The Haret (The Haret Series) (18 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

             
Felicitas sat in the cab of the truck between her mother and Grant and despite her wishes she was headed home. They rode in silence, the tension thick between them.

             
She got out of bed early not being able to go back to sleep after her nightmare and the argument with her mother. She dressed and went downstairs to get a bite to eat and surprisingly found her mother and grandmother locked in a loving embrace.

             
Sharon shocked her by apologizing for the accusations she made and then told her if she came home she would do her best to back her story but said she needed to do a bit of detective work first. Felicitas knew she really meant she wanted to do a background check on Grant and really couldn’t blame her. After all they did barely know the man and still had no idea how he became acquainted with the whole story in the first place and why he considered himself to be the guardian. Sharon promised she would let Felicitas back in his company once the investigation was completed but until then she’d rather have Felicitas safe at home.

             
Sharon didn’t apologize to Grant and even though she had relented some she extended none of her sympathies to him. Felicitas felt that the very fact he was driving them both home showed his pure intentions in their lives and in her mind proved him innocent of any ill intent and in spite of his sarcasm and rough exterior she thought him to be a decent soul.

             
They were about twelve miles down the crooked narrow road when Felicitas began to feel the effects of her morning sickness combined with the sugary sweet waffles she consumed before leaving. The fact that she was crowded between her mother and Grant with the stifling air of the heater blowing directly into her face didn’t help matters any. She leaned her head against the back of the seat and moaned.

             
“You’re gonna have to pull over. I think I’m gonna hurl.”

             
Grant rolled down his window and pushed the air to cool but continued driving still taking the curves at an increased speed.

             
Felicitas moaned again and covered her mouth with her hands. Sharon looked over at Grant who was focused on the road accelerating the speed with every turn.

             
“I think you better stop.”

             
He glanced in his rear view mirror but instead of stopping he pressed on the gas taking the curves at even a higher speed.

             
Sharon steadied herself.

             
“Are you crazy? What do you think you are doing?”

             
Grant kept a tight control of the steering wheel and with his other hand opened the glove box and pulled out a gun.

             
Sharon screamed.

             
He glanced in the rearview.

             
“Hold on tight girls, we’re being followed. I’m going to do a fast U-turn. When I do, you two duck down.”

             
Felicitas and Sharon turned around to see two motorcycles closing in behind them.

             
Felicitas nausea escalated and with every swerve of the truck she felt the syrupy waffles floating in her stomach but it was the rising dread that was forcing its way up her throat. Remembering the glow of flames coming from David’s burnt out truck caused her to wonder if this was how it went for him. Had been chased as well? Would she and her mother come to the same end? She swallowed hard holding the food in her stomach a little while longer.

             
“What do you mean we’re being followed? Who’s following us?”

             
Grant didn’t answer; instead he swung the truck around so forcefully that had it not been for her seat belt she feared she might have been thrown into his lap.

             
“Get down now!” He yelled.

              Felicitas felt her mother’s hand push her head down protecting her. Grant fired his gun; the deafening sound of the blast rang in her ears. Another shot, this time it came from a distant gun. Grant fired again. Another shot and the windshield shattered. Sharon screamed as glass rained down on them. Felicitas raised her head to see if her mother was okay but ducked quickly at Grants command to stay down.  Amidst the gunfire and roar of motorcycles she heard her mother mumbling a desperate prayer; at least she was still alive. Another shot and the left front tire blew jerking the speeding truck from Grant’s control. Everything became a blur; Felicitas slammed hard into Grant as she felt her lap belt release sending her into the broken windshield. The truck tilted and flipped rolling over at least three times before coming to rest on its side at the bottom of a small ravine.

             
Felicitas lay still feeling the prickle of rough dry grass poking at her face and scratching her arms and legs. She lifted her head and tried to focus on three figures descending the slope heading towards the wreckage. She looked for the truck spotting it behind her several yards away resting on its side. Dread engulfed her; had her mother survived the crash? She looked back to the incline and peered through the tall stalks of yellow grass. Her heart accelerated, the three figures were closing in.             

              Grant didn’t waste a minute; he kicked out the remaining glass of the windshield, unhooked Sharon’s seatbelt and pulled her to safety. Wild eyed and panicked Sharon looked around the wreckage for her daughter and began calling out for Felicitas. Grant placed his hand on her mouth hushing her and pushing her to the ground. He spoke in a hoarse whisper.

             
“She fell out. I’m going to find her.” He glanced at the line of trees only a few yards away. “Stay out of sight but try and make your way to the woods. Find a place to hide.”

             
Before Sharon could protest, Grant hunched down snaking his way through the overgrowth and disappeared from her sight.

              Felicitas was thrown from the truck as soon as it went on its side and that more than likely saved her and the baby. She knew she wouldn’t have survived being thrashed about in the cab while the truck cart wheeled down the steep incline.

