by L. N. Carson
He activated the phone and then plugged in the numbers and turned sideways while he waited for the admiral to answer. He didn’t want the smokers to be able to read his lips, but he wanted to be aware of them should they approach Kathleen.
“Admiral Harper, it’s Sam Garnett,” he said when his old friend and mentor answered.
“Sam! Good to hear from you! What’s the occasion?”
“I certainly wish I was calling under happier circumstances, but I need your help.” Sam quickly gave his friend the condensed version of the Fauna Manipulation Experiment and asked if he could bring the research to Admiral Harper.
“I know it’s a lot to ask, sir, but I didn’t know where else to turn.”
“Of course, I’ll help you. Where are you? I can send a helicopter.”
“I appreciate the offer, Admiral, but I’m under tight surveillance and I don’t want Amun-Ra to know you’re involved.”
“Well, the first order of business is identifying this Amun-Ra and everyone in his organization. I’ll get to work on that. I know of quite a few operatives who had a penchant for Egyptian mythology.”
“Be careful,” Sam said. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“You be careful. You’re the one with the precious cargo. Either keep it safe or destroy it.”
“Will do, sir. And thank you again for your help.”
As Sam ended the call, he turned to see Kathleen using her phone. He strode over and grabbed it.
She stood. “Hey! What’re you doing? I was texting my sister!”
He turned off the device, flipped it over, and pried open the battery case.
Kathleen tried to snatch it back. “Stop it! That’s my phone!”
“And we’re being tracked,” he said through gritted teeth.
Realization dawned on her face, and she clapped her hands over her mouth. “Oh no. But I didn’t think—”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Is there a problem here?” one of the smokers asked, approaching them, eyes on Kathleen. “This guy bothering you, honey?”
“No, it’s fine,” she said. “My…my boyfriend and I were just playing around.”
“Didn’t look like playing to me.”
Sam glared at him. “Mind your own business.”
“Maybe keeping other guys from bullying women is my business,” the smoker said, puffing his chest out over his ample belly.
“Nobody bullies this woman,” Sam said. “She can take care of herself.”
Kathleen stepped between the two men, facing Sam. “Come on, sweetheart. I think I see our ride coming.”
He nodded toward a Chrysler that was pulling into the lot. “I believe you’re right. Our ride is here.”
They picked up their belongings and got into the car.
After giving the driver an address, Sam turned to Kathleen. “Turning your phone off might not be good enough. We should remove the battery.”
“Why? What if my sister tries to reach me? What if—?”
His lips tightened. “I’m trying to keep you safe. This is as good a place as any to part ways. You take the car, and I’ll start walking.”
The driver peered at them through the rearview mirror.
“Wait.” Kathleen removed the battery from the phone and handed him both pieces. “If you think it’s that big a deal, here. Now you don’t have to worry that I’ll put the battery back in and make a call.”
“Thank you,” Sam said. “We can’t be too careful right now.” The driver was still watching them, and he smiled tightly at the man’s reflection. “We’re facing an eviction notice, and our landlord is a total jerk. We refused to pay until he made some repairs. You know how it is.”
Although the man gave a little nod, he didn’t look very convinced. Still, he turned his attention back to the road. Too late. He screamed and swerved.
Sam caught sight of a blur that looked like a couple of steers. Before he could comprehend what was going on, the Chrysler crashed into a tree.
The impact caused his seatbelt to painfully tighten around his chest and bind him to the bench seat. The driver was slumped to the side; his airbag had deployed, and it appeared he’d hit his head on the side window.
“Are you all right?” he asked Kathleen, placing his hand gently over hers.
“Yeah,” she said, a little breathlessly. “You?”
“I’m fine. Let’s get out of here.”
“B-but we can’t leave him.”
With his free hand, Sam pointed to the OnStar button on the car’s rearview mirror. “He’ll be fine.” He released her hand and unfastened his seat belt. “Need help?”
“No.” Although her hands shook, she managed to unhook the seatbelt.
While Sam shoved the things from the shopping bags into his new backpack, Kathleen gently tapped the driver’s shoulder.
“Are you okay?” she asked him.
No response.
A voice came from the speaker. “Mr. Vance, it appears you’ve had an accident. Are you in need of assistance?”
Kathleen opened her mouth to speak, but Sam slammed his hand over it and shook his head. She frowned at him, but he adamantly shook his head again. She closed her eyes and nodded to let him know she was capitulating.
As the OnStar operator told Mr. Vance that an ambulance and the police had been requested, Sam uncovered Kathleen’s mouth—hesitantly at first—and then grabbed the backpack and got out of the car. He jerked his head to the right, indicating that she should do the same…and that she shouldn’t speak.
She snapped up her purse, duffel, and the other backpack closest to her and got out on the other side of the car. It was then that Kathleen saw the two additional steers had sauntered onto the road. These two were behind the car. She whipped her head back at Sam and raised her eyebrows.
He nodded, took her elbow, and propelled her off the road and into a clearing that led to a wooded area.
When they were about a hundred yards from the crash site, Kathleen whispered, “Those other steers—”
“Did what they were programmed to do. Block in the car,” Sam said quietly.
