CHAPTER 6
“Baby? Baby, wake up.” Asher shook me gently by the shoulder and I stirred on the air mattress. Thick dew covered the top of our sleeping bag and the sky was still dark, save a bright orange streak across the horizon.
“What is it?” I asked with a yawn. I stretched my arms over my head and stared up into Asher’s animated eyes.
“I thought of something. I dreamt of it, actually. If Rachel and Luis really are working together, I know exactly where they’re working from,” he announced.
I wiggled out of the sleeping bag and reached for my shoes. “What do you mean you know where they are?”
“The family has a cabin out in the middle of nowhere between here and LA. Luis used to take me fishing there when I snuck away from my foster homes. No one else ever used the place. It’s beyond rustic, no heat and air or indoor plumbing. They only kept the place for tax reasons. It’s the perfect place to go when you don’t want to be found. And I know Rachel knows about it. Come on. If we hurry, we can be there in an hour.”
“Hold on, Ash. We can’t just drive up on the place. It’s great that you thought of the cabin. But we need to call the police. They can handle it from here.”
He shook his head and set off for the house. I stomped along behind him, begging him to see reason.
“You’re not thinking this through,” I insisted.
“No. For the first time since Cynthia Goins walked into my life, I’m finally thinking clearly. So many things make sense, Lauren. I can’t believe how obvious it is. I have to face them myself. I need to look the bitch in the eyes and let her know that I finally know exactly what she’s done.”
“You need to slow down and explain what you’re talking about.”
“We don’t have time. I’ll explain on the way.”
“You aren’t making any sense, Asher. And we’re supposed to meet with the board in a few hours, remember? I’m going to wake Parker.”
I had no idea what Asher had dreamed, but I was certain that he’d lost his mind. I rushed for the front door and heard the garage open behind me.
“Parker isn’t going to talk me out of this and I’ll be gone before you make it to the office. If you’re coming with me, get in the truck. If you aren’t, I’ll call you when it’s over,” Asher warned.
It went against every instinct I had, but I turned and joined him in the truck. I buckled my seatbelt and turned to him with a frown. “Start talking.”
“Okay, I’m going to have to backtrack a little. I’m still working some of this out in my head. I told you that when I first suggested we go to the police, Rachel wanted nothing to do with it.”
“Right, because she was still strung out. And turning the family in to the cops meant losing her fix.”
Asher barreled down the mountain and turned onto the highway.
“Exactly. And she changed her mind when she overheard Carlos tell Miguel that she needed to be dealt with. Or so I thought. That’s one thing that never made sense to me. Miguel was a dumbass, always running at the mouth. But Carlos was sharp as a tack. And he outranked Miguel. If he wanted Rachel dealt with, he would have just done it.”
“I’m not following you, Asher.”
Damn it, of all times to not have my fucking phone. I need to tell someone where we are and what we’re doing. We’re going to disappear into the woods and no one’s ever going to hear from us again.
“When Rachel supposedly overheard Carlos and Miguel, she already knew about the files of evidence I had against the family. She didn’t get scared and decide to cooperate with the cops. She told Luis about the files and he flipped her to his side.”
“This still isn’t making any sense. If that happened, wouldn’t Luis have dealt with you before you had the chance to turn the files over?” I shuddered as the words left my mouth.
“I didn’t have the files,” Asher explained. “The moment I told Rachel about them, I realized I’d taken a big risk. She was so erratic. I sent them to my father with instructions to turn them over if anything happened to me. I told Rachel what I’d done to keep her from getting any ideas. The cops retrieved them from Dad’s cell after our first meeting.”
“Explain to me exactly how you think this played out,” I insisted, still struggling to understand the details.
“The files were a lost cause,” he began. “The moment Rachel blabbed, Luis knew he was fucked and revenge became his sole motivation. He knew if Rachel went to the cops with me, they’d put us in protective custody together. Then, all they had to do was wait for her to let them know where we were. Rachel didn’t know I had a gun. No one did. I don’t know if Miguel really intended to kill her too, or if that was just part of the cover. But I was never supposed to walk out of that cabin. And that bitch fucking knew it.”
This actually makes a lot of sense.
“You blew their plans when you pulled the gun.”
He nodded. “And Rachel ran with me because it was her best option.”
“So you think she’s just been biding her time all these years, waiting for Luis to be released?”
“I think she’s been doing whatever works to her best advantage. I can’t believe I fell for her shit for so long.”
