Page 23 of The Facilitator, Part 3

“He’s done what? Oh my God, Mackenzie. I’m so sorry. I haven’t seen him for months. Honestly, since you had your fight and he left. I know you think I might have harbored him then but I didn’t…”

“What, Addison?” I said, as the women came back into the room. “Why did you pause?”

“Daddy has a hunting lodge, a new one. Daniel visited there one time. I’ll get the key, I’ll bring it to you with instructions,” she said, and then she cut off the call before I could tell her not to come to me, I’d meet her somewhere.

I relayed what she’d said and then we deliberated. Did we tell the police or not?

“No,” I said, as did Alex.

“No,” said Lauren, to my surprise.

Vivienne declined to answer and Gabriella wanted the police to know.

“Gab, how stable is Daniel?” Lauren asked her gently. Gabriella shrugged her shoulders .

“He can’t be to have done this. He’s desperate. If the police roll up all guns blazing, what will happen?”

“I don’t know. I don’t want to think about that, Lauren,” she said, snapping at my wife. Lauren didn’t flinch.

“I think what we do is have Addison come here, hand over the key, and then have her call him. She can tell him that Alex has the money, she can ask for a cut, to prove she’s on his side. Then Alex and Mackenzie take the money and come home with your baby.”

It sounded so simple and in Lauren’s na?vety, it was. However, this wasn’t the UK, there would be guns in that lodge and a desperate man. It was, though, the only way. Gabriella slowly nodded her head.

Yet again we were back to waiting. Lauren bustled around organizing drinks and food. She made both Vivienne and Gabriella eat a little something. Alex flat refused and by the thunderous look he’d adopted since my call to Addison, Lauren, skirted around him.

When I saw Addison’s car pull closer to the house, Alex and I walked out without telling Gabriella and Lauren.

Addison didn’t attempt to get out of her car. “Alex, I’m so sorry. I have nothing to do with this, and I have no idea if he’s there at all, but I can’t sit back and not tell you about the lodge, just in case.”

He didn’t answer her, just stared with a jaw clenched so tight.

She looked to me. “This is the key and I’ve written the address and instructions there.

It’s not easy to find, and, Mackenzie, he’ll see you coming if you arrive in a car.

” She then reached over to the passenger seat for a map.

“You can get to the cabin here,” she said, pointing to the map.

“Get out of the car, Addison,” Alex said, finally speaking.

I nodded to her and opened her door.

“I’m not sure,” she said, her voice shook, displaying her nerves.

“It’s fine, we need you to do one thing for us,” I said. She stepped out.

“Call him, tell him that you know I have the money he wants. You’re willing to bring it to him in exchange for the baby, but you want a cut,” Alex said.

“I…” She started.

“If you don’t, you’re not leaving here,” Alex said, snatching the keys from the ignition. “I don’t know that you’re not involved in this.”

“Mackenzie called me,” she said, looking between us.

“Which you knew he would,” Alex stated.

For a moment there was silence. “You put the phone on loudspeaker and you call him,” Alex reiterated.

She picked up phone and her hands shook. The arrogant Addison had been replaced by a nervous one and I was confused. I wondered if Alex had been correct. She called.

“Daniel, what have you done?” she asked, adding a chuckle to her voice.

“Fuck off, Addison. I asked for your help and you laughed at me.”

“Listen, I’m sorry. I know Alex has the money you asked for,” she said.

“How?”

“Because Mackenzie asked me if I knew where you were,” she said.

“Are you with them?” he asked, and I wondered if he was high. Paranoia was a side effect where he was concerned.

“No, but I have a plan. I know Alex has the money because I saw him in town. The police are all over the place looking for you. I can bring the money to you and take the baby back, that way you won’t be involved.”

“I don’t trust you,” he said.

“Daniel, what do you think will happen when Alex and Mackenzie catch up with you? Because they will. You took a child, Daniel, a baby,” she said, lowering her voice.

“I know. I didn’t mean to,” he said, and my stomach curled when he started to snivel.

“I know, darling. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing, but you need to get out of the country. I can get the money and you can get away,” she said, she looked up at me and shrugged. “How is the baby?” she asked.

“Sleeping, I think. All it does is fucking cry,” Daniel replied.

At that, Alex gripped his hair with both hands and bit down hard on his lip, it bled and he had to walk away.

“Why don’t you take a few moments to think about it, huh? Call me back if you want my help,” Addison said. Alex shook his head, and I placed my hand on his arm.

