Desperate Rescue (18 page)

“I think it was originally meant for outdoor equipment, but the lock is no good and someone decided it wasn’t big enough.”

“Was the lock ever fixed?”

She lifted her shoulders briefly. “I don’t think so. No money, I would say. There may not be anything in there now at all. But apart from the woods around here, where else could he be? He was handy when Hec Haines saw him in the park and when we think about the incident with the dryer, it had to have been deliberate. I’m sure of it.”

“Kaylee—”

“No, listen. Jenn said she pulled it out, but the cord is so long that you’d have to pull it out much farther to have the wires get ripped out. Even if the dryer had been vibrating, it was odd that it should choose that moment to short out.” Her voice grew more excited. “And the candy wrappers. You said that Noah likes to toy with people. He did it with the candy. Jenn and I swept out behind the dryer and the wrappers were fresh. I could still smell the candy on them. And he was clean. He’s been using the gym’s facilities. He’s somehow got a key and the alarm code and has been in every night. He moved the dryer memo, the dryer, the sandbags—”

“But why flood the gym?”

“Because I’m in charge of it. So I would get fired, be forced to move home—”

Eli held up his hand. “And become so despondent, you’d commit suicide.” He sighed. “Yes, I suspected that he’d been coming into the rec center, but I didn’t say anything.”

“Why?”

“Because I didn’t have proof and I didn’t want you to take off before I could use you to lure him out.” He looked sheepish. “I was selfish, remember?”

She touched his face. “And it’s all forgiven now.”

“But how’s he getting into the rec center?”

“The same way he got into the shed. He picked the lock. Inside, he could easily find a spare key.”

“He could be hiding in the woods. He took a survivalist’s course once.”

“But when I saw him, he looked clean and neat. He could have been cleaning up in the center at night. He’d have to in order to impersonate you.”

Eli found himself frowning. Could Noah really be so close? Right under their noses all this time?

He stared at the storage shed. Kaylee had thought she’d seen Noah at the compound before it exploded. Was it possible that Noah was there, like she said?

Yes, it was possible. Noah was resourceful and he was also the type to take full advantage of a situation.

He liked to be comfortable, too.

And he had a sweet tooth.

He pointed to the door. “Does the door open inward or outward?”

Kaylee bit her lip and shook her head. “I don’t know. The hinges are on the outside. I think it swings out.”

“We need a plank of wood. Something to jam the door.”

“We don’t have anything like that here.” She brightened suddenly. “We should call Officer Reading.”

“And if Noah’s not in there?”

She stiffened. “Look!”

Eli peered through the dusk. A sliver of dim light suddenly winked on under the door. It spread thinly out across the dark asphalt.

Someone was in the shed, all right. Instinctively, he drew her down in a crouch behind the Dumpster.

This was it. He drew out his cell phone and quickly tapped in the officer’s number.

He explained the situation and Reading said he would be there within a few minutes.

Eli hung up. “He’s on his way.” He looked across at the door, blowing out a sigh. “It’s been seven years since I talked to Noah.”

Kaylee touched his arm. “Remember your prayer.”

Yes. He’d asked for God to wipe away the revenge in his heart, to give him the wisdom that he’d need to confront Noah after all this time.

Strength surged into him. “I remember. Yes, I can face him now.” He turned to look into her face. “I would have killed him before, I was so angry at him. I’d have destroyed both our lives with my angry need for revenge.”

She scanned his face, wonder in her expression. “Do you think there’s a chance he’ll see the truth, like what you’ve shown me tonight?”

“With God, all things are possible. Let’s go.”

“Go where?”

“I’m going to confront Noah now, before the police get here. I may never have the chance again.”

Her smile faded. “Now?”

“Oh, sweetheart, it’s okay. Trust the Lord.”

K
aylee’s heart pounded in her chest.
Lord, help us. Let us do the right thing here, for You.

A peace settled over her, smoothly, like a warm comforter. Her heartbeat gently mellowed to a calming rhythm.

Yes, she could face Noah. He no longer had a hold on her. His threats were hollow, weak compared to the strength resonating in her.

She pressed her fingers into Eli’s arm. “Okay, but first—this.”

