“But why didn’t we hear him? That doe was in pieces on the porch, that’s not an activity that’s easy to keep quiet.” Braden glanced down at himself. Christ, he was a mess. Covered in blood and bits of fur.
“Markko probably partially dismembered it in the woods, then pulled the manageable pieces up onto the porch,” Chase muttered. “Judging by what was left, he used his jaws, not a knife.” Chase’s faced pinched in anger. “I should have realized something wasn’t right. He should never have gotten this close to the family.”
Braden sighed. “This isn’t your fault,” he acknowledged. “We knew Markko was planning something, we just didn’t expect him to be so bold or act so close to the house. It won’t happen again.”
“Alright.” Braden’s father tossed him the keys. “You head out—get rid of the rest of the deer. Take the old hunting road a few miles north of here—you can dump the doe out there. Chase and I are going to see if we can figure out where the bastard went. There’s no way he dragged the deer all the way across the lawn without leaving a blood trail.”
Braden clenched his hands, the cool metal of the keys digging into his palm. “I don’t want to leave here while you’re out of the house. Caleb’s on his way home. When he gets out here I’ll take care of this.” He jerked his head toward the truck.
“Alright. But don’t let your mother see you like that.” His father glanced at his bloody clothing. “She won’t show it, but it’ll upset her.”
“I’ll keep to the porch until Caleb’s here.”
“Okay. Chase, let’s go.” They left with long strides carrying them to the edge of the woods where they could shift. Chase stopped a few times, inspecting the surrounding lawn, no doubt already attempting to piece together the events of last night.
Unable to go back into the house, Braden pulled out the hose and started to rinse off the porch. He’d have to come back out later with something stronger than water, but for now, this would keep him from climbing the walls until Caleb showed up. He was halfway through spraying down the porch when the screen door creaked and snapped. Beth stepped out, carefully skirting the area where the majority of the deer had been.
“Go back inside.”
She looked tired and scared, but she tilted her stubborn chin at him and set her expression.
“Why don’t you come inside? You’ve been out here all morning.”
Braden turned his attention back to the spray of water, unwilling to watch Beth attempting to withstand the fear he could see trying to tear her apart. “I want to get this done before Caleb gets here.”
A soft hand landed on his shoulder, another reached around and gently pried his fingers from the hose. “Come inside, Braden. I can finish this while you get cleaned up and get something to eat.”
The scent of her surrounded him, pure and sweet and heady. She didn’t belong out here, surrounded by the violent remains of death. “I’m fine. As soon as Caleb gets here I’m going to go dispose of the deer. I’ll clean up after.”
“Fine. I’ll go with you.”
“The hell you will. Go back inside, Beth.” He wrenched the hose from her and turned away.
“No.” Her arm jerked him around, the spray of the water arcing wildly. “You don’t have to do this on your own.”
“Look who’s talking.”
“Hey.” Her voice softened, beckoning him to look at her. Soft fingers stroked his arm cautiously. “There’s no reason for you to go by yourself. None of us should be alone right now. We’ll wait for Caleb and then I’ll help you get rid of the deer.” She pulled him around, wrapping her arms around him. Her warmth surrounded him, offering comfort, even against the filth he knew covered him.
Braden dropped the hose and gently put his hands on her shoulders, pushing her back. He saw her eyes shutter, anticipating rejection. “I’m disgusting.”
“I don’t care.” She reached for him again.
“I do,” he said, keeping his hands firmly on his shoulders. “I don’t want this to touch you.”
“It already has.”
Braden grimaced but didn’t drop his arms.
“I’ve survived worse. I don’t need you to protect me. This was only a cruel prank. A bloody reminder that he’s out there.” She scoffed, “As if I’d forgotten in the first place.”
