Resurrected (Resurrected Series Book 1) (21 page)

“We’re looking for Donald Cormier,” Eric answered. Apparently, being called a boy didn’t bother him, even though he was 33.

“Ah, well, I’m Don, what can I do for you?”

Sometimes it really was that easy.

Except Don didn’t recognize us. He didn’t seem alarmed that we were there in his store. He didn’t know anything about Lydia. I decided to ask him about her anyway. “Do you know a young woman named Lydia, about 26, from Baton Rouge?”

Don’s face lit up. “Yes, I …” His smile faded as realization hit him. He may not have had anything to do with her disappearance but our presence couldn’t be good. “What’s happened?” he asked, his voice low, gruff. Don looked angry. All of that pleasant salesman lumberjack hippieness was gone. Eric glanced back toward the door. It didn’t look like anyone would be interrupting us.

“How do you know her?” I asked.

Don’s eyes were all fire. “Where is she?”

“We don’t know. That’s why we’re here. Do you know her friend as well?”

“Lottie? Is she gone too?”

I didn’t like any of this. Lottie had never told me about Donald Cormier in Moss Bluff, Louisiana who owned a hardware store full of creepy chimineas. “We need to talk, Don. Now.” I expected him to argue with me, to keep insisting we tell him what happened to Lydia first, to throw one of the weird Buddha looking chimineas at us … they looked really heavy, but he had the whole lumberjack thing going on, he could probably do it … but he stepped around us and locked the door, then nodded toward the back. “Let’s go, then.”

There was a small room that functioned as both an office and a break room and we sat at the table with him. He pushed aside a stack of papers, inventory and sales receipts – I wondered if any were for the portable Buddhas with the fire pits in their bellies – and folded his hands in front of him on the table. He still wore that expression of both rage and anxiety, but he waited for us to speak. If I had known how he knew Lottie and Lydia, I might have liked Donald Cormier.

One thing I had learned over the years is that a lot of times, just telling people the truth was the simplest way to get anywhere. Don struck me as the kind of man who would appreciate that. “Lydia disappeared from work last night. We’re trying to find her. We think Willis McGrath was involved.” Don didn’t seem to like that.

“What the hell was Willis McGrath doing in Baton Rouge?”

I didn’t want anyone else knowing about Lottie. So far, the only person who didn’t want to kill her for having restored a dead woman’s mind was Lydia, and now she was missing. “Look, Lottie’s … I think you need to tell us how you know them.”

Eric suddenly sat up straighter in his chair. “Now I remember you!” He leaned toward me, excited that he’d finally grasped this elusive memory. “That day Lydia was telling me all about her past and coming here, she mentioned she’d reconnected with someone, she knew you from back home, you left when she was a kid.”

Don’s eyes widened but he nodded in acknowledgment. “How’d you know her?” I asked.

“I worked for Lottie’s family as well. I was very good friends with Lydia’s father. And she was …” Don sighed, a pained, sorrowful sigh, the anguish of a worried and terrified man who loved Lydia like a father. “That little girl was like a bright star. She pulled in everyone around her and we couldn’t help but be happy with her around.”

“Then what? How’d you end up here? And you know what here I mean. You’re not the same kind of immigrant as me.”

Don shook his head slightly, clearly disturbed by talking about this so openly with strangers, but his love for Lydia won out. “All the boys, Lottie’s brothers, moved out and I was let go. Coming here … well, it’s a business, you know. They advertise. Send out recruiters. They check into your past because they won’t send any troublemakers. They make way too much money. It seems like you people put all your focus into building more destructive weapons; we built this. If people here found out what we were doing, they could shut us down, find out where all the openings are, close ‘em, maybe even get rid of us. I’ve studied history here.”

I squirmed a little in my seat. He wasn’t directing that comment toward me but I couldn’t help feeling that way.

“Anyway, I had no family and no job and the way they were talking, they made it sound so …” Don sighed again. This time, it was a sigh of regret. “Well, I thought it would be different. I think a lot of us did. McGrath … he worked for them. Way I heard it, he was one of a handful of volunteers for their company who comes over every so often to keep things quiet here. Those guys back home are richer than God cause we have no way of telling anyone they’re lying to us.”

