Forgotten Secrets (27 page)

“I’ve spent a lot of time recently in forensic classes that cover DNA. It’s made up of four chemical bases. Adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine. Try A, C, G, T.”

“I have no idea what you just said, but it’s worth a shot.” Thayne pressed four buttons. The letters displayed to the right.

A loud siren roared. Above the doorway, a red strobe light flashed. The key panel blinked, and a screen above the keypad lit up with the time of five minutes.

Four fifty-nine. Four fifty-eight.

Thayne let out a loud curse and looked over at Riley’s shocked expression. “We started a countdown.”

Nolan rushed back into the foyer. “Everything’s gone live. If I’m right, in less than five minutes, this entire area will be buried under a man-made avalanche.”

“Damn it. We don’t even know if Cheyenne’s inside.” Thayne rubbed his face. “Get everybody clear and safe, Nolan. We’ll follow you out.”

He rounded on his brother and Riley. “You have to leave.”

“We have a couple of minutes,” Riley argued. “I think I’m right. But it was the wrong order.”

“I don’t have time to try them all!”

Riley paced back and forth. “Let me think.”

Thayne met Jackson’s gaze. They glanced over at the clock.

“Keep trying,” Jackson said.

“T, G, C, A,” Thayne punched. Nothing. “T, C, G, A.”

He couldn’t track all the permutations in this time crunch.

“Riley. You’ve got to get out of here. One hundred twenty seconds left.”

“Try A, T, C, G,” Riley said. “DNA is structured with the base pairs of A-T and C-G.”

Taking a long breath, Thayne punched in the letters.

A loud hiss rushed out, followed by a click. The panel slid open. Thayne took Riley’s face in his hands and kissed her. “You’re brilliant.”

They ran inside. A figure dressed in scrubs was laid out on a metal table, bound and unconscious.

“Cheyenne?” Thayne bent over his sister and pushed aside her long hair. Saying a silent prayer, he placed his cheek against her mouth. A small puff of air caressed him.

“She’s alive.” He glanced to Jackson. His brother swiped at his eyes but wore a huge smile.

Cheyenne’s face was bruised and cut. She looked like hell. But she was alive.

“Sis?” Thayne said. “We’re getting you out of here.”

“Thayne!” Riley shouted. “The timer is still counting down. We didn’t stop it. It’s waiting for another code.”

“Try the same one again.”

After a few seconds, she appeared in the door. “I can’t stop it.”

Thayne scooped Cheyenne into his arms. “Go! I’m right behind you.”

Jackson and Riley tore up the stairs. Legs pumping, Thayne followed them out the front of the house. Just as they reached the far edge of the clearing, a huge explosion sent fire spewing into the sky, the sonic blast shoving Thayne to his knees.

A rumble hiccupped beneath the earth.

His gaze snapped around him. He met Nolan’s. The man nodded. Thank God. Everyone was out.

Thayne fell back, cradled his sister in his lap, and simply stared. Sheets of rock broke from the cliff faces, tumbling onto the building that had been Cheyenne’s prison, a storm of boulders and dust that darkened the sky above them.

Riley sank to his side. Jackson stood frozen, his expression shocked.

Thayne didn’t know how long they watched, everyone awestruck at the sight. When the thunderous hammering finally stopped, the house had vanished, and the crag between the cliffs had been filled.

McIlroy’s compound had been wiped off the face of the earth.

The woman in his arms squirmed.

“Cheyenne?” Thayne smiled down at his older sister.

Her eyelids blinked. She stared up at him, then Jackson.

“I knew you’d find me.” She coughed. “Did you rescue Bethany, too?”

Not a name he recognized. He glanced at Riley. She shook her head.

“Who’s she?” Thayne asked.

“The woman they wanted me to help. They drugged me. I don’t know what happened to her.”

Afraid he knew exactly what the poor woman’s fate had to be, he grimaced. “We found Adelaide and seven children.”

Cheyenne licked her lips. “Can I have some water?”

Jackson rushed away to fetch some.

“On its way.”

