Prevail

by Wendi Wilson

I trailed off, unable to finish. I felt guilty for leading them on, embarrassed over my panty-flashing tumble and afraid… afraid they’d be angry or disappointed. The anger, I could handle. I could take it as well as I dished it out. It was the possible disappointment that had my heart drumming in my chest.

  “Savanna,” Wyatt said, holding out a hand toward me like he was approaching a wild animal, “you have nothing to feel sorry about. This is my fault.”

  “No,” Jett argued. “The fault lies with the three of us. This was our idea, to take you someplace romantic to spend time alone with you. You shouldn’t blame yourself, Savanna.”

  “I know it’s your first instinct to protect me,” I said, looking at each of them in turn, “but you can’t take the blame for this. I got carried away. Went too far. I’m really sorry.”

  Beckett opened his mouth to argue, but the ringing of my phone cut him off. I pulled it from my purse, frowning at the screen.

  “It’s my dad,” I said. “He probably wants to wish me happy birthday.” I tapped the screen to answer the call. “Hi, Daddy.”

  “Hello, Savanna.”

  The heat leached from my face and I must have gone pale, because the boys straightened and their expressions turned worried. I waved a hand to let them know I was okay but really, I wasn’t. My mind zipped in a hundred different directions, playing out all the worst-case scenarios in the span of a few seconds.

  “Dr. Patton,” I said, causing Jett to growl while Wyatt and Beckett each sucked in a sharp breath. “Where is my dad? Why do you have his phone?”

  “I think you know the answer to that, my dear. Your parents are both here, with me.”

  “Where? What do you want? Are they okay?”

  The questions flew from my mouth in a flurry, not giving him a chance to respond. The boys sat ramrod straight, their gazes flicking from my face to the phone and back again. It was obvious they could hear their uncle’s words, making it unnecessary to switch to speakerphone or repeat the conversation.

  “They are fine,” Dr. Patton said. “And they will remain that way as long as you cooperate.”

  “Cooperate with what?”

  “You will meet me in our nation’s capital. I’ll text you the location.”

  “Washington, D.C.? Why do you want to meet there? Are you there now? With my parents?”

  I couldn’t seem to stop the flow of questions, my voice getting higher and higher with each one as my hysteria spiraled. Dr. Patton clucked his tongue, the sound practically dripping with condescension. Anger rose inside me, bringing me back to familiar territory.

  “It is not necessary for you to know the whys of the matter. Your only concern is the safety and security of your dear parents, which will only be guaranteed if you obey me.” His voice deepened on the last three words, enunciated slowly and succinctly.

  A shiver ran down my spine. I already knew Dr. Patton was bat shit crazy, but something in his voice told me he was more than that. He was truly evil.

  All in the name of God.

  “I want to speak to my parents,” I demanded.

  “Of course,” he said, his voice back to its normal creepy tone. “I wouldn’t have expected anything less.”

  “Savanna?”

  “Mom?” The blood rushed back to my head at the sound of her voice. “Are you okay? Where’s Dad?”

  “We’re fine,” she promised. “He’s right here.”

  “Hi, Pumpkin,” I heard him say in the background.

  “Savanna,” Mom said, “are you okay? Where are you?”

  She sounded… worried. She shouldn’t be worried about me.

  “I’m fine, Mom,” I replied. “I’m with the Pattons and we’re all safe.”

  “I know what you did, Honey,” she said. “Earl injected us with something. It was like a fog lifted and we came to our senses. You persuaded us.”

  The words were stated as a matter of fact, not an accusation, but I still felt guilty. Beckett caught my attention, using his hands to mimic giving himself a shot and mouthed the words, “your blood.”

  “I’m sorry, Mom.”

  “We’ll talk about it later,” she replied. “Don’t do what he says, Savanna. Stay away. We’ll—”

  Her words cut off as the sounds of a scuffle sounded through the speaker.

  “Mom? Mom!”

  “See? Your parents are fine,” Dr. Patton said, obviously having snatched the phone from my mother to stop her warnings.

