“Why?”
“Because I don’t know exactly where I’m supposed to go.”
“Then how the hell am I going to find you?”
I scanned the darkness, hoping to pick out something to orientate ourselves with. “Over there is a wall with a large tombstone in front of it. I’ll head that way.”
“I see it.”
“Give me your phone.”
He slid it from his pocket and handed it to me. I entered in a number and handed it back. “His name is Evan. Call him and tell him that we might need his help. Tell him not to enter the cemetery but to have his bag ready.”
“Who is he?”
“A friend of mine. He used to be an EMT. Just call him.”
Rand looked at the phone and then back at me. “Last chance to change your mind. You don’t have to do this.”
I stood and gave him a quick hug. “Go. I’ll see you soon.”
He glanced at me one last time before swearing. “Don’t do anything stupid,” he said and raced down the road.
Too late, I thought as his taillights disappeared and I was completely in the dark. I was so unprepared; I didn’t even have a flashlight or a phone. I had absolutely nothing but my stained clothes.
On the bright side, I wouldn’t ruin anything that wasn’t already ruined.
Crap. I was the biggest idiot in the world.
Letting my eyes adjust before I attempted to walk up the gravel path, I ran through self-defense moves that I had learned at the senior center with Mrs. Janowski.
None of them seemed adequate at the moment. Forget Mr. Wispy, all I could think about were brain-eating zombies. I could thank Mrs. Janowski for that. She made us watch a zombie movie marathon last month. Scared Edna so much that she didn’t sleep for a week. Any time someone would come up from behind she screamed and swung her knitting needles at them.
I took a deep breath and began walking up the path, knowing this was the stupidest thing I’d ever done in my entire life. Scanning my surroundings, all I could make out were occasional trees and rows of headstones. I couldn’t feel Brett’s presence, which worried me. But with so much adrenaline coursing through my veins, he could be right behind me and I wouldn’t know it. I looked over my shoulder just to make sure.
I wondered when Wispy would reveal himself. Was he letting me walk through the graveyard to psych me out? If that was the case, mission accomplished.
The crunch of the gravel under my shoes echoed in my straining ears.
A sniper could have picked me off by now.
A little kid with a BB gun could have too.
“You’re here,” the familiar chilling voice whispered through the night.
“I knew it was you,” I said, trying to find him amongst the tombstones. “Why did you send me those warnings? It was never Brett I had to worry about. It was you.”
“You’re getting ahead of yourself,” he said, his voice still no more than a whisper. “But maybe that’s okay. Perhaps you should see the ending now.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. “No, I want to know where the gatekeeper is. I know you’re somehow connected.”
“We are,” he said. “I’m impressed you followed the dots so well. Or, should I say Aaron followed them.”
I stood motionless, praying I didn’t just hear that. No, I couldn’t think of Aaron right now. Brett said he sent T to watch over him.
“I want to negotiate with the gatekeeper,” I said.
“Negotiate with the gatekeeper?” he asked curiously. “My, my, what an intriguing notion.”
“So you’ll set up a meeting between us?”
“No, that’s quite impossible.”
“Why?”
A flash of light lit up from the side, aimed down at an open grave a few yards away. A marker read Marsalla Cannon.
“I wasn’t sure whether to use your nickname or your full name. But formal is always better, don’t you think?”
I stepped back. “All of your victims are here, aren’t they?”
“Mine and my clients’. Although, some liked their kills to be found. Annie loved when hers made the news.”
I had to keep him talking until Brett and Rand showed up. I had to stall. “If she didn’t use your . . . graveyard service, then why was she your client?”
“At first she needed Brett off her tail. I fed him false information for a while.”
“Is she still your client now? Were you the one who sent the boxes?” I searched beyond the light for him, but I couldn’t make out anything. Where was he?
“Not bad,” he said. I could feel him getting closer. It was as if a snake slithered near, toying with its food. “Yes, I helped her. Did you like the contents? I made sure to use Annie’s sledgehammer to give the police something to ponder. But my favorite part was using the hacksaw afterward.”
“You’re sick.”
“Aren’t we all?”
“Where is Annie now?” I asked, suddenly fearful that she’d be here too.
“You’re standing right next to her.”
I jumped, whipping around to utter darkness.
“Look down,” he said, the light traveled from one marker to another.
“Annie Thompson,” I read.
“I thought she might like that,” he said. “She was furious that I left Brett to die at Fenwig’s.”
“You killed her,” I said, shocked. “Why?”
“She was so excited her plan worked. You should have seen her eyes when they opened the gate. She was free and thirsty to kill again. But, you see, I couldn’t let her. You cross me one too many times, your death belongs to me.”
He murdered Annie. She’d no longer terrorize me. I realized I was next on Wispy’s list, but for a nanosecond, sheer relief flooded.
“When did she die?”
“Minutes after she was freed. It pained me to do so, she was such a unique client. It was fun watching her play cat and mouse with Brett.”
Brett. Where the hell is he? Why hasn’t he swooped in yet? What the hell was he waiting for? I’d be giving my grave a test run if he didn’t hurry.
