Small-Town Face-Off

by Tyler Anne Snell

  “There’s a set of stairs behind you,” Beck said, motioning for her to turn. “I want you to go down them.” Mara looked over her shoulder. The sound she’d heard of something heavy being moved was a large, rectangular canister. It stood next to a hole in the floor.

  Not a hole. A trap door.

  There was a faint light radiating out of it, but she couldn’t tell where it led. She took a second to let her eyes adjust, but still couldn’t make out what exactly was down those stairs.

  Seeing the trap door and the hidden stairwell might have made some people feel adventurous, but right now, the image only heightened Mara’s acute fear of having to walk down them.

  Good thing she still had a few questions to ask before she would.

  “Where’s Alexa?”

  Beck cracked a smile. It sent a shiver down her spine. The shotgun he held against his side didn’t help.

  “She’s safe with her dad,” he answered. She searched his face, looking for the lie. She was surprised to realize she believed he was being sincere. Besides, if he had done something to Alexa, Mara bet he would have been gloating about it.

  And she would have already killed him with her bare hands.

  Plus, there wasn’t much more to do than believe him and hope Billy was doing everything he could to ensure Alexa stayed safe. She had little doubt he would do anything else.

  Just thinking about the two of them, without her in the picture, warmed and broke Mara’s heart. Despair at potentially never seeing them again inspired her backbone to stiffen. Suddenly, the danger of the man across from her lessened. Mara had much bigger things to fear than a man who had to threaten a toddler to get what he wanted.

  “You do know I have no idea where the drugs and money are, right?” Mara asked, pleased at the steadiness of her voice. She raised her chin a fraction to show the man she was above lying to him. Why waste her time doing it?

  For one moment, Mara felt like she had the upper hand. Like she had stumped the man who had been nothing but cocky. But then the moment was shattered.

  All it took was one smirk to let Mara know she hadn’t won.

  “I believe you,” he said, seeming amused.

  “What?”

  Beck gave a little chuckle.

  “I know you don’t have any idea where the stash is,” he continued. “In fact, I’ve known for a bit.”

  Mara was dumbfounded.

  “Then why come after me?” she asked. “Why go through all of this trouble to get me if I can’t even help?”

  Beck’s smirk stayed sharp when he answered, as if he’d been waiting for those questions for a while and it was finally time for him to deliver.

  “Because now I have the only leverage in all the world that would make your father finally tell me where it is.”

  Mara couldn’t help it. She laughed. It wasn’t in the least kind.

  “Good luck with that. My father wouldn’t help me when I asked for it. What makes you think he’ll help you now, just because you have me?”

  “Because I’m not bartering for your release. I’m bartering for your life,” Beck said simply. “You aren’t leaving this place alive unless your father does everything I need him to, what I told the sheriff earlier be damned. He’s a handsome fella, though, so don’t worry. I’m sure he can find another woman to get into his bed and raise your kid if you’re gone.”

  The shiver that had run down Mara’s spine before was back with a vengeance. It crippled any confidence she’d been wielding as a shield against her current situation. And the madman across from her. The strength that had kept her voice steady was gone when she answered.

  “My father won’t help you,” she said.

  “You’d be surprised what a father will do for his daughter.” He brought the shotgun up and pointed it at her. “Now, get down there, Miss Copeland,” he ordered. “I’ve got things to do.”

  The last thing Mara wanted to do was go down those steps. To find out where that dim light was and what the destination might mean for her future. But Mara couldn’t deny that she felt deflated. She’d done what she could and now she might have to let whatever was going to happen play out.

  Without another look at her captor, Mara started the descent down the stairs. She was less than four steps in when the door above her was dragged closed. She waited as the sound of the metal scraping filled the air. Something heavy went on top of the trap door. Mara backtracked until she could put her shoulders and back against it. She tried to push up, but the door didn’t budge.

  Letting out an exhale of defeat, she started her descent again.

  The stairs weren’t as long as she’d expected, and soon she was standing in a surprisingly large room lit by two hanging bulbs. They cast enough light to reach the corners.

  Which was good and bad for Mara.

  It was good because she could tell with certainty that she was standing in a basement, maybe used as a storage room at some point, judging by the lumps of furniture covered by dust cloths and pushed against the walls. And knowing where she was felt a lot better than sitting in the dark, wondering.

  However, for every silver lining there was something bad that had to be coped with, and tied in a chair against the wall was a woman who looked like she’d seen a heck of a lot better days.

  “Leigh?” Mara started, beyond confused.

  Leigh Cullen had her mouth taped over and blood on her face. She looked just as surprised to see Mara as Mara was to see her.

  That, in itself, would have been enough to make a terrifying situation even more dark, but then Mara noticed the boy in the corner, tied to an old oak rocking chair. His mouth was duct taped, his eyes wide. He didn’t look much older than ten.

  What the hell was going on?

  Chapter Twenty

  Mara rocked backward on the floor so that her knees were in the air. Before she’d had Alexa she could have gotten the handcuffs from behind her back to in front of herself without much fuss, but since she’d given birth and become a single parent, her exercise habits had disappeared. That included the yoga routine that had kept her flexible. As it was, it took several tries before she was able to get her hands in front of her. They were still bound, but at least now she could use them.

