Visions Of The Past

by Elizabeth Mahood

  “Mom, I gotta go, Cade is calling me. His parent’s house caught on fire tonight.” Ellie stated, putting her phone to her ear. She kissed her mom’s cheek “I love you.” She said and headed out the double doors.

  “Cade?” She stated putting her satchel over her head.

  “Hey, where are you?” He asked. She walked out the front of the facility and headed towards her car. The snow had started falling and the temperatures had dipped. She pulled on her new winter coat that she and Cade had stopped to get the last time they had come to see her mother.

  “I’m just leaving the nursing home. Are you ok? How are your parents?” She said with a shiver as she slid into Cade’s car. She heard him chuckle.

  “They are fine, a little shaken up but fine. They lost everything Ellie. My mom managed to grab a photo album and a few keepsakes before my father forced her out of the house. They are being checked at Badger Fall’s memorial for smoke inhalation but otherwise they are fine. They have been thinking about moving to Florida anyway to get out of the cold but still, I grew up there. I think I am more upset then they are.” He said, sounding sad.

  “Oh, Cade I’m so sorry. I’m on my way home ok.” Ellie stated wishing more than anything that she was with him right now.

  “What did your mom want?” Cade asked.

  “Apparently Alex thought Leslie Cooper had an abortion and ran away, embarrassed because of all the rape allegations. Mom says dad is the only one who knows how to contact Alex. Oh, and she gave me my grandmother’s journals, the ones that were missing. She said my grandmother told her I would understand what they meant. Damn.” Ellie said. The roads were getting icy and she still had two hours until she got back to Badger Falls.

  “What’s wrong?” Cade asked with concern. Ellie gripped the steering wheel a little tighter.

  “Oh, it’s just the roads. I’m on my way back. Do you want me to come to the hospital?” Ellie asked him.

  “No, meet me at home. I’m exhausted. Mom and dad will be staying with us for a few days until they get their affairs in order to head to Florida. They already have their RV down there. I hope that’s ok.” He said with worry. She giggled.

  “Well it puts a cramp in our sexcapades but there are ways around that.” She said flirtatiously. She heard him chuckle.

  “Oh, trust me, I’m sure I can think of something to put in your mouth to keep you quiet.” Cade stated with a growl. Ellie felt herself blush and heat pooled between her legs.

  “I’m sure you can. I’ll see you at home.” She stated. He was quiet on the other end. “Cade?”

  “I like the sound of that.” He said quietly. She did to.

  “I know. I love you.” She said softly.

  “I love you too.” He said and then was gone.

  She settled back into her seat for the long drive. Several hours later she was just about to hit the edge of Badger Falls when a car sped up behind her. She thought they were going to go around but suddenly their bright lights came on. She tried to avoid looking in the rearview mirror but the lights were HID lights and the glare was terrible. She felt the car slid from the ice but was able to pull back onto the road. She wasn’t used to driving in snow but Cade had told her to watch out for the soft snow at the edge of the road. One wrong move and it could pull you into the ditch. Suddenly, the car behind her lurched forward and slammed into the back of Cade’s car, and then again. The car jolted and slid and no matter how hard she tried; she couldn’t get it back on the road. The light from the day was all but gone and the car headed for the ditch. As soon as the car impacted the bank, the air bags deployed right into Ellie’s face. The driver side window smashed and glass went flying causing Ellie to scream. A flash light shone into the car.

  “Where the fuck are the journals?” An ominous voice asked. Ellie shook her head then felt something smash into the side of it. She saw stars and her vision was fading out. She heard the passenger side window smash and she knew someone was stealing the journals. There was nothing she could do. She would probably freeze to death out on the road and there was nothing she could do but wait.

  ✽✽✽

  Cade drove up the long driveway to his house followed by his father and mother in their car. He had fully expected to see all the lights on in the house because Ellie had told him it was so beautiful all lit up at night. No lights. A small bit of fear ran through him but then tried to tamp down on it because after a long drive, maybe she had gone to bed, or was in the back of the house watching a movie or reading her grandmother’s journals.

