Authors: Carlene Thompson
Over two thousand acres. Mac knew the area was huge, but hearing someone actually announce an approximation of the acreage caused his hopes to sink. How could he possibly find Teri in such a big place, especially when time was so important?
Mac closed his eyes, trying to recall everything he knew about the area. He remembered that during World War II, two power plants had been constructed to supply energy for the manufacture of explosives. One of the plants—located across from the building Marielle had owned—had been destroyed. He knew a maze of tunnels lay beneath the ground of the complex. He remembered that after the war, parts of the complex had been sold off to chemical companies for storage of their materials.
Storage.
The word echoed in Mac’s mind. Not only chemicals were stored in the TNT Area. During the war, manufacturers had stored explosives in “igloos,” steel and concrete domes covered with dirt and grass so they would be invisible to reconnaissance planes. Marielle had been intrigued by the history of the area. Many times his mother had mentioned that Marielle had tried to talk Emma into visiting the site with her when she did research for the book she hoped to write, but the area had terrified Emma. “You couldn’t get me up there for love or money,” Emma always said. “I’m afraid the only people who will go with Marielle are Teresa and Carmen. Mostly Carmen. She loves that place almost as much as Marielle does.”
But Teresa and Carmen weren’t the only people who’d accompanied Marielle to the TNT Area.
He
and Teri had gone one day because Teri thought it would please her mother. They’d gone to one particular igloo—one Marielle favored because it was not sealed shut. She’d told them she’d come to it with Carmen and that Carmen had taken one photograph of her by the igloo, but she wanted more. So they’d made an adventure of exploring the place and of taking pictures. Many pictures, because Marielle had been so taken with the structure, even the inside where the walls bore graffiti, names of supposedly “easy” girls and their phone numbers, highly creative commands for some unpopular town figures to “go to hell,” a few inverted pentagrams. Mac now frowned, feeling desperate. If only he could remember the location of that igloo…
Teresa hadn’t gone far into the TNT Area when Carmen instructed her to take a left turn. They drove a few feet before reaching a low iron bar blocking the road. Carmen told her to shut off the car and get out. “And remember, I have Daniel tight in my grip,” she added.
While Carmen slid from the backseat of the car, Teresa stood in the warm darkness, listening to frogs croaking around nearby ponds and the occasional hoot of an owl. She’d never liked this place, not because it was said to have been the home of “Mothman,” the creature she’d always thought to be the ridiculous invention of idle minds, but because the area had been the site where death was manufactured—death in the form of explosives. Some of those explosives remained here, hidden, waiting. The thought gave her a chill.
“You’re shivering,” Carmen said right behind her. “It’s not at all cold. Are you frightened?”
“Yes. Who wouldn’t be?”
“Good! No false bravado. I hate when people try to act brave in the face of death. Unless they don’t care about dying.”
“Gus cared about dying,” Teresa said stonily. “Did he try to act brave?”
“Gus made the mistake of walking into the barn when I was letting Eclipse loose.” Carmen laughed again. “He thought I was Marielle. He was overjoyed! Did you know he and your mother used to have a little bit of a relationship? Nothing that went very far. I never could understand it—your mother had Hugh Farr, but the man she wanted was Gus Gibbs! Anyway, when he got a good look at me, it was all over for him. The rake was there, just waiting for me, and I put Gus out of his misery.”
“And turned Eclipse loose, then ran out of the barn right in front of my car.”
“Running in front of your car wasn’t planned, but you should have seen your face! Then you jumped out in the rain and started wailing, ‘Mommy!’ Oh, my God, it was priceless!”
“I’m glad you thought so.” Teresa started to turn around, but Carmen gave her a sharp, “No!” Teri obeyed, standing still on the dirt road, letting the night sounds of the deserted area wash over her, knowing that soon she would hear nothing. “May I ask one last question?” she ventured.
“I suppose.” Carmen had begun to sound tired. She’d had a rough evening, Teresa thought with gallows humor.
“What happened to my mother?”
“Oh dear, I thought you would have guessed by now. After the big scene at your house, when Hugh caught her and she managed to escape, she came running to me. To
me
! She cried and moaned and carried on in that damned hopeless, helpless way of hers that had always driven me wild. I snapped. I just couldn’t take it anymore, especially after just finding out that Wendy was pregnant.