“Asher, you have to pull over,” I begged. “We have to let someone know where we are.”
“There’s a gas station off of our exit. We’ll stop there and call the police,” he promised. “You can stay there, if you want. But I have to confront her myself, Lauren.”
“I get it. And I’m not staying behind at some gas station while you drive off into the middle of nowhere. I just want to make sure we have some backup. If the cabin is as remote as you say, it could take the cops awhile to get there.”
Asher reached across the truck and opened the glove compartment. A nickel plated pistol glimmered in the sun and my stomach did a violent flip.
“I won’t let anything happen to us.”
He retrieved the gun and slid it into the waistband of his jeans.
I can’t believe this is my life. How the hell did this happen? Why did I get in the truck?
“Asher, you’re scaring me,” I confessed.
“There’s nothing to be scared of,” he assured me. “The LAPD has Luis under surveillance. If he’s at the cabin, there are already cops in the area. And Rachel is too damn arrogant to think we’ll find her there. She’s fooled me for so long, why wouldn’t she be arrogant?”
“But the gun… nothing good ever happens when guns are around.”
“It’s just a precaution. I swear, Lauren. I have no intentions of hurting anyone. We’ll call the police at the exit and then go on to the cabin. If they don’t beat us there, they won’t be far behind us. I’ll probably be lucky to get three minutes with Rachel before they haul her off to jail.”
God, I hope so. This cannot be how it ends for me. I haven’t come this far to die in the woods at the hands of a psychopath. God, why did I get in the truck?
Despite Asher’s reassurances, I had a terrible feeling that my life had already changed in devastating, irreparable ways. The tires spun down the highway and I thought about my mom and dad. The way I’d rushed out of the house without explanation couldn’t be their last memory of me.
Maybe I should stay at the gas station. Or maybe I’m overreacting. If Asher really believed going to the cabin was dangerous, he’d never have let me in the truck.
Before I knew it, Asher was pulling off the highway. As promised, he stopped at a small service station and borrowed the clerk’s cell phone. He called Detective Austin and told him where we were. In my opinion, he completely downplayed the urgency of the situation.
“No, I’m not even sure this hunch will play out. It was just an idea I had. Lauren and I woke up early so we decided to drive out and have a look at the cabin ourselves. I don’t really expect to find anything, but we decided to call, just in case. Okay, great.”
Asher passed the phone back to the clerk, thanked him, and stepped back into the parking lot. I followed, fuming.
“You don’t expect to find anything?” I demanded.
“Calm down, Lauren. Austin’s calling the state troopers’ office. They’ll probably be there before us,” he insisted again. He paused beside the truck and stared back at me. “Do you think I would have brought you with me if I really thought we were in danger?”
“No,” I confessed.
“Do you want to stay here?”
I considered it for a moment and shook my head. “No. I’d go crazy wondering what’s going on.”
“Then let’s get going. We’re wasting time.”
I climbed back into the truck, my heart racing. Asher fired up the engine and turned down a small two lane road.
“How long until we’re there?”
“About ten minutes. And in fifteen, this will all be over. Rachel will be in custody where she belongs. My identity will probably still be exposed, but we’ll deal with it. If she talks, we may be able to put Luis back behind bars too.”
Asher turned down another road and slowed the truck. A few miles later, he turned again onto a gravel driveway. He pulled up to a small cabin that looked like it would collapse with a small gust of wind and killed the engine. A few moments later, a short, dark skinned man with silver hair stepped out onto the porch.
“Fuck,” Asher groaned.
Luis Chavez smiled, beckoning us to come inside with the barrel of a shotgun.
***
“Lauren, I am so sorry. The cops will be here any minute. Just follow my lead. And if I say the name Livingston, get the hell out of the way.”
Livingston?
“Do you understand?” Asher pressed.
I nodded, my eyes fixed on Luis. “Follow your lead, Livingston means get out of the way. I got it.”
My heart was racing, but my hands were steady. I unbuckled my seatbelt and Asher and I reached for our doors in unison.
“Open the door and keep your hands up as you get out of the car,” he directed.
I did exactly as Asher said.
“It’s been a long time, gringo. I’ve been expecting you,” Luis greeted him.
“Hello, Uncle. I wasn’t expecting to see you today.”
“Ah yes, because you have the gringo cops watching me. I know. My cousin isn’t loving the constant attention.”
“How is Marco?”
