15 Minutes- The Complete Saga Boxset

by Jill Cooper

  He runs a hand through his hair as if he’s getting ready to say something, but the charging of footsteps behind him distracts all of us. Mike looks up and cries, “Mom,” and rushes toward our parents.

  Mom and Jax are bent down low, ready to accept Mike’s tackle of a hug, and my stomach twists. I don’t want to live through what’s coming. I’m not ready for the worry, the lecture. I pray they’ll see how much this is killing me.

  “I shouldn’t have … started with Rick. If I knew the twins were here…” He chokes out the words, not on tears but instead on his pride.

  I nod. “You didn’t know.” My tongue circles inside my mouth. I taste metal and something like fish. Is it nerves? Something else?

  Glares of intimidation pass between Donovan and Rick. They have unfinished business, but it’s going to have to wait.

  Mom approaches me, her cheeks still streaked with tears and her blue eyes lit like a Christmas tree. “What happened?” she demands.

  Ready to face the music, despite the growing pit of dread in my stomach, my mouth opens.

  “What the hell were you doing here?” she says before I can utter a word. “You said you had chores. You said you had homework. Why did you lie, Lara? Why!”

  “We just—”

  “She’s a baby,” Mom wobbles on her feet, and fresh tears spring to her eyes. “And now? Why can’t you tell the truth once in a while? Why!” Her hands are shaking in the air, as if she wishes they were squeezing my neck.

  I feel seething jealousy. She seems to love Molly more than me, so I take out the receipt from my purse, crumble it, and throw it at her. “Because they wanted to get you this. It was supposed to be a surprise. All right?”

  Mom reads it, but her eyes barely flicker. I thought it might be my way of defusing the situation, but I lose hope as she tosses the receipt down on the floor. “Fine. A shopping trip? Fine. So where were you when she was taken? Why weren’t you there the moment, the very moment, the ride stopped?”

  Donovan steps forward. “It was my fault, Miranda. I’m sorry. I saw Lara with Rick. I… distracted her. I’m real sorry,” he says with his eyes trained on me.

  It means a lot that he’d take the blame after what he caught me doing. I bite my lip, waiting for Mom’s next venomous attack. It’s not really her fault, but it doesn't make it hurt less.

  “Rick?” Her tone shows recognition. “I didn’t know you still talked to him.”

  “It’s a new thing,” I say and grip my fingers.

  Jax stands behind my mother, massaging her shoulders. I can’t tell if he wants to kill me or not. “Police have some questions for Lara, if you agree.”

  Mom nods without thinking. “Anything. Anything that brings our baby home.”

  In two steps a police officer is beside me, and while his face is friendly, this feels like the beginning of the end.

  ****

  The officers take me to a private room at the mall and ask me a lot of questions I don’t have answers for, but I repeat to them what happened, making sure my story doesn’t change. I even keep in the part about Donovan and Rick fighting because I’m sure someone has tipped them off. When they ask if I saw anything and I break down crying, they give me some tissues and a glass of water. Someone mentions reviewing the security tapes, which gives me an idea.

  “Can’t you go back in time? Follow who took her?”

  The officers exchange glances. “We wish we could, but the red tape involved—”

  “We would never get to her in time. Time travel is reserved for … serial killers, and even then…” The officer shakes his head, but it's obvious he wishes things were different.

  So do I. Suddenly, everything Congress is voting on next week, what my mom has been working toward, doesn't seem so evil.

  It seems necessary.

  A knock comes from the door, and Jax pokes his head in. “It’s been a long day for my son. Are you done with Lara?”

  My heart feels run over with a cheese grater. The police dismiss me but say they’ll be back in the morning with more questions. I don’t know where we are going, but I put on my jacket, glad to be going somewhere other than here.

  I wish I had never bought that stupid necklace. Even more, I wish I had never gone back in time. I miss my dad, my room, and my stupid mutt of a dog who forgot to go outside before he peed. I miss the Rick I knew and cold bowls of macaroni and cheese. God, how I miss that macaroni and cheese.

