by G. K. Parks
“Are you sure about this?”
“Yes. Surer than I’ve ever been.” I laughed, covering my mouth at the outburst. “You were right again. You said I’d be begging to stay.”
“I’m not sure I used the word begging.” He narrowed his eyes. “You know that you’re more than welcome. That isn’t contingent on any type of donation.”
He was shrewd, making certain that this negotiation couldn’t be deemed any sort of contract or blackmail. If any of his followers were to ever challenge their decisions in court, Wilde would have an argument in his favor.
“I know, but I want to give.”
“That’s very generous. We’ll deal with business tomorrow or Monday. Right now, dinner is being prepared.” I continued to block his path, and he cocked his head to the side. “Is there anything else, Alex?”
Inhaling slowly, I made a show of internally debating before saying, “I don’t want to go back to the restaurant. The work is okay, but after the attack, I really don’t want to risk attracting any more weirdos.” Like the one in front of me.
He smiled. “You’ve been contributing to the church and helping out with chores and sales. That’s all I ask.” He held out his hand, ushering me toward the door. “Now go be with Jace. He’s missed you terribly.”
Deciding to show some phony gratitude, I took a page from Sarah’s book and gave Tim a big hug. Palming the vial a second before throwing my arms around him, I flipped the cap with my thumbnail and dropped my right hand, dipping into the open dish at the top of the diffuser. “Thank you.”
He squeezed me tightly, and I couldn’t help but get the impression that he sniffed my hair. As soon as I was free, I stuck my hands into my pockets and bounded out the door as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Hopefully, the test results would be as positive as my cover’s attitude.
Opening the trailer door, I stepped inside. “We got it.” I held up the tiny glass tube with the silicone plug. “When can we deposit it at the dead drop?”
Decker phoned for a time. “Matt’s on his way. I’ll just run to the quickie mart and pick up some seltzer for your stomach. Sounds good, right? Stay inside until I get back.”
“Honestly, that won’t be a problem. I’m leaning toward spending the rest of the night in bed.”
“It’ll take a couple of days to get your strength back. Take it easy. You might have earned it.”
By the time Decker returned, I was ready to fall asleep. He stayed on the couch, offering me the same consideration I had given him. It was a relief to have my own space. After spending the previous night in Martin’s arms, having to share a bed with another man, even in an entirely pragmatic and platonic sense, would have been difficult. Pushing thoughts of Martin and the things he said out of my mind was the best course of action right now. Instead, my mind wandered through the Anika/Natalie/Melanie connection, but the only thing I could come up with was that Natalie must have helped Tim recruit new talent. Too bad we had yet to find the connection between the two of them. Could it really just be bad luck or a coincidence?
In the morning, I joined Jace for breakfast. He made soup to keep my tummy happy. While I sipped from the cup, he chuckled to himself. Placing the mug on the table, I waited for him to share the joke.
“Y’know, I probably owe you a huge apology. So much of your,” he bobbled his head from side to side while hoping to find a diplomatic way of saying things, “inner turmoil can be explained away by our exposure to these controlled substances. Even my mood swings might have been a result of withdrawal from Tim’s aromatherapy blend.”
“Apology accepted.”
Despite my words, he continued on the same trajectory. “The insane workouts, especially after evening ritual, your depression, muscle spasms, difficulty sleeping, disrupted sleep, even your nightmares are all symptoms of these stimulants. I’m sorry I blamed you for not disclosing.”
“I told you I had it handled.”
An errant thought crossed his mind. “Yeah, but you dealt with it before.” Apparently, he was reconsidering the apology.
“Fine. Take all the credit you want. I already admitted to you that I came here pretty broken and depressed, but my issues weren’t going to compromise the op.” I stared at him over the rim of the mug. “You know me pretty well by now. I wouldn’t risk myself or someone else over something that stupid.”
He slowly nodded. “I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt that those things were exacerbated by narcotics exposure, and the apology stands.” He tapped a few keys on his phone and pushed it toward me. “We have confirmation that Wilde’s doping his followers. Stella’s working on the legal paperwork. Eckhardt and the assistant director will coordinate a multi-team raid. They’re hoping to do it this evening after lights out to minimize resistance and potential casualties.”
“That’s smart and fast.”
“If that’s what you call ten months in the making. They’ll message us when they are prepared to move in. The teams in play know that we’re here. They know the location of our trailer. We’ll join them after they breach. Keep your gear on you, and be ready to move at any time.” He stared at me for a long moment. “And make sure you don’t tip anyone off. No odd behavior. Understood?”
“Do you think I’m a noob?”
He snorted. “I’m just making certain everything goes off without a hitch. There are very few things that we can control, and our actions and reactions are the beginning and end of that list.”
“Yes, sir.”
He cocked his head to the side. “It still sounds sarcastic.”
“That’s your problem.”
He smirked. “Touché.”
With a plan in place, we just had to wait out the clock. It was another day of hocking honey and artisanal goods. Thankfully, the weekend event kept everyone busy. Aside from ‘accidentally’ oversleeping and missing the morning ritual, none of the other daytime enlightenment sessions occurred on weekends. I kept busy by running to and from the kitchen, replenishing trays of cranberry scones that were selling better than the hotcakes. The Sunday morning crowds tended to enjoy a leisurely brunch before browsing the stands, so that meant a few extra hands were needed on kitchen duty and cleanup.
