“What makes you think I have a problem with Karen?”
“The two of you avoided each other like the plague last night. You never looked at her when she was talking, or responded when she asked a question.”
“It’s a family thing. You wouldn’t understand.”
Wilkes stopped at a red light. “I guess you’re calling the shots. Do you want to stop by the farm before we head to Alabama or go straight there?”
“Protocol says we go to the clinic and Mrs. Gardina’s.” Her cell phone rang, and she reached for it. “Nikolic.” A frown creased her brow as she listened intently. “We’re heading there now, sir.”
Wilkes shot her a sideways glance as she stored the phone in her jacket. “Something up?”
“Mrs. Gardina was found murdered this morning, as well as one of the doctors at the clinic, and the clinic burned down last night. We need to get to the farm and secure Redmond, the girl, and the child.”
“Damn it!” Wilkes turned right and picked up speed. “Call Karen or Savior and tell them what’s going on. He may already be there.”
Teresa dialed Karen’s number and relayed the information. “She’s about two miles out from the house. She’s going to turn around and let Loki and Savior know what’s going on.”
“Go ahead and call Savior and let him know.” Wilkes took a sharp turn. “Then see if you can reach Rosetta and tell her to get a helicopter scheduled to fly over the property.”
“The director is never going to approve that, Wilkes.”
Wilkes took his eyes off the road long enough to glare at her. “I don’t remember asking you to get the director’s permission. Make the call or book yourself a flight on the next plane out.”
~ ~ ~
Robert stared at his hands, surprised to find they looked the same as they had yesterday. He’d never killed a human before, and the deed had given him no comfort and no joy. In fact, the smell of fresh blood had seeped into his pores and filled his nostrils until he’d vomited the contents of his stomach. How could Mother enjoy anything so dreadful so much?
An image of Mrs. Gardina’s face floated in front of his eyes, twisted in pain as she spewed out obscenities, and it was immediately replaced by an image of Dr. Vaughn, his eyes huge and terrified as he pled and begged for his life.
Robert’s heart pounded as the images flowed and blurred into each other until the obscenities of Mrs. Gardina became the pleadings of Dr. Vaughn. He tossed off the covers and climbed out of bed. He had to get away from the images, or he’d go insane.
“Robert?” A soft peck came on his bedroom door. “Are you awake, dear?”
“Yes, Mother, I’m awake.”
She opened the door and strolled into the room, a huge smile on her face. “I’ve been thinking, darling, perhaps we should take a cruise, or maybe a vacation on the beach. Allow things to calm down and people to forget.”
“That sounds nice, Mother.” He smiled at her, but his hands still gripped his knees to control the trembling of his body.
She came to sit beside him. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Robert. It gets easier after the first time. And none of those people were important. Why, I’d bet within a week they’ll all be forgotten.”
“What about the Indian and the girl?” Robert didn’t try to disguise the slight tinge of anger in his voice. He’d wanted the Indian to be his first kill. With her power to see into others and know their innermost secrets, killing wouldn’t bother him so much, and he’d be able to control Mother and the dreams. “I still need to take care of them.”
She patted his hand. “We’ll wait a few days, or maybe even a few weeks. Give them time to let down their guard and get careless. Now, why don’t you get dressed, and Mother will fix you a nice hot breakfast and we’ll look at travel brochures.”
The rage that had been simmering below the surface since he’d first opened his eyes boiled over. Fuck the travel brochures. I’ve spent my entire life protecting her crazy ass. “The longer we wait, Mother, the more time they have to find us. I’ve cleaned up your messes for years. The least you can do is help me clean up mine.”
Her lips twisted, and her irises shrunk to tiny beads of blazing hate. “How dare you speak to me like that.” She took a step toward him, her fist raised, then stopped, her lips relaxing and the fist unclenching as she gently touched his face. “I’m sorry, Robert. Of course we’ll wait if you think that’s best, darling.” She leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. “Mommy will take care of you.”
