Chapter Seventeen
They ran, but the helicopter was gaining fast. They were still a hundred yards from the tree line when the first bullet struck a rock near Rand’s feet, sending chips of granite flying. “Spread out!” he shouted. The farther apart they were, the harder it would be for whoever was firing to get them all.
Chris headed off in a sharp diagonal. Serena took off after her. Rand headed in the opposite direction. Another bullet hit a boulder near him. A fragment of rock hit the side of his face. He wiped at it, and his fingers came away bloody. He put his head down and kept running.
He was almost to cover when gunfire ripped from the trees. Yet the bullets weren’t aimed at him—but at the helicopter. The chopper rose sharply and veered away. A man in black tactical gear stepped out of the trees, a rifle cradled in his arms. Rand froze.
“Are you all right, Rand?” The man lifted the visor of his helmet, and Rand recognized Deputy Ryker Vernon.
Chris and Serena caught up with them. Serena clung to Chris and stared at Ryker. “We’re good now that we’re with you,” Rand said.
Ryker looked up at the sky. “Do you know who that was, shooting at you?”
“The helicopter belongs to the Vine,” Chris said. “Their leader, Edmund Harrison, was probably in there with some of his followers.”
“They kidnapped Chris and Serena and were going to take them away from here in a helicopter,” Rand said. “The storm yesterday delayed them, and we managed to get away.”
“I’m still nervous, out in the open like this,” Chris said. “Can we please leave?”
“There’s a group coming up to help us,” Ryker said.
Rand heard voices approaching. Soon, two deputies and half a dozen search and rescue members joined them. “Is everybody okay?” Danny asked.
“We’re good,” Chris said.
“Rand, you’re bleeding.” Hannah studied his face.
Rand swiped at his cheek. “A rock chip hit me. I’ll be okay. You can clean it up later. Right now I just want to leave.”
“Who is this?” Danny addressed Chris, but he was looking at Serena.
“This is Serena.” Chris kept her hand on the girl’s shoulder.
“What’s your last name, Serena?” Bethany asked.
“It’s Rogers.” Serena looked up at Chris. “I’d almost forgotten that.”
Chris nodded. “Members of the Vine don’t use last names,” she explained to the others.
“Chris!”
She looked up to see Bethany hurrying toward her. The younger woman threw her arms around Chris and hugged her, hard. After a second’s hesitation, Chris returned the hug. It felt good. “I’m so glad to see you!” Bethany said. “I’ve been so worried.” Her voice broke.
“Hey, it’s okay.” Chris patted her shoulder. “I’m good.”
Bethany released her hold and wiped her eyes. “I’m glad to hear it. I’d hate to think I’d lost a new friend.”
“Yeah. I’d hate that too,” Chris said. She meant it. “Let’s get together for lunch again soon.”
“Let’s. I can fill you in on my family’s latest plan for taking over my life.” Bethany laughed and turned away.
“We have some vehicles waiting at the road to take you back to Eagle Mountain,” Jake said.
“Do you have any food?” Serena asked. “We’re starving.”
This prompted the rescuers to dig into their packs and produce an assortment of nuts, dried fruit, protein bars, chocolate and gummy candy. Chris, Serena and Rand gratefully accepted this bounty. Danny examined Serena’s bruises and treated her busted lip. They ate as they walked, a new vigor in their step. Rand glanced ahead toward Chris, who was chatting with Bethany. They were safe, for now. But could he continue to protect her from the Vine, as long as they were still free?
“W HAT WILL HAPPEN to Edmund Harrison and the rest of his followers?” Chris addressed this question to Sheriff Walker as soon as he entered the interview room at the sheriff’s department, where she and Rand were seated, only a few hours after their rescue.
“We have a BOLO out for his arrest,” Travis said. “And we’re continuing to search for the rest of the group.”
“Where is Serena?” Chris asked. “You can’t let her go back to those people. You saw the bruises on her, right?”
“She’s with Deputy Jamie Douglas right now,” Travis said. “We’ve summoned a child-welfare advocate. They’re working on finding an emergency placement for her.”
“She can stay with me,” Chris said. She leaned forward, hands clenched in her lap. “She trusts me, and I understand some of what she’s been through.”
“You’ll have to take that up with the child-welfare person,” Travis said. He settled into the chair across from them. “What I need from you is everything you know about the people who kidnapped you.”
The last thing Chris wanted was to sit there and give them all the details about the Vine. But she pushed aside her annoyance and told Travis what she knew, about the group’s history, its habits and the people involved in the group now. She and Rand described the various guards and the woman they had seen with Jedediah. “Jedediah is the one you really need to find,” she said. “He’s the Exalted’s right-hand man.”
