Arden was deathly cold by the time they reached the road. It wasn’t the road to the main street. That would be too easy. It was just the snaky two-lane that connected with the plantation’s dirt road.
There was no traffic and no streetlights.
It was like Arden and Joe were the last people on the planet.
They kept trucking forward.
Joe nearly passed out a few times, but still managed to stay standing. Arden would close her eyes and open them halfway down the street, though she had no memory of how she got there.
After the longest walk, they spotted their first house. Joe, getting another burst of energy, jogged up to the front. He put Arden down the swing bench and pounded on the door with his fist.
“Hey! Hey!” he shouted out, hoping someone would hear him.
Arden swung lazily on the bench.
Eventually, after Joe had made enough noise, a light turned on the house and an old man answered the door. He held a shotgun. Joe took a few steps back and held up his hands in a non-threatening manner.
The old man, who looked like Ebenezer Scrooge, glared at them with wide, wild eyes.
“Phone,” Joe said. “Police.”
It took a moment for the old man to understand. Then he lowered the weapon, returned inside, and shut the door. Joe sat down on the swing bench. Water dripped from his long beard. He struggled to stay awake.
A little while later, a police cruiser pulled up. Two officers stepped out of the car and aimed their flashlights into Joe’s and Arden’s eyes. They quickly turned their gaze away from the bright light.
“What the hell happened to you?” one of the officers asked.
“Plantation house,” Joe said. “Multiple assailants. They’re armed.”
The cops looked at each other, at a loss on what to do.
“Call it in,” Joe roared.
One of the good ol’ boys enough to report it. They also got an ambulance.
Arden sat at the edge of the hospital bed. She was dressed in scrubs and a blanket had been placed over her shoulders. She held her trembling cup of coffee and sniffed the glorious smell of coffee beans. The two young officers sat in front of her. They had their legs spread and their backs hunched. They wore stupid expressions on their faces as they tried to process what Arden had told them.
One took off his hat and rested it on his knee. “So you, uh, are saying some devil-worshipers chased after you?”
Arden blew into her mug and took a sip. “There were occult-related symbols all over the place. Did your team find the shoes in the basement?”
“We checked, ma’am, but we didn’t find any shoes,” the other officer replied.
Arden took a breath. “Not the basement-basement. The hole in the wall. It connected with the well.”
“We know,” the hatless officer said. “We went in there and gave it a look. There was nothing.”
“And the symbols on the wall?” Arden replied.
“There was graffiti, sure, but I don’t know nothing about the occult and what codes they use.”
Arden’s head pounded. “You have my statement at least?”
“Yeah,” the hat-wearing officer proudly showed her the police report.
At least that’s something. Arden took another swig. She was still shaking.
The hatless officer said sympathetically, “If there’s anything you need…”
“Find the guys who did this,” Arden said. “It's bigger than just me. There might be upwards of forty bodies somewhere. By the looks of it, they’ve been getting away with this for years.”
The officers seemed dumbfounded by Arden’s words. She wasn’t sure how to make herself clearer. She’d just have to trust the Lord that it would all work out. She took another swig from her coffee before coughing. She sniffled. She felt she was catching a cold. The doctor’s advice was to rest. Arden would do that when Scarlet was found. Right now, she had much bigger fish to fry. After praying for her health, she accepted the doctor’s small dosage of pain pills. Arden requested that they not be too strong. She needed to keep a clear head. Finishing up her coffee, she stood up. Her feet were wrapped in thin bandages. It hurt to move, but she’d muscle through it. At least she hoped she would. After examining her feet, they weren’t as bad as she thought, but they weren’t in tip-top shape either.
She glanced out the window. It was nearly morning. Great. Another all-nighter, just what she needed.
Joe entered. “How are you feeling?”
Arden smirked.
Joe frowned. “I called Jessica. She’s on her way to pick us up.”
Arden nodded.