Braden squeezed her shoulders, registering the fear-induced tension that belied her words. “No one questions your bravery. Or your resilience.” A rebuilt Land Rover rumbled up the drive. “That’s Caleb. Please, go inside and let me handle this. Promise me you’ll stay here with Caleb, Lucy and my mother while I’m gone.” She opened her mouth to argue, so he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “Just this once, let me take care of things.”
She studied him for a long moment and then reluctantly nodded. “Fine. But be careful.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be back before you know it.” He squeezed her shoulders one last time and propelled her to the door. “Would you grab me a change of clothes? I’ll take a shower when I get back, but I don’t want my mother and Lucy to see the stains on these.”
“You can’t protect them from this. Lucy caught the full brunt of it this morning and I know your mother saw a lot through the screen door before your father pushed her to go into the kitchen. They’re resilient, you don’t need to worry.”
“Still, they’ve seen enough. So have you. Go grab the clothes while I fill Caleb in.”
“Alright.” Beth disappeared back into the house as Caleb took the porch steps two a time, letting out a low whistle.
“Messy morning?”
“Yeah.” Braden picked up the hose and thrust it toward his brother. “You can finish up with this while I’m gone.”
Caleb accepted the hose, concern pinching his face. “Everyone okay?”
“Yeah. But no one leaves the house this afternoon.” Braden snatched the keys off the porch railing.
“Dad and Chase?”
“In the woods trying to piece everything together. I’ll be back in a couple hours.”
***
Braden rolled up the dirty tarp and tossed it into the bed of the truck. It had taken a little longer than he thought to find a suitable place to get rid of the deer. He hadn’t wanted to dump it too near the road in case someone found it. The last thing they needed right now was a public inquiry into what had mutilated the deer. No matter the findings, it would only result in problems.
Braden pulled off his shirt, tossed it into the cab and reached for the fresh one on the passenger seat.
The forest fell silent.
He spun as fire erupted across his chest, stealing his breath and sending him to his knees.
Son of a bitch!
Two tiny prongs pierced his chest, live wires extending back to the Taser.
“Hurts, doesn’t it?” Malicious humor colored the words. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never felt the electric kiss of a Taser. I’m told it burns like hell.”
Braden gathered what strength he could, yanked the prongs from his chest and leaped for the figure in front of him. Agony arched through him, burning across his back and squeezing his heart. He fought the darkness that edged his vision as he slumped to the ground. A booted foot held him down. Another connected with his ribs.
Once.
Twice.
The last thing he saw was the boot that swung for his head.
Beth watched as the last glimmer of sun dipped below the horizon.
Enough is enough.
She grabbed her sweater off the end of the bed and hurried down the stairs. Unease had pooled low in her gut when they’d found the slaughtered remains of the deer. It had steadily grown, coating her stomach, and filling her with the heavy weight of dread. But now, as the sun set and Braden still hadn’t returned, it coalesced into a solid fear she didn’t want to acknowledge.
Chase rose from the sofa when she hit the bottom of the stairs. She strode to the door and pulled the first set of keys off the hook by the door. “I’ve waited long eno
ugh. Are you coming with me or not?”
Chase plucked the keys from her hand and hung them back up.
“I’m not waiting any longer, Chase. Something’s wrong. Come with me or don’t but I’m not waiting any longer.”
“I’m not asking you to,” he said, pulling a different set of keys off the hook. “We’ll take Caleb’s Land Rover—it’ll handle better on the back roads.”
Forty-five minutes later, Beth strained her eyes, peering into the shallow depths the Land Rover’s lights cut through the woods as it bounced along the second backwoods road they’d searched. It was slow going now that the sun had set, too dark to see around corners or more than a few yards ahead. Even with the high beams on they had to take it slow for fear that they would hit something. Or someone.
“There!” Beth pointed through the windshield as they rounded another corner. “That’s the truck. Stop the car, Chase.” The Land Rover was still moving as she threw the door open, ignoring Chase’s shout to wait.
Nothing. No Braden.
