Hide and Seek

by Velvet Vaughn

  “Grace,” he sing-songed.

  She inhaled sharply. Kai held a finger to his lips. The man couldn’t know they were here.

  “Where are you, Grace? Daddy’s worried about you.”

  “He knows we’re here,” she whispered.

  Kai didn’t think so. The man was just guessing, trying to lure her out.

  “You should’ve told me you wanted to play hide and seek. You hid, I sought, but the game’s getting old. Come on back now and I’ll take you to your mom.”

  Grace’s eyes widened and she grasped his arm. “He said I could see my mommy!” Her whisper was fierce and full of hope.

  He hated to burst her bubble. He shook his head. “He’s lying to you, Grace.” He was sure of it. This man was cold and calculating and Kai had no doubt that he would do everything he could to make sure Grace never saw her mom again. He looked through the peep-hole. The man was fingering something on his lap, but he couldn’t tell what it was.

  Gravel crunched and the man swung his gaze around. A car door opened and then closed. “Any sign of her?”

  “None,” the woman said. “I drove all over. Where could she have gone? There’s nothing around here for miles. I hope she didn’t fall into the lake.”

  “It was the perfect plan,” the man said calmly. Too calmly. “Snatch the kid, keep her for a while to torture her mother. Your only part was to keep watch over her.”

  “That wasn’t the only part,” she argued. “I—” Her words ended in a shriek. “Patrick, what are you doing? Put that away.”

  Kai finally figured out what the man was playing with…a gun. He lifted it up and studied it. “You begged me to let you help. I do and this is the thanks I get? You lose my kid?”

  “How is it my fault?”

  “Well, it’s somebody’s fault and it certainly isn’t mine.” The man pointed the gun and pulled the trigger. Kai couldn’t stop the gasp. The man swung around in their direction. Kai jerked his head from the hole and froze. Oh God, what if he’d just given away their hiding place? The man would kill him and take Grace again.

  “What was that loud noise, Kai?” Grace was tugging on his arm.

  “Shh,” he whispered, his heart hammering in his chest. He chanced a peek. The man was still looking in their direction. Finally he turned away and Kai sagged in relief. The man stood up, stashed the gun in the back waistband of his pants and walked over to the woman. Kai could only see her legs, thank goodness. The man picked up her feet, dragged her around and hauled her towards the vehicles.

  Kai collapsed against the dirt wall, trying to calm his racing heart. His breath was ragged and sweat coated his forehead. The man had killed another woman in cold blood. When he closed his eyes, he could still see him carrying the dead woman and tossing her in the dumpster the first night. Now he would see him actually pull the trigger. He felt guilty that he hadn’t done anything to stop either murder but this man was not only dangerous, he was deadly.

  Chapter Twenty

  The longer Patrick waited for Lois to return the more his anger simmered. He had a full-blown mad going on now. He had the perfect plan in place. Women bent over backwards to do his bidding. He’d been planning this for so long, it should’ve been flawless. How could a seven-year-old outwit him? A girl no less.

  He felt a pang near where his heart would’ve been if he had one. Grace must’ve fallen into the lake and drowned. He certainly didn’t want her, but he did bring her into the world. He kinda liked the idea of his genes living on forever. He’d have preferred a boy but Tara was yet another woman who’d let him down. They all let him down eventually. It all started with dear old mom. Her parenting skills were so atrocious, she could’ve been a poster child promoting birth control. She let his sadistic father continually beat him unconscious. If not for his grandmother Grace, his daughter’s namesake, who rescued him from that hellhole of a home, he’d have died there. He had no doubt about that. She raised him with an iron fist and a gilded Bible. She didn’t abuse him physically. Her forte was mental torture. She called him the spawn of Satan and insisted that if he didn’t repent, he’d burn in the fiery pits of hell. He tolerated her harping since she put a roof over his head and fed him regularly, something his parents never managed to do. He was smart and made good grades, so he knew he’d get out of her house to continue his education, preferably at a school across the country. She’d have even seen him graduate with honors if she hadn’t tried to force him to an exorcism the night before he left for college. She’d been his first kill and as he wrapped his hands around her neck and squeezed, he felt her life-force drain out of her and flow into him. It was euphoric. He felt superhuman. He was the Übermensch Nietzsche described.

