The Vanishing

by Gary Winston Brown

  “Keep your hands where I can see them,” the man ordered. “Down the hill to the compound. Move… now!”

  Martin recognized him from his picture.

  It was Joseph Krebeck.

  55

  MARK’S CELL PHONE rang as Kettawash came into view. Justin was calling from the command center. “Is Martin with you?” he asked.

  “No,” Mark replied. “Karen and I are on our way to meet him now. He called me forty-five minutes ago. Said he had a lead on Reginald Fallon. He wants us to meet him in Kettawash.”

  “Something’s wrong, Mark.” Justin’s tone was serious, anxious. “We just received a signal from the emergency GPS transmitter in Martin’s SUV. He wouldn’t have activated it unless he was in trouble. I tried his cell, Claire’s too. No luck.”

  Mark pulled the truck over to the side of the road. “Son of a bitch!” he said. “I knew something like this was going to happen.” He stepped out of the truck and slammed the door. Dan and Cynthia pulled in behind the Suburban. “I told them to wait for backup. Damn it!”

  “I’ve got his position,” Justin continued. “He’s four miles outside of Kettawash. I’m tracking your signal as well. You’re about fifteen minutes away from him.”

  “I’ll call you back in five,” Mark said. “I need to talk to the team. Don’t take your eyes off that screen!”

  “Not a chance, Mark.”

  Mark hung up.

  “What’s going on?” Cynthia asked.

  “Everybody gear up,” Mark replied. “Vests and sidearms. And bring your night vision equipment. We’ve got more than the extraction target to deal with now. That was Justin. Martin and Claire might be in danger.”

  “What kind of danger?” Dan said.

  “Martin’s emergency GPS has been activated. He called me earlier. Said they thought they’d found Reginald Fallon. Now I’m thinking Fallon found them.” Mark checked his watch. “Let’s hope we’re not too late. Justin’s going to lead us to their location. Follow me. And when we get there, remember to keep your eyes open…”

  “… and your head down,” Dan finished as he slipped his bulletproof vest over his head and secured its Velcro chest and shoulder straps into place.

  56

  “MOMMY, WHERE ARE we going?” Blessing asked.

  “On a little adventure, honey,” Sky replied nervously as she buttoned her daughter’s coat and tied her shoelaces. “Daddy’s going to take us on a little camping trip to the mountain, just like we did before. Remember?”

  “Yes,” Blessing said. “But it was daytime, and we went swimming. It’s too cold to swim at night. And it’s dark. I don’t like the dark. It’s scary.”

  “There’s nothing to be afraid of, sweetheart,” Sky lied. “Besides, part of the fun of camping is looking up at the night sky and seeing all the stars. You can’t see stars during the day, can you?”

  “I suppose not.”

  “Of course you can’t, silly. Stars sleep during the day so they can stay awake all night.”

  “Why would they do that?”

  “So they can watch over you when you’re sleeping and keep you safe in your dreams. Chin up.”

  Blessing raised her head. “Really?”

  “Really,” Sky said as she tied the strings of Blessings cap under her neck. “That’s a star’s job. And tonight, if you’re especially lucky, you might even see shooting stars.”

  “What’s a shooting star?”

  “Those are very, very special stars. They’re magic stars. If you see a shooting star, and make a wish, maybe it will come true.”

  “I already have a wish.”

  “You do? Well, keep it a secret! Wishes won’t come true if you tell…”

  “I wish that you and me and Daddy will be together, forever and ever!” Blessing blurted out. She stretched out her arms as wide as the tips of her tiny fingers could manage.

  Sky pulled her daughter close, hugged her fiercely.

  “Thank you, baby,” she said. “That’s a wonderful wish. Mind if we share it?”

  “I suppose. But is it good luck to share wishes, Mommy?”

  “When they’re wishes like that, absolutely!”

  Virgil shuffled up the stairs, entered the room. “You two almost ready?”

  “Ready as we’re going to be.” Sky sighed.