He looked down at her questioningly. She drew his face close to hers and touched his lips with hers, gently, gingerly.

Against her, he started slightly, causing her to smile as her lips brushed his. She’d caught him off guard.

But not for long. Eli wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to return the kiss. Suddenly giddy, she tightened her own embrace and reveled in the delight his kiss gave her.

But they weren’t huddled behind a Dumpster to share an intimate kiss. She drew back and, taking her cue, he set her away from him.

“Whew!” he said, breaking out into a wide grin. “You have quite a way of prepping a man for the biggest confrontation of his life. Now, where were we?”

She smiled. “Sorry about that. We were ready to face Noah.”

He stood, bringing her up with him. “Never be sorry for kissing me like that, woman.” He sobered. “Ready?”

“Yes, but shouldn’t we wait until the police come? It’ll only be a few minutes.”

“No. I need to face him and so do you. There are some things I need to say to him before the police arrive. Like I said, trust the Lord.”

They crept toward the shed. Reaching it, with its thin line of light at their feet, Eli grabbed the doorknob and pulled it open.

Noah spun around, surprise slapped on his face. He was crouched down over some cans, a section of metal pipe and other junk Kaylee didn’t recognize encircling him. The room was strewn with candy wrappers and empty soda cans. In the far corner lay a rumpled, handmade quilt. She recognized it as one from her own house, donated by Lois. She shivered at the thought of how he’d stolen it.

Eli stepped ahead of her. “It’s over, Noah.”

She held her breath. Noah stood, slowly, his lips turning up in the same strange smile she’d seen on his face that evening in her backyard.

“Well, good for you, Eli, for finally putting everything together.” As if to taunt him, he slowly unwrapped a candy and popped it into his mouth. “Looks like you’re actually getting smart.”

Beside her, she felt Eli stiffen. “Smarter and wiser than you realize, Noah. This time, you’re going to face the police and you won’t be able to talk your way out of murder like before.”

Noah flicked a glance in her direction. It barely landed on her before he discarded it, as if she meant nothing to him. “Murder? Whose murder?” he asked Eli.

“John’s and, of course, Trisha’s.”

He laughed and flicked his head in her direction as he picked up some wires he’d dropped. “Is that what she told you? She’s delusional. She doesn’t even know what to believe herself.”

“I do,” she snapped back. “And I know that you’ll never hurt me again.”

“Really?” He tightened his grip on the wire in his hand.

Eli became a blur. He snatched Noah’s wrist and dug his fingers into the soft flesh. Crying out, Noah crumpled in pain and released the length of wire he held. It dropped on top of the pipe and Jenn’s missing scissors and various cans.

The same kinds of stuff she’d seen once in the basement of The Farm.

Suddenly, everything came clear for her. Time slowed for her. “Eli!” she cried. “Stop him! He’s making a bomb!”

Eli then twisted his brother’s arm to his back and forced him to the floor. Noah groaned as his face scraped the harsh, dirty cement.

“No more, Noah! Not one more blasted thing! It’s over!”

Kaylee rushed forward. A fast prayer leaped into her brain.
Help Eli, please, Lord.

Immediately, Eli eased up on his grip. Noah gasped and swore loudly, but remained firmly pinned to the floor.

Keeping Noah’s arm in that painful, awkward position, Eli turned to her. “How did you know he was making a bomb?”

She gasped and glanced over the junk on the floor. “He was?”

“Yes. And I have a feeling he was reaching the most dangerous part.” Eli dragged his brother to standing, and then out of the shed, forcing him to the dark, wet asphalt halfway up the alley. With a horrified look behind her, Kaylee followed them out.

“I suspected something was wrong, then you called out,” he told her.

Kaylee backed away, taking small steps toward the candy store. “I shouted? I saw him moving his hand and just knew something was wrong. What did I say?”

“My name and something about a bomb. You don’t remember?”

She shook her head.

Bright lights flooded into the narrow alley between the center and the candy store. They cut across Noah’s face as Eli held him down. A moment later, Officer Reading trotted down toward them.

Eli grabbed his arm. “There’s some explosives in that shed! You’ll want to get the bomb squad in.”

