CHAPTER 24

 

The bang echoing through the night sounds just like a broken exhaust pipe. Jed freezes. A gurgle erupts from his lips as he opens and closes his mouth, gasping for air. The pressure on my throat eases, and my own mouth opens wide, sucking in a deep breath.

As another bang breaks through the darkness, Jed falls forward. His heavy body crushes me, knocking out the little bit of oxygen my lungs managed to absorb. I push against him, my legs kicking, but I’m so weak that he doesn’t move an inch. To my horror, something warm runs down my side. When my fingers brush over it, I realize it’s blood.

A yelp escapes my throat and I struggle harder to free myself. Jed’s body seems to weigh a ton. His face is buried in the snow, his hair grazing my cheek, and the touch sends chills down my spine. My shrieks grow louder. Jed’s chest doesn’t move and I am trapped underneath him. The thought that he might be dead spreads in my head like wildfire. I fight the building nausea in the back of my burning throat, my shrill screams tearing through the tranquility of the night the only sound to overpower my thumping heart.

Finally, the heavy burden is pulled off me and through my blurred vision, I find Finn staring down at me. My tears start to flow freely as soon as he wraps his arms around my shaking body.

“He is dead,” a voice mutters next to me.

The words make my head snap sideways and I gaze right into Jed’s glassy eyes. My stomach heaves. I clutch my hand over my mouth to keep the bile from spilling out before I meet Marcel’s gaze, who is squatting next to Jed’s still body. His hand runs over Jed’s face and forces the eyelids shut. I am grateful—though those lifeless eyes will still haunt me.

Marcel rises. “I’m gonna call the cops.”

He fishes a cell from his back pocket and steps away, giving Finn and me some privacy.

“Did Marcel shoot him?”

Finn shakes his head. “No, Luke did.”

It’s the first time I notice a third figure in the darkness, leaning against a tree. I try to get up and go to him, but Finn holds me back. “Give him a few minutes.”

I wiggle out of his grip. “He’s my brother and he needs me.”

My steps are heavy as I walk over to him. Luke’s face is streaked with tears and his lip trembles. He looks like he is about to faint. A rifle is by his feet.

We embrace without uttering a single word and I guide him away from the gun, away from the dead body. In the sanctuary of the trees, I finally break the silence.

“Thanks for saving my life.”

His face is barely visible in the darkness. “I can’t believe I killed him.” His words break when a sob shakes his body.

“It was either him or me. You shouldn’t blame yourself.”

“I know.” His voice is laced with despair. “But I can’t help it. It feels wrong.”

“Luke.”

I reach for him and he finally snaps out of his trance. With the back of his hand, he wipes the wetness from his face before stroking my cheek. “How are you?”

My whole body is sore, my throat on fire and my head pounding, but I don’t want to give him any more grief. “Alright, I guess.” A thousand questions zoom in my head. “How did you find me?”

“Marcel has this GPS device that can track phones, and a few hours ago, he got a signal. He came up straight from Portland and picked Finn and me up. Luckily he drives like an absolute maniac or we probably wouldn’t have gotten here in time.”

In that moment, sirens and lights break through the forest as five patrol cars slowly make their way toward the crashed van and Jed’s dead body.

“We should talk to the cops, Luke.”

I tug at his sleeve when his body goes rigid, his lips pressed together. He pushes himself to follow me as I walk back toward the crime scene, the cops already talking to Finn and Marcel.

“Officer, there’s a second girl who has been abducted,” I say. “You need to send a car to get her.”

The cop pulls out his walkie talkie. “Are you Kelsey Miller?”

I nod.

“What’s the other girl’s name?”

“Hallie Garvey.” I hop from foot to foot, avoiding to look at Jed’s figure in the snow, while he is talking to someone on the radio. “Please, officer, hurry. She’s all alone and hurt.”

He waves at one of his colleagues. “Can you tell him where she is?”

I chew on my lip, trying to visualize the way in my mind, but my memory fails me. “She is at a cabin, but I honestly don’t know how to get there. It was dark. I can’t even remember if we passed any driveways. Can I please come along?”