“The Exalted is what they call Edmund Harrison?” Travis verified.
“Yes. And he’s got most of them so brainwashed they’ll do anything he says.”
“And you indicated they’re armed?”
“I saw at least three rifles,” Rand said. “And one of them took my pistol.”
“I never saw firearms when I was with the group,” Chris said. “But that was fifteen years ago. And they never shied away from violence against their own members, though they called it ‘punishment.’”
“We’ll talk to Serena once the child advocate is with her,” Travis said. “She may be able to tell us more, including where the group might be now.”
“They’re very skilled at packing up and vanishing in the middle of the night,” Chris said. “They did it often when I was living with them. They talked about moving on to enlighten a new audience of people who could benefit from their message, but later I decided they probably left to avoid too much attention from local law enforcement.”
Travis nodded, then stood. “You two are free to go. We’ll be in touch.”
“I think Chris—and maybe Serena too—are still in danger,” Rand said. “The Exalted has gone to a lot of trouble to pursue them. I’m not sure he’ll give up so easily.”
“Do you want us to find a shelter for you to stay in?” Travis asked.
“No.” She looked at Rand but said nothing. If the Vine tracked her to his place, she would be endangering him also. “But maybe I should go somewhere like that.”
“You can stay with me.” Rand took her hand. “But it wouldn’t hurt to have a deputy cruise by occasionally.”
“We’re spread thin as it is, searching for all these people,” Travis said. “But I’ll do what I can.”
Harley was waiting for them in the lobby. Someone had fed and watered the dog, and he looked none the worse for the ordeal of the last forty-eight hours. Chris wished she could say the same. She was exhausted, as well as worried about Serena and about the Exalted. Those moments when that helicopter had hovered over them, bullets ricocheting off the rocks, had been among the most terrifying of her life.
Back at Rand’s house, he insisted on checking everything before she and Harley went in. She spent several anxious moments on his front porch, waiting until he returned. “Nothing’s disturbed,” he said. “You can come in now.”
They filed inside. The house was quiet, nothing out of place. She told herself she could relax, but tension still pulled at her shoulders. “You can have the shower first,” he told her.
“Can I have a bath?” she asked. “I’d really like to soak in a tub.”
“Sure. There’s a tub in the primary bath. Let me get my things, and I’ll shower in the guest room while you soak.”
“Thanks,” she said, too weary to make even a polite token protest about him giving up his bathroom for her.
She went to the guest room and dug out clean clothes and her toiletries. Rand still hadn’t appeared by the time she returned to the hall outside his room. She heard running water. Had he decided to take a shower first after all?
She was about to knock and check on him when he finally came out of his bedroom. “I was just getting everything ready for you,” he said.
She followed him back into the primary bedroom, past the king-size bed with its blue duvet neatly pulled over the pillows. He opened the bathroom door to a fog of steam and gestured toward a garden tub, already filled, froths of bubbles floating on the top. He had arranged candles along the far edge of the tub and lit them, and the scents of lavender and vanilla made a soothing cloud around them.
Tears stung her eyes. “You didn’t have to go to so much trouble.”
“You’re worth any amount of effort,” he said, and took her in his arms.
They kissed, a heady caress that left her dizzy and breathless. Rand slid his hand beneath her shirt and rested it at her waist. “I should let you bathe in peace,” he said.
She moved in even closer. “I think that tub is big enough for two.”
He didn’t protest, but pushed her shirt up farther. She helped him guide it over her head, then reached back to unsnap her bra. His hands were hot on her breasts, his fingers gentle but deft as he stroked and teased her. She stripped off the rest of her clothing with shaking hands, clinging to him for balance but also because she wanted to be closer to him.
He was naked in no time, and her breath caught at the sight of him. It had been a long time since she had been this excited about a man, and she was both eager and anxious. When he stepped into the tub, she followed, the silky, warm bubbles closing over them. She let out a sigh as she sank beneath the water, then lay back, her head on a folded towel, and closed her eyes.
The water sloshed as Rand shifted, and then something soft and slightly ticklish glided over her body. She started to open her eyes and sit up. “Relax,” he said. “Keep your eyes closed. Enjoy your bath.”
She decided the soft and ticklish thing was a soapy sponge he was using to caress first her shoulders, then her breasts. The sponge coasted across her stomach and stroked her thighs, then traveled down her legs to her foot and her toes. She suppressed a giggle as Rand soaped each digit, then slid his hand up the back of her leg, gently massaging. He did the same to the other leg. His touch was gentle but firm, enjoyable but not exactly relaxing.
She wasn’t sure when he replaced the sponge with his hands, but she realized it had happened when he began stroking between her thighs, caressing her sex, stoking the passion that began to build.