“I put on a good show. I comforted her for a while, then I told her I’d drive her back to her aunt Beulah’s house. Only we never went to Beulah’s. I drove her straight up here, right to the igloo ahead of us. It was evening by then. I didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing us. Tired as she was, she couldn’t resist getting out to look at that old igloo she’d loved. While she was wandering around, mumbling to herself, I stabbed her. Quite a number of times, actually. And it felt
so
good to finally end her mewling self-pity. So very,
very
good!”
Teresa’s stomach clenched. For a moment the dark, lonely landscape spun and she thought she was going to throw up. Then she drew a deep breath. “What did you do with her body?”
“I buried her up here.”
“Where?”
“It doesn’t matter. Just take my word for it that you’d never find her, even if you got the chance to look. There’s probably not much left of her anyway. Still, you’ll be with her. That’s why I wanted to kill you up here, Teri. You’re like her—the woman with everything, even love. You have everything I
should
have had, just like your mother. But I didn’t allow her to keep everything and I won’t allow you to, either. I hate you just as much as I always hated her. And don’t tell me I won’t get away with this. I’ve been prepared for years. I have money hidden and false identification documents. I’ll leave this godforsaken place and get a new start just after I’ve killed you and Sharon’s little, sniveling spawn.”
Teresa almost whirled on the woman, wanting to claw out her eyes, wanting to knock her to the ground and beat her head against a rock, wanting to do
something
violent to avenge her mother. If Teresa had been alone, she would have, knowing she had nothing to lose. But Carmen still held Daniel, who cried softly, steadily, hopelessly. Poor little Daniel, who would die because he’d been sent to spend the night at Aunt Teri’s house. Teresa closed her eyes again, thinking that she simply could not bear what was happening. She almost wished Carmen would just raise the gun and shoot her in the head.
Almost. She could
not
give up on Daniel.
Teresa opened her eyes and said in a shockingly steady voice, “What do you want us to do now, Carmen?”
“I want you to walk straight ahead to that igloo. You can skirt around the bar blocking the road. I’ve done it a hundred times. So did your mother.”
So did Mom, Teri thought as she began to walk slowly through the grass damp with dew at the edge of the road, hearing Carmen and Daniel trailing behind her. Her mother had walked to that igloo with Carmen. Teresa remembered the photo Carmen had taken of Marielle laughing as she’d stood beside the igloo. She had no idea this was where she’d die.
Teresa reached the door of the igloo. She didn’t ask what to do next. She grabbed the bar holding the door closed and tugged. It began a slow, grinding movement, then opened.
A wave of musty air washed over her. The total darkness inside seemed to reach for her, luring her seductively into oblivion. It would be so easy to just walk in, to let the darkness swallow her, to let Carmen fire the gun. Teresa took a step inward, feeling drawn, pulled into oblivion—
Then a light flashed on. Carmen had brought along a flashlight. Of course. She’d had this whole thing planned, Teri thought. She wouldn’t forget a flashlight, especially since this wasn’t her first time—she’d performed this scene eight years ago with Marielle Farr as her victim.
Marielle, Teri thought. Not Marielle
and
another hostage, one whom Carmen held tight while she also aimed a flashlight, not a gun. She couldn’t do both at once. She couldn’t clutch Daniel, a flashlight,
and
a gun. For just an instant, Carmen was vulnerable.
Teresa stealthily reached into her pocket, closed her hand around the lipstick pepper spray, and plunged toward Carmen. As she charged the woman, Teri flicked off the top of the spray tube. Their bodies met and, Teri sprayed the liquid into Carmen’s big blue eyes. Once. Twice. Three times.
The woman let out one short, sharp cry before she and Teri crashed to the ground. Daniel backed away, screaming shrilly, but Teri barely heard him. “Go!” she yelled at him. “Run!” She wasn’t sure if he obeyed. She was too intent on finding the gun. Carmen fought and cursed as Teresa’s hands raked over her, digging, searching, but the woman’s eyes were streaming with tears and she couldn’t keep her hands away from them, couldn’t get a good grip on Teresa. After what seemed an eternity, Teri grabbed at cold metal, then realized she’d captured the flashlight. She dropped it, desperately seeking the gun. The gun, dammit. Where was the gun?
