Untold

by Nancy Ann Healy

  Claire had used the spike of her heel to dig the earth away from the far side of the foundation. She pointed down.

  “What?” Alex knelt to see what Claire had discovered.

  Claire shifted a patch of earth and pointed. “Does that look like it belongs?” Claire asked.

  Alex shook her head. About a foot beneath the soil, a wooden plank was wedged into the rock foundation. Any original boards had long since rotted away, and while nature’s toll was evident, it was also apparent that the board had been positioned far more recently than anyone had lived or worked in this place. Alex stood to her full height, stretched her back, and pulled out her phone.

  “Who are you calling?”

  “Reinforcements,” Alex said. “Get Bower on the line,” she told Claire.

  “What do you think is under there?” Claire asked.

  Alex was sure that Claire had already made a guess. She stared at Claire blankly.

  “Aww, fuck. I hate those paper suits.”

  Alex sighed. Me too.

  ***

  He looked at her; a predatory grin inviting her to shudder. “Shhh,” he hissed in her ear. Terror lit her blue irises in golden hues as if he had struck a match to her soul. He stood upright and tilted his head to consider her. Her chest rose and fell dramatically. He savored the sight, enjoying the way droplets of sweat pooled in her cleavage. He could sense that she wanted to close her eyes—look away—somehow deny his presence. She couldn’t. He smiled soothingly at her. They never could. There was no way to avoid his advances. He had made certain of that long ago. Unsuspecting, even gratefully they would follow him here. He would pretend to be entertained by their tales. He would appear their momentary savior; he had been her momentary savior. He heard her whimper and leaned back over her.

  “Shhh,” he cooed in her ear. “Why so many tears?” he asked her. He brushed her hair aside. She still didn’t believe him. He could sense the underlying fight she still wished to wage. At first, resistance had frustrated him. In time, he had learned to allow it to run its course. The fight had become almost as intoxicating as he knew her submission would be. He licked a trail from behind her ear down her neck and felt the shiver that passed through her body. So, close—lust and aversion were a breath apart from one another. Her aversion invigorated his desire. He chuckled at her feeble attempt to pull away.

  “It’s like being hunted,” he told her. “We’re all being hunted,” he said. She shuddered. “It’s only a matter of time.” His hand trailed over her breast. “Only a matter of time until the hunter captures his prey,” he explained. “Only a matter of time until the hunter becomes the hunted,” he said with a sigh. Her eyes widened with fear tinged by hope. He sniggered and pressed his body against hers. “Not today.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  “Mom?” Dylan’s voice pulled Cassidy from her thoughts. “Are you okay?” he asked her.

  Cassidy smiled. “I’m fine.” She patted the sofa to indicate he should join her. “I thought you were going to Maggie’s?”

  “I did. She has a paper due,” Dylan explained. “Are you sure that you’re okay?”

  Cassidy grinned. She was sure that Dylan’s repeated inquiries were a deceptive line of questioning. Dylan was observant. She nodded at him. “I don’t want anyone else to know yet,” she told him.

  “Another brother or sister?” he made his guess.

  Cassidy smiled.

  “I thought so. I’ll bet Alex is a nervous wreck.”

  “Alex is excited,” Cassidy said. “She’s got a lot on her mind right now.”

  “Yeah, I gathered that,” Dylan said. “What was that about with Claire this morning?”

  “I think Alex is planning to tell you herself when she sees you.”

  “She saw me this morning.”

  “You know what I meant,” Cassidy said.

  “Mom?”

  Cassidy sighed. “Hawk asked her to take a job back at the FBI.”

  Dylan stared at his mother.

  “Dylan?”

  “She’s doing it?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?” Dylan asked.

  Cassidy gauged her son’s reaction thoughtfully. She was surprised to see apprehension, perhaps even a bit of anger in his eyes. “Because she can help.”

  “Or get killed.”

  Cassidy nodded.

  “You’re okay with that?” Dylan asked.

  “Dylan, Alex was an agent when I met her,” she reminded their son.

