Whispers in the Night

by James Hunt

  Kara nodded then headed up the stairway first, her movements quiet but efficient. They checked each floor, making sure there weren’t others waiting for them on their way down in case things got hairy quick and they needed to make a hasty exit.

  But all the floors were clear when they reached the top. Ben and Kara huddled by the door, each bracing for whatever was on the other side.

  Kara’s heart was in her throat when Ben grabbed the door handle. The pair locked eyes, and Ben mouthed “on three.” Kara nodded, her muscles coiled to strike, finger on the trigger, the barrel of her rifle aimed at the door.

  One. Two. Three.

  Ben opened the door quickly but maintained his silence as Kara surged into the hallway. Her mind processed her surroundings so quickly that she was blinded for a moment, but when she found the hallway clear, Ben rushed inside and joined her.

  The pair took up the entire width of the hallway, though Kara conceded that Ben took up most of it. While she kept her peripherals alert to the doors on her left and right, she was focused on the one at the far end of the hall, the one nestled in the corner past the elevators.

  She saw the five-sixteen room number a quarter of the way down the hall. The door was shut, but she didn’t know what lay inside.

  The entire floor was so quiet. Not a peep from anyone. Just the hum of the air-conditioning units and the air passing through the vents.

  They neared the room, and despite her best efforts, Kara began to tremble.

  Ben must have sensed the tremors because he paused at the door, eyeing her until she finally acquiesced with a quick nod. Ben reached for the handle and the moment his fingers touched the metal, a noise stirred inside, freezing both of them in place.

  “What did you do? You stupid little bitch, what did you—”

  And while Kara was still reacting to the man’s voice on the other side of the door, Ben reacted to the girl’s scream, and he charged in head first.

  The water flooded out of the bathroom, and when the big brute turned, Liz knew that she had a limited amount of time to attack before he realized what was happening. She made sure to keep Maisie behind her, and the moment he looked to the bathroom, getting up to investigate, she lunged.

  “What did you do?” he asked, his back still turned. “You stupid little bitch, what did you—”

  Liz screamed right before she reached the brute, causing him to turn as she shoved the sharp tip of the nail file into his stomach. She didn’t know what propelled the scream, maybe an overzealous rush of adrenaline, that primal sense of survival rising up from ancient instincts coded into her DNA. Nor did she know the reason why she pulled the file back and continued to stab him, the repeated motion violent and aggressive.

  Lost in her own rage, Liz didn’t hear the shouts coming from the doorway and the two people that rushed inside. She just kept her attention on the brute, figuring that whoever had barged in were just more of Mulaney’s goons, come to hurt them or take them away.

  With her back to the commotion, Liz screamed. “Maisie, run!” And for a moment she thought that this could work, that she had done it, that she had at least saved her sister from a terrible fate, though she might be taken.

  But it ended quickly when a massive hand engulfed her forearm, shaking the small blade free with one hard shake, and spun her around, something hard pressed against the side of her head.

  “Drop it! Drop it or she dies!” the guard yelled.

  It took a moment for Liz’s eyes to adjust, and she saw two faces, rifles aimed at her. Or were they aiming at the brute?

  “I said drop it!” the guard barked.

  Liz’s vision cleared a little bit as the initial burst of adrenaline subsided and the faces took shape. She had seen them before. They were the ones who helped their mother rescue Maisie.

  “Let the girl go.” The woman spoke with steel in her voice, and while she and the man kept their distance, they didn’t back down. “It’s over. We have two guns on you.”

  “And I have one gun on a little girl!” He shouted the words back at them, and he forcefully readjusted Liz in his arms and pressed the end of his gun harder against her head. “So, you drop it!”

  Maisie’s cries came from the corner, and Liz spied her huddled, eyes and face red.

  “It’s okay, Maisie.” Liz’s voice was slightly choked from the pressure that the brute applied to her neck. She tried to force a smile, wanting to reassure her sister, but with so much distraction, she couldn’t be sure if she succeeded. “Everything is going to be just fine.”

