Turn Back Time Page 21

  As soon as his eyes closed, another knock sounded. Nick groaned. “Come in.”

  Anderson rushed in. “They found the van, and a series of cameras showed it heading toward a forest in Kittitas County.”

  Nick sat up. “Trying to hide in the Cascade Mountains.”

  “It would appear that way.”

  “How’d they figure that out so fast?” Nick rubbed his eyes.

  “You’ve been asleep for three hours, Captain.”

  “I have?” He threw the blanket aside. “We’d better get going.”

  Anderson nodded. “I’ve set up a team. Helicopters and K9 units are already headed that way. We just need to find out exactly where the commune is located.”

  “We’ll need all the ’copters and dogs we can get in a thick forest like that.”

  “Yeah. You taking your car or a cruiser?”

  “I don’t need to put that kind of mileage on my Mustang.” Nick hurried over to his desk.

  “I’m heading out with Paine. You taking Phillips?”

  Nick shook his head. “Foster. She found some critical clues last night.”

  “She’s got potential. Glad you’re taking her under your wing. See you there.” Anderson rushed out of the office.

  A minute later, Foster poked her head in. “You want me to assist you again, Captain?”

  He nodded. “I need you to warm up one of the cruisers. I’ll be out in a few.”

  “Consider it done.” She ducked out.

  Nick pulled out his phone and called Alex to let him know what was going on. The call went to voicemail. “Your sister’s missing, and you’re not answering your phone? We have a possible location on the cult. Kittitas County, probably in or near the Cascades. Call me if you want more details.”

  He stuffed the phone in the inside pocket of his jacket and slid it on before grabbing what he needed and heading out to the parking lot. Two cruisers sat idling. He went over to the nearest one. Anderson and Paine were inside, looking at something on a phone. Nick headed over to the other car. Foster sat inside, pulling her long, dark hair into a ponytail in the passenger seat.

  Nick climbed into the driver’s seat and adjusted the height down. “You could’ve driven. I’m no chauvinist.”

  She shrugged. “You’re the captain, so I just assumed you’d be driving.”

  “Doesn’t matter to me.” He glanced down at the GPS. It was already set for an address near the Cascades. “All set?”

  Foster nodded.

  Nick pulled out of the spot. “Why don’t you fill me in on what’s happened the last few hours?”

  “Mostly just more useless tips. Johnson and I waded through most of them. Then Anderson heard back from the DOT, and here we are.”

  “Here we are. Let’s just hope that cult is where we think they are.”

  “I’d hate to think of all this manpower wasted on a false lead.”

  “Me, too.” Nick pulled into traffic. “Me, too.”

  Locked

  Macy paced the tiny, well-sealed shack. She’d pulled on every board, finding them all to be sealed tight. Her skin was still raw from the cleansing process. She hadn’t been given the dignity of a private shower. At Jonah’s command, Eve had scrubbed every inch of Macy’s skin.

  She shuddered, just remembering it, and pulled her rough white clothing tighter, not caring that it rubbed harshly against her sore body.

  Images from long ago flooded her mind, suffocating her. She’d never been able to forget the community, and now her memories were more vivid than ever before.

  Macy leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, trying to think about Luke. She pictured him, smiling at her from the altar. Their wedding day had been the happiest of her life, surrounded by people who loved them both. She had stared at Luke as the music played. Her dad had looped his arm through hers, smiling proudly through the tears that shone in his eyes.

  Luke had never been more handsome than that day, standing there in the tuxedo. The excitement in his eyes showed that he was as over-the-moon thrilled as Macy. Alex stood next to him, grinning at her. It had been during Alex’s rougher years, but he’d been there for them on that important day.

  Scratch, scratch.

  Macy’s eyes flew open, thrusting her back into reality.

  Scratch, scratch.

  Her pulse burned as it raced through her. She wandered the little building, trying to figure out what the noise was. Whatever it was, it had stopped.

