Comes the Night (Entangled Suspense) (15 page)

Chapter Twenty-Six

The wailing grew in volume until it filled the night, banshees swirling through the once-peaceful clearing. “No!” A man cried out and Zach turned in time to see blood burst from a wound in his chest.

“Zaaach! Help me!” a woman’s faint voice beseeched him and he spun in the other direction, searching desperately for her.

“Lizzie?! Lizzie!” He thought he saw her in the distance and lunged forward—but he was too late. She was gone.

In her place a little girl sobbed, a dragon clutched in her hands, as her mournful cry drifted eerily through the clearing. “Mommy…Mommy…” She saw him and shrieked, “Daddy!”

He reached for her, grasping at air when she faded into the darkness, her pitiful cries blown on the wind.

Then the woman appeared by the lake, her curls drifting gently on the breeze. She soothed his fear with her steady gaze. Zach ran toward her, but the faster he ran, the farther away she seemed.

Maniacal laughter echoed in the night, bouncing off the frozen lake and snaking through the trees until it drowned out all other sound. Dark clouds rolled in, covering the sky. Blackness fell, smothering all sight and sound until even the horrible laughter was silenced.

Too late. He was too late…

Zach jerked violently awake, jarring the infant seat and startling a sleeping Daniel, who looked at him and burst into tears. Wiping sweat from his brow, he took deep breaths to calm his racing heart. He unbuckled the infant seat and lifted the boy to his chest, the warmth of the small body chasing the fear from his soul.

…

The private plane continued its slow trip north. At least Lizzie knew that much, having identified the occasional landmark on cloudless stretches. Every mile took her closer to Sam, she was sure of it. She had to believe it. Because every mile also took her farther from Zach and Daniel.

Rubbing her temples to ease the pounding in her head, she battled the fogginess caused by a combination of too little sleep, too much fear, and the damn drug she’d been given. She had to stay sharp.

Had Zach read her letter, found the picture? Had he seen the word she’d desperately scratched into the soft pine of the crib rail? He was a smart man, determined, resourceful. If anyone could beat Alistair Sr., it was Zach.

But what if Alistair had already erased his memories?
The more she thought about the formal dinner when Alistair surprised her by allowing her to talk about Zach Weston, the more she feared he’d been toying with them both, planning all along to erase her husband’s memories again.

He would find her! She refused to believe otherwise. Closing her eyes, she prayed that she’d soon be reunited with her family and tried to imagine their happy future together.
I love you, Zach.

Although she fought to stay alert, exhaustion claimed her. She jerked awake when the plane touched down on a small landing field that had been cleared of snow. Her heart beat wildly when she realized she’d slept. Now she had no idea where they were.

When the pilot gestured for her to exit the plane, she bit her lip to keep her questions to herself. He pointed to a small sedan on the other side of the landing strip.

With him pacing beside her, she walked cautiously to the car idling near the curb, hope and fear warring for control of her emotions. When she stopped near the driver’s window, the door opened and a large tattooed man stepped out, his face partially hidden by his parka. The pilot handed her an envelope and walked back to the plane without a word.

With trembling hands, she opened the flap.

You’ve been a good girl. Now get in the car, my dear. You’re almost there.

Alistair

When she looked away, blinking back tears, the driver plucked the paper from her hands. A vision of the ominous black-and-red snake tattoo on the back of his wrist remained in her head, as if a warning of evil still to come.

“I need the note.” He opened the back door and gestured to the interior. “Get in.”

She climbed into the car. Without another word the driver shut her door, slid into the front seat, and began to drive.

…

Zach fed Daniel the last bottle. He held the baby against his chest and rubbed his back until the flight attendant announced it was time to prepare for landing. Laying his cheek alongside Daniel’s sweet-smelling hair, he whispered, “Hey, little guy, it’s time to get ready for the next part of our adventure.” Then he placed him securely in his carrier.

Daniel was growing so fast that he’d soon be too big for the infant seat. They’d need to find a new nickname for him.

With Daniel settled, Zach reached across to open the window shade and stared out. Night would fall soon. Pulling the duffel bag from under the seat, he retrieved a pacifier and placed it in Daniel’s mouth, a hint of a smile appearing when his son began to suck strongly. Hopefully the sucking would keep his sensitive ears from popping as they descended.

He traced a path along Daniel’s chubby legs as he watched him, then removed the precious picture from his jacket pocket. Tracing Sam’s face with one finger, he memorized her smiling features before running his fingers over Lizzie’s hair again and again.

Unwelcome, the old man’s voice invaded the quiet moment.

“Well, Maggie? Tell them how Zach Weston was unprepared to protect his family so you lost them all in a terrible tragedy.”

Alistair was right; he had failed her. Once she and their children were safe, he wouldn’t blame her if she wanted him out of their lives for good. In fact, he expected it. Even welcomed it as his penance for failing them so completely.

How the hell had she sat across the table from him, fearing for Sam, forced to endure his father’s advances, and calmly answered Desiree?