  Virgil helped his wife on with her jacket. “Good. Now listen to me, both of you. Everything’s going to be fine. We’re going to be fine. We’ll get through this, just like we’ve gotten though everything else.”

  “I know,” Sky said. “But right now, I don’t mind telling you I’m scared to death.”

  “So am I. But we have no choice. Staying here isn’t an option anymore. The cabin is the safest place we could be right now.”

  Virgil picked up the bundle of food and clothes his wife had wrapped in a blanket, slung it over his shoulder.

  “When we get outside, stay close to the side of the building. There’s a trail about thirty yards away. It leads into the woods. From there it’s about a twenty-minute hike. Blessing, hold on to Mommy’s hand and don’t make a sound, okay? We’ve got to be very quiet.”

  “Like playing hide and seek!”

  “Yes, baby,” Virgil replied. He kissed his daughter on the forehead. “Just like hide-and-seek.”

  A familiar blanket of cool mountain mist swirled at Virgil’s feet as he opened the door and stepped outside with Sky and Blessing behind him. Dewdrops clung to the tall grass along the trail, glistening like strung pearls in the moonlight.

  “Like I said, stay close.”

  “Virgil, wait!” Sky said. She grabbed him by the arm.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Shhh! Listen… someone’s coming.” Sky pointed. “There! By the edge of the forest.”

  Four silhouettes stepped out from the perimeter of the treeline.

  “Back inside, now.” Virgil said.

  From behind the crack in the door Virgil watched as four figures walked single file along the trail, past his building, then out of sight.

  “Who are they?” Sky asked.

  “Outsiders,” Virgil replied. “Two men and a woman. And Prophet.” He turned to Sky. Even in the shadows, she could see the frightened expression on his face. “He’s holding them at gunpoint.”

  “Gunpoint?” Sky gasped. “What is going on Virgil?” She looked as though she were on the verge of tears.

  Virgil pulled her close. “I won’t let anything happen to us, understand? Nothing. I promise you that. We’re still leaving here. Tonight.”

  “But how? If we leave now, we’ll be seen for certain.”

  “We don’t have a choice, Sky. We have to get out of here, for Blessing’s sake if for no other reason.” Virgil paused. “Take Blessing back upstairs and wait a few minutes. I have an idea.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Get help. I’m going to tell Reisa what’s happening. Then I’m going to find out where Prophet’s taken the Outsiders.”

  “But if he catches you...”

  “He won’t. Besides, it’s dark, and I’m on lamp lighting duty, remember? If I don’t go, they’ll wonder where I’ve gotten to and they’ll be suspicious for sure. This way no one’s the wiser.”

  “I’m not sure about this.”

  “Look,” Virgil replied. “It might not be the best plan, but it’s the only plan.” He kissed his wife goodbye. “Sit tight. I’ll be back soon.”

  57

  “SPEAK TO ME, Justin!” Mark yelled into his cell phone as he sped along the county road. “Tell me where the hell I’m supposed to be going.”

  Justin studied the pulsing locator blip on the GPS monitoring program. “Your position locator is directly over Martin’s signal, Mark. He’s got to be there. Keep looking.”

  “It’s pitch-fucking black out here,” Mark replied. “All I can make out is row upon row of godforsaken corn and… wait a minute… I think I see his truck. Yes, okay, I’ve got him. Nice work
, kid.”

  Mark and Karen jumped out of the Suburban, drew their weapons, and took cover behind the truck. Dan and Cynthia pulled in behind, joined them. The Navigator was parked behind the cab of a tractor-trailer cab, the name Nellie Blue emblazoned across its wind dam. Mark motioned for Cynthia and Dan to cover the cab while he and Karen proceeded to the Navigator.

  Both vehicles were empty.

  “This makes no sense,” Dan said. He returned his gun to its holster. “Martin left the Nav wide open. The back window’s down and all his stuff’s inside.”

  “Check this out,” Cynthia added. She held up Martin’s bulletproof vest. “Claire’s is in there too. Looks like his weapon is still in the lockbox.”

  Mark inspected the shoulder of the dirt road with his flashlight. “No skid marks,” he said. “It doesn’t look like they were forced off the road.”