Joe took a seat where the cops had sat. Deep circles had formed under his eyes. His nose was glowing a little. Arden could tell that he was getting sick too. “They have our phones and keys.”
“To the office, our homes, and cars. I’m aware,” Arden replied.
“Let’s just hope they can’t breach our contacts,” Joe replied.
Arden took another sip of joe. Fortunately, she had spare car keys and office keys back at her motel room. She’d have to get a key from the motel owner to open the door.
Joe said, “I was going to reach out to the screenwriter--”
“Good,” Arden unintentionally interrupted.
A sobering expression fell over Joe’s face. “He’s dead, Arden.”
“What?”
“It was on the news. He OD’d last night,” Joe replied. “The police found him in his L.A. apartment.”
“What about the staff writers?”
“They’ve lawyered up. We won’t be able to get to them,” Joe replied.
Arden was sick of going back to square one over and over again. She was also concerned about why the attackers spared Joe. She was glad he was alive, but if they already had Arden’s phone, they could’ve killed them both and none would be the wiser. Perhaps they thought it would scare Arden into giving up. They didn't know her very well.
She sniffled. Her body ached. All of her pain meant nothing when a little girl’s life was on the line. She had to press on, and by the strength of the Lord, she would. A thought came to her. Suddenly, some light returned to her face.
Joe noticed. “What happened?”
“I saw a symbol in the shoe room,” Arden said with excitement.
“So what?” Joe asked.
“Remember Garold, the show’s producer we interviewed on video chat? Anyway, there was a statue head behind him. Around its neck was this symbol. It was like a “T” with a dot on top.”
“I don’t remember that,” Joe said.
“We should go to his house next. Maybe the Gales have his address,” Arden replied.
“Do you think he’s the one that shot at you?” Joe asked.
“Maybe. Maybe not,” Arden replied. “But what matters is they have a connection. We just need to bridge that gap and hopefully it points us to Scarlet.”
“Say he is our guy, then what?”
“We stalk him,” Arden replied. “If Scarlet is still alive, he’d have to feed her at some point.”
“And if she’s dead?”
Arden felt a pit in her stomach. “Then we bring the guy down in whatever way possible.”
Jessica arrived an hour later. She came with an extra set of clothes for Arden to wear. They weren’t her style and they didn’t quite fit, but she preferred them over the patient’s garb.
When they got into Joe’s Mustang, Ethan was asleep in the backseat. Arden took the time to rest while Jessica and Joe argued about his dangerous career choice.
In Arden’s dream, she was bound to Scarlet’s bed. She fought with the hemp rope binds but had no luck breaking free. Men in black surrounded her. They held candles with little flames. Arden screamed for help, but none of them reacted. Suddenly, a shadow fell upon her. A great horror stretched out from behind the bed’s backboard and climbed up the wall until the sinister shadow was above Arden. It smiled a large, toothy grin. Arden could hardly breathe. All she
could do was say in her mind, Be gone in Jesus’s name. After the fourth try, Arden woke up with a gasp. She was in a fast food drive-thru. Jessica was ordering food.
The bookishly pretty seventeen-year-old glanced back at Arden. “You want anything?”
Arden was drenched in a cold sweat. Her head was spinning. She didn’t look at the menu. “Whatever you’re getting.”
Arden glanced at the car behind them. It was a black sedan with tinted windows. Arden felt fear creeping back into her. She fought that off and remembered that she had God on her side, even if her present circumstances told a different story.
They drove by Wal-Mart and got cheap flip phones for the time being. After that, Jessica arrived at Joe’s home. She stopped the car. “You two really need to get some rest.”
“You think?” Joe asked.
“I’m serious, Dad. It’s like the you are holding on by a thread,” Jessica replied.
Arden replied. “So is Scarlet. We need to be there for her.”
“What about the police? You guys are P.I.s, not super soldiers. It's one thing to do some research and follow someone around, it's another to be beaten, shot at, and abandoned,” Jessica said.
