Foxfire

by Carol Ann Erhardt

  ****

  Max waited until the old man and his gaudy companion drove away before leaving his hiding place. Something was up. He'd watched the two men on the porch talking as if plotting something, but he'd come too far to let anything stop him now.

  Stupidity couldn't defeat genius. He'd show them no one could cross Max Clayton.

  He slipped a tool from his pocket, inserted it in the lock, and opened the door of the old man’s house. He walked into a small living room and gave it a quick once-over. A natural stone fireplace dominated one wall. The whole place had a rustic look, complimented by the heavy wood sofa with blue and brown plaid cushions, wood table lamps, hardwood floors with braided rugs in shades of brown, and a solid blue recliner. A mirror hung above the narrow mantle. Several pictures in wooden frames standing on the mantle were the only decorations. He lifted a picture frame and looked at a young woman's face, lips lifted in a smile, eyes sparkling as if hiding a happy secret. Her shoulder length brown hair parted in the middle and brushed her cheeks in soft waves. Who was she? The old man's daughter? Nice looking broad.

  Max sat the picture back in place and moved into the kitchen. He removed the bag from his back, unzipped it and reached inside. In the past, he'd always assigned this type of job to one of his minions. Now he was reduced to doing his own dirty work. The only redeeming factor lay in knowing he'd soon have his revenge on Grace.

  The bitch deserved every exciting thing he planned for her. All the previous kills only fueled his desire to save Grace for last. She knew the truth now—that Max had found her and her days were short on this earth. She'd turned against him, testified against him after all he'd done to make her life better. When he met her she was nothing but a cocktail waitress. He showered her with gifts, put her in a nicer apartment, introduced her to his friends and planned to marry her one day. Oh, yes, she deserved to die begging for her life.

  His fingers deftly went to work. In a few minutes, he'd rigged the kitchen door to explode when it opened. Max checked the C-4 and the wiring to ensure it would ignite properly. He used a small charge, for he didn't want to set the entire mountainside on fire. He needed just enough to do major damage to the old man.

  When Max was satisfied with his work, he closed the bag, shifted it onto his back and left the way he'd entered.

  ****

  Grace looked at Jake. “What do you want me to do?”

  “Why don't you tell me what you know about Max. Then we can put our heads together and come up with a plan.”

  “I don't like this,” Tyler said. “Max is dangerous. I don't want—”

  A loud explosion rent the air.

  “Stay here,” Tyler ordered, shoving Grace into the chair.

  Anger brought her to her feet.

  Tyler rushed toward the kitchen.

  Jake followed closely behind. “What the hell?”

  “Sounded like a bomb,” Tyler said.

  “Hurry,” Grace said as she passed them both with a burst of speed, racing onto the deck.

  “Grace, stay here until we find out what's going on.”

  “Not on your life,” she cried, racing down the stairs.

  Dark smoke rose above the tree line.

  “Oh, my God, it looks like Brad's house,” Grace yelled.

  Sirens cut through the sounds of heavy breathing as she raced along the mountain toward her friend's house. She prayed she was wrong. Maybe someone had set fire to a heap of trash and it got out of control. But the explosion? Please, God, let it be anything but what her heart feared.

  False hopes were quickly destroyed when they reached Brad's yard. He lay on the ground, his leg askew, his face and hands covered with black char. A small piece of wood protruded from his cheek. Large splinter-like spikes of wood peppered his arms.

  Brightly colored clothes decorated the lawn, probably the ones Harri had intended for the church. The back porch had been destroyed and flames flickered along the outside wall of the kitchen. Grace registered everything within seconds, full of anger at the destruction. She looked around. Where was Harri?

  She dropped to the ground beside Brad.

  “Don't touch him,” Tyler warned unnecessarily. He knelt on the ground and placed two fingers gently on Brad's neck. “He's alive.”

  Jake flipped open a cell phone and walked a few feet away. She hoped he was calling an ambulance.

  Grace leaned close to Brad's ear. “Brad, it's me. I'm here. Can you hear me?” Grace pleaded.