             
Her elbows wobbled; the fear weakening her as she crawled through the grass toward the truck.  She didn’t hear any noise and feared both her mother and Grant had perished in the accident. Tears stung at her eyes but she held them back refusing to cry. She would not give in to the thought. She crawled a few more feet, the dried twigs and sticks cut into her palms and knees.

A shadow formed over her blocking the sun. Looking up she saw the menacing face of a man, a malevolent grin spread across his lips.

              He reached down into the grass and grabbed her by her hair and with incredible strength pulled her to her feet. She cried out in pain trying to pull away. He released his hold on her hair and clasped his hand around her forearm jerking her close.

             
“I’ve got her.” His hostile voice called to his companions who were making their way to the truck.

             
She tried to pull away but the force of his grip wouldn’t allow it. She would rely on the martial arts classes she took as a child and the self-defense course, her mind trying to recall the right technique to get out of the man’s grasp. The only thing she could remember was to go down to the ground. She buckled her legs and for a brief second the man lost his grasp but before she could make her escape he grabbed her by her hair again jerking her to her feet pulling her off balance. She lost her footing and fell back into the grass. She rolled onto her side and kicked.

             
Out of nowhere Grant came into view pouncing on the man; like a mountain lion attacking its prey he knocked him to the ground then landing on top of him striking with his fist. With incredible strength the man pushed Grant off then landed a forceful kick in the side of his face.  Felicitas watched Grant’s eyes explode in outrage as he absorbed the strike. With a blow of that magnitude she expected him to fall but instead with great prowess he executed a spinning kick this time landing his foot in the side of the man’s head. The drake stumbled backward disoriented unable to recover fast enough to block Grant’s next blow forcing him to the ground.

             
Felicitas screamed a warning when a second man wielding a knife appeared lunging toward Grant and knocking him flat the blade striking only inches from his neck. Grant grabbed a thick branch and swung it hard hitting the Drake upside the head and sending him rolling. He leaped to his feet kicking the knife from the man’s grasp while placing another swift kick to the side of his head. Felicitas screamed again as the third man approached joining forces with the other two. She watched in horror as all three drakes ganged up on Grant attacking in full force.

             
Grant whirled around swinging his makeshift club like a bow staff. The new arrival pulled a gun from his belt but Grant leaped into the air and kicked it from his hand sending the deadly weapon into the grass. He twirled the branch again swinging it hard and slamming it in the side of the man’s neck then he used the end to butt the other drake in the face.

Then, it happened again. A flash of light, another vision, Grant was in a dark place poised with a knife in his hand.  As suddenly as the vision appeared it dissolved leaving her more confused than ever. She had encountered Grant before but where? Could Ian and her dad be right? Did he have something to do with her disappearance last week?   Were these visions suppressed memories trying to surface?  Ian’s words that she was being drugged and duped, a victim of deceit, flooded over her. Her stomach dropped and her head began to swim.

              The first man recovered from the blow of the club and struck again this time grabbing hold of Grant from behind. Felicitas attention was forced back on the fight and she watched in horror as one of the men held Grant while the other two beat him. Grant took several blows to his face and gut; blood began to spew from his nose and mouth. She looked around panicked, fearing Grant’s strength would not hold out much longer. She glanced at the overturned truck several yards away and wondered if her mother was lying hurt or dead. She looked back at Grant who was fading fast losing consciousness with each blow. She couldn’t just sit there and watch him die; she had to do something, besides as soon as the men finished off Grant they were come after her. She searched the field for something she could use, maybe a large rock or a fallen limb like Grant had used for a weapon and then her eyes landed on the perfect object. The gun Grant knocked from the man’s hand was lying only a few feet away. She had to move fast, she stayed down so not to draw attention to herself and began crawling toward the weapon. Her heart pounded as she snaked along through the grass, she had never fired a gun and wasn’t sure she would be able too. At least she could wave it about and make threats pulling the men away from Grant long enough to give him the gun. Just as she reached for it she felt a strong grip on her ankle pulling her back.  Looking over her shoulder she caught a glimpse of the drake that had hold of her. She rolled onto her back kicking as hard as she could, landing her foot in his groin. Fury boiled in his eyes and for an instant he let go recoiling in pain. She scrambled back on all fours and crawled toward the gun her heart pounding in her chest sucking the air from her lungs. Adrenaline exploded within her when her fingers touched the cold metal. She sensed the man coming up behind her; he grabbed both her legs. She rose up on both arms taking two steps with her hands. She grabbed the handle of the gun just as he began hauling her back. He drug her through the brittle grass unaware she had the gun firmly in her grasp.

