Cassidy swallowed hard as she processed his words. A man with a gun? This had to be their suspect. He’d run from them and ended up at Gilead’s Cove.
Abbott had told her to stand down. But all of her instincts screamed that she had to act. Now.
She didn’t usually justify going against authorities. But in this situation, what other choice did she have?
She squeezed the phone harder, a decision solidifying in her gut. “I’ll be right there.”
“But Cassidy—he said you have to come alone,” Gilead rushed. “And I think he means it. He’s unhinged and . . . I’m not sure how this all is going to turn out.”
She licked her lips, noting the man’s usual arrogance was gone. He sounded truly frightened. But she wasn’t making any promises.
“How am I going to get inside, Gilead?” Cassidy decided to focus on the facts. She’d let the uncertainties sort themselves out later. As she waited for his response, she pulled her jacket closer, adrenaline fueling her actions.
“I’ll have someone at the gate to meet you.”
Cassidy ended the call and looked at Ty. “This situation just became ten times worse. We need a plan, and we need one fast.”
Ty waited until Cassidy had sent Dane and Leggott back to the station to help Abbott. She was disobeying direct orders, and she didn’t want them to be a part of it. That was what Ty had surmised, at least.
Braden remained at Hope House with Kujo, just in case this was a setup and one of the men came back there.
That left Cassidy, Ty, and Mac standing outside on the briskly chilly evening. The sand dune and ocean were on one side, and Ty and Cassidy’s cottage above them.
As soon as they had a moment of privacy, Ty turned toward her.
“There’s no way you’re going into Gilead’s Cove alone.” Emotion surged through Ty at the thought of what Gilead was asking Cassidy to do. “Besides, how do you know this isn’t a setup? I don’t trust this guy.”
Cassidy frowned beside him but still looked unconvinced that his words were correct. “I don’t know that it’s not a setup. But I can’t let someone innocent remain in harm’s way just because I have reservations. I took an oath to protect everyone on this island, not just to protect the people I like.”
Mac stepped toward them. “I agree that there’s got to be a better way. Going into Gilead’s Cove alone is like a suicide mission. All Gilead has to do is say the word, and you’re a dead woman, Cassidy.”
“What do you two suggest?” Cassidy asked.
At least she was open to ideas . . .
“How is this guy going to know if it’s only you?” Ty’s intense gaze remained on hers.
“There are two of them,” Mac said. “The other man could be keeping a lookout.”
“We could still get a couple guys in there without being seen,” Cassidy said. “There are plenty of RVs. And, like I said, it’s dark outside. That will work in our favor right now.”
“We can only hope,” Ty said.
Cassidy didn’t seem to hear him. Instead, she headed toward her police SUV where all her gear was located. “I’ve got to get a bulletproof vest on. I don’t have a lot of time here to argue.”
“What’s your plan then?” Mac’s intense gaze was focused only on Cassidy, like a soldier waiting for orders.
Ty watched his wife, waiting for her response. Her going into Gilead’s Cove alone . . . Ty couldn’t fathom any positive outcomes. He really didn’t want her to do this.
Cassidy remained quiet as she pulled her vest on, but Ty could see her thoughts spinning. Finally, she looked up at him and Mac.
“Only you two,” she said. “You two can go in, but you’re going to need to breach the fence. I don’t want anyone knowing you’re there unless it’s absolutely necessary. Do you understand?”
“Of course.” Relief flushed through Ty. Good. He would be close, in case Cassidy needed him. But he still didn’t like this situation. It could turn ugly—fast. She would need for people to have her back.
A few minutes later, they headed down the road. Cassidy braked before they reached the Gilead’s Cove compound and turned to Ty and Mac.
This was it. This is where they got out and went the rest of the way on foot in order to not be detected.
Ty leaned toward Cassidy and planted a quick kiss on her lips. “Be careful.”
“I will.”
He wasn’t done yet. “I love you, Cassidy Chambers. I need you to come home tonight.”
“I will. And I love you too.”
After a moment of hesitation, Ty closed the door and darted into the shadows with Mac. But he couldn’t stop himself from watching Cassidy’s taillights disappear down the road.
He lifted up a prayer for Cassidy’s safety. He didn’t like this. Not at all.
Chapter Twenty-Three
As Cassidy pulled up to the gate of Gilead’s Cove, a man she’d never seen before met her there. Memories flashed back. Memories of being here before. Of a man named Barnabas acting as the gatekeeper.
He’d died for the Cause in the most horrific way a few weeks ago.
Cassidy’s stomach still twisted in knots at the memories. She could still see the man’s face, still jump back in time to the man’s final moments.
The new security guard opened the metal gate for her. The sound of the metal arms screeching out their welcome sent a new round of shivers down Cassidy’s back.
She prayed she knew what she was getting herself into. Then again, how could she know? There were too many uncertainties.
This could be a setup.
This could be a death mission.
But Cassidy had to try to help—both out of duty and out of compulsion to do the right thing.
Once she’d pulled inside the compound and the gates had crept into the closed position again, the security guard approached her door. Cassidy lowered her window—just two inches—as the man leaned toward her.
