The Broken Lake (27 page)

Even with those thoughts, my rage didn’t go away, because I knew one thing. Every ounce of happiness I felt leading up to this day had just been ripped out of me and was disappearing into the black night.

“I’m sorry, Sophie.” The comfort in Kerry’s voice began to make me believe she understood my situation, until she added, “This sucks.” Then I knew she had no idea what had just occurred right under her nose.

It more than sucked. It was beyond words and the farther away the lights in the sky went, the sicker I felt. Without looking anyone in the face, I hid my tear-filled eyes and said as casually as I could, “I’m going upstairs. Excuse me, guys.”

Leaving the lights off and the fireplace on, I curled into the chaise and wrapped myself in a blanket, like a baby, wondering how this could’ve possibly happened. I had considered so many possibilities before we arrived and what had just happened hadn’t crossed my mind once, yet somehow I couldn’t bring myself to be shocked.

Angry, upset, afraid? Sure. But shocked? No. It seemed like just a different means to shatter my happiness. Every day I had fought thoughts that fate had something bad in store for me. Even forced in happy visions of the future, all the while wishing something terrible wouldn’t occur and take them away. But, no matter how much I had wished it, hoped it, no matter how much I reveled in our momentary bliss, I always secretly feared it wouldn’t last.

Fate was cruel to let me experience perfection, only to have someone literally swoop in and take it away. My chest felt heavy and empty.

Then, adding even more weight, I traced my thumb along my new ring, wondering,
Why now?
When I knew the future was going to be me and Wes, together. Really together, where I lived with him, took care of him, and loved him. Most of all, I actually believed we had a future, yet here I was, alone in the dark.

I searched my mind again and again for anything hopeful and each time I came up empty. My first instinct was to cry inconsolably. Instead, something else took over. Building inside was a powerful urge to get back home and find who was responsible for this. The person who had taken away my life and my momentary elation—messed up my vacation.

Rich had said the helicopter was military, and when I thought military, I thought about Andy and what he told me about their unsuccessful experiments. Then I thought about Andy’s grandson. Although Chase’s picture didn’t fit the one I had seen, he wore dog tags, and that was enough of a connection for me. Whoever Chase was, I was certain he was in on this, and I was going to find out why.

By the time Kerry came upstairs, I had rubbed my thumb nearly raw from constantly tracing the stones of my ring.

“Sophie, are you okay?” She made a spot for herself at the foot of the chaise and pulled my blanket’s excess over her.

I thought about lying and then figured it was useless. “Not really.”

“What happened? Did you have a fight?”

That’s a bit extreme.
How many couples fight to the point that one is angry enough to take off in a helicopter? “No.” I half laughed.

“Then what?” she pressed.

“I can’t really tell you.”

“What does that mean?” Her face was intense.

“It means I just can’t say.”

She moved closer to me, nudging my knee. “Sophie, what’s going on? You can tell me.”

The look in her eyes didn’t skip a beat from when we used to spend every day together as friends. Best friends. I weighed the appreciation I felt for her against the predicament I was in. No matter how much I wanted to tell her, or anyone else, I just couldn’t.

Still, I didn’t want to blatantly lie. Plus, I needed someone to help me feel better. So I decided to get as close to the truth as possible without revealing too much.

“I can only say that the people who came to get Wes want something from him, and I’m not sure he’ll give it to them.”

She leaned in farther, listening harder. “Like what?”

I took in a deep breath, still tracing my ring beneath the blanket. “Well, his family’s research labs are getting close to a very big medical breakthrough. Possibly a cure for cancer or AIDS, and some people want to be the first to take credit. He’s forced to live his life around that.”

She tilted her head back, as if she understood. “I get it. Yikes.” She paused. “So where did he go?”

I looked out the window. “I don’t know.”

“Well, why not. Didn’t he say?”

I shook my head, now holding back tears. I didn’t want to talk about it anymore and turned away from her. My gaze focused on the snowy terrain that I wished I’d never come to see.

“I don’t think he knows.”

“Shouldn’t you call someone?”

I shook my head again. “No. He said he’ll be fine. He’ll meet me back home.”

