Sanctuary Lost WITSEC Town Series Book 1 (40 page)

“What about Aaron. How’s he doing?”

“Better. Doctor Fenton is talking about
releasing him, but we’re not sure where he’s going to live. He
can’t go back with those two losers for roommates.”

Bolton gripped the wheel and turned them in a
tight circle before he slammed his foot down and didn’t waste any
time, saying, “It’s been six hours. No one’s seen them anywhere
since Pepper took him from the first lady and she has no method of
transportation. No known hang outs other than her house and the
school, both of which have been cleared.

“We’ve done a house-to-house search and every
single person in town is accounted for except the teacher and your
son. Dan and I have checked all our respective outbuildings, and
Matthias got a shirt of Pat’s from your apartment. Our next course
of action is to have Dan’s hound sniff the shirt and see if he can
get a scent.”

John’s gut churned, Bolton drove so fast he
had to swallow down the urge to throw up. First Andra and now Pat.
When would he finally have them both together healthy and happy?
Andra needed to fight to get better. Wherever he was, Pat had to
hang on until John could get to him. And Mrs. Pepper had to not
hurt him, or touch him at all. Hopefully she just wanted John’s
attention and she only needed Pat for a bargaining tool. That meant
she’d have to keep him well so John didn’t refuse whatever she was
looking to get out of this.

“That’s good.” Grant nodded. “We should get
on that.”

John blinked and then remembered. Right.
Dan’s tracking dog.

Bolton said, “It’s where we’re headed
now.”

Grant glanced aside at John. “What about the
woods? That’s the only other place she could be hiding him. Any
buildings you know of, or cabins?”

Matthias turned back from the front seat.
“Andra’s?”

John agreed. “Maybe.”

Grant frowned. “We can check her place, but
who in town knows those trees?”

Bolton motioned to Matthias with a wave of
his hand. “The boys and I know the area around the ranch, and Dan
would say the same about his end. The General has everyone at the
Meeting House and they’re going to put together a search party, but
its rough terrain up there so not everyone will be able to navigate
it.”

Grant said, “Anyone you can think of who
might know if there are any other cabins, or blinds, or anywhere
she could be holding him?”

Matthias shook his head, “Not that I
can—”

John remembered. “Nadia Marie.”

Bolton jerked. “Nadia?”

“Andra said she’s all about hiking the woods
around town. She might know hiding places.”

“Then we’ll go to Nadia’s house first.”
Bolton swung the truck left and they all braced.

Two minutes later they pulled up in front of
a house with a mish-mash of flowers of different heights and sizes
that seemed to have been crowded in the flowerbed for no other
reason than they were all pink.

“There’s a note on the door.” Matthias jumped
out and retrieved it. The front said,
John
. Matthias
unfolded it a page-sized copy of the same map of Sanctuary tacked
to the wall in John’s office.

In the top right corner, at the end of a long
trail, was a big X.

“She already left.” John didn’t know whether
to be mad or relieved. It would be a long trek up the mountain,
past Andra’s burned out cabin, to the place Nadia Marie had
indicated. How much of a head start did she have, and exactly what
did she think she was going to accomplish on her own? They had to
get there fast before there were more casualties.

“Why would she be certain this was the
place?”

John turned to his brother. “No idea. It
could easily be a ruse.”

As they drove, John called the hospital Andra
had been taken to. When he hung up, he told Grant, “Her lung
collapsed two more times so they’ve taken her into surgery. The
nurse is going to call me when she’s out.” He paused a second.
“What I want to know is why they told me anything at all without
questioning who I was?”

“That’s because Ms. Caleri is your fiancée. I
made sure they knew. You didn’t know?” Grant smirked. “Plus, it
probably helps that your mother is there to be with Andra in your
absence.”

“Of course she is.” John rolled his eyes, but
he was glad. His mom was probably beside herself if she knew
anything about what had gone on today. She’d need to feel like she
was doing something to help. “Does she know about Pat?”

Grant’s eyes darkened. “I’ll let you make the
call when we get him back.”

“Okay.” John was trying to convince himself
as much as his brother and the other two men in the truck. He
couldn’t lose Pat. Not now he’d finally reached a place where they
had a shot at a great relationship.

