Fatal Thrill

by Misty Evans

  “Can you get up to that tower?” Jon pointed to the northeast turret. “Set up surveillance?”

  Colton followed his gaze and nodded, the rifle he’d brought dangling next to his leg. “If the stairs hold, I should be able to.”

  Each of them had a comm unit. “Report in every ten minutes, got it?”

  Shelby’s phone rang. She withdrew it from a pocket and grimaced slightly. “It’s Percy. I better take this.”

  Colton snorted. “What’s that fucker want?”

  “Probably to help.” Shelby took two steps away from her husband. “But until I answer his call, I won’t know for sure, will I?”

  “Meet us inside,” Jon said, “and keep your comm on.”

  She nodded and continued to walk away, seeking some quiet to answer her call.

  “Percy's the Garda detective?” Jon asked Colton.

  The man made a face. “Former Army Ranger Wing. I don’t like him.”

  Imagine that. The ARW was Irish Special Forces, and if the guy was retired from that, Colton had a natural inclination to respect the hell out of him, but would never admit it. Jon didn’t particularly want the intrusion of any of the local law enforcement agencies, but in this case, they had little choice. “Orders stand. We work with the locals and don’t step on toes.”

  Colton made a disgusted noise and headed off to the tower.

  “He’s such a douchebag,” Jaya said, once again snapping pictures. “I honestly don’t know what Shelby sees in him. He should have his own syndrome named after him or something.”

  “I heard that!” Colton called. “Love you too, buttercup!”

  Jaya rolled her eyes and Jon hid a grin. It was like having the brother and sister he’d never had. Except Jaya was definitely not his sister. “How’s the stomach?”

  The brisk air had created a tinge of pink in her high cheekbones. “Fine. The ride seemed to calm my stomach rather than aggravate it. Probably because Miles drove instead of Colton.”

  Charlotte walked beside them, all of their boots crunching in the crusty snow. “He is talented in many things.”

  Jon squished his eyes closed for a moment, not liking the images that conjured. “Comm check,” he said, touching his earbud. “Miles?”

  “Here,” he replied. “Watch your step five meters inside the main entrance to the left. Flooring is unstable.”

  “Roger that. Colton? Progress update on the tower? Over.”

  Colton filled him in on the condition of the stone stairs and then checked in again once he was in place. By that time, Shelby had joined them inside the main entryway. Jaya was shooting more pictures and Charlotte was talking about the structure of stone castles and the various types of layouts.

  “Percy Maitland will be here within the hour,” Shelby told Jon. “I tried to put him off, but he wants us to work with him to find Sean and the cross.”

  “I’m not helping him arrest my father,” Jaya said, lowering her phone. “I realize my dad may be guilty of a bunch of petty crimes, but I can’t go there, Shel.”

  “No one’s asking you to.” Shelby rubbed Jaya’s arm. “You don’t have to talk to Percy, but he’s in charge of the local investigation and can pull the plug on us at any time, so it’s better if we appear to be helpful rather than pissing him off. I’ll do my best to handle any questions he has and steer him away from you, okay?”

  “Hey, Jon?” Colton’s voice came over the earbud.

  “Talk to me,” Jon said.

  “I couldn’t see it initially, but now that I have a better vantage point, there’s definitely been activity here prior to our arrival. There are tire tracks and footprints on the east side, mostly hidden by the snow, but I can see a few. Looks like they’re grouped around that old church and graveyard.”

  Miles jogged down a set of stone steps off to the right, joining them. “I did a quick scan of the upper floors, and there’s nothing but burnt out timbers and more decaying stones. Not one sign of Sean, Finn, or anyone else but bats and rats.”

  Charlotte shuddered visibly.

  “Let’s work our way around the place down here,” Jon said. Most of this part of the castle was still intact, although definitely showing the effects of aging.

  He took Jaya with him, sweeping to the right. Miles and Charlotte went left. Shelby took another phone call.

  An hour later, they met in the main room of the castle again after Shelby radioed that she’d found something. Detective Maitland had yet to arrive, and the clouds outside had thickened and darkened, creating even heavier shadows in the high ceiling.

  Shelby held out what looked like a satchel made out of tapestry. “Look at this.”

