GODDESS OF THE MOON (A Diana Racine Psychic Suspense) (42 page)

W
hen Lucier didn’t show up for work Monday morning, Beecher started
to
worry. The tech said all three GPS tracking devices
signaled from the area around and in
Diana’s
house
. Beecher called
the
re
. No response. He called Lucier’s cell with the same result, then Diana’s.
Again, no answer.
This was not like his boss. The only time Beecher
remembered
the lieutenant
break the rules was when he saved Diana from the psycho who tried to kill her. T
oday, t
he inconsistencies set
Beecher’s
nerve endings on
full
alert.

He drove to Diana’s
house
,
saw
Lucier’s car in the driveway,
and
the tracking device still in place. No one answered the door. He
searched around, found the fake rock with the key inside, and entered―
something he would never do except in this situation.
The house
was empty
, as expected.

H
e
sped
to
Compton’s residence
in
the
French Quarter
.
Even if he could have found a parking space on the tourist-crowded street, t
he
iron
gates
to
the
house
were locked
. N
o guard.

An uneasy
sensation
roiled
in Beecher’s belly; sweat sprouted
on
the back of his neck and hairline. The physical effects
turned into full-blown anxiety.
Considering what
Lucier
suspected about
the
Comptons
,
Beecher was scared sh
itless.

* * * * *

L
ucier’s head throbbed; his mouth and throat felt like he’d swallowed a bucket of sand. He tried to raise his hand to massage his temples but found his wrists shackled
to an arm chair
with plastic cuffs.
Ropes
secured
h
is feet
together
, and a leather strap stretched
tight
across his chest.
S
tabs of pain sho
o
t
ing
into every muscle
woke
h
is body
from its numbness
. Even a shallow breath sent tremors through his ribcage.
His bladder
verged on
explod
ing
.

Where was he?
He
rotated
his head to
view
a
n unfamiliar
large room with dozens of chairs lining the walls. The
n the
last image of Diana
filtered through the cobwebs of
his
mind
.
T
r
emors
intensif
ying, h
e tried to focus
through the pounding in
his head while t
endrils of fear snak
ed
through the hammering tension.
Snippets of visuals flashed in his brain―
Diana’s
face, beseeching, begging forgivene
ss.

His already-churning stomach revolted even more.
He was the one who should beg forgiveness.
He
’d
seriously misread the situation.

What was that?
He turned at the
abrupt
sound
, squinted
.
A
silhouette emerge
d
in grainy shadow
,
and
Lucier
blinked to clear his vision

“Ah, you’re finally awake,” the familiar voice sa
id.

Was this a
dream
, his
mind playing tricks?
Then
reality seeped into his memory, scene by ugly scene.

Compton’s house.

Sitting down to dinner.

His own fading vision.

Darkness.

His stomach sank, and he struggled
helplessly
against his bonds. He coughed to clear the raspy croak
that substituted for his voice.
From his training, he knew the adrenaline pumping into his bloodstream would help
disperse
the fog in his head. Until then, he wouldn’t give
anyone
the satisfaction of seeing him cower.

Seeing
Slater
standing
in front of him, a
smirk
on his
lips,
didn’t surprise
Lucier
in the least.
“Where’s Diana? I swear if anything’s happened to her
,
there won’t
be any place for you to hide.”

A derisive huff emerged from
Slater
’s throat as he paced before him, his relaxed demeanor conveying his
advantage
.
“His first words are for his lady. How noble. Brave, too, considering you’re strapped to a chair.”

“My men and the FBI know where we are. You won’t get away with this.”

“You mean those little GPS tracking devices you and Diana
carried
? They’re beeping signals as we speak.
At Diana’s house.
Did you really think you could pass through the security gate without alerting us
of their presence
? Your men couldn’t find you now with the latest in satellite technology or with
a team of champion bloodhounds
.

“
Besides, you called your man
―
what’s
his name?
Beecher
?―
and told him you and Diana spent
a lovely evening at the
Compton
s
’
. You even
mentioned
you found no evidence to implicate our group in anything more nefarious than unknowingly renting a house to a man who kidnapped a baby. Your
d
etective must think the two of you took an extended holiday, when in fact you’re hundreds of miles away from New Orleans, in our compound.”

