Thirty-Three

“You were kidnapped,” Megan said, awed at her own lack of vision. “You didn’t run away.”

“She’s a smart one.” Barbara wore hiking pants and a sleeveless shirt. Her slender, muscular arms bulged as she pulled Dillon into the tent with her. She carried a small pistol down by her side. “What a pain in the ass this kid is.”

Dillon’s face was completely blank. He plodded along, his large frame bulky in the small tent. Megan studied him. He had a fresh break-out on his face, and his hands were shaking. Other than that he seemed to be okay. He’d been gone for more than twenty-four hours. That was twenty-four hours without his meds. She hoped he could cope.

She hoped they could both cope.

“Xavier says you want me to play along with your charade and blame Dillon. Why should I?”

Barbara knelt on the ground, her pistol aimed at Dillon. “Because you don’t want to die.”

“Why not just leave me out of it? Plant your evidence and frame Dillon. I would have been none the wiser.”

Xavier said, “That would have been great except for Martine. You kept texting her, meeting with her. We didn’t know how much you knew.” He cocked a shoulder toward Dillon. “And then your grandmother and this kid. What was that about?”

“You were afraid they’d gotten too close. That Dillon shared things with her that would lead authorities to you. So you poisoned her.” With dawning horror, Megan realized the dose was meant to permanently harm or kill Bibi. Barbara was a scientist. She could have gotten the medicine from the school if their med procedures really were lax, or she could have gotten it through her own pharmaceutical connections. One way or another, she would have been aware of the overdose’s effects on the nervous system—and the risks the drug presented to an elderly woman.

Megan felt rage rush through her veins, swell her chest. These people could have killed Bibi as carelessly as they’d swat a fly or step on an anthill.

“You could have killed my grandmother,” Megan said.

Barbara nodded. “We could have, but she’s still alive.” Her ponytail swung with her head, forming an arc. “So now your only choice is to become one of us.”

The threat hung there, as potent as if she’d said it aloud.

Megan said, “And Dillon?”

Barbara was silent, but in that flash of a second, Megan saw regret in her eyes. Regret because they planned to kill him too. Maybe both of them.

Plant evidence connecting him to two murders. Have him die while killing a third person—murder suicide, perhaps. No more evidence. Smart.

“I’m assuming you have Martine’s phone? That you’re going to plant that with Dillon as well?”

Barbara pulled a phone out of her pocket. “See, you are smart.” She glanced around the tent. “We don’t have a lot of time. Here’s what we’re going to do since I no longer trust you to cooperate. Dillon, you’re going to drag Megan out by the lake. You need to make it look real. You can try to drown her or hit her with a stone…something believable. Megan, you’re going to play along.”

Megan knew once they got out there and staged a struggle, it would be bye-bye for both of them.

“Get up.” Xavier pulled her to her feet. “Let’s go.”

Barbara was pushing Dillon back out of the tent. Megan tried to catch his eye, but the boy was staring down at the ground. His gaze flicked toward her, but only for a second, before aiming at the ground again.

That’s when Megan saw it. The rock they must have used to hammer in the tent spikes. It was holding back part of the tent rain hood now. Dillon’s eyes flicked toward it, and Megan realized he’d seen it too.

Barbara shoved Dillon onto the ground outside of the tent. She was a wiry woman, but athletic and strong. Xavier was behind Megan, urging her out. The rain had begun again in earnest this time. As Megan bent down to go through the tent opening, her phone started to ring. Her initial feeling was disappointment—her attempts to call someone had been unsuccessful—but the sound seemed to catch Xavier off guard.

After that, everything happened quickly.

Megan saw Dillon reach for Barbara’s ponytail. He yanked hard and she yelled, causing Xavier to turn and lose his balance. Megan grabbed the stone and flew on top of Xavier, pounding him in the head. He held on to the gun, but his arm was pinned under Megan. She sat on it, bending his arm backward. He moaned and dropped the gun.

“Stop.” Barbara’s voice was an angry whisper. “Get off of him or I kill this kid.”

Barbara had Dillon in a headlock, pistol aimed at his head. Dillon’s eyes were dancing back and forth widely. At first Megan thought it was terror, only he seemed to be motioning toward the trees on either side of the tent.

Trying to alert her to something or someone.

Or asking her to pretend.

Megan stared beyond Barbara, into the trees. She opened her mouth slightly, feigning relief and surprise. Dillon’s eyes stopped moving.

Barbara turned slightly in the direction of Megan’s stare. Xavier was bleeding profusely from his head and neck where Megan had attacked him with the stone. He’d dropped the gun, and Megan snatched it. She was still sitting on him. She dug her butt into Xavier, incapacitating him as much as possible, and raised the gun toward Barbara’s head just as Dillon kicked Barbara behind the knees. Barbara fell and he grabbed her hand, trying to wrestle the gun free.

Megan shot at the tree in the distance. The shot reverberated up her arm, throwing her off balance, but the sound was enough to startle Barbara. She was tall and strong, but Dillon was taller and stronger. He pulled the gun from her grasp and forced Barbara onto the ground. Megan motioned for him to come to her.

He handed Megan the pistol.

“There’s rope in her bag,” he said, pointing to a knapsack under the tent’s small rainfly. “She was going to use that to…”

“It’s okay, Dillon. Get it out and let’s tie them up.”

Dillon worked quickly. He secured Barbara to a tree and tied Xavier’s legs and arms together. Megan was relieved to see they had reception. She called King and 911. Denver had been the one trying to reach her, and she called him as well.

“Let Eloise know Dillon is safe.”

“I will. Megs, I’ll get there as soon as I can. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“We’ll be fine.”

Megan didn’t want to waste battery, so she sat quietly by Dillon while they waited, his hand in hers, each holding a gun on the miscreants.

Eventually, Megan said, “I know two ladies who are going to be so happy to see you.”

Dillon gave her a tentative smile. “I heard about Mrs. Birch. Is she okay?”

“She’ll be better knowing you’re safe.”

Sirens wailed in the distance. After a few moments, he said hesitantly, “Think I can stay over some time? I can help with the animals, earn my keep.”

“Of course.” Megan squeezed his hand. “You’re welcome any time.