“I’m glad Adelaide escaped. She was so frightened of Father.” Cheyenne shifted, then groaned, clutching Thayne’s sleeve. “Find Bethany. She needs a hospital. I did my best, but I don’t know. Infection . . . she needs antibiotics, and she was poisoned. The children need her. She protected them.”

Thayne glanced over at Riley. Her face had gone pale white. Bethany probably hadn’t made it. And any answers to be found were buried under so much rock he doubted they could ever dig it out.

“I’m sorry, Sis. I’m afraid she’s gone.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Hospital waiting rooms didn’t change much from place to place. Singing River’s version might be smaller than most, but it contained the prerequisite six-month-old magazines, uncomfortable chairs, and bad coffee.

It was also deserted. Except for Riley.

She’d found her way to a quiet corner of chaos to sit down and catch her breath. Just for a moment. Before she faced the aftermath of their discovery.

Parents, family members, law enforcement from all across the country, the national media. They were all headed to Wyoming for answers. Except there would be no explanations other than those Adelaide, Cheyenne, and the children could provide.

Outside the waiting room, the small medical staff and other volunteers buzzed back and forth. Riley leaned back, her head resting against the wall, and kneaded the stiff cotton of the scrubs the staff had loaned her to replace her mud- and blood-caked clothes.

In all the operations she’d witnessed, she’d never seen a logistical effort quite as convoluted as the one the Singing River sheriff’s office had pulled off transporting what seemed like half the population from the avalanche site up and down that mountain. A large contingent still remained, securing and processing what remained of the crime scene.

Thayne and his family were with Cheyenne. His sister was safe. The Blackwood family was whole again, and Riley couldn’t be happier for them.

So why did she long to curl up into a ball and disappear? She rubbed her eyes. She couldn’t let anyone see her like this. She had to rein in her emotions before they spun into oblivion. She still had a lot of work to do.

“Come on, Riley. Get it together.” She clenched her fists, and her nails bit into her palms. She breathed in through her nose, out through her mouth, willing herself to stay calm and focused.

Despite every effort, the world turned hazy. Her heart raced, and she fought against the panic rising from her gut to her throat. Someone could come in at any time. She couldn’t let anyone see her falling apart.

Desperate, she rushed out of the room. Somewhere off to the side, she thought she heard her name. She couldn’t stop.

Her footsteps echoed down the hospital’s hallway, disinfectant burning her nostrils. Finally, through watery eyes, she veered to a supply closet. She ducked inside and closed the door behind her.

The small space offered a haven. No one could see her here.

Oh God.

She shook from head to toe, unable to process unreserved joy, crushing guilt, and the despair threatening to overwhelm her.

They’d saved Cheyenne, Adelaide, and the children. But Madison’s grave—and who knows how many others—was probably irrecoverable.

Riley had failed to keep her promise to bring her sister home. After fifteen years, hope had existed. Now it was gone. She wrapped her arms around her body and trembled, cold down to her very soul. She knew of only one person who could warm her.

“Thayne,” she whispered. All she could see in her mind’s eye was his heartfelt offer of forever. Together.

And she hadn’t been able to say the words in return.

She’d driven him away. Now that they’d found Cheyenne, he’d return to the SEALs, but their relationship could never be reset. She’d lost the best man she knew, the best friend she’d ever had. Through her own actions.

A tentative knock tapped on the door. “Special Agent Lambert. We need your help. We can’t get the kids to talk to us.”

Riley pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes, took in a few deep breaths, and opened the door.

Jan frowned at her, looking her up and down with a critical eye. “Are you all right?”

“Of course,” Riley lied. “What’s wrong?”

“They won’t speak, and they won’t leave Adelaide’s side. We can’t get close enough to evaluate them or even verify their identities. They won’t tell us their real names, and they refused to let us take their fingerprints so we can contact their families. I don’t know what to do.”

“Take me to them.”

Riley accompanied Jan to the surgical ward they’d jury-rigged into a makeshift waiting room. She looked through the glass. Everyone but Adelaide huddled on one side, together.