“Gilead is waiting for you farther down the lane,” the man said, his face and voice placid. Did that mean he didn’t know what was going on? Or that he didn’t care?
Cassidy couldn’t be sure.
Instead, she nodded and continued down the dark, gravel lane.
Who would have thought that Anthony Gilead would have called her for help? That this was the way Cassidy would end up getting on this compound?
It was unexpected, to be sure.
But she supposed that even Anthony Gilead didn’t mind government interference if it meant protecting himself and, therefore, his people.
Her headlights illuminated someone who looked like the power-hungry cult leader standing at the end of the lane. He motioned her closer.
Cassidy pulled off the road and, with her gun still in its holster, climbed out.
Where were Ty and Mac now? Had they successfully made it in? Had anyone seen them?
They were both skilled and experienced. She was going to have to depend on them right now to keep her alive. There was no one else she trusted with her life like she did the two of them.
As she took a hesitant step toward Gilead, another realization lingered in the back of her mind. What was it? What fact tugged at her brain, begging for her attention?
It was about this gunman, she realized. There was something she’d been missing.
But what?
The man had been IDed in Nags Head. He had a girlfriend who’d disappeared. And all of this was coming to a head at Gilead’s Cove.
Cassidy knew time was of the essence right now, but she paused mid-step toward Gilead. She turned, pulled out her phone, and dialed Detective Sullivan’s number. She had a question for him that couldn’t wait until morning.
His answer confirmed Cassidy’s suspicions.
“Chief, this guy . . . his name is Danny Simpson. He’s off his rocker. I know Abbott told you to stand down, but just in case you have other ideas . . . be careful. I suspect from what I’ve heard that the man had some psychotic tendencies, to put it mildly.”<
br />
“Will do.”
“And if you need me, call me.”
Nausea trickled in Cassidy’s gut as she heard a footfall behind her. She turned and gasped when she saw Gilead directly behind her. His movements must have been ghostlike because she hadn’t heard him approach.
The man didn’t look as composed as usual. His hair was rumpled right now, as if he’d just gotten out of bed. His skin looked surprisingly pale in the moonlight. His actions were faster—more frantic—than usual.
“What are you doing?” Gilead rushed. “This man has one of my people hostage. And you’re making phone calls?”
Cassidy refused to let this man get to her. “Believe it or not, that phone call was about this situation.”
She glanced around, looking for any clue about the atrocities here. The old campground reminded her of a graveyard, with each RV a tombstone. Souls were dying here, and Anthony Gilead was the creepy caretaker.
“This way.” Gilead motioned for Cassidy to follow. He hardly waited for her to confirm. Instead, he just started walking, as if expecting her to follow.
Cassidy trailed after him, anxiety slapping her with the same force as the early spring wind that whipped around these grounds. Though the moon was out, the darkness still hung heavy and solid around them, a reminder that danger prowled near.
“Is there anything I need to know?” Cassidy asked Gilead, her voice cutting through the stillness.
“No, only that Moriah was sleeping—”
Cassidy turned toward him, her heart skipping a beat. “The man has Moriah?”
Gilead’s eyes widened with surprise. “You know who Moriah is?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. Her parents are looking for her. They’re very concerned.”
Something hardened in his gaze, and he began walking again. “She came here of her own free will.”
“We don’t have time to argue about these things now. That’s not why I’m here.” As much as Cassidy would love to have the conversation, they had more urgent matters to discuss.
“No, we don’t. That man is threatening to kill her.”
She studied his face—the tight lines, the firm set of his lips, the wrinkles on his brow. “Moriah means a lot to you, doesn’t she?”
Gilead ran a hand through his hair. “All of my people do.”
But Cassidy had her bets on the fact that Moriah was “special” in some way to Gilead. She couldn’t stomach those details right now, especially knowing what she did about Lela.
“How did you learn what was going on here?” Cassidy asked. This compound wasn’t exactly set up for effective communication procedures. As far as she knew, most members didn’t even have cell phones.
“This man . . . he led Moriah by gunpoint into the Meeting Place. I heard the commotion downstairs and came down from my apartment.”
“Did he take her to the Meeting Place knowing you’d be there?”
“I have no idea. I think . . . I think he wants this to be a big show. Maybe her RV didn’t allow for that. I didn’t ask.”
“Go on.”
“That was when he demanded that I call you. I think you’re the end game here, Cassidy.”
His words chilled her, but she pushed the fear away.
“And they’re still in the Meeting Place now?” The Meeting Place was the old community center at the heart of the compound, back from when it had been an RV park. Members of Gilead’s Cove currently met there to eat, fellowship, and learn.
Cassidy knew that only because she’d been inside the place before while talking to Gilead about another crime.
“That’s correct. Please, help Moriah. She’s . . . terrified.” Gilead actually sounded like he cared.
“I will. But I need two things from you.”
“What do you need?”
She gripped her gun harder as she stopped outside the Meeting Place. “First, you need to start calling me Chief Chambers. Second, I need you to go get Kaleb Walker and bring him here.”
Gilead blanched. “Kaleb?”