  “So, help me God, if you hurt her…” I trailed off, letting the threat hang between us.

  “God will not help you,” he stated, his voice turning smug. “He is on the side of the righteous. Those that follow his word and enact his will.”

  “You’re insane,” I growled.

  “Think what you will, but the fact still remains that I have your parents and I won’t hesitate to use them in this holy war. I would hate for there to be… casualties.”

  I sucked in a deep breath. “Tell me what to do.”

  “Come to Washington. Alone. Ditch my nephews by any means necessary. If you bring them with you, I cannot guarantee their safety, or that of your mother and father.”

  “What do you want from me?”

  “In due time, my dear. All in due time. Watch for my text.”

  With that, the line went dead.

  Chapter Eight

  “What are we going to do?”

  It wasn’t the first time I’d asked the question. We were back at the Madsen’s, huddled up in the bedroom Lizzie and I had taken over that afternoon. Silas, Slade, and Beckett sat on one bed, Lizzie and Wyatt another, while Jett and I perched on the third. Mr. and Mrs. Madsen were downstairs, assuming we were just hanging out, doing things teenagers do.

  “We can’t do anything until he texts you,” Jett said. “We have time to figure this out.”

  “What if he hurts my parents?”

  “He won’t,” Lizzie insisted.

  “How do you know?” My voice was harsh, and I shot her an apologetic look, which she shrugged off.

  “He needs them. If he hurts them, he’ll lose his leverage,” she said, the confidence in her voice almost making me believe it.

  “But he’s certifiable,” Wyatt added. “Crazy people are, by definition, irrational.”

  Lizzie lifted a hand and whacked him across the back of the head. “Not. Helping.”

  “No, he’s right,” I said, my anxiety rising with each breath I took. “Dr. Patton is crazy. There’s no telling what he’ll do to them.”

  “Savanna, listen to me,” Lizzie ordered, leaning forward so that her face was right in front of mine. “Brother Earl has a plan. I don’t know what it is, but I do know that when he has a plan, he sticks to it, to the letter. I’ve been a part of enough of his grand schemes to know that. He’s not going to go off the rails and hurt them. Trust me.”

  Her words broke through the haze of panic that threatened to envelope me. If anyone in the room knew what Dr. Patton would do, it was her. I nodded, the motion quick and jerky, as my breathing slowed.

  “Thanks,” I said, offering her a small smile. Gazing around the room, I added, “I have to go alone.”

  You’d think I just said I was jumping straight into the fiery pits of hell with the way the boys reacted. All five of them protested at once, with Wyatt and Slade jumping to their feet. I cupped my hands over my ears while Lizzie shushed them, warning that the parentals would hear.

  “You are not doing this alone,” Jett pronounced, his tone final.

  I looked at him, my eyes pleading with him to understand. “He’ll kill them, Jett.”

  “No, he won’t.”

  “I can’t take that chance,” I said.

  “Savanna,” Beckett cajoled, ever the voice of reason, “you can’t expect us to just sit back and let you go right into the lion’s den without us. What if you need us and we’re not there?”

  “We’d never forgive ourselves,” Wyatt said in a low voice.

  “You
’re not going by yourself,” Jett reiterated. “We’ll come up with a plan. One that involves all of us.”

  He wasn’t going to give in. The three of them would never let me go on my own, and I couldn’t take the chance with my parents’ lives at stake. There was only one thing I could think to do.

  “Okay,” I said and nodded in agreement. “We’ll do it, together.”

  It was the first time I’d ever lied to him. To any of them. And it hurt like hell.

  There was still no word from Dr. Patton by noon the next day, despite the fact that I’d checked my phone at least a hundred times. I insisted on keeping the device on the charger even though it was fully charged. I wanted to make sure it had a full battery when it was time to leave.

  Jett, Beckett, Wyatt and Lizzie did their best to distract me, playing the question game we played our first time at Lucille’s, watching corny movies on T.V., and offering me food every half an hour. I hadn’t eaten or been able to concentrate on any of the conversations. I just sat and stared at the floor. The wall. My phone.

