CHAPTER 10
Now that Eli knew Derek Monahan was an undercover secret agent, he felt a lot better about having trusted the man with his suspicions. It was hard to keep the secret from his friends, but he also felt cool being the only one at school who knew about it.
Although better than sitting in Leggett’s class, the field trip had been boring. Eli was over anything to do with the military. He would rather have gone to see paintings by old dead guys than guns and stuff used by racist assholes who’d fought to keep his ancestors in bondage.
The best part of the day had been seeing Derek with the pretty woman in the cafe. Once he placed her, everything made sense. He knew the older sister of one of the “runaways” had made a lot of noise last fall. Lots of students had heard her and the Head arguing. Eli had even seen the arrival of police cars when she was ordered off campus.
The missing kid, Isaac Lincoln, had been pretty decent for a senior. He’d even tutored Charlie in English. Hearing he had run away, Charlie had been sad for his own sake, but happy Isaac had escaped. Back then, even Eli believed the disappearances had a normal explanation.
Now, with two more kids gone, including Charlie, Eli knew there was nothing normal about any of it. He might only be fifteen years old, but he knew fucked-up when he saw it, and this place was all sorts of crazy. Knowing the real reason Derek was here, and that Isaac’s sister hadn’t given up, gave him the first hope he’d had since the morning Charlie disappeared.
His excitement about it made him a little bouncy in his seat at dinnertime.
Somebody noticed. “Mr. Winston, is everything all right?”
He jerked his head up, terrified it’d be the Devil, but saw his English teacher instead.
“Yes, sir.”
Andrews nodded. He opened his mouth again, but then closed it. The other boys at the table were watching, and, of course, listening.
Eli’s heart raced. Mr. Andrews wanted to talk to him about something. Since he knew Derek had intended to approach the teacher, Andrews might even be in on the whole investigation. Maybe he was an undercover cop too! He could have gotten his job here at the beginning of the school year, and been on the case the whole time. That would be why he warned Eli to be careful when he’d talked to him about Charlie.
Thinking about trying to get a word alone with Andrews tomorrow after class again, he remembered the track meet. Before now, he’d been super excited to get off campus two days in a row—once for a field trip, once for a meet. Now, he was a little frustrated. So he dug down and found some nerve to break the silence and asked, “Uh, sir, you wanted to talk to me about that homework I didn’t turn in, right?”
Andrews jerked and looked around the caf. Other teachers and kids were watching. Eli wished he’d kept his voice quieter, but he’d been trying to help with the cover-up. They would both need an excuse if they left the cafeteria.
He wondered if his teacher would out him—what homework?—or if he’d go along. If Andrews played dumb, Eli would be in for it from the other teachers. Or, God, Mrs. Brewer, who was glaring at him from over by the food line.
Clearing his throat, Andrews replied. “Yes, young man, I certainly do. I expect you in my classroom five minutes after dinner break ends. Not a moment later! And you can forget about free time tonight.”
Eli shivered for a second, as everybody did when teachers spoke in that you’re-a-bad-kid-and-you’re-gonna-pay voice. He’d never heard it from this one. Of course, he suspected he knew why he was hearing it now. Andrews was going along.
Pretending he was scared to death, Eli nodded and mumbled, “Yes, sir.”
Andrews walked away. All of Eli’s friends gave him pitying looks. Nobody knew Andrews to lose it, and they were all probably imagining he was going to dump a whole school year’s worth of aggression on Eli.
Although he was 99.9% sure that wasn’t the case, Eli couldn’t contain a tiny tremor of nervousness when he arrived at Andrews’ classroom four-and-a-half minutes after the bell rang signaling the end of the first dinner shift. His friends had whispered questions to him as they made their way to the individual dorm rec rooms for the nightly half hour of free time. Eli ignored them and peeled off on the second floor.
“Sir?” he asked as he entered the classroom.
Andrews sat behind his desk. He nodded at Eli and said, “Close the door behind you.”
Eli did and walked to the desk, standing at attention.
“Sit down, kid.”
Oh thank you Jesus. He did as he was told, scooting his chair close to the desk.
“That was quite a risk you took at dinner.”
Eli grinned. “And quite a show you put on.”
Andrews looked more at ease than Eli had ever seen him, as if he’d finally given up trying to fit in as an asshole and was being himself. Too bad he couldn’t have been that way all year—it might have made all the kids look forward to at least one class.
“I did want to talk to you,” the teacher admitted. He kept his voice low, as if worrying he’d be overheard, though the door was closed and this old building’s walls were probably a foot thick. “The new coach mentioned you.”
Eli nodded eagerly. “I knew he would. Did he tell you….”
He quickly closed his mouth. Andrews might be in on their investigation, but Eli couldn’t be sure. Revealing Derek’s real identity…either as cop, P.I., FBI agent, or whatever, could be a bad idea. He’d promised he wouldn’t do that.
Andrews looked curious about what Eli had intended to say, but he didn’t push. “He said you told him he should speak to me.”
Eli nodded.
“Why me?”
Here was something Eli could be honest about. “Because you’re decent, and I think you might care what happened to Charlie.”
After a long pause, the teacher nodded. “I do.”