Holy shit. I was speechless. I had always thought of these people as adventurers, explorers, maybe some were more sinister, coming for the control and power they couldn’t have at home. But Don’s story was one of … capitalist greed? Exploitation? Corruption? Some themes really were universal. And Don’s story seemed completely genuine. But he was also obviously jaded. “Why do you think they’re lying? Maybe they really believe this place is a paradise. If you can’t communicate and all,” I asked. I hated that Lottie had been manipulated like this.

“We can’t communicate. Guys like McGrath can. They came here with the knowledge of how to build whatever they needed or how to do it, I dunno. I’ve never seen it happen. Most of us won’t ever see it happen and they deny it anyway. But we aren’t stupid.”

Goddamn it. I wonder what they had told Lottie, what promises they had made her, what Eden they told her was here. If she had known what it was really like on this planet, would she have still come? Perhaps for women over there, this one was still a better option – at least if they arrived in a part of the world where women were treated with something even close to equality.

I decided I needed to trust him. I told him what had happened to Lottie; about Jackson’s visit; about Abram and McGrath and Lydia disappearing and our theory that they may be holding her on a boat and that’s why we had come to him. Don listened intently to it all, never interrupting or insisting that Lottie’s resurrection was impossible as everyone else had. When I had finished, Don asked if he could see the list of names of people in the area. Eric handed him the phone. “I know these guys. And I’d bet my store on one of ‘em being involved. But I wanna come with you.”

I glanced at Eric. It was a bad idea. A really bad one. A rookie kind of mistake to agree to something like that. But I had decided I liked Donald Cormier, and his knowledge of these people might be useful so I spoke before Eric could. “Ok, but you listen to us, no arguing or hesitating because that can get you killed. And one day, you’ll tell me about Lottie as a child.”

Don tried to hide the smile threatening to pull at his lips. “Deal.”

Chapter 18

We were back in Lake Charles, standing outside a sprawling house on River Road that belonged to a business property investor named Perry Dennison. Across the street was a private slip. The small yacht that should have been docked there was gone. “This is like the fucking alien mafia,” Eric mumbled. If Don was offended, he didn’t show it. I’m pretty sure “alien” wouldn’t be politically correct.

“Maybe we should have taken my boat,” Don offered. I looked out at the lake beyond him and shook my head. “I’m not a goddamned pirate. I don’t know how to board a moving boat. Although Eric was most likely a horticulturalist ninja in his past life.”

Eric liked his new title. Don just looked confused. Eric was going to perhaps bestow a new title on me when my phone vibrated in my pocket; it was Mark. Someone had finally contacted Lottie.

“That David guy, the all-muscle-man, called her. Wants her to meet you in Lake Charles.” I should have fucking killed him when I was in Waco.

“We all figured they’d know you were there,” Mark continued, “but you’d better wait until some others show up anyway before you do anything. They’re on their way from Houston. It shouldn’t be long now.”

I didn’t want to tell him we didn’t really have anything to do right now anyway. Instead, I asked, “Can I talk to Lottie?” The phone went silent as he handed it over, then her sweet, melodious voice, rich like honey, was on the other end. God, I couldn’t believe how much I missed her already. “Dietrich … please come back soon.”

“I will. I met a friend of yours.”

She only had to think about it for a second. “Don?”

“Yeah, probably would’ve been helpful to know about him before we came down here, but you’re so damn adorable, I’ll forgive you.”

Lottie snickered and I could picture the smile she was giving me now. If I were there with her, I’d be getting laid soon. “Hm, sorry the whole shock of having my best friend kidnapped was messing with my head.”

She wanted to ask about her, but she already knew I would have nothing to tell her. So I told her, “I love you. And I
will
be back soon.” We disconnected just as a boat appeared on the horizon.

“Maybe we should get outta here,” Don suggested.

Eric and I watched the boat. It was getting closer. If it belonged to Perry, they were most likely coming back for us. “Well,” I thought aloud, “it’s a trap, but it’d get us on board without playing pirates.”

