The soup came to a boil, and she turned it down to medium. Grace’s questions had opened up thoughts she wanted to bounce off someone. Maybe Mother wasn’t his mother at all. She sounded more like a lover. And if she was his mother, they were both sick individuals.
She heard the sound of a car approaching and picked up the rifle Wilkes insisted they keep close at all times. She recognized the car, placed the rifle by the door, and opened it. Karen came in quickly, carrying several bags of groceries.
“There’s still more in the car.”
Loki hesitated. Wilkes had been adamant about his orders for her not to go out the front door. She headed toward the car. She’d be damned if she’d let this guy rob her of her freedom. She nodded to Wilkes as she reached inside the car, grabbed two bags, turned, and headed toward the house. “You should be able to handle the rest.”
Thirty minutes later, Loki had the groceries stored away. She ladled out a bowl of soup for Grace and took it to the living room.
“Something smells good,” Wilkes said as she came into the kitchen. “Mind if I have a bowl?”
“Help yourself. I figure Jake and Dadron will be cold and hungry when they come in.”
Wilkes filled a bowl and took it to the table. “You’re angry. Want to talk about it?”
“I realized how much of a prisoner this guy has made me. Made all of us. I want it to end.” She filled her own bowl and sat across from him. “Grace told me something earlier I think might be important. He takes some kind of medicine. Maybe if we check pharmacies for the names we have so far, we can find out what he’s taking and when he needs to refill it again.”
He continued to eat, and Loki started to tap her foot. What the hell is wrong with him? I thought he’d at least be excited we had a new clue. “Wilkes, did you hear what I said?”
He raised his head, and Loki wished she could take back the tone of her voice. The pain reflected in his eyes took her breath away as he spoke. “Sorry, I was wishing Rosetta was here to help us with that. She would have the information for us in minutes or hours instead of days.”
Loki touched his hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think before I spoke. It may not be important, anyway, for us. We know where he is right now, and why.”
Wilkes shook his head. “Knowing what kind of medicine he takes is important. If he’s seriously ill, he has little to lose and may come at us like a madman. If it’s something minor, he’ll be more cautious.”
His phone rang, and he answered. “Hello.”
Loki watched a myriad of emotions cross his face as she listened, feeling somewhat like a voyeur as Wilkes’s voice softened. “Rosie?”
He listened intently for a minute, smiled and said “I love you,” then hit the end button. His eyes held a renewed determination as they met Loki’s across the table. “Rosetta’s been found.” He grinned from ear to ear, something Loki was pretty sure didn’t happen often. “And I’ve been ordered to be home by Thanksgiving.” He typed a quick text message and hit Send before digging into the bowl of soup. His eyes hardened, turning a deeper shade of green when he looked up again. “I have every intention of keeping those orders. We’re going to stop this bastard here.”
Loki chewed on her bottom lip. Jake had shared what little Wilkes had told him about Rosetta’s abduction and that it wasn’t connected with their case. Curiosity was getting the better of her. “So, can you share what happened to Rosetta? I’m dying to know.”
“All we know at the moment is she was kidnapped and held in a small room. There was a clock counting down to forty-eight hours. Catherine managed to find her in twenty-four. Not sure how that played into the kidnapper’s plans.”
“So there wasn’t a ransom demand or anything?” Loki scratched her head. “Sounds like these people are playing with you.”
Wilkes took his bowl to the sink. “Odd you should say that. The message Catherine received the morning after Rosetta was taken was a text saying ‘Let the games begin.’”
“You know they’re not finished yet, right?”