He stared at the closed door and listened to her humming, his anger subsiding as quickly as it had risen. Hysterical laughter bubbled inside his chest, and he breathed deep to push it down. He’d come to terms with her madness years ago. In time, he’d come to terms with his own.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“What’s that noise?” Grace asked as the cabin shook slightly.
“A helicopter.” Dadron doused the fire. “There’s extra blankets in the boxes over there. We’ll have to do without a fire for a while.” He picked up his rifle and headed for the door. “I’m going to do some scouting around. If I’m not back in a couple of hours, Jules, you know what to do.”
“Wait!” Grace called after him. “Take Bruiser with you. His leg is better now.”
Dadron shook his head. “I’m going to be moving fast, and I can’t keep an eye on him or worry if he can’t keep up.”
Grace watched him go, a strange emotion washing over her. She wanted to call him back, beg him not to go. Something’s gone wrong.
Jules rose and secured the door. “It’ll get cold in here quick. We’d better grab some blankets and wrap the baby up.”
Grace placed Hope on the bed and slipped on the jacket Loki had given her. They wouldn’t be able to stay here long without a fire. “Why did Dadron go out there?” She took a blanket and wrapped it around Hope. “It was a stupid thing to do. And what did he mean by ‘you know what to do’?”
Jules placed a blanket around her shoulders. “Because Karen should have been here by now. Dadron’s smart, Grace, and he knows how to protect himself. He’s gone to look for her. If Dadron isn’t back by the time it warms up outside, we’ll set out for the main house.”
“He should have radioed Loki or Jake and let them look for her. For all we know, she’s still with them.”
Jules took her trembling hands in his. “The radio’s dead. Don’t worry. If he comes, I’ll protect you, Grace.”
And who’s going to protect you? Grace didn’t voice the question, and the trembling in her hands made its way to her body as she began to shake all over. “You don’t know Husband, Jules. He walks like an Indian without sound, and he’s good with a knife.” She shuddered. “He likes to skin animals while they’re still alive.”
Jules picked up Hope and sat on the couch, pulling Grace down with him. “He isn’t an Indian, though, and Dadron is. If he’s out there, Dadron will catch his scent long before he gets close enough to use a knife.”
Grace snuggled into his side, pleasantly surprised at how comfortable she felt with his arm around her. “I’m glad you’re talking again. Are you going to talk to other people or just me, Dadron, and Loki?”
“Depends on whether I have something to say.” Jules chuckled. “Most people talk and talk but never say anything.”
“What’s it like to be an Indian?” Grace immediately regretted her question when Jules flinched beside her. “I’m sorry, that was sort of…” She searched for the right word.
“Racist?”
“I’m stupid.” Grace sighed and moved away from him. “I barely remember how to read and write.”
“You’re not stupid, and you can learn how to read and write.” Jules spread the blankets around them. “You’ll have to so you can help Hope when she gets older.”
“How old are you, Jules?”
“Twenty.”
“What did Isabella tell you?”
Jules shifted on the couch. “You ask a lot of questions.
”
Grace bowed her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t have anyone to talk to for three years, and now that I do, I can’t seem to stop.”
“Being an Indian is no different than being any other race, but you feel different. Sometimes people look at you different, judge you by what they’ve seen or believe. It’s why I prefer the forest, and the animals. They don’t judge you.”
“I was afraid to tell anyone about Isabella and the others. I still haven’t told Loki or Jake…” She stopped and buried her face in her hands. “I killed the old woman he made me call Mother. I shouldn’t have, but it was the only way I could get away. They’re going to find her body eventually, and they’ll arrest me.”
“They didn’t find her body at the cabin. She may not be dead, and even if she is, that’s called self-defense. They won’t arrest you for it.”
She peered at him through her fingers. “Are you sure?”
Jules nodded. “You’re allowed to kill to protect yourself, or someone you love.”
Bruiser raced to the door, pawing at it and whining.
“Maybe we should let him out.” Grace tossed the blankets aside. “He might have to go potty.”