“He’s not here,” she shouted as Chase pulled the car closer, headlights slashing through the darkness. A beam of light reflected off something in the cab of the trunk. Beth pulled the door open and saw a cell phone sitting atop the change of clothes she’d given Braden before he left.
“What is it?” Chase asked.
“It’s a phone.” But it was too small to be Braden’s. She flipped open the phone and the screen lit up. “Oh, God.”
She handed the phone off to Chase, the image of Braden, bound and beaten seared into her mind.
“We’re going back.” Chase’s voice was taut with fury. He slid the phone into his pocket and pushed her toward the Land Rover. “The truck’s keys are still in the ignition. I’ll drive it back. Take Caleb’s car. I’ll follow you out.”
Beth couldn’t move. She should have gone with Braden. He shouldn’t have been left alone. God, this couldn’t be happening again. She choked on the bile that tried to rush up her throat. What were they doing to him? Was he even still alive?
A rough hand gripped her elbow and whipped her around. Chase shook her hard enough to snap her head back and forth, hard enough to let his words penetrate the thick fog of panic that descended.
“Take the Rover, Beth. We’ve got to get out of here. Get back to the house.”
Beth shook her head even as Chase pushed her toward the car. “We can’t leave him out here.” Hysteria pitched her voice high and shrill. Digging her shoes into the dirt she fought against Chase. “I won’t let them take him. I won’t.”
“Neither will I. But we can’t do anything from here. We need to get back to the house.” When she didn’t move, Chase forced her to the car and jerked open the door. “He’s not dead, Beth. We’ll get him back. Now go.”
Beth went. Tremors shook her hands and arms and tears of fury burned her vision the entire excruciating drive home.
***
The whole family sat around the kitchen island, shocked and silent. Anna’s face was chalk-white and her fingers trembled around the mug of coffee her husband handed her.
“I’m so sorry,” Beth choked out.
This is my fault.
Anna’s head shot up and her fingers gripped her mug so tightly Beth was afraid she’d break the thick ceramic. “Stop it. I won’t have talk like that. This isn’t your fault.” She slammed her open palm against the counter when Beth opened her mouth. “I mean it. Talk of blame isn’t productive or appropriate. We need to focus on how we get him back. How we end this.”
“She’s right.” Matthew said, laying a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “He’s alive. The pictures on this phone are proof of that.”
“Is he okay?” Lucy asked, her voice unnaturally flat. Beth had only seen the photo on the phone when she picked it up, but Chase and his father had scrolled through the stored images and found quite a few more. They hadn’t allowed the rest of the family to look at them.
“Nothing Mike can’t handle.” Matthew’s arm wrapped around his wife when she dropped her head and choked back tears. “Look, he’s okay right now. Markko’s using him to bait you.” His solemn stare fastened on Beth. “He’s been playing a game of cat and mouse with you from the time you got here. The blue moon is the night after next. He wants you as uncomfortable and off balance as possible—and he obviously wants you to come to him. He has every reason to keep Braden alive.”
“So what do I do?” Beth asked.
“Right now, hard as it will be, we wait.”
“For what?” Lucy demanded. “For that bastard to demand Beth’s head on a platter? He can’t have her and he can’t have my brother.”
Chase moved to Lucy’s side and slipped an arm around her waist. He cradled her head when she pressed her face, flushed and wet with tears, into his shoulder. “He can’t have them,” she whispered.
“Of course not. But for now, we’re playing his game. Chase and I searched the woods this morning. Markko’s not alone. At least two of them came through the woods this morning, deposited the deer and then slunk back to a car they’d parked about a mile out.”
“Markko and Alek,” Beth said.
“Probably. We have to be patient. Markko will contact us and let us know how he wants this to play out. When he does, we’ll take control of the situation. Until then, we have to be patient and wait.” Matthew handed Beth the phone. “He’s going to want to speak to you, honey. Can you handle that?”
Beth closed her eyes, but curled her fingers around the phone and nodded jerkily. “What do I need to say?”
