The Portal ~ Large Print (11 page)

O
r you’ll die like the others…
’ Cody’s words repeated in Vivian’s mind. She didn’t know what to do. Listening to him had saved her life in the cellar. And it had nearly gotten her killed not five minutes later. Who was Mister Vincent? What did he want with her son?

Jarod still sat slumped against the wall. More than anything, she wanted to end this. Though she might never get another opportunity, after what she’d seen last night, she couldn’t afford to take chances with things she didn’t understand. For now, Jarod would live.

Cody tugged at her pant leg.

“Not now.” She moved to the bedroom window and peeked out of the curtains. Although power to the estate had been shut off, the security lights lining the wall must have been on a separate breaker. They still illuminated the almond orchard. She checked her watch. In less than thirty minutes, Erika would let Torres out of the truck.

“Come on.” She kneeled down to Cody. “We’re leaving.”

“With Daddy?”

“Your father will be fine.” She ran her fingers through his hair and picked him up.

“You still don’t get it.” Jarod coughed and clutched the bullet wound in his shoulder. Even in the dark, she could see blood pooling on the floor under his elbow. “You won’t make it down the driveway.”

“Maybe,” she said. “It looks clear now.”

“Do you think the fly ever sees the spider’s web?” Jarod asked.

“I won’t stay and give you another opportunity to kill me.”

“Don’t worry. It’ll come.”

She moved over to him, pointed the gun just inches from his face, and said, “Just give me a reason.”

“No.” Cody shook his head.

Jarod let go of his wound and grabbed the gun’s barrel with a wet hand. Gently, he moved it to his forehead. She could feel the end of her nightmare. Just pull the trigger and they could slip away, but she couldn’t. Not unless she wanted to piss off Mister Vincent. With everything that had happened in the last few days, she couldn’t risk it.

“What are you waiting for?” He smiled.

“Lie down and wait for Stromsky for all I care,” she said. “Cody and I are going to live.”

“You’re already dead.”

Vivian was disgusted that she’d ever loved him. “You’re not even a man.”

“For once you’re right. I am the spider.” His deep voice was monotone as he stared at the window. “No…I was the spider. Alone, watching the butterfly dance.”

His ranting sounded like the previous night when he’d been that thing. Did that mean he would change soon? Screw it. Let Stromsky come in here and clean this mess. They were leaving him behind.

Both Jarod and Cody turned their heads in unison towards the corner of the bedroom. Nothing was there, except a spattering of toys. Their plastic smiles seemed malicious in the dim moonlight.

“Mister Vincent.” Cody sounded relieved.

“There you are,” Jarod said angrily.

Don’t let this be happening. Don’t let them be the same. But they were. Worse than that, if they could both see Mister Vincent, then there was no doubt. He did exist.

“Don’t talk to him, baby,” Vivian said.

“Fuck off.” Jarod appeared to be talking to himself. He waited, and then said, “I hope she does die.”

“What’s going on?” she demanded.

“The safe,” Cody whispered in her ear.

“What safe?” she asked Jarod. “What’s in there? A weapon?”

He glared at her and then at Cody. Turning back, he said to Mister Vincent, “If he even is my son.”

“You prick,” she said.

“The safe,” Cody repeated.

“There isn’t one,” she told him. “Do you mean the panic room?”

He looked to the corner, appeared to get confirmation, and nodded at her.

“We’ll be trapped with him,” she said. “Never.”

“I’d listen to the man.” Jarod seemed to get pleasure from her fear.

“Mommy, it’s okay.”

“Don’t you talk to him,” she told Cody and stepped away from the corner. “I don’t know what you are. Stay away from my son. We’re leaving.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Jarod said with a twisted grin. He held his bloody forefinger to his lips. Then he motioned at the door and whispered, “Vincent says we have a visitor just outside.”

“We need to be quiet,” she whispered in Cody’s ear.

“In here,” Jarod shouted.

The door slammed open. A flashlight beamed down first, and then swung up to her eyes.

“Drop the weapon.” A voice boomed from the blinding light. “Now.”

She shoved Cody back towards the toy box and aimed at Jarod. It wasn’t Stromsky. She would’ve recognized the accent. He had to be one of Jarod’s.