“You must have loved him very much.”

“I do love him very much.”

He’d accused her of being crazy. Of having an affair with his father. He’d taken Desiree in his arms and kissed her while his wife watched, held silent by the threat to their children.

“I do love him very much.”

He’d asked her to run away with him and she’d declined. Now, when it was perhaps too late, he understood that she’d been unable to leave until she could figure out where his father had taken Sam. He’d been so hurt by her refusal, by her whispered “Zach,” that he’d failed to
hear
her. She’d been trying to tell him…and he’d walked away with Desiree.

“I do love him very much.”

If by some miracle that was still true, he vowed to devote himself to her happiness—and safety. And if it wasn’t true, he vowed to do and be whatever she and the children needed.

Tenderly stroking her face one last time, he placed the photograph safely back in his pocket as the plane approached the landing strip.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The coating on the car windows obscured Lizzie’s vision. The driver hit the privacy panel, leaving her completely alone with her fears.

Thoughts of Zach and Daniel were the only things that kept her from worrying about Sam. Yet these thoughts were painful as well.

Would Zach ever forgive her for abandoning him and Daniel?

Instinctively she reached for her purse to retrieve the picture from the lining, remembering too late that it had been stolen from her and destroyed. Had Zach found it and pieced it together? She closed her eyes. She didn’t need the photograph; she had memorized every detail, from Sam’s laughing face and Zach’s contented smile to the exact way his hand rested over Daniel. Daniel—already she missed him terribly. He changed so much from day to day that soon they wouldn’t be calling him little guy
anymore.

Forcing aside her depressing thoughts, she allowed her memory to linger on that wonderful moment in the woods, when, with Daniel resting safely between them, they’d shared another first kiss.

He removed his hand from her shoulder and let it drift upward, brushing his fingertips against her neck, then along her jaw until finally his hand rested against her cheek. “You have a beautiful laugh.” He leaned in slowly, eyes searching, allowing her time to back away.

She returned his stare, her lips still curving slightly, and wrapped her hand behind his neck. He kissed her, tentatively at first and then with increasing passion until they broke apart, breathless.

“I…I have something to tell you.”

She should have told him then! But, no, she had let fear rule her actions, and the chance to reveal Zach’s identity slipped away.
I’m sorry, Zach. Daniel, my sweet baby, I’m so sorry I left you behind.

Lost in memories, she was uncertain how much time had passed. But she knew it had been enough time that she needed to give herself a good mental slap and quit thinking the worst. Zach was the smartest, most determined man she’d ever met. Despite everything Alistair had done to him, his love for her still lived inside his heart. Otherwise why would he have trusted her with his plan to leave? Why would he have asked her to leave with him?

She tapped nervously against her bottom lip. He’d asked her to run away with him and in response to his incredible gift of faith, she’d hurt him.

Damn Desiree for interrupting them. Damn Alistair to hell for the pain he’d inflicted on her family. And…damn her for not being stronger, smarter, able to save them all. She could only pray that Zach figured things out before his father erased his memory again—or worse. All Alistair cared about was his dynasty, and with Daniel under his control, Zach became expendable.

As mile after mile sped by, the urge to succumb to exhaustion became overwhelming. Clenching and unclenching her fists, she forced herself to remain awake until the car pulled to a stop and adrenaline took over, jarring her into alertness.

She heard the driver’s door open.

…

Zach stepped off the plane, Daniel snuggled securely against his chest, his bulky jacket zipped and the duffel bag hanging from his left hand. He kept a watchful eye on passersby, aware that the auburn-haired man near the pillar watched him. As he neared the stranger, he could see the welcome in the man’s clear blue eyes, a twinkle out of place with his cold smile. He might not recognize the man, but he recognized the smile of leashed anticipation—one that said it was finally time to act and, damn, it felt good.

As he walked through the exit gate, the man fell in step beside him, and they walked side by side, avoiding physical contact. The tension in Zach’s stride increased and the muscles in the arm holding the duffel bag tightened, transforming the common item into a potential weapon.

“There’s a circus in town,” the man said conversationally. Zach relaxed slightly. The code phrase Sophie had chosen indicated he must be his employee and friend, Cole. He followed the man who was both friend and stranger out the door to Ground Transportation, where he was ushered into a waiting limo.

Slipping inside, Zach unzipped his jacket to reveal a wide-awake baby. He removed the squirming boy from his carrier and turned him to face the silver-haired woman sitting across from them. His eyes widened. It was like looking at Lizzie in fifty years, confirmation of a fact he already knew—his wife would be as beautiful in old age as she was today. Daniel greeted her with a toothless grin, waving his arms in excitement while Zach met her eyes and extended one hand to capture hers in a grasp that was more hand-holding than handshake. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs.— Sophie.”

Squeezing his hand with surprising strength, Sophie searched his eyes. “Welcome home, Zach. Welcome home.”

Before he could respond, the other door opened, and Cole joined them. Zach secured Daniel in the car seat beside him. The vehicle leaped into an opening in the traffic and careened toward their destination, not slowing until it pulled to a stop a few miles from Zach’s destination. He opened the door, car keys in hand.

