Arden leaned back into the comfy cushions. “What do you think will happen to Jessica?”
Joe set his jaw and shook his head. “I don’t know. I have an emergency cash box at the house. If things get sticky, she’ll have to use that.”
Arden’s eyes watered. “I’m sorry, Joe.”
“Why?” he asked. “What did you do?”
“If I had known this case--”
“We both agreed to this,” Joe replied. “There’s no way we could’ve known how things would turn out. I knew the risks.”
Arden shut her eyes and said a quiet prayer for the girl.
Joe interrupted her. “We’re going to stop these guys. We’ll either put them in cuffs or put them in the ground.”
Arden felt his fire. She tried not to think about the cop she had killed. It was like her mind put up a mental barrier, keeping her from seeing his mulched face.
The rest of the day dragged on. Arden napped, prayed, and listened to music on the jukebox.
Hours later, the hatch opened.
Arden felt like it was Christmas morning.
Wearing a flashlight on her head and holding a basket full of fresh vegetables, Mrs. Keller closed the hatch behind her and descended into the bunker. Arden only got a glimpse of the night sky.
Arden and Joe joined Mrs. Keller in the kitchen and helped her unload the squash, tomatoes, and zucchinis.
“How is it out there?” Joe asked.
“I saw two police cars passing the house twice today and a helicopter. They certainly aren’t giving up,” Mrs. Keller replied.
Arden set out the final piece of vegetable on the counter. She rested her palms on the edge and looked over at the woman. “How did you keep them away?”
“No one knows I have this shelter.” Mrs. Keller looked at the candy wrappers and unkempt beds. “I can see you’ve made yourself at home.”
Arden smiled awkwardly. “Were we not supposed to? We’re kind of trapped.”
Mrs. Keller glared at her. “You weren’t supposed to have the police scouting around my land, but here we are.”
Guilt created a knot in Arden’s stomach. “I’m sorry for the trouble we caused you.”
“Honey, you owe me a lot more than an apology,” Mrs. Keller said.
Arden agreed with the woman.
Mrs. Keller continued. “Any sane person would’ve turned you in in a heartbeat.”
“Why didn’t you?” Arden asked.
The rugged old woman scrutinized the two of them with her sapphire eyes. “Enjoy your night. I’ll check on you tomorrow.”
Mrs. Keller turned toward the ladder.
“Wait,” Arden grabbed her arm.
Mrs. Keller’s eyes became daggers. Arden quickly let go.
Without another word, she climbed up the ladder.
Arden and Joe watched her go.
She sealed the hatch behind her.
Arden turned to Joe. “Did she say anything to you these last few days?”
“She’s not much of a talker.”
Arden nervously chewed the inside of her cheek. She headed back to her cot, closed the curtains, and lay down. As soon as the clock struck midnight, all of the electronics powered off. Arden lay in pitch blackness with nothing but her thoughts.
Arden spent the next day reading books from the shelf. There were classic novels and encyclopedias. She spent a lot of time praying for Scarlet.
Joe found a set of dumbbells, took off his shirt, and worked out. The cords of muscle under his hairy arms contracted every time he did a rep. He caught Arden looking. She quickly went back to reading.
Mrs. Keller returned that night with some freshly cooked bread and pasta.
Avoiding all of Arden’s questions, she returned back up to the surface.
It went on like that for three days.
Sitting in the bunker drove Arden stir-crazy. She turned most of her pent-up energy into prayer and fitness. She’d pace and pray and then jogged laps through the bunker. Her wounds were healing, albeit slowly, but she was on the road to recovery.
Joe slowed his fitness routine to read, listen to the jukebox, or occasionally watch Arden. She’d lock eyes with him as she jogged by and wondered what he was thinking. Knowing their rich history, she thought they would spend more time together, but Joe was mostly silent. Arden noticed him reading the same books she was, but he didn’t start a conversation.
Arden invited him to spar a few times, but he shook his head.
“What’s wrong?” Arden taunted after taking ten laps around the bunker. “Scared you’ll get a little bruise?”