  “Yeah, and look what happened.”

  “Lots of things happened in our lives,” Cassidy responded.

  “Mom…”

  “What?”

  “Seriously? You’re okay with her doing this?”

  “I love Alex,” Cassidy said bluntly. “Just like I love you. Part of that Dylan—loving someone—is accepting who they are and letting them be that person.” She watched as he shook his head, feeling his fear. “Why do you think Alex is worried about you attending the Naval Academy?”

  “Not the same, Mom.”

  “Isn’t it?”

  “Not really. No one will be shooting at me.”

  “Not while you are there.”

  “Mom.”

  Cassidy shrugged. “You are so much like her,” she mused. Dylan’s eyes watered. Cassidy sighed. At the moment, Dylan reminded her of a frightened eight-year-old boy. She took his hand. Some images in life were indelible. Alex coming home after being shot was one of those for Dylan. “Alex loves you.”

  “I know.”

  “Mm-hum. She wants to keep you safe. She’s always wanted to keep you safe. That’s why she’s done everything she’s done. That’s even why she quit.”

  “Quit?”

  “Quit being an investigator.”

  “Mom, it’s not like she quit yesterday. Alex was running Carecom for years.”

  “Dylan, you know that Alex was doing more than running Carecom. I know you do.”

  “Still…”

  “No. This is part of who Alex is,” Cassidy said. “And, if you are honest with yourself, you will realize that you love Alex because of who she is—all of it, even the risky parts. Just like she loves you.”

  “Aren’t you worried?”

  Cassidy sucked in a deep breath. “Every time she walked out that door, all those years—yes, I worried. I knew that there was the possibility she might not come back.”

  “How do you live like that?”

  Cassidy smiled. “I trust her. I know that she will always move heaven and earth to get back. These last few years I worried too.”

  “About what?”

  “That she walked away from something that matters to her because of me, because of this family. And, part of her has been lost all that time,” Cassidy said knowingly. “The truth is, Dylan, none of us is ever safe from the bad things in the world. Maybe it isn’t a gun or a murderer. Maybe it isn’t a criminal. Maybe it’s a car or cancer.”

  “Not the same.”

  “No. But, it hurts every bit as much,” Cassidy said. “Loss is loss, Dylan. The way you lose someone doesn’t make you miss them any more or any less. One day something will happen to one of us—to me or Alex. It’s part of life. You do the best you can to live as honestly as you can. Safety is not something life grants any of us.”

  Dylan sat quietly for a minute. “Are you glad she’s going back?”

  “I’m glad that someone will have Alex to help them the way we did. She can make a difference. And, maybe she can help make the world just a little bit safer.”

  Dylan chuckled.

  “What?” Cassidy asked.

  “If she doesn’t end up in jail for killing Claire.”

  Cassidy laughed. “They’ll be fine.”

  Dylan shook his head. “I don’t know anyone who can get under her skin like Claire, not even Kenzie.”

  Cassidy nodded. “It might be good for them both.”

  Dylan laughed.

  “I said it might,” Cassidy s
tarted laughing.

  “Mom?”

  “Hum?”

  “What’s their deal? Alex and Claire, I mean?”

  Cassidy took a long, deep breath and released it slowly. “They have history.”

  “You mean like they dated?”

  “Something like that,” Cassidy said.

  “You’re not kidding.”

  Cassidy smiled.

  “And that doesn’t bug you? I mean, Claire is like part of the family now.”

  “It did bug me, as you put it, a long time ago. But, no, it doesn’t bother me. That was before Alex and I had even met.”

  “Wow.”

  “Claire’s life hasn’t been the best,” Cassidy said. “Deep down, underneath it all, she’s one of the most sensitive people I have ever known. In that way, she and Alex are very much alike. They just don’t see it.”

  “Can I ask you something?” Dylan looked at his mother.

  “You’ve asked me a lot of things,” Cassidy winked.

  “Ha-ha.”

  “You know that you can.”

  “Do you think Alex is disappointed about my decision?”

