Whirlwind (Rachel Hatch Book 8)

by L T Ryan

  Hatch moved with the flow, looking for an opportunity to further press Green on her daughter's disappearance but finding none. The followers were too closely packed and The Shepherd, when his eyes weren't on Marigold, were on Hatch.

  The dancing and celebration continued. Fires were lit in the stone pits scattered throughout. Several men and woman began preparing food for a feast to be served later that morning. Children and adults alike danced and laughed as they went about their work. If Kyla's disappearance wasn't hanging over this commune like a black cloud, Hatch might've even enjoyed herself.

  Above the celebration, Hatch heard the rumble of tires coming down the path. She felt her stomach drop and turned, expecting to see the beat-up sedan belonging to Ben Tracy and surprised to see an SUV instead. And not just any old kind. In the front grill of the Chevy Suburban, Hatch could make out the red and blue of the strobe lights contained within. With sun rays bouncing off the windshield, she couldn't make out either the driver or the passenger in the approaching SUV.

  The vehicle came to a stop just outside the open gate. A man with wire-rimmed glasses and a mustache, wearing a light green sweater vest and slacks, stepped out. Hatch could see a side arm and badge on his hip, confirming her earlier observation.

  His partner then exited from the passenger side. Hatch stopped dead in her tracks, causing the young woman walking behind her to bump into her and to dump the basket of freshly dug potatoes she'd been carrying onto the ground.

  Hatch apologized and bent to help the woman pick up the loose potatoes. Her heart was still beating erratically at the sight of Dalton Savage. Her mind, moments before sharply tuned to members of the commune and The Shepherd in particular, was now doing its best to remember how to breathe. Savage was approaching. She could tell he hadn't yet picked her out of the crowd. Not sure whether to run from him or to him, she did neither. After helping retrieve the potatoes, Hatch stood frozen in place.

  The Shepherd stepped beside Hatch. "Why would you invite others to this day's ceremony?"

  "I didn't."

  "At Marigold's request or not, I need to ask you to leave." The expressive tone that he'd used when delivering his sermon was all but gone. Dorothy appeared and retrieved the tunic that she’d lent Hatch. Hatch met Dorothy’s eyes. Without speaking, Hatch pleaded to the woman to tell her something, but Dorothy hurried off as Savage and his partner approached.

  Hatch walked towards him. Savage did a double take and then his eyes went wide. She saw the question forming on his lips, but gave a subtle shake of her head. He closed his mouth and continued to walk in the direction of The Shepherd.

  As Hatch passed Savage, she whispered, "I'll be at Clem's when you're done."

  He slowed to a stop and fumbled with the words in his mouth. He was rendered speechless and offered nothing but a confused nod. Hatch continued on toward the Jeep parked beyond the gate and didn't break stride. She'd smelled the licorice on Savage as she passed. It took everything in her power not to look back.

  Twenty

  Savage looked back at Hatch as she walked away to the Jeep and got inside without so much as a glance back in his direction. The surprise and elation of seeing her had been dampened by the coldness in their exchange. He had a thousand questions for her percolating in his mind, but those would have to wait.

  "A friend of yours?" Thorpe said.

  "Something like that."

  The man with long hair and a staff who'd been talking to Hatch as they'd arrived closed the distance on Savage and Thorpe, stopping them from meeting the celebrants who were scurrying about the common area.

  Fires burned and large pots boiled. A lamb was being turned on a spit, sending the scent of the cooked meat into the air. In spite of the merriment of song and dance, Savage felt the unwanted glances of those dressed in white.

  "Sir, I'm Detective Thorpe with Wilson County Sheriff's Office. This here is Sherriff Savage from Hawk's Landing, Colorado."

  The Shepherd looked Savage up and down, resting his eyes on the silver of his badge that peeked out from an untucked button-down shirt. "What brings you all the way from Colorado?"

  "Closure."