The two cops exchange a look. “But we need you back here for your statement. In the meantime, please confirm that none of these three men were involved in your abduction?” He swings his arm in a big circle, which could include every cop on the scene, but I am pretty sure he’s talking about my three heroes.

“These guys saved my life, officer. They deserve a medal.”

His eyebrows crease as his gaze travels to Marcel, who glares back at him with his arms folded across his chest.

“I told you I had nothin’ to do with this. It was self-defense and I wasn’t even the shooter.” His chin points at Luke. “Ask him. He’s the rich white boy with the clean record, so I suppose you can trust his word.”

All eyes land on Luke who shuffles his feet under the attention. “It’s true, officer. I shot Jed, but it was self-defense.”

The officer rubs his chin. “Okay, I’ll take this for now. I need all your statements before you leave here tonight, and you need to remain within the state while this investigation is pending.” He turns to his colleague. “Ms. Miller will show you where Hallie Garvey is. She is the minor who went missing just before Christmas. I’ll call the FBI team so they can close this out on their end.”

I trot behind the young cop to one of the patrol cars, wondering what just happened. For me, this matter is crystal clear, but the police don’t seem to share my opinion. The way the officer looked at Marcel almost gave me the impression that he thinks that Marcel is the criminal here and Jed the innocent victim.

Still mulling over this injustice, I hardly notice that the car has started to move and is slowly driving down the forest path.

“How far is it, ma’am?” the cop asks.

I focus on the road. Walking in the dark, it seemed like an eternity but to my surprise, we pass the pillars to the driveway after only a couple of minutes.

“It’s right there.” A prickling sensation spreads at the nape of my neck. Now I wish I hadn’t left Hallie behind. I know it is stupid since the cabin provides good shelter and she was too hurt to wander around in the snow, but my mouth still dries up like sandpaper. With every yard the car edges closer to the cabin, more muscles in my body tense.

I jump out as soon as the car has come to a halt and storm up the steps to the porch, ignoring the cop’s warning shout. With one strong push, the door flies open. I stare into an empty room. Surprisingly, the lights are on, but there is no sign of Hallie or Maisie. A bowl of water is on the ground and the blanket that covered her is still warm from her body heat. The fire has been extinguished but for some glowing ashes.

My gaze darts around the cabin, trying desperately to find a sign of her. “Hallie!” I rush to check the bathroom, but she isn’t there either. My fingers run through my hair, my mind not wanting to accept the horrific thought. What if Napoleon got her?

Every part of me shakes in cold sweat when my knees give way and I reach for the sink to balance myself. Guilt washes over me, slicing into my heart. I should have never left her. If something happened to her, it will be my fault. Images of her being raped and screaming for my help twirl in my head, causing my stomach to twist. It takes all my effort not to break down and cry.

I force myself to return to the living room where the cop is talking on the radio. With a raised finger, he quiets me. I stare at the ashes in the fireplace, replaying my earlier visit to the cabin. I should have checked the bedroom and made sure she was safe before I left. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but no matter how often you wish you can turn back the clock, it never happens.

“Okay, I put a search out for your friend”—the cop interrupts my sullen thoughts—“We’ll have roadblocks within the hour. With the storm, it’s the best we can do.”

I give him a crooked smile—he has no idea who he is dealing with. In an hour, Napoleon will have slipped through the cracks. I fall onto the couch and bury my face in my hands, hot tears caught by my fingers. My head feels heavy, my body aching every time I flinch a muscle. I would love nothing more than to lie down and allow for exhaustion to take over, but my mind is racing at a hundred miles per hour. I am tired, buzzed, and utterly miserable, all at the same time. With my legs and arms tingling painfully, there is no way I could go to sleep.

“We should go back,” the cop says.

When I stand up, the room starts to spin and my knees buckle.

The cop is by my side and lowers me back down on the couch. “Watch it there, ma’am.” He frowns, observing the cut on my forehead. “That looks pretty bad. You might have a concussion. How did this happen?”

For a second, I’m taken aback. Didn’t he see the crash site? Then I remember I was with Luke in the woods when the police first arrived, so he probably didn’t make the connection. “I was in a car crash.” I lean back, fighting the nausea in my throat that seems to be getting worse the more I talk.

“Are you in any pain, ma’am?”