  When we get into the elevator, I stare up at Jax. I’ve failed him, and I’m desperate for his approval. “I’m sorry.”

  I bite my lip and cover my eyes with both my hands to hide my tears, but my shoulders rock with heavy sobs. I’m not sure what I expect, but it isn’t a warm embrace. I rest my head against his chest and everything in me lets go. He should be screaming at me, but all he does is rub my back and rest his chin on mine.

  “You’re my daughter too, you know. And I know no matter how bad things have been, I know how much you love Molly. I know.”

  My teeth chatter as I will myself to pull together. The elevator opens, and a police officer greets us and escorts us out the back of the mall, where cars are waiting to take us home. Jax opens the door and waits for me to slide beside Mom. I try not to look at her, and she’s trying not to look at me. I don’t know how bad it is, but I don’t want to talk about it.

  My parents talk about the police, and after a while Jax turns his attention to me, since Mom seems to be giving me the cold shoulder. “There will be police at the house to monitor our lines. They think we’ll get a ransom call over the next day, and then we can get Molly back.”

  Sitting beside Jax, Mike’s blue eyes are lost in an abyss of despair, and I wink at him to try to make him feel better. He gives me a sad smile, so I can tell he doesn’t blame me, and I thank God for small favors.

  We’re quiet the rest of the way home. It’s getting dark, but as the car pulls up to the house I see the flash of cameras from the journalists camped out on our lawn. I close my eyes from dread as the door opens and a million questions are shouted at once.

  An officer takes me by the arm and helps push me through the crowd. Mike cries through the rushing field of questions.

  “Lara, this isn’t the first time tragedy has struck your family. Why do you think that is?”

  “Lara, when you noticed your sister was missing, how did this make you feel?”

  Lara. Lara. Lara.

  The door to the house is flung open by an FBI agent, and I quickly duck in. Mom’s face is severe as she carries Mike through the door. When Jax slams the door shut I jump, and feeling the start of a headache coming on, I rub my temples.

  Not now. I don’t want any new memories now. The ones I have are enough to kill me.

  Through the glass, the lights continue to flicker, and I turn from them to watch Mom carrying Mike up the stairs. It’ll be a long night for him, for all of us.

  Jax rests his hand on my shoulder and squeezes me close as he listens to the FBI agents. I miss what they say as the pounding in my head grows louder. I feel as if I’m in a tunnel underwater, and nothing around me seems real.

  It’s like a bad dream, and I’m desperate to wake up. My head flashes.

  ****

  I see twin babies in front of me. Each of them is in a walker, one blue and the other pink, but neither baby is big enough to move their walker, thanks to the deep, plush carpet.

  I sit on the floor with them, legs crossed. I cover my eyes, wiggle my fingers, and yell, “Boo!”

  They giggle with excitement, and I kiss each of their chubby hands.

  Laughter comes from behind me. Jax is sitting on the sofa with his paperwork spread out in front of him. With glee in my head, I bounce on the sofa and fold myself against him. He squeezes me as hard as he can and plants kisses on my forehead.

  “You love the twins?”

  “They’re the best.” I grin and peer up at him. He kisses my nose. “When’s Mom coming home?”

  “So
on.” Jax nods. “A rough few weeks at work but she’ll be here soon. She misses you guys something fierce when she has to work late like this, you know that?”

  “Yeah,” I say, but a darkness in my heart begins to swallow me. Jax always says that, but when she is home, all she does is take care of the twins.

  “Maybe Mom can take me to see a movie sometime?” I ask with hope, my knees knocking together. “Just the two of us?”

  “Now there’s an idea. I bet she’d love it.” He winks at me, and we settle in for a few minutes and watch TV.

  When the front door slams, I get excited and stand up to greet Mom. She’s rushing in with a giant smile on her face.

  “Hi sweetheart,” she says to me, but her eyes dart quickly to the twins. She squeals and begins to scoop them up.

  My heart falls, and I sink back into the sofa cushions, feeling invisible. I wish they’d swallow me alive. Maybe then Mom would notice me.

