Hope and Honor

by Marilee Brothers

  Hitchcock says, “Howard, this is my trusted assistant, Melanie.”

  Trusted assistant? Guess we’ll see how long that lasts. I reach across the table and offer him my hand. “Nice to meet you Howard.”

  He springs to his feet, knocking his chair over in the process. His sallow cheeks redden with embarrassment as he retrieves the chair and grips my hand with ink-stained fingers.

  “Pleased to meet you, miss.” His voice is high-pitched and squeaky with nerves.

  He’s not an eye contact guy, so I need to get him talking and put him at ease. I go with my forte, mindless blather. “Wow, Howard, what do you think about driving these mountain roads? Kinda twisty and dangerous, huh? You know that one turn where you look straight down? It’s terrifying. Did you drive here or did someone bring you?”

  Hitchcock rakes me with a skeptical look.

  Tough shit, Ken.

  Howard swallows loudly, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. He glances into my eyes. “Oh, I drove myself. You’re right. It’s scary. I’m from Kansas and it’s pretty flat.”

  “What brings you to Oregon?’

  He glances over at Hitchcock. “I needed a fresh start.”

  Hitchcock says, “If you qualify, you’ll get one here. Of course, we…”

  I interrupt before he can finish his sentence. “Is it true, what they said you did?”

  Startled, Howard looks directly into my eyes. “She told me she was eighteen. How was I supposed to know she was only fourteen?”

  “I bet she was glad to take your money.”

  “Oh, there was no money involved. She just wanted a friend.”

  I lean back in my chair, feeling slightly ill.

  Hitchcock asserts himself. “As you know, Howard, your protection will be guaranteed, providing you’re able to offer the services we spoke of.”

  Apparently, Howard has been warned not to describe his particular skill while the trusted assistant is present.

  He says, “I gave you samples of my work.”

  Hitchcock says, “If I give you the supplies you need, can you produce a foolproof product?”

  Howard lifts his gaze to Hitchcock. I lean close to get a good look. “Yes, bring me the stuff and I’ll do it right now.”

  Hitchcock stands. “I’ll be right back.”

  We huddle in the hall.

  His eyes burn with anger. “What the hell was that?”

  I don’t back down. “It was me getting at the truth. Isn’t that what you want?”

  “Which is?”

  “He’s not lying. But now, you’ll have a pedophile living at New Dawn. Is it worth it?”

  He avoids my gaze. “It’s complicated. We’ll keep an eye on him.”

  I shake my head in disgust. “Are we done?”

  “For now. Enjoy your time with the kids. You’ll probably never see them again.”

  I spin around and walk away, his words drilling a gigantic hole in my heart.

  Chapter Forty-Five

  I sit in the car for a few minutes, waiting for my anger to simmer down. Shall I walk to the schoolhouse or drive? I opt for driving down the rutted road instead of taking the forest path. Just as I insert the keys into the ignition, Billy calls.

  “Hey Minnie, I have good news and bad news.”

  My heart kicks up a beat. “Lay it on me.”

  “Good news, Darcy has been found. Bad news, she’s in a diabetic coma, critical condition. The docs aren’t making any promises, but they did say youth is on her side. I picked up Grandma. She’ll stay with her.”

  “Where was Darcy found?”

  “It’s like you said earlier. They panicked and dumped her alongside a deserted road. No houses nearby. It’s a miracle she was found at all. A young kid driving an ATV spotted her and called 911.”

  “Did you tell Ziggy?”

  “Yeah, she and Nick are on their way to the hospital.”

  “Thanks for letting me know. Looks like I’ll be late getting back. No worries, okay?”

  “I hear you’re driving the Pontiac. Be careful on the curves.”

  I blow an exasperated sigh. “Do you and Paco have a Melanie hotline?”

  He chuckles. “Pretty much. Oh, one more thing. I stopped by Paul Moen’s office. Nobody home. Closed sign is up. I tried his phone. Goes straight to voicemail.”

  “Interesting. Maybe things are getting too hot for him in 3 Peaks.”

  “I’ll keep digging.”

  It’s dark by the time I navigate the dirt road to the schoolhouse. The car lurches in fits and starts as I attempt to control the snarling beast lurking beneath the Pontiac’s hood. As I pull to a stop, the door bursts open and the twins spill out, tripping over each other in their eagerness. I spy Anna standing in the doorway, her watchful eye on the kids.