Bolton pulled up beside the mayor’s house,
where the trail started. They piled out.

Grant gaped. “Who lives here?”

“The mayor.”

Grant shook his head and the confusion on his
face dissipated by force. “Let’s get to work.”

Matthias handed Bolton the map. He studied it
for a few seconds and shoved it in his back pocket.

John turned to his brother. “Stick with
Matthias.” When Grant started to argue, John said, “Nate, stay
here. Ben?”

Their other brother was gone, which wasn’t
bad. The more people involved, the more complicated the operation
became.

John tipped his head to the trail and looked
at Bolton. “Ready?”

The big man nodded. “Two miles.”

John figured he could handle that without
passing out.

“Half a mile after Andra’s cabin there’s a
fork. Head left.”

John looked at Grant. “See you guys up
there.” He looked at Bolton and saw the man was ready. “Okay. Let’s
go.”

Side-by-side they sprinted up the trail.

**

Nadia Marie brushed sweat from her forehead.
With her back against the structure’s splintered siding she twisted
around and up to peer in the window. It was little more than a
shack, mostly used by guys when they did their ridiculous hunting
games which were more like orienteering. Anyone could follow a
map.

Lately she’d had the impression someone else
was using the structure for more than just a stopping point.
Though, why they would need to come all the way up here just to do
the horizontal tango was anyone’s guess. Not like there weren’t
enough beds in town. It wasn’t that hard to sneak around unnoticed.
Elma Pepper had done it well enough when she killed Betty.

The cabin was dim. Nadia couldn’t see much
and couldn’t hear anyone inside. Was she wrong? She bit her lip.
What if she’d led Pat’s father on a wild goose chase up the
mountain, and the kid was still safely in town? No. Someone would
have found him. But she’d been gone an hour already and Pat could
be home, unharmed. The thought was enough to make her want to get
down on her knees and fold her hands like a little kid in dire need
of a new bike.

Elma walked past the window, eyes down and
wringing her hands in front of her. She turned away and Nadia
lifted up more. Pat’s head jerked and his eyes widened. Nadia
ducked back down.

The clearing was quiet.

Who knew how long it would take the rest of
them to get up here. Now she knew where Pat was, and he wasn’t in
need of emergency medical attention, so she could stay outside and
wait for help. Go in only if it was necessary—like to get between
Pat and the blade that killed Betty Collins.

Who are you kidding? You’re a stylist, not a
hero.

But facing the fact Bolton wasn’t ever going
to see her as anything other than…well, nobody, Nadia Marie had
come to the realization life wasn’t going to get better unless she
made it that way. Pat had seen her. If she didn’t go in, he’d think
she had abandoned him. She didn’t want that for John’s son.
Especially not after Andra told her they’d played Go Fish while she
was in jail. The poor kid was probably scared out of his mind.

Nadia Marie glanced inside one more time. Pat
sat on the edge of the bare mattress while Elma paced back and
forth like the nut-job she apparently was.

Nadia Marie crept around the structure and
eased the door handle around slowly, hoping she could get inside
before Elma even noticed the door was open. She ducked her head in
first and then opened the door all the way. Elma swung around,
mid-rant. The words were a mumble and Pat didn’t look especially
terrified. Just relieved.

Elma screamed and ran at Nadia Marie with her
arm raised. The huge knife glinted.

Nadia waited until the last moment,
side-stepped her and ran for Pat. He wrapped his arms around her
and they moved to the far corner of the cabin. Elma was breathing
hard, still brandishing the knife. Nadia Marie shoved Pat behind
her. “Put the knife down, Elma. You won’t get what you want if you
kill us.”

“I could kill you. I’ll still have him.” She
waived the knife at Pat. “The sheriff won’t care about someone who
only cuts hair.”

“Hey,” Nadia huffed. “You said you liked the
way I cut your hair.”

“Guess what? I lied.”

Nadia swallowed. “Why are you doing this,
Elma? What’s this going to achieve, other than getting you sent out
of Sanctuary to jail?” It dawned on her. “Is that what you want? To
leave?”

“You’d think killing Betty would’ve got me
arrested. But he had to blame it all on Andra, didn’t he. Harriet
is such a liar. She hates Andra almost as much as Arnold does.”

