Hidden in Shadow Pines (16 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Friday, August 16, 2013, 7:12 p.m.
(day 11 in Shadow Pines—still in the holding cell)

After finishing off the Snickers and crackers, I looked out behind the burlap cover. All was quiet. I was tired of being cooped up and needed fresh air.

Still sitting on the corner of the small desk was the white watch I’d taken off this morning. I held it, wondering why Hudson cared so much that I didn’t have it on earlier. Like a brilliant flash of light, it became clear to me. It’s how Hudson had tracked me to Gloria’s, found me in the tree after Lincoln’s accident, and knew I was in the robes closet. It wasn’t just a watch, but a tracker as well. First the cell phones, now tracking devices. This town wasn’t as technologically backward as I previously thought.

At first I wanted to crush the watch into a thousand pieces, but changed my mind when I thought back to a recent TV show where an alert had been issued after the GPS on a car had been turned off. If I destroyed the watch, would an alert be issued? Did Shadow Pines have that technology? Not knowing who had the ability to track me, I decided I’d hide the watch. Looking around the room, I spotted the perfect hiding place. I grabbed the tin cup from the bookcase, pulled out the crayons, and threw in the watch.
Good riddance
, I thought.

Grabbing the backpack, I unlocked the door and stepped out, enjoying the cool breeze, which felt delightful. I headed north toward the woods, hiding behind tombstones along the way. I entered the woods a few feet and started digging a hole. This was where I’d hide the backpack full of incriminating evidence. It was my secret—my leverage.

I put the backpack in the hole and pushed the dirt back over it. I found a few tree branches and covered the disturbed dirt. I doubted anyone would ever find it.

I brushed sweat from my brow. Digging the hole took more effort than I thought it would. I was about to walk back to the old holding cell when I saw a figure heading toward the door. It wasn’t Hudson. The person was too short and had long hair, and most disturbing, carried a shotgun. With a swift kick, the door opened and the person went inside.

I dropped to the ground for safety, then carefully lifted my head up to spy on the holding cell. I squinted to get a good look at the figure standing outside the door. It was Devlin. Had Hudson told him I was in there, or was it a guess? After a few seconds, even though it felt like an hour, he took off running toward the church. Devlin wasn’t coming my way, so I was in the clear. For now.

Knowing I couldn’t go back to the holding cell, I stood behind the tree, checking the cemetery for movement every few minutes. While I waited, I put the magazine in the gun, loaded it, and turned on the safety. In a desperate situation, I’d have to fire the gun. I’d never even aimed the gun at a real person—only figures in a simulation I’d taken four years earlier. Carefully, I put the gun back behind my waistband.

To prepare for darkness, I put a flashlight in the right front pocket of the camouflage coat I was still wearing. I waited over an hour, but Hudson didn’t show up, nor did anyone else.

It would be dark pretty soon, and then I wouldn’t be able to see the old holding cell. If I was going to do something about my predicament, I had to do it now, so decided to make my way to the church.

In the church parking lot, I spotted Hudson’s van, the Cadillac, and Honda civic. Sometime in the last twenty-four hours, someone had found where I parked the Cadillac and had moved it.

Acting on instinct, not having any sort of plan in mind, I ran to Hudson’s van. My safety and freedom relied on Hudson at the moment. My knee was throbbing as I opened the van’s back door and got inside. Under the parking lot light, I could make out a black tarp, along with a shovel. Hoping I could stay hidden, I lay down and covered myself with the tarp. My heart was beating too fast. I closed my eyes and thought of my grandfather, calming my nerves. Fifteen minutes later, I heard footsteps near the van, then the passenger door opened.

“I’ll buckle you in.” I recognized the voice as Zachary’s.

Click. Someone was in the passenger seat.

“He’s all set. We’ll follow you to the Stovalls.”

“Okay.” Hudson’s voice. The driver’s side door opened, then shut. The van started and the driver pulled away.

“You want to tell me the plan?” It was Ed’s voice. “How are we going to get Isabella now?”

Hudson spoke. “Don’t worry. You can get her after you escape. Just follow my lead.”

I lifted the tarp and peeked over the back seat. Hudson and Ed were the only two in the car.

“Not to worry,” I said.

“Holy heck!” Hudson exclaimed as he looked in the rearview mirror.

“Isabella. Are you all right?” Ed turned in his seat, enough that I could see he wore handcuffs.

“Hey, face front,” Hudson shouted. Ed quickly turned back. “Act normal.”

Keeping my head barely above the back seat so I wouldn’t be seen, I said, “I’ve been better. How are you, Grandfather?”

“Grandfather. Hearing you say that is so strange.”

“That’s a long talk we’ll have when we get back home,” I said.

Hudson interrupted. “We still have an escape that needs to happen first. And it’s not going to be easy, considering all the people who’ll be at the Stovalls.”

“Who’ll be there?” I asked.

“The entire extended council. About twenty of us.”

“Why are you meeting at the Stovalls?”

