Every Deadly Suspicion

Chapter 44

CHAPTER 44

H ANNA WENT THROUGH ALL of Chase’s living quarters, turning on the lights. It was small, with a kitchen, living room, and bedroom. Her ears still rang from the deafening music. The fear she’d kept at bay had breached the wall she’d put up. There was no sign of Braden or Nathan anywhere, and she was in that space where every bit of her hope was being darkened by a shadow of terror. She had Chase secured, but he wasn’t even conscious. Guns, shell casings, and unspent bullets were everywhere, but no blood and no bodies.

Hanna stepped to the table and shook Chase’s shoulder. “Chase, come on, wake up.”

His head lolled back and forth, and he gave no indication that he’d heard.

“He’s more than three sheets to the wind,” Jared said. “Only Narcan will help him.”

“He’s—” Her radio beeped.

“Chief, we’ve been trying to raise you.” Charlie’s voice was uncharacteristically stressed.

“10-4, I copy you now. There was a lot of background noise.”

“10-4. Asa and the deputies are in the main house. Requesting your 20.”

“I’m down the path, to the right of the house, where Chase stays. Care for the people in the panic room first. They need medics. I have Chase in custody and am code 4.”

“Acknowledged.”

Hanna looked at Jared. “I’m open to suggestions.”

“I’ve been thinking. Suppose Chase has a panic room like his father.”

“Good thought.” She looked around. Where could that be?

“Chief, Chief.” Asa and two deputies burst into the room, interrupting her search.

“I’m okay.” She pointed to Chase. “He’s in custody. But I haven’t found Braden or Nathan.”

“Everett said to look in the mine.”

“Look in the mine?”

Asa nodded. “That’s what he said before he passed out.”

“This place was a—”

“Do you hear that?” Jared held up a hand and interrupted.

Hanna couldn’t hear anything. “Everyone, quiet your radios and stay still for a minute.”

They complied. In a few seconds, Hanna did hear something. It sounded like yelling, far away.

“I hear it. It’s coming from over here.” She stepped to a door that was padlocked. For some reason, she’d not noticed it before and credited that to tunnel vision.

“We’ve got a key for that.” Asa got on the radio and asked for someone to bring it down.

While they waited, Hanna put her ear against the door. Someone was yelling; it sounded echoey and far away.

A few minutes later, a firefighter jogged in with a set of bolt cutters. In short order, the lock was cut and the door opened.

It exposed what looked like an enclosed back porch. Hanna flipped the light switch. She could see that the porch gave way to a cave.

“It’s a mine shaft,” Jared said.

“I hear Nathan.” Hanna hurried forward. Ten or fifteen feet away, the floor opened to a gaping hole.

“Hey, we’re down here,” could be heard echoing up from the opening. The boy’s voice was also audible. “Here, here, we’re here.”

Hanna got down on her knees and peered down into blackness, shining a flashlight Asa had handed her. “Nathan?”

“Hanna! Thank God. I’m here, but I’m all busted up.”

Hanna’s fear dissipated, relief rolling over her. “What about Braden?”

“He’s okay. And Pancho.”

The deputies shone their lights into the inky blackness as well. About eighty or ninety feet down, she could see Braden looking up and Nathan waving his hand.

Hanna stood and looked around the dank, smelly place. There was no way to descend. No ladder was in evidence. There weren’t even any ropes. She shone her light along the wall. There had been ropes at one time. Anchors were embedded in the stone wall; she counted at least five. “We need to get them out.”

“I’ve got this.” Jared took the backpack off his back and opened it up. He had climbing gear.

“You can’t go down there.”

“Why not? I can anchor up here and go down there to check on them while you let Fire know we need a rescue team. I have a first aid kit and some lighting.”

Hanna could not think of any reason why not. Jared was an EMT, and he was a climber. He was perfect for the job.

He climbed into his harness, and Hanna checked each of the anchors. They all appeared set and secured. In the meanwhile, Asa radioed to Fire to explain what they needed.

Jared picked an anchor and set up his belay device. He put his backpack back on and prepared to descend.

Hanna gave him a radio. “This is so we don’t have to yell. Be careful, Jared.”