By late afternoon, the slump hit, and Jace and I cozied up together at a table beneath one of the large tents. Vanessa and Javier decided to take a break and join us. They made idle chitchat about some renovations they wanted to make to their trailer.
“Remind me to ask Tim if we can put some of our belongings in one of the storage sheds,” Javier said to his girlfriend. He looked across the field at one of the nearest structures. “We pulled some extra tables and chairs out of there on Friday when we were setting up, but even with everything inside, there was plenty of room left.”
“That’s weird,” Jace mused. “The last time Tim asked me to help out in the storage shed, we had to maneuver around a lot of yard equipment.”
“Maybe he moved that into a different unit,” Javier said.
The rest of the conversation turned into a blur of home repair’s greatest hits. Unexpectedly, my phone vibrated, and Decker raised an eyebrow. The team wasn’t supposed to be making contact, so who would be calling Alice Lexington?
“It’s probably the lawyers. I’ll be right back,” I said, getting up from the table and heading toward the fence. The number came up blocked, and I answered, afraid of who would be on the other end.
“Hey, is Jace nearby? His phone goes straight to voicemail,” Eckhardt said.
“He is. What’s up?”
“We’ve made progress. Can you talk?”
“Not really.”
“Then just listen. We found info on Shrieves and Harbring in the ledger. We aren’t certain precisely what it means, but we finally have hard proof that Wilde knew the men that assaulted you. Eve’s working on cracking the rest of the code. Depending on what she finds, tonight might involve several other agencies. I wanted to make sure you were prepared for that possi
bility. Our people know you, but outsiders won’t. Use caution and keep your IDs with you.”
“Thanks.” Hanging up, I went back to the group. “It was just my lawyer, reminding me that my trust would be unfrozen at midnight. Apparently, he wants to get paid.”
Decker put an arm around my shoulders and nuzzled my ear. I giggled, and he turned up the flirtation until Javier and Vanessa went back to work. Then he whispered, “Who the hell was that?”
“Matt. He tried calling you first. Apparently, they’ve found a connection between Tim and the assailants, but that might mean some other agencies get involved tonight. He wanted to make sure no one mistakes us for the rest of the group.”
Soon after, the sun eked closer to the horizon, and we helped break down the booths and tables. I hoped the hipsters had gotten their fill. After the raid, this place would be shut down permanently. However, I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen to the Perpetual Lighters. It was possible that they truly believed in Tim’s message. This would be devastating, and most of them relied heavily on the financial support that the co-op provided. With any luck, they’d find a way to bounce back. But the cynical part of me doubted it. I didn’t want to think about the lasting repercussions. After all, they were just disposable pawns in Tim’s game. Short-term this might appear to be a haven, but long-term this was hell. By shutting him down, we’d be saving these people from a gruesome fate. I just hoped that we weren’t condemning them to a life of additional hardships.
After cleaning up, Tim announced that he’d be holding a bonfire after evening meals to celebrate the success of the weekend sales. Realistically, he wanted to celebrate the large donation I was making to him. Decker assured me that these events happened periodically, and we need not worry about the distraction. It was basically just the same evening ritual but outdoors and with hot cocoa.
Since I was under strict orders not to do anything out of the ordinary, Decker and I attended the bonfire with the rest of the flock. Tim gave a long-winded speech on practicing gratitude. However, after about twenty minutes of speaking, he concluded the evening ritual by encouraging us to enjoy the sense of community around the fire, the crisp night air, and the warm cocoa.
Decker and I milled about, exchanging small talk and pleasantries with the others. Tim had kept us in his sights, making his approach as quickly as possible. Unlike our previous conversation, he didn’t question my generosity. This time, he dictated when we would meet in the morning. Apparently, he wanted the money as soon as possible, before I could reconsider.
Assuring him that I would meet him first thing and we could go straight to the bank, he eased up on the commands. Quietly, I excused myself to get a refill. On my trek back toward the main facility, I heard an echoing clang in the distance. My body went on high alert, and I strained to hear additional sounds. No one was nearby, and the closest building was one of the locked up structures. From this distance, I couldn’t tell if the lock was in place, but with Tim and the others back at the bonfire, I doubted that any of them were the cause of the noise. Perhaps there was a gust of wind, or something inside had fallen over. Then again, maybe I was nuts.
After standing in the open longer than I should have and not hearing a repeat of the sound, I continued to the main building. Refilling the mug with leftover cocoa from the farmer’s market, I couldn’t help but wonder if anyone was still in the main building. Snooping was strictly off limits, especially when we were so close to an official raid, but I did notice a few dorm rooms had their lights on and doors open. Obviously, some of the Perpetual Lighters weren’t fans of the evening ritual or hot cocoa.
Returning outside, I watched the silhouettes of the group in the distance. They were hunkered around the fire. Since everyone was occupied, I decided to take a little walk and enjoy the evening air, just like Tim had said. My destination was the locked structure. It wouldn’t hurt to make sure that the lock was secure. After all, Javier said they were using the sheds as storage. Maybe someone left it open.
