“What? Eve, what did you do?”
“You mean besides have a nervous breakdown? I called Joe’s captain and set him to trying to find Michael. Thank heavens he and Joe have known each other for years, and he hopped right on it. He’s smart, and runaways aren’t that rare to the police. The first thing he asked me was if Michael had money. The second was if his school was anywhere near a train or bus station. Michael did have the allowance he earned for chores. The second answer was that there was a Greyhound bus station several blocks from the school.”
“And you found him?”
“I didn’t get that lucky. But I do know that he’s not being held by some pervert and that Svardak doesn’t have him. Michael slipped out of school and hiked to the Greyhound station. At 10:40, he was on a bus for Wheeling, West Virginia. Which coincidentally stops in Coal Town on the way.”
“Oh, my God.” Cara voice was hoarse. “They let him on the bus by himself? He’s only ten years old.”
“And he wanted on that bus,” Eve said grimly. “He had no problem at all. You know he can charm the birds from the trees. The police tapped the video-surveillance tapes, and it showed Michael at his best. The captain showed me the videos. Michael had his savings so he had the cash for his ticket. He made friends with a family in the waiting room who had three children, and he just let them sweep him on the bus with them. If he’d had more time to do his magic, they probably would have wanted to adopt him.”
“It was definitely Michael?”
“Cara.” But she knew why Cara was questioning it. The idea was bizarre that Michael would be hopping on any bus. He should be at home and safe. “It was Michael. He knew the video cameras were there, and he looked up and smiled at me.” And she had known that smile was for her. It had been filled with love and understanding and glowing comfort. It had nearly torn her apart when she’d seen that smile. “No doubt. The minute I saw it, I knew that Michael was on his way to West Virginia. I jumped in my car and headed out after him.”
“Of course you did. But just the thought scares me,” Cara said. “It seems as if Michael is heading straight toward Svardak, and there’s nothing we can do about it. When is the bus supposed to get to Coal Town? Can’t they have the police meet it?”
“They could if he was on it.” She added shortly, “He wasn’t. It arrived over an hour ago and no Michael. He must have slipped off the bus at the stop before Coal Town. It’s a little town called Clearwater Creek. I’m about three hours from there. I’ll stop and start asking questions soon.”
“Do you want us to drive back and meet you? You shouldn’t have to go through this alone.”
“Don’t you dare.” She had known that would be Cara’s first instinct. “Every minute is precious right now. There’s no telling what Svardak is putting Joe through. I’ll handle Michael.” She added wearily, “He doesn’t really want to run away from me, Cara. He just didn’t want to be left behind when I went to help Joe and took matters into his own hands. He said that he’d call me once he reached the mountains. I believe he’ll do it. Or answer my calls. He says it’s important we find Joe together.”
“I don’t want you to be alone.”
“Joe’s alone. He’s the only one we should be thinking about now. I’ll head up to join you as soon as I pick up Michael. Where are you now?”
“Saltor. But we’re heading toward Ruell Falls.”
“Right. I’ll call you when I’m on my way … with Michael. Be safe, Cara.” She cut the connection.
It had been difficult to be positive when she was this tired and still worried sick about Michael. But she couldn’t afford to be anything else right now. Think positive, say a prayer, and maybe everything would go their way.
Maybe …
No, not maybe. Do you hear me, Michael? You’re going to be safe, your father is going to be safe. Count on it. Now call me, and we’ll start making it happen.
* * *
“It’s crazy, Cara.” Jock’s lips tightened. “There’s no way that Eve should be anywhere near Svardak. If she’s caught, it will just give that bastard more leverage against you. She should find Michael and go home.”
“Which she won’t do,” Cara said flatly. “I can see her putting Michael into police custody to protect him, but now that she’s here in the mountains, Eve won’t leave without Joe. So don’t even suggest it to her. Just find a way to use her and keep her safe.” She glanced soberly at him. “Like you have to do for me.”
