had gone through the case from the port this very afternoon and looked through all the pictures. Three men were killed. Seven young girls rescued. Matt didn’t know what to think. Those guys were obviously criminals of the worst kind, buying and selling young girls. But the thing was, if Eva Rae had killed them, then maybe
she had killed Lori Moore too. If she was involved somehow in the trafficking? Could she have been some sort of ringleader?
Two of the men were killed in a car crash. The driver had been shot through the windshield, but that wasn’t what killed him. The impact was. One was shot in what looked like self-defense. They didn’t have their throats slit in their kitchen. Nor had they been mutilated. No, that kill was of another caliber. That was the work of a vicious murderer.
Matt exhaled and lifted his head from the pillow. His watch said two a.m. He looked at his phone to make sure she hadn’t called again. But the last incoming call was from his mother when she called for him to say goodnight to Elijah. As usual, the boy had been completely silent on the other end while Matt spoke. It hadn’t exactly helped their relationship that he was gone for so long. Matt had thought about taking the boy to counseling to make things better between them. His mother and Eva Rae had both told him to give the boy time, but Elijah blamed Matt for the death of his mother, and it didn’t seem to get any better, no matter how much Matt tried.
“Maybe you’re trying too hard,” Eva Rae had said back then when Matt had taken the boy in. “Maybe he needs a little space.”
It had been eight months now, and Matt saw no improvement at all.
Maybe I’m just not good enough to be a dad.
He sighed and put the phone down. He couldn’t stop thinking about Eva Rae and how distant she had been earlier in the day when they had talked on the phone. Matt knew she was under a lot of pressure, more than what most people would be able to sustain, but still.
Didn’t she miss him at all?
He wondered where she was hiding. There were roadblocks all over town, and they would continue all night and into the next day. How had she managed to avoid them so far? She couldn’t go back to the hotel. She couldn’t go to any hotel in the area without them calling Carter. Her face was everywhere, on all the screens in the small homes. How was she still keeping herself under the radar?