              She held onto it trying to turn it in the right direction, terrified of what was coming next. She could still hear the strikes of the fight but couldn’t see Grant and at this point figured she was their only chance now that she had a weapon. She couldn’t act too fast and blow it either could she wait too long or Grant might die.

             
The man stopped dragging her and with great strength flipped her on to her back. She raised the gun shouting for him to back away. His lips curled into a malevolent snarl as he reached for her only defense. She closed her eyes and pulled the trigger. The blast was deafening, the gun kicked back busting her in the nose. A look of realization spread across the man’s face while blood poured from this mouth.  He pitched forward and fell on top of her. She screamed and pushed him off of her just as two more shots rang out nearby. 

             
She scrambled to her feet fearing the worst. Two dead drakes lay on the ground, both shot in the chest. Grant crumbled to the ground, beaten and bloody, a stunned but grateful expression covered his face.  Felicitas followed his gaze and saw her mother holding a smoking gun. 

             
She sighed relieved and gave way to her tears then leaned over and emptied the sugary waffles into the grass.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

              Esther could barely keep her eyes open. She hated her fourth period Economics class and the teacher Mr. Foster bored her to tears. He was a kind and unassuming man who wore gray slacks, a white shirt, and a green neck tie every day of the week. He parted his hair slightly above his left ear and combed over a few brassy blonde strands to try and cover the top of his bald head. He always dimmed the lights in the class room and sat on a stool near his overhead projector reading economic charts, mumbling barely above a whisper, occasionally looking up and glancing at his students over the top of his reading glasses.

             
Esther’s stomach rumbled, she looked at the clock hanging over the door and sighed. Another thirty minutes before she could escape. The only thing keeping her from falling asleep was the hunger pains gnawing inside her.  She had gotten home late last night. She and Reed left the diner around eleven and by the time they took the hour and a half drive back to her house it was nearly one in the morning. Then to her dismay her mother was waiting up for her so by the time she answered all her mother’s questions she didn’t actually get into bed until two in the morning.

Reed never voiced his opinion on the whole situation. The entire ride home was somewhat awkward and silent leaving Esther feeling sad and wondering if he thought she was as crazy as her friend and if he did she figured she would probably never hear from him again. He never said anything about Rosie’s book or Grant’s accounting of Chowilawu and when he dropped her at her house He had nothing to say except he hoped David would recover and then he left leaving her feeling as if her chances with him were gone.  She overslept and skipped breakfast just to make it to school on time. She didn’t mind being a little late at least she didn’t have to answer all the questions everyone was throwing her way.

              The news about David being shot and his connection to Felicitas made the rounds and some of the most atrocious spins on the story were coming out. Someone told her that the news crew had been at the school early this morning reporting the story and interviewing some of the students. Between classes she heard such accountings as David and Felicitas were both drug dealers and the drug lord had gotten Felicitas pregnant and shot David because he was going to black mail them both. Esther overheard a freshman girl telling her friends it all made sense since the Rebolds were so rich and everyone knew ministers didn’t make that much money. Another rumor circling the school said David was shot because he knew Felicitas was having an affair with a forty year old man she met on the internet and he was the father of her child not Ian. Then she heard another ridiculous allegation that Felicitas was really a vampire and David had witnessed her drinking blood and had to be killed.

             
The door to the classroom opened allowing a ray of light to penetrate the gloomy atmosphere and interrupt Esther’s musings.  An office aid entered with a call slip and handed the paper to Mr. Foster who read it and then looked over the top of his glasses at Esther. Miss Goodban vice Principle Merk wishes to see you.

Esther grabbed her purse and notebook happy to be released from economic prison but anxiously wondering why she had been summoned to the office.

              Esther pushed open the door to the main office and approached the front desk. She informed the aid that she was there to see Vice Principal Merk. The look on the aids face told Esther that she already knew. She was instructed not to go into Merk’s office but to go to the conference room instead, that they were waiting for her there, to which Esther wondered who
they
were. She heard the aid whisper to her friend at the desk as she made her way back to the room.

             
Esther gave a polite knock and once she heard Vice Principal Merk’s command to come in she pushed open the weighty door and entered. Her heart sank when she saw two uniformed officers, Detective Russell, and Melvin Rebold all occupying seats at the table. Vice Principal Merk flashed her trained smile and with a graceful flow of her hand offered Esther the seat closest to her. Esther liked MS Merk; unlike most of the faculty she was one hundred percent for the students and always seemed to go the extra mile at least where Esther and Felicitas were concerned and was the biggest supporter of the Purity Club during its beginnings.

             
“Thank you for joining us Esther I am so sorry to have called you out of class.”

             
Esther wasn’t sorry she was thankful. “It’s alright.”

             
“Esther allow me to introduce Detective Russell…”

             
“We’ve met.” Esther’s voice was cool. She didn’t like the man and she didn’t care to show it.