  Cassidy smiled brightly. “Dylan, Alex loves you more than you will ever be able to understand. I think she fell in love with you the moment you held up your Field Day ribbon in that kitchen. All she wants is for you to be happy and safe. And, that’s the hardest part of being a parent.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean that you can’t make anyone else happy or guarantee they’ll be safe. All you can do is love them and guide them. That’s it. That’s hard for her. Seeing you? Seeing you as the man you are now, that’s hard. She misses that little boy who wanted to run with her in the morning. It was easier to protect him and make him happy. All she had to do was sprinkle sugar on his cereal and play Legos,” Cassidy chuckled at the thought.

  “You knew about the sugar?”

  Cassidy rolled her eyes. “I’ll tell you what I told her. You’re so worried about Alex being safe, you forget about what makes her happy. She needs to solve puzzles, Dylan. That’s who Alex is. She needs to try and make things better by putting the pieces together. You? You want to fly. You’ve been obsessed with planes since you were born. It’s what you are meant to do. Neither is safe. Both are meaningful.”

  Dylan nodded. “I get it. At least, I think I do.”

  Cassidy’s phone buzzed and she smiled.

  “Let me guess; Alex?” he said.

  Cassidy winked at her son.

  “Tell her I said she owes me a run.”

  Cassidy nodded. “Hi,” she answered the call.

  “Hi.”

  “Uh-oh, bad day?”

  “I’ve had better,” Alex replied.

  “Want to talk about it?”

  Alex groaned. “Do me a favor and try and keep Speed and Kenzie away from the T.V. until I get to tell him about…”

  “He knows.”

  “Shit.”

  “He’s okay. What’s going on?”

  “I’m not totally sure yet,” Alex admitted. “Let’s just say I have a bad feeling.”

  “Which means it’s going to be a long night,” Cassidy guessed.

  “Probably.”

  “Just be careful.”

  “Oh, I think it’s safe to say nothing where I am can hurt me. Except maybe poison ivy.”

  “I’m sure that I don’t want to know what that means.”

  Alex snickered. “Well, Claire did promise to protect me from itching.”

  “I won’t even ask.”

  “Maybe you could convince her to get some sensible shoes,” Alex said.

  Cassidy laughed. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Cass, I…”

  “It’s okay, love. I told you; we’ll be here.”

  “I love you.”

  Cassidy closed her eyes. “I love you too. See you later.”

  “How’s the missus,” Claire asked.

  Alex sighed.

  “Toles? Is Cass okay?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Hey, maybe we won’t need those suits,” Claire offered. Alex’s unconvincing smile told Claire what she already knew. That was unlikely. Fuck. They do not match these heels.

  ***

  “What’ve you got?” Dave Siminski asked Alex.

  “I hope nothing.” Alex pointed to site in the distance where Claire was standing.

  “New partner?” Siminski asked.

  “Mmm.”

  “What? She’s a rookie?”

  Alex smiled. “I wouldn’t call Brackett a rookie. A royal pain in my ass, maybe.”

  “So? You didn’t call us here for nothing. State Police, FBI—come on, Alex. Tell me before we dig.”

  “Dig is the word,” Alex said. She led him the short way to Brackett’s location.

  “What the hell?” Siminski narrowed his gaze. “What made you look here?”

  “Kaylee Peters took a lot of pictures out in these woods,” Alex replied. “Thousands.”

  “And?”

  “Some of them were interesting, to say the least.”

  Siminski pulled his focus to Alex. “You think she stumbled on something?”

  Alex shrugged.

  “More likely, she stumbled on someone,” Brackett walked up to Alex. Alex nodded.

  “Well, we know that,” Siminski commented. “The question is who? And, where? You think she strayed this far off that trail?” he asked Alex. “This is over a mile from where her friends last saw her.”

  “No,” Alex said. “Maybe someone else did.”

  “Come again?” Siminski asked.

  Brackett stepped in. “Maybe someone saw an opportunity before he realized she’d seen him.”