Joe glanced up from his book and sized her up. “I’m not worried.”
Arden chuckled. “Okay, tough guy, talk is cheap.”
Reluctantly, Joe put his book aside. He stood up and faced Arden. “You know I spent years practicing close-quarters combat.”
Like lightning, Arden jabbed his nose. She controlled her hit to keep from busting it.
Joe staggered back.
He checked his nose for blood. There was none. “Cheap shot.”
“You’re just slow.” Arden gave him a wry smile and a jab to his kidney.
“Oh yeah?” Joe charged toward Arden. She got out of his way and tripped him.
Joe caught himself before hitting face-first on the floor. He went after another tackle, this time successfully wrapping his arms around Arden. Her back popped in his bear-hug embrace. He slammed both of them into the couch. They hit the back board and it teetered over. They tumbled across the floor.
The moment Joe loosened his grip, Arden slipped out and rolled away from him. Both standing, Joe sent a few wild hits her way, but Arden avoided them all.
Joe grunted and caught his breath.
Arden cracked a smile. “Don’t beat yourself up. I’ve been doing this for years, remember?”
Without warning, Joe slammed into her and sent them both to the ground. Arden lost her breath as the large man pinned her to the cold floor. His heart beat against her own as he held his grizzly forearm over her neck. “You yield?”
“I’ve fought bigger than you,” Arden taunted. She punched him in the side, but it did little damage.
Joe swiftly adjusted himself to have a better pin on her.
Their faces were a breath’s length apart.
Arden stared into Joe’s haunted eyes. She could almost see the dozens of hurts in his past.
Her pulse quickened. Her body heated up.
Joe used his free hand to brush away some hair from Arden’s face. The hurt in his eyes began to dissipate into something else. He looked at her like she was some kind of rare find.
His lips got closer to her.
Arden held her breath. It had been a long time since she’d been this close to anyone, literally and emotionally. Pent-up feelings started to bubble to the surface. She felt blood rush to her face.
Turning her eyes away from him, Arden pushed gently against his hard chest. “Okay. You win. Can I get up now?”
Joe didn’t move.
Arden’s mind started racing in a different direction.
After a moment that lasted a little too long, Joe rolled off her.
The two of them lay beside each other and stared up at the arched ceiling.
Arden’s heart pounded. She fought the physical urges and felt herself losing.
She shut her eyes, seeing images of her sister’s pale face and the dozens of victims Arden had rescued. Many of them were drugged, bloody, and abused. They had dead eyes and hollow looks. It was like their souls had left and all that remained was an emotionless sack of meat. She didn’t know why these thoughts were coming now. She longed for some kind of release from this mental prison.
Joe’s arm unintentionally rested against hers.
She could hear his soft breathing that seemed to mimic hers.
Perhaps just a simple kiss… it wouldn’t hurt. A million justifications rushed through her mind.
Body burning, Arden quickly got t
o her feet and headed for the bathroom. She closed the door behind her and took a deep breath. A thought beckoned her to leave the room and to get lost with Joe. Even if it was just for a few moments, she could escape reality.
Arden grabbed the edges of the sink. She tried to remind herself of all the past lovers she had before coming to Christ. They were all disasters and left her hurt, feeling worthless. Even with that history, the temptation only grew stronger. Her thoughts spun in a million different directions. The last thing she needed was to fall into some fling with Joe. It would result in personal guilt and shame, and also confusion in their relationship. Nevertheless, her fleshly desires strengthened. It had been so long since she felt this way that she’d forgotten how powerful the urge was. She took a deep breath and held it in. On the inside, she heard a soft voice saying, “When you’re weak, you are strong.”
Was it God? Arden didn’t know. She felt her best course of action was to stay put until the feelings faded. It took an embarrassingly long amount of time. When she felt she had some grip on her emotions, she stepped out and saw Joe flipping through the songs on the jukebox.
He looked over his shoulder. “You good?”
“Yeah,” Arden replied briefly as she headed for her cot.
She read her book to get her mind off things.