  An engine rumbled and a car came into view. Patrick’s temper flared. Lois was alone. She hadn’t found the girl. She got out and hurried over to him. He schooled his features, calmly listened to her pathetic excuses. He sighed. Same story, different verse. Another woman who let him down.

  When he lifted the gun, Lois pleaded for her life. God, he was so tired of her whining. Her usefulness had come to an end. Her part of his plan had been helping him with Grace for a week, maybe more. Now the kid was gone so he had no need of her. She’d been a decent lay, but there were others eager and willing to take her place. He pulled the trigger.

  A muffled sound snapped his head around. He scanned the area. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. Must’ve been a raccoon or a skunk. He’d seen a few of both wandering around. With a shrug of his shoulders, he checked his watch. It was late. He needed to take care of Lois before wild animals showed up, drawn to the scent of fresh blood. He decided to wait until midnight just to make sure no one saw him disposing of her body. He picked up her foot and dragged her to her car. She was a mess with half of her head missing but he managed to muscle her into the car and slam the door.

  He headed to the truck and rummaged around for a chain. Nothing. He checked the camper next. He couldn’t scrounge up anything to use to tow the damn car. He leaned against the counter, trying to figure out what to do. Lois told him she’d stashed a folding bicycle in one of the compartments beneath the camper. He headed outside and found the storage area. He jiggled the handle. Locked. Damn. Lois was seriously starting to piss him off. He stomped back to where he shot her. It was dark now and he didn’t have a flashlight. He scuffed his shoe in the leaves and gravel, giving a triumphant shout when he found her keys.

  He padded back and jammed the key in the lock. The latch clicked open. Lifting the door, he propped it up and felt around inside. He pulled the bike out and worked for what seemed like hours to unfold it. He stepped back and studied it. The damn thing didn’t look like it’d hold Grace, let alone him. He let out a long-suffering sigh. He’d have a hell of a time riding it back.

  With a disgusted huff, he hoisted it up and carried it to the car. Using the key fob, he popped the trunk and hefted it inside. After he closed the lid he rounded the car to the driver’s side. He was going to wait until later but since he had to ride a bike back, it would take a while. He shoved the corpse until she landed in a heap in the passenger side foot well. He gave her a look of disgust. He hated when he had to alter his plans.

  Firing up the car, he headed down the gravel road. It was dark now and clouds obscured the moon. Perfect night for a body dump. He remembered passing a boat ramp not too far away. The road was pretty much deserted and choked with weeds, so he should be able to get rid of the car with no problem. He navigated the cracked concrete ramp to the edge until water licked the tires. He shifted into park but left it running, and then rummaged in the back for her purse. He pocketed anything that could be used to identify her easily. Lifting the cover on the back of her phone, he removed her sim card. He shouldered the door open and stepped outside. Dropping her phone to the ground, he stomped on it, shattering it into a thousand pieces. He made quick work of detaching the license plate. He’d already removed the vehicle identification numbers from the dash board and door jamb a
couple of days ago. After unloading the bike, he leaned in the window, shifted to neutral, gave Lois one last salute and nudged the car towards the water.

  The front tires hit with a splash. The car eased slowly into the lake. He wanted to stay and watch but he wasn’t looking forward to the ride back. He swung his leg over the bike and settled himself on the uncomfortable seat. He gave the car one last glance. The front end slowly sunk beneath the surface. It would be a long time—if ever—before Lois was found. He shoved off and started pedaling, cursing the entire ride back to the camper.