Sophie reached out to grasp his arm. “Zach, please, take Cole with you.”

“Yeah, Zach, let me protect your back.” Cole frowned at him.

This was the weakness in the plan. Too few men they knew they could trust. And Zach even felt lingering discomfort over the small number Cole had vetted. His every instinct screamed that Alistair had an inside man. Thinking of Desiree, he added, or woman. He trusted Lizzie, who trusted Sophie, who trusted Cole, who trusted Weston Security’s small staff. Kyle was out of town, and hopefully by the time he made it back tonight, everyone would be safe.

Zach had insisted they involve only the core group who’d been with Weston since the beginning: Cole, Reade, and Joey. In the past year, as they expanded their consulting business they’d hired more men. Good men, Cole insisted.

Deep inside, a voice whispered that good men were exactly the kind Alistair liked to turn.

“Listen, I appreciate your concern, but one man is not enough to protect Daniel…to protect both Daniel and you, Sophie. We trust you, Cole, and you trust Joey. I need you both to stay and protect my family.”
My
family.
He pulled his arm out from under Sophie’s grasp and squeezed her hand, then leaned forward to place one kiss on her wrinkled cheek and another on Daniel’s smooth one. “And you already sent Reade to watch the house. I’ll have him for backup. I’ll call you as soon as I can. And Grant is there, and Reade made him aware of the danger. Remember, at the first sign of Alistair or his men, we call the police.” He slipped out of the limo, making sure his gun was secure before he sprinted to the car on the other side of the road. If only he could be certain Alistair was returning Lizzie to their home. If only he trusted there wasn’t a mole in the local law enforcement—then he’d call out every damn person he could muster to protect his family. But he didn’t trust, and he’d deployed his limited resources as best he could.

He sped down the highway, an eye on the GPS unit. He had no idea how much money Cole made, but the man definitely deserved a raise.

An increasing sense of panic invaded his cultivated calm. They had a plan in place to keep everyone safe once they found Lizzie, but with everything he’d learned, he worried it wasn’t enough. His fear was now twofold—that his father would discover his escape and get to Lizzie before he could, and that Lizzie would get to Sam before he could arrive to protect her from the truth.

Both possibilities seemed destined to produce more heartbreak for his wife.

…

“Ma’am.” The driver motioned Lizzie outside with exaggerated politeness.

She stepped out of the car onto a gravel road just wide enough for two cars. Stars twinkled through the towering trees that lined the…drive?

Staring in disbelief, she realized they’d stopped just inside the entrance to their long driveway. They’d brought her home. “No!” She turned to the driver. “No! You’re supposed to take me to my daughter.”

“Ma’am, if you’d care to get back in the vehicle, I’d be happy to dump you in the nearest river.” He smiled coldly and shoved her away. She lost her balance and fell against the rear door. Pushing herself upright, she stumbled from the car, saying nothing while the driver spun the wheels and fishtailed onto the main road.

Committing the license plate to memory, she jogged toward her home. The place where she and Zach and their children had been happy. Was it possible? Could Sam be here? Safe in her bed? Anticipation gave wings to her exhausted legs, and she raced the final steps of the drive, breaking into the large clearing where the house waited.

It was dark. No lights in the house. Even the security lights were off. Slowing, she walked to the front door. Hesitantly raising one hand, she laid her palm against the door, seeking courage from the solid structure before finally turning the knob.

It was locked. It was nighttime. Of course it would be locked. She punched in the code. Nothing. She cursed and tried again, being careful to use the correct code. Again, nothing. The code had been changed.

She banged on the door. Rang the bell. The house remained silent. She hurried around back, sliding through the snow. Alistair had failed to return her hiking boots and the despised soft-soled nanny shoes offered little purchase. In her race up the drive, she hadn’t even noticed. But now, as dread replaced adrenaline, the cold seeped into her bones, increasing her clumsiness in the wet mass.

The garage door didn’t open. With more anger than hope, she punched in the code a second time, making sure she got the numbers right. Nothing. She slapped her palms against the door in frustration.

Shivering, she considered breaking a window, but the house had security glass. The nearest neighbor was almost a mile away. The shed! She could get warm, find a tool to break into the house. Instead, she leaned against the brick, numb, oblivious to the snow that began to fall.

Sam wasn’t here. Despair weighed her down as blindly she turned and trudged toward the lake path. She’d failed her daughter. And she’d abandoned her son. She’d left Daniel in the hands of an evil old man. She’d failed Zach and Daniel.

Dazed, she moved across the clearing. Snow settled in her hair and melted on her cheeks as the flakes mingled with her tears. She moved faster and faster, running again by the time she reached the path.

Determination to find her daughter returned, but not knowing where to start, freezing, tired, suffering from aftereffects of the drug, the determination was tinged with hysteria.

She recognized that she was spinning out of control as she barreled through the trees, but couldn’t seem to stop her descent.