  She quit wandering and stared at a pile of stones. Who had put them there, and what had happened to them? Had they suffered the same fate Macy was about to? Had Lottie been here?

  Macy picked one up and studied it. There was nothing special about it. Dirt clung to it as though it had recently been dug up. It fell from her grip and bounced on the other rocks.

  Tears blurred her vision. If what Eve had told her was true, Macy would never see anyone she loved ever again. She would stand trial with Jonah as judge—and he blamed her wholly for the breakdown of the community and for his jail sentence.

  Macy leaned against a wall, slid down to the ground, and allowed her tears to fall freely for everything she would miss. No more anniversaries or birthdays, no more Christmases or vacations. Never again would she wake up to see Luke smiling at her with the same adoration she had for him. She would never get to meet the child they made together—the beautiful little person who would be half her and half him.

  Her hands rested on her stomach, and her tears turned into sobs. “I’m so sorry I got you into this. You’ll never get to meet your daddy. He would’ve loved you so much.” She choked on her words. “I wish he could at least know about you. That we had a chance at a family. But that’ll never happen now.”

  Macy pulled her knees up and rested her forehead on them. She sobbed until she had nothing left. Time seemed to stand still. There was no way to tell how much had passed. Had it been hours? Minutes?

  Finally, she crawled over to the pile of rocks and found one with a sharp edge. Macy clung to it and scooted to the far back corner of the building. She scraped lines and curves onto one plank of wood, working hard and with intention until she had finished her task.

  Choking back more tears, she admired her handiwork.

  I’m sorry, Luke. For everything.

  He might not ever see it, but at least there was a chance—no matter how tiny.

  Macy wandered to the other end of the little building and pressed her ear against the wall. Just as before, she couldn’t hear anything.

  Despite her worry, her eyelids grew heavy. Between the pregnancy and the stress, it was no wonder exhaustion had claimed her. She sat in a corner, leaned her head against the rough wall, and let her eyes close.

  In her dreams, Luke stood by a lake and ran toward her with open arms. Macy cried out with joy and ran to meet him, desperate to hold on forever. He ran his hands through her hair and kissed her passionately. She responded by kissing him desperately.

  Click.

  Click.

  Macy sat up, gasping for air. “No!” She tried to go back to the dream. That would probably be the last time she would see him again.

  Click.

  Click.

  Click.

  Her throat closed up as the door flung open with such force that it crashed into the wall with a loud thud.

  Two men dressed in the community white garb rushed in and glared at her. One of the men covered Macy’s head with a white head piece, but Macy had no slit to see from like her previous time in the cult. She kicked and hit them as she screamed at the top of her lungs.

  Something hard hit the side of her head, making her ears ring. Arms wrapped around her, making it impossible for her to hit. She could still kick, and she did in every direction her body allowed. Hands wrapped around her ankles, pinning them together tightly. Together the two men carried her.

  Macy yelled out as loudly as she could. A hand covered her mouth on top of the fabric. She bit down on the fingers as hard as sh
e could.

  The man swore and hit her in the face. “You’d better start behaving, or Jonah will add to your torture. You’ll be begging for death, and he’ll only laugh in your face.”

  Action

  Luke sipped the cold, stale coffee as he wandered back and forth in the lonely field. What else did he need to do to get the attention of the community leaders? He was alone in the middle of a field. He’d driven slower than dirt, making sure that anyone watching him couldn’t miss his exit from the house.

  Either they wanted to drive him crazy, or they had no intention of taking him. But that didn’t make any sense given that he was as involved with the community’s downfall as anyone else who’d been kidnapped—more than most, in fact. He’d been working alongside Macy, urging her on.

  Why didn’t they want him? Was their idea of his punishment to wait, not knowing what was happening to his mom and wife? If so, it was working.

  A chilly breeze blew by and gave him the shivers. Cold air coming in meant either rain or wind, or both. That would make it harder to find and fight the community members.

