"But what if I can't answer? What if I pass out?"
"Is Colton alert?"
"Yes."
"If you feel like you're going to pass out, give him the phone."
"Okay."
"I'm patching you through to John. But I'll call back in five minutes."
"Wait! I need to know something."
"What?"
"Your name."
Marcus bit his lip and looked over his shoulder at Leo, who gave him a questioning look. It wasn't usual protocol to give out their names. There were rules the 911 operators had to follow, and one of them was anonymity.
"Please," she whispered.
To hell with the rules.
"Marcus," he said. "My name's Marcus."
Chapter Fourteen
Near Cadomin, AB – Friday, June 14, 2013 – 11:17 PM
Rebecca gave Detective Zur as much information as she could, then closed the phone and wiped away the tears. "They're coming to find us, Colton."
"How'll they know where we are?"
"They can track my phone call. There's a cell tower close by, so they know we're in the area."
She scrunched her eyes and tried to make out their surroundings. The rain was still coming down, but it had lessened somewhat. Minutes earlier, when she'd tried the engine, it sputtered to life as if it were on its last breath. Only one headlight lit up, and it revealed that they'd crashed into a copse of trees. With the headlights on high and the emergency lights flashing, she kept the interior lights turned on and fiddled with the switches on the dashboard.
Don't kill the battery.
After the heat inside reached sweat-mode, she turned the engine off and put it back to accessory mode. She'd turn it on again once the air cooled.
She tried to ignore the intense fear that raced through her. She'd never be able to drive out of here. That meant they'd have to sit and wait for someone to find them. What if no one did?
She glanced at the phone. In five minutes Marcus would call back.
"While we're waiting, I want you to do some exercises, Colton."
"Exercises?"
"I need to know you're okay."
Behind her Colton let out a huff. "I'm fine, Mom. My leg doesn't even hurt."
"Do this for me, okay?"
"Fine. What do you want me to do?"
"Raise your arms above your head and tell me if anything hurts."
He did. "Nothing."
"Does your head hurt or your neck?"
"Nope."
"What about your good leg? Can you move it?"
"Yup." Colton nudged the back of her seat with his uninjured foot in response, oblivious to her quiet gasp of anguish.
"What about your other leg?" she said between breaths. "Is it bleeding?"
"Don't know. I can't see much except for my knee."
"Does your knee hurt?"
"Nope."
"What about when you touch it?"
Colton let out a sigh. "My knee's fine, Mom."
Rebecca held her breath, then blew it out slowly. "Can you wiggle your toes on both feet?"
There was a pause that made her heart stop.
"Yes."
Relief flooded her. "Okay, good."
"You want me to do jumping jacks next?"
She laughed. "Very funny, tough guy."
"And you can do push-ups."
She grinned. One thing about Colton, he always knew how to make people laugh. And right now she needed anything to distract her from the predicament they were in—even if laughing hurt.
"Now check on your sister," she said.
"She's the same."
"Try to wake her up."
She heard rustling in the back of the car and Colton's soft voice urging Ella to open her eyes.
"She's still asleep," Colton said in a glum tone.
Frustration and panic made Rebecca push her hands against the steering wheel, praying for even an inch of space so she could slide out. She screamed silently. Let me out of here! I have to help my children!
But she was still stuck.
Two more minutes until Marcus's call.
She thought about the faceless man who had answered her distress call. It must be difficult to listen to calls like hers every day. She could imagine some of the calls he'd get. Accident victims…battered wives…children. He couldn't possibly save them all. How did he deal with that?
Her phone rang.
"Marcus?" she said.
"How are you all doing?"
"As good as we can. Colton can wiggle his toes."
"That's a good sign."
"So what's the plan?"
"We're still looking for you. Unfortunately we have a few calls we're handling right now."
"What does that mean?"
"Means it could take some time to find you."
"What do we do until then?"
"Keep monitoring Colton and Ella. How's she doing?"
"The same."
"How are you doing?"
She took in the blood on her shirt. "Ask me that when we're out of here."
"We've tried to reach your husband at home, but there's no one there. Is he at work?"
"He doesn't live with us." She hesitated, then added, "We're separated."
"Where can we reach him?"
"He went to Fort McMurray for a job interview. Wesley has a cell phone though." She gave him the number.
"We'll let you know when we reach him."
"Thank you." She closed her eyes and took a long breath. "Marcus, are you married?"
There was an awkward pause.
"I was. Once."
"Sorry, I don't mean to pry. I don't want you to hang up again."
"I can stay on for a few minutes. Keep checking that bar."
"I will." She moistened her dry lips. "Were you married for a long time?"
"Long enough, I guess."
"Kids?"
She heard muffled sounds before he replied, "I had a son. Ryan."
Had.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be asking you these things."
"Don't worry about it. You need to stay calm, and if talking helps you, we'll talk."
"But your son…"
"Died. With his mother."
"How?" she whispered.
There was a long pause before he said, "In a car accident."
"Oh God…"
"Rebecca? Don't go there. That's not going to happen to you and your kids."