Eric joined in. “And it’s an easy way to get in touch with Perry and hopefully McGrath.”

“And with any luck, Lydia’s on board.”

“They’ll search us. If David lays a hand on me, I’ll snap.”

I thought about that. “You don’t think David’s
more
handsome than me?”

“Shut the fuck up.”

Don hadn’t said a word. He had just watched us with a kind of surprised curiosity and apprehension. He probably still thought we were cops. We could hear the motor of the boat now; we needed to make a decision. “Let’s meet them,” I proposed. “We don’t have to board. No one will do anything stupid while we’re on the side of the street in the middle of the day.”

Eric agreed. Don looked uncomfortable but kept his word to keep his mouth shut and listen to us. We waited in silence as the small yacht pulled into its slip and docked. River Road wasn’t a very busy road. Only a few cars passed us and no one looked twice at the strange group of men, one of whom looked suspiciously like Paul Bunyan reincarnated in the 1960s, standing in front of a gated house like a group of would-be burglars. So much for community watch here. As the motor cut off, the only sounds around us were the waves slapping against the side of the iridescent white boat and the occasional mosquito buzzing past my ear. Whoever was on board was taking his time. It was part of his game.

Finally, a door opened and an unfamiliar man stepped out on deck. He was probably in his late 50s, average build and height with nothing remarkable about his features at all. He was one of those people that would have blended completely into a crowd, capable of disappearing entirely. A few more tense seconds passed and the door opened again. David joined him on deck, looking cheerful as ever. I really hated that fucker. Perry, at least I was assuming it was Perry, was staring at Don. “What are you doing here?” he asked him, his voice raised to carry across the street but otherwise as colorless and bland as his features. Don was livid. He made his first mistake then and acted on his own; he crossed the street. Eric and I could do nothing except follow him.

“Where is she, Perry?” Don asked, his teeth gritted. Perry just kept staring at him. David wouldn’t take his eyes off of me. Here’s one of the worst things about having an eidetic memory: it’s impossible to forget anything. I cringed as a flashback of David masturbating in his motel bathroom replayed in my head. I would need a lobotomy to get that out of there.

“Don,” I said cautiously, “this isn’t your circus.” I wanted to remind him he needed to let Eric and me handle things, but I also wanted Perry to think he had been unwittingly dragged into this. I didn’t want anyone else’s life ruined because of these assholes. Whether it worked or not, at least I got Perry’s attention.

“Dietrich,” he looked me over in a way I didn’t like. It was a weird mixture of loathing and … attraction. It made my stomach turn, not in a
because-I-can’t-cry
kind of way, but in an
I’m-actually-nauseated-by-you
kind of way. I was really hoping Eric hadn’t noticed, but I knew better. Eric, like me, noticed everything.

“Should we wait for Lottie?” he asked. By the way he asked me, he already knew she wasn’t coming.

“Sure,” I answered, “assuming Lydia’s still alive, otherwise we might as well all go home.”

Perry almost smiled at me. I preferred his usual vapid expression. Now that both men on the boat were staring at me, I felt like I was an onion skin under a microscope; why couldn’t Eric say anything? “So we’re at a stand-off, then,” Perry responded.

This was news? “Is it just a body you want? Fine, take mine,” Eric suddenly said. Goddamn it. I had wanted him to speak, but what the hell did he think he was doing? This apparently caught Perry and David by surprise too because they finally looked away from me and turned to Eric.

“Why?” Perry asked. He was still startled. So was I, actually.

“Why not? I think she deserves to live, and I’ll take my chances with you assholes.”

I really wanted him to shut up now. Perry looked Eric over, but in a different way than he had examined me; he had his business investor air about him, weighing the value of one transaction against another. It made my skin crawl. “And why should I trust you?” Perry finally asked. Greed was winning out over logic.

“Why the hell should I trust
you
?” Eric shot back. “Leave Lydia with Don and Dietrich. I’ll come with you. What else could you want?”