Reading gaped at them. “What? Get out of here! Nearest place you can be is the far end of the park, okay?”

“They’re working in the candy store, too, tonight.”

“I’ll get them, don’t worry.” After speaking quickly into his shoulder mike, he pulled Noah up and stood him beside Eli. His head snapped back and forth. “Wow, you guys could be twins.”

“No,” Kaylee corrected, stepping closer, her heart racing from all that had happened. “Noah is thinner, weaker, paler.”

Noah spat out something garbled. An obscenity, most likely. Eli’s eyes narrowed and Kaylee could see he was looking at his brother through Kaylee’s eyes, seeing him as she did. Thinner, weaker, paler.

“Enough!” Officer Reading smacked handcuffs on him and quickly patted him down to ensure he wasn’t armed. “All right. You’ll have plenty of time to talk later. Let’s get out of here.”

Kaylee watched him lead Noah down the alley. Noah stumbled, but being bigger and stronger, Reading hauled him up. Silhouetted against the bright alley spotlights at the end of the cruiser’s light bar, the two men seemed to echo a feeling of total sadness.

She straightened just as Eli took her hand to hurry her down the alley. Incredible. She didn’t feel any hatred toward Noah. None at all.

They reached Noah as Reading was preparing to shove him into the cruiser. Kaylee stepped past Eli to face him. “Your days of murder and robbery and trying to kill me are over.”

Noah sneered. “And you think you’re smart figuring it all out, I bet.”

“You were at The Farm when it blew up, weren’t you?”

“I knew it wouldn’t be long before Eli conned you into coming. You’re easy to manipulate.”

She refused to rise to his insults. “And that’s how you managed to sneak into Canada. You followed the same route we took.”

“It wasn’t hard. You two were running for your lives making a trail as wide as a road.”

“Why did you break into the center? To clean up?”

“Why not?” He shrugged. “I could keep up with your schedule, shower, shave…”

“Try to kill me!”

“I’d rather you’d been fired for letting the water in, losing things, leaving the place a mess.” Noah laughed. “Then you’d be so depressed, you’d commit suicide.”

“You mean you’d kill me.”

“Your words, not mine.”

Kaylee shook her head. “I figured that was your plan. But Jenn was more understanding than you thought. And so you decided to trip me and have me fall into that creek.”

“It was swollen enough for you to drown, especially someone as weak as you.”

“Too bad I have found new strength.”

He leaned forward menacingly, his mouth twisting horribly. “You’ll never find peace after what you did for me.”

Eli cut between them. “You’re wrong. And your power is gone. Your cult has fled and dispersed.”

“Is that what you think? You don’t even know where they’ve gone.”

“Wrong. And I know how best to approach Phoebe,” Eli answered. “It’s time for the healing to begin, for all of them, starting with her.”

Kaylee took his arm, but continued to stare at Noah. “Yes. And I’m ready to heal, too. You killed John, as well as Trisha. John would never blow himself up, not even for you. But you needed him to die so we’d stop looking for you. You rigged that explosive to go off early, didn’t you?”

Noah turned away. “Pure speculation.”

“No, it’s not. I know you killed Trisha, but I’m ready to move past that, now.”

He discarded her words with a belligerent tone. “Trisha killed herself.”

She shivered and Eli drew her close. Reading took the cue to push Noah’s head down as he climbed into the backseat of the cruiser. Sirens yowled in the distance. “Go over to the park, now,” Reading yelled at them. “Now!”

After they’d crossed the street, Reading called out, “And stay there!” Then he hurried to the candy store.

Kaylee’s attention strayed toward the car. Noah twisted around and, through the back windshield, smirked at her. In the yellow of the streetlights, he looked as he had behind her house. But the smirk had an intensity that made her shiver.

She shook her head, disgusted.

Abruptly, she stopped and straightened. She’d stood up and faced Noah, without a single ounce of fear in her.

Amazement flooded through her. “I did it! I faced Noah! With the Lord’s help.”

From behind, Eli wrapped his arms around her. “It’s a great feeling, isn’t it?”

Tears burned her eyes and she blinked several times to clear her vision. Eli’s smiling face was close to her right. Her heart clenched as a word returned to her.

