I had escaped. Grey hadn’t caught me. I tried to get my bearings, looking for another landmark I recognized in the deserted park. I had veered off the trail I started on; this was an area I wasn’t familiar with, too far out from the trails I frequented in the summer months. Gauging the tree line off to my left, if I could find a path that breached it, I should end up on Windom Street. From there it was less than a mile back to where my car was parked near the restaurant. As I stood up, I heard heavy boots running on the frozen snow in the direction where I had come from.
I quickly crouched back down, hoping he hadn’t seen me, when his voice echoed around the deserted area. “It’s my lucky day. I thought I’d lost you. Nice of you to wait for me to catch up.”
Terror gripped me, as the fine hairs at the nape of my neck shouted for me to run. I didn’t think, I just reacted. I spun around and sprinted away from the voice. There was no path in front of me, but I didn’t let that dissuade me. My feet high-stepped through the thick crunchy snow. I had outrun him once: I could do it again. The ground was sloping down, adding to the momentum of my pace. I allowed the pull from the slope to let me nearly fly over the ground, dodging whatever vegetation peeked out from the frozen ground beneath my feet.
A snow covered obstacle, possibly a trash can on its side, lay directly in front of me. I leaped over the obstacle more gracefully than an all-state hurdler. His heavy steps crunched in the snow behind me, but I was gaining ground as his footsteps seemed to be further and further away. I chanced a glance over my shoulder to see if I could see him. I couldn’t. In the silence of the night, I could hear he was still pursuing, but he was further behind me with every step I took.
Satisfied that I was going to make my escape a second time, I turned my attention back to where I was running just in time to see a gleaming sheet of ice stretched out in front of me. I was four full strides onto the ice before I realized I was running on a frozen pond.
The ice under my feet was smooth and spongy. It was strong enough to hold me upright, but with each step, the ice grew thinner. I slid to a stop, scanning in all directions. I couldn’t go back the way I had come because I didn’t have enough of a head start to find the safety of the bank and distance myself from Grey again. Instead I would try to run at an angle toward the outside of the lake, to find an adjacent bank where I could get off of the ice.
As I had committed to my plan, the ice under me complained, then spider web cracks formed under my feet. I took a tentative step as more cracks formed under me. Paralyzed by the fear that I would fall through if I continued or die if I went back: I stood still, searching for a better option. A single large crack opened up between my feet. The ice supporting my weight wasn’t nearly as thick as it needed to be. I stood where I was, my mind racing: I was at least thirty feet from the closest bank. Grey had caught sight of my dilemma and was closing in fast.
Fear that the pond would swallow me whole took hold. Grey reached the bank where I had run onto the ice, as he mocked, “For a college girl, you don’t read very well.” He pointed to a sign facing away from where I stood. “Says right here: keep off thin ice.”
I couldn’t go back the way I had come: Grey was waiting. I couldn’t stay where I was because the crack underneath me would give way any second. I couldn’t go toward the center of the lake for the same reason. Going left would get me back to my car if I could just outpace him one more time. The muscles in my legs were already shaking, and my lungs felt like they were on fire. I had no other options. I jumped as far as I could to my left. As soon as the ball of my lead foot hit the ice, I was running full-speed toward the lake’s bank.
Grey anticipated my move, and his feet were in motion in the same instant mine were. I reached the short bank and pulled myself up the berm using the naked winter saplings for grips. I climbed with every ounce of strength I possessed. As I reached the top of the berm, Grey’s hand grabbed the back of my jacket and pulled me back down to the bottom of the berm. I scrambled to my feet ready to spring forward up the berm a second time when he lunged and was directly in front of me.
Grey grabbed both my arms and attempted to shove me back out onto the ice. I hooked my foot under an exposed root of a tree to anchor myself in place. When I didn’t topple backwards, Grey lost his balance, and I shoved him hard out onto the ice. I didn’t look where he had landed and could only hope the patch he had slid onto would be thin. I ran forward up the berm and refused to let my eyes look back. I did not listen for footsteps or breathing behind me, nor did I tear my eyes away from where I was going. If I didn’t make it to safety this time, I wouldn’t make it at all. I had run for too long, and my body couldn’t take the abuse for much longer.
