Black Moon Rising

by Ann Simas

  Trey shook his head and tapped his fingers against the beer bottle in his hand. “I gotta give her credit, she has balls.”

  “Balls or not, she should be smart enough to know she can’t evade them forever. She’s got to let us help her.”

  “Libby says her parents are freaking out.”

  Luca grunted. “No wonder.” He took a long swallow from his beer, then stared up at the starry night sky. Where the hell was she? It hadn’t taken them long to find the access door down to the safe room, and after that, the exit that led to the vehicle shelter. Zach had planned well, but even armed with foresight about his family’s possible intentions, he hadn’t been privy to the fact that a psychopath named Boyson would be linked inextricably to Sunny’s future.

  He dropped the f-bomb once, twice, three times.

  Trey shot him a look. “I’m with you all the way on this.”

  “I was just thinking about that prick Boyson and what I’d like to do to him.”

  “I hope you’ll let me help you tear him apart, limb-by-limb.”

  “If there’s anything left of him when I’m finished, I’ll be happy to turn him over to you.”

  “In the meantime, you got a starting point?”

  “I wish to hell I did. Sometimes, I think Sunny’s too damned smart for her own good.”

  “The trait seems to run in the females of that family,” Trey noted, his tone dry.

  . . .

  First thing the next morning, Carlyn Killion took her children to her parents house. “My folks are ecstatic when they get the kids for a sleep over,” she said upon her return. “Little do they know how much I look forward to a little alone time myself.” Her gaze swung to her husband and they shared a secret smile.

  “You won’t be getting much of that this go-round,” Sunny said.

  Carlyn grinned. “Don’t you worry, Sunny. I’ve never done any cloak-and-dagger before—that’s always been Bobby’s thing, though he rarely talks about what he did in the Rangers—but I’m looking forward to helping you and the kids. Don’t doubt that for a minute.”

  Sunny gave her a wobbly smile in return. Talk about the kindness of strangers. “I was afraid you’d think I was a crackpot after the story I told you last night.”

  “Rest easy on that. Bobby and I both know there are many things that are inexplicable in this world.”

  “I count myself fortunate to have hooked up with you.”

  “The feeling’s mutual, believe me. Bobby doesn’t talk about many of the guys he met over there, but he does mention Zach frequently. They hit it off right away, because of the cult-thing, I guess, and the incident, as he refers to it, which I still know little about, sealed the friendship.”

  Before Sunny could reply, Bobby pulled up out front in his step van, which identified his company, BK Freight Hauling, on the side. He jumped out and waved for them to join him.

  Sunny glanced at the kids, who were engrossed in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. “I’m just stepping outside for a minute or two,” she told them. “Don’t go wandering around the house, okay?”

  They both nodded, but neither looked her way.

  “We can leave the front door open,” Carlyn said, “in case they come looking for you.”

  “Thanks,” Sunny said, reluctant to have them out of her sight for even a couple of minutes.

  A tall man with long legs, it only took Bobby seconds to meet them on the porch. “All right, let’s review the plan one more time. Sunny, you and the kids will ride as far as the outskirts of Fremont with Carlyn. When we get to the truck stop, I’ll take the furthest space out I can find. You and the kids will have easy access into the back of the step van and it’s rigged with a light. You’ll also have furniture pads to sit on, and handles attached to the sidewall to hang on to, if you need them. The drive from there to the detective’s place will be less than ten minutes.”

  “Thanks goodness for the light,” Sunny said. “Carson still doesn’t like the dark.”

  He gave her a quick nod in acknowledgement. “When we get to Amorosi’s house, I’ll hop up in the back and get you all situated in your respective boxes and seal them up with a single piece of packaging tape. Easy to break out of, if need be.”

  “Did he respond to your message?”

  “I haven’t sent it yet. I’m going to wait until we get close to Fremont. I figured that would give him less time to decide not to show up when he gets word his ‘delivery’ will be there at noon.”

