Flee From Evil (34 page)

“Sky’s involved?”

Sophie’s lips quivered. Her voice broken. “Yes.”

“Lew, take Sophie out of here.” Would this ever be done? “Vince and I will look for Sky.”

Vince didn’t protest. Just helped to load her daughter into the car. Her hands still bound behind her. Vince took a hack-saw from his pack. “Get her far from here and break her free from the cuffs as soon as you can.”

Lew nodded, pulled the vehicle back from the tree, letting the empty shell of Perkin’s body fall to the earth, then drove away.

Cassandra shivered at the corpse that had once held the spirit of a man. What would he have been like had he known the Savior? She shivered then turned to Vince who’s appearance filled her with strength. He took her hand then led her through the path to the cabin while surveying the area.

“Where’s Chen?” Every crackle of leaves set Cassandra’s nerves on edge.

Vince shook his head. “I haven’t seen him since I entered the house. There were gunshots, but I heard Chen’s explosions afterward, so I guess he didn’t get hit.”

“Explosions?”

“Yeah, he used them as diversions.”

A hand flung Vince to the ground.

“Man, you’re noisy.” Chen glared at Vince in the leaves. “I think that Perkins dude is back,” he whispered. “He’ll find you guys for sure.”

“Perkins is dead.” Cassandra said, trying to keep the image of his vacant eyes from coming back.

Chen’s brow narrowed. “You sure.”

“Yes.” Vince stood. “Where’s the kid?”

“The blond guy? He’s under a tree.”

Cassandra sighed so hard she deflated. “He’s dead?” It made her sad as well as relieved.

Chen hesitated. “Hope not.” He looked between them. “Kid saved my life.”

“I heard him shoot at you.”

“Naw. He wasn’t shooting at me. He shot into the air, trying to threaten me so I’d leave. When I set off the last blast, a tree came down toward me. The kid shoved me out of the way and got hit instead.”

“I thought you knew what you were doing.” Vince glared.

Chen shrugged. “Never used explosives before. Loud’s not my style.”

Cassandra started to run. “We better find him.”

Calling 911 as they followed Chen’s direction, she rounded bushes and jumped over fallen trunks. Finally, they came to the spot where the young man lay, face down. “Sky?”

No answer.

Vince felt for a pulse. “He’s still alive.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

“Punch Billy’s number in for me, Sophie.”

The young girl in the passenger seat of Vince’s Elantra took his cell and scrolled through the names. The new layered haircut Kat had given her after Vince’s knife sliced through it to free her from the duct tape, looked cute.

“I bet he’s had the whole crew at the Crenshaw house for an hour already.” Vince wanted to be insulted that Billy still had such little faith in Vince’s ability to help in the repairs, but since Cass asked him to take both Sophie and Tibo to the event so she could catch up on a few things, he didn’t care so much today. It was good to have his daughter safe beside him. And it was good that Cass trusted him to take them. He’d been concerned their truce had turned cold since the rescue. Cass had seemed distracted. A little aloof.

Vince looked at the beautiful girl thumbing through his cell, still sporting traces of the red swellings from the duct tape on her face, and his heart filled with pride. When would those tests come back to confirm it so he and Cass could finally tell her the truth? Would Sophie be glad to know? Or would she hate him for the role he played in her mother’s sacrifices?

Sophie pressed on the screen. Ringing.

“Hey.”

“How long you been there, Billy?”

“Uh, I don’t know.” Some shuffling in the background. “You got me on speaker?”

“Yeah, Sophie and Tibo are with me.”

“You know I hate speaker.”

“Comes from having too many secrets.” Vince winked at Sophie.

She giggled.

“So, did the extra hour put you ahead of schedule?”

“It might’ve if I hadn’t forgotten my tools. We’ve been sharing all morning.”

“I’m on my way. I’ll swing by your house and get your box.”

“Uh, no, that’s okay. We’re good.”

“You just said—”

“No, no Vince.”

“I’ll get it. See you in ten.” Vince heard the guy sigh before ending the call. What was up with that?

“Are you really that bad with a hammer?” The traces of Cass in Sophie’s smile unnerved him.

Vince turned to the windshield. “No. I just need more practice, that’s all.”

Once in front of the Lewis’s house Smokey greeted them.

“Oh, they have a dog? Tibo loves dogs. Is he friendly?”

Vince pointed to the grass. “Yeah. There’s his favorite toy. Why don’t you and Tibo play with him until I come out.” His eyebrows wiggled. “You know how Kat likes to talk. It might be a while.”

“Come on, Tibo,” Sophie grabbed the ragged tennis ball from the lawn. The dog leapt and barked until she threw it out to the side of the house.

Tibo shrieked in laughter as the dog ran back, dropped it at his feet, and licked his hands.

Kat opened the door before Vince even ascended the stairs. “What are you doing here?”

“I feel so welcome.” Vince eyed the woman blocking the entrance. “I came for Billy’s tools.”

“He sent you?” Why was she so incredulous?

“I offered.”

She stood there.

“Are you going to get them, or should I search the garage myself?”

Uncertainty played through her face. She pivoted and strode through the living room. Vince meandered around as he always did there. After all, he’d lived there once too. He’d always appreciate the way they’d given him a home when he had none. But that was who they were.

Kat met Vince in the kitchen. “Here you go.” She hefted up the large, multi-drawered box.

He took it from her then noticed a person outside on the deck. “Who’s that?”

Kat’s eyes turned warily. She played with the pages of a recipe book on the counter. “It’s Sky.”

Vince’s body tensed. “What’s he doing here?”

“We took him in.” She lifted a shoulder. “At least until after his hearing. He had nowhere else to go.”