  Liz cast her eyes back to the woman. Kara. That was her name. She stared at Kara until the woman’s eyes found Liz, and then she mouthed two words. Shoot him.

  Kara frowned, and Liz repeated the motion of her lips, hoping that Kara would understand her point, and when her eyes finally twitched, Liz knew that she understood. It was the final act that she could offer. She knew that her father would be heartbroken, and Maisie would be scarred from seeing her sister’s brains blown out all over the carpet, but at least Maisie would live.

  And after everything that Liz had seen and experienced in this world and beyond, she realized just how precious life truly was. And she wasn’t about to let her sister miss out on something so wonderful.

  But despite Kara’s understanding, she didn’t pull the trigger. Instead she stepped forward, more aggressive than before, and the brute pulled Liz back, keeping the same distance between the pair as they had been before, which caused the brute to readjust his grip on Liz, and in that same motion, Liz caught the arch of Kara’s eyebrows as the two locked eyes.

  Liz frowned. Was that supposed to mean something?

  “Back off!” the man shouted, his arm growing sweaty against Liz’s shoulder. “I’m warning you.”

  Kara kept the rifle aimed, still refusing to back down.

  The man shivered, but out of fear or excitement, Liz couldn’t be sure. But the way that Kara kept flicking her eyes down to her made Liz feel like she was trying to tell her something. The light twitches in her face, the twist of her mouth, the overwhelming sense of urgency.

  Movement.

  When Kara had charged forward the brute had stepped backward, loosening his hold on her. She could wiggle free, move, do something, maybe give Kara and her brother enough time to strike. She locked onto Kara’s gaze and then nodded.

  Kara lunged forward, and again the brute stepped back. Liz jerked wildly, flinging her body left and right, trying to free herself, or at the very least make herself a smaller target.

  Liz made it two steps before she heard the crack of gunfire that replaced the yelling inside the room with a high-pitched din. She collapsed to the floor.

  On her hands and knees, she scrambled forward, her eyes locked onto Maisie, who was still huddled in the corner, curled up in a ball, hands clamped over her ears and screaming. Liz flung her body over her sister’s, acting as a human shield, the only thing that she could think of to do as she held on tight, eyes shut, waiting for what happened next.

  The first tug on her shoulder and Liz felt the scream in her throat, but she still couldn’t hear it. The second tug was soft, gentle, and it prompted Liz to lift her head on her own. It was Kara.

  Liz looked past Kara and saw her brother towering over the guard, who lay motionless on his back on the floor. The din in her ears slowly faded and Kara’s voice broke through, muddled at first, but becoming clearer.

  “Liz, we have to go,” Kara said, taking hold of Liz’s wrist. “Get your sister, come on.”

  Slowly Liz stood, Maisie rising on her own accord and clinging tightly to Liz’s leg. She couldn’t take her eyes off the man on the floor or the blood that seeped from his chest. He was dead.

  70

  The ride in the truck was rough, its worn tires and shocks keeping both Liz and Maisie awake despite Maisie’s attempts at falling asleep.

  Liz desperately wanted sleep. The adrenaline burst she received from the fight in the hotel had worn off, dr
aining her energy reserves. She wished that she could fall asleep and wake up back in her home in Colorado. It could be the start of school. She’d wake up, get ready, eat breakfast, and then meet up with all her friends in the senior parking lot where they’d catch up on their summers.

  “How are you holding up?” Kara asked.

  Liz squinted out into the dark desert, concealed by the curtain of night. When they first arrived at the resort, she didn’t understand why people would want to live here, but now she was beginning to understand.

  The land was barren and empty, but vast. And with so much open space, there were plenty of places to run. Run away from other people, their questions, their problems, their judgements. She could just run out into the desert and be alone for as long as she wanted.

  “Hey.” Kara gently touched Liz’s shoulder.