Suddenly, the world around them burst into brilliant light. Vaguely aware of noise amid the struggle, Teri looked up. Cars. Headlights. Red lights flashing garishly in the soft darkness of undisturbed wilderness. She was dreaming. Teri knew she was dreaming. Carmen let out an animal-like cry of frustration before pain pierced Teri’s temple. She shot me, Teri thought vaguely as the world began to fade. Carmen got me after all, just like she did Mom.
T
ERI STOOD IN THE
bright sunlight just outside the barn. She drew in a deep breath of fresh, sun-warmed air and watched as Sierra capered after a butterfly. Had it only been a week since Carmen had arrived with food for her engagement party? Had it only been a week since Teri and Daniel had almost died at Carmen’s hands?
For two days after Carmen had delivered that furious blow to Teri’s temple with her own gun—the .22 she’d finally found—Teresa’s thoughts had been muddled, her recollections sketchy. She’d realized Mac was worried—Kent was worried—but she couldn’t focus. Then, on the third morning, she’d awakened with her mind sharp, the events of that awful night sharp-edged and so clear they hurt. She wanted to forget, but she knew she’d never be able to wipe that night from her memory.
Worst of all, she’d never be able to wipe Carmen Norris from her memory—worst because just as Carmen struck Teri in the head with her gun and, half-unconscious, Teri had rolled off Carmen’s body, one of the policemen had shot Carmen. Teri had felt something warm and wet and clinging splattering all over her face before she’d slipped into darkness. All Mac would tell Teri was that the cop had gotten Carmen in the head and that it had been bad. Carmen couldn’t have felt much pain, though, Mac always added. She must have died almost instantly.
Teri now watched as Mac’s Lexus started over the hill. He stopped the car beside the barn. Celeste popped out of the car and ran to Teri, her blond hair flying, her smile wide. She hugged Teri ecstatically, bent to pet an excited Sierra, then flung herself back into Teresa’s arms. “Oh, Teri, everybody said you were okay, but I had to see for myself. You look great! Well, you have a little bit of a bruise, but you’re still the most beautiful woman in the world!”
“I agree,” Mac said, striding toward Teri. His wavy hair glistened in the sunlight and his gaze sought hers, warm, protective, and loving. Teresa tore herself away from Celeste and went to Mac, melting into his strong embrace. “Hey, you’ve still got quite a grip there, Teri!” He laughed. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“I guess I can’t stop thinking about Fourth of July night when you left with your mother and you never came back.”
Mac looked shamefaced, although he jumped to his own defense. “I’ve apologized. I’ve
explained.
”
“That when you went back to your mother’s apartment and she wasn’t there, you went to the emergency room at the hospital. That she’d gone there because she thought she was having a heart attack and she didn’t want you to know. False alarm, thank God. That when you got out of the car, your cell phone fell out of your pocket and you must have kicked it under the next car. That you tried and tried to call from the pay phones in the hospital, but either they were tied up or when you got one and dialed my number
I
was on the phone.”
“Did you forget that those awful women behind the hospital receiving desk wouldn’t let me use one of their
official
phones meant only for hospital use?”
“You did indeed. It’s a highly unlikely story—so unlikely that I believe it and you’re forgiven. Although if you’d been here—”
“You might not have come so close to… well, I don’t even want to say it.” He looked over at Celeste. “But even if I let you down, Teri, you did have a guardian angel.”
Teri smiled at the girl. “You saved my life, Celeste. Mine
and
Daniel’s.”
“Well, barely,” Celeste said, blushing. “I couldn’t even talk. I thought it was going to be like last time when I
couldn’t
talk for a couple of years. But when I found out Daddy was still alive… well, my voice just came back.” Some of the joy left her eyes. “But I feel so bad about Grandma. If it wasn’t for me, she’d still be alive.”
“She died protecting you, Celeste,” Teri said. “I didn’t know your grandmother well, but I know how important you were to her, and if she had to die now, not twenty years from now, she would have wanted to die taking care of the girl she loved most in the world.” Celeste’s eyes filled with tears and Teri said quickly, “I asked Mac to bring you here for a reason. Let’s go into the barn. I have a surprise for you.”