Two for two. Eli was ready to pat himself on his back about his character-reading skills. He’d always been able to pick out the bullies from the decent kids back home. Nice to know he had the ability with the adults around here.
“So did you tell Derek anything about what’s going on?”
“Derek?”
Eli stiffened. “Sorry. I mean Coach Monahan.”
Andrews scooted his rolling chair out from behind the desk and came closer. Leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, he said, “You and he have really gotten to know each other.”
“No, not a lot. But he’s pretty cool. He told me to call him by his first name.”
“Don’t do it in front of anyone else.”
“Think I’m stupid?”
“You did it in front of me.”
“That’s because I don’t think you’re a crazy kidnapper.”
Andrews’ eyes went big and round, and then he started laughing. Eli had never heard him, or any of the teachers here, really laugh. Coach Gardener did once in a while, but definitely none of the academic staff.
“I’m really glad you’ve been able to maintain a sense of humor, Eli. I’m afraid this place tends to grind it out of most students.”
“And the faculty?”
The teacher’s laughter died immediately. His shoulders slumped, and he dropped his head to look down at the floor. He appeared not only sad, but almost ashamed.
Eli didn’t know what gave him the nerve, but he reached over and patted the man on the back. “It’s okay, sir. I have the feeling maybe you didn’t know what you were getting into here.”
“That’s not much of an excuse.” Andrews straightened. “I knew some, just not enough.”
“Like that boys were being murdered?”
“Eli, you can’t know that.”
“But Charlie…”
Andrews held up a hand to stop him. “Look, I don’t think Charlie was the type to run away, either. That doesn’t mean he’s dead.”
Eli wished that were true. He really did. But he didn’t think it was.
If this had been the first disappearance, sure, he’d consider the possibility that his friend had been taken for ransom, or lured by some creep who liked teenage boys. Charlie wasn’t the first, though. He was the third this year. Neither of the first two boys had ever been seen or heard from again. He honestly didn’t believe Charlie would be, either.
“You really can’t think of any reason he would leave on his own?”
Eli shook his head slowly. “No. I mean, Emerson riding him hard enough to make him cry sure wasn’t unusual.”
Andrews’ brow pulled down and his light grey eyes went to a slatey color. “Emerson’s a real piece of work, isn’t he?”
“He’s a real piece of somethin’.” He didn’t get a smile out of his teacher that time. Too bad. “I really want to get up to our secret cubbyhole to see if Charlie left me a note or anything, but they’re watching us like hawks.”
Andrews jerked. “What cubbyhole?”
“It’s in the 3rd floor shower room. There’s a loose tile near the bottom of one of the private shower stalls. We used to leave notes in it to help each other get through bad days. Now, I can’t even go see if he left me one last message because I’m always with every other guy in my dorm hall. Nobody’s allowed to use the individual showers anymore.” He rolled his eyes. “Everybody’s gotta let it all hang out.”
“Eli, why didn’t you tell anyone? We have to look there.”
“I know. Want to tell me how?”
“We’ll go together, right now.” He looked at the clock on the wall. “I should have enough time before I meet…before my meeting.”
“It’s free time. There could be guys in there. Plus, it will look really weird if we go into the showers together.”
“Unless they think I’m making you scrub tile with a toothbrush.”
Eli didn’t laugh. It had happened. “Maybe it would be easier for us to go during lunch tomorrow.” Then he thought again. “Crap. I’ll be gone. Wednesday?”
“Why don’t you just tell me where the loose tile is? I have a bit more freedom than you do and can go right away. There might be something important inside. Maybe Charlie hid something that will help us figure out what happened to him.”
Although he wanted to be with Mr. A. when he dug through their special hiding place, Eli knew the man was right. It was stupid to put-off looking for something that could be important just because he wanted to be involved like a big shot. Charlie’s life was way more critical than his own pride.
“Okay,” he said, and quickly told the teacher what he wanted to know. Andrews made a few notes and promised he would tell Eli what he had found as soon as possible.
It was almost six p.m. Free period would end soon, then it was time for evening study hall. Eli couldn’t stretch out his absence for much longer.
“I know you have to go soon.” Andrews said. “Before you do, can you tell me how you became friendly enough to talk about this with Coach Monahan? He’s only been here a week.”
Eli wanted to trust his teacher, but remembered his promise to Derek. “I really can’t say.”
“He wants me to meet with him and I’ve agreed. In fact, he’ll be here shortly. I’d like to have some idea whether I can trust him or not. For all we know, he could have been set up to spy on the faculty by the administration.”
“No, he’s definitely not! He’s a cop, or an FBI agent or something. He’s working undercover.” Eli slapped his hands over his mouth. “Oh shit. Please don’t say anything about it.”
Andrews jaw dropped. “Did he tell you he’s with the authorities?”
“Not exactly.”
“Then how do you know he is?”
Eli clenched his hands in his lap. “I just know, okay? I knew almost right away.”
“But how can you be sure?”
“Look, if he was a spy for Fenton, he wouldn’t be worrying about me and my safety. He told me I needed to keep my head down, that it was dangerous for me to get involved. You told me the same thing, remember? Why would a bad guy do that? I mean, are you a bad guy?”