  He pulled into the garage and then helped his parents take the stuff they had been able to save from the house inside.

  “I hate putting you our like this son. It would be just as easy for us to get a hotel room.” His mother stated.

  “Seriously, what kind of son would I be if I let my aging parents who just had their house burn down, sit at a hotel when I have a perfectly good house with plenty of room?” Cade stated, unlocking the front door and turning off the alarm.

  “Hmm.” Cade stated.

  “What?” His father asked who was standing next to him in the foyer.

  “Ellie doesn’t know how to set the alarm.” Cade stated, starting to feel that same fear snaking through him. “Ellie!!” He called out. “Baby where are you.” Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen his SUV in the garage. He hadn’t even thought to look. He pulled out his phone after helping his parents to their room.

  Voice mail.

  “She should have been home hours ago.” Cade stated. He dialed again. Voice mail. He dialed the sheriff’s department.

  “Hey it’s Sheriff Masterson. I want an APB put out for my car, license plate number AFX 8760. Dr. Ridley was driving it earlier and she hasn’t gotten back from Green Bay. Call the police department too.” Cade said as he started to pace. This wasn’t good. Ellie didn’t know the roads here; it was dark and it was snowing. The temperature was already 10 degrees out and was supposed to dip into the negatives. He had kept saying he was going to put a survival kit in the car but he knew how to survive without all that fancy stuff, Ellie did not.

  “Do you want something to eat son?” His mom asked.

  “Mom you don’t have to cook.” Cade stated.

  “Your father is hungry and you are going to pace a hole in the floor. She is a smart girl. She knows how to take care of herself.” His mother stated. Cade knew Ellie was smart but she wasn’t in her element. She started puttering around his kitchen and he knew that even if he said no, she would make him something anyway. Suddenly his phone rang.

  “Yeah” Cade said quickly.

  “Sheriff, this is Dispatch. Your car was found out on highway 51 just passed Hazlehurst. Both windows have been broken out but no one in the car. Sheriff, the back end was smashed and the air bags were deployed. There is blood on the air bags, not a lot but some.” His dispatch officer stated. Cade closed his eyes.

  “Fuck, someone got to her. Ok, have them tow my car back to the station and activate Dr. Ridley’s tracking device in her phone. Here is the number.” Cade stated. A few minutes later the dispatch officer came back on the phone.

  “It’s in the car sir.” The deputy said. Fear in his voice. Cade understood that fear.

  “Ok thanks.” He hung up and punched the countertop. His father was by his side instantly.

  “What’s going on son?” He asked.

  “Someone ran Ellie off the road, smashed in the windows of the car and took her. I fucking failed her. I should have never let her go to Green Bay alone. I knew someone was after her but I fucking handed her to them.” He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t think. His father put his hand on his shoulder.

  “The best way for you to help her son, is solve this case. Find out who is trafficking, keeping secrets and you will find out who is behind everything. You know her grandmother tried to tell me there was some kind of plot going on in this town and just blew her off like some old crazy crack pot, but if what you told me is true, that she w
as murdered, then I failed her as well.” His father said hanging his head.

  “Pop, you couldn’t have known she was serious. I had a hard time believing Ellie’s visions myself until I saw her have them. They are intense but important. She has helped save countless lives with them.” Cade stated. He felt his stomach lurch and he had to force himself to stay focused. He wasn’t going to help Ellie by having a meltdown. He picked up his phone and dialed.

  “Agent Hardy, this is Sheriff Masterson. We have a huge problem.”