“Don’t try to stop us,” she said. “We’re leaving.”

“I don’t want to hurt you, Vivian.” He sounded familiar.

“Leon?” Please let it be him. The only friendly face on Jarod’s security staff. “Is that you?”

“You know I can’t let you hurt Mr. Carmichael.”

“She shot me,” Jarod hissed. “Kill her.”

“Hold on,” Leon said. “You’re not paying me enough to murder anyone.”

“Consider your salary tripled.”

“You gonna buy me a suite in hell too?” He closed the door behind him. “Sorry boss, you can fire me tomorrow. Until then, my job is to keep you breathing. That’s it.”

“You will regret this,” Jarod said.

“I
will
leave you behind if you don’t watch it.”

“Please, whatever is going on here has nothing to do with us.” She lowered her gun, and he did the same. “I just want my baby back.”

“If you let that bitch take my son—”

“Shut up. Both of you.” Leon lowered the beam. With his hawkish eyes and pointed nose, he seemed determined. “There were eight men on duty tonight. None of them are answering their radios. The landlines are dead. My cell, too, which means that somebody’s running a jammer.”

“So do your fucking job and take care of her.” Jarod pushed himself onto his feet, using the wall against his back.

“Right,” Leon said sarcastically. “Mrs. Carmichael disabled seven members of the security detail. You both better listen. Whoever is doing this is damn good, so drop your bullshit if you want to live.”

“The safe room,” Jarod said. “Take me there.”

“No.” Vivian stepped back. “We’ll be trapped.”

“She’s right,” Leon said. “We shouldn’t box ourselves in.”

Jarod coughed violently this time, and she thought she saw blood on his teeth. Good.

“I need the first aid kit,” Jarod said.

Leon seemed to consider it. “The landline in the safe room is hardwired into the system. It should still work. I could call in more men. The police.”

Vivian motioned the gun at Jarod. “He’ll kill me the second he gets the chance.”

“Nobody’s going to kill anyone,” Leon said. “Isn’t that right, sir?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Jarod turned to her. “Sooner or later, I will find you.”

“I said isn’t that right, Mr. Carmichael?” Leon shined the flashlight directly at him.

“Get that fucking thing off me.”

“He’s not going to do anything sinful.” Leon moved the beam back to the floor. “Because he knows that me and Jesus go way back.”

“I’m not paying you to—”

“And he also knows that me and Jesus used to fuck people up. Men much more powerful than he is, so we’re not afraid.”

Jarod didn’t respond.

“I only want Cody safe,” she said.

“I’ll walk you out of here personally,” Leon said. “But we have to go before it’s too late.”

Here it was. Alone, she was as good as dead. At least in the panic room, she could call Erika and warn her. Leon was a good man. He’d driven them to the hospital the night that Jarod had hurt Cody. And he’d stayed long after his shift had ended.

“Fine,” she said. “But Cody stays with me.”

“We have to go dark.” He clicked off the flashlight. Her eyes adjusted after a second. Leon turned around and gently opened the door. After peeking outside, he whispered, “Move calmly. Do not stop until we reach the library.”

Vivian held her breath as they walked into the darkened hallway. Leon was crouched in front, followed by Jarod, whose breathing sounded wet. Behind, she carried Cody.

Just before they turned the corner that led to the staircase, Jarod looked back and whispered, “Soon.”

E
rika blew warm
breath into her hands. Her sneakers sank into soft dirt as she paced beside Detective Torres’s car. Thirty-seven minutes. Viv should’ve been out by now. Or at least signaled for help.

All around, bare branches clacked together in the brisk wind. She listened for anyone trying to sneak up on her, but the dark orchard rustled in every direction. Nana Clara’s Hoodoo BS embarrassed her to no end, but what she wouldn’t give for one of those nasty rooster claws now.

A thumping startled her. Detective Torres started pounding the inside of the trunk again.

“Let me out of here.” His shout was muffled. “I can’t breathe.”

Nobody should be boxed up like that. But once she set him free, would he help them? More likely, he’d drive them back to the police, who in turn would ship them back here. To Vivian’s shithead ex. Still, it had almost been an hour now, and no word.

“When I open this,” she said. “Are you gonna help us?”

“Just let me out.”

“I asked you a question. Are you going to hurt me?”