“Yes, Kaleb.”
“What do you need him for—”
Cassidy shook her head. “Don’t ask questions. Please. Just get him. Understand?”
“Yes . . . Chief Chambers.” With one more hesitant glance, Gilead took off in a jog.
Cassidy turned toward the Meeting Place, bracing herself for what could be the fight of her life . . . and for her life.
Moving swiftly, Ty crossed through the patch of woods that ran alongside the edge of the Gilead’s Cove property. He paused as he reached the fence and glanced around.
He saw and heard no one. Only the wind rustling the leaves and the waves gently lapping the sandy shores of the Pamlico Sound.
All else was eerily quiet.
Moving carefully, he climbed the fence and landed on the sandy ground on the other side.
He’d compared Anthony Gilead to a terrorist earlier. Now that he thought about it, Gilead’s Cove wasn’t much different than some of the terrorist compounds Ty had encountered when he worked in the Middle East.
On the outside, the place and this group appeared to be all about love and acceptance and finding a better way of life. But on the inside, Ty knew that a twisted man had masterminded all of this to earn the loyalty of his followers and to keep them locked away from the rest of the world. What better way to indoctrinate people?
What Ty couldn’t figure out was Gilead’s end game. To gather more followers? To take the people’s money and become wealthy? Or was it power? Did Anthony Gilead simply like having people think he was like God?
Still, other possible motives haunted Ty’s thoughts at night, like the thought that all of this could be one big effort in revenge, one that could end in death for all those involved, much like Heaven’s Gate or Jonestown.
And Ty couldn’t help but wonder if he was somehow personally connected. Gilead knew way too much about him. About Cassidy. Ty didn’t know how yet, but he would figure it out.
Another time.
“Are you in?” Mac asked in his earpiece.
“I am.” Ty scanned everything around him again, all the dark shadows and white-washed RVs. “I’m going to walk the perimeter and make sure there are no other surprises.”
“Sounds good. I’ll do the same on this end and then let’s check in.”
“Roger that.”
Just as Ty had said, he began walking along the fence, careful to remain out of sight.
He glanced at one of the RVs as he passed and saw a little girl’s face appear in the window. Her eyes widened with terror when she saw him. A moment later, the top of a woman’s head appeared, and the child disappeared quickly, like someone had jerked her back and out of sight.
Ty’s stomach turned again.
How could all of these people live like this? Live without questioning the person in charge? Blindly following someone they hardly knew?
Again, those were questions for another time. But something about this place set off Ty’s internal alarms.
His phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen.
It was a message from Cassidy.
He sucked in a breath when he read her message.
Need your help at Meeting Place ASAP. You’ll understand when get here. Everything—and everyone—is connected.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Cassidy put her phone away before drawing in a deep breath and knocking at the door to the Meeting Place. A moment later, someone shoved it open.
An angry Danny Simpson—the same man who’d been at that rental house after they found Clint’s body—stood there holding a gun to Moriah’s head. Her eyes were wide and terrified—rightfully so. Blood stained the nightgown on the side of her shoulder, and her cheeks were wet with tears.
Simpson’s gaze lit with satisfaction when he spotted Cassidy. “Good. You came. Let me see your hands. No quick moves.”
Cassidy raised her hands and stepped toward him, quickly noting how he looked. His eyes were wide an
d crazy. Sweat covered his forehead. His brown hair looked greasy and unkept.
This man was off his rocker, just as Detective Sullivan had said.
“I don’t want any trouble,” Cassidy said.
“Then leave your gun outside. On the ground. Where I can see it.”
Cassidy reached behind her, carefully pulled the weapon from her holster, and placed it on the ground, just as instructed. “What now?”
Danny surveyed the area around her before muttering, “Come in.”
Cassidy swallowed hard before stepping into the Meeting Place. There was no going back now. She ignored the terror that thought brought with it. Even the most seasoned officers still felt a healthy dose of fear when situations called for it. And this situation definitely called for it.
The building was mostly as she remembered it—a void of cold and darkness. A place where the windows had been boarded. Where outside eyes couldn’t see in, creating a privacy that Cassidy found unsettling.
Cassidy glanced at Moriah again. Even through the darkness in the room, Moriah’s wide eyes were unmistakably lit with terror.
“Why don’t you let Moriah go?” Cassidy kept her voice steady and calm. “She didn’t do anything here, and she doesn’t have anything you want.”
“I’ll call the shots here!” As the words left his mouth, Danny must have gripped Moriah tighter because she let out a yelp. If he let her go, Cassidy felt certain the woman would crumple to the ground like a rag doll.
And the blood on her shoulder? Where had it come from? Had Danny already injured her?
Anger burned through Cassidy.
“Please, you’re hurting Moriah.” Cassidy reached for the woman but stopped short and dropped her arm. “Stop. Just let her go.”
“I’m not hurting her,” he growled.
“Then why is there blood on her shoulder?” Cassidy nodded toward the mark.
“It was here before I came, smart aleck.”
Cassidy glanced at Moriah. She didn’t deny it. Just what was going on here? What had happened to Moriah?
Attempt to Locate Page 14