  Chapter 29

  Ellie felt pain radiating from her head and chest. Impact from the car crash had probably caused the rib damage but someone had bashed her head after she had refused to give up the journals. Had someone been following her? And how did they know she had the journals? She tried to sit up but realized she was tied to something and couldn’t move. Where the hell was she? She tried to open her eyes but pain sliced through her skull causing her to slam them shut. She tried again and was able to barely get them open. She tried to focus but everything seemed fuzzy. Finally, after a few attempts, her brain and eyes were working together and she realized she was in a room tied to a bed. It smelled of urine, sweat and…sex. Fear snaked through her as she wondered if the person who took her had assaulted her. She did a mental body assessment but she didn’t feel like anything else was wrong with her. She knew what it was like to be sexually assaulted and she didn’t have that sense but something had happened in the room. She felt sick thinking of the mattress she was laying on and tried to push it out of her mind. Footsteps sounded outside the door and the handle started to move.

  A man stepped through the door and stopped as he realized she was awake.

  “Who the hell are you and why do have me held captive. I work for the FBI.” She stated hoping that statement would hold some clout. It didn’t.

  “You should never have come back Elinora. You escaped the first time but you just couldn’t stay away.” The man said. He stepped closer and she squinted in the dim light to see if she recognized him. A familiarity hit her but she couldn’t quite put it together until he smiled at her. Her mind started to whirl and she knew what was happening. Suddenly she was watching older boys in the back yard of her house. Alex and his friends were talking and Alex looked upset. She loved Alex, he was her big brother and let her ride on his shoulders and he played tea time with her.

  “No, I’m not doing it. You all leave her alone. She is a nice person.” Her brother stated. Another boy pushed him.

  “You just want her for yourself Ridley. We want our turn with her too and if you don’t do this, we will just take what we want. She likes it rough; we will show her how rough we can get.” The boy said making an odd gesture with his hips. Another boy nodded and clapped her brother on the back.

  “Yeah man, lighten up. Do you think she is gonna run off with a 17-year-old? She just wants to get fucked and move on.” He said laughing. Alex reached out and punched him in the face. The other boy struck back knocking Alex to the ground.

  “ALEX!!” Ellie screamed and came running out of her hiding spot. One of the boys grabbed her and held her back.

  “Look what we have here, a little spy. You tell anyone and you can go bye bye like all the other little girls in town.” He said with an evil smile. “You are a pretty little thing; I could just save you for myself.” He laughed. Suddenly the man holding her went flying back an Alex had her in his arms.

  “Get your goddamn hand’s off my sister. Leave, get out of here and don’t come back. You lay one hair on Leslie or my sister, I will call the cops.” Ellie turned her face towards the boys as Alex held her to him close. She recognized all three of them. Blain Rogers, Darius Taylor and Jeff England. Darius Taylor’s younger face morphed into an older one, the one who had been at the clearing the night those two thugs had grabbed her and her sister from the house and then it morphed again into the man standing over her. She blinked and was back from her vision as he stared at her.

  “I see you recognize me. We have a lot of catching up to do.” He stated moving forward. Just as he was about to reach out to her, his phone buzzed. His frustration shown in his face as he looked at the number.

  “Damn it!!” He looked back to Ellie. “I’ll be back and finally get what’s mine. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time little one.” He stated with a snarl. He left the room slamming the door behind him. Ellie blew out, fear snaking through her. She closed her eyes and swallowed. How was she ever going to get out of this mess. There was no way Darius was the ring leader for a trafficking ring, but he obviously was working for someone. She had to try and get out of here before he came back. She knew very well what he had intended to do and she wasn’t about to be a victim ever again. For several minutes maybe hours, she tried to feel for a nail or loosen the ropes, but the bindings were incredibly tight. She tried to listen to sounds that might help her recognize where she was but heard nothing. It was the middle of the night and had been snowing when she had been run off the road. She thought about Cade. He must be out of his mind with worry. She closed her eyes and thought about him and felt warmth seep through her. Energy zoomed through her body like electricity.

  “Cade, if you can hear me or feel any of this, please help me. I need you.” She whispered in the dark. A tear slid down her cheek as she drifted off.

  ✽✽✽

  Cade paced the floor of the conference room at the Sheriff’s Department. Agent Hardy was on the phone with his ASAC and several other deputies and analysts sat on their computer trying to break down the case. Megan had been released from the hospital and had insisted on coming to the Sheriff’s Department to help with the autopsy reports.