I gaze at him through hooded eyes. “I couldn’t tell you one part of my body that doesn’t hurt.” My hand clutches over my mouth when bile rises, but I manage to force it back down.

He clicks his tongue like it’s my fault that he didn’t ask earlier, mumbling something under his breath before raising the walkie talkie to his lips. “Ten fifty-seven to my location.”

There is a brief crackle. “Ten four, over.”

I can’t help but chuckle. The whole scenario reminds me of some bad police soap. A sharp dagger stabs me right in between my ribs in response, warning me to stay put.

“I called an ambulance.”

I feel obliged to acknowledge his efforts with a smile—after all, it’s not his problem that I feel like total crap, and he just tries to be helpful. In silence, we wait, the ticking grandfather clock on the wall counting down the minutes. The monotone sound stretches my frazzled nerves to the limit.

Finn and Marcel arrive at the same time as the ambulance.

“Where is Luke?” I ask while the paramedics carry me out on a stretcher.

“They took him down to the station,” Finn hurries along, his fingers entangled with mine.

“Why? Did they arrest him?”

Another horrific scenario unfolds in my mind, this time of Luke in jail for murder, his whole life destroyed. Roy told me when Jed got off that it doesn’t matter if someone is guilty or innocent—the courts only care about what the prosecutor can prove. What would happen if no one believes that Luke only shot Jed to save me?

Finn’s thumb brushes over the back of my hand. “Don’t worry about it. It’s routine, I think.” The forced grin on his face is neither comforting nor convincing.

“Can you call his dad? I’m sure he wants to go down there as his lawyer.”

He squeezes my hand. “Already done.” When the paramedics lift me into the ambulance, his voice pleads, “Can I ride along?”

The guy squints at him. “Are you two related?”

Finn grimaces as he shakes his head.

“Sorry, dude, can’t allow it.”

Finn steps aside and lets go of my hand. “I’m right behind you,” he mutters.

While the ambulance rolls through the night with roaring sirens, I answer basic questions about my age and medical health. As I list the names of all the medications I am on, fear crunches my chest. I was strong these last few days because of Hallie, but will I be able to continue on my own? What if the cops don’t find her, or worse, they find her broken body? I won’t be able to cope and there is a strong possibility that the urge to cut myself will once again take over my life.

A cold gust greets me when I arrive at the hospital. The storm is still not done with us, freezing rain hitting my face as they wheel me inside. The lobby is filled with cops who huddle around another patient. When I catch a glimpse at her, my heart skips three beats.

“Hallie!” I wipe my eyes, making sure she isn’t a hallucination.

She squeals. “Oh my god, Kelsey. They told me you were okay, but still . . .”

When our eyes interlock, a heavy burden lifts off my chest. I exhale, letting all my worries escape together with the air that is pushed through my nostrils.

The nurse stops my trolley right next to her wheelchair and my hand reaches over to touch her, ensuring she is real. “How did you get here?”

She points to a guy who is talking to a few cops with his back turned to us. “He’s the owner of the cabin and returned after you were gone. He had forgotten his phone at home, so we couldn’t call the cops, but he had a car out back and brought me here.”

When he turns around, my eyes narrow. “That’s Jackson, my brother’s cousin. What was he doing out by the lake?”

Hallie shrugs. “He said he had a fight with his parents and wanted to be alone. When the power cut off, he went out and was working on the generator in the shed, so he didn’t hear us when we broke in. You should have seen his face when he first saw me.” She giggles. “He thought I was a ghost.”

My gaze stays on him as the prickling sensation in my neck returns. All this is way too convenient. I will ask Larouge to check him out.

“Has Jed been arrested?”

Hallie’s question tears me away from my conspiracy theory. “No, he’s dead.”

She gasps. “How? Did you—”

My lips twist in pain when I imagine his grip on my throat and my fingers instinctively run over the sore spots on my neck. “My brother shot him as he was strangling me.”

Her gaze is intense. “Did he tell you Napoleon’s identity before he died?”

I hesitate before answering her. “No, he didn’t.”

We stare at each other, her eye twitching. I’m sure she’s thinking the same thing as I am—as long as Napoleon is still out there, we will never be free.