I didn’t look at her, but sensed doubt in the air. But, like my mother, Kerry knew how far to press an issue with me, so I trusted her not to nag me further.

“Okay,” she said, standing up. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. And Kerry?” I called as she stepped away. “Please don’t tell anyone. Wes knows what he’s doing and a lot of this information is confidential.”

She gave me a long sympathetic stare, and nodded gently before making her way downstairs.

The roads were plowed the next morning, so we decided to leave then. I packed our things and climbed into the Suburban, feeling alone.

The flight home was bad. Wes had chucked my meds at the cabin, so I was left to fly without him, without my meds, and with a stomach twisted with anxiety and loneliness.

Adding to the realization that he was gone was having to drive his Rover back to his house. Even Dawn and Jackson’s carefree aura had dissipated. They both believed Wes had gone of his own accord, but the air still reeked “bummer” as they sensed me missing him.

Once we got to Wes’, I transferred his bags along with mine to my Jeep because he felt closer to me that way. Jackson packed his things into his car and drove himself home. Once Dawn and I were on the road, I began thinking of ways to fix things. By the time we reached her house, I had built up enough nerve to ask for Chase’s number. She looked at me, more than confused, so I clarified. “I need to ask him some questions. Something Danny said.”

“Oh, sure.” She scanned through her phone and wrote the number on a piece of paper. Once she went inside, I called my mom to tell her I was back and that I’d be home soon. Then, still sitting in Dawn’s driveway, I dialed the scribbled number that was written in pink ink.

“Hello?”

I curled my lip at the sound of his voice. My nervousness was replaced by heightened irritation. “Chase, this is Sophie. We need to talk.” A long pause quickly screamed guilty. “Now,” I added.

“Where?”

I almost said the overlook because that was the natural place to talk. Then I remembered Wes’ instruction to be careful. I had no intention of defying him now.

“Where are you?”

“I’m at work.”

His response reminded me of how he had penetrated my life. “Is Mr. Healey there?” I asked through clenched jaws.

“No.”

“Good. I’ll come to you then.”

Every mile I drove fueled more frustration. I had no idea what I was going to say, but one thing was for sure. He was going to give me some answers.

When I arrived, Danny was at the counter. His face lit up, as if he wanted to come around and give me a hug, but my expression must have prompted him to hold back. Instead, he gave me a confused smile.

“You’re back. That’s good. Does that mean Dawn’s back too?”

“Yeah, she is.” I didn’t have time for small talk, so I cut to the Chase, literally. “Where is he?”

Technically, I could’ve been talking about Mr. Healey, but by my tone, he knew otherwise. His eyes got a bit wider.

“He’s in the back.” He pointed slowly, like I didn’t know where to go.

“Thanks.”

I went, expecting to see Chase sitting at the table with his legs propped up as always. Instead, he was standing, expecting me.

“Where is he?” I asked.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He had a smug look on his face, but a hint of guilt peeked through.

“You know
exactly
what I’m talking about.”

He crossed his arms, shrugged his shoulders, and gave me nothing.

“I know you had something to do with it. I
know
you did. You hang around here, antagonizing me all the time, trying to provoke me and Wes, talking secretively to men in suits, working here. How convenient is that?”

Oh, my gosh.
My eyes widened and my nostrils flared as I remembered Wes’ words about Chase. It all made sense. The timing, the behavior, the grudge.

“Wait a minute. You’re in on all of it. And you probably had something to do with Ms. Mary’s death, so there would be a job opening here. And you played up to Danny. Didn’t you?”

He pressed his lips together and stepped to the side to go around me, but I blocked the door.

“You’re crazy.” He attempted a laugh, but couldn’t hide the worry in his eyes.

When he tried to move me out of the way, I swelled with courage. “You’re sick. You’re a lunatic. You’re—”

“Get out of my way.”

My courage peaked as he tried once again to get around me. I wanted to punch him in the face, but my cast was still on. Even though my hand was completely healed, I couldn’t risk hurting it again for a punch that probably wouldn’t have an effect anyway.