  “A carpetbag?” Charlotte asked, touching the side. It was dirty, some of the design around the handles had nearly been rubbed away from use. “Did one of the Gypsies leave it behind?”

  Shelby undid the latch and opened it for all of them to peer into. The only thing inside was an old cell phone.

  Dirt encrusted the keypad, like the thing had been buried at some point and dug back up. A jagged crack ran across the screen. Jon reached for it, but Shelby jerked the bag away. “It could have fingerprints.” She took latex gloves from her pocket and handed one to Jon. “Use this.”

  From the condition of the phone, he doubted there would be useable prints, even if someone had recently dug the thing up from wherever it had been buried. The likelihood of it having anything to do with Finn and Sean was slim, but he snapped on the glove and took the phone.

  The thing was a dinosaur compared to current technology. “Where did you find it?”

  “There’s a secret door in the fireplace mantel in the room I was in. It was stuffed in there.”

  “Looks like it’s been there for years,” Jaya said, studying it.

  The thing had no juice, which didn’t surprise him. “Let’s take it back with us and see if we can jerry rig a way to charge it. It’s probably nothing related to Finn’s kidnapping, but we’ll check it anyway.”

  He dropped it back inside the carpetbag and Shelby latched it closed again.

  Jon hit his comm and spoke to Colton. “Any sign of life inside the church, Bells?”

  “None.”

  “Roger that.”

  Jaya looked pale. Her eyes were as clouded as the sky outside. “Doesn’t mean there’s no one there.”

  Jon knew what she was seeing in her mind’s eye—Finn tied to a chair, beaten and unconscious. Worse, he could be dead like Fitzpatrick.

  No way he was letting Jaya see that.

  Jon looked at Miles. “We’ll check the church. Shelby, Charlotte, Jaya? You guys head back to the car.”

  “No way,” Jaya said. “I’m going with you.”

  “Jaya…” Jon started, but she was having none of it.

  “Look, I know you think I can’t handle finding Finn…”—she swallowed hard—“whatever. He’s my brother and I’m going with you. If I was going to hide a priceless cross, it’s not a bad place to do it. So even if we don’t find Finn, we should look for that.”

  Charlotte snapped her fingers. “That’s brilliant! Hide it right under their noses and on sacred ground.”

  It had become apparent that arguing with Jaya was a fool’s game, and honestly, something about her idea sparked Jon’s instincts. Charlotte was right—it was a brilliant plan if you were trying to hide something valuable. Who would think to look at an abandoned castle’s rundown church or graveyard? The amount of superstition alone was enough to keep the locals away, and the fact that the place wasn’t visible from the road helped keep it out of sight of casual tourists.

  He touched his comm unit. “Bells, we’re heading to the church. Keep an eye on the area and don’t shoot Detective Maitland when he shows up, got it?”

  “Fuck” Colton said under his breath.

  “Bells!”

  “Roger that, sourpuss. Just don’t whine to me when he kicks your arse out of Ireland.”

  The church squatted in a dense glen
of overgrown trees and bushes with one singular tower marking its position. Jaya let Jon help her down what used to be a path, her feet tangling in the icy dead weeds. Here and there, through the rising fog and darkening sky, she spotted the tops of tombstones. Interspersed among the traditional Celtic crosses and markers were moss-covered altar stones denoting the wealthiest of the various owners through the later centuries who must have been largely Anglican. Angels were in abundance around a large burial vault south of the parsonage. Jaya could only guess at how many caskets were inside.

  The roof of the church had been overtaken by vegetation, causing the center to sink. Most of the plants were dead now, their brown, dried up stems and leaves looking like tiny skeletons. Vines climbed the brick tower where a large cross managed to still point skyward, if a bit slanted.

  The double wooden doors on the front had been bolted shut at some point, but the iron had rusted and the lock was dented. Water had damaged the bottoms, some of the wood splitting and breaking off.

  Jon lifted a foot and kicked the doors in, a few sections of wood splintered and the lock went flying.

  Behind them on the path, Charlotte spoke in low tones to Miles as he helped her through the tangled brush. Shelby had stayed back, waiting for Detective Maitland.