“You’re thinking of him now,” he said, the direction of his voice changing. He circled me.
“I always think of him.”
“Even though he’s an assassin?”
“Because he’s not an assassin.”
“I thought little Aaron would’ve showed you Brett’s ranking.”
He was baiting me, just like he had when he sent those messages.
“Why do you care?”
He laughed, a sort of wheezing gurgle that curdled through the night’s air. “I don’t. I used his information to separate the two of you. I wanted you without the hassle of his gun. It worked for a few days.”
It seemed to be still working. Brett was nowhere near. I didn’t feel his presence at all. I’d have to make a run for it. But first I had to get information about the gatekeeper, otherwise all of this would’ve been for nothing.
“How is it you know so much about Brett and his life?”
“Just like you, he’s seen fit to sabotage some of my clients.”
“Then why keep him around? Is it because he works for the gatekeeper?”
“He made more money for me alive than dead. What he did ruin was nothing compared to what I gained.”
“What you gained?”
“Unfortunately, it all has to end tonight,” he said with a sigh.
The only way Wispy gained anything from Brett’s work was if he was the gatekeeper. Now I understood why he had as much information as he did, how he knew about Aaron so quickly. I was standing in the graveyard with Carver and the gatekeeper.
It made the situation all the more terrifying and, at the same time, simpler.
“You’re the gatekeeper.”
“Very good. But sadly, too late,” he said from behind, shoving me into the six-foot hole.
I fell hard, but something shielded me from the compact earth. A body. Screaming, I clawed at t
he dirt, trying to climb up. A light from above blinded me.
“I thought you’d enjoy your eternal rest with your guard dog. He wasn’t easy to catch.”
I followed the beam of light to find Brett in an awkward angle at my feet, motionless. He was the body I’d fallen on. Oh, God. I dropped to my knees, checking his pulse. It was there, but weak. Fragile. I had to get him out.
I stood, ready to fight my way out. Dirt poured down like an avalanche. We were covered within seconds. I tried to keep above it, but it was too fast. First my legs were trapped, then my torso and arms. I strained to keep my head above, but I was stuck.
And then it was black and all the air was gone.
Chapter 20
Terror beyond anything I had ever imagined gripped me. I was helpless, not even able to move my fingers. Dirt filled my mouth, nose, lungs. I couldn’t scream for help. My mind shattered.
And as my lungs burned hotter than coals, I shut down. It was as if my brain understood the inevitable. As if it gave up.
My one thought turned to Brett lying below me. If we were to be buried like this for eternity, I wish I had been lying next to him instead of standing at his feet.
I failed.
Brett was right, I shouldn’t have come. I should’ve gone home and hid in the closet where it was safe.
But then Brett would be here without me. He’d be in this hole, and I’d never find him.
Consciousness was fading when I felt it. A hand grasped mine, pulling me up. More hands were digging around me. Freed, I collapsed on the ground, spitting up hunks of dirt.
Rand touched my face, wiping soil from my eyes. “I’m so sorry. I got word from the Comets that they were nearly here. I stayed back to guide them. I’m so sorry.”
“Brett.”
“I don’t know where he is.”
“At the bottom.” I began coughing. Soil clung to my lungs, still suffocating them.
“He’s down there?” Rand pointed.
I nodded.
Rand hurried over and began scooping dirt with his hands, shouting for everyone to help.
They were all here. Mrs. Janowski and her biker brigade were here.
I watched as they all circled, lending a hand. But would they get to Brett in time? I wanted to help, but there was no room to squeeze in. The bikers were doing their best. I was straining just to breathe and keep my eyes open. If I was no longer buried, why did my lungs still think I was?
Arms curled around me, picking me up.
“No,” I wheezed, struggling to get down. “Brett.”
“Hush,” Evan ordered. “You have dirt trapped in your lungs. You’re slowly suffocating. Let me do my job.”
I stopped fighting, so thankful to see Evan. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he walked to the road. An ambulance was just pulling up, lights still flashing.
He told the EMT my condition in doctor language, handing me over. “Get her to ER now. Send another rig. We have one more coming.”
As soon as I was bustled into the truck, I passed out.
* * *
“It took too long to get him out,” a voice said. “Do you think he’ll survive?”
“I heard a nurse whisper that he might be a vegetable,” another voice replied.
“No, Evan thinks he’ll be okay,” a third voice added. “He started breathing on his own again.”
“From the way he had been lying, he shielded his face from the dirt. There must have been a pocket of air or he’d be dead for sure.”
“I hope he makes it. Poor Mars would be beside herself.”
“He’ll be fine. He’s strong as an ox.”
They were speaking of Brett. He was alive.
“Look. She’s waking up.”
Blinking my eyes open, I found six pairs of eyes staring back at me. The ladies, Rand and my dad were all gathered around me.
“How are you feeling?” Mrs. Janowski asked.
“Throat,” I rasped.
She nodded. “Just relax, and I’ll call for some ice chips.”
“You gave us a scare,” Dad said. He squeezed my hand.
“How . . . jail.” I began coughing.