  “Why would he be parked behind a transport cab in the middle of nowhere?” Karen asked.

  “Good question. My guess is he was following it.”

  “Do you think they were set up?” Dan asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You said Martin was outside of Kettawash when he called and told you he was following up on a lead, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So maybe the owner of this rig radioed the details of their conversation to someone else, like Fallon. We don’t know how far the Brethren’s hand reaches in these parts. Maybe the lead Martin picked up was from one of their people. They convinced him to follow and wound up here.”

  “You could be right,” Mark said. He paused. “Wait a minute. Wasn’t Maggy with Martin and Claire?”

  “Yes, she was,” Cynthia said. “I saw her in the back seat when we were examining the map at the estate.”

  “Then where the hell is she?” Mark asked. He opened the back door of the Navigator. Maggy’s leash lay on the floor. He knelt and examined the ground outside her door. “No blood, so there couldn’t have been a fight. Maggy’s trained to attack on command. If someone had tried to take them by force, Martin would have given her the word. That tells me they had no reason not to trust the lead.” Mark looked toward the forest, panned the flashlight beam across the treeline. Shards of light broke through fractured tree limbs and fallen branches. “My guess is they’re somewhere out there.”

  From the distance came a low growl. Red eyes glared back from the crest of the hill.

  “Wolf!” Dan cried. He drew his gun, trained it on the silhouette starting down the hill towards Mark.

  “Hold your fire!” Mark yelled. He walked across the roadway and stopped at the edge of the embankment. “Maggs? Is that you?”

  The growl abated. An uncertain whimper escaped the forest floor.

  “It’s all right, Maggy,” Mark said. “It’s me, girl.”

  “She’s scared,” Karen said. She crossed the road and stood at his side. “Be firm with her, Mark. She’s confused. She needs to know you have control and that she’s safe.”

  “You’re right.” Mark called out sternly. “Maggy! Service!”

  Woof! came the reply, accompanied by a scuttling of leaves and twigs. The retriever bounded up the hill through the darkness, rounded Mark, then sat beside him.

  Karen knelt, hugged her. “Good girl, Maggy! Good girl, baby!”

  “You think she knows where Martin and Claire are?” Dan asked.

  “We’re about to find out,” Mark answered. “Okay, Maggy. We’re counting on you, girl.”

  Maggy looked up at Mark, cocked her head.

  Mark commanded the dog. “Track.”

  The retriever ran ahead, then stopped and looked back.

  Mark followed. “Find Martin, girl,” he said. Maggy ran to the top of the embankment, waited momentarily, then disappeared over the peak of the hill.

  The team followed their canine guide into the blackness of the forest.

  58

  VIRGIL KNOCKED ON Reisa’s door. As the door creaked open, he forced his way inside.

  “Come on in,” Reisa scoffed as Virgil brushed past him. “Make yourself at home. Geez! What’s eatin’ you?”

  “I need your help and I need it now!” The words rushed out of Virgil’s mouth. His trademark calm demeanor had vanished. An uncommon measure of fear played in his voice.

  “All right,” Reisa replied. He placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder and helped him to a chair. “That’s good enough for me. But would ya mind tellin’ me what the hell’s going on?”

  “Amanda is not Prophet’s daughter. He killed her parents. Fallon’s in on it too. Prophet’s holding Outsiders hostage and…”

  “Whoa!” Reisa interrupted. “Hold on, partner. Slow down. Take a breath and start from the beginning. What’s this about Prophet and Fallon and… hostages?”

  “We need to get out of here, right now!”

  “You haven’t answered my question. What’s wrong? Why are you so upset?”

  “You’re never going to believe me.”

  “Try me.”

  “I overheard an argument between Prophet and Fallon. Prophet admitted he killed Amanda’s parents.”

  “He what?”

  “It’s true. She’s not his daughter like we thought. He and Cassandra have been keeping her hidden from the police. Remember the reporter who took a picture of us at Sonoma State?”

  “Yeah. What about it?”

