by Dara Girard
“That’s not true. Faye is very reserved, that’s all.”
“Kevin will loosen her up. If he doesn’t—”
“That doesn’t mean she’s gay, that means she has taste.”
Clay raised a brow. “I thought you liked Kevin.”
“I do. But I don’t care if he does donate, I don’t want them together. He’s terrible for her.”
Clay shrugged.
She rested her arm on the door frame. “Why did you mention Claudia?”
“I was being a reporter.”
“You played the role too well. I nearly revealed too much.”
He patted her on the knee. “You were perfect. We work well together.”
She beamed at the casual praise. “Thank you.” She glanced out the window. “How is your mother?”
“I wouldn’t know. I hardly see her. Nothing new there.”
Jackie didn’t reply, knowing it was best to leave that topic alone.
***
At work the next day, Patty shoved letters into envelopes, slammed cabinet file drawers, and hit the stapler as though she were killing flies.
“What’s wrong?” Jackie asked.
“I wish that woman would stop telling me what to do.” She whacked the stapler again.
“She is the boss.”
“She’s Ms. Nosy, that’s what she is.” She patted her hair. “I can tell people about our clients if I want to. Suicide isn’t our fault. Besides, I don’t see the-harm in telling people the truth.”
“You have to be careful when talking to the media.”
Her neck began to move like a snake. “Are you going to tell me off too?”
“No, personally, I appreciated you telling me.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She stood and grabbed her handbag. “I’m taking a break.”
Jackie shook her head and went to her office. She sat at her desk and began to clean up a mess of files and papers when the phone rang.
“I had expected more of a challenge,” a familiar chilling voice said. “I thought you were supposed to protect people. To look out for them.”
She gripped the phone, fear clawing its way up her throat. “I do.”
“Not very well, it seems.”
Her tone turned sharp. “What do you mean?”
“You lost one.”
“Who? What are you talking about?”
“You lost one of your family.” The line went dead.
Jackie dropped the phone. It clattered to the desk, unnoticed. She knew who he targeted—the disadvantaged, lonely, or sick. Who in her family could fit that profile? With trembling fingers, she called Eric.
“Hello?” he said.
She nearly wept with joy at the sound of his voice. “Eric. I’m so glad you’re there. Are you okay?”
“Yes, of course,” he said impatiently. “What’s wrong?”
“I was just a little worried about you,” she said, barely able to keep the phone steady. “Umm, is Adriana at work?”
“No, she’s here. Do you want to speak with her?”
“No, that’s okay. And Nina’s okay, too?”
“Yes.” His tone sharpened. “What’s going on?”
She didn’t want to worry him. “I just wanted to make sure you’re all doing well.”
He paused, then said, “You’re lying to me.”
“Try to give your mind a rest. I was just checking in on you. Oh, there’s another call. I have to go. Bye.” She hung up.
Jackie called Cassie next and got the answering machine. She called her cell phone. Still no reply. Would Emmerick target her? It was possible. She was so open and friendly, he could trick her by pretending to be a fan. What if he’d scheduled to meet her somewhere and abducted her? But why? Why? She grabbed her bag. She couldn’t worry about why right now. She had to make sure Cassie was all right.
A few minutes later she stood in front of Cassie and Drake’s house. She knocked and rang the doorbell. She waited. And waited. Jackie took a deep breath. She wouldn’t panic. Just because Cassie wasn’t home didn’t mean she was in danger. She had to calm down and think. Oh, why couldn’t the nanny be at home? Then she’d know Cassie’s schedule. But she’d probably taken the children out to the park. Perhaps she had a performance. Jackie paced the front step, rejecting the idea. Cassie hadn’t scheduled any until the autumn. She took out her mobile and called Drake.
“Have you heard from Cassie?” she asked once he’d picked up the line.
“No, should I have?”
“I guess not,” she said, trying not to alarm him, though her stomach felt it had been squeezed to the size of a pea. “I thought we had an appointment today and she isn’t here. Did she tell you she was going out?”
“No, but when she’s not writing she sometimes meets with people. She has her own schedule.”
“Right. Well, if she calls you, could you tell her to get in touch with me?”
“Sure.” He paused. “You sound worried. Are you in trouble? Do you want to talk to me about it?”
“No, it’s a woman thing.”
“Okay, but you know if there’s anything—”
“I know. Love you. Bye.”
She sat on the front step and dialed Clay. Once he picked up she said in a rush, “I can’t get a hold of Cassie. I don’t know where she is and I think Emmerick might have her and if he does this is all my fault and Drake will never forgive me and I’ll never forgive myself—” Tears. choked her voice. “We have to do something or--”
“Slow down, slow down,” he said. “What are you on about?”
Jackie took a deep breath. “Emmerick called me a few moments ago at my office and said he had someone from my family. I thought of someone Weak and then thought of Eric, but he’s fine. So are Adriana and Nina, and then I thought about Cassie and she’s not home and I can’t get a hold of her and Drake hasn’t heard from her and it will be all my fault because I didn’t tell them—”
“Breathe. She could be running errands and not have her phone.”