  Jon stuck his head in. “Nobody’s been inside here in years.”

  A part of her breathed a sigh of relief. Another felt letdown. “No Finn.”

  “Nope.”

  Miles and Charlotte caught up to them. “Not exactly the best place for kidnapping or torture, but I’ve seen worse,” Miles said.

  Jon started to go inside, but Jaya stopped him. “Wait.” Her eyes caught on something propped against the large tree on the edge of the graveyard. “What is that? Is it a shovel?”

  Jon peered around the open door. “Well, this is a graveyard.”

  “Yeah, one that hasn’t been used in several hundred years.”

  “Good point.” He shifted her aside. “Stay here. I’ll have a look.”

  For once, Jaya didn’t insist on going with him. Images of a freshly dug grave made her feel queasy. Jon’s form became two, then three, and she had to put a hand against the solid brick of the church to keep herself steady.

  Oh, Finn. Please don’t be here.

  Jon kicked at the ground, bent over, and moved weeds out of the way. He gave her a quick glance, then set his hands on his hips for a moment, his face serious.

  Jaya’s stomach dropped. “Is there a fresh grave?”

  The only answer was Miles pushing through the dead grass and weeds, following Jon’s path. Miles stopped next to him and his head snapped back to her and Charlotte. He gave her a tight nod.

  Jaya’s legs shook and she sat down. Just plop, she landed on the cold ground. She couldn’t stay standing, her guts crawling with fear.

  Charlotte crouched next to her and grabbed her hand. “We don’t know it’s your brother or your dad. Have faith.”

  Jaya gripped her hand like it was a lifesaver. “Faith has never been one of my strong suits.”

  “Uh, guys?” Colton’s voice came to life in her ear. “We’ve got company.”

  “Detective Maitland?” Jon asked.

  “Not Maitland.”

  Miles pulled his weapon from its hiding place. “Who?”

  “I’m not a hundred percent sure, but…”

  Shelby’s voice burst in. “Three tiny houses on wheels and two small RVs. I’d say Gypsies.”

  Charlotte met Jaya’s eyes. “Might be family of yours. Let’s go meet them.”

  Her legs didn’t feel strong enough to do that. “What if they’re not friendly? Even if I am related to them, they kicked my grandmother out a long time ago because she married my grandfather. I’m outcast, just like those men in the bar.”

  “Outcast or not, don’t you want to meet them and find out?”

  Charlotte and Jon helped her to her feet, but Jon shook his head. “Exposing yourself is risky. Let me try to find out for sure who they are and why they’re here.”

  “I want to know who or what is in that grave,” Jaya said, pointing toward the spot near the tree. “Miles, start digging.”

  “Jaya.” Shelby’s voice held a hint of warning. “We shouldn’t disturb the grave until Percy gets here. It’s a possible crime scene.”

  “Fuck that,” Jon said. “Miles, do what Jaya said, start digging. Colton, keep your scope on our visitors. Shelby, get down here and help cover Jaya.” He grabbed Jaya’s hand. “You and Charlotte come with me. We’re nothing more than some tourists, got it? First sign of anything I don’t like, I want you to stay close to Shelby and Charlotte and get to the car.”

  As Jaya and Charlotte nodded, Miles put his gun away and grabbed the shovel. “I’ll let you know what I find.”

  Jon hustled Jaya back toward the courtyard, Charlotte on their heels. Shelby met them near the entrance just as the entourage was pulling up.

  The RVs were rather old and outdated, one trimmed in a vintage 1970s turquoise, the other a dingy ivory color with a painted symbol on the side that looked Celtic and involved a raven and black bear. The other three were pulled by trucks, not the horses Jaya had seen in pictures. All were made of wood and stained a dark brown. Curtains hung in the windows where a few small faces peeked out and a variety of bicycles, suitcases, and tarps were attached to the back ends. One had a motorized wheelchair on a lift.

  Jon strutted out in front, signaling Jaya and the other women to stay behind him. Shelby gently guided Jaya in the direction of their car as Jon hailed the driver of the lead RV and waited for the man to exit.

  “Hello,” Jon said. The guy squinted at him, looking nervous.

