Flying in Shadows (The Black Creek Series, Book 2) (38 page)

Rose let her chin drop back down on her neck while she stumbled with the small knife
between her thumb and forefinger. Miguel walked from the kitchen straight to her.
She hung on to the knife between two fingers as she smoothed the shift of her body
back to a centered position, pretending she was stirring to wake. "Hmm." She forced
herself to breathe deeply and lift her head with eyes half open.

Looking at the floor in front of her, she saw a leg wearing khaki carpenter pants
swing over a turned chair and Miguel Ramirez plop down in front of her.

"Good morning, my daughter." He lifted her chin, looked into her eyes. "Yes, there
it is. Like looking in a fucking mirror." He was so close, she could see the deep,
tanned crevasses in his face. Every piece of stubble.

His breath reeked of days-old cigarette stench. Mixed with the smell of sweat and
liquor, she nearly wretched. Terrified to move, she silently flipped open the small,
smooth blade.

"Yes, look at you. How'd Mandy do it? She's a smart chick; I always knew that." He
got up from the chair and stepped backward, tilting his head and leaning from one
side to the other. He looked her up and down.

She closed her eyes tight in disgust and despair.

"Yes, yes. Your kind is always pissed... at first." He smiled, showing yellowed teeth.
"And then comes the begging." He began walking back and forth in front of her, turning
his head, keeping his eyes on hers as he paced.

"She'll have to die now, of course. Has she told you how this works? It's simple,
really. Cross me and I kill the ones you care about. Then, I kill you. Some women
need a little photo brigade to help them... get past the mad. It will help you, too.
I promise. You'll take some wonderful photos. I'm thinking lying next to your mother
will do nice. Our dear Mandy. What do you think she'll say when I bring her here to
find your body?"

Rose squirmed and shook in the chair, moving it several inches and nearly dropping
the knife on the wooden floor.

Miguel threw his head back laughing, sat down backward in the chair in front of her
and ripped the duct tape from her face.

* * *

Duncan hung onto him even when they reached the parking lot to the action center.
Smart. Andy hardly slowed. He jumped the curb and headed straight to the back along
the side with the bird's enclosure.

He stopped, but didn't turn off the bike. The aviary was empty. The door hung open.
He heard Gracie screech almost immediately. She perched in the branches over one of
the half-dozen trail entrances around the field.

Revving the engine, he took off in her direction.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Duncan asked.

"No!" Andy yelled with insane grief over the sound of the engine, the wind and the
rough terrain.

"This isn't a dirt bike, Andy."

Gracie flew away as they approached. Duncan pointed to tracks in the dirt on the trail.
"There," he said.

"All the trails have tracks from bikes and four-wheelers," Andy yelled.

"Trust me," Duncan yelled back. "Go."

The trees were thick and branches slapped Andy's face as he strained to see through
the leaves a sign of a vehicle. Knowing this was a long shot, he convinced himself
he'd find her before it was too late.

* * *

Rose worked the ropes as she listened.

"You know my father was white." Miguel smiled inches from her face. "Came to my country
to help after a hurricane. He raped my mother and left her there. She was rejected
when she birthed a white baby, birthed a gringo."

She could feel his breath. It made her sicker than the chloroform. "If you're looking
for sympathy for why you do what you do, you're looking in the wrong place," she whispered.
"
Both
of our mothers were raped and left. I didn't feel the need to grow up a mental case.
You chose your path." She reared her neck back, then head butted him with all she
could as she shook her hands free. "I chose mine, you fucking bastard!"

* * *

From far away, Andy saw the cabin and the four-wheeler. He first thought they were
too close to the center. It could have been anyone's place, except that all the shades
were drawn and the windows and doors closed. He pointed.

Andy cut the engine, tossed the bike on its side as he and Duncan jumped off and ran
toward the cabin. He could hear moaning and knew it was the right place. He could
feel it. Worried that the man had a gun or knife to Rose's throat, he crept around
to the back door.

"Get up." Rose clipped her knife shut and tucked it back in her front pocket.

Miguel rubbed his forehead, shook his head clear and then looked up. "Why you little
whore." He charged.

She knew she couldn't afford to let him reach her and dodged. He was slow and predictable,
but she wasn't nearly a hundred percent. "Like I've never heard that line before,
you murdering—" She spun and clipped his face with her heel. "—coward." As her body
was still turning from the kick, she took him full force through the underside of
his jaw just as the back door to the cabin burst open.

* * *

Dave's tires skidded to a stop in the front of the center. He bolted from the car
and followed Grace to the back.

"Andy flew by on a motorcycle a few minutes ago. He went that way." Grace waved her
hands wildly toward the woods. "He went in there."