  “Why don’t you want me?” he called out. “What’s wrong with me?”

  Silence answered him. He continued circling the field. Another gust of cool air kicked up, ruffling his hair. Luke finished off his coffee and set the cup on a tree stump. He’d pick it up on his way back to the car. He wrapped his arms around himself and continued his path around the field, shivering. The breeze continued, growing slightly stronger and colder. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

  Even better.

  “Come and get me!” He paused and waited, hearing nothing other than the wind.

  Luke’s chest tightened. He needed to do something—anything more than walking circles around an abandoned field. It wasn't helping anyone. Nobody in the community cared whether or not he wanted in. His suffering was supposed to be outside the commune.

  His mind wandered back to that fateful night… The fire. The gunshots. Running through the cornfields. His dear friend dying in his arms. Tears stung his eyes. No matter how many years passed, that memory was one that never faded or eased. Luke had plenty of injuries himself, but nothing like she’d had. And the look in her eyes as she said goodbye, urging Luke and Macy to go on…

  He choked back a sob. All these years later, and it still felt like yesterday.

  Luke pulled out his phone and called Alex. “I can’t do this anymore. Nobody’s watching me other than you. I don’t know why, but they’re not.”

  “I just got off the phone with Nick,” Alex said. “They think the cult is hiding out in the Cascades.”

  “Does he know where?”

  “They’re heading to Kittitas County.”

  Luke passed the stump, grabbed his empty coffee cup, and headed for his car. “I’m going there.”

  “All they know is what county!”

  “That’s enough for me.” Luke went to the side of the road where his car was parked and waved to Alex, who was in his car. “I’m going.”

  “So am I.”

  “This could be a suicide mission.” Luke got in his car, turned on the engine, and cranked the heat. He shivered, unsure if it was from the chilly wind or the memories of the life lost in his arms. Either way, he intended to find them and make sure those crazies didn’t kill Macy and his mom—if they were still alive.

  “My sister’s in there.” Determination filled Alex’s tone.

  “Then you’d better be able to keep up.”

  Alex snickered. “You clearly don’t know me if you think I can’t.”

  “Just call me if you hear any more information.” Luke ended the call and pulled into traffic. He glanced in the rear-view mirror. Alex was right behind him.

  Luke gripped the steering wheel. It would be a long drive to the woods, but he would do what he could to shave as much time off their trip as he could. He had to get there before anything happened to Macy or his mom. If he had to break inside and pretend to be a faithful member of the community, that’s what he would do.

  He would risk his own life to save theirs. As a father, with his child’s life on the line, he needed to do what he could to make sure he or she had every chance to see the light of day—even if it meant Luke wouldn’t.

  Rattled

  A headache squeezed Lottie’s skull as she listened to Jonah drone on and on. The rope around her wrists and ankles seemed to tighten on their own. Half a dozen gun-bearing guards stood around the prisoners. Each one kept their fingers on the trigger, ready to shoot if necessary.

  If only listening to Jonah’s long-winded speech was their only punishment, but it was only the warm up session. Back in the days of the original community, he held nightly meetings—attendance required for all residents—where he would talk for hours on end about his daily prophecies. She shuddered, thinking about the days when she’d sat still, excitedly taking in every word he spoke.

  Jonah whacked the gavel again—that was probably what was giving Lottie her headache. He’d been hitting it so much it was as though he was trying to rebuild the desk. “…and that concludes today’s prophecy. Now to begin the trials.”

  He turned and stared at Lottie and the others, first staring into her eyes and then moving to the others. She shook as soon as he turned his attention to someone else. Someone placed an arm on her back. Gratitude washed through her at the simple gesture reminding her that they were all in this together.

  A crash sounded near the back of the courtroom. The main door flung open and two guards rushed inside, dragging someone whose face was covered. She writhed about, obviously trying to free herself from their hold. Gasps sounded throughout the building.