  Liz shrugged her shoulder, which prompted Kara to move her hand. While this woman had helped them, she couldn’t be sure she was their friend. After all, she had refused to help save Maisie until they got what they wanted. Liz wondered what she wanted now.

  “It’ll be safe on the rez,” Kara said, trying to sound reassuring. “Whatever Mulaney is up to, he’s not dumb enough to have his people follow us onto our own land.”

  “We need to go to the police,” Liz said, her attention still focused on the passing landscape.

  “No,” Kara said. “Mulaney has paid most of them off. That’s the first place we went to when his associates started pushing us farther and farther back from the mine during our protests. We can’t trust anybody there.”

  Liz whipped her head around. “And I’m supposed to trust you? Ever since my family came here and met you, it’s been nothing but trouble for us. Why should I think partnering up with you would be any different now?”

  Maisie whimpered from Liz’s raised voice and tucked herself into Liz’s side, where she held on tight. Liz placed a gentle hand on the top of her head and regained control of her temper.

  “What about Mommy?” Maisie asked.

  Kara’s expression softened. “We’ll get her back.”

  “We will?” Liz asked, casting an accusing glare at Kara.

  The truck rumbled over a rough patch in the road.

  “My grandfather is the reason both of you are alive. He’ll find a way to bring your mom back.” Kara looked at Liz, sympathy framed around her dark eyes.

  “And what about our dad?” Liz asked.

  “I have a few ideas where Mulaney might be keeping him. And I know some people that can help you get him back.”

  Liz still wasn’t sure she could trust the woman, but her options were limited. Maybe she did want to help, and maybe she might pull this off, but Liz was still dead set on keeping her cards close to her chest. Despite the reassurances and the gestures, Liz knew that the only people that she could truly trust was her family, and right now Maisie was the only family that she had.

  The ride worsened once they turned off the highway and entered the reservation. They were taken back to the trailer where Liz’s parents had brought her, and when Kara shifted the vehicle into park and shut off the engine, she turned to Liz.

  “Listen. I know the last time you were here, we didn’t provide the best context for who we are.” Kara leaned closer. “But we are on the same side. I give you my word.”

  “I don’t need your word,” Liz said, opening the truck door. “I need my parents back.”

  The group headed toward the trailer together, Kara and her brother walking ahead.

  Liz grabbed hold of Maisie’s hand, and the younger sibling latched onto it quickly, staying close to Liz as they stepped inside the trailer.

  At least a dozen other people were inside, most of them standing, crammed in close quarters. Arms were crossed and faces were set in hard glares. It was an even mix of men and women, young and old. All of them stared at Liz and her sister, but she was unable to decipher their stoic glares.

  Kara closed the door behind Liz. “I’d introduce you to everyone, but the only way I could get them here was if I wouldn’t tell you their names.” She positioned herself in front of the glaring posse and rubbed her hands together.

  “What is this?” Liz asked.

  “The best chance at saving your father,” Kara answered.

  Maisie stretched her arms up to Liz, and Liz picked her up off the floor. “I hope that you have something more than signs and chants this time.” She sat Maisie on the kitchen counter and then turned to the rest of the group. “I’m coming with you.”

  Kara wearily stepped forward. “It’s best if you stay here. I don’t think you understand—”

  “The risk?” Liz turned her head sharply toward Kara. “I understand just fine.”

  “Lizzy, no!” Maisie lunged forward, reaching for Liz and squeezing tight. “You can’t leave me.”

  Liz returned the embrace, but then gently removed Maisie’s arms from her neck. “Hey, listen, I’m going to come back. Okay?”

  Maisie sniffled, wiping her red nose. “You promise?”

  Liz held up her pinky, and Maisie followed through with the same gesture, locking the two sisters together. “I promise.”

  “If you’re going, then you’ll need to be quick.” The voice preceded the old man in his wheelchair as he pushed aside the curtain from his bedroom.

  “Grandfather—”

  The old man silenced Kara with the quick raise of his hand, and then he turned his attention to Liz and Maisie. He rolled closer and then folded his hands in his lap. He turned his attention to Maisie. “You have been through more than your young soul should have endured.” He then turned back to Liz. “This isn’t a fight that you have to be a part of. You should stay here with your sister.”

