Page 105 of First Surrender
“I’ve spoken to her. She’s defensive of her family but she doesn’t seem to be involved. I had a meeting with her father, Reverend Porter but…” My explanation discontinues as my brain makes sense of my thoughts.
Nathan and Jesse are looking at me, waiting for my next words.
“I was just there. I got the call from Natalie then left, and came straight here. I never spoke to him.” The air in my lungs deflates. “Fuck.”
“You mean you had a meeting with a man who was possibly tied to these crimes while Natalie and Dec were being taken on the other side of town?” Nathan interprets my distress clearly.
“He was in the courtroom the first day I saw Declan. I didn’t think anything of it then. He’s an old man, a reverend.”
“Old men are often the most cynical,” Jesse adds. “His sons were killed, his son-in-law was killed, his nephew was just killed in jail.”
“His great nephew, too,” I add. “I killed Kyle when he took you,” I tell Jesse.
“I think you just found your criminal mastermind, Malec,” Nathan suggests, eerily.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Natalie
“Sissy, where is he taking us?” Dec asks from the back seat. We’ve been pulled along by this tow truck for a few miles and it’s the third time Dec has asked the question I don’t have the answer to.
“I don’t know, Dec. It’s okay. We’ll be okay.” He starts to cry and I can’t stop myself from crawling over my center console into the back with him. I hold him tight around the shoulders while I do my best to keep track of our surroundings.
We aren’t in Lawson anymore and I’m not familiar with this area. I have no idea where Declan’s taking us.
“Does Jackson know we’re in trouble?” He whimpers through his sobs and I do my best to blink away the tears welling in my eyes.
“I don’t think so, buddy. Declan tossed my phone before I could tell him what was happening.”
“Why did my dad take us?” Another question that I can’t answer.
“I don’t know, Dec. I’m so sorry, I should have kept you safe.”
“Should we text Jackson?”
“I don’t have my phone, Dec, it’s gone.” I try to conceal the frustration from my voice because I know it’s not his fault. My helplessness in this situation is killing me.
“I have the iPad.”
Jackson’s iPad always stays at home. “What? Why do you have it?”
“I snuck and took it to school, it’s in my backpack. Don’t be mad.” His big watery eyes look up at me and I can’t help but smush a kiss on his forehead.
“Dec, thank god. Give it to me, but keep it low.” He grabs it out of his backpack from between his legs and sets it on my lap.
I glance subtly to make sure we’re still driving in the middle of nowhere and no one is watching too closely. Declan is behind us but he’d only be able to see the back of our heads.
I open the messages icon and curse. There’s hardly any service out here. I type in a message anyway, hoping like hell it will send.
HELP. DECLAN HAS US. LEFT LAWSON. DONT KNOW WHERE. TOW TRUCK AND BLACK TRUCK. HE HAS A GUN.
I hit send and wait but the message never fully sends. The green text sits in limbo while the iPad waits for enough signal. Dammit!
I copy the message and send it again after we round a curve. We’re heading deeper into the mountains, which usually means worse service, but I’m desperate. After each curve, I copy and hit send again.
Finally, after a particular clear stretch of road, the iPad chimes, and the message is delivered right before we drive back into a thicket of trees. Thank God.
After a few tense, silent minutes, the iPad dings.