  Jonah hit the gavel close to a dozen times. “Silence!”

  The courtroom quieted.

  “Reveal the traitor!”

  Lottie’s stomach tightened. With all of Jonah’s talk about Heather—Macy—she had no doubt her sweet daughter was the one struggling against the guards. Tears blurred Lottie’s vision.

  One guard wrapped his arms around Macy while the other reached for the head covering. Lottie sent up a futile prayer that it was someone else about to be revealed. But who else would she be?

  The guard gripped the head covering and waited a beat before yanking it off. Macy cried out and her head twisted as the white fabric pulled away.

  Lottie’s stomach lurched. It was definitely her sweet Macy.

  Jonah clapped his hands. His eyes lit up with glee. “Bring her here and stand her before me.”

  The room spun around Lottie. Her knees wobbled and her stomach lurched again. Hands clung to her shoulders. “We’ll get through this,” Jayla whispered in Lottie’s ear. “Now that we’re out of the jail, we stand a chance at breaking free.”

  Lottie nodded, though she didn’t believe a word of it. Aside from the ropes, chains, and gun-bearing guards, there wasn’t a person in the entire building who would let them escape. The prisoners were public enemy number one. The docile members wouldn’t hesitate to turn into a murderous mob if Jonah gave the order.

  She continued trembling as Macy stood in front of the platform, looking up at Jonah. Though she said nothing, there was a fire in her eyes. She wasn’t going to give up without a fight.

  Good girl.

  Jonah struck his gavel again. “Do you know why you’re here, Heather?”

  Macy nodded.

  “Answer me!”

  “Yes.”

  “Tell me why.”

  Macy’s expression tensed. “For my crimes against the community.”

  “Which are…?”

  Macy took a deep breath. “Breaking out and convincing others to come with me.”

  “And?” Jonah leaned forward.

  “The eventual destruction of the community.”

  Jonah nodded. “And now once you’re sentenced, you can’t claim ignorance. You know exactly what you’re being executed for.”

  Lottie gasped out loud. Sydney spun around and covered Lottie’s
mouth. Her eyes widened and she shook her head, silently begging Lottie to stay quiet.

  Jonah turned to the group and glared at the guards. “Keep our prisoners in line.”

  Several guns cocked.

  Lottie froze.

  “Good.” Jonah turned back to Macy. “You will be tried last and your punishment will also be last. Not only will you watch others die because of your poorly thought-out decisions, but your own death will be the longest and most excruciating of all. You’ll have plenty of time to think about what you’ve done—so much so that you’ll beg for mercy. You’ll plead. But you know what?”

  Macy didn’t flinch.

  “Do you know what?”

  “What?”

  “You won’t receive any! You’ll suffer at the hands of your father.” Jonah waved his arms toward Chester. Macy flinched at the mention of Chester being her dad. “The longer your suffering, the greater his reward. You didn’t prevent him from becoming a high prophet. No, you only delayed the inevitable. Instead of converting someone from the world, now his duty to become prophet is to sacrifice the one he loves most—you. He’s going to find his way to the glorious promised land. You… well, dear. You’re going somewhere else altogether.”

  Macy stared at him, somehow not responding to his lunacy in any way. Lottie was certain she couldn’t have remained so strong if she’d been in that position.

  Jonah turned to the two guards wrapped around Macy. “Put her with the others.” Jonah turned to the audience and spoke about the upcoming executions.

  They dragged her over and threw her. Macy crashed into Thomas and Kinsley and fell to the ground. Lottie lunged toward Macy, but Jayla and Sydney stopped her. Thomas helped Macy up. She dusted herself off and looked around, her gaze finally meeting Lottie’s. Tears shone in her eyes, and then she hurried over to Lottie.

  Lottie made her way over to Macy and leaned against her—the closest she could come to an embrace with ropes tied around her. “I’m so sorry you’re here.”