  “Good thinking,” Sunny said, a small smile on her face. “Luca will be less than thrilled when he gets your initial message, and he might be inclined to say ‘screw it,’ if he’s busy.”

  “My guess is he’s busy trying to find you,” Bobby said, “so, yeah, he’s probably going to be a little pissed that I’m putting a kink in his schedule.”

  Sunny hadn’t thought Bobby’s plan through completely, or what involvement in her life might be doing to his schedule. “I’m sorry I imposed on you, Bobby. I don’t want to cause you grief over my problem.”

  “Honey, don’t worry about it, and as for your detective,” he added with a grin, “I think I can handle any shit he tosses my way.”

  Sunny had no doubt he meant every word, but still, it still didn’t sit well with her that she had to involve others to get her out of a scrape. She decided not to harp on it and said simply, “Thank you.”

  The ride down the mountain was uneventful. Carlyn had loaned Carson and Maisie two DVDs they hadn’t seen yet, which kept them entertained. Sunny worried briefly that her children would turn into DVD zombies, but decided it was better to be addicted to movies than to be sacrificed.

  Bobby stopped once so everyone could have a bathroom break and a snack, then they were back on the road.

  When they reached the truck stop just south of Fremont, Carlyn said, “Don’t be a stranger, okay?”

  “I won’t. It’s not every day you make a new friend.”

  Carlyn laughed. “Boy, ain’t that the truth!” She grew serious quickly. “I know you have to stay under the radar, but keep us posted, if you can, on how it’s going.”

  “I will, promise. And thanks for keeping my SUV up there in your garage. I was just about at the point where I was thinking of stealing someone’s license plates so I could keep driving around in it.”

  “It’s not a problem. In fact, I’ve always wondered why we needed that third bay. Now I know.” She leaned forward and grasped Sunny’s hand. “Everything happens for a reason.”

  Sunny didn’t doubt that for a moment. “Thanks for everything, Carlyn.”

  Bobby tapped on the window, then opened the door on Sunny’s side. “Ready?”

  “As I’ll ever be.” She reached across the console and gave Carlyn a hug.

  “Don’t worry, Sunny,” Bobbie’s wife said. “We’ll see you soon.”

  Wiping away a stray tear, Sunny nodded and hopped out of the car. She collected the kids from the back seat, along with their portable DVD players. Everything else they’d fled the safe room with had already been packed inside one of the moving boxes in the back of the delivery step van.

  This particular vehicle had a side door with drop-down steps, which Bobby had lowered before collecting them from the car. He climbed up first and took the kids as Sunny helped them up, then extended a hand to her to help her inside the trailer, too.

  “This is our fourth big adventure,” she said once they were all situated inside.

  “Where are we going this time, Mommy?” Carson asked, hopping from foot-to-foot. Maisie picked up on his excitement and started clapping.

  “We’re going to surprise Luca with a visit, and we’re going to wrap ourselves in boxes as if we’re presents,” she said, hoping she’d injected the right amount of anticipation in her tone. Truth be told, she was scared to death the plan Bobby had concocted wouldn’t work, and they’d be stuck in boxes until Luca decided he was good and ready to come home.

  “Pwesents!” Maisie cried. “I wub pwese
nts!”

  “Me, too. Luca will be so surprised to see us!” Carson chimed in.

  Relieved that her children, at least, were game for this insanity, she heaved a sigh of relief. “We don’t have to climb into our boxes until we get to Luca’s house, so until then, I want you both to sit on the pads and lean against the wall. You can finish watching your movies, okay? When it’s time, and Bobby stops the van at Luca’s, I’ll help you into your boxes. From then on, we have to be very, very quiet until we get taken into Luca’s house. You can keep your DVD players on so you’ll have some light inside the boxes, and Mommy’s also going to give each one of you your own flashlight, okay?”

  They nodded and Carson leveled a stern look on his little sister. “No talking, understand?”

  Maisie nodded with enthusiasm. “No talking.”

  Sunny looked up at Bobby, who stood observing them with his arms folded across his chest.

