The Choice (26 page)

Dressed in snug Levi’s, a long sleeve T-shirt under her dark fleece hoodie and laced up hiking boots, Marcie set out at a jog. The full moon provided enough light on the secluded back road. Thank God, she knew the area well. She glanced at her watch, close to midnight. She broke out in a run. Marcie still couldn’t figure out how Dan knew about Diane.
Maybe h
is connections ran deeper than she suspected. Could it be possible, was he in Lance Silver’s back pocket? With Sandra involved, it was more than conceivable. She skidded a little when she rounded a bend on a downward slope. And saw the outside lights blazing in front of the rural volunteer fire hall, a half-mile from Diane’s, where a dark SUV was parked.

The interior light shimmered when the driver’s door popped open. Maggie McCafferty, Richards devoted wife, stepped out and walked around the rear of the SUV
.
Maggie was a slender, vibrant woman, with rich dark curly hair that brushed her shoulders. She glowed with such inner beauty you warmed in her presence. She loved her husband and children fiercely. A weakness Dan, no doubt, used to his advantage.

Marcie’s feet ached, but she didn’t stop until she stood right in front of Maggie, who glowed under the fluorescent shimmering moon.

“
Well Dan was right. He’d said you’d be waiting for me here at the fire hall.
Oh Maggie, what are you doing involved in this mess?” She wanted to shake her, send her home; instead she gathered her in a long, hard hug

“Richard and I love you and have ever since Dan brought you into our life. You don’t think I didn’t know what you were doing with him. Come on Marcie, I’ve been watching for a while, sitting by the sidelines. Richard likes to pretend Dan’s sideline won’t affect their partnership. But his marijuana grow ops—he’s gone bigger. He’s out of control. Dan made it no secret; you volunteered to help him grow.”

Maggie’s whole body tensed
as
she stepped back, swiping at the dampness glistening like silver under
her
eyes.

“Maggie, how did Dan get you involved in this? What did he say to you?”

Maggie’s lips trembled, her face a mirage of emotions. She hid nothing from those she loved. She shoved her fingers through her thick curly hair and tilted her face up at the moon.

“His back’s to the wall, and he knows things about Richard that could put him in jail.”

“What things?”

She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter.”

“He said Richard burned down the house on their property.”

“What? No way, Dan started it. He had the motive. Did Richard tell you he did it?”

Maggie had the most beautiful dark toffee colored eyes, glistening as another tear fell. She waved Marcie off, shutting her eyes and then opening them when hardness set her face.

“Stop! You think I’m that much of a fool. Richard was furious when he found out Dan promised that piece of shit house to Sandra, just so she have a group home for some severely disabled kids. The woman’s seriously sick, neck deep in the marijuana underworld and is using a bunch of defenseless kids to give herself a picture perfect front.”

“Look Maggie, we were all mad. But I can assure you Richard couldn’t have…”

“He has proof, Marcie.” She crossed her arms over her down vest and shivered. “I’m not standing out here all night arguing with you. Get in the truck. Dan said
to meet you here and
I have to deliver everything you cut to Sandra. We have less than six hours. Let’s finish this. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, so you need to tell me.” Even in the darkness, Maggie’s eyes reached out and pleaded.

“Richard doesn’t know you’re here.”

Maggie shook her head. “He’s on the mainland at some auction. Dan made sure he’d be gone. I asked Mom to stay over and watch the kids. Told her I was going out with a friend, girl’s night out. I have to be back before the sun’s up.”

This went against everything Marcie believed, involving someone as innocent to the drug scene as Maggie. “Sandra’s house is an extension built onto Dan’s shop. We need to go there first. That’s where Dan stashed my dirt bike. It’s my only way in. My gardens are remote, and we can’t get your truck close enough. After we go to Sandra’s our first stop’s in the state park. You wait for me at the end of the road, by the gravel lot. If at any time you see cops, you cut and run.”

“See that wasn’t so hard. Marcie, you cut the marijuana, give it to Dan, and then you and I are going to walk away. And we’ll never speak of this again.”