Itinerant. He was only here to find Noah, to stop him so he could fulfill his ultimate goal of freeing Phoebe.

That was done.

The tears sprang back into her eyes and she sniffed.

“Don’t.”

Twisting around, she blinked Eli back into focus. “Don’t what?”

“Don’t cry. I know what you’re thinking and it’s not going to happen.”

“You’re going to leave, aren’t you?”

“No!” He tightened his grip on her, yet shut his eyes and sighed. “I know. It’s all I’ve wanted for the last seven years. It’s finally coming true and I find myself not wanting to leave you. Because I love you. I love you more than I ever thought I could love another person.”

She pulled back enough to see his face. “You love me?” A laugh spilled from her mouth. “I love you, too. I’ve pushed it away now for days, not wanting to deal with it. Like you said, I’m a Jonah. I knew you would leave eventually. I knew you’d be gone once you found Noah or learned where Phoebe was. And I didn’t want to admit that I loved you if you were going to leave me.”

He kissed her, then held her tight again. “I know how it feels. And I hate to think that I would ever leave you, even for a short time. But this is something I have to finish. I have to close this part of my life. I don’t…”

“Take me with you, then. We’ll find her together and we’ll get the best people to help us approach her.”

His eyes lit. Such beautiful blue eyes. “Are you sure? They may not be where we think they are. We may be chasing a wild goose. You need stability and you have a life here now.”

“We’ll be back. You need to do this and, in a way, so do I. I wouldn’t have gone with you yesterday, but today, I can. I
want
to go. God is giving us this opportunity to help Phoebe and the rest of them. It’s amazing how everything is turning out, isn’t it?”

“We’ll be back. I promise. We’ll fly down as soon as possible, then we’ll come back here.” He lifted his eyebrows questioningly. “When we get back, will you marry me, Kaylee? Right here?”

She pulled his head toward hers, grinning widely. Joy rushed through her. “I’ll marry you anywhere, but it would be extra special to marry you here.”

Officer Reading had already reached them as they were finishing their kiss. “Are you two done?”

They split quickly.

With a hint of a smug smile, Reading continued, “I need you two down at the station. I have another patrol car on the way to take you.”

Over his shoulder, Kaylee noticed the owners of the candy store hurrying away from the building, one of them throwing a curious look at the parked cruiser and at Noah.

Reading continued, “The bomb squad is on their way, too, but thankfully, from what I can see when I peeked in, something amazing has happened.”

“What do you mean?” Kaylee asked.

“You two confronted Nash before we got there. Normally, it would be a stupid idea, but this time it saved our lives. If Nash had been given another few minutes, he’d have armed that explosive and in the next second, he’d have killed everyone around him.”

Kaylee’s knees weakened. Eli grabbed her and kept her upright. A nauseous swell rolled through her stomach.

“But,” Reading added, leaning toward Eli as a serious frown creased his forehead, “I don’t ever want you to take the law into your own hands again. Do you hear me?”

“God was with us,” Eli said softly.

Reading remained stern. “Yeah, but we’re also told not to tempt Him. Let the police do their jobs next time.”

“He will.” Kaylee gripped Eli’s arm. She wasn’t about to let Eli play the superhero again.

They waited until the other police car arrived, which took them to the station. As they were leaving, Kaylee turned around to see if Reading’s cruiser was following them, but it remained parked by the gym. She could see Noah’s head bowed, his body slumped. From the back, he looked old and frail.

At the station, the other officer led them in. She stopped him. “I need to call my boss. She runs the gym. She should know what’s happened.”

“Give me her number and I’ll call her.”

Kaylee recited it, then the officer excused himself, leaving Eli and her alone in one of the small interrogation rooms.

The minutes ticked by. While she sat in one of the plastic chairs, Eli paced back and forth, his arms first crossed, then shoved deep into his pockets, then up to scrub his face.

“Eli?”

He stopped. “What’s wrong?”

“You. You’re wearing a rut in the floor. We’re just here to give a statement. It’s over.” She stood and laid her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it and massaging it absently. “One thing that’s good in all of this, is that Noah didn’t die. He’ll be able to stand trial.”