  Gunner stops, places his hands on his hips and cocks his head to one side. “You never said you had a car.” His voice has an accusatory tone.

  Kimber sets Blossom Bunny on the front fender. “Your car is pretty. Can we go for a ride?”

  I glance at Anna. Her expression is stoic, neither indicating yes or no to Kimber’s question.

  I grab my backpack. “It’s my uncle’s car. My car’s is called Buttercup and she’s too old and tired to make it here. How about we go inside? I’ve got pictures for you.”

  “You do?” Kimber grabs Blossom Bunny and dances up and down with excitement.

  Gunner glances over at Anna and whispers, “Did you bring any good food?”

  “Maybe,” I say, to prolong the suspense.

  Anna steps aside so we can enter. Her face is pale and drawn, her body tight with tension. The dullness in her eyes tells me she’s not sleeping.

  I place a hand on her arm. “Are you okay, Anna?”

  She pulls free and turns away. “I’ll give you some time with the kids.”

  She walks toward her private quarters, places a hand on the doorknob and stops. Her voice is so low, I can barely make out the words. “Blossom Bunny’s ears are pretty interesting. Maybe Kimber would like to share some of her treasures with you.”

  Before I can answer, she slips through the door.

  The kids and I settle around a kid-sized table. Their gaze is riveted on my backpack. I unzip it and pull out two framed photographs. One of the schoolhouse ceiling, the other of the twins gazing up at Jake’s artwork.

  “Oh.” Kimber sighs. She plants a kiss on each of the pictures.

  Gunner glares at her. “You slobbered on the pictures.”

  “No harm done,” I say, wiping the glass with the sleeve of my sweatshirt.

  Gunner’s angst is forgotten when I offload the rest of the goodies. Once again, chips and bean dip for Gunner. Chips and cheese dip for Kimber, along with juice and crackers for them both. I also slip them each a packet of chocolate-coated candies.

  Before the kids dive into the food, Kimber thrusts Blossom Bunny into my hands. “Forgot to tell you last time. Papa said I needed to share her with you.”

  The strangeness of Jake’s comment piques my interest, not to mention Anna’s statement about bunny ears. While the twins are absorbed in their goodies, I pick up the stuffed toy and sit at Anna’s desk. Blossom Bunny’s ears droop for a very good reason. They are loaded with Kimber’s treasures. Fortunately, the pictures I brought today are too big to fit. In one ear, I find two pencils, purple and pink crayons, a handful of goldfish crackers, a folded piece of paper inscribed with the twelve golden rules of gun safety and a tiny ceramic kangaroo.

  I strike gold in the other ear. Along with a little rubber ball, a set of jacks and a Beanie Baby, I discover an envelope with my name on it. It’s been sealed shut but slit open at the top. By Anna?

  I extract a slip of paper inscribed with tiny, perfectly printed words. So perfect, it looks like it was created on a word processor. A tiny smudge of ink near the bottom of the page tells me it wasn’t.

  The note is dated the day of Jake’s death.

  “Mel,

&n
bsp; I’m scared. I’ve stumbled onto something so dangerous, I fear my life may be in danger. First, a little background. As you’ve probably figured out, most all of us at New Dawn have a secret. Not only a secret, but a criminal background. You once admired my sketches. Yes, I have talent, but I went down the wrong path. Document fraud. Forgery. I’m very good with pen and ink and creating documents needed by people seeking a new identity. I was making money hand over fist until I got caught.

  Out on bail, I ran and found a home at New Dawn. Nobody at New Dawn is free. We all have talents needed by Hitchcock. At first, it seemed like the perfect fit. Then, I realized I was in over my head, especially after the twins came into my life. The window blinds industry isn’t totally bogus, but it’s a good cover for delivering long guns to people willing to pay big bucks for them, people who can’t buy guns legally. Some are foreign nationals, but that doesn’t matter to Hitchcock. He’s all about the money.

  When I found out about the illegal gun sales, I told him I wanted to leave and take the twins. He laughed at me, said, ‘What will happen to the twins when you’re locked up for fraud?’ Bottom line, I may be stuck, but I need to get the kids out of here. They deserve better. I hope you can help.

