Page 19

19

DEATH

“The shepherd calls it straying, but the darkness calls it pilgrimage—every lost lamb is just a shadow being born.” ~ Anonymous

“What did he say?” Ryan asked.

My hands clenched into tight fists as I imagined choking the life out of him. “Another goddamn riddle, but I heard Ella in the background. She’s alive but the motherfucker only gave me eight hours to find her. From the riddle, I think we’re on the right track with the house. He said, ‘where your childhood screams still echo, she whispers her last goodbye. The wall between memory and salvation is thinner than you know.’”

Every second was crucial, and I couldn’t bear the idea of failing to save her. My pulse raced with adrenaline at the possibility that we were finally close to her, but I didn’t dare speak it aloud for fear of jinxing our chances. Even as I pushed away the thought, my pulse quickened with anticipation and dread. Time was running out, and we had to act fast.

Ryan’s brows shot up. “Let’s get to the place where it all went down.” He glanced at me, his expression hopeful. Ryan was probably thinking the same thing I was. Ella was nearby.

The car tires screeched as Ryan made a sharp turn onto Tully Lane, my childhood street. My stomach clenched with fear and anxiety as each familiar yard we passed ignited a memory—most of them involving Dope and the neighborhood kids.

I leaned forward, my heart jumping into my throat. “What the fuck?”

Ryan slammed on the brakes and pulled over to the side of the road, killing the engine. We unclipped our seat belts and jumped out of the car.

“Holy shit.” Ryan proceeded towards where my old home once stood, now reduced to nothing but rubble.

“I can’t believe it’s gone,” I whispered, shaking my head in disbelief. “But … where’s Ella?!” Panic rose in my throat as I frantically scanned the debris for any sign that she had been there.

“I don’t get it.” Ryan walked across the dirt where my yard used to be, kicking at it as he moved. “It’s fresh. The house was demolished recently. I wonder why, though.” He looked down the street, and I followed his attention. “Someone is coming. Keep your mouth shut and let me see if we can learn anything.”

I wouldn’t have a problem staying quiet. At the moment, I was messed up in the head about Ella. The second I saw that the home was gone, I realized the caller was fucking with me. For a fleeting second, I thought we would be leaving Minnesota with her in my arms. Clearly, I’d allowed my emotions to muddle my judgment, and this was just a game of cat and mouse to him. He was probably laughing his ass off.

A man who appeared to be in his mid-sixties approached us with a German Shepard.

“Afternoon,” he said, slowing so his dog could take a piss on the dirt.

“Afternoon,” Ryan replied. “You have a beautiful dog.”

The man glowed with pride as he introduced Dixie to us. Her tail wagged happily as we pet her.

“You’re not from around here,” the guy said. “By the way, I’m Chester. I’ve lived in the area for more than twenty years. I’m about three streets over, but Dixie and I walk this way twice a day.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jack and this is my brother, Hugh. We grew up in the neighborhood and thought it would be fun to see how much it’s changed. We weren’t expecting this though.” Ryan motioned to the empty lot.

“I was shocked to see a crew tearing down the structure a few weeks ago. They just finished cleaning everything up yesterday. It was all of a sudden it seemed, but the house had been for sale for years. No one wanted to buy it.”

He had my attention now.

Ryan looked at me before he spoke. “You moved into the area after we left. We were pretty little, grade school actually.”

“Everything has changed around here, that’s for sure.” Dixie sat next to her owner, panting.

“So, they tore down the place because no one would buy it? Why was it difficult to sell? Hugh and I loved the place.”

Even though Ryan had suggested I stay quiet, I had details about the home that he didn’t. “When I was supposed to be in bed, there was a door under the stairs and a small storage space. I used to hide and watch television when my parent’s thought I was sleeping.” I managed a smile and Ryan chuckled. “There were definitely some unique features about the place.”

“There were rumors that the house had a weird vibe, and the creepy basement was filled with toys, stuffed animals, and dolls. Something along those lines, anyway. They were too old to clean up and donate, but I wonder if any had been yours?” the guy asked.

“We were G.I. Joe kids, not stuffed animals,” Ryan said with a smile.

My jaw ticked as I tried to recall any of the toys, but my memories were few and far between. The only reason I knew about hiding under the stairs was because Dope had mentioned it to me a while ago.

Kip’s words echoed in my mind as I remembered the time he told us all about the initial phone call where Ella had given clues to her location—a cage, underground, surrounded by stuffed animals. If my old basement had toys … something in the back of my brain nudged me. I wasn’t remembering an important piece of the puzzle, but how could I with so few memories?

“What happened there that no one wanted to buy it after we left?” I asked, repeating Ryan’s question.