Maggie walked around her SUV with her shoulders hunched. Marcie followed and climbed in the passenger side. “Maggie, I hope it’ll be that simple…” She started to say more, to tell her Dan’s a monster; he has a bigger plan, there’d always be something, but she slammed her mouth shut. “You’re right, Maggie, this is the end.”

“Do we knock on her door?” Maggie parked in front of the darkened shop and the attached new bungalow with tree green hardie plank siding and cedar trim around the windows. A cute house, if it were anywhere else. Maggie switched off her headlights. Inside the house, lights blazed through the shuttered blinds of the front window.

“I’m not knocking. There’s a key under a rock beside the shop door.” Marcie jerked open her door. “I don’t know about you, but I prefer to have as little contact with Sandra as possible.”

By the time they reached the shop door, the outside security lights blazed like a two hundred watt bulb, right before an industrial strength door popped open.

Sandra Carter filled the doorway. A short, overweight blonde with long layered hair swept over her shoulders in the current style all the divas paraded dangled a wine cooler between the fingers of her right hand.

“Come on in Marcie, Dan told me you’d be coming by.” Her voice cut with a subtle arrogance as she turned her back and waddled into the crammed shop filled with tools, boxes, a pool table, workbenches and two dirt bikes. The sliding glass door leading into the house was wide open.

“Is Dan around?”

Sandra downed her entire cooler and dumped the empty on the pool table. “No, he’s far too busy, he doesn’t have time to drive way out here.”

Although Marcie was relieved, Sandra’s deliberate poke, Dan had no time for her, still smarted.

“Take the duffel bags and backpacks over on the workbench.” Sandra pulled open an old yellow fridge, grabbed another wine cooler and twisted off the cap. She took a long swig and then pointed her finger at both dirt bikes. “Dan told me to tell you to use either one.”

A moan drifted through the open door.

“Is someone here?” Maggie stood so close, her warm breath fluttered Marcie’s hair. Marcie had been to Dan’s shop only a few times, but each time she was amazed at all the boy toys, trophy’s, chain saws and sporting equipment, piled on shelves around the shop. This truly was a man’s piece of heaven.

Unhurried, Sandra shuffled back into her house. Marcie and Maggie followed across the cement floor.

“Oh James, you threw up again.” Sandra showed no emotion as she thumped her wine cooler on the long cream-colored counter in the kitchen. She wore blue jeans and a plain blouse. She swayed in her walk the way overweight people do, as if each step’s an effort.

She picked up a towel draped over a blue easy chair in the open living room. Two teens were strapped to their black wheelchairs. Each of their heads lolled. Only one could make eye contact with Marcie. Sandra wiped the vomit dripping down one boy
’
s chin, soaking his orange shirtfront. “Look at the mess you made. Your tummy’s upset. Well, let me wipe it up. It’s probably time for your meds.”

Revulsion and despair ached in Marcie’s bones.

“What are you doing with these kids?” Maggie stepped around Marcie in the open concept living area, with two overstuffed sofas, all open to a spacious dining area and kitchen. Behind Maggie was a short hallway with two doors, one led to a large bedroom, the other a bathroom. The walls were painted a camel brown, adorned with family photos and Mexican artwork.

Sandra didn’t make eye contact. “I’m looking after them. After all someone has to. These poor kids have no one to advocate for them. No one cares about them. Our government cuts funding and closed group homes. I’m the only chance these kids have.” Sandra showed no emotion as she carried a feeding tube and medication, over to a dark haired boy, whose head now lulled side to side.

Marcie grabbed Maggie’s wrist before she could step forward. An odd odor had her lifting her nose and sniffing. “You’re making hash brownies?”

Maggie’s face paled. The tawny color in her eyes pulsed as her eyes widened. Every muscle in her body wound so tight. Marcie thought she’d bounce away.

“They’re almost done. When you’re finished tonight, I’ll send some home with you.” Sandra tossed her long mane of hair over her shoulder. Her tiny brown eyes blinked rapidly. “Oh damn it. I need to take out these contacts. You two better get going. You’ve got a lot of marijuana to cut and only a few hours to get it back here.” She flicked her hand at Marcie and Maggie, shooed them past a glass table dinette and into the shop and closed the sliding door behind them.