  J.”

  An icy chill grips my body as Jake’s words take up residence in my heart. I need to get the kids out of here. It all makes sense now. The day of his death, he was on his way to see me, probably to ask me to take the kids. Since he put the letter in Blossom Bunny’s ear, he must have had a hunch he was in Hitchcock’s crosshairs. I’m pretty sure Jake’s unfortunate accident was no accident, but it’s too late to prove it now.

  I know exactly what I have to do and the hell with the consequences. Even though I’m bummed about leaving my cell phone behind, I call to the kids, “Hey, you two. Let’s go for a ride.”

  Gunner pumps a fist in the air. “Yes!”

  Kimber jumps up and hollers, “Let’s go!”

  I knock on Anna’s door. She opens it a crack.

  “The kids are excited about the car. I’m going to take them for a little ride.”

  She nods. “Good idea since it’s their last night here.”

  I recall Hitchcock’s words. You’ll probably never see them again. Guess again, Ken.

  “Their last night? Where are they going?”

  “Not sure. I guess somebody’s adopting them.” She shrugs like she doesn’t give a rip and closes the door.

  “Grab your coats, kids.”

  “Not cold,” Gunner says.”

  “Me either,” Kimber adds.

  Hands on hips, I give them my best I’m-the-boss look. “Then, I guess we’ll stay here.”

  They grumble but fetch their coats. Gunner brings GI Joe and Kimber tucks Blossom Bunny under one arm. I swallow hard, realizing what few possessions they have will now be left behind.

  “I’ve got an idea,” I say. “Let’s take the pictures for a ride.”

  This appeals to Kimber’s sense of whimsy and she giggles. Gunner looks dubious but collects the pictures. My heart is racing when I load the kids into the back seat of the Pontiac. My plan is half-baked, but time is running out and a half-baked plan is better than none at all. I pop the trunk, hoping to find a blanket or a tarp, anything to cover up a pair of five-year-olds. Nada. Time for plan B.

  First, I start the car. Then, I climb out and open the back door. The twins have been taught to use seatbelts and both are fastened in. There’s no good way to do this. I know I’ll be putting them in danger, but once I clear the gates, I’ll rectify the problem. I unlatch the seatbelts and whisper, “Can you keep a secret?”

  Both nod solemnly.

  “I want to take you to my house for a visit. Is that okay with you?”

  Kimber squeals, “Oh, Mel, I’ve wanted to go to your house forever.”

  Gunner frowns. “Will we get in trouble?”

  “Not if I can help it.”

  “Don’t be a baby, Gunner. This is an adventure. Right, Mel?”

  “Right. Now, here’s what you need to do until we’re through the gate. First of all, you have to make yourselves as tiny and quiet as possible.”

  Fortunately, the Pontiac is a big car. When I back around and head for the gate, the kids are curled up on the floorboards, pressed against the base of the front seats, virtually out of sight unless the guard decides to search the car. In the past, we’ve always been waved through. New Dawn is all about keeping strangers from coming into their hallowed ground. They don’t seem to care if you’re leaving. An irritating little voice natters inside my head. You’ve always been with Chad. Now, you’re not. Will that look suspicious? “Oh, shut up,” I mutter.

  Kimber pipes up, “But we were being quiet like you said.”

  “And doing a good job of it. I was talking to the voice in my head.”

  Gunner says, “Shhh, quit talking.”

  I slow the powerful car to a rumbling crawl as we approach the gate. On the plus side, there’s only one guard on duty tonight. On the downside, he appears smitten with the car.

  I lower my window and wait for his approach.

  He looks the car over and lowers his body so his face is level with mine. “Sweet car. You’re the female who’s helping Mr. Hitchcock. Right?”

  I lean toward him with a winning smile, hoping he’s up for flirtation. “You’re right and we’re done for the day.”

  A little smirk blooms on his face. “Okey dokey, I’ll open the gate.”

  Warning bells clang in my head. Surely this is way too easy.

