Where was Morgan anyway? He had been in a hurry, almost as if he’d known something I did not, which suggested there was more to this situation than met the eye. He had told me during our picnic in Garland Ranch Park about something suspicious going on in the Ventana Wilderness and how he didn’t want me anywhere near there. Why hadn’t I paid more attention, asked more questions? Then again, why had it been necessary for me to ask for information that Morgan should have offered freely?
Why the mystery?
Okay, so what did I know?
I knew that Joshua’s parents had died here and that the child had experienced something traumatic enough to rob him of his speech. I also knew that Joshua was afraid of Jake. The poor kid had spilled his breakfast and had become limp and unresponsive when he encountered our reclusive guide at the campfire. Jake hadn’t missed the child’s reaction, yet had proceeded to clean up the mess and slip away. Looking back now, Jake’s actions seemed more than a little odd.
And what about Veronica? Joshua wasn’t afraid of her. In fact, they seemed to share a special bond, which had fueled a bout of jealousy on my part. If she wasn’t involved in Joshua’s disappearance, where was she? In my heart, I trusted her and believed that Joshua trusted her, too; but I didn’t trust Jake. Oh no, not Jake. From the start, he had signaled bad news.
So now what? I was unarmed and alone. Well, not completely alone. I had the Voice. Whoever and wherever she was. I had already surrendered to my fear; why not surrender to her as well?
“Tell me what to do,” I said—half in jest, half with an allowance for hope. And for the first time, she responded, as if I’d finally spoken the magic words.
Soon you will understand the true purpose of your journey.
Even though the speaker existed in a realm invisible to me—one that defied all logic—her words brought comfort. With her assurance came hope, a conviction of something not seen.
Blondie snorted and tossed her head, alerting me to the dangers of my surroundings. I had to be nearing the cave. So where was it? Countless shades of green surrounded me, some dappled with sunlight, some draped in shadow. Water trickled in a hidden stream. Wind whispered through shrubs and trees. Everything looked familiar, smelled familiar, and sounded familiar, but the connection I’d felt to the cave was lost. What had been so clear minutes before and had brought me this far was gone. I struggled to recapture the energy, the determination that had given me strength. I came here to help Joshua, damn it. Pete’s vision—and the Voice—would lead me to him. I had to believe that.
A hawk screeched overhead, followed immediately by the stench of evil. It closed in on me; it poisoned my lungs; I saw its unholy face.
“Jake!”
He bowed and swept his arm into a wide arc as if welcoming me to the gates of hell.
“Where’s Joshua?”
The heat of anger pumped up my muscles and pumped down my fear. I needed to rein it in, before I did something stupid.
“How’d you find us?” Jake asked.
“Us?” I yelped.
“Dang, you look like Vonnie,” he said.
Though Ben had told me Jake was my sister’s friend, I couldn’t visualize Veronica hanging out with him. My smart, savvy sister? Never.
“Vonnie’s one hot and powerful bitch,” he said, “very controlling. But you . . . Same face, same body, but your eyes tell a different story.”
So, Jake had turned into Mr. Talkative all of a sudden, now that he had me alone. My mind raced, crashed against a wall. “I asked you a question,” I said.
“I heard you.”
“Where’s Veronica?”
I detected a flicker of life in those dull, indifferent eyes. “She doesn’t like you much. Says you’re on a friggin’ journey.”
Did Veronica talk about me like that? The thought hurt.
“Don’t you know?” Jake said, “Everybody’s on a fuckin’ journey. What makes you so different?”
Where was Joshua? Where was Veronica? They had disappeared at the same time Jake had. Were they his prisoners?
“You use your colored rocks. My customers use white pills. If you want to go on a mental journey, I sell something that’ll transport you first class. You’ll cry tears of joy.”
When I shook my head, he said, “Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. I can help you get real close to the Source.”
Had I misjudged Veronica? Could my sister be dealing drugs? That would explain her association with this bottom-dwelling loser.
