She pulled out what she needed from the cabinets and refrigerator, whipping up the pancake batter. She smiled as she envisioned the surprised look on Jordan’s face when she returned. She shivered at the thought of what would come after. It amazed her how just thinking of her lover’s touch could arouse her like this.
She replayed their lovemaking. Sultry, vivid memories washed over her. She could still feel Jordan’s fingers on her body, could smell their combined scents. Jordan was a passionate lover, equal parts wicked and playful, but also tender and considerate. She had taken Devon to the heights of pleasure with knowing hands, deft strokes, and a probing tongue.
She shook off her lustful thoughts. Jordan would be back soon enough, and they would pick up where they had left off. They had plenty of time before they had to go back to Pittsburgh.
*
The world was bathed in white. Max bounded through the drifts, leaving doggy-sized divots in the pristine snow. Jordan followed, her legs sinking into fresh powder at least a foot and a half deep, and it was still falling. The flakes descended in thick clumps, the wind whipping around what it could.
A few feet ahead, Max bounded gleefully through rolling drifts, biting at snowflakes as they fell. He had absolutely no interest in doing his business, despite his earlier pleading.
“Come on, boy,” Jordan urged, her words muted by the wind. Max ran in ever-expanding circles around her, delighted by the wonderland of white.
The snow was a wall around her, blocking out the world. Her visibility was reduced to a few feet, the cabin no longer visible. Max circled at the edges, a dark form weaving in and out of the limits of her vision. He yipped excitedly as he ran, but it sounded muffled and far away, obscured by the snow and wind.
Suddenly, Max skidded to a halt, his ears perking. Jordan caught up to him, noting the tension in his lean body. She heard him growl, low and menacing. Her blood ran cold.
“Come on, boy,” she said, reaching for his collar. Something was out there. Something dangerous. She couldn’t see anything, hear anything, but she trusted Max’s heightened senses. They needed to get back to the cabin. Back to Devon.
Her fingers were inches from Max’s collar when he bolted out into the storm.
“Max, no!” But the shepherd was already gone. Jordan reached for the gun at her hip, but her hand closed around air. Her gun wasn’t there. It was on the kitchen table, forgotten.
Max was barking now and snarling, the sound breaking through the muted curtain around her, echoing off the snow. She pulled the knife from her pocket, flipping it open. She stepped toward the sound but an agonized yelp halted her.
No. Oh no.
She started to backpedal. She needed her gun. She needed to—
A form, low and dark, raced toward her. Her heart filled with hope. Max was okay. He was coming back. He—
The form resolved into a man and then she was flying through the air, knocked off her feet by the man crashing into her. She lashed out as she fell, swiping with her blade, making contact. She crashed into the ground, the force driving the air from her lungs. She gasped as the man wrenched back her wrist, forcing the knife from her hand. Jordan balled her left fist and punched at the side of his head, trying to knock him off. The blow dazed him, but not enough. He punched her. She felt rather than heard a crunching sound. Stars exploded in her head. She felt him leaning back, but she could not move. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear the haze. Her vision returned, and it was filled with Billy. She saw the silhouette in his hand too late to react. He plunged the knife into her abdomen.
The pain was excruciating, exploding throughout her body, a thousand volts electrocuting every nerve and synapse. Jordan struggled for air. Billy sat back on his haunches, his lips curled into a thin sneer. She waited for the final, killing blow, struggling to keep her mind clear.
Devon. God, Devon.
Billy leaned closer. “Hello, Detective Salinger,” he growled, his putrid breath invading her nostrils. “It’s so nice to finally meet you.”
His smile was menacing. He pressed his palm against her wounded flesh, and Jordan cried out.
“Hurts, doesn’t it?” Billy slid a gun out from beneath his jacket. She recognized it immediately, the familiar name on the muzzle screaming at her.
The gun had been her gift to Henry. She’d had the name Shirley engraved on the side, an old joke between them after they’d watched the movie Airplane. Another wave of pain seized her, this time born of despair.
“I thought you might recognize it,” Billy said smugly. He regarded the weapon for a moment. “I thought I’d have to use this on you, or on that dog of yours. But the weather made that impossible. I prefer it this way, anyway. This will be much slower for you. More painful. And pain is the path to salvation.”
Wind swirled around Billy as he stood, like flames whipping about the devil.
“If you’re wondering why you’re not dead yet, it’s because I don’t want you to be. I want you to have plenty of time to consider your failure.”
He stepped over her, toward the cabin. She lifted her arm and clutched at his jeans. He stared down at the hand weakly clinging to his pants leg. He shook his foot, Jordan’s sticky hand falling limply to the snow.
“Now you just lie there like a nice girl. I won’t be long. The last thing you see in this life will be my darling daughter’s cold, lifeless corpse.”
A strangled sob caught in Jordan’s throat. She tried to scream, but her lungs made no sound. She stared up into the falling snow as she felt her life leaving her.
*
The batter finally ready, once Devon had stopped distracting herself with thoughts of Jordan, she heated up the skillet. She poured three pancakes into the pan, the aroma filling the kitchen.