She glanced over her shoulder at Colton. He was reading.
"Do you live alone?" As the words left her mouth, she cupped a hand against her lips and tried not to laugh at her inquisitiveness.
"No. I live with Arizona. And a specter called guilt."
"Arizona? Pretty name. Is she your girlfriend?"
Laughter filled the receiver.
"You could say that," Marcus said, chuckling. "Arizona's my dog. A red setter."
His answer made her smile. "What was your wife's name?"
"Jane."
"Tell me about her. What was she like?"
"She was smart, funny, quirky sometimes."
"How so?"
"She had a thing for numbers. Numerology. It was a hobby of hers. Threes and sevens, her favorite numbers. Jane planned everything around them."
"I don't know much about numerology, but I do know that thirteen is supposed to be a very unlucky number. Yesterday was the thirteenth, and last night when I realized that, I almost cancelled my trip." She gave a self-derisive laugh. "I guess I should've. Look where I am now."
"At least it wasn't Friday the thirteenth," he offered.
She snickered. "Yeah, because how much worse would that have been?"
Marcus was silent.
Talk about something else, Rebecca. "Was your wife a stay-at-home mom, or did she have a career?"
"She was a software designer for BioWare."
Rebecca frowned. "Didn't they make Jade Empire?"
"Yeah, among others."
"My son plays
that game. Did your wife create it?"
"No."
Rebecca checked on Colton, then said, "It's kind of uncanny, don't you think?"
"What is?"
"Colton was playing Jade Empire before we left. And now I'm talking to someone whose wife worked for the company. I think that's weird."
She was rambling now. Anything to keep him on the line.
Marcus let out a soft chuckle. "I guess it is weird. It's a small world."
"That it is." Pause. "So you're a 911 operator."
"That's me."
"Superhero."
"Pardon?"
She smiled. "A 911 superhero."
She heard him laugh, a pleasant sound.
"You're picturing me in tights and a cape right now, aren't you?" he said. "With 911 blazed across my chest?"
"Something like that. Tell me more about your wife. How did you meet?"
"We started dating in high school. Proves that opposites do indeed attract. Jane was an introverted computer geek, a petite elf of a girl, barely five feet tall. I was the rebellious bad boy who towered over her at six feet."
"She must have felt very protected."
"I guess so."
"What did you do after you graduated?"
"We found a small apartment near the University of Alberta and moved in together—to save money for a wedding five years down the road, after I was well underway with my medical career and could support a wife."
"Sounds like a good plan."
"I thought so too. But even the best of plans can hit a detour."
Someone said something to Marcus, but she couldn't make out the words.
"I have to hang up now," he said.
Dread seeped into her bones. "Can't you stay on for a few more minutes?"
"Sorry. I'll call back in ten minutes this time."
"Marcus, I hear rushing water. Really close by. Do you think we're in the water?"
"Is there water on the floor?"
She peered down. "No."
"If you see water on the floor, call me. I have to go now."
"It's going to seem like forever," she said with a moan.
"I know. But I'll call. I promise. Before I go, I have one last question. Does your husband or anyone else you know own a truck like the one that hit you?"
"No."
They disconnected.
It took a minute for Marcus's last question to sink in. Wesley?
"Aren't they here yet?" Colton asked.
"Not quite."
"Why were you laughing?"
"The 911 man said something funny."
"After you called him a superhero."
She smiled over her shoulder at her son. "He's going to help rescue us. That makes him a superhero in my mind."
"You're so lame, Mom."
She laughed. "Maybe. But you still love me."
Colton grinned. Beside him Ella stirred. "I think she's waking up, Mom."
Rebecca strained to see her. "Ella? Ella, honey. Time to wake up."
Ella gave a soft moan.
"She still feels kinda cold, but she's not wheezing so much now," Colton said.
"Thank you, honey. You're doing a great job taking care of Ella."
"Ella-Bella," he said in a sad tone.
She saw him reach out and stroke Ella's face. Colton was a caring big brother. When he wanted to be. When she needed him to be. For all their sibling rivalry, her children loved each other, and Rebecca couldn't ask for more than that.
She shut her eyes. Total exhaustion was setting in.
"Mom, you want some water?"
"Sure."
He passed her a plastic bottle. She took one sip and gave it back.
She closed her eyes again. Fatigue sent her imagination into overdrive.
They were sailing along the coastline of Southern California. The boat swayed and rocked gently. Up…down…up. She could almost feel the warm wind. And the cool mist of seawater against her face.
She drifted on the sea.
Chapter Fifteen
Edson, AB – Friday, June 14, 2013 – 11:22 PM
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Shipley hovered over Marcus's desk, his mouth curved into a furious scowl.
"I'm helping an accident victim stay calm."
"You gave her your name and your personal information. Not very professional of you."
Marcus clenched his fists. He'd never wanted to hit someone so badly. "You want me to be professional? Rebecca Kingston is trapped inside her car with her two children. She's pinned behind the steering wheel, for Christ's sake. Her son may have a broken leg and he can't move. Her daughter is asthmatic and unconscious. And to top that off, no one has a goddamn clue where they are. Yeah, I'll be professional. I won't hit you. That's how professional I'll be."
