by Dana Mentink
“Tell me what you’re thinking.”
He had wanted her to share, to expose that vulnerable wound, to trust him with her most delicate feelings.
“Just a rock,” she had said, tossing it away.
And later, she’d drowned the feelings in one drink after another.
If she had trusted him then, would he have helped her with her addiction?
She squeezed her eyes closed to hold in the tears.
It was too late to wonder.
Too late.
A sudden bang roused her. It felt as if something had struck the car. Her eyes flew open. She heard her mother gasp. Out the window she saw a large boulder still moving from impacting the driver’s door.
Rudley turned, face deadly serious. “Get down.”
“What? Why?” Heather gasped.
“Just …” He didn’t get to finish the sentence before a bullet shattered the front window, passing between Rudley and Margot and blowing a hole in the backseat, so close Heather could feel it cut through the air. Bits of glass showered down around them.
She grabbed Tina and pulled her down.
Rudley swore as he stomped on the gas, and the car lurched forward. He yelled something over the squealing tires.
Heather screamed as the driver’s side window suddenly exploded and Rudley crumpled, a red stain appearing on his temple. At first she couldn’t understand what had happened.
“He’s been shot,” Margot screamed. The car continued to roll until it began to slide toward the sharp drop along the shoulder.
“Grab the wheel,” Heather yelled at her mother.
In spite of her mother’s frantic yanking, the car continued to slide until it toppled over the shoulder. Bumping violently, it gained speed until it crashed into a gnarled pine, halfway down the incline.
Fear galvanized her into action. She grabbed Tina and shoved at the door on the passenger side. At first it didn’t open. With strength she hadn’t realized she possessed, she shoved at the door until it gave and they tumbled out. Pushing Tina along, all Heather could think of was getting away from that car, until she realized her mother was not following. She turned to find her still in the front seat, staring in round-eyed horror at Rudley.
She hammered on the door with her fist. “Unlock it, Mom.”
Her mother didn’t move, so she pounded against the window. “Mom, listen to me.”
Her mother turned and seemed to waken.
“Unlock the door,” Heather pleaded again.
When Margot lifted a trembling hand and unlocked it, Heather wrenched open the door, pulling her mother out.
“Run for the trees. We’ve got to get away.”
They scrambled through brambles and shrubs, stumbling and sliding down the steep slope, not daring to look behind them as they ran. It was Oscar. Though she hadn’t seen his face, she knew he’d been watching, waiting for the opportunity to use them to hurt Bill. Tina’s face was white in the waning sunlight as Heather dragged her along, down, down, until they slithered to a stop where the land gave way to a flat ribbon of whitened soil that must have been a creek bed. A cliff rose on the other side, striated with dark bands of color. In both directions the dry creek twisted out of sight.
Which way?
Her heart pounded in her throat as she considered. She could not hear the sound of pursuit, but she knew Oscar would be after them any minute. Tina whimpered and Heather wanted to take the time to comfort her, but she didn’t dare. She looked at her mother, who seemed to be in a state of shock.
“This way,” she hissed at them, plunging toward a clump of aspen. “We’ve got to hide.”
Her mother stumbled once and almost went down, but Heather grabbed her elbow with her free hand. The three of them staggered along, feet slipping on the loose dry soil.
As they ran she could hear the sound of a car door. Had Rudley been able to get himself out of the car? Maybe Oscar had given up and driven away, rather than finish off a federal agent. She dismissed the thought.
Nothing would stop him.
And no obstacle would get in his way for very long.
Gripping Tina and her mother tighter, she practically hauled them to the shelter of the trees a hundred yards away, where they flopped to the ground, panting.
Tina’s face was stark against the shade. She didn’t speak, but terror was written clearly in her brown eyes.
Margot appeared calmer, but her limbs were shaking from either fear or the physical effort she’d just endured.
Heather knew she must be the one in charge if they were going to survive. Peeking past the trees, she saw that the way became rockier, littered with boulders that had broken from the cliffs above and come to settle in the creek. Small humps of white rock stood out against the darker sand and gravel here and there.
“Limestone.”
She jerked, not realizing her mother had come to stand next to her.
Heather gave her mother an incredulous look. “Now is not the time for a geology lesson.”
Her mother’s lips quivered. “It’s all I know. It’s all I’ve ever known.”
She recognized the helplessness on her mother’s face. “It’s okay. Do you have a cell phone, Mom?”
“No, I’m sorry.”
Heather continued to scan the ever-darkening surroundings while she turned on her phone.
No signal. She felt like flinging it away in frustration, but instead she pocketed it.
Her mind pinwheeled, searching for escape routes. She could see only as far as the next bend. They could hide in one of the creek channels, or farther down in a clump of trees until help arrived. It might work, but not for long. The only real chance was the road, to flag down another car or get to a spot where she could call for help. With sickening clarity the answer dawned on her. She turned to face them.
“You two need to keep going, find a place to hide.”
Margot’s eyes widened. “What about you?”
“I’m going to head back the other way.”
“Toward the car? Toward Oscar?”