Not that making pancakes was a herculean effort, but besides providing nourishment to fuel their immediate future, she wanted to do something nice for Jordan. Something unexpected. Something that might, even in the smallest way, support her declaration of love.
She had told Jordan she loved her. She had never said that before, not romantically. She hadn’t said the words at all in over twelve years. The last person to hear them had been her mother.
And look how that turned out.
Devon shook off the old habit. She would not be afraid any longer. She would not sabotage this precious, wondrous love with insecurity and doubt.
She heard heavy boots stomping beyond the door, the sound lifting her heart instantly. She flipped the first batch of pancakes, a familiar thumping in her chest at the opening door. She heard it close and turned expectantly. The world flipped upside down. The spatula slipped from her fingers, clattering to the floor.
“Hi, baby,” Billy said. “Daddy’s home.”
*
The summer sun caressed Jordan’s skin as she lay on her back watching fluffy white clouds float lazily across the perfectly blue sky. Something about the sky felt familiar. The color of it spread a delicious warmth throughout her body, but she couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason.
Long, cool grass tickled her neck and the backs of her legs. A light breeze played in her hair. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so relaxed.
“Whatcha doin’, kiddo?” Her father’s deep, melodic baritone filled her ears. She had always loved the sound of his voice.
She shielded her eyes against the sun’s glare. Her father was standing over her, smiling. She smiled back.
“Nothing really,” she answered. “Just watching the clouds.”
He flopped down beside her with an exaggerated effort that made her laugh. He could be a real goof. He stretched out beside her in the grass, mirroring her position.
It felt so good, being next to each other this way, being close. She treasured this time together. She loved her father very much, though she knew she didn’t tell him often enough.
He pointed up at one of the clouds. “See that one there? Doesn’t it look like a dragon?”
Jordan squinted, fo
llowing the line of his arm, trying to see what her father saw.
“Not really.”
He huffed in mock exasperation. “Right there. See? There’s the tail, and the wings, and that big puff there is the head. And look, it’s blowing smoke.”
She could kind of see it now, though to her it looked more like a rabbit on a stick. “I think you’re the one blowing smoke, Dad.”
He barked out a laugh. “Maybe, honey. Maybe.”
He slid his arm underneath her neck and she leaned into him, resting her head on his chest. She listened to his heartbeat, strong and steady. He was her rock, her comfort, her courage. He was the best man she had ever known. She hoped to be just like him someday.
“What about that one?” he asked, pointing with his free arm.
“Looks like a wolf.” She didn’t know why, but the image filled her with dread. Her father tightened his arm around her.
“Very good,” he said. He pointed out another cloud. “And that one?”
Jordan pondered the formation. “Um…teddy bear?”
He laughed again. “No, silly. It’s a heart.”
“Awfully big heart,” Jordan said.
“The bigger the heart, the bigger the love,” he said, pressing a kiss to her temple.
They had done this countless times before, lying on their backs in the yard making shapes from the clouds. And yet, it felt different to Jordan this time. Slightly foreign, like they hadn’t done this in forever. She burned the memory into her mind, knowing without understanding that this would be the last time.
“Daddy?” she said, turning to her father. He brushed away her tears. “I’m scared.”
“You have the biggest heart of anyone I know, Jordan,” he said, placing his hand above her heart. “It’s where your love lives. And your courage. You need both of those now, more than ever before. You need them to kill the wolf.”
“What if I can’t?”
“You can.”
“I miss you,” she said quietly.
“I know, baby.” He kissed the top of her head. “I miss you, too. So very much.”
Jordan thought it would be lovely to fall asleep in the grass, in the safety of her father’s arms.
“You can’t fall asleep, Jordan,” he said, shaking her gently. “You have to go save your girl.”
She sat up, hugging her knees to her chest. She looked back at her father, resting up on his elbows. “What if I can’t?” she asked.
“You can, and you will,” he said with conviction. “It’s who you are.”
“I failed once before.”
Her father was standing now and pulled her up to face him. The fluffy clouds above them grew darker, blocking out the sun. “You didn’t fail. You saved those two kids. The others weren’t your fault.”
The tears came again, slipping down her cheeks. “They died because of me. He died. Because of me.”
“No, honey, he didn’t.” Her father lifted her chin, forcing her to face him. “That boy died because of a madman. Your actions saved the others. If you’d done nothing, they all would have died. And if you do nothing now, so will she.”
The words sank into her, infusing new life, new hope. As he always had, her father gave her the strength she needed.
“You don’t have to fake-it-till-you-make-it anymore, honey. You’re so strong, and I’m so proud of you.”
A gentle rain started to fall, mingling with Jordan’s tears. It grew darker, her father’s face fading with the light.
“Daddy? Don’t go. Please,” she begged, flinging her arms around his neck. He hugged her tightly.
“I have to, baby. And you have things to do.” He pulled back, smiling at her for the last time. “I like her very much, you know. She’s good for you. Cute, too.” He winked at her.
“I love you, Dad,” she said, darkness overtaking them.
She felt him trace his index finger across her forehead. “I love you, too, my darling girl.”