  A car door slammed and Harri came running to where Brad lay. “Oh, no. Oh, no.” Her eyes overflowed with tears. A low moan rose from her throat, then built to a loud, keening wail. “Brad!” She threw herself on him, but Tyler reacted quickly, lifting her off his prone body.

  “Let me go.” Harri struggled to break free, but Tyler kept her firmly in his grip.

  “Harri, listen to me. Help is on the way. He might have broken bones. You don't want to hurt him any more than he already is, do you?”

  Harri shook her head in defeat. Tyler awkwardly hugged her, continuing to assure her Brad would be all right. He looked over his shoulder at Grace.

  “He's not responding,” Grace said.

  “He can't hear you right now. The blast will have deafened him temporarily.”

  A fire engine arrived, followed by an ambulance. Two paramedics pushed Grace back so they could tend to Brad. They examined him, attached an oxygen mask to his face, then lifted him onto a stretcher. Harri climbed into the ambulance and Grace tried to follow.

  “There isn't room for both of you.” The paramedic attending Brad gave her a sympathetic look and reached to close the door.

  “I'll make room,” Grace insisted. Her face must have shown her determination, for he offered no further argument as she squeezed in beside Harri.

  He shut the door and the ambulance sped away, siren blaring. Grace and Harri were jostled from side to side, but Harri seemed unaffected. Black mascara ran unheeded down her cheeks. Her green tank top was smudged with the black smoke that riddled Brad's clothes and body.

  Brad's eyes fluttered open and locked on Harri's face. “What...?” He grimaced in pain, then closed his eyes, losing consciousness.

  “Brad, don't you dare give up,” Grace ordered. “You're going to make it, you hear me? I need you. Harri needs you. Hang on. Please, please hang on.”

  Harri's fingers gently touched Brad's blackened fingers. “Brad, I love you so much. Please, don't leave me.”

  Grace leaned forward and looked at the ambulance driver. “Can't you go any faster?”

  “No ma'am,” he drawled.

  The paramedic across from them pulled the stethoscope from his ears, letting it dangle around his neck. “He's going to make it. His heart is strong and his blood pressure is stable. None of his injuries seem life-threatening.”

  Grace clung to his words, grasping hope. She squeezed Harri's hand.

  Harri turned her ravaged face to meet Grace's eyes. “This is my fault. I should have made him listen.”

  “Harri, it's not—”

  “It's my fault. I told him I'd seen him lying in a hospital bed, but he laughed at me like he always does. He said he was perfectly healthy, that there wasn't a thing wrong with him. He wouldn't listen to me. We...we had an argument, and I dropped him off at the bottom of the drive and made him walk up the hill. He had to carry a box of clothes I'm donating for the church rummage sale, too. I should have driven him up here. Stayed with him.”

  “It's not your fault, Harri. Besides, those clothes probably kept him from being hurt more than he is. You didn't do anything to cause this. If you'd been with him, you'd have been hurt, too.”

  The ambulance pulled up to the emergency entrance at the hospital. The doors flew open and two attendants lifted Brad's stretcher. They pushed him through the automatic doors, and Grace and Harri followed closely behind.

  While they rushed Brad away, Grace and Harri were told to stay in the waiting room.

  “Grace.” She tur
ned at the sound of her name.

  Tyler walked up to them. “How's Brad?” he asked.

  “We don't know anything yet.” She flicked a glance at Harri, who sat stunned in one of the well-worn chairs.

  “He's going to be okay,” he assured them.

  “Where's Jake?” Grace asked.

  “I left him at Brad's place talking to the sheriff.”

  Tyler brushed a lock of hair off her forehead.

  It seemed hours before a doctor finally approached them. “Which one of you is Harri?” he asked.

  Harri jumped up. “I am.”

  “He's awake and asking to see you. You can visit for a few minutes. One caution, he won't be able to hear you clearly right now.”

  “But how is he otherwise?” Grace asked.

  The doctor turned to her. “Are you a relative?”

  Grace hesitated for a second before replying. “I'm his granddaughter.”