I dodged trees, low hanging branches, roots protruding from the ground, tall grass and thin shrubs, making my own trail through the trees. The vegetation pelted my numb face and cut my hands as I clawed my way through. Lights ahead of me from cars on Windham Street were my beacon of hope in the night.
As my body cleared the tree line, I was right: Windham Street lay directly in front of me. The fear and adrenalin in my body heightened. Without looking, I darted directly in front of the traffic, ignoring oncoming vehicles from both directions. It felt like playing that old video game Frogger as I dodged cars driving in both directions. Surprised motorists lay on their horns as I dashed in front of several unsuspecting drivers.
I was nearly exhausted after my escape through the park. My Chevelle was less than a mile from here, but I didn’t have the strength to make it that far. I looked for a police car or an emergency vehicle of some kind. Traffic was heavy, but all the motorists seemed to pay little attention to me once I was on the far side of the busy street. My eyes scanned for a dark entryway or crevice where I could hide and catch my breath.
Despite the heavy traffic on the street, most of the businesses that lined it were closed for the day. To my left, a half block down the street stood an Irish pub. A brown overhang above the entrance with gold lettering proudly displayed: Finnegan’s. The pub’s name was flanked by shamrocks on either side. A public place was far safer than trying to hide on the street. I ran to the pub’s front door as a sharp cramp stretched along my side.
Peering into the darkened front window, I could see there were at least thirty people inside. I could get lucky and Grey could run past this place, but even if he found me inside, he wouldn’t attack me in front of that many witnesses. I grappled for the oversized brass door handle as my hand shook violently. A voice touched with humor called out from just a few feet away. “Are you training for a marathon? There are better activities to be had on a Saturday night.”
The voice stopped me short. I let go of the door handle and turned to see a sleek black Mercedes sedan parked on the street. Adjoining the pub was a neighborhood grocery store, and directly in front of the store’s front door was Mark. Too much was happening at once; I ignored Mark and grabbed the pub’s handle in favor of the relative safety it offered.
A car horn blared behind me. I turned and saw Grey nearly get mowed down by a green Hyundai. A second shout from Mark, “Ah, an interesting way to train for a marathon. Someone chasing you is excellent motivation to push yourself. Don’t let me interfere.”
Mark confidently strolled toward his car, ignoring the fact that a lunatic had just chased me out of the woods. My eyes snapped back to Grey. Silently I wondered how Mark could be so callous. In that moment I wasn’t convinced he could possibly be a distant relative to Dave, let alone a brother.
Grey stood in the median of the street. He saw exactly where I was. Re-evaluating my condition, the pub was still my best option. No way could my body outrun him again. Grey warned, “You’ll regret it if you take one more step.”
Did he think I was stupid? Maybe he should have said, “Wait for me so I can hurt you.” I reasoned that I could find a sympathetic bartender or a backdoor – maybe both. Pulling the front door open to make my escape, a surprised couple darted through the door I held open. Neither
commented on my wild appearance, choosing instead to put their heads down and walk in Mark’s direction. The momentary delay was all Grey needed. He ran through the three lanes of traffic, leaped onto the curb and stared at me with angry eyes.
My fear and exhaustion morphed into anger when I turned toward him and shouted, “Back off. I’m calling the cops. You lose.”
He stopped short. The threat of police may have slowed him, or possibly the fact that he knew chasing me into a public place could only end badly for him. I gave him a triumphant grin.
Grey placed both his hands on his knees, his eyes never leaving mine. I didn’t back down, or rush into the pub: I stood answering him with the same angry glare he had just offered me. Wearing a forced smile, his winded answer was difficult to understand, “No one cheats Teddy and gets away with it. Remember that.”
I let go of the door handle like an idiot, instead taking a step forward to face the brutal man who had pursued me for nearly four days. “I never cheated Teddy. Neither did Libby. It was a fair game. Ask his little brother.”