Marcie kicked pieces of scrap wood on the cement floor and stormed to the workbench, grabbing duffle bags and backpacks. “Maggie, take these.”

“Are you kidding me? Marcie, we can’t leave those kids here with her.”

Marcie swallowed the bile burning her chest. She grabbed Maggie by both arms. “Take the bags; get in the truck.” She pushed Maggie ahead of her out the open door and tossed everything in the back of the truck.

Marcie leaned close and whispered to Maggie. “I’ll phone in a tip to the state police when we’re done tonight. If I call now, they won’t do anything. She has a contract. She has resources and our backs are against the wall.

“Marcie, I never thought I’d see the day you’d turn your back on some special needs kids and the most vulnerable at that. To leave those kids is a heinous…”

Marcie spun around and cut her off. “Keep your voice down. You and I are both trying to protect someone we love. You go in there and stir up trouble and it’s you and me that’ll end up in jail. And those kids will end up staying with Sandra. She’ll look like a hero.” Marcie lowered her voice to a mere whisper. “If the sheriff catches her with all the marijuana while looking after those kids, it becomes a different picture.”

Maggie slammed the tailgate closed and let out a heavy sigh. “Sorry, Marcie. I didn’t mean to accuse you of not caring.”

“Get in the truck. I’ll be right behind you.”

Shake it off, get your bike and get the hell out of here.
Maggie started the truck. Marcie lifted the garage door, grabbed a helmet, packed the last backpack with a flashlight and clippers and then pushed her bike out and fired it up. She didn’t look back. She didn’t close the door, aware Sandra watched her every move.

She pushed hard, channeling all the fear nibbling at her spine into each careful step. The magnificent forest soothed and replenished every tense out-of-sort thought that dogged Marcie during the day.

Except tonight, something creepy whispered within these deep shadows, bringing the illusion danger lurked and would pounce at any moment.
This doesn’t feel right.
Marcie hesitated and struggled to keep her breathing even.

A full moon tonight added to the mystery, which cast an altered reality from the light of day. She shone her flashlight over the dirt path, but shadows lurked in the ground cover, salal, bushes and cedars, all nature’s power awakened adding to this eerie chill.

Marcie drew a picture in her mind of where she was. The forked path was after the twin cedars and before the brambles opening up into her first garden, planted for him.

Not long ago, she’d rejoiced for being a major part in Dan’s life. And put all her love into growing these plants for him. However, that was before she was smacked upside the back of the head. That awakening made her face the truth of her role in this drug-related insanity. Now forgiveness for what she’d done is all she wanted and to protect Sam.

Left with no other alternative, she pushed on to finish what Dan didn’t have the balls to do. It’s what he did. Women did his dirty work all the time. Except this time, his charm and charisma wouldn’t work. She began to see him as the monster he truly was. Did he really plant those drugs on Sam? Whether he did or not, his threat worked.

Something’s wrong.
Again, the nagging voice prodded. She swept her flashlight beam over the fork in the path to a clump of overgrown blackberry bushes, which beat any security system around. Who’d be stupid enough to climb through it?

And there it was, God dammit, Old Rock, where she and Dan chiseled their initials into the front of the huge stone, the first day he brought her out here, to teach her the art of outdoor cultivation. Amazing how time shifted, once proud of her exhibit, now she only prayed it’d disappear.

Behind the big rock, vines lifted, exposing a tiny opening, which allowed someone small to crawl through. Sliding on her stomach, she shimmied through dirt and damp ground cover, pushing with the toe of her hiking boot. Halfway under, her backpack snagged on barbed thorns and a sharp rip split the unnerving silence. Marcie swallowed hard, unable to stifle the terror rocking her insides. And what made it worse, she couldn’t shake a dreaded feeling of being watched. She pushed hard with her foot to scramble forward, but it was no use. She was stuck.