  He presses a button and the gate swings open. I wave my thanks and punch the accelerator. The car leaps forward and I peel out leaving a trail of dust. I’m barely a hundred yards down the road when, in deference to the children in the back seat, the poo-poo hits the fan.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  The blackness of night vanishes as a pair of high-beam headlights appears in my rearview window. As I round a curve, I see a line of vehicles following behind the first. Looking ahead proves to be more troublesome. Two large four—by-fours are angled across the road, making it impossible for me to squeeze through.

  “Oh, shit,” I mutter, aiming the Pontiac toward the narrow shoulder. Enough room to bypass the roadblock? No way. Not unless I want to risk the front tires hanging over the edge of a cliff. I’m screwed.

  “You said a bad word.” Kimber’s voice.

  Gunner’s head pops up. “Guess we’re in trouble.”

  I guess we are. My mouth goes cotton dry as panic threatens to overcome my ability to think. I take a couple of deep breaths and try to slow my racing heart. I need to stay calm for the kids. I finally find my voice, though it sounds a little shaky. “You two stay in the car. I’ll be right back.” I hope.

  I slip out of the Pontiac and into a solid phalanx of large male bodies.

  A massively built man wearing a Top Gun ball cap speaks into a hand-held walkie-talkie. “We’ve stopped the female.”

  He listens for a minute. “Hang on. We’ll check the car.”

  He makes a move toward the car. I jump in front of him. “The kids are in the back. Please don’t scare them.”

  With a sneer, he shoves me out of the way. “I give the orders. You follow them.”

  He yanks the car door open. I peer around him. The twins are still curled up on the floorboards. Kimber is whimpering in fear. Gunner is silent, but trembling.

  Top Gun slams the door and speaks into walkie-talkie. “The kids are here. Uh huh, uh huh. Yes, right away, sir.” He takes my arm in an iron grip and calls, “Mike, get your ass over here.”

  A young man separates himself from the others and joins us.

  My captor points at the car. “Drive this hunk of metal back inside. I’ll take the female.”

  Mike opens the driver’s side door as Top Gun drags me to his truck. Now, I hear both kids’ pitiful cries.

  Kimber screams, “Mel! Mel! I want you. Please come back.”

  Gunner’s response breaks
my heart. “Don’t cry, sissy. It will be all right.”

  My own tears are flowing as I’m tossed into the truck. The door slams and Top Gun walks around to the driver’s side. I try the door. It’s unlocked. Yes, I could run, but I got the kids into this mess. There’s no way I can leave them now.

  Top Gun taunts me on the way back. “Stupid, stupid, stupid idea, trying to kidnap our kids. Did you actually think you could get away with it? That we weren’t tracking your every move?”

  I don’t bother to answer. In my heart, I know he’s right. It was stupid, stupid, stupid.

  He doesn’t let up. “Ken will deal with you now. If you’re not officially scared, the time has arrived. As you may have gathered, he’s not overly fond of females.”

  Unwisely, I can’t resist saying, “Does that mean he’s overly fond of males? No worries. It’s acceptable in today’s world.”

  Whack! Top Gun has a wicked backhand. I don’t have time to duck. The powerful blow slams across my face with such force, my body flies against the passenger door.

  “Or maybe not,” I mutter when the world stops spinning and my power of speech returns. The pain in my head throbs in rhythm with the pounding of my heart.

  He continues to taunt me. “Why is it females never know when to shut the hell up?”

  Wisely, I don’t respond.

  Our little convoy passes through the gates. As they close behind us, I’m swamped with a sense of dread. I’m the mouse in the trap. Hitchcock is the cruel cat who wants to toy with me before he puts me out of my misery. Even worse, I’m carrying a heavy load of guilt. I so wanted to give the twins a better life. In doing so, I put them in peril.

  I look out the back window and see the Pontiac turn left off the main road. Is he taking the kids back to Anna?

  The truck comes to a stop in front of the community hall. Top Gun grabs my left arm, drags me across the bench seat and sets me onto the ground. I hear car doors slamming and the mutter of male voices.

  Ken Hitchcock is standing on the wide front porch, arms folded across his chest, gazing at the assembled masses like a king inspecting his fiefdom. Our gazes meet. I’m too far away to read his soul, but I already know what makes Hitchcock tick, and it doesn’t bring me comfort. Without uttering a word, he spins around and enters the building. Escorted by two large men gripping my arms, I’m marched to Hitchcock’s office where he awaits me.