“I didn’t used to think so. After working here all year, though, I’m starting to wonder.”
Before Eli could respond, he heard a sound outside the closed door. Since this wing only held classrooms, and lessons were over for the day, it was a little unexpected.
Andrews heard too. He lifted a hand and put his index finger over his lips. They remained still and silent, waiting for another noise, but there was absolutely nothing. That was weird. It was as if somebody had walked in socks, or tiptoed, except when he was directly outside Andrews’ door. Like he’d wanted to be heard there, but not coming or going. That seemed like something a sneaky spy would do.
Eli rose from his chair, moving very slowly, quietly.
“What are you…”
“Just lemme check,” he whispered back. After taking just a few steps, Eli spotted an envelope on the floor. “There’s a note.”
Mr. Andrews immediately rose. “Wait. Let me get it.”
Not arguing, Eli watched the man go to the other side of the classroom. He bent and picked up what looked like a standard, white, letter-sized envelope. Then he reached for the knob, pulled open the door, and stepped out into the hallway.
Waiting, not even sure what for, Eli held his breath. What if the note was a threat? What if the note-passer was still out there? Mr. Andrews was pretty young, but he wasn’t a big guy. More a skinny nerd, like Eli.
He was about to go after him when the teacher came back in. “Anybody there?”
“Not a soul.” Returning to his desk, Andrews opened the envelope and unfolded a single sheet of white paper. He read quickly, looked at the clock again, and muttered, “Damn.”
“What is it?” Eli hopped to his feet and tried to look around to catch a glimpse of the letter. The writing was big, and there weren’t many words, but he couldn’t see anything except the word secret, which wasn’t much help. This whole place was a secrets-mountain.
“You should get upstairs.” He shook his head, mumbling under his breath, “This is inconvenient. God, why there?”
“Why where? Who’s it from?”
“Never mind. I have to go. I’m going to check your secret hideaway in the boy’s shower, and then I have to go to that meeting.”
“With Derek?”
“Go on, Eli. Coach Monahan was right; you should stay out of this and not draw attention to yourself. I appreciate you telling me what you know, but for your own safety, please let the grownups handle it from here on out.”
Eli gritted his back teeth, even though he knew the man was right. If kids really were being taken—and awful things done to them—he should try to continue flying under the radar. That didn’t mean he liked it, though.
“Okay,” he muttered, rising from his chair. Before he walked away, though, he peered over his shoulder and saw Andrews staring down at the floor. Still mumbling to himself, he was shaking his head, and his shoulders sagged. He looked like he was carrying the weight of the world and was trying to talk himself into taking one more step with it.
Eli rubbed his arms, suddenly feeling cold. Maybe he shouldn’t have given Andrews’ name to Derek. Had he been wrong to involve the quiet teacher, who had a picture of a pretty woman and two little girls taped inside a desk drawer? Derek seemed like he could totally handle himself against anybody who tried to mess with him. Mr. Andrews? Not so much.
“I think I should go with you.”
“Absolutely not!”
“You might need another pair of eyes.”
Andrews smiled. “Gonna watch my back, huh?”
“Somebody should.”
His teacher shook his head and waved him away. “Get going, kid. I’ll be fine.”
Eli trudged to the door, liking this whole thing less and less. Why would somebody sneak up to the room and slip in a note? Andrews had already said he planned to meet with Derek to talk to him tonight. They’d probably had something all set up. If Derek needed to change things, why the note? Why wouldn’t he just pick up the phone and call or knock on the dang door?
“Pick up your feet, Winston.”
He gave it one last shot. “I don’t like this, sir.”
Andrews shrugged. “Neither do I. But we owe it to Charlie to follow through.”
Yeah, he guessed they did. While he would have cheered at that statement an hour ago, right now, he felt as though he was walking through syrup, like he wasn’t supposed to leave here.
Like his teacher needed him.
Andrews didn’t want any company, he’d made that clear. That didn’t mean he didn’t need someone watching over him, however. Somebody like an unseen bodyguard following him through the shadowed halls of this building just to make sure he was okay.
Nobody will know. He’ll think I went back. They’ll think I’m still here.
“Good night, Mr. Winston.” The tone was harder now. Andrews was shoving things into his pockets, including his keys and the note with directions to the shower room cubbyhole.
“I’m going.” He put his hand on the knob. “Hey, Sir?”
The teacher looked up.
“You be careful, too. Just because whoever’s doing this has only hurt boys so far doesn’t mean he can’t change things up if he thinks you’re on to him.”
A small nod was the only response. As Eli left the room, he couldn’t shake that feeling that his mom would have called somebody walking over his grave. The more he thought about it, the less he liked the idea of his favorite teacher trying to catch a killer.
He looked around. There was no way he could lurk nearby and surreptitiously follow Andrews from his classroom. This hallway was wide open. He’d be spotted a mile away.
Upstairs was a different matter. If Mr. Andrews did go to the shower room before he went to this mysterious meeting—and the directions he’d stuffed into his pocket said he would—he’d be much easier to tail.