  "Ah, something many seek but never find. In life or in death." The Shepherd held firmly to the staff in his hand and delivered the words with sermon-like reverence.

  Thorpe cleared his throat. "Sir, we'd like to speak to Dorothy Green about the disappearance of her daughter, Kyla."

  "We do not recognize those names here, but I know of whom you speak. The mother has taken the name Wind Walker. And her daughter is known within these walls as Moon Dancer."

  "Why the name change?" Savage asked.

  "Fresh start. Everybody deserves one by the Lord's grace." The Shepherd looked to his people. "Each takes a name that calls to them. Wind Walker arrived during tornadic winds."

  "And Moon Dancer, how did that come about?" Thorpe had a pad and pen at the ready.

  "She is a child of the night. Often I've found her wandering far from here in the dark hours."

  "Where does she go when wandering?" Savage looked out at the expanse of the rise and fall of the wooded land surrounding them.

  The Shepherd shrugged. "Belies asking. To wander explains much. But I'd say the stream that runs beyond the homes was a favorite of hers. On more than one occasion, I've found her out by the small falls that feed the stream. She loved to watch the moon dance along the water."

  "Can you show us?" Thorpe adjusted his glasses as he looked up from his pad.

  "I'm sorry to say, but no. Not today."

  "There's a little girl who's missing. I think that trumps any celebration you might have planned." Savage let the edge in his voice be heard. Thorpe shot a glance in his direction.

  "Maybe you are right, but we believe differently here. Celebration of light always pushes away the dark. This morning's celebration will reach the heavens. And in doing so, will call forth His angels to bring our daughter of the light home to her flock."

  "I don't think that's going to have the effect you think it is." Savage stepped closer to the religious leader. "Your best bet is to let us look around, talk to each member of your flock and get a clear picture of what happened to Kyla Green."

  The Shepherd dropped his feigned smile into a frown. "I think we've been more than accommodating. One of your deputies has already taken his report."

  "Well, that's why we're here now." Thorpe tried to match Savage's confidence, but it came out flat.

  "We've given all the information we have. Nothing has changed since then, and her mother does not wish to speak to you."

  "Can I get your legal name for my report?"

  "I am The Shepherd, and this is my flock."

  "Well, you've lost one of your sheep," Savage said.

  "We have cooperated with you to the extent we are willing. We are now turning our voices to God so that He may call her home to us. If there is nothing further, and you gentlemen do not have an order from the court, then I'm going to kindly ask you to leave." A tall, thin man wearing similar garb moved beside The Shepherd. "Mathias will see you out."

  Savage looked at Mathias and recognized him as last night's gatekeeper. Mathias raised his left hand, guiding them back toward the open gate and their vehicle parked just beyond.

  "He's right. There's not much we can really do," Thorpe whispered to Savage as they turned to leave.

  Savage sighed in frustration, and just before turning to follow Thorpe, directed one last question at The Shepherd. "What can you tell me about Glenn Miller?"

  Savage noticed a slight tremble in the tall Mathias's outstretched hand before he dropped it to his side and cast a look at the Shepherd. The Shepherd shot a look behind him at his followers, none of whom appeared to have heard the question.

  The Shepherd stepped closer with his etched staff. "We do not speak the names of the departed here."

  "Even if it means protecting a murderer?” Savage focused intently on The Shepherd's reaction to the question. The holy le
ader was definitely caught off-guard by it. Figuring out what that meant was the tricky part. "Would it matter if I told you the person he killed was a little girl?"

  "Actually, there are a total of two we know of and probably countless more." Thorpe turned his attention back to The Shepherd.

  The Shepherd looked to Mathias and sighed. His head drooped a bit as he spoke. "Glen Miller was my Shepherd. He pulled me out of darkness and brought me into the light."

  "What do you mean your Shepherd?" Savage asked.

