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“The guy who went to prison, Ezekiel James. I’m betting this Malachi James is his son. And if so, I’d stake money on Rebecca being his mother. I’m not one-hundred percent positive, but I’ll find out. Tonight. I have ways of making people talk. She’ll find I’m quite persuasive.”
Becky shut her eyes and sucked in a sharp breath. She’d seen Reece at his worst and didn’t plan to hang around to endure an interrogation. It was time to make herself scarce. She needed to get out of Loyalsock State Forest. Taking the time to grab her things could be the difference between life and death. If she could get back to Worlds End, Malachi could still do something about Reece. He could take over. All it would take was a nudge in the right direction. Now. With no vehicle, no driver’s license, and no sense of direction, escaping would be a challenge, but it was better than the alternative. Slipping away silently, she avoided her tent and found shelter in the woods. It wouldn’t be long before the sun went down and the temperatures dropped. Darkness came early when you were deep in the woods.
Wisps of smoke from the firepit burned Reece’s eyes. He waved away the smoke and grabbed a fistful of Clarence’s shirt. “Find Becky! She trusts you. Make her believe she’s safe with you and get her back here.” The expression on Clarence’s face remained placid. The older man was unrattled by Reece’s tirade. A trait that both impressed and annoyed him in equal parts.
“What if she won’t come with me?”
“Bring her by force.”
“And if I can’t?”
“Dispose of the problem. One way or another, Rebecca Groves will cease to be an issue for me. Take care of her, or I’ll take care of you. Got it?”
“Sure, boss. I’ll handle Becky.”
Reece plopped down on a log and stared at the glowing embers. They would fade in time. So would the community’s memories of him. It was time to move on. They’d welcomed him, and he’d easily blended in with them, leaving the past behind, but the outside world threatened to infringe on the life he’d found.
A new identity in a faraway place was his best bet. Somewhere brimming with people where a man with a storied past could fade into the shadows of the skyscrapers. First, he needed a new identification. Papers proving he was someone he wasn’t. Once he had those in hand, he’d disappear. He closed his eyes against thoughts of Dorcas and the twins. They couldn’t join him where he was going. It was hard enough to disappear as a single man. Dragging along a family would prove tedious in the extreme. Besides, if he forced her to leave her community, she’d want answers, and he refused to answer to anyone but himself. Answering to his father was what got him into the mess he was in to begin with.
Chapter Twenty-One
Aggressive barking greeted Malachi and Cate when they arrived at Hector’s place. He answered the door with a scowl. “Whatcha want?” A do-rag covered greasy dark hair that curled over his collar. The man kept his hold on the collars of two fierce dogs Malachi assumed were Dobermans.
“Was hoping to ask you a few questions about a community that used to be here.”
“What for?”
“I lived there as a child.”
“Give me a sec.”
Hector came back several minutes later without the dogs, but they didn’t quiet down. And he didn’t invite them in. “What do you want to know?”
“I was taken from the community when the FBI raided it when I was a child, but from what I understand they reestablished themselves.”
“That’s true.”
The dogs finally quieted down, and Malachi could once again hear himself think. “I believe my biological mother remains with them, so anything you can tell me would be a tremendous help.”
“Oh. Sure. I get it now. You’re looking for your mama.” He pulled a pack of smokes from his shirt pocket, shook one loose, and lit it. “About a month ago, they up and left. Don’t know where they went, but they’re gone now.”
“No idea where they might’ve gone?”
“Nah.”
“Ever hear of a guy named Reece? I heard he’s running things now.” Malachi glanced around him. Something didn’t sit right. Too quiet. Too still.
Hector took a drag of his cigarette and stared out at the mountain range in the distance. “Yeah. He was running things. Didn’t much like people asking questions though.”
“Any clue where he came from?”
“None. Look, I’ve got work to do.”
“Sure. We’ll get out of your way. Thanks for talking with us. If you think of anything more, give me a call.” He turned to Cate. “Do you have a pen and paper?” She gave him a pen and a receipt. Malachi wrote his number on the back and handed it to him. “Thanks for your time.”
Malachi opened the passenger door for Cate and a loud crack split the area. The bullet whizzed over them, missing his head by centimeters. He pushed Cate into the car. “Stay down.”
“Is that gunfire?”