  Jaya ignored Shelby’s urging to keep heading toward the car. Instead she moved closer to Jon, intrigued by the grisly face and long beard of the driver.

  Charlotte spoke in the Gypsy dialect and Jaya assumed she echoed Jon’s greeting. She said something else too, the small man cocking his head sideways.

  “You’re not from around here,” he replied in perfect English with a heavy Irish accent, “but you do a good impression.”

  Charlotte laughed boisterously. “I’m Romanian Gypsy, but grew up in Britain. Is this your land?”

  Nothing like getting right to the point.

  “What are you doing here?” the man asked, avoiding her question.

  “We’re tourists,” Jon supplied and motioned at Jaya. “My girlfriend, here, likes old castles.”

  More of the group disembarked, their gazes guarded but curious. The passenger in the man’s RV rolled down her window. Even through the windshield, Jaya felt her sharp eyes sizing her up.

  Jaya took a step forward, returning the woman’s bold stare. Like Charlotte had said, the only way she was going to find out whether or not this group was indeed related to her and could help find Finn was to ask. “I’m related to the family who used to own this castle. The O’Sullivans. I don’t know much about my Irish family or Gypsy grandmother but I’d like to. Don’t suppose you could help?”

  She saw the change in the man’s wizened features at the mention of her grandmother. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened and he pivoted to look back at the woman still seated in the RV.

  Jaya focused on her too. She was obviously the matron of the clan. The others stayed back, waiting for her okay. Her gray hair had been braided and wrapped on top of her head. At one time, it had probably been dark, maybe red. Age spots dotted her cheeks and her eyes reminded Jaya of her own.

  Was this her grandmother’s family?

  Please help me, Jaya pleaded with her eyes at the matriarch. She gave the woman a tentative smile.

  The old woman worked her lips as if holding back words, then shifted her dark gaze from Jaya to the man.

  She shook her head.

  Jaya’s stomach fell.

  A younger man approached. “You’re the man from town, the one hanging around Kilroy’s Pub.”

  Jon nodded, moving to Jaya’
s side once again and grabbing her arm as if to stop her from getting closer to the group. “My friends and I are here on holiday. Taking in the sights, you know?”

  Answering without giving anything away. The games they had to play were foreign to Jaya. She liked things out in the open, not this subterfuge that Jon, Shelby, Miles, Colton, and Charlotte all knew how to incorporate into their everyday lives.

  “We don’t want trouble,” Jaya said, going for truth again. “I just want to find out about my family.”

  The young man pushed back his jacket, revealing a gun at this waist. “Best ye move on. Do yer research from a safer place.”

  Jon pulled Jaya behind him. “Don’t do anything you’ll regret. I have a sniper in that tower yonder. Like the lady said, we don’t want trouble, but we know it follows the O’Sullivans just like the curse. We want information, that’s all.”

  Jaya saw the old lady’s head snap up and she pierced him with her dark eyes. One gnarled hand reached out and she snapped her fingers at the young man. She said something that made it sound like she had pebbles in her mouth, but the guy went to the back of the RV and started unloading the wheelchair. Then she yelled at the old man still facing them down

  Charlotte’s voice came out low and soft. “She told him she wants to speak to you. Something about the curse.”

  “Jon,” Miles voice came over their earbuds as both the young man and the older one helped the woman from the RV. “I’ve got something.”

  The tone of his voice was enough to tell Jaya whatever he’d dug up wasn’t good. But then like Jon had said, it was a cemetery, an abandoned one at that. Where better to hide a dead body?

  Before she could ask Miles what he’d found, or the Gypsy in her wheelchair what she knew about the O’Sullivan curse, Jaya’s luck nailed her once again. The heavy, sullen clouds overhead opened up and they were caught in an icy downpour.

  12

  The inside of the castle was dark enough they needed flashlights to see as everyone piled inside.

  But a stormy day in Ireland didn’t bother the Gypsies. They were prepared. Oil lamps were lit that gave off a faint odor and masked the decay and mold of the abandoned castle. A battery-operated hot plate appeared to boil water for tea and a fire was set in the fireplace. Apparently, they kept the flue cleaned out for visits such as this.