“Already tired of being me, but who can blame him? Being me is shit these days, thanks to you. But all that’s about to change. I’m assuming you’re here for the girl? You and that damn girl. She was the start of all our problems, William. And you brought another girl to fetch her. Tell me, which one are you going to save if I lose my temper?”
“I have no intentions of pushing your temper, Uncle.”
“Your intentions are horseshit, just like your loyalty. Come inside.” Luis turned and stepped back into the cabin. Asher followed without looking at me and I remained fixed to the ground. Luis stuck his head out and waved the gun at me again.
“Come on, girl. I didn’t make you a part of this. You have William to thank for that.”
I took a deep breath, straightened my shoulders, and climbed the porch steps.
“It’s Lauren,” I said as I stepped past Luis.
“What?” he replied, his lips curling in a slight smile.
“My name is Lauren. I don’t answer to girl.”
“You got spirit, girl. William always liked spirit. Me? I like my girls quiet. Sit down next to the bitch and show me how quiet you can be.”
I turned into the cabin and saw Rachel on a well-worn couch. Her hair hung in tangles around her face, her eyes were puffy and red, and her hands were tied in front of her. She glared up at Asher like a rabid dog.
“It took you fucking long enough to find me. This animal has had me for weeks. Where the fuck have you been?”
“Save your shit, Cynthia,” Asher snapped back at her. He turned to Luis, his hands still up.
“Look Uncle, I mean you no harm. I never did. I think you were misinformed about something a long time ago. Yes, I saved some information I shouldn’t have. But I never intended to use it. You can’t blame me for wanting to protect myself against what happened to my father.”
“I can blame you for not showing loyalty to the hands that fed you,” Luis spat. “Your father is a noble man. He understood how things had to be and he did his job. I can’t say the same for his coward son. You told the girl to turn on us. You chose a cunt over your family. What kind of man does that, William?”
“You were going to kill her,” Asher countered.
“Maybe we were, maybe we weren’t. It wasn’t your decision, regardless. But you got involved anyway, didn’t you? You just couldn’t resist being the hero. You should have died in that cabin instead of Miguel. But no matter. You and your girls will die now.”
“I know you’re not going to kill Cynthia,” Asher announced as Luis swung his shotgun toward the couch.
The old man paused for a moment and turned to Asher.
“Oh yeah? You think you know so much? Why wouldn’t I kill the bitch?”
“Asher, please!” Rachel screamed. “You have no idea what I’ve been through. He’s going to kill me. He’s going to kill all of us.”
“No one’s dying today. Where’s my money, Cynthia?”
Tears sprang from her eyes. “Why do you keep calling me that? Stop calling me that. Do something, Asher, before he hurts us.”
“Where’s my money?” he repeated, his eyes locked on hers.
“I don’t know where the money is. He showed up at my condo the day before you left for London. He had your flight plan and told me he’d kill you if I didn’t transfer the money into his account. I did what he asked, but he didn’t let me go like he promised. I’ve been here ever since.”
“No, you haven’t,” Asher corrected her.
Luis let out a chilling laugh and leaned against the wall. “I told you he wasn’t going to fall for it, girl.”
Rachel let out another wail. “I don’t know why you’re treating me like this.”
“Yes, you do. You can cut the act. I know all about you, Cynthia. I’ve talked to Sam, your doctors, your parents. It took me a decade, but I finally see who you really are. And quite frankly, if Luis wants to send you to hell where you belong, I’d be happy to watch.”
Luis laughed harder, loosening his grip on the shotgun.
Just keep them talking, Asher. We’ve been here at least five minutes. The cops should arrive any time. Just keep them talking and keep his hands off of that gun.
“You talked to my parents?” Rachel growled. She jumped to her feet, pulling her hands from the rope with ease. She leapt at Asher, clawing his face as she landed on top of him.
“You son of a bitch!” she screamed.
Asher grabbed her by the hands and pushed her to the ground.
“Don’t talk about my mother like that, you sociopathic whore,” he bellowed.
“This is fun,” Luis laughed. “I could watch all day. You really want me to kill her, William? I’d do that for you. I liked your mom.”
Rachel spun on the floor and kicked at Luis’s feet. “Shut the fuck up. If it weren’t for me, you’d still be rotting away in a prison cell. You’re not going to touch me. No one’s going to touch me.”
She struggled to her feet and smoothed her t-shirt. “No one’s touching me because I do have the money. Most of it, anyway. Arranging for Luis here to join us cost a pretty penny.”