Palmer. Nadia Marie couldn’t even think his
name without her lip curling in disgust. “So you killed Betty, and
Palmer got Harriet to frame Andra.”

“He thinks he can escape. Like I’ll stay here
and it’ll be for nothing?” She waved the knife around, froze and
went to the door. “Someone’s coming.”

Nadia Marie pulled Pat to the far corner of
the structure.

He looked up at her. “You’re Andra’s
friend.”

She nodded, hearing the note of anxiety in
his voice. “I am.”

“She killed people.”

Nadia crouched and pulled him down beside
her. “When I was in third grade there was this boy who used to pick
on me. Called me names, pushed me around, that kind of thing. You
know what I did?”

Pat shook his head.

Nadia glanced fast at Elma, who was squinting
out the window at nothing, and then looked back at Pat. “I went and
found the biggest girl in school and made friends with her. You
think he came after me when she was around?” Nadia shook her head.
“Now I’m in Sanctuary and there are plenty of people it’s worth
staying away from. She’s not one of them. Andra isn’t bad, but she
is dangerous. You think anyone’s going to mess with me if she’s my
best friend?”

The corners of Pat’s mouth curled up, but it
didn’t reach his eyes. “Cool.”

“I know.” She smiled. “Now I need you to do
something for me.”

Pat nodded.

Nadia leaned even closer. “When I tell you
to, you’re going to run. As fast as you can out the door and down
the hill. Okay?”

His lips pressed into a white line and he
nodded again, standing straighter now.

“Good man.”

Nadia eyed the chair, wondering if she should
grab it and run at Elma. She took one step and the door slammed
open. “Hal.”

Elma swung around aiming the knife. Hal
didn’t side-step like she had. He grabbed the wrist holding the
weapon, ducked his shoulder and flipped Elma onto her back. Pat’s
hand folded into Nadia’s and he gripped her fingers.

Elma came up with the knife. Hal intercepted
the swing and took hold of her wrist, this time with both hands. He
glanced at them. “Go!”

Elma scrabbled around, grasping at Hal’s
hands with her free one. Nadia tightened her grip on Pat and tugged
him outside.

Bolton and John were running toward them both
sweating as they sprinted up the trail. John didn’t look good, his
face covered in red marks and bruises.

“Dad!”

“Pat.” John hugged his son. “Where’s
Elma?”

Nadia said, “She’s in there. Hal’s with her,
he needs help.”

Bolton gave her a dark look and ran to the
cabin.

John crouched. “Stay with Nadia just one more
minute.” He ran inside.

Nadia tugged Pat to the side of the trail and
they waited. A minute later Bolton came out, hauling Elma by the
arm. His grip on her made the muscles in his arm and shoulder flex.
He shot her a look. “We’re gonna talk about what just
happened.”

Nadia felt her eyes bug out.

Bolton strode down the path with the crazy
teacher as if that one sentence didn’t make it sound like there was
something between them. How could there be? Since when did Bolton
see the need to share his opinion on anything with her? He barely
knew her name.

John, who walked with Hal, looked more
battered than the older man. Pat hugged his dad again and Nadia
stepped away to give them a moment. She touched Hal’s arm. “You
okay?”

“Sure, darlin’. Haven’t felt that alive in
forty years.”

She chuckled. “You know, I could have done
that. I was about to hit her over the head and send Pat out.” Nadia
set her hands on her hips. “I was taking care of it and you jumped
the gun.”

Hal grinned. “You snooze you lose,
darlin’.”

**

Andra stared at the older woman beside her
hospital bed. Expensive haircut, but she wore it like it was no big
deal. Pastel purple knit sweater and white jeans, earrings and a
thin gold bracelet.

“I’m Brenda Mason.” She smiled. “John’s
mother.”

Of course she was.

Andra swallowed. Her whole body was weighed
down by bandages and layers of hospital blankets. The room smelled
like a chemical she was sure they’d smeared all over before they
cut her chest open. Yes,
cut her chest open.
Because that
was what doctors did when someone wasn’t breathing. They said they
fixed it all, but it didn’t exactly feel like it. The doctor had
said something about…pneumonia and a thorax, whatever that was. She
couldn’t piece it all together. If she was better, why did it hurt
this much?