As I got closer, the clanging started again. Something metal was knocking against a pipe. The door was locked, so I pressed my ear against it. It didn’t sound like the clanging was coming from inside, but I felt a distinct vibration against the door. Since this wasn’t my op, it would be best to share the find with Decker. If anything, the tactical teams could do a thorough sweep for the cause, but just as I was walking away, a woman screamed.
Thirty-seven
“Shit.” I pressed my ear against the door, but I wasn’t even positive the sound had come from inside. Make a decision, Parker, my mind screamed. Tossing the mug into one of the nearby shrubs, I circled the shed, hoping for brilliance to strike. When I couldn’t find an inconspicuous method of entry, I raced back to Decker.
The small group seated with him looked up at my approach. One of the ladies asked, “Should you be running on that bum ankle?”
Decker turned, a stern look on his face. “Alex?”
“I thought I saw a coyote.” My eyes conveyed urgency, and Decker stood.
“It was probably just a shadow or a dog.” He laughed, but he knew something was wrong. “Why don’t you show me this coyote?” He turned and winked at the ladies. “Perhaps we should start wrapping things up. It is getting late. Alex is probably already dreaming.” They laughed and bid us good night. I started out at a fast gait, but Decker snaked an arm around my waist, forcing me to slow down. “What’s wrong?”
“I heard sounds from inside that shed. A woman screamed.” I bit my lip, practically willing him to burst into a run. “It’s locked. Combination only. I could break it off, but that would attract attention.”
Decker glanced back at the group. Some of them were starting to head back to the main building. “I’ll do it. Cover me.”
Positioning myself between him and the approaching crowd, I hoped that the dark would mask his presence. He pulled his concealed handgun from beneath his sweatshirt and used the butt of the gun to pound against the lock. It took four tries before it broke away from the door. He glanced back toward the group. No one appeared to be looking in our direction.
“Go,” I hissed.
He slipped inside, and I eased farther into the shadows. After a few seconds, I ducked into the shed after him and pushed the door closed. It was pitch black inside, and I froze. A second later, his cell phone screen illuminated a tiny area, and I remembered to breathe.
“Don’t turn on the overhead,” he whispered. “They might notice the light beneath the door.
Pulling out my own phone, I held it up and looked around the enclosed space. Farm equipment, several boxes, tables, chairs, and a few odd lawn ornaments filled the space. Decker was sifting through the mess, searching for any indication that a woman had been inside, when I heard the same clanging noise again. It was coming from below us.
“What the hell?” Decker hissed. He knelt down, brushing hay and dirt to the side. Standing, he walked around the room and tapped his foot in the hopes of finding some kind of trapdoor. “One of the tunnels from the main building must run beneath here.”
“Then whoever screamed is below us.” The clanking grew more frequent. “Is the team in position to move in?”
He dialed Eckhardt, holding the phone to his ear. After updating him and asking the relevant questions, it was obvious they weren’t quite ready to breach. However, we didn’t have time to wait. Whoever was beneath us needed our help now.
“Delay Tim as long as you can,” I said. “I’ll take the tunnel down and see what I can find.”
“You have no idea what’s down there.”
“Neither do you.” We didn’t have time to argue. “Wilde trusts you. You know him better than anyone. You can detain him longer than I can. Shit, just fucking arrest him if you run out of ideas. The tac team should be on their way.”
“I’ll be right behind you,” he promised. “In ten minutes, we’ll have twenty DEA agents storming this place.”
Another shrill scream sounded, a
nd my heart leapt into my throat. “She doesn’t have ten minutes. Do what you can.”
Bursting from the shed, I ran back toward the building. The group that had been on their way inside had made it, but I slowed my pace after entering the compound. They were clustered around the kitchen, talking and cleaning up. Slipping past them, I hit the stairs and took them two at a time, racing down the upper hallway and to the locked bedroom. Not wasting time, I kicked the door open, splintering the jamb. If Wilde made it past Decker, he’d know immediately that someone had been here, but I couldn’t worry about that now.
Leading with my gun, I went to the closet, carefully opening it to reveal the hidden staircase. Pulling the chain on the light, I slowly went down the steps, wishing for a flashlight. When I hit the dirt floor, I chose to move to the left. After several yards, I noticed a string of cheap mining lights along the top of the tunnel. Feeling around for a switch, I flicked it on, lighting up the path in two different directions.
“Great.”
Taking a moment to orient myself, I made another left. The tunnel broke off into another three sections, but I continued leftward, believing that would lead to the area beneath the shed. The clanking sounded again, almost like an SOS, and I hurried forward. At the end, the lights came to an abrupt end. The tunnel began to slope upward, so I kept my left hand against the wall while blindly aiming my nine millimeter in front of me.
The barrel of my gun knocked into something solid, and I ran my fingers against the wooden barrier. Finding a handle, I pushed it down and slipped into a room. The tunnel led to a basement. It was damp and musty. A single standing reading lamp was turned on in the corner. Something moved to my right, and I spun with my gun aimed.