"Are you threatening me?"
"Back off, Pete. There's a time to be professional and a time to be a human being." He scowled at Shipley. "But you wouldn't know anything about the latter, would you?" He stood up and Shipley backed away.
Leo stepped forward. "Marcus…"
"I need a coffee. I'm going to the break room." He glared at Shipley. "Yes, I know it's not a scheduled break. Don't be here when I get back."
Shipley shrugged. "This isn't over, Taylor. You crossed a line here."
Marcus whipped around. "No. You crossed a line when you decided to interfere with my call. We have limited resources. We're in a Code Red situation. No EMS, no Fire, no rescue vehicles of any kind and only one squad car. Even STARS is busy, so no helicopters. The clock's ticking. If we don't find Rebecca, Colton and Ella soon, this won't be a rescue operation. It'll be a body recovery operation."
With that he stormed off toward the break room. Leo trotted behind him, saying nothing.
Marcus grabbed a fresh mug, filled it with coffee and took a long swig before he realized he'd forgotten to add cream and sugar. He strode to the fridge and retrieved the cream. His hands were shaking so badly he slopped most of the cream on the counter.
"You need to calm down," Leo said.
"That man is an ass. Why is he even doing this job? He doesn't give a shit about anyone besides himself."
"That's not true," someone said.
Marcus turned and saw Carol in the doorway.
"Haven't you heard the story about his wife?" she asked.
Both Marcus and Leo shook their heads.
Carol grabbed a cloth and began cleaning the counter. After a minute she said, "Peter Shipley's wife was killed seven years ago. Right before Christmas."
"That doesn't explain why he's got such a hate-on for me."
"Marcus," Carol said, handing him a clean mug, "his wife was shot during a convenience store robbery. The man who killed her was looking for money. So he could buy drugs." She gave him a piercing look.
Marcus blinked. "He was an addict."
"Yes."
"Well, that explains why Shipley's hate radar is focused on Marcus," Leo said.
"I'm surprised you didn't know this," Carol said.
She left the break room as quietly as she'd entered it.
"You didn't know about Shipley's wife?" Marcus asked Leo.
"I'd heard rumors."
"Why didn't you ever tell me?"
Leo shrugged. "I guess it never came up."
"Because I was always too busy hating him back."
"This isn't the time to worry about Shipley. I suspect you'll have lots of time to think about him later." Leo motioned toward the doorway. "We should head back to our desks."
"He's still an ass."
"I agree."
"You're frowning, Leo. How come?"
"I've never seen you get so worked up from a call."
"Someone tried to kill a woman and her kids. She's doing her best to keep calm. She can't even hold her children right now."
"I can't imagine how she must feel," Leo said.
"I can. I know exactly how she feels. Helpless. Hopeless. Alone."
"So you did y
our best to help her, give her hope and make her feel less alone. There's nothing wrong about that."
"Tell that to Titanic."
Leo patted Marcus's arm. "They'll find her in time."
"I hope so."
"Until then, we have some work to do."
Marcus stepped into the hall, then stopped. "Did you try the husband's cell phone?"
"Yeah, no answer."
"Rebecca said they're separated and that he went to Fort McMurray for a job." Marcus's brow rippled.
"What's wrong?"
"I keep thinking about this truck, the one that hit her. It ran her off the road intentionally. Someone wanted to kill Rebecca. I can't wrap my head around someone being so coldhearted that they'd attempt to kill a woman and her two children."
"There are a lot of evil people out there, Marcus."
"I know. But still…he's willing to kill two children. That makes him a monster."
"I know what you're thinking."
"Do you?"
"You're wondering if the husband had anything to do with this."
"Well, he is conveniently away on business at the exact time someone tries to kill his wife."
"Does he own a truck?"
"His wife says no." He strode down the hallway. "But maybe he rented one. Let's find out."
Leo followed him back to his desk. "You know, if we're right and the husband tried to kill her, he may not be done. We should probably tell someone our theory."
"Not Titanic." Marcus chewed on his lip, thinking. "I'll call John Zur. He's a detective friend and a good guy."
"You know we're breaking a hundred rules now."
"Why stop now, Leo? Let's go for a hundred and one."
He dialed the number. When Zur answered, Marcus told him about Rebecca Kingston and the mysterious truck. "I'm wondering if the husband, who is conveniently away, had something to do with the hit and run."
"I'm on the road," Zur said. "I've been called out to that apartment fire in Hinton. Suspicious circumstances. But I'll call in and let the captain know about the husband."
"I was hoping you could check him out."
"I'll do what I can, but we're spread thin right now. Must be a goddamn full moon. Too much going on tonight."
"I understand."
"Have they found the wife yet?"
"No."
There was a pause. "I'm sure they'll find her."
"What if they can't find her in time, John? We've got one police vehicle looking for her along a good stretch of highway. That's it. And Rebecca and Colton are injured. Her daughter, Ella, is asthmatic."
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