“You took in a stranger?”

“He’s not a stranger. I’ve known him since he was six. His mother used to work the sub shop next to the salon, and Sky always hung out with me.”

Vince’s jaw went slack. He didn’t know how to respond.

“Besides,” she swallowed hard, “I feel a little responsible for him ending up with Kevin.”

“How’s that?”

“When his mom worked, he’d come and help out at the shop, collecting towels from the stations and sweeping the hair off the floor.” Her smile was melancholy. “The industrial broom was twice his size.”

She shrugged. “He was always such a good boy. He even drew pictures for me. Those are the ones I framed in the shop.”

“He drew those?” Vince never expected that from Sky

“Yes.” She grimaced. “One day, when he was about ten, I noticed these awful scars on his hand. I suspected they were cigarette burns and called Social Services. I never saw the boy again, and always wondered if he was okay.” Her voice cracked. “Then Billy told me what happened … I can’t believe he ended up with that creep.”

Vince pointed emphatically. “That boy helped to kidnap my—uh—Sophie, and you’re letting him live here?”

“If you really believe he’s so bad, why did you tell the police how he’d saved Chen, and that you believe he’d been coerced?”

“A weak moment on my part.”

She leveled her gaze on him. “You know that’s not true.”

“Still, I don’t want him anywhere near Sophie.”

~*~

Sophie threw the ball. It rolled into the water. Smokey leapt in after it. Uh-oh, Kat might not want the dog sopped.

Tibo’s laugh was infectious as the large animal trotted over then shook so hard her brother was splattered with the smell of wet fur.

“C’mon, Tibo, we need to go inside and save Pastor Vince from conversation.” She trotted up the stairs of the large back deck.

Sky’s brown eyes met her at the top. Her lungs squeezed with the strange dance of averting and staring at the same time. Her mind played images of the fun they’d shared, interspersed with the evil mask she’d created of him in her tape-bound visions. She’d heard the discussion between Pastor Vince and her mom about what he’d done for Chen, and none of it made sense.

She rubbed at the itch the adhesive had left on her face. “I heard you saved Chen’s life.”

He lifted a shoulder.

She thought about what her father had taught her in her visions about loving your enemies. Still the words were bitter on her tongue. “I’m glad you’re okay. I mean, from the tree.”

His attention fell to the drawing on the table in front of him. She narrowed her vision to the detailed sketch of the view from the deck—small boats docked at piers, water rippling around them. She didn’t know he could draw like that. Why hadn’t he shared that with her before?

Because their friendship was a lie.

“Thanks,” he finally said.

Sophie checked behind her to make sure Tibo was coming. He was. She headed for the sliding glass door.

“Soph?”

A shiver erupted at the familiar use of her name, but she couldn’t turn back. “What?”

“You talked about forgiveness … well …in the … before.” The pause was immeasurable. She couldn’t move. Her emotions so jumbled there was no way to make them behave.

His intake of breath was audible. “Do you think some day you could forgive me?”

Her eyelids lowered with the ache in her heart. Her lips could barely form the words. “I forgive you Sky.”

“Then—”

“I forgive you, Sky … but I will never—
ever—
trust you again.” She rolled the door open and turned to prompt Tibo inside.

Tibo ran up the stairs giggling, the dog nipping at his heels. His eyes lit when he saw Sky.

“Hey, little man.” Sky wheeled from the table and held up his hand.

He’s in a wheelchair?

Tibo slapped a high-five, and Sky pointed toward the door. “Your sister’s waiting. You better get going.”

~*~

Vince watched Sophie help Tibo out of the car. His chest burned for the girl after her run-in with Sky. She didn’t want to talk about it and Vince didn’t push, not officially having that role in her life … yet. It probably didn’t help that her project with Tibo working in the garden would remind her of Sky even more. Vince would have to check on her intermittently and make sure she was okay.

When would those genetic tests come back? He couldn’t wait for the day he could tell her all.

He hefted Billy’s toolbox from the trunk and lugged it past Eddie who was edging the lawn. “Eddie, what are you doing here?”

Eddie turned off the weed-wacker. “It’s my mom’s house. Wasn’t gonna let your saints do all the work.”

“Couldn’t you just pay someone to do the lawn work?”

Eddie’s cheek twitched. “That’s what I was thinkin’, till that Yolanda chick came by to drop off another casserole.”

“Uh-oh.”

“Gave me an earful about how I should take care of my ‘mama’ and spend more time with her.” His eyes widened. “Man, that woman was cold.”

“Sorry about that.”

Eddie shrugged. “S’okay.” A smile edged up one side of his face. “She had all this fire in her eyes and passion in her voice. It was kinda hot. I think I might ask her out sometime.”

Vince hitched up Billy’s tool box and turned before Eddie could see his eyes bulge. “Good luck with that one.”

He lugged the tool chest to Billy in the side yard and dropped it at his boots.

Billy clapped him on the shoulder with a Cheshire grin. “You found them.”

“Yeah, that’s not all I found at your house.”

Billy released a nervous laugh. “Glad you were lucky, then.” He pulled the drill from the box then headed down the walk.

“Hey, what do you want me to do?”

Billy grunted and smirked. “Ask Pop. He’s got some ideas.”

Vince liked this plan. At least Lew was willing to teach him. Vince caught the man as he walked past, carrying a two-by-four. “Billy says you have a job for me.”

A slow grin grew. “Yep.” He dropped the wood.

“Is it the fence? I’m getting better at fences.”

“Nope.” Lew threw an arm around him and led him inside the house. “You know how you made the speech at church about how we’re all different parts of the body? You know, different gifts working together?”

“You were there?”

He nodded. “Way in the back … in case I snored.”