The third floor was much different than this one. In the olden days, this space had been for offices. Every floor above was where they’d stuck the crazies and the sick. The hallways were like mazes, with alcoves and sub-corridors peeling off in all directions. Knowing it well, Eli was aware there were crannies, nooks, and corners where a kid could duck out of sight of hall monitors or faculty members.
Or teachers they intended to follow.
After Derek headed back to the school, Kate went to the library to do some more digging. She’d exhausted all resources at the historical society. Learning the school facility had been used as a military camp and an orphanage, however, had given her a few other avenues to explore. Private schools might get away with skirting under the radar of the state—but orphanages? Even in the 1940’s? No way. Plus, the military would certainly have kept records of where they trained their soldiers.
Interestingly, she also got a positive response to her request of the state records repository in Atlanta. Medical records were not made public, obviously, but, back in the day, mental hospitals often provided the public with information about their “good works.”
There was more, though. As she had hoped, all records from closed facilities had been sent to the state for permanent storage. Being in the mental health field got Kate further than the average person. The man she talked to—and, honestly, flirted a little with on the phone—agreed to fax her what he could find, including names and admission and release dates.
She had given him the fax number from Julia Harrington’s business card. If going to get the printouts meant she got to find out if his boss had heard from Derek, all the better. Kate had not, and was getting worried.
Calling to be sure someone was there first, Kate headed to the Extrasensory Agents office. It was after hours, again dark and quiet. Ringing the bell, she watched Julia appear. The brunette let her in, but her focus was on the cell phone tucked between her ear and her shoulder.
She was talking to Derek.
“Sorry, dude, but like I said, Aidan’s tied up tonight. It’s either me or Liv, and you damn well know I’m not letting Liv go tromping through a swamp with you.”
Kate eavesdropped, not trying to hide it. When she and Derek spoke earlier today, he hadn’t mentioned anything about needing help tonight. She knew he hoped to use the map to look for building 13 after his meeting with the teacher, but he’d insisted he could do it alone.
“Dr. Lincoln just showed up to get a fax she’s expecting.”
Derek said something else.
“I’ll tell her.”
She disconnected. “Derek asked me to thank you for whatever it is you contributed to the investigation this time.” She turned and walked deeper into the shadowy offices, talking over her shoulder. “Liv and I have been working on some stuff for him this afternoon, too. Maybe I could make copies of whatever you’ve got, and bring it with the rest.”
“Of course. Did he ask you to help him search the grounds tonight?”
“Yes. He sounded bothered about something. Said he could use a second pair of eyes.”
Kate wished he had asked her, since it was her case and her worry. But she knew why he hadn’t. The first time they’d searched Fenton, Derek hadn’t yet been introduced as the new coach. If they’d been seen together, it would have been bad, but not catastrophic. Now it would be a lot harder to explain.
“Wear long sleeves, pants, and boots,” she offered. “And take bug spray.”
“Will do.” Julia led her to an electronics room where there were printers, a copier, and a fax machine. “Looks like it’s already come through,” she said, grabbing a stack of pages off the tray. “Can I make copies?”
“Of course.”
Julia put the sheets in the copier feeder. While they waited, she gestured to a thin file folder on a work table. “I wish I had more to give him. I really want this case solved; I don’t like Derek being there any longer than he has to.” She frowned. “I’ve a bad feeling about it.”
Her chest tightening, Kate asked, “Anything in particular?”
“Just…I asked someone to look out for him, and he said things are really tense there and everyone’s suspicious.”
Her ghost?
Before she could expound, the quiet offices were disturbed by a woman’s sharp cry. Julia flinched, and Kate swung around.
“Liv!” Julia barked. She pushed by and dashed down the darkened hallway. Kate followed, running too, watching the other woman fling open an office door and run inside.
“Jesus, what happened?” Julia was on the floor, kneeling beside the pretty blonde, who was struggling to rise to her knees. “Are you okay?”
“I’m so stupid,” Olivia said, shaking her head. “I tripped over the damn lamp cord.” Her hands clutched the bulge in her stomach. “Oh my God, what if I hurt the baby?”
“I’m sure the baby will be fine,” Kate said, hurrying over to hold the woman’s other arm so she and Julia could help her to her feet. “He has lots of cushion in there.”
“She. It’s a she. Gabe and I found out a couple of months ago.” Tears fell from stricken eyes. The hands clenched tighter, and Olivia winced, as if in pain. “Her name’s Tyra.”
Julia drew her lips into her mouth and sniffed.
“I’m sure she’s okay,” Kate said as they helped Olivia into a chair in front of her desk.
Olivia wiped her tears off her face with her hands. “I can’t believe I am so clumsy.”
“Pregnant women lose their center of balance really easily,” Kate said.
“It’s not your fault,” Julia added. “You look down and see nothing but stomach, so how can you be expected to see any obstacles on the floor?”
“You’re both kind, but…” Olivia flinched and gasped. Her arms wrapped around her belly, and she hunched forward.
“What is it?” Kate asked.
Julia dropped to her knees beside the chair. “Are you having pains?”
Olivia nodded miserably.
Julia and Kate exchanged looks. Although only about seven months pregnant, it was possible that the fall could cause Olivia to go into premature labor.
“Come on,” Julia said. “We’re going to the hospital.”