“Teddy says you cheated.”
“How did we cheat? And even if we had, Libby’s in the hospital right now and you already got your money back. You nearly gave my neighbor a heart attack. All this over a few hundred dollars is insane.” He didn’t respond so I shouted, “Kidnapping just got added to your attempted murder charges. When the cops find you, you’re done!”
He stood up straight, an evil smirk wide on his face, “I’m going to make an example out of you. No one messes with Teddy in this town. Others need to know there are repercussions when they cheat him.”
A confidence resonated loud in my voice which I did not feel. “I got news for you: Teddy lost fair and square. Word gets out that all of this happened over a few hundred dollars, and he won’t be able to show his face anywhere around here. This is my town. This is Libby’s town. Teddy’s new here. Libby has lots of friends who aren’t going to be happy about what the two of you have done.”
His smirk returned to a glare. “Are you threatening me?”
I was tired of running and furious that these two losers had turned my life upside down and had come a fraction of an inch from killing my best friend over nothing. The image of our sofa on fire in my back yard resonated in my head – my fury from earlier returned. I wanted him to know that there would be backlash for both of them.
Before I could answer, Mark’s smooth voice came from the other side of me, “She’s right. I asked around. She’s not lying. Teddy’s always been a hot head. He may have led you down a path you didn’t need to go. He wasn’t cheated – he lost.”
All my energy had been focused on Grey in front of me; I had nearly forgotten Mark was behind me. Grey’s over-confident voice instantly turned submissive when he realized Mark had just interjected himself into our conversation. “Oh, hey, I didn’t know you were still in town.” Grey’s posture straightened and his glare dissolved when he answered, “This is a favor for Teddy, you understand.”
Grey’s comment didn’t make any sense. It was almost as if Grey were asking permission from Mark, but permission for what? To kill me? To give me an adjoining room with Libby? Then it hit me: I had a weapon in my arsenal I hadn’t even considered yet. Turning toward Mark, I asked Grey the question, “So, Grey, why don’t you tell Mark how you tried to kill his little brother Wednesday morning.” Instead of waiting to see Mark’s reaction, I turned back toward Grey. “You shot him on my street. You knew that was Mark’s brother, right?” Grey’s eyes grew to the size of quarters as his shoulders slumped and his body shrank. Grey had been so focused on teaching Libby and me a lesson, he hadn’t realized he had just grabbed a Bengal’s tail in the process.
Mark glowered through me. If looks could kill, a grave digger would be thawing dirt right now. “What’s she talking about, Grey?”
The table had turned as I watched the fear I had been feeling for four solid days materialize on Grey’s face. He stammered, “I don’t know. I never shot your brother, Boss.”
Proof that I had selected the right weapon was standing in front of me. Enjoying the way Grey was squirming, I added tartly, “You shot him all right. Then the cops arrested him for your break-in. Nice. I’m sure Mark doesn’t mind in the least that you almost killed his little brother and left him to answer for your breaking and entering charge.”
I turned toward Mark, “You thought your brother was dead all those years? This lunatic almost made that a reality this week.” I may have exaggerated a little, but Grey had shot Dave, and I definitely had Mark’s attention.
Mark’s hands balled into fists. His knuckles turned white. Angry lines formed on his forehead as he remained silent, eyes focused squarely on Grey.
Grey held up both his hands, “Hey, I didn’t kill anybody. I shot at some guy who was chasing me. It was self-defense. He never told me he was your brother. I would have never pulled a gun on your family, never!”
Remembering how Dave had described it to me, I used every bit of leverage I had. “That’s funny? Dave told me that you let him in my house because you thought he was Mark. Maybe you were trying to kill Mark?”
Pure horror showed on Grey’s face. His complexion that had been flushed just seconds before from running drained of all of its color as he turned sheet white. “That is not what happened!”