She cut off the phone. “Let me tell you this, if my child is not there, if you’ve warned him in any way, I will fucking kill you,” Alex said, getting right into her face. She shook, she was terrified. I gently pulled his arm until he stepped back.

“If you have, Addison, it won’t be Alex you’ll need to worry about,” we heard. Gabriella stood on the driveway with Lauren. It was Lauren who had spoken.

“I swear I had nothing to do with this and I have not given him any hints or warnings,” she said.

It was when a nearly immaculate Vivienne joined her daughter and Lauren that Addison broke down. She was her aunt, and one who had forbade any contact. Addison missed family; I knew that.

“I didn’t know,” she said.

Still, she was a good enough actress to pile on the tears on command so I wasn’t falling for it until I knew for sure. Her phone rang and she wiped her hand over her eyes.

“Hello, Daniel,” she said, not giving a hint of her previous distress.

“I’m at your dad’s cabin,” he said. Only then did we believe Addison. He wouldn’t have given his location if he suspected her.

“Okay, how about I call Mackenzie and say I want to meet him? Maybe I can get to the bag without them knowing.”

“I doubt they’re just leaving all that money in the hallway,” he said, and I had to work hard not to look at the bag left in the hallway.

“Well, you know me, my darling, I can plan something. You need to give me about an hour to come up with a way to get the money. You know I can do it, don’t you?”

“Yes,” he replied.

“An hour and then I’ll call with details,” she said.

“Addison, if you’re fucking with me…” He left the sentence unsaid.

“Daniel, I’ve fucked with you in the past, with Mackenzie and Lauren. I’ve screwed my life up over and over. This is my last chance at some money as well. So no, Daniel, I’m not fucking with you,” she said, and I thought that was said with all sincerity. She disconnected the call.

“Now what?” she said.

“Now you stay here,” Alex said. He pocketed her keys.

“Not in here, she isn’t,” Gabriella said.

“I’ll take care of Addison,” Vivienne said. She led her into the house. As she passed, Addison reached out to Gabriella, who took a step back.

“We’ll take her car as far as we can, then we’ll hike,” I said. “We need to head to my house first,” I said. Alex nodded.

“Stay indoors and lock up,” I said to Lauren. “Don’t open those doors to anyone,” I added.

“I’ll have Jack from the stables keep a watch over them,” Alex added and strode off. The old guy who looked after the horses was pretty confident with a rifle.

Once we were happy, I drove Addison’s car to my house.

I left Alex in the car and headed straight to one of the bedrooms. I shifted a dresser until a small metal door was exposed.

I punched in the number that released the door and pulled out a handgun and bullets.

I also grabbed a shoulder holster and binoculars.

I doubted Daniel was armed but I wasn’t taking any chances.

He’d arrived at my house that day unarmed and drunk, but he had a child in his care, I had to assume he’d had some form of weapon.

In a fistfight, both Alex and I would wipe the floor with him.

If he had a knife, or a gun, we needed to be prepared.

I grabbed a large hunting knife as well.

I filled the clip and made sure the safety was on. That gun hadn’t been fired in a long time and hadn’t been cleaned in a while. I fucking hoped I didn’t need it, but if I did, I prayed it didn’t backfire or malfunction in any way.

When I returned to the car, I leaned over Alex and opened the glove compartment; I placed both the gun and the knife in there. I looked at Alex, he didn’t look shocked at all, he simply nodded.

We drove in silence as far as we could, using the map, and then we parked.

“We’re not going by her route,” I said. I studied it and we worked out a different one. It was slightly longer but we’d still get to him within the hour we had. After that, Daniel could well get suspicious that Addison hadn’t called back.

I pulled the holster over my shoulder and slipped in the gun. Alex took the knife from the sheath to examine it. “I’ll hold on to this,” he whispered, and I nodded.

We trekked through the woods, coming upon the property to the rear. By that time, the sun had started to lower. Daniel wasn’t intelligent and if he was drugged up, I hoped he wouldn’t be acting smart. However, when Alex heard his son scream, he jumped forward .

“Not smart,” I whispered, grabbing him and wrestling him back to the ground. “Not smart,” I repeated.

He settled and we waited where we were. I raised the binoculars and scanned the area. The lodge was really secluded, which was great for him and us. I could see a beat-up, once-white car outside.

“First thing is to slash those tires,” Alex said, when I’d told him what I’d seen.

I couldn’t see any lights on and that worried me. If he’d been tipped off, he might sit in the dark to wait. An image jumped into my head of him holding Dominic and I quickly buried that.