  Alex couldn’t help but smile in acknowledgment. She had said little to Brackett. The fact that Claire Brackett’s thinking followed the same course as Alex’s assured her that Brackett was the adept investigator Hawk had promised. Most people would not have considered the possibility that Alex was mulling in her brain. Brackett had.

  Siminski shook his head with confusion and looked down at the pit below their feet. “I assume you have a team on the way as well?”

  “We do,” Brackett said.

  “You want us to wait so they can take point?” he asked.

  Alex looked at Brackett for confirmation and shook her head. “No. AD Bower agrees. Your forensics team is equipped. Nothing new in this partnership. You have more resources locally. Agent Brackett will supervise,” she said, surprising both Claire and herself with the overture. Siminski nodded and waved to his team.

  Claire looked at Alex and grinned. “Call me Poison Ivy,” she chimed.

  Alex chuckled. “Their team is solid,” she said. Claire nodded and started toward the hole in the ground. “Claire,” Alex caught her by the arm. Claire looked at Alex curiously. “You lead down there. You think we need to stop to preserve anything—stop them.”

  Claire surprised Alex by responding with a silent nod. Alex looked up to the sky and took a deep breath. I hope to God there is nothing in there.

  ***

  A deep breath followed by a long, audible sigh, and he stretched the soreness from his muscles. He closed his eyes and savored the adrenalin as it rushed through his veins. A fingertip gracefully fluttered over his lip, wiping away a sprinkle of blood. He opened his eyes and regarded the lifeless form on the bed. Another sigh, not of regret, but rather of acknowledgment. One more step he would need to follow carefully. He moved to her side and shook his head. They were always so innocent. Hadn’t anyone taught them to be wary of strangers who promised salvation; who promised pleasure? He shrugged as the thought evaporated from his mind, and pulled the sheet around her, tying it with a piece of rope to keep it closed.

  He rolled his neck from side to side until he heard it pop and paced to the bathroom that adjoined the room. With one swift turn, the water began to flow. He discarded the remainder of his clothing and tossed it to the floor. Such a mess. Wh
y did it always have to leave such a mess? He sighed; this time with exasperation. Steam wafted through the small room leaving a faint mist on his skin. He adjusted the shower head and stepped in. A deep groan escaped his throat. Pleasure took on many forms. Power was pleasurable—control and then release. He let the hot spray soothe his tired muscles and began to hum his favorite tune. “A hunting we will go. We’ll catch a fox, and put her in a box. And never let her go.”

  ***

  Claire squinted and waved her hand. “Light!” she called out. Alex immediately moved to stand above Claire’s location. Claire looked up at her. Alex grabbed a flashlight from one of Siminski’s team and hopped into the pit beside Claire. Claire motioned with the tip of her head and Alex shined the light.

  “Fuck,” Alex muttered. She heard a faint, but dismal sigh fall from Claire’s lips.

  “What is it?” Siminski asked, certain he did not want the answer.

  Alex closed her eyes for a split second. She opened them again and looked at the skull below. It had a large crack running along its side. She shook her head. “Fucking son of a bitch,” she muttered.

  “You kiss Cass with that mouth?” Claire asked.

  Alex made no comment. She looked up at Siminski. “It’s going to be a long night,” she told him.

  Siminski nodded his understanding.

  Alex focused on the scene in front of her. She understood that she was looking at someone’s child, someone’s friend, maybe even someone’s parent. Whoever it was lying here in this pit; they hadn’t come here willingly. That was clear. Now, Alex would need to find out who she was looking at, put aside all her emotion, and find the person who had led them here.

  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Claire asked. “There are more,” Claire commented.

  Alex felt a mounting pressure gathering in her temples. I’d count on it.

  ***

  Cassidy looked at the alarm clock when she heard the bedroom door open. It was 4:30 a.m. She rolled over and flipped on the light. Alex unbuttoned her blouse and threw it aside. She exchanged her slacks for a soft pair of sweatpants and massaged her temples. She looked beaten. That was the only word Cassidy could find to describe the sight standing before her. “Alex?”