  “Do exactly what your mommy says and next time you come up to see Hayden and Brittney, you can ride their ponies. How would you like that?”

  “Yay!” Their excited screams seemed magnified in the confines of the step van, but Bobby didn’t seem bothered by the noise. Of course, he had two children the same ages, who no doubt screamed regularly about something.

  “Let’s get settled,” Sunny said.

  Both Carson and Maisie plopped down on a pad and scooted back. Sunny settled their earphones in place, but both children knew how to activate the DVD players and within moments, they were in their own little world of animation again.

  “You, too,” Bobby said.

  Sunny nodded, but first she had to do something. He was tall, maybe taller than Luca, but she reached up on her tiptoes and hugged him, then planted a kiss on this lightly bearded cheek. “Thank you, Bobby.”

  “You’re welcome,” he said gruffly and headed for the side door. “If you need anything, tap on the cab window.”

  “I will.”

  The ride to Luca’s house was fraught with stop-and-goes. Sunny tried to envision the route and realized summertime roadwork was the culprit.

  Carson’s movie finished before they reached their destination, then Maisie’s. “Can I watch it again?” her son asked.

  “Me, too,” Maisie said.

  “Maybe you should switch.”

  Carson frowned and Maisie stuck out her lower lip.

  “Okay, don’t switch. You can both watch them again.” In fact, that sounded like a good idea to her on several counts, the first and foremost being that it would keep them occupied in their boxes.

  She was thankful, too, that she’d brought along the three mini-flashlights. And, that they had fresh batteries. She wasn’t crazy about being stuck in a dark box, either.

  When the truck stopped again, she felt, more than heard, the engine shut off.

  It was go time.

  Chapter 36

  . . .

  Maisie went into her box, which also contained her stuffed bear and her blankie, with no complaints. “Remember, no talking, sweet pea.”

  “S’pwise fow’a Wuca,” her daughter said, nodding seriously.

  Sunny leaned in and kissed the top of her head. “Love you, munchkin.”

  “Wub oo, too, Mommy.”

  Carson went into his box next. “No talking,” he said before Sunny could remind him. His battered stuffed dog awaited him, along with his tattered blankie.

  Sunny bent to kiss the top of his head, as well. “Love you, buddy.”

  “Love you, too, Mommy, now get into your box and don’t talk, okay?”

  Sunny grinned and made a zipping motion over her lips.

  She couldn’t quite figure out how to climb into her box, which was easily twice as tall as the ones the kids occupied. Bobby solved the problem for her by scooping her up and settling her inside.

  Still standing, she asked, “Did he respond?”

  “Texted that he was on his way. Soon as I see his car, I’ll seal up the boxes.”

  “Thanks again, Bobby.”

  “Stop thanking me, or I’ll be forced to use the packing tape on your mouth.”

  Sunny grinned at him and folded herself into the bottom of the box, lotus style. She flicked on her flashlight.

  Two minutes later, Bobby sealed her box.

  As she listened to the tape dispenser being used on the kids’ boxes, she prayed they’d be able to handle both the confinement and movement when they were unloaded and taken inside Luca’s place.

  And after that, she hoped Luca wouldn’t be so angry with her that he’d tell her and the kids to take a hike.

  . . .

  Luca pulled into his driveway wondering what the hell was going on. He hadn’t ordered squat from anyone, but this guy Bobby, from BK Freight Hauling had insisted he had a delivery for him. Just what kind of scam was the guy running? Did he have any clue he was dealing with a cop and not some idiot who just got off the turnip truck?

  He exited his vehicle, making sure his badge was visible. Trey climbed out the other side and together, they walked down the driveway to confront the driver of the step van.

  “Bobby Killion,” the man said, extending his hand first to Luca, then to Trey.

  Alarm bells went off in Luca’s head, but he couldn’t think why. “I think you’ve made a mistake about this delivery,” he said to Killion.

  “Nope, it’s right where it’s supposed to be.” Killion stared him down, like he was imparting a secret message. “Mind opening up your garage door so I can unload the boxes? I have four of them.”