“That’s one aspect of this that’s tripped me up,” Asher confessed. “Why did you need Luis? Why didn’t you just take the money and disappear? You could be half way around the world right now.”
That’s it. Keep her talking.
“This was a wrong that needed righted,” she explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“This was supposed to happen a long time ago, Asher. It was always going to happen eventually. Luis and I made a deal. I guess you’ve figured that out. You would die at the cabin and Luis’ attorney would get your files thrown out. Without you around, Luis wouldn’t be able to face his accuser. No one would have gone to jail and after proving my loyalty, I’d have become a valued member of the family. That’s how it was supposed to happen. None of us realized you’d have the balls to arm yourself. The way you talked about being able to trust the police made us think it would be an easy job.”
“So why didn’t you run back to the family after we left the cabin?” he asked.
“When you killed Miguel, I thought maybe we were more alike than I originally realized. You became interesting and I wanted to see what you’d do next. We had a good run, you and I. Until she showed up.” She snarled the words in my direction. “I’m surprised you brought her along. But I’m so glad you did. Luis will take care of you. But I’m going to kill this bitch myself.”
For the love of God, where are the cops?
Asher moved between Rachel and me, and Luis lifted the shotgun again.
“Sorry, William, but I can’t let you touch her. She wasn’t lying. She still has your money… my money. Please know that I’m accepting it as a token of your apology for the pain you put me through. All is forgiven now. But the girl wants you dead, and you know how the business works. Whoever controls the cash makes the rules.”
“Who taught you that, Uncle? Was it Livingston?”
Without thinking, I threw myself onto my side and dropped to the floor while Asher reached for his gun. A deafening shot echoed through the room and the smell of burning powder filled the air. I glanced up in time to see Luis hit the floor.
Rachel moved like a cat, grabbing the shotgun. I struggled to my feet and Asher turned his pistol to her.
“Drop it, Cynthia. This is over.”
I heard a car door slam and knew our salvation had arrived.
“It’s over alright,” Rachel snarled. I was stunned when she slammed the stock of the gun into her own face, groaning as the barrel connected with her cheek. Then, she hurled it at me before falling to the floor. Unsure of what was happening, I automatically caught it by the barrel just as the front door came crashing down.
“Police! Drop your weapons and put your hands in the air.”
Four men in SWAT uniforms filed into the house, their automatic rifles held tight to their chests. Asher and I put the guns on the floor and straightened our backs. Within seconds, we were handcuffed and thrown on the couch.
“Thank God you’re here,” Rachel sobbed, holding her face. “These monsters just murdered Mr. Chavez. I don’t know which one of them did it. Luis and I came out here to talk and they just showed up and attacked us. She hit me with the shotgun. I’m not sure how long I was out.”
One of the cops helped her to her feet and examined her face while two others searched Asher and me. He was carrying his wallet; my pockets were empty.
“My name is Lauren Matthews,” I told them. “This is Asher Reynolds. We’re the ones who called this in. Our attorneys are Parker Parish and Kennedy Montgomery. Call them. Or call Detective Austin with the San Juan PD. They will explain what happened. This woman is unstable. You can’t believe anything she says.”
“Ma’am, we were alerted to a possible altercation at this address. We arrived to find a dead body, an injured woman, and the two of you on your feet with weapons. You’re free to call whoever you’d like once we’re at the station. For now, I need you to stand.”
“Just do what he says, Lauren,” Asher instructed.
Two officers helped Rachel outside and the others stayed with us.
“The more you cooperate, the easier this will be,” one of them explained. “Which one of you shot this man?”
“We are not saying anything until one of our attorneys is present,” Asher replied, his voice firm.
“Have it your way then. Asher Reynolds, Lauren Matthews, you’re under arrest for possession of a firearm, aggravated assault, and murder. You have the right to remain silent. If you waive that right, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided to you. Do you understand these rights as I’ve explained them?”
“Yes,” we replied in unison.
“I thought so. Get on your feet.”
I struggled to stand and fell back onto the couch. The handcuffs dug into my wrists and hot tears fell from my eyes. I turned my neck and tried to wipe my face on my shoulder.
This is just a dream. Any minute now, I’m going to wake up on the air mattress.
One of the officers grabbed me by the cuffs and pulled me to my feet. Pain radiated through my hands as he pushed me toward the door.
THE END
Continue on to Read Part 4...