“Grand tradition,” Ed told me. “When a serious infraction has occurred, the extended council meets at the Stovall residence. The Book of Sentence is prominently displayed on a podium in the living room next to the fireplace.”

“The last time we met at the Stovalls was when Nicholas escaped,” Hudson said. “Edison was on trial then, too. Accused of aiding in Nicholas’s escape. No evidence was offered that Ed knew anything about it, so all charges were dropped. This time it’ll will be a different outcome.”

“A double escape,” I said adamantly.

“Isabella, promise me you will get away. No matter what happens to me,” Ed said.

“No!” I shouted. “I’m not leaving without you, Grandfather.”

“But, Isabella…”

I cut him off mid-sentence. “No buts. It’ll be fine. Right, Hudson?”

“Yeah, got a plan.” Hudson nodded. “We’re almost there. Isabella, hide under the tarp. I’ll knock twice on the back door when it’s safe for you to come out.”

“Okay. Good luck.” And luck is what
I
needed now more than ever.

I laid down and threw the black tarp over me. Then I readjusted the gun in my waistband and purse in front. I was ready to jump out of the van when the moment came.

A few minutes later, Hudson stopped the car and turned off the engine. I could hear car doors and voices.

“Come on, Edison. Time to meet your fate.” I didn’t recognize the voice. It must have been one of the extended council members. Both doors closed a second apart. I was alone in the dark, having no idea what was going to happen next.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Friday, August 16, 2013, 10 p.m.
(day 11 in Shadow Pines—at the Stovall residence)

In less than a minute, the van doors opened, and the tarp was ripped off. Flashlights blinded me.

“Sit up,” someone shouted. “Out of the vehicle.”

I tried to block the lights with my hands, but my effort was short lived. The moment I stood, one man grabbed my right arm and another man grabbed my left arm. I didn’t fight back. There were too many people and I couldn’t leave my grandfather. I’m sure Jack Deveraux would have fought back. Then again, Jack Deveraux wouldn’t have been caught. At least that’s how I would’ve written the story, but this was real life. A life I never imagined.

“Start walking,” a man said, pushing me from behind.

Now that the flashlights weren’t pointed at my face, I had a chance to look around. Several cars, two additional white vans, and three trucks were crammed together on the front lawn. The scene reminded me of a used car lot. But the salesmen—all six—were dressed in black robes.

The men in black robes led me past the columns to the front door.

“Welcome, Isabella.” Standing just inside the door was Francine, also wearing a black robe. With a sneer, she said, “Don’t you look like something the cat dragged in.”

I could only imagine how awful I looked and smelled. The white shirt and black pants I’d put on two days earlier were streaked with mud and blood, and my hair had been combed only with my fingers. At least the oversized camouflage coat covered up most of the filth.

More people in black robes, a few I recognized, mingled in the living room. On the left side of the room, Hudson, his overalls covered by a black robe, stood behind the pedestal, flipping pages of the Book of Sentence. Across the room, in front of the fireplace, Ed sat in one of two high-back wooden chairs, his head bowed, hands crossed on his lap. I couldn’t tell from this angle if he still wore handcuffs. I assumed the second chair was meant for me.

The two men who had escorted me from the van didn’t release their grasp on me until we had walked across the living room.

“We’ve saved you a special seat,” Francine said in a sinister tone that gave me goose bumps. I sat, and my nervous twitch started. I squirmed in my seat, sitting back against the chair. My knee stopped bouncing once I realized my gun was poking me in the back. I clutched my chest, feeling the key and ring. If given the right opportunity, I could get Ed and me out of this mess. I jumped in my seat when Hudson pounded on the podium.

“Please, form two rows,” Hudson snapped.

Like robots, the people in the room obeyed. Two rows formed, about ten feet in front of me. Besides Francine, I knew Zachary, Oliver, Claudia, Doctor Carson, and Devlin. A few others I recognized from the café, even though I didn’t know their names.

“Let us pray,” Hudson began. “God, I ask You to forgive Edison and Isabella for whatever they may have said or done. Lay not this sin to their charge. Forgive them, for they know not what they’ve done...”

I stopped listening partway through the prayer. Everyone in black robes had bowed heads, except for one—Devlin. He looked directly at me and gave a wide grin. I quickly averted my eyes and looked at Ed. He was now sitting with his head held high, looking straight ahead. The handcuffs had been removed and his hands were clasped in front of him. His feet rested flat on the floor. I sat in the same position.

Hudson continued. “Edison Luster has broken many rules. We will never understand why he decided to pursue a life away from Shadow Pines. Today he’s charged with faking his own death and causing the death of Bowman Stovall. Isabella Luster, you are charged in the deaths of Gloria Pettit, Thomas Moe, Paige Larsen, and Lincoln Blair.”

“That’s crazy!” I shouted. “I didn’t have anything to do with any of their deaths.”

“Silence!” Hudson’s voice shook the room. “Gus, could I see the backpack, please.”

Gus cleared his throat. “No backpack was found in the van, sir.”

Hudson tilted his head then looked at me, pressing his lips to form a thin line.