  The doctor smiled at her. “Your grandfather's leg is broken in two places. He'll be in a cast for a while. He's a fairly healthy man for his age. He has a few burns and cuts, bruised ribs. It could have been worse. We'll keep him in the recovery room until he stabilizes. Only one person at a time can see him until we move him into a room. In the meantime, someone needs to fill out paperwork so we can admit him.”

  “I'll take care of that,” Tyler spoke up. Grace gave him a grateful smile. The doctor led Harri away and Tyler went to the admitting desk.

  Left alone, Grace felt her earlier fears fade with a growing anger. She sat dry-eyed, chewing on the inside of her cheek, using the pain to keep her from running off to find Max.

  The man was evil through and through. She couldn't imagine what demons drove him. How had she ever found him attractive?

  He deserved to die. Look at all the innocent lives he'd destroyed by smuggling in billions of dollars worth of street drugs. She shuddered, knowing she'd nearly become one of his 'girls.'

  Though she'd escaped, she still felt tainted. Now he'd brought his dirty games to Foxfire, hoping to destroy her and those she loved. It was time she stood up to him. Time to stop his evil reach.

  He wanted to kill her?

  She'd give him the opportunity.

  But it would be Max who died.

  ****

  Grace had never seen Brad look so vulnerable. To her, he'd always been vital, full of life. He'd been moved to a private room Tyler had arranged. His eyes were closed, his face pale. A cast covered his leg from ankle to thigh, and a monitor beeped steadily at the head of his bed.

  Harri sat in a chair next to the bed, her hand lying gently on his.

  Tyler came into the room, glanced at Harri, then moved to Grace's side. She had to find a way to get rid of him without making him suspicious. She glanced out the window at the sun's orange glow. Soon it would drop below the horizon and Grace wanted to be back in Foxfire before dark.

  Tyler leaned close and asked in a hushed voice, “Are you ready to leave?”

  “I'm going to stay here. I don't want to leave him.”

  “The doctor said he'd sleep through the night. There's nothing you can do by staying. You need to rest, too.” He touched her shoulder. “Don't forget about Tiffany.”

  Just like Tyler to use her dog as a bribe. However, if she didn't deal with Max tonight, other innocent people would be hurt. “That's unfair,” she responded sharply.

  He paced to the door and back, his hand combing through his hair. He stopped beside her chair. “You're right. I'm just worried about you.”

  Looking into his concerned gaze, she almost believed him. Almost.

  “Where's Jake?” she asked.

  “He went back to the apartment to check on some leads. With all his resources, we're bound to catch Max before long. I told him we'd be joining him soon.”

  “I think I'd rather sleep at my house,” Grace said. “That way you two can work without any distraction.”

  Tyler frowned and nodded toward the hallway.

  Grace glanced at Harri, who appeared to be listening intently to their conversation. Deciding not to upset her further, Grace followed Tyler out of the room.

  His face showed stress from the last two days. Shadows ringed his eyes, making them appear more deep-set. Stubble dotted his jaw line which only emphasized the tired lines etching his face. Even his voice sounded tired as he spoke. “What happened to your big speech about being included in our plans? Did you change your mind? Not that I'm complaining.”

  “I'm just worn out mentally,” Grace said. “I don't think I'd be any help tonight at all.”

  “You need someplace safe to sleep. Come home with me. You can have the bedroom. Jake and I can camp out in the living room.”

  She gazed into his eyes, knowing he would never agree to let her stay alone. Not until Max was caught. “I want to stay a little longer. When Adam comes back from the cafeteria, he can drive us to Harri's house and I'll spend the night with her. She shouldn't be alone either.” She must have sounded convincing for she saw the tension easing from his face.

  “That's a good idea. I'll send a couple of men to watch the house just in case. You'll probably be safer at Harri's anyway. I'll wait for Adam to make sure he doesn't mind.”

  “You don't have to wait. He has to drive back anyway. I'm sure he won't mind. He'll be going right past Harri's. Why don't you go ahead. You look tired, too. I'll call when we get there.”

  “I don't want to leave you alone.”

  “I'm not alone. There's a bodyguard at the door, thanks to you.”