  I was lost inside my own mind, coming up with a plan to ditch the boys when the time came. Separating myself from them was unfathomable, making it impossible to come up with anything remotely doable. There only seemed to be one option, and it was one that revolted me on a bone-deep level. I didn’t know how I’d ever be able to do it.

  “Savanna, did you hear me?”

  Lizzie’s voice jerked me from my thoughts. “Wh-what?”

  “I asked if you know what time Slade and Silas will be home today.”

  “They have baseball practice after school today,” Beckett revealed as he walked into the room with a bag of chips. “They said they’d be home around five-thirty.”

  He popped open the bag and held the opening in my direction as he sat down on the couch beside me. I shook my head, earning a sigh from Jett, who sat on my other side.

  “Savanna, you need to eat something,” he said. “You have to keep up your strength.”

  Pulling the flask from his pocket, he offered it up to me. I took it, willing to appease him even though my stomach rebelled at the thought of food. Any kind of food. I unscrewed the cap and took a long pull, my eyes meeting Lizzie’s over the end of the bottle.

  “Sorry,” I muttered after I swallowed and recapped it, handing it back to him. “Does that gross you out?”

  She shrugged. “Maybe it used to. But not anymore.”

  I opened my mouth to respond, but no sound came out as my text alert chimed. I scrambled off the couch and lunged for my phone, nearly knocking it off the T.V. stand in my haste. Pulling up the app, I held my breath as I read aloud the message from my father’s number.

  “Meet me tomorrow at noon. Lincoln Memorial. Come alone, or there will be consequences. I have eyes everywhere. Do not defy me. E.P.”

  Tears stung my eyes for a split second before they spilled over, running in trails down my cheeks. Beckett pulled me into his arms and I sank into his chest, taking whatever comfort I could from his tight embrace.

  “Okay,” Wyatt said, pacing across the room and back. “Noon tomorrow. That means we have some time. It’s what? A four and half hour drive to D.C.? We can leave at six and have plenty of time for recon.”

  “Recon?” Jett asked, his tone condescending. “Who are you, James Bond?”

  “Shut up, Jett,” Wyatt snapped, his voice tinged with anger. “At least I’m trying to help.”

  “Please. Don’t fight,” I begged, pulling away from Beckett while wiping my eyes.

  “Sorry, Savanna,” Wyatt murmured.

  “Sorry,” Jett mumbled.

  “I’m going to go lie down for a while,” I said, checking the oversized round clock on the wall.

  I had about three hours before the Madsen brothers got home from practice. Their parents could show up even earlier. I needed to get ready. I wanted to be gone before I got anyone else involved in the mess.

  I kissed each of the boys on the lips, gave a little wave to Lizzie and headed up the stairs. I closed the bedroom door behind me and, making my steps as soft as possible, headed for the closet. I pulled out my duffle bag and started shoving clothes in as fast as I could.

  I jumped about two feet, my hand flying to my chest when the door clicked open behind me. In my haste, I hadn’t heard the footsteps coming up the stairs. I whirled around, my heart slowing its pounding when I spotted Lizzie closing the door behind me.

  She turned to face me as I dropped the bag and kicked it backwards into the closet. Arching one black brow, she crossed her arms over her chest with a frown.

  “Don’t do it,” she said.

  “Don’t do what?” I asked, playing stupid.

  “I know what you’re planning. It’s written all over your face. If you persuade those boys into letting you go alone, they may never forgive you.”

  I sucked in a breath and shushed her, pointing to the floor then to my ear.

  “Don’t worry. I sent them out. Told them a juicy cheeseburger would make you feel better.” She stared at me for a moment, her face earnest. “They jumped on the idea, saying they’d get you a milkshake, too. And they’re stopping for chocolate. Anything to make you feel better. They will do everything for you. To make you happy. To keep you safe. If you do this, you’re putting all of that in jeopardy.”

  I dropped the pretense and slumped my shoulders. “Don’t you understand, Lizzie? I feel that same need. The need to make them happy. To keep them safe. I know if I leave without them, it won’t make them happy. But it will keep them safe. And that’s more important.”