  Her maternal instincts had gone from zero to a hundred the moment she’d seen the boy. She didn’t recognize him. Still, she hurried over to him with the most soothing voice she could muster.

  “Hey, there, my name’s Mara,” she started, honey coating every syllable. “I’m going to take the tape off your mouth. Is that okay?” The boy, short brown hair, freckles galore and wide blue eyes already filling up with tears, cut his gaze to Leigh. The woman, in turn, slit her eyes at Mara. “I’m not with them, Leigh. A man named Beck took me and brought me here.”

  It was the vaguest of answers but seemed enough to satisfy the woman. She nodded to the boy. He looked back at Mara and nodded.

  “This might hurt a little, but I’ll try to be extra gentle,” she warned him.

  The boy gave another curt nod. He closed his eyes tight as Mara got a grip on the edge of the tape and did her best to ease it off without causing the boy pain. No sooner had it passed over his lips did he give a cry of relief. It made Mara’s heart squeeze.

  “You did so good,” Mara said, knowing the tears in his eyes were a thin dam away from being an all-out waterfall. “I’m going to try and untie you now, and then you can help me untie her.” The boy nodded, sniffling. Mara went to the side of the chair and then to the back trying to find the main knot. Thankfully, it wasn’t too complicated, resting at the base of the chair. Then again, the boy was small enough that he probably didn’t need much help keeping him tied down. “So, what’s your name?”

  “Eric,” he said, tears behind his words. “Er-Eric Cullen.”

 
“Leigh’s your mama,” she guessed.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She’d known that Leigh had a kid, but what had happened with her husband had always taken priority in Mara’s mind. A swell of guilt rose at the realization that she’d never even asked after the boy, but Mara batted it down. She needed to focus. And she needed to try and calm Eric down. Even from her crouched position behind him, she could see he was trembling.

  “So, Eric, what grade are you in?” she asked, working on undoing the first part of the knot.

  “Fo-fourth.”

  “Oh, nice! That’s a fun grade. So you have any favorite classes you’re looking forward to after Christmas break?”

  The first part of the knot gave way. There were two more to go.

  “I like practicing football,” he said flatly. “But Mama says I can’t play on the team if I don’t bring up my grades.”

  The second part fell away. Mara found herself smiling at his answer.

  “I’d have to agree with her there,” she said.

  He nodded but didn’t say anything else. Mara wanted to know how they’d gotten down here and what had happened to them, but she didn’t want to push the little guy to relive whatever they’d gone through. She’d just have to ask his mama instead.

  “Okay, there we go.”

  Mara stood, wincing as the pain in her side reminded her she should have been resting, and helped take the rope from around him.

  “You okay?” Mara asked.

  He nodded but she helped him stand all the same. Another part of her heart squeezed when she noticed a bruise on the side of his face. Like he’d been hit.

  “Now, you think you can help me untie her?”

  Leigh’s eyes were shining but she didn’t cry when Mara took the tape off her mouth.

  “Oh, Eric, are you okay?” were the first words out of her mouth. The boy’s chin started to tremble but he nodded.

  Mara let him stand in front of his mom while she checked him over, uttering assurances that they’d all be alright, while she jumped into untying Leigh. The ropes had more knots, including at her ankles and wrists. Judging by the blood and marks all over the woman, Mara’d bet she’d put up one heck of a fight before they’d been able to get her tied down.

  “This might take a little bit,” Mara said, fingers fumbling with the knot at the back of her chair. “So let’s not waste any time. What the heck is going on? And where are we?”

  “We’re at the house,” Eric said, matter-of-factly.

  “The house?”

  “We’re in a barn,” Leigh clarified. “It’s on my family’s farm. Our house is a mile in that direction.”

  She nodded to the right wall.

  “And this charming little room?” Mara asked, fingers tugging at another knot.

  “My great-grandfather put it in to serve as a storm shelter of sorts. It’s always creeped me out, so we never come out here. Until today.” Leigh said a string of curses before apologizing to her son for doing just that. A heavy sigh followed. “I wanted an old picture of the main house my daddy took when he was a boy that’s in one of these boxes. I was going to reframe it as a present for him. Lucky for us, it just happened to be the same day two thugs decided to camp out in the barn. They surprised us after I opened the trap door.”

  There it was again.

  The swelling of guilt. This time Mara didn’t let it sit and stew.

  This time she let it out.

  “It’s my fault they’re here,” she admitted. “They’re trying to use me to get something that’s hidden somewhere in Riker County.”

  Mara didn’t need to be looking at the woman to know she wasn’t happy.

  “Eric, why don’t you go look for that picture?” Leigh said quietly. “It should be in one of those boxes.”

  Eric must have known his mom’s tones. He obeyed without hesitation, walking across the room from them and pulling off a dust cloth. Mara undid the back knot and was in front of Leigh when the woman had collected herself enough to respond.

  “It’s about that no-good father of yours, isn’t it?” she whispered, low and angry.

  Mara nodded. She tried to get into a better position to work on the ropes holding Leigh’s ankles to the legs of the chair. Pain flashed up her side again.