“I know what you have in mind for yourself,” he said grimly. “And I don’t believe you’d want me to use her as bait when we find where Svardak is keeping Joe.”
“I hope that we don’t have to think on those terms for me either. It all depends on our finding Joe.” She gazed out at the rocky, steep twists and turns ahead of them. “And I wish we had daylight so that we could see where we’re going.”
“I don’t. That would cut down the time we have before we have to deal with Svardak. We might need that time.” He suddenly pulled over to the side of the road. “Let’s see if we can move a little faster.” He took out his phone and punched in Kaskov’s number. “We’ll make Kaskov do some of the heavy lifting.”
“Make?” Cara murmured.
“You object?”
She shook her head. “Only if you aren’t careful the way you do it. He’s unpredictable. I can’t have him hurting you.”
His brows rose. “I’ll try to remember that restriction. Sometimes it’s difficult with Kaskov.” Then he was speaking into the phone as the call was answered. “I need you to do something, Kaskov,” he said mockingly. “And Cara says that she wants me to be polite. I thought I’d warn you to keep you from going into shock.”
“How refreshing.” Kaskov’s tone was dry. “On both counts. If it has anything to do with Eve and the child, I already have men tailing her. As soon as she makes contact with Michael, they’ll both be safe.”
“It’s not about Eve. Nikolai said you had two prisoners from Lost Canyon. One of them was Edding.”
“Whom you left tied up as a welcome present for us. How kind. But he doesn’t appear to know anything of use about Svardak. We started preliminary questioning, and he squealed but didn’t talk. He said that he was new to Svardak’s team and wouldn’t know how to contact him. We’ll continue of course.”
“All he has to know is Abrams’s or Lacher’s phone number. Svardak is obviously gathering what’s left of his crew together. Edding can try to find out where.”
“If he’s new, they might not want to risk trusting him.”
“Persuade him to be very convincing. Or send him to me, and I’ll do it. You might say Edding and I formed a rock-solid understanding in our short acquaintance.”
“I can imagine. I believe that I’ll be able to take care of getting what you need.” He paused. “How is Cara?”
“Stubborn.”
“Don’t let her do anything foolish. She’s on the edge. Consider it extremely self-destructive on your part to let her fall. I would be very unhappy if anything of that nature happens.”
“And your happiness is always my prime concern.” Jock’s sarcasm was biting. He added roughly, “Just do what I need you to do, and maybe we’ll get through this with the least amount of damage. Call me back.” He pressed the disconnect.
“You weren’t polite,” Cara said quietly.
“But we both survived it. That’s a victory in itself. He caught me off guard. I didn’t realize he could read you that well.” He glanced at her. “Did you?”
“Yes.” She smiled faintly. “But he’s brilliant, and I’m pretty easy to read. I don’t try to hide anything. I was just surprised he went to the trouble. But, of course, there’s the music. That has to be it.”
“Does it?” He was frowning, his gaze on her face. “Maybe…” Then he turned on the car and pulled back out on the road. “But at least we agree on the concept of no falling on swords for you. Now, if he does what he’s supposed to do, we might be able to work
toward a more productive ending to this hellish mess.”
“So now we have to wait for Eve and Kaskov,” Cara said. “What do we do in the meantime?”
“We follow this road until we get to the next town and try to find any bars or convenience stores or diners with anyone able to answer questions about seeing Joe or Abrams or Lacher or that farmer’s truck. Then we go to the next town…”
CHAPTER
13
CLEARWATER CREEK, WEST VIRGINIA MAMA JEAN’S RESTAURANT
“You haven’t seen him?” Eve thrust the photo of Michael closer to the waitress. “Are you sure? Take another look. He’s hard to forget.”
“Yeah, I can see he would be.” The waitress regretfully shook her head. “But he never came in here with the rest of those passengers from the bus. There was one woman and her little girl and a man of about sixty. I remember all three of them, and there was no boy.” Her gaze was sympathetic. “Maybe he just used the bathroom at the gas station and got back on the bus?”