  “You’ll use your power against them.” It was a statement, not a question.

  “It’s the only way to keep them from following me,” I said, my eyes pleading for understanding.

  “It’s going to break their hearts.”

  Her words hung in the air between us, making me second-guess my decision. She was right. If I used persuasion against them, made them stay here while I ran off into God knows what danger, the boys would be heartbroken. And angry. They were as devoted to protecting me as they were loving me.

  I sucked in a sharp breath, tears stinging my eyes. I knew what I had to do.

  Chapter Nine

  I’d been sitting on a bed, staring at my half-packed duffle bag for at least half an hour when I heard the boys enter the house downstairs. The realization that I was out of time spurred me into action, and I jumped up, scrambling to throw socks and underwear into the bag.

  Lizzie had left me to my thoughts after our talk, telling me I had to decide what path I would take and that she hoped I’d make the right choice. I had no idea whether she was still in the house or not. I’d been too out of it to take notice of any noises she might have made downstairs.

  I zipped up the duffle and slung it over my shoulder, taking a deep breath before opening the bedroom door and stepping out. I could hear plates clinking against the table and the boys whispering about the food they’d brought home. They wanted me to be surprised.

  I wasn’t the one who was going to be surprised.

  I checked the time, deciding I had enough left before the Madsens returned home to eat with Jett, Wyatt and Beckett. A few more minutes of happiness before I blew everything up.

  I dropped my bag by the front door and headed into the kitchen. The boys all looked up when I entered, Wyatt and Beckett grinning while Jett gave me a thoughtful look before speaking.

  “We hope this is okay.”

  “We thought it would cheer you up,” Beckett said.

  “Yeah, we all know how you love a good cheeseburger,” Wyatt added with a wink.

  “It’s perfect,” I whispered, forcing back the tears that wanted to pour out of me. In a louder voice, I asked, “Is Lizzie eating with us?”

  Wyatt shook his head. “No. She left a note saying she wanted to explore town and she’d be back later tonight.”

  Yeah, and she wants no part of what I’m planning.

  Brushing aside the t
hought, I smiled at each of them as I took my seat. Jett set a plate in front me, piled high with seasoned curly fries and a double cheeseburger. Beckett handed me a can of soda and Wyatt wiggled a chocolate bar in the air.

  “This is for dessert,” he said.

  “It’s perfect,” I replied, knowing I was repeating myself, but I didn’t trust my emotions to stay in check if I tried to say more.

  I took a bite of my burger, faking a moan as the food hit my tongue. The greasy food tasted like cardboard in my nervous state, but I didn’t want to disappoint them with a poor reaction. Wyatt chuckled and the other two smiled, my pleasure making them happy. That’s all they ever wanted. For me to be happy. The pressure behind my eyes built even higher.

  “Do you want some chocolate?”

  “What?” I asked, looking around. I had no idea who had spoken.

  “I asked if you want some chocolate,” Beckett said. “Are you okay? You seem a little out of it.”

  “I-I’m fine,” I stuttered.

  I looked down at my plate, my brow wrinkling in confusion. It was empty, save for a few fries. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed as I ate mechanically and listened to the boys chat quietly, all the while trying to hold back my swirling emotions. Obviously, enough time to scarf down an entire meal.

  “I’m full, actually,” I said, answering Beckett’s original question.

  “What’s going on with you, Savanna?” Jett asked. “I know you’re worried about your parents, but I feel like there’s something else going on.”

  It was time.

  “I don’t want anyone to get hurt,” I stated. “Not my parents. Not Lizzie or the Madsens. Not the three of you.” My voice cracked on the last sentence.

  “We won’t get hurt, Savanna,” Wyatt replied.

  “I know you won’t,” I said.

  “Well, if you believe that, then why are you so worried?” Beckett asked.

  Before I could answer, Jett jumped in. “What do you mean, you know we won’t get hurt?”

  His expression filled with suspicion while the other two just looked confused. Jett must have seen the fear on my face, or maybe it was the guilt, because in the next second, he leaned forward and attempted to grab my hand.