  “What’s wrong?” Leigh asked. Her eyes trailed to the bruise on Mara’s head.

  “Let’s just say I’ve had a long day,” she hedged.

  Leigh kept quiet as Mara finished untying her. Such a seemingly simple task had left her exhausted. Instead of jumping up, as the now-free woman did, she pushed her back up against the wall and sat down. All the adrenaline spikes she’d had that day were long past gone. Now Mara felt pain and weariness.

  She watched in silence as Leigh ran to her son and nearly crushed him in a hug.

  Mara smiled. Pain aside, she’d give Alexa the same greeting.

  If she ever saw her again.

  * * *

  BILLY HUGGED HIS mother and kissed his daughter’s cheek.

  “Are you sure there’s no other way? We could just keep all the doors locked and maybe—”

  “Mom.”

  Billy’s mother let her arguments go and nodded to her son. She had Alexa on her hip, the diaper bag on her arm and pure concern on her face. But she wasn’t going to argue anymore. Time was a luxury they had little of.

  “You be careful,” she said instead. “And bring her back.”

  “I will.”

  She touched the side of his face before giving him and Suzy some privacy. Alexa waved at him, although her eyes trailed between all the adults in the house. She’d been surprisingly quiet since he’d arrived. It made Billy wonder if she was looking for Mara among everyone. It was a good thing she’d taken such a shine to his mother, or else the next step in his plan wouldn’t go over as well as they wanted.

  “I don’t like this,” Suzy said, coming to stand in front of him. She met and held his eyes.

  “I know, but it needs to be done.”

  “And you’re not asking me just because I’m a woman, right?”

  Billy returned the serious question with an equal answer.

  “You know damn well it’s not that,” he said. Still, he saw some doubt there. He tried to diminish it as quickly as he could. “Beck played me like a fiddle just by talking about Alexa. I can’t afford to let him do that again, so I need to know that she’ll be okay. Which means I need someone I trust. Not only with my life, but with my mother’s and child’s lives, too. Like it or not, that’s you, Suze. None of this will work if you’re not the one to take them out of town and hide them.” He gave her a small smile. “I’m asking as the little boy you once called dumb as nails for tanking the spelling bee in fourth grade. Not as your sheriff.”

  That seemed to soften the woman. She let out a sigh before her shoulders pushed back. She raised her chin. Not out of pride. It was determination.

  “Who misspells elephant?” She smirked and then was deadly serious. “Go get your gal, Sheriff.”

  And then Suzy was gone, her own bag slung across her shoulder. No one knew how long it would take to find Mara and stop Beck, but Suzy wasn’t bringing Alexa or his mother back until both happened.

  Billy just hoped that was sooner rather than later.

  Dane met Billy in the lobby the moment he walked in. He looked impeccable, letting Billy know he’d already done the press conference. Which he confirmed with his greeting.

  “The public should be on the lookout for Beck and his associate, and both the car they drove away in and the truck they had earlier, too. Mara’s picture is also out there. Dante is briefing the reserve deputies who just came in, while we have some of our deputies manning the tip lines and social media. The rest, including the local PD, are out on the
streets and in the country.”

  “And no bites yet?” Billy asked, already knowing the answer.

  Dane shook his head.

  “Nothing we didn’t already know. But I think Matt’s ready to talk to us about what he’s found on Beck’s friend.”

  Billy nodded and they headed deeper into the building.

  “Let’s hope we finally have a lead.”

  * * *

  BILLY STOOD AT the front of the squad room and looked out at his deputies. Those who were close by had been asked to come in. Those on patrol were being filled in on the new situation in person by Mills and one of the reserve deputies. Because the radios were now a problem.

  A bigger one than they already had.

  “Gene Marsden worked at Riker County Sheriff’s Department for twelve years before he was fired by the last sheriff,” Billy started. “There was a list a mile long of reasons why he should have been let go sooner but Sheriff Rockwell liked giving second—and sometimes third—chances to his deputies because he knew that this job can be a hard one. But then, when we were working the Bryan Copeland case, Rockwell noticed that crime scenes and evidence were being tampered with on Marsden’s watch. He never found concrete proof that it was Marsden. but after a late night of drinking at a local bar, Marsden started to brag about having his own personal collection of Moxy. Courtesy of the department. He was fired as Rockwell’s last act as sheriff, and when he came to me to rehire him, I flat out said no.” Billy crossed his arms over his chest. “To put it bluntly, he lost his damn mind.”

  Two deputies sitting in the back agreed, using more colorful language. Billy pointed to them. Along with Dane and Matt, they’d been present for the scene. “He had to be escorted out. After that, he moved to Georgia, where his sister lives, and didn’t make so much as a peep.” Billy gave Matt a nod.

  The detective cleared his throat to address the room.

  “Until two months ago, when he apparently came back.” Matt pinned the picture of Marsden they’d been able to get from the security camera at the local bar, the Eagle. “The owner of the Eagle said Marsden has been paying in cash only. One night he got so drunk they called him a cab, which took him to the same hotel where the recently deceased Caleb Richards had been meeting Beck. Around the same time Beck fled, Marsden disappeared.”