Mrs. Keller arrived at the usual time that night.
Arden invited her to stay to eat with them. After some hesitation, she sat down at the small square table. They broke bread together and dug into the meal. It was pork chops, mashed potatoes, and homemade gravy. The sound of forks scraping plates replaced conversation.
Arden took note of the woman’s wedding ring. “You married, Mrs. Keller?”
Mrs. Keller stopped her fork halfway to her mouth. She lowered it. A neutral expression fell over her sun-kissed face. “For eighteen years.”
“Congratulations,” Joe said.
“He’s not around anymore,” Mrs. Keller replied.
Arden gave her a sympathetic apology.
Mrs. Keller speared a chunk of cut pork. “He spent his whole life here in Jamesville. You know where Aunt Nan’s is?”
Arden and Joe shook their heads. “We’re not familiar with the area.”
Mrs. Keller eyed them suspiciously. It seemed like she was about to give them a sassy comment but thought better of it. She took another bite and spoke with a full mouth. “Anyway, my man had his ranch over on that side of town. He moved over here when he found the property for sale.” She gestured to the bunker. “As you can see, he wasn’t really a people person.”
“He built this?” Arden asked.
“Refurbished it, more like. The place was a mess. Rats everywhere. Rusty shelves. It took him a decade, but he got it all fixed up to working condition,” Mrs. Keller smiled to herself. “Crazy old fool.”
“What happened to him?” Arden asked. “If you don’t me asking.”
“He went out one night on a hunting trip and never came back. The police didn’t find him. They claimed some bear got him, but that’s a load of you-know-what. I remember him those last few nights. He wasn’t hunting for animals, I’ll tell you that much.”
Arden and Joe traded glances.
Joe lowered his fork. “What was he hunting?”
“You should know,” Mrs. Keller glared. “You claimed to have seen it too.”
Arden didn’t understand.
“The orchard,” Mrs. Keller clarified with annoyance.
“Oh,” Arden replied. “He was spying on them?”
Mrs. Keller cackled, “Gosh, girl. Don’t sound so surprised. The most entertainment my man and I had was watching our crops grow. Suddenly there was parties being held at some private estate nearby.” Mrs. Keller turned sober. “Well, it seemed like fun, then George saw something.”
Joe slowed down his chewing. “Like what?”
“Black magic, occult, hedonism, human sacrifice. I didn’t believe a lick of it. He wanted to get proof one night and disappeared.” Mrs. Keller locked eyes with Arden. “Tell me that ain’t a coincidence.”
Eyes watering, she spitefully shook her head.
Arden asked, “How long ago was that?”
“Four years ago,” Keller replied. “And then you two show up at my doorstep, talking about the same things.” Her wild eyes scanned Arden and Joe. “The story was a tough one to follow, but I could see it in you. You saw the same thing my husband did, only you were lucky enough to get away.”
“Not without your help,” Arden replied thankfully.
“Yeah, well, someone had to do something,” Keller replied. “Just four months ago, authorities found a pile of human remains. The local news said it was a bear attack, but the man who found it claimed the arms and legs were laid out side-by-side. They were clean cut.”
Arden thought back to the screams she heard in the basement of the orchard’s VIP shack. Her imagination took her to dark places.
Joe spoke to Mrs. Keller. “You helped us. What can we do to help you?”
Mrs. Keller said, “I want you to bring these guys down.”
“That has always been the goal,” Arden responded.
“Maybe,” Mrs. Keller said. “But now the police are barking after you. Running is on your mind, whether you admit it or not.”
“We can’t exactly investigate in broad daylight,” Joe replied.
Mrs. Keller got serious. “Words don’t mean much in this day and age, but I’m a God-fearing woman and I keep my promises. I expect you to keep yours too.”
“And what promise might that be?” Joe asked.
“That you’ll bring down every one of those creatures that killed my husband,” Mrs. Keller said. “You promise me that you’ll do that, and I’ll count the debt paid.”
“Deal,” Arden said.
Joe was silent.
Arden gave him a concerned look.