  The Shepherd spoke now in a whisper. "I am breaking one of our cardinal rules in speaking to you about this, but I do so to honor the lives of those victims. I was not always the man you see before you. Miller was my psychologist who brought me out of a very dark place after tragedy and addiction had ravaged my soul. The Eternal Light was born from our therapy sessions, and he was our founder."

  "What happened? Why did he leave?"

  "His interpretation of the word became muddied."

  "How do you mean?"

  The Shepherd turned to Mathias, who stood by his side like a silent sentinel. "Open your mouth, my son."

  Mathias opened his mouth. Where a tongue should be was only a misshapen nub. Mathias closed his mouth.

  "Miller removed his tongue." The Shepherd said.

  "Why?" Savage asked.

  "A question to which I have no answer. Mathias has never chosen to speak of it, and he has faced his forced virtue with unmatched resilience."

  "What happened after?"

  "Miller was asked to leave."

  "And it wasn't reported to the authorities?"

  "No. That is not our way." The Shepherd paused, momentarily lost in thought, and then asked, "Where is he now?"

  "Dead. Somebody decided not to remain silent." Savage thought of Billy Graver and the violence he'd used to scream his truth.

  "If Miller is dead, what connection is there to our little Moon Dancer?" The Shepherd asked.

  "That's what we're trying to find out." Savage said.

  "I wish there was more that I could tell you."

  "I do too." Savage turned and he and Thorpe headed back to their vehicle.

  "How fast can you type a search warrant?" Savage asked once they were outside of the gates and the earshot of the tall, tongueless Mathias.

  "I may not be great on my feet in an interview, but paperwork I can do." Thorpe gave a sheepish smile. "To answer your question. Fast. Why?"

  "Because I want to come back here and comb every inch of that place until I find the truth about what happened to that little girl. Because right now, I'm having a hell of a time connecting the dots."

  Thorpe drove Savage back into town. When they reached Clem's diner, Savage asked him to stop. Thorpe saw Hatch inside. "Got a hot date with that reporter?"

  "Something along those lines."

  "I'm going to head back to the office to start putting that search warrant together," Thorpe said before driving off.

  Savage took a moment to look at Hatch before entering the diner. He felt the old embers begin to burn bright as he watched her.

  Twenty-One

  Hatch sat in the same booth she and Ben had shared the previous morning. The restaurant was packed with locals and Clem was busy tending to them. He'd stopped by her table when she first arrived. Hatch said she was waiting for someone and would wait to order. Clem had been by once more to top off her cup.

  She placed a call to Jordan Tracy to check if he had any luck with the picture she'd sent. He'd said he was still working on it. Although Talon had a unique set of assets at its disposal, facial recognition software wasn't the thirty-second turnaround people saw on TV. The reality was, it took time, and she still had nothing on The Shepherd.

  After receiving a second text message from Cruise asking, Everything okay? Hatch had responded, Still working some leads. Don't have to worry about me. I'm just another pair of eyes on the ground, hoping to put some pieces together.

  Hitting send on the message, she hoped it would satiate his concern.

  Instead, he fired back an immediate response. Do you need anything from me? I'll come out.

  No need. Will be sharing my information with the investigators handling the case. Once we figure out what's going on, the ball will be in their court. Hatch left out the part that one of those investigators happened to be Dalton Savage.

  Will you be back in time for Taylor's service in two days?

  I'll try.

  The door to the restaurant opened as she hit send on her last message. Savage scanned the room. At seeing him, Hatch felt her heart rate increase. His presence had an uncanny effect on her.

  Making eye contact, he gave a half smile as he walked in her direction. He slid into the seat across from her, exhaling as he sat. The hint of black licorice carried on his breath.

  "You're the last person I expected to see here." Savage said.

  "I could say the same,” Hatch replied. “We didn't connect during our phone tag."

  "I didn't mean to be a bother," Savage said as Clem approached with a fresh pot of coffee.

  "I see you've made a new friend," Clem said.

  "Actually, he's an old one," Hatch said.