“I don’t think I need to do that yet.”
Kate looked intently in the other woman’s face. “You really should. It’s better to be safe than sorry. You’re not going to rest until you know everything’s all right. If by some slight chance you go into early labor, the hospital is exactly where you need to be.”
More tears. And another slight gasp of pain from the woman.
“Up you go,” said Julia, grabbing her colleague by the arm.
“But Gabe is working undercover. I won’t even be able to reach him tonight,” Olivia said, looking desperately unhappy.
“I’ll call the station and tell them it’s an emergency. Don’t worry, he’ll get there. Now, we’re going to the hospital, and I’ll stay with you until he arrives.”
“But the case. Derek…”
“I’ll go help Derek,” Kate said, not giving it a second thought.
Julia nodded. “Yep, Kate will save me from the bugs, snakes, bats, serial killers, and grumpy coworkers.”
Olivia forced a tiny smile, as she was meant to. But with one more flinch of pain, the smile faded. She gave up all resistance, letting the other two women guide her down to the parking garage. They helped her up into the passenger side of Julia’s Jeep.
Before going to the driver’s side, Julia rattled off four numbers. “That’s the code to the office door. Could you go up and get the faxed document, and my file?”
“Done.”
“Derek planned to meet me at 9pm in the same area where he met you the first time.”
Kate nodded. “Fine. Now go, take care of your friend.”
Julia glanced into the car. “God, I hope the baby’s all right. Liv’s talked of nothing else for months. She and Gabe are so happy.”
Watching them drive away, Kate hurried back upstairs. She only had about ninety minutes to get home, change, and get up to the meeting place on that dirt road in the woods.
Now that she was the one going for this late-night search, she couldn’t help starting to worry. Derek had called the office, not her. Even if he hadn’t wanted her to come up to the school grounds, he usually let her know when stuff like that was going on.
Had something serious happened today?
Maybe he’d gotten important news from that teacher he was meeting.
Maybe it even involved Isaac.
Meaning maybe the mystery of her brother’s disappearance might be solved tonight.
When he saw Kate’s car instead of Julia’s at the appointed meeting place, Derek frowned and muttered a curse. Kate was far too recognizable here; their encounter with Eli earlier today had proved that. While he did not expect to stumble over any faculty members, staff, or students in the swampy woods, he hadn’t wanted to take the risk of bringing her out here.
Besides, she’d done her part the first night. She was paying them to investigate this place, not to bring her into a dangerous swamp right out of a horror movie.
She got out, dressed for the occasion in all dark clothes and boots. She’d even tucked her brilliant red hair into a black ball cap.
“Julia couldn’t come.”
“Is everything all right?”
“Olivia fell and was having some pain.”
“Damn. Is she gonna be okay?”
“I think so. Julia took her to the hospital. Her husband is apparently difficult to reach tonight, and Julia plans to stay until he gets there.”
Knowing how happily Liv was looking forward to the baby’s birth, he could only imagine how terrified she must be. As a friend, he was glad she had Julia for support. Tonight’s search, however, had just gotten more complicated.
“We have to be so careful to make sure you’re not seen by anyone.”
“I know.” She went back to her car and locked it with the key, rather than remotely, probably not wanting even the low electronic beep to break the quiet of the night. Smart.
“Ready?”
“Before we go, is there something specific we’re trying to find? Did you…learn anything special today?”
He shook his head, frustrated. “Not as much as I wanted to. The teacher I was supposed to meet with didn’t follow through. I went to his classroom and waited a while, but he was gone. I guess he got cold feet.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Me too. From what I overheard in the teacher’s lounge this morning, I have this feeling I need to get into building 13 fast. Some of the faculty talked about what a good idea it would be to leave the boys in there for days. It got me thinking.”
Her eyes lit up with hope she didn’t usually show. “Do you suppose Isaac…no, of course not. It’s been too long.” She straightened her ball cap. “But it might not be too late for Charlie.”
“Exactly. I came right out with Robby’s map and did exactly what he said, but just couldn’t find the place. Once it got dark, I figured it would only get harder.”
“So you called Julia.”
“Yes. I was hoping Robby sent me to the right general vicinity, and with another set of eyes, we could split up and search the grid.”
She didn’t so much as blink at the suggestion they separate. He, however, wasn’t happy about it. Julia, an ex-cop, was damn good at self-defense. What could Kate do if she was accosted by a violent person? “But you and I will stay together.”
“You don’t have to protect me. I can deal with the animals.”
“The human ones?”
She lifted a foot and easily hopped over a downed tree, one side damp with moss, the other infested with bugs. “You don’t really think we’ll run into anybody out here, do you?”
“I honestly don’t know, Kate.”
“Let’s try together first, then,” she said, exhibiting that common sense he found so attractive about her. One of the many things he found so attractive about the woman.
Derek began leading her through, following a different route than the one they’d taken last time. They had gone into the swamp and due south that night. Robby’s map said the building they were looking for was to the west, on the other side of the school, which they hadn’t searched quite as thoroughly because of the dorm windows facing it. Tonight, they had no choice. He only hoped no boys were looking out if they had to get close to the building.
“I don’t suppose going this way means we avoid snakes and bogs?”