“Deal,” Joe repeated.
After the meal, Mrs. Keller returned to the surface, and Arden and Joe went to bed. Lying back in her cot, Arden let her mind run wild. She started to devise a plan.
Over the next two days, Arden’s bruises had faded into dim spots, and her feet no longer cramped. She asked Mrs. Keller to bring her some things from town and instructed her on how to buy them in an inconspicuous way.
Keller returned with a pile of spare clothes, a straight razor, hair dye, and other cosmetic items. She also bought pre-paid burner phones, flashlights, and other gear. Arden was too nervous to cut her own hair, so she had Joe do it. Seated at the table, Arden cringed as she watched her red locks fall in clumps around her feet. Joe showed her the mirror. Her hair was tight around her head and very tomboyish in nature. In some ways, it made her look powerful. She put in the blonde dye next. When it was all done, her hair was platinum white.
She had Joe sit down. When Arden was finished, Joe’s bald head was shiny and he had a rugged goatee. Arden could easily mistake him for a biker instead of a Marine she’d grown to like.
They dug through the piles of clothes. Arden put on slick black pants, a tank top, and a jean jacket. She nearly laughed at herself when she looked in the mirror. There was a very thin line between trailer trash and stylishly cool.
She turned back to Joe, who wore jeans, army boots, and a black leather jacket with aviators. It fit his persona well.
After ten days in the hole, it was time to return to the outside world. Arden had put foundation to hide her freckles. She kept gloves nearby to conceal her fingerprints. Under the cover of nightfall, Mrs. Keller opened the hatch and beckoned them to climb.
They started up one rung at a time and stepped out into the black night.
3
Homecoming
Mrs. Keller’s truck stopped on the vacant state road.
“Good luck,” she said to Arden and Joe as they stepped out. “Find a way to see me when this is all done.”
As soon as they closed the doors, Mrs. Keller made a U-turn and sped in the direction of her home. The roar of her
engine faded into the night. Joe and Arden stood for a moment.
In no great rush, they started their eighty-eight-mile mile back to Atlanta. The walk was long and exhausting. Luckily, they didn’t see any cops.
When they saw a truck approaching, Arden held up her thumb. No luck.
Four cars later, a man in a rusty clunker picked them up.
“Where y’all heading?” asked the skinny, freakish-looking man inside.
“South,” Joe replied.
“Strange to see folk like you out here alone,” the driver said.
Arden smiled widely. “What’s wrong with a little adventure?”
The driver didn’t argue with that. He asked them questions about their lives on their way to Atlanta. They gave him vague responses. He dropped them off at Atlanta’s city limits.
They caught a bus and exited outside Joe’s neighborhood. The houses that lined the street were quaint and rundown. Their fences had broken slats, and a dog’s barking filled the night. Arden checked her watch. The car crash from ten days ago had left a massive crack across its face. The time was 11 pm. Joe and Arden stuck to the shadows. They climbed over fences and scurried through backyards. Joe’s house came into view. It was single story with an A-frame roof. Golden light shined from the windows. Arden and Joe hunkered down on one side of the house across the road and watched.
Seventeen-year-old Jessica Carmon was visible through the window. She wore a cooking apron over a long-sleeve striped shirt, pajama pants, and rubber dishwashing gloves. Her long brown hair was in a loose ponytail. Her round glasses were slightly tilted on her pretty face. She cradled two-and-a-half-year-old Ethan with one hand and held the phone with the other. She stood in front of a sink full of dishes. Tears streamed down Ethan’s face. Jessica tried to hush him. Open textbooks sat on the table nearby.
Joe sucked in air through his teeth. Pain was visible on his stoic face. He took his first step out of the darkness when Arden stopped him.
He glared at her with wet eyes.
Arden pointed to the pesticide van parked in front of the neighbor’s house.
“So what?” Joe argued in a frustrated whisper.
“Exterminators working at eleven o’ clock at night? Think about it,” Arden said.
Secrets Boxset: A Riveting Kidnapping Mystery Collection Page 23