  #

  Maggie McQueen had appointed herself Taylor’s guardian while Dante was gone. She promised she wouldn’t get in the way and Taylor appreciated that she didn’t have to try to entertain her. It was getting late and her parents had gone home to sleep. Her phone was uncharacteristically silent, leaving the house eerily quiet. She’d watched the Weather Channel and was distressed to see that a large storm was brewing right around the area where Dante and his team were right now. She hadn’t heard from him since he texted to say they arrived in Texas. Usually no news was good news, but she knew he’d have called the minute he had any information that would lead them to Grace and Kai.

  She headed upstairs, dreading the thought of crawling into her big bed alone. She assumed Midas would stay downstairs with Maggie but he seemed to know she needed companionship. He followed her upstairs and plopped on the rug by her bed. She tried to get Maggie to crash in the extra bedroom and even told her to invite her husband Carter over. Maggie said he was fine by himself watching his nephew. She refused to stay in the bedroom, too. She camped out on the couch.

  Taylor washed her face and brushed her teeth but knew she wouldn’t rest until Dante called. She slid under the covers and turned on the television, tensing when the phone rang. Nancy had left hours ago so Taylor was on her own. Her heart picked up speed when she saw Dante’s name pop up on the screen. She muted the TV and answered.

  “Hi.”

  “Hi, back. Sorry I didn’t call earlier. I forgot about the time difference.”

  “That’s okay. Any news?”

  He sighed. “Not really. Sweeney sent the photos to Bonnie Green to post, but she hasn’t had any real contact with him in years.”

  “Can the email be traced?”

  “We sent it to Peter, but I doubt it. Sweeney’s too smart to get tripped up that easily.”

  Taylor settled against the pillows. “Are you on the way home?”

  There was a small pause. “No. It’s storming and we didn’t want to take off in bad weather. We’re crashing here for the night.”

  Taylor couldn’t believe how disappointed she felt. She’d become accustomed to having him close while she slept.

  “How are you?”

  “I’m fine. My parents left a little while ago. Maggie’s staying here tonight.” She told him about Gina and her ex-husband.

  “Is she afraid he’ll come after her?”

  “A little, but apparently he found religion in prison. His parole officer said he’s a different man.”

  “Well, if she wants help setting up a security system, let her know I’d be happy to help.”

  They talked about other things and before she knew it, two hours passed.

  “Wow, I didn’t mean to keep you on the phone so long,” he said. “You better try to get some sleep.”

  She didn’t tell him that she didn’t think she could without his arms around her. They finally said goodbye and hung up. Taylor closed her eyes, but all she could see was Grace’s sweet face and Dante’s handsome one. It was a good thing she slept soundly last night because she tossed and turned and counted the hours until morning.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Tuesday

  Kai woke the next morning, sore from laying on the hard ground for so many days. The blanket helped, but it still wasn’t his comfy bed.

  “Good morning, Kai.” Grace rubbed her eyes with her fists. “Do you think we’ll be rescued today?”

  God, he hoped so. He missed his dad so much. “Soon,” he hedged. He checked the peep hole. There was no sign of the man but the bike was propped against the side of the camper. It had been a total shocker when he whipped it out last night and snapped it together. If he’d have known there was a bike in there, he’d have swiped it and pedaled for help days ago. If the man left today, he planned on pilfering it and stashing it in their lair…if he could figure out how to fold it. It might be their only means of escape.

  He’d hoped that the man would stay away now that the woman was gone, but the door opened and he appeared. He stretched and then reached for a mug from inside the camper.

  “Grace,” he called out. His voice seemed to echo through the forest. Do you want to go home and see your mommy today?” Big tears gathered in her eyes and she nodded, not that the man could see. “Be a good girl and come back.” He swallowed the rest of the liquid in the mug and made a face. “I’m going out for a nice, big breakfast, some fluffy pancakes. Maybe the kind with the strawberries and whipped cream on top. Doesn’t that sound good? A side of crispy bacon. Yum. My stomach is rumbling just thinking about it.”

  Kai’s was, too. Bacon sounded like Heaven.

  “I’m going inside to shower and change. When I come out, you better be here if you want to have a nice, hot meal and see your mom again.”