  ****

  The intense pain in my head is gone as the memory fades, but now I’m forced to live with the truth that I’ve felt left out in my family for a long time. I am essentially the third wheel in the Montgomery home and a painful reminder of John Crane.

  Lara was right. The Lara I became that is.

  Me, I was wrong.

  “When do you think the call will come in?” Jax says, and my head snaps to attention.

  “Soon. By tomorrow night.”

  Jax runs a hand through his hair. “Tomorrow night? She’s only a little girl.” He bites his lip, and I’m sorry for hating him a few days ago. I see the fear in his eyes and know how much he loves Molly.

  I try to move away, but his arm is clamped hard around me. He doesn’t seem to want me to escape, so I stand there and stare at the floor.

  Clomping footsteps come down the stairs. “Go to your room,” Mom orders me. She stands at the bar and pours herself a stiff drink. She downs it without looking at me and commands, “Go.”

  “Miranda.” Jax’s eyes narrow. “She has every right to be—”

  “Don’t argue with me tonight. Not tonight.” She clenches her jaw, refusing to look at either of us.

  Jax hugs me, and I bury my face against his neck. “It’ll be easier tomorrow,” he whispers against my ear. “I love you, peanut.”

  I flood with love for him along with regret. I want to hug Mom, tell her I’m sorry, but she doesn’t want to hear it.

  I rush past her with my head ducked down and take the stairs two at a time. Once I’m in my room, I slam the door, plop myself on the bed, and cry until every tear in me is drained. I fall asleep with my mouth propped open, and drool runs down onto my pillow.

  ****

  It's eight in the morning, but I don’t remember dreaming or the passage of time. Suddenly, my eyes are open, my chest is tight with anxiety, and the memories of losing Molly at the mall crash into me like a freight truck.

  No one has woken me, and there isn't any noise from downstairs. I’m guessing today I won’t be going to school, but I don’t want to go downstairs and hang out with my mom all day. I have things I need to figure out. I still need answers, and I can’t find them being stuck inside the house all day.

  I get up and put on a pair of jeans and the darkest hoodie I can find, navy, which is better than nothing. I brush out my long hair and tie my curls back in a ponytail. I check the mirror. My face looks exhausted, and my eyes are haunted.

  I hear a knock at my door. I hold my breath and close my eyes, waiting for whoever it is to go away. When I think they’ve gone, the knocks renew.

  “Lara, you awake?” Jax’s voice is full of sadness and worry, and I don’t have any choice. I go over and pull open the door.

  Jax is standing with a small tray full of breakfast goodies, wearing a t-shirt and jeans, which I haven’t seen him in before. From the worn expression on his face, I don’t think he slept at all last night.

  “Thought you might be hungry.”

  “Thanks,” I say, doing my best to smile as I take the tray from him and put it down on my desk. My stomach rumbles as I look at the muffins and Danish. I wish he had put a cup of coffee on there, but it’ll do. “Any word?” I ask, unable to look at him.

  “Not yet, but the FBI thinks the call will come tonight. We need to stay here and … wait.”

  Trying not to cry again, I say, “Good to know.”

  “You can come downstairs. Mike needs the distraction. Mom … she’s calmer. She’d like to talk to you.”

  “That’s why you came to bring me breakfast, right?” I ask bitterly.

  Jax places a hand on my shoulder. “Come down when you can.”

  I sit down and bite into a muffin. It tastes good, but I can’t enjoy it. Not really. If I never see Molly again, I’m not sure how I’ll ever enjoy anything again.

  After breakfast, I get ready, but I take my time. I’m in no rush to head downstairs or to the confrontation that’s sure to follow. I jump when my phone rings and hunt it down in my purse.

  “Hello?” I say, even though I don’t recognize the number.

  “You have two days.” I can’t tell if the digitized voice is a man or a woman.

  “Two days for what?” I ask, feeling my gut tighten.

  “Two days to return what belongs to me, Ms. Montgomery, or you will never see your sister again.”

  I glance over my shoulder at the door, and the voice continues, “Don’t go to your parents or the police. If you do, I’ll see to it that Molly dies, and it will not be easy for her. Understood?”