Joe put a hand on her shoulder, seeing the girl getting upset. “We made a promise to someone that we’d rescue their daughter. I’m not going to go against our word.”
“What does your promise mean if you’re dead?” Jessica ask, frustrated. “And what about the promises you made to me?” she added. “Do those not matter?”
Joe looked at her. “Do we have to have this conversation now? Again? I told you I’d be there with you after this is over.”
Jessica scoffed. “Sure, Dad.” She got out of the car, lowered the seat, and pulled out her child.
“Jessica, wait,” Joe called out.
She stormed inside and slammed the door.
“You going to go in after her?” Arden asked.
“And say what?” Joe replied. “If I tell her I’m sorry, I’d be lying. What we do makes a difference. And last night showed me that we have a lot more work cut out for us. We can’t save the world, but we change our little sphere of influence. When we’re done, I want every pedophile and Satan-worshiping douchebag to tremble when they hear my name.”
Arden felt his same passion welling up inside her. She might not find out who attacked her sister, but she could keep more people from falling into the same trap. Despite all that, she said, “Go talk to your daughter anyway. Tell her the truth.”
“She doesn’t want to hear it. Believe me, I’ve tried,” Joe said.
“I’m talking about the truth of your love for her,” Arden replied.
Joe sighed. “Okay, Arden. Fine. You win.”
He got out of the car. Arden moved to the front seat. She rested her head back on the headrest and prayed that things would turn out okay. After a long five minutes, Joe returned to the car with a little more pep in his step.
“How was it?” Arden asked.
“There’s still friction, but we are getting somewhere,” Joe replied.
“Glad to hear it,” Arden replied.
Joe called the Gales’ phone number. She asked them about Garold Grey’s address. They surrendered it. He owned multiple homes across the country, but there was one in Atlanta.
Joe headed that way. They rolled into the nice cul-de-sac. He lived in a single-story home with a trimmed lawn and appealing architectural design. As Joe pulled up to the curb outside his house, he saw a few cars parked in Garold’s driveway. Joe pulled out his own set of binoculars and spy on the dining room window. “No way.”
“Let me,” Arden gestured for the binoculars.
She saw the spiffy-dressed producer sharing an early lunch with a few older gentlemen. Due to her years of assisting law enforcement, Arden recognized one of the men: Atlanta’s police chief. Why was he at Garold’s right side? The men laughed as they ate.
Joe eyed them. “They seem in a good mood considering the circumstances.”
“I noticed,” Arden replied.
“This might be why Gracie didn’t want to talk with the police,” Joe said. “What if they’re both members of this club?”
The theory seemed far-reaching, but so was she with this case. She couldn’t confirm or deny Joe’s conclusion. Her only chance for any answers was to visit Gracie again.
They called her as they drove away from the house. They would’ve staked it out for longer, but there were multiple neighborhood watch signs along with the police in his driveway.
Gracie answered the phone. “Anything yet?”
“Soon, Mrs. Gales,” Arden replied. “We’re getting closer. I can feel it.”
Gracie replied. “I hope you are right.”
“You said you didn’t trust the police before. Why?” Arden asked.
Gracie replied. “Long story, but After the successful launch of the show, I was invited out to this party. There were people dressed in masks and costumes. Others were naked. They did a lot of weird things, like singing strange songs and painting symbols on each other. There was even a special place that was only accessible to VIPs. I heard that you had to pay at least seventy thousand dollars before you even put in for nomination.”
“Were your producers there?” Arden asked.
“Everyone was wearing a mask. The whole thing was completely anonymous. That being said, I overheard names and job occupations.”
Joe processed the information. “Where was this at?”
“In L.A., but there are parties throughout the States,” Gracie replied.
“Where in L.A.?” Arden asked.