A moan escaped her, and she opened her eyes and stared at him. His eyes locked on hers, the heat in his expression scorching. “Do you want me to stop?” he asked.
“No.” Her answer came out barely audible. She cleared her throat. “No.” But even as he continued to tease her, she straightened and wrapped her hand around his erection.
His reaction was immediate and gratifying—a widening of his eyes and a renewed alertness. His hand stilled as she began to stroke him. “Do you want me to stop?” she teased.
“No.” But his hand moved from between her legs to her shoulders. He pulled her forward until she was resting on top of them, water sloshing over the edge of the tub as she moved.
“The floor’s getting wet,” she said.
“That’s not the only thing,” he said as he slid two fingers inside her.
There she went, giggling again. Definitely not like her. But being with Rand did that—made her feel like someone else. Someone freer and happier than she had ever been.
They kissed again, hands exploring, caressing, teasing as their lips tasted and nipped and murmured appreciation. “That feels so good.”
“You’re so beautiful.”
“Whatever you do, don’t stop.”
A second tidal wave of water sloshed over when she moved to crouch over him. “Maybe it’s time to take this to the bed,” she said.
“Good idea.”
They helped each other out of the tub; then he insisted on toweling her off, the plush but slightly rough surface of the towel gliding over sensitive nerve endings, ramping up her arousal. He paused to suck first one nipple, then another, a delicious torture that had her squirming.
At last he raised his head, grinning. She realized he had taken the time to shave, the stubble that had grown in the past two days erased, replaced by smooth skin. “Let me get a condom,” he said, and opened a drawer beside the sink.
His bedroom was dark and cool, the bed soft, the scent of lavender and vanilla drifting out with the steam from the bathroom. But she only noted these details in passing. Her focus was on him as he lay beside her and pulled her into his arms. They stared into each other’s eyes. She didn’t let herself look away, as she might have done before. Whatever there was to see in her, she wanted him to see it.
“Why did you come looking for me?” she asked. “By yourself, I mean, instead of part of the official search.”
“I thought I knew where to find you, and I didn’t want to wait on the others.”
“But why look at all?” she asked. “I’m not your responsibility.”
“Because I love you,” he said.
She flinched at the words. She tried to hide her reaction, but he couldn’t miss it. “Does that scare you, when I say it out loud?” he asked.
“A little,” she admitted.
“You’re strong enough to face your fear,” he said.
“Yes, I am.” But the wonderful thing about being with Rand was that she didn’t have to be strong. She didn’t have to fight or resist or do anything. She could relax and surrender without giving up anything.
So she did. She smiled and closed her eyes. She allowed him to touch her in all the ways that felt good, and she did the same for him, until they came together with urgency and need. She gave herself up to the building passion and the incredible release that followed.
Afterward, she lay curled in his arms, tears sliding down her cheeks. “Why are you crying?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “But it feels good.” She hadn’t allowed herself many tears over the years, afraid they made her look weak. Rand had taught her to see things differently. Feeling wasn’t a weakness, and being vulnerable wasn’t wrong. She would have to practice to fully believe those things, but she was willing to make the effort.
T HEY HAD BEEN asleep for a while when Rand woke to Harley’s frantic barking. “What is it?” Chris asked.
“I don’t know.” He got out of bed and put on his pants and shoved his feet into his shoes. “I’ll check.”
Harley ran ahead of him down the hall and began barking again—angry, staccato barks like shouts. “No!” someone commanded.
Rand switched on the living room light and found Harley cowering submissively at a man’s feet. The man was fit and trim, with stylishly cut silver hair and a tan. He wore a light gray suit with a white shirt and no tie, like a well-off businessman relaxing after work. The man looked from the dog to Rand. “Even dogs know to obey me,” he said.
“Who are you?” Rand demanded.
“I’m the Exalted.” He smiled a smug grin.
“Edmund Harrison,” Rand said.
“That person hasn’t existed for years,” he said. “I’m the Exalted. And I’m here for Elita. Or, as you know her, Chris. Hand her over and there won’t be any trouble.”
Rand pressed his back to the wall and surveyed the room.
“Oh, don’t worry,” Harrison said. “I came alone. The sheriff arrested Jedediah and the rest of my inner circle this afternoon. But I don’t need them. All I need is Elita. With her, I’ll start a new band of followers.”
“How did you find us?” Rand asked.
“Did you forget we have your phone? There’s a lot of information on a person’s cell phone. I had your address within minutes of my people handing it over to me.”
The hallway floor creaked. Rand forced himself not to look back, his eyes fixed on Harrison. The man was walking around the room, studying the books on a shelf. He didn’t register that he had heard the noise, though Harley had turned his head that way.