  “So, we have a backup camera in the morgue that I totally forgot about. I had my assistant bring it to me. It was installed by my predecessor because the night guards were famous for leaving their post to sleep. When the new system got put in, I never deactivated the old one but I never have checked any of what is recorded. She hit play on her laptop and an image of the lobby came into view. Megan had fast forwarded to the morning of her shooting.

  “There is Alan.” Megan stated, pointing at her security guard. A few seconds later, a man showed up at the doors and Alan let him in, smiling and shaking his hand.

  “Jeff England.” Cade stated. Megan nodded.

  “Yes, he was there to update the system.” She said. The phone rang in silence as the guard picked up the phone and nodded. “This is where he left to go let in the supposed funeral home pick up.” They watched Alan head through the door back towards the morgue. Another man stepped up to the outer doors and Jeff stepped around the corner and let him in. He turned to look down the hall towards where Alan had gone and his face came into view.

  “Who is that?” Agent Hardy asked. Cade looked closer, then recognized the man on screen pointing down the hallway.

  “That’s Darius Taylor. He’s a ranger out at the state park. He was the one who reported the bodies in the mass grave out at the park. His heart started beating. The two men walked down the hall towards the offices and a few minutes later, Alan returned to his seat. They watched him eat three donuts, disappear and return with coffee and then Megan walked through the door looking very irritated. Even though you couldn’t hear what she was saying, you could see by her posture that she wasn’t happy.

  “This is when I was when I was questioning him about the bodies being gone.” Alan said something back to her and started to follow her down the hallway when someone came up behind him and struck him in the head with the butt of a gun. Alan went to the floor and Darius Taylor aimed at Megan and shot. Megan’s face was white as the video faded. Cade went to her and took her hand.

  “You ok?” He asked. She nodded and swallowed hard.

  “Yeah, I just didn’t watch it before. I didn’t think seeing myself shot would affect me like that.” She stated taking a few deep breaths. He turned and backed up the image.

  “We need to get an APB out on this Darius Taylor and
Jeff England.” Cade stated to one of his deputies who stood, nodded and headed out the door.

  “Where is Brody?” Cade asked Agent Hardy. Hardy sighed.

  “He said he got called back to Madison to report back to the ASAC. Something was up with him. He been off for a while now.” Hardy stated. He typed on his computer. Cade didn’t like the sound of that.

  “We got a hit on the fingerprints on Dr. Ridley’s hotel room. The only prints on the door and in the room belong to Dr. Ridley, you Sheriff, Deputy Chief Rogers and Mrs. Kramer.” Stated Agent Hardy. Cade looked at him curiously.

  “Mrs. Kramer?” Cade said. Hardy nodded.

  “She was a teacher, right? All teachers have to be finger printed in order to work in Education. Her prints were still one file. It makes sense since she is the owner but one of the prints we pulled was on the wall underneath the message, a hand print.” Hardy stated looking pointedly at Cade. His heart started beating faster. He needed to go have a chat with Mrs. Kramer. “Time is ticking and who knows what Ellie is going through.” Cade stated, feeling sick to his stomach. He didn’t want to think about it because the thoughts running through his head would not help her.

  “When you go talk to her, look in her kitchen or any kind of cabinet for cyanide.” Megan stated. “That’s what was in Mrs. Ridley’s tox screen. Someone was slowly poisoning her because it remained her system even after death. It was in the tissue.” Megan said. Cade crossed arms.

  “How would someone give it to her without her knowing it?” Cade asked. Megan shook her head.

  “It’s tasteless so I would say tea or coffee.” Megan said. Cade felt a light go on.

  “Mrs. Kramer and Mrs. Dingle mentioned how wonderful Ellie’s grandmother was and they had been good friends. Ellie told me her grandmother said in her journals that she was having tea with someone and all of a sudden was feeling tired. One of them could have been poisoning her.” Cade said, starting to pace.