Wilkes nodded. “I’ve got all my team on alert.” He smiled at her. “Right now our main priority is finding these two, and making sure they never hurt anyone”—his gaze fell on Bruiser lying at Loki’s feet—“or anything again.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Jake flexed his legs. I’m freezing my ass off, and this bastard is probably some place nice and warm. Three hours hadn’t sounded all that bad when Wilkes had suggested it. Now it seemed like an eternity. Worse than that, his body was cramped, his hands half frozen, and his eyes watering. It would take an idiot to sit out here in the cold and wait in the hopes one of them would leave the house. From what he’d seen so far, this guy was crazy, but he wasn’t stupid. “Why don’t you go on in and grab something hot to eat? Tell Wilkes I want to talk to him.”
“Mention hot food and you don’t have to tell me twice,” Dadron said as he stood and stretched. He nodded at the thermos and grinned. “Want me to have him bring you some fresh coffee?”
“Smart-ass,” Jake grumbled.
Dadron bent and picked up the thermos. “Next time, open the thermos close to the ground about two feet from where you’re sitting and pour a cup on the ground. Then you can drink without worrying.”
“How is that going to help me?”
“If he’s going to shoot, he’ll shoot where the mist is rising from the ground, and you have time to get out of the way.” He chuckled as he started down the ridge. “Unless, of course, he’s a bad shot.”
Jake bit back the unsavory words that came to mind as a response. He was glad Dadron was here. His tracking skills were far superior to those of anyone else Jake had ever met, and his instincts were almost as good as Loki’s. If he said the guy wasn’t here yet, Jake was content to trust that.
Wilkes appeared by his side, and Jake jerked around, fumbling with the rifle across his legs. “Sneaking up on somebody like that could get you shot.”
Wilkes handed him a new thermos. “I was already on my way and met Dadron on his way down.”
Jake fumbled with the top and poured a cup, holding it in his hands to warm them. “We’re wasting our time. My hands are frozen, and I should have heard you coming, which means my ears are affected too.” He blew on the cup and took a drink. “If he was here, I’d already be dead.”
Wilkes sat down beside him on the rocks. “They found Rosetta. And Grace told Loki this guy has to take some kind of medication every day.”
“I wish she’d told us that to start with.”
“It probably didn’t seem important to her, or the trauma of what she’s been through may have blocked it from her mind until she got sick and had to start taking pills herself.”
Jake nodded. “Makes sense—unfortunately. I feel like we’re spinning our wheels and not getting anywhere.” He stood. “Dadron says he’s not here yet, and I’m willing to stake my life on that. I’m cold, hungry, and generally pissed off. I’m going in.”
He didn’t wait to see if Wilkes followed him down the ridge but wasn’t surprised when he caught up with him. Loki’s right, I’m an asshole. “I’m sorry, Wilkes, the first thing I should have said is I’m glad Rosetta was found. Any idea who took her?”
“It’s an ongoing case,” Wilkes said, his voice intense. “One that I’m afraid isn’t going to end with Rosetta. I’ve put all my team on alert to be careful.”
“So being psychic doesn’t help you much, huh?”
“It’s a tool. One when used effectively can help to alter the outcome of certain situations. Most cases aren’t solved by psychics.”
“So what are most cases solved by?” Jake asked. “Other than a hell of a lot of luck.”
“Dedication, determination, and a good team,” Wilkes said. “We’re lucky in that respect. You trust Dadron and Loki’s instincts, and so do I. Now that we’ve got Rosetta back, we’ll get the information we need quick enough for it to be useful.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
The dog came closer and closer, sniffing. “Hey, we got a little girl over here.”
Roberta cowered into the corner as boxes were moved aside and a police officer knelt beside her. “Hey, honey, don’t be scared. We’re here to help you.”
She shook her head and moved her back into the wall. “Go away.”
“Hey, Carey, maybe you should talk to her.”
A female officer knelt in front of her. “Let’s get you to the hospital.” She held out her hand, and Roberta took it, following her from the alley where she’d hidden from the storm.
The ride to the hospital was slow due to the debris in the street. The female officer turned around in her seat. “That was quite some storm, wasn’t it?”
Roberta nodded but remained quiet. She followed the female into the hospital.
“These nice people are going to check you over to make sure you’re not hurt.”