“No,” I said automatically. I didn’t know what was going on in Eric’s head, but I was convinced he had lost his fucking mind without David ever having to lay a hand on him. If he was just trying to stall them until our coworkers arrived from Houston, then there were better ways than bartering with his body.

But Perry was a businessman. “Don comes too. As collateral. We’ll let him go afterward. You have my word; at his age, he wouldn’t be worth much anyway.”

I could tell Eric was about to agree. Seriously, what the fuck was he thinking? “I’ll go,” I heard myself saying. What the fuck was
I
thinking? Eric hadn’t planned on this. Hell, I hadn’t planned on this.

Perry was looking at me again in that way that made my stomach turn, and I willed myself to keep my lunch down. “Too bad you didn’t make this offer. They could make a killing on you.” And he actually
smiled
at his own bad pun.

“You know we’re not … if you fuck with us, every single one of you will be hunted down and exterminated,” I warned.

“We assumed as much. But as you can see, most people wouldn’t deserve that,” Perry nodded toward Don. He was right. They wouldn’t. But that wouldn’t stop it from happening. “It doesn’t matter,” Perry continued, “behave, and you’ll be fine, Dietrich.”

Behave? What was I? Seven?

“Alright, enough already, where’s Lydia?” Eric asked. Why couldn’t he keep his mouth shut?

“David, go get her,” Perry instructed. “You two,” he turned his attention back to Eric and me, “will need to be searched.” I was ok with that as long as Perry wasn’t the one searching me.

“Right here on the side of the road?” I asked.

Perry just shrugged. “You’d be surprised by what people don’t notice.” For the first time, Perry had said something I agreed with. The door opened and David came out with Lydia. Aside from being tired and scared, she seemed fine. All three of us exhaled. I realized we had all been holding our breath. David handed something to Perry behind Lydia’s back – I didn’t need to see it to know it was a gun. David stepped out onto the dock and strolled toward us.

“Wait,” Eric said, and for a brief moment, I allowed myself to hope he had come to his senses, “the car keys are in my left pocket. Give them to Don. Take her wherever you want, just make sure it’s somewhere they won’t think to look for you. Dietrich will know how to find you.”

I think right then I really did hate him.

Don just agreed, his eyes glued to Lydia, relief etched profoundly throughout his posture. David finished with Eric and brought the weapons he had taken off of him over to the boat then came back toward me. I half expected him to take a swing at me, both out of personal animosity and having a strong suspicion I had been the one to kill Jackson but he only glared at me, then frisked me too. At least he was quick and efficient. I doubt Perry would have been. Actually, by the way Perry was watching us, I know he wouldn’t have been.

“Alright, boys,” there it was again; even Perry couldn’t resist calling us boys. Eric still didn’t seem to mind. “One at a time, then.” Eric went first and stood on the starboard side of the yacht, opposite from Perry and Lydia. I followed and stood by him.

“Wrists,” Perry instructed, and David, for once, looked happy. He produced a fistful of zip ties, not unlike the ones I had used on Jackson, to bound our wrists behind our backs. At least he didn’t pull them tightly enough to break the skin. If I hadn’t had so much adrenaline coursing through my body, I would have noticed it still hurt though. “Take them below deck.”

“Wait, let me stay out here until I see Don and Lydia drive off,” I suggested. It only seemed fair, and to my surprise, considering we were already disarmed and tied up, Perry agreed. I probably wouldn’t have. I met Lydia’s eyes for the first time. She was trying so hard to be brave and only the tears and her trembling lip betrayed her. She wouldn’t look at Eric. “It’ll be ok, Lydia,” I told her. Apparently, I could lie to people I just really liked. There were probably a hundred things she wanted to say, especially to Eric, but she wouldn’t tarnish his sacrifice for her by voicing them. I could have traveled from one end of the universe to the other and not found a spirit as gentle and good as hers.

Eric was already below deck when Don and Lydia drove off, and Perry let me watch them until they disappeared around a bend in River Road. “Ok, Dietrich, I’m sure you have friends who will be trying to join us soon. Let’s go.” The motor of the yacht had already started. There was nothing I could do except let him take me below.