“Yes,” he shouted. “I mean no.”

From the panic in his voice, he sounded claustrophobic. Would he suffocate? No way the trunk was airtight. It was smarter to leave him be until it was time to go after Viv. But what if she was hurt? With no way to call for help. She looked at her watch. Forty-one minutes. What was she thinking letting that woman go off alone? This had gone too far.

She popped open the trunk. Looking in, she saw Torres fill the space to capacity. It took him a minute to work himself out. When he finally stood, he towered over her with shaking muscles. Maybe it had been worse in there than she had thought.

He grabbed her shoulders, spun her around, and slammed her chest into the driver’s door.

“Take it easy,” she said. “I could have left you in there.”

“You’ve already been read your rights.” He pinned her wrists behind her back with one giant hand and frisked her with the other. “Where’s Vivian?”

“She went in for her son,” Erika said over her shoulder. “We’ve got to help her.”

“Help her?” he said. “Do you have any idea of what kind of trouble she’s in? The trouble you’re in? Kidnapping is a felony. Mandatory prison time.”

“Do you think she gives a damn about what you’re going to do to her if she makes it out with her son alive?”

“Save it,” he said. “If her husband was such a danger, she should have come to us sooner.”

“Really? I wonder why we never thought of that.”

“I know that this is hard for you to believe.” He turned her around and held her against the car. “But the police department doesn’t sit around cooking up conspiracies against rich housewives and their friends.”

“Housewives?” The nerve of this jerk. “USC Medical. You probably missed it while attending your community college. It’s the one with the stadium.”

“All that schooling to become an armed felon,” he said. “Money well spent.”

“If you cops would do your jobs for once, then maybe we wouldn’t have to do it for you.” She caught herself. Running her mouth wasn’t going to help.

“Believe me,” he said. “Nobody in my precinct even knows who you are.”

“Right. Government agents scoop up all your suspects in the middle of the night.”

“If we’re so corrupt,” he said. “Then why do you need my help?”

“Because I think that you’re on the level,” she told him. “What if you don’t know everything? What if we’re not lying?”

“That’s not my job to figure out.” Leaning into the car, he retrieved his cell phone. “If you’re innocent, the courts will clear you.”

“Call your boss, and we’ll be dead in an hour.”

“That man saved my life a hundred times.” With his breath puffing in the air, he looked like a bull. After pausing a second, he said calmly, “We follow procedure for a reason.”

“Please don’t make that call,” Erika said. “Just check out the house first.”

He dialed the phone and waited. “Chief Watson.”

Their plan had failed. This asshole was too dumb to pay attention to anything but his precious rules. At the next opportunity, she needed to get inside to warn Vivian.

“Stay put.” He walked two steps and dialed again. He took another step.

Erika darted toward the lights in the distance. He yanked her turtleneck. She leaned forward and tumbled into a dirt cloud. He fell to his hands and knees, too.

She sprinted forward. Within minutes, she reached a clearing in the trees. Security lights on the outer wall of Jarod’s estate blinded her. Looking back, she didn’t see Torres anywhere. She ducked down and moved silently along the tree line. Before going in, she needed more distance between them.

Something crunched to her left.

“What is our status?” a voice said quietly. Erika hid behind a tree trunk.

“Waiting for confirmation,” someone else answered.

Had the cops already arrived? No, they wouldn’t be driving that child kidnap van. Shadows merged together, but even from here she could see at least three men dressed completely in black.

One silhouette broke from the rest. He pointed to where she’d just come from. Maybe a hundred yards back, Torres lumbered into the lights of the clearing. Someone must have been watching over her tonight, because none of these men seemed to notice her. And they were less than forty feet away. One of them aimed an assault rifle at Torres.

“Let him go,” the first voice said. “Twenty minutes. We’ll catch him in the sweep.”

All four men moved to the far side of the van. If they weren’t police, then who were they? No one to screw with, she guessed. Sneaking backwards, she deliberately avoided crunching any leaves until the van was out of sight.

Twenty minutes to find Vivian and Cody. Then, armed men would storm that house. By then, she and Vivian needed to be long gone.

“I hope you’re watching out for the good guys.” She kissed her necklace crucifix, raced into the clearing, and climbed over the wall.