The Reckoning (18 page)

Claire touched Emma’s arm. “I haven’t had time to unpack some of the boxes. Come help me look for the photo albums.”

Claire and Emma left the three of them sitting there. The unease and tension in the room started to wane the more they knew about
Lydia
. Abby’s phone rang on her hip. “What do you want, Mike? We’re kind of busy here, learning about
Lydia
.”

Abby listened and covered the phone with her hand. “Excuse me. It’s Mike, and it’s work related.”

Abby walked out of the room. If there was ever a time for
Elizabeth
to make her exit, it was now. The only problem was how.
Elizabeth
glanced toward the French doors that she could use as her escape.

Lydia
grabbed
Elizabeth
’s hand and squeezed, while raising her other hand. Dangling from her fingers were a set of car keys. “You’re going to need these.”

Elizabeth
’s mouth dropped open before she snapped it shut. “But…how did you know?”

Lydia
rolled her eyes. “I’ve seen it. Just be careful. I can’t see how it all turns out.”

Elizabeth
squeezed her hand. “They’re going to be mad at you. Are you sure you want to do this?”

“I’ll be fine; I understand this is something you must do.”
Lydia
gave
Elizabeth
a sincere smile. “Just remember, nothing is written in stone. It’s your destiny. Let your heart show you the way. You make the decisions.”

Elizabeth
lifted an eyebrow.

“You better hurry. They’ll be back in five minutes. If you’re going to go meet your sister, you need to leave now.”

Elizabeth
unhooked the watch from around her wrist and handed it to
Lydia
. “Give this back to Mike.”

Lydia
grinned. “He isn’t going to need it.”

Elizabeth
didn’t think she had enough time to stand around asking questions. She spun around on her heels and scurried from the kitchen, sneaking out the double doors that lead to the patio. The adrenaline coursed through her veins, giving her renewed determination in her chance to leave. She could do this. She rounded the house to where
Lydia
’s red convertible sat and jumped in the driver’s seat. She glanced at the clock on the dash. They had been in Claire’s so long; the sun had just started to sink behind the hills. She had fifteen minutes to get to the park where she was supposed to rendezvous with her sister. Fifteen minutes until she could find out why her sister and the professor had been at the café.
Elizabeth
could feel her blood pressure rising as she gripped the wheel. “She better have a damn good excuse, or I’m going to wring her neck, when I get to the park.”

Elizabeth
turned into the empty parking lot, noting her sister hadn’t made it yet. She parked and walked over to the picnic table. She sat on the table surface made from wood boards. Birds chirping in a nearby tree were her only company, breaking the silence that surrounded her. Fifteen minutes later,
Elizabeth
was still swatting at the mosquitoes flying around her head when a car turned into the parking lot, shinning the lights in her eyes.
Elizabeth
raised her hand to shield her eyes from the glare. She hopped off the table and advanced on the familiar vehicle. What she saw next stopped her in her tracks.

Professor Oliver had a gun pointed at Gracie’s head. The car came to a stop and the professor pulled her sister out by tugging her through the passenger side.

Elizabeth
felt her pockets. She was screwed—no gun. There was no escape from the psycho.
Elizabeth
held Gracie’s stare. “Gracie, what is he doing with you?”

“I—”

Professor Oliver shoved the gun into her back. “You don’t get to ask questions, Lizzy. If you’d been a good girl and came back to me, I wouldn’t have had to drag your sister into this.”

Elizabeth
held up her hands. “Just let her go. I’m here now. I’m the one you want.”

He lips tilted into a sinister grin. His evil eyes gleamed with determination. “Why would I do that when I can have you both?”

CHAPTER 15

Mike drove like a bat out of hell, breaking all of the speeding laws he’d spent a lifetime trying to enforce. The need to see
Elizabeth
was driving him to the point of despair. He trusted Abby to keep her safe, but what-ifs were playing tricks on his mind.
Elizabeth
was a wild card. She’d admitted to running before, and Mike had a feeling she was about to run again. The way she’d acted this morning, her apology and jumping from the car, all when he’d tried to confess his feelings to the little doctor should have indicated her intentions. Her disappearance was the only logical conclusion it could be. Mike had pulled the phone from his waist and called his sister for the second time.

She’d answered with a snap. “What do you want, Mike? We’re kind of busy here learning about
Lydia
.”

Mike’s mouth dropped open. “You found her?”

Abby had excused herself and must have walked to a quieter place in Claire’s house, away from prying ears. “Something like that. She found us, and you’re never going to believe what her gifts are.”

“Tell me later. Listen, the professor is MIA, and I have a bad feeling that
Elizabeth
is going to run. Is she still there with you?”

“Of course. I haven’t taken my eyes off of her until just now when I walked out of the kitchen.”

“Damn it, Abby. Who’d you leave her with? Who else was with her in the kitchen?”

“Just
Lydia
. Uh,
Mike
,
Lydia
is standing in the doorway.”

“Well, ask her where the hell
Elizabeth
is.”

“Where’s
Elizabeth
? I thought I left the two of you in the kitchen.” Abby asked with determination in her voice. Hoping the same voice she’d used on John growing up, would get her what she wanted.

Lydia
glanced down at her feet before meeting Abby’s gaze. “She’s gone. I gave her my car keys.”

“Why the hell did you do that?”

Lydia
raised one perfectly manicured brow, taking a stand for the first time since arriving at Claire’s. “It’s her destiny.”

