Tom reached the clearing in the woods and stopped walking.
“Haven’t been back here since we were kids,” Roland said.
“The Spot hasn’t changed any,” Tom said.
Tom’s back was to a tree. Roland was facing him.
“Where is Jill?”
“With a friend.”
“I want to see her. Nothing happens until I do.”
“Then we wait.”
Roland’s phone rang while they were waiting. Tom watched Roland check the number, then answer the call.
“Don’t do anything stupid,” Tom heard Roland say. “Just get out of there…. I don’t care how…. The Spot… I’ll wait for you here. Be safe.”
Roland put his phone away just as Frank Dee came lumbering down the only path to the Spot. Roland trained his flashlight on Dee. Jill was wrapped in Dee’s massive arms. She was blindfolded and gagged with a bandanna. Her wrists were bound, too.
Tom rushed toward her. But Roland waved his gun, which made Tom stop. He motioned for Dee to take Jill into the woods.
“You buried my drugs in the dirt?” Roland said to Tom.
“Not the dirt,” Tom said, pointing to the quarry.
“My drugs have been underwater for fifteen years? You ruined ten million dollars of heroin?”
“I made sure the packages stayed protected,” Tom said. “I wanted to preserve the drugs and any fingerprint evidence in case I needed some leverage.”
“Good thinking. You ready to go swimming?”
“And if I do this, you’ll let Jill go.”
“I will.”
“But she’s got you for kidnapping, Boyd. Why should I believe she’ll be safe after?”
“Somebody kidnapped her,” said Roland. “She didn’t see who it was. She can’t prove I was involved. I’m not worried.”
“And what if I refuse?”
“Then my heroin won’t be the only thing buried in that quarry.”
Chapter 80
Rainy and Carter each drew their weapons. Adriana screamed Mitchell’s name. Meanwhile, Rainy searched the living room. Nothing. She ran down the long hallway that opened into the kitchen. Empty as well.
“Is there another way to get upstairs?” Rainy called to Adriana, who’d been trailing close behind her.
“No. But there’s a door to the basement from the mudroom.”
“Is there a basement door to the outside?”
“Only the bulkhead,” Adriana said, her voice shaking like her hands. “The basement is below ground. But the bulkhead’s locked from the outside.”
“Carter, cover me.”
Rainy pressed her back up against the wall and used the door as a shield when she flung it open. She popped off the wall, spun around, and sank down into a crouching position. She trained her weapon into the dark stairwell.
“Mitchell Boyd,” Rainy called into the black. “If you’re in the basement, I need you to show yourself now. Keep your hands where I can see them.”
“Mitchell,” Adriana echoed from behind Rainy. “Do what she says. Please, just come up and let’s talk about this.”
Rainy whirled around. She hadn’t realized Adriana stood so close behind. “You’ve got to get out of here,” Rainy said.
“I’m not leaving my son,” Adriana snapped.
Rainy refocused on the stairwell. She stood, took a single step down into this vast darkness, feeling the walls for a light switch. She flicked the switch on. The stairwell remained dark. She flicked it again. Still no light.
“Do you have a fuse box down there?” Rainy asked Adriana.
“Yes,” Adriana said.
“Carter, go get a flashlight from Mrs. Boyd.”
Rainy took another step down, her body halfway between the light and dark.
“Mitchell, you’re not in any trouble,” Rainy said. “But you’re creating a threatening situation for federal agents. This is not a smart choice. You need to show yourself right now.”
Rainy stopped to listen. She heard a soft creak, knew the sound well. Footsteps. But coming up or going down? Rainy felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. She didn’t turn around. Keeping her eyes forward, hoping they’d adjust to the lack of light, Rainy held up her hand. Carter pressed a metal flashlight into the palm. Rainy took another step down. Again, she stopped to listen. She heard a stair groan, louder this time than last, and higher up, she thought. He’s definitely coming up the stairs.
Rainy turned on the flashlight. She shone the beam down the stairs. The beam cut through the darkness and illuminated Mitchell Boyd, standing on a stair landing many steps beneath her.
Rainy thought the boy looked exceptionally frightened. She took a cautious step backward. As she did, Rainy focused her flashlight beam on Mitchell’s hands and found the reason he looked so afraid.
“Gun!” Rainy shouted. “He’s got a gun!”
A burst of flame erupted from the barrel of Mitchell’s weapon. Rainy fell, smashing her lower back hard against the unforgiving sill. The bullet whizzed over her head. Her nostrils filled with the acrid stench of gunpowder. The fall and blow to her back took Rainy’s breath away.
Stunned, Rainy couldn’t control her slide down the stairs. She bounced down each step, slamming her back against one stair’s edge, sliding to another, and repeating the painful pattern a dozen times over on her way down. Even with her ears still ringing from the gunshot, she could hear the flashlight clattering as it tumbled into the darkness.
The dark of the stairwell turned bright again, but only for brief flashes. Rainy heard two quick pops. The bullets fired from Mitchell’s gun slammed into the stairs where Rainy’s sliding body had just been. Splintered wood peppered her face and hair. Rainy aimed her weapon at the flashes of light and pulled the trigger. Her unsteady hand jumped with the gun’s recoil. She heard a grunt, followed by the sound of a body falling. Rainy finished her slide down. She expected to slam into the stairwell wall, but Mitchell’s body cushioned her impact.
Rainy felt around in the inky darkness for his weapon. Soon her fingers brushed against something steel. Rainy pushed the weapon down the remaining stairs. Still fumbling in the dark, Rainy felt something wet and sticky to the touch. A flashlight beam lit Rainy from above. Behind her, Rainy heard a woman’s scream. She turned to see Adriana hurrying down the stairs, her flashlight beam jostled wildly with each unsteady step. The light danced back and forth, creating a miniature strobe.
Rainy could see what had made Adriana scream. Mitchell lay slumped on the landing with his back pressed up against the wall. Blood pooled around him.
Adriana reached the landing and fell to her knees. She caressed Mitchell’s cheek, shining her flashlight on his face.
“Baby! Mitchell! Can you hear me?” Adriana put her ear to Mitchell’s chest. “He’s breathing! Call an ambulance. Hurry!” she shouted.
“I’m on it,” Carter yelled from above.
“Give me your flashlight,” Rainy said. “I’m going to check the fuse box. We need light.”
Adriana handed Rainy her light. Rainy used the flashlight to look around. She could see the distraught mother stroking her son’s face with blood-covered hands. She checked Mitchell, making sure he wasn’t still armed. She also could see where she’d shot him in the shoulder. Another few inches to the right and he’d probably have been paralyzed, more likely killed.
The kid was hurt, but he’d live.
“Where did he get a weapon?” Rainy called to Adriana as soon as she reached the basement.
“It’s probably Roland’s gun,” Adriana shouted back. “Mitchell knows where he keeps the key to the gun safe.”