  Luca glanced at Trey, whose hand rested on the butt of his Glock. When he looked back, Killion was back inside the step van, starting it up. He maneuvered it so that he could back up the driveway, leaving about five feet between his bumper and Luca’s vehicle.

  “WTF?” Luca muttered.

  “Let it play out,” Trey said. “Two of us, one of him.”

  “Unless he has Jihad Johnny and his buddies in the back.”

  But when the door was raised, the only cargo inside was the four boxes Killion had mentioned in the text and a dolly. A stack of packing blankets was piled against the side wall.

  Killion eased the tail lift to the ground, then hopped down and reached for one of the small boxes that measured about two feet square. He settled it on the dolly and rolled it up toward the garage.

  Luca went ahead of him and opened the keypad to activate the opener with his code. He wondered why the box, which had seemed pretty light weight if Killion could lift it so easily, hadn’t been stacked with the other small box on the dolly.

  Killion deposited the container in the middle of the garage and went back for the second one. He repeated the process until all four boxes were inside, then returned the dolly to the step van and lowered the door. He started to walk around to the cab.

  “Don’t you have something you want me to sign?” Luca called after him, thinking the guy had finally given himself away.

  “I do. I’m getting it now.”

  Killion returned with a clipboard. He scribbled something on the form attached to it, then turned it in Luca’s direction and said, “Please sign on the line at the bottom.”

  Not one to sign anything without reading it, Luca began to do just that. A moment passed before he raised startled eyes to Bobby Killion, who was watching him with amusement.

  Luca scrawled his signature on the bottom line and handed back the clipboard.

  Killion tore off the sheet and handed it over to him. “Have a nice day,” he said, and walked away.

  Luca waited until the step van had pulled out of the driveway and driven away before he entered the garage.

  Trey followed him. “What the hell, Luca?”

  Luca went straight to the garage door button and lowered the door. He turned to Trey and handed him the sheet of paper.

  Trey’s eyes widened. “You’ve got to be shitting me!”

  The moment the door hit the floor, Luca ripped the tape off the largest box and raised
the flaps.

  “Took you long enough,” Sunny said, unfolding herself from the bottom of the box.

  “You crazy little fool,” Luca said, grabbing her and hauling her body out of the cardboard container.

  Sunny threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. When she pulled away, she said, “I hope it’s okay that we’re here. I didn’t know where else to go.”

  “I don’t know whether to kiss you again or strangle you,” Luca said.

  “I’d choose another kiss, but I need to get my kids out of their boxes.”

  She wiggled away from him, further exciting parts of his body he’d rather not have excited at the moment.

  Maisie came out first and hurled herself at him screaming, “S’pwise! S’pwise!”

  Carson came next, yelling, “Surprise, Luca! Are you glad to see us?”

  Luca captured his little body with his free arm and stood, clutching both of them. “You have no idea how glad I am to see all of you.”

  . . .

  Sunny followed the children inside the house. Excited that their fourth big adventure had landed them at Luca’s, they explored with enthusiasm. Luca and Trey trailed them, carrying the contents of the fourth box, which had contained two newly purchased slumber bags, each with a child-size pillow, and the two totes that held clothes and sundries for the three of them.

  The two men disappeared down the hall, presumably to a spare bedroom.

  Despite previous plans and her best intentions, Sunny had never been to Luca’s home. She wandered over to look out the front window. Set back from the street, his bungalow sat on a wide, shallow lot with a nice paperbark maple in the front and an abundance of beautiful zinnias. Luca had told her once that he took out his job frustrations on a garden trowel, a rake, and a lawn mower. Judging by the colorful, perfectly manicured yard, he hadn’t been exaggerating.

  She swung around to take in the interior. He’d completely refurbished his home to bring it up to twenty-first century standards, though it still retained its twentieth-century charm. She heard the murmur of deep voices down the hall, but Carson and Maisie had gone silent. She found them moments later, each with a little nose pressed against a pane of glass on the french door leading to the outside.