“They built the original hospital in the dry center of a wet horseshoe. It’s surrounded on three sides by that crap. If anything, the west side’s worse.”
“Must have been just wonderful for tuberculosis patients.”
“I suspect it’s what drew the people who ran the asylum here. Easier to stop runaways.”
She didn’t point out that it was a selling point for a school for troubled youth, too. They both knew that very well.
Drawing a tiny flashlight, he directed a pinpoint of illumination on the ground ahead of them—the most he dared risk. Now that it was full night, they couldn’t get through without it. Unlike when they’d headed south, this direction held endless bald Cyprus trees that were probably hundreds of years old. They rose so high and grew so close together, they blocked all but the briefest glimpses of the moon or stars.
They walked in silence for several minutes. He tried to clear away tangled brush from in front of her feet, and twisted moss and downed limbs from in front of her face. But there really was no avoiding anything in this dense Georgia jungle.
“It’s warmer than it was last time,” she eventually whispered.
Dripping with sweat and breathing hard, he turned back, shining the light on her. Kate was reaching for the bottom of her black sweatshirt. “Don’t forget the bugs,” he warned. “Heat might feel better than bites.”
She offered him a tiny smile. “I practically bathed in repellent.” Tugging at the shirt, she pulled it up, revealing a thin black tank underneath. It clung to her in ways the baggy pullover hadn’t. She was sweaty, which made it cling tighter, emphasizing the slim waist, full breasts, graceful neck, and sleek arms.
God, even just that tiny bit of light revealed that she was stunning. No wonder he’d been unable to resist kissing her when she’d literally been wearing boggy gunk. Their interlude at the bar Friday had only whetted his appetite to see, touch, and taste the rest of her. If they weren’t on such a critical task, he would walk back and slide his tongue along the bare skin below the scoop of her top. For starters. Bug repellent be damned.
“Seriously?” A fisted hand on her hip, she cocked her head. “What is it with you and swamps?”
He shrugged. “Can’t blame a guy for looking.”
“How about looking when I’m in, like, sexy lingerie or something? Not in black camo with sweat and dirt all over me.”
He groaned, picturing that sexy lingerie. “You kill me, Kate.”
“Pay attention or that alligator over there might do exactly that.” The tiny smile told him she wasn’t really annoyed. Wrapping the sweatshirt around her waist and tying the long arms in front of her slim hips, she nodded. “Let’s go.”
The flirty interlude had eased a little of the tension, but not for long. As soon as they dove back into the thick woods, things went from bad to worse. He must have gotten a little off-course, because they were confronted with an area thick with underbrush. The overhead trees had thinned, giving them more light. Unfortunately, that only emphasized that they were about to try to bore through a thigh-high tangle of thorny growth.
“Damn it,” he muttered, looking around for another way to go.
She joined him, peering ahead. “That doesn’t look fun.”
“It’s not going to be.” Especially not with her bare arms and chest.
She reached for the long-sleeved shirt tied around her waist. “Guess I’ll put this back on.”
“Maybe not,” he said. “Hold the flashlight.”
Taking it, she watched curiously. Without warning her, he reached down and picked her up in his arms, as he had the last time they were here. Now that she didn’t reek of fish and rot, dripping mud and stagnant water, it was even more pleasant.
“Derek, put me down.”
“My boots and pants are thicker than yours, and it’s not too far,” he said, already stepping into the bramble.
She began to struggle. He didn’t loosen his hold. “Keep wriggling and I might drop you in the briar patch. And I don’t think you’re Br’er Rabbit.”
“Zip-a-dee-freaking-doo-dah,” she snapped.
Ignoring her, he tightened his grip and kept walking. Well, not walking—it was more like pushing through a sea of jellyfish all trying to wrap their stinging tentacles around his legs. Vines tried to trip him up, tangling around his boots, but he stomped them down with every stride. Several times he felt something tear into his shin and knew these pants were goners. But better that than one smooth spot on Kate’s body being scratched.
“You should not be here,” he snapped, mad at himself for even thinking about letting her come along. He would have felt the same way about Julia, except it was her job. Kate, though, should be sitting in a hospital office in a white coat. Or at a museum, or a doctor’s cocktail party wearing a slinky black dress and diamonds. She was sheer class…and he was dragging her through the swamp.
The differences between them had never been more obvious.
“Well, I’m not walking back through that,” she said when they got through the thicket and he lowered her to stand on her feet.
She looked down. “You’re bleeding.” Bending over, she began to pull away the vines curling around his boots and legs, revealing rips in his pants.
“Forget it,” he said. “The shortcut was worth it. There’s the old carriage-house. That’s on Robby’s map.”
He pointed toward the ruin of what had once been a stone-framed building with a tall archway, big enough for a horse-drawn vehicle. The door, probably wooden, was long gone. All that remained of the structure were the stony bones of three tall walls. “He said the path goes off from the back of this place. We go about twenty yards to a rotted old bench that’s maybe five feet off the path. That’s what I couldn’t find.”
“Well, let’s go look for it.”
“Wait, let me go first,” he insisted. “It’s pretty uneven.”