She nodded. Her mother clamped a hand around her wrist.
“No. That won’t do. We’ll go together.”
She stroked her mother’s hand, feeling the delicate bones beneath the skin. She’d never thought of her mother as fragile or vulnerable until that very moment. “It will be okay. I’ll get to a place where I can call for help.”
“I …” Margot’s eyes were wide. “I’m afraid to lose you.”
An emotion stronger than fear poured through Heather. “It will be okay,” she repeated, tears threatening to choke off the words. “Take Tina and go now. I’ll get help and find you again. Try to stay out of sight.”
Without giving herself any more time to think about it, Heather turned and ran back in the direction of the car.
SEVENTEEN
Bill and Egan didn’t speak much as they drove across the dusty acres that surrounded the lab. Tank stood in the back, his ears and jowls flapping in the wind. Bill’s stomach tightened with anticipation. This time he would be one step ahead of Oscar.
He thought about calling Rudley, but decided against it. Until he had confirmation that Oscar was indeed holed up at the abandoned construction site, there was no point in alerting anyone. In another ten miles he’d know for sure.
Egan sat tense in the passenger seat, clutching the seat belt with one hand.
Bill felt slightly sorry for him. The scientist was out of his element. “I can drop you somewhere.”
Egan shook his head, licking his dry lips. “No, I’m in this all the way now.” He shot Bill a rueful smile. “I never would have guessed I’d be involved in this sort of thing. Excitement is usually something that happens to other people.”
Bill nodded, thinking he would personally relish a long stretch with no excitement whatsoever. Maybe after he brought Oscar down.
Maybe. But what would be left for him then?
He’d return to the solitary life he’d built. Just
him and Tank and miles of sunbaked land. Maybe he’d tackle the appetizer section of his cookbook. Picturing the cookbook lying open there waiting for him, a wave of melancholy hit him and he knew he did not want to go back to that empty house alone.
He wanted Heather with him.
But it could not be. He could not entertain notions of her while thoughts of vengeance sizzled through his mind. He would not give himself permission to love her or anyone else. How could he make sense of the two opposing forces clashing inside him? His tenderness for Heather in spite of their past, his intense rage at the killer who might be in his grasp momentarily. Confusion filled his mind and he knew he needed to get a handle on it.
Confusion would allow Oscar to escape, and get Bill killed in the process.
God, he thought, if You’re listening, help me sort this all out.
He felt Egan looking at him. “Do you have any kids, Mr. Cloudman?”
“No. Just two nieces, my sister’s girls. You said you have a daughter?”
“Yes.” His eyes traveled along the erratic clumps of sod clinging here and there to the side of the road.
“She interested in science like you are?”
He gave a rueful laugh. “No one is interested in old bits of long-ago history. It’s only the rare find, the once-in-a-lifetime discovery that gets any attention at all.”
And that’s been a disappointment to you, Bill thought, reading the sadness in Egan’s face.
Egan pushed his glasses up. “I got into geology because it was more practical than paleontology, but at the core, I just want to be out there.” He swept a hand over the twisted miles of parched land speckled with the occasional clump of tufted grass burned a fiery hue by the setting sun. “Looking for the secrets waiting for me. It’s ironic that I work in a state-of-the-art facility, a place people would give their right arms to see, but I really just want to be outside poking around in the dirt.” He sighed. “I admired Leanne, you know.”
Bill started. “Admired her?”
“Yes. She had the freedom to explore and she knew this area so well. I asked her to show me around all the corners of this town, but I’m afraid we never got the chance.” He looked suddenly stricken. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be bringing up your sister. I’m sure it hurts you.”
Bill shrugged. “It does. But it’s good to talk about her, too.”
“What I can’t figure out is why Oscar Birch would want to kill her. Do you think she came upon him doing something illegal?”
As the sun sank into the horizon, the sky changed from orange to purple. “I don’t know. But when I catch him, I’m going to find out.”
Egan pointed suddenly. “There. You see that warehouse? It’s nearly hidden by the rise of that hill.”
Bill took out his binoculars and scanned the area. It was indeed an old warehouse, closed tight. Parked around the entrance were various types of heavy machinery, from backhoes to front loaders. He looked carefully for any signs of movement, but saw none. He got out and peered at the dry grasses that covered the area and the gravel road that served as an entrance to the spot.
He got back into the car. “I’m going to take you back to town now.”
Egan blinked. “Has Oscar been here? Did I guess correctly?”
“Someone has been coming and going recently. The gravel’s compressed. I’m going to get you out of here and come back to stake it out for a while.”
“Should I call the police? Have them send backup?”
Bill guided the truck down the road. “No. I’ll call in if I get any visual confirmation.”
“What should I do then?”
He looked so eager to help, Bill almost smiled. “You’ve done enough just showing me the place.”
Egan smiled. “Not quite like discovering the next La Brea Tar Pits, but I guess I’ll have to settle for finding some old construction equipment.”
Bill’s eyes narrowed. “If this pans out, you’ve found a lot more than that.”