  The man stood and disappeared inside the camper.

  “He’s going to take me to my mommy,” Grace cried. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. Kai’s heart was breaking.

  “He’s lying because he wants you back. He’s not a nice man. He hurt the woman and I’m afraid he would hurt you, too.”

  Grace studied him for a moment and then nodded in resignation. She forced a smile. “Are there any more donuts?”

  Kai relaxed. He’d love some donuts but he’d saved them for her because she liked them so much. He lifted the package out of the box and handed it to her. She thanked him and dug in, white powder coating her mouth. He pulled out a granola bar and tried to pretend he enjoyed it.

  They just finished their breakfast when the man came back outside.

  “So I guess this means you don’t want pancakes, Grace? You don’t ever want to see your mommy again? Fine. Be a brat.” He stomped down the steps and headed to the truck. He started the engine and then spun gravel as he motored away.

  “Let’s take care of business while he’s gone,” Kai said. He grabbed their toothbrushes and a bottle of water. After removing the coat from the hole, he shoved the plank aside. The fresh air smelled good, even if it wasn’t scented with sizzling bacon. He climbed out and then helped Grace. They stretched and then headed to their designated bathroom spots.

  Kai just finished when he heard the sound of a car rapidly approaching. Oh no, Grace!

  #

  Patrick was so pissed off, he pressed the accelerator until the speedometer read seventy. He forced himself to slow down. He couldn’t believe Grace just disappeared. There was no sign of her anywhere. She wasn’t back home with her mom…that much he knew. So where the hell was she? He really thought she might be close and telling her he’d take her to her mommy would bring her out of hiding. He was forced to consider the alternative. She was already dead. Once again, something in the area of where a normal human’s heart would be twisted in his chest.

  Well, it screwed up his plans, but just thinking of the unbearable pain it would bring Taylor made him smile wide. He turned onto the country road and just rounded a curve when his mouth dropped open. There were cop cars and fire trucks everywhere. What the hell was up with all the police activity? He drove closer and his heart stopped. Lois’s car! Oh shit, they’d found it already. How was that possible? That meant they found Lois, too, since he left her in the floor board. Once they looked at her, they’d know she didn’t die in the car. Half a face would be a huge giveaway. Why the hell didn’t he dump her separately from her car? That was murderer rule number one or something. Get sloppy and you make mistakes. M
ake a mistake and it could cost him his freedom again…or his life. Shit. He had to get away.

  Patrick glanced in the rear view mirror and then executed a U-turn, careful not to squeal the tires or kick up dust. He didn’t want to do anything to bring notice to the truck. He didn’t need the pigs breathing down his neck. He waited until he rounded the curve to push the pedal to the floor. Sweat trickled down his temple. If the cops decided to canvass the area, they’d find the trailer in no time. It wasn’t that far from the accident site. He couldn’t risk being found.

  He came to the turn-off faster than expected. He jerked the wheel and took the corner almost on two wheels. Way to not draw attention to himself, dipshit. He eyed the rear view mirror, relieved to see no one followed him with lights and sirens blaring. As he bumped and jolted down the rutted road, his eyes widened. Something was moving by the camper. Grace! He smiled. She must’ve believed him when he said he’d take her to her mother. Ha. Looked like his luck was improving. He’d have her back in time to continue his quest.

  #

  Despite hitting the sack so late after talking to Taylor, Dante was up early the next morning. He tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. After years of sleeping alone, it was amazing how quickly he’d gotten used to having her by his side. He wasn’t looking for another relationship, didn’t want one, but he was afraid one had snuck up and found him anyway.

  In between counting ceiling tiles, he thought about Leilani and how much she’d want him to go on without her. She’d been so full of life, eager, exciting, unstoppable. He would always love her, but he was slowly realizing there might be room in his heart for two women.

  He gave up any pretense of sleep and tossed back the covers. Grabbing his cell, he checked his messages. There was a text from Dan. Call me before you leave was all it said. He accessed his address book and hit dial.