  Clem topped Hatch's coffee mug off and then filled the one in front of Savage. "You a tin man?" Clem asked.

  "Come again?" Savage looked up at the restaurant owner, his milk white mustache drawn up in a smile.

  "I caught a glimpse of your badge when you entered. Never seen you before. Are you with the county or the state?"

  "Neither. Hawk’s Landing, Colorado."

  "You picked a heck of a time to come to Jericho Falls. You're smack dab in the middle of tornado season. Keep an eye out for the warnings. The watch is already up."

  On the small TV set in the corner of the restaurant, Hatch had been reading the closed captions on the bottom while she waited for Savage. The Storm Prediction Center had issued a severe weather threat across Central Tennessee.

  The SPC had stated the atmosphere was unstable and tornados had the potential to materialize ahead of an approaching cold front. They stated that the moisture and wind shear mixed with the cold mid-level temperatures could form super cells. The newscaster went on to say that the SPC had been late in last March's warning, which led to a tornado outbreak that cost the lives of twenty-five people.

  "I'll be prepping the restaurant a little later. When these things hit, they come on fast. If you hear the warning, you all take shelter. Hear me? Don't get caught out in it."

  "Will do," Hatch said.

  The time was somewhere between lunch and dinner. Hatch stuck with the shepherd's pie, and Savage decided to join her.

  "Well, looks like you two got some catching up to do. Be back with your food."

  Clem moved through the restaurant with the pot of coffee and disappeared into the kitchen area.

  "I don't know where to start," Savage said.

  "How are the kids?"

  "Jake is practicing his martial arts every day. He's got his heart set on wearing a badge in the future."

  "I can think of no better calling for him." Remembering the bravery Jake had shown when an armed intruder had entered her childhood home. He fought to protect his sister, Hatch's mother, and Hatch herself. "How's Daphne?"

  The mention of her young niece's name brought a smile to Savage's face and seemed to work at reducing the tension between them.

  "That little one is a rainbow in motion. She is becoming quite the artist. Heck, my office walls are covered with her work and there's a new drawing just about every time I stop over."

  "You still check in on them?"

  "Always. Plus, your mom's got me addicted to her coffee, so there's that."

  "How is she?"

  Hatch and her mother had a tenuous relationship at best. After the years apart, the rift between them had barely begun to heal when Hatch had to leave home again.

  "Jasmine's doing great. I don't know if it's my place to say, but she is seeing someone."<
br />
  Hatch's eyes popped wide. The thought of her mother with anybody but her father, even in the twenty years since his murder, caught her off guard.

  "Really?"

  The smile remained on Savage's face. "You won't believe me when I tell you who it is."

  "Are you going to make me guess?"

  "I don't think you would if I gave you all the time in the world. Jed Russell."

  Hatch thought of the old recluse who had come to Hatch's aid and proven himself worthy in battle. There are few greater tests of a person's resolve, and Hatch had borne witness to it firsthand. She trusted Jed with her life. Somehow, it seemed fitting to entrust him with the care of her mother.

  "Is she happy?"

  "Happier than I've seen her in a very long time."

  "Good."

  "I thought you would've been back by now to see for yourself."

  Hatch thought about how she had left things with Savage, how she had finally cleared her name, yet she hadn't returned.

  "I meant to, but it's complicated."

  "Seems like everything with you is."

  "I've got to clear some things personally before I can come back. Just because my name is clear doesn't mean my head is. And right now, I think we have more important things to talk about than my absence."

  "Like why you're here?" Savage asked, "And why you're wearing a reporter's badge?"

  "The father of the missing girl, Kyla Green, happens to be the brother of my commander at Talon. I'm doing this as a favor."

  "And what is it you're doing, exactly?"

  "I'm eyes and ears on the ground. I'm here to help."

  "By interfering with an investigation?"

  "I think you know me better than that. I'm not interfering. I'm assisting."

  "Assisting how?”