  Is he watching me? I go to my window and lift my blinds. “How do I get it back to you?”

  “We will call you again tomorrow morning. Make sure you don’t miss the call.”

  The line goes dead.

  Every nerve in my body tingles, feels on fire. I have no idea what he’s talking about, or where I might be hiding it, but I need to find out.

  Fast.

  Molly’s life depends on it.

  Chapter Fourteen

  I take another bite of my breakfast and chug some milk before I collect my things. I hurry down the stairs, slinging my book bag over my shoulder as I reach the living room. A few FBI agents are sitting on the sofa, and the coffee table has been converted to a workstation with computers, monitors, and equipment I don’t recognize.

  Mike crushes me in a full body assault hug as soon as I enter the room, bringing me to my knees. “I’m sorry, Lara. I’m sorry.” His eyes are glistening.

  I stroke his hair back, feeling like road kill because he feels the need to apologize. “I’m the one that should be apologizing to you. It’s not your fault. It’s mine. All mine.”

  “You told me to keep an eye on her, but I didn’t. I was excited and forgot.” Mike hangs his head and bites his lip.

  The disappointment on his face burns my heart. “Did I say anything else? When I told you to take care of Molly, what else did I say?”

  He shrugs and gets a far off look on his face. “Dunno. Only … keep her close. And to look out—”

  “Look out?” I edge him on with quiet urgency. “Look out for … ?”

  “The woman with the purple hair.”

  A scene flashes in my mind. Something cold like metal presses against my neck, and then electricity is jolting through my body. The world goes dark as I’m thrown into the back of a van.

  When I can see again, a dark, shaded face, framed by purple hair, leans in and whispers to me. “You have to protect that video you took at all costs. If anyone finds out you have it, they’ll kill you.”

  I flash back to the present with no idea when or where this happened. Did this happen to me? Or the other Lara before I changed the past?

  I leave Mike to go to the bathroom. I flip the light on and peer at my neck, where I felt the jolt of electricity, and sure enough I see two purple marks on my neck. As if I was attacked by a vampire.

  Or a Taser.

  I take my hair out of its ponytail and ruffle it along my shoulders, so no one else
will see. When I exit again, Mike is gone and Mom is standing there waiting for me. Her eyes are rimmed red. If there is a hell, she appears to be there.

  “Hi,” I say quietly, awkwardly. I don’t know what else I’m supposed to say.

  She frowns and comes to me. Putting her hands on my shoulders, she kisses my head and pulls me in for a deep, warm hug. I close my eyes and give a relieved sigh. I lie against her, wishing she could hold me forever.

  “I never should’ve—last night—I’m so sorry, Lara. You’re hurting. I’m hurting. I shouldn’t have.”

  I nod but can’t speak.

  “You’re my baby too. You know that? But Molly is only a little girl. I … get so scared. I don’t want to lose any of my babies, ever.”

  “We’ve been through a lot lately.”

  She strokes my hair from my face and kisses my forehead, her chin quivering. “That we have.”

  “I guess we really need that vacation once Molly gets back.”

  “Umm-hmm, once she gets back,” Mom whispers. “We’ll have the best time. She loves it when you take her down the water slides.”

  “Me too. Can’t wait to do it again. I promised her …” My voice trails off as I’m hit with a memory.

  I sit on Molly’s bed. Around her neck is a locket, inside which I attach a tiny computer chip. She smiles at me.

  “Keep it safe for me, Moll.”

  She nods, happy and relaxed. She thinks it’s a game.

  But it’s not.

  What if that was what the man on the phone wanted? What if Molly has it? Would I be stupid enough to steal something from someone dangerous and hide it on my baby sister?

  I’m pretty sure the answer is an obvious yes. Making good decisions is not my best trait, I think it’s fair to say. “Ahem … Mom, do you mind if I go out? I need to do some research for a paper I’m doing. Plus, it’s a team report. I need to get Donovan to help me.”

  Mom shakes her head adamantly. “Absolutely, not.”