They spent the next several hours determining how to handle Markko, ultimately deciding that they would let him lead the conversation. If he ever called. Beth glanced over to the phone lying on the nightstand. How long would he wait? The clock on the bedside table read 3:45 a.m. Sleep wasn’t coming. She got out of bed, grabbed the phone and slipped down the stairs.
The house was quiet, everyone sleeping or worrying on their own for the moment. She flipped on the light in the kitchen, poured water into the teapot Anna kept on the stove and waited for it to boil.
“Can’t sleep?”
Beth jumped and whirled, her heart lodged in her throat.
Chase grinned apologetically. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”
“It’s fine.” Beth pulled the tea bags out of the cabinet. “Want some?”
“Sure.”
She pulled down an extra mug and placed it in front of Chase.
“I can’t stand the waiting. It’s driving me crazy.”
“That’s what he wants. But if it helps, I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t call in the next hour.”
“If he calls at all,” Beth muttered.
“He’ll call. He wants you worried and at your most vulnerable. That means he’s most likely to call when he thinks you’re either asleep or exhausted.”
Beth retrieved the teapot as it started to steam and whine, and poured the boiling water into their mugs. For a long time she didn’t drink, just kept her hands around the mug, letting the warmth seep into her hands and down her arms. Was Braden warm? Hungry? Scared?
Two high-pitched beeps broke through her thoughts. Beth glanced up, then down at the phone on the countertop. It beeped twice more. Beth snatched it up as Chase’s fingers closed around her wrist.
“Remember what we talked about. Let him dictate the conversation. If he asks you questions, make sure you keep your answers short, don’t give him more than what he asks for. Put it on speaker when you answer.”
“Okay.” The phone beeped twice more in her hand. Beth shakily pressed the accept call button and answered.
“Hello?”
“Lizzy? You sound tired.” Markko smiled into the phone, watching Edwards struggle against his bonds. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“What do you want?”
“I think you’re the one who wants something. Am I right?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Lying is
beneath you, Lizzy. We both know I have something, or should I say someone, you want. Don’t we?”
“Yes.”
“Good girl. Would you like to speak to him? You only have to ask.”
“Put him on the line.”
“That’s not very polite. I think you can do better.”
“Please.” Her voice trembled over the phone. “Please put him on the line.”
“Very good.” Markko removed the duct tape sealing Edwards’ mouth in one quick pull.
Edwards swore and bared his teeth.
“Someone would like to speak with you. I’m going to put you on speaker. She’ll be the one to pay for anything foolish on your part.”
Edwards’ eyes flashed and he snapped his mouth shut, refusing to participate in the call.
“Let’s not be stubborn, hmm?” Markko pushed the phone between them and engaged the speakerphone. “She’s obviously worried—I’d hate to add to it. Speak or scream, it’s your choice.”
“No!” Beth cried out across the line.
“Beth?”
“Braden? Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, I’ll be fine. Whatever it is he wants, don’t do it, Beth, promise me…”
Markko replaced the duct tape. “Enough of that.” Disengaging the speakerphone, he put the handset to his ear. “See. He’s fine.”
“Let him go.” Her voice was harsh and clipped, her desperation an audible balm to him.
“No.”
“He’s not who you want, just let him go.”
“I’ll admit he wasn’t my first choice, but I couldn’t get near your little friend. Then this one turned up this afternoon, dumping the doe I took such care to deliver to your doorstep. It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I would have liked the opportunity to get to know your little friend, your new little sister. Lucy, was it? It certainly would have made for nice symmetry. But I was getting bored.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“So agreeable, so eager. Perhaps I grabbed the right person, after all. We’re going to play a little game. A few years ago, I hunted you down. It’s only fair I return the opportunity. Tomorrow, at dawn, I’ll send you a text message telling you where I ditched my car. You’ll have the daylight hours to track me down. You have managed to shift without the pull of the moon, haven’t you?”