  He pushed away from the wall. “Watch for anything that looks or sounds suspicious. Max is out there somewhere.” His unspoken words hung heavy between them. Max would be looking for her.

  Grace was counting on it. Tyler talked to the man guarding Brad’s room and held the door open for her. She went back inside, and the door closed softly behind her.

  “Where's Tyler?” Harri asked.

  She felt bad lying to Harri, but there was no other option. She had to protect her friends. “He went outside to use his cell phone. He's waiting for me. Are you going to stay here tonight or should I ask Adam to drive you home?”

  “I'm not leaving Brad's side.” Her worried glance went back to Brad.

  Grace hugged her. “He's going to be fine, you know. Don't worry.”

  Harri wiped a tear from her face. “I can't help worrying. I love him.”

  “Me, too.” Grace leaned down and kissed Brad's cheek. “I love you,” she said. Grace wished she could reassure him there'd be no further danger. She owed him that much and more.

  Grace hugged Harri again before she left. There was a strong possibility she'd never see her friends again. Though she knew she had no choice but to face Max, in all reality he might kill her. For all her bravado, she wasn't certain she could best him. Sure, she'd had her self-defense classes, but would she even remember what to do? Knowing ahead of time what the attacker would do worked well in a classroom setting, but in reality, one never knew what might happen.

  She had her gun, but even Tyler doubted she could shoot anyone. Could she? If faced with life or death, could she pull the trigger? All she could do was pray her strength held out and she actually got a chance to face that dilemma. Odds were against her. Still she had no choice.

  The elevator doors opened and Grace stepped into the hospital lobby and gazed around to make sure Tyler was nowhere in sight. She walked over to the information desk. Grace explained about riding to the hospital in the ambulance and forgetting to bring her purse. She asked if the woman would call her a cab and went outside to wait.

  She paced the small sidewalk outside the main entrance, getting more nervous as the minutes ticked slowly by. Just when she decided to go back inside and ask the woman to call again, a cab pulled up. Heaving a sigh of relief, she climbed into the back and gave the driver her address.

  “Lady, that’s at least thirty miles. Do you know how expensive this is going to be?”

  “I know. D
on’t worry about the money. I'll pay you.”

  He shrugged and pulled away from the hospital.

  She settled into the seat. Her attention was drawn to the back of the driver's head. Something about him seemed familiar. She darted a glance at the rear view mirror, but he had a cap pulled over his forehead, shadowing his face. Her heart jumped. Could it be Max? Impossible. How would he know she'd call a cab?

  She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. Foolish. Her imagination was running away with her. She dried her clammy hands on her jeans and sneaked another look at the driver. Though she couldn't see his eyes, she knew he was looking at her, too.

  The cab continued moving on a correct route to her house. Max wouldn't drive her home. He'd take her off some place and kill her.

  She battled her overactive imagination as the sun dropped below the horizon. It was fully dark when they pulled into her driveway forty minutes later. She asked the driver to wait while she went inside to get his fare.

  He nodded without speaking.

  She kept her back straight and tried not to run. At any moment she expected a bullet to take her down. She ventured a look back before she opened the door and slipped inside. She closed the door and peered through the peephole. She flipped on the porch light as he stepped out of the cab and leaned a hip against it, staring at the house.

  The driver wasn't Max. She'd never seen this man before. She shook off her tension and hurried to get her purse.

  After she paid him, he thanked her, gave her a half-hearted smile, and drove off. She watched the taillights disappear before she turned and went back inside.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Tyler dialed Harri's number and put the phone to his ear. Why hadn't Grace called yet?

  “Give it a rest. You called less than five minutes ago,” Jake said.

  “Something's wrong.” Tyler glanced at his watch. “They should be there by now.”

  “Maybe they stopped to eat. It's been a long day for everyone.”

  “Maybe.” Tyler closed the phone. It was a possibility, but Tyler had a bad feeling chewing at his gut. “I'll give them another half-hour, but if she doesn't call by eight, I'm heading back to the hospital. It would be just like her and Harri to stay the night with Brad.”