Jules picked up his rifle. “You stay here.” He knelt beside Bruiser. “What is it, boy?”
Bruiser barked, pranced, and wagged his tail. Jules stood to open the door. “I guess you’re right.”
“Bruiser!” Jules yelled as the dog bounded past him as soon as the door was open and headed in the direction Dadron had gone.
Grace came to stand beside him. “Smart dog.”
Jules slammed the door and locked it. “Too smart for his own good. If anything happens to him, Loki is going to kill me.”
“You still haven’t told me what Isabella told you.”
Jules kept his back to her, his voice lowering. “She told me not to be afraid.”
Grace frowned. “Afraid of what?”
“Dying.”
~ ~ ~
“We can’t sit here and wait. Either the radio is down or they can’t answer it.” Loki glared at Wilkes, still talking on the phone.
“Meet me at the house.” Wilkes hit the end button and ran a hand through his dark hair. “They found the UTV, and they’ve scoured the entire farm, and the ones nearest to you. There’s no sign of him or Karen anywhere, but the forest is dense on both sides of the area near the UTV.”
“I know the place.” Jake reached for his jacket.
“I’m going with you.” Teresa checked her gun and shoved it into the holster on her belt.
“So am I.” Loki moved toward the back door.
“Wait a damn minute!” Wilkes’s face darkened. “Let’s all take a deep breath here.”
“My brothers are out there with this madman.” Loki opened the door. “You can take all the deep breaths you want, but I’m going.”
“The helicopter will be here any minute. It makes a lot more sense to use it. We all go running out there and he can pick us off one at a time.”
Loki closed the door. “I’ve got a better idea. Call the helicopter and send them to the cabin. We’ll go look for Karen.”
Wilkes let out a long, slow breath. “I can’t do that, Loki. They’re not armed, and we don’t know what’s waiting at the cabin. Besides, they can only carry two.”
“So what the fuck were you wasting our time for?” Teresa growled. “You’ve done nothing but screw this entire case up since we got here.”
Wilkes’s jaw set in a hard line. “Back off, Nikolic.”
Loki caught Jake’s eye and nodded toward the door. “Let’s go.”
The helicopter was setting down near the barn as they raced around the house. “You want to grab it while they’re tearing each other apart?” Jake asked.
Loki changed direction and yelled over her shoulder, “Yeah, I do.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Dadron moved through the forest, running fast and low. He figured he’d covered about three miles so far, and he could see the UTV in the distance. He kept moving until he came parallel to it and knelt behind a large oak to catch his breath. He could still hear the helicopter. Friend or foe?
The FBI was right about one thing, they didn’t know enough about this guy’s resources and what he had access to. Loki’s voice sounded inside his head. Always put yourself in the other guy’s place, Dadron. Odds are whatever you would do in that situation is what they will do.
He grinned and stood. If the helicopter belonged to me, I wouldn’t be coming this way, and if it didn’t, I would have hightailed it out of here.
Dadron moved carefully into the clearing, vigilant to watch for any movement. Startled, he turned, bringing the rifle to his shoulder as twigs snapped and dead leaves rustled. “Damn it, Bruiser, you scared the hell out of me.”
The dog was panting and shivering, and Dadron dropped to one knee beside him. “Everything okay at the cabin?”
Bruiser barked and wagged his tail.
Dadron nodded toward the UTV. “Let’s go check it out, but slow and easy.”
They approached together, and Bruiser sniffed the ground and whined. Dadron studied the boot prints leading away from the UTV into the trees a few hundred feet away. The prints were sluggish and crisscrossed at times, as if the walker were drunk. A small patch of blood stood out on the snow a few feet away. She’s still alive, or at least she was.
“Can you track her, boy?”
Bruiser took off at a steady pace, and Dadron followed, scanning the tree line and the area around them. Within minutes Bruiser began to bark and pick up the pace. Dadron pushed aside tree branches and dodged broken limbs as he followed. “Slow down, Bruiser.”
“Dadron?”