All was black, but she felt the rain licking her face, lapping in a familiar rhythm. Jordan opened her eyes. Max whined softly, giving her another swipe with his tongue. The world came rushing back.
She felt so cold, so incredibly weak. Mustering all her strength, she rolled to her side, the pain tearing at her as she moved. Max rolled to his side, too, his mission complete. The snow was red beneath him, the fur of his side bloodstained and matted.
“I’m so sorry, Max,” she choked out, pressing her nose to his neck. “You’re such a good boy.”
Jordan rested for a moment, gathering her strength once more. Propelled by sheer force of will, she threw herself over and up onto her hands and knees, the agony nearly making her black out again. She took deep, shuddering breaths, trying to keep from vomiting. She pushed herself upright until she was leaning back on her knees. She unzipped her jacket, pushing away the material. Her sweatshirt was stained a deep crimson. Gingerly she lifted up her shirt. Blood oozed out of the inch-wide wound. The down-filled coat seemed to have deflected some of the knife’s force, otherwise she might be dead already.
Max lay on his side, watching her. She saw a line of blood in the snow and understood at once the magnitude of what it had taken for Max to come to her. She shrugged off her coat and worked it around the dog, using the arms to tie it tightly around Max’s injured side. He whined softly but did not move.
“You’re going to be fine, Max. I’ll be back for you.”
He seemed to understand, his gaze never leaving her face. She packed the snow around him tightly, giving his body some limited protection against the wind. She looked in the direction of the cabin and saw a thin, darkened trail. She knew what it meant.
She leaned down to kiss him. “Such a good boy.”
Jordan was concerned but grateful that her pain seemed to be lessening. She knew she was falling into shock, but it also meant less pain, which would help.
She was sure she did not have the strength to walk, so she did the only thing she could.
Jordan began to crawl.
Chapter Twenty-nine
“You don’t know how I’ve longed for this moment. For us to be reunited.”
Billy had never felt such elation, such triumph. The pain in his leg from the mutt’s bite was nothing in the face of the endorphins coursing through him. He’d had only fleeting glimpses of Maddie until now, mere impressions of cheeks and nose and chin and eyes from far away that he had pieced together into a portrait. But now, finally face-to-face, he realized he hadn’t done her justice. She was lovely. Beautiful, really. His heart swelled with pride.
“Look at you. All grown up. My little Maddie.”
“My name is not Maddie,” she said, her voice low and steely. “My name is Devon.”
“That’s right. I forgot,” Billy said with a chuckle. “Just how many names have you had over the years? How many cities? Boston. Dallas. But no matter how many times you ran, I found you. I found you at NIU. I found you in Colorado. I found you in Memphis.”
He watched her eyes widen, saw the surprise. “Oh, you didn’t know about that one, did you? What was your name then? Theresa something. I got to Santa Fe not long after you left. Tracked you to Memphis. But somehow you slipped away again. You were always slipping away from me. Running away. But the bodies pile up, don’t they?”
Maddie’s face drained of color. Billy’s heart began to pound, his adrenaline spiking with each revelation. It felt so good to finally make his daughter fully understand his skill, his power.
“You know, I really didn’t plan to kill that roommate of yours. You were supposed to be in your room, not her. I knew your schedule, and hers. I had waited so long, waited for you to leave Roscoe, for everything to die down, for you to be somewhere else, where no one would connect the dots. But you weren’t where you were supposed to be that day. I came for you, and she just wouldn’t stop asking questions. Demanding to know who I was, what I wanted. She had no right. She said she would call the cops, and I couldn’t let that happen.
“It surprised me, you know, that you figured it out. That you understood it was me. But the police didn’t believe you, did they? No, they didn’t. You were all the talk at the bar across from the station. That’s where I learned about the investigation. They actually thought you had killed your roommate!”
Billy laughed at the memory, at the insanity that anyone could believe his dear cowardly daughter capable of his work.
“It was fascinating to see it all play out. So I watched you, and I waited. You were so scared, and so…affected. It intrigued me, I must say, your reaction to her death. I could see your guilt, your shame. How much knowing that it was your fault hurt you. But then you were gone. I hadn’t expected that.
“It took me quite some time to find you. Another surprise. You were very good at hiding, Maddie. I hadn’t known you had it in you. But finally I found you again. You’d built quite a nice little life for yourself there in Colorado, hadn’t you? Tell me something—I’ve always wanted to know—at what point did you stop looking over your shoulder for me? You must have stopped, or you wouldn’t have stayed there so long.”
Billy watched the emotions play across Maddie’s face, savored the interplay of grief and guilt and memory and despair. She said nothing, but she didn’t need to. He understood her perfectly.
“I probably should have just killed you, but I couldn’t resist taking out the old woman. You just seemed so attached to her. I debated letting you find her body, but she’d gone to see the sheriff that day, and I didn’t want to arouse too much suspicion. Cutting her brake line was simple and effective. But I wanted you to know, to understand. Pain is the only salvation, and the pain of loss was the truest path for you. I watched you find the coin. I saw the understanding wash over you, saw you accept the truth in that one exquisite moment.”
Season of the Wolf Page 23