“Harley, come here.” Rand snapped his fingers at the dog, who obediently trotted over.
Harrison stopped and looked at Rand. “I’m waiting,” he said. “Bring Elita to me, and I’ll leave you alone.”
“I’m not going to hand Chris over to you,” Rand said.
“Then you leave me no choice.” Harrison withdrew a pistol from the jacket of his suit. Rand recognized his own gun—the one Jedediah had taken from him. Harrison raised the weapon and aimed it at Rand. “You don’t have to worry,” he said. “I’m a very good shot. You’ll die quickly.”
“No!” Chris burst into the room, something in her outstretched hand. When she aimed the item at Harrison, Rand realized it was the wasp spray he had left on the kitchen counter. She squeezed the trigger, and the spray arced across the room, striking Harrison in the face.
Harrison screamed, and the pistol fired twice, striking the floor and the wall. He bent double, clawing at his eyes and coughing. Then Rand was on top of him, wrestling the gun free. Chris dropped the can of insect killer and began kicking at the man who writhed on the floor. Then Harley moved in and began tearing at his arm.
“Stop!” Harrison cried. “He’s going to kill me.”
“Harley, release!” Chris shouted.
The dog let go, and Rand grabbed the man’s bleeding arm and brought it behind his back. “Get me something to tie him with,” he said.
Chris left and returned seconds later, tearing at a pillowcase. She handed a strip of fabric to Rand and he used it to bind first Harrison’s hands, then his feet. Meanwhile, Chris called 911.
By the time the sheriff arrived, Rand had retrieved his first aid kit and bandaged Harrison’s arm. The man hadn’t shut up the whole time. He had variously cursed Rand, condemned him to perdition, prophesied a disastrous future for him and railed against the injustice of someone like him being treated this way. “You have no right,” Harrison yelled. “This man attacked me without provocation. I want to talk to my lawyer.”
“You’ll be given a chance to contact your attorney,” Travis said. “Meanwhile, anything you say may be used against you in a court of law.” He recited the rest of the Miranda rights, even as Harrison continued to rant.
“This is unforgivable,” he said. “Why are you arresting me?”
“We’ll start with kidnapping, child molestation, theft and murder.”
“Murder?” Chris asked.
“We found the bodies of the two young men who brought Danny and Rand into the camp,” Travis said.
“I’m innocent,” Harrison protested. “This is an outrage.”
He was still ranting as Dwight and Ryker led him away.
Travis turned to Chris and Rand. “We’ll need your statement as soon as you can come to the station,” he said.
“He said something about Jedediah being arrested?” Rand asked.
“Yes. We have him and several others in custody. We’ll need you to identify the people involved in your kidnapping.”
“What about the others?” Chris asked. “The rank and file members of the Vine?”
“We believe we’ve identified most of them. We’re running background checks on all of them, which will take some time. The state is involved, seeing to the welfare of the children in the group. A few people have already been cleared and released. Social services will work to find shelter and assistance for those who might need them.”
“Where is Serena?” Chris asked. “When can I see her?”
Travis slipped a card from his pocket. “Here’s the number for her caseworker. I told her to expect a call from you.”
He said goodbye and left. Chris sank onto the sofa. Rand sat beside her. “I guess it’s over,” she said.
“We still need to give our statements, and we might have to testify at a trial.”
“I meant the Vine. Without the Exalted and his cronies, the group is dead.”
Rand took her hand. “How do you feel about that?”
“Relieved,” she said. “And...sad. I mean, it could have been something good, but it was just a waste.” She looked at him. “I want to do something to help them. Some of those families gave everything they had to the group. Now they’ll have nothing.”
“We’ll see if there are ways we can help them,” Rand agreed.
“And I want...” She hesitated, then blurted out, “I want to adopt Serena. I’ll contact the state and see what’s involved, but I really want to do it.”
“You’ll make a great mom,” he said. He had difficulty getting the words past the sudden lump in his throat.
“Will you help me?” she asked.
“Of course.” He squeezed her hand. “I love you.”
“I... I love you too,” she said.
He kissed her—a gentle caress to seal those words of love. “We’re going to figure this out,” he said.
“What exactly do you mean?”
“We’re going to figure out how to love each other and make it work. How to build a life where you don’t have to be afraid of the Vine coming to get you. And we’re going to help Serena. Did I leave anything out?”
“I don’t think so.” They kissed again, and then she rested her head on his shoulder. “You make me believe in things that used to seem impossible. And I mean that in a good way.”
“I believe in you. And in us. That’s the only thing that matters.”
“It is, isn’t it?”