That was odd. The dynamics weren’t what she’d expected after observing them on the mountain. Silently, Riley studied them. Something didn’t feel right. They should all be taking comfort together. They’d faced hell together. So why was Adelaide, the eldest and obvious leader of the group, excluding herself, keeping her distance? Did the children blame her for Father’s death? It wouldn’t be the first time victims felt pity for their abductor, especially if he’d taken them from already troubled homes.

After Riley had observed them for about twenty minutes, Adelaide turned, revealing the side of her face without the long-healed scar that had distorted her features. The hair on the back of Riley’s neck shivered with a horrifying realization. She grabbed Gina’s file out of the satchel and held up the photo.

There it was. When Adelaide turned just right, revealing an untarnished profile, her identity couldn’t be denied.

Adelaide was Gina Wallace. She had to be.

McIlroy’s first victim.

Adelaide stood and walked slowly, calmly, across the room and stared down at the oldest girl. Her lips moved, though Riley couldn’t tell what she said, but the girl who went by the name Delilah shrank back, absolute fear in her eyes.

Adelaide turned, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, satisfaction in her eyes, before returning to the other side of the room.

“Separate them.” Riley snapped the order to Jan. “Right now. Get the kids out of there.”

“They won’t go.”

“I don’t care what the kids or Adelaide wants. Take those children to another room.”

“I can’t force them—”

Thayne entered the room and moved to Riley’s side. “What’s going on?”

His close proximity caused regret to engulf her heart, but her feelings would have to wait. “I’ve been watching them for a while.” She held up the picture of Gina. “Compare this to the side of her face without the scar. Adelaide is Gina.”

Thayne blinked. “That’s great, right?”

“I’m not so sure. Look at how the children act when she gets close.”

He studied the interaction through the glass barrier for a few minutes. “They’re terrified of her.”

“She was McIlroy’s first victim. He worked on her the longest. We need to separate them, Thayne.”

To her surprise, he didn’t hesitate or ask questions; he simply rushed to the hallway and motioned to Jackson, Pendergrass, and Ironcloud. He spoke to them under his breath. All three looked as if they’d had the wind knocked out of them. Riley could relate.

“Let’s go,” Thayne said. “And if Adelaide causes trouble, handcuff her.”

He opened the door for her, and Riley strode up to the woman whose eyes she could now see were blank where her soul should have been. “I understand your name is Adelaide, that it’s always been Adelaide?”

The woman nodded.

Riley smiled, choosing her words carefully and placing herself between the woman and children, blocking her view for as long as possible. “I searched our databases, and we can’t seem to find an Adelaide who went missing. Were you known by another name before you went to live with Mr. McIlroy?”

Adelaide’s mouth pursed in frustration.

“We have to know,” Riley said.

Behind her, Thayne and the three men helped the kids to their feet and began ushering them out of the room.

“What are you doing?” Adelaide shoved at Riley and lunged toward the kids. They huddled behind the men.

Riley gripped Adelaide’s arms tight. “They need their real families. Just like you do . . . Gina.”

The woman’s eyes widened. She shook her head side to side. “I’m Adelaide!” she shouted. “You can’t take them. They belong to me. They stay with
me
.”

“The doctor needs to examine them. They can’t remain here.” Riley nodded her assent.

At her signal, Jackson and the deputies removed them from the room.

Thayne lingered. He headed her way, but Riley shook her head slowly. She wanted Gina to talk.

The woman wrenched herself out of Riley’s arms, and she let her go.

Twisting her fingers, muttering to herself, Gina paced back and forth. “This isn’t right. You don’t understand. They
need
me.” Eyes flashing, cheeks flushed red with anger, Gina threw herself at the closed door and banged on the wood. She pounded and pounded until her hands bruised.

Riley grabbed her wrists. “Not so easy to control the world around you when you aren’t dealing with just children, is it?”

Gina went strangely calm, oddly quiet. “You don’t have a clue what you’re saying. He promised to build me a real family. That’s why I went with him. That’s why I stayed. They are
my
family. He took them.
For. Me.
Family is everything.” She met Riley’s gaze with hate-filled eyes. “Give. Me. My. Family.”