What call?
Think, Ernie
. But his mind was a black hole. He writhed again
st his bonds t
o free himself, caving limp in the chair
as
his weakened body
collapsed
. Even in full strength, he couldn’t have shucked
his
bindings.

He’d been surprised
Slater
wasn’t at Compton’s house the night of the reading and concluded he’d been wrong about him. He chalked up his irritation
at
the man
to a foolish emotion that colored his opinion from the beginning.
Colored it green.
Now he knew h
is innate sense of distrust had been spot on, and Diana,
maybe
for
the first time in her career
―her life―
had missed
Slater’s
evil
core
.

He should have trusted his cop instinct.

“
T
ell me
,” Lucier said, “
i
s
Diana
okay
?”

“She’s fine. Why would we hurt her? She’s what this is all about.”

“What
is
this all about?” Lucier asked
, forcing out the words
.

“You’ll
find out
soon enough.”

K
eep
your
wits. Find out as much as
you can
. “What day is it?”

“
Monday morning.
I’m afraid you’ve been out for quite a while.
”

Monday
.
At least thirty-six hours
had passed
.
He’d probably been restrained all that time
, which accounted for the
stiffness
. “
I need to
pee
.”

“Soon.
We made sure you did your business. We wouldn’t want you to mess yourself
, b
ut you do reek.”

The thought that someone had seen to his bodily functions caused a cold
spike down his spine. What drug had allowed them to put him under so completely?
“
When I don’t show up for work and they can’t find Diana, they’ll come looking for us. They’ll find us.”

Slater arched one brow.
“Hold the thought.”

The ominous phrase chilled Lucier. Slater
sounded
so sure of himself.
With
the tracking devices useless,
and i
f they were hundreds of miles away
,
how would anyone find them? Ralph Stallings said the combined properties of the
group were a complicated mess.

“How did you
drug us
? I watched every morsel of food we ate, every drop of liquid poured into our glasses.”

Slater’s arrogant
sneer
claimed victory without words.
“But not the drop at the bottom of the glass
,
before
we filled it.
E
nough to put you under.
We supplemented later, after you fell into your plates.”

I was so careful, so prepared
―
so stupid
.
He should have switched place cards and changed seats. If he’d done that, the looks on their faces would have
given them away
. He should have checked the glasses.
Should have insisted
that he and Diana stayed home.
Should have, should have.
Didn’t.

Too
damn
late now.
He strained harder against the
binding
straps, but they only cut deeper into his skin.

“Sorry about the restraints.
L
etting you roam free
didn’t seem like
a good idea.”

“You son of a bitch,” Lucier said, still struggling. “Where is she? I want to see her.”

“You will.
In a minute.
She’s quite something, you know.
An amazing woman.
I
’d
hoped she’d take to our way of life, but she
’s
too strong-minded
.”

“Don’t hurt her. She’s been through enough.
Y
ou of all people
should
understand.”

“Are you appealing to my sense of justice?” Slater asked. Then his tone hardened. “Don’t bother. I lost
that years
ago.”

“
What’s this about, Slater
? Why
kidnap
Diana? Why kidnap babies?”

Slater
’s mouth twisted
into an ugly grimace
. “I wasn’t in favor of the kidnappings. That was Phillip’s idea. He
judged
it imperative to inject heightened genetic material for the future of the group: scientists and doctors. I grew to embrace the
concept
, however. A
s for
Diana
―
how could we resist the opportunity? The name: Diana.
Her exceptional psychic abilities.
Coincidence?
I think not. She insinuated herself into our
sphere of interest
when she found the pink house.
Everything fit so perfectly.”

These people were deranged.
All of them.
Lucier didn’t realize
the
extent until now.
“Crane?
I don’t understand.”

“Phillip’s great-grandfather is full-blooded Osage Indian. That’s common knowledge for anyone doing the research.”

“I suppose there’s a connection between him and
your
Indian
savior
. Unless the holy man discovered the fountain of youth,
he
must have been a descendent.”