She was trying to be helpful, but Eve was getting frustrated. “No, that didn’t happen. Thanks.” She turned and walked out of the restaurant. But what did happen? She took a deep breath, her gaze searching the street that only offered a tavern and a Kroger grocery store a block away. Try the grocery store?
What if he hadn’t gotten off the bus at this stop? She didn’t believe he would have exited the bus at the stop that was over fifty miles before this one. She was beginning to get panicky again, and she tried to subdue it.
Where the devil are you, Michael?
She started walking toward the grocery store.
She’d only walked half a block before she got the call.
She snatched out her phone.
Relief tore through her.
Michael!
She punched the access. “I just might strangle you, Michael.”
“Hi, Mom. Sorry.”
“Sorry?” She drew a deep breath. “Lame. Very lame. Where are you?”
“I’m at the church on the street across from the grocery store. I was going to come to you after you left the restaurant, but then I saw you start down this way. Do you want me to wait for you?”
“Don’t move a muscle. You might disappear again. I’ll be right there.” She could see the Methodist church now. It was a small, vine-covered, brick structure set back from the street, with a white neon cross glowing over the arched doors. It appeared to be totally dark and deserted except for that sign. How had Michael even managed to get inside? What did it matter? He was here. Her pace increased as she got nearer to it; and then she was running up the steps.
The door swung open as she reached the top. “Hi, Mom.” Michael smiled at her. “Come in and sit down. You look tired. Those pews aren’t very comfortable, but it’s nice and quiet in here.”
Michael! She stood there, her gaze going over him frantically. He appeared completely all right, but a trace of that panic she had felt when she’d found he was missing was still with her. She hadn’t been able to be absolutely sure she’d get him back until this moment.
Michael’s smile faded, and he launched himself at her, his arms encircling her waist. “It’s okay, Mom,” he whispered soothingly. “Everything’s going to be okay. We’ll just have to make it that way.”
Her arms tightened around him as she fought for control. After a moment, she was able to push him away and look down at him. “This is not okay,” she said shakily. “This is all wrong, Michael. Do you know how worried I’ve been?”
He nodded gravely. “But I tried to make it as short as I could. I had to come with you, and this was the only way I knew you’d let me do it.”
“I’m still not going to let you do it. This was crazy, Michael.” She pushed his tousled hair back from his face. “I know you’re worried about your dad, but you’ve got to let me handle bringing him back to us. I won’t be alone. Jock and Cara are looking for him now. Jock is very smart about hunting, and he’ll find him.”
He nodded. “I know he’s smart.” He grabbed her hand and led her toward the last pew, where a dim glow emitted from the pocket flashlight he’d propped against the wooden back. He gently pushed her down before he plopped down beside her. “But I can help. I have to help. I have to be with him. He needs me.”
“And I need you to be safe so that I can concentrate on getting him back. That’s the way you can help him.”
He shook his head. “There has to be more.” He hesitated, then added simply, “Or he might die, Mom.”
The certainty in his voice frightened her as much as the thought of losing Joe. “He won’t die, Michael. We’ll save him. You won’t make the difference.”
“I might. I believe I could.” He looked into her eyes. “Because I think I can find him.”
She stiffened. “What?”
“I know where he is. I can see what he sees. I’ve been able to do it ever since the minute that man, Svardak, hurt him. It scared me, and everything came clear. I have to concentrate, but I can see it.”
She inhaled sharply. “That’s not possible.”
“You know better than that, Mom.” His amber eyes were clear and shining into her own. His voice was very gentle. “I’ve always known I was able to do it with you, but you were afraid for me, so I stopped. But never with Dad, just wisps of what he was feeling and seeing now and then. Like I said, I had to get really scared before it kind of jarred me into being able to hear what he was telling me.”
“Telling you?”