The voice was weak but steady. “I’m here, Karen.” He rounded a small outcropping of trees and found her seated with her back against a huge rock, one hand on Bruiser.
“Am I glad to see you,” she whispered.
Dadron took off his coat and placed it around her shoulders, then examined the wound on the left side of her head. “Lots of blood, but I don’t think it’s too serious. How do you feel?”
“Weak, but we should get out of here. I don’t know where he is. The shot came from the trees on the opposite side, so I ran this way.”
The helicopter was coming closer again. “Can you walk? If we can get in the open, we might be able to flag them down.”
Karen pushed her back against the rock, digging in her heels as Dadron lifted her under the arms. “Whoa.” Karen held onto his shoulder and laughed. “Now I know what the term ‘dizzy blonde’ means.”
Dadron placed an arm around her waist, allowing her to lean against him. “All right, Bruiser, it’s up to you, buddy. If you smell him, let me know.”
Bruiser growled and trotted off in front of them.
“You think he’ll let you know?” Karen asked.
“He hates this guy. If he gets a whiff of his scent, we’ll know it.”
Karen wobbled against him. “I hate him too.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“There’s Bruiser.” Loki touched Jake’s sleeve and pointed. “And there’s Dadron and Karen.”
“Can you set it down near the UTV?” Jake asked.
“No problem.” The pilot turned and smiled at Loki. “If you’d wait until we’re totally stopped, ma’am, before you jump out, it would be appreciated. Agent Wilkes is going to have my hide already, and if you get hurt, he’s going to see I never fly again.”
Loki made no promises, and her eyes homed in on the trio below. The helicopter banked, bounced slightly, then remained still. “Keep your head low.” The pilot yelled over the noise as Loki opened the door and hopped out.
Dadron helped Karen to a seat in the UTV.
“Where’s Jules, Grace, and the baby?” Loki quickly examined the wound on Karen’s head.
“At the cabin. I doused the fire before I left.” Dadron scanned the tree line. “I’ll take the UTV and pick them up after I do a little more s
couting.”
“Which way did the shot come from, Karen?” Jake asked.
She waved her hand at the trees on the left. “I was getting ready to turn around and come back to the house when something jarred me and a shot rang out.” She raised her hand to the wound on her head. “I must have a guardian angel, because if I hadn’t twisted in the seat, I wouldn’t be here now.”
“We’ll get the pilot to take Karen to the hospital. Jake and I can check out those trees and see if we can find a trail.” She hugged Dadron. “You can head to the cabin and pick up the others.”
Karen stood up, still wobbly. “No hospital. He can take me to the house, and we’ll call a local doctor. It’s nothing more than a flesh wound.”
It must be part of the FBI training to be an obstinate asshole. Loki didn’t have time to argue, and Wilkes could take care of his own people. “Call Dr. Coomer when you get there. Her cell phone number is on the dresser in my bedroom.”
Jake was kneeling beside Bruiser. “I was hoping we could take him with us, but he’s exhausted.”
“Why don’t you take the copter and do a quick flyover on the opposite side of the trees? I thought I heard some kind of vehicle when I was lying still, hoping he thought he’d killed me.” Karen sat down in the seat and handed Dadron his coat. “That would be a lot quicker, and Dadron and I can go get Jules and Grace.”
Loki bit her bottom lip. The plan made more sense and would be quicker, but Karen needed a doctor.
“Why don’t you and Karen head to the cabin, Loki, and Dadron and I can check out the tracks if there are any. You can take Bruiser with you so he can get some rest.” Jake met her gaze, his eyes pleading.
Damn him, he knows that makes sense with Karen’s wound, and if we’re going to be partners, I’m going to have to learn to compromise. Loki climbed into the driver’s seat. “All right, but only because we’re wasting time, standing here arguing.” She glared at Dadron, who was grinning from ear to ear. “And somebody call Teresa and tell her Karen’s okay. Maybe she won’t kill Wilkes before we get back.”
The Forgotten Page 11