The threat didn’t faze Riley, but Gina’s soulless eyes made her shiver. They were empty and dead.

A knock sounded at the door. Thayne opened it. Someone whispered, and he walked over to the two women.

“You played the game well, Gina. You might have gotten away with it except for two things. Special Agent Lambert saw through your disguise, and Brian Anderson just woke up.” Thayne snapped handcuffs on her. “You’re under arrest for kidnapping, child abuse, wrongful imprisonment, and murder. To start.”

Outside the hospital, summer’s air had grown crisp, and the light in the sky had dimmed to a soft blue as the day came to an end and the blush of dusk settled over Singing River. Thayne couldn’t remember a day in which he’d been shocked more.

He’d be eternally grateful they’d found his sister, even now being watched over by his father and brothers.

Seven families would be reunited. Too many others would receive a very different phone call. Perhaps one they’d expected somewhere deep inside, but one they’d dreaded for years.

Perhaps the knowledge would bring closure, but Thayne doubted it. They still hadn’t determined how or why Brett Riverton’s father had ended up at the McIlroy compound. Adelaide was the only one who might be able to provide answers, and she wasn’t talking. Not now. And he couldn’t see them uncovering the truth. Not when half a mountain had buried the secrets until they’d be forgotten.

He wrapped his arm around Riley’s shoulders and pressed her against his side. She leaned into him, but her body remained stiff and awkward against him. What was she thinking? He’d find out. Eventually. If she’d open up to him. They had reached a crossroads. They both knew it.

Another round of screams slashed through the air. Deputy Pendergrass winced and closed Gina Wallace into the back of his car. Once she realized she couldn’t cajole them into letting her go, she’d snapped, threatening anyone who came near her.

Especially her mother.

Carol hovered just outside the car. “Gina, honey. Please, let me help you. It’ll be OK,” she begged through her tears.

“Get away from me!” Gina shouted. “I need
my
family. Not you.” She banged her head against the window. “Where’s Father? He’ll make you all go away. He loves me.”

Thayne met Riley’s gaze. Did Gina not remember she shot Father in the back?

Carol stared after the retreating vehicle, her body hunched with devastation. Face streaked with tears, she looked over at Thayne and Riley. “You were wrong, Special Agent Lambert. Even when he lost, he won.”

“Carol—” Riley started to speak.

“Don’t.” The woman tugged a set of keys from her purse. “I need a drink.”

She shuffled to the parking lot. Thayne slipped his phone from his pocket and warned Clive to confiscate her keys. Thayne pressed Riley closer. “Do you think Carol will ever recover?”

“How can she? The daughter she believed she’d lost fifteen years ago, the girl she’d turned into a martyr, wasn’t abducted at all. If we can believe her rant, she went willingly with McIlroy from the start, probably to escape all the men Carol brought home. In the end, she committed more crimes than the man I’ve been tracking since I can remember.”

“She fooled me completely,” Thayne said. “I believed she was a victim. What happened to her?”

“She was broken.” It was the simplest answer Riley could give him. “In her own twisted way, she wanted someone to love her and someone to love. Like we all do.”

Thayne kissed Riley’s hair and tightened his hold. “I’m so sorry we couldn’t bring Madison home for you.”

“Me, too.”

Her voice thick with emotion, Riley averted her face from him, but Thayne wouldn’t let her. He gently turned her in his arms, his heart hurting for the pain she’d tried so hard to keep hidden. She couldn’t, though. She blinked back glistening tears.

A siren squealing jerked them apart. An ambulance barreled into the emergency entrance. The paramedics jumped out, flinging open the rear doors, and a woman covered with dust and blood was wheeled inside.

“What’s going on?” Thayne asked the driver.

“Your brother Hudson found her up near that crazy man’s compound,” one of the EMTs said.

“Another survivor?” Thayne rushed after the gurney, getting a quick glimpse at the woman’s face before the doctor glared at Thayne and whisked the curtain closed to protect his patient.