Charcoal scrambled out the window from the back of the unmarked car. He let his nose
do the investigating. Running to catch up with Dave and Nick, he quickly caught a
scent. Growling low, his black fur stood on end along the back of his head to the
center of his back. With nose near the ground, he took off across the field.

* * *

Miguel staggered and steadied, swinging madly. He regained his balance and struck.

Rose jutted her head back, but still took a partial blow to her right temple. She
was still able to block the return jab with her forearm.

Andy stood watching them. She looked like a madman, screaming and cursing. He fought
the urge to step in. She needed this.

Duncan ran in seconds behind him, but Andy put an arm out and shook his head.

Moving lightning fast, Rose ducked and struck, then struck again. "You raped my mother!"
She spun, using momentum, and planted the backs of her knuckles to the side of his
face. "Fucking bastard. You hurt her!"

Andy heard the crack of bone and wasn't sure if it was Rose's hand or Miguel's face,
or both. Then, he heard a barking dog.

Miguel lay on the ground but still had enough in him to slide his legs under Rose's
feet before collapsing on his back.

Rose rolled, straddled his chest, striking his face again and again as she sobbed.

Dave came up behind her and took her gently by the shoulders. "Come on, honey." He
grabbed hold as she fought and kicked before turning to bury her head in his chest.
He wrapped his arms around her and rocked her as they stood.

"Dad."

"It's all right. I'm here. It's over."

Nickie stood over Miguel with Charcoal snarling in a 'stay' at her side.

"Good boy." Duncan patted his head.

Miguel was conscious, barely. Shrugging a shoulder, Nickie flipped him, not so carefully,
onto his stomach and cuffed him.

Duncan reached to help her heft him up.

"I've got it, Mr. Reed."

He looked at her. "Of course you do," he said and pulled him up anyway. They led him
out back together.

Rose tucked her arms between herself and the only father she'd ever known. He stroked
her hair and soothed her as she sobbed. Turning to see Nickie on her way out and Andy
standing patiently, Dave eased Rose over to him and let them have a minute alone before
they sealed the place.

Andy inspected her temple, looked into her eyes and pulled her hand between them to
check her knuckles. Broken, he knew. Barely touching the skin, he kissed them.

She looked up to him. "You're here."

He tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled down at her. "Always."

Epilogue

A soft, warm breeze ruffled the deep reds and bright yellows of the autumn trees.
The hydrangeas and daisies had been trimmed back with asters and sedum taking their
place as the prominent color of the Reeds' backyard.

The arbor blossomed with a mixture of bright lavender chrysanthemums and yellow helianthus.
The lines of white clothed folding chairs were adorned with their own mixture of the
flowers created by Brie and her mother.

At the end of the white runner Rose stood with a skintight, sequined dress that hugged
her to just above her knees. The neck was haltered and cut low enough to show hints
of her fleshy curves. She thought it was about time to show some cleavage. Small ties
of baby's breath and miniature mums twined in her short locks of hair with scattered,
sparkling gems throughout.

In one arm, she held a dripping bouquet of yellow satin ribbons and rows of tight-fitting
flowers. In her other arm was Dave. They watched in front of them as James and Jonathon
finished ushering guests in their tailored charcoal tuxes and coordinating boutonnières.

Dave covered her hand that held onto his arm as the wedding march began. She smiled
wildly as cameras flashed and guests stood. And then, she saw him. Light brown hair
cut short in a fitted tuxedo that couldn't conceal his physique. Her best friend waited
to take her hand, the man she'd been in love with since she was old enough to know
what being in love was.

They walked the aisle reverently before Dave kissed her cheek and handed her to Andy,
then stood on the other side of the pastor and turned to face the guests.

Everyone, including her and Andy, turned their attention to her mother who stood at
the end of the runner on Nathan's arm. She was so similar to her that they could be
taken for sisters, eyes or no eyes. Her mother's dress was more conservative, yet
just as fitting with a high waist and long train. Lace covered the strapless bodice
and gathered in the back. Her mass of red hair wound tightly on her head with bits
of beads and flowers, matching Rose.

So much the same and yet so different.

The crowd remained standing as cameras continued to flash before Nathan kissed her
cheek and gave her to Dave. On one side were Andy and Rose with Duncan and Hannah
standing as best man and maid of honor. On the other, Dave and Amanda stood with Nicole
untraditionally standing as best man and Jessica as maid of honor.

They turned first, couple facing couple, nodded to each other and then faced the preacher.

"We gather here together..."

The End

Want more from R.T. Wolfe?

Page forward for an excerpt from

DARK VENGEANCE

The Black Creek Series

Book Three