  “The community newspaper printed that picture. Now Fallon is worried that when the police see it, they’ll recognize Amanda and come looking for her. They’ll speak to the reporter first, then to students at the university. That will lead them here, to us. We’re in danger, Reisa. And I’m sure Fallon knows I know about Amanda.”

  “How could he? Did he see you?”

  “No. I heard someone coming down the stairs from Prophet’s building after I overheard the argument. Turns out it was Fallon. I didn’t want anyone to know I was there, so I ran. I tripped in the dark and fell over a pile of wood behind the workshop. That’s how I messed up my leg. He heard me fall and came looking for me, but I managed to stay out of sight. Fallon’s mad, maybe Prophet too. He’ll kill me if he finds out I know the truth.”

  “You’ve got to talk to the police about this, Virgil,” Reisa said.

  “I will, but only after my family is safe. That’s why I need your help.”

  “Name it. What do you want me to do?”

  “Get them out of here tonight. Remember the old hunting cabin we found up on the mountain?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Take them there. Stay with them until I arrive.” Virgil removed the bloodied plastic strip from his pocket, handed it to Reisa.

  “What’s this?”

  “I used it to tie off my leg and stop the bleeding when I cut myself. I threw it away, but Fallon found it. He left it hanging on the doorknob to my room. It’s his way of telling me he knows it’s me he’s looking for.”

  “It’s not safe for you to stay here, Virgil. You should be coming with us.”

  “I know. But I can’t leave Amanda behind. Her life may be in danger, and I can’t walk away knowing that. I’ll find her and convince her to come with us.”

  “How?”

  “I don’t know yet. Guess I’ll deal with that when I have to. Besides you and Sky, I’m the only one who knows there’s trouble. That should work in my favor. If I just go about my business quietly, maybe I can buy some time.”

  “What about the Outsiders?”

  “Leave that to me. Prophet and Fallon were leading them in the direction of the supply shed. Which would be a likely place to keep them under guard. For all we know, they’re the police. I’ll let them out. We could use their help.”

  “You’re in no shape to do this on your own, Virgil. Let me help you. We can leave for the cabin with your family, together.”

  Virgil smiled. “You’re a good friend, Reisa. The best way you can help me right now is to get my family out of here. Don’t worry about me. I can take care of mysel
f. I’ll meet you at the cabin in an hour.”

  Reisa stood up and slipped on his coat. “Don’t worry about a thing. We’ll be there. You have my word.”

  Virgil shook the big man’s hand. “I know.” At the door, he turned back. “Listen, Reisa. If anything should happen to me…”

  Reisa cut him off. “Nothing’s going to happen to you so long as you don’t do anything stupid. You get my meanin’?”

  “Just the same,” Virgil said. “Watch over Blessing and Sky for me. Okay?”

  Reisa nodded. “Like they was my own. Now get out of here. I got a job to do.”

  59

  HIDDEN IN THE shadows that had now become his ally, Virgil pressed his back against the wall of Prophet’s building and listened.

  Distant footfalls moving away.

  He peered around the corner and watched his family and friend reach the end of the path and disappear into the woods. Soon they would be out of harm’s way, tucked safely away in the mountainside cabin under Reisa’s watchful eye.

  The pain in his leg flared to life again. Virgil pressed his fingers around the pulsing area, massaged the wound. Not now, dammit! He unwound the compress, released the pressure on the gash. The bleeding had resumed. The light-headedness he had suffered earlier had returned. He sat down, allowed himself a few seconds to rest, and once again battled the desire to slip into unconsciousness. He took a deep breath, braced himself for the searing pain to come, reapplied the compress as tightly as he could bear...

  “Virgil? Virgil? Are you all right?”

  The voice belonged to a young woman kneeling beside him.

  Aroused from the darkness, Virgil realized he had passed out from the pain. He sat slumped against the wall of the building.

  “It’s me, Amanda.” Amanda looked at the unraveled, blood-soaked compress on his leg. “You’re hurt,” she said. She put her arm under his shoulder, helped him to his feet. “Come inside. Let me look at that leg.”