“And what if she isn’t? Oh, god, what if he hurts her and—”
“He doesn’t work that way,” Clay assured her, his calm voice attempting to break through her panic. “He’s trying to scare you.”
“He’s succeeding.”
“Go home and I’ll meet you there.”
“But—”
His tone was patient. “Go home and I’ll meet you there.”
She brushed away escaping tears. “Okay.”
Clay set the phone down and turned to Mack. “That was Jackie. Emmerick called her.”
“Great, everything is on schedule. Action time?”
“Exactly.”
***
Jackie’s mind flooded with terrible scenarios as she whizzed through the traffic. She would never forgive herself if anything happened to Cassie. Never. More disturbing thoughts gripped her as she rode the elevator to her apartment. She nearly screamed when her mobile phone rang. She scrambled through her handbag and grabbed it.
Cassie’s voice came on the line. “Hi, Jackie. Drake said you wanted to speak to me.”
Her knees buckled with relief, but she managed not to slide to the ground. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
She sagged against the wall, wishing she could hug her. “I don’t know. I was just thinking about you and wondered if you were doing okay.”
“I’m fine. How about you?”
She stepped out on her floor. “Good.”
“Now tell me why you’re worried.”
“It’s a long story. I promise to tell you later.”
“I’ll hold you to that promise.”
“Don’t worry, when this is all over I’ll tell you everything.”
She hung up, then entered her apartment. She flopped on the couch, all her energy gone, and jumped up when someone knocked on the door. She opened it and smiled at Clay’s grim features. “That bastard was just trying to scare me. He doesn’t h
ave Cassie. Everybody’s safe.”
“No,” he said quietly. “Not everybody.”
A shiver of fear crept up her spine. “What do you mean?”
“He has my mother.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Jackie looked at Clay, renewed fear creeping into her eyes. “He has your mother? Are you sure?”
“Yes.” He came in and shut the door. “Fortunately, had expected that.”
She watched him drape a garment bag over the couch, perplexed. “How?”
“His tactics haven’t changed. I knew she was seeing a man. When he started calling at three and five every morning after she’d spent a night out with him, I made a guess as to what was going on. The phone calls are part of the community trying to get to you. They keep you tired and hound you so you don’t have a chance to think.”
“Why would she get involved?”
“I’m not quite sure yet. Either she’s fallen for his charms or he’s fallen for hers. My guess is the former.” He zipped open the garment bag and handed her a purple robe with hood.
She held it up. “What is this for?”
“We’re going to join a ministry,” he said, taking off his jacket.
“A ministry?”
“Yes.”
“But look at us. I’m sure people will remember a figure as big as you. And I won’t know what to do. “There’s no way we’ll be able to fit in.”
“Don’t worry. The masquerade won’t last long. But remember this: When you’re there, you are not to drink or eat anything. Keep your eyes lowered, not only so he won’t see your face, but because it is a sign of humility. Only listen in spurts, count sheep if you have to. He modulates his voice to keep your attention and you’ll find yourself listening even when you don’t want to.”
She knew Clay’s calm should reassure her, but it worried her more. “Are you sure you can beat him?”
“No, but I can’t afford to fail.”
Jackie pulled on the robe. “How will we know where he is? Where she is?”
“This isn’t accidental, Jackie. It’s all been planned meticulously. This is April. A holy season to him. A time of annual awakening. He invites a select group of Careless Rapture believers to come celebrate. It’s invitation only.”
“But we weren’t invited.”
He showed her a card. “Of course we were.”
She took it from him and read its inscription. “How did you get that?” She looked up at him.. “I don’t understand.”
His penetrating gaze locked hers. “I don’t want you to know too much, your innocence will keep you safe. Just trust me.”
She took a deep breath. “I do.”
* * *
They drove under approaching storm clouds to a dilapidated cabin in the Virginia mountains. Jackie saw three other cars and a van parked along the gravel drive. There were no other houses for miles.
“I’m nervous,” Jackie said, fiddling with her robe. “Why did he call me?”
“My guess is that he first spoke to Bertha at your house and assumed she was your relative. He wanted to scare you.”
“Why?”
Clay shook his head, frustrated. “I haven’t worked that out yet, but I will.” He knocked on the wooden door: A robed figure answered. Clay said something in a low voice she couldn’t decipher before they were let inside. About ten other robed figures sat cross-legged in a circle in the empty room. The sickly glow of candles cast shadows on the waIls and wooden floor. She heard the hushed sound of rain.
It reminded Clay of his first gathering, where the wind whistled through the cracks and he’d first heard Emmerick’s powerful voice.
That same voice spoke now. “Glad you could join us, friends,” he said. “Please sit and join the circle.”
Jackie resisted turning to Clay for guidance and did as she was told.
“Now feel the energy rise up within you. Embrace the light. Awaken your senses.”
“I call for a new awakening,” Clay said.
Emmerick paused and removed his hood. “I know that voice.”
“Yes.”
“It’s the voice of a traitor.”
Clay removed his hood. “Or the voice of your conscience.”
“How did you get in here?” he demanded.
“A little trickery.”