“Someone picked up me. They blindfolded me and said part of the fun was not knowing. I remember seeing cops there, but they seemed to turn a blind eye to the various vices. Ever since then, I’ve had an icky feeling about the police. I know it may sound hypocritical, but seeing how they treated the elite with special privilege made me trust them less.”
Joe asked, “During that night, did you ever feel threatened?”
“No, I felt like I was an outsider. There were some places that were off limits to me.”
“What did this place look like?” Arden asked.
Gracie replied. “I remember there being multiple buildings and rows of trees. Much of it took place outside. There was a humble estate, but I wasn’t allowed past the reception hall. If you saw what they were doing in there, you wouldn’t want to enter either.”
Joe nodded. “Like what?”
“Drinking. Promiscuity. Other lustful things.”
“Who invited you there?”
“One of the actresses,” Gracie replied. “She was killed off midway through the first season and now works on a show in L.A. Leah Hall is her name.”
Arden made a note to reach out to the actress. With Gracie unable to ascertain the location of the party, Arden and Joe were left guessing. They talked for a while longer, but didn’t learn anything that officially convicted Garold or the police chief. They contacted Leah Hall next. She answered their questions, confirming everything Gracie had said. All in all, there wasn’t much to be learned. Arden’s biggest question was whether or not similar parties happened here.
After a few hours of R&R, Arden and Joe returned to Garold’s house. The police were gone. Not wanting to raise suspicions, Joe parked outside of the cul de sac and waited for Garold’s car to leave.
They watched in shifts. The beating from last night had greatly fatigued them. They were glad to have the time to rest.
At around 8pm, Joe shook Arden’s shoulder.
She opened her eyes and saw Garold’s car drive by.
Arden nodded at Joe.
He started the engine and followed after.
Like lambs to the slaughter, the investigators were completely unaware of what they were getting themselves into.
9
Forbidden Fruit
Using the light in the glove box, Arden read through the pilot script. A pensive expressive held on her face
as she scrutinized every word typed on the page.
The Mustang rattled.
Arden glanced up.
Garold’s silver Escalade SUV led by three car lengths.
Joe’s haunted eyes stayed locked on the vehicle. One of his hands lazily gripped the top of the steering wheel. The other hand stayed on the coffee cup between his legs.
Arden leafed through another page and read the description of an orchard used in one brief scene.
The clock on the dash read 9:43 pm. Garold had been driving for nearly two hours. They were back around Jamesville.
Arden coughed lightly. Her body temperature was up from last night's run through the woods. Her new cheap running shoes squeezed the life out of her feet. Her sore body throbbed with her heartbeat. She wore a leather jacket over a long-sleeved black tee and jogging pants.
Joe wore a black hoodie, jeans, and tennis shoes. His face had a pale hue. Though he wasn’t showing many signs of illness, Arden imagined that he had caught a cold too.
They hadn’t talked much over the trip.
Both of them were nearing the end of their rope, but they had a silent pact to keep going until Scarlet was found or their bodies gave out.
Why go so far for some spoiled little girl? It was a human life. It was that simple for Arden. Joe leaned more on the side of vengeance.
He clicked on the turn signal and followed Garold deeper into the Georgia countryside. “Learn anything?” he asked.
Arden turned another page. “I think the writer is talking about different landmarks. I’ve found more numbers and places hidden in the text.”
“Much like the plantation house?”
“That’s my theory,” Arden replied. She slipped into silent prayer. It was mainly for strength. Her head pounded like a jackhammer. Her heartbeat felt irregular. Without the help of a higher power, she wouldn’t be able to go another day. Scarlet had to be found tonight. If they were wrong about Garold, the case was as good as closed.
Up ahead, Garold turned onto a private road. Joe was forced to keep going straight to avoid detection. They waited a few minutes. Joe popped his knuckles and double-checked his pistol clip. Arden did the same. She prayed to God she wouldn’t have to use it.
Secrets Boxset: A Riveting Kidnapping Mystery Collection Page 19