Mark’s voice was calm, turning his attention to me, “C’mon, Candy.” Mark held out his hand to me in a friendly gesture. “I believe your altercation with Grey is over. I’ll give you a ride to your car.” Without looking at Grey, Mark warned, “You, Teddy and I may need to have a chat later, Grey.”
My eyes darted between the two men. Neither seemed like a safe option: a flash of Mark holding me off the ground by my neck and tossing me like a rag doll Thursday night made me take an unintentional step away from his outstretched hand. Mark scared me almost as much as the buffoon I had outrun. I looked again at the Irish pub’s door handle. I had screwed up royally by not telling Dave right away after I had seen Mark on Thursday. Fear or not, I wouldn’t screw up again by letting Mark drive away tonight.
Grey still sounded as if he were scared of Mark when his smooth voice leaked the fear that was written on his face. “Hey, this situation is something Teddy initiated. You and me,” he wagged his finger wildly between Mark and himself, “we’re good, right?”
Unamused, Mark answered, “Funny. This situation,” Mark made a circle in the air pointing at the three of us, “as of right now, no longer includes Candy. The new players are you, Teddy and me.”
Grey’s eyes went wide as both his hands shot further up into the air. “Oh hell, Mark, I’m sorry. Miss Kane never mentioned the two of you were friends.” Grey made eye contact with me briefly, then averted his eyes to the ground and added, “Our misunderstanding is over. I hope your roommate has a speedy recovery.”
Miss Kane? A speedy recovery? The hairs on my arms prickled. Who was Mark? Why was Grey all of the sudden willing to let his vendetta drop? Grey began walking backwards away from us.
Mark’s voice still smooth as silk inquired, “Medical bills?”
“Way ahead of you, Boss. I’ll take care of Miss Merrick,” his eyes glanced back at me, “and any Miss Kane has as a result of my misunderstanding this evening.”
I didn’t have to look far for the salt pellets to pour into Grey’s wound. As a final reminder, I asked, “What about Mark’s brother? He was shot as part of the same ‘misunderstanding.’”
Mark had kept a completely cool exterior throughout the exchange, but at the mention of his brother, his nostrils flared and his eyes widened. Grey saw the rage ready to break free when he answered in a rush, “Of course. Yeah. I’ll take care of any your brother has, too.” He looked humbly at Mark, stumbling, trying to find the words to calm the fury, “I’ll apologize in person. I’ll make it right. I swear I will, Mark.”
He was easily ten feet away when Mark warned, “I don’t want to hear of either of you around Candy or my
little brother again. Leave town. You’ve got two days. If I hear you’re still here on Monday, we will have a different kind of chat.”
Grey froze in place at Mark’s words. As if not believing what had just been said, he pleaded, “Monday? C’mon, Mark.”
Mark gave a winning smile while pointing at his own wrist, “Tick tock, Grey. Make sure Teddy gets my message, as well. I would hate to have to deliver it in person on Monday.” He turned his attention back to me. “Now, how about that ride to your car?”
Chapter 26
I was at a loss for words. Grey nodded his head respectfully and darted back across the street and into the park. My mind spun. I didn’t know what to think. Mark’s index and middle finger rested under my jaw as he used them to close my gaping mouth. Unable to wrap my mind around what had just happened, I clarified in a whisper, “They’re not going to be coming after me or Libby any more, are they?”
Mark smiled. “Grey is about as sharp as a marble, but I left little room for misunderstanding. If you see either of them, even at a checkout stand at Target, make sure to glare at them and drop my name.”
Sure that I did not want to know the answer, I asked anyway, “So, are you a mob boss or something?”
“Hmmm, I’m in the ‘or something’ category.”
Mark took my elbow, guiding me toward his car. He opened the passenger door for me then walked around to the driver’s side. He started his warm car, reached over and pushed a button to turn on my heated seat, then turned the vents on me full blast. It felt like heaven.
My eyes settled on Mark’s face. He looked so much like Dave. The two could have been twins. Before he could pull away from the curb, I confessed, “I told Dave I saw you Thursday night – in Bank Shot’s parking lot.”
His Frozen Heart Page 25