“I will not have you pollute this sacred gathering.” Emmerick pointed at Clay. “Remove him.”
Two hooded figures stood, flashing large knives with the promise of malice.
Clay said, “You disappoint me, Emmerick. I thought you were a man of your word.”
“I am. However, we both know you are not. You are a man of action. I wanted to level the playing field.”
“I’ve changed.”
“Very well.” He made a motion with his hand and the knives disappeared. The guards sat.
“I know you have my mother.”
“Your mother?”
“Yes,” Clay said. “You made a little mistake thinking she was part of Jackie’s family.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said simply. “Yes, I have a new recruit, whether she is your mother or not is immaterial. She came of her own free will.”
“As Rennie had?”
“As they all do. You should know that. I do not need to use force. I am a messenger of a higher power. That power allows me to—”
“Indulge in extreme megalomania.”
Emmerick clapped his hands in exaggerated applause. “Congratulations. That is a large word for a man like you:’
“I’ve learned to read.”
“Then did you read anything about the Messiah complex? I believe you are suffering from a form of it yourself. Are you still tortured by the death of your sister and that other, what was her name? Gabriella? Have you been spit on lately?”
Jackie started.
The group turned to her. Clay spoke quickly to redirect their attention. “Those are my demons, you have yours. I believe Rennie knew about them and that’s why she tried to stop you.”
Emmerick hesitated. “How did you . . . Well, it doesn’t matter anyway,” he said, unconcerned.
“What did she know?”
“Why rehash the past? I can’t be tried for her death twice.”
“So you admit to killing her?”
His cool voice chilled the air. “I admit that she’s dead.”
“At your hands.”
Emmerick clicked his tongue in pity. “Have you come to avenge her, my boy? Does the anger linger still? You will never have peace as long---”
“I think I know why you did it,” Clay interrupted. “Perhaps she knew about your little habit. That though you enjoyed your wives you had a preference for boys.”
“I do not have a preference in the way you are trying to imply. Men, of course, are the stronger sex, therefore given the bigger responsibility of this ministry.”
“It wasn’t the mission of the ministry that brought you into my room that night. You became my traitor.” Clay’s words fell like stones. “I tried to kill you for betraying a trust I had believed was sacred. I can only guess that she saw you and knew she couldn’t be married to you anymore.”
He shrugged. “All conjecture.”
“No, I think that was the truth. And I think you knew you were in danger of losing control. You had me kicked out, because to have someone leave would topple your kingdom. She was a strong force and people would have followed her.”
“No.”
“Your surrender philosophy is a lie.”
“It is an ultimate truth,” he said with conviction. “But you approach it with blind eyes. You see yourself as a god. You who think you can save others and torment yourself when you don’t. Isn’t there something debase in a man who thinks so highly of himself?” He addressed the group. “There is true power in surrender. To accept things as they are.”
“To choose death instead of life,” Clay said gravely.
“Death chooses us. I welcome
it. But why are we arguing opposing philosophies? If you do not believe, then why are you here?” He smiled with confidence. “You can’t do anything to me.”
“I can charge you with kidnapping.”
His smile slipped. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about Amanda Heldon. The young woman everyone thought was abducted.”
“I didn’t---”
“Kidnap her? No, not originally. In the beginning, she came to you willingly. A colleague of mine pointed out the possibility that Amanda may have run off to meet someone.” He paused. “I basically dismissed the thought until I came upon your Web site. Now, why would you need a Web site? You targeted the poor, the disillusioned, the sick.” He snapped his fingers. “Ah, but to fund such a group you need money, don’t you? By attracting a wealthier demographic you could continue your work. Ask them to donate their money to the cause. They would willingly empty their pockets since they are just as eager for peace as the wino on the street.
“So I had a missing girl and a Web site. There was a picture of Amanda’s mother in her room. If you study the picture you can learn a little bit about Amanda. She loved bands. She had posters everywhere. Most of the groups I didn’t know, except that one peeking from under the bed sounded familiar. At first it looked like a Rave poster, then I looked more closely. It had an innocuous statement splashed across the top with just Careless Rapture at the bottom. Very clever of you not to use the word ‘ministry.’ No one paid attention. It could have been one of the many bands she liked to listen to. Only, I knew what it was. Do you want to tell me what happened or should I guess?”
Einmerick folded his arms, amused. “Enlighten us.”
Clay took no offense to the condescending tone. “A girl like Amanda is perfect for you. Eager to please, eager to do well. Lonely and shy. She needed a friend and through e-mails you convinced her you were one. You invited her to meet you and you never let her go.”
“She’s decided to stay on her own. She’s a true believer. She knows the dangers of the outside world.”
“Yes, a month with you would convince her of that. But if she’s a true believer, let me see her face.”
Emmerick lifted a candle, then stood behind one of the robed figures and lifted its hood. Amanda stared at him with dark green eyes that looked like marbles—no emotions. That was not a good sign. He would have to approach her carefully. She was apt to be more loyal to Emmerick than she would be to him. Emmerick moved to another figure and removed its hood. “Oh, and I believe this is the one you call your mother. However, they’re both mine.”
