They were all escorted out individually by the team, finally free from the horrendous torture Lady Luck had made them endure, including some other missing women found alive—barely—deep in the bunker. The corpses of several missing men were not so fortunate.
Captain Cox made the arrangements, putting everyone at ease before Mason was allowed to check up on Evie.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, approaching his sister.
Evie sat on the step of the van, dark bags under her eyes evidence of the exhausting traumas. “Not the best.”
“An ambulance is on its way.” Mason perused the scene. There were a dozen women, all being comforted by Cox as they wept. It was disturbing to know the things Wendell had been capable of. If she hadn’t been shot dead, she would surely have been locked away for the rest of her life now California had stopped dealing out the death penalty.
In the distance, Sandra was sobbing at Joshua’s murder. His death, however, probably didn’t sting as much as his callous betrayal of her beforehand. For the first time in forever, Mason felt a pang of sympathy for his ex-wife.
“Cox is waiting for you,” Evie said, moving him on.
Mason looked at her. It was one of those moments where it felt as though they both wanted to discuss what had happened. She knows, he thought as he read her disapproving frown. She knows what I did to Marvin Wendell. “I—”
“Don’t say anything. We’ll talk about it later.”
“There might not be a later.”
Evie sighed. “I know.”
Captain Cox approached from behind. “Evelyn, could we have a moment, please?”
They watched Evie leave, then both sat on the van’s step, looking out at the busy scene as it unfolded around the trapdoor.
Bill walked past and nodded before attending to whatever business he’d been assigned. “Some night, huh?”
Mason uttered an uncomfortable laugh. “For sure. Hey, what’ll happen to Luke now?”
“Wendell’s son? We’ll take care of him.”
“He’s a sweet kid. This will scar him.”
“No doubt.”
Mason shifted his legs and hung his head. He knew what was coming.
“I guess I owe you an apology,” Captain Cox said.
“No. You were just doing your job. But I had to prove myself.”
“Of course, but it still has to go to court. You did evade police custody, you know, and caused the city some damage. Shots were fired.”
Mason just nodded.
“I wouldn’t worry too much about it though. It’s just procedure.”
“You sure a jury will see it that way?”
“They’d better. You’ll have me standing beside you.”
Mason smiled, remembering how much he’d liked working with her all those years ago. “I appreciate that—I really do—but isn’t there something else that needs to be addressed?” It was better out in the open. The tension was killing him—he would rather be arrested here and now than suffer another uncomfortable second.
“What’s that?”
“You know, Wendell said that I—”
The captain waved a hand in dismissal, then stood. “I didn’t hear everything she said. See, I’m a little hard of hearing. Besides, there was some damage to the recording.”
Mason glared up at her. “You mean…”
Cox patted him on the shoulder and lowered her lips to his ear. “Promise me two things… I want to know that he suffered unimaginably.”
Mason nodded. “What’s the second?”
“I never want to hear anything about this again.” She turned and left, rounding up the officers who’d set up the recordings. “All right, let’s get all this wrapped up!”
In the distance, the drone of ambulance sirens grew louder. Mason stood, raised his nose to the sky, and drew a long, deep breath. He could smell the piney scent of the towering redwoods, and the damp, deliciously mulchy grass beneath his feet, and was suddenly overwhelmed and grateful to have his freedom.
Only one question remained: what was he going to do with it?