“Wrong word. Not exactly telling me. He doesn’t know I’m even listening and watching yet.” He frowned thoughtfully. “But if I concentrate hard, I might be able to talk to him a little later. The way I did with you. I’ll have to see how it works out. But just knowing where he is and what he’s thinking will help us, won’t it?”
“Of course it would help us.” She was staring at him, stunned. “And I’m supposed to believe this, Michael?”
He smiled at her lovingly. “You do believe it. You know I’d never lie to you. I can … do things. You always knew it was there. You’ve only been hiding your eyes because you want to keep me safe and happy. That’s fine with me, but you can’t hide them any longer. Not until after we get Dad back. Admit it, Mom. You know it’s true.”
She didn’t want to admit it. Facing that truth would mean opening a new page in all their lives. One that might leave Michael vulnerable. Yet she did believe every word he had said. The knowledge of Michael’s special uniqueness had been with her since before he was born. Only what he was saying about Joe came as a shock. So she wouldn’t lie to him or pretend any longer. She smiled shakily back at him. “But I was much more comfortable hiding my eyes. It’s a difficult world, and I want you to see all the good before you see the bad.”
“You show the good to me every day.” He took her hand. “And we’ll face the bad together when it comes.” He paused. “Just like Dad’s doing right now. But we can’t let him face it alone. I told you, I can help. Let me.”
She gazed at him in agony. He was only a little boy, dammit. There had to be some way she could keep him out of this. “What would you do if I said no?”
“I’d find a way to leave you and go by myself. I have to help him.”
She tried another path. “And what if I paid attention to everything you said about Joe. The only difference is that you just stay away from where he—” He was shaking his head. She stared at him in helpless frustration. Her hands clenched into fists. “You’re just a kid, act like one.”
He grinned. “After we get Dad back. Anything you want, Mom.”
“So unless I let you go with me, you’ll be tearing around these mountains, and I’ll have to chase after you when I should be helping your father?”
He nodded. “Though if you follow me, I might be able to lead you to him. But I really don’t want to be alone.”
And she didn’t want him to be alone. After these last hours without him, the idea was unbearable.
She drew a
deep breath. “I don’t like this. The mere idea hurts me.” She was silent again. “And the only way I can stand it is if we have rules you’ll obey. I’m always in charge. You’ll always stay with me. When I give you an order, you’ll always obey with no questions. Understand?”
His eyes were suddenly twinkling. “I understand that there are a lot of ‘always’ thrown into what you’re telling me.”
“And should be. I’m serious. This is totally insane, and I’m having major problems with it.”
“And I understand that, too,” he said gently. “And I never want to upset you. Now can we go and start looking for Dad?”
“Not yet.” She leaned back in the pew and tried to regain her composure. “Give me a minute to get my mind clear. It’s not every day that I’m idiot enough to let myself be blackmailed by you.” She added grimly, “And it better be the last.”
He nodded. “After we get Dad back.”
“You keep saying that. And that’s the only thing that’s making me think that maybe I’m not a completely horrible mother and the ultimate fool.” Her lips were trembling. “Because we have to get Joe back, and you might have the key to do it. But I guess I have to know more about that part of you that you said I’ve been hiding from. I have to decide how far I can trust it.” She swallowed hard. “I’ll need to ask you a few questions. Am I the only one you’ve ever been able to reach? I want to know how this works. It’s kind of like mind reading?”
“Sort of, I guess. But it’s different between us. It’s warm and nice, like two rivers flowing together. I like it, don’t you?”
“Yes. But you didn’t answer me.”
“Sometimes I feel as if I might be able to read someone else, but I don’t do it. It would be an intrusion if they couldn’t read back. Bonnie says it’s important to be polite.”
“Bonnie!” Her nails bit into her palm. “Bonnie knows about this?”
He nodded. “Bonnie knows about lots of stuff. But she says I’ve got plenty of time to learn how to handle it later, that it will all come to me.”
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