“Shit, Did you hear that, Mike? She’s in
Lydia
’s car. Do you want me to call the station and put out an APB on her?”

“God damn it. She ran.” Mike pulled over to the side of the road and took a deep breath. “There’s no need. Have Butch pull up the trackers. She’s wearing one of our watches. Call me back with her location.”

Mike clicked the button on the phone. Dread filled his heart and his mind. He needed to hold her, to feel her and look in her eyes, and know that she was okay, and thanks to his new half-sister, that was impossible. Thank god he’d given her the watch that morning. He’d just prayed she was still wearing the damn thing.

He answered the phone on the first ring. “Where is she?”

Thompson’s voice answered back. “Tell me you didn’t lose the doc.”

Mike laid his head back against the seat and closed his eyes. “She ran. Why do you ask?”

“We searched the professor’s hotel room. He had rope, an empty bullet box, and several pictures of
Elizabeth
.” Thompson paused. “This has stalker shit written all over it.”

Mike had known that the professor was a stalker, but the fact that they found stuff in the man’s room for abduction wasn’t a good sign. Dread ate at his gut. If he didn’t find her soon, he was afraid he might never see her again. And from the sound of things, it might not be from her choice. He had to find her. He’d never forgive himself if anything happened to her. “Stay by your phone. I might need help.”

Mike disconnected the call, and his phone rang again. “Bennett,” Mike snapped.

“I’ve got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?”

“Abby, just tell me where the hell she is.”

Abby let out a sigh. “She left the watch at Claire’s house.”

Mike cursed. “What the hell is the good news?”

“
Lydia
knows where she went. That’s part of her gift.
Elizabeth
is at the park next to the elementary school, and
Lydia
said that we need to hurry.”

Mike threw the SUV in drive and spun around onto the street. Dirt and rocks flew when he stepped on the gas. “Abby, you stay the hell away from that damn park.”

“Yeah right, but don’t worry. Jake and Butch are going to meet us there. I called them first to give them a head start so you didn’t go charging in and get her or yourself killed.”

Mike clicked his phone off, threw it onto the seat next to him, and hit the gas. If anything happened to
Elizabeth
, he’d kill the bastard with his bare hands. Mike swallowed around the lump in his throat. His heart was beating out of control. He couldn’t let anything happen to
Elizabeth
. He couldn’t imagine his life without her.

Mike hit the steering wheel. “Shit, I love her.”
When the hell did that happen?
Mike shook the thought from his head. He needed to get her out of this alive, and he’d worry about the rest later.

Mike pulled up at the end of the street from the park, where he saw Butch and Jake climbing out of an SUV, each pulling guns and checking ammo as they nodded to him. Mike hopped from the SUV. “She’s in the park. I don’t know if he’s there yet.”

Jake glanced at Butch before turning to him. “We drove to recon the place and find the best way in. He’s there and he has both Elizabeth and her sister.”

Mike confirmed his worst nightmare. The asshole had beaten him there. He felt his world collapse. He was too late. Jake caught Mike by the arm when he stormed by. “You’re going to get yourself killed. We haven’t even told you our plan.”

Jake opened the back of the SUV and pulled out a bulletproof vest. “Put this on, just in case.”

Butch patted him on the back. “We know how you Bennett’s attract bullets.”

Mike reached up and started unbuttoning his dress shirt. After securing it in place, he put it back on. “Okay, what’s your big plan?”

Jake grinned. 

****

Elizabeth
shivered as she watched the professor reach into the backseat and pull out some rope. He threw it at her and shoved Gracie in her direction.
Elizabeth
caught her sister and let the rope fall to her feet. “Tie her up.”

Elizabeth
bent down and picked up the rope. She wasn’t going to do this. She couldn’t do this to her own sister.
Elizabeth
whispered, “Why are you doing this?”

The professor let out a laugh. “Your sister here thought she could stop me. She pretended that she wanted me so that I’d leave you alone.” He shook his head. “I was on to her little game the whole time. I figured, if I just waited her out, she would lead me right to you, and I was right.” The professor grinned. “She pleaded with me to leave with her. It wasn’t until I searched through her purse that I found her gun.” He waved it in the air. “And a note saying where she was going to meet you.” The professor glared at Gracie and lifted the gun, pointing at her chest. “She was going to kill me.”

Elizabeth
whispered in Gracie’s ear as she pretended to tie her sister’s hands behind her back. “I love you, but when I tell you to run, I want you to run as fast as you can for the trees. Don’t stop running no matter what you hear.”

A tear slid down Gracie’s face.

Elizabeth
stepped in front of Gracie and walked up to the professor. “It seems you’ve got me right where you want me.”

Elizabeth
screamed, “Run, Gracie! Run now!”

Elizabeth
grabbed the gun and put her body in front of the barrel. The professor raised his free hand and hit her in the face, making her fall to her knees. The hit brought tears to her eyes. It felt like her eye was going to explode.
Elizabeth
glanced over her shoulder. The relief that Gracie was nowhere in sight only slightly took away from the pain in her face.

The professor reached down and pulled her up by her hair. “That wasn’t so smart, Lizzy. You just delayed her death, but it’s inevitable. I’ll get her, just like I’ve got you.”

The professor put his arm around her waist and pressed his lips to her neck.
Elizabeth
squirmed. The thought of him touching her made her want to vomit.