Purposefully he said, “Where is the backpack, Isabella?”

Hudson stared at me, as did the rest of the room. At first, I was frightened. But then the writer in me clicked in. Time to tell a story. I turned to Ed, gave him a wink, then turned toward the group. I spoke slowly, deliberately. “Ask Devlin.”

“How could Devlin possibly know anything?” Claudia shouted. “She’s lying and in need of therapy…”

Hudson raised his hand, and Claudia abruptly stopped talking.

Hudson’s gaze hadn’t left me. “You think Devlin has your backpack?”

I remained strong. “I saw him take it. After he broke down the old holding cell door.”

“Liar!” Devlin shouted.

I continued, “Ask him about Gloria, or Lincoln, or Paige.”

“Shut up! Stop lying!” Devlin took two steps forward and pulled a gun, pointing it directly at me. It looked like my gun—a Glock 19.

“Devlin!” Francine yelled. “What’re you doing?” She started toward him.

Devlin turned around and now pointed the gun at his mother. “Stop. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Devlin,” Claudia said. “Put the gun down. Now is not the time.”

“Order, order!” Hudson yelled.

I leaned over to Ed and said, “Follow my lead. I’m getting us out of here.”

Ed nodded. I sat straight in my chair, waiting. Waiting for chaos. Waiting for the moment to escape.

Hudson stepped toward Devlin. “Give me the gun, Devlin.”

Devlin’s hand started to tremble. He pointed the gun at Hudson, then his mother, then back toward Hudson. “You told me she’d be there. Take care of her, you said. She wasn’t there and neither was my backpack. My journal’s in the backpack.”

Hudson held both hands high, slowly taking a step closer to Devlin. “Devlin, it’s gonna be okay. Claudia is going to take you to her office. She can adjust your medication. Talk to you.”

“Don’t take another step!” Devlin cried out. “You know I’m not on medication. I want my twenty-five-thousand dollars.”

“Hudson,” Zachary interrupted, “what the devil is he talking about?”

Hudson’s voice quivered. “He’s overmedicated himself. Talking crazy.”

Francine said, “You’re not giving my son up that easily.”

Puzzled, Devlin shook his head, “Mom?”

“You’re not the only one who can keep a secret, my boy.” Francine walked over to her son and put her arm around him.

Devlin shrugged off his mother’s arm and stood back a foot. “What are you talking about?”

Francine stood tall. “Thomas and Hudson were going to leave Shadow Pines. I received a text message by mistake. I had to stop them.”

“You caused Thomas’s accident, didn’t you!” Hudson shouted. “As long as we’re confessing, your boy killed his best friend. Along with Gloria!”

Oliver darted a look at Devlin. “You killed my son?” His voice quivered.

“Hudson, what do you have to tell us about everything that’s been said here tonight?” Zachary stepped forward.

Hudson glared at Oliver. “The money was supposed to be mine. Edison was going to give me his family fortune, but then Bowman stopped by and ruined everything. He knew too much. I had to kill him.”

The moment was almost here. Hudson had lost control of the situation.

“You killed my father?” Devlin asked. “All these years I’ve been blaming Edison. And you’ve been lying the whole time.”

Hudson took a step forward. Devlin fired three shots, hitting Hudson in the chest. Blood stained the front of Hudson’s shirt and he fell backward. Part of the group went to Hudson’s aid, the other half struggled with Devlin.

The moment was ripe. I grabbed Ed’s hand. “Let’s go.”

Since I’d been in the house recently, I knew to head through the dining room and out the French doors, across the lawn to the servant’s kitchen. A few times, I looked back toward the house. No one was following us, at least not yet. I pulled the gun from my waistband and turned off the safety.

“Where’d you get the gun?” Ed asked as we ran over the lawn to the servants’ kitchen.

“Later. We need to get inside the building.” I pulled a flashlight from my coat pocket.

Ed opened the door to the servants’ kitchen and I followed, slamming the door shut. I stood in front of the fireplace, shining the light on the bricks. “Find the star, right four, down two, in goes the ring, and turn it twice. The bronze skeleton will open the door to freedom.” I took off my necklace. “This will work, won’t it?”

“I got your father out this way,” Ed said.

I put the ring in the slot I’d found before, and turned it. A section of the floor moved. I could see a rope ladder that led down to an underground tunnel. I threw the flashlight down the opening.

“You first,” I told Ed. “If anyone comes through the door, I’ll take a shot.”

Ed pleaded, “Please don’t kill anyone. There’s been enough death.”

In this moment I’d turned into Jack Deveraux. I stood, gun aimed at the door. “I can’t guarantee that,” I said as Ed started down the ladder.

The door flew open. I fired two shots, high enough not to hit anyone. I followed Ed down the ladder, firing a third shot in the air.

“Quick. Pull the red cord!” Ed shouted.

I reached to my left and pulled a red cord. The panel above my head started moving back into place. I kept the gun pointed at the opening, which became smaller with each second that passed. The last person I saw in Shadow Pines was Zachary.