Dad handed me a cup of water. “We weren’t there for very long. A few minutes tops.”
“Mrs. J. was able to clear up the mistaken identity pretty quickly,” Ida said.
“Hollered until I thought for sure she’d bring the roof down on us,” Edna said. She squeaked as her eyes widened.
It took me a moment to realize that she thought the reference might hit too close to the mark. But there was no roof for me. Only dirt. I patted her hand in an attempt to convey it was okay.
I scanned the white room with lavender trim. Flowers were set on a table off in a corner. Brett was in the bed next to me. A spot of dirt still on his neck. Tubes in his mouth and IVs in his arm.
“He’ll be just fine,” Dad said. “He began breathing as soon as we pulled him out. Evan said that was a really good sign.”
“Evan . . .” I must have swallowed razor blades as well as a half a ton of earth.
“He’ll be along soon,” Mrs. Janowski said. “He’s been working part time here as an aid.”
As my body and mind were slowly coming back to life, I realized I didn’t know what happened to the gatekeeper. I motioned for pen and paper, which was dug out from Mrs. Janowski’s purse and handed over. I began scribbling frantically.
What happened to the gatekeeper?
Eyes darted back and forth.
“He got away,” Dad said.
How?
“He must have heard us coming and took off,” Mrs. Janowski said.
No! We were back to where we started with even less time to spare.
How long have I been here?
“Just overnight,” Dad said. “It’s nine o’clock now.”
I glanced at the window. Light streamed through it. It must be morning, then. I only lost one night. Something could still be done. But what?
When can I be released?
“Evan seemed to think you wouldn’t have to stay long,” Ida said. “Maybe another night.”
That wasn’t going to work for me. No, I needed a plan, and it had to be executed tonight.
Executed.
Would I dare?
I glanced over at Brett, and the decision was made instantly. Too many good people were dying while the gatekeeper lived. Jack had said it before. Even behind bars he could still pull strings, using his hitmen as his outside muscle.
“You seem agitated,” Edna said. “Maybe a nap will do you good.”
From the general worried expression, my thoughts must have been coming through on my face.
I’m fine, but I will take a nap. Give me Brett’s cell phone before you go.
“We’re not going anywhere,” Mrs. Janowski said.
I’ll sleep better without six people staring at me.
“Why do you need Brett’s cell phone?” Dad asked.
I don’t have mine. I’ll feel better with it near me.
Edna shuffled over to the side table and brought it over. We both frowned when we realized it still had soil on it.
“I’ll get something to clean it with,” she said.
I shook my head. It was better like this. It’d help me keep my resolve.
Dad kissed my forehead. “We’ll be in the waiting room if you need us.”
I nodded, smiling. As they all turned to leave, I grabbed Rand’s hand. He looked down, surprised.
“Do you need something?”
I nodded and pointed to the chair, motioning for him to sit.
Call Lil, Mike, and Emily. Tell them to start packing.
“Packing?” he asked. “Where are they going?”
Get me Brett’s wallet.
“What are you trying to do?”
The gatekeeper is still alive. They have to get out of the country. Tell them it’s a vacation. A present from Brett.
“And what about you?”
Let’s
take care of them first. Do they all have passports?
“Yes.”
You?
“I’m not going anywhere if you’re staying behind.”
I’m going too, but later. I have something to do first.
“Which worries me to no end.”
I liked it better when you hated me.
“I liked it better then too.”
Get me Brett’s wallet!
I underlined it three times.
He rolled his eyes but crossed over to Brett’s side of the room and retrieved the wallet.
On Brett’s phone, I made reservations for Lil, Mike, and Emily to go to Venice, Italy, using Brett’s credit card. I knew the gatekeeper would be able to track them, but it’d give them a head start. I made another reservation for Rand to catch up with them the following day and then sent the entire booking to Rand’s phone. He glanced at it.
“Venice?”
Emily will love it.
“Why would you care if she’d love it?”
Because you care.
“I’m starting to hate you again.”
Call them now. Tell them to hurry because the plane leaves in four hours. Have them overnight your passport. Brett’s too.
He muttered a curse but dialed and brought his phone to his ear. He walked to the window as he spoke with Mike first.
Now that he was occupied, I turned to Brett’s phone again, scrolling through his apps. I smiled when I found the one for his bank. Unfortunately, it required a password.
The security code at his “cabin” had been my birthday. Maybe it would be the same for his bank. I tried the date, but no luck. I then tried my name with no luck either. Only having one more attempt at his password before getting locked out completely, I looked to Brett. What could it be? Just because his security code had been my birthday didn’t mean the rest of his passwords had anything to do with me.
Staring at Brett for inspiration, I tried to think of what Brett loved. He loved his family. He loved me, even though he’d like to lock me away. And his car.
Viper.
I quickly typed it into the password field and held my breath as I clicked continue. It worked. I was into his account.
My mouth swung open as I stared at his account balance in shock. Over two million sat there. It was so much money. How many lives were turned upside down for this? Sure, the hits were still alive. But at what cost?
Biker Brigade Page 18