I wanted to hurt him any way I could, and at the moment he was piercing me with his arrogant stare. Eyes that faked a shine like Wes’. Eyes that spoke lies. Without thinking, I reached up with both hands and tried to scratch them out.

He stumbled back, raising his arms in defense. I backed him up until he fell onto the table, and even then I tried to gouge them out. I don’t know what came over me. I just wanted him to feel pain and to know that someone was on to him.

“Stop it! You’re crazy.” His defensive tactics only fueled my anger.

“You’re a liar,” I countered, reaching over his protective forearms.

Then Danny came in and pulled me off him. I tried to wriggle free, but couldn’t.

“What’s going on?” Danny demanded.

Chase stood up and yanked his shirt straight. Walking past both of us, he huffed, “She’s a lunatic.”

Danny turned me around. “Sophie, what is it?”

I jerked myself free. “Wes isn’t here. He’s gone, and I
know
it’s because of what Chase told those guys.”

“Wait. What do you mean, gone?”

I had forgotten about the discretion I was supposed to hold on to for a few days. I tried to minimize it by backpedaling.

“It’s just that some men wanted to talk to Wes, so they picked him up in Virginia. I don’t know who they are or where he is. Wes said he’ll be home. But we don’t appreciate Chase snooping around his life.”

“I don’t get it. What would Chase be snooping
for
?”

I shook off the remaining hold he had on me. “Because Wes’ labs have serums that can hopefully cure sickness, and some crazies are trying to get their hands on them to use as enhancers for drugs.”

The confusion in his eyes registered a new look. A look of understanding.

I jumped on it. “What? What do you know?”

“Nothing.”

“Yes, you do. What is it?”

He stepped back, as if to defend himself from an attempted gouging. “It’s just that Chase tried to get me to use some stuff, but I wouldn’t.”

I looked at him, not believing him.

“It’s not that I wouldn’t. Use it, that is. It’s just that I don’t do needles.”

My lips parted and fear took over at the possibility that Andy’s attempt wasn’t isolated after all. “Who’s using them? How many people?”

“Not many. They said it’s too expensive to get a lot of.”

“Who is ‘they’?” I stepped closer, desperate for information.

“Just Chase and Tim,” he added when a questioning look appeared on my face. “Someone Chase hangs with.”

I studied Danny for a minute, and something in me believed that he was clueless. Had maybe even been used. I pushed my way past him as gently as I could. “I gotta go.”

My fists clenched my steering wheel the entire way home. By the time I arrived, my tan knuckles were white where the skin had been stretched so long. My mom must’ve been looking out of the window, because she opened the door as soon as I pulled into the driveway. My mind was still whirling with information, or the lack thereof.

She picked up on my mood quickly and offered to take my bags, as if I were too weak to carry them myself.

“No, thanks. I got it.” My voice was soft, but still lacked genuine ease.

“Is everything okay?” She was completely in tune to my mood, but she attributed it to my visit with Kerry. “Did you have a fight with Kerry?”

I was actually glad she asked that because it prompted a natural laugh. “No, Mom. I’m okay. I just miss Wes.”

She rolled her eyes, but sighed in relief. “Good gracious, Sophie. You have it bad. It’s only been a few days. You can call him and have him come over for a visit.”

We were in the house by then and I wanted to go straight upstairs, so I turned to give her a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, but he’s away right now.”

With that mediocre explanation for my obvious distress, I dragged my bags up to my room and lay on my bed. Within a few minutes, I released the built-up frustration and fear in the form of tears. Again.

I
woke up Tuesday bright and early because of my mother. She came in, nudging my legs. “Come on, Sophie. You have to get up. Your appointment to get your cast off is today.”

I blocked the light coming in from the window with my hand. Once I was awake enough to realize it was a new day, I jumped up to find my cell phone. No calls. I tossed it on the bed, feeling my throat tighten. Thirty-six hours and counting.

“You’re really missing him, aren’t you?”

“You have no idea.”

I recovered my toiletry bag from my suitcase and headed to the bathroom. My mom wanted to drive me to the doctor, but I insisted on going alone. There were so many emotions flowing through me, making me afraid I wouldn’t be able to hold it together with her asking trivial questions about my trip.