After he delivered Egan safely back, Bill returned to the abandoned warehouse and pulled the truck behind a screen of trees that provided both shade and cover. He settled in to wait as the clock ticked its way to seven.
It was still hot. Tank had gotten out of the truck and parked himself in the shelter of a few scrubby bushes after drinking some water that Bill provided. There was only heat and silence, broken by an occasional flutter of a red-winged blackbird in the cottonwood tree, searching for the last meal of the day.
Left alone with his thoughts, he remembered Leanne. Egan was right. She did have the freedom to explore and she enjoyed it, bringing home pretty rocks and gem fragments she collected on the way. She had a glass jar of them that still sat on his desk. He could imagine her smile as she held up some pebble or shard as if it was a priceless treasure.
He would give anything to see that smile one more time.
Helplessness grated at him.
Oscar would go to prison for murdering her and Johnny and Hazel. It was the only thing he could do for any of them now. But what was to be done about the other matter? The one that pierced him deep inside. He’d been so ready to believe that she was using again, he’d accepted the cause of death instead of questioning it. The shame squeezed at his heart. His lack of trust in his sister was unforgivable. Did it bleed over into his feelings for Heather?
Deep down was he afraid to trust that Heather had made herself a new life? That she was a different person, stronger than she’d ever been before he’d arrested her? Or was he afraid to believe that she still had feelings for him, because it would make him vulnerable all over again?
You let two people down, Bill, two people who counted on you. Leanne and Johnny are gone forever and it’s your fault.
Memories of his sister came unexpectedly, her laughter, her good-natured smile, the warmth that drew people to her. A strange feeling sparked in his chest. It was as if a cool breeze had blown gently through his soul. He knew the truth in that moment—that Leanne would have forgiven him. For that matter, he believed Johnny would have, too.
It startled him.
Why? Why did he believe that the two people he’d let down would forgive him?
Where would that forgiveness come from, when life had been so blatantly unfair to both of them?
His breath caught.
From God.
It played in his mind like the remembered lyrics of a song he used to know.
People could forgive each other because they’d been shown how by God, when He sent His son to die for them.
For Leanne.
For Johnny.
For Bill Cloudman.
He felt like a child who had been shown a great treasure, like Egan’s elusive big find.
God was still there, after so much anger and rage and loss.
God was still there for Bill.
And He still offered forgiveness for those who asked.
In the sultry quiet of that moment, Bill bowed his head and did just that.
The sweetness rolled around in his heart and healed something there. He remembered that he was loved by God in spite of every mistake he’d ever made. He was forgiven and, what was more, he’d remembered how to forgive.
Looking at the almost full moon that blinked to life in the sky, he hoped he’d have the chance to tell Heather about it.
Heather stopped next to a prickle bush and listened. At first she could hear only the sound of her breath rasping loud in the still air. Shadows all around seemed to close in, leaving her disoriented. Forcing her body to calm itself, she listened again. The sound of footsteps on the road came floating down from above. Heavy booted feet, cautious steps. It must be Oscar. For the moment he was heading away from them.
She wouldn’t have long before he figured out which way Tina and Margot were headed. She slid out her cell phone. Still no signal. Fighting a rising panic, Heather began to climb as quickly as she could back up the steep bank. There was a radio in the car. All she’d need was a minute at the most
to call for help.
The slope was peppered with loose gravel and in the growing darkness she grabbed at a nearby stone. It gave way in her hands, and she fell heavily. Something wriggled out from the spot where the stone had been.
Heather barely managed to control her scream as a snake reared its head, spread its neck and hissed angrily. She lay on her stomach, face-to-face with the angry monster, its three-foot body coiled for striking.
She felt the hair on the back of her neck rise as the white fangs caught the dying sunlight. Fear scared all practical thoughts from her mind. The only thing she could focus on was those razor-sharp fangs and the shrill hiss of the angry reptile.
Then Bill’s words came back to her from one of their many hiking adventures. It’s a hognose snake—they’re great actors.
Sweat beaded on her face as she reached a hand around in the dirt for something to scare the snake.
The reptile continued to hiss, body taut and menacing. Her fingers closed over a stick. Gripping it as tightly as she could in her clammy fingers, she brought it up quickly and slapped it down in the direction of the snake. It didn’t make contact—at least she didn’t think it had—but the snake rolled over with a gasp and lay still.
They protect themselves by playing dead, Bill had said.
She scooted away as far as she could from the snake before getting back on her feet and continuing her climb toward the highway. The skin on her hands was rubbed raw from scrambling for a hold, fingernails broken and torn. Just before she reached the road, she stopped and listened again.
A scratching noise made her freeze. After a second or two she saw the flame of a match spring to life, and the glowing end of a cigarette shone through the darkness. Oscar was about six feet to her right, standing on the side of the road, looking in the direction that Margot and Tina had taken.
He paused there, the glow of his cigarette waxing and waning as he puffed. Which way would he go? And what would she do if he decided to stand and wait? She didn’t think it was likely, since the car was still stopped in the middle of the road. Oscar must have come to the same conclusion, because he coughed slightly and turned on his heel, heading toward Margot and Tina.