“That’s why they didn’t come after us?”
“Right.”
“But they saw us leave the vehicle. Horus, I can understand—he’s a bird. He can come and go easily. But cattle?” She stopped and spread her arms. “How is that even possible?”
“Drones. Any animal is susceptible. I’ll explain more about it later. The steers did what they were supposed to,” he reiterated. “They won’t do anything else until further orders are received.” He stilled for a second, then said, “Hurry.”
He scrambled toward a cluster of evergreens. Kathleen followed closely behind. He put a finger to his lips and nodded toward the wrecked Chrysler.
A black SUV pulled off the side of the road near the car. A tall, broad man with a thick neck stepped out of the passenger side of the SUV. Montu. He typed something into a tablet, and the steers ambled into their pasture.
Eyes widening, Kathleen clutched Sam’s arm. “They’re coming after us!” she hissed.
“They aren’t. Hathor and Montu can’t take that chance. Not with the police on their way.”
Hathor got out of the driver’s side of the SUV and shook her bangs off her face. Her slim physique was deceptive her strength and power. Sure, Atum used Montu as the muscle, but Hathor could hold her own. Though she wore aviator sunglasses, it was obvious she was scanning the area around the crash site.
“Is it my imagination, or is that ninja woman looking right at us?” Kathleen whispered.
At the sound of approaching sirens, Hathor went to the driver’s side of the SUV, making it appear that she and her companion had just happened to come upon the scene of the accident and were offering assistance. The steers watched disinterestedly as they chewed mouthfuls of grass.
* * *
Hathor knocked lightly on the window, just above where the driver’s head was resting. “Sir, are you
okay? Can you open the door?”
The man moved away from the window in an effort to straighten up. He slumped back against the glass.
“Sir, I’m here to help you.” Her lips tightened as she tried to open the door. “It’s locked.”
The sirens drew closer and she needed some answers before the authorities arrived. She tried the closest back door, and it opened.
Shopping bags littered the floor, and she rummaged through one trying to find a receipt. Of course, Atum was too smart for that. She could guess what he was carrying with him anyway.
Montu put on a pair of latex gloves and pocketed one of the empty bags.
The driver mumbled something from the front seat. She reassured him that everything would be okay and reached around his seat to unlock the door. She got out of the car and opened the driver’s door.
Hathor caught him as he nearly fell into her arms. She placed two fingers on the pulse on his wrist.
“You…doctor?”
“No. The ambulance is on its way, though. What can you tell me about the people who were with you?”
“N-no…don’t…know.”
Hathor nearly growled in frustration as a police cruiser and an ambulance arrived. Readying herself for the police officer’s questions, she scanned the meadow once again. Atum and the woman had to have gone through the field and into the forest beyond. It was the only means of escape with an obstructed view. But that was okay—they wouldn’t get far.
Chapter THREE
Sam stood with his hands on his hips and looked both left and right. “We’ve got to keep moving. Hathor’s no fool. She’ll know we escaped into this forest because that was the only way to escape detection.”
“So we hurry and get to the other side of the ridge before they come after us,” Kathleen said.
“Nope. That’s what they’ll expect us to do. We’ll keep moving forward, hidden by these trees, until we get to the next town. From there, we’ll catch a bus and head for Norfolk.”
Kathleen merely stared at him, seemingly rooted to the spot.
Sam didn’t know what to say. There wasn’t a way to ease her mind. Hathor and Montu wouldn’t let her go if they found her now, so he was reluctant to send her away on her own. He might very well be her only chance to get out of this mess alive. His guilt prompted him to tell her “I’m sorry,” but he didn’t know what else to say.
“Will they look for us in the woods? Or send an animal after us?”
“They might.” Of course, they would. “But we don’t have much of a choice right now except to keep moving and remain vigilant.”
Kathleen nodded and repositioned the duffel on her shoulder.
Sam wished he could comfort her in some way, but he was at a loss. And they didn’t have any time to waste. They needed to move—as quickly as possible.
* * *
Miranda took another look at her two-year-old daughter napping on the bed beside her before quietly getting up and going out into the hallway. She fished her phone from her jeans pocket and called her husband, pacing as she waited for him to answer. Framed photographs of their daughter and of the three of them together lined the walls. There was even one of her dad when he was first sworn in as senator, long before her mom had taken over his seat. It occurred to Miranda that she had no portraits of Kathleen.
Finally, Mark answered his phone.
“Yeah, Randy, what’s up?”
“It’s Kathleen,” said Miranda. “I’ve been calling and texting her all morning, but she isn’t answering. I’m worried about her.”
“You know how flaky she can be. Her phone probably just died. I’m sure she’s all right.”
“Well, I’m not.”
He sighed. “Sweetheart, you worry about her way too much. Had anything happened, she’d have borrowed someone else’s phone and called you.”
“What if she isn’t physically able to call, Mark?”
“Then someone else would’ve called you on her behalf.” He dismissed her concerns and moved on. “What’s the doodlebug doing?”