“No,” Roberta said, clinging to her hand.
“Come on, sweetie,” the nurse said, reaching for her.
Roberta kicked at her and clawed at her face, screaming at the top of her lungs.
“Somebody get a doctor.”
Roberta didn’t feel the prick of the needle, but her body went limp, and she remembered someone lifting her onto a bed. The lights overhead were bright, creating halos inside her head. She could hear the dog sniffing. “Go away,” she whispered.
“Oh my God,” a male voice said as cold air hit her naked body.
Robert woke from the dream, his stomach churning and his head still pounding. He sat up on the side of the bed and gritted his teeth. His body felt strange, flushed and feverish, and he’d barely made it to the motel before the pain hit. He’d have to delay until morning his plans to move to the old woman’s house. The connecting door to his motel room opened, and Mother came in.
“Robert, are you okay?”
“Just a headache, Mother. I’ll be fine in a few minutes.”
“Have you been taking your medicine?”
The pain inside his head kept interfering with his thoughts. “I don’t remember.”
“Oh, sweetie, you have to remember to take it every day.” She left the room and came back a few minutes later with a glass of water and several pills. “Now, you take these and lie down. You’ll feel all better when you wake up.”
He lay down but fought the urge to close his eyes. He didn’t want to go to sleep. The dream was waiting there, and he didn’t want to finish the dream. He knew something terrible had happened to the little girl. Something he didn’t want to see or hear. He needed to kill the dog. If he killed the dog, the little girl would be okay.
~ ~ ~
Loki finished the breakfast dishes while the group took care of the farm and house chores. The sound of fingers tapping and feet pacing was driving her crazy as they waited to hear back from Rosetta. Bruiser limped in to lie beside her feet, and she knelt and rubbed his back. “I know, you want to be outside, but you need to rest your leg and get well.” He stared at her with solemn brown eyes, and she sighed. “All right, but only for a few minutes.” She opened the back door and carried him down the steps. “And only here in the backyard.” He gave her a goofy grin and headed toward the barn, weaving from side to side as he favored his left hip. He’d taken only a few steps when a rifle shot cracked through the air and he stumbled and fell.
Loki sprinted forward and dragged him behind the house as another shot whizzed into the ground where Bruiser’s body had lain only seconds earlier. She ran her hands over his body as shouts sounded from the barn and Teresa and Karen barreled out the back door, guns in hand.
“Are you okay?” Teresa asked, followed by an immediate “Are you fucking crazy, coming out here?”
Loki glared at her. “I’m fine. I think he was shooting at Bruiser.”
“Is he hit?” Karen asked.
Loki shook her head. “No, he fell and the shot missed him.” Bruiser was shivering, and she could feel his heart pounding. “He’s scared, though.”
Teresa and Karen knelt beside her, their eyes scanning the ridge in front of them. “Let’s get you two inside,” Teresa said, taking an arm and helping Loki to her feet.
Karen lifted Bruiser and helped him walk ahead of them. Cell phones were buzzing and ringing as they entered the kitchen. Loki picked up the first one she came to, tapped Answer, and said, “We’re okay. Everyone’s okay.”
“Thank God,” Jake said. “What the hell did you think you were doing?”
Loki laughed shakily. “I guess I wasn’t thinking. I wanted to help Bruiser.”
“Wilkes wants to talk with Teresa and Karen.”
Loki held out the phone. “Your boss wants you.”
Teresa took the phone, listening intently and nodding. “Yes, sir. I’m on it.” She ended the call and picked up the rifle by the door.
“Where are you going?” Loki asked.
“Until we know where this guy is, Jake and Wilkes are hemmed in at the barn. I’m going to go through the forest and come out about a mile east of here and see if I can spot him.”
Karen grabbed her coat. “I’m going with you.”
“Where’s Grace and the baby?” Loki asked.