She gave him back the flashlight. Picking his way carefully through hunks of block that had once been part of that missing fourth wall, he led her around the building. Although the last horses had probably resided within it more than a century ago, it still held the faintest scent of animal—thick and unpleasant. Like animal sweat, shit, moldy hay, and decomposition.
When they reached what had once been the back, she paused to look into the open ruin. The swamp water might not have risen high enough to reclaim this place, but the vegetation certainly had. Scrubby trees grew in the middle of the former structure. Succulents climbed up every wall, creating strange patterns, and moss dripped from the few remaining fixtures.
“Let me take a look at that map, would you?”
“It’s not in very good shape.” He pulled the napkin out of his pocket and handed it to her.
She smoothed it out onto her open palm. “Flashlight?”
He shone the beam. Kate stared at the damp paper. The hand-drawn lines were smeary, but the carriage house was clearly marked as near building 13. Kate ran the tip of one slim finger along the line from the start of the path where they stood, following it past a couple of location markers to the X on the map. When she was finished, she nodded and handed the napkin back. “I don’t think we need to split up. Honestly, it can’t be far from here. I think with another set of eyes focusing, we’ll be able to find that bench.”
He’d had no intention of letting her peel off alone, but merely nodded. “Sounds good. It’s too narrow to go side-by-side. Let me go first and look to the right, you follow and focus on the left. We’ll take it slow—remember, the bench is probably more overgrown than it was when Robby went to school here. It could be completely concealed.”
“Good point.”
“Here,” he said, handing her the flashlight.
“Won’t you need it?”
“It’s not all covered overhead—there’s some moonlight.”
“Wait, I can use this.” She pulled out her phone, tapped it, and brought up the home screen. The lighting appeared to be on its lowest setting, but it provided a decent glow in this utter darkness. “This should be enough.”
He nodded. “Ready?”
She glanced at the path, maybe a foot wide and surrounded by dense scrub on either side. Anything could be lurking beneath the sagging leaves, but all she said was, “Okay, let’s do this.”
Despite the eerie, decrepit ruin beside them, and the swamp on all three sides, and the cool wind creating strange sounds, the croaks of animals in unseen bogs, and the whip of the long Spanish moss hanging like witch’s hair all around them, Kate was completely calm and ready to proceed. Derek couldn’t help shaking his head and looking into her eyes, usually that light, pale green that spoke of spring grass, now darker, jewel-toned in the shadows and the moonlight.
“You are one hell of a woman, Kate Lincoln.”
She blinked, eyeing him curiously.
“Your brother would so be proud of you.”
He heard her draw in a quick, sharp breath, and almost wished he hadn’t said a thing. But he knew Kate carried a tremendous weight every minute of every day. Although she’d been a world away, she held herself responsible for Isaac’s death; that was obvious in the haunted look on her face whenever she mentioned his name.
She needed to put that weight down someday. Getting the closure of knowing what had happened to her only sibling would be a good start. Knowing she had literally crawled through slime to try to find him would help, too.
“Thank you,” she finally whispered. “I appreciate you saying that.”
He nodded, and then, without another word, stepped on the path, feeling her fall in behind him. Going slowly, studying every square foot beside him, Derek strained to see the bench Robby had described. The path descended into muddy pools, and their feet squelched in reeking muck. When a cottonmouth slithered across his path, he threw a hand out behind him, silently telling her to stop. He didn’t know if she saw the snake, heard the rustle, or just sensed his tension, but he felt her shudder.
“It’s gone.”
“Ick,” she whispered. “I’m glad you spotted it. If I’d stepped on it, I would have leapt on you and you’d have to piggy-back me the rest of the way.”
“Anytime, sweetheart.”
They resumed walking, and he slowed even more and stared even harder when he figured they’d gone at least thirty feet from the ruin. Robby had said twenty yards—but his memory was based on the recollection of an abused, rebellious teen who’d been locked in a hellhole overnight. So he wasn’t about to rely only on the kid’s memory.
Another step. A deep croak—the mating call of an alligator, he knew—came from somewhere ahead of them. He hoped the dude found a girlfriend in the next two minutes and the happy couple scampered off to a private mud patch far off the trail.
“Derek.”
“It’s okay, I think it’s moving away.”
“Derek!”
Hearing her tension, he looked over his shoulder at her. Kate was hunched over, peering to the left. He swung around, seeing what looked like a hundred arthritic bushes that had grown into one solid hedge rising a couple of feet by the path. “What?”
“I think that’s a bench.”
Derek pointed his flashlight at it, which gave more light than her phone screen. A vine-encrusted object stood several feet away, rising off the ground at an angle, like a sliding board. It was about five feet long, and when you really looked at it, you could see the shape was too precise to be natural.
“Damn, you have good eyesight.”
“It looks like it collapsed since the last time Robby was here.”
“Yes, it does. It also looks like the scrub has grown over the path he mentioned. Let’s step over it and see if we can pick it up past the bench.”
He reached for her hand, intending to help her over, when something caught his attention. It was a strange light, coming from somewhere ahead of them, in the thick copse of trees into which they were headed.
Derek froze. His heart beat faster. His breath reached his lungs and stayed there; he couldn’t draw another one.