“She’s taking her nap.”
“Good. Hopefully, she’ll be awake when I get home this evening.”
“I can try to keep her up if you know when you’ll be here.” Miranda was aware she was using a passive-aggressive technique to ask her husband when he’d be home, but it was easier than confronting him outright.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can. Gotta run to class. See you tonight.”
And he hung up.
Miranda let out a breath and stuffed her phone back into her pocket. She took another look at Rachel and decided that a nap wasn’t such a bad idea. She went into her room and once again lay beside her daughter on the nicely made bed. Staring up at the coffered white ceiling for a moment, she remembered how much she liked it. Odd, that a design feature that had cost so much and had been important to both her and Mark to have installed would wind up being mostly forgotten as it was seldom noticed. It really was beautiful though—elegant. Elegance and sophistication meant a lot to Mark and Miranda. More so to Mark, she guessed. Poor Kathleen had always seemed like a fish out of water when she’d lived in this house.
Her eyes drifted closed as her thoughts turned to her sister. Mark was probably right—Miranda did worry about Kathleen too much. Her baby sister deserved more credit than Miranda gave her. Despite Kathleen’s sometimes questionable behavior—I mean, who just ups and takes a flying leap off a bridge—she’d become a capable young woman. In fact, Miranda acknowledged to herself, maybe she was a little envious of Kathleen’s ability and determination to live life on her own terms.
I’ll never forget it. Momma calling and telling me that Kathleen had shot Daddy.
She shuddered. Best not to think about that.
* * *
The longer they walked, the heavier Kathleen’s duffle became. She kept switching it from one shoulder to the other, but she really wanted to put it down for a moment.
“Mind if we take a break?” she asked Sam.
“It’s better if we keep walking.” He continually scanned their surroundings.
Kathleen spied a log not too far from them. “You go ahead then. I’m going to sit down on this log for a minute and then I’ll catch up.”
He huffed out a breath. “I’ll wait. But, Kathleen, Montu and Hathor are hunting for us.”
“I know, but we’ve put a lot of distance between us and them.”
“We can’t be sure of that.”
She moved closer to the log but drew back, lifting a hand to cover her nose and mouth. “Ew, that stinks. What is it—poison ivy?”
“No.” Sam took her arm and pulled her away from the plant. “It’s definitely not poison ivy. We need to move. Fast.”
But it was already too late. Kathleen’s head snapped to the left as she heard the distinctive clack-clack of a shotgun racking. She stared into the cold gray eyes of a man who appeared to be about sixty years old.
The sound of another shotgun racking came from her right. Her eyes remained fixed on the eyes of the man who’d first put her in his crosshairs.
Kathleen dropped her duffel and slowly raised her hands. “I’m sorry. This is a mistake.”
“That’s right.” Sam’s voice sounded so much stronger than hers. “We’re just trying to get away from some people. We didn’t see a thing here.”
“That’s the problem.” Kathleen heard a younger man’s voice, but she didn’t turn to look at him. She was afraid to drag her eyes away from the older man with the shotgun aimed at her chest. “You did see something.” He spat onto the ground.
“We don’t want any trouble,” Sam said. “We’d like to go on our way.”
“Can’t let you do that,” said the older man. He jerked his head. “Start walking. In a few minutes, you’ll see a clearing with a log cabin. That’s where you’re headed. Me and Donnie are right behind you. Step out of line, and we’ll shoot you.”
* * *
Hathor desperately wished
the police officer had stopped to get coffee or something and had missed this call. He was thoroughly interfering with her efforts to find Atum. She and Montu had already told the young man what they’d seen when they arrived on the scene. Then he insisted on questioning them separately, as if they were lying. The irony that they were—or not actually lying, per se, but omitting the fact that they’d been indirectly responsible for the accident—did not elude her.
While the officer had been speaking with Montu, Hathor had attempted to speak with the driver of the wrecked vehicle. He’d drifted in and out of consciousness, however, and was incoherent.
The ambulance roared up and bypassed the police cruiser and the SUV she drove in order to get as close as possible to the accident victim. Two paramedics jumped out of the ambulance as soon as it stopped. They grabbed a stretcher and hurried to the driver’s side door.
“Only one vic, right?” an EMT called to the police officer.
The officer nodded. “Yep, the driver.”
“Wh-what about the others?”
Although the driver’s words were slurred and faint, Hathor heard him clearly. She quickly stepped away from the officer.
“Did you say there were others?” she asked the driver.
“Come away from there and let the paramedics do their job,” the officer said.
Hathor ignored him.
He stepped forward and grabbed her arm, making her fight the temptation to shove the heel of her hand into his throat.
“Didn’t you hear him? He said there were passengers in his car,” she said. “Shouldn’t we be looking for them?”
“The guy is out of his head. And even if he knew what he was talking about, you shouldn’t be doing anything. In fact, you and your friend there are free to go.”
“You aren’t a bit concerned about his passengers’ safety?”
He blew out a breath. “I’ll have a couple of patrolmen check out the area if it’ll make you feel better. I don’t see any other bodies lying around, though. Do you?”