He took the radio and shoved it in his pack. “I got this.” He reached over and squeezed her hand, holding her gaze. Hanna held her breath when he let go and backed up to the side of the shaft, then proceeded to rappel into the darkness.

Jared was in his element, even though it was dark. Climbing was one of his passions. The wall of the mine shaft was slippery but navigable and he was at the bottom in no time. He unclipped himself and turned, shining his light against the wall first where Braden sat, cradling his dog, and then at Nathan. Down this close to him, Jared could see the pain in his eyes. His right leg was bent at an unnatural angle.

He radioed to Hanna. “I’m down safe. Tell Fire we’ll need a basket for Braden and a backboard and splints for Sharp.”

“I got it.” Jared recognized the voice of Fire Captain Darling. “Is the boy injured?”

Braden sat a few feet away from Nathan. He still had a cast on his wrist. It was dirty but intact.

Jared knelt. “Hey, buddy, are you okay?”

He nodded. “I’m afraid of the dark.” He was shaking. It was dank and cold in the tight space.

Jared smiled, took his backpack off. “Me too.” He handed Braden his flashlight and pulled out another from his bag. “You hold on to the light. They’re going to send a ride down for the two of you, okay?”

Braden nodded. “Where is Papa Everett?”

“Up there somewhere. You’ll see him soon.”

“Braden and the dog are not injured,” Jared told Darling before he turned his attention to Nathan. Why were they so far apart? When his light hit Nathan, he saw why.

Moving to Nathan, keeping his back to Braden, his light picked up the bones, the remains of someone or something just beyond Nathan.

Jared knelt in front of Nathan. “The kid looks fine. What happened to you?” He ran his light over the detective. His face was bruised. Tomorrow he’d have a wicked black eye.

“Chase, he let me down on a rope, then cut it about halfway down. I fell the rest of the way.” Nathan winced. “When he lowered Braden, he did it slowly. I heard him tell the boy that he was protecting him.”

Jared shone his light on the bent leg. “I’m going to have to splint that to get you out of here.”

Nathan nodded, groaning some. “My wrist too. Do what you have to do. Just get me out of here.”

Jared moved the light across Nathan’s body and saw that the wrist was busted too. “We’ll get you something for the pain. You didn’t hit you head or hurt your back?”

“No, my leg and my arm took the brunt of the fall. I had a flashlight; the battery died. There are other guests down here.”

“I see that. Let me tell them what we need and get Braden out of here. Hang on, okay?”

Nathan gave a weak nod.

Jared stood and let Darling know the situation. The first thing they lowered were more lights, then a basket for Braden and the dog with splints and pain medication for Nathan. Jared hurried to get Braden set. The light illuminated a lot of unpleasantness in the shaft.

“Keep your eyes closed and hold on to the dog,” Jared told Braden. The boy nodded, hugged the dog, and the men above drew the basket up and out. Jared turned his attention to Nathan. He had medication and splints, so he went to work. Nathan was going into shock, and he needed to get out of this damp hole.

Once he was medicated and splinted, Jared laid out the backboard. “I’ve got to strap you down on here. You good to go?”

“Yeah, I feel a lot better now.”

Jared pulled as Nathan slid and lay on the board. Carefully, Jared secured his head and neck, belted him down, wanting to make it as secure as possible because any jerky movement would be agony for Nathan on the way up.

As he was double-checking the belts, Nathan tried to grab his arm.

“What, too tight?”

“No. I need to know. Do you love Hanna?”

Taken aback, Jared rocked back on his heels. “We don’t need to talk about this now.”

“We do. I think she loves you. Before I back off, I want to make sure you won’t hurt her again. If you do, you’ll answer to me.”

“I think that’s the medication talking.” Jared jerked the rope, which was the signal for the guys above to bring Nathan up.

Jared stood, staring up at the backboard ascending the shaft.

“Do you love Hanna?”

“I think she loves you.”

The two phrases jolted Jared to the core. Of course he loved Hanna. He’d never stopped. If it were true, that she loved him as well—Jared wanted to believe it—he wanted to climb up out of the hole, grab her, and never let go.