He knew what was coming.
He just didn’t know who was coming.
“Derek?”
Unable to respond, fearing he was about to see something that would tear the heart out of the woman standing beside him, he remained very still. Someone was about to die. That person might have been dead for fifty years…or six months.
“Oh, God,” she whispered, realizing what was happening. Then she fell silent.
Derek barely paid attention, stepping over the tangled hedge alone, walking toward that ghostly light. Mud sucked at his feet, trying to pull him in, but he drove through it, drawn toward the victim, who appeared to be staggering toward him as well.
The figure was hunched over, stumbling out of some kind of building that was so overgrown it had almost disappeared into the landscape as much as the decrepit bench.
They had found Building 13. It seemed the awful things he had feared might have gone on within its walls really had occurred. They continued to occur now in an endless loop of pain and fear.
The hunched, lurching figure was trying to escape. With every other awkward step—he was obviously injured—he looked over his shoulder at some invisible person pursuing him. Each look made him try to go faster.
He wasn’t bulky or tall. Knowing he could be a student, Derek clenched his fists at his side. The figure stumbled. Went to a knee and paused before clambering onto all fours and up again. But he still didn’t lift his face.
“Look up,” Derek ordered. Isaac? He took a step forward, heading toward the murder victim even as that person came directly at him. Charlie?
He was perhaps twenty feet from the shambling figure when it jerked upright, arms flung up and out, back dramatically arched. As if something had hit him hard from behind.
The victim went down immediately, hitting the marshy ground, landing on his stomach. A knife handle protruded from the small of the back. Derek had no doubt he was badly hurt now; that had probably been the death blow.
But he wasn’t dead yet. Not yet. The misty black-and-white figure was still there, shaking and trembling. A filthy, mud-caked hand rose and reached out, grabbing earth. He pulled himself a few inches, and then grabbed with the other hand. Crawling. Not giving up.
Oh, how he wanted to live.
Derek found himself rooting for this poor victim, mentally urging him to keep going, even though he knew the struggle was doomed to failure. Hating the ability that left him an impotent spectator, he wanted to rage at the sky. He longed to protect that poor, crawling figure, to stand over him, to destroy whoever had put that knife in his back.
This unwanted ability of his was never more of a curse than at the scene of every murder where he was shown, once again, that he was utterly helpless. Nothing was worse than watching someone fighting so desperately to live…all the while knowing they were going to lose.
Derek walked closer. His heart pounded in his head, blocking out all other sound. He felt as if he had stepped inside this poor doomed victim’s nightmare and was walking into a void, a place where there was no here, no now, no sound, no taste. Just pain. Just emptiness.
Five feet more. The face was still down, the body wriggling. Shimmying.
Who are you?
Suddenly, the knife was pulled from the back. Black blood gushed. So much blood.
The short, filthy, matted hair was yanked. It stood straight up in the back. Someone had grabbed it and was pulling hard, lifting the head, inch by inch, revealing the face.
That face, twisted with agony, a silent scream emitting from the mouth.
And he suddenly saw. Through the dirt, and the blood, and the pain, he caught the features, the shape, the mouth, the nose.
It was a familiar face. A face he knew.
“Oh my God,” he whispered. Derek fell to his knees, unable to keep his feet. Tears pricked his eyes. “Jesus, I’m sorry. I’m so damn sorry.”
“Derek!”
Kate hurried over, dropping the ground beside him. Putting an arm around his waist, she helped support him, whispering, “I’m here. It’s all right, I’m here with you. I’ll stay with you.”
She didn’t ask what he was seeing—she knew that.
She didn’t ask who he was seeing—which he knew was a tremendous sacrifice.
“It’s not him,” he managed to croak out. “Not Isaac.”
He felt a soft, relieved rush of air leave her mouth. “Charlie?”
He shook his head, collapsing back onto his haunches, watching as the body jerked and more pools of blood appeared on that vulnerable back with every thrust of the knife.
“It’s my fault,” he muttered, speaking to himself and not to her. “All my fault.”
She crawled in front of him, blocking his view. Cupping his face in her hands, she made him look at her and wouldn’t let him pull away. “No. None of this is your fault.”
“It is. If I hadn’t…”
“Don’t, Derek.” Kate was weeping now, too, her lips trembling, her whole body shaking. “Please don’t do this to yourself. Look away now.”
“I have to. It’s my responsibility,” he said, his voice low.
She hesitated, and then slowly lowered her hands and moved out of his way. His body clenched, he looked past her, needing to see the end. Needing to see the moment the person Derek had gotten killed disappeared back into his endless death-loop.
After it was over, once there was nothing but darkness and dank, deep night, he dropped his head and swiped his hands over his face. Tears of grief. Tears of guilt. Tears of rage.
When he felt capable of looking up again, he said, “Will you pray with me, Kate?”
“Of course, darling. Of course I will.” She swallowed, her throat working, her lips parted, and asked, “Derek…who are we praying for?”
He met her stare, tried to lose himself in those green eyes, to absolve himself in her sympathetic expression. But he couldn’t. Honestly, he wasn’t sure he would ever be able to.
“It’s the teacher,” he whispered. “It’s Sam Andrews.”