Karen slapped her forehead. “I put them in the bedroom closet before we came out and told her to stay there until one of us came for her.” She picked up a second rifle, attached a scope, and checked her pistol. “We shouldn’t be gone too long.”
“Wait.” Loki stared at Bruiser, knelt, and gave him a hug. “Karen, you stay here with Grace. I know this country better than you do, and we’ll make better time if Teresa knows which way to go. Besides, Dadron and Jules are out there somewhere. I can communicate with them without letting this guy know where we are.”
“She’s right,” Teresa said. “Get dressed.”
Loki hurried first to Grace’s bedroom, opened the closet door, and hurriedly whispered what was happening. Grace began to cry, and Loki hugged her. “I have to go, honey. Karen is staying here. You’ll be fine.” She rushed to her own bedroom and picked up the rifle Harry had given her. She was back in the kitchen in less than two minutes. “Let’s go.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Robert whistled as he tossed his rifle in the backseat and slid behind the wheel. He’d accomplished what he’d wanted to do today. The dog was dead. It wasn’t a satisfactory kill, as he hadn’t been able to hear its yelps or see the blood flow out of its body and feel its pain as he stared into its eyes. He sighed and consoled himself with the knowledge it was necessary. Once he was finished here, there would be other dogs. He chuckled as he sprinted the last few feet. He’d left them a little present. They wouldn’t have any trouble finding it.
He started the car, his thoughts turning to the Indian. She had not only power but also spirit. Few people would have done what she did and rushed into the open to save a dog. He’d missed her on purpose, of course. He would never take her life with a bullet.
I read somewhere that if you consume the heart of your enemy, you steal their power, and it becomes a part of you.
He needed her power to protect Mother. Once he had it, he’d find a way to keep her young. He laughed, a booming sound that filled the car. Maybe if he started feeding her the hearts of his young brides, it would keep her young. He’d have to do some research. He pressed down on the gas, eager to get to the motel. He whistled as he drove. Now that the dog was gone, he could pick the others off easy, one by one.
~ ~ ~
Loki sprinted through the forest until she reached a point about a quarter of a mile in, then turned east. She heard Teresa’s footsteps behind her but didn’t stop to look. She had a feeling Teresa would endure the trek without any problems.
She weaved in and out between the trees, bending low at times to miss the branches. She’d gone what she estimated was a mile when she stopped. Teresa jogged up beside her.
“W
e should be able to see the ridge from the edge of the trees.” She pointed at a spot in the distance. “That’s where the shot came from, and that’s where he was the last time. Wilkes and I were both wrong about him coming back to it.”
They walked south, keeping a sharp lookout ahead of them until they came to the edge of the trees. Teresa dropped to one knee, raised her rifle, and looked through the scope. “Son of a bitch!”
“What?” Loki peered at the ridge, but from this distance couldn’t see anything.
Teresa stood. “He’s gone. He left us a present.” She handed Loki her rifle with the scope.
Loki peered through it and shook her head. “Do you think that’s real blood?”
Teresa dialed Wilkes’s number. “He’s gone. Meet us at the place he was watching last time.” She shoved the phone into her jacket. “You up for another sprint, or do you want to head to the house?”
“I want to see it up close.”
Teresa nodded. “Let’s go.”
Loki felt her leg muscles pull as they climbed the last hill, but her breathing was still even and unlabored. A month ago, she wouldn’t have been able to do it quite so easy. City living had hurt her endurance.
They crested the hill to find Wilkes, Jake, and Dadron waiting on them. Jake’s hands were clenched, his mouth a tight line, and a flush was slowly creeping up his neck. Had the killer used her effigy on purpose, knowing it would incite rage in the man he thought was her husband? Or was he simply taunting her? She took a closer look at the red on the chest of the life-sized Indian doll. “Is that what I think it is?”
Wilkes nodded. “I don’t think it’s human, but we need to get a forensic team out here, and we need to get to the farmhouse.”
The Forgotten Page 16