             
“Well alright then.” Vice Principal Merk eyed Esther surprised at her tone and continued on. “Seeing you already are acquainted then I will let the men take over. Mr. Rebold is concerned about his family and has some questions he would like to ask you.”

             
Esther was suspicious. “Do I need an attorney?” 

             
Ms. Merk bit her bottom lip to keep from smiling.

             
“Well I sure hope not Esther. I don’t think you are being accused of anything illegal dear, I think the gentlemen just have a few questions.”

             
Esther was still suspicious and thought that Ms. Merk had no idea what kind of man Detective Russell was.

             
Melvin spoke not being able to contain himself any longer.

             
“When is the last time you spoke with Felicitas?”

             
Esther’s heart crawled into her throat, his question rang with catastrophe.

             
“Late last night why?”

             
“So you haven’t heard from her this morning?”

             
“No, not since late last night around eleven, before Reed and I left.  Why is something wrong?”

             
Detective Russell took over the questioning. “Did they say what their plans were for today?”

             
Esther crossed her hands in front of her and sucked her bottom lip. “I refuse to answer any more questions unless you answer mine. I asked you why and you‘re being very rude by not answering me?”

             
“They didn’t come home this morning.” Melvin said.

             
“That’s what all this is about?” She was relieved.

             
“Sharon called me early this morning and said she and Felicitas were heading home and would be here around eight-thirty or nine. By ten I called Rosie and she said they left at seven thirty with that redneck Grant.  They should have been here three hours ago.”

             
The dread returned.

             
“Did you try their cells?”

             
“Of course I did, both go directly to their voice mail.”

             
“What about Rosie? Is she concerned?”

             
“She seems to be, she said she would send Sheriff Edwards looking for them but I doubt that will do any good since I think they are all in cahoots.”

             
Esther rolled her eyes in disagreement. I beg to differ with you Reverend Rebold but I’d hardly call it cahoots. They simply believe each other and are standing beside what they believe.”

             
“And are you siding with them Miss Goodban?” Detective Russell interrupted. “I did notice you were on the front porch yesterday. Let me ask you, how did you come to know Miss Rebolds whereabouts?”

             
“I was visiting David at the hospital when I met Felicitas grandmother Rosie. She said Felicitas was staying with her and took me there to see her.”

             
“So you believe Miss Rebold’s story?”

             
“Yes I do.”

             
“Why is that?”

             
Esther eyed Melvin even though he didn’t ask the question.

             
“Because Felicitas doesn’t lie. “

             
She looked at Vice Principal Merk. “May I be excused?”

             
“Not yet Miss Goodban,” Detective Russell answered for Ms. Merk. “I have a few other questions concerning David and the attempted murder that took place on Saturday night.”

             
Vice Principal Merk cleared her throat. “Excuse me Detective Russell but I am afraid those questions will have to take place when Esther has her parents or at least an attorney present.”

             
Detective Russell gave a chauvinistic smirk. “It’s my duty to investigate an attempted murder of a young man and now the recent disappearance of Miss Rebold and her mother. I feel Miss Goodban may have some vital information on that case.”

             
Vice Principal Merk straightened her shoulders. “And it is my duty to protect my student’s best interest.” She nodded at Esther. “You are dismissed.”

             
Esther grabbed her bag grateful, and left the room. Economics was over and it was her lunch period but she wasn’t staying. She signed out at the front desk and no one questioned her since she had just spent time in the back with the police and a Detective. She pulled her cell from her purse and dialed Felicitas phone as she walked to her car. It went straight to her voice mail. She wanted to call Reed and ask him to drive with her out towards Rosie’s to look for Felicitas but she couldn’t. She didn’t want to involve him anymore and besides he had spent all day there yesterday. She pulled out her keys to unlock her jeep when she heard a car pulling up behind her.

             
“Cutting class?”

             
She whirled around and sighed.

             
“Ian, what are you doing on campus?”

             
“Looking for you”

             
“Why?”

             
“Have you heard Taz is missing again?”

             
“Yep just finished being interrogated by that rude detective. How did you find out?”

             
“Her dad called me. Have you heard from her?”

             
“No.”

             
He frowned.

             
“I know she’s with that pervert and if he huts her I swear to God….”

             
Esther interrupted his threats.

             
“Ian I spent time with him and her grandmother last night and I think they are harmless. I think you should trust Taz in the fact that something supernatural has happened to her.”

             
He rolled his eyes.

             
“I thought you were smarter than that Esther.”

             
Esther sighed and leaned on one leg sticking her hip out.

             
“It takes brilliance to believe in something ignorant people cannot fathom.”

             
Ian just stared at her and then motioned for the door with his head.

             
“Get in.”

              “To look for Taz.”