  Liz wasn’t sure if she was more surprised by the old man’s statement or how it affected her. She had never known any grandparents; both her mom and dad’s parents had died when she was very little. But she imagined that they would have looked at her the way that old medicine man did now.

  “No,” Liz said. “I have to go.”

  “And what if we don’t let you?” Kara’s brother asked, joining his sister’s side.

  Liz flashed an angry snarl in his direction. “Then I suppose I’ll go to the police. There’s a lot that I could tell them, and if they are in Mulaney’s pocket like you said, then I’m sure they’d be more than willing to hear what I have to say.”

  “You little—”

  Kara held her brother back. She stepped closer, and the kind face that Liz had seen earlier dissolved into the hardened lines of a woman twice her age. “If you come, then you do exactly what we say and when we say it. You will not be in charge, and it’s important for you to understand that.”

  “I won’t get in your way,” Liz said.

  “Good.”

  Kara turned back toward her group of fighters and spoke in her native tongue, no doubt telling them something that she didn’t want Liz to overhear. When Kara finished speaking, her words were met with a series of nods, and the trailer emptied as the protestors stepped outside, leaving only Kara and her brother.

  “We leave in ten minutes,” Kara said. “Say whatever you need to say.”

  Kara left with her brother, and the old man wheeled himself past Liz to join the others outside but stopped when Liz called after him.

  “Hey,” Liz said. “Do you really think you can do it? Can you bring our mom back?”

  The old man paused, hesitant, and Liz watched the wrinkles on his face fold against one another in sadness. “I don’t know. But I’ll do whatever is necessary.” He smiled sadly, then wheeled himself outside.

  Liz faced Maisie and lifted her sister’s chin. “Hey. You all right?”

  “I don’t want to be alone,” Maisie answered.

  “You won’t be alone,” Liz said, then removed her ring and slid it over Maisie’s thumb. “There. Now you know I’ll come back, because I hate it when you have my stuff.”

  Maisie smirked. “But you gave it
to me.”

  “I know, brat.” Liz leaned forward, pressing her forehead against Maisie’s. “You won’t be alone. We are sisters. And that means that even when we’re apart, we’re together.” She lowered Maisie’s hand to her heart and let it rest there for a minute. “We have the same heart.” She then moved Maisie’s hand to her own chest. “Do you feel it?”

  Maisie waited for a minute, but then nodded. “I feel it.” She smiled. “So, we’ll still be together?”

  Liz tried to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes and hugged Maisie tight. “Always.” They lingered like that for a while, and then Liz finally stepped back, wiping her eyes, and helped Maisie off the counter.

  When they walked outside, Kara and her brother were by the truck, and the rest of the protestors were loaded in the back. The old man was in his wheelchair at the bottom of his ramp to the trailer.

  The sisters kept close on their walk, and Liz found that her pace had slowed. She wasn’t sure where the hesitation was coming from, but there was something that weighed her down, deep within the confines of her soul.

  It could have been the risks associated with her imminent trip, or the fact that she was leaving her sister with a stranger, but the hesitation that plagued Liz wouldn’t relinquish its hold. Liz brought Maisie down to the old man and then knelt so she could be at her sister’s eye level. She gripped Maisie’s hands in hers.

  “Listen to me,” Liz said, keeping her voice stern and her grip firm on Maisie’s hands so her sister understood the importance of her words. “If something happens, if I don’t come back, then I want you to call for help.” She covertly reached for her phone and then tucked it in the waistband of Maisie’s shorts and hid it under her shirt. “You call 911 and you tell them exactly where you are, and they’ll come and get you. And if you feel scared at all, or if they try and hurt you, I want you to run and hide. Okay?”

  Maisie’s lips quivered.

  Liz reached for her sister’s hand and once again placed it over her own heart. “Same heart. Remember?”