Chester cleared his throat, then said, “It was before I moved here, but rumor has it the couple that owned the place were brutally murdered. They had a son, and apparently, he witnessed the whole thing. Poor kid was traumatized by that, and child services put him in foster care right after. I bet he was a mess. No child should have to see that and lose everything too.”

“What happened to him?” I asked, shoving my hand into the pocket of my jeans.

“A family took him in and helped him through the hard times. Gave him a safe place to stay. I heard they were really good people. After that, he graduated and moved out of the area. No one knows what happened to him. It would be interesting to find out, though. See how he turned out.”

He didn’t want to know how it all turned out. I was a killer and one of the most wanted in the country by the FBI.

“Yeah, that would be intriguing to see what he made out of his life,” Ryan agreed.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you both. I better get Dixie home and feed her.” Chester offered us a wide smile. “Take care.”

We said our goodbyes and patted Dixie as they walked past us. A few seconds later, Chester turned around.

“Ya know, I almost forgot. I chatted with one of the crew last week. He mentioned that even though this place was gone, there was an exact replica of it. Struck me as really weird.”

My ears perked up. “What do you mean?” I was well aware of what a replica was, but I had to be certain I understood what he’d said.

“Apparently some guy knew the family and was obsessed with the story of the murders.”

Ryan folded his arms, his stance unwavering. “That’s pretty obsessed if he rebuilt the home.”

“I agree. Definitely strange and it stuck in my brain, ya know?” Chester tapped his chin.

“Did he say where the place was located? We’d love to see it,” I said. He had no idea how much I wanted to see it.

Chester scratched his balding head and frowned. “He said it was tucked away somewhere. Where was it?”

My patience was wearing thin, but I couldn’t tell him to hurry the fuck up because the love of my life was being held captive and most likely at that house.

Chester snapped his fingers. “I got it. He said it was at the base of Mount Casper and hidden in the woods. It’s about an hour from here if you go north. I bet the owner would let you see it if you asked nicely and tell him you used to live in the original place.”

I closed the gap between us. “You seem like a good guy, Chester. But a word to the wise. If anyone knocks on your door wanting to see the inside of your house, don’t let them in. You could be inviting the devil in and not realize it until it’s too late.”

His bushy grey eyebrows rose in surprise as he stared into my eyes. “You … you’re. I knew there was something familiar about you, but I couldn’t quite place it.” He took a few steps back as Dixie barked at me. “Sebastian? The boy who lost his parents? I’ve only seen pictures of you when you were in high school. My stepdaughter had attended with you before I married her mother. You’ve grown up and changed, or I would have placed you sooner.”

“Wrong guy. As I said, this is my brother, Hugh,” Ryan said. “Chester, it’s been a pleasure chatting with you, but you should listen to Hugh. Don’t let strangers into your home. The world isn’t safe anymore.”

He nodded and tugged Dixie’s leash as she pulled on it to leave. “I won’t. You boys have a good day.” He started to walk away, then glanced over his shoulder at us one last time.

“Let’s go … now.” Ryan headed back to the car, and I was right behind him.

Once we were safely inside and the doors were closed, Ryan started the engine.

“I’ll look for directions.” I grabbed my phone and brought up the map of the area that included the mountain, then I zoomed into Google Earth.

“Guess Sebastian is a legend around here,” I muttered.

“I can see that. Not many nice areas like this have murders go down, but it happens more than most people realize.”

“Thanks for covering for me. Even though he was wrong about me being Sebastian, I have a feeling Chester is chatty and will tell anyone who will listen.”

A mix of anger and hope tightened my chest. If a stranger thought I was Sebastian, I clearly looked like him, but I still wasn’t willing to admit we were sharing the same body. I would deal with that later. It was time to find my little lamb and bring her home.

I searched the address of the house that was no longer standing and located images of the exterior and interior. It was the same one I remembered. Then, I looked on Google Earth at the base of the mountain and zoomed in, spotting the structure that looked like the one that had recently been torn down. “I think I found it.”

Ryan’s expression turned grave. “Do you have directions for me?”

I tapped the button, and the voice floated through my speaker. “If she’s there …”A lump formed in my throat, reminding me to remain cautious about finding her this time.

“You’ve got backup. You know I’m always armed, and I’m guessing you have more than one blade strapped to your person.”

My nostrils flared at the thought of finally getting my hands on the son of a bitch who took her. “Damn straight.”

I sucked in a lungful of air, and excitement stirred deep in the pit of my stomach as I began to plot out how I would end anyone who was involved with Ella’s kidnapping. It was going to be a fucking bloodbath, and I couldn’t wait. But first, I had to make sure Ella and my children were safe and sound, tucked away from any more harm.