A gray figure hobbled up from behind Jake, only to be illuminated by the mid-morning sun. It seemed inappropriate somehow—sacrilegious even—for Tommy Boy to be honored in this way. “What’s he doing here?” I said.
“He’s come for your horse.”
“Unless you can tell me where Joshua is, I’m not staying.”
“Get off the fuckin’ horse and I’ll show you,” he said.
The rhythmic swishing of blood in my ears and debilitating ache in my chest signaled I was terrified half out of my wits; but damn if I’d give up now. Joshua needed me, and apparently, I had succeeded in finding him before anyone else had. Yippee for me. So how was I going to get the two of us out of here without getting killed? I stepped down from the saddle, welcoming the feel of solid ground in my suddenly un-solid world. When Tommy Boy took hold of the reins, I regretted having stored my cell phone in my saddlebag. I might have found an opportunity to press 911, though the reception out here was probably zero.
Jake led me to a crude shelter almost completely hidden between rocks, bushes, and trees. Enough was visible, though, to surmise that it consisted mainly of scrap wood and tin, bringing to mind shelters used by the homeless, which barely served as protection from the elements.
As we stepped inside, the foul odor hit me like a slap. Switching so suddenly from inhaling clean air to its complete opposite caused me to stifle a gag. If death had a smell, other than rotting flesh, this was it.
“Sorry,” Jake said. “We’re all out of air freshener.”
“You’ll get used to it,” Tommy Boy said from behind me.
I felt his breath on the back of my neck, which triggered a swelling of goose flesh. I hoped I’d never get used to the smell of hell, or to the filth I was encountering now. Animals kept their dens cleaner than this.
“Come along, sweetheart,” Jake said.
For the first time since my arrival, I almost balked. Hearing Morgan’s endearment coming from this man made me nauseous. My face must have registered my revulsion—if Jake’s reaction was anything to go by.
“Don’t,” he said. “I’m a lot nicer when I’m in a good mood.”
We crossed the first trash-filled chamber only to enter an equally wretched space. And there on the filthy floor sat Joshua, with his hands and feet tied and his back pressed against the wall. The look of relief on his face when he saw me made me forget about my own discomfort and become completely absorbed by his. I rushed to his side and dropped to my knees.
“My sweet, precious darling, what have they done to you?”
“Lucky kid,” Jake said.
Tommy Boy sneered. “Not so lucky.”
I started to untie Joshua’s hands, until a sharp pressure on my shoulder brought me to a halt. “No,” Jake said.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tommy Boy hand Jake a rope. I jerked around and directed a gaze of pure hatred their way. If I’d been the super-hero Joshua had mistaken me for, the beam of energy emitting from my eyes would have neutralized the enemy. As it was, it only seemed to egg them on.
“Why’d you tie him up?” I asked, my only defense, apparently, words. “He’s only a kid. What has he ever done to you?”
“Nothing yet,” Jake said, reaching for my hands.
I slapped at his grimy paws. “What are you? Crazy?”
When Tommy Boy attempted to grab me from behind, I jammed my elbow into his midsection, twisted around, and slapped his face.
“Bitch,” he screamed, covering his cheek with both hands.
“Coward,” I said.
For the first time I understood the urge to hurt someone, I mean, really hurt someone. If I’d been holding a gun, I think I would have pulled the trigger. “What kind of monster are you, picking on a woman and a child?”
“Are you sure she ain’t Vonnie?” Tommy Boy squealed.
“Fights like her,” Jake said as he pulled back my hands from behind.
I started to struggle, but he jerked my arms up, sending a jolt of pain to my shoulders that temporarily disabled me.
“Why?” I asked, the one word covering so many questions. Why did Jake deal in drugs? Why did Veronica associate with him? And most of all, why had they kidnapped Joshua?
Instead of giving me an answer, Jake dealt me a swift shove. I landed on my knees next to Joshua, and when I looked into his eyes, I almost cried. Instead of seeing fear, as I’d expected, I saw an expression of hatred. Directed at Jake. The child